my balcony garden

my sister's new craft book

2011-01-04T08:54:00.000-05:00

hey there my crafty and creative blog friends! just wanted to stop by and let you know that my incredibly talented sister, Abby Glassenberg, has just published an amazing sewing and craft book, The Artful Bird, that is available for pre-order on amazon. It is filled with ideas for how to sew the most wonderful soft sculpture birds that are truly art. This is the kind of craft book that is sophisticated, wonderfully laid out, and tells the story of a talented stay-at-home mom/artist and crafter. hope you check it out!!

Oh, and while I am here, I thought I would also share a few photos from our recent trip to Little Rock, Arkansas, (for work), and then Hot Springs, Arkansas.

1. The Clinton Library 2 -4. Hot Springs, Arkansas. The hotel that Al Capone stayed at. If you ever make it out there, I recommend a bath and massage at BuckStaff Baths. It is not only very relaxing, but you'll swear you jumped into a time warp and landed in Mad Men. Thanks for stopping by and as always -

Winter Planning

2010-12-18T15:46:00.002-05:00

Lately I have been having lots of fun taking care of (by that I mean giving light water mists to) my wall aerium, by FloraGrubb. I absolutely love having these little dirt-less creatures living on my wall and once it warms up a little, I am surely going to by purchasing more!

I have also become enamored by the idea of fruit trees - both indoors and out, in containers and in the ground. Because, why buy a tree that doesn't also produce delicious and healthy fruit? It's a little difficult to cultivate fruit trees in Virginia, but I feel that my constant internet research is sure to lead me on a successful journey. I am starting with a key lime tree, indoors, because citrus trees appear to be lower maintenance than many others. But I would love to also have a fig tree, and perhaps a bush nectarine? They are quite beautiful.

And finally, despite the severely cold winter we have here already, when it comes to my outside garden, my planning goggles have already been adjusted, placed securely on my head, and are ready for use!

Next spring, I plan to keep the planting contained to the "bush" variety. small. short. sweet. I find that the larger varieties of vegetables really aren't the happiest campers in a container. My list:

Miniature Chocolate Bell Peppers
Czech's Bush Tomatoes
Miniature White Cucumbers
Minnesota Midget Cantalopes
Tom Thumb Sweet Peas

I wasn't kidding! All courtesy of seedsavers.org

Meanwhile - we have been really really enjoying our weekly CSA share from the virginia green grocer. the amount of cabbage recipes I have had to drum up has been interesting, but I can tell you - there is nothing more delicious than organic, freshly picked sliced carrots with a yogurt/onion dip after a long days work!

Happy Holidays and thanks for tuning in!

green things (sort of)

2010-09-17T16:26:00.000-04:00

from the garden, there was lots and lots of basil. it started to go to seed, so i finally got around to picking it for pesto.

then the last things in the herb pot (it is the end of the season for many things), were these two green onions. but, i guess they are also kind of purple.

they will go well sprinkled on top of anything. like tomatoes.

though these now appear brown, let me assure you! they are fried GREEN tomatoes. (a roma fell off the vine before it had a chance to ripen.) now, I must sit and wait - patiently - for Jesse to come home so we can share them.

arrangements

2010-08-10T14:42:00.001-04:00

mmmm ... basil and dried lavender in the living room today. I was pruning my garden when I realized that the ton of basil growing would look quite fabulous as part of the flower arrangements for the wedding. I am doing my own flowers, and I think I will stuff some of these leaves in here and there. Brown seeds and all.

I am enjoying this cloth bunting much on our art wall. It inspired me to make some bunting for the photobooth. I mean, if you didn't know it was a photobooth before, hopefully "say cheese" gets the point across!! I think I am obsessing a bit too much over the photobooth. Come on wedding - get here already!

invitations and weevils

2010-08-07T14:07:00.001-04:00

I forgot that I haven't shared our wedding invitations here on the blog. We were early birds and sent them out way back when - in early June for a September wedding! I worked very closely with ellothere to create the perfect image. And when I say worked closely, I mean that over the span of a month we e-mailed back and forth with my 100 million edits and suggestions, and Maddy's many upbeat and helpful responses, along with lots of different versions of the image. I just wanted the invitations to really imbue our vision of Old Town, Alexandria, our beloved place of residence. And we were very happy with the results! You can view a different version that ellothere later created here.

On that note, we also commissioned this lovely map of Old Town with suggestions of sites to see, places to eat, and things to do, from the wonderfully talented Laura of Wonderland Papers. She came up with the perfect little map for us, and we were so pleased to send it to our guests so that they might plan their stay. And, you can see a slightly different version in her shop here.

Next, I wanted to share our solution to the many little ones who might be making it down the aisle on the big day (six little nieces and a nephew all under the age of 7 ... we will see how that one goes.) Instead of flowers, I picked up these glittery wands from the dairygodmother, a wonderful frozen custard and gourmet popsicle shop in neighboring Del Ray. I figured, they are gender friendly, any little kid would love them, and they can keep them later! I love checking tasks off the never ending wedding list.

Ok, now on to the garden, at long last! Soo ... the topic today will be pepper weevils. greedy little creatures are they! I have yet to see one, as they feed at night. But such perfect half circles they chomp from the leaves! There seems to be little out there on the interweb as to what to do when infested with weevils (I kind of like the name though, I must admit.) But I do NOT like the possibility that they may have laid eggs in my beloved peppers ... So, I sprayed the leaves heavily with a dishwasher detergent/water mix one night, and although that caused the leaves to turn a tad brown, there seems to be much less weevil activity lately.

I have also read that adding nematodes to the soil can do wonders in getting rid off any weevil larva that may be in the soil. I think that I will use nematodes next year, as they are great for many different pest defenses.

