porcelain soup can

seen: david stark soup can, $14

Affordable white porcelain vases are hard to come by.  I know because I dream of shelves of them filled with ferns and succulents.  Now we have this new line with amazing raw edges at West Elm.  I'm sold.

winter citrus.

seen: (here)

seen: (here)

One of my favorite parts of Sunset's February issue is all the talk about citrus.  I once had a dream to own a meyer lemon tree.  I do now- 2 potted dwarf citrus plants right by the sliding back door.  And we were also lucky enough to move into a home with a great (overgrown) lemon tree in the corner of our very small concrete back "yard" that doesn't stop giving us big lemons.  They make me happy (something about citrus in the winter), but I have an over-abundance.  We've done fresh squeezed lemonade for a dinner for 9, lemon yogurt muffins, lemon ricotta pancakes, lemon & parmesan risotto.  Every week, a new lemon recipe is almost necessary before my bowl of picked lemons slowly shrink and shrivel.  I can't keep up with them & love this dilemma.

Inspired by this couple who owns 1/4 acre backyard with an orchard of citrus trees in Costa Mesa, Sunset says to "share the season-- give your extra lemons and limes to neighbors, or host a citrus party."  Of course.  A citrus party.

seen: (here)

Now I'm wanting to start a citrus club.  My lemons for your kumquats/tangerines/mexican limes/blood oranges.  Anyone in?

how does your garden grow?

seen: how does your garden grow kit

jme kids:  have you had a chance to browse the Jamie Oliver shop recently?  Suddenly (?) so many great little kits for our mini cooks and gardeners.  

shop terrain {$38 and under}

seen: zinc zig-zag hook

seen: yellow wreath

seen: ribbed bud vase, ceramic aqua vase

Today, this is what I love from Terrain.  Endlessly inspired.

garden genius

seen: insitu wall planters

build a terrarium

seen: our new terrarium

They're all the talk, and here's why:

1. It's great fun to pick out the perfect vessel:  I bought mine at Terrain.  This and this are other dreamy resources but I opted for less expensive.
tip: Go big.  To do it right (I followed this tutorial), I found that I needed more room than I had thought.  And an extra large terrarium would make an extra great statement.

2. Succulents are cheap:  we shopped at our local Home Depot last night and had rows and rows of $1, $2, or $3 tiny succulents to choose from-- in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors.  Cole (4) helped me choose his favorites while Finn (1) pushed around the cart, squealing.

3. It's a quick project: after we put the kids in bed, I poured in the river rocks, scooped in the cactus soil, (skipped the charcoal), placed the plants and watered my new terrarium.  Terrarium built in less than 10 minutes.

4. It's green.  It's pretty.  It's creative.

Total project: about $50.

hable for the garden

seen: canvas utility belt, garden gloves

hable construction: because I'm determined to earn a green thumb, and because touching slugs/snails merits a girly scream.  

inspired: brook farm general store

seen: brook farm general store

A place to go to really like everything you see. 

woven plant cover

seen: woven plant cover, $28

We're working hard on bringing our back yard (read: porch) to life and have big plans for the weekend: snap beans (seeds), carrots (seeds) , peppers, basil, tomatoes, cantaloupe, blackberries and strawberries.  Cucumbers in June.  Sunset and a little Sonoma County gardening guide tell me that these should all work, but of course it will be one giant experiment.  That's exactly why it can't hurt to have a little help, I figure.  Just my luck to find this woven plant cover at terrain to protect my strawberries from the birds.  It almost feels like yard art and I really love it.  

Do you have any gardening tips?

the day I left Target really happy.

seen: smith and hawken bird feeder, $14

I love getting lucky!  This solid wood egg-shaped bird feeder is going to hang from our front tree.  It looks like it's been cleared out online but check your local store.  It's a happy find, don't you think?

today, i'm thinking:

*You know those pictures of yourself that just seem so foreign?  This is one of those.  That's me?  2006: just after I had Cole and decided to cut my hair short (again).  A friend just emailed it over..

*I'm suddenly really excited about gardening.  I went to a little class on Thursday and then came home and spent hours on Sunset.  (What to plant; how to plant; when to plant all for where I specifically live.  It's a brilliant resource!)  Our Saturday was buying and preparing our garden plot and today, I researched our veggie and fruit plans.  (I have notes.)  It's thrilling.

*I just ate half of one of those small, seedless watermelons and still need more Sunday snack.  p.s.  I want to grow some.  See above.

*Oh, just created a formspring account.  (←).  I really like questions/answers and figured this is my fun, friendly piece of internet.  Let's try.

which fabric for our lamp shade: yellow circles or ring my bell?

*These are all the pieces of Cole's four-year-old room.  Some en route and some just waiting to fit in.  It's all coming together.

*Do you do long Sunday walks?  I still smell musty from ours.  

*I cannot stop listening to Brett Dennen. 

*What do you eat when you're craving chocolate?

*My Karen Barbe pillow cover and nice little note came yesterday.  Now, I love her.  

Hope you had a great weekend too!

celia birtwell

seen: celia birtwell garden tool set, pretty woman

kate's paperie: for the mom's who need a little pretty to make up for the dirt under their nails.  

diy seed packet

seen: DIY seed packet

vale design [via iDIY].  'Tis the season.  Although we're getting more rain than sun, our next project is prettying up our back "yard" (porch) and planting some seeds.  And because Spring is good for wanting flowers, see this as the perfect new spin on the standard thank you or Happy Mother's Day gesture. 

Free downloadable design here. 

herb planters

seen: herb pot trio from modern planter

seen: kerr planter from fey handmade

Finding the perfect white herb planters this week has become a bit of an obsession.  But it did turn up a couple of treasures.  

billet

seen: burgon & ball wood labels

billet (can read in google translate): Japanese design is so pure.  These planter labels are the answer to my search this week (for my sprouting kitchen herbs).  But don't hold back.  The entire shop is packed full of useful made pretty.  

diy terrariums

seen: Sheena's plant little terrariums photo tutorial

the little red house: I've been dreaming about terrariums this winter and loved this easy tutorial.  Real people making them with real supplies.  So simple + clever.  

for the urban gardener

seen: white clay pot, $12

GRDN: I came home from my mini vacation refreshed.  It's exactly what I was hoping for.  And best of all, instead of just wanting changes, I've been making changes (all week).  I started with buying a meyer lemon tree, a dwarf grapefruit tree and 4 pots of sprouting herbs.  Green can change a home.  (Are you feeling that gardening tug?)

These pots are gorgeous (& remind me of Holland).  I wish they were lining my counter, filled with basil, cilantro, parsley and rosemary.  Because white and green are the prettiest combination.  

little terrariums

seen: Tiny Tiny Terrarium, $5.50

seen: Three Little Terrariums, $14.50

tortoise loves donkey: I spotted these on Design*Sponge today and am in awe.  How pretty.  How green.  How easy.  How teeny tiny.  How inexpensive.

How genius.