Christianson's Nursery & Greenhouse: A Must Stop in the Skagit Valley

It is always a good day when I can visit Christianson's Greenhouse and Nursery. It's a little wonderland of plants and possibilities in the Skagit Valley.

So on this particular day last year, my friend Amy and I had driven up to the area  with no set agenda. Our goal was to see tulips and have a chance to talk; the best kind of Spring afternoon. We drove to Christianson's to get in the mood for spring. Everything looked beautiful. And this is where Amy found some wonderful chocolate tile "paint" sets. I'll write about them soon.

At Christianson's, they have a lovely gift shop full of unique housewares, beautiful books and special antiques. Guess what I found? I actually made squeaking sounds when I noticed it on the shelf...

                                          
A covered casserole in my beloved formal china pattern Lavinia by Spode (covered with black raspberries)! Cab you believe it? I did not have this piece and I was over the moon. What a thrill. To my knowledge, my pattern was never sold in the United States, so we had to order pieces from Canada for our wedding registry. I've only seen the full collection on display in Bermuda; that's how rare these dishes have been for me, so finding this piece in my pattern was shocking and wonderful.

This casserole is oven-safe and I will bake my heart out with side dishes galore. 

My china pattern AND tulips, this was a delightful day.

#skagitvalley #gardencenter #lavinia #antiquefind

When Gourds Are Art: Gordon Skagit Farms

Last year, when I saw the gorgeous photos about family-run Gordon Skagit Farms that were published in the September issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine, I wrote "Gordon Skagit Farm Oct 1-31" in the sidebar of my calendar for October 2022. 

Do you ever do that? Make yourself notes so you don't miss the good stuff? Then I color copied the article and mailed it to my GardenComm friend who writes for the Seattle Times with a Post It saying, "We're going!" I like to let people know when I'm making big plans.

We went on a weekday afternoon to be able to take photos without the crowds. The selection is staggering. It's a wonderful to buy every color of unique gourd, squash and pumpkin right from the farm that grew them. We were told that they are experimenting with breeding too, so you may see some exclusive varieties when you visit. 

All of the displays are photo ready and I loved it. Why wouldn't you display your medium to its advantage? Honor the product. 

The specimens were beautiful and there were plenty of open areas to let your mind wander. There's room to think about what you really want in different displays at your home or business. It's terrific. And there are different color stories everywhere so you can consider everything. Here is a master list of pumpkin varieties to help you identify some favorites.

And bird house gourds! My mom and Dan have successfully converted a bird house gourd into a birdhouse - you can see it here. I bought my mom 2 gourds on this trip because I just couldn't decide.

There were other displays that made me want to question everything. The paintings (I assume created by Eddie because he mentioned sketching the large owl on Instagram) are incredible. This vignette (above) is worth the drive north to the Skagit Valley. To see the colors of the squash echoed up onto the canvas and then the trees and changing leaves reflecting down, with a false perspective of the farm going far into the distance blew my mind. I stood there thinking about how the squash, which Eddie grew, were as important to this painting as the paint. I wondered about a lot of things and none of it had to do with a pumpkin farm, which was weird. I was blown away and I didn't tell Eddie either, which is wrong. 

But I was in a family business, and I respect that the season to sell is S-H-O-R-T. He was busy with the day to day, and I could see that the gourds, squash and pumpkins the family had grown were the focus. There will be time to talk about art later. But holy cow, the art on site that supports the farm is stunning.

This year the farm opened to the public September 27 and was open through Halloween. We had a glorious day to walk around and explore. You must get out a pen and write "Gordon Skagit Farm" in the margin of your October 2023 calendar, ok?

I'd like to bring a large group of friends here for an afternoon next Fall. Wouldn't that be neat? Shopping the local nurseries and gift shops, having coffee and pie and then stopping here for heirloom pumpkins?

It's easy to make it sound good.

