Fall table setting. Bohemian Cottage

Fall Tablescape Inspiration

Fall is slowly creeping up on us here in the Rocky Mountains. The air is crisp in the evenings and mornings, the first touches of changing leaves are showing on the trees and the pumpkins are getting big in the garden. We recently cleaned the back yard up really well and set a nice fall table for Sunday taco night. I made baked tilapia for fish tacos and had a bunch of different toppings cut up and ready. I also had the Shiner Bock Rubyred Summer ale to drink. It was really good!

To help get your fall table set, I curated some ideas from around the web, and also wanted to share our first of many fall table settings with you. (read more)

Soba Noodle Salad with Sriracha Tofu

Soba Noodle Salad with Sriracha Baked Tofu

Soba Noodle Salad with Sriracha Tofu

This Soba Noodle Salad is a perfect summer side with grilled chicken or as a main dish on its own.

On a quest for healthy meals for the family, I came across a recipe for a soba noodle soup. Heavy on the ginger, with the addition of spicy sriracha baked tofu, it became the favorite dish I make for Coda. When summer came along, I wanted to be able to serve the same flavors but without the warm broth, and that is where this salad was born. It is very versatile, you can add whatever seasonal veggies are available. In this particular version I was able to add the snow peas and golden zucchini  that I grew in the garden this summer. (read more)

Ladybug Crackers

Little Sprouts Community Garden

Community Garden

We enjoyed a lady bug release party at the Little Sprouts Community Garden

A couple of weeks ago the kids and I participated in a ladybug release party at the Little Sprouts Community Garden. We released hundreds of ladybugs, learned about bugs both beneficial and pests, did some crafts, had fun with a butterfly net and bug habitat and ate some tasty snacks!

Community Garden Crafting

We made Butterfly crafts

We made the cutest tie dyed butterfly craft while there. They are a simple craft for all ages. I will put up the instructions in a different post so you can make one too!

Butterfly Craft at the community garden

Makayla making her butterfly craft

We released hundreds of ladybugs to help the garden defend against pests. We even got a bug habitat to take some home to release in our own garden. (read more)

White Porcelain Floral Hand Jewelry Holder

Collectables. What do our collections reveal about us?

Cast Iron Hand Crystal Ball Holder

This iron hand was the first piece I got when I started to collect hands.

Most people have collected something at some point in their lives. I think it is human nature to collect, based on some of our most primal basic needs for food perhaps. Carl Jung had his theories on it as did Freud. I got to thinking about what some of the collections I have might be saying about me and my personality. Most of the things I collect are for the aesthetic aspects of it, also symbolic and my constant thirst for the hunt of a particular object. Some of the collections I have did not start intentionally to be collections, they just happened. Kind of like my collection of hand sculptures. The very first one, a cast iron open hand, was purchased as a crystal ball stand. It is one of my favorite things that I own. Then I became fascinated with hands of different sorts when I would come across them. I found a set of tiny clay hands that fit perfectly a small smoky quartz crystal ball I had. Then I had 2. I picked up jewelry holder hands made from resin, ceramic and wood. They symbolize to me help, work, balance, giving and receiving. (read more)

Coreopsis. Bohemian Cottage

Plant Exchange Potluck

Hen

This year at the Rocky Mountain Gardening Forum Plant Exchange we met this hen.

The Rocky Mountain Gardening Forum annual Spring plant exchange this year was in Arvada. There was a potluck and hundreds of plants being exchanged by gardeners of all levels, from the beginner to the master gardener. The hosts had a chicken coop where this little hen lived with about 5 others. The gardening forum holds the plant exchange a couple times of year, in the spring and again in the fall. everyone starts plants from seed or divides them from established plants in their gardens to bring to share with one another. It is a wonderful way to expand the plants in the garden without having to spend any money at the garden center. This year I shared lemon balm, golden zucchini, chives, coreopsis and strawberries. It is nice to see the plants that are reproducing and spreading in the garden enjoy a good home. (read more)

Bohemian Tea Party Decor. Bohemian Cottage

Party Decor~Bohemian Tea Party

The bohemian tea party turned out to be timed just right for Makayla’s birthday. We had a few friends over, all bringing something to contribute to the spread and enjoyed a fun, bohemian themed gathering. The food was an eclectic mix of world flavors, the color scheme was a bright saturated jewel toned rainbow. We took inspiration from Morocco, India, England and Turkey.

Bright Bold Bohemian Tea Party Decor

We went with a mix of bright colors and world flavors for our tea party.

Heirloom Tea Set

Rosie brought her tea set passed down from her grandmother.

We had traditional English tea cups and saucers as well as Moroccan tea cups. We ended up using the Moroccan tea cups for our bubbly cocktails instead! I did attempt to make the traditional Moroccan tea, but it came out way to strong. I will work on perfecting that recipe and technique to share with you here on the blog. (read more)