gretchen newton photography

Spring has sprung …

Just some beautiful flowers … taken on my back deck and at the farmer's market this morning.

Birthday Flowers Close-up

My wonderful husband always gives me the most beautiful flowers for special occasions … last Tuesday was one of those occasions - my birthday. And, I just love taking close-ups of flowers -- you always see such unique details … 

A purchase from China …

So, I am finally back from Shanghai, and still recovering from jet lag. (I think it usually takes me 2-3 weeks to get totally back to normal sleeping patterns!) But, anyway, I wanted to tell you about one of my purchases from China … finally, I bought a tea set. I've always looked at them in the markets, but never wanted to carry something so fragile back to the states. However, this one I couldn't pass up. I also tried a variety of tea I've never had before -- wu long or oolong tea. The taste is somewhere between green and black tea. And, it's absolutely perfect.

Close-ups from the Garden

Here are a few pretty close-up shots from my garden … how does your garden grow?

Our deck

This weekend we re-organized the deck to make room for the new dining set we just bought at Wal-Mart, and the rug we purchased from Ballard Designs. Everything looks so great, but unfortunately it was too humid to sit outside! I suppose we'll just gaze out the window and dream of a dry heat or perhaps Fall!

Flowers • Up-close!

These are some close-ups I took recently with my Micro lens ... aren't they beautiful?!