Spring Bridal Portrait Season

Spring is just the perfect time for Bridal Portraits. 

I feel so blessed to walk out my back door and 

see all of God's handiwork...

which here at Magnolia Hill, Spring is a time for portraits! 

Ornate benches are ideal for a day of spring day's dreaming. 

The spring lake is so pretty and it is no secret 

we love to work with great photographers.

 Actual wedding days are so jam packed, 

that it is a calming feeling to get a portrait 

in your dress with no one around.

 It is a perfect time to try hair and makeup for the big day.

For a portrait session wear comfortable shoes 

as there may be lots of walking. 

Most of the time, the shoes

 do not show in the portrait.

Our historic dogwood tree

 is always in bloom by Easter. 

Look high up in the treetops too, for there 

is the wild purple wisteria that blooms 

profusely in the tree tops.

Perfect for a bridal portrait...

Looking closely, each petal cluster

 is shaped like a cross with two longer petals 

and two shorter ones.

 A crown of thorns is in the center

 and "blood stained" tips with

 nail scars on each petal.

The dogwood is seen from afar 

even with azaleas showing off their colors. 

Spring was quite cool this year and 

we burned our wood burning 

outdoor patio stove for warmth.

The Red Bud trees seemed to bloom early this year.

 They frame a bridal portrait session nicely.

The days getting longer, most portrait sessions

 are late afternoon and early evening 

after the sun goes down.

Gathering the spirit of Spring's soft beauty, 

I picked some wisteria and dogwood for the table

 and placed it in a vintage crock, as it smelled so delightful.  

From across the lake, as if from another era,

 the dogwood

 and the wisteria are blooming

 with a timeless point of view.

Covered in wisteria blooms, 

the dock on the water creates

 a cozy room draped with the dripping blooms

 pouring over the rails. 

Our private country house is found inspiration

 for photographers for our house 

was built in 1918 but only three families

 have lived in it previously. It is a house 

people moved to stay. It has always been 

a place that is loved by the families 

who lived here. The house is wonderful, 

but the location is also quite special. 

Life is newness and

 ever changing when you live by the water.

 

Friends meet, where memories live, and where LOVE grows.
Happy Spring to you....

blessings, 

You’ll find me on Instagram here:  Alda's Magnolia Hill 

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Remembering the Legend of the Dogwood

 There is a legend, that at the time 

of the Crucifixion the dogwood 

had been the size of the oak

 and other forest trees.

 It was chosen as the timber for the cross

 as it was strong  and tall.

To be used for such a cruel purpose

 greatly distressed the tree, 

and Jesus, nailed upon it, sensed this, 

and in His gentle pity for all sorrow and suffering said to it: 

"Because of your regret and pity 

for My suffering, never again shall the dogwood tree 

grow large enough to be used as a cross. 

Henceforth it shall be slender

 and bent and twisted and its blossoms 

shall be in the form of a cross. 

...two long petals and two short petals.  

And in the center of the outer edge of 

each petal there will be nail prints, brown with rust 

and stained with red,

 and in the center of the flower 

will be a crown of thorns. 

All those who see it will remember." 

                                    

                                                                                       - author unknown

Even though this is just a legend, 

I appreciate the reminder 

of my Savior's sacrifice for me 

when I see these blooms.

Somehow every year by Easter, 

our Dogwood tree has been in full bloom. 

The purple Wisteria on the dock  is in full bloom

 at the same time as the Dogwood trees.

In my lifetime, I have never missed

 an Easter  church service...

but this year is certainly different. 

In honor of all the health care workers, 

especially those that have passed

 though our Magnolia Hill gates...we are staying home. 

 Healthcare workers are literally risking it all to save us.

They say,  "We also have family but we can't stay home...

Be responsible and STAY HOME because I can't"

Especially pretty in spring, but also in the fall,  

 as swirling scarlet and purple leaves 

add to the fall landscape's  autumnal palette.

Colored red berries on both the white and pink dogwoods 

attract songbirds through early winter. 

The pink dogwood is an American classic. 

This pink Dogwood was given as a gift in

  honor of my mother as she lost her battle with Breast Cancer. 

These legendary trees have long been part of our native landscape 

and provide an aura of magnificence in a 

100% North American native cultivar that ranges

coast to coast.... from Maine to Florida 

and from the Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific Ocean .

America's founding fathers were big dogwood fans too.

 George Washington planted them at

 Mount Vernon and Thomas Jefferson planted them at Monticello.

And we too,  love the Dogwood trees at Magnolia Hill.  

It has been an amazing week hasn't it? 

Buddy and I hope you have a blessed Easter

 and see God in the flowers and trees 

or where ever you celebrate. 

As Max Lucado says, "With God's help we 

will get through this!"

Pssst: Did you know Magnolia Hill  is on Instagram? 
You’ll find me on Instagram here:  Alda's Magnolia Hill 

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Welcoming Spring on the Porch & Gratitude

Hi friends! With Easter only a week away, I thought I would share how Spring 

has blossomed and bunnies have multiplied . 

 The dogwood wreath on the front door is

my spring inspiration for I just love Dogwood trees. 

When the first buds of spring peep through their winter sleep, 

I start fluffing the pillows on the porch.   

 As the miracle of spring unfolds, I like to think of my front porch 

as a cozy resting spot in which we find the reassurance 

of new beginnings especially this year. 

Bunnies seemed to be popping up on the porch everywhere...

It was so nice to have a clean fresh porch! 

 If you have known me very long, 

you know I love a porch, and the gatherings on the porch.

 This forced quiet time has certainly let us keep busy

with projects like installing a new front porch and painting it. 

 Living in a hundred year old house there is 

always something that needs some refreshing. 

A fresh coat of paint will feel smooth and cool to summers bare feet.  

 I found it was too easy to become overwhelmed,

 and stressed watching the news on the 24 hour television

 that was holding me captive. 

 I had to turn it off and get busy while limiting

 myself to checking in only once a day. 

The porch seems a nice diversion to step away from all the news. 

Quiet reflection on the porch... Reading a good book, 

counting my blessings, and especially missing those I love... .

 The rocking chairs got a fresh coat of paint too. 

They were a Christmas gift from my husband the first year in our house.

Miss Magnolia finds herself all alone these days

except for a few left over jonquils. 

Enjoying the last camilla blooms from

 time spent on the porch. 

Notes to self while under "house arrest" ....enjoy the gift of the day. 

 My heart is saddened by the loss of a lifelong friend

 to the virus. Yet I am so full of gratitude 

with her gift of friendship through the years. 

" No disaster can overtake you, 

No plague can come hear your dwelling;

For He shall give His angels charge over you, 

To keep you in all your ways. "

Psalm 91:10-11

Stay well, sweet friends, stay well.

Spring at Magnolia Hill

April is one of the most colorful months of all at Magnolia Hill. Now I know what it means to say "spring green".  It is a green like no other time of the year. This week and every week around Easter, our glorious Dogwood tree is in full bloom. Azaelas are showing off their colors, and purple Wisteria sets off a wave fragrant blooms.

An antique trellis supports a white climbing hydrangea 

A popular month for bridal portraits !

The White Dogwood tree makes a lovey backdrop for wedding day.

The Pink Dogwood in front of the Guest House was given in memory of my mother and her loss to Breast Cancer. 

A vintage postcard from my ephemera collection shares The Legend of the Dogwood.

Spring green table decor

"He fills my life with good things"  - Psalms 103:5

A stone path beckons you for a walk to the lake.

The dock is draped in purple wisteria.

No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.

A bride and her daddy wait on the carriage to come.

 "Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!'"  ~Robin Williams