While I Was Out

While I was away, the folks over at Design*Sponge were kind enough to share one of my designs in their series of Thanksgiving centerpiece ideas. Much thanks to D*S and everyone who checked it out!

Where was I THIS time?

After a two-day Christmas decoration installation at Napa Valley Jewelers and Thanksgiving centerpiece design and delivery (above), I headed up to remote and beautiful Lake County for a restful and lovely Thanksgiving with family.  For our table I put together a simple centerpiece of roses, tulips, and local oak, olive, choisya, rosemary, sage, and buckeye seeds.

 

The food was amazing, the company wonderful, the cats and reading super cozy.  Following the day of the great feast, we did some serious bulb planting- hundreds of new daffodils to look forward to in the Spring.

Where Was I?

This first photo might look familiar. Back in August I promised to share a little shoot The Monkey Flower Group produced in honor of Liz's brief return to California. Appropriately, it took place on "the beach" (that's what seafarers like her call this here mainland). Probably no one but JSB (the main instigator behind the fuzzy lambs-ears-to-wear projects) noticed when the promised photos failed to materialize, but all the same I think I'd better share these before winter sets in and they become completely unseasonable. Also, Liz's current stint up and down the Gulf of Alaska will wrap up soon, so I'd better be all caught up and ready for another shoot when she's back in town.

Cool Cards!

Yay! The Monkey Flower Group is up and running at Big Cartel , an online "shop for the little guy" (that's me).

One of the first things I'm offering there are two collections of note cards (namely, "Hot Cards" and "Cool Cards"). They are currently available for purchase and will begin shipping out on December 1st.

I won't say too much about the specifics here, other than they feature 100% recycled post consumer waste paper stock and minimal, pretty, and compostable packaging.

To learn more, please visit The Monkey Flower Group's online shop here. (Photos of the actual cards are on their way).

In the meantime, here's a peak at the 8 photos featured in the "Cool Cards" collection, below. (In my previous post, I shared the 6 photos featured in the "Hot Cards" collection).

 Above: It does freeze in Napa. That said, this photo was taken while I lived in Vermont. But I swear we have pretty ice here too.

 Above: A romantic arrangement of lilac and bleeding heart. Perhaps a St. Valentine's Day note?

 Above: I believe the French celebrate the first of May with this lovely fragrant flower, lily of the valley. Which makes this here card a good choice to attach to your May Day basket.

Above: A lush twist of paper whites on the Christmas table. It's one of the first winter things to bloom for us here in Napa. Luckily we all love the smell, which is pretty potent.

 Above: A simple gathering of sweet wild violets, perfect for Mother's Day.

 Above: A rainbow of spiraled stems, including that scarlet spring favorite, rhubarb.

Please click here to go/return to Cool Cards at The Monkey Flower Group's Online Shop.

Hot Cards!

Yay! The Monkey Flower Group is up and running at Big Cartel , an online "shop for the little guy" (that's me).

One of the first things I'm offering there are two collections of note cards (namely, "Hot Cards" and "Cool Cards"). They are currently available for purchase and will begin shipping out on December 1st.

I won't say too much about the specifics here, other than they feature 100% recycled post consumer waste paper stock and minimal, pretty, and compostable packaging.

To learn more, please visit The Monkey Flower Group's online shop here. (Photos of the actual cards are on their way).

In the meantime, here's a peak at the 6 photos featured in the "Hot Cards" collection, below. (In my next post, I'll share the 6 photos featured in the "Cool Cards" collection).

 

Above: On our road trip home from Vermont, we stopped near Lake Tahoe to visit my grandparents. Here's a detail of a miniature vase of the sierra onions which have naturalized in their backyard over the years.

 Above: Friend or foe? People seem to harbor really passionate feelings- both love and loathing- toward prickly liquidambar seedpods. When strung as garlands, though, they win the hearts of most.

Above: Persimmon, anemone, nandina, hydrangea, sharon fern, and jasmine tendrils combine in a late summer centerpiece.

Above: A Halloween mask of ginko leaves.

Above: Roses, pomegranates, and jasmine tendrils combine in a fresh and fun bouquet. I think it's the perfect card for a "just because" or birthday note.

Above: California poppies, the state flower, put on a show at my godmother's ranch near Petaluma.

Please click here to go/return Hot Cards at The Monkey Flower Group's Online Shop.

Home for Fall

 

What with going off to college in Iowa and then living on the East coast, its been a full seven years since I was last home to enjoy Fall in California. It's a beautiful season; the vineyards set valley floors ablaze with red, orange, and yellow, narcissus gear up for their Christmas showing of fragrant white blossoms, new grass dusts the hills in a neon green glow, and madrone berries splash the forests and roadsides with bursts of red. My apologies for the flowery language- can you tell I'm feeling a bit nostalgic?

Cameeeelias!!!

In November. I love California.

Extra, Extra

A big thank you to The Napa Valley Register for the lovely spot of press. You've made my grandma a very happy woman. I'm pretty stoked, too.

Boo!

Wowza, what can I say? This post waaay overdue.  Last weekend was my last farmer's market for the summer. It was cold and rainy (hence no photos), but towards the end many die-hard regulars came out and I was glad to have the opportunity to say thank you and happy holidays. Hopefully, though, I will see everyone through the Winter. It's a small Valley! 

On Sunday morning my family headed over to my Grandma and Grandpa's to celebrate Grandma's 86th birthday (she's a Halloween baby). We went all out with an over-the-top brunch, complete with home-made cinnamon rolls, the last of the local stone fruits,  sausage, quiche, mimosas, coffee, two kinds of coffee cake, and of course flowers. We had so much fun. It was awesome, just like Grandma. 

 Next we headed down and around and over the Bay to my sister's "new" home on the Peninsula. I say "new" because its actually old (for California, anyways), and even though they've had it for a year now, they're still in the early stages of fixin' it up. But isn't it cute? We carved up a bunch of pumpkins, which looked great with Peach the VW bus. Can you tell who made which pumpkin? Mom's is pretty signature.