DailyPost – Chica on the Move

Impressive and expansive grounds, include: a house, gardens, winery and village. Website: biltmore.com

The grounds are beautifully maintained, it speaks of the opulence enjoyed by the Vanderbilt family in days gone by. Today, it is a National Historic Landmark and one of North Carolina’s most popular tourist destinations and it is known as America’s largest home.

The home boasts a collection of artwork of more than 92,000 thousand items including works by Monet, Renoir and more. The tapestries alone are worth the visit.

The 250 room home’s construction began in 1889 and officially opened to family and friends in 1895.

A visit to Biltmore is a must for history buffs

I have been busy, really busy this past month. All sorts of life events, vacations, babysitting gigs out-of-town, family illnesses, birthdays, baptisms and I am sure I forgot something else. The upside? I have spent the month of July in the company of my most beloved people and feel happy and fulfilled. I think I am now ready to resume blogging duties, unless of course…life gets in the way.

I missed a few of the photo challenges and rather than attempt to catch up by back-posting, I will jump right in here with my purple submission. As soon as I saw this prompt, I knew I had to go down to Punta Gorda to snap some pictures of the “purple house” I frequently drive by. The choice of color always puts a smile on my face, not something I would have picked myself…but I absolutely love how it looks with its white trim; especially on an old traditional Florida home such as this one. And below… the slowly fading purple of our crepe myrtle tree. Aah, nature!

Weekly Photo Challenge: (theme of the week) Purple – Ube! (onthegypsystrail.wordpress.com)
Purple Sunset (thismansjourney.net)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Purple (mikes-take.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge – Purple (bullettrainofthought.wordpress.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Purple (mikehardisty.wordpress.com)
Weekly photo challenge: PURPLE (picturesinlivingcolor.wordpress.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge “Purple” (melissajoelliott.wordpress.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Purple (natsukashii55.wordpress.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Purple (hereandthere5.wordpress.com)

The Weekly Photo Challenge: Hands– Here is my contribution albeit a bit late! Hands at work doing what we like to best, snapping pictures!

Get ready, set, go! — Get ready, set…smile!

The Weekly Challenge – Hands (thegingerbreadcafe.wordpress.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Hands (imperfecthappiness.wordpress.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Hands (thekindnesskronicles.wordpress.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Hands (smallhousebiggarden.wordpress.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Hands (mothergrogan.wordpress.com)

I was busy and almost forgot to post my entry for this week’s photo challenge, together. I took these pictures last week while visiting one of my favorite places in town, Bayshore Live Oak park; and as I looked down into the water here is what I saw. A little sign of life among the rocks. Isn’t nature just amazing? It really is the little things that make life full!

A new sign of life... — A new sign of life…

There it is...more signs of life! — There it is…more signs of life!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Together (alexandraroman.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Together (thispositivelife.wordpress.com)
Bottles: Weekly Photo Challenge (Together) (suvesabun.wordpress.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Together (craftcrazygran.wordpress.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Together (mothergrogan.wordpress.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Together (annablakeblog.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Together (jinancitydailyphoto.wordpress.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Together (hereandthere5.wordpress.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Together (smkelly8.wordpress.com)
“Weekly Photo Challenge: Together” (mybyeworld.com)

The topic for this week’s photo challenge is the sun. Initially, I thought to use one of the many sunset pictures I’ve snapped in the past, but as I continued searching through the digital file, I came upon these instead; captured last fall during a visit to Bok Gardens in Orlando, FL. They reflect the sun in all its glory, at least I think so. LOL