Terrariums are the coolest!

I know I have disappeared yet again but I promise I didn't forget about y'all. A lot has been going on this past week and I haven't been in a very productive mood. Of course the rain didn't help either. I was happy to see it though, I love thunderstorms and rain means growth and rejuvenation. So I am getting very excited about upcoming hikes and forays. I was supposed to take a friend out today to collect moss and small plants that we would then use to assemble terrariums. We decided to postpone due to the abundance of rain. It's a good thing we did because everything is flooded. I went out for a quick trip through one of my favorite forests this morning. Salt Creek has spilled over into the forest and it's all mud out there. I did happen to collect some moss and assembled two terrariums this afternoon. I needed something to take my mind off of life and it did the trick. Tomorrow I will post a how-to on building a terrarium. Today though mucky, excited me for next weeks adventures with Cece. We have been looking forward to an outing together and this should just be wonderful. I'm already thinking of what to collect and planning many different terrariums in my head. Can't wait!

OH YEAH! The pictures I've taken don't do them justice! I am working on editing or using a different filter or something to show the variation in the mosses' color and texture. They look like small forests. I think I should head to Chinatown and pick up some jade Buddhas for them. I need more of the "middle path" in my life.

pictures

The new African Violet. Just stunning in person.









And the turtles wanted to say "Hello!" They are loving being out of the bedroom and amongst the creativity.

Mother's Day Madness!!!!

Wow so much is going on in the apartment right now and it making me just a little overwhelmed. I headed out to Home Depot today to pick up pots, soil, plants, plant food and some orchid moss. I decided to cut back on my original plan for Mom's gift this year. I ditched the tomatoes because it's just a lot of work to give as a gift. Instead I am making her an herb garden in a large blue pot. I picked out some of her favorites and other basic herbs that can be used throughout the summer and dried for use in the winter. Sage, a few types of basil, oregeno, dill and rosemary, a perfect mix if you ask me. While at HD I picked grabbed new orchid pots and moss and a new african violet. I have spent the night repotting the houseplants that I just hadn't gotten to yet and now I am all caught up. The new violet is just amazing; a fantastic magenta/pink flower that just shimmers in the evening light. All of the violets looked pretty sad but now that this guy has been transplanted and watered, he's perked up quite a bit. I might just have to pick up a few more. I am waiting to assemble Mom's garden till I am at her house, it would just be too heavy to transport. I did water all the herbs to ensure a healthy transission in the morning. Besides the repotting, I have also been drying out the last of my morels for winter soups and stews and trying to be clean about everything. As I told Andrea, one of my favorite friends, "I am practicing to be Martha Stewart... and it's slow and frustrating. I miss making messes." AND I DO! Of course I am not neat and tidy all the time or even when I am trying to be but trying to be neat and tidy is so time consuming. I literally takes me about 2 minutes to get one scoop of soil into a pot and after each one I am up sweeping and dusting. Oh well, a little mess isn't bad and maybe one day I'll have my own staff that cleans up after me. We can dream can't we? I am really looking forward to hanging out with Mom tomorrow and I think it might just be the two of us...? We'll see but it should be fun either way. I am also really excited for next weekend. Cece and I are heading out for a hike and foray. We'll be collecting mosses, ferns, stones and other little things from the forest floor. After a nice little hike we're going to head back to the craftroom and make terrariums (an easier project to keep neat.) I can't wait and I can't decide what trail to take her on! There are so many wonderful forests and so many are my favorite but I have narrowed it down and I'm thinking a section near my folks' place that is fairly untraveled and near Salt Creek. We'll see, I'll change my mind 20 times by the 15th. Well, I am off to clean up a little, walk the dogs and shower before Chris gets home.

