firsts

our first garden peony (not to be confused with the tree peony) has bloomed!  

And I have a first flower on my tomato plants!  (they survived the cold night last night just fine uncovered.  I am totally paranoid.)

too soon?

my friend Megan's 2 year old son James (who is adorable and very active) left her a gift on the sofa yesterday.  

Luckily the sofa is scotch guarded and the markers he used were washable, but just in case I sent her this article from the nytimes and told her that it is one of my favorite house ever because it is.  

Pamela Bell had her daughter's 7th grade class cover her John Derian sofa in fabric marker graffiti, and let her son have his way with fabric paint on a couple of chairs.  I love this idea so much and when we have kids I plan on giving them some chairs to draw on.  My only concern would be that they might get confused about where and on what it is appropriate to draw at other people's houses. 

jump the gun

Remember I said I checked the weather forecast to make sure that it would remain safely above 50º at night for my little baby plants?  Yeah, well, guess what, they changed the forecast.  Last night before I went to bed I checked my email and noticed that instead of Friday's low being 52º like it said just hours before, it was now 41º.  WAY too cold for my babies. 

It's almost June!!!!  stupid Michigan.  Is it ok if I feel like I've been cursed?

Luckily, the sun doesn't go down until 9pm these days, and we have a giant plastic tarp and some one by ones lying around the studio, so after work we're going to build cold frames like this one to protect the little guys.  

The way things are going as soon as we get it done the forecast will change again and we won't need it.   

Sorry to complain, it is nice sleeping weather.  I am just not sure I am cut out for farming.  It's very stressful to be so dependent on something you have no control over or influence on like the weather!  

image here.

evening update: the forecast has changed, now it's 49º, so we've got the stuff for the cold frame ready but we're not going to put it up unless we have to.  I hate weather people, they are giving me grey hair.  

all in

I checked the ten day forecast and we are going to have nighttime tempuratures safely above 50º so today I planted the tomatoes, peppers and eggplants.  All my little baby plant are in! 

 

I am really excited that aside from a couple broccoli plants, we grew everything from seed. Can you believe this is what the seedlings looked like just 2 months ago?  It's totally corny, but I'm completely amazed at what a tiny seed, some sun and water can do.  

Grow big and strong, baby plants!  grow!

labels

If I am going to be doing all this pickling and canning (I am not sure I am really up for canning.  I am too scared of getting botulism) I'm going to have to make some labels.  I love the one on this jar that I saw on Design Sponge today.  Maybe I'll make some with a squirrel holding a pickle.  (I'm kidding.  kind of.)

quite a pickle

because our cucumber plants already have tiny fruits forming I am searching for good pickle recipes, so if you've got one send it to me!  Dill, sweet, kosher, some other kind of pickle I can't think of, it doesn't matter, we're going to have enough to try them all.

image here.

have a seat

we already have outdoor furniture that I like, but if we won the lottery, bought a beach house and were picking out some patio dining chairs etc, I would run, not walk, to go buy Patricia Urquiola's Re-Trouve chairs, table and planters.  (I really love those planters!)

images here.

all aboard

is your child not satisfied with his or her model railroad?  How about building them a personal railroad system around your lot?  A guy in Russia has done just that.  

check out more photos and video of the personal train here.

Sam Maloof

Woodworker, furniture designer and MacArthur genius award winner Sam Maloof passed away late last week.  Described by the Smithsonian as "America's most renowned contemporary furniture craftsman," he was 93 and until just a few weeks ago was still making furniture. 

Steven and I met him years ago when we were both working at Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Colorado.  He was probably the kindest, most generous man I have ever met.  Sam didn't believe in trade secrets and relished teaching other woodworkers his techniques. He was tireless and could not have been more supportive of young, and not so young, artists and craftspeople.  He provided numerous scholarships for students and taught many classes and workshops. 

In the LA Times obituary they mention how when people would visit his home (which is open to the public and on the National Registry of Historic Places) he would, "interrupt progress on orders that were backlogged for years and take them on an energetic our of his six acre property." And that's exactly what happened to us when we visited a couple years ago during a trip to LA.  I am sure that Sam didn't remember us from The Ranch, but that didn't stop him from dropping what he was doing, showing us how to rough cut a chair arm on a band saw without losing a finger, and taking us on an hour long tour of his barns, workshops and home.  

read the LA Times article here and a far more eloquent tribute than I can offer from people who knew and loved him well here.

drive in

it wasn't actually open when we stopped by to check it out, but the Ford-Wyoming drive in is in business and someday soon I want to borrow a friend's pickup truck, throw a futon and some pillows and blankets in the back and go.

