Flowers In Bluebird Canyon

The Dinner  Plate Dahlia's are having a very good year.

Floral Friday

Every Dahlia I have ever planted is coming up this summer.  These are the early bloomers.

The roses have rallied a second time and are blooming profusely.

These roses are too heavy for these thin stems.

I have five Angel's Trumpet Trees.  Two trees are white and three are yellow.   I would like to
add a pink and a red one.  I know they exist!

The trumpet flowers have a sweet smell and buzz all day with bees.  There is a healthy
population of bees in Bluebird Canyon.  I do my part and plant many flowers!

The  Angel's Trumpet Tree has exploded with poisonous flowers!


Home and Garden Thursday

The Champa tree is from India and is known for its heady fragrance.  
Also called the Joy
Perfume Tree, Champa flowers are used to make the world's
most expensive perfume.   I planted this tree two years ago and it is enormous.
The Joy Perfume Tree is  getting ready to bloom and the air smells so sweet.

What's Growing In The Garden

The 4th of July rose is ready for summer!
Amaze Me Monday

The Canna lily is new in the garden.

The clematis vine is winding around and looking super happy!

There are more poppies than ever!

Here is a barrel of sunflowers and zinnias. 

These are the first dahlia's of the year.  It's always a surprise when they bloom because they are
too big and beautiful to be real.

The hollyhocks look like fluffy pink carnations.  They are taller than me now.  

The tomatoes and weed are maturing fast!

Feeling Festive

This week I am featuring a new painting on the mantle!  I found a vintage frame in my collection and it was a perfect
fit for this painting.  I used to go to the farms in Irvine and set up and paint the Eucalyptus trees that
were planted as a windbreak.  There are not many trees left today.  Instead there are  many new housing developments.

On display is my Mother's lalique purple butterfly and a yellow teapot I found hidden in her cupboard.
Corinne did not like yellow and used to eject any yellow flowers from the house.  The teapot met a similar fate
and was banished to the very back of a shelf.  At first I thought it was broken and then I realized it was just yellow.

I had a very small cactus that was root bound, so I planted it in the ground.  Now it is an enormous tree.  It gets white
giant orchid like flowers that are spectacular and last for a day.

My garden is looking extremely festive.  Summer is officially here!

Mosaic Monday

                                                             Masterpiece Monday

Canyon View

Everyday there is a new poppy blooming in the garden.  This week my house got a treat as well!

My kitchen windows were rusted and the glass was cracked.  So I made the leap and
ordered new windows!  The house was built in 1948 and these look like the originals.

*

My home is three stories clinging to a cliff overlooking a large garden.  The kitchen is on the top and I
feel like I
am on a great sailing ship

Mosaic Monday
Home sweet home

Art In The Park In Beverly HIlls

Would you buy a painting from this woman?

I spent the weekend at the Beverly Hills Art in the Park.  It was a beautiful show.  I rented an SUV and
transported everything with the help of my friend Terry Reno.
We spent the evenings in West Hollywood and had some wonderful dinners at Tortilla Republic.  Dropped in on
an art opening at Louis Stern Fine Arts.  Terry and I know Jean Stern, so it made it seem like a small world in the
 "big city" to run into his brother.

I am so happy to be home.  This is the view from my deck.

Poppies and roses are the grand event in  the garden!
Mosaic Monday
Fabulous creative Friday

These hybrid poppies are spectacular!  I hope they last a while.   The heat wave has let up and the garden is relieved.

A Beautiful Day In Bluebird Canyon

This is my favorite view of the redwood trees at the top of the garden, framed by enormous Cypress sentinels.   I also  have fig trees, persimmon trees , pomegranate trees, an apricot tree, an avocado tree and two plum trees.   There is still room for more.

The garden is full of frolicking humming birds.    Generations of humming bird families have "that blonde lady" in their DNA.  They are very nervy and buzz around me in a crazy, familiar way. 

Bluebird Canyon is blooming.
Home sweet home
Amaze me Monday

Hybrid poppies are making their appearance.

Delores Hope roses are having a good spring!

The pomegranate tree is feeling lucky this year.    I hope the blossoms stay put and develop into fruit!
My garden calms my soul with it's peaceful gloriously beautiful abundance of spring.  And so far no bunnies!

Funky Purses

Sometimes I get the urge to make purses and bags.  I love combining beaded medallions with Navajo
buttons and animal print fabric with velvet.

Leather straps with silver conchos and fringe will always be my favorite theme and style for a bag.
I make them extra long so they go across the shoulder and rest on the hip.

I call this purse the "Barbara".
Amaze me Monday
Wow us Wednesday
Home sweet home

I love animal prints, especially leopard.   Antique chairs are especially
fine for a leopard makeover!
A camel bag from Uzbekistan completes the look.
I collect antique ethnic textiles and anything with tassels!

Mosaic Monday