oyster roast

photo by kristen bach

under the bridge

near 75 north and vinings is a wonderful river park,chattahoochee national park. there is a long walk along the river,as well as miles of woods walk. perfect for city folk to get in nature. when the trail went under 1-75,i was amazed at how it looked like a giant cathedral,the pillars 30 feet tall, with water running under and reflecting on all. what better cathedral than to have a river running through it!

photos and words by rebecca wood

geraniums

photograph by rinne allen

magnolia love

i can remember my first southern spring here so vividly.  i was driving to work and i passed a japanese magnolia tree that i could have sworn was bare the day before.  it was covered in magenta-colored magnolia blooms.  i recall pulling over to the side of the road and just staring at it like i had never seen anything like it before. 

ten years later, i still find magnolias to be just as beautiful as the first time i saw them and i continue to pull over to the side of the road.

photos and words by kristen bach

hellebore petals

photograph by rinne allen

hellebores & new growth

a simple cluster of hellebores with a touch of green from the new leaves of an oak leaf hydrangea.

photograph & arrangement by rinne allen

spring green

photo by kristen bach

balsamic roasted fennel and beets

we are on the cusp of the growing season right now.  spring veggies are getting planted and the winter ones are getting harvested. 

this past week we roasted up some of the hearty winter veggies that we love.  it was a simple side that even my 5 year old gobbled up.

pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees

-wash your beets and fennel well and trim the tops of of both

-slice the beets and fennel into smaller pieces, mine were both small so I halved them

-in a bowl toss with salt and a generous amount of freshly cracked pepper, 1 tsp olive oil, and 1 tsp good balsamic vinegar

-line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange roasting veggies

-roast for 20 minutes or until your vegetables are cooked all of the way through

-return to bowl and quickly toss with a tiny bit of balsamic again

-enjoy!

photos and recipe by kristen bach

cloudy sky

photo by kristen bach

beach collecting

We spent the past week, camping at the beach.  We couldn't stop wandering the lovely white sand beaches and of course.....collecting!

photos and words by kristen bach

peach blossoms

photograph by rinne allen

musella gin

while driving through forsyth, georgia i spotted this treasure.  the gin was no longer being used but was a lovely building as is.  enjoy!  it always is good to keep your eyes peeled for beauties like these!

photos and words by kristen bach

spring branch

photograph by rinne allen

outside at fort pickens

we just returned from a camping trip to fort pickens which is just outside of pensacola, florida. fort pickens was a short jaunt from our campsite so we did a lot of exploring over there.  today i wanted to share some of the exterior of the fort and batteries.  it is so crazy to think of all of the masonry work that went into all of this!  enjoy! 

quince petals

photograph by rinne allen

early spring: star magnolia

it is really feeling like spring here now. everything is beginning to flower. sometimes i find it overwhelming, to see so many colors all at once. this year i will take it slow...and enjoy them one at a time. here, a star magnolia sits quietly on an overcast day.

words & photographs by rinne allen

hellebores

photograph by rinne allen

a morning with home.made

the other day i spent the morning with mimi of home.made taking pictures of some ingredients and prepared foods she had cooking up in the kitchen that day. 

photos by kristen bach

hazel, waterside

photograph by rinne allen

spring has sprung!

spring is here...well, almost. today it is predicted to be chilly, but earlier in the week, the trees & flowers began to unfurl...

words & photographs by rinne allen