Hair New Era

After a few weeks of break we're back at Bonnie's Photo Art Friday. For this week, Bonnie asked us to share one of our favorite pieces of photo art from 2011.

Oh the choices. There were so many that I really like, but I have already posted them here and I don't want to bore you with repeat photos. However, I found one that I edited in PSE from an older slide that I took sometime in the early nineties. The texture I used is Kim Klassen's "kkluminous". It is not my best photo art, but I love the mood in it and it reminds me of the times when I was still living on my own and bought myself some fresh flowers at the farmers market every weekend. This must have been taken in May or June, the time when peonies bloom in Germany. Dark red peonies like the ones in the photo belong to me very favorite flowers. They look wonderful by themselves, but are absolutely stunning when you pair them with blue delphinium or purple lupines.




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The rain has arrived at our part of the West Coast. Last weekend was very wet, we had a couple of dry days during the week and now the next storm is here, providing gray days and lots of water pouring down onto us. It's going to be a pretty wet trick-or-treatin'.

But at this time I love the rain (this relationship turns around a little bit later in the rainy season though). The air is fresh after the rain and there are so many beautiful things to discover.

I love hollyhocks. They are beautiful, tall flowers that come in amazing colors and seem to thrive on neglect (at least in my yard). They reseed and come up in all kind of places where you didn't really expect them to grow. They still look great after the rain.

This particular hollyhock was a real surprise for me since its color was so completely different from all the other hollyhocks I have in my yard. I was fascinated by its deep red, this absolutely amazing color.

You bet that I will keep those seeds!

If you want to know what Best Shot Monday is, just hop over to Tracey Clark's blog!

Saturday morning. It was still quiet, the house asleep.

The sun had just sent his first rays over the hill. I was still in my nighties, looking outside. I thought how beautiful the sunflowers looked in this early morning sunlight. I grabbed my camera, stepped outside and began to take pictures.

An incredible screaming distracted me. A scrub jay had landed on the fence and nagged like mad, hopping around restlessly and staring down to the ground, my flowerbed.

Did I mention that I wasn't wearing my glasses? No problem inside the house, but I can't really see well in the distance without them. I saw some movement among the flowers, heard the even louder screaming scrub jay and thought "maybe a young scrub jay is hurt down there and needs help".

So - out went the good Samaritan. Without her glasses.

I stepped into the flowerbed after having checked that no snake is curling up there (I'm terrified of snakes), just waiting for me, the innocent victim. I searched for a little bird and didn't see anything. No injured scrub jay. The big jay meanwhile had hopped onto the cherry tree (to my right) and was still nagging and screaming. So I decided to step to my right and look there.

And saw the bushy tail of a - skunk! A few feet away from my very own feet!

"I'm out of here" was my only thought before I jumped out of that flowerbed (not a graceful retreat). The skunk looked at me quizzically, he definitely didn't feel threatened by me. I'm pretty sure that he actually laughed about me! But he still decided to better leave the yard of this crazy woman who hops in and out of her flowerbeds.

So he made for the little hole at the bottom of the fence. I had the presence to grab my camera and tried to take a couple of pictures of the little guy, but all the settings were wrong - "morning sunny sunflower" settings just don't work for skunks in the shade of trees. The pictures turned out completely blurry - however, here is one because I just want to share this moment with you.

Only afterwards did I realize how close I was to a smelly encounter. Next time I'll make sure to reach out for my glasses BEFORE I go looking for any kind of wildlife in my backyard!

A few days ago my friend brought me some branches of this beautiful plant from her garden. It's an ornamental oregano. You can put it in a vase without any water - yes, you read that right - and it will dry while remaining exactly the same way. Easy peasy.


I love these kinds of gifts. They are free, they're beautiful, personal, thoughtful and most of all, they come from the heart. Just thinking that my friend stepped outside, garden scissors in her hand, and snipped off these pretty twigs because she just knew how much I'd like them makes me feel all warm and cozy inside.

It's not only a gift from the garden, it's also a beautiful symbol of a wonderful friendship.

Peeps. Since I didn't get in until 3am last night (no, I wasn't partying it up; I was doing this) and didn't get to bed until even later, I am currently trying to catch up on some much-needed sleep before I have to run off to work. I will hopefully be able to post something later this evening, but for now, I am either napping or working. So tired. (It was worth it though.)

I will leave you with this in the meantime:

Last night, driving home at 3am on my scooter, I was actually able to notice all the smells throughout town. During the day I never get this sensation, and I certainly don't get to breathe it in that way when driving in the car (even if the windows are down).

Luckily, this ain't no NYC, so the smells weren't too bad - it was really more the smell of the bay breeze, a neighbor's plants and flowers, or trees in different parts of town. It was so nice to absorb the slightly chilly air as I zipped home, alone on the road and with no headlights in sight.

However, I did smell one particularly heinous tree - I believe some call it, ahem, a "semen tree"? My friend Jess thinks it's a ginkgo tree. Whatever it is, it's nasty. Luckily, not much farther downtown, the smell of azaleas, magnolias and even roses wafted up as I zoomed by. I love the oncoming spring/summer.

Photo 1 via coco + kelley; photo 2 by Kentaroo Tryman for Johner Images.

Be back soon! xoxo, sleepy girl.

I've been a huge fan of the succulent arrangements that Kelly from Yes, Please creates for, like, ever now, but she's blown me away all over again today.

Kelly came up with three amazing guest posts for 100 Layer Cake where she focused on using "everyday objects...to create some unique centerpieces." She even created DIY step-by-step instructions for each one (links at the bottom of this post).

Peonies in pegboard - who knew the thing that once held your grandpa's tools could look so soft when paired with frilly peonies? These two are so perfect I almost thought they were fake.


These yellow "billy bobs" are so cute when coupled with succulents, and even more unique and rustic when housed in a railroad tie. I also love the modern metal table number leaning casually on the wood.


A cement block as an arrangement holder? Sure, why not? Looks lovely with these anemones, fragrant rosemary and field flowers. Nice (and cheap!) use of a cinder block, Kelly!

You can see additional pics on Kelly's site here, or get the DIY instructions here, here, and here - let me know if you attempt any of these - so pretty!

It's beautiful out today! I'm stuck inside working, but wouldn't you love to be out riding a pretty blue bike like this?

Image via From Me to You

I love the pretty aqua color and the basket on the front. I'd take it for a spin, buy some flowers from the farmers market and put them in the basket - sounds like a sweet Friday, right? All that bicycle needs is a bell (or is that what's on the handle bar and I'm just missing it?).

I was so excited to read that the White House will be opening its gardens and grounds to visitors this weekend. The Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, Rose Garden, Children’s Garden and the South Lawn of the White House will be open on Saturday, April 17th (10am-4pm) and Sunday, April 18th (10am-3pm). Even cooler? Michelle's Kitchen Garden will be viewable from the tour route - I'd love to see it.

All tours are open to the public, though it will be a ticketed event (tickets are free, but they're only one ticket per person and will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis). Get your ticket at the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion (15th and E Streets) on Sat/Sun beginning at 8:00am or go here for more info. Will you be going this weekend?