greenclogs

green week :: 4 & 5

The playmobil country village and farm, after Fatzilla (the cat) ran through and destroyed it all. They are slowly rebuilding after an official State of Emergency was declared.

A delightful lunch with Annika at Pure Sushi, sitting on the patio, enjoying the 75 degree afternoon and the smell of orange blossoms in the air. I'm putting this day in my memory bank for September, when I can't remember anything good about living here. 

And so ends green week. 

green week :: 3

bees and lemon blossoms (click to see larger)

My favorite time of year in Phoenix is the end of lemon season (and not because I'm tired of lemons - far from it!). As we stretch up off the ladder to pick the last of the fruit, we see these beautiful pink buds forming at the ends of the leaves. And as the buds open into blossoms, the whole neighborhood is awash in the scent of citrus trees - the orange, the lemon, the grapefruit, the lime. The intoxicating smell will follow us for just two weeks or so, sometimes elusive and caught while stepping out of the car or turning a corner, and sometimes overwhelming and heady as we sit on the back patio in the late evening and talk. 

At this moment, I can believe that this is the best place in the world to live. I just need to close my eyes and breathe it in.

Just don't ask me that question in August. 

green week :: 2

dishes, stacked. A now discontinued Crate & Barrel pattern. 

A note on the clogs from yesterday's post - they were a gift from my mother (hi Mom!) years ago and the brand info is long worn off. You can find something similar at Sven's. I've been eyeing a pair in turquoise. Or maybe red. 

green week :: 1

green clogs in the snow. no snow at our house of course, but we visited it on Thursday (see post below).

I'm very excited to participate in Emily's green week. We all know how I feel about green. 

green week - 5

New green shoes purchased today in honor of green week. They were scored at Last Chance (basically the Nordstrom thrift store) for $15. My thrifting skills may be lacking, but I can always dig out a cute pair of shoes at Last Chance.

There's a cute wedge heel and nice padding on the inside. After all, I can't wear the clogs EVERY day.

Thanks Emily for thinking up green week. It was much fun to notice the green in places that I didn't expect it.

We're off to Vegas for a few days, so I'll see you here on Wednesday. Have a great weekend!

green week - 4

This project has been on the agenda for far too long and it's finally done. A while back, Jade wanted a bag out of this cute ladybug fabric by Echino, but wasn't feeling like she could do the fabric justice (she totally could, but that's another subject). So I told her to ship me the fabric and I'd make a bag for her out of it.

When I got it and saw how cute it was, I told her she was getting a coin purse and I'd keep the rest of the fabric for myself. But, I did the honest thing and made her a real bag that should hold quite a bit of stuff for the diaper-carrying mom that she is.

I used Beki's pleated handbag pattern as my base and enlarged it. I also replaced the button with a magnetic snap and I borrowed a strap detail from the wasp bag pattern that was the original inspiration for Jade. For some reason, I couldn't wrap my brain around the pattern and went with something that I knew I could execute. I got stage fright, I think, since it was going to someone else who could tell if I mucked it up.

I like the strap detail better on the wasp bag because it's leather and really stands out, but I think it's cute here too. Hopefully Jade will like it and get a lot of use out of it this spring. I'll be hoarding my scraps for something cute down the road. Something green.

green week - 3

wearing green

New green print shirt, all floaty and light for spring and summer

My favorite shoes, as evidenced by their worn toes and straps and by their place as my profile pic for the blog and in Ravelry. Anyone know where to find apple green shoe polish? They're by Sven and my mother bought them for me for my birthday a few years ago at Olivine in Seattle. I wear them probably far too often, but wouldn't you?

We had a much better day around here today. Quiet, but peaceful. I'm slowly working my back through my inbox to respond to each of your kind comments. This is really an amazing community of people. Thank you for letting me be a part of it.

green week - 2

Spring-y green yarn for my next carry along project. Sweet Georgia sock yarn from right before she closed up shop (although I hear she's opening again sometime soon). I've been saving it for just the right project and now I have it.

Backyard green - palms, rosemary bushes and an olive tree peeking on the right. Every year we think about letting the olives fruit so we can harvest and brine them, and every year we get it sprayed because we'd probably just let them fall to the ground and there is nothing messier than those olives all over the place.

Today marked the end of our journey with Jake. He went to sleep in his favorite spot with his head in my lap this morning. The vet who came to our home is truly an angel who made a sad sad day so much easier to bear. We're grieving for ourselves, but are so relieved that he's no longer in pain and know that his spirit romping away somewhere up there and watching over us. After all, he still has to keep a close eye on the pool guy. That pool guy is up to No Good.

I can't say enough about how much all of your sweet comments have meant to us. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I took a long walk today with my other dog, sweet Luna, and we talked about how special you all are. Thank you.

green week - 1

green - day one
Originally uploaded by spjphoto.

I'm participating in shining egg's week of green as a celebration of March and spring. I love green, so this week is perfect for me.

I'm a big fan of sparkling water, and lime Perrier is one of my favorites. Pair it with a green polka dot glass (Crate and Barrel, discontinued) and I'm a happy girl.

Also a big thank you to everyone who has been thinking about our Jake this weekend. The update is that the vet came today and examined him. She thinks he is suffering from severe arthritis pain and old age. We gave him a painkiller shot that will tell us if the pain is treatable or if it's just his time now. He's better this evening, but nowhere near his self of a week ago. so, the most likely scenario is that he's having a more comfortable last day now and she'll be back tomorrow and we'll let him go. We're devastated, but we know that we've done what we can for him and we have to do the right thing for him. We're giving him lots of love and chicken and naps on the cozy quilt. He has lived a long life for his breed and size, and a very happy one. We've been blessed by sharing our life with him. Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart, for your love and concern.