And look how many delightful peppers there are growing! Are you to tell me horrid weevils are eating these from the inside? I so hope not. But I will keep you updated ... come harvest! (crossing my fingers).

photobooth and tomatillos

2010-07-31T10:21:00.004-04:00

We are having a photobooth at our wedding! I am excited of the prospect, and lots of work has gone into planning the whole thing out. I have the signs done, and I pleased with the results - rustic-y yet instructive, you might say. I also love the props that I ordered form MaroDesigns, especially the monocle. There will be other elements as well, but I will leave those as a surprise. I know photobooths are pretty big in the blog world, so if anyone has any ideas for me (its still a work in progress) I would love to hear. Especially - the back drop ... ?

In the garden, tomatillos are flowering! I must say, tomatillos are definitely as hardy as promised on the seed package. Even with little care, (I didn't have much faith they would grow), and having to share a pot with the very aggressive mint, the plant has grown quite strong. I think the purple and yellow flower is quite surprisingly pretty.

I also wanted to mention a great program that we just used to recycle our old yoga mats, called, fittingly, recycle your mat. you mail your old mats to the company, where they will be either re-used or recycled, and in return you receive a 20% discount from Manduka, the maker of the awe inspiring Black Mat Pro! Now, equipped with our new black mats, we will surely rise to yoga stardom (or so may happen only in our minds. but, in yogi fashion, I say that is just as ok as the real thing, right?) I find the Manduka mats are a tad on the heavy side (8 pounds!), but so sturdy and cushy, a far better mat than the many I have had before.

how to make a chuppah

2010-07-23T23:05:00.000-04:00

For our wedding, we decided to make our own chuppah, or, Jewish wedding canopy. In so doing, we decided to make it a free-standing one, the sort of chuppah that is carried down the aisle and held above us, rather than the stationary kind. For one, it seemed that with the stationary kind, we would need to pour cement into flower pots to hold it up, and that would be heavy, and so my arms hurt just thinking about it. Then, I chanced upon this lovely wedding for inspiration. That is exactly it! I exclaimed, a light structure with a beautiful fabric that is easily transported to our wedding site.

First, we purchased about a 6 feet x 6 feet piece of fabric from Ikea. Then, I promptly sent it up to my very skilled sister to hem the sides and place grommets in the corners.

Once I received the fabric back in the mail, we went to our local hardware store and purchased 7 foot wooden poles from the crown molding section.

A very pleasant employee helped us figure out how to screw in the "thing-a-ma-dings" into the tops of the wooden poles (first hammer them in slightly, then start to screw them at least until they stay in, and then use this pulley system with a nail to screw them in all the way.) (this was not the easiest step, as that wood was hard hard.)

then, because I love the rustic look of twine and it will be a design theme throughout the wedding, I decided to get a thick sturdy twine, and tie it around the grommet and screw twice, tying a double bow.

Lastly, I just needed some friends to come over and help us hold it up so that I could snap a photo of the finished chuppah. Luckily, tonight they did, so here it is!

Yay. So simple and light weight. I am thinking of starting a chuppah rental business ... i think it could be lucrative, no? but then again, I'd have to make so many more chuppahs ...

what's doin in the garden

2010-07-18T13:56:00.001-04:00

First, my wedding hair - or at least, my wedding hair band! i love love it! (got it here.) oh, and kitty seems to like it too ...

now, the garden:

I planted a Christmas lima bean and it took off like crazy. Apparently, beans are very resilient and strong creatures. these beans i left on the vine for far too long and they got a little tough, so I braised them with other veggies, like leeks, carrots, and onions. next time? i will pluck them when they are young. plus, leaving them on the vine causes the plant to stop producing beans. new ones are already forming though!

My yellow pepper plant is by far the happiest plant on my balcony this season. It is strong and big and keeps on growing. that makes me happy.

i planted two garlic cloves last week, ones that had already begun to sprout in the refrigerator. Plant them with the skins still on, with the green part facing upwards. in one week, i already have these garlic greens! yummmmy (they will be). they seem to be the kind of crop that one could plant anywhere in the garden as they don't take up much root space. plus, they can keep many kinds of critters away.

the tomatillos are growing over the side of balcony. from just a tiny seed this large plant has sprouted. with little buds forming. will i be making salsa sometime soon? not if they are like my tomato plants!

lots of greenery, and yellow flowers, but not a tomato in sight. why? most likely because it has consistently been over 90 degrees day and night this summer. the heat is making the tomatoes go into survival mode. well, i have trimmed many of the "suckers" off the stems, and fed them a little bit of epsom salts (supposedly good phosphorus for fruit to circumvent all the nitrogen i have given them for the leaves via plant food). so, maybe in the fall i will get some tomatoes. probably by then.

(oh, and yes, i did ask for green toenail polish at this morning's pedicure - to match the garden of course!)

and, lastly, these green onions have been great. they grow relatively slowly, but are so easy to pluck and chop up into a salad or as garnish to an omelet!

juicy juicy watemelon

2010-07-10T08:40:00.001-04:00

this morning it was raining. I woke up and went to look at the garden.

the watermelon had split open. i noticed.

it's split! i panic to myself. running inside, I knew I had to act fast. I pulled on Jesse's too large flip flops, grabbed the kitchen shears, and jumped the railing. (the watermelon was growing on the other side, and could not be pulled through.) But, anything to save the precious fruit. Landing on top of the roof of Whole Foods, I cut it from the vine and pulled myself back over. with lots of my yoga strength. (someone sitting in a car in the next door parking lot froze and looked up at me.)

