Journal pages inspired by my cheese-making goat-mama friend Lisa Seeger, of Blue Heron Farm, and the absolutely adorable photos she has been posting of her "kids" this spring!
Thursday, April 10, 2014
IS THERE ANYTHING MORE SPRINGY...
than a bunch of bouncing baby goats?
Journal pages inspired by my cheese-making goat-mama friend Lisa Seeger, of Blue Heron Farm, and the absolutely adorable photos she has been posting of her "kids" this spring!
Journal pages inspired by my cheese-making goat-mama friend Lisa Seeger, of Blue Heron Farm, and the absolutely adorable photos she has been posting of her "kids" this spring!
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Monday, April 7, 2014
HAPPY HUES AND HUGELKULTUR
My very favorite color-mad wildflower combo was spotted the other day at my very favorite Austin garden center, The Natural Gardener.
How gorgeous are these bright red poppies scattered amongst a sea of bluebonnets?
These guys were a special added touch.
Speaking of bluebonnets, what a year we are having! It's been a long, long time since I've seen them this lush. Check out this field near the entrance to our neighborhood -- the same one those donkeys, up there in my banner photo, were standing in.
That property has gone through several different owners and incarnations since we have been here. It started as the B&B dream of a young couple who then fell out of love. That little shed has housed tree-climbing goats and some very fluffy donkeys. Then it was leased out to some very hungry horses, until there wasn't a speck of green left in that field! Fortunately for us, it was finally purchased by a family with a vision.
At our last H.O.A. meeting, one of the usual suspects started griping about the "unsightly" piles of tree trimmings these people were accumulating around their property, which, fortunately for the new owners, is not a part of our H.O.A. Some people are rather short-sighted, a bit too concerned with the "Me & Now", but not this new family. When they first saw this property, did they see it as sad and forlorn? No! They saw it as a food forest, and they are using a technique called hugelkultur to help them achieve their vision.
Hugelkultur, used for centuries in Eastern Europe and Germany, is a permaculture-style practice that uses woody debris including branches, twigs, and logs as the base to form raised beds, rather than burning or removing them. The woody debris acts like a sponge, soaking up rainfall and releasing it slowly into the surrounding soil -- a major advantage in an area like ours, where we get most of our annual rainfall in two or three torrential downpours, where it races across one's property before it has a chance to soak in or do any good! Our neighbors have constructed a series of alternating planting berms and swales that gently lead the water where they want it to go, slowing it down in the process. I think they've already planted at least 20 or 30 food-bearing trees and shrubs on those back berms. Know what's even better? They've got baby goats! I LOVE baby goats!
All in all, if I had to choose between neat and tidy people, and those who are actually making, and doing, and living, well, the latter would win hands down.
Come to think of it, if you've ever been to our place, you probably knew that already, huh?
How gorgeous are these bright red poppies scattered amongst a sea of bluebonnets?
These guys were a special added touch.
Speaking of bluebonnets, what a year we are having! It's been a long, long time since I've seen them this lush. Check out this field near the entrance to our neighborhood -- the same one those donkeys, up there in my banner photo, were standing in.
That property has gone through several different owners and incarnations since we have been here. It started as the B&B dream of a young couple who then fell out of love. That little shed has housed tree-climbing goats and some very fluffy donkeys. Then it was leased out to some very hungry horses, until there wasn't a speck of green left in that field! Fortunately for us, it was finally purchased by a family with a vision.
At our last H.O.A. meeting, one of the usual suspects started griping about the "unsightly" piles of tree trimmings these people were accumulating around their property, which, fortunately for the new owners, is not a part of our H.O.A. Some people are rather short-sighted, a bit too concerned with the "Me & Now", but not this new family. When they first saw this property, did they see it as sad and forlorn? No! They saw it as a food forest, and they are using a technique called hugelkultur to help them achieve their vision.
