For this month’s color challenge, May seems like a good time to see pastel colors found in nature and elsewhere. Some common pastel colors include pink, light blue, mint green, pale yellow, peach, periwinkle, and lavender, as suggested in the image below.

Pastel colors are less saturated, also known as tints. When mixed with white, bright colors can then be described as soft, muted, pale, or light.

You can go heavy on the pink or simply leave it out altogether in favor of pastels.

“Anything is possible with sunshine and a little pink.” ~ Lilly Pulitzer

A Road Trip through Pastel Landscapes

During our road trip south to Arizona in late February, we admired spring colors, especially along the route through southern Utah and northern Arizona.

Although we couldn’t visit Coral Pink Dunes State Park near Kanab, Utah, we made a note to return next time. The glimpses of pink sands seen along parts of the highway are really this pink!

That night, we stayed in Kanab for the first time at a Best Western Hotel. While we strolled through town searching for dinner options, I spied these murals on some of the old brick buildings.

The following morning, on our way to Scottsdale, Arizona, we passed through Page, where pastel landscapes continued to delight us.

“Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Of course, you know what’s coming… yep, a couple of shots from earlier excursions to Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend.

The Arizona towns of Fountain Hills and Green Valley (south of Tucson) also showed their penchant for pastels.

“Light in Nature creates the movement of colors.” ~ Robert Delaunay

Pastels and Pinks Back at the Homestead

After our 40-day journey, we arrived home just as spring blossomed with vibrant flowers and lively birds. Our backyard birds, Say’s Phoebes, also known as Western Flycatchers, built their nest for the third straight year under our patio cover.

The life cycle of tulips. Beauty from beginning to end.

Pretty Princess Tulips are gone now. One pale pink petal remained and was placed on a dish with some purple tulip petals for an artsy effect 😉.

“Colors are the smiles of nature.” – Leigh Hunt

Inspiring Photo Challenges This Week

Each week, I find inspiration from my fellow bloggers’ photo challenges. I enjoy incorporating these into my Sunday Stills weekly themes when possible.

• Dawn’s Spring Festival
• Lens-Artists: Textures
• Natalie’s Public Art Challenge
• Pepper’s One Step
• Johnbo’s Cellpic Sunday

While I Have You Here:

Did You Notice My New Theme?

Please scroll if you have already read this from my last post.

Thank you for indulging my short break… changing my theme to a Block Theme (not to be confused with the block editor) was rather… EASY! I spent a whopping 3 hours on the nuts and bolts of adding widgets to the new sidebar, fumbling with fonts, and fiddling with the menu. It was a non-event, really, but I’m glad I went to the trouble.

If you decide to switch to a Block Theme, my advice is to go through your blog and copy/paste all information from your menu items, pages, and widgets, along with their corresponding links and details. Don’t forget to note (or create new) the images you like for your About Me page.

Seeking Blogging Challenges!

My bestie, Marsha Ingrao of Always Write, is editing content for her upcoming book, The Quiet Power of Blogging, which examines the WHY of blogging and its relevance in the mid-2020s. She wants to compile all current blogging challenges (photography, poetry, writing, music, etc.) and create an orderly reference list for the appendix of her book. You may remember that Cee Neuner handled this on her blog before she passed. If you know of any challenges or want to share one you’re hosting, please leave a message in the comments or reach out to Marsha via the link above.

OK, thanks for reading… back to Sunday Stills …

Sunday Stills Photo Challenge Reminders

The Sunday Stills weekly-themed photo challenge is easy to join. You have all week to share and link your post. Please use your own original images, whether new or from your archives.

• Remember to title your blog post a little differently from mine.
• Entries for this theme can be posted all week.
• Tag your post “Sunday Stills.”
• Don’t forget to create a pingback to this post so that other participants can read your post.
• I also recommend adding your post’s URL to the comments.

If you are participating in the photo challenge, I look forward to seeing how you interpret the various shades of pinks and pastels this week! Creativity is encouraged, so please share your own photographs (old or new), poems, original short stories, and music inspired by the theme.

Join me next week as we explore the theme of Family and Friends. May 18th is “Visit Your Relatives Day.” Photos of family, friends, or even strangers on the street are welcome.

“You can never wrong with a little pink; a lot works, too.” – Dana Dalgetty

Wishing all moms, daughters, grandmothers, sisters, stepmothers, and men who’ve played a motherly role to someone… A Blessed and Happy Mother’s Day!

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