Once inside, the internet research began. Well, yes, it seems a split watermelon is quite alright to enjoy (says at least one person on a gardening message board.) And, someone else states, it may have split due to too much water or too much heat, or that is was over ripe. Over ripe? But it is still mostly white inside. Mostly white! At long last

I tasted it. Sweet, watery, juicy.

Well, maybe that's ok, then. The white. If it tastes good ...

Next year I will fertilize it properly to produce a sweeter taste. But for now, I bite in.

bugs, bugs, and more bugs

2010-07-08T21:07:00.005-04:00

Bugs bugs bugs is right! I can not tell you, my lovely readers, how sad and stricken I have been these past few weeks - to see my cucumber plant succumb to bacterial wilt, and have to be dug up, and said good bye to suddenly and without much warning. Where to begin ...

Well, let's just say that when your lovely, luscious, large cucumber leaves begin to wilt unexpectedly - you most likely are afflicted with the dreaded cucumber beetle! Oh those beetles, I want to kill them so! (seriously, and I am a pacifist.) At first, I could not see them, and so I thought all of my internet research was written by a bunch of incorrect willies - but alas, when I dug the plant up for disposal, they all came marching proudly up the sides of the pot without a care in the world, looking for lunch. And then - they had the audacity to begin attacking the squash plant. Well, I can say I successfully beat them off (for now, finally) - and this is how, and this is what to do in the future -

1. squash the beetles when you see them.
2. spray the plant with a neem oil based spray, or if not, then an organic insect killer.

and for next year:

3. mulch the top of the soil to deter egg laying.
4. use floating row covers in the early stages prior to flowering.
5. choose cucumber varieties that are not as susceptible to the beetle, or choose a sweeter variety.
6. plant around the cucumber species that deter the beetle, like radishes.

How these little guys even got to my balcony garden is a question in itself - after all, my balcony is located many feet above the Whole Foods Market loading dock, without a garden or green patch of land within sight... hmmm...

Well, oh well. This is why I am a trial-and-error gardener after all, to learn and better myself for next harvest. Which is why I highly recommend this wonderful book that I am reading for those container gardeners out there - a bible of sorts in my eyes. for next year and the year after and after that.

next up - the tomato, pepper, and bean harvest. And after that? well, the fall and winter garden of course!

4th of July

2010-07-04T22:42:00.001-04:00

We had a very nice time at my parent's beach house, petting Maya and dipping our toes in the ocean. Swimming, miniature golf, eating crabs. Happy 4th!

(thanks Jennifer, for the iphone collage idea! (and for generally be super inspiring and creative)).

cool as a ...

2010-06-26T21:49:00.000-04:00

For me, lately, with my mind's eye always visualizing what there is to be done with my garden, often day dreaming about my garden next season, next year, and what that will be and why - it all comes down to. there is nothing more lovely than.

biting into a fresh, cool cucumber. straight from the source.

give-away winner

2010-06-24T07:24:00.001-04:00

I was absolutely thrilled at your warm and yummy responses to my give-away question. If I could, I would make blueberry cobbler/raspberry and white chocolate blondies/pear tart/strawberry rhubarb shortcake-pie-crumble/peach pie/strawberry bread/lemon meringue pie or pavlova/lemon cake with raspberry filling/summer fruit pudding with vanilla ice cream/ and apple cobbler-streudal.

But instead, will you settle for a cherry scone?

Ok, and now for the winner - (chosen at random by my talented fiance...)

Congrats to Megan !! Megan - e-mail me with your address.

And, thanks again everyone!

weekend in photos

2010-06-20T21:18:00.000-04:00

on friday, kitty found a good hiding place to scout out the birds ...

... while i prepared a Mexican themed potluck dinner for a group of couples that Jesse and I meet with once a month for dinner.

there was nectarine and cherry white wine sangria to go with the nachos.

on Saturday i squealed with delight when i saw this watermelon growing on the balcony. where the heck did that come from!?!

i now peer at it almost hourly.

then we drove down to St. Geroge's Island, an inlet on the Chesapeake Bay, for a peaceful and lovely party.

and, finally, on a stroll Sunday night, i took a photo of the balcony from the other side. it wasn't as crazily out of control as i had imagined it to seem.

that's a relief! hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

what's doin in the garden

2010-06-16T14:10:00.003-04:00

Here is the second edition of "what's doin in the garden." You can find the first edition here.

Lately I have been day-dreaming of travel ... I am absolutely dying to go to this wonderful yoga/spa experience, (maybe in February?), and at the same time I was so inspired by this video to travel to Iceland. I have been curious about Iceland ever since I discovered Bjork at the age of 15. I remember running down to the basement after school, grabbing our dusty encyclopedia volume "I" and reading all about Reykjaveck and thinking how extremely cool she must be to live there ... (maybe next summer?)

Don't forget to enter the give-away! Leave a comment by midnight on Tuesday June 22nd, and include your favorite fruit dessert. Thanks to all of you who have already participated!

June Give-Away

2010-06-13T08:45:00.002-04:00

A plum galette - yum!! I could eat the entire thing right now. And the best news? This delicious treat could be yours! (in a matter of speaking). Because ...

As a token of appreciation to all of my readers, I have chosen the lovely book Rustic Fruit Desserts as my first give-away.

You all, it means so so much to me that you have taken an interest in my blog - my gardening and other random pursuits. Whenever I see a comment in my inbox, I get ridiculously excited, no joke. Being part of the blog world allows me to have an outlet far away from my day-to-day life, and reading blogs always leaves me with new ideas. I like to practice being grateful for what I have in life, and I am certainly grateful to you, my readers, and to learning from your inspiring and creative blogs.

