Welcome to my World
Here you will find image rich articles about travel, nature, art, design and most definitely food!
You will also find stories about talented people of passion and my own experiences with Shinrin-Yoku and living a healthy, vibrant life.
Explore and enjoy!
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FIRST THINGS FIRST
GO WILDFLOWER A-CHASIN' AROUND CALIFORNIA
WITH MY NEW FREE E-BOOK
AND THEN MORE FUN DISCOVERIES
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About Us
Meet the team
Nice to meet you
Hello! My name is Monica Schwartz, and the team is a team of one.
I was born and raised in Italy, but I moved to Hawai'i in 2002. I lived first on the Big Island, then on O'ahu for a total of eleven years, until I came down with island fever and moved to California to have more territory to explore in road trips. Though I am currently based in Northern California, I share my time between that and my native country of Italy.
My two "piglets" (yes the ones in the photo above) alas left me for the rainbow bridge in 2022. They may now be with me only in spirit, but make no mistake: they are still very much with me, as they like to remind me (loudly sometimes) on a regular basis.
Besides being the driving force behind Life Out Of Bounds, I am also an artist, designer photographer, writer, and forest therapy guide.
In my previous life I was a chef/baker, an experience that now translates to recipe developing, as I still love the art.
I am also a world explorer - with much more exploring left on my bucket list - and an aspiring time traveler and teleporter. Aren't you?
Thank you for visiting
May you be happy, may you be blessed, may you prosper in all things.
Monica
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NEW APRIL FREE CALENDAR WALLPAPER FOR YOUR DEVICES
A burst of Lilac to celebrate what I feel is the true start of the new year.
I photographed this Lilac (and many other wonderful flowers) in a beautiful Napa garden, where I had the privilege to live for a few months in what feels like last week, but was in fact already a few years ago.
Thank goodness nature (and photos) exist outside the human construct of time.
Just go to the links in my profile @lifeoutofbounds to download the wallpaper as my gift to you.
Happy April everyone!
xoxo
M
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#freebie #calendarwallpaper #lilac #naturephotography #flowers
Yesterday I baked a batch of these….
I don’t think there will be any left by the end of today.
(It’s the dogs, of course, not us 😜)
They are Margheritine di Stresa (Little Daisies from Stresa), my favorite cookie. Deceptively simple, but melt-in-your-mouth bites of heaven. 🌸
Ok, I need another cup of tea now. Earl Grey, of course
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#margheritinedistresa #cookies #baking #foodphotography #biscottini
Some lovely images from various gardens to wish you a happy and easy transition into Spring (or Fall if you are in the Southern Hemisphere), which is happening in just a few hours:
March 20th at 7:46 am California time, or 14:46 GMT 🌸
And if you enjoy photos of nature, gardens and flowers, you will find lots more on my website. See the links in my profile @lifeoutofbounds
xoxo
M
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#springequinox #springflowers #gardenphotography #naturephotography #flowers
🌸 BLOOMING SEASON IN CALIFORNIA | What, Where and Approximately When 🌸
Free PDF e-book
As it happens, after the blog post was published, I felt that all the information belonged into a downloadable PDF e-book that people could just have with them for reference. We are only at the start of the season after all. So I designed it right away and here it is!
I have added as much information and links as I could muster; about wildflowers yes, but also other popular blooms like: lilacs, wisteria, roses, lavender, sunflowers and marigolds...
If you are interested, you can find it at the link in my profile @lifeoutofbounds
I hope you will enjoy, and find it helpful in your springtime nature explorations.
xoxo
M
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#freebie #californiawildflowerseason #wildflowers #freeebook #california
🌷One more floral post to celebrate spring: Flower Bulb Day in San Francisco!🌷
Saturday March 21
when Union Square i transformed for the day into a beautiful pop-up garden with more than 80,000 tulips in assorted colors and varieties.
🌷You can stop by and pick up your free 6-tulip bouquet with bulbs attached so you can plant them in your garden to bloom again.
🌷This year this event also debuts in Washington DC, on Sunday, March 15 at DC’s National Mall.
🌷People line up early for this event. Go and enjoy!
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#tulips #sfflowerbulbday #flowerbulbdaysf #flowerbulbday #sanfrancisco