It's enormous!

We could sing songs from Grease, eat popcorn, snuggle up and watch Star Trek (again) in the back of a truck.  

What could be better?  

nothing.  

(Isn't that sign great?)

ancient history

I am not sure why, but when we went to the Henry Ford Museum (which is great!) yesterday I was shocked to learn that the bicycle was invented in the 1800's and that they were wooden, foot powered contraptions with no steering.

I was even more surprised when I found out peddles weren't added until the 1860's, and that it wasn't until the 1870's that a British engineer made the first "efficient" (meaning rideable) bicycle called the "Penny Farthing."  

The museum has a huge collection of bicycles and early motorcycles.  This bicycle built for two to ride side by side was my favorite (although I am pretty sure it'd be tough to balance). 

And this one with a wooden frame and handle bars came in a close second.  

Two

you know who turned 2 today?  

Jackson, that's who!  

Happy Birthday, little guy!  I hope you had a great day and we can't wait to see you in July!

s'mores

We went to a potluck/barbecue tonight and I brought s'mores cupcakes for dessert, because s'mores say summer!  

There's a graham cracker crust with a layer of bittersweet chocolate on it at the bottom of each cupcake, graham cracker crumbs make form the crunchy crust on the top of the cake, and meringue frosting to top the whole thing off!

The frosting is torched to look like a toasted marshmallow.

They taste as good as they look.

recipe here.

memorial day

I hope all of us have days off filled with barbecues, white shoes, pool openings and parades, and that we take a little time to remember what and who Memorial Day is about.  

photo of Mary McHugh at the grave of her fiance, Sgt. James Regan, who was killed by a road side bomb in Iraq in 2007 found here.  

knee high on the fourth of july

The reason we rented a community garden plot this year because we don't have a place to put one in at home (giant tree in the back, several smaller trees and lots of neighborhood dogs peeing in the front). Last year, to solve this problem, we grew things in self watering containers called EarthBoxes on the deck above our sunroom.

They worked great and we had tomatoes, peppers and eggplants coming out of our ears all summer long. (I would highly reccomend Earthboxes for people who have a small amount of outdoor space, but not enough for a big veggie garden.) This year, thanks to the garden plot, we have tons of space and need more room to plant more tomatoes, peppers and eggplants like a hole in the head. But we still have last year's EarthBoxes cluttering up the garage and I have been trying to figure out what to do with them.

I am going to give one with some tomato seedlings in it to a friend, but I've been having a hard time figuring out what to do with the rest of them. I thought of selling them at our upcoming garage sale, but some day we might not have time for a giant garden plot and might want to use them.

I was at the grocery store today checking out their seedling selection (even though I need more seedlings like two holes in the head) and I found the answer: we're gonna grow corn.

Corn is hard feeding plant that sucks up a lot of nutrients so you can't grow it near other stuff, and it takes up a lot of space because you need to plant a lot of it to get it to pollinate properly, so I had decided not to grow it in our plot. Each Earthbox can hold 16 corn plants (how that's possible, I don't know) so using the ones we've already got we can grow enough to have it do well. And even if we don't get many ears, it will look nice and we can grow it along the street side railing of the deck so that when it gets taller it will offer us some privacy!

images here, here and here

the story of anvil

tonight we went to see "Anvil! The Story of Anvil", the documentary about a heavy metal band that almost hit it big in the 80's and is still together trying to hit it big 30 years later.  

I thought it was great, and I've never been a fan of heavy metal!  It was heartbreaking, hilarious and completely inspiring.  

How long do you wait and work to make your dreams to come true?  If you're Anvil, until they do.

share and share alike

he may not look too convinced that it's a good idea, but how cute is my nephew Declan sharing his ice cream with his baby sister, Riley?

grow up

Today I planted cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, summer squash and brussels sprouts.  Only things left to go in are tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and sweet potatoes.  

do you think they would grow faster if I slept in the garden plot and sang to them?  

If it would, I'd do it.

