Great Hydrangea Year

This was a great year for hydrangeas :) Hydrangeas are a genus of about 100 species of flowering plants native to southern and eastern Asia, North and South America. Hydrangeas produce flowers from early spring to late autumn. In most species of Hydrangea the flowers are white, but in some species, it can be blue, red, pink, or purple. In Hydrangea species the exact color often depends upon the acidity or alkalinity of the soil. Acidic soils produce blue flowers, neutral soils produce pale cream petals, and alkaline soils result in pink or purple. 

今年はアジサイがとても良く咲いてくれました。アジサイはアジア、北アメリカに約40種類が分布する低木で、日本には約10数種があります。アジサイの花は両性花(完全花)と装飾花(不完全花、中性花)の2種で構成されています。両性花は生殖能力のあるいわば花の本体で、雄しべと雌しべを持ちますが、開花してもあまり目立ちません。土の酸度がひとつの要因となって(装飾花の)花色が変化し、アルカル性で赤っぽく、酸性で青っぽくなるとされます。

I was able to get whole bunches of pink hydrangeas this year. I don't know if it was the mulching or the manure I added last fall that made them bloom prolifically, but it made a dramatic change. The hydrangea that I added manure and mulched also turned pink this year. It was a beautiful shade of purple last year, but it became a bright pink. It's amazing how different the colors change with hydrangeas.　

今年はピンクのアジサイがメッチャ咲いてくれたので、切り花としても楽しめました。　去年の秋に鶏糞を土に混ぜてマルチングをしたのが良かったのか、今年は見事なピンクのアジサイが咲きました！去年は紫だったのにｗ　アジサイの色の豊富さには驚かせられます＾＾


I took a cutting from the same plant about 2 years ago and I planted them in the woodland area of the garden last year, results were beautiful blue hydrangeas. So i guess it's true what they say about the soil, eh?


２年前に同じアジサイから挿し木をして、去年に庭の森っぽいところに植えました。下の写真が咲いたアジサイなんですが、ちょっと紫がかったように見えますが、青のアジサイが咲きました＾＾　やっぱり土の酸度で色って変わるんですね。

Blue Hydrangea from the woodland

Hydrangeas are easy to grow and you can easily propagate them from cutting, so why not grow some in your garden or in a container? It's a perfect summer flower, great for cutting as well. Btw, in the language of flowers, hydrangea stands for preservation - preservation of love that lasts forever. Wouldn't that be perfect for a wedding? 

アジサイは育てやすくて、挿し木で増やしやすいので、１度試してみてはいかがですか？？夏らいしい花で切り花にも向いてます。結構ホームセンターで売れ残ったアジサイが半額以下で買える時があるので、買って植えたら来年は綺麗に咲いてくれます＾＾

Gravlax

I recently had some gravlax for o'hordervs which reminded me of the gravlax that my mom used to make. If you come across a beautiful salmon I highly recommend that you cure it and make into gravlax! Gravlax is basically a boned salmon cured in salt, pepper/horseradish, sugar and dill mixture. It's usually served as an o'hordervs and it really epitomizes easy entertaining. This curing process must be done in advance, so it is perfect for a dinner party.

The word gravlax can be traced way back into Scandinavian history to 1348. Where there was a man from Norway by the last-name of Gravlax. Gravlax means buried fish. According to the old custom of giving people surnames in Scandinavia, he was probably a professional producer of buried salmon. They would put it into salt and sugar, then cure it that way, for the long winter months when all the waters are frozen solid and no fish were to be had.

I'll post the recipe for gravlax next time :)

Waiting for Downton Abbey

The last episode of season 3 was such a cliffhanger, wasn't it? I can't wait for Season 4, which airs on September 22nd in the UK, but didn't you love the wedding of Matthew and Mary's wedding?

Mary looked so elegant in her wedding dress and I love the simple bouquet of white calla lilies and asparagus fern.

The dress, the headpiece and the veil looked fabulous and the calla lily bouquet, simple but not understated. But I sort of thought it was fairly modern design for a bridal bouquet, so it got me thinking if the bouquet was historically correct, so i did a little research. 

Most of the bridal bouquets of the 20's were fairly large and often a shower or a tied posy/ tied bunches bouquet or an arm held bouquets. So, the shape of Mary's bouquet in historically correct :) Now, for the flower materials. The bridal bouquets often consisted of hanging materials, so it makes sense that the either ivy or the asparagus fern was used, but I wasn't sure about the calla lily. 

The Calla Lily is originally from the continent of Africa and it's history goes far back as the Romans. In ancient Rome, people used the calla lilies to mark the passage of the winter solstice. They planted calla lilies inside the entry way of their homes in order to enjoy the blooms in the winter solstice. The greater the display of the calla lilies, the wealthier the residents were. The calla lilies were so highly valued that they were often decorated with filaments of gold around the edges of the flower. 