They have a small farm stand that sells local produce and honey too. I loved it and I am so pleased to have visited. I will be back again and again. Happy Fall everyone. And be sure to tell others when you find a treasure.

Jennelle Marcereau Gallery: A Stunning Landscape Photography Gallery in Tacoma

My friend Jennelle Marcereau is an incredible landscape photographer! Her work is beautiful; I am proud and I want to tell you all about it. 

Do you remember that one point when your Facebook connections grew exponentially because all of your college or high school friends were finding each other all at once? Well, Jennelle and I connected online during that flurry and though we sent a nice message saying "We're both living near Seattle!," we never set up a time to see each other. Then recently, Jennelle posted that she was opening a gallery of her photography! I was in Michigan the night of her Grand Opening, but we were able to connect and talk in her beautiful space for hours one afternoon not long afterward. 

She and I are Theta sorority sisters from Michigan State University. We were roommates in our sorority house and it was incredible to laugh and fill each other in on everything that has happened in our lives since we were 21. I kind of wish we'd been recording it, because we really did a good job of boiling our stories down. Have you done that lately? It's quite a mental exercise.

Jennelle has a fascinating life. She balances life as an emergency room doctor with the creativity & physical strength of being a professional nature photographer. In just talking with her, I felt kind of jealous of her brain.  It gets a healthy workout in two completely different kinds of thinking. What a thrill. 

Jennelle loves to travel and hike to capture photos that are absolutely incredible. The color and composition she is able to see and then capture, is just beautiful. Though many people are moved by her images and make a purchase right on the spot, I see an important future for Jennelle in medical spaces. I think her images could bring comfort and inspiration to patients during the uncertainty of the office visit and waiting room.

On a different note, Jennelle thought it was very cool that I had become an artist and writer. She said that she remembered that I was creative and enthusiastic in college, but didn't know that I would become a maker. She invited me to bring my cigar box purses to display & sell at her gallery during a Tacoma Wine Walk. When she saw them in person, she asked if I would like to keep them in her gallery for a while. She liked that it would give her customers a variety of art pieces to look at. It was a kind and generous offer to share her space with me and I am grateful to her. It feels wonderful to have some of my collection on display in an art gallery. My life just keeps surprising me. Thank you, Jennelle, for the honor. Your gallery is beautiful!

#seattleblogger #finddelight #tacomawa #pnw #HerPNWlife #wanderwashington #photography 

Chuckanut Drive: Beautiful Scenic Drive

I am a planner at heart and when someone suggests a place to visit, I always write it down in my iPhone notes and then copy it later into my travel planner. I have pages of restaurants to try, stores to visit and scenic drives to take. Since I blog about delight, people I meet feel compelled to tell me what their favorite places are and I am grateful.

I had written "Chuckanut Drive" down in several places and thankfully, that is not a name you forget. We were on a drive toward Bellingham when I recognized it immediately on local signs and insisted we add it to our route before the sun set. Described as the only place where the Cascade Mountains reach the sea, this view above shows a lookout over Samish Bay and shows some of the San Juan Islands in the distance. Bellingham is about 1 1/2 hours north of Seattle and is a great road trip when the sun is out. We had a beautiful Saturday and knew we needed to take advantage of the rain break. 

There are several turnout areas to stop and enjoy the view. I will definitely plan a return when it is warm enough to enjoy a picnic outside. The vistas are very Pacific Northwest and exactly what we are looking for. Thanks Bellingham!

#pnw #scenicdrive #washington #seattleblogger #momentsofdelight #followthesun 

White Antique China: Pretty As A Picture

They got me. I am usually driven by color and sugar, but I stopped in my tracks for this black and white masterpiece. It couldn't be more effective and I salute the vendor that put this collection together. 

Dan and I went on a Sunny Saturday driving trip and ended up in Bellingham, WA. We drove around town, looked in shop windows, shared a butterscotch milkshake and ended up stopping in the Penny Lane Antique Mall. If you're out driving, be sure to stop in and admire their selection.