So, about the give-away. I came across this book when wandering around Powell's in Portland last summer. And, besides that plum galette pictured above, I have made many of the recipes, including a variety of cobblers, buckles, and crumbles. The great thing about the book is that it is organized by season, and so no matter what time of the year it is, you are sure to find a recipe with ingredients available at the supermarket or farmers market. And, the next greatest thing about the book is that it leaves room for lots of creativity. Once you get the hang of the recipes, you can decide what fruit you would like to use, and you can improvise according to what is available. And the last greatest thing about the book, the pictures are gorgeous! Long story short, even if you don't win this give-away, I highly recommend picking up a copy.

Just leave me a comment by Tuesday, June 22nd, with what YOUR favorite fruit dessert is, and I'll randomly choose a winner next week. And, thanks to all of you lovely people out there! I mean it.

outdoor inspiration

2010-06-11T13:31:00.001-04:00

Two sweet peas and a yellow squash were harvested yesterday evening. Down the hatch!

My amazingly talented sister is lucky enough to have her very own chickens nesting in the back yard! Yep, its true, click on the link and you will find "feathery" and "doug" hanging out in their coup, thinking about laying eggs. I so want chickens!!

Also quite neat is the idea of making your own moss, a link courtesy of my sis. I am so so so going to do this. Then maybe transfer it into a terrarium come winter?

sad harvest

2010-06-07T06:01:00.002-04:00

Such a sad little carrot and radish harvest.

Now I have some of these black radishes growing. Seeing all of the wonderful heirloom seeds sold on etsy, I am so very inspired to start all of my veggies from heirloom seed next year. I think I just might do that. Oh, and I also want a greenhouse to put out on the balcony this winter ... just don't tell my fiance!

attack of the cucumber monster!

2010-06-05T16:11:00.000-04:00

The cucumber plant is taking over! I suppose I should not have planted two in one pot. I also suppose that I should not have also planted two sweet peas and an edamame in there as well. Oh, I suppose!

There it is, peaking innocently from behind the wall.

ahhh!! It is eating me!

And it is flowering up a storm.

There is a sweet pea.

An edamame.

And a little cuke. Though, I wonder if these will get bigger? They seem to be shriveling up before they grow. Hmmmm.

I fear for my safety ...

pesto pesto

2010-05-28T08:17:00.000-04:00

It was definitely time to do a basil harvest - I didn't want to let that plant flower! (or it might make the basil bitter). Kitty helped.

Pesto (adapted from Molly Wizenberg's A Homemade Life)

place two cups of tightly packed basil leaves in a plastic bag. remove air and seal well. pound with a rolling pin to bruise the leaves and release the flavors.

put basil, 1/2 cup olive oil, 3 tablespoons pine nuts, 2 medium garlic cloves (minced or smashed) and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor. Process until smooth, using a spatula to scrape down the sides.

pour into a bowl, and add 1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese.

the first beet harvest

2010-05-21T12:20:00.000-04:00

I figured since 60 days had come to pass, I might as well harvest the beets, even though no large root ever grew.

This was the largest beet that I found. They say that the roots may not grow if the beets are over-crowded (and no, I never thinned mine), or if the dirt does not allow for the roots to expand easily.

Though if it just the leaves you are going for, then no worries! This salad consists of beet greens, garlic cheese curds from the farmers market, and red onions and chives with a mixed vinegar, olive oil, and agave nectar dressing.

And these we'll enjoy with dinner. I cooked them as my sister does, with some red pepper flakes and garlic, as well as a little bit of vinegar and some salt.

Does anyone have any tips for me as I plant my second go around of beets? How thin, when to thin, etc? Wishing you a pleasant and relaxing weekend!

fried squash blossoms

2010-05-19T18:18:00.001-04:00

Tonight I quickly fried up these two squash blossoms that were blooming on the balcony. And, man, were they good! I tried my hardest to save one for Jesse, but then somehow it went straight into my mouth and down, down to my stomach. I had nothing to do with it, I swear!

Fried squash blossoms are so fresh and light and yummy and delicious, I could eat a trillion of them. Hear that squash plant? I am counting on you to fulfill these needs of mine! (or else, I will see if perhaps a vendor is selling some tomorrow at the Michelle Obama's farmers' market that is so conveniently set-up right near my office every Thursday in the spring, summer, and fall.)

But in all seriousness - here is how I make them:

1. Gently open the squash blossoms to make sure there aren't any critters in there (you'd be surprised. I once found a slug in one!)
2. Cut soft cheese into a small chunk big enough to fit within the blossom (any soft cheese will do, or even hard cheese, no worries about that part.)
3. Place the cheese in the middle of the blossom, and wrap the petals around the cheese to hold it in place.
4. Heat oil in a small pan to perhaps a half an inch or less.
5. Mix equal parts flour and water.
6. Dip the flour blossoms into the batter to coat.
7. Fry the blossoms, flipping them over after just a few seconds. They take almost no time at all to cook.
8. Enjoy!

flowering

2010-05-18T09:55:00.000-04:00

The yellow squash is flowering.

And so are the cucumbers. Findings these treasures makes me smile.

fresh salad

2010-05-14T18:20:00.002-04:00

Pictured here is a tomato, mozarella, and basil salad, with black Hawaiian sea salt (from our vacation there in January). I used the two types of basil growing in the garden, the big sweet kind, and the small kind (I am a super technical person, you can tell!)

Today it has been so nice here - we went on a long bike ride on the Mount Vernon Trail, where I smelled the sweet scent of honeysuckle so many times. But, when I checked, there were no honey beads yet! You know, the sweet nectar on the stamen when you pull it out of the flower? Maybe later in the summer.

