A great ad goes viral.
For some reason it wont embed, so click here to watch.
Via Jane Milliman.
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School Knowledge Taken to Abstract Heights: PEGS Infinity Center
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We love the concept behind this uncommon senior grammar school located in Melbourne, Australia. The creative team at McBride Charles Ryan was commissioned by Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School (PEGS) to develop a space for 11th and 12th year students and you can see the result below: a project shaped like an infinity symbol. This allowed the architects to place two protected courtyards within the composition, offering healthy outdoor learning and relaxation spaces.
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Tthe library and student learning center were both located at “the heart of the infinity“. The architects further explain that each wing has its own qualities, different from each other and yet seamlessly connected to the next: “This way the building acts as an embodiment of the journey of education, with less distinction of any prescribed boundaries between disciplines“. I never really saw the power of design as a motivational factor when it comes to studying. But I do believe some students here enjoy learning grammar a bit more than if taught in a common-looking school.
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Star Plant of the Show
Theres always a plant that appears in several show gardens and catches my eye. Last year it wasSilene fimbriata,a dry-shade-loving campion with frilly-edged white flowers, that is now thriving in my garden. This year itsEuphorbiaxpasteuriiwhich is a cross between the lovely, honey-scented but largeEuphorbia melliferaand the handsomeEuphorbia stygiana.As a bit of a fan of euphorbias, I have both growing in my garden, as well asE. palustris, E.myrsinitesandE. schillingii,so even now one of the many seedlings around the garden may be a naturally occurringx pasteurii, but just in case it isnt, Im getting my order in now. I asked Peter Clay from Crocus about it and he said it has all the virtues ofmelliferabut is more compact with a more open flowerhead. While not entirely hardy, if you can growmelliferawithout losing it, you will be able to growx pasteurii.
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The Drunken Botanist Goes to Manhattan
and Buffalo. And Brooklyn. See you there? As always, please check with the venue before heading out to confirm details. Also, there are lots more events coming up around the countrygo here to see the complete list.
June 06 2013 06:30 PM The Horticultural Society of New York, New York, NY
Doors open at 6 and there will be drinks!
June 09 2013 02:00 PM Sycamore Bar & Flowershop,
Yes, its a flower shop AND a bar. So naturally, Im doing an event there! $15 gets you a cocktail, a bouquet of cocktail-friendly plants and flowers, and a $5 donation to the Flatbush community garden.
June 13 2013 07:00 PM WORD Bookstore, Brooklyn, NY
A cocktail demo and conversation with Rosie Schaap, author of Drinking with Men and cocktail writer for the New York Times.
June 17 2013 06:00 PM Talking Leaves, Buffalo, NY
Drunken Botanist event with Talking Leaves at Mike As Lounge, Hotel @The Lafayette, 391 Washington Street.
And if you cant be there? Heres a rhubarb version of a Manhattan for you:
Rhubarb and Rye
A delightful twist on the classic Manhattan from Adam Chumas at Tilth in Seattle.
1.5 oz rye whiskey
.5 oz rhubarb-lemon verbena simple syrup
.5 oz fresh lemon juice
.5 oz sweet (red) vermouth
Shake all ingredients over ice and serve in a cocktail glass.
Rhubarb simple syrup
1 loosely-packed cup chopped rhubarb stalks
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Other fruits or herbs to taste (lemon verbena, strawberry, scented geranium, for instance)
Combine all ingredients and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes. Once the stalks are soft, press them with a muddler or wooden spoon to release the juice. Allow to cool, then strain and bottle. Keep tightly sealed in the refrigerator. Adding an ounce of vodka as a preservative will help extend the life of the simple syrup.
Give and Get Back
Its no secret that people are attached to their stuff, especially the stuff that we use every day. Lets face it, the stuff is not just our things, the stuff becomes our companion. Its watched us develop our skills, been with us through celebrations, and sometimes been there to see us at our, shall I say, less perfect phases. When we sew, we are not only honing skills and expressing our creativity, but we are creating something that will make someone else happy; which some might argue is the main reason why we do it.
