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Sunny this morning, so thought i'd try to get a better photo. Somehow, i think ikebana always loses something, tho, in 2-D representations, since a lot of it has to do with space and 3-D form.

Western Flower Arranging



vs. Japanese

This isn't a very good example of shogetsu ikebana. It's missing some shorter flowers near the base and let's face it, seven years away from Japan, i'm a little rusty, but I thought i'd show you the contrast between Western and Japanese arranging, with the same flowers. Ikebana emphasises lines and requires a balance of empty spaces and fullness. It's also almost always asymmetrical. I remember when i was first learning ikebana, I felt frustrated by the spareness and the asymmetry. I longed to create a nice, full, symmetrical arrangement, but after five years, I began to prefer the Japanese aesthetic, although I also love a mixture of Western and Eastern, arrangements that involve branches and in which each flower is given the chance to shine. Chez Panisse in Berkeley and other chic California Cuisine restaurants tend to feature this kind of arranging, not to mention fancy law firms and department stores, especially in California.

I suppose because Holland is not far from here, and Hamburg is a port city, tulips are really cheap here, so i tend to indulge. I just bought 20 parrot tulips for €8. I will post another picture when they've opened up more.

Thanks again for visiting and leaving comments. I'm still swept up in spring cleaning and hence trying to stay away from the computer and sewing machine, but thought i'd share some parrot tulips with you. It snowed today, even though there are blossoms everywhere--cherry, forsythia, plum.

My cousin Norma just finished quilting that Sister's Choice I made for my niece Mia! I'm so lucky to have a talented longarmer for a cousin!

Dresden



I was in Dresden for a day last week. Forgot to bring my camera, but my friend Rick took this picture.

I've been taking a little internet holiday, so I could get a bit more other stuff done. Since my sewing machine is on the fritz, I have nothing to show for myself anyway, except tidier drawers and fabric stash and bookshelves. Here's a link to a site that sells binder labels like the ones pictured a few posts below.

They don't have that particular picture, but they have one Carl Larsson.
In case anyone wants to google around for these, in German, they're called

selbsthaftende Ordnerrücken

or Ordner Etiketten

Another site that sells them, tho no Carl Larsson, is art-file.de

Blog-o-versary



I'd been lusting after this little mug and warming stand setup for years. Finally decided to get it for myself for my birthday, back at the beginning of February. I also reached my 100th post a few weeks ago and forgot to mention it. I guess it was partly feeling that i didn't have much to show for all those posts. Really, the 100 mark was a bit misleading anyway, bcs often in the beginning i made several posts for one, bcs i hadn't yet mastered the photo uploading feature. So i guess this is a kind of late blog-o-versary/birthday/and 1st anniversary of when i really started posting on this blog.

Thanks for reading my blog and leaving comments. I'm enjoying getting to know so many fabulous and inspiring bloggers. I'd like to do a giveaway to celebrate (probably some handmade coasters) so if you leave a comment, i'll put you in the drawing.

Getting Organized (NQ)




My sewing machine has been on the Fritz the last few days, but it's actually good, bcs I needed to spend more time on other stuff anyway, like getting orgenized! Here in Germany, instead of using file cabinets, most people seem to file their paperwork in binders like these and then shelve it in regular bookshelves. I found these cool labels that sort of disguise the binders at a museum shop. I love Carl Larsen, sort of the Swedish Norman Rockwell. Would love to someday build and decorate a house in the C Larsen style. Someone in the Midwest did this, altho he made the house in much larger (American) proportions.