My friend Lorinda is a very talented photographer. She came over to my new apartment for the first time a few days ago and happened to have her camera with her. She took some pictures and showed them to me later…I was really impressed with the beautiful job she did!

Photos by Lorinda Gray

I thought I’d share some of these wonderful photos with you. Lorinda has such a great eye for detail and captured objects that I look at every day in such a fresh, appealing way! She has a blog called Ragamuffin Creative, where she has lots of striking photography, so be sure to check it out!

Photos by Lorinda Gray

As you can tell from some of these pictures, I love hydrangeas! The dried ones you see in these photos were given to me from my talented artist friend Eileen. She has a beautiful hydrangea bush in her front yard.

The chair in the top right photo was rescued from my mother’s basement. It originally belonged to my grandparents and had become very worn and tattered over the years. I had the chair reupholstered and put some wood rejuvenator on the wood trim, so now it’s as good as new! I wish I had taken a “before” picture of it so you could see how dramatic the transformation was!

Another photo shows my little collection of birdhouses that are displayed on a ledge, and in the photo below it to the left, a bird votive holder rests on some antique books. Decorative birds and birdhouses just seem to make a room feel more light and airy!

Next to the bird votive holder, you’ll see a picture of my “magazine rack.” It’s actually an old shutter I bought at a flea market. It just leans against the wall and is perfect for hanging and displaying magazines!

I also have a collection of glass bottles that are displayed on top of a cabinet, along with more dried hydrangeas. It’s always nice having these bottles on hand–they make great flower vases, too!

Well, if you’re not really into decorating, you’re probably wondering where the recipe is in this post! 🙂 Okay, here it is…a really easy, delicious fruit salad. Lorinda took this picture of it, too…

KIWI-CANTALOUPE FRUIT SALAD

• 4 Kiwi Fruit, peeled and sliced (each Kiwi will yield about 5 slices)
• Half of a cantaloupe, seeded and cut into bite-size chunks (if you want more cantaloupe in the salad, use the whole thing)
• 1 (15-ounce) can Mandarin oranges
• 3/4 cup fresh blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries (optional)
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup juice from the Mandarin orange can

Place sliced kiwi fruit and chunks of cantaloupe in medium-size bowl. Add Mandarin oranges, drained, from can–be sure to set aside 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the juice from the can. Add berries if desired. Pour juice from the Mandarin orange can over the fruit in the bowl and toss with the fruit, evenly distributing the different fruits in the salad. This recipe makes 4-8 servings, depending on how much cantaloupe you use, and it makes a great addition to any breakfast or brunch!