I saw several collections arranged by color (bravo!) but this all white in a black hutch deserves my top honors. It is one thing to collect vintage items, being able to display them to their advantage is another. This is art. This is delight.

#seattleblogger #visualvitamins #whitechina #vintage #collectingchina #antiquing #winterweekend

Heirloom Cookshop: An Evening to Relax and Braise

The neighborhood that I moved into is new construction and with the boom of the tech industry in Seattle, it has attracted families from all over the country and the world. I am really enjoying my new neighbors and I'm grateful that they are planning many fun ways to connect. In November, some of us enrolled in a one-night cooking class called "Braising" at Heirloom Cookshop in Snoqualmie, Washington. You should read my first post about this cool food-focused business.

The 4-hour class started with a glass of wine and a beautiful board of prosciutto, cheese, dried apricots, candied nuts and Marcona almonds to snack on. We introduced ourselves and discussed how familiar we were with cooking & braising in our own kitchen. Chef Schu explained that braising revolves around searing and caramelizing the exterior of food and then cooking it in liquid at a lower temperature to develop flavor and ensure tenderness. Since one of the recipes required a long braise, we would be preparing the first few steps of the recipe and then switching to one that she had cooked the night before, so that we would be able to taste the finished product - so smart. We would be making Ancho Chile-Braised Short Ribs, Yogurt-Braised Chicken with Sumac, Ginger and Cilantro, Braised Cabbage with Fennel and Pancetta and Caramelized Braised Pears with Cinnamon Whipped Cream.

The students sat at stools around a beautiful wood bar top table. Chef Schu teaches from one side, near the stove and it really works. We could see her explaining knife skills and follow her instructions for cutting up vegetables or preparing the pears. Of course, we needed to approach the stock pot to see how the chicken was searing etc., and we were able to come over and look to gauge the process. I know how to cook, but I thought it was a really fun and relaxed class full of good information. Our group and the other students asked a lot of questions and it led to some great side conversations with Chef Schu about cooking, sourcing and loving food. 

We took notes throughout the class on the recipe packet provided, and now we can recreate these hearty braised dishes at home. While the pillar of a cooking class is the instruction, you need to know that the meal we created was delicious too.  

The ancho chile beef short ribs were rich, tender and satisfying. The yogurt-braised chicken was really nice. The sumac gave it a feeling of sweetness, but that was balanced out with lemon and salt. I enjoyed it and I would certainly make it on my own. The cabbage was a pleasant surprise. I can't say that I'm likely to make it, but I certainly won't pass on cabbage anymore when it is a choice. The pears with cinnamon whipped cream was as wonderful as it sounds and we ate ourselves silly on this dessert.

The entire evening was fun and I'd take another class in a second. In fact, I'm eyeing her Valentine's Candy-making class. If you enjoy food and cooking, I encourage you to visit the Heirloom Cookshop in historic Snoqualmie.

#heirloomcookshop #snoqualmie #cookingclass #foodgoals #cheflife #chefkristenschumacher #smalltownlife #sustainablebusiness #food #cookshop #smallbusiness #womanownedbusiness #cookingclass #braising101 

Heirloom Cookshop: Food Focused in Snoqualmie

I consider myself lucky to live close to a stylish, food-focused business like the Heirloom Cookshop. Located in a historic building in downtown Snoqualmie, Washington. Chef Kristen Schumacher's Heirloom Cookshop is part retail (I covet the salts, oils and boozy cherries), part cooking school (I just attended her class on Braising) and part grab & go gourmet lunch spot. The business also hosts a year round Happy Hour every Thursday from 5-8 and has organized a weekly Green Market with vendors in tents selling fresh produce, baked goods and local flowers on Friday nights from 4-7 pm during the growing season. Bravo.

I love everything about Heirloom Cookshop and appreciate that the various aspects of the business are like satellites revolving around the sun. It all relates to good food, fresh flavors, sustainable practices and culinary triumphs. 

