quote monday

                           Flowers don't worry about 
                               how they're going to bloom.
                           They just open up and turn 
                             toward the light and that 
                                  makes them beautiful.
                                                        -Jim Carrey

Happy Monday!

Make it a beautiful!

~norma~

note: Peonies on my table that I picked up at Trader Joe's.

adenium obesum

or... Desert Rose

I was gifted one a couple of years ago but it didn't last long. I thought it was finicky and come to find out I was somewhat right. My neighbor has a huge one in a pot on his patio. I marvel at it when I plant sit for them occasionally and wonder how his grew and my small one didn't. His has a very pale pink flower. I learned that they are a little hard to find in the stores and they can be a little pricey. 

I also learned recently, that my boss, besides being a Christmas magician, interior decorator deluxe, and a good cook... he is also a master gardener. A few weeks ago, he excitedly showed me some pics on his phone of his newest "adenium obesesum". He uses correct botanical names for all his plants, even the  beautiful artificial ones in the store. So, when he showed me the pics I said..."oh, a desert rose?" He got so animated and said "you know what it is?"  A conversation followed about my attempt at one and how I was so puzzled by them. (I will add, now that I have been reading and watching videos on the internet, I ask myself why I didn't read about them before?) They are very interesting and the more I read the more I think that the botanical name of adenium obesum really is adenium obsession. Because, I think you could get obsessed by these!

Anyway, back to Paul the Master...he told me Lowes had them for 18.98, which he said was shocking and "they must not know what kind of plant these really are because usually this size is 40.00"! Naturally, because I'm like a sheep and tend to flock towards things, I went to Lowes the first chance I got. Actually, It was the day before Mother's Day and I told Chuck I'd like to get one. 

So, as you can see, I didn't get just one...I got three. Although, one is going to be a housewarming gift for a friend. Also, I'm not sure I should compare myself to a sheep, as I believe they are not the brightest animal. Side note to back up that statement: when we lived in Montrose and the open farm land was still all around our house, the farmers would bring sheep in during the fall to eat down all of the old crops. More often than not, one sheep would start to run and they would all join the crowd and run like crazy to follow the first one who seemed to know where he was going. The first one would run himself right into the corner of the fencing while all the others plowed into him. This wasn't just a few either. Like maybe a hundred! Boom, boom, boom, they all just piled into each other and then would look around and finally the last ones "in" would turn around and mosey off allowing the others to follow. I can't tell you how many times we would see that happen.  So, as I said, comparing myself to a sheep might be a baaad idea.

These desert rose plants however, I'm hoping are a good idea and I hope I can keep them alive!

Now, I grabbed a few photos off the internet because I want you to see how magnificently unusual these can be. They are native to Africa and people grow them like a bonsai tree. I find the trunks weird and interesting.

  Look how big this one is. You are suppose to cut them back each spring to encourage the elephant like trunk to grow bigger and more gnarly.  I'm guessing some of these are prize possessions when they achieve such a grand trunk and blooms that are so full!

                                  Isn't this crazy?

Here are some in Africa. Native to the desert there.

We'll see how I do with mine. Paul says he waters them EVERY day. Our air conditioner repairman who was here last week (I'll share that story later) spotted them on my table out front and he got so excited! "You have adeniums?"  He pulled out his phone and started showing me pics of his! He gave me a quick lesson on caring for them. Told me mine needed water immediately and said he waters his every OTHER day. Every day. Every other day. My neighbor says a good soaking once a week. So, I'm a little confused about the watering. Mine have already lost a few leaves that turn yellow overnight. A sign of stress and not watering properly. Paul says, just have fun and don't worry about it. If you kill it, "which you will" he said, you just try again. So suddenly, adenium talk is all around me. Well, who knew? It's like I just found out a secret underground club or something.
I'll let you know how it goes. If any survive. I can't imagine cutting them down at least half way next spring if they are still hanging in there. That will be a curious event.

Adenium obesums.

Learning something new all the time.

read about them.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adenium_obesum

norma

quote monday - getting back into it edition

                            To be a person 
                       is to have a story to tell.
                                                                                 -Karen Christence Dinesen


MY stories ended for awhile. At least here they did. I didn't feel I had much to say and my days got filled with other things. Other people's stories. But in reality they are my stories too, I guess. And now I feel like getting back to me. Well, that sounds selfish. I don't mean it's all about me...just meaning, getting back to my routine. If there ever really is one. Life's routines are always changing. Sometimes taking you by surprise, sometimes just not being surprising at all.

But...SURPRISE...I'm back!

Now, I wonder if you are there. Or here.

Are you?

Happy Monday!