We love to sew, we love to make people smile and we want to leave something for future generations to enjoy and remember us by, which is why we spend a lot of time with our sewing machines; and in some cases, get to know it very well. Im so familiar with mine that I can tell when I am about to run out of bobbin thread, simply based on the noise it is making. (Yes, I know what youre thinking and yes, my machine does have a bobbin sensor.) So then, I ask you, how can we possibly be expected to part with our honorary family members?
Most of us die-hard sewers (or do we call ourselves sewists these days?) have more than one machine. We may have one to take to class, one we sew on at home, and our treasured family member that stays in a closet because we just cant seem to part with it. Whether it was our first sewing machine or a hand me down from our grandmother, we hold on to them because we would rather keep them than see them go to waste in the back of a sewing machine store or worse, relegated to a junk pile.
When we want a new sewing machineyou know, the one with a stitch regulator to keep your freemotion stitches even and consistentwe hesitate because we dont want to trade-in an old one for face value. Its worth more to us in sentimental value butwe only have so much storage space. Would we part with our beloved first machines if we knew they were going to a good home? Maybe, I mean, they are really not doing anyone any good sitting in the closet. For the most part we simply do not know where to send them and its challenging to sell them on our own.
BERNINA has a solution to this dilemma. From Memorial Day, May 27 through Labor Day, September 2, BERNINA of America is offering a way for you to donate your old machine of any brand and any age at your local BERNINA store, they will in turn donate the machine to a place such as the Sewing Machine Project where donated machines are serviced and given to those who can use them to make a life change.
The Sewing Machine Project has given over 900 sewing machines since 2005 and continues to work extensively in areas of the Gulf Coast, Mexico, Kosovo and Sri Lanka to mend lives and provide opportunities. The recipients are either individuals or organizations and they are supported with sewing and business education, small business development, creative growth and local community service. The Sewing Machine Project believes that when people grow stronger, so do their communities.
Imagine being able to give the gift of creativity, pride and accomplishment. As a thank you for your generosity BERNINA is offering 10% off your new BERNINA purchase up to $500. Why not experience optimum stitch control, automatic buttonholes, a wide range of stitches and more? All you have to do is Sew it Forward when you stop in to your local BERNINA store for their Give and Get Back promotion this summer.
If you are one of the sewists that can manage to part with your long time friend, please share your story with us in a comment thanks!
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Creating a Meaningful Home: Design, Dining + Diapers
Todays guest post for the Creating a Meaningful Home Blog Series is Taryn of Design, Dining + Diapers. Welcome Taryn
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Hi SAS readers! Im Taryn from Design, Dining + Diapers and I am so honored to be part of Jennas Creating a Meaningful Home series. This topic is really important to me and is one that I think everyone should think about. After all, bringing meaningful pieces into a space is what distinguishes a house from a home. So now you may be asking, how DO you create a meaningful home?
I think this is a question that everyone needs to answer for themselves because everyone defines meaning in a different way. For some people creating meaning can be done through displaying family pictures and being reminded of special memories, for others its incorporating family heirlooms into a space. So far, weve read several bloggers stories on how they create meaning in their home and today Im sharing mine.
For me, meaning comes in the little things. I have a more minimalistic approach to decorating, so I have a very subtle way of adding meaning to our home. While it may not be obvious to an outsider, Ive incorporated pieces of my family and I into almost every project Ive completed and to me defines meaning.
Last fall I completed our Family Room Makeover and today Im going to let you in on some of the secrets behind the projects.
My DIY Eye Chart is one of my favorite projects, ever. Its hard to see it at first, but the eye chart actually spells out my favorite scripture, Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Its something so subtle but so significant to me.
To you this may just be another family room, but I see a room full of meaning. To the far left youll see my Eye Chart that I mentioned above and next to it is an old gas can that belonged to my grandpa. And that planter, those may be just numbers to you, but it is actually our wedding anniversary.
