December 17, 2013 by Born To Organize

Frosty Fingers Tickle the Fronds

Amazing things happen when you look through the lens of a camera. It’s an interesting metaphor for life.

We can view a glass as half empty or half full or we can focus on the small etches in the glass, marvel at the glass’ ability to hold water and consider its resilience. That glass stands up to multiple washings and use, and perhaps a tumble or two.

Seven days of hard frost laid waste the less-hardy plants in our garden. This kind of cold snap is unheard of in San Jose, a semi-arid climate known for moderate temps. It was disheartening seeing all that damage, but a reminder too, that loss is part of life. So too, is resilience.

I donned my warm coat, slung the camera over my shoulder and took pictures of nature’s etching. While the ferns took a hit, the plants survived. Frosty fingers tickled the fronds, but the roots stayed warm and strong.

Frost damaged ferns

All three geraniums seemed to collapse from the frost, but beneath the wilt, I see life. I’ve gardened long enough to know that nature serves up some amazing things. I’ll wait for spring before a true assessment is in order.

Geranium droop

Geranium leaves

Meanwhile, since frost is as much a part of nature as wind, rain, snow and sun, I’m choosing to embrace the beauty in all of it.

Frozen beauty

Organized at Heart

I’m posting a series of articles featuring organizing around the holidays this month on my blog Organized at Heart. If the subject interests you, please go take a peak. Today’s blog offers tips for Organizing Christmas Morning.

December 3, 2013 by Born To Organize

Watercolor Hummer

I signed up for a banner-making class a few weeks ago at locally owned A Work of Heart. They’re a mixed-media art studio, with the wonderful tag line: Where everyone is an artist.

I went for the Christmas banner, but left with so much more. I met the wonderful, Lexi Grenzer of The Shabby Calavera. She led the class at A Work of Heart and teaches additional classes at Scrapbook Island. We connected on Facebook where I spotted this ethereal watercolor.

My dad was a painter and my mom a great sketch artist, but that level of talent didn’t trickle down. We had plenty of watercolor paint sets growing up, but I never got any good at it. I have great admiration for Lexi’s skill.

Lexi Grenzer is a teacher, jewelry designer and animal advocate in the Bay Area. She has a great love of all things Shabby Chic and Day of the Dead, which lead to the creation of her blog and business, The Shabby Calavera. Lexi’s days are spent creating in the studio, teaching classes, snuggling with her four fur babies and doting on her son and adoring husband. She attributes her love of art and hand crafted beauties to her Grandmother’s amazing influence.

So in addition to appreciating her art, I really appreciate her heart, and her contributions to our local Humane Society.

And the banner…here’s what me made in class:

Organized at Heart

I’m posting a series of articles featuring organizing around the holidays this week on my blog Organized at Heart. If the subject interests you, please go take a peak.

November 29, 2013 by Born To Organize

Green Friday: Repurposing in and out of the Garden

Re-purposing was common practice during the Depression era. It’s still common in developing countries where nothing goes to waste. I’m a huge fan of giving new life to items that might otherwise be discarded. There is an entire movement afoot, people reusing items in clever and original ways.

So, in honor of Green Friday, check out these fun ideas.

Greenhouse Made from old windows
Between Naps on the Porch

Lovely old chair breathes new life
Sweet Magnolia Farm

Umbrella Bean Trellis from Dirt du Jour

Light fixture bird bath from Indulgy

I wish I had 100 hours a week to read all the fascinating blogs out there. Here’s a small sample:

Dishfunctional Designs: Creative Things To Make With Old (I love the clever title)

Indulgy.com: Light fixtures live again

Denim Do Over: giving new life to old denim

Pinterest: Set the timer or you’ll never get anything done.

Facebook: Re-purposed, Recycled, Reused, Reclaimed, Restored

I like to re-purpose my wall calendar each year. I reuse the pages to make envelopes, bookmarks, gift tags, small stickers, gift-card holders and other small paper items.

Last year I made a wreath for our front door using scraps of tissue paper, candy wrappers (ahem) , a dry-cleaning bag and the plastic sleeve from the newspaper.

Katherine, over at Pillows a-la- Mode recently refashioned an old sweater into the most adorable teddy bear you’ve ever seen.

Diary of a Mad Woman uses a similar sweater to make Christmas stockings.

I hope you have as much fun as I did, visiting all these fun sites. Please share your own re-fashions, links or blogs in the comments below.

