"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?

soda bread

  Soda bread is one of my favorite things. It's one of the simplest things to make, but it's so, so, so delicious. Especially right out of the oven. Covered in butter and strawberry jam. Yes.

irish soda bread

1 lb flour

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (also called bread soda)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

15 fl.oz buttermilk

   Preheat oven to 190 C (375 F). Sieve dry ingredients into a bowl and whisk together. Make a well in the center and pour in buttermilk. Gently stir together with a wooden spoon, just until it comes together (the trick is not to stir it too much.)

  Place dough on floured surface and pat gently to make a flat round about 2 inches high. With a sharp knife cut a deep cross into it.

  Place on a tray and bake for 30-35 minutes. (tip: if you knock on the the bottom of it and it sounds hollow, it's done.)

  Immediately wrap in clean dish towel. (This keeps the crust from getting too hard.)

  After it has cooled a while cut yourself a slice. Then smother with butter and jam. Then take a picture of it. And then eat it. Oh my.

 

 I sincerely hope you are having a splendid day. (if you aren't, go listen to some Owl City. It'll make your day splendider. Is that a word?)

 

of shoes and ships and sealing wax

"'The time has come,' the Walrus said,
'To talk of many things:
Of shoes, and ships, and sealing-wax,
Of cabbages, and kings,
And why the sea is boiling hot,
And whether pigs have wings.'"

-Through the Looking Glass

 I'm so excited about Owl City's new album - All Things Bright And Beautiful. I'm oh. so. excited. But do you know what I'm even more excited about? The Owl City concert in July that I have tickets for. *dies*

 Wanna here a song from his new album? Here :) <3 ...remember to live, cuz you're gonna be thrilled to death... <3

 Sunset sailors often hide away. 

|Is it just me, or does it look like the clouds are on fire?|

 

   I'm loving spring. It might be my favorite season of all. But then...I say that every season :) They are all so wonderful for different reasons. But right now, spring is just perfect. The flowers, the sunshine, the greenest of green grass - love, love, love.

   

   Six weeks of home. That's too short of a time. I'm trying to make the most of every day that I'm home...everything will be so different next year. I get homesick just thinking about it.

   53 followers. 53. I'm amazed. I literally did a happy dance when I saw. Thank you so much to every single one of you! You are all extremely splendid.

  A Collage I made of pink prettiness.

  
   Have a lovely day,

today.

Today I wore my shamrock earrings.

Today I watched Dublin's parade on tv.

Today mom and I made shamrock-shaped sugar cookies. 

 |Please ignore the fact that shamrocks are supposed to have 3 leaves...not 4.|

Today I photographed all the green things I can find.

 |rugby ball|

Today I made soda bread (recipe to come soon.)

|Mmmmmmmmmmmm.|

Today we ate cabbage.

Today I watched this video. (warning: annoying music.)

  Why? Because today is St. Patrick's day - the day that celebrates Ireland. We don't usually celebrate St. Patrick's day much...but today I wanted to make it special. Just for the craic. ;)

loch álainn

 Today was a good day. I didn't fail my math test, I didn't make the ice tea too strong, and I didn't drop my camera in the lake. ...phew...

 After I finished the aforesaid test, my dad, my younger brother, and I went down to the lake. It's a really big lake, and there's lots of little back roads that lead to different bays. The bay we went to had a castle right next to it. Epicness.

 |Okay, okay...it isn't really much of a castle. Looks more like a tree made of rock. But it really is part of a castle, promise!|

  

  |My Lake of Shining Waters|

|Beautiful swans flying overhead|

 |Dad was skipping stones...|

|...whilst Caleb was throwing big rocks :)|

|An awesome tree with little fluffy things on it.|

    The weather today was so lovely, it was an absolutely beautifully sunny day. It's hard to believe that it was snowing just the other day!

 |Proof that it really snowed.|

 I can't wait for tomorrow. Since it's St. Patrick's day, we're gonna be doing some awesome Irish-ey stuff. Such as making soda bread and shamrock-shaped sugar cookies. Mmm! :)

cordelia

  This, my friends, is Cordelia.

  Cordelia the gorgeous pink rose. Yes...I name my flowers. It's a really fun thing to do, trust me. Especially if you name them after favorite book characters (or in this case, a name that a book character wishes she had.).

 I've decided that roses are my favorite kinds of flowers. They are so beautiful, so perfect. And not only do they look lovely, but they smell so wonderfully sweet.

  
   I've also decided that pink is the perfect color for roses. I love roses of all color, but light pink just seems as if it was meant for roses. It matches the sweet smell and the delicate petals.

 
  To think you can buy something so beautiful for €3.99. Epic.

 

   Well, I must be off to watch The Two Towers. "They're taking the hobbits to Isengard!" :)