It is SO Springtime -- Eye Candy From Today's Trip to Merrifield Garden Center!

Even the pots look all shiny and happy and excited about EOS (Early On-set Spring). (Below)

What a glorious day, and I can't wait to come back to Merrifield later in the week sans HoneyHusband so I can lollygag for hours.  The place is huge and has everything, and best of all, the people are fantastic.  Barry helped us first with choosing our new shade loving bush for in front of the house, and he handed me off to the woman who knew everything about the early salad greens to plant, and she handed me off to the soil guy who showed me what I needed to put them in pots rather than the garden proper.

Rosebushes, waiting to go to their forever homes.

I loved this plant/flower.  Helleborus.  I know I have seen them in a million beautiful colors before, but had never seen this gorgeous pale sage tipped in pink with yellow centers.  When I got home I discovered they are the "plant of the week" at Merrified with specific information on their website here.

And back at home:

Hubby planting the new bush between the two laurels.  It was tragic to take up the hydrangea, but it just got no sun in front of, and right up against, the house, which faces North.  Don't get me started on stupid design and planning.  No excuse for it being built 80 years ago.

Pear tree starting to bloom in the backyard!  So pretty.

Honey Husband had to trample a few daffodils putting in the new bush.  I salvaged a few -- I think these mostly white ones look perfect in that little blue vase I bought in Morocco.  Yellow and blue dish behind it I bought in the restaurant district in Tokyo.  In it are tomatoes from the Schlagel Farms greenhouse -- they come to the Delray Farmers Market year round, thank goodness.  I asked why he had green tomatoes this time of year and he said he broke a stem while he was picking some red ones and voila, I will have fried green tomatoes this week!

One last shot from the garden center.  Om Garden Frog says: Namaste!

2012: Let's Kick It Off With Breakfast as Seen Through Hipstamatic - My New Love

Missed you all!  Since Christmas I have been on a steep, fast learning curve going from Blackberry to iPhone, Windows to mac, and learning how to use some fun new camera accessories.  It's meant hunting for my photos and figuring out how to, well, do everything differently.  I'm very happy with the "move," though.

iPhone: I am in mad, mad love Hipstamatic. 

I haven't gotten as into Instagram as the rest of the universe. But I am still playing around with it and learning.  Though the thought of joining yet another online community makes me feel overwhelmed.

I also love CameraBag for its simplicity.  

As my friend Ashlee always said, "Wakey, wakey, egg and bakey!" 

This is also now the name of my morning alarm.  The small pleasures of iPhone ... I can name my alarms.  (If only it always meant there were eggs and bacon waiting as soon as it went off *sigh*)

Uber fresh eggs from Tom's Amish Store at the Del Ray Farmer's Market.  His eggs come form an Amish farm a few hours away.  The taste is so rich and amazing.   Tom told me that he bought Eggland's Best and measured them with a loop and they were all exactly the same size ... what happens to the others? Ew.

Baked at 350 for about 15 min.  Came out beautifully! 

 Thomas' English Muffin Light Multigrain

Frozen spinach, thawed in microwave

I keep a hunk or two (or three) of Parmesan in the fridge and grate fresh.  There is no substitute for that taste!

Really, this simple breakfast is made spectacular with the truly fresh, local, organic eggs, tomatoes, Parmesan (not local, but definitely fresh)

All photos below taken with Hipstamatic app 

(except very last one).

This particular lens makes things come out rather yellow, probably not the best for food, but I am still learning how to change the lenses (literally to shake the iPhone ... it's so wild).  But I still love it!

These heirloom cherry tomatoes are shaped a little like hearts.

Below is another photo of the above taken with the normal camera on the iPhone.

The regular picture.

All photos taken with the iPhone 4S with 64GB storage for all my photos!

And, yes, breakfast was not as warm as I would have liked once I finished playing with my my new photo toy!  (Ok, not a toy, but it sure feels like one!)

Happy New Year, hope it is wonderful already.

Yours, in photo-fun,

Julia