Southwesternish Etsy Round-up

I'm in a Southwesternish mood today, whatever that means!

Handmade Turquoise Stud Earrings from KatrinasJewel

Tiny Tiny Terrarium from TortoiseLovesDonkey

Vintage New Mexico Map from StoriesDivinations

Vintage Copper Nuggets Necklace from SPARKLEFARM


I would graciously accept any of these fine items as a gift, wouldn't you?

I didn't fall off the face of the Earth!

jess beemouse

Hello again, it's been a long time! As you can tell, I took a little break from the blogging world. For no reason in particular, just needed a break (and time to get the writing juices flowing again). Anyway, I'm glad to be back and I hope you are too.

Garden Update (sorry I don't have photos, no camera yet! boo): I ended up not having as much space for planting as I had hoped for. There has been a bunch of construction around our house, which has imposed on our area of the yard.

Tomatoes/peppers: I had planned on having at least four tomato plants and two pepper plants, but have ended up with one of each (Tomato: "Glacier" and Pepper: "Pizza My Heart"). They're both planted in my EarthBox and are doing quite well. No fruit yet, but lots of blossoms.

Carrots ("Little Fingers"): I had to pull the carrots early, before they really started forming. The pot they were in got pushed into a dark corner by the construction workers. So I made the decision to just yank them and try again next year.

Lettuce (Butterhead, "Ruby and Emerald Duet"): The lettuce seed mix I got from Renee's Garden was wonderful. I especially liked the green butterhead lettuce.

Spinach ("Bloomsdale Savoy"): I liked the spinach a lot, but I think next time I will plant it in a bigger area (I planted it in a growbag). That way I can plant a lot more of it at once.

Beets ("Touchstone Gold"): I completely missed planting my beets (totally forgot about them, eek). Oops. The package says they can be planted through mid-July though.

Shelling Peas ("Little Marvel"): These have been wonderful. They're still producing as I type this post. I haven't had the chance to eat very many of them because my husband picks the pods and eats the peas like candy. Needless to say, they will be my go-to peas from now on.

Basil ("Sweet Genovese"): Lovely! You can't go wrong with basil and this one didn't disappoint.

California Poppies: I don't know what went wrong with these guys, but they are still an inch tall. I know they're capable of growing in our climate because a neighbor has some growing in their yard. I think maybe they need more room than I have to give them?

Sweet Peas ("Cupid"): I absolutely love sweet peas and this particular type is ideal for container gardening. They smell amazing and are the sweetest shade of pink. I think I may just plant these every year. :)

Overall, this season has been a little bit topsy turvy for me. That's gardening for you! Sometimes you just have to throw something in the ground and see what happens. Then make sure to take notes on what works and what doesn't. Gardening is endless. There's always something new to learn. I think that's what I love about it so much.

Happy Friday!



my dream bedroom



Lovely links for the weekend! Love this apartment...and this kitty cat.

Learn to embroider by hand (I definitely want to try this out).

Warm weather = horchata time! (For vegan horchata: Substitute the cow's milk in this recipe with your favorite non-dairy milk and use a vegan-friendly sweetener).

I love rue magazine, look at the beautiful desert photo shoot featured in the current issue!

Possibly the most perfect striped cardigan I have ever seen. And since I'm a sucker for all things nautical, check out this cute lifesaver top!

Love..

Collections of flowers in small vases.

Beautiful workspaces.

...my dream garden.



flowers / workspace / dream garden

seeds

la tartine gourmande

Spring is definitely (finally!) in the air. This is the first year I've tried my hand at growing flower bulbs and I have to say I'm really glad I did! There's nothing more wonderful than seeing all the little flower bulbs popping up, as if to promise better weather is on the way. I've been looking forward to warmer weather and sunshine since last September! 

I planted so many bulbs last fall, I'll have flowers blooming all through spring/summer. Because of that, I've really cut back on starting any flower seeds this spring. Instead I'm focusing on vegetables and fruit (tomatoes are fruit right?) with just a couple flowers sprinkled in.

Here is a list of what I'm growing this year:

• Tomatoes, "Glacier" (Heirloom)
• Cherry Tomatoes, "Garden Candy" (Tri-color)
• Butterhead Lettuce, "Ruby and Emerald Duet"
• Sweet Peppers, "Pizza My Heart"
• Beets, "Touchstone Gold"
• Spinach, "Bloomsdale Savoy" (Heirloom)
• Carrots, "Little Fingers" (Heirloom)
• Shelling Peas, "Little Marvel" (Heirloom)
• Basil, "Sweet Genovese"
• Sweet Peas, "Cupid" (Heirloom)
• Poppies, "California Orange"

There is something really satisfying about starting plants from seed. This year I want to take photos throughout the season to document the cycle, from start to finish. If I can stick to my plan, I'll be posting the photos here. So stay tuned!

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lotus

my heart goes out to everyone that has been affected by the earthquakes/tsunami in japan.

Today I love..

tulips

Yummy biscotti with a good cup of coffee.

This beautiful wedding inspiration board and this one too!

DIY wood planter boxes.

Even though Valentine's Day is long gone, I love these hearts on a string! I'd keep them up all year long.

Art with heart.

....have a wonderful Thursday!