A day at the apple farm

We had so much fun picking apples and looking at the farm animals at the Date Creek Ranch farm (Wickenburg, AZ) last weekend. It is hidden in a middle of the desert so if you would not notice a small road sign we would have never found it.

 

So we turned from the main road to a rougher desert one that leads to the lovely place with barns, fruit stand, the rows of fruit trees and farm animals resting in the shade. 

 

We were there just for fun so we did not pick up too many apples. But whatever we got was enough to eat fresh and make some apple butter (recipe here).

 

 A wonderful day filled with sun and fun!

 

Autumn day in Vegas

The short break from the heat in Las Vegas was very nice. We went there for a couple of days and the weather was great. There was lots of places decorated in a wonderful Fall style.

I always stop at the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Garden while there. I love this huge hall with tall ceilings and arches covered in pretty plants and decorated for the occasion.

Right now, there is the Artistry of Autumn exhibit there. 

There are lots of pumpkins everywhere (one of them weights 96 lbs!) and beautiful live mums. I love the falling leaves, the acorns in the air and huge watermill. A wonderful country autumn scene!

 

If you'd like a cup of coffee and sweet treat, stop by Jean Philippe pâtisserie. It is just around the corner, and every little pastry is a piece of art there! You will see the world's largest chocolate fountain and right now, lots of gorgeous Halloween themed treats. I love the haunted house cake and huge skeleton sculpture made of chocolate. It took 2 people and 70 hours to make this. Lot's of work but a beautiful result!

 

I love to see human hand creations, these kind of things make me happy. Our vacation was great and I feel refreshed. I can finally feel the fall in the air and it is time to prepare our garden for the coming chilly weather and the house for the holidays. Love Fall, love October!

Summer vacation: north to Alaska

This summer I was so lucky to be able to visit Alaska. What a wonderful vacation it was!

 

The nature is really beautiful and wild there. 

Summer is the best time to visit Alaska so I was able to enjoy the great summer bloom, gorgeous waterfalls, picturesque meadows and ocean. 

 

There was so many wild animals around, just living their lives right next to the humans. 

The gorgeous mountains are all around you. Besides absolutely stunning views of snow caped mountains covered with clouds, we enjoyed fresh, crisp mountain air. 

A hike to the Glacier was one of my favorites. Where else would you be able to do this!

So I had some time for sightseeing, fishing or shopping in Valdez, Homer, Seward and Anchorage. It was a great experience and I hope we will be able to do it again in the future. 

Vacation in California

We had such a wonderful mid-winter vacation in California. Spring is in full bloom there and it was such a pretty ride through the fruit farms areas. The almonds are blooming, the grapes are barely waking up and huge green avocados are hanging from the branches. What  a lovely picturesque drive! 

I finally had chance to see Carmel-by-the-Sea. I've heard so much about this little town that I always wanted to. I love the beach, the fresh ocean air, crashing waves and of course, local architecture. The houses are so unique, it seems that there are no two alike! 

There are lots of the cutest little shops in the city and you just cannot resist the temptation of getting something to remember Carmel. This is also a dogs friendly town, so the happy dogs are everywhere. I think our two furry babies would love to visit this place!

We visit the Fisherman's Wharf and the shops at Cannery row in Monterey. We lived on a Pacific coast before so it was very nice to be so close to the ocean again!

Our last destination was Solvang, CA. This is a small pretty Dutch style town in Santa Barbara area which was worth the visit.

I loved the city's European architecture and delicious foods at the local restaurants. There is lots of wine tasting rooms but we just did not had enough time! 

 

I stopped by the Hans Christian Andersen museum and was very happy to see so much memorabilia. When I was a little girl I read his stories but I just realized that there are so many things I never knew about him.

 

So it was educational, informative and I was very happy to purchase a great book of Andersen's stories translated in English. I started to read it as soon as I got to the hotel room and really, it was a very special night for me! I dreamed of little Thumbelina and a The little match girl. When I woke up I started to think of goblin and the grocer story which I actually did not remember from my childhood.

 

I love our vacation. It was short but full of events and new places. I hope one day we will have more time to explore them but for right now, I am happy.

Etsy live in Ukraine

My vacation is over and I am happy to be back home. The trip to Ukraine was full of emotions and new impressions. I was very happy to see my old friends, family and was lucky to meet new friends.

One of the trip highlights was a very nice evening with fellow etsyans from the Russian Artists Team. 

 We met downtown at the green park full of wonderful old trees and great architecture. We sat and talked at a little cafe and exchanged the cutest gifts. 

 Then we walked on the evening city streets full of lights, life and people. I had a wonderful time. I wish I could do this more often.

Thank you, girls for finding time to meet with me:

 Daria from Dariami

Maria from LovelyTrifles

Natasha from Grimme

Polina from Beautyspot

I wish you best of luck and hope we'll meet again!

A snowy day in Grand Canyon

The beginning of spring is always so tricky. Yesterday you was enjoying a first bloom but today the gentle flowers are covered in snow. It seems that spring will never come!

 Yesterday morning we heard about a snow storm coming up north. We live in the valley of the sun so it was our last chance to see the snow this year!  We jumped in a car and drove up there to see a Grand Canyon covered in a snow.

It was cold, windy and there was lots of ice on the roads but it was worth it! 

The canyon is beautiful at any time of year and one more time you can feel the power of nature.

It was a beautiful day in the mountains. 

I wish we could find more time for things like this, just to be alone with nature.