French Gardens and Landscapes {and a give-away!}

"Gardens and Landscapes Inspired by the French Countryside"

My theme for the Castles Crowns and Cottages

"France, Simply Irresistible" blog party hosted by Anita.

At the end of this post will be a link to her blog where all of the participants will be found.

Please bring along your straw hat,

as the weather is sunny and warm!

We'll be traveling through these garden landscapes

and pausing to smell the flowers along the way.

We will meet new friends and discuss the growing of the plants,

which are blossoming so abundantly,

we'll want to come home and embellish our own gardens!

If we get tired on our journey

we can stop in one of the gardens, to rest and read a bit

The sheep are grazing, and feeling lazy in the sunshine

I'm so glad we brought our bikes on a day like this!

We've received an offer to pick bouquets,

and the gardener has given us notes on how to achieve

these luscious blooms!

{and today, like Anita, we can read and understand the French language!)

We see sisters out picking blossoms for their dinner table,

and wish we could join them,

for by now we have worked up quite an appetite!

We probably should sit and rest a while before we continue on

and enjoy the baguettes and cheese we brought along,

and of course some 'bubbly'

It's been such a lovely day

and as evening approaches we near the end of our tour

inspired by the beautiful countryside

on a gorgeous day in France

Thank you for coming on this journey with me!

And there is so much more,

please visit Castles Crowns and Cottages

for the links to other bloggers who are participating.

{click here}

And I hope you will leave a comment

so you will be included in my give-away of a print

of the last image, an oil painting named "Garden Path"

{randomly picked next week}

These paintings and more can be found on my website

Violet Skiles.com

~ Enjoy your adventures through France this week! ~

Fairy Garden

 A Wee Fairy Garden

{... Attracts Not Only Fairies ... }

I've been enjoying our warm weather this week

and have planted my window box, some pots,

placed some flowering plants in the ground

and re-planted my fairy garden.

happy!     happy!     happy!

RELAX

~ Relax ~

Have a cup of tea

Smell the flowers

Delight in their B E A U T Y!

It is SPRING!!!!!

Photos:

One of our afghan hounds who always finds a way to fit

~ even on my little studio chaise.  How he jumps up there and

keeps the pillows in place is a wonder.

My new vintage 'Violets" tea cup, a birthday gift.

Flowers:  my Chinese Tree Peony,

a birthday gift from a friend

several years ago that has moved with us twice,

and often blooms during my birthday week!

(it was only a few days late last week....which is fine, since we were at the beach!)

fun at the OCEAN

a tiny starfish

with a portion of an ocean painting printed on a tag

... and written on the back, a note ...

tucked into the sand,

left on a bench in the sunshine

in the beach town.

Here and there

a little reminder of His love

which is as vast as the ocean and deeper than the sea

Praying a blessing

on whoever found them,

~ a few gifts ~

from me, anonymously,

{tee-heee!}

His, announced gloriously in

SIGHT,

SOUND, SCENT,

TASTE

and

TOUCH

on warm vacation days,

~ my springtime birthday present ~

at a favorite

B E A C H

_____________

This was so fun,

anyone want to join the "Sisterhood of Anonymous Gifts"? 

no, the initials for that club are not good.

Definitely need another name.

But it would be a fun club

in which to be an

anonymous

member

another idea, what about the

G R A C E club?

                                              Gifting

                                                      Random

                                                             Artistic

                                                                     Creations of

                                                                             Encouragement

hmmmmm ... this is something to consider!

Enjoy your week,

may it be full of wonderful surprises!

~ Violet ~

Outdoor Longings

As you gaze outside through your window 

~ what are you longing for ~

While waiting for the warmth of spring?

Sandy beaches, fluffy clouds, the warm sun,

flowers bursting forth from ground that was frozen

and covered with frost, flip flops and capri's,

sitting outside sipping chocolate-laced coffee

with a friend, walks that don't require heavy coats...?

me too

:  )

~ Violet ~