Author: Born To Organize

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Re-framing: Thoughts and Pictures

You can re-frame your thoughts and you can re-frame a picture. I’ve done a little of both.

Thoughts, Re-Framed

Last August, on the anniversary of my father’s death, I was finally able to re-frame my feelings about his stamp collection. I once viewed his stamp albums as a life interrupted. They reminded me of my loss instead of the joyful hours he spent pursuing this hobby. The stamp albums sat in a cupboard, revered. Now I see them as a gift to be shared, and as a way to celebrate my father’s kind and curious nature. I hosted a blog giveaway, and sent many of Dad’s stamps to friends and acquaintances around the world. It was an extraordinary exercise in letting go. If you would like to read the post in its entirety, you’ll find it here: Vintage Postage: A Daughter’s Love Letter and a Blogging Giveaway.

You’ll never guess what happened next? A handful of those stamps flew all the way back from New Zealand, but not for insufficient postage. This time they we’re intricately woven into a multi-layered, lovingly detailed mixed-media original by Pauline King. She named it The Wonderland of Alys. I wish you could see it in person.

Pauline King mixed media stamps

Can you spot all the stamps? Take a close look. (Copyright Pauline King)

Pauline King's Wonderland of Alys-004

The Wonderland of Alys floats in her frame (Copyright Pauline King)

Pauline King's Wonderland of Alys-003

The Wonderland of Alys (original mixed media) Butterfly Sprite (art print) (Copyright Pauline King)

Pauline King's Wonderland of Alys

The Long View: Both pieces hang together in the dining area. (Copyright Pauline King)

Re-Framing Art

Early last year Pauline hosted her own giveaway and guess who won? Can you believe my luck? I chose this beautiful art print of the Butterfly Sprite.  I headed straight to the framers, picked out a standard frame and ordered custom mats to go with it. I loved looking at her smiling from the wall, but the white frame was never quite right. Once I had the second piece framed I knew what I had to do. Both pieces are now framed on a silk background with a dark frame. The Wonderland piece ‘floats’ on a piece of whisper-thin acrylic so that you can see right up to the edges.

Table Top Mosaic

Can you guess what I did with the rest of the stamps? Please pop on over tomorrow for the ‘reveal’. Here’s a little teaser until then:

postage stamp table project-007

Blogging 101: Colors and Headers

Today’s Blogging 101 assignment has us exploring new headers, backgrounds and colors. I’m pleased with my current choices, so plan to keep the current greenery in place.

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Blogging 101: All About Alys and Some Bunting for Fran

There’s a first time for everything, right? I’ve never included my name in the title before, and frankly it’s a bit weird. Since one of the goals of Blogging 101 is to stretch yourself, I’m doing just that. So, there it is Alys, front and center.

We’re tackling our About Page today. We start by jotting down a few ideas along with descriptors of who we are and what we’re about. With scribbled notes and ideas in hand, we’re to write enticing prose that will attract readers far and wide. Not just any old reader, but the reader who waits breathlessly for your next post.

Or something like that.

In other words, if you write a decent about page, you’ll attract ‘your people.’

Last week Pauline suggested I take an excerpt from one of my posts and include it on my about page. Then up popped this assignment. Life is grand when the dots connect.

Bunting for Fran

Speaking of Pauline, she proposed a Random Act of Kindness on her blog in November, then collaborated with The Snail of Happiness. You can read more about this charming act of giving here and here. Together they decided that Fran’s garden needed bunting. For those of us joining in, the only parameters were to include a margin a the top of the bunting for threading and since it would hang in her garden sanctuary, could it please be weatherproofed. I hemmed and hawed over this one, a bit stumped for suitable outdoor material. Eventually I settled on burlap. Not only is it natural and rugged, but it reminds me of the material enclosing Sanctuary on all sides. Fran and Steve garden in Tasmania, Australia, home to a LOT of voracious creatures. Without its enclosure, the garden becomes a free for all.

