Landis Valley 25th Annual Garden and Herb Faire 2012

The Landis Valley Annual Garden and Herb Faire, with all of it's heirloom plants, wagon loaded shoppers, sunhats, herb cracker spreads, and potted arrangements is an annual tradition for my Mom and I. It's such a nice way to get together for Mother's Day weekend. She helps me by suggesting things for my garden and I end up with heirloom tomato plants and tasty little herbs all summer long- and I love the crowd. The same eco friendly downtown Lancaster crowd- lots of them are there.:)

This year little Mimi went along again. This time she dug in the dirt and sang to the animals.

I've enclosed some photos again this year of the textile making equipment from the museum, as well as their plant dyed fibers.

I always vow to bring more money with me the next year. I suddenly imagine becoming quite the gardener. Also I imagine being a better eater. Well, one that dines on the porch with food arranged nicely on my french tablecloth (crackers with herb cheese spread and ice tea). While cutting my cottage garden grown tomato with a knife and fork.

I really love this annual tradition of ours.

It's a spring tradition you dream about during the winter, wondering if things will ever be green and warm again.

Ahh. to a lovely summer ahead.

PS. I saw more tweed on attendees here, than I've seen elsewhere, but maybe I'm just noticing tweed more. Men's hats, ladies capes. Herringbone jackets. Tweed Ride one weekend, garden faire the next...nice lifestyle:) xx

ONE!

Max's teacher says to capitalize letters when something is important. and Mimi is ONE!
What a lovey little girl...even more beautiful now then the day she was born- so calm and easy going. So attached to all of us.
She had a small party on Saturday with just our family and close friends. She wore her fancy party dress from I Love Gorgeous . She walked across the living room with her baby stroller, in her new shoes, so little and strong.
She ate her vegan cake and clapped her hands when we sang to her. She played with her friends and let her Grandparents carry her all around. She played on the trampoline in the fresh air.
I just love her. I love always having her with me. I love that she's here.
Happy 1st Birthday my sweet Mimi!













Here's the recipe for the vegan cake I made her. from my Mom:

Ultra Orange Cake

Oven 350’
Grease and flour a round cake pan.
Whisk together thoroughly:
1 1/2 C flour
1 C sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Add and stir together until smooth:
1 C orange juice
1/3 C vegetable oil
1 tblsp grated orange zest
1 tblsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla

Bake 30 –35 min. or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Cool in the pan on a rack 10 min.
Run a knife around the edge to loosen the cake.
Invert the cake onto the cooling rack and cool completely

(i doubled the recipe and didn't flip the cake out of the pan- my cake stand broke so this is easier for me to present and keep...I kept it in the pan and frosted it with vegan store frosting. (funfetti!)
xx

The London Dresses are here...

our good friends are home from visiting Dad in London...and they popped over today with Loads of Dresses and presents. They also acted as my courier in delivering some felt flowers to felt on Cale Street in Chelsea for me.
On the way home they carried some