November 26, 2013 by Born To Organize

Garden Wreath Redux

Wonderful things happen when you write a blog. Here are my top three:

Community, community and community.

Last week I posted photos of my attempt at a garden wreath. The wreath had a lot going for it, but it lacked volume and charm.

Garden Wreath Version 1.0

I asked for suggestions and received a tremendous outpouring of support.

The Contented Crafter had this to say: Just this very morning I was discussing my art work with a friend and related how something Jane Davenport once said made a big impression on me and changed the way I viewed my creations.

Jane said [and I paraphrase] ‘Every creation goes through an ugly stage. Do not be put off, do not throw it out, do not walk away. Keep working at it until it becomes beautiful again’.

Not that I’m calling your wreath ugly – it isn’t. It is actually really pretty, and while still in development, shows enormous potential – it just needs more.

Which brings me to my second great life lesson – if a little is good, a lot is better :-) Bling it up Alys, bling it up!

In summary, don’t be discouraged. Add some bling. Borrow seeds from the squirrels.

Flowers and seeds

Boomdeeadda added:

I would say you’ve got a lot of beautiful dried flowers but need a sturdier base to build upon. I especially love the hair pin, it’s a pretty detail and unexpected :D I also like that you used a loose triangle in your design. The rule of three always works best for arranging flowers. It’s going to be so awesome and I bet it smells really wonderful too.

Do you have any thin gauge wire? Here’s what a florist might do.

Take everything off and sort.

Spray Hydrangea with a bit of hair spray to lessen shedding.

make three mixed posies with your remaining dried flowers by wrapping stems with a bit of wire. Vary the sizes (S, M, L). Leave a length of wire to make a small loop.

Now, stuff the entire wreath with green sheet moss. Available from gardening stores. Winding thin wire around the wreath as you go. You hardly see it with the moss.

After reading Boomdee’s professional advice, it was tempting to box it up and send it to her with a thank you note. Instead I behaved myself and took notes.

I took apart the wreath, salvaging the lavender, the ribbon and the hair pin. The hydrangeas were toast so I tossed what remained in the compost bin.

I dragged myself to a craft store (hee!) and picked up a bag of Spanish moss, floral wire and a roll of dusty silver tulle. I bought purple ribbon as well, but didn’t use it.

Starting from scratch

Cindy Knoke cheered me on as did Tami and Marlene, of In Search of it All. Marlene and LB both agreed that moss would give it some oomph. Where the Journey Takes Me suggested the great and powerful Google for dried wreath inspiration. Additional thanks to Sheryl at Flowery Prose.

Anne Lawson said: bling it up! When I paint there is often a point where I despair and think “it’s not working!” That’s the time to keep going, as many times it does come together.

I gathered lavender and sage in twice the quantities to allow for natural shrinkage when dried. The hydrangeas were un-salvageable. I used three of the flowers from a vase in my room. I sprayed them first with hairspray to prevent shedding. I added dried seeds from the Bachelor Buttons, and then stuffed all the gaps with moss. The wire helped keep everything in place.

I dug out my Christmas ornaments early, remembering this cute set of watering cans, a gift from my sister-in-law many years ago. The size and color worked well. I added tulle to the original ribbon for a larger bow, placed dried lavender in the watering can and added the hair clip.

Garden Wreath Details

Wreath Version 2.0

It’s still a bit lopsided, but overall I like it so much better. I’ve dubbed it the Village Wreath, as I couldn’t have done it without all of you.

XOX

November 14, 2013 by Born To Organize

Craft if Forward: Garden Journal

This month’s craft it forward goes to Emma at Greenhousing. Emma is a fellow gardener, helping things grow in her own special garden in the UK.

She started Greenhousing: Big Plans for a Small Garden with her husband to:

plan and keep a record of our hard and not-so-hard work.

Luckily we have been hoarding lots of plant pots of various sizes, seed and drip trays, pot trays, seeds, weed suppressant fabric, vegetable and tomato fertiliser, etc. so we can make big plans without having to spend a lot of money.

The garden is an odd shape at the back of the house, with fencing on three sides and a corner of a neighbour’s garage jutting into it. The big plan is to work around any obstacles and grow some tasty food and lovely flowers and plants.

She hasn’t posted for a while, so I’m hoping life simply got busy and that all is okay.

