Rose Bouquet: Apricot Candy

How do I elevate a hastily prepared meal? We eat outside! Pretty place mats and flowers elevate an everyday dinner. Plus, everything tastes better outside, don't you think?

Customize Napkins with Darling Rose Print Iron Ons

These pretty peach iron on roses stopped me in my tracks! Michaels Craft Stores carry Iron-It Out decals that are absolutely darling and exactly the style I was looking for to embellish some white cotton napkins. I love the look of a soft watercolor painting and these images were simple to iron onto my pre-washed napkins. Follow the instructions and you too can have a set of napkins in under 30 minutes.

Each set includes 3 coordinated watercolor roses for $4 (use a 40% off coupon to bring the price down to $2.40). I bought 2 sets and made myself 6 incredibly cute napkins. The fact that my Apricot Candy rose is blooming doesn't hurt either! 

#crafting #embellishthis #customizeyourhome #momentsofdelight #finddelight

Sugarfina: My Color and Sugar Spirit Animal

Did I stand a chance against this wall of candy? Nope.

In a city where no one really knows me, I often give in and summarize my life as being driven by "color and sugar." Knowing that, you would expect that I would stop and marvel at this boutique candy wall inside the flagship Nordstrom in Seattle, WA.

The company is called Sugarfina and they sell clear plastic boxes of color and sugar known as candy. The idea is that you build your own bento box with the colors and flavors you love. This is the kind of gift I would have given my bridesmaids. Fun, memorable and delicious.

I chose a box of Sassy Strawberries, which are flat strawberry replicas dusted in sugar. I told myself that they would be beautiful as a garnish on a strawberry cheesecake (you know, topping each puff of whipped cream) but I had eaten the entire box of 10 (?) by morning. You'll notice that I can't provide a picture of them. My tastebuds were too demanding. The candies were very chewy (like) and extremely cute (love) and came in a reusable plastic box for $7.50.

I also bought a try-me pack of gummy Apricot Hearts for $2.50. Why is nothing ever flavored apricot? I thought these were delicious and enjoyed chain-chewing these bubble-bath lookalikes until they were gone.

I was offered a sample of their "Martini Olive Almonds" and if I had a party planned, they would be my first unnecessary purchase. Roasted California almonds are dipped in white chocolate and then painted to look like olives. Someone hand me a crystal dish - these are fantastic. 

I am all for this new way of mixing and matching beautiful candy. Keep your eye out for Sugarfina and tell them Anne sent you.

A Balcony Rose Update

Tah-dah! I wanted to reassure you that you can indeed grow roses in a pot on a balcony in Seattle. I have had this beauty since March 2015 and she is as happy as ever right now (Oct 2016)! 

Remember when she first started to sprout again in January? Dan has been in charge of her from April until now, since I was in Michigan most of this year, and boy did he do a good job!

I have only grown roses in Michigan in a garden with a soaker hose, so attempting to nurture a rose in a pot over a long stretch of time seemed like a 50/50 proposition. This Apricot Candy hybrid tea has been a gorgeous addition to our balcony garden.

Buds in January: A Rosarian's Dream

In May 2015, I was only in Seattle for a few weeks, but did what I could to make our little apartment feel home-y. And when I say home-y, I also mean garden-y. I'll show you how our decorating is coming along in the next few days, but the big news here is that my rose has a bud! And is leafing out. IN JANUARY. I noticed our first bud on January 29. Things are looking up.

Last May, I bought a beautiful "Apricot Candy" hybrid tea rose for $14.99 at the grocery store giant, Fred Meyer's garden center. It had big peachy pink blooms and had buds all over it. We planted it into a plastic outdoor pot with drainage holes (about 4 sizes larger than the container it was planted it) and used bagged dirt that was specifically for roses. This is my rose in her glorly last summer.

It bloomed until October and has been on the deck out of the wind for the last 3 months, receiving only the water Mother Nature blew her way. Could Seattle roses (facing North) possibly start to leaf out and grow in January? I knew that we had an extended growing season, but this is incredible!

Stay tuned.