Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Mother Nature Knows Best and A Winner


Mr. Tide wanted me to thank everyone for your sweet birthday wishes, he had a very happy birthday!  And I hope everyone who celebrated Memorial Day yesterday had a wonderful time with friends and family.  We had a small cookout at our house to celebrate not only the holiday, but also our son's impending graduation!  There was lots of good food like hamburgers, hot dogs, waldorf salad, coleslaw, potato salad, fresh veggies, strawberries, and baked beans.  Of course there were lots of yummy desserts too, like brownies and a delicious blueberry pie made my my neighbor "J"!  It is always so much fun to have friends and family gathered around and to get caught up on what everyone has been doing, and a cookout is such a fun and casual way to host a party!



Today was spent hanging out and trying to recover from eating too much yesterday, but we did manage to spend some time outside enjoying a cool breeze in the shade and visiting with my in-laws. 



While wandering around outside I decided to snap a few photos of our lawn knickknacks and some of our flowers, while Mr. Tide decided he would take a few pictures of things that interested him, like this beautiful wood fungus.  I love the pale blue greens and grays and how mother nature can make even a fungus look exquisite!



Or the striking electric blue, golden yellow, and black combo of this lovely butterfly!



And often times it's not just the colors that really draw the eye in to something found in nature, it's often the textures as well.  Mr. Tide captured this unique tree knot that I think looks a lot like a conch shell, Mr. Tide thinks it looks like a bear's face if you tip your head to the left and squint a little!



Of course we all know that we can't improve on nature, but I still like to add my little yard art to the pots on the porch to add some interest.  This glass and metal sun face came from Walmart or Target years ago, and I still love putting it out each summer!



I also have this sweet little metal grasshopper, complete with spiderwebs from being tucked in the back of the garage all winter!



And this painted stone is one of my favorite yard ornaments.  It was a gift from my in-laws, and I think it's so clever, colorful, and cheerful!



And getting back to colors and how mother nature just seems to be a color specialist without even trying, take a look at this amazing combo...I love the dusty gray moth against that soft pale pink of the clover, perfection!



I think this Lantana is like a tropical sunset rolled into a beautiful flower!



Doesn't this just make you want to run out and buy a few tangerine, yellow, and magenta pillows to throw out onto your screened in porch or deck?!  This color combo makes me want to kick back and sip a fruity drink with an umbrella in it while watching the sun slowly sink into the ocean!



And this Lantana is equally as colorful with shades of pink, cream, yellow and orange.  I want a sundress, earrings, or shoes with this color combo to wear all summer long!



And the deep purple of this clematis would be the perfect color to paint a couple of adirondack chairs to put down by the water in my backyard!



Even when mother nature is in a bad mood she manages to be dressed to the nines.  White and blue is always a great and very nautical combo!



These clouds were so pretty and dramatic, but they were fair warning to stay of the water and out of mother nature's way this afternoon!



And even amidst her dismay she still put together this dramatic combo of bright green and dark bluish gray!  She really is the best at what she does, and I wouldn't want to go up against her on Design Star!





And because you have all been so patient for letting me ramble on about the colors found in nature, I won't make you wait a minute longer to find out the winner of the giveaway from Frosted Trash!

It's lucky #30, the lovely and very sweet Linda from the great blog Itsy Bits and Pieces!  Congrats Linda, just send me an email with your mailing address and I'll get the necklace in the mail to you right away!

25 comments:

  1. Gorgeous photos! Congrats to the winner of the beautiful necklace.

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  2. Congratulations to Lucky Linda.

    Loved the beautiful flowers, especially the clematis and the pretty lantana in this post. That fungus is very photogenic, too if I must say so myself.

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  3. It sounds like you have many things to celebrate at the moment. So glad you had a nice time with family over the weekend and congrats to your son.

    I am trying to catch up on my blog reading after many days of work, a weekend getaway, and a broken computer.