Something Old, Something New

Here’s what I did. I bought a roll of narrow burlap, then divided it into seven sections. After creating a notched template out of a piece of cardboard, I cut and hemmed each section at the top. All the other edges are raw. With my sewing machine, I zig-zag stitched all the remaining edges to discourage unraveling.

burlap bunting template

The new part for me was printing on sheets of fabric. That was so cool!  The sheets, manufactured by The Electric Quilt Company, feed through your printer. There are only six sheets to a package so I crossed my fingers and toes and hoped the printer was in a good mood that day.

I downloaded seven photos from Fran’s blog, then printed them as 4 x 6 images on to the cotton satin fabric sheets. It worked!

photos printed on cotton

After peeling the backing, I ironed the cloth, then cut all four edges with my scalloped paper-cutter, again holding my breath. I practiced on a few scraps, then I went for it.

burlap bunting collage

Bunting Assembly: Garden photos copyrighted The Road to Serendipity

Finally, I attached the photos at the corners with a bit of thread and some crystal beads to catch the light. The panels thread through a strand of parachute cord, available at craft stores for about three bucks.

crystal bead detail

Detail: small crystal beads sewn at each corner

burlap bunting closeup

Burlap Bunting Close-up

burlap bunting finished

Burlap Bunting

I’m almost certain there is one more banner floating around the blogosphere, so if I’ve missed anyone, please share the link and I’ll edit this post accordingly.

Just one more thing before you go: if you have a minute, will you please take a look at my About Page? Constructive criticism welcome. This has been the most difficult assignment to date.

 

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Blogging 101: Thematically Speaking

It’s the end of the week here in California. Some of my classmates have already gone to bed, but it’s day five for me as week one of Blogging University draws to a close.

Today’s task: Love Your Theme

I’ve actually played around with themes quite a bit in the past since the visual elements are so appealing. It’s fun and sometimes disorienting looking at your blog arranged differently, as you are seeing it today. We’re encouraged to try the opposite of what we like.

Wu Wei

If you’re reading this blog before Monday, March 9th, then you’re seeing my blog with the Wu Wei theme. Prior to today I was using Misty Lake. I miss it.

I like the clean lines of Wu Wei, but I miss all the other bits of info in the sidebar.

What do you think? Do you like, one, two or three column blogs? Do you miss the additional info on the sidebar? All the info is still there, but it’s now at the bottom.

If you’re a blogger, are you still in love with your own theme? So many questions, I know, but I really value your feedback.

Happy Friday…or Saturday to my Aussie/Kiwi friends.

spring bulb banner collage

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Blogging 101: Everything but the Kitchen Sink

It’s day four of Blogging University. Today’s assignment is two-fold. First we’re asked to identify our ideal audience as a way of honing our blogging skills. Second, we’re to include a new-to-you element on our blog.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink?

I like challenging myself, so I’ve learned how to embed photos, YouTube videos, a contact form and a poll.  Today I’m embedding a Tweet for the first time.

https://twitter.com/BornToOrganize/status/573591726411005953

Nifty, eh?

You can learn how to embed all kinds of things on your blog via WordPress Support. I also love coaching people, so if there is something you are trying to do and can’t quite figure it out, I’m happy to help.

Gardening Nirvana

2015 spring garden collage

As spring approaches, nature does most of the heavy lifting. Birds nest, even without my help and perennials come back regardless of my pruning skills. A garden, untended will not necessarily die. Instead the garden crosses the boundaries of the walkways, climbs the fence, winds around a tree and meanders down the block like an untended toddler.

I’m having none of that. Just because Mother Nature is a well-worn cliché, doesn’t mean the parallels aren’t true.  As a mom of two boys, I set limits early and often. Within those limits, the boys enjoyed free rein. They could explore the garden, create in their sand box and run through the sprinklers (pre-drought). My youngest son loved climbing the orange tree and played for hours in the dirt. As a toddler, my oldest son licked the shiny bottom of a snail, always exploring and curious. To my chagrin, he continuously snapped green cherry tomatoes from the vine before he understood the difference between red and green. We traveled for a week and when we returned, he was able to see the difference and why they should remain on the vine awhile longer.

Now teenagers, they’ve grown into well-mannered and respectful young men who understand limits but continue to soar.