Above the window sits the Rustic Growth Chart I made for my daughter (and future kiddos). While it may just look like another piece of rustic decor, for us its a piece of our family history. When I look up at that every day, I see the tags that mark our daughters height year after year and its hard not to think about all that has happened in just a few short years.
And of course I had to add a personalized pillow for my daughter, Miss E. 
Here is a Side Table that I made over using reclaimed wood. Its a piece that we will take with us when/if we ever move and what I love is that we will actually be taking a piece of our first home with us. You see, the wood I used on the top of the table I found in our backyard. It came from an old trellis that we found behind some raspberry bushes and I used it to turn this table into something new. Yet again, something subtle but holds significance for my family.
These are just a few of the ways that I have created meaning in my home. For me, meaning doesnt have to be obvious to the eye, it just has to be felt.
I want to thank Jenna for putting together such a fun series, Ive really enjoyed reading all of the posts and Im looking forward to the rest!
What a great post, thank you Taryn! Its so true what Taryn said Everyone needs to find their path and answer on how to bring meaning into their home. For Taryn its more subtle and can be seen through the little things that shes created for her home and incorporated into her home.
Taryn has such a great fresh style. Her family room makeover is definitely one of my favorites to date. I think using differing baskets for each cubby was so unique and smart. The vintage inspired mail organizer that sits atop the cubbies is such a fun piece and she DIYed it. Taryn gives a thorough and easy tutorial, have a look.
Head on over to Design, Dining + Diapers, and give Taryn a BIG HELLO!
Private House With a Stylish Interior in L.A. and a Breathtaking View Over the City
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A Golden Moment
Im a keen supporter of WaterAid and the work it does in bringing clean water and sanitation to areas of the world where both are all too scarce, so Im delighted that their Artisan garden at Chelsea was awarded a Gold Medal. Depicting a floriculture business in India, the gloriously colourful garden is hung with marigolds, roses and hanging garlands being grown and prepared for sale, with a backdrop of a simple house on stilts. By having access to clean water and sanitation peoples lives are transformed and women and children freed from the burdens and dangers of collecting water, giving them the time to earn a living and get an education. The rainwater harvesting jar (on the left) collects water in times of high rainfall, for use in times of water scarcity or when flooding has contaminated ground water sources.
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A Wondrous Wasteland
One of my top gardens at this years show is Kate Goulds garden with its inspired use of recycled materials. Flattened washing machine drums wrought into a wall panel, a deconstructed shopping trolley and bed springs used as screens, corrugated iron fences, and bits of boiler pipe used as bench supports. Its not romantic or rustic, but it is really inspiring to see recycled materials used in such a well-crafted manner.
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Cats in the Garden Solutions Only
Cat-loving readers will no doubt remember our recent dust-up over the issue of cats in the garden. That post was prompted by a cat-in-garden photo illustrating a magazine piece about wildlife-friendly gardens a strange juxtaposition, at least to my eyes.
Well, I was happy to notice Horticulture Magazine addressing this issue head-on, but in a solutions-oriented way, not a controversial one. (Though Lord knows, the topic is controversial no matter how its handled.) Their article, 4 Ways to Keep Cats out of the Garden, summarizes the problem that our beloved cats can sometimes be destructive, irksome troublemakersespecially when they decide to visit neighboring homes without permission! Gardeners are often bothered by a cat who decides to make a mulched bed her litter box, or when cats bother (and potentially kill) birds, butterflies and other wildlife the gardener is trying to attract.
The author then quickly moved on to possible solutions chicken wire, cat repellents, repellent plants (news to me!) and good old scare tactics.
In my own garden theres just one cat who roams freely across it or would if I didnt yell at him every time he approaches. I do that not just to protect my garden and the wildlife in it but to avoid turf-related aggression between him and my three indoor-only cats, who love hanging out on the screened-in porch. Theyre so happy, and so uninterested in escaping to the outdoors, that I had to laugh at the comment on that prior post expressing concern for them: Keeping them couped up in a house all day is, in my opinion, terribly cruel.
That may apply to cats who are accustomed to hunting outdoors but not to cats like mine whove never been outside except in a cat carrier.