Hugelkultur, used for centuries in Eastern Europe and Germany, is a permaculture-style practice that uses woody debris including branches, twigs, and logs as the base to form raised beds, rather than burning or removing them. The woody debris acts like a sponge, soaking up rainfall and releasing it slowly into the surrounding soil -- a major advantage in an area like ours, where we get most of our annual rainfall in two or three torrential downpours, where it races across one's property before it has a chance to soak in or do any good! Our neighbors have constructed a series of alternating planting berms and swales that gently lead the water where they want it to go, slowing it down in the process. I think they've already planted at least 20 or 30 food-bearing trees and shrubs on those back berms. Know what's even better? They've got baby goats! I LOVE baby goats!
All in all, if I had to choose between neat and tidy people, and those who are actually making, and doing, and living, well, the latter would win hands down.
Come to think of it, if you've ever been to our place, you probably knew that already, huh?
Friday, April 4, 2014
PREMATURE COLOR MADNESS
I decided I just couldn't wait until Color Mad Monday to share this wee little sampling of all that awaits you, if you ever make it to Round Top, TX during Antique Week. Enjoy!
Have I ever mentioned how much I love Bakelite...
and rustic pottery?
Apparently bottle cap art is quite the thing these days.
The same booth that had the bathing beauty, above, also held a collection of "paintings" by another artist -- one who worked, not with paint, but with tiny bits of colored paper he has collected, along with bits of sheet music and book paper. Many art journalists I know do something similar, but these were magnificent hang-over-the-mantel portraits and such!
I probably left some drool behind in this booth full of luscious braids and ribbons.
The thing is, I could have taken hundreds more color-mad shots, just as yummy if not more so, if I hadn't been so busy just soaking it all in.
Guess you're just gonna have to go see it for yourself, huh?
Have I ever mentioned how much I love Bakelite...
and rustic pottery?
Apparently bottle cap art is quite the thing these days.
The same booth that had the bathing beauty, above, also held a collection of "paintings" by another artist -- one who worked, not with paint, but with tiny bits of colored paper he has collected, along with bits of sheet music and book paper. Many art journalists I know do something similar, but these were magnificent hang-over-the-mantel portraits and such!
I probably left some drool behind in this booth full of luscious braids and ribbons.
The thing is, I could have taken hundreds more color-mad shots, just as yummy if not more so, if I hadn't been so busy just soaking it all in.
Guess you're just gonna have to go see it for yourself, huh?
Thursday, April 3, 2014
ROUNDTOP: TOO MUCH, TOO LATE
Though I was born and raised in Texas, I'd only been to Round Top once ere now, and that was not during the infamous Antiques Week. What a pity. If only I'd discovered it years and years ago, when each house we moved into was a bit bigger than the last, and needed a bit more stuff to fill it up! Why now, when we've gone back to one not much larger than our first, and divested ourselves of box after box of green depression glass, majolica, white ironstone, gold and white china, crystal, and antique music and doll collections? My friend Outdoor Woman goes twice a year, every year. This year, she finally convinced me and two other Muses to accompany her.
We began our day at Marburger Farms, where you find the more upscale, artsy vendors. Our first stop was at Skip 2 My Lou -- Outdoor Woman's favorite creator of unique jewelry, assembled from all sorts of vintage bits and bobs.
The merchandising in some of these booths just blew me away.
Daughter Lex and niece Megan would have loved this one...
an entire booth devoted to mid-century cocktail paraphanalia!
At Marburger, you have a mix of cute little historic buildings and long, elegant tents with walls, with most everything under cover except for the short dashes from one tent or building to the next.
Me? I found precisely what I needed -- absolutely nothing! Well, other than a zillion steps clocked on my Fitbit, a fabulously fun day hanging with my tribe, and tons of color-mad eye candy, some of which I will share with you on Monday. Does it get any better than that?
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| Warm-Up Stretching Before We Hit The Ground Running |
The merchandising in some of these booths just blew me away.
Daughter Lex and niece Megan would have loved this one...
an entire booth devoted to mid-century cocktail paraphanalia!