However, over time, the calla lilies became associated with funerals. This is most likely due to the fact they bloomed profusely during the winter solstice, which somewhat of a gloomy period. Yet, the calla lilies are associated with the lily as a symbol of purity and as such, these spectacular flowers along with the exotic South African varieties being introduced, they are beginning to rival the rose in popularity for bridal bouquets.

This means that around the time of Mary's wedding, the calla lilies were a funeral flower, so it would be unlikely to have a bridal bouquet of calla lilies... But, I love her bouquet and it looks great, so who cares right? lol

Back

Moving back to my parent's house wasn't my first idea, but to save money, it was necessary... Since my dad had taken over my old room and converted into his den, I had no choice but to move into the guest room... The room needed a lot of work actually... The paint on the wainscot and the walls needed an new coat of paint, so I had to paint everything white, including the closet doors and the inside of the closet including the pigeonhole shelves.

Undercoat done :)

My color scheme for my one-room apartment was turquoise and brown, which is a combination I love :) But I wanted a new look for my room. I really loved the silk, hand embroidered curtains in the guestroom, so I sorta started from there. I always liked the combination of gray and yellow. Since the curtains were in the shade of yellow/gold, I decided to go gray and yellow and with most of my furniture being black and silver, it made perfect sense.

Need to organize my pictures :P

I still need to adjust the placements of frames, but I think it looks alright for now. It's amazing how much a room can change with just a new coat of paint :)

First Dinner

I couldn't really remember what I cooked the first time for my bf, until I came across this picture. I cooked vermicelli with clams with tomato sauce and basil with chicken Parmesan. It's a really simple dinner to cook and it's even better served with a light salad and some wine. Luckily my bf brought the wine :) And just a tip for you guys cooking to impress your bf or your gf, if you feel like you messed up the cooking or it doesn't taste as good as you wanted, serve them wine before dinner, everything tastes better with a bit of booze lol.

初めて彼氏に作ったご飯は何だったか全然覚えてないんですが、写真を整理していたら見つけました～ｗ　普通にアサリのトマトパスタとチキンパルメザンを作りました。手の込んだ料理に見えるんですが、意外と簡単にできるので良い感じｗ　ワインとサラダもあれば完璧！　初めて恋人とかに料理を作る時って結構緊張しませんか？僕は美味しく作れなかった時のため絶対に彼氏を作ってる間にほろよい状態にさせますｗ　ちょっと酔ってたらごまかしが効くんですよねｗ

sigh, brings back memories...

Here's the recipe for the Chicken Parmesan. Normally, people use plain bread crumbs, but I always use garlic or herbed croutons and grind them myself. 

Ingredients 4 servings

Coarse salt and ground pepper

2 large eggs

3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan

1/2 cup ground croutons

1 tablespoon mixed herbs

2 chicken breasts, butterflied

1 1/2 cups tomato sauce, homemade or storebought

4 ounces Buffalo mozzarella, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs. In another bowl, combine Parmesan, ground croutons and mixed herbs. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet over medium high heat with a tablespoon of olive oil. Dip chicken in egg, then in Parmesan mixture; place in skillet and cook until golden brown.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread 1 cup tomato sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Then top with chicken, remaining sauce, and finally mozzarella. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Left - Plum Daifuku / Right Chocolate Daifuku

For dessert, we had Daifuku. Daifuku literally means "great luck". It is a Japanese confection consisting of a small round mochi (glutinous rice cake) stuffed with sweet filling, most commonly anko, sweetened red bean paste made from azuki beans. The ones we had came from a shop called Rakuemon. It was a chocolate Daifuku and Plum Daifuku. Perfectly delish :)

Posting an oldie I found in my draft lol

This was like from 2 years ago lol

Sorry for not updating... I know I've gone MIA for a while. Anyways, a quick update with two of my arrangements I was taught from my designer. The first is a mixed arrangement in a sphere vase using chicken wire. The second, a parallel decorative arrangement. This looks very weird and it's not a common parallel arrangement, but I had to learn this unique, odd arrangement to attain a Dutch Floral Design Diploma. 


Although the first chartreuse shade arrangement was quite difficult to arrange, I hate arranging in sphere shaped vases, I LOVE the flowers and the color schemes. I feel that chartreuse themed arrangements tend to be very modern looking, but this is a perfect combination of classical and modern. I LOVE THESE KIND OF STYLES. This is very reminiscent of the Parisian floral arrangements. 

You have NO idea how difficult this was to arrange following the rules. All the stems are to touch the bottom of the vase, there should be no foliage touching the water, the water is to be crystal clear, the flowers are to be arranged following the Biedemeier style and all this is to be arranged through an unstably placed chicken wire at the opening of the vase... And you are to arrange this in less than 30min... This picture was taken after my second try....

