You inspire me: circles, pattern and color

 My eye can't help but constantly be on the lookout for patterns, colors, and inspiration. I do this all the time in my familiar settings, but put me somewhere new, in this case, visiting family in Massachusetts, and it's a whole new world of, what I like to call, visual yum.

 

 This delicious detail is a decorative plate from Turkey that hangs in Yaya's kitchen.

For the past several weeks, at home in Chicago, I've walked by a coiled up garden hose (in the best shade of blue!)  Every time I see it, i want to take a photo; I am usually on my way to or from the store with my arms and hands loaded up with stuff, camera tucked somewhere inaccessible. But today, when I saw this lovely coiled up orange hose, I was already on a photography adventure. Now I just need to go back home and get a shot of my favorite blue garden hose.

Cascading, concentric circles of crystal. What more is there to say, really?

Backyard, Central Massachusets

Visiting family in Massachusetts, enjoying the temperate days and cool evenings, wandering through the backyard and enjoying the details.

 I just love the symmetry, and the layers of patina accumulated over the years.  Apparently a family of woodchucks makes their home beneath the shed; I saw a baby yesterday :)

Weathered hardware details = good stuff

Rusty details of the cellar door.

Growing up in Southern California, where we had attics, basements were always a huge novelty and mystery to me. The somewhat musty smell of my Grandmother's basement in Missouri is a olfactory memory that I hold dear from my childhood. I suspect it has greatly contributed to my love of antique shops filled to the brim with stuff...same smell. This basement talk brings me to cellars; are they even the same thing?  Cellars make me think of creaking, creepy doors that open wide to open a path to the depths and darkness below. Cellars also make me think of wine. We'll go with that.

Sunset reflection and some siding with serious character. Love it.

Intergalactic Street Art

I've been capturing lots of graffiti and street art around the city recently. This display is in Andersonville, on Clark just south of Bryn Mawr. I am not of fan of defacing public property or gang tags; this art makes reference to the business, which is accessed on the opposite side of the building. Therefore, I see it more as them decorating their business

instead of defacing a public structure.

 I am oddly obsessed with brain scans. Actually most any kind of scans and x-rays.

I don't know what this image means, if anything, but I dig it.

 Zodiac time?

 Stars and swirls and color, oh my!