Keeping Busy

One of the little gifts I received when I was just home from the hospital was a watercolor pencil set and postcard-ready watercolor paper with a note encouraging me to "make something beautiful while [I] heal." Now, I've got to be the absolute worst with watercolors, so I've got nothing great to show yet in that media (though I'm getting better). But think about that all the time and I have been getting a little more creative and a little bit busier of late. First, there's the garden.

We've just got a tiny balcony so it requires a lot of organization.

Did I mention I can kind of go berserk with organization sometimes? I divied up my scented geranium and planted a new batch of seeds a few weeks ago; parsley, cilantro, and oregano. I remembered last year I got my baby parsley and baby cilantro mixed up, so I decided to make all-weather tags. It's a good thing I couldn't find the laminator. Yesterday I planted an heirloom beefsteak tomato plant and transplanted seedlings. We've been getting strawberries in since April, but they're baby plants, so they're not terribly prolific.

We also have a new friend.

He started out his very proclamatory and constant song on this super-tall stump but has moved on to basically anywhere on our balcony.

So we decided to offer him more permanent accommodations. Mark's even willing to share the strawberries, but so far he's not interested.

We also have some older friends who just got a new house, and they absolutely needed a present. I've done variations of these before and I'm very happy with the way this one turned out. I bought the actual structure (haven't learned to weld yet, sadly) and then drew the designs on translucent paper and lacquered it to the glass. Al the lanterns I've done have had mehndi designs, because I think they're beautiful and befit a celebration, but this one's particularly fitting because our friends have some real connections to India.

I have one more art project completed, but I can't post it yet because it's a gift that has yet to be received. Which is because I haven't mailed it yet. I guess I should get a little busier.