A Butterfly Grows in My Garden

Posted on June 9, 2015 by Enchanted Seashells

…floating effortlessly on the soft breezes, possibly to lift our spirits lowered by the demise of the baby hummingbirds, is a butterfly sprite of cerulean polka dots and bands of gold called Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa).

With a nod to Lizzi @ Considerings who asked the question on her Facebook page and got me thinking about one of my favorite books, Betty Smith’s 1943 novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn; here in my garden, although water use is now restricted because of the drought and we can no longer grow brightly colored but thirsty blossoms, there’s still beauty if you look for it.

Mother Nature is amazing.

Catching some rays on the rock garden.
So pretty…
Can I come a little closer?What grows in YOUR garden?

A Mother’s Love #WordlessWednesday

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Enchanted Seashells

Our very own full nest.

Property of enchantedseashells.com

#hummingbird #nature #nestingbirds #birds #MotherNature #love #motherslove

IT’S RAINING IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA!!!!

Posted on May 8, 2015 by Enchanted Seashells

It started raining in the middle of the night, so hard it woke me up.

Rain, wind, five inches of snow in our local mountains — is this May or is it December?

I was worried about my little hummingbird and her full nest.

How would they weather the storm?

First thing this morning, I looked out the kitchen window and there she is, swaying back and forth on the hummingbird wind chimes under the eaves, safe and dry.

See the rain coming down? What a smart mom to choose a home that’s protected from the elements and allows her to survey the entire back yard.

Humans can learn a lot about good parenting from other species.

There is no more important job than caring for her young.

Soon enough, they’ll hatch and grow and fly away, leaving her with that empty nest she worked so hard to build.

Maybe that’s what her tiny little hummingbird mind ponders as she sits there hour after hour.

And I know exactly how she feels.

SIGH.

Yummy Hummy Mummy

Posted on May 2, 2015 by Enchanted Seashells

Anyone participating in World Naked Gardening Day?

No?

Well, I’m not either, that’s for sure.

I’m moving furniture, shampooing carpets, channeling Cinderella, and obsessing over the only full nest at Casa de Enchanted Seashells.

My little yummy hummy mummy is doing what most animals do naturally — be an attentive and protective mother.

enchantedseashells.com

In the late afternoon sunlight, I removed the screen in the dining room window and leaned all the way out to capture the iridescence.

enchantedseashells.com

Have you ever seen a hummingbird stay almost perfectly still for more than two minutes?

I set up the tripod and took some video of her nest sitting, blinking her little eyes, and swaying in the breeze.

There’s a bit of shake (sorry) but the tripod was in a precarious position on top of a bench in order to get the best angle.

When she first started building the nest, I waited until she flew away in order to reinforce the chimes with twine to make sure they’d support the extra weight and not fall down,

YouTube video:

(And congrats to Princess Kate for giving birth to a royal little girl! )

Empty Nest or Full, Mother Knows Best

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Enchanted Seashells

And just in time for Mother’s Day, a hummingbird built her nest right outside our kitchen window on the deck, on HUMMINGBIRD WIND CHIMES.

Isn’t this the craziest thing?

Do you think my little hummingbird KNOWS where she is?

It’s magical, watching her build her nest out of spider webs and feathers. I touched it and it feels like a handwoven sweater, soft but strong.

Can’t stop taking pics; look at that beautiful color.

Mommy hummy in flight.

Isn’t this amazing?

Mom doesn’t mind when I walk back and forth or get up close and personal for pics, but she’s so protective of her nest when another bird flies into her personal space.An egg!! There are supposed to be two; waiting for the next one!

Hummingbird sitting on hummingbird nest on hummingbird chimes.

Could anything be more adorable?

Keep It Simple With Brown Rice, Kale, and Tofu #MeatlessMonday

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Enchanted Seashells

http://www.enchantedseashells.com

Over the last couple of years, I’ve seen a huge increase in the numbers of vegan blogs and vegan recipes (YAY!) but it seems that they’re getting more and more elaborate, as if it’s a sort of competition to create the most difficult-to-prepare meals.

I’m sending a more simple back-to-basics message.

If we agree that one of the reasons for not eating meat advocates for a cruelty-free life to protect animals from a hellish existence on earth, we need to also communicate that it doesn’t always have to be a herculean task to do the right thing.

I’ve been a veg since 1970 and in those 40+ years have seen a lot of people make a similar decision to go meat-free and then, for one reason or another, fall off the wagon.

One of the reasons I’ve heard time and time again is that it’s “too hard”.

I disagree.

Some of my most enjoyable and satisfying meals are the most simple.

