November 6, 2013 by Born To Organize

Alliterating Peppers

There is something about peppers that invite alliteration. It all started when “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers…”

Personally I prefer my peppers un-pickled,

Enticingly edible, eatable and esculent,

Perfectly pleasant,

Pretty, pleasing and plump,

Effortlessly enjoyed and

Raw

How about you?

Fall Bounty

You win some, you lose some, Pepper Pests

August 28, 2013 by Born To Organize

Pumpkin Harvest, Cousin Shelley

Squash bugs

If you’ve been following along, you’ll know this is pumpkin harvest week at gardeningnirvana. The probable final count is ten, 12 if you count Frank and his cousin Shelley. I left a few late-season fruits on the vine since I’m nothing if not optimistic when it comes to pumpkins.

The squash bugs continue unabated, so I need to come up with a plan. I want to use the soon-to-be vacated planting bed for my cool season crops, but not until the bed is pest-free.

I’m soaking seeds on the kitchen counter as we speak for peas and beets. Broccoli seeds don’t require a good soak, but I need to get busy setting them out soon. The first day of autumn in our hemisphere is still a month away. The changes in the air say otherwise. I hate to miss a good planting opportunity.

In case you missed yesterday’s post, here’s another peak at Frank.

Frank aka a pumpkin casualty

Frank wears his scars proudly, forgiving the gentle gardener for her blunder. Shelley on the other hand has piercing eyes and a lopsided grin, courtesy of an unknown pest. Since everyone loves a good ‘before and after’ shot, without further ado, here’s Shelley:

2013, 08-27

April 19, 2013 by Born To Organize

Ladybug, Ladybug, Char-donn-ay!

Sterling Vineyard Napa Valley 2010 Chardonnay
Ladybugs, ready for dinner at dusk. What’s on the menu? Aphids.

I’m repeating this soothing mantra as I reach for inner calm after this tragic week. Ladybug, ladybug, chardonnay; ladybug, ladybug, chardonnay. Professionals warn that viewing too many violent images will only confound our sense of loss, sadness and grief. As we honor and grieve for the people of Boston, MA and West, TX, may the sun shine in their lives again soon.

Wont you come with me?

You can lighten your load at:

Marking Our Territory. Meet Will and Eko, a man and his Rhodesian Ridge-back. Will writes with wit and sensitivity. Wise and silly and full of unconditional love. Today’s entry: One Minute of Pure Joy. You’ll be grinning in no time.

Boomdeeadda blogs about art, life and other bits. Her posts are light-hearted and often whimsical. She holds a special place in my heart and makes the dark days brighter. Boomdee has something for everyone: a bit of history about her home town of Edmonton, beautiful crafts (and tutorials) and a pair of sweet kitties. Go take a look. You know you want to!) You’re welcome. 🙂

Teddy and Tottie is a recent follow. I enjoy her posts, and think you will too. Today, she published a recipe of comfort food: Banana and Chocolate Chip Muffins. Yum! Let me know if you give the recipe a try.

Peace.

Snapdragons and Status

November 23, 2012 by Born To Organize

Dressing The Table on Thanksgiving Day

New Zealand Flax with Grasses

Happy Thanksgiving to those of you who celebrated today. Our day flew by. We spent the morning in a flurry of cooking (Chef Mike) and cleaning (that would be me) but took a few moments to toast each other with a glass of champagne. It was a gorgeous fall day, with bright skies and moderate temps. We couldn’t have asked for better.

I promised to share a photo of my tall arrangement (if it turned out). Though the New Zealand Flax has brilliant shades of orange and peach, it seemed a bit bland. I added tall grasses for movement and shape, but it still lacked color. I was okay with it, but when my husband went out for olive oil, he brought back a bunch of deep red chrysanthemums. Their brilliant color really made the arrangement pop. I had enough leftover to make two small groupings for the table.

New Zealand Flax with and mums

The smaller mums, mixed with the last of the dried Allium and a few greens worked well together. The dried Allium has an almost silver look. I’m glad I saved so many seeds. I’m looking forward to growing more of it next spring.

Interspersed with the flowers, are small pumpkins. We had a few small ones left over from Halloween. I added my new velvet pumpkins to the display, and a cherished clay pumpkin, handcrafted by my twelve-year-old son.

Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast.

-William Shakespeare

Mums, Allium and Greens

Napkins ringed with raffia and tulle

I put the finishing touches on the napkin rings, made from left over pieces of raffia and tulle. I punched and decorated tags in lieu of place cards, adding them to the rings. Inspiration for the final detail came from Kelly over at Boomdeeada. Earlier this month I “built” tiny chairs for my fairy garden using miniature spools. Kelly suggested wrapping the spools with a tiny greeting. They were easy to make and a fun conversation starter. I wrapped the saying around the spool, then sealed it with a tiny sticker.