Tomorrow, I will tell you all about my first class at Heirloom Cookshop. 

#heirloomcookshop #snoqualmie #cookingclass #foodgoals #cheflife #smalltownlife #sustainablebusiness #food #cookshop #smallbusiness #womanownedbusiness 

Dahlia Barn: Their Own Magnificent Color Story

Last weekend, Dan and I drove to the Dahlia Barn in North Bend, Washington to buy some fresh flowers. I wanted one bouquet to keep and one to give. Their farm is bursting and most of these dahlias are taller than me. This Washington farm is happy and healthy.

I met Jerry & Aimee Sherrill in 2014 when I was still living in Seattle hotels part time and had a houseful of groceries back in Michigan. I didn't know then that in 4 short years, I would be living in Washington just 15 minutes from their farm! Here is my original post about the Dahlia Barn.

Twice a year since then, I would stop in at their farm or their Northwest Flower & Garden Festival booth and say hello. It has almost become a joke, because when I saw them every 6 months my circumstances seemed to change. First "my husband was consulting in Seattle", then "we were in town looking for an apartment," then "we were selling our house and making the move permanent." It took many visits before I could announce that I owned a house with a yard and that my dahlia growing had a future. We are just getting used to our new climate and I look forward to growing lots of Dahlia Barn tubers in the future.

When we arrived for a bouquet, Aimee encouraged us to go into the barn to see their "flower show." When I saw the display, I immediately thought of a new box of crayons! Aren't they wonderful?

Catalogs are one thing, but I can't think of a better way for a customer to shop for their garden than to see each bloom in its glory. Which is your favorite?

The farm sells fresh cut bouquets in September-October each year. This was the last weekend for the year. Now it is time for them to tend the farm and prep the tubers for the winter. You can place your order for next Spring anytime. I encourage you to scour their website and dream up a winning combination for your garden. I guarantee that in 2019, I will be growing dahlias! 

#dahlias #growing #gardenlover #washington #farmflowers #dahliabarn #makingfriends #color

Salmon Days in Issaquah Washington

It was the perfect Fall day to celebrate salmon in the Pacific Northwest. Oh yes, I said salmon. And that is probably why we look especially happy in this picture, the whole town is crazy for fish. The stranger we enlisted to take our picture insisted we say "Salmon Days!" to get a good smile. Looks like she knew what she was doing - the photo is great.

Salmon Days is a family friendly weekend in Issaquah, Washington that celebrates the return of the salmon to the river. There is a fair, art show and parade for 3 days each year. The mayor also changes the name of Issaquah to Fish-aquah for the occasion. Now that is town spirit.

Look at the crowds lining up along the river to see the salmon swimming upstream and jumping up Issaquah Creek. I trace the whole path and process in an earlier post. If you'd like to know more, click here. 

It was the perfect Fall day and I loved seeing the admirers from this angle, leaning over the bridge to watch the salmon activity. This photo was taken near the Salmon Hatchery.

Salmon Days docents are on hand along the river (above) to answer questions about salmon, science and to explain what is happening this time of year. They are a treasure. When my cousin Carol and I came to see if any salmon were jumping last year, one of these docents gave us a real ecology lesson as we leaned over this same bridge to watch the salmon return. 

I was happy to see our mascot, Sammy the Salmon, cruising through the crowd. I love a town that celebrates and I encourage you to join the fun and visit Issaquah for Salmon Days next year. In the meantime, click the links and explore the educational videos on the Salmon Hatchery website.

Heirloom Tomatoes

My kingdom for a tomato that tastes like a tomato. I love this time of year for every reason under the sun, but especially for the farmer's markets. I love walking in the sunshine, talking to the farmers and ogling all of the gorgeous produce and flowers. I bought 5 of these beauties to accompany a beautiful grilled salmon dinner. 

My favorite sauce for grilling? Mix apricot jam and Dijon mustard and brush over salmon when it is almost cooked. Serve a side of sauce with the meal. 