Tonight we will feast on the most awesomest lobster rolls at Hank's Oyster Bar (swoon) followed by some delicious frozen custard at the Dairy Godmother (roll me home please.)

Then tomorrow we'll play a game of miniature golf, and then see a play at the Little Theater of Alexandria.

Oh, Old Town, Alexandria, I love you so!!

mint ice cream

2010-05-12T08:14:00.001-04:00

With all of the crazy amounts of mint that's growing in the garden, I had to think fast - what other mint recipes could I make? Then I found an ice cream recipe that required three packed cups of the stuff. Perfect! This is a fabulous recipe, super creamy. And, it didn't turn rock hard in the freezer, which always seems to happen when I make ice cream.

But wouldn't you know, in the past week, the mint has grown so much you would have never guessed that any had been picked! I guess another batch of ice cream is forthcoming.

Pictured here with homemade pistachio/cranberry nougat, courtesy of The Craft of Baking, a truly awesome cook book.

in the garden

2010-05-09T19:09:00.000-04:00

When I came back from San Antonio, I was greeted with a very different garden than I had left only a week ago. I mean, my lord things had sprouted up! I had asked Jesse to overly water everything before he stepped on the plane on Wednesday, and that might have had something to do with it. (although that also might have had something to do with why there were a number of mushrooms in the mint container. yuck!! That one is getting aired out in the sun for a few days.)

Here are a few tid-bits that stuck out to me:

Can you sort out this mess? Because I don't think that I can. This is a tangle of cucumbers, sugar snap peas, and edamame. Well, it looks happy, so I'll let it do its thing.

When I saw these little yellow squash buds, all I could think was - can't wait for squash blossoms! Oh, how I love to fry up those tender orange flowers, with a creamy white cheese wrapped inside ...

Pretty soon, I will harvest these beets. How lovely it will be to serve a beet green salad and cooked beets for dinner. Yum!

This bean vine was non-existent only one week ago. Goodness it is a determined little thing, isn't it?

And the strawberry plant has sprouted this long vine, perhaps three feet long, intruding into the yellow pepper plant space.

And, lastly , my ... watermelon plant!! Yep, that is right. Only I am crazy enough to try and grow watermelons on my balcony. I hear you can train them up a tomato cage. We shall see!

More later. But I am so curious, what you are you guys growing in your gardens right now?

San Antonio

2010-05-09T13:20:00.004-04:00

We just got back from a nice, relaxing trip to San Antonio (I was there for work). It was a great place to visit, and the riverwalk is super neat to walk along. Our favorite place to explore was the new Pearl district, which is a northern expansion of the riverwalk and includes live/work spaces, cute shops, and a wonderful weekend farmers' market.

We enjoyed some excellent Texan bbq, and dinner by the water, thanks to chowhound.com, my go-to message board for good food.

We also spent much of the time swimming in the hotel pool, and talking extensively about which house we want to purchase in a new development coming to our neighborhood (the floor plans were released on Friday.) Quite excited are we, to say the least!

Of course, I lugged my SLR with me everywhere we went, and so here are a few photos that I took of our trip:

We also try and purchase little pieces of art when we travel, and so we found a tin pig sculpture in La Villita, an artist village, that fit in my suitcase. Maybe it can go outside one day, in my garden? And so ... as always ...

and - OINK!!! -

Stuck

2010-05-03T11:35:00.004-04:00

The Dark and Dank:

Today, I am stuck in transit. On my way to San Antonio last night for a work trip, my connecting flight was canceled due to a mechanical problem with the plane. So, three hours and lots of phone calls later, I was booked on a flight leaving tonight instead and am now in an airport hotel. And it is pouring rain outside. The funny thing is, this EXACT turn of events happened to me two months ago! I'm not kidding! I think I have bad airplane luck. Jesse says "stay away from me." (He is meeting me in San Antonio on Wednesday. Let's hope my luck leave him alone.)

image source: here

The Bright and Beautiful:

Though, here is an idea that brightened my day. Have you ever tried dandelion sorbet? How neat! Just the other day I was picking dandelions with my niece. And just yesterday I made mint chocolate chip ice cream. How wonderful it would be to pick those dandelions with my niece, and then make such a seemingly delicious and refreshing treat!

image source: here

mid-century modern

2010-05-01T21:49:00.005-04:00

Today Jesse and I went on a House & Garden tour of Hollin Hills, (thank you to my awesome sister-in-law/blog reader for the idea). Hollin Hills is a mid-century modern housing development outside of Old Town, Alexandria. Like many modern homes, these encompass open floor plans, and a constant interplay between the inside and the outside - with a through and through respect for nature.

I grew up in a mid-century modern home, and I get so excited whenever I see furniture by such names as Knoll, Noguchi, Saarinen, or Bertoia. I often find myself explaining to Jesse why these items are so very important to me to collect (despite the price tag.) I really am not the most materialistic person - but when it comes to the home, I often spend hours thinking of exactly how to make each room "perfect." (Or, very pleasing to my aesthetic.) Lucky for us, this store is just two blocks from where we will be moving next year. Or, maybe, unlucky for us...

I took some photos along the way. It was so so warm outside, it was quite a nice little stroll. And, we bought lemonade from a cute little boy who had set up a stand. I think that is one smart little capitalist, if I have ever seen one!

wedding update

2010-04-30T07:54:00.003-04:00

Coming home from work yesterday and opening this box of thank you notes that I ordered from rifle design put a smile on my face, I love that I will be sending out Thank Yous that I find to be so endearing. (though, then we biked to yoga, and then did yoga, and then biked home along the waterfront, which put an even bigger smile on my face.)

