Summer fruits

I finally found a use for the raspberries I picked and froze last summer:

Raspberry Cream Scones!

Yummmmm. Especially with the clotted cream I brought home from Harney's last week. We were in Millerton, NY and had lunch in their tea room. If you get by that way don't miss it. Not just great tea...but great lunches, too!

irises

Sarah was asking about my irises today....wishing she could be up here to see them.

These are for you Sarah.

Weeder's Digest

Here's some floral advice for you....from my sweet Sarah.

You can find her weekly column on Design Sponge...usually on Thursdays.

manicure, mah jongg and a meal w/friends

So, I've been working 12 hr. days since I got back from Palm Springs...and I made a plan earlier this week to take today TOTALLY OFF!

I had breakfast overlooking my seriously overgrown and weedy garden. ( Iris in front, then digitalis on the front of the wall, and finally blue iris just starting to bloom.













Planted a hanging plant (don't know what it is Sarah, do you remember, we bought it at Rudolph Gardens ??) in my lovely galvanized watering can that I bought last year and left outside all winter and it got water in it an froze and compromised the bottom*













And now I'm going to get a badly needed manicure, play mah jongg, and then have dinner with friends!

Tomorrow....I'll be catching up again.

*it leaks!

Eli...those weird 'sprouts' on the avocado seed are the roots....I'm still waiting for the 'sprouts' and hope they're green!

avocados, anyone?

A few weeks ago I made guacamole....and decided to try once again to grow the seeds.

I researched the best way to do it...and found that only one in every 5 seeds will sprout.

But 2 of the 4 seeds have sent down roots!

Now if they'll just sprout on top, I can put them in potting soil and see what grows!

Soapmakers party!

Soapmakers party like Mardi Gras at the annual soap guild conference!

















This is how hot it is here....they mist the air to keep the heat down....but I understand it's rainy in cold back home in NY. I'll be leaving to go back to Creekside Soaps at 5:15AM tomorrow.

Travel Bugs

After a very long day of travel, in which my suitcase took a different route, but still ended up at my destination before me....
I arrived here at the Miramonte Resort and Spa.














At the 12th annual Soap Guild Convention in Palm Springs, CA

Where did the last two weeks go?

I can't believe I haven't posted since April 18...the day we reclaimed the porch...and then had to give it back to COLD weather.
We haven't been out there since.

Not only has it been quite chilly...but I've been doing this:



















When I'd rather be here.....













I've been working like crazy to get all of my soap made and orders out before I leave for Palm Springs on Monday for the Soap Guild Conference! Woo Hoo...yes, they really do have conferences for soapmakers!!

If you happen to be one of my soapmaker readers...and you're going to the conference....find me. I'll be there.