Wishing you a very Happy New Year! This year is sure to be full of NEW over here. We are one month in to settling in our new city up in Northern Michigan. With 2018 being a year of constant change, we were so happy that we we able to ring the in the new year with some of our oldest and dearest friends.
It was their first time visiting up north and our first winter here. We were excited to show them around and grateful for the familiar & familial company. We stopped at a couple of wineries, breweries, and drove up the peninsula to the lighthouse. Essential boxes to check on a short trip, though it was a bit more special as we were existing in a real life snow globe for the adventure. Such a dreamy wintery scene.
The images above are taken up on the Old Mission Peninsula overlooking the water. There was no horizon at the time and visibility was limited. It was so delightfully winter and wonderful to be out and about to enjoy it.
It continued to snow for days. We got out and played, built snowmen and had a great time. Grateful for the time off to settle in and spend time with friends and family. Looking forward to exploring and getting to know this new place we are calling home.
April arrived once again and that means Turning Moss has been kicking for one full year! Happy Birthday Turning Moss! This year has been full of learning and shaping the path. While the trail is relatively clear, lush mounds of green mosses and spring flowers are filling in, ushering us forward. Let’s take a look back and peek ahead… 
March marks the official start of spring. Here in Chicago, we generally still get quite a mixture of weather conditions throughout the month, but there is no denying that spring is pushing through. Very early on we begin to see little purple and yellow flowers popping up. The Crocus flowers are always the first to appear in our yard every year and they don’t seem to have a problem taking on the harsh storms of March. 
Last week my Mom and I visited the Oak Park Conservatory. It had been over a decade since the last time I was there and it was a lot of fun to go back with her. 
Stapeia gigantea, commonly called Giant Toad Plant, is a cactus like plant native to south eastern Africa. The greens of the Toad Plant have four angled deep ribs with toothed edges. They are clump-forming and can grow up to 8 inches long. The 5 petal star shaped flowers are pale yellow with thin red wrinkles, covered in a fuzzy hairs. These giant flowers can grow up to 12 inches wide and emit a deathly carrion odor. 
Happy February to all! I’ll say that it has indeed been a pleasant 2nd month this year. However, I admit, February might be my least favorite month of the year, a month that can only race to the bottom next to January. But let’s be honest here, it’s not all that bad, the days are noticeably getting brighter and there are small teases of spring just around the corner. Weather aside, today we are talking about February’s gorgeously purple birthstone, Amethyst!