Paper Pie

Connecting With Nature

I'm realizing it could be something of an obsession of mine to analyze the pros and cons of living in Los Angeles. It seems to come up a lot, unintentionally. It is on my mind and has been for a long time, years probably. You see, there is a lot of traffic, a lot of hustle bustle, and a whole lot of time spent in cars in this sprawling city. There are days when you need to run a few errands and four hours later you have not returned. You have to drive a ways to get out of it, but when you do, the rewards are sweet.

This video was taken at the Coronado Butterfly Preserve in Santa Barbara County. We drove up there last Friday, with no expectations other than a little retreat and some time in nature together. What we found there astonished us. I am not exaggerating, if you are in Southern California, please visit this special place. I will not go into how much this video or these photos do not serve the abundant beauty that we discovered that day. The most idyllic place I have ever been, dare I say.

The fact that we did not have our zoom lens put a pit in my stomach - and it is still there. But, alas, there is always next year, because this, will definitely become a family tradition for us. Can you see in the photo above what looks to be a giant mass of dead leaves in the tree? It's not leaves. It is a cluster of monarch butterflies! They overwinter in a grove of Eucalyptus trees just east of bluffs that overlook the ocean.

There is a short, jolly man that stands at the base of the trees and asks if you have any questions about the butterflies. His passion for this place is evidenced by the giant monarch butterflies emblazoned on his t-shirt. He volunteers his time out in this wonderland - what a nice gift to the community. But I think that works both ways; it must be such a gift to see the astonished faces time and time again as they enter the grove, looking heavenward. Gasps. Silence. Reverence.

  We really did not need to see anymore. I mean that was it. That was worth the 3 hours we spent in holiday traffic to get up there. Hands down. But we kept exploring.






When I snapped the photo above, a girl around the age of six was walking by on the trail. In a soft sweet voice she said, "Aw...she looks so cute sitting in the tall grasses . . . and the short ones too."







We met lots of nice people on the trail that day. Strangers that smile are kindred spirits, I think - not really strangers at all. Surrounded by so much beauty, breathing it in, I felt recharged and all of the traffic irritation soon melted away. In those few hours, with my family, in this most ideal setting, surrounded by kind folks and abundant beauty - I truly felt at home.

This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Amanda Soule 

Fall Color

Last week we were forunate enough to take a last minute trip to Chicago, and my hometown in Michigan, right at the height of fall color. I realized once there, that I had not been back at that exact time of autumn for probably 10 plus years. It is a fleeting and constantly changing thing this autumn season, so ellusive. We were in Michigan about 6 years ago at the beginning of October, but that was early in the season and the leaves were just starting to change. We've been back at Thanksgiving time too and at that point most of the color is on the ground, except for the sturdy, rust-colored oak leaves that hang on until the coldest, darkest days. But this time, this first week of November, well the North was plain glorious in all of it's autumnal finery.

Rylie and I walked around the Chicago suburb of Oak Park on a bright and shiny Friday afternoon and got these shots. It was a little emotional for me because the fall season is subtle here in LA. I realize it is hard, and perhaps ridiculous to complain about weather that rarely strays from 72 degrees and sunny, but I also never anticipated how much a place, and the climate of a place can really live in your soul. So when returning to the Northern geography, where even still, the majority of my years have been spent, that feeling of fall was in my bones. The smell of the leaves, wet on the ground, the angle of the sun shining through yellow leaves. The gratitude felt on a sunny day, such as this, when, for many days before, the sky was covered with a thick gray blanket. How a smell such as woodsmoke can warm you up when the nip in the air is stinging your face and drizzle is mingling in your hair. How wonderful it is to stop into a Mom & Pop for a warm meal and to gaze into a welcoming fire. All of these things I miss.

I was thinking of our climate here in LA this weekend, and sort of had a new idea - a new thought about the weather. Instead of focusing on the lack of variety outside, I could choose to notice and appreciate even the most subtle of changes here - for instance, the light. The light changes everywhere and it does here too. It is well on it's way to being dark at 4:30 in the afternoon these days, and that feels decidedly autumnal to me. And the wind. I can conciously notice the shift in the wind and when it gets blustery, which it certainly does. I could stand at my window and watch the trees sway in the wind for a while. Perhaps that's why it is called a WINDow. Have you ever seen a 100 foot skinny palm tree sway in the wind? It is amazing how elastic they are. And when we do get rainy days (because they are far more common this time of year) I could choose to treat them as snow days, staying inside - curled up with a blanket, a hot drink, and a book. Sounds like a good plan heading into this colder stretch of the year.

The last photo there was taken in the front yard of my childhood home. I want Rylie to know seasons and what is happening in the natural world as the earth moves round the sun. It will just require this Northern girl a little extra thought to do so in Southern California.

Hello From Sunday

What are you up to today?

Dispatch from 6 AM

I love this time of year. When the darkness is encroaching, approaching, letting its presence be known. There is no denying it, no stopping it. We are barrelling full speed towards the shortest, darkest day of the other 364 and we can't get off. It offers a counterbalance to the incredible, unrelenting sun that is a permanent fixture of Southern California.

I stepped outside my door somewhere around dawn and was greeted with a blast of chllly air. It was assertive and informed my lungs, that yes, indeed, the seasons do change here, even if ever so slightly. I walked to the garden to get some lettuce thankkful that the fall season is actually best for growing leaves, especially in this geography. I love this time of day, this time of year - surrounded by silence and dewy grass. As I turned my back and gathered what I needed, the dark gave way to the orange pink sky. The light was on its way to start afresh.

This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Amanda Soule 

Camping At The Shore

We were lucky enough to spend the last two days here. What wonderful fun we had!



















Ahhhhh.....That's better.

