July photo a day so far..

Okay haven’t posted my pics in a post in a while so here they are. Remember to check out fatmumslim.com.au for the complete Photo A Day Challenge, twitter and instagram #photoadayjuly.

 

 

Day 1} Self Portrait~ Generally how I’m forced to sleep with this pumpkin cat upon my head.

 

Day 2} Busy~ Our caterpillars transformed into butterflies! I became a temporary vet again creating the perfect home for these critters.

 

 

 

Day 3} Best part of my day~ If you fall asleep near me I’ll probably take your picture if you look cute. Mom and two sleepy babies.

 

 

Day 4} Fun~ Cute art project for the 4th! I’m lucky to be able to do creative stuff like this at work. Fun fun!

 

 

Day 5} On the floor~ Stella and Remy having a ball. That girl is crazy!

 

 

Day 6} Chair~ Waiting in the movie theater waiting for “Magic Mike” to start. It was just okay in case you were wondering. But I had fun with my girls:)

 

 

Day 7} Garden~ We had TONS of Casablanca lilies this year. So pretty!

 

 

Day 8} Lunch~ Reliving my Vinings days with a meatloaf sandwich at Jacks New Yorker Deli on the Marietta Square. Yummy.

 

 

Day 9} Big~ Came across this beaut at the antique mall. Woah that’s a lotta Elvis!

 

 

Day 10} Favorite color~ I have many favorite colors but my favorite color to decorate with is French blue. My whole room is French blues, greens, and creams. Very feminine. What is your favorite color?

 

 

Day 11} Letter~ So I didn’t take a picture this day but isn’t this fun! Village post office I drove past whilst in England a few years ago. Oh how I wish I was there now.

 

 

Day 12} Texture~ Rubbing from my art classes in Italy several summers ago. Again, oh how I wish I was there.

 

 

 

Anyone else doing the challenge?

Hope to post again tomorrow, antiquing and thrifting on a hot summer day is the best indoor activity. Scott antique market this weekend, who’s going!?

Have a bright night!

Bright Girl

March photo a day {days 23-28} + Week in review

For those of you who haven’t been keeping up with the March photo a day challenge you can catch up on my blog archive below. You can also check out Twitter hashtag #marchphotoaday and be sure to check out Fat Mum Slim who started the photo a day craze. Lots of fun!
March Photo A Day
23}Moon~This particular moon is one of my favorites and brings me back to some great memories. Taking the vaporetti back to the train station in Venezia. What a great crescent moon! Glad I got to see Venice before it heads out to sea!





24}An animal~Well I know it’s springtime when I’m rescuing animals from my personal rodent exterminators. This particular day it was a chipmunk, not unlike the one pictured below. Stellaluna also got frisky the other day and decided to climb a tree and frantically converse with a birdie.


25}Breakfast~I love cereal and have a Seinfeld-esque collection at all times. Today…this.

26}Key~trinkets in a dish



27}Your name~Part of my name.

28}Trash~Today Stella discovered plastic bags. She’s not quite sure if she should be really excited or really scared.

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Week in review!
Thursday~Had some delicious roasted beet salad and sweet potato fries for dinner.

Saturday~Girls day. Shopping with mom and out to dinner at one of my favs, Thaicoon, on the Marietta Square. A little Kendall-Jackson chardonnay, Tempura sushi, Masaman curry, and pineapple fried rice. YUUUMMM!!

Ended a night of Thai with a cuppa Chai!

Spent a day purging my closets and reorganizing my drawers. Went through my nail polish and tossed a few. I think I’ll reorganize them with testers for future use! What colors should I get next? Hmm.

After cleaning and purging…MAD MEN SEASON 5 PREMIERE! It’s been almost 2 years since season 4 ended. So glad it’s finally back! Who else tuned in? I’ve been there since the beginning so I know it’s definitely going to be an interesting season, especially after Don and Megan’s crazy behavior Sunday. Here is Megan doing her own version of Happy Birthday for Don at his surprise party, “Everyone’s going to go home from this and they’re going to have sex.” She knew what she was doing.

Stella up a tree after chattering with the birds.

Dinner last night. Ribs, BP, and tomato salad. I used a Real Simple recipe and added cucumber and basil. It would be really good with feta and even mixed into another salad.

Came home tonight and found more of my old children’s books. Cleaned them up and reorganized my children’s lit shelves. They are coming in very handy at work now! Story time brings me back!

Well I’m settling in for the night. Hope everyone is having a great week! Happy Hump Day! It’s almost Friday, counting down.
Have a bright day!
Bright Girl

A Chocolat Chaud Kind of Night

Snuggled up for the night with some delicious Angelina hot chocolate and homemade pink marshmallows thanks to Pink Girl! It’s delicious! Dreaming I’m in Paris tonight. Ooh la la. Also reminds me of my summer in Italy hanging out at Caffe Poliziano. *Sigh*

What do you like snuggle up with on a rainy evening? Do tell!
Have a bright night!
Bright Girlw

The Gardens of Monticello

The day we spent at Monticello was beautiful and sunny(still very hot) but interesting and inspiring. I love hearing little historic and cultural facts so touring the house and grounds was fun. They have several tours, we went on the house tour, the garden tour, and the slave life tour. Check out their website for any special events and plan your trip! I would recommend setting aside a whole day to see everything and definitely get there early to avoid crowds and the heat. I was really excited to visit this house not only because it is a wonderful historical site and beautiful house but in 2008 I visited another Palladio home, La Rotonda, in Vicenza. Palladio was and extremely influential Italian architect during the 16th century and continues to inspire others today. Jefferson himself was inspired by Palladio and used some of his ideas when he remodeled Monticello to it's current design.

La Rotonda, Vicenza, Italy

Monticello

On the garden tour! It's really interesting. TJ grew hundreds of plants while at Monticello. All of the plants on the property have been very carefully researched through Jefferson's purchase records and many journals to ensure they are the true original variety and breed during his lifetime. Today's seeds have been genetically altered to be more vibrant and hearty. These plants and flowers take you back in time to what they looked like in the 18th century. Here is Jane in a Cypress Vine.

Sniff Sniff

Entering the vegetable garden

A view of the Blue Ridge Mountains and TJ orchard.

An old fireplace from a slave quarters. All that remains.

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Down in the cellars. These run directly under the house and are connected to the outside. Hard to explain. You'll have to see for yourself.

A Jeffersonian Lizard

Thomas Jefferson never grew grapes or made wine during his lifetime although he very much wanted to and bought land to create a vineyard. It wasn't until the 1980s  that the land was purchased and a vineyard created. We went for a taste.

Upon Thomas Jefferson's death he was over $100,000 in debt. His entire estate, furnishings, and slaves were sold. Later owners were unprofitable cultivating crops and left his house and property to the government who didn't know what to do with it for decades leaving it to fall into disrepair. It wasn't until almost a half century after his death that the Levy family bought and began to repair the home. In 1923 the Levy family sold the home to the Thomas Jefferson Foundation who own the estate today.

To learn more about any of these topics here are some resources:
http://www.monticello.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrea_Palladio
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Capra_%22La_Rotonda%22

I hope you've enjoyed this and be sure to have a bright day!
bright girl