Wedding Invitations and All

Since our wedding, we have had a number of friends ask for my help in designing hand made wedding invitations, programs, menus, etc. I have tried making this into a business, but given the time and energy that goes into these paper goods, I do not know if I can put a price on such pieces - hence why I have only made invitations for very near and dear family and friends. Here are a few images of my latest creations.

Invitation

Paper:

Bazzill Basics - Grasscloth - Sassy

Wausau - 110 lb - Bright White

Ink: ColorBox - Eggplant

Stamp: PaperSource

Directions

Paper: Bazzill Basics - Grasscloth - Safari, Wausau - 110 lb - Bright White

RSVP

Paper: Bazzill Basics - Grasscloth - Sassy, Wausau - 110 lb - Bright White

Ink: ColorBox - Eggplant

Stamp: PaperSource

Program

Paper: Wausau - 110 lb - Bright White

Ink: ColorBox - Eggplant

Stamp: PaperSource

Menu

Paper: Bazzill Basics - Grasscloth - Sassy, Wausau - 110 lb - Bright White

Ink: ColorBox - Eggplant

Stamp: PaperSource

Strawberries!

I learned a big lesson with the first crop of ripened berries. While watering the berries in the morning, I saw five deep red strawberries. Before I could harvest them, the birds had an opportunity to visit the crop before I did. All that was left were green stems. This time, I prepared myself with nets and was able to enjoy my strawberries. Sweet, tasty, fragrant, full of life. It was wonderful.

The strawberries that are growing are organic, everbearing Quinault. This variety is a quick producer, 4-5 weeks, with good quality fruit. Virtually no runners are produced, making it a good choice for pots.

Le Jardin

The garden is finally taking shape at our house. Before the raised planter box was built, we grew a few organic vegetables in ceramic pots around the backyard. Here's a picture of me and my first harvest - Sugar Snap Peas. They were crisp, sweet and delicious. The only downside to growing these snap peas is that aphids really like attacking their leaves. I use an organic bug spray that does not harm the vegetables, but boy do I wish my ladybugs stayed around to eat the aphids!

Now that we have the planter box in, I am excited to see how things will grow. Here's what is in the planter: Swiss Chard Ruby Red, Basil Genovese Italian, Cantaloupe Muskmelon Hearts of Gold (front row), Squash: Black Beauty Zucchini and Early Prolific Straightneck, Cucumber Straight Eight (second row), Tomatoes: Sugar Sweetie and Brandywine (third row), Sunflowers: Evening Sun and Mammoth Russian (back row).


The vegetable plants here grew from organic seeds I purchased from Botanical Interests. They have a wide variety of organic seeds and can be found online, at stores like Whole Foods, and nurseries such as Yamagami's Nursery (by the way, I love this nursery - very friendly and knowledgeable staff).

My Favorite Local Places

I'm finally getting out and venturing around the neighborhood. Here are a few of the favorites around the area.

Gourmet Haus Staudt
Awesome German goodies!
2615 Broadway Avenue, Redwood City, CA
Telephone: 1.650.364.9232
Website: http://www.gourmethausstaudt.com/
Comments: Any place that has my favorite Italian candy is a place close to my heart. We were also able to find Jason's favorite spicy mustard and they have a beer garden!


Chucks Donuts
Hot, fresh and oh so good!
801 Woodside Road Redwood City, CA 94061
Telephone: 1.650.368.0161
Website: N/A
Comments: Only second to Voodoo, this donut place is my local favorite. The hot donuts come out at around 8:45 pm and are delicious!!!

Second Summit | 2009 Mt. Shasta

In July 2006, my husband, his father - Larry, his brother - Mike, and I climbed to the summit of Mt. Shasta. It was my first 14,000 ft summit and on the way back to the car at Bunny Flat, I told myself that it would be my last. But in September 2008, I hiked Mt. Whitney (the highest peak on the continental United States) car-to-car in 18 hours. So I guess it was natural that I would somehow get talked into do Mt. Shasta again. This time, I figured that I would capture my experience in writing to remind me of the "dark places" I might not want to visit again.

Mt. Shasta holds a very special place in my heart not only because it was my first summit, but because it serves as the water source for a land, its creatures and people who I have a deep connection. Seemingly out of nowhere, this mountain rises above a flat landscape. Covered in snow and ice year round, this peak is as unpredictable as any and has as many routes to lure the novice to expert mountaineer.

Great Eats Around Portland, OR

We recently headed up to Portland, OR for a cousin's wedding and ended up staying a few extra days to take in the sights, activities, and of course ... food! Here are some of our findings:

Stumptown Coffee
Quite possibly the best coffee!
4525 SE Division Street, Portland, OR 97206-1633
Telephone: 1.503.230.7702
Website: http://www.stumptowncoffee.com/
Comments: Roasts coffee on-site, knowledgeable staff, amazing coffee and great history.


