Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Puppies...

Surrounding oneself with simple pleasures is key to surviving the madness of everyday life.

Nothing compares to the scent of an outdoor-grown rose.

Intoxicating and euphoria-inducing, they're a pure expression of nature's sensual delight.

Looking for ways to spark inspiration in my everyday life...

Experimenting with Lucie and Charlie and Hipstamatic.

Until next time... Miss Absinthe

Survival of the Sweetpeas!

These little lovelies are the lone survivors of my backyard garden planting

from last summer.

Everything else was cut down by gardeners who apparently can't distinguish very definite non-grass from grass, despite my posting a sign indicating it was a garden... in Spanish. Just have to laugh.... yeah.

I just had to immortalize them...

and may I tell you, their sweet smell lived up to their name!

Until next time... Miss Absinthe

Love and Love and Love in Ojai

Ojai is my idea of the perfect weekend LA getaway:

• Less than a two-hour drive - gods willing
• No corporate chain stores/restaurants (far edge of town not included)
• Three thrift stores and a great antique store - perfect for treasure hunting
• One of the best used-book stores
• A lovely park in the middle of town and a clock tower that chimes the hours
• Trees Trees Trees
• Colorful flowers/cacti
• A decent mix of restaurants and a nice cafe
• Friendly locals and an artistic community
• Easy walkability
• Horses!!! They're everywhere. People even rode them to brunch! (pics to come)
• Great places/opps to take pics of with my Diana F+ plastic camera (film at lab)
• Quiet nights and quiet stars...

This was the perfect place to spend Valentine's weekend with Sweetie-pie...

Wandering and hunting for treasure...

Taking pics of this and that...

Exploring the stacks/aisles of the groovy indoor/outdoor (with a grapefruit tree growing in the middle) Bart's Books.

They have several shelves on the outside and rely on the honor system if they're closed!!! I love that.

Adding three vintage beauty how-to books to my collection...

Going through vintage pics (and listening to 40's big band) at Treasures of Ojai, two caught our eye...

And this vintage necklace was only $22!

A cool iced darjeeling...

Wearing the Free People top I got the day before for 50% off at my fave non-thrift store in Ojai, Chameleon. The very-nice owner is from London, has great taste and the best sale rack in town.

Then a few steps to the St. Thomas Aquinas Thrift Store for this never worn $3 top...

It was the perfect lazy romantic creative breath-of-fresh-air weekend...

Until next time... Miss Absinthe

Le Jardin et Le Chat

Que Sera Serrano - the first fruits of my gardening labors!

Close-up of Molly - the cause of my recent bloodshed

Billie belongs to a neighbor, protects the property, keeps me company as I garden/water/read/nap and has gone fearlessly to battle against wasps that were menacing me for a couple days last week. Even now he goes over and checks out that area to make sure it's safe for me to water. He's more than a cat, I'm convinced.

Until next time... Miss Absinthe

White Butterfly x 4

After marveling at all the colorful gemstones at the museum, I continued my lovefest with nature at The Pavilion of Wings and their gorgeous variety of butterflies and moths. It's a rather small exhibit size-wise, but I wasn't disappointed... except for the fact that despite my best efforts, not one lovely creature landed on me, sigh.

http://www.nhm.org/exhibitions/butterflies/

Until next time... Miss Absinthe

Le Petit Mort du Snapdragon

The snapdragon's colors intensified as the flowers died in a way that made them beautiful on a whole different level. Sublime to the end.

Until next time... Miss Absinthe

Still Life with Calla Lillies and Snapdragons

A little more pink for a beautiful late afternoon... Enjoy!

Until next time... Miss Absinthe