The Quest

I had to create a poster for an upcoming Kids Night event in May and looking for an inspiration was tough. I had a few ideas but nothing concrete. I wanted to do something easy and fast. So, I browsed the internet looking for some answers and decided to visit my blog, thinking I might find something I could use for the poster and there it was – I found the answer!

Tadaa! Here is the poster for the May event.


Remember this?


And here’s the wallpaper I created if anyone is interested feel free to download it.

This is how it looks like on the desktop:


I hope you guys enjoy it. I certainly had fun creating it.

Garden in Bloom

So here’s what I’ve been spending my time on everyday - our garden. I took some photos this week so you can see what we have so far. This is the front of the yard. We are still working on moving the plants around.

Butterfly/Hummingbird/Wildlife garden in progress

Mixed perennial border

Backyard (Serviceberry in bloom)

As you can see we only have a few trees left. There used to be plenty of trees behind the fence until some business developer decided to cut down the trees to build an office building. I wish they had left a few. Below are some photos of plants that are in bloom in the garden right now.

Serviceberry (Amelanchier Canadensis)

Lovely fall color and delicious berries. Birds love them and so do I. Berries can be made into a pie or jam.

Yoshino Cherry (Prunus x yedoensis)

Dandelion (T. officinale subsp. vulgare)

Although considered a weed in most places, this perennial is great in salad, sautéed or steamed. They are also a vital source of nectar and pollen for the honeybees. Harvest leaves in early spring before they start flowering; also, in the fall after frost when their bitterness is gone.

Purple Dead Nettle (Lamium Purpureum)

Another misunderstood plant. This “weed” is edible and has variety of uses: astringent, diaphoretic, diuretic, purgative, styptic and tonic. It’s rich in vitamins, iron and fiber. Flowers and leaves are also used as tea.

Also in bloom are:

Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata)

Purpleleaf Sandcherry (Prunus x cistena)

Viburnum (Korean Spice Viburnum)

Spirea (Not in bloom but I thought the foliage is lovely)

Tulips and other bulbs (Anemone, Allium, Hyancinth and Daffodils - not shown)

And this is Snuggles, she oversees all the work.


“Earth is here so kind, that just tickle her with a hoe and she laughs with a harvest.”

~Douglas William Jerrold, about Australia, A Land of Plenty

Spring Cleaning

I have been spending my time in garden and not a lot of time inside. Last week, I finally had a chance to clean my room! It made me feel so much better. And I found some things that I have not seen in years: foam boards, unused nail polish set, unopened hello kitty magnetic board, headbands, and some artwork from college. Below was one of the things I found under my bed – tucked inside an envelope with some other artwork. I remember working on this the night before it was due. Perhaps I’ll try some pen and ink next time but not this elaborate.

“The splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not rob the little violet of it’s scent nor the daisy of its simple charm. If every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness.”

– Therese of Lisieux