This last week was a study in contrasts: I worked on my taxes (almost done!) and attempted to catch up on a bunch of misc. paperwork. But then, come the weekend I had time for some creative projects and plant/flower shopping at Flowerland nursery in Albany. I think I had worked my "practical", logics-based brain muscles so much during the week that come the weekend all I wanted to do was play and make things and stretch my creative legs!
Above is some of the mess from my projects this weekend. I made one of those dream catchers with twigs and sticks and doillies that seem to be cropping up everywhere. (The project is hardly my original idea, you make it your own in the "ingredients" you choose. . . kind of like cooking.) It was a lot of fun and the perfect kind of weekend project as there's no pattern to follow, you just kind of go for it and improvise with the tools you have as you go. Below is the finished piece! I'm hoping to make some more to give as gifts. . .
Some beautiful delphinium flowers from one of my afternoon walks through Jack London Square. I love these flowers; they were some of my favorites as a child. I even remember, once I got my first job at the age of 16, going down to the local nursery to buy some to plant in my parents' backyard. One of the plants I picked up from Flowerland was a purple variety of these.
This is Mingus. He's my neighbor's cat and he is a GIANT love-bug. He also has the funniest/loudest meow I've ever heard come out of a happy cat. He kind of sounds pissed off and annoyed but the whole time he's purring and rubbing against you trying to get as much love as possible.
Some shots (courtesy of Jeff) from our Sunday trip to Flowerland. Honestly, all these years living here and I'd never gone to this magical little place. It's so quaint. (At one point I said to Jeff "Even the bathroom is cute here!") There's a carefully curated selection of flowering plants, edibles, succulents, small bushes, and gardening paraphanelia in their small indoor shop. (They also carry a small slection of jewelry. . . I seriously want to get Tangleweeds into this shop if I have my way.) Jeff and I picked out a variety of flowering plants, mainly for some large planter boxes in our front yard. Hopefully, once it all makes it's way into the ground I'll post some pretty pics here.
Lastly, amidst all of the paperwork and taxes I did squeeze in some time to make jewelry (of course!). That second photo is a shot of some of the goodies that were dropped off at Gorgeous and Green in Berkeley late last week. And, yup, they now have some of my newest designs! If you're local and itching to get your hands on some of these new pieces, head on down to 2946 College Ave in Berkeley. They stock a gorgeous selection of hand-crafted goodies, and they have the best floral shop in town!