And, we have been working with these awesome {etsy} {sellers} to create our Old Town-themed wedding invitations. It's so exciting to be able to work with designers one-on-one to create the perfect invitation. And it makes me really happy to work with small businesses. I am also finding that you end up saving money too!

Oh, and have you checked out this totally awesome and inspiring collection of terrariums compiled by Lauren? I love it!

Also, this wall garden rocks (in my humble opinion).

As do these vegetable totes.

screen printing strawberries

2010-04-27T08:11:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure that I mentioned that I am taking a screen printing class. I am really enjoying it! It feels so nice to have an artistic outlet after work once a week. The past two weeks, we have been working with photo emulsion. So, I decided to focus on my garden as my muse. In particular, my much adored strawberry plant. I began with this photo:

After playing around with photoshop elements for an hour (not knowing AT ALL what I am doing with this monster of an application) - I came up with this image to be printed on a transparency:

Then, once I transferred the image to my screen in class, along with a torn paper background, I printed two images:

This one I call California surfer.

This one I call pop strawberry.

Now that I am done with this project, I have tons of thoughts for the next one. And, our teacher gave us handy instructions on how to screen print at home. Oh, the possibilities!

Have you guys ventured into screen printing? Do you know of inspiring prints that I could take a look at? I would love to hear your thoughts, trials, and tribulations!

Video #1

2010-04-25T13:20:00.001-04:00

I hope you all have had a very lovely weekend! We enjoyed watching a Nationals game at the new stadium (I now have a crush on Dunn! He's dreamy ... )

Anyway, here is the first video in a series of 'what's doin in the garden,' where I will take you on a tour of my balcony garden once a month. I think it's alot easier to show you what is going on out there with video, rather than solely with photos, though I will continue to photograph the progress each week. I hope you like it! And please, be kind to my amateur video skills!

today's highlights

2010-04-22T18:03:00.000-04:00

the chives are already flowering - are they on crack, I wonder? It's only April! They say you should clip your herbs before they flower, or they will be bitter.

Can you believe a juicy red strawberry is growing on MY balcony? I certainly never expected this to occur. I planted this for "funzies" as my dear friend terms it. I can't wait to slice it in half and share it with Jesse.

Here we have a handy diagram - the beets are growing really well. They are obviously hearty plants, which is good to know. The tiny tiny little buds in the middle are the radishes I planted last weekend. And the carrots are growing - slowly, mind you - but surely.

Tonight I am going to attempt to make cherry almond nougat. Yum! (all to divert myself from watching the last three episodes of season 3 of Mad Men without Jesse. The suspense is overwhelming!)

mint cow

2010-04-20T16:23:00.000-04:00

Today I was feeling a tad down in the dumps - so after taking a little rest after work, I jumped up and made these mint cows from this month's Martha. I have such a crazy amount of mint growing, it was nice to put it to use. These cows are made of a mint simple syrup, two scoops of vanilla ice cream, and some seltza!

fresh greens and practical gardening

2010-04-19T17:53:00.002-04:00

I decided to cut the salad greens already, after only one month, because although they were still quite small - they seemed to be wilting a little. And so by cutting them, I hope the next batch will grow and be bigger.

I decided to make a little aperitif for Jesse and I - a "greens, strawberry, and blue cheese" salad with olive oil, sea salt, and aged balsamic. Yum!

A practical gardening tip: How does one water a balcony garden with no outdoor water spout? A quick on-line search landed me with this little contraption, hooking the bathroom faucet with my hose. Perfect!

(Stay tuned this weekend for the first in a series of videos entitled "what's doin in the garden?" - where, each month, I will take you on a tour of my balcony garden.)

Happy Monday night! And ...

terrarium

2010-04-16T08:06:00.000-04:00

When I saw this terrarium on jennifer's blog, my eyes grew wide! wow! how much i would love a terrarium just like this one in our apartment. (more photos here.)

engagement photos

2010-04-16T07:06:00.002-04:00

Our engagement photos arrived! How exciting it was to open the link and gaze at all of the photos. Here are a few of my favorites...

mint fizz

2010-04-14T20:49:00.002-04:00

We have so much mint growing - the supply seems to double every day! So when I came home from a long days work today, I knew that a mint fizz was calling my name. Luckily, I still had a container full of orange-infused simple syrup in the fridge. (the remnants of making candied oranges). I simply combined carbonated water, the simple syrup, and the mint - muddled around a bit. with ice. Cheers!

Then, for dinner, we enjoyed a delicious homemade Ethiopian 'lentil wat.' A 'wat' is an Ethiopian stew, made with lentils, onions, garlic, chili powder, ginger, lemon juice, and nutmeg. Not that I am an Ethiopian chef, by any means. Really, I am just super duper enjoying an amazing cook book entitled The World of Street Food. A cook book that captures authentic, tried-and-true recipes from all around the world, and westernizes them. Meaning, you can read a recipe, and go to your local food store, and purchase the ingredients with ease. Seriously, I have already made at least six recipes from this book, and each one has been really lovely. I highly recommend it!

petals

2010-04-12T18:12:00.001-04:00

This past weekend, we had our engagement photos taken - and boy was that exhausting and exhilarating all at the same time! we traipsed around Old Town, kissing and hugging, under trees and cherry blossoms, and leaning against doors and brick walls. I can't wait to see the photos! Though, I forgot to use one prop that I had prepared - the fallen purple blossoms from a bouquet of flowers sitting on our kitchen table. So, I gave them a photo shoot of my own, this morning.

goodbye petals!

simplicity grows

2010-04-11T09:31:00.000-04:00

image: source via gardeninginheels

image: source

image: source

image: source

How amazing is it that beautiful nature will grow in even the most simplistic circumstances?

