Bottles with a purpose

A bouquet of freshly picked flowers (gerberas) and reused bottles.... This is how I decorate my place: with clean bottles of wine and olive oil...

A late contribution to Earth day... these flowers go to Today's Flowers that display the most gorgeous flowers around the world on a weekly basis.

I'll be the guest on May 10th, so watch that space!

Yay! Earth Day is also my birthday!

Good times... fun memories... good friends... true blessings... a beautiful family... Today I celebrate the big 40... I thank the Lord for all the days planned for me written in his book...

Happy Easter!

More than a wish, it is a prayer that His message of hope, joy and love may be the reason for our Easter celebration!

Consider the lilies...

How they grow!

And how they remind me that they brighten our days with their generous beauty and fragrance. They also tell me that I don't need much to live happily, that what impacts the lives of people who surround us is God's love shining through our lives. Choose... to spread joy and sow generously the seeds God has given to you. Sow generously, reap generously.

These lilies go to Today's Flowers that shows beautiful flowers around the world every week.

Summer is over...

The winds of change started to blow last week in our hemisphere. Leaves fall and temperatures drop... Summer is officially over. By the end of the Winter we will see many leaves on the ground, it takes time... leaves may turn red or brown down here too, on a much smaller proportion though.

Pink Friday

Pink backpacks, it's Pink Friday...

Lily, the pink

Pink lilies from my niece's "sweet fifteen" birthday party.

To see more flowers from around the world, please visit Today's Flowers.

Grab your masks

Hang some balloons, toss confetti all over the room and listen to some samba or jazz (is that what they play in New Orleans for Mardi Gras?) over this weekend, it is Mardi Gras! Or Carnival as we call it. I am not a fan of Carnival, but since it is such a big event in Brazil I did not want to let it go unnoticed.

How sweet

Penguins in love... Taken at the Aquarium in Ubatuba during Summer vacation. This scene totally made my heart melt... Happy Valentine's Day!

Eight is great!

Two big events at our house this week... The first one is that our second boy turns eight today! He is smart, funny, sensitive, and loves to draw. He fills our hearts with great joy!

The second event is that our kids are back to school! Summer vacation is officially over now. I love having my kids around in the Summer, but they started to get bored last week.

Morning dew and gentle rain

Early morning glistening dewdrops, always so soft... always a good reason to get out of bed early and take a few shots. Then it comes the rain... Love the gentle rain that makes flowers grow, filling the air with smell of hot ground after a dry spell. When I was a kid it seemed that it rained for days in a row and the humidity was high, I don't miss that but I haven't seen long raining days lately...

"Let my teaching fall like rain
and my words descend like dew,
like showers on new grass,
like abundant rain on tender plants."
Deuteronomy 32:2

Please visit Today's Flowers to see more flowers from all over the world.

Mountain and sea

Live together in harmony... rainforest... calm waters... just 3 hours away in Ubatuba. Good to visit during Summer time, we had a great time there.

Houses by the sea level

Paraty... I love this charming colonial town and its cobblestone streets constructed by the Portuguese settlers over 300 years ago. That is where we spent our honeymoon almost 15 years ago.

The full moon floods happen when the seawater invades the streets. It was pure luck that we were able to be there on vacation last week during full moon and high tides! I can't take any credit for that.

Where did you go on your honeymoon?

A Happy New Year!

Wishing you a wonderful New Year! May your hopes be in Him alone and his mercies begin afresh each day throughout this year giving us guidance and direction!

Pink Violets and how I grow them

Many people like to have african violets sitting on their kitchen windowsill, maybe because of indirect sunrays and because they are easy to grow indoors. They can make any corner brighter, and I have my violets on a small table in my balcony. I have created many new pots over the years just by leaf cuttings and I have never propagated them by seed! Each leaf I cut and plant in damp soil grows into a new violet after a few weeks. My mom used to cut many leaves and later transplant them into new pots then she would give away the new plants. After they grow, they do not like to be over watered... so I water them only when they are really dry. Also, I keep water away from their feet and leaves. Last time I posted about African violets I received many comments and I promised to post more violets, and here they are!

To view more flowers, please visit Today's Flowers!