(I forgot to bring the camera, but I'll take pictures tomorrow :) )

rungy chungy

When I lived in Nepal, my favorite Nepalese word was "rungy-chungy"  which basically means "colorful",  but not just your average kind of colorful.  It means a crazy, multi-colored extravaganza the likes of which are all over South Asia.  I saw this wonderful chair by Moroso today and thought of that word.  

(my second favorite Nepalese word was "wak-wak" which means "vomit" because it could not be more onomatopoeic.  It's a fun language.)

via mocoloco

brick by brick

Jan Vorman repairs damaged buildings in Berlin, Italy and Tel Aviv with Legos.  

Check out more of his work here.  

via boing boing

strawberry pot

A few weeks back a local garden store had a sale on bare root strawberry plants that was way too good a deal to pass up.  (it was something like 25 plants for $7 and buy 25 get 25 free.)  Only problem is now I have strawberry plants coming out of my ears.  I considered putting some in the garden plot, but thought it would be a bad idea since they would take over.  Then I thought of putting them in strawberry pots!  

image here.

Tatoes!

When I was little I loved mashed potatoes.  The fall when I was learning how to talk we went to visit my grandmother and the first night we were there it snowed.  The next morning she took me outside and couldn't believe how excited I was about the snow.  When we got out the door I squealed, "Tatoes!  Tatoes!"  because I was convinced the world was covered in mashed potatoes.  (My grandma laughed so hard she almost dropped me.)

I probably sounded just as excited this afternoon when I saw that some of my potato plants had sprouted.  

(and that we have a tiny cucumber.  isn't it the prettiest little pickle you've ever seen?)

fence me in

One of the (many) things I have wanted to change at our house is the fence in the backyard.  It's a mix of janky chain-link and cheap vinyl and I cannot tell you how much I hate it.  Luckily, in a few weeks we are putting in a new fence!  The decision is practical as well as aesthetic, Ollie, aka "Houdini Dog", keeps getting out and we can't figure out how.  (He is hilarious when he "runs away" because he only does it when he knows Steven or I are in the front yard and he wants to come say hi.  It's kind of adorable, but I have nightmares about him darting across the street to attack a squirrel and getting hit by a car.)  

We're taking the plunge and putting in a cedar fence that we will let go grey.  Here's the sample the fence guy gave us.

And here's a house that has a similar fence in the back.  (I better not let Gus or Ollie see this photo, they might try and attack that squirrel!)  

We are thinking of changing the pattern a bit, one wide post, two narrow posts, one wide post, one narrow post, etc but I'm pretty sure I like the basic idea.  We want something that will offer privacy, but not so solid our neighbors think we hate them.   

What do you think?

venti

Keith seems to think I need more coffee, and that I should drink it out of one of his giant, fantastic, pink (my favorite) earthenware mugs. He could not be more right!  These beauties and a gorgeous fluted bowl that's a part of the handmade Ponzi scheme I posted a while ago arrived on my doorstep last night.  

I can't tell you how much I love late birthday presents, just when you think all the hoopla's over, something comes in the mail and makes your day.  

Thank you Keith! 

His work available here and here.

Freer house

Last night we went to a lecture about Iranian and Turkish Falnama (book of Omens) in Detroit. The lecture was just ok, but it was held at the Charles Lang Freer House (71 E. Ferry) which is amazing.

Charles Lang Freer was an industrialist and art collector and when he died he gave his collection of East Asian, South Asian, Southeast Asian and American art to the nation creating the Freer Gallery at the Smithsonian.  He left his house to Wayne State University where it now houses the Merrill Palmer Institute of Human Development and Family Life.

Built in 1892, the house is beautiful. On the exterior the first floor is blue limestone and the upper floors are made out of oak shingles. Maybe there are lots of houses like that in the world, but I can't remember seeing one.

The interior was designed to house Mr Freer's extensive art collection and it has 22 rooms with 12 fireplaces. The collection is now at the Smithsonian and the rooms are used as offices and lecture halls, but the wood work, fixtures and other details are meticulously maintained and lovely. My favorite part was that each room that had a fireplace also had a little, built-in, wooden bench next to it, which seems to me to be a brilliant way to survive a long Detroit winter. I wish I'd brought a camera so I could show you a picture.

(the peacock room at the Smithsonian is from the Freer House.)

photos from wikipedia, wayne state and flickr

spilt milk

we get our milk delivered in glass bottles so it'd be kinda redundant to have it but I love this little milk carton shaped creamer!  Isn't it cute?

available here.