Sound in Color: Brand New – Deja Entendu

14 Tuesday May 2013

Posted by melissaoconnor in Color Inspiration, Sound in Color

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astronaut, band, birds, blue, Brand New, color, color palette, Deja Entendu, music, orange, red, sky, songs, water, yellow

The cover of Brand New’s album, Deja Entendu, is surely a colorful one. It consists of rich, saturated hues that are intensely darkened around the edges, allowing the center image to really pop. I really like the contrast and use of shadows as well.

This album has always been a favorite of mine and brings me back to my senior year of college when it got a lot of plays on my iPod. There are some songs I must of listened to a hundred times. The cover definitely got my attention but the music backed it up for sure. The color palette would be a good inspiration for a kids room or party, colorful and lively.

Tips on How to Invite Birds and Butterflies to Your Garden

26 Friday Oct 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in The Great Outdoors

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bee balm, better homes and gardens, birdbath, birds, black-eyed Susan, butterflies, butterfly bush, cosmos, critters, flowers, foliage, garden, iris, leafy plants, native grasses, parsley, plants, purple coneflower, rocks, sedum, whimsy, wild, wildflowers, wildlife sanctuary, zinnia

I love nature and plants so when I bought my first home I was surely excited to create my first garden. Being someone who also loves animals, how could I not design an environment that invites all the lovely little creatures to play. When I first started looking for flowers and plants for my garden, I made sure I chose ones that attracted butterflies and included my bird bath so the birdies can play as well.

Here are some great tips from Better Homes and Gardens on how to invite little lovelies to your garden and what plants to pick that will lure them to explore. You may even have some who call your backyard home and in that case, yourself a big pat on the back. It’s such a great feeling to be surrounded by nature’s creations and with these next few tips you will be there in no time.

Butterfly Heaven: Invite butterflies to come and play with colorful beauties such as cosmos, zinnia, black-eyed Susan and butterfly bush. By creating a corner garden you can watch as they all explore your playground of goodies.

Easy Peasy: If foliage is more your style instead of flowers, then give this garden a try. Not only is it easy to care for, it will look great during the fall and winter seasons as well. Make sure to include purple coneflower, sedum, and iris to bring all the birdies to your yard.

Wild and Free: If you love plants that have a sense of free spirit and wild flair then planting native grasses and wildflowers is right up your alley. Birds and butterflies love these and how could they not? Including them in your garden adds a touch of whimsy and fun that all those tiny critters love.

Small Spaces: Even if you only have a few feet of space for your garden, you can create a haven for happy creatures. With plants like bee balm, sedum, and butterfly bush your wildlife sanctuary can be born.

In Love with Butterflies: If you adore butterflies then these next plants will bring you tons of happy. The bed of the garden attracts them while all the blooms offer nectar. To nourish the larvae include leafy plants such as parsley to give them what they love. Thrown in a few rocks for the butterflies to catch some rays and a birdbath for everyone to take a water break.

For more gardening tips check out the rest of this article on The Better Homes & Gardens website.

Mae Chevrette

09 Thursday Aug 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Featured Artists

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animals, art, birds, blue, design, flowers, Inspiration, Mae Chevrette, mixed media, ocean, painting, photography, pink, sea, sky, sunshine

I read about Mae Chevrette in Oprah Magazine and I have to say what an incredible artist she is. Only 25 years old, her travels have brought her tons of inspiration and with her painting and mixed media skills she creates works of art that are unique and beautiful. She went from working as a research technician to being a successful artist in no time. Starting with her Etsy shop she slowly put more time into her art and finally quitted her day job.

I have always been a fan of mixed media art. I’ve created a lot of my own throughout the years so I can truly appreciate the creativity that goes into this medium. I love how Mae uses objects she finds on her travels and makes them come alive in her paintings. Although there are many elements to her work, she brings them all together as if she’s mending a collection of thoughts. Streaming personal memories while inspiring others. What else could you ask for?

Here are a few of her pieces that I adore. You can view her work on her website as well as purchase it at her Etsy shop. Check out her Etsy interview in 2011 and keep tabs by reading her blog.

HIstoric Series: Takapausha Preserve

12 Thursday Jul 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Historic Places, The Great Outdoors

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algonkian, animals, birds, earth, forest, greenery, hiking, leaves, long island, museum, nassau county, nature, nature trail, new york, parks, plantlife, preserve, seaford, takapausha, trees

Being a nature lover you can count on me feeling at home at a place like Tackapausha Preserve. Located behind the Tackapausha Museum on Washington Avenue, it brings beauty in its purest form to Seaford, NY. If you need a place to escape from the rest of the world and you are local, this is it.

The preserve is free to enter and closes at sunset. It’s a great place for nature walks and exploring. Make sure you take note of the rules before you continue into the preserve, which are stated clearly at the gate entrances. You can also pick up a trail map at the museum to help guide you.

Taking good care of the preserve is important and even more crucial to the wildlife that live there. With 84 acres this sanctuary is the home of many small creatures including hundreds of bird species, like the ruby-throated hummingbird as well as Egyptian fruit bats. These species live amongst the plentiful oak and maple forests, ponds and streams.

There are three sections of the preserve, which are divided by major roads. However, you can follow the five mile nature trail that continues through the whole park. It fills the space between Merrick Road and Jerusalem Avenue.

You will find a small wetland between Clark and Jerusalem Avenue, a secluded pond (Duck Pond) in the section between Sunrise Highway and Clark Avenue and the Atlantic white cedar stand between Merrick Road and Sunrise Highway.

I really enjoyed my visit to the preserve back in December 2012. I felt as if I was traveling through tunnels of trees that welcomed me with every step. I have to say fall is a perfect time to go to see all the beautiful colors of the leaves and feel the crispness of the atmosphere. Although the warmer seasons would be nice with all the shade from the trees.

The preserve and museum are both operated by the Nassau County Department of Recreation. The county acquired the land in 1938 and since has been one of the most popular preserves on the South Shore. It was named after Chief Tackapausha of the Massapequa Band of Algonkian-speaking peoples.

The Tackapausha Museum is an impressive 3,000 square foot space with animals exhibits as well as activities for children. If you are interested in learning about the ecology of Long Island, you will find it all here. Why not take advantage of this natural resource and explore the gifts of Mother Earth. You can exercise and explore at the same time and its free!

Museum hours are 10 am to 4 pm Wednesday through Saturday and 1 pm – 4 pm on Sunday. Admission for children ages 5-12 is $2 (under 5 is free) and $3 for adults and teens. You can reach them at 516-571-7443 for updates and information.