I solemnly swear...

Today I just took the Handmade Pledge.

I, Jennifer, do solemnly swear that I make everything with my own two hands. I'm proud of my workmanship and proud to be handmade in Canada.

Gosh, that felt really good.

At last...the Peonies

Last...but surely not least...are the Peonies at the Laking Garden. I think I will just let the pictures speak for themselves.

My favorite. The blooms are so beautiful and delicate. The long floppy petals and the long yellow stamens gives this peony such a wonderful whimsical personality. I just love it's whimsical beauty. I believe this Peony is called "Seashell"...but I could be mistaken. Seashell or not...it's still very beautiful.

The bud of a Peony is so remarkable. All those petals are all tightly nestled in a perfect little bud, ready to blossom into the most perfection that man could never re-create. This is the beautiful hand of Mother Nature.

Yes, and some of those neat little balls of petals can turn into the largest flower. This one was literally the size of my face.

I hope you enjoyed the flowers! Remember to take time out of your day to connect with a piece of Mother Nature. Stop and smell a flower today, or give a nod of hello to a tree. They will smile right back at you.

Have a great day!

Irises at the Laking Garden

Seeing the Irises and Peonies all in bloom at the Laking Garden is so magical! Once we walked onto the terrace that overlooks the Iris and Peony garden, I instantly had goose bumps and I was as giddy as a little girl. I hung off my sweethearts arm and kept whispering to him "oh my gosh, it's so beautiful...look at all the flowers and colours! Isn't it amazing!"

I must mention that last Saturday was our 5th anniversary...so this turned out to be a very magical and romantic day.

I could've easily taken hundreds more pictures then I did. In fact, I ended up handing over the camera to my sweetie so I could enjoy the flowers instead of constantly snapping pictures.

The Iris blossoms remind of pretty silk chiffon dresses with lots of flowing layers and ruffles!

I will save the Peonies for tomorrow. Have a great day!

Wish List

There are a few plants that I fell in love with at the RBG...well, more than a few. Here is my wish list:

1. Prairie Smoke, Geum Triflorum, Family: Rosaceae

This is one of the most interesting plants I have ever seen and it sure does make me smile. Praire Smoke is a perennial wildflower that is native to the North American woodland and prairie environments. It likes full sun, and is drought tolerant.

2. Foxglove Beard-Tongue, Penstemon digitalis, 'Husker Red', Family: Scrophulariaceae

3. Little Blue-Eyed Grass, Sisyrinchium montanum, Family: Iridaceae

I love the little blue flowers that stand atop the grass. This grass is native to Ontario and the flower is a very important nectar source for pollinators.

4. Wood Sage, Salvia nemorosa, 'Caradonna', Family: Lamiaceae

Nice vibrant colours from blue, purple to mauve.

5. Golden Japanese Forest Grass, Hakonechloa macra, 'Aureola'

6. Japanese Blood Grass, Imperata cylindrica, 'Red Baron'

7. Tulip Tree, Liriodendron tulipifera, Family: Magnoliaceae

I love this tree. I love the colour, shape and size of the leaves. The top of the leaf is a deeper green then the underside, which is more of a chartreuse green (my favorite green!).

Tomorrow I will take you through the Laking Garden at the RBG. This is where all the Irises and Peonies are in bloom. I have many more pictures to share with you. Have a great day!

Royal Botanical Gardens

My honey and I spent the day last Saturday at the Royal Botanical Gardens. As you may already know, this is one of my favorite places to visit and spend the day. I took well over 200 pictures. I could've easily taken more...EASILY.

We began our day at the Hendrie Park. Hendrie Park consists many many gardens. We visited the Rose Garden, and the Morrison Woodland Garden. The roses were absolutely magnificent and I found a few gems from the Woodland Garden to add to my wish list.

My favorite rose of the day (oh I hate choosing, but this one spoke to me that day) was the Floribunda Rose, "Escapade".

Tomorrow I will post my wish list I created from visiting Hendrie. Have a great day!

peek-a-boo!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mom's out there! Have a wonderful day!

I gave my Mom a ring-a-ling this morning to wish her a Happy Mother's Day and guess where she was...on her hands and knees in the dirt planting Geraniums at my Grandmother's. It is only 4 degrees outside, with possible flurries. That's hardcore! I see where I get my gardening bug from. I must say that I'm feeling a little sad that I'm not by her side helping her in the garden. Work has been so busy and I haven't been able to get away ... oh how I hate that I just said that! And the one person that is always so understanding....is Mom. I miss her very much.

Here is a picture of my Mom and I on her 65th birthday last summer.

Many Thanks!

A big "Thank You" to all of you who visited Crumb Designs at the One of a Kind Show in Toronto, and the Originals Show in Ottawa. This was my first time bringing Crumb to Ottawa. What a treat! I look forward to coming back to Ottawa very soon! Here are some pictures from the Originals show.

After my sweetie and I moved out of the show on Sunday night, we scooted over to the Elgin Street Diner for a pint and plate of poutine. Oh YUM! It was so delicious and I was completely stuffed. Needless to say, I slept like a baby that night.

The next day, before heading back to Mississauga, my sweetie and I spent a day doing the tourist stuff. Last time we visited, we went to the Art Gallery. This time we decided to go on a guided tour of the Mint, which was very cool. After that, we took a stroll across the bridge to Gatineau. We really wanted to go to the Museum of Civilization, but it was closed...it was Monday. Next time!

This is too cool! The buses in Ottawa are decorated like the Canadian flag!

While we were waiting for the 1pm tour of the Mint, I visited the most beautiful bookstore, Nicholas Hoare. With Classical music playing in the background, beautifully polished wooden book shelves, and a gorgeous wooden ladder that rolls across the shelves...I could spend awhile in that store.

And of course, I could not finish this post off without some tulips. I took this picture at the park right by the Art Gallery of Ottawa. The display of tulips and daffodils in Ottawa are so beautiful. I wish I could be there for the Tulip Festival. Perhaps next year!

Crumb Designs in Ottawa.

Crumb Designs will be in Ottawa at the Originals Spring Craft Sale, from April 15 - 18. We will be at booth #323.

This is our first out of town show. Exciting! Especially since it is so close to Mother's Day.

Crumb has so many great gift ideas for Mommy. Whether your Mom is interested in arts & crafts, gardening, baking, or cooking, Crumb has something for that special lady in your life.

If you would like more information, please visit www.originalsshow.ca.