We clipped a hydrangea from the garden and plopped it in a small white vase. (Don't mind the dust spots on it, it got a bit dirty during the transplanting). Doesn't it brighten a humble breakfast table?
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I'm starting to really think of how to organize the office closet because we'll be having guests over this summer. And I'm also just ready for it to be much neater. I started by pulling half of the things out. Which meant the rest of the room was littered with its contents. (The sofa bed was still pulled out from the last time we had someone over.) Just seeing the huge pile of things made me kind of nauseous. *sigh I do not deal well with physical chaos like this. But well, I've heard that the first step to organizing any space is to pull everything out. Edit the contents and then put things back in a meaningful way. So this is step one. We have like 8 pillows in there, of which only 3 are good enough for use. Same for pillowcases. These two bins that have sat in the office can actually go to the garage. The top bin has basically all my "childhood" momentos. Everything until age 26. The bottom bin are blankets for when there are more than 3 people staying over, which hasn't happened yet. So down to the garage they went. I also found things that we threw in the closet when we first moved in two years ago. It's pretty amazing how things basically stay where they are even though we had every intention to organize everything "later". So my note to self is: next time you move, take your time moving in.
This is going to be a really hodgepodge post about hydrangeas and other things. Today we finally planted the hydrangeas. Poor things have been living in their nursery pots for more than a month! Goodness. We finally bought a bag of dirt from Lowe's and put these beauties in the ground as they're clearly outgrowing their pots. Here they are all happy in their new places. Surprisingly we had 2 blooms in the last month from the blushing bride variety. It's basically white with blushing hints of pink (hence its name). It's so creamy and pretty. Just so you see where they are relative to other things, they're planted next to the living room window. It'll get morning sun and afternoon shade, which is the ideal lighting condition for hydrangeas but we'll see! Our hope is that it grows 2-3 feet or so we can see it from the living room as well! And now the "& friends" part of the post. We noticed that 2 Sungolds have turned slightly orange/yellow! And the thyme is just so pretty that I had to take a picture. Maybe we should actually cook something with it! And here are a few closeups of lettuce leaves. Here's the one that tastes piquant. Haven't tasted this one yet but can't wait to! This one tastes really tender. :) This is a hodgepodge post right? Here is what's currently on the coffee table. Target was running a really nice clearance on these things. The lantern was like $3.50, the bigger candleholder was around $2 and the smaller one around $1.50. I got that glass tea light holder inside the white lantern from Crate & Barrel for 50 cents! I love that blue and am thinking now that I should've gotten a few more. And since I remembered that I never took a picture of the stool from Pottery Barn, here it is. It fits right in with Valencia and it's now only $59! And that concludes this very random post that I don't really know how to end naturally. So, um, The End.
David and I woke up at 4:40 AM this morning to accompany a bride-to-be to the SF Flower Mart. Yes, waking up when the sky is still dark was absolutely horrible. But my oh my, the peonies made it all worth it. Just look at them. They take my breath away. The vendor was selling them in bunches of 10 stems, but my friend wanted 5 stems of pink and 5 stems of magenta. I felt bad for the vendor for doing her the favor of splitting his bunches in half so I offered to buy the other mixed bunch of 10. Not that I needed that push to do a good deed to buy them. It was just the perfect excuse. I don't think God could've packed more beautiful frilly petals in these. They're so, so, so gorgeous with the unfurling of their delicate layers. I kind of have bridal bouquet envy now. My friend isn't getting married until September and I told her to just special order these even though they'll be out of season then (which means it'll be double the cost). But she's only getting married once and she'll only carry the bouquet once. And it's only 10 stems. In the grand scheme of wedding costs, it'll be a drop in the bucket. I really think the splurge is worth it for making the bride happy and for prettying all the pictures it will inevitably be in! Well, I really shouldn't complain. I loved my bouquet. I special ordered my pink orchids and it was an elegant and graceful presence at our wedding. But oh I am just so smitten with these peonies right now. They make me smile.
