Longwood Gardens in Winter

I went to Longwood Gardens again the other day. I just love it there. So peaceful and serene. It's a perfect escape from the cold, bareness of winter.

A Longwood Gardens Christmas with Hipstamatic

Last Thursday evening, Zach and I drove down to Kennett Square to check out this year's Christmas displays at Longwood Gardens. It was magical, as always.

Here's some shots I took with my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app:

Autumn at Terrain

I stopped by Terrain at Styer's yesterday. For those of you not familiar with Terrain, it's part of the Anthropologie brand. It's the first store of its kind by the style maven, and it's right here in Chester County Pennsylvania! I feel pretty lucky to have it so close by. For all you Anthro fanatics who live across the country (or across the world) here's a peak into what the shop is looking like now that Autumn is here.

Terrain is made up of a collection of buildings converted from rugged old barns. Or are they greenhouses? Yes, I was definitely in at least one greenhouse. I think. As I'm writing this, I'm realizing, although I've been there numerous times, I don't really know for sure if the greenhouses are actual greenhouse or just more barns with big windows. The place is sort of overwhelming because there is so much to look at and everything is so lovely. Be they barns or greenhouse, they each house a varied collection of plants, garden supplies, housewares, books - even a skin care line. The spaces are bright and airy, and I find myself relaxed and invigorated (with all the ideas I'm inspired by) at the same time.

The first thing that struck me was this grid of metal troughs (funnels? cake decorating tips?). Can't you just imagine flowers cascading over the edge of each one? It would create a spectacular wall of color.  Even without flowers it still looks super cool - creating a modern, edgy effect.

They have a lot of plants and shrubs on sale right now in prep for the changing season (always looking ahead to the next great thing.). I really love this Variegated False Holly. I'm not exactly sure why it's called "False" but assume it has something to do with the fact it's not technically a holly. Whatever the reason, it's lovely to look at. Very striking.

Then I wandered over to the sale corner in one of the green houses where I found this adorable little rabbit planter.

They also had a selection of dried wreaths for sale which made me regret throwing out all those lovely dried cones from my Echinacea a couple weeks ago. Next year I think I'll try to make a wreath with them (along with some other dried flowers and herbs).

I'm a big fan of succulents, so I was really drawn to this planter made out of, what looks like,  concrete with aggregate mixed in.

Eventually, I ended up in the main building that houses all the books, furniture, and decor-related items as well as the skin care line and, if you wander far enough, the cafe. There I found these adorable little velvet pumpkins. The stems are real, but the pumpkins are made out of soft velvet in a host or gorgeous fall colors. They felt like they were stuffed with buckwheat or something similar. Charming, don't you think?

One of my favorite sections of the main building, is this wall of succulents. I could have bought one of each. It's probably one of the largest succulent selections I've seen.

There was an entire section devoted to canning complete with Weck canning jars and several books to guide you on your quest to preserve all that garden bounty.

I also found these colorful strainers that I thought would really come in handy in the kitchen. They come in a pack of three - each color a different size. Perfect for straining loose tea.

I loved these colorful fall napkins - perfect for Thanksgiving.

And or course, I'm also mesmerized by Terrain's unique selection of natural wreaths. Aren't they gorgeous?

If you have a chance, stop by Terrain at Styer's. It's a lovely place to spend an hour or two...in any season!

It's been awhile

Sorry for the silence. I've been working on lots of project and will have lots to post next week (fingers crossed!). Until then, here's some shots of some flowers from my garden and on my back patio...

Enjoy your weekend!

Signs of Spring

I think spring might finally be here...

Spring Tulips

I promised my mom I'd post a photo of my front yard so she could see my tulips in bloom. Here you go Mom!

San Francisco Botanical Garden

Today I was determined to figure out the seemingly impossible San Francisco public transportation system, or "Muni" as they like to call it. Also known as the SFMTA or DPT. Or is it the BART? No, that's the train. So, yes, it's the Muni. Once I figured out the name of the system (sort of), I needed to buy my ticket. Let's see, did I want a Pass? A Passport? Maybe a CityPass? A Disabled Monthly Sticker attached to RTC Discount Card? Well, I'm not disabled, so I ruled out that one immediately. Maybe I wanted a "Pass," so I clicked on the link; at which point I was informed that there are five options for Passes, and the Passes are actually Monthly Passes. Since I'm only here for a few more days that wasn't useful. I moved on to "Passports" - at which point I was given the option of 1, 3, or 7 day versions good for unlimited rides. Sounded good, but I didn't really need unlimited rides, I just wanted to go to the Botanical Garden. At eleven bucks for one day, I decided I didn't want to spend that much and risk not using it.

Finally, I found the "Basic Fares" section where I was informed of the two dollar fee plus the 90 minute transfer. What the hell is a transfer? I finally figured that out, but then I needed to get the ticket. No problem, I had a credit card and a few twenty dollar bills in my bag.

I headed off to the station.

I found the station - first major accomplishment of the day (second, if you count the ridiculous amount of research I had to wade through to figure out where the station was and how to get a ticket).

I descend the staircase to the Muni system below.

At this point I read a sign that said something about getting change from the BART ticket machines. What? I needed exact change? By "change" I mean literally "change." Not dollar bills in the exact quantity. Change. I'm in arguably one of the most modern cities in our country and "Oh no, I can't pay for my ticket with a twenty or a credit card. I need exact change!" Seriously?

I got my change from the machine and dropped my quarters in the turn style. A ticket popped out, which I almost forgot to take, and I was on my way (thank you nice lady at the ticket booth for patiently explaining everything to me and for making sure I didn't forget my ticket.).

Miraculously, I made it to the San Francisco Botanical Garden (see map below) thanks to some intense research and the kindness of strangers - including a nice man who told me when to get off the metro since nothing was labeled once we got above ground.




The SFBG was lovely. It was divided into different theme gardens and provided me with a peaceful walk along many pathways. During my visit I walked past a forest of bamboo, through a cactus garden (one of my favorite sections) and across a bridge covering a pond (just to name a few).









After I had toured quite a bit of the gardens, I came upon a little old lady, bags of groceries in tow. She said, "where are you going?" to which I answered, "I'm not sure." She responded "Why don't you come with me, and I'll take you to the Redwoods." She was walking rather hurriedly, and I wasn't sure if she was extroverted or crazy, but I figured I didn't have much to lose, so I followed her. She turned out to be the best companion, explaining that she lived across the street from the botanical garden, and when she went grocery shopping she walked through the gardens on her way home ("lucky me." she said). The Redwoods were her favorite section and she was happy to tell me all about them on our walk. Once we got there, she left me on a bench in the middle of the dense forest and continued on her way. Just delightful.