runnin' down a dream

FINALLY! A post about fabric. Well, it's about time, isn't it? Especially after fawning over sewing for months...Time to put the pedal to the metal. I am pleased to say that a long-awaited project will be started this weekend. Here's a quick peek:

Yeah, runnin down a dream

That never would come to me

Workin on a mystery...

~Tom Petty

hello, sunshine!

I knew when we moved into our house last summer that we had Irises in the backyard--I recognized the waxy, flat leaves lining the fence, and was sad we had missed them.

For the last 9 months, I have been looking forward to purple Irises--those are the most common around here--and have been eagerly looking every day to see those first signs of color on the buds. So you can imagine my surprise when I saw this.

Yellow! Lovely yellow Irises! The first few fully bloomed Saturday morning. They looked so happy to be in the sun.

The great thing about them is that they are reliable: perennials, they come back every year, and they're extremely low maintainence--even I can't ruin them. And yet, they're so elegant and complicated and plentiful. It's like being rewarded for something you didn't do!

In other news, our large lavender plant (bush?) is thriving--it's already preparing to sprout its little buds, although I'm sure it will still be awhile before we see any purple. Still, just walking past it, you can't mistake it for anything but lavender; it smells heavenly.

victory garden

Welcome back! I hope that your week has been well and that you've been able to squeeze in some creative time.

I love old photographs, and the one above is no exception; it was taken in 1942, and is of neighbors sharing produce from their Victory Gardens. I'm hoping that for this moment, maybe they were able to enjoy a day in the sunshine without worrying about the raging war. {Of course, the whole purpose of the Victory Garden was to help reduce the public demand for produce by encouraging people to raise their own food in wartime... } But if it's any indication from their smiles, I would have to say this had been a good day.

I am grateful for all of the men and women who have served our country, and are currently serving our country. Thank you for giving us our freedom, and for maintaining it. Have a safe and relaxing Memorial Day weekend, friends!

an update

Long time no see! Thanks for stopping by, and please excuse the lack of posts lately--my brother and his family came to visit us early last week, and after that Raul and I enjoyed a couple of days in Glenwood Springs. It was my first time visiting the hot springs--too fun! Between hiking, frisbee golfing, and vegging in the pools, it was a vacation well spent. {Hanging Lake below--gorgeous!}

bloom where you are planted

I think this is the first time in a long time I've given Spring its props. Sure, I love driving through the city and oogling the crabapple tree blossoms and newly budded leaves, but that was pretty much where my extent for Spring-loving stopped.

Here is a little snippet as to why I'm enjoying Spring differently this year:

I have my very own flowers! And tulips, too, no less, with their soft, modest scent and robust color. {Hmm--I might just vote them to be the humblest flower. Daisies are certainly the friendliest, but tulips... very sweet despite their bold hues.}

The previous homeowners who lived in our house lovingly planted so many plants here and there--it has been a treat to see what's been popping up. We discovered the tulips this morning and were quite excited!

From the front, our little planting area doesn't seem like much...

But let me show you how I see it.

I also have a few seedlings of my own I've been tending to... more on that this week. Anyway, take some time and really look at what's blooming around you; you might be as surprised as I!