Introducing the Chia Angel

 Look what I brought back from Mexico with me....the little angel of the chia,  distant relative of the famed chia pet which has spawned everything from chia mac to chia Mr T.... I couldn't wait to plant my little piece of folk pottery.

  I think it's fair to say, one can fall in love with inanimate objects.  Because I am completely smitten watching the chia angel grow.  She's been watching over the holiday table.

The Blessings on My Meal

The house was all festive and sparkly for Christmas Dinner.  See it above in it's half finished stage...my foolproof trick:  hang garland everywhere. Then the, not so foolproof but definitely tricky, selection of the meat portion of the holiday meal.  And so it was rather capriciously, but not completely capriciously because I had had my favorite holiday meal at Sfizio and it was porky and delicious,  that I settled on  pork shoulder (bone in) and then learned everything I could about it....I quizzed the man at Longs who assured me that if I cooked it just right the bone would practically fall out on it's own.  Stephanie Pearl from Marche was gracious enough to give me an impromptu consult while she checked out  at the Passionflower counter.  I read up on it in the Joy. And then, because I was still dreaming of that great meal I had at Sfizio, I roasted squashy type vegetables with cumin and honey.  There was kale salad, and dill beans, braised cabbage with walnuts and a Territorial Vineyards 2006 Pinot Noir among other good wine picks..  The pork turned out great, though it was touch and go for a while there.  I feel so incredibly lucky to be able to enjoy the food bounty of the Pacific Northwest, to have so many great chefs in our midst who are so accessible,  and to have so many food loving friends with which to enjoy all these things. 

My Christmas Eve Tradition......

I give away all the last of the wreaths to employees, neighbors, and  friends.  I let the last few straggler Christmas Eve customers come in and make a purchase after we have closed.  They invariably tend to be other merchants who have been busy in their stores all season.  I load whatever is left into my tiny rig.....there's always some garland and a wreath and lots of candles.  Then I pick up my dad at the airport,  go home and decorate.....because Christmas Eve is when the holidays begin for me.

Happy Thanksgiving

From my house to yours!!!

Food Happiness Continued

How fun would it be to eat pumpkin pie off these plates?  They come in four fun botanical designs.

My New Love

I have become completely enamored with cherry tomatoes this year.  Kind of like zinnias, I never used to like them....the flower seemed all stiff and kind of goofy to me and now I can't get enough of their playful, childlike selves....but back to the tomato....here I am roasting them thanks to my friends Joel & Terry who generously shared their bountiful harvest.  I slow roast for three plus hours and they caramelize and get all sweet.  Then I freeze them for winter goodness.  Plus they are great skewered with other goodies and grilled and excellent in a watermelon/tomato salad.  The moral of the story here is that I want to  keep an open mind and work to discover the beauty in everything.

Outdoor Dining

I know we've all thought this many time over this summer, but I think it's finally here in Oregon.  No more asking yourself in July wether you should turn the heat on in the morning or just put on an extra sweater.  Seriously, it's been that cold but now it's warm and outdoor dining can finally kick in.  We'll have to make up for lost time.Tablecloths, lanterns, festones, cake plates, berry bowls, fun hanging vases and more at the store all to take your outdoor dining experience to the next level!!

"Hello little baby pears! I hope you didn't get pelted too hard by the rain last night. You're going to be so tasty in a few months. ..I am really looking forward to eating you. Plus I think I will cut you up into thin slices and dry you and dip you in chocolate. You're going to be so yummy. In the meantime is there anything I can do for you?" Talking to your food probably doesn't make it taste better but you never know.

May Flowers

The last of the vinca, the squill , and the forget me not.

The Middle of the Night

You know how they say that when you can't sleep, it's good to get up and do something.?
Well here ya go....photos of the big bottle with an apple branch....4 A.M. PST

Any Day Now

Go, lilac go! Looking out my bedroom window they're tiny , sort of scrawny looking rain drenched buds right now. But anyday we shall find ourselves drowning in them. I believe this state is called anticipation. There ought to be a word for anticipating the opening of a flower.

Some Flowers For Easter & A Baby Shower Too

Messing around with flowers on a bright spring morning.

HyAcinTh, 'ApPle BlosSoM' StocK, JasmInE VinE, & a gARden Rose.....

I've been buying milk from longtime Willamette dairy family Noris Dairy and they have these great glass bottles with a $2 deposit...uh oh.....I kinda like them as vases.....

Pretty.

Might be nice with some angelique tulips....

or white camellia? Yes white camellia...yummy....

lily of the valley?

Flowering Apple branches?

Or just the way it is.

The Book of Bird Life - Hand Sewn Banner

You may remember this amazing banner Becky made for our holiday gift exchange......

I finally got a chance to really check it out....

I hung it across my mantel.

Really makes me happy to look at it.

And makes me think how fun it would be to have a store just devoted to the paper arts -
maybe in my next lifetime....or in a small hole in the wall in some ancient Mexican town this lifetime.

Bringing Home the Bacon

We have a little rule at the store that you can't cherry pick the best stuff. You have to give the customers a chance. I was patient, very patient when it came to this great piece of sandblasted grapevine.

After living high up in Passionflower's front window for many weeks, it finally came home with me.

I stood it upright in my favorite vase with a tillandsia at the base.

All I have to say is, "what took me so long?".

More Fall Palettes

Here I am waxing all poetic about the fiery colors of autumn and this is what I come up with at home....

And while it may look a little drab and forlorn in the photo, there is something kind of peaceful and quiet about all these honey, and beeswax , and wood , and nut colors -

which mirror the landscape outside....

and make me feel all warm and happy inside.
Happy Thanksgiving. And blessings on your meal.

My Special Place

Oh yeah, it's rainin' and it's gettin' cold. :)

Time to crank up the
sauna!!
Which I had built into the back of my garage.

What can I say? Some people have a nice car. I have a nice sauna.
Thanks to the wonderful woodworker Sean Kelly for building this.

Remember this shot from Lark Press in Portland? Do you see the green and white print that is at about dead center in this photograph?

Well, I have another question for you.

Exactly how good do you think that print looks in my house? Well readers, that is what is known as a rhetorical question, because we already know the answer. I love everything about this print.... the color, the subject, the literalness, the mystery.......Also, and I know this goes against blog etiquette but I have to talk price here. This is a handscreened print by the artist, it's 5 out of 10 and it cost $50.......and that my friends, wether you shop at Goodwill or Gucci, is a bargain.....or maybe better known as affordable art!

Saving the World

One flower at a time......

A little visual prayer for water.

Summer at Home

Watering tillandsias in the kitchen sink

......and trying to remember to keep my mouth closed when I walk in the yard........else it will be full of spiderwebs.

Flowers &Art - A Winning Combination

Sometimes it doesn't take much......the spent blooms of sage and plantain and some unkown grass sitting in a bouquet by a charcoal drawing......One must not just consider the flowers.

Context is everything.