    I hope that you are feeling better now and that you have a wonderful week.

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  4. I'm so happy for her...that was a fabulous giveaway! The clouds have been so awesome..I take LOTS of cloud photos! Love your little grasshopper and painted stone. We have lots of lantana, too. It really spreads like crazy! Enjoy your evening! ♥

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  5. Your photos are stunning! I think there is nothing prettier than flowers and a blue sky.
    You have captured both so beautifully.

    hugs
    Sissie

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  6. Thanks for sharing such wonderful pictures. It is amazing how the simplest thing can seem so beautiful when photographed.

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  7. Kat, those are some great photos. Congrats to Linda.

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  8. That shot of the clematis is fantastic! Took my breath away. Yes, Mother Nature is the best artist of all. I'm so glad Linda won.
    Brenda

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  9. Gorgeous photos - what an amazing butterfly and I'm with you on wanting an outfit to match that pink-orange-yellow Lantana (it's funny but I really did think that too, when I saw it).

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  10. What a great idea to paint adirondack chairs that deep purple color! Mother Nature does indeed have the best color combinations (love the grey of the moth against the pale pink clover.) Your luscious images just gave me a good dose of inspiration! Oh and congrats to Linda for winning your latest giveaway! ~Lili

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  11. I am SO happy to have won this lovely necklace! How fun! Thanks SO much! These photos are all just lovely~ how blessed you are to have such beautiful views and nature surrounding you each day! I especially love the photos of the lantana and the tree fungus! Thanks again, Kat!

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  12. Kat, I am happy you had a nice weekend. These pictures are great.!

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  13. Wow-such perfect photos. The Lantana is so perfect it doesn't look real. I really enjoyed my "trip" around your home.

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  14. A sweet hello from Frog Hollow Farm. What beautiful photos - I felt so relaxed looking through each of them and reading your descriptions! Glad that your weekend was so lovely - Ciao, bella!

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  15. very nice photos! love them all... that lantana is so pretty, me like the mix of colors but has a strong scent thou:) it's really nice to have a special moment with your family specially with so many beautiful things around!
    Congrats to the winner and have a nice wednesday to you!

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  16. Kat, I love all your pictures. The wood fungus did have some beautiful colors in it. Mother Nature is truly amazing! I love the cloud pictures too!

    Congratulation Linda-what a lucky woman you are!

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  17. What beautiful pictures! It makes me realize I don't spend enough time taking in the beauty that is always around me. :)

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  18. Don't you just love a safari in your own back yard? I had a few moments to sit in the adirondacks over the weekend and was amazed at the flora and fauna that I took in! Bunnies, chipmunks, fox {really!}, toads, dragonflies...not to mention all of the G R O W I N G that is taking place in the trees, shrubs and flowers. You can almost hear it. Your photos are absolutely gorgeous and apparently Mr. Tide is pretty handy behind the lens, as well. Sounds like your weekend was action-packed, in a GOOD way! xx Suzanne

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  19. Your flowers are just stunning -so are the pictures! Love that painted stone too -great idea!!

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  20. Hi- remember me? ;) Your photos are fabulous. Your yard must be stunning. Remind to ask you about your new fence. We are thinking of getting the same kind.

    xo,
    Kim

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  21. oh those colors are fantastic!

    ~ Emily N. from "too Blessed to Stress"

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  22. I love lantana and yours is beautiful. Glad that you had a great day!

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  23. WOW!!! Your photos are totally amazing. So many gorgeous flowers, great post! Congrats to the winner.
    Debby

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  24. Those photos are incredible. Wonderful. Tell Mr. Tide the bear doesn't have to be squinted at to see. It's as plain as day.

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  25. Uau!!!
    Your blog is amazing!!!
    I took a picture of lantana and like your way to look the flowers!
    I think with have same taste for the nature...
    If you want see
    www.carenlissa.blogspot.com
    Big hug Caren Lissa

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