Here’s an example of a basic, easy-to-prepare dinner.

http://www.enchantedseashells.com

Start with my can’t fail One Dish Brown Rice recipe.

It’s PERFECT every time.

1. Add one cup brown rice to a 9×9 glass baking dish.

2. Pour over the rice not quite two cups water plus one teaspoon olive oil.

3. Lay gently on top of the rice one-inch chunks of tofu.

4. Sprinkle pepper, chopped fresh herbs, freshly ground salt (if you must).

5. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes.

6. While the rice is baking, I picked a bunch of kale from the garden, cut into bite-size pieces, and steamed it.

7. To serve, sprinkle rice with low-sodium soy sauce, slice an organic tomato and garnish with cilantro or parsley (we grow cilantro year-round in the Casa de Enchanted Seashells garden.

A chilled chardonnay will dance a tango on your palate and complement the earthy rice, tofu, and kale combo.

Simple. Delicious.

How To Recycle Old Coffee Mugs #DIY #Project

Posted on April 10, 2015 by Enchanted Seashells

It’s SPRING!

What a great time to freshen up the yard with a totally 100% free project using items we already had. Don’t throw away those cracked cups with broken handles!

We all know I’m a collector of things, whether it’s empty boxes (‘cos you never know when you might need one) or bathrobes ( I have about fifty of them) or seashells (of course!) — and all the rest: shoes, jewelry, books…

I’m also a breaker of things — like coffee mugs and wine glasses.

At any given time, I have half dozen injured/wounded/disabled cups that’re in various stages of rehab.

Most of the repaired cups and mugs aren’t really usable for holding hot liquid, but I’ve held onto them because I love them and they’re special to me…Hello Kitty, Yale Mom, and the ones with seashell motifs — I mean, how can I just toss these guys in the trash?

One fine Sunday afternoon, I felt the itch to start another DIY project but nothing specific came to mind — just thought I’d wander around until something sparked interest — then I discovered an old boat ramp behind our greenhouse (not sure what boat it came from). I’d seen this ramp for YEARS and overlooked it a dozen times. This time, however, I had an epiphany.

It’d make an awesome shabby chic plant stand for the coffee cups!

Now I needed to find something to lean it up against, and chose a Brazilian Pepper Tree that we never really liked ‘cos it’s invasive, but it’s been here since the house was built, and the birds like it — because of that, so far it’s been spared. You can’t really grow anything under it (that’s only one of its problems) and the roots protrude and are gnarly.

Think Oklahoma dust bowl. Think Grapes of Wrath. That’s exactly what that neglected little area brings to mind. It was time to render a little aid and LOVE.

I filled the mugs with succulents that I already had growing in the garden.

View from the deck: A perfect location to turn into a bohemian hippie focal point.

I planted a square of Jupiter’s Beard from seedlings I propagated; it’s a drought tolerant plant with lush pink flowers — really easy to grow, and it’ll fill in an otherwise kind of ugly and barren spot.

I took a bird bath from the front yard and an assortment of other planters gathered from the garden and clustered them all together to create visual interest. The worn and broken tiles add to the shabby chic feel.

Bonus upcycle DIY: Turn an old hat into a planter by cutting off the frayed brim and attaching twine. So simple to set inside a pot of colorful flowers; hang and enjoy!

You can never have too much aloha spirit!

Share your best up/recycle #DIY project.

Fabulous Fashion Trend: GOing Mad For IndiGO!

Posted on April 3, 2015 by Enchanted Seashells

indigothrowpillowspolyvoer

Did you hear?

Indigo is the hue we need.

I love saying it: I-N-D-I-G-O-GO-GO.

Sounds all boho and hippo-ish and kind of exotic, like a trip to the south of France or something.

I’m obsessed with indigo.

It’s not simply BLUE; it’s blue-specific.

A dark, inky purple-y midnight-y blue that’s a chameleon in different kinds of lighting. It’s intense and soothing all at the same time.

When I was in Crete and on Hydra ( I went to Greece a LONG time ago), there was a lot of indigo – against the Aegean, against bright white walls and chairs and grape leaves overhanging patio latticework.

These shelves of indigo remind me of my travels…

In my never-ending quest for fashionable finds, I discovered the most delicious scarf with elephants walking all over it.

I already had a gauzy loose fitting shirt with a hint of indigo…Woodstock, anyone?

Now I’m looking to add some indigo to our outdoor decor. There’s that creepy little split stone plant and a citronella candle. Miniature pomegranate tree in a Mexican pot with hints of indigo. (Never mind the ugly electric cord.)Decorator tip 1: Group an accent color for drama and flair!