Those same limits fall to the garden. Well-tended branches make for happier neighbors. Overgrown weeds do not inspire trust. I might fall in love with a beautiful shrub, but if the plant’s DNA will send it skyward, then it stays on the nursery shelf. I’ve stopped planting Stock, not because I don’t like it, but because the snails eat it to the quick. Reluctantly, but with a sure hand, I’m learning to garden like the Californian I’ve become instead of longing for the English-bred garden of my roots. Some days that’s still hard, but I know it’s for the best. There are days I mother my children, days I mother the garden and days I mother myself. All three are a work in progress.

The End?

If you reached the end of this post and find it resonated with you, then you’ve come to the right place. Welcome! If you’re yawning or distracted or perhaps you simply clicked the ‘like’ button in the Reader, I completely understand. It just means this particular blog isn’t for you. When you do find that perfect fit, you’ll know. As my friend Pauline says, “Thanks for coming by today. I love that you did.”

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Blogging 101: I’ll Follow You Anywhere

Part I:

succulents

Tower of succulents coming back to life

Today’s Blogging University assignment focuses on the other half of blogging: engaging with your community.  We’re instructed to follow five new topics in the Reader and five new blogs.

It’s been awhile since I’ve explored WordPress Reader, not from lack of interest but lack of time.  I know a plethora of interesting blogs await discovery, but I must be realistic with my time.  If you’re as lucky as I am, you’ll fall in love with bloggers from around the world. Thirty days from now, I’m flying cross-country to spend a week with four other women, all friends I’ve met through blogging. Extraordinary!

Which brings me to

Part II:

I’m off to find and follow five more blogs:  I’ll be right back. ;-)

Please close your eyes and pretend your clock is ticking…You can open them now.

Ok, I’m back. I wanted to write part one before tackling this assignment.

Following Michelle’s lead, I added narrowly focused topics. My list:

  1. Color
  2. Sunflowers
  3. Honeybees
  4. Fashion Over 50
  5. Postage Stamp Art

First up, Sew Katie Did. Isn’t that a clever title? I love her play on words.

Though I’ve sewn all my life, I never learned how to quilt. I admire the skill that goes into each one, as well as the color and artistry.  Sew Katie Did is a feast for the eyes. She’s posted photos of several quilts, both beautiful and eclectic. I’m quite smitten with Tilted and with her Stepping Stone Quilt, but frankly, they’re all gorgeous.

Katie Pedersen says “I’ve always been artistic, but a whole world opened up to me when I discovered fabric as my medium.  My workshops focus on design and finding your own process.  My teaching places a heavy emphasis on the importance of color value when picking fabrics and designing a quilt.  I teach modern quilting and sewing classes in Seattle and provide guild and show lectures, trunk shows and workshops.”

Searching sunflowers lead me to Patrick Mackie’s stunning photography. He photographs a number of beautiful subjects, but the sunflowers called me to his page.

Okay, so I tried to stay away from gardening, but my honeybees search lead me to this:

Lottie Land Girl Kaz Brown “records our journey on our lottie plot 21a through my photography. There’s nothing better than digging on the allotment with my husband Stew and our little dog Jassy (our buns Daisy and Alvin can’t play! They’d eat our veggies.” Her blog is filled with beautiful drawings and photos and…gardening tools. Be still my heart.

Guess what? Two of my Reader searches yielded nothing. Two, entirely untapped subjects. Fashion over 50 for women like me who fear they’ve fallen into a fashion frump and they can’t get up. The fact that no one is writing under that tag sent me further into my frumpy despair.

Postage stamp art didn’t come up either. I recently completed a project using my dad’s postage stamp collection and I wanted to see what others might be doing with stamps. I’ll tag my postage stamp table top liberally so that some future reader will find something on the subject.

So, I’ve added five tags to my reader and I’m following three new blogs. With that, I’m off to bed dreaming of beautiful quilts, sunflowers and the gentle buzzing of honeybees.

Have you followed any new blogs lately? Do you struggle to keep up?