Craftroom Chaos

We moved the big pieces of furniture(bed, dressers, craft table, desk and computer) and have the rooms pretty much switched. The only problem I'm facing now is all that random crap that I can't seem to find a home for just yet... oh and the dirty clothes. There are so many dirty clothes! Literally a mountain has formed in our kitchen and because they're there, I haven't cleaned in there and the clutter is getting insane. Chocolate molds and cookie sheets litter the range and I can no longer see the counter beneath the baskets, recipe cards and drying Morels. Even as I'm writing this I know Chris is going to sigh and give me that look the moment he walks in. It's the look he gives me every time I should have cleaned and didn't. I know I know, I should have just gotten everything under control but I just couldn't resist an afternoon hike, especially with the mood I was in. I'm easily annoyed for some reason today. I don't know why and I hate that I am but well I just am. Oh well. The worst part is, the hike didn't really help because as wonderful as it was, getting stuck in traffic was not. It took me 1 1/2 hours to get home! Bah, tomorrow I will clean and bag all the clothes that need to be dry cleaned and start washing the others. After that's done the only thing left really are the closets. I have to redesign the craft closet which will most likely involve the construction of some super craft center thingy. It's in my head but basically would be a shelving unit with built in ribbon and paper dispensers. First I have to sit down and consider my wants and needs and then go to the drawing board... and then to the container store! Oh I am just over the top about the Container Store. I've been on their website multiple times a day dreaming about splurging there. I know once the time comes to construct I will need to make multiple trips for bins and drawers and containers. All in good time. Ok folks. Pictures to come! I'm off to be sweet and wonderful to distract from the mess. Hope it works.

Insanity!

Super quick folks: I hit the mother load today walking out with 59 Morels. I had literally given up and was heading back to the car and decided to stop at just one more spot. Luckily for me this detour was well worth it. I was ecstatic and crazy and frantic. Nothing compares to searching and searching and only finding a handful and then finding 59 in 1 spot, well it's just nuts. So I washed and bagged them and now I just have to figure out what to make and who to give them to. I was thinking about dropping them off for the sexy chef extraordinaire Rick Bayless but who knows if he'd actually use them. I made myself a delicious Morel Bruschetta. Ok I need to get the dehydrator out and get back to Six Feet Under. I'm obsessed! Tomorrow I start the big clean and might bake something... we'll see. Goodnight y'all.

Rising with the Sun

Determined to get in a good hunt and hike before Martha at 11am, I woke up at 4:45 and was deep in the woods by 5:20. It was a great day, found some Morels and snapped some great pictures. I discovered new trails, several rivers and ponds and got lost... a lot. It's just too easy but I really do need to get a a compass or at least pay attention to where I'm going. It has been really nice this year because every time I head out for a hike, I am for the most part prepared. My pack includes a journal and pen for notes, several Zip-Lock bags for... well anything I might want to bring back, a pair of heavy duty shears and a knife. I also bring with a basket for collecting Spring onions and edible mushrooms, an old book and strap for pressing flowers and my field guides for identifying unfamiliar mushrooms. A camera is a must and I keep mine on hand in my breast pocket or basket. There have been too many times in previous years where I have found myself without it so I'm making sure to stay on top of having it with me, charged and ready. While I still need to add to my field supplies (a pocket saw, better knife, magnifying glass and I'm always looking for better field guides) I am really proud that I've been so diligent about being prepared for one of my favorite activities and I can make the most out of my time in the forest. Ok, I know I have been obsessed with Morels and the woods and whatnot but it is the season. I promise in the next few days to bake a cake or something, I will be starting a huge clean and reorganization of our apartment and I will document it all. I am going to be switching the bedroom with the craft room (we need more space for my projects and the bedroom is larger! Will Chris kill me? I swear he'll love it once he sees it. I'm off to spend some time with Chris and the kids. Can't wait for this thunderstorm to really get going.

I'd smother you in Hollandaise if I could...

I prepared the last Morels from the weekend hunt by pan frying with butter, salt and pepper. I built an Eggs Benedict-ish thing using stale sourdough for the muffin and the morels for the Canadian bacon. It was delicious. The Hollandaise was right on and the eggs, while over cooked (I couldn't locate the damn slotted spoon. BAH!) were so round and perfect. It was a sight right out of Martha Stewart Living. Of course I couldn't wait for pictures and scarfed it down. I kind of regret not snapping one but I really regret that I poured practically every drop of Hollandaise over my plate... the recipe called for 1 stick of butter, YIKES! Oh well, butter is dairy and I guess that can be my recommended serving for the day, right?