first orchid bud opening

well, when i went to work this morning, the orchid buds were all closed and when i got home, i saw this! there are about 12 buds on this stalk... i had to get down on the ground to get a shot inside the petals, but you can see the bit of pink/red of the inside.

i also posted pics of my herbs and pepper plants... if all goes well, we'll have our own jalapenos and sweet banana peppers just as summer hits full stride.

the art-making has been a bit slow lately... i'm not sure if it's just a phase, or if i'm creatively tired from work, or if i'm just lacking inspiration and/or content at the moment.... it's probably some combination. in the mean time, i'm trying to spend my free moments on things that are regenerative to my soul, that slow me down and help me to live better. gardening is a part of that process... there's so much waiting involved, but after all the watering and pruning, it's so worth it...

i've also been exploring the range of my sewing skills (see on flickr) with wallets and a dress. i have plans to make more wallets this weekend.... maybe some for sale? i'll post an entry about it if i do put some up in the shop.

hope everyone is well!
take some time to do something life-giving (i.e. not necessarily "productive") and see how it makes you feel...
love,
sam

overheard on the phone...

"no Elias, do NOT cut that lizard's tail off with the scissors!"

sam vs. the collective sackers of publix

most of you that know me already know that i've been trying to get better and better about recycling and being environmentally friendly. in the past few years, i've started recycling bins in my house and more recently switched to using cloth bags for all my shopping. besides, i never liked all those plastic bags anyway. even when i save some in one of those bag-saver-devices, i still get about all the bags i need for a year in one grocery trip.

(preface to the story: i love the spanish language and love the cultural diversity of this city... really, i do!)
so.... we move to miami and i start shopping at publix, where the sackers don't typically speak english. so far, i've had mixed receptions to the cloth bags and on occasion have had to take over and pack it myself. but today was by far the best sacking experience i've had to date.

i forgot the cloth sacks, so i asked for paper. the sacker looked at me with a mix of curiosity and disgust as he dug to the recesses of his bag area for a paper sack. he then proceeded to put all my groceries in PLASTIC bags and then put the plastic bags in the paper bag. not being able to speak spanish, i couldn't explain to him how much this horrified me... and i guess he wasn't reading the concern on my face or perhaps he felt that i might not understand the art of sacking and therefore not know about the plastic in the paper routine, in which case, he would be spot on because i still can't figure it out.

needless to say, i am still a little bewildered as i am unpacking my groceries at home... and feeling a little environmentally unfriendly for having now BOTH plastic and paper bags. oh well. :)

friday's flickr fix

these two images i found on flickr meld my recent loves for vintage goods (especially owls) and a fascination with cottages.

i grew up in a house with very modern sensibilities. my mom was an interior decorator before being a stay-at-home-mom, so everything was done up. being from germany, her tastes were so different from every other house in suburban texas... but i always liked that. my room was done up in ikea before ikea was cool.

all that to say, i have developed a love for antiques and cottage style that can only be attributed to my father's country roots or maybe just my own personality. i still like the modern, but the layered coziness and cramped scale of cottages, plus the agedness just seems so inviting and wonderful to me. i also LOVE the arched door look. if i ever found a cottage with an arched door and enough good yard for a serious garden... i'd be selling everything i had to buy it.

so.... that was my friday flickr adventure.
:) sam