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Blogging 101: What’s in a Name?

screen shot blog tagsToday’s assignment is assertive and succinct: Take Control of Your Title and Tagline

The title Gardening Nirvana and the tag line pics and prose sit undisturbed at the top of my blog. They’ve been holding hands since May, 2011.  I briefly altered my tag line last October in honor of Halloween but the following month I put everything back, nice and tidy.  Nearly four years and over 800 posts later, it fits like a well-worn garden glove.

So, what’s in a name? If I were selling something, I might have put more thought into a catchy title.  Instead, I joined two words from the dictionary and called it a day. I planned to write about my experiences gardening and the joy that comes from putting your hands in the earth, hence:

gardening [ˈgɑːdənɪŋ]
noun: the planning and cultivation of a garden

nir·va·na (nîr-vän, nr-)
noun: An ideal condition of rest, harmony, stability, or joy.

When the winter months rolled around that first year, I had a bit of a freak out: what would I write about during the more dormant months?

I needn’t have worried. Once I hit my stride and developed a blogging community, the subject of my posts didn’t matter.  It was more about sharing my experiences in and out of the garden. Local hikes, a trip to Victoria, and our Little Free Library all made it into the blog. I’ve shared personal essays, linked up with other bloggers and even shared one or two do-it-yourself projects.

And with that, I think I’ve written my new tag line: sharing my journey in and out of the garden.

As for a new title, I still don’t know. My tag cloud makes one thing crystal clear: the word Gardening still stands out from the crowd.

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Blogging 101: Rekindling The Passion

seal_v2-04Ruts are never a good thing: not in the garden, not in your life and certainly not in the blogging world. If I’m bored, I shudder to think how my readers might feel. It’s time to rekindle my passion for blogging.

With that in mind, I’ve signed up for Blogging University, March 2015, also known as Blogging 101. You can read more about it here. It looks like fun and its free from the folks at WordPress.

Our first assignment is to introduce ourselves. Since I’ve been blogging for a few years, I feel like an open book…or blog. If you’re new here, or perhaps stopping by from the “Class of March, 2015”, welcome!

So…what am I doing here in the land of blogging?

I came for the writing and stayed for the friends. Who knew? I’ve always enjoyed some form of creative writing. I started a blog as a way to express myself, and hoped that others would find and read it. I kept personal journals for years, but the appeal of blogging is the chance to share your thoughts and ideas with others.

I’m passionate about gardening and organizing, and probably inherited both loves from my father, a British horticulturist and hobbyist. He died when I was young, but passed on his love of gardening and his sense of order.

By day I’m a professional organizer. It’s a great profession for someone like me who enjoys helping others while bringing order out of chaos. I get to use my design background and space planning skills as well. Most of my clients have cats, dogs or both which brings me to my next love: animals.

I live in Silicon Valley with my husband of 20 years, our two teenage sons, and three adorable felines. They’re spoiled, one and all, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

My love of gardening takes many forms. I grow potted plants indoors and on the deck. Outdoors I tend a perennial garden, with an ever-changing array of annuals, bulbs and herbs. A few years ago I fell in love with fairy gardens and added that to my repertoire as well. It’s a wonderful way to express your inner child.

On the subject of children, my now 15 year-old inspired my love of growing pumpkins. One happy accident lead to our first pumpkin crop: my little one spilled squirrel seed mix on the walkway, and our love of growing pumpkins grew from there. We’ve grown them ever since. I’m taking this year off after back-to-back squash bug infestations. Truth be told, I’ll miss them.

I’m looking for ways to keep my blog fresh and interesting and have even toyed with the idea of a new name and a whole new look. Let’s see what the month brings.

Special thanks to Michelle, Maureen, Alex, and the WordPress team for leading the way.

 

 

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When Six-Year-Old’s Decorate the Fairy Garden

Christmas Fairy Garden

Christmas Fairy Garden

The neighborhood kids were off from school last week, and a few of them came looking for the fairy garden. I moved my miniature garden to the back patio in December to make room for Christmas decor. I never moved it back.

