on the third day of our phoenix trip, we spent the morning at the butterfly wonderland in scottsdale.
having been to a similar butterfly exhibit a few years ago (with some of FOL sisters of course!), i sort of knew what to expect. but this time around i was armed with a macro lens and was able to get upclose and personal with these enchanting little wonders of nature.
so many butterflies…so little time.
i was even able to catch a glimpse of the elusive glass-winged butterfly, aptly named for its transparent wings.
being surrounded by literally thousands of butterflies in all shapes and colors is like being in a fairy land.
and when they land on you???
it’s absolutely magic.
apparently this little guys mistook my nail polish for a flower.
as hard as it was, we eventually had to drag ourselves out of the conservatory,
after our butterfly excursion, we had lunch at the loveliest little cafe.
yes we had dessert. and yes we took pictures of it.
to end our day, terri took us to the LOVE sculpture in the scottsdale.
this iconic piece of art is a permanent fixture in the scottsdale civic center mall. and it was the perfect way to end our three day adventure.
***warning….here’s where the sappy stuff starts***
it’s been great going through my photos these past few days…a nice way to relive all the special memories that we made. but some of my favorite moments were only captured with my mind’s eye. camping out in terri’s room with our whole foods take out for dinner…talking about life and art. the constant struggle to find time for both.
when i say that these women changed my life, it’s no exaggeration. i mean, it could have been anything…at the time i was just throwing a whole bunch of spaghetti against the wall hoping something would stick. but thanks to their support and encouragement, photography stuck. and it has enriched my life in a million ways.
i’m so grateful for the opportunity to visit phoenix and for these wonderful experiences. but mostly, i am grateful for these dear friends.
love, kelly
Beautiful pictures! Like little pieces of art! You are so blessed! Thank you for sharing!
thank you so much bonnie!
Absolutely LOVE!!! So glad you had so much fun. You are one amazing woman! Love you!
thank you friend….love you too!
You captured all the beauty of this place so perfectly! Love having your posts coming into my email and how they bring back all the warm memories of those few days together. It was truly magical! But as great as it all was, hanging out together and just talking was my favorite part too. The special friendship we have built is very precious to me. Wish it wasn’t so long between visits!
I have followed this little series with a full heart. Oh, the joy and memories your posts have brought back! But now you’ve got the tear ducts flowing, too. It was a remarkable time because of the remarkable women, you included. I totally agree with Terri: it’s too long in between our visits.