Garden Growing

Our seedlings made their debut a few weeks ago in their little planters on our kitchen table and some of them are finally ready to make the transition to the garden beds. So far the hardest parts about being gardners have been waiting for the indoor seedlings to sprout and knowing when they are strong enough to be planted outside. The tomatoes and basil are still so teeny tiny and frail that we think they might not be doing so well, especially in comparison to the sunflowers, peppers, and squash which sprouted out of the soil overnight like little green arms and have grown inches in a matter of days. 

Our strawberries and snap peas were starters that we bought so they are looking pretty robust! Sadly our first little berry was a bird snack for somebirdy else so we will have to wait to taste the next one. The sweet peas, romaine, parsley, spinach, and beets are all sprouting on their own little schedule so honestly we just water and wait. There's lots of wondering if this little shoot is a beet or a weed, and if this little sprout is lettuce or a volunteer from the last garden... it's so much fun and the suspense is killing me! 

I haven't gardened in a really long time and it has been such a special way for me to reconnect to my childhood and specifically to memories of my Grandma Jackie. It's also pretty much me and Joey's favorite hobby together lately and such a fun learning process. There is a wealth of gardening knowledge out there but sometimes all that learning the right way to do things is exhausting and you just have to put some seeds in the ground and trust the planet to do what it does. 

Traveling East

Something very special happened yesterday. Joey and I both had a day off! To celebrate we made a day adventure to Vista, where we visited the brewer's supply store and stocked up on supplies for Joey's newest endeavor: hard cider! Then we ate at the Yellow Deli (disclaimer: we thought they were just a bunch of food-loving hippies, turns out they are quite a Christian bunch).  

Then up the foothills we went to Julian, where we cleaned out the day's supply of raw apple juice (for the cider project). 

I have never been on a weekday and Tuesday looked like a ghost town. Half of the shops were closed and there were about 25 people walking around instead of the 200+ weekend crowd. It was really nice to see it in a more quiet way. 

We walked up to the top of the hill through the cemetery and saw more blue jays and woodpeckers than I've seen in my entire life. The view from up there was nice and the afternoon sun was perfect for strolling around. 

We headed home very excited about our new brewing hobby and decided to make a space for the carboys in the bathroom closet. Stay tuned for a post about the whole process! 

Wedding Inspiration

No no no, I am not getting married any time soon. But by the amount of wedding table settings or floral arrangements on my pinterest you might think otherwise. The truth is I just find weddings to be really magical and inspiring. The idea of wedding planning is something that really draws me and I think about it a lot. It's a celebration that really allows for the right mix of all of my favorite things: love, family, friends, dancing, food, drinks, good spirits, and the magic of saying vows which to me looks more like reciting a spell when it's done right.

This Big Sur wedding featured over on Once Wed has my wedding heart aflutter. It is such an intimate reflection of the couple, and I love how the bride describes the reception, "We wanted the feeling of the dinner to be more like an other worldly feast from a lost time - enchanted and somehow bewitched!" So good!

All photos here. 

Scouted: Fiber Art Lovin'

1 & 2 & 3

Dog Sleepover

I miss my furry friend. His nose, his ears, his high pitched whine. I miss having him around all the time and he misses me too! So Joey and I invited Marley over for a sleepover at our new house and it was such a blast that we are going to make it a weekly thing. Here are a few of the highlights: 

He loved our HUGE yard so much that he spent all of his time either running around it like a maniac or crying at the door to be let back out. Not pictured: we attached Joey's bike light to his collar so we wouldn't lose him into the dark abyss, and it made us laugh to see this blinking red light darting around the yard. 

We did lots of ear scratching and gazing into each others' eyes. 

No sleepover is complete without a little gossip. Marley mostly listens. 

Such a sweet face. He's like a deer and a fox at the same time. 

P.S. Sorry for the grainy photos! My iPhone + our dark little hobbit house make for some difficult lighting. 

Little House Living: the living room

Decorating a tiny space and making it feel cozy is not really a challenge, it's the staying organized part that is hard. With two lives worth of stuff to fit into one small space, I knew we would have to get creative. Having a piece of furniture or area of the house that only serves one purpose is for mansion dwellers. We needed more uses for less things. My favorite piece of multi-functional furniture we have is our couch. Joey built it for us out of shipping palettes and a futon mattress and we love it! Bonus: we use the slots underneath as a book shelf. And that little table to the left of it is a brass-topped beauty that I found at a garage sale. Now it holds a lamp, some candles, fairy cards, gemstones, and some coasters while also hiding the baskets below it. Which brings me to baskets: the best and most attractive way to hide your belongings in a small space. These ones hold my weaving materials and other fiber bits, our terra cotta and stone clay collection, and extra boxes of tissue. The ones under our bed hold my makeup (the bathroom is a story for a different day) and all my extra purses/scarves/tapestries, and a bunch of Joey's things. I always find good ones at Ikea or Cost Plus World Market.

And now if you will direct your attention to the area just above the side table... this weekend I hand-dyed curtains! Two out of three of them were a success (not bad for my first try) and this little gauzy one is my favorite. I went for an ombre effect using a deep blue and then I folded over the top leaving the rough edge exposed and made some little golden stitches. The dying was a mess and not as easy as I had hoped, but I might try again.  

Love Note to a Pal

During a recent visit to Cost Plus World Market I came across these little mints that my friends and I were obsessed with while we were in Amsterdam during our Spanish year abroad. I grabbed a few boxes and planned on mailing them, and what better time than now in the form of a sweet little valentine?!

This little DIY is great for any small boxed candy and the double-wrap job makes it totally mail-able, so  if your pals live far and wide just slap a stamp on it! 

Begin by folding your envelope from the bottom so that it is the same width as your candy box. This will make it so that the card can be wrapped inside of the package in case you plan on mailing it. Secure the folded end with tape, leaving the flap free. Personalize your tag and tuck it into the envelope. Add confetti hearts. 

Secure the envelope with some fancy tape to keep all that confetti inside, and then decorate the front with a little something too. Now wrap your candy box in a layer of tissue. I like the mint color for some contrast. 

Now place the card on top of the box and wrap the pair in the outer wrapping. Secure the ends with pretty tape and then add a twine bow.

If you are sending it through the mail, now is the time to adhere your address label and stamps. I decided to place the whole box in a glassine envelope and adhere the addresses to that so that my bow would be tucked inside. Otherwise, just skip the bow because it might get caught in the robotic arm of the postal center. Part of the fun is seeing the surprise and delight of the postperson when they ship this festive little love note for you. Imagine how boring white envelopes get 8 hours a day!