My son helped me carry it back to the front deck and the little ones got to work.

fairy garden with azaleas

Aliens and Azaleas: The Magic of Being Six

fairy garden detail

Check out the detail work

finishing touches

Finishing touches

DSC_0042

When I was six, our street ended where a field began. A nursery operated on the other side, so we enjoyed an expansive view. Across the street was a vacant lot that filled with weeds after the rain.  With the freedom to roam that we had in those days, I remember gathering milk weed and clover and spending hours day dreaming while weaving creations with those glorious, green weeds.

It’s been years since I thought about that field, but it may explain my love of fairy gardening. Creating in miniature carries you back in time. It’s part wanderlust and a generous helping of nostalgia, but also a connection to a simpler time, of days spent belly down in a field of greens lost in thought until my mother called me home for supper.

ontario, canada

With my younger sister in our back yard, Ontario, Canada, early 1960’s

Pages: Fairy Garden Frivolity

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The Winter That Never Was

daffodils

Daffodils growing in the curb garden

Spring is technically less than a month away, but the view outside my window is shouting, spring, spring, spring!

pink hyacinth and fuchsia freesia

‘William and Kate’ Hyacinth and fuchsia Freesia

San Jose, California is more that two-thirds of the way through the winter that never was.

Initially, I gave Winter the benefit of the doubt. Though the calendar announced the arrival of winter solstice in late December, Winter decided to take his time. As a woman in her mid-fifties, I respect that. I no longer move like a twenty year old and my memory isn’t that great either. Winter, however, forgot about January entirely. No rain and above-average temps ruled the month. Winter left us high and dry, leading us into year four of our historic drought.

Okay, so December and January came and went, but surely February would live up to its winter reputation: cold, windy and wet. We’re ready.

san jose temperatures february

Source: Accuweather

As you can see by the Accuweather chart above, virtually every day this month has been warmer than average, sometimes by as much as 12 degrees. Winter says no can do.

While the rest of the country is battered by rain, wind, sleet and snow, it seems ungrateful to complain. I enjoy beautiful weather as much as the next gardener, but it feels like cheating. It’s supposed to rain in January. February is known for cold, windy days and a good splashing isn’t unheard of either. Our forests, rivers, lakes and wildlife depend on it.  Winter left town and I miss him terribly.

Winter, won’t you please come home?

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Poetry and Rain: A Bit of a Ramble

rainy day

Mouse doesn’t understand why I’m outside in the rain

 

Dancin’ In The Rain

So what if it drizzles
And dribbles and drips?
I’ll splash in the garden,
I’ll dance on the roof.
Let it rain on my skin,
It can’t get in-
I’m waterproof.

~Shel Silverstein

Rain

The promised rainstorms arrived in earnest late last week. What a welcome relief. Locals refer to these tropical storms as the Pineapple Express. They arrive from Hawaii, drenching us in warm rains, instead of the colder storms that push down from the north. You would never know it was February.

I reveled in the refreshing, cleansing rain and I’m sorry to see it go so soon.

The week ahead promises record-breaking heat in its place. I find it disorienting adjusting to this new normal.

Poetry is Dead

[The opinions that follow are not necessarily those of the blogger, nor do they reflect the opinion of our funder.] Funder? Oh I crack myself up.

On the drive home yesterday, my youngest son mentioned his school assignment: find and memorize a poem for a poetry slam. Both he and his older brother think that poetry is dead. “No one writes Greek poetry any more, Mom.”

I happen to like poetry. I defended my opinions and pointed out that the songs they love are poetry set to music. They weren’t convinced. The conversation ended when we got out of the car. Clearly I was outnumbered. But today when I rediscovered Silverstein’s poem the memories flooded back. My boys may have forgotten all those years we snuggled with a good book (including poetry), but I know that all that early reading laid a foundation deep within their brains. I read to those boys every night, many an afternoon, in book stores and in libraries. The backseat of the car always had a stash of books and I kept tiny books in my purse.

Poetry isn’t dead. It’s merely on an extended holiday, along with the rain. In the interim, I’ll drum my fingers to the rhythm of “it’s raining, it’s pouring, the old man is snoring.” Across the room, my son’s Beats™ go on.