Golden Arch of Flowers on Mother Daughter Trip

I must show you this spectacular Golden Chain arch that I saw at Bayview Farm & Garden on Whidbey Island on May 24, 2018 (for your reference when you are trying to visit it in years to come). It resembles a wisteria and smells heavenly.

What I really love is that they announce that it is blooming on the nursery's sign board out by the road. It tells all the people whizzing by, "Hey! You're going to want to stop and see this." And boy are they right. It is an incredible example of a healthy plant having just the right conditions to flourish.
It was a beautiful day and I was on a day trip with my mom and her friends (and their daughters!) from their apartment building. We had taken the ferry to Whidbey Island to visit one of their friends and had cleared the whole day to have lunch and go gallivanting. 

Our group loves gardening and our exclamations caused a stir when we saw this Golden Chain in full bloom. We naturally started posing for pictures. It was all I could do not to strike a dramatic "America's Next Top Model" pose, the lighting and conditions were right! Think of the close up framed in yellow blossoms! But alas, I posed normally with my mom and then corralled the rest of the ladies into appropriate combinations.

Sometimes a case of being in the right place at the right time is up to Mother Nature. Remember to look for the beauty of every day moments and if you see a sign by the road that says something is happening, Go Look!

#daytrip #motherdaughter #goldenchain #bayviewfarmandgarden #bayviewfarmgarden #whidbeyisland #gardeners #amomentintime

Pike Place Market: Foodies & Families

When you visit Pike Place Market (and you must visit Pike Place Market), you will be overwhelmed with the people, the flowers, the fish and the overall bounty of Seattle. The fruit is bigger, the selection is wider and the staff is friendlier. I am always impressed and I want you to come and enjoy it. And now you can walk past some of the artisans and walk outside on a huge open air platform (near the Market Parking Garage on the map) to enjoy the fresh air and activity on Puget Sound. Don't miss this chance to watch the ferry traffic.

I suggest you download this official map that will help you understand where you are and what is not to be missed. I personally recommend these places to stop and snack. If I've blogged about them, I will leave a link for you below.

Confectional - tiny delicious cheesecakes (trust me)
Starbucks Original storefront on Pike
Piroshky Piroshky - Russian pastries
Rachel's Ginger Beer - delicious hot, I like Lemon Ginger
Daily Dozen Doughnuts
Ellenos Greek Yogurt - try some, but get the Lemon Curd
Pike Place Chower - excellent clam chowder in a bread bowl

I know that this photograph looks like a painting, but it is real and unedited, I swear. The light was just that good that day. Enjoy.

#pikeplace #pikeplacemarket #seattle #pugetsound #foodfordays #foodieheaven #ellenos #dailydoughnut #pikeplacechowder #rachelsgingerbeer #originalstarbucks #confectional

Primavera Spring Market: A Vintage Show with Potential

It was sweet vintage show, but definitely smaller than I had hoped for. I had talked 2 new friends into a day trip to Snohomish to shop at the Primavera Spring Market and unfortunately, it felt like we were finished before we began. I am hoping that next year, many more vendors are attracted to this quirky show.

I did buy two things that I love. A small vintage green Pyrex bowl from JohnBOB's booth that I could add to my collection. It was a cheerful color and since it was March, I had no willpower again that happy shade of green.

I also bought one of the miniature egg/cup/flowering bulb arrangements (shown below). Mine had pale grape hyacinth planted in an egg resting in a small terracotta pot. There was a pussy willow arch bent to replicate a handle, as if it were an Easter basket from Uncle Wiggily. Love love love.

The booths showcased a variety of vintage and well-loved household items. Visually it was beautiful, but I didn't see a lot that I could use. I will always comb the calendar and try to find gems for you. This show has great potential.

#primaveramarket #springmarket #springprimaveramarket #snohomish #washington #antiquing #upcycling #vintage #vintagetreasures #girlstrip #weekendshopping #antiques #spring #springweekend #johnbobcooljunk