~norma~


photo of an Argentinian cactus in our yard. these bloom in the spring. a night bloomer. as soon as the sun hits them in the morning they begin to wilt. the blooms are so beautiful and fragrant and last just briefly. they pose the ever-wondering-question..."how does something so prickly produce something so beautiful?"     

quote monday

Sunset on the coast in Costa Rica.
We spent a week there.
Some parts were beautiful.
I love the ocean.
It does not feel like December at all.
Here or there.
My heart craves winter.
Just a little.


Happy Monday!
~norma~

quote monday

                     "Let us lay in the sun and count 
                 every beautiful thing we can."

These two have been around most of the summer and now into fall. We don't see them very often but remnants of their lunch are around the yard. Every once in awhile I get a glimpse of them, like this particular day when they were watching me through the window. I'm certain they are they ones that were at our neighbor's when I was watering for them during the summer. The youngster was on the patio when I came out the door. Mama ended up growling at me wen I was too close to her baby. I didn't know the mama was even there that day, she was hiding so well.  

So, as always, I keep my eyes open and remain watchful when in the yard. You know what? I actually enjoy seeing the wildlife...it is scary sometimes but, mostly I feel lucky to see what I see. 

Happy Monday!
~norma~

it's a not quite Christmas tour

I know it is a bit before Thanksgiving and even more so before Christmas but, as I mentioned earlier and as some of you know...I landed a pretty cool job at a very nice privately owned home furnishings store. They turn the store into a Christmas Wonderland each year. We started decorating in September and did so non-stop to get the whole store decked for the Open House that happened last Thursday through this past Tuesday. Five days of...crazy. Busy. It was beautiful and I honestly couldn't believe I had a hand in it. To hear all the compliments and see all the reactions was very rewarding. Early Thursday morning, we were all standing around Paul the Christmas Magician(owner), as I have named him, getting our job duties and pep talk before the doors were to open (ladies were lined up outside already) and my eyes took a fast look around and I was amazed. When he said "ok, lets go"...I actually felt a lump in my throat and my eyes watered a tad. This was so much work ( and I didn't even know what was about to happen) but, I was proud of everything moment, of every ache and pain in my body ( I have the heating pad on my hip as I type this), every piece of glitter that sparkled on my body each night when I went home and of each tree I took from its naked self to its fully dressed, illuminated self. These two guys plan for a whole year and have all of the pieces so completely organized, from the warehouse, to the side patio, to the waiting tree inside... it is literally a fined tuned work of art. I'm amazed.

This is a small portion of how it would look after it came off the truck each morning. They picked up a big load early each morning and would have it all waiting for us. This was one of my piles for a small tree. Here is where it would start. They would tell me the theme name and I would open each box to see what I was working with and then it was go time. Because the store had limited walking space around each tree area and the store was still open through the process, we had to work from outside, carrying only part of it in at a time.

The stuff in these boxes is for the tree called Snow Angel. 

I did not get a before photo of this tree but...here it is completed.

                          I called it the Singing Angel because it looks like she is singing.

These ornaments are glass and quite pretty. So, when I say glass I really mean "I hope I don't drop you" ornaments. A only dropped about three the entire time I was decorating all the trees. A pretty good record, considering the hundreds I put on the trees.

 These two trees are Jolly Joe. The ornaments were very thin mercury glass and very tricky to hook into the tree. This is how the trees were when I started. Already lit...already to be beautified. 

I managed to remember to snap a mostly before of this one...

After.

Fragile mercury glass snowmen.  

                                                                Here is Carrot Nose.
The pile of boxes was huge and some of the items were even more huge. It looked daunting at first and most of it wasn't my cup-of-tea, but it ended up being one of my favorites. It was someone else's favorite too as the entire tree (less 30% of the decoration) sold within a couple of days after I finished it. The entire tree. (Remember, this is still back in October). So, the tree was undecorated, thankfully on my day off, and I got to do it all over again on a smaller tree with the  extra 30% ornaments. As an added note here: I just found out yesterday that I will be going to the clients home today to re-create the first tree.

 This tree and all the snowman around it has continued to be a favorite. I have to add here that so much started selling as we were decorating that we could hardly keep up with "damage control", while still doing the new trees. Did I mention yet that there were 49 trees besides all the garlands and decor throughout the store? Forty. Nine.

 This is sled ride. Giant bears on sleds wired into the tree. This one is completely gone already.

Snowy Owl. I did the one on the left and had a helper with the one on the right. Most everything sold off of these pretty quickly and what little was left on the tree on the left sold on Tuesday. Tree and all. So it is now gone as of yesterday.

                   I really loved all of the fluffy owls. And, can I add a side note here... that when I snapped the pic of these completed trees it was still in the 90's outside. In October.

I didn't do these trees, the theme was called Mushrooms and Acorns. Although I didn't get a full photo, they were so pretty and I really love the deer. Each one unique with different fabric patterns.

And this. This is Mimi. When they spotted her at the buying show they thought she looked a lot like Miriam who works the front register. Miriam is quirky and stylish and has glasses much like these. So, after they texted her a photo to be sure she wasn't offended with their purchase...they brought her back and called her Mimi. It is the name that Miriam's nieces and nephews call her. She was a huge hit and a fun novelty to the traditional Holiday decoration.

 This is Country Mouse. I loved all the felted ornaments and except for a few glass ornaments...this tree was easy to decorate because, we didn't have to worry about breakage! And, although I do not like live mice...I do like a cute felted animal any time.

                                                              Aren't they sweet?

So, I learned about a collectible item that is quite popular. They are Mark Robert's fairies and elves. People go crazy over them each year and collect the newest year model as soon as they come in. There is one whole tree devoted to the elves, with the Mark Robert's Santa figures in the foreground. The fabrics are beautiful and they are all very ornately decorated. Not my thing...but possibly cute in a creepy face kind of way?

It was a challenge to wire the candy cane ladders into the tree. My fingers were cut up and sore for a couple of days afterwards. We have to re-stock these trees at the end of each day as so many have sold. Mark Roberts was here one day of the Open House signing the hands of those people had purchased. It was a fairy frenzy that day!

                                   Posing them was actually the best part of the whole thing.

THIS tree. It is Deck the Halls. It is the first tree as soon as you walk into the store. Several of us worked on it and I finished it up on Tuesday night last week. I was off on Wednesday and when I came in on Thursday they said the entire tree had sold. All 9,000 extra lights that were added and all. So much work went into it...I hope it gets taken down on my day off!

  This is Yesteryear.  It is a tall tree filled with vintage inspired ornaments. It took two of us two and a half days to finish this one. I do not know how many hundreds of ornaments are on it. Gosh.

             This is just a pretty ornament on one of the trees. I love these red velvet hydrangeas.

 Santa's Helper. These little characters were some of my favorites to pose. They just have funny faces and I had a blast posing them in and around the tree.

This garland was over the fireplace by the Snowy Owl trees. It is lovely. I think you can see some of the many flying fairies that were hanging throughout the entire store. I say were....because so many of them are gone.

This area is Red Bird. A huge flock of red cardinals were everywhere. The photo does not do this display justice. It was just beautiful.

 The table scape was so pretty. I keep typing was because, since the open house, so much of it has sold. The store does not look like this anymore.

                                    This is the small tree in the Reindeer Lodge area.

                                                           And the larger tree.

Here is Santa. He sits to the side of Mrs Claus. Sitting and resting while she is up on the ladder decorating the tree!

This big tree sits right by the check-out desk. It is "whatchya doin'?" Every glass ornament that you can imagine is on it....please take a zoom in and take a gander at all the different things on this tree. Something for every one!

Here is Gingerbread. It was a dripping candy confection. Bright colors and unexpected textures.

Around the corner from it...Sugar & Spice. All candies and sweets and Nutcrackers and more fairies.

                        Here is Relics. Primitive Santos and religious icons. So beautiful in person.

We wired actual mirrored trays into the tree to set the figures and candles on. Who would think?

 Vintage Santa. The one that wounded me. The tree is very tall setting up on a round table. I could not get the gigantic ladder close enough to the tree and had to really stretch. It wasn't a good position to be in for the length of time it took to do the top. I'm still sore.

                       His Majesty. All royal and gilded. The lion has the most beautiful blue eyes!

                                           Winter Ice. Birds and Icicles.

Starry Night. An artist friend made the moon for a wedding. They asked to borrow it for this corner. It's pretty incredible!

Ok...so that is the tour. This decorating has been fun, exhausting, rewarding, tiring, magical and more. To end the tour, I bring you Mimi... again... with her pet ostrich. I did not get a photo of Miriam...her likeness...BUT...this lady was in shopping on Tuesday.

She was being photographed by her friends. I asked if I could snap a photo too. Because....how could I NOT! Is this hilarious or what? She, evidently, dresses like this all the time. Her name is Betsy.

What a riot!

Ask me if I've taken down my very few Halloween decorations yet in my own house?

I need to put out my Thanksgiving.

And then my Christmas.

Merry Merry!

I want to add that I am so very thrilled that these guys hired me for this holiday season. I'm hoping to stay on in some capacity because I love this store and all the people are very unto work with! its been a huge treat!