BFF Birthday Visit

Sometimes you just need a visit from your very best friend.  You don't realize how much you need it until you are together again.  Catching up.  Reminiscing.  Crying.  Sharing.  Being silly.  All of that.

You eat lunch without kids interrupting you.  You sit for hours and laugh.  You tell old stories again and again - reminding each other of all the fun you have had over the years.  You want to share her with your new favorite friends and hope they love her just as much.  Of course, they do.

Your face eventually hurts from smiling.  You share good wine and food.  You plan the next time you will see each other and put it on the calendar.  You are filled up again.  You are energized.  You are loved in a way that is so very different than the love you receive from your spouse, your child or your blood-relations.

Thank you best friend for making the time to visit me at the end of my 39th year.  You are the best.  I even know what you're thinking now...that's what she said!  Until next time...

Virgin Harvest: Update #6

Foraging has been quite a sport around our house this month.  G completed a hunter-gatherer camp this summer and we have been practicing around our yard, roadside and friends' homes and farms.

We helped Anna from Hand's Full Farm pick 37 pounds of blackberries and then quickly turned it into jam with the help and guidance of my wonderful 80-year old neighbor, Beula.  So much summer goodness in little half pint jars and the color is absolutely gorgeous.

We harvested a few artichokes and steamed for dinner.  Note to self: rinse these really well next time, as dead ants aren't the cutest things to eat when you get down to the heart of the artichoke.

The pink Naked Ladies have bloomed early this year, perhaps because of all the rain we had earlier in the year.  They are such ugly above-ground bulbs, but quickly rise up and bloom into these leafless, fragrant pink blossoms.

Queen Anne's Lace is everywhere and I don't think there is a lovelier weed in all of West Sonoma County.  Valley Ford-Freestone Road is loaded on both sides with this tall, elegant weed.

I am reading this wonderful little book called Settled in the Wild by Susan Hand Shetterly and it inspired me to pick fern fronds and place single stems around the house.  Simple and natural.  They have perfect patterns on the back of their fronds and we have placed paper over them and lightly rubbed crayons over their texture.  Lovely little bits of paper.

I didn't plant any of the items that I'm listing here, as they are mostly volunteers or previously planted by someone else.  However, summer is definitely the time to hunt and gather - whether it's beauty, food or inspiration.

What are you hunting and gathering?

Virgin Harvest: Update #5

Wild blackberries and nasturtiums are growing like crazy around here.  I have been a blackberry picking fool and my sore fingers are evidence of my overzealous pursuit of the fruit.  I'm trying to freeze enough so that I can take a jam-making class with my 80-year old neighbor.  I've been eating my fair share, so we'll see how much ends up in the jars.

This is the first zinnia to bloom.  I started these from seed the first week of April and it took this long to bloom!  Four whole months.  I've lost my fair share to insects and learned a few things along the way.  Next year, I think I'll leave inside another month or so in my garden window to insure that they are strong enough to be transplanted.  I think they are beautiful and wished I had a few dozen more to use for cutting.

This gorgeous specimen is the Naked Lady.  The bulb is so danged ugly and sits above ground.  For most of the year I hate looking at it, but on August 1st it opened up and said hello.  Native and totally self-sufficient.  I can't take credit for them, but do so enjoy seeing them and who doesn't love their name?

Summer surprises.  Since I've been doing this Virgin Garden thing, I've definitely paid more attention to my surroundings.  I've noticed more and felt really awesome for growing something from a tiny seed.

Life is amazing.

Alameda Flea Market :: August

The first Sunday of the month is the Alameda Flea Market.  The key is to get to this flea market early, so a six a.m. wake up call was in order.  Ouch.  I went with my good friend and neighbor and set out on an all day adventure of shopping, talking, eating and driving!  We lasted almost five hours at the market and found plenty of treasures to bring home.

The thing is, you find really bizarre stuff laying around the flea market.  The random things people sell are really great to photograph.  Last time I focused on religious statues, but this time dismembered baby dolls spoke to me.  Take a look... 

::  Crazy eyeless doll heads

::  Armless, as well as naked, ceramic dolls

:: Dental moldings?

:: Jill w/ Dancer & Prancer

I went with the intention of buying vintage letterpress letters and found some of the alphabet I needed.  

I also grabbed this really cool bullseye stamp and set about stamping butcher paper to make my own handmade wrapping paper.  This was really fun.  I taped the butcher paper to Steve's wall and used painter's tape to secure it and then went to town.  Using a roller and printing ink, I stamped the bullseye insignia all over the place.  I think the small rolls of paper will make great gifts, as well as using them for wrapping individual presents.  I am a big fan of plain butcher paper and a sumptuous ribbon, so the stamp will just liven the whole  presentation up a bit.

Here is my attempt at stationary with G's initial.  I used chartreuse card stock from Papersource and various color combinations.  I also stamped kraft hang tags and paint samples.  I love, love, love using paint samples as gift tags or to type a simple note on.  They are beautiful and let us not forget - absolutely FREE.  

After the Flea Market, we hit the Renegade Craft Fair at Ft. Mason in San Francisco.  There was so much to see and we felt a little visually overstimulated after walking the aisles.  I bought a few things and gathered business cards, but was ready to hit the road and find a gigantic, cold martini at Cavallo Point.

Upon leaving, I spied this t-shirt and thought my husband would like it.  Mr. Waits lives in our town, so my husband wouldn't want to be caught wearing said shirt because that would not be cool.  I just loved the tongue-in-cheek graphic and the question we all want to know:  What Would Tom Waits Do?