Garden Memories

I started by gathering garden-inspired paper and embellishments. Oh how I tax myself [wink-wink]). I assembled an 8 x 8 book/album, small enough to carry into the garden to record notes on garden progress. It can also be used to save photos of her garden successes or remembrances of her first year with a lovely greenhouse.

Here are a few sample pages:

What is Craft it Forward?

Here’s how it works. The first five people to comment on the original post receive a handmade item with the gardening nirvana touch. In return, they agree to pay it forward, crafting their own unique item for the first five people on their list. Craft it Forward encourages community, creative spirit and camaraderie. It also encourages flexibility, so I expanded my list from five to seven based on interest in the project. Isn’t it fun making your own rules?

Further, in the era of the internet, who doesn’t like ‘real’ mail? If you haven’t started your own Craft it Forward, today is a good day to get going.

Craft it Forward #1: Living Journal
Craft it Forward #2: Flowers and Oscar Wilde
Craft it Forward #3: Three’s a Charm
Craft it Forward #4: Secret Garden in The Round
Craft it Forward #5: Tiny Album, Big Heart
Craft it Forward #6: Garden Journal

October 29, 2013 by Born To Organize

The Magic of Snail-Mail: Gjeometry Crafts

Who doesn’t like finding personal mail in their mailbox? Nobody I know, that’s for sure! It’s become a rare commodity, so much so that many postal services are going broke. I’m happy to report that we bloggers are doing our part, one wonderful note, card or parcel at a time.

Through my blogging community and Craft-it-Forward projects, I’ve received numerous goodies in the mail. Last week was no exception. Catja, over at Gjeometry let me squeak into her pay if forward list, even though I was number six and the cut off was five. You can read a bit more about it on her blog. (Thanks once again, Catja).

Look what arrived in the mail.

gjeometry apron collage-188

Catja sent me this beautifully sewn, dual-toned apron sporting three large pockets and several tabs for holding tools. The body of the apron is an incredibly soft rayon tweed with a subtle pattern, a cross between herringbone and check. The face of the apron is a sturdy, floral canvas, trimmed in brown. I *love* it!

Catja included a thoughtful note written on a card embedded with annual and perennial seeds. I’ll be able to keep the card, and slip out the seed insert for planting next spring. What a treasure.

Bloomin’ Flower Card

The spoiling didn’t stop there. She also sent a volume of essays called The Roots of My Obsession: Thirty Great Gardeners Reveal Why They Garden. I can’t wait to dive in. Here’s a quote:

There’s a mystery at the heart of gardening: Why would any sane person spend hours on hands and knees, courting aching joints and a ruined back, just to raise a bunch of plants? He simple answer, of course, is that gardening is an obsession that cannot be conquered or abandoned, only indulged. The richer, more complex and more human answer can be found in the pages of The Roots of My Obsession.

I see joyful reading ahead.

Personal essays on why we garden

On the subject of spoiling, our resident felines received a treat as well. It seems, Catja’s mom is also crafty. She knit this wooly purple octopus for the kitties. It arrived with a small opening for cat nip, with a length of yarn attached to sew it closed. Our catnip plant is just now dying back for the winter. I pinched off a few of the leaves for their new toy. Here’s a shot of Mighty Mouse checking it out.

Tiny octopus

Mighty Mouse loves the new toy

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Catja, for your thoughtfulness. I admire your style, your grace and your creativity.

You can check out Catja’s blog at Gjeometry. Her kitty features prominently in most of her posts. Here are a few of my favorites:

October 10, 2013 by Born To Organize

If Fences Could Talk

We’re finally seeing some fall action here in San Jose, which for us means cloudy skies and temperatures south of 50 F (10C). It also means perfect hiking weather!

Almaden Quicksilver trail view

My walking partner cancelled this week, so I took myself up to the Quicksilver trail for a ninety-minute hike. I love social hikes, but now and again, it’s great to go alone. I’m able to tune in more to the nature around me, to see things that I might have missed.

On my recent hike, I noticed the number of fences running along the trail head and into the hills as I climbed. Wooden fence posts seemed to be re-joining the landscape. Once tall trees, whittled into fence posts, forgot all about formalities. They were gradually returning to a natural state.

Like the understudy in a play waiting in the wings, here was their chance to shine. Each fence post took on shape and character, gathering moss, lichen and weathered decay. Fences meant to keep trespassers out quietly invited small guests in. Signs of a woodpecker, insects and moss were everywhere. I had the sense that if i lingered awhile, those fences would tell me a story. That perhaps I wasn’t alone after all.

