November 30, 2012 -- collection of chestnut colored things

This started with yesterday's leaf walk. While trolling for a good oak-leaved hydrangea leaf, I came across the tiny tulip poplar leaf in the tube on the right. (It was on the ground.)  I brought it in and saved it until this morning when I put it in this little container made of  three test tubes. I thought about what I liked best about the tulip poplar leaf (in addition to the fact that it was unusually small) and realized it was its chestnut color, so I started looking for other things that color to accompany it in the other tubes. The best things I could come up with were some hardy begonia seed pods (middle tube), a perilla seed head (middle tube), and some nandina leaves recycled from an earlier arrangement (left tube).  I like viewing the way they look  lined up like this.

November 28, 2012 -- leaf doilie

Hi. I was playing with using leaves as doilies today, and this is what resulted. The leaves under the vase are really pretty oak-leaved hydrangea leaves. The leaves in the vase are from a spirea shrub with really pretty fall foliage.

November 28, 2012 -- after dark, after frost

Slim pickin's tonight after dark, after frost. But I knew the 'Mei Kyo' chrysanthemums were still blooming, I could find nandina foliage with my flashlight, and I spotted some Dame's rocket seed pods in the porch light.

November 27, 2012 -- yesterday's arrangement, revisited

This little concoction looked quite different in the morning light, so I moved it to a different location, tweaked it a bit, and tried to photograph it again. Still not too successful, but creating the arrangement has alerted me to where money plant pods are still "whole" in the garden.

November 26, 2012 -- black and white

The colors were getting in the way of what I wanted to say here, so I converted this photo to black and white.

I wanted to play with materials that would represent flag, filler, focal point. Here the flag should be a perilla seed stalk, the filler should be a cluster of aucuba leaves, and the bright focal point should be some white money plant pods. (Forgive me for adding some dark brown iris pods, too!) Unfortunately, I also wanted the treetops in the distant background to show up. Trying to show too much--my downfall as a teacher!

November 25, 2012 -- in Korean restaurant

Having dinner in Korean restaurant when what to my wondering eyes should appear but a windowsill behind our table! This arrangement was sort of a group project. Vase (a beer can) includes a leafy vegetable garnish, a couple of carrot strips, and a pair of chopsticks.

November 24, 2012 -- leftovers

These are some leftovers, from previous days, still sitting in the winowsill for various reasons.