summer hydrangea harvest

 monday was a fabulous day!

just the kinda day i crave.

 i spent the early morning in the gardens

 harvesting some hydrangea blooms for drying.

i like to wait to cut these beauties,

 until they are just starting to turn a paler shade and feel slightly papery.
no need to put them in water, as they are starting to "dry" by themselves.

 i sat tucked under the back porch stripping the leaves off the stems.

the neighborhood very quiet today, as the golf course is closed and it was too hot for most to play outside..

i find stripping leaves and fondling these huge blooms, oh so relaxing.

 blue has been my favorite color my whole life,

with green being a close second.

 what is it about these beautiful flowers that make us swoon?

 i am not even sure what i will do with all of these flowers, but the creative potential makes me giddy.
 yes, a very good day...

 playing with flowers.

outside, in my favorite "room" ....
where i recently added some of my vintage hankies, up top,
 as a makeshift banner.
recently stained the deck too!
in a light grey...which i am lovin.
i'll tell you more about that later...

 of course, i had to bring some hydrangeas inside....

 i tucked some into my cement swans

and made a hydrangea garland for the mantel...

 the shades of blue and green blend beautifully with my latest painting.

 my painting,
"drifting" 

the idea suggested to me by my adorable bloggy friend and fellow artist cindy (thank you, sweets)
 AND inspired by all of the queen annes lace growing in the fields right now. 

i love wide open fields.

i am a claustrophobic.

an open area, like a field or a beach, calms me and makes me feel at peace...

so does, stripping the leaves off of a hydrangea.

my hydrangea garland ....

easily fashioned with strung twine and some clothespins.

easy is good.

summery blues and greens....

like ocean water.

the very best part of this day....

after my shower, i walked into the den and realized some clouds in the sky had darkened the room a little...

i walked to the window and i heard the gentle rumble of forgotten thunder.

and yes

it rained!

just a little, but it was better than nothing.

we continue to be hot and dry here,

and i continue to search for creative outlets and open spaces.

i am heading to the beach on sunday!

in some ways, i am already there.

♥

erin

happy fourth of july!