Like all blog awards, this one comes with some rules, including:
1. thanking and linking back to the person who presented the award,
2. sharing seven things about yourself, and
3. nominating and contacting other bloggers you admire.
Since this is the One Lovely Blog Award, instead of sharing seven facts, I've decided to show you some of my Pinterest pins and tell you about seven things that I think are lovely. Here they are, in no particular order:
1. Butterflies: If you're one of the readers who found my blog during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, it's probably no secret to you that I love butterflies of all types because they represent so much: strength, hope, resilience, new life... However, I do have a soft spot in my heart for the Monarchs.
2. Shoes: I blame Carrie Bradshaw for my shoe obsession, which coincidentally seemed to begin right about the time I started watching Sex and the City. I'm not a fashionista by any means, but I do love a good shoe, especially stilettos like these by designer Christian Louboutin. Will I ever own a pair? Probably not, but a girl can dream!
3. Vintage dresses: I love anything retro, especially dresses from the 1950s. Lucky for me, my mom was a teenager then and saved a lot of her clothing, which I had so much fun trying on as a kid! (See my R is for Retro post for more on that.) My mom didn't own this particular dress, but I think it's absolutely gorgeous!
4. Abandoned buildings: I might be in the minority on this one, but I think abandoned buildings are lovely; they're tragic and sad, yet I see hope in them as well. As a writer, I can always find many stories ideas whenever I think about the people who once called the four walls home.
5. Art: I'm inspired by art and artists. I've always had an affinity for Monet and have marveled for hours at the beauty of his paintings. This particular painting catches my eye because something about it reminds me of my childhood home along the shoreline of Lake Superior:
6. Rings: I adore rings! Back in the days before I was changing diapers, I used to wear one on every finger. Now I wear only my engagement and wedding rings, but someday I'll bring out the rest of them again. I found this one recently and thought it was gorgeous:
7. Tulips: My little boy is the reason I'm in love with these flowers. I wrote the story in my T is for Tulips post, but the gist of it is that tulips were the first flowers my son "bought" for me, and he was so proud of himself when he handed them to me and, with a huge grin on his tiny face, said, "These are for you, Mommy!" Thinking of that memory still melts my heart, and I will forever associate tulips with my little boy.
There you have them: seven things I find lovely, courtesy of my Pinterest page. My boards are still pretty sparse since I'm just starting to pin again after a long hiatus, but if anyone wants to follow me, you're more than welcome. And, although I'm not going to nominate specific bloggers, if you'd like to snag this award, please do so. I think all of you (and your blogs) are lovely!
So tell me, what do you find lovely?
Pinterest was my theme for the A to Z Challenge this year. My favorite lovely images to pin are of the aurora (borealis and australis). They're just so gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI agree--beautiful!
Deletei too love abandoned buildings--and art--and vintage clothes!!
ReplyDeleteI knew there was a reason I liked you! ;)
DeleteOh, I adore butterflies so much. I agree the abandoned buildings are beautiful. They all seem to have a story and I wonder about them.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the award!
Andrea
Thanks, Andrea!
DeleteHope you're having a great Saturday. :)
Oh, that dress! So classically gorgeous. I wish I could be with you on the heels, but I cannot walk in those things and am too much into comfy. Now, I can rock some wedges when needed. I also love abandoned houses and buildings. They have so much history that you can almost feel when you see some of them. I always want to go inside and investigate to see if I can find any remnants of who lived there or even see some ghosts.
ReplyDeleteI am totally with you on the monarchs. When we lost my mom, all of a sudden monarchs showed up at the most interesting times and my son always says, "Hi Me-Ma!" whenever he sees one because I told him once that I like to think they are her coming to see us. My youngest sister got married a few months after Mom died, and at her outdoor wedding, two monarchs flew straight up to her and sat on the back of her dress, one on each side, for the duration of the wedding. When it was over and she and her groom walked to the back, the butterflies stayed there for a while and then casually flew up in the air together and kind of circled the crowd before flying off together. It was the best wedding gift ever.
I love your story about the monarchs. How amazing! That must have been so comforting for your sister--and like you said, the best gift ever.
DeleteI always want to go into the houses, too. If I can't, I like to look in the windows. Sometimes it seems like the people who lived there just dropped everything and left, and I find that fascinating--and then my mind starts whirling with stories about the whys. :)
Stopping by from the A2Z Reflections list. Love your blog - I need to take a cue from you and include more photos and images.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Cindy! :)
DeleteWe bank at a community bank named Monarch. The butterfly is the logo and each branch has a butterfly garden. I remember both your R and T posts from the AtoZ Challenge. I too like abandoned buildings. In fact, I saw one today in a field that was probably a small Tidewater plantation way back when and couldn't help wondering what became of the family and descendents and why no one was interested in the house.
ReplyDeleteThose buildings can tell so many stories. Seeing them makes me wonder if someday, people will be looking at my abandoned house and trying to imagine what kind of person I was. To me, that's such a wonderful, romantic thought. :)
DeleteCongratulations on the award! I like abandoned buildings too. They've a strange and compelling beauty. I also love trees. The more gnarly the roots and knotty the branches the better.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about the trees. A few weeks ago, I saw a tree like the one you described, and I remember remarking to my husband about how cool it looked. It was all by itself in the middle of town, and a tiny sidewalk led up to its trunk. It seemed so out of place there; I need to find out its history.
DeleteI LOVE LOVE LOVE that dress!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing these beautiful pics and congrats on the award! Have a great weekend. :)
It is gorgeous! :)
DeleteThanks, Jackie. Happy weekend.
I have a tooth to pick with Carrie Bradshow myself...aside from the shoes...the Cosmopolitans and Mister Big :).
