Spring Orchids

A few of my orchids are in full bloom. First up, a Vandaceous hybrid. I've only had this one a year so it's nice to see it re-bloom on schedule.

This Dendrobium Aggregatum is a compact plant with a lovely delicate display for about 2 weeks per year.

This Pink Phaleanopsis is lovely and showy with many blooms from two stems.

This smaller red phal hybrid likes my front porch even with limited sun, and blooms twice a year for me.

Update on my Garden Cats

I first introduced you to my "garden cat friends" about a year ago, and there's been so much going on with them I need to share updates. Soon after this post, Mama became pregnant again. She was looking like she'd be due to give birth when we were in Japan, so I asked our new next door neighbors to pop by daily to keep food and water fresh and they happily agreed.

We came home on April 4th, Mama was clearly no longer pregnant, but we didn't know the outcome until June 1st, when she showed up with 4 new kittens in tow.

Over the next few weeks, we didn't see the kittens much, but one stuck around. I'll assume the other 3 found some happy ending, but given the harsh reality of feral kitten life.....

Anyway, so the one little black kitten joined her Mom and brother and made our back yard her own. Oh, I should probably tell you by now the bird feeder is gone. It basically became a cat feeder once the brother figured it out, and his name became Shithead for a while as a result. He's now just Shitty, but we say it with love. Little Black Cat just naturally became Boo Boo. Shitty is very much the caring big brother to his little sister.



I then set about finding some help with TNR (how to trap, find a vet, all that stuff). And I found Melissa from Animal Matters who runs a local small charity for animal rescue. She lent me a trap, showed me what to do, and referred me to a local "feral friendly" vet. One by one, Mama, Boo, Shitty, I got them each trapped, spayed/neutered, tested and vaccinated and back home. I ended up buying my own trap so that Melissa could continue to use hers for helping other cats, since it took a few weeks to get all 3 in and out. They each acclimated back to home within a day or two.

They have the best possible life for Feral cats - I spoil them rotten. They are often treated to fresh chicken and catnip. Boo is the most "socialized" of the three - I swear she just stops short of rubbing against my leg when I'm feeding them. All three will eat from my hands, but she'll lick my fingers and climb on me sometimes. I've managed to pick her up a few times and while she's clearly not a fan, she doesn't fight me too badly for a minute or so.

Hurricane Sandy - morning surf in Florida

Hurricane Sandy spared Florida, but the winds and impacts over the Bahamas brought some great looking waves to shore this morning. These pics are from Delray Beach around 8am today:

Boca Raton hosts the Debate - minutes from home

A major event is just minutes from my house this week. On Monday the third and final 2012 Presidential Debate is being hosted at Lynn University, Boca Raton, FL. The weather today made for a perfect walk to take a look at the preparations. I parked at Patch Reef Park and made the loop around to Military Trail - which will be closed all day Monday 10/22/12. The debate tickets are reserved for students or I would have loved to go!

Lynn University has had a little facelift work done to prepare, and the campus looks great.

This countdown sign has been in place for the past few weeks - 2 days to go:

News crews, security teams, and other involved groups have been arriving on the campus the past few days. A helicopter is circling overhead nonstop now.

The ducks on the outer perimeter pond are not impressed...

June Hailstorm - South Florida Style

Friday afternoon the clouds darkened a little and the wind picked up...nothing unusual this time of year. Shortly after the rain started it was obvious this was no normal storm. The house was being pummeled with ice - in spite of being over 90F! Not cute little pea hail, but chunks like ice cubes slamming down. So incredibly loud, I was worried perhaps my car would be covered in dents (fortunately not). It lasted only a few minutes, and then finished with some normal rain before passing.

I captured a few shots around the house afterwards. This hanging orchid captured a melting chunk:

In the front of the house, ice nestled among these Crown of Thorns:

In back, hail gathered around this newly planted baby coconut palm:

Just walking on the grass was slippery!

I've never seen hail like this in Florida before!

Branching Out

I've been interested in partnering with a local boutique or two, and one recently found me: "Uniquely Palm Beach" the gift shop at the Cultural Council of the Palm Beaches, in Lake Worth.

The council building features a gallery and sponsors many local art events. Proceeds from sales in the gift shop also benefit artist programs so it's all for a great cause! The Council recently moved into the new facility on Lake Avenue (a lovely bohemian street of boutiques, antique shops, restaurants and such), and the gift shop opened earlier this year. They feature works from several local artists and a wide variety of items, and I'm proud to be included!

The shop is also very cute and stylish! I'll have a home for my items in the jewelry case shown here:

I'm excited to see how things go over the coming months.

Cherry Blossoms in Japan (just starting)

I'm back! Our Japan trip was amazing, and I am already planning our return. The Sakura trees decided to wait a bit longer than expected this year so we saw a lot in bud, but at least few that decided to show off while we were there:

In Kamakura:

In Nara:

In Kyoto:

 And in Tokyo:

Japan...almost on our way!

While we're lucky enough to have a small flavor of Japan about a mile from our house (at the Morikami Museum and Gardens), Ken and I have been talking of a trip to Japan for years. We were all set to go, and then March 11th of last year of course the devastating earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear events put everything on hold...till now.