If those fences could talk, what do you think they would say?
crossing fence posts fence with barbed wire fence with lichen

Halloween Countdown:

All dressed up: Lacy pumpkin

September 25, 2013 by Born To Organize

Nature’s Garden, No Tarantulas

The good news (if you’re a tarantula) is its mating season.

Additional good news (for arachnophobics) is I didn’t spy a single one on my hike this week. You may safely continue reading without any surprises herein.

I’ve really missed my weekly hikes along the Almaden Quicksilver trail. Hiking trails feel like nature’s garden, a place to enjoy flora and fauna and if your lucky, a bit of wildlife. I generally hike with my friend Karen and her sweet dog, Dylan. They weren’t available this week, so I decided to hoof it alone.

I bent down to take a photo of some fall leaves, when two women approached and said “is that a tarantula?” Momentarily confused, I realized the hikers thought I was taking a picture of one of our eight-legged friends. The hikers I spoke with saw three tarantulas on the trail that morning.

Off I went in pursuit of exercise and wildlife (with four legs), careful to keep my eyes down whenever I approached a patch of shade. Years ago a tarantula crossed my path on a hike around this time of year. They’re actually slow-moving and quite docile, so other than the startle factor, I wasn’t concerned.

One of the amazing things about hiking this trail is how quickly you feel like you’re away from the city. I can get there by car in 15 minutes. I love that.

Given the long, dry year we’ve had, things were looking pretty brown. Even so, I loved the smell of fall in the air, the shadows in the trees and the view of downtown San Jose.

Come have a look at one of the quicksilver trails: nature’s garden, and as promised, no tarantulas.

McAbee Road Trail Head

Potpourri of fallen leaves

The first steep incline (no spiders here)

A view of Silicon Valley and the dreaded smog we have this time of year.

Parched earth

‘Tree cave’

Remnants from the quicksilver mining days

The bottom of the hill

A well camouflaged deer

Almaden Quicksilver County Park

September 23, 2013 by Born To Organize

Anniversary Bouquet

Bloomster’s Bouquet

We celebrated our wedding anniversary this past weekend at the historic De Anza Hotel in San Jose. My man of 18 years had these beautiful flowers waiting for me in our room. I think they’re exquisite and a nice metaphor for a long marriage: colorful, textured and varied.

We had the most amazing rain this weekend as well, a rare treat after a record-breaking, year-long drought. I arrived back home to an invigorated garden, two orange peppers, and a still-producing assortment of cherry tomatoes. After a weekend of over-indulgence, it was good to eat a small salad, fortified from our garden.

♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥

The perfect tulip (actually all tulips are perfect)

The reddest rose I’ve ever seen.

Magical (I don’t know what they are, but they remind me of stars)

A little of this and that

More goodness

Enjoying our town:

September 10, 2013 by Born To Organize

Birdhouse Gourd: Open for Nesting

After all the worry and fuss about drilling holes in my precious gourds, the first of two is open for nesting. My resident handyman drilled a bird-sized hole on the front of the gourd, two small ones at the top for hanging, and drainage holes below.

Birdhouse gourd: open for nesting

Closeup: The opening should be the size of the bird you want to attract. We want to attract all the cute birds. That made it easy.

Tiny holes in the bottom allow for air circulation and drainage. Nesting is a messy business.

It’s amazing how soft it is inside, almost like downy wool. I wasn’t expecting that. The walls of the gourd are thick and sturdy. It’s no wonder a bird might call this home.

I threaded a piece of florist wire through the top and I’m having fun hanging it from various trees. We’re months away from nesting season, but I’m glad to have one ready to go.

Several of our trees are deciduous, so they won’t provide adequate protection for a nest, but I do have a couple of ideas. Our orange tree is fairly dense and in fact, houses a large nest from a few years back. The Star Jasmin vine in our side yard is another possibility. It’s so dense you can’t see to the center.

Mama birds know best, so all I can do is provide the medium and hope she likes it. Maybe I’ll write her a little note that says ‘pick me! pick me!’ and leave it on a branch nearby.

Mama Bird Wanted: Inquire Within

In the meantime, I’ll hang the beautiful gourd in plain view. As nesting season draws near, I’ll tuck it away in a tall, densely foliaged tree with hope in my heart while listening for the song of baby birds.

Do you have nests in the trees nearby? Do you offer nesting material for your feathered neighbors? Photos also welcome in the comment section below.