At Marburger, you have a mix of cute little historic buildings and long, elegant tents with walls, with most everything under cover except for the short dashes from one tent or building to the next.
Outdoor Woman warned us that the food here was just so-so, but priced more like Ooh-la-la. She suggested that we bring along some snackies for when our energy starts to flag, and save our appetites for Mexican food and Margueritas in La Grange, on our way home that afternoon. Sounds like a plan! So, after a brief rest stop under the trees, we headed over to the wee town of Warrenton, where the booths were more open-air, and where the merchandise wasn't nearly as elegant, but was way more afordable. It reminded me a lot of the things you might find here at Wimberley Market Days.
All-in-all, I'm pretty much convinced that, no matter what you are searching for, you're sure to find somewhere here at Antique Week -- if'n you've got the stamina and determination!
Need some antlers? They've got a whole tent-full!
Need a grassy glider? You got it!
Come to think of it, each of us found just what she was looking for. Outdoor Woman found a wrought-iron chandelier on which to hang her hubby's ever-growing collection of hats; Fiber Woman found some yarn to use in one of her projects; and Spirit Woman found lots of fodder for her amazing photographs.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Monday, March 31, 2014
TOGETHER AT LAST
It's been months since we've got together with our Sunday afternoon vineyard group -- lovingly referred to as the Winos, though that's certainly not the case! Finally, yesterday, we were blessed not only with perfect weather but, miracle of miracles, everyone was in town! (though one poor fellow had just flown in from Korea, and was still a bit jet-lagged)
Instead of going to our usual hangout, we decided to make a field trip over to the Canyon Lake area to check out a small vineyard, La Cruz de Comal, that one of the couples had discovered. It had the cutest little tasting room ever -- I could live in this tasting room!
The owner is quite the character, having been a Houston defense lawyer with many high-profile clients in his previous life. He is a man of strong opinions, especially when it comes to the making of wine. He believes in hands-on, natural wine-making, with nothing added. His production is very limited, using only Texas Hill Country grapes. I'm no oenophile, but he must be doing something right. Several in our group, who normally don't touch anything but reds, were lugging home bottles of rose' and raving about dessert wines! Me? I just loved the ambiance...
the company...
and the owner's fabulous art collection!
On the way home we stopped to eat at an old favorite, Plooky's! It's a bit seedy, and a bit slow, but they still do a pretty darn good Cajun boiling pot, which you can order mild, medium, or super spicy! I can't believe I forgot to take a picture of our table, covered in long sheets of butcher paper, with it's mountain of shrimp, crawfish, corn, potatoes and sausage piled high in the center! If you ever make it out that way yourself, don't forget to mosey next door to take a peek inside of Frank's Bait & Taco, one of the most unique places you'll ever come across. Unfortunately, it's not open on Sundays.
Instead of going to our usual hangout, we decided to make a field trip over to the Canyon Lake area to check out a small vineyard, La Cruz de Comal, that one of the couples had discovered. It had the cutest little tasting room ever -- I could live in this tasting room!
The owner is quite the character, having been a Houston defense lawyer with many high-profile clients in his previous life. He is a man of strong opinions, especially when it comes to the making of wine. He believes in hands-on, natural wine-making, with nothing added. His production is very limited, using only Texas Hill Country grapes. I'm no oenophile, but he must be doing something right. Several in our group, who normally don't touch anything but reds, were lugging home bottles of rose' and raving about dessert wines! Me? I just loved the ambiance...
the company...
and the owner's fabulous art collection!
On the way home we stopped to eat at an old favorite, Plooky's! It's a bit seedy, and a bit slow, but they still do a pretty darn good Cajun boiling pot, which you can order mild, medium, or super spicy! I can't believe I forgot to take a picture of our table, covered in long sheets of butcher paper, with it's mountain of shrimp, crawfish, corn, potatoes and sausage piled high in the center! If you ever make it out that way yourself, don't forget to mosey next door to take a peek inside of Frank's Bait & Taco, one of the most unique places you'll ever come across. Unfortunately, it's not open on Sundays.
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