fantasy art and tree chatter of aquariann

I've taken dozens of flower photos already this spring, not to mention hundreds from last year, so it can be daunting to decide what to blog about next. But today's pick for Memorial Day weekend was easy, as I thank my lucky stars for the strong souls that were willing to give all to fight for my freedoms. Amsonia, commonly called Blue Star, is a perfect plant for patriotic holidays. I came across these clusters of white and blue star-shaped flowers in the courtyard garden behind Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall at West Chester University in Pennsylvania. Not far from their pretty petals was the pink flower bush you might have seen Manicure Monday when I showed off the pink ombre nail art I wore to a breast cancer awareness 5K. Featured Flower Picks: Leftover Tulips • Strawberry Blossom • Red Geraniums How To Plant Your Own Post for Flower Friday: The only rule to play is that you can only add one link per week! The post doesn't even have to ment...

Yes, I used a breast cancer awareness fundraiser as an excuse to buy more pink hair tinsel and glittery Jamberry nail wraps on Amazon! Sprint to my Photography Field of Flowers blog if you want to read about my experience at the 7th annual DE-feet Breast Cancer 5K yesterday. I stopped to smell (and photograph) the roses while waiting at the start line. The Sunday before the race, I saw this pink flower bush on my way to a Wizard of Oz ballet and had to pose with it for Manicure Monday. Anyone know the type of blooms? Want to be a guest blogger for my Manicure Monday when I don't have new nails of my own to show off? Please fill out the form on my contact page if you're interested in a free feature. Shiny Pink Nail Art Finds

EDIT: Mermaid Jewelry Giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Janet Lee for submitting the randomly-chosen 450th entry. Please answer my email to claim your prize. Mermaids have had fairly free rein of the beach this May, as the rain has kept most of the humans away. Hopefully the sun comes out for Memorial Day weekend so those of us with skin instead of scales can enjoy the shore more. To celebrate the start of the summer season, I swam into Life's A Beach Giveaway Hop and picked another piece of my mom's handmade jewelry as the prize. She embellished a seahorse and mermaid charm with glitter, then attached it to a pearly blue guitar pick. The 1" circular pendant is strung on a 16" blue ribbon cord that closes with a silver chain extender and lobster clasp. Only one of my readers will win this one-of-a-kind necklace, but my mom is busy making more mermaid jewelry to list in my Etsy shop! Use the Rafflecopter below to enter to win worldwide giveaway befo...

While walking through the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum at James Madison University, I photographed many pretty flowers growing wildly along the forest path. My favorite type were the Virginia bluebells , although the petals weren't too plentiful. According to Gardening Know How , Virginia bluebells can bloom from early spring to mid summer, but don't do well with too much rain. And as I mentioned last Flower Friday, the rain gods danced through almost all of my Shenandoah Valley vacation and probably most of May like they did in Delaware. Featured Flower Picks: Purple Iris • Daylilies In May • English Bluebells How To Plant Your Own Post for Flower Friday: The only rule to play is that you can only add one link per week! The post doesn't even have to mention flowers, but only ones that do will be eligible for being picked as a feature next week. I will be sharing my flower image on other blog hops, namely Wordless Wednesday , and welcome all family-fr...

The rain gods took a brief intermission during my Virginia vacation to allow me to visit the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum at James Madison University. I didn't get to explore the full 125 acres because of muddy trails, but I did spend lots of time chasing bees around the azalea and rhododendron gardens. The above bumble bee stayed still the longest while enjoying a red azalea . The bee that was buzzing around the pink rhododendron below was too blurry in my other shots and missed his chance at fame. Featured Flower Picks: Pink Blossoms • Butterflies of the Caribbean • Marie-Frances Lilac How To Plant Your Own Post for Flower Friday: The only rule to play is that you can only add one link per week! The post doesn't even have to mention flowers, but only ones that do will be eligible for being picked as a feature next week. I will be sharing my flower image on other blog hops, namely Wordless Wednesday , and welcome all family-friendly links from fellow bl...

I remember being fascinated by the formations when my parents took me to Luray Caverns as a child. When Ogre and I decided to explore the Shenandoah Valley as our spring vacation, I knew I wanted to revisit the limestone caves as an adult. A Buy One, Get One Deal on Groupon made it easy to choose Shenandoah Caverns from all the intriguing underground options in Virginia. The hour tour took us a mile through seventeen spectacular "rooms" of connecting chambers. If you follow me on social media, you may have already seen my photo of their famous "Breakfast Bacon" formations. Or our selfie at Grotto of the Gods . But you know I love sparkles, so of course I had to blog about the Diamond Cascade. Come closer. And closer! The glittering minerals really do resemble a frozen waterfall. My favorite place was the "Rainbow Lake," but it was too stunning for my camera to even comprehend. Not that any of my captures do the caverns justice - you really nee...

Last week I vacationed in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and gave my blog a rest. But I'm too much of a flower fan to leave my fellow junkies strung without photos for long, so I posed with pretty petals for Manicure Monday. I found a beautiful bearded iris to match my amethyst nails outside the White Oak Lavender Farm in Harrisonburg. The glittery Jamberry wraps I'm wearing were retired awhile ago, but several other sparkle nail stickers are available on Amazon. Want to be a guest blogger for my Manicure Monday when I don't have new nails of my own to show off? Please fill out the form on my contact page if you're interested in a free feature. Amethyst Nail Art Finds