what's doin in the garden

2010-04-09T08:08:00.001-04:00

i think fridays might be a good day to post the progress of the garden ... atleast in the beginning, when things are just beginning to grow.

i was so surprised to see that the strawberries had already started to grow! i hope the ridiculously warm week that we just had didn't trick them into thinking it was already July ...

the mint is, of course, flourishing. when does this weed not do well? i adore tearing off leaves everynow and then and chewing on them while I work outside. i think mojitos are in my future.
the lettuce, on the right, is beginning to come up... maybe that mojito will accompany a mesculan salad?

oh my fragile little beets! so red, and so small. i love watching these hearty plants grow.

the sugar snap peas are doing well - they tend to in the early summer months. when i was growing up, sugar snap peas were my favorite early summer treat, and my mom would often surprise me with a large bag of them when i came home from school at the end of the term. yum!

my two yellow pepper plants have adapted well outside too ... i hope the chillier weather we are expecting doesn't deter them from their course. same with the cucumbers below... i cross my fingers for them!

and, lastly, we've got the herbs. there is curly parley, Italian parsley, rosemary, thyme, dill, chives. and way down there in that other pot? basil. i like to keep basil by itself, as it tends to takeover where ever it is planted.

i'm curious, what other herbs do you suggest that i grow? any particular favorites out there?

well thanks for taking a look at my garden with me this morning!

this weekend i look forward to lots of warm, sunny weather. and ...
joining the public library here (why has it taken me so long?) - maybe taking out the help
a long bike ride and brunch in shirlington village
and having our engagement photos taken! as always ...

vanilla sugar

2010-04-08T06:33:00.001-04:00

Last week, I tried out Molly's recipe (by way of Canal House Cooking) for Roasted Rhubarb. It was utterly delicious, of course - the red wine and vanilla really gave the rhubarb a robust flavor. As soon as it came out of the oven, my mom arrived at our apartment, and the three of us immediately devoured the stuff atop thick and creamy greek yogurt. It was heavenly! and sure to become a regular recipe for me, as I am a huge rhubarb fan. (I like all things tart).

Though, I just hated the thought of throwing away a perfectly good (and expensive) vanilla bean. And so, vanilla-sugar I made.

According to this lovely cookbook - First, dry out the vanilla bean by hanging it from a cabinet knob for two days. Then, plop it into a jar of sugar and muss it around. Yum! I can't wait to bake with it!

paper lantern dreams

2010-04-07T07:00:00.002-04:00

image: {source}

While I was riding my bike the other day, I came up with such the perfect solution for our ceremony! (biking does that for me sometimes. it really clears my mind for lovely ideas to come through). Since we are planning our ceremony to be outside in a court yard, I would love to have little paper lanterns lighting the way down the path, and also decorating the chuppah under which we will be married.

and - the plus side - if it rains, and we are moved indoors, they will brighten up the rather dark room we will be in. soo - pretty outside, light providing if we are inside. two birds with one stone?

here is where I will be buying these lovely creations.

spring trees

2010-04-06T07:04:00.002-04:00

There are three kinds of trees blooming in the D.C. area right now, and I am blown away by their beauty. So, I thought I'd catch a photo of each kind. I love creating little projects like this for myself, because then I see and appreciate my surroundings so much more than I otherwise would.

dogwood trees.

cherry blossom trees.

magnolia trees.

Oh Old Town, I love you! The little homes are so quaint, against the blooming trees.

thinking

2010-04-05T08:28:00.001-04:00

Happy Monday! Did you have a lovely weekend?

Much like our kitty pondering whether he should step over the door jam and jump inside, we spent a good part of our weekend discussing (or maybe you could say, agonizing), over whether we should purchase a certain home or not. were we ready? could we afford it? should we wait? what should we offer?

many hours spent discussing these questions. many walks to the potential house, to survey it from afar. with the ultimate decision of - we will wait. made after a really intense and informative discussion about real estate over dinner with good friends.

then we were exhausted. a weekend of thinking, bonding, learning.

sweet peppers

2010-04-04T09:23:00.001-04:00

sweet yellow pepper plants. so safe inside on the window sill, where it is warm and protected, with plenty of sun. what will happen when you live outside one day, soon? will I be able to shield you from the elements, or, importantly, from the jaws of the large orange cat who has a taste for pepper leaves? pepper plants, please bear me large yellow fruit one day, maybe in July, when it is warm and I desire the juice.

in the garden

2010-04-02T14:25:00.001-04:00

sugar snap peas. lovely orange flowers ready to be planted. mesculan salad mix beginning to sprout.

Oh today is so lovely indeed! This weekend we'll be:
enjoying the weather,
biking in nature along the mount vernon trail,
seeing a play at the studio theater,
catching some live music at our beloved wolf trap,
and admiring the cherry blossoms.

I hope you have an adventurous and relaxing weekend.

P.S. those black shoes in the bottom photo? those would be my wedding shoes! yep, the shoes I will be wearing to the wedding. (don't tell anyone.)

warm nights

2010-04-01T19:48:00.000-04:00

It was so warm today - Jesse and I walked the two miles to the gym for a relaxing yoga class. Then we walked two miles back. Breathing in lots of fresh air, all the while admiring our town.

source: { found here }

garden inspiration

2010-03-31T18:52:00.000-04:00

{#1}

{#2}

{#3}

There are so many lovely balcony gardens out there ... each one inspires me even more!
It's so warm here today, and will be for the next for days - heaven!

cold mint

2010-03-30T10:11:00.000-04:00

Mint is such a hearty weed, it will show itself without any TLC. Since it's still so cold out, I thought I'd warm it up a little.

wedding tie

2010-03-29T07:18:00.000-04:00

If only Jesse would wear a tie like this one to our wedding ... or, maybe, this one:

Or, maybe, this one?

