copyright 2010 | Allison Parker | Feather Nest PhotographyI have a very dear friend, Tiffany, who moved to Texas years before I did. When I visited she would tell me about the Bluebonnet fields. I had always equated it to the Azalea bushes in bloom in Louisiana. In early March, all the Azaleas would bloom at the same time throughout the state. It is beautiful. Light pink, white, hot pink, and even purple blooms surrounded every house and state building and only lasted a few short weeks.
When Tiffany would tell these stories about the Bluebonnets, I would nod my head politely and secretly not understand the frenzied look she would get in her eyes when talking about how beautiful the flowers were. Each year, Tiffany would round up her mom friends, about 20-30 women, and organize a professional photo session in the Bluebonnets for each family. They would sometimes trek more than an hour away to find the "best" bluebonnet field. For those of my friends who know Tiffany, you know that she never does anything half-hearted, therefore I just thought this was just an over-the-top, "silly," and fun thing to do with the kids, to be one with nature.
Well, I should know by now to NEVER doubt anything Tiffany says or promotes. She is right about everything.
This was my first year in Texas for the big bloom. I could feel the frenzy generating in the air so I thought, "ok, let's see what this Bluebonnet thing is all about." I found out quickly. It isn't that the Bluebonnet is an overly beautiful flower, it is the abundance in which they bloom. They are everywhere. One day, I rounded a corner and saw vehicle after vehicle lined up along the side of the road. I first thought there was a school carnival somewhere, but no, when I drove by, it was family after family taking pictures of their children in ditches, in the median of the street, and at four-way stops. I could almost hear the individual conversations from many of these moms. "I don't care if the weeds are itchy, quit complaining, sit down, smile and look happy, damn it!" click, click goes the camera.
A few days later, my friend, neighbor, and an amazing photographer, Allison | Feather Nest Photography | mentioned she was doing sessions in Chappell Hill, Texas on family land. The town was also having a Bluebonnet festival. Well, you know I had to go, three of my favorite things...flowers, festivals, and photography all in one place.
The site in Chappell Hill was even more amazing than The Woodlands. Rather than the sides of the streets lined with Bluebonnets, there were entire fields, acres and acres of Bluebonnets, and even more families out taking pictures. If you have a bucket list then you should definitely add Texas Bluebonnets to your list of things to see. PURE BEAUTY!
The day was absolutely a perfect "silly" day for our family. I love watching my girls see the world through their sparkling little eyes. I sometimes get so involved in their expressions that I actually think I can see the magic they see, or at least I can feel it in my heart. They just see the flowers, their effortless beauty, how they are soaked in vibrant color, and the eternal hope they display.
Eternal hope? In a flower? Yes, absolutely! Have you ever watched a time-elapsed video of a flower blooming? They start off tight and closed off. Then they lift their pods and with a burst of "pow, here I am world," they start to open up each leaf, one at a time, until they are fully exposed. Can you imagine how different our lives would be if we weren't so guarded and actually went into our day forgetting all the stresses of the day before, to open ourselves up to new ideas, relationships, explorations, and to let our inner beauty shine vibrantly with no concern to judgement or disappointment? I hope I can take the simplicity of a flower's life cycle and teach my girls to be beautiful, to be approachable, and to learn from disappointments, but not craft their lives around it...to love like they've never been hurt and to continue to see the beauty in the simplicity of life.
I just realized why I consider Tiffany one of my favorite friends. She is like a flower—beautiful, opens herself to honest relationships, and always explores new adventures with a smile.
Thank you Tiffany for your impeccable taste, always sharing a tip, and of course, being a dear friend to me. Thank you Allison for inviting me to one of the most beautiful sites I've ever seen (your photos of the day are just as beautiful, thank you!).
copyright 2010 | Allison Parker | Feather Nest PhotographyNature is impeccably beautiful and I am blessed to have two amazing little girls of my own that help me see the beauty in small things every day of my life.
Allison shared some product shots that she took of the girls. Isn't that nice? The romper and capri jumper shown in these photos are available at our ETSY shoppe. (Tip for blog readers: supplies are limited because we only bought 10 yards of each fabric.)
FIND A FIELD OF WILDFLOWERS AND HAVE A SILLY NILLY DAY! Post your wildflower pics to our facebook page so we can all share the joy.
MORE PHOTOS ARE AVAILABLE IN OUR PHOTO GALLERY. ENJOY!
SILLY NILLY DAY IDEA LIST:
#1 Visit an orchard!
#2 Find a field of wildflowers!
#3 Attend a local festival!
#4 Crafty Playdate for Thanksgiving (Mom's Time Out)
#5 Rudolph-inspired Candy
#6 Create a paper snowflake wonderland
#7—A very special Silly Nilly Day and Winter Wonderland!
#8—Decoupage craft day for Mother's Day!
MORE IDEAS...
Thursday, November 25, 2010 at 05:31PM 
Thank you to all the mom's who let their kiddos come play with us. We had a great time and can't wait until the next craft day. Thanks to Olivia, Henry, Lily, Maggie, Haley, Analise, and Lexie for a fantastic Silly Nilly Day!
