FEED ME!

Yep, I went and bought a little Venus fly trap. In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that this isn't the first time I've come home with a carnivorous plant. The other times didn't turn out so well...for the plant, I mean...

Coprinellus micaceus

This is the second in my series of four rattles for Gretchen. I'm steering away from poisonous this time around.

Yes, this is actually an edible mushroom: Coprinellus micaceus. According to Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest,

the Coprinellus "grows in large groups and clusters on hardwood stumps, buried roots, and other organic debris."

Hmm, sounds pretty findable, right? And Mushrooms of the PNW calls it a "good edible species."

Hopefully, it doesn't look strikingly similar to some deadly mushroom. Beware, amateur mycologists!

Two down, two to go!

Amanita muscaria

I'm working on another felted mushroom rattle project for my friend Gretchen. She's commissioned four rattles and given me free rein on mushroom decisions. That means whatever mushrooms intrigue me, be they edible or  be they highly poisonous, are up for grabs. Oh, please let them be highly poisonous! So, I visited my local library for some mushroom guidebooks. I came home with Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest and The Mushroom Book: How to identify, gather, and cook wild mushrooms and other fungi. It's good to embark on a little research, right? 

Now, as I've mentioned before, I think mushrooms are both amazing and terrifying. Quote: "I'm all for good bacteria keeping my gut organs in order, but I don't want anything bursting (a word, which in the context of fungus, cannot be beneficial for anything but the fungus) from my body and fruiting (which is what a fungus likes to do before it pops its spore top)." Yeah, I'm looking at you, Cordyceps--not my favorite fungus in the universe. TRUTH. But the Amanita muscaria is one of my favorites. It's probably one of the most recognizable mushrooms, with its red cap and white spots, which is a good thing because the Amanita is poisonous. So, here's A. muscaria, of the orange-capped variety.

According to Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest, the orange-capped variety of

A. muscaria is typically found in the leaf litter around spruce and pine trees. Noted.

I still need to fill in the gills a bit because some orange has poked through, but otherwise, it's basically finished. 

One down, three to go!

brainstorm!

Just so you all know, it's effing gorgeous in Spokane today. Sixty-three degrees, son!  I realize that it'll be raining by tomorrow, but I don't even care. For the hundredth time this year, the weather has made me absolutely giddy. Sixteen year-old Christine would give me the hugest eye roll ever. What does she know anyway?

On the agenda for the rest of the afternoon:

Figuring out what to do with this gnarly branch I picked up in the cemetery with Maya and Zooey last week. I planned to make an Easter tree, complete with painted branches (maybe neon--I just have so much neon paint!), felted eggs, and paper birds...but now I'm thinking some kind of mobile would best suit it's terrific shape. Right now it's hooked over the edge or my curtain rod because Matilda kept dragging it around at night. She wrecked two tiny branches. Badness!
Any mobile suggestions? 

delivering the goods

As I'm mulling over the wrapping options for Monika's birthday presents--late, yes, but better late than never--I've been scouring all the lovely packaging pins from pinterest. Oh, pinterest! How do I love thee? Let me count the pins!
I mean: packages...

candy pouches via ISLY

carrot treat boxes, via Craft

circus tent gift boxes via Folksy

origami house boxes via How About Orange?

geometric favor boxes, via Ruffled

favor boxes via Oh! Crafts

fringed pyramid box via Martha Stewart Weddings

Wouldn't you go mad for a gift stowed inside one of these packages? I would. Now, if only the gifts themselves were tinier. And if only I were ready to part with them. In all actuality, Monika will not receive any birthday presents until I visit her in May. That's the way it goes with us Nicolai girls and gifts. You rolls the dice; you takes your chances.

But onto more pressing matters. Which package is your favorite? I'm partial to the fringed pyramid boxes myself, but then I can't tear my eyes away from anything shiny. And they're all soooo make-able (except for the circus tent, which is purchasable, or would be except for the fact that it's sold out). Follow the links for instructions, my dears!

brace yourself

It's so dismal here in Spokane. Rain and snow, gloominess for days, and barely any green in sight. Blargh.
So, I decided it was time to paint one of the wooden bracelets I found on clearance. And the color: GREEN. 

Supplies:

Try to smooth out any creases. It's in your best interest. 

Five coats or so, with ten minutes drying time in between. 

See? I didn't do a very good job smoothing all my creases.
But you can mostly scrape away the errant bits of paint with your fingernail.
Perfection is overrated anyway. 

P. S. One of these bracelets actively glows in the dark.
(Two of these bracelets glowed in the dark about a week ago.)

NIGHT VISION!!!!

Scratch-off travels

For St. Valentine's Day this year, I bought Nicholas a scratch-off map of the world. The idea being that you scratch-off all the countries that you've visited. You can find them different places, but I bought mine through Amazon.

Behold the world scratch map--all the fun from a scratch ticket, but no cash reward whatsoever.

Grab your coin ( Nick used a foreign one...how appropriate)!

Obviously you'll scratch off Iceland.

and Denmark and Sweden...

Japan and the UK...

...the US, Mexico, and Canada.

I picked up an inexpensive black frame from Target. I used some simple geometric wrapping paper as a background. 

 We haven't figured out exactly where to hang this yet, so for now, it's on top of a bookshelf.
As soon as Nicholas travels to another country, he'll just open up the back and scratch off a new country.
Each new destination is bold and bright against all the gold.

My Miniature World.

Iceland, September 2011

I am beyond infatuated with making pictures look like miniature worlds. Here are some of my recent adventures through a miniature lens!

I like you chairy much!

So this is a true story about a traveling chair. Well it's not super amazing, but kind of fun. About fourteen (?) years ago my boyfriend, Ben, lived in Burbank, CA. He was a young man living on a dime with his best buddy, and since their pocketbooks were slim they jumped at the opportunity to gain a chair off the side of the road. (Said chair is featured above.) Now, in Burbank it's a desert climate so this is okay. In the Pacific Northwest you really wouldn't want to pick anything plush up off the side of the road because it could contain a deadly strain of mold.

neon dream

Upon seeing Monika's terracotta pots, I became obsessed with the idea of getting my own terracotta pots and painting the rims gray with neon stripes. SO OBSESSED. Yes, an obsession worthy of all caps. What obsession isn't? Anyway, after finding several serviceable pots at an estate sale, I knew it was time to make the dream a reality...

this week in...

INSTAGRAM!!!!

gummy raspberries

glow-in-the-dark necklaces are the best babysitting accessory

toy guns at the hobby shop

deep fried swiss and garlic

silhouettes on the bedroom wall

new estate sale sunglasses

vintage horse ribbons

succulent displaced by a bad cat

Well, my life in Instragram anyway. Happy weekend!

dino might

Monika gave me some dollar store dinos for Christmas (Brachiosaurus, Stegosaurus, Iguanodon). They were a barfy plastic bone color. Naturally, before I could add them to any succulent landscape, I had to do something about that.
I perused my nail polish choices (which Catherine has informed me are "for peasants"), and came up with this. 

And indeed it was golden. 

Oh, happy day.