Welcome to Villa Emilia (My Woodland Garden), a photography blog with a slant towards gardening and nature. An amateur gardener and photographer, I hope to share beautiful moments with you through pictures. Let me know if you like them! ❤

Thank you for your visit.

21.2.2016

Bliss


Happiness is in the small stuff...

... in "creating" something pretty, like these withered tulips captured in the ice...











... and sometimes even more special things happen...

The sweet Leah of Faith's Crafts Box hosted a lovely giveaway some weeks ago. Guess who won!!! Some days ago the postwoman delivered not one but two parcels to me. Let's see what there was inside...






I knew there would be a book, three framed pictures, two balls of pure new wool, and a waterproof bag, but there were also surprise gifts... a stitching-themed wall calender, mixture of wildflower seeds, a travelling sewing kit, a weekly diary, and a pair of bath gloves. Everything so beautiful and useful, and almost everything even in my favourite colours! :)
























Nature is an endless source of beauty, happiness and inspiration.

February is "helmikuu" in Finnish. "Helmi" means pearl (and "kuu" means month). Some say the name comes from the blanket of snow glistening in the sun, some say it comes from the icy "pearls" frozen to twigs and branches and glinting in the sunlight. Well, obviously the sparkling things are not pearls... they are diamonds, as can be clearly seen in the photo below, but "timanttikuu" would be too long a name. :)






Have a happy Sunday and a bright new week!






Sharing with:

Roses of Inspiration

Thank you, Karen, Judith and Stephanie, for hosting!







P.S. Mansikkatilan mailla -blogin Tainan ja Pieni Lintu -blogin Susannan inspiroimana
oli ihan pakko kokeilla Sherwin-Williams ColorSnap -ohjelmaa.
Osallistun siis tämän viikon MakroTex-haasteeseen, aiheena väripaletti.

Täältä löytyy Susannan postaus ColorSnap-ohjelmasta ja
täältä löytyy Tainan kauniita väripaletteja.






58 kommenttia:

  1. Ciao cara Sara! Che bel regalo che hai avuto... Pieno di tante belle cose ha realizzare. I also love the tulips in my ice! I have never seen anything like that before. It's so beautiful what nature can create! Have a wonderful week ahead:-)

    VastaaPoista
  2. Wau, wau, wau!!! En ole ikinä nähnyt näin kauniita tulppaanikuvia! Toivottavasti teet niistä jotain jatkuvasti näkyvää kotiisi, pieniä sisustustauluja tms... Ihania, olet yks welho :))

    VastaaPoista
  3. Your photos of the tulips in ice were stunning! Well done on the giveaway, there are some absolute treats here. Have a wonderful Sunday and week ahead x

    VastaaPoista
  4. Kauniita kuvia jään, lumen ja helmikuun tunnelmista ♥
    Ihanaa sunnuntaipäivää!

    VastaaPoista
  5. WOW... your tulips in ice are breathtaking, like little works of art in watercolours.
    The snow on your branches almost looks like white doves in amongst the diamonds, beautiful Sara.
    ...and last but not least, CONGRATULATIONS! Your prize is amazing, enjoy :)

    VastaaPoista
  6. Hi, Sara!!! What a beautiful pictures and fantastic presents. Tulips look fantastic. Real piece of art. And snow.....I miss it very much. Ours melted away and now the only thing we can do is to wait for spring to come

    VastaaPoista
  7. Tulips in ice - not a thing you see every day - and all the more beautiful for that.

    VastaaPoista
  8. Todella upeita tulppaanikuvia. Niistä voisi tehdä vaikkapa taulun tai kortteja. - Mukavaa sunnuntain jatkoa!

    VastaaPoista
  9. Bellissimi i tulipani. Il ghiaccio è un vero artista. Mi piace il colore.

    I like the name "helmikuu" for his month. It makes me think of wonderful glittering
    beads of ice, or pearls, the you see here and there when you go out. It was fun
    reading your thought about diamonds. Helmikuun helmet taitavat olla välimuoto
    timanteista ja helmistä; usein pyöreitä, mutta läpinäkyviä.

    Onnittelut ihanien arpajaisvoittojen johdosta. Congrats. Couldn't have happened to
    a nicer lady ! :)

    VastaaPoista
  10. Tosi kauniita tulppaanikuvia <3 Ja onnittelut arpajaisvoiton johdosta! :)

    VastaaPoista
  11. Lovely post and photos ! Thanks for sharing , Have a good week !

