Sweet Tea & Lemonade

JUNE, how I have been waiting for you, dreaming of SWEET TEA and LEMONADE, swinging ever so slowly back and forth on the porch with a love romance upside down by my side as I nap......
JULY, even more inviting, no running for cover for the odd shower, I know its going to be a nice day and I am about to share it with  the butterflies and the bees.
On my own with nature, not even my favorite songs (sorry Adele) are welcome to spoil my peace.

LEMONADE

Image & Recipe Via Food Network Magazine
Photograph by Jonathan Kantor   

DIRECTIONS
Remove wide strips of zest from 2 lemons with a vegetable peeler (do not remove the pith). Make 2 cups simple syrup (recipe below), adding the lemon zest before heating. Let cool, then pour into an ice-filled pitcher. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 cups each fresh lemon juice and water, and some lemon slices.
Simple Syrup: To make 2 cups simple syrup, bring 1 1/2cups each sugar and water to a boil, stirring until dissolved. Let cool.


SWINGS

Victorian Swing ~ Source Unknown

http://pinterest.com/pin/234750199297198064/

Source Unknown

FABRICS & Accessories

Clarence House Fabric

Coral Tieback ~ Clarence House

http://www.snowflake-designs.com/butterflies-bees-on-blue-fabric

LOVE BOOKS.

Communications Design graduate student Claire Kelley created an app—Summer Fiction— highlighting interactive content from five novels being publishing this summer by Free Press, a division of Simon & Schuster.

Click here http://pages.simonandschuster.com/free-press-fiction

Take a nap, read a book, go for a walk, relax....

~D~

 

Ecuadorian Beauty ~ Flowers

Ecuadorian Rose, Image via dionnedesigns.blogspot.com

For those of you who follow my posts know that I am very inconsistent. I jump from highly detailed posts that I slave over for days ~ Bathroom Renovations  to a thought that I just need to share ~ All it Takes.

I went to Wegmans today to get inspiration for dinner, but instead of the healthy yummy ingredients I was imagining, I came home with a dozen photos of flowers... yep sorry honey!
I admit, with the Philadelphia International Flower Show around the corner and the crazy springish winter that we have been experiencing I've had flowers on my mind for a while.

The florist (Kevin) knew I was on a mission and was nice enough not to get me evicted for moving pots and flowers around so that I could get some light for my iPhone shot (aha...very professional I hear  you say). In fact he gave in to my curious looks, pokes and prods at these multicolored roses and came over to explain the process.

Ecuadorian Rose, Image via dionnedesigns.blogspot.com

The Ecuadorian Rainbow Rose is 'fed' different colored inks to create this fantastical flower.
The method exploits the rose's natural processes by which water is drawn up the stem. By splitting the stem and dipping each part in a different colored water, the colors are drawn into the petals resulting in a multicoloured rose. You can choose and order your own colors! 
Besides roses, other cut flowers like the chrysanthemum, carnation, hydrangea and some species of orchids can also be colored using the same method.

Ecuadorian Rose, Image via dionnedesigns.blogspot.com

Usually my taste in flowers is more reserved. I love the white Orchid I got for my birthday and my all time favorites have to be cream and white roses. However, I must say that these colorful flowers just make me smile, and that's got to be a good thing!

{Side note: If you happen to go to Wegmans, make sure you try their Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin ~ To die for!}

Have a great weekend!
~D~