...these have always brought me luck

oh...these? why they're just some
WHITE DIAMONDS! I had to put them on quick because Aaron is about to arrive and I need all my friends to think that I've gotten rich and famous in the time that's passed since I've seen them. plus i havn't washed my hair in a few days, and everyone knows that diamonds real or fake counteract this

horray! my birthday week has begun! let the royal ruckus begin!!!

*Nidhi, I see your waterfalls and raise you one...

Celosia, otherwise known as cockscomb. People either love it or they hate it. Like sardines. LOVE THEM, and did you know that although you can't feel good about half the fish you eat these days, sardines remain a tried and true, responsibly-fished delectable. Snacks, you know? Love snacks. A sardine on a piece of hard tack with butter? then things are getting serious...



And speaking of food, celosia (which belongs in the amaranth family) is quite edible and grows across Central and West Africa, and is one of the leading leafy green vegetables in Nigeria, where it is known as ‘soko yokoto’, meaning "make husbands fat and happy." That's straight from the internet, because i couldn't make that up.

NEWS:
1 spot left in our 2nd wildflower class over at LFS
Also we just posted the results from our last two peony classes.

NEWS:
Saw I Am Love last night. One of the most beautiful movies - Tilda Swinton is a goddess onscreen and the guy who plays Edo isn't so bad either.

Not really NEWS:
Searsucker on Smith Street is not all that great. I'm curious if you've had a good meal there...perhaps I'm tired of restaurant's being so squeaky clean, aesthetically speaking... and having to have a schtick. (Southern comfort food, in this case. Which to be fair, might just not be my thing. Also not my thing is an under seasoned, soggy crab salad...and for the record Fort Defiance makes a better deviled egg.)

you've never, ever been more welcome

If you havn't heard of Ariel Pink, now you have.

thank you Sohrab.

menus, dahlias

Asheley works with us and is talented beyond compare in all things handwritten and illustrated. Like a bolt of lightening we thought she can help us pimp out parties far and wide.



also, Dahlias are starting to look really good. like REAL GOOD. you can hear hollars and whistles on the street when they walk by..
"hey sweetie!"



"you lookin good mami"



"smile, baby"



well i think that's enough of that.

sands of time

i never showed you these flowers from april.
nea was a pensive companion last night. we were listening to pearl jam.

I am a strange loop.

monday updates and flower class with Sunday Suppers

[or; post where in I shamelessly attempt to pass off a student's work as my own]



Things are hectic as usual. I was supposed to tell you about my mid-summer revelations, and I will eventually - but let me tie you over by sharing my latest purchase which was a yellow polka dot bikini from target, 1 size too small. because you try and buy a bathing suit mid-season. and so what if my cheeks hang out, as one of my interns says about life - you only go around once..



We worked on a wedding at Buttermilk Falls in Milton NY this weekend, and it was beautiful - tomato reds and ivories and grapevine gallore and cafe lights. Susan put us up for the weekend, fed us chicken Tiki, peach cobbler and of course the post wedding martini. it always ends the same.



Before that I taught a little private lesson with a lovely lady from California - here to intern over at Pies and Thighs. She whipped up this little masterpiece with chocolate sunflowers, juliet roses, crabapple, etc...the best thing about teaching flower arranging is stealing ideas from students. I feel this particular peach/brown/blush pallette is destined to debut in a wedding soon...

--->>>LASTLY AND MOST IMPORTANTLY<<<--- Our friends at Sunday Suppers still have a few spots left in this Sunday's class, the Ladies Lunch

Three reasons you need to sign up right away:

1. NICOLETTE AND I WILL BE THERE TEACHING A LITTLE FLOWER LESSON!
YOU WILL GET TO MAKE AN ARRANGEMENT WITH SUMMER WILDFLOWERS!!!

2. THE JEWELS OF NY WILL BE THERE TEACHING YOU HOW TO MAKE FRIED SQUASH BLOSSOMS FILLED WITH HERBS AND RICOTTA among other menu items

3. YOU GET TO EAT THE RICOTTA STUFFED SQUASH BLOSSOMS AT THE END!!!

I'm so hungry right now

i just figured out summer...
and it has nothing to do with the fact that i just ate 1/2 a pint
of ice cream - because that, my friends, happens every damn day.

more on this development soon.

anniversary, disclosed

celebrating one year in our new shop today.
i miss the old shop sometimes. mostly i miss bugging russell next door.

this year we were supposed to meet up in moscow.

oh well.

july

ate a good homemade meal, waiting for eric to come home.
he builds a terrarium out of old windows for the weekend. i get up for seconds..



tonight i'm annoyed suddenly by triteness, and people in general.

i get up and drizzle some truffle oil over my salad for kicks. which reminds me - of course - of aaron.

his birthday is tomorrow! we met, and then met again several years later. comparing the two times we knew each other and were friends is like comparing your life before and after puberty...or before you knew what irony was. something like that..



aaron likes green and gold together, and big jewelry. he likes to be comfortable and talk about deep shit or whatever. he likes me, and i feel very very very lucky for that. he's also a fantastic dancer. and a reasonable cook. and he's moving back to ny so that he can keep company with eric and me again. isn't that great news?! no, it's not, because i just made that up. so it's no news.