Hopworks Urban Brewery
Not just your ordinary pub food!
2944 SE Powell Blvd, Portland, OR 97202
Telephone: 1.503.232-4677
Website: http://www.hopworksbeer.com/
Comments: Bikes galore! Food is wholesome and filling while the beer is just darn good. Fries nachos - yum!!!


Piazza Italia Portland
Awesome Italian food!
1129 NW Johnson Street, Portland, OR 97209-3062
Telephone: 1.503.478-0619
Website: http://www.piazzaportland.com/
Comments: Great location, incredible Italian food.

Voodoo Doughnut
The Magic is in the apple fritter!
Location one: 22 SW 3rd Avenue Portland, OR 97204
Telephone: 1.503.241.4704
Location too: 1501 N.E. Davis St. in Portland, OR 97232
Telephone: 1.503.235.2666
Website: http://voodoodoughnut.com/
Comments: Good doughnuts, but the apple fritter is the best that I have had - ever! And yes, we went to both locations.

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Worm Poop | How to Make a Worm Compost Bin

Over Memorial Day weekend, our family and I went to Lake Tahoe. During our visit to the KidZone Museum, we learned how to make a worm compost bin (which my dad likes to call worm poop). Composting - via a worm bin - is an easy and great way to reduce food waste in landfills, close the loop, and return nutrient rich soil back to the earth.

The advantage of the system outlined below is that it can be done indoors and outdoors and allows those with little or no yard to compost as well. The easiest way to make a worm compost bin is to use plastic storage totes, so here goes!

Materials:

• One 10 gallon plastic tote (dark colored) - I like the Rubbermaid Roughneck Storage bins as they are durable, inexpensive and easy to find at local stores.
  
• Drill with 1/4 inch bit
  
• Newspaper strips (strips should be between 1/2 to 1 inch wide) or shredded paper (no glossy or coated paper)
  
• At least 1 pound of red worms - Two places to buy these red worms are Smith & Hawken ($29.00 for 1 lb) or Sonoma Valley Worm Farm ($49.50 for 2 lbs - includes shipping). Another way to get red worms are from a friend who already has a worm bin and lots of worms!!!
  
• Several pounds of dirt/soil (which the worms typically come with)
  
• Water

Putting it all together:

1. Drill holes - Around the upper half of the tote, drill 20 to 30 evenly spaced holes for ventilation. Some composters drill holes at the bottom of the tote, but this is not necessary if your compost bin is kept relatively dry.
   
2. Prepare bedding - Soak the newspaper or shredded paper in water and squeeze out any excess water. Add this paper to the bottom of your tote. Cover the bottom of your tote with 3 to 4 inches of moist paper (fluffed up).
3. Add dirt and worms - A redworm can consume up to its weight in food each day!
4. Add a layer of paper on top - This helps control moisture (which is bad for worm bins as it breeds odors and mold) as well as keeps fruit flys away.
   
5. Find a good home - Place the worm bin in a cool, shaded area. Worms like it between 50 and 80 degrees. Good places include the: garage, patio, under the sink, and laundry room.
   

Keeping your worms happy:

• Gently bury food scraps in the dirt, very close to the wet paper at the bottom. Worms like to live towards the bottom of the tote and placing food under the soil helps keep the pesky critters away.
  
• Feed your worms slowly at first. Transport and a new environment will create stress for the worms. Don't worry, they won't starve. Worms will tell you if they are hungry as they will follow the food, but if there is no food, they'll start appearing towards the top of the bin (top dry layer of paper) as they search for food.
  
• Remember to keep the bin free of "soup," which is the liquid that may pool at the bottom of the tote if you have too much moisture in the bin. Just dump the water out, add more paper or simply drill a few holes in the bottom of the tote. I don't like drilling holes in the bottom of the tote, so I do my best to maintain moisture levels by being aware of the liquid content of the materials I place into the bin.
• Once you have lots of dirt and worms, share the love! Help a friend create a compost bin and share your worms.
  

Dining preferences:

What do worms like to eat? An all vegetarian diet! You'll also find over time that your worms will have their preferences:

• Worms love: fruit, vegetables, coffee grounds and filter paper, tea bags, bread and grains.
  
• Worms hate: oils, fats, dairy, meat, feces.
  

Troubleshooting:

• My worms are dying or trying to escape! Probable cause is that the bin is too wet, too dry or the bedding is used up. Just add more bedding or moisten bedding.
• The bin is smelly! Probable cause is that there is not enough air, too much food, or the bin is too wet. Simply drill more holes, don't feed the worms for a week or add more bedding.
• Fruit flys! Probable cause is exposed food. Just bury the food in the bedding and away with the flys.