A Perfect Arrangement: A Botanically-Inspired Seating Chart

As my botany instructor likes to say: “plants are like people: they’re all unique individuals.” So where better to look than the world of horticulture when plotting a seating chart for a dinner? This lineup of sparkling personalities was designed to keep the conversation (and wine) flowing—with a few irascible characters (and 3 unidentified party crashers) in the mix.*

 

*NB: One of the guests was a bit camera shy, so she didn’t make it in the group portrait.

 

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Easy and Delicious Cherry Tomato Tart

Fall is officially here, but my tomato patch is still going strong, and one of the best ways to put the fruits of my summer labor to use is to make a tart. It's easy, delicious and perfect with a simple green salad and a bottle of bubbly. When this savory pastry, bursting with amazing tomato-y goodness comes out of the oven, your friends will declare you a culinary genius. Take a bow and let them toast you with a glass of champagne. Because you ARE a genius.

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The Ultimate Garden Cocktail

The celery gimlet, designed by Naron Young of NYC's Saxon & Parole, is the ultimate garden cocktail. Actually, it's just the ultimate cocktail plain and simple—but its vibrant green hue and delightfully bright-yet-earthy flavor make it especially welcome on a warm summer night. It does require some work: lots of celery- and lime-juicing which is a bit tedious, and multiple ingredients (including green chartreuse which is expensive). Nevertheless, the effort is well worth the trouble, and the liqueur goes a long way. 

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A Perfume Genius Distills Scent Memories

One of my favorite things in the shop right now is a very special collection of scents by the Brooklyn-based perfumer, Christopher Brosius. For the uninitiated, the name of Brosius's company, CB I Hate Perfume, often evokes a laugh. It's a counter-intuitive brand name for a fragrance maker, but the backstory is brilliant.

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Rock Solid: DIY Concrete Planters

I love the industrial-meets-rustic look of concrete plantersand I'm very excited to share the new collection that I've been working on (available soon at the shop). Like all good art projects, the making of pots includes a healthy dose of research and some exciting revelations. And while there are already a lot of really great how-tos out there, my hope is to add a few additional bits of wisdom to the pot-making oeuvre in case you want to try this yourself. (Plus, I'm throwing in a link to Momofuku Milk Bar's cornflake chocolate chip marshmallow cookie recipeand I swear it's not off-topic You'll see why in just a bit.) 

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5 Minute Exercises: Reduce Stress, Up Your Energy

Stress. It's a symptom of our modern world, and it can really affect the quality of our lives. Luckily, there are some easy exercises (in tandem with some wonderful, meditative breathing techniques) to get us back on track, calm and revitalized. Dr. Johannes Liu, a longtime practitioner of TaiChi, meditation and Chinese herbal medicine is here to show us how it's done. 

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DIY: Botanical Chandelier

Back in February I wrote about making myself some floral art to celebrate Valentine's Day, and I waxed poetic about Azuma Makoto, an artist whose work is an enduring source of inspiration. Scroll through my posts and you'll notice a major theme: I'm crazy about making structures out of flowers, leaves, branches and grass. And, I'm envisioning that plants, living and dried, will be an essential part of my store. 

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The Warp and the Weft

The shift from summer to fall is in the air. Signs of the transition are everywhere, even in unexpected places like the neglected alley behind my house, where I recently spied a row of tall golden grass. I must have driven past it countless times, but backlit by the late-afternoon sun its beauty was impossible to resist. I took a break from weeding my flower beds, grabbed my clippers and gathered some up. I thought immediately of the incredible botanical sculptor, Tracey Deep, and how my newfound material would be perfect for creating something with the sort of woven detail that I've admired in her work. 

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Take the Long Way Home

I am so grateful for Seattle's light rail. Without it, I'd have to drive to work in horrendous commuter traffic. But there's a catch: I live over a mile from the station, which means either walking or riding the #50 bus to and fro. In the morning, it's a breeze. The bus is almost always on time and well synced with my transit app. Going home, it's another story. 

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Blue Twig: Study no. 2

The other day I was walking in the rain with a friend when my eye fell on this twig. It was lying on the wet bricks in Pioneer Square looking a bit forlorn, like it had fallen violently from a tree or been thoughtlessly cast aside. I suppose that's one of the reasons that it spoke to me. That, and the fact that I found it's shape really, truly beautiful. "I love that twig!" I sang out as soon as I saw it. And I knew instantly that I would take it home and paint it a vibrant shade of blue.

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