Smith Gilbert Gardens

I noticed a while back on a seemingly uninteresting road near our house a sign for the Smith Gilbert Gardens.  I looked up the garden and thought it was a place I should take my mom.  I haven’t had a chance to take her yet, but Bradley and I went on Saturday.  We loved it and signed up for their annual pass.  We also found out that with our membership, we have free access to over 200 other gardens across the country (at a fraction of the cost of bigger gardens like Atlanta Botanical!).

Bradley and I have been trying to think of things that we can do that interests both of us and would give us things to talk about.  Recently, I have become interested in using his big Nikon D200 to photograph all the projects I blog about.  Perfect new mutual interest!  Saturday was my first official lesson on the camera.  We were using a 35mm lens for ‘artistic’ photos.  I was working on focusing on an interesting subject and letting the background blur out.  Here are a few of the shots I got:

Definitely not a professional, but I don’t have any plans to become a photographer.  I just want anyone who reads my blog to feel like they are experiencing the things I write about like they are here with me:)

Here is a series of shots I took to learn the differences in settings when photographing something in motion – a waterfall!

Shutter speed from left to right:  1/640th ; 1/10th ; 1/1200th

New Life for Small Bushes

Last fall, I installed some Dwarf Japanese Barberries in our front yard.  I thought they were evergreens, so I began to worry when all of their leaves disappeared during the winter.  They just looked like little dead sticks coming out of the ground.  As much of a pain as it would have been to dig them back out, I was glad that Pike’s Nursery has a lifetime replacement on all shrubs and trees.

Then, a couple of weeks ago as we were pulling out of the garage, I made Bradley stop because I saw something exciting!  Little tiny leaf buds all over every single one of the bushes.  Not a one had fallen victim to my limited gardening ability or the weird winter we have had.  I am so relieved that I don’t have to dig out and replant all eight of them.

Cute Clutch

I realized I totally forgot to share a picture of the super adorable handmade clutch I received from my equally adorable friend Meredith on my birthday (yes back in December, this is very tardy:).  It is gathered on the front and has a coordinating band of fabric, which was also used to make little pockets on the inside!  It fits perfectly inside my purse to hold all those little things that normally get lost in the bottom.  (Let’s just say I was so excited to load it up and use it that I forgot to blog about it:)

Meredith is super talented and has been sewing curtains and other fun things for their new house this past year.   We are truly blessed to be in a small group with her and her husband!  Thanks Mer!