anastasiaehlers

tip: the short candles will melt the taller candles in half. should you use both, space appropriately (not pictured).

the pulled pork was delicious.

we opened all the windows wide and smelled, tasted, and listened to spring. it was wonderful to relax and cuddle with my husband and feel generally twitterpated for one another.

we threw a tenth birthday party for a friend turning thirty-one. i made him his first ever birthday cake and it made me cry. there were balloons and party favors and basketball trading cards. our drunken rendition of happy birthday was one of the worst (best) on record. i’m sure the whole neighborhood heard us.

i want to eat a whole bowl full of the frosting i used for the cake. if you make some, invite me over, k?

chocolate sour cream frosting

• 15 ounces semi sweet chocolate, chopped or chips

• 1 1/4 teaspoons instant coffee or espresso (optional)

• 2 cups room temperature sour cream

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup light corn syrup

• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

combine the chocolate and coffee powder. melt in a double boiler, stirring or in the microwave in short 15-30 second intervals, stirring between. my microwave has no turntable, and i don’t own a double boiler. i used my big 4-cup measuring cup inside a saucepan. it kinda worked, balanced on top of a ramekin. *shrug* remove from heat and let cool until tepid.

whisk together sour cream, vanilla, and 1/4 cup corn syrup. add tepid chocolate and stir quickly to combine. taste for sweetness, adding corn syrup till it’s how you like it. if your sour cream mixture is too cold, it’ll solidify your chocolate. room temperature, peeps.

chill until it’s spreadable, up to 30 minutes.

recipe adapted (barely) from smitten kitchen.

i have more ideas in my brain than i have time and money to execute, so i figured i’d share some here as an outlet. there’s nothing like inspiration boards to express a little creativity and some good ideas without going gang busters buying flowers, expensive dresses, and lots of beer. ok, i might have some of the latter later today. it is friday, after all.

love oregon? here’s a classy pacific northwest theme for ya. mossy, ferny, shroomy table decor and stationery. puffy clouds of baby’s breath. and beer. this imaginary wedding has beer tasting set up at the bar and boutonnieres made out of hops. the rainy theme certainly doesn’t match the day we’re having in eugene right now, but i can’t say i mind one bit.

i could put together about a bajillion more of these. leave a comment and let me know if you want to see them. like this board? get married and i’ll help you make it happen. :)

and so in love. <3

what flowers does the florist keep at home?

it is nearly time to say farewell to my friend the cymbidium. these blooms have been pilfered so many times to be wired, taped, or artfully (if i do say so myself) set inside a glass bulb with some moss. most of the blooms are fading now, intensifying in color with their advanced age and beginning to curl closed. one has fallen off entirely, for now resting in the tangle of leaves in the center of the pot. i shall fish it out when i am less sad about it.

when the last bloom falls, i have no idea what i’ll do with the space this plant occupies. it’s on and end table, which happens to be in the middle of the room next to a floating sofa. whatever goes there needs to be tall, since the ceiling is so high right at the place and everything else in the room is vertically uniform.

as to the orchid, i need to study up on what to do to coax him back into bloom. i hear colder temperatures and bright light are preferred for an extended period of time, but i have serious doubts about my ability to bring him back around. advice is welcome. it would be easier to just replace it, but perhaps less rewarding. who am i kidding, though? instant gratification will likely win.

make sure to see what everybody else brought to the flower party, hosted by the most gracious ms. jane.

if you’re one of the 2% of eugeneans who haven’t read botany of desire, catch up. great book. in it, michael pollan (appropriate last name for a plant enthusiast, even if the spelling is not quite right) describes how the crazed love for tulips brought an entire economy crashing down after a seriously inflated boom based on the trade of new hybrids and varieties.

here in oregon, our tulips are more likely to be grown in california than the netherlands, but the nation persists as a premier location for growing and trading flowers, including the lovely ones they are most famous for. it’s a serious daydream of mine to visit one day and stand in the middle of all that color. for now, two bunches of gracefully drooping flowers will do.

those dark doubles are just too gorgeous. the flowers are a bit newer in the top two photos. as time goes by, the blooms open, the stems grow a couple inches, and they bend towards the light. if for some reason you prefer straighter tulips, give them a fresh cut, then poke a straight pin or a bit of wire vertically up through the bottom of the stem.

tulips are a bit wild and unwieldy sometimes. my favorite way to ‘arrange’ them is to let them more or less do as they please. here, they’re only sharing a vase with some twigs of pussy willow, but if you have tulips that are giving you fits in your design, try putting the tulips in the vase first, even before your foliage. that way, they’ll guide the rest of the composition so you can build the arrangement around them feature the tulips or let them accent the other flowers.

all flowers are prettiest when they are a day away from being tossed out. the fleeting nature is part of what makes them so wonderful. i’m no poet though, and plenty have already written on the subject, so i’ll just share the pictures.

remember these guys? well, here they are. as i mentioned, they were a little beat up to begin with. i had two of each, and unfortunately the lovelier of the two white roses opened up to reveal a deep bruise instead of the blush center i was hoping for. the one pictured above is still all ruffly goodness though.

mr. pink, however, was a pleasant surprise. he was so tightly wound that at first i was afraid he’d hardly open at all, just shed outside petals one at a time until the little scamp flashed his stamens at me. it only took a little prodding to loosen the petals for this photo, and now he looks more like a peony than a rose to me. just don’t mind the little touch of brown there on one of his petals.

yes, they still smell amazing.

yes, all flowers are male.

next time i’ll share some tulips that are almost done. they’re even prettier than blown roses.

i wish. please don’t actually run your fingernails along your monitor. well, it probably wouldn’t hurt anything if you did, but if somebody sees you…it’s not my fault if you look silly. blame the roses.