ReplyDeleteLOL :)
DeleteI like your post. I've played around a bit at Pinterest and find so much there to like.
ReplyDeleteWhat do I find lovely? For one thing, I think it is lovely how you often conclude your posts with a question back to your reader. I also find flowers to be lovely -- I am never without a vase of fresh flowers in the kitchen. I find shoes to be lovely too but not so much stilettos - sweet flats are my go to shoes. Thanks for the post!
You're sweet. Thank you!
DeleteWe, too, have fresh flowers on our kitchen table. That was also my son's idea. Often, those flowers are tulips, but right now I have a vase of miniature carnations. They're beautiful and smell so good. :)
Stopping in to let you know that I have some awards for you on my blog.
ReplyDeletehttp://lgkeltner.blogspot.com/
Thanks! :)
DeleteI love butterflies too! That was pretty much the theme at our wedding. We have butterfly stuff all over the house. I don't think there's a room without something with butterflies on it. And that dress is gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteWe have butterfly stuff everywhere, too! My two-year-old daughter seems to have inherited my love of them, so I suspect our collection will only grow larger. :)
Deletethose are some very beautiful things! esp the shoes, the dress & the building! love them! and ongrats =)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tara! :)
Deletecongrats!
ReplyDeleteI have always been curious to try on a pair of CL's. I think some celebrity said how horribly uncomfortable they are yet they wear them because they are art. I love some beautiful shoes but I cannot walk in anything except wedges so I wear pretty flats.
ReplyDeleteI'm not into butterflies, they creep me out but my sister has a butterfly tattoo.
I would wear that dress in a minute! Love the neck, the straps and the A line cut.
When I was a kid and lived way out in the country, my friend and I found an abandoned house and barn and hung out there and made up stories about who had lived there. It still had a lot of possessions inside and the bard had a skeleton in the loft (probably a possum or raccoon) but someone found us once and we were told it was private property and had to leave. I still like finding those things and sneaking inside!
Love tulips! So many gorgeous colors!
Love jewelry! I say wear it cause you can't when your gone. That painting makes me miss the beach.
Sounds like we have a lot in common. I can forgive you for not liking butterflies. ;)
DeleteI would definitely try to get inside one of those house if I had the opportunity. Fun!
There is something touching about an old abandoned building left to crumble in time. I'm not sure what it is, either, but obviously many people like them--more than I would have suspected. ;)
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely the most lovely things to me are the faces of the people I love. Just laying eyes on them makes something lift in my heart. Nothing compares. Even if seeing Miss Karma every morning is quite a comfort, too. ;)
That's exactly what it is--touching. That's a good way to describe it.
DeleteI loved what you said about the faces of your loved ones. Very sweet. :)
Those are wonderful pictures. I love butterflies, too. In fact, I just did a post on how to create a butterfly garden on my other blog. I think rainbows, oceans, and sunsets are lovely!
ReplyDeleteI'll have to check out that post. I know that my daughter would love a butterfly garden!
DeleteLove your list!
The awards are piling up for you! You do have a lovely blog! Congrats! You did a great thing w/ the 7 "things." I love vintage too, and that dress IS beautiful. And the tulips....so gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteMy email was prob. 2 weeks ago. I'll send it again. ;-)
Thanks, mare! :)
DeleteI just checked my in-box again, and I can't see any recent emails from you. I'm not sure what's going on...
oh my gosh, those heels! I would kill myself if I ever wore heels that high :)
ReplyDeleteI liked the seven things you shared here; I just got onto Pinterest today; haven't been there in a bit and really enjoyed my time there; which could be a good thing or a bad thing :)
have a great Sunday!
betty
Pinterest is evil--but a good evil! :) Have fun!
DeleteHappy Sunday!
I LOVE OLD BUILDINGS OH MY GOSH SO MUCH CHARACTER :)) AND BUTTERFLIES ARE THE BEST!!
ReplyDeleteCONGRATS ON YOUR AWARD.
Thanks, Janice!
DeleteApparently you were switched at birth with Dr. Em! (just kidding...I wouldn't trade my sister for anything) but...I have filled my garden with Milkweeds to attract butterflies, love (and wear) vintage clothes, adore the mystery of abandoned buildings ( http://www.emandweeproductions.blogspot.com/2012/04/just-like-when-i-was-kid-but-with-booze.html ) and although I don't have a touching story like yours, I've always loved tulips.
ReplyDeletePrincess WeeWee
Sounds like we have a lot in common. :)
DeleteThanks for sharing the link. How great that you were able to go back there and recreate life as a kid (with the added fun of being an adult, of course!)
Great post, Dana, and Congrats on your award. I got one too, I need to do the post...Yikes! I like abandoned buildings too. I'm usually taking photos of them because i think Ralph can use them in his art work. He likes that I take them for him!
ReplyDeleteThose buildings must be great inspiration for him. I know they are for me!
DeleteCongrats on your award! I'm looking forward to your post. :)
I've just started to like shoes - unfortunately I have Size 7 UK feet, and shoes never look as good on me as on women with smaller feet :-(
ReplyDeleteI love that dress too. And your tulip story is heart-melting. I love having sons!
I agree: sons are wonderful! (And my daughter is pretty great, too.) :)
DeleteMy son's first flowers for me were miniature roses. I can still see him coming in the door to our apartment, a big grin on his face as he carried 'Mommy's flowers'. I still have them, dried-fragile-very dusty, but every time I see them I smile.
ReplyDeleteAw, what a sweet story! :)
DeleteOh I love abandoned buildings. Whenever we're out and about and I see a tumbledown building I point and say "I want that building!" And if it has a broken window or a boarded up door I just fall head over heels in love with it!
ReplyDeleteI do, too! There's something so mysterious about them. :)
Delete