Ever since we got the Valencia set, I've really enjoyed this new "room". The pillows made a huge difference in making it feel inviting. And the other day I picked up a few clearance candle holders and a white lantern to put on the coffee table. I'm definitely happy that I went with a wood set instead of a metal one. I think it related better with the rest of the garden. And it's set in a nicely shaded part of the garden whereas the container garden is in the sun. It turned out to be absolutely perfect. Oh, I'm quite well-pleased. Yes, I am.
I recently came to the realization that I haven't done any home projects at all for months now. My posts are basically a mix of garden, weekend travels and window shopping. :) And speaking of window shopping, here's another one. I think World Market has really done well this whole year with product offerings. Each time I go I find something new to like. Like this print of a Vespa. The blue is really pretty and it just feel so carefree and casual. This bench is now $100 (down from $200)! In my alternate life I have a farmhouse table and this bench would've been perfect for it! It would also work for seating at the foot of a bed. I've also been delighted by all the new kitchen gadgets. Here's an all-purpose grip for hold hot handles. I can definitely use one or two of these because our oven mittens are just way too bulky. Wish it came in more colors! World Market carries Kikkerland products? Yup, another reason why I like WM so much. These owl timers are super cute. And these are too pretty to be disposable napkins. I love the colors and would love it in the form of a non-disposable napkin so I can make a pillow cover! These wine bottle bow ties are darling. I can see these being used creatively for a host of other things. As a gift topper, as a hairband accessory, as real bow tie for a little boy, etc. I thought this whale soap dish was cute but then the size of the mouth kind of disturbed me after I took the picture. I also love the new fancy paper they sell in sheets. If I had a kid I would totally frame this one. Actually, heck I just need a wife cave. I don't need to be mature there. And this one is just beautiful! I'm surprised how much I'm drawn to this since orange is not a color I am usually drawn to. But I love how fresh and vibrant it is and it feels fresh and modern against the gray swirls. I want to frame this and put it above our couch. Wouldn't the blue and orange be awesome? If only the paper were much bigger! In general the gift wrapping section of the store is just great. I also love these gift tags. And these gift tags. The owls are just so cute. Doesn't the one on the bottom remind you of Mario Bros? And finally these Sakura gift boxes are so pretty. They're really sturdy, too, and I would totally get it to hold my jewelry and other things. Ah, another satisfying trip to World Market. :) I was so good, though, and didn't buy anything.
Our tomatoes are growing and I just can't wait to sink my teeth into them! Look at how big the brandywine is getting! I'm super excited about it. We have about 10+ green Sungolds on the vine. When oh when will you ripen? And ironically "Early Girl" was the latest to fruit, but fruit it has! It's now the size of a cherry tomato. Ah, I want a nice tomato halved and then slightly baked and then drizzled with basil oil. Mmm that sounds so good.
I made my first lettuce harvest today! Here's what the lettuce pot looked like before dinner. A few heads had leaves there were big enough to eat. :) Twelves leaves to be exact! We also had 2 ripe strawberries. Which, of course, is not enough for a salad. Unless you are a rabbit. So I supplemented with a petite head of red lettuce from Farmer's Market. The leaves tasted very tender and the frilly one has a spicy kick to it. Not spicy like a jalapeno, but it tastes piquant. (Btw, David just taught me that word!)
After I went to World Market, I stopped by Target. This pillow is so cute and I would be really tempted to get it if it came in another color. Although.. navy blue seems to be making a come back in homes with moodier/more grown-up colors. Then I saw these cute striped paper clips + flags on clearance! It's one of those things that is so cute and adorable and you have to have it until you wonder what you will do with it. Back to shelf it went. These candles cups are really pretty and would add nice color/pattern. I always feel kind of inadequate when looking at candles though. I can't seem to figure out why the price differences are so high and are soy ones really better? And which ones don't leave harmful fumes behind? These two candles from Caldrea smelled so good. I love the Citron Ginger one! But $15.50 for a candle? Is that the going rate for these things? I really like these blue glass bathroom accessories. We have the same soap pump in white before these guys came along. I especially like the squat soap pump. And I don't know why but I really, really like these stackable storage baskets. Every time I see them, I remember how much I like them. They're pricey, though. And lo and behold! More berry baskets! These are only $1.50 but they're made of plastic. Which actually might be the better choice if you are really storing berries in them.
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