    VastaaPoista
  12. Your tulips in ice photos are stunning! I love, Love, LOVE them. If they were mine I would print and frame them. Gorgeous! Congrats on your giveaway win!

    VastaaPoista
  13. Beautiful helmikuu... I learn something new, today! So many lovely things to see, tulips like illustrations, branches of trees covered in snow and so many!
    Have a happy Sunday and a bright new week, too!

    VastaaPoista
  14. What great photos. The tulip ones are outstanding. You got some wonderful gifts in that give a way. Have a blessed day. Madeline

    VastaaPoista
  15. Exquisite Sara!
    These photos would make such pretty note cards.
    Did the tulips arrive early and get caught by the snow?
    Well done you, it's so much fun winning a Giveaway, what treats you received.
    That little parcel brightened your day!
    Shane x

    VastaaPoista
  16. The tulips in the ice are wonderful works of art. Congratulations on the giveaway win. Enjoy your lovely goodies. I've learnt more about the Finnish meaning of words. Such an attractive and appropriate way of describing February in your part of the world. Beautiful photos of snow. I hope your week ahead is a good one.

    VastaaPoista
  17. You shared some very lovely photos today. I especially love the ice tulip series. Very creative!

    VastaaPoista
  18. Tulips captured in ice, so beautiful and also the pictures are wonderful pieces of art. Congratulations on your give away, always nice to receive a post parcel.

    VastaaPoista
  19. So pleased you have enjoyed your gifts. Beautiful photo's as always. Xxx

    VastaaPoista
  20. What a clever idea - so beautiful - tulips frozen in time.

    VastaaPoista
  21. Those tulips are so pretty frozen. Congrats on winning the giveaway. Love the tree branch photos you captured...beautiful! Thanks for visiting my blog and I hope you have a wonderful new week!

    VastaaPoista
  22. Your photos of the tulips in ice are stunning. I can see them in canvas on someones wall. With no likelihood of snow falling where I live, I just delight in your 2 shots of the 'diamonds' and snow on your trees.

    VastaaPoista
  23. What a wonderful post, the pictures of the tulips in ice are incredible!!! xx

    VastaaPoista
  24. those photos are pure beauty! absolutely stunning! what a wonderful prize! and i do love the Finnish name for February is just wonderful! may you have a beautiful week! <3

    VastaaPoista
  25. Extraordinary images. The purple in the top series is absolutely breathtaking. Love the blanket of snow on the branches....you have a wonderful blog Sara. I'm so happy to visited with me - it gave me an opportunity to stop by here and enjoy the beauty you shared.

    VastaaPoista
  26. What a nice parcel to arrive in the mail and I love those shots of the tulips! :)

    VastaaPoista
  27. Hello, I just love the beautiful tulip images. Your gifts are all wonderful, what a lovely surprise. Gorgeous images and post. Happy Monday, enjoy your new week!

    VastaaPoista
  28. Congratulations on your win. The tulip photos are stunning! What beauty!!

    VastaaPoista
  29. Oh, what a beautiful photo's of te tulips! Very nice, also the colour!
    And congratulations with you won, it's are nice gifts!
    I wish you also a fine week!

    Love, Gerry

    VastaaPoista
  30. A wonderful post. Isn't it nice to have a little gift now and then? Love you new banner. I've changed mine to a ore summery one. Is that our wishful thinking, hoping to entice Spring to hurry up? Have a wonderful week.

    VastaaPoista
  31. Wow - the tulips in the ice are stunning!!! I didn't realise it was a photo to begin with; they looked like a painting! Nature at it's best.

    Sharing snapshots at Captured By Jade

    VastaaPoista
  32. Sara, I love your photos of the tulips in the ice. The color of the wool is very nice. The sun on the snow on the trees is a great catch. Sylvia D.

    VastaaPoista
  33. I just adore the photos of the tulips in ice. That is something I have not seen before, and therefore both refreshing and beautiful. Enjoy a wonderful week ahead.

    VastaaPoista
  34. Wow, miten upeat jäädytetyt tulppaanit!

    VastaaPoista
  35. Lovely boxes...and I don't think I've seen anything more lovely and creative than the tulips under ice. Stunning!