Don't even comment on this... I had no f-ing idea what I was doing withi this. This is really me first time tackling a modern flower arrangement... The teachers told me I did a good job, but I totally feel like I need loads of practice. I'm SOOOOOOOO sad that I had to cut the rose SOOOO short!!! The Dutch are f-ed up, they cut the most expensive rose right down to the bloom, but force the gerbera daisies to be cut tall!!! OUTRAGEOUS! lol*

Dreaming of Wedgwood

What attracts people to Wedgwood? It is the allure of the quality of the pieces that strikes the nerve of desire and admiration whenever anyone is presented with one. With refined lines and majestic patterns, Wedgwood pieces are timeless, elevating the style of even the everyday dinner table to admirable heights. 

Founded in London in 1774 by Josiah Wedgwood, a young potter who had been working in the Soho district of the capital city since the 1750s, the brand was an almost immediate success with England's upper classes. English royalty coveted the handmade and hand-painted pieces just as much as royalty from across the European continent, including the royals of Russia and France. That the name has survived over two centuries speaks to the enduring quality and beauty of the craftsmanship. 

Below are some beautiful examples of Wedgwood from a books called "At Home With Wedgwood.

My favorite type of Wedgwood is Jasperware. Jasperware's hard, unglazed appearance took its name from its resemblance to the semi-precious stone, jasper, both in texture and color. This was obtained by adding carbonate and sulphate of barium to a semi-porcelain clay and then using a metal oxide for the desired color. Blue is the most common, but there are six others that are prized by collectors: pale green, grey, pink, lilac, yellow, and black. Against this colored background, a raised white decoration produced a cameo effect, as seen in the tea-cup and saucer example above.

This grey Jasperware is equally lovely. I adore any Jasperware.
An array of Creamware plates and small tureens shows the versatility of this popular creamy colour, one of Wedgwood's most successful. With the invention of transfer printing (using an engraved plate to create a design) in the mid-eighteenth century, pieces could be decorated with some degree of standardization and speed. Extremely delicate borders with elaborate designs still had to be hand-painted.

Stephen Drucker, who was the editor of Martha Stewart Living between May 1997 and April 2001, is a collector of Wedgwood's black basalt portrait busts. Shown above is a basalt wine ewer, an exquisite example of Wedgwood's excellent craftsmanship, illustrating the neoclassical ideal of refined ornament, one of my favorites. On Stephen's wall (shown behind the bust) is a collection of 500 reproduction plaster casts that he amassed online. Perfect framing against black linen cloth makes them come alive.Wedgwood collector James Huniford mixes pieces to achieve a modern table setting. A handmade Swedish bowl (not Wedgwood) sits atop two examples from his collection; on the bottom is vintage drabware from the 1950s in its characteristic khaki tone; sitting atop that one is a more modern example in a charming cauliflower pattern.A weekend breakfast for houseguests is an occasion to break out this set of Summery Sky Wedgwood. Its unadorned frames were made in post-war England, when the nation was just emerging from self-imposed rationing and economic restraints. The clarity of the shiny blue glaze reflects the new optimism of the period.This Craneware example is from Christine Maly's personal collection. The formula for making such a dish involves a bisque made from coloured marl (clay) and is one of the most difficult to create. Josiah Wedgwood and his son (Josiah II) experimented for nearly twenty years to perfect it at the end of the Eighteenth Century. These plates, shown above, embossed with leaves in the characteristic straw colour, are late Victorian. Many drabware motifs, such as bamboo or woven reeds, are derived from nature.Martha Stewart first began designing for Wedgwood in the late 1990s. Martha Stewart Wedgwood was sold via her catalog and e-commerce website, Martha by Mail. Examples of Drabware, Whiteware and Creamware were among her most popular offerings. In 2005, Martha and Wedgwood greatly expanded their relationship to include a growing array of designs and styles (including glassware) with distribution through Macy's Department Stores. The example above is a white cereal bowl with silver ribbon trim.Martha's most popular Wedgwood collection is called Flourish. It is bone china with a charming but not overly-precious filigree design in platinum. Against the robin-egg blue, the pattern creates a whimsical elegance.

Martha's second most popular pattern is called Garland in Moss. Also bone china, this collection features a classical and formal design with trim in gold.

There are two volumes that any collector of Wedgwood must have. The first is called "Wedgwood - The New Illustrated Dictionary." A large, hardcover book, it is the 'bible' for all Wedgwood collectors, filled with information and pictoral examples. Its last printing was in 2007 and it is sadly out of print, but it can be found at online auction sites, such as eBay. The second, called "At Home With Wedgwood," is a smaller volume but includes the more modern designers of Wedgwood patterns, including Vera Wang, Martha Stewart and Barbara Barry, as well as the more historical and collectible collections of the past. It is still currently available.