The Way Trees Grow

My elementary school art teacher didn’t like my trees.

The drawing I had been working on was of a whole forest of them – with trunks that were bent and twisted all different directions.

“Trees grow straight up and down,” she criticized. “Not like that.” She made me start my drawing over.

I remembered this while I was hiking recently.

And I wanted to laugh every time I passed yet another example of nature showing that I had been correct all along.

Find more trees over at Happiness and Food’s Tree Love Thursdays!

December 25, 2017December 27, 2017

November 2017 Photo: Autumn Tree

Fall color tends to come to Arizona a little later.

When we were at Boyce-Thompson Arboretum over Thanksgiving weekend, most of the trees were still green or yellow. But that just made this stunner stand out even more!

PS Also linking up with Tree Love Thursday!

November 15, 2017November 28, 2023

DIY Pumpkins and Pie!

Here are 11 pumpkin-pie-inspired ideas you can bake or make!

Eat+Drink

Pumpkin Pie – First, a classic. You can make pumpkin puree for pies and other recipes from a sugar pumpkin or even a regular carving pumpkin. (Really! I did it!)

Holiday Spice Mix – Blend these ingredients for a versatile, cinnamony spice you can use as pumpkin pie spice or sprinkle into hot chocolate.

Spiced Pumpkin Pie Martini – A pumpkin pie garnish on your cocktail?! Why not? After all, it is the holidays.

Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread – You can use canned pumpkin or your own pumpkin puree for this addictively good quick bread.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie – This is a great breakfast on-the-go – especially during the holiday season when you have a lot of pumpkin around and not a lot of time. I added pecans and an extra cup of plain Greek yogurt to Jamie’s recipe.

Pie Slice Cookies – I haven’t made these, but they were so adorable that I had to include them! (If you’re looking for cookie decorating ideas and tips, there are TONS on the Sweet Sugarbelle blog!)

Craft

Thanksgiving Pie Garland – Turns out paper pie slices make perfect pennants! #TeamPie

Fall Succulent Planter – Rachel of Maison de Pax planted succulents directly into ceramic pumpkins. Another option would be to place potted succulents inside a real (or ceramic or foam) pumpkin and take them out when you take down the autumn decor.

Pumpkin Pie Friendship Necklaces – StudioDIY shared a tutorial for this making polymer clay pumpkin pie necklaces as part of a Friendsgiving post!

Mini Pumpkin Candles – A simple project from Faith Durant at The Kichn that turns a pumpkin into a candle.

Botanical Pumpkins – Fall leaves and Modge Podge are a striking way to decorate pumpkins!

Photos via:
1, 2, 4. Me.
3. A Beautiful Mess
5. Love Bakes Good Cakes
6. Sweet Sugarbelle
7. Martha Stewart
8. Maison de Pax
9. Studio DIY
10. The Kichn
11. Country Living

October 23, 2017October 10, 2017

August 2017 Photo: Desert

I forgot to post a photo for August, so here’s some desert landscape for you now!

I took this awhile ago near Black Canyon City (north of Phoenix), on a day that Phillip and I went exploring in the little towns off I-17.

October 2, 2017

Museum Day in the Garden

Last Saturday was Smithsonian Magazine’s Museum Day. The weather was too good to be inside, but they count the Desert Botanical Garden (DBG) as a museum, so we took advantage of the free admission and spent the afternoon walking garden paths.

I guess a botanical garden is kind of like an outdoor museum with living plants and animals.

We saw a hummingbird and bees buzzing around the Garden’s flowers and a big lizard was just hanging out on a rock next to the bench where I was sitting.

Since the DBG no longer allows picnicking, we ate our lunch at a nearby picnic area in Papago Park and were entertained by ground squirrels scurrying around and birds attempting to carry off pieces of a pizza someone had left behind.

Maybe they’re the reason DBG banned picnicking. You really don’t want grackles flying through your museum and dropping half-eaten pizza slices.