But, alas, he is just not that adventurous. Though, we were so happy to find Me and Matilda's etsy shop, because she agreed to make Jesse a supper skinny (we're talking only an inch and a half wide) black cotton tie to wear with his rather chic khaki chino suit. You wouldn't believe how tough it is to find a super skinny black tie out there on the interweb! And to find one that is homemade, and only $25, (as compared to the $65 listed for one at Calvin Klein), we could not be happier.

jellies

2010-03-28T15:59:00.000-04:00

Did I mention how much I am enjoying The Craft of Baking? Because this morning I jumped out of bed and whipped up some of the brown butter waffles - yum! who knew that browning butter on the stove and adding the stuff to the batter would imbue waffles with such a rich, nutty flavor.

Later in the day I made these strawberry jellies, for passover. Have you noticed those fruit jellies that seem to pop up each year in the passover section of the grocery store? While I am not sure why they are associated with the holiday, I decided to make them from scratch for our seder, because organic strawberries and organic sugar makes such a better candy, don't you think? (and I am enjoying nibblin on the remnants, you know, those pieces that didn't - quite - make it into perfect circles.)

my necklace

2010-03-28T09:33:00.000-04:00

Wouldn't this be a great necklace for a bride to wear to her wedding? ahem ... my wedding?

from {anthropologie}

Weekend

2010-03-27T16:19:00.000-04:00

Happy weekend! What are you up to this sunny day? I am enjoying these lovely daffodils. Daffodils are my favorite flower of all time, and so gazing at these beauties fills me with happiness.

I've also been keeping an eye on these little seedlings - from left to right - small peppers, edamame, bell peppers, and cucumbers. The cukes and edamame are begging to go into the ground, but I want to hold them behind a bit from the cold (some are already outside and I am crossing my fingers for their longevity.)

I am enjoying this book immensely, on referral from Amy Karol, who raves about it. I knew that I could trust her judgment, as I so enjoyed everything that I made from Rustic Fruit Desserts, another one of her recommendations. I can't wait to try these recipes!

cold weather planting

2010-03-26T09:29:00.000-04:00

It's the end of March, which means it is time to plant the first of the crops. Accordingly, in the ground (or pots), I have recently planted carrot seeds, beet seeds, and mesculan salad mix. These plants can withstand the chilly weather, and actually thrive when planted way before the hot and muggy summer days.

I also planted two sweet pea plants and an edamame plant. Not because I planned it that way, mind you, but because I have started a bunch of seeds indoors, and these little ones ended up shooting out of the dirt like they were on a mission. Therefore, although it is a bit early for them to meet the outside climate, out they have gone. I will cross my fingers that these little ones make it.

stones to inspire

2010-03-26T07:29:00.000-04:00

I adore these photos by {resurrection fern} I feel like I would stare at them for hours if they were in my home (and they might be soon enough). How absolutely lovely!

Chiving

2010-03-24T19:21:00.001-04:00

Inspired by my last post, I decided to use those chives in the first of my "garden recipes." Above I display two different dishes: the first, on the left, buttered new potatoes that I made as a side last night with my homemade crabcakes, and the second, dinner tonight, scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, and paprika. All sprinkled with lovely chives.

I have made potatoes in many different ways, many different times - from roasting, to boiling, to steaming, to frying. However, I have found that steaming the potatoes in a dutch oven on the stove, a la Barefoot Contessa style, bears delightfully buttery, perfectly cooked, results.

Herbed New Potatoes
(adapted from Ina Garten)

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

2 1/2 pounds small white or Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons chopped mixed fresh green herbs, such as parsley, chives, and dill

Directions:

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot. Add the whole potatoes, salt, and pepper and toss well. Cover the pot tightly and cook over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are just tender when tested with a small knife. From time to time, shake the pot without removing the lid to prevent the bottom potatoes from burning. Turn off the heat and allow the potatoes to steam for another 5 minutes. Don't overcook! Toss with the herbs, (I recommend chives) and serve hot.

I tend to make alot of potatoes at once, because I never fear that they will go bad. For, I am almost always in the mood to chop some up, fry up some eggs, and season everything with paprika (my all time favorite spice.)

spring warrior

2010-03-22T21:27:00.001-04:00

Just after the last snow storm melted away, I immediately noticed that amongst the barren, brown soil - chives began to jut out, at a rapid pace, from the herb planter.

This is the third year for these chives. So far, they are the biggest bunch to appear, as happens with each successive season. Chives are a great herb to grow: you can cut a bunch haphazardly at the bottom, tear them if you will, and they will just continue to grow. In other words, no worries about using them up. I love using kitchen shears and cutting them into tiny pieces, sprinkling them over oven roasted and buttery new potatoes. Or, simply, as a spicy garnish to fresh veggies or a salad.

I must also admit, dear readers, that I have also been known (on more than one occasion) to eat them raw, whole - plucked right out of the dirt while I stand on the balcony, barefoot. Nothing like a little onion-y breath in the morning to wake you up! (just remember to brush your teeth before you go to work).

the beginning

2010-03-19T14:30:00.001-04:00

Last September, I planted multi-colored carrot seeds in a long rectangular planter on my balcony. I then, sadly to say, abandoned them.

All winter long, they sat - through cold, snow, and winds. Every now and again - I would dig one up, just to see if it had grown. Each time, however, I was disappointed at their snail-like progress. I would frown, re-bury it in the dirt, and find warmth and shelter inside.

Though, this morning, when I dug these little guys up - I must say, I was proud! Together, in a bunch, they are pretty adorable. To look at anyway, I am not yet sure about the eating part.