Capture 52 - Week 31: In Your Backyard

“Magic is seeing wonder in nature's every little thing — how wonderful the fireflies and how magical the dragonflies.” — Ama H. Vanniarachchy

#capture52 #capture52week31 #inyourbackyard #dragonfly

Gardenias

“Sultry as a summer evening and as intoxicating as an exotic perfume, the scent of gardenias settles like a memory onto your soul. The blossoms are just as enticing. Buds shaped like seashells unfurl into velvet soft flowers in the warmth and humidity of early evening. But it's the fragrance that captivates.” — Van Chaplin

When I saw this planter at Stein’s Garden Center, I knew it would be perfect for our deck. I also knew I wanted something tall to plant in it. I found this “tree” on clearance and didn’t even read the tag until I got it home. Who grows gardenias in Wisconsin? I figured that, even if it didn’t bloom, the waxy leaves would be pretty for our planter this summer. Six weeks later, I began to notice tiny buds that grew into intriguing spirals. On July 22th, our 15th anniversary, the first blossom appeared. I was immediately enchanted by its symmetry, by its pure white petals that only a day later curled under to create a perfect cylinder to attract honeybees and hummingbirds, and most of all, by its intoxicating fragrance!

Our first blossom — July 22, 2020

3 flowers have blooms so far…

Links I Love • July 2020

“Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings — these are a few of my favorite things.” — Oscar Hammerstein II and Richard Rodgers, The Sound of Music

This month’s list of links includes a few of my favorite things: Paris, food, travel, white flowers, literature, architecture, film, and fashion.

• 17 Easy French Recipes for Bastille Day (and Beyond) — What did you do to celebrate La Fête nationale? Here’s what I did. I wish I had read this article prior to le 14 juillet because I might have attempted one or more of these recipes. This is a great article to “pin” for future reference.

• Notre Dame: Cathedral's spire will be restored to 19th Century design — Thank goodness!

• Inside Coco Chanel’s Decadent 31 Rue Cambon Apartment — And yet Mademoiselle never slept here, opting instead for her suite at The Ritz. You could stay there too — for 18,000€ per night!

• Europe Is Closed. Try These U.S. Cities Instead — Newport is on the list. We had hoped to go there this summer, but canceled our plans. Perhaps we should visit New Glarus, Wisconsin!

• Or we can visit Paris in the fall via the new Netflix Series, Emily in Paris. “Lily Collins leads the series as a Chicago native who moves to Paris, and is in for some serious culture shock.”

• A Kennedy Family’s Hyannis Port Compound Carriage House Turned Cottage — Architectural Digest’s peak into Patrick and Amy Kennedy’s seafront retreat on Cape Cod. We planned to be on the Cape this summer, but I will have to be contented with armchair travel this year. Speaking of arm chairs, I love what the Kennedys have done to convert this former carriage house. Although the arm chairs and most of the furniture are not my taste, the bones of the building are lovely and I can just image curling up on one of those window seats to watch the boats sail by.

• Things I’ll Remember from the Corona Virus Pandemic — Meg of Wit & Whimsy created this ongoing, totally relatable list. I’d like to feature my own list on the blog in the coming weeks.

• The Farmer’s Almanac Guide to Creating Your Own Moon Garden — I’ve been working on mine for four years. Here’s a peak into my spring white garden. I’ll do a summer update soon.

• The Real History Behind The Sound of Music — I love The Sound of Music. When I was in high school, my mom found a copy of Maria Augusts von Trapp’s autobiography, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers at a garage sale in North Bay for 40¢; I’ve read it many times.

• Beautiful Drawings by the World’s Most Famous Architects, including Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater. Here’s a virtual visit to that iconic home in Pennsylvania — Over 80 Years Later, Fallingwater Still Has Lessons to Teach Us.

• A Virtual Tour of 15 Beautiful Writers' Homes in France — French literature + architecture — what’s not to love?

• 26 Books That Give Iconic Literary Characters A Different Story — And speaking of literature…I’ve only read five of these. So many are inspired by my favorite classic novels, especially Pride and Prejudice. I’m intrigued.

• 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Audrey Hepburn — Actually, I did know!

• 10 of the Best French Films of All Time, and How to Watch Them — From New Wave cinema of the 1940s to modern classics, what are your favorite French films? Soon, I will write a French Friday post featuring my favorites.

• Floating Movie Theater with Socially Distant Boats Coming to Paris River — I love this idea!

• And, in case you’re wondering what to wear to view your favorite French films at the floating cinema, how about Iconic Sailor Stripes in Cinema, from 1934 to Today? And don’t forget one of these: In Paris, Haute Couture Face Masks for All — The seamstresses of Chanel, Dior and more formed a network to make face masks in quarantine.

Capture 52 - Week 30: Street Photography

“The marvels of daily life are exciting; no movie director can arrange the unexpected that you find in the street.” — Robert Doisneau

Week 30: Shoot a candid, raw, gritty street scene. #capture52 #capture52week30 #streetphotography #montmartre #whosthatgirl

le 14 juillet

« J’ai deux amours, mon pays et Paris. Par eux toujours, mon coeur est ravi. » — Joséphine Baker (and many others!)

Le Palais Élysée - 55 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris, France (résidence officielle du Président de la République française) — photo prise le 18 octobre 2019.

Joyeuse Fête nationale to all my French and francophile friends! Unfortunately, in these unprecedented times, Americans can neither safely nor even legally be in France to celebrate. Yet, despite my disappointment in not visiting Paris this year, I am making the best of today’s French fête. After all, you can’t make Champagne out of sour grapes. I am spending this beautiful summer afternoon on the deck reading Paris Was Ours (32 writers’ reflections on their time in Paris) until 4:00 pm CDT, when I plan to watch a live stream of the Eiffel Tower fireworks, courtesy of Oliver and Lina Gee of The Earful Tower. Later this evening, we’ll continue our celebration with a picnic of cheeses, crusty bread, a bottle of French sparkles, and my ever-evolving custom French music playlist, followed a Paris-themed double feature, Midnight in Paris and Amélie. Pas mal du tout!

Capture - Week 29: Food

“Live in each season as it passes: breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit.” — Henry David Thoreau 🍒

#capture52 #capture52week29 #food #foodphotography #cherries #doorcounty #doorcountycherries #montmorencycherries