We take off Wednesday morning, arriving Thursday afternoon in Tokyo. Four days later, we'll go out to Kyoto, then back to Tokyo for the weekend again before returning home. Packing is well underway, itinerary is mostly set, and I'm updating my shop Monday night to set the shipping time expectations very clearly throughout.

I plan to take a LOT of pictures so I'll probably have several posts on the trip after I get back!

Gemstone Shopping Mini-Spree

The intergalactic gem show was in town this weekend. I'd be holding off ordering new stones for a while in anticipation - there's nothing quite like looking over the strands close up to decide which one is perfect before you buy!. At seller at one booth, observing me browse, commented: "I'm enjoying watching you - a connoisseur - I can see you know exactly what you're looking for!"

***

Now to find some time to make these into new jewelry for my shop!

Winter Orchids

Cold weather snaps (like the one we're feeling this weekend) have been unusually rare this winter in South Florida. As a result, my orchids have been a little slower than usual to acknowledge that it's blooming season. But it's worth the wait. Many of my plants are in bud; these few among the first to produce flowers this year: First up a pink/white Phalaenopsis. I picked him up two years ago at a show, and displayed him on a coffee table for a few months. Then regrettably I transferred him outside and he caught a little too much sun too quickly and was almost completely gone. So I'm happy to see this plant fully recovered and again displaying these lovely tall multiple spikes for me!

Here is a simple white and purple mini-dendrobium:

And a lovely petite white and yellow Phal:

This pink Phal is smaller than the other, but has such pretty flowers:

I love the tropical colors and details of this small phal hybrid:

More to come as the rest of the spikes mature.. Pin It

Sakura Blossoms at the Morikami

We're getting ready to travel to Japan next month for a long-awaited trip. In the meantime, the Morikami Museum and Gardens (just around the corner from my home) provides a little touch of Japanese history, culture, and experience to create a nice short escape for an hour or two. We became members last year so and try to take advantage of that by visiting all the festivals and events when we can. This weekend we popped in to see their Sakura trees in bloom.

The gardens frame a small lake in the middle of the complex.

The gardens include a bamboo forest, and many rock arrangements.

I curated the Etsy Front Page today!

My Red/Valentine's themed treasury was selected for the Etsy Front Page today from Noon - 1pm (EST). The collection featured some of my Aspiring Artisan's Guild teammates, as well as some other favorites sprinkled throughout. This is a first for me so I was quite pleased! A couple of the items appear to have sold as a result as well.

Packaging my Etsy Shop Jewelry

In recent weeks I've read a lot of Etsy shop posts asking about "how do you package?" Of course everyone has their own styles and ideas. Some go way detailed and others more utilitarian - I try to find a balance. Of course with any shipment my first objective is to make sure my jewelry arrives safe and sound. I also don't want to add costly overhead, or waste, to the process. But I think a little girly-pretty stuff can sneak in there easily enough! I've always used the Kraft bubble mailers for actual shipping, and Kraft paper boxes for my items which I find very sturdy and perfect for gifting. I made up my own little earring/necklace cards to put the actual items on, wrapped in a little tissue inside each box. Until a few months ago, I then tied a simple strand of ribbon around the box and voila.

A few months ago, I enlisted WinchesterLambourne to create a new banner for my shop (which she did beautifully!). From that, I got the idea to print my banner onto label sheets (since I buy those for mailing labels anyway), to add a little extra something to my boxes. I can print about 30 banners onto one label, and the labels I buy in bulk so this expense is probably only another penny per item, but I really like the way it adds to the overall box.

I've been looking around for small, inexpensive note cards to include with orders, but haven't had much luck (especially with the inexpensive part). So I printed my own! Using light card stock, and cutting/printing myself, these little cards were very easy to make. I tuck in a little note about caring for jewelry, and thank my customers simply inside.

A couple of customers have commented they liked my packaging this holiday season, so I figured I'd share it here as well. I buy my boxes, mailers and labels in bulk and from the best sources I can find to minimize costs. The extra touches are a few pennies per package but so effective.

Pin It

New garden friends

The birdfeeder I wrote about in the Fall is attracting more than just feathered friends. A stray tabby and her kitten have taken up residence. They love to hang out all day around the gazebo but have yet to catch any birds (ideally they won't). I've been putting out breakfast and dinner for them, and fresh water. It's been about a month but they still regard me very cautiously. The kitten has graduated from completely bolting from my yard but still very skittish. I've made them a little bed for when it gets colder but they prefer to sleep under the Bouganvillea mainly.

In hopes of attracting more birds to my garden, I recently purchased up a small birdfeeder, picking one that nicely matches my orchid arbor, to hang in the middle. I've focused on Cardinal bird food (mainly sunflower seeds), but it proves equally attractive to Blue Jays, Crows...and of course squirrels. The latter of which are no longer afraid of me, and allow me to approach within 10 feet before they scurry off. The cardinals have visited a few times but they are not fond of the camera - finally got a good shot of one today (still had to max out my zoom):

Yesterday morning, I found Mr. and Mrs. in the garden:

Here's my most frequent visitor: