ROOT DOWN

This weekend has been filled with dirt, earthworms, flowers, weed control fabric, mulch... It is finally May, and we have began revamping our backyard!! I am ready to find some more blooms, but I need to take it one weekend at a time!! :)  Here are some photos that capture our day.

Placing the mulch over the weed control fabric after planting red and purple blooms.

They might be little now, but they are gonna root down and grow!!

Petunia Hybrid

Zonal Geranium (Pelargonium)

Another "friend" I found in the garden. Where there is earth, there are earthworms.

My little gardening partner in crime...

Herbs on the deck including CHOCOLATE MINT!!

More herbs...

Chives

Peppermint

Chives

Italian Basil

Lemon Thyme

Gardening Gloves are off...

Our apple tree in bloom. It smells delish!!!

Beneath the apple tree...

Justin checking out our tree.

Apple tree -  pink and white blossoms

Hubby is all smiles after a long afternoon in the yard!!

PRODUCT DESIGN: CLEVER CALENDAR

STILL LOOKING FOR AN AWESOME CALENDAR ?
Check out Noa Bembibre's super cool designs ... Words within words. Pops of color, got to love it!! http://www.noabembibre.com/

CLOSE AS PAGES IN A BOOK

For the last two months, we have  been receiving wedding gifts and beautiful cards with beautiful words. I just received a letter that brought me to tears from my Nanna. She has always been so amazing at keeping up in letter writing. This is an art that I hope will never disappear. There is just something very special about receiving a hand-written note from a loved one!! I have decided to post this letter, because I want to be able to go back to her words time and time again.

I am all ready framing the letter, but I want to be sure if it fades in time, I still can come back and remember her beautiful advice written April 12, 2010:

Dear Robyn and Justin,


I had purchased a card a few weeks ago. I will, no doubt find it as soon as I mail this one!


How wonderful to be able to spend this time with you, and to see you two beautiful people ready for whatever life holds for you.


Of course, for me, the extra happiness was in seeing my two children and four grand children together as a family.


The wedding ceremony was quite unique, and I want to know more about the Rabbi! It was perfect in every way.


May you continue to flourish in one another's love! I hope you will always be "close as pages in a book" as the song says! May you be guided by wisdom, thoughtfulness and an unselfish and charitable view of the world!


With admiration and so much love.....!!!


Nanna

BOOK BLISS

So, I haven't blogged in while and I have good reason (errrr.... excuses) for this behavior. I got married this past weekend!! So, life has been a bit of a whirlwind... A WONDERFUL whirlwind!! It is pretty amazing to see how everything that you have been planning and waiting for comes together. Quite lovely. More wedding talk later when I have my photos to share!!

I have been reading a lot lately (another reason why the blogging has slowed) ? Christopher McDougall's Born to Run is definitely now in my top ten. It digs a bit into history which is something that can make a book a bit of a bore if it is done incorrectly. I have to tell you, the history in this book was quite the opposite for me!! The historical side made me want to KEEP reading and reading until I was done with the book. It was just plain fascinating!! It would be pretty sweet if this was added to a summer reading list for students!!

I also completed Elizabeth Gilbert's Committed, the sequel to Eat Pray Love. Most of the book discussed the notion of marriage and of course the romance between Liz and her man!!! I highly recommend it! I read it the month before I was married and it made things pretty interesting to say the least. Elizabeth was never keen on the idea of marriage... so it was nice to read about her view on the subject! I will not give you any more details - I do not want to spoil this read :)

Chelsea Handler's Are You There Vodka, It's Me Chelsea was my last read and it was nice to read something that was just relaxed and comical!! I found myself laughing out loud a bunch!! The question that I do have about the book (I will sleep tonight if this isn't answered) - is:

Do you believe everything she wrote in her book to be fact ? Being that she is a comedian and she is a storyteller because she is a comedian, I feel as though some of it may be exagerrated. Even though I may feel this way, I loved her book!! She has always made me laugh and that's why you pick up a comedian's book - right ?!

ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS: WOOD

Interiors (and exteriors for that matter) are warmed with wood features - whether it be a residential wood façade or an undulating mass of wood that begins to form the volume of a space. Get inspired!

Wood can create both rhythm and movement in a space.

(via arup)

A wood strand deck is striking against turquoise waters. This is the Paratay house located in Paratay, Brazil.

(via the contemporist)

Twelve West: A 2009 IIDA/Metropolis Smart Environments Awards winner. A project from ZGF Architects located in Portland, Oregon.

(via Metropolis)

Bar House Located in Colorado

(via Peter L. Gluck & Partners)

Alvar Aalto's (for Artek) Lounge Chair created for Tuberculosis Patients features Bent Laminated Birch and Solid Birch. The seat is bent plywood available in Black or White. The chair's angle allows for easier breathing allowing the patient to sit in the chair for longer periods of time. 

A Wood Sliced Walkway ... Inherently Organic ... Also organic in its random design.

(via Re-Nest)

Tree Trunk Garden House ... Again using the circular motif on two sides of the exterior while utilizing the full trunk of the tree at many locations. Very appropriate considering the application. Wood creates architectural as well as disguises them as we see with the Garden home's windows! Located in the Netherlands, the Garden House is designed by Piet Hein Eek.

(via designboom)

The Sugarloaf Project: Australia. SP features a timeless facade - while also being extremely modern. The wood volume warms up the exterior, creating a visual interest.

(via Abode)

LOVE IS...

A favorite "comic strip" of mine ... My sister introduced me to it. These are all drawings completed by Kim Casali.

APPRECIATING A HUMBLE DISH.

NEVER FEELING LIKE SAYING GOODBYE.

PASSING HER TISSUE PAPERS IF THE FILM IS TOO MOVING.

FORGIVING EVEN IF YOU ARE REALLY ANGRY.

DISCOVERING THE MEANING OF LIFE IN EACHOTHERS EYES.

SOMETIMES CRYING ON YOUR BEST FRIEND'S SHOULDER.

TAKING HER TO THE PLACE YOU LIVED BEFORE MARRYING.

HAPPINESS FOR TWO.

WRITING ON THE MIRROR IN HER BATHROOM.

ACCEPTING TO BE THE GUINEA PIG FOR HER NEW DISHES.

MOST IMPORTANTLY...

WHATEVER YOU MAKE IT.