From a wrinkly seed.

My nasturtium bloomed!

growing babies

So. Its been what, a month since I showed you my indoor garden! Wow. Well, lots has happened over here at Hightower Botanicals. The herbs are growing well despite being stuck indoors. Purple basil wins for the fastest growing herb. The wildflowers and Nasturtium are out in front though growing with outright passion! And they are not all that's been growing rapidly around here... I am having a baby!!!!! At first I was sick, tired, and not just tired. I mean exhausted beyond all know reality for me. As a result, my jewelry was pretty much abandoned. I was also nervous about the toxic exposure from soldering and working with metal. At my day job I quit working in the shop immediately after discovering my pregnancy. Luckily, I have other, cleaner work to do there now.

And, I am back to the neglected Hightower Botanicals shop now! I have passed the first trimester and am now healthy in the second. With safety practices I am making jewelry again for Etsy and for some upcoming craft shows...(stay posted) Life is good. I have discovered a whole new world in pregnancy. My husband and I are so excited and happy to start a family.

Garden Power

I am sick of being confined to my yard-less apartment. I'm growing an indoor herb garden this year! Just planted seeds in a little sprouter box. This is the first time I've used one and I'm very excited! I'm going all natural with only organic herbs this year. I bought herbs from two lovely etsy stores, The Little Ragmuffin and Homegrown Healthy. I doubt the sprouter kit is organic but its so cool, like miniature burlap sacks filled with soil, and when I transfer the baby plants to pots and boxes I'll use organic soil so good enough for me.

My husband and I are looking forward to fresh herbs this season. We will have so many yummy choices! Sweet and Purple Basil, Chives, Dill, Cilantro and edible flowers... I want to add mint and mini tomatoes and peppers too (but my space is limited so we will see). So many cooking possibilities and for flavor fresh usually far out beats dried.

Small Town Find!

I found this polished core sample and Cabochons in an old and dusty thrift shop in Republic, WA.

They are a mix of pyrite, hematite, and maybe iron. From a local mine near Republic. I'm going to play around with the cabochons and make some sweet necklaces.

Besides being a thrift store, in the back were old chairs and couches pushed together forming a hangout area for some old dudes. Probably one of them cut the cabochons that I bought! They were sitting with their big cowboy hats talking about the gold nuggets and dust that can still be found up the street in a little creek...."But some one owns the land and that might be a problem", one of the men drawled out. Discussions on the price of sapphires also filled the room. I had the feeling that these guys were in that back corner day in and day out. They probably had grown up together in Republic. Raised kids together. Worked in the mines and logging companies following their fathers footsteps. I had a feeling that the town had dried up.

Not much different than the bodegas in Brooklyn really. The neighborhood I live in is mainly Puerto Rican. Bodegas are the small convenience stores in every street corner. Unenployment is high. Often, a group of guys will be hanging out in the back of the store. For most of the day. And many of my neighbors have lived here for 40+ years. Each succeeding generation taking over their parents apartment. Or moving down the street.

But, most importantly. Everyone loves a hangout.

You are a natural beauty.

Holy shit this is so cool!

Its native gold on white quartz from California!

And only $2,250. Ha!

gourds for fall

Love the textures.

studying spinning maple seeds

You know, the "helicopters" that you threw as kids. Looks like playing around with maple seeds has gone to a whole new level. I found this cool photo of a maple seed in an article for the California Institute of Technology.

Here is a quote from the article-

"Maple seeds could represent the most basic and simple design for a miniature helicopter, if the swirling wing could be powered by a micromotor," says Lentink. Single-rotor helicopters have been built and flown successfully with wing spans of roughly a meter, but never at the scale of a maple seed.

Maple Seed Necklace!

And the half necklace!

wild flowers

I was in Portland, Oregon recently visiting friends. Saw these while on a walk. Snapping flower photos never gets old-