Party Time

This weekend, we attended not one birthday party, but two! On the same day! Lots of fun, with lots of friends all the way around - we are so blessed. Our friend, Leo, turned 3 and had a dirt party, which was so wonderful and creative. There were a bunch of activities for the kids centered around, you guessed it, DIRT! There were mud pies, digging for treasure and play dough to name a few. I met Leo's incredibly creative and inspiring mom when she contacted me about buying fabric scraps for her projects. We kept in touch via our blogs and learned we have lots in common, and have become pals. There are wonderful things about this era of connectivity, aren't there?

After Leo's party, we had to change clothes and head to Henry's 1st birthday party. Henry is Ryan's creative partner's son. He and Rylie are only 7 weeks apart. Here they are about 6 months ago; Henry enjoyed eating Rylie's foot that day.

Henry's party was at Trails Cafe in Gritffith Park and was decked out with owls, foxes and other little woodland creatures. Oh, and let's not forget this strawberry rhubarb pie. No, let's never forget that. Ummm . . . I mean . . . C'mon. It was possibly the best pie I ever ate.

Rylie loved a spin in Henry's new wagon!

"Two parties! Too tired!"

The party favor even matched Rylie's dress - nice!

We made Henry a Buddy, a project from this book. Rylie absolutely fell in love with him and now I know what is next on my crafting plate. I snapped these before we wrapped him up.

Buddy and I had a little coffee talk before saying good bye? What did you do this weekend?

What We've Been Up To . . .

. . .not necessarily in this order.

My Garden

Through the years I've had my share of potted plants and hanging baskets, mostly indoors. I've managed to keep them alive (except for maybe a few) and that's that. They sit in the corner, I water them and our relationship is not much to write about. More recently though, I'd say the last few years, I have really started dreaming about gardens and landscaping. When I go on my walks around the neighborhood, I study each yard I pass noticing every detail. I get super excited seeing other people's gardens on their blogs and websites. It is all so inspiring! And the thought of my family growing its own food satisfies both my resourceful and wanna-be-frugal attitude. But alas, we are renters, and the thought of upping someone else's property value is a little off putting, and who knows if our landlord would let us dig up the yard. So, you see, I was stuck in a real conundrum. Back in May sometime, I watched from my back door as my neighbor planted her tomatoes and peppers. I was struck by an unsettling spat of jealousy. She was so cute in her hat and sandals. She looked so at ease and peaceful, and at the same time brimming with hope and anticipation. I thought to myself: I really need to get some of that. But all of the excuses and reasons not to flooded my head; We rent, I don't know how to garden, and the perenial (yes, pun very much intended) favorite, I don't have time. So I went about my day, admiring her little backyard bliss from the other side of the fence. Fast forward a few weeks and I was sitting out in the backyard playing with Rylie, and Erika, my gardening neighbor, was out in her yard too and we got to chatting. I fully admitted my unabashed and irrational garden jealousy. Always positive and encouraging, she told me that it would be super easy for me to plant a few herbs and a tomato plant in containers and set them on a little area at the back of my yard that gets full sun all day. I said; "Yes, you are right, I really should. I mean, what am I waiting for?" She proceeded to tell me that now is really the perfect time and that she even has a good book that I can borrow to get started. The book is called You Grow Girl. This was all I needed to hear, because somewhere in the back of my mind I had filed that exact book away as the someday-when-I-start-gardening-I-am-going-to-read-that-book book. So that seemed as good a sign as any. For the next week I read through the book and on a warm Tuesday afternoon headed up to my local farmer's market to buy seedlings from the seedlings guy. I bought herbs mostly: rosemary, basil, parsley, sage, dill, lavendar and arugula. The next day, I got up and went to the garden center right when it opened. I got a tomato plant, a hanging basket, Marigold, African Violet, a container, a watering can, potting soil and some fertilizer. I quickly got back home and went to work potting my plants and putting my garden together and here it is:

There are a few other herbs to the left that are out of frame here, but you get the idea. I had most of this stuff just gathering dust in the garage. Yes, my basil plant is in a planter shaped like a Lion's head. I got that many years ago now at the Melrose Trading Post. In fact, we had that little gem in Venice too, see. (Unfortunately, that was one of my plant casualities) Anyways, so far, so good in the garden! Except I quickly found out that delicate greens like arugula do better in fall or early spring when the temperature is not so hot. See it has already bolted. What do I do now? I have no idea . . .

I planted this African Violet in a terra cotta pot that I slathered up with yogurt and then put soil all over the outside. The theory is, and I learned this from that fabulous book, that if you keep the pot in a shady spot with lots of mositure it will grow a beautiful moss patina in a few months time. I really hope that works out.

Another science experiment that I have going is something that I remember my mom doing when we were kids. I am on my third try with soaking these avocado seeds in a sunny window to see if they will sprout. Part of the problem may be that there is NO SUN! June gloom, remember when I mentioned that phenomenon before? Alas, we'll see if we can't get a tree going one of these days.

Let's see, what else... Oh yes, here is the beautiful hanging basket I bought at the garden center. It does wonders for the overall pleasantness of the backyard.

I also spruced up the succulents in the front. They were started from cuttings bought at a yard sale several years ago now. I love them because they are virtually maintenance free, I do want to replant them in the near future though. I feel like they would really thrive in bigger pots, they've outgrown these digs (yep!)

Oh, and all of the plant attention prompted me to help out my indoor plants too. Here they are looking better than they have in months (years, really.)

I do have a confession though; I could never do this all myself. My gardening is made loads easier because I have a very diligent and eager little helper.

How does your garden grow? Indoor? outdoor? in the ground, in containers? Do you love it?or find it frustrating? I would love to know. I'm kind of garden obsessed right now...