playing tourist

  It's extremely fun to pretend to be a tourist sometimes. To go to beautiful sights and snap photos like crazy, and to visit hundreds of gift shops and carry maps around with you everywhere.
 
 We had guests staying at our house for a few days, and my mom took them to see some beautiful places in Ireland. I came along with them on one of the days, because they were going to one of my favorite places ever - Connemara, Galway - and because I always welcome the opportunity to be able to play tourist for the day.
 

  We started off going to Galway city. I don't really like cities. At all. But I do like this one. It's smaller and quieter than some other cities, and it's full of lovely little shops and bookstores and bakeries.

 |There's lots of awesome people along the streets. Like this guy whose pretending to be a rock or metal or something. Awesomeness.|

|A tshirt that I saw in a gift shop. With my blog's name on it.|

 After spending the morning there, we took the coastal road to Connemara. It took a while longer than the regular road, but it was worth it.

 In a little town on the way there was a little craft village. I wish I could have stayed there longer, it was lovely!

 |The whole craft village was decorated with big bright flowers and colorful bunting. So pretty.|

 And then finally, we got there. I don't know of any words that can describe Connemara. It's just so magnificent and breathtaking, and so wild and desolate. Time seems to stand still there.  (warning: lots of photos coming up.)

 |I love the expression on the sheep's face!|

 |This adorable little lamb was only 5 days old. So sweet!|

 |traffic jam.|

 I really, really love that place. I'm sad that I won't be able to see it again for so long. We've already begun to pack things up (thankfully my mom agreed to pack up my room last!) and the house is beginning to look more and more empty. 10 more days of home.


 Hope you have a lovely day,

sunshine.

 A few days ago I realized that one of the most beautiful times of day is just before the sun sets. The time of day when the sky is golden and orange and lilac and pale pink, all at once.

 It is especially nice when your precious kitty decides to come along when you take a walk through the fields...

...and that the white thorns and the cuckoo flowers are softly blooming everywhere you look...

 

...or if you spot an adorable brown hare nibbling on clover...

...and when you discover a beautiful moth which you first thought was a leaf.

And it is also very nice when the sun is shining brightly just behind the trees, causing bokeh-full photos.

|SOOC (straight out of camera). Promise. I so love natural b&w.|

  

  I hope you have a lovely day :)

"for the spring is really springing."

 Spring is here. Finally.

 And I'm extremely glad about it.

 So, in celebration of spring's long-awaited arrival, I am going to share with you some of my spring favorites.

cherry blossoms

 

this picture

|from howl's moving castle - one of my favorite movies. breathtakingly beautiful and so springy.|

alfred's pose.

|this is what Alfred does on sunny days like we've been having. he really knows how to enjoy spring.|

this artwork by katie daisy

these cookies

|via|

this adorable owl by Make it and Love it

|aw! this probably has nothing to do with spring. but I love it so much I just had to show you.|

 and this poem by Pooh.

"Oh, the butterflies are flying,

Now the winter days are dying.

And the primroses are trying

To be seen.

And the turtle-doves are cooing,

And the woods are up and doing,

For the violets are blue-ing

In the green."

 

What are some of your spring favorites?

the anne series

I love the Anne of Green Gables series.

 I've probably said that before, but I really just needed to say it again.


  This January I began reading the Anne series. I knew it would be good. But I didn't know it would be this good. But it is. It is extremely, incredibly very good.

 Each book made me laugh, and cry, and gasp in horror and amazement. I really enjoyed reading them.


 Anne of Green Gables - the beloved first book in the Anne series, and one of my very favorites. Little red-headed Anne Shirley has to be one of the most lovable and most amusing girls in all of fiction. She uses far too big of words, has an amazingly vivid imagination, and never ceases to get into frightful scrapes. A wonderful, charming classic.

|Anne Shirley in "Akage No Anne (1979)" - Japan's lovely anime version of Anne of Green Gables|

Anne of Avonlea - another wonderful book. Anne is (almost) all grown up, but is still as "Anne-ish" as ever. She still has the same imagination, and - unfortunately - the same tendency to get into scrapes :)

Anne of the Island - This book was very hard to put down. Anne of the Island  is such a lovely book and I enjoyed it so much.

 |This front cover is probably my favorite out of all of the front covers in the series.|

Anne of Windy Poplars - Filled with wonderful characters and hilarious stories, this is another very enjoyable read.

Anne's House of Dreams - This is another favorite of mine. I don't know if I've ever actually sobbed over a book before this. It's such a sweet book.

Anne of Ingleside - Anne Blythe is now a mother of six children - all as fun and imaginative as she was when she was little. This book is all about Anne and the goings-on at her home in Ingleside. I really liked this one.

Rainbow Valley - such a good book! This one focuses on the Blythe children and their many adventures with their friends, the four "Manse children". I love it!

 

 |Beautiful Prince Edward Island - the setting for the Anne series|

Rilla of Ingleside - Alongside Anne of Green Gables and Anne's House of Dreams, I think this is another one of my favorites in the series. Rilla is such a wonderful character, and it's just a sweet, sad book. I couldn't put it down, and I was so sorry when it was over. Such a beautiful book.

 So that's the excuse for my absence in blogging: I've been spending lots of spare time reading these. And I've also had a bit of a blogger's block for a while. But I think I'm better now, so I'll be posting more soon!

 Have you read any good books lately?