it's that time of year again when i head out to harvest california poppy seeds.


it's interesting to see the bright orange flowers replaced by green dehiscent capsules


and the luster of the leaves fade to a frosty grey.


in order to collect the seeds, the pods need to be ready.


and by ready, i mean dried. sort of like it does below.


it's pretty easy to spot the difference.


pick the capsules at the base because these babies split, pop, and fly everywhere.


i usually gather seeds for several weeks until most are gone.

afterward, i like to store the seeds to plant again come spring.

this weekend, i was inspired to make a light lunch with spring greens. it was refreshing to have a healthy meal that still tasted amazing. plus, it only took a few minutes to make!


organic spring salad with chicken; fresh specialty greens and baby lettuces, chicken, mexican style four cheese blend, olive oil, lime, sea salt, pepper.

a few weeks ago, i volunteered to help the ladies with decorations for a surprise baby shower. but that was before my hands subjected me to constant pain. it was a difficult week for me, but we managed to pull off the event without a hitch. ♥


the main colors were pink and teal, with different shades included.


i planned to make paper bunting, but a friend showed me how to make a heart garland.


it was so quick and easy that i just had to try it!


i started off by cutting different colored paper into one inch strips.


i took two strips of paper and stapled one end. then i took the loose ends and folded it over to make a heart. to secure the heart, i took two more strips of paper and lined it up to the edge of the loose ends. i stapled the four pieces together. that way, it would create a heart with two strips of paper sticking out. i took the two loose ends and repeated the process.


all the decorations at the party were diy-- tissue paper pom poms, paint swatch butterflies, marshmallow sticks, tiara cupcake sleeves, the list goes on!


even the fruit skewers were fun to make!

woke up before dawn to get a head start buying flowers for mother's day at the los angeles flower district. there were a few delays along the way, but still made it there early enough. one, two.



as usual it was a bit chaotic, but so much better than previous years.


what a difference a few hours make! anyway, i snapped some photos along the way.


there were thousands of flowers for sale at the flower district.



so many different types and colors! ♥



i even spotted some of my favorites like ranunculus


and mini succulents! it's quite a shame that my cactus garden is in shambles, otherwise i would have bought a few to add to my collection.

the arlington garden is a sweet place to visit on a sunny afternoon-- the perfect place to wander about or sit and chat with friends. better put, 'a place to find serenity in an urban setting.'


it's now one of my favorite gardens in one of my favorite cities! ♥


although there were thousands of beautiful plants and hundreds of trees,


i immediately took an interest to the cactus and succulents-- such low maintenance beauties.


i was reminded of this verse from the bible: 'for since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities-- his eternal power and divine nature-- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.' - romans 1:20

thank you Jesus for such beauty!

this weekend was perfect for an afternoon rendezvous at vientiane thai laos. ♥


we had the opportunity to try a selection of tasty dishes with intense spices.


beef pad thai and laos sausages,


crispy fried rice with lettuce wraps,


yellow curry and spicy beef larb salad,


and spicy thai papaya salad-- this dish was refreshing, yet mouth numbing at the same time!


and i didn't take a picture of it, but my favorite dish of the day was angel wings-- stuffed chicken wings. i don't know what they put in it, but it was delicious!

the month has barely begun and yet, i am exhausted-- physically, spiritually, mentally. maybe it's time to stop ignoring all the red flags.


'finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.' - ephesians 6:10-11