    Donna@GardensEyeView
    and LivingFromHappiness

    VastaaPoista
  36. Congratulations for winning a giveaway Sara and I love the purple sewing implements. The tulips under ice are amazing, an intriguing subject to photograph.
    The tree branches look like they have mini lights on them but I much prefer to envision diamonds.

    VastaaPoista
  37. Lucky you, good job you were home when the Postie came! Mind you looks way to cold to venture out... love the tulips in ice, It would be Wren in ice if I visited! Mind you today is a tad hot here in Melbourne (yes we're back!), we have one hot dog at home, we're all waiting for a cold change... send tulips in ice !!!
    Wren x

    VastaaPoista
  38. The tulips captured in ice are just beautiful! I agree with you... Happiness is found in the small stuff :)

    VastaaPoista
  39. Oh my....your photos are stunning, Sara. What an amazingly gifted photographer you are. The photos of the tulips are sublime and I love the snow on the branches. Lucky you, for receiving all those pretties. I do love that calendar.

    VastaaPoista
  40. What a lovely idea to freeze the tulips in a container to photograph as you did. So creative and a really stunning effect!

    VastaaPoista
  41. Your ice tulips are stunning, Sara. What a creative thing to do with withering petals. Their colour really stands out, and the lines in the petals. The snow on the trees with the blue sky behind is also beautiful.
    Congratulations on your giveaway win.

    VastaaPoista
  42. Beautiful sunlight hitting the sun, lovely!

    VastaaPoista
  43. Cool shots of your frozen tulips (no pun intended. Hee). Congrats on winning the fun giveaway. The Life of Pi book is a great read!

    VastaaPoista
  44. The tulips are lovely encased in ice, Sarah! Congratulations on winning all the little treasures. Very pretty to see the diamonds on the trees :) x Karen

    VastaaPoista
  45. Kauniita kuvia ja värejä :)

    VastaaPoista
  46. Hyvää timanttikuuta sinullekin! Aivan mielettömän ihana idea jäädyttää jo yli kukkineita tulppaaneja. Ja voi mitkä kuvat! Jäätulppaaneista saisi kauniita jäälyhtyjä tai sitten ihan tarjoilupöytään kylmäkalleksi. Upeita kuvia ja kiitos tuosta colorsnap-vinkistä. Sitä pitääkin heti kokeilla.

    VastaaPoista
  47. Ihanat värikollaasit. Lilat tulppaanit olivat kauniita

    VastaaPoista
  48. Lilat tulppaanit erikoisen hienot.

    VastaaPoista
  49. Upeat jäätulppaanit kuvissasi, tuota pitää kokeilla, jos pakkasia vielä tulee.

    VastaaPoista
  50. Kuten jo muutkin ovat ylistäneet tulppaaneitasi, niin vielä kerran: ne ovat todella kauniita, vangitsevia kuvia!

    VastaaPoista
  51. Miten kauniita kuvia kaikki. Mutta täytyy myöntää, että jäin suu auki ihailemaan jäädytettyjä tulppaaneja. Ensin luulin niitä maalaukseksi, kunnes tajusin lukea esittelytekstin. Aivan ihania.

    T. Täysin arkista

    VastaaPoista
  52. The purple tulips are glorious in the ice! Their bright colour shines though. Congratulations on winning all of the lovely gifts. I'll have to be sure to visit your friends blog. Finally, I enjoyed reading about the Finnish word for this month. How poetic! Of course, I love your wintry shots, Sara.

    Karen

    Karen

    VastaaPoista
  53. Upeat jäätulppaanit!

    VastaaPoista
  54. Kateudesta vihertävänä tuijottelen täällä nuita liilojen tulppaanien kuvia.

    VastaaPoista
  55. Sweet Sara, your images are a feast for the eyes...such beauty and inspiration!

    Thank you so much for sharing with Roses of Inspiration. Please know that this wonderful post will be featured at this week's party. Hugs and joy to you!

    VastaaPoista
  56. Beautiful photos of the frozen tulips, the purple petals with the bubbles trapped in the ice so stunning, they are a work of art. Also love the ice pearls :)

    VastaaPoista
  57. 💜 Fifty-seven wonderful comments! I feel truly blessed when returning to these memories from years ago. I am happy that the blogging friendship with many of you continues even today. I remember every commenter with warm thoughts. 💜

    VastaaPoista


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