Friday Flowers

Happy Friday!

Have a fabulous weekend!

(left, Audrey apron in pink floral; centre, Sarah Kaye photography; right, Audrey apron in green floral)

Colour Inspiration

Design Seeds is such a beautiful website filled with endless inspiration for colour. The colour palettes are absolutely stunning.

I had such a hard time choosing a favourite.

For now, at this very moment, my favourite colour palette is "Color Leap". It is so pretty!

Spring is in the Air

Today is the first day of spring. Mother nature is now unveiling her spring brilliance.

Even though it looks a little dirty and grey out there, beneath the soil and all around us, something magnificent is happening. Now we begin to see the renewal of life. Soon everything will be lush and flourishing. I checked the garden yesterday, and sure enough, the tulips are just breaking soil.

It is so inspiring to hear the birds in the morning. They have come back, although some have never left. Mr. and Mrs. Robin red breast are back and on the hunt for worms.

Forget about going for a brisk walk. You know the kind when you are on a mission to break a sweat. Nope...now I am slow...

I have to stop...listen...look...

...listen...look...look...look.

The air is filled with so many pretty little bird songs. For myself, this is an inspirational time of year and I intend to enjoy every little moment.

(Image is courtesy of myself and is taken at the Royal Botanical Gardens)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Today is probably the only day of the year in which you can dress head-to-toe in green and get away with it. I say, go for it! Green is a beautiful colour. And there are so many beautiful shades of green...apple, chartreuse, emerald, mint, olive, aquamarine.... Just about something for every mood and even skin tone.

And if you are so inclined on this cheerful little holiday, you can make a shamrock snack out of green peppers...courtesy of Martha Stewart. That's pretty cute. Oh Martha!

(image courtesy of Martha Stewart)

May your pockets be heavy

and your heart be light,

May good luck pursue you

each morning and night.

(an Irish Blessing)

Monday Flowers

The first day of Spring is only 7 days away! Have you seen any signs of life in your garden? Spring bulbs will be making their way through the soil anytime. Some spring bulbs, such as the Spring Snowflake or Common Snowdrop, appear early in February or March. It is so neat to see colour coming through the snow.

photos: Muscari (left), Spring Snowflake (middle), Helleborus (right)

Jazzed up Salad

I just had the most delicious salad for lunch. I would take a picture, but it's gone...eaten...in my belly.

It was a very simple salad...red leaf lettuce, cucumber, red pepper, green onion, shredded carrot, avocado, and dressed with fresh squeezed lemon juice and olive oil. But what made it so delicious is the Smoked Wild Albacore Tuna I put on top. This is the most delicious canned tuna I have ever had and it sure did jazz up my salad. This heavenly tuna is from The Fishery.

The first time I met the guys from The Fishery was at the One of a Kind Show, in Toronto. Their booth was just behind mine at the Spring 2010 show. They are such nice guys and their product is amazing! AMAZING! We have the smoked salmon pate and a whole sleeve of different types of smoked canned fish. This product is on my "must have" shopping list, right next to Maple Syrup.

Next time you are at the One of a Kind Show, check them out. They even have candied salmon. So delicious. You can also order on line.

Have a great day!

Happy Pancake Day!

Yum...Pancakes for dinner!

Pancakes are so much fun to make. They can be healthy whole grain pancakes, gluten-free pancakes, ricotta pancakes, blueberry pancakes, apple-cinnamon pancakes...are you drooling yet? I sure am. The best thing about pancakes is the pat of butter that melts down mount pancake, and the real Ontario maple syrup drizzled on top.

Here are some quick facts about real Maple Syrup, courtesy of Fultons Pancake House and Sugar Bush:

- Contains Antioxidants & Anti-inflammatory properties (Yay!)
- Contains 10% calcium, equal to that in milk. (Yay!)
- Is an excellent source of potassium. (Yay!)
- Contains several trace vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, potassium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorous, iron and vitamins and trace amounts of amino acids) (Double Yay!)
- Is low in sodium (Yay!)
- Is lowest in calories of all the natural sweetners. (right on!)

Enjoy those pancakes tonight!

(Photo courtesy of Where.ca)

It's Time to Plan the Garden!

The birds are tweeting, the snow is teasing...when can we start gardening! Well, we do have a bit of a wait until we can start playing in the soil. But underneath all that snow, the plants are getting ready to reveal their new buds and stems. I can hardly wait!

Now is a good time to do some planning as well as go through your gardening tools. Do your pruners need sharpening and oiling? Have you purchased your seeds? Are your garden gloves and apron clean and handy? Yes, there is still lots to do while old man winter finishes his job outside.

Crumb Designs will be at the Peterborough Garden Show, April 8 - 10. This is a great place to get some ideas for your garden. And while you are there, drop by the booth to purchase a durable Crumb Garden Apron. This is a really handy apron. Perfect for keeping all of your tools close at hand. Plus it has a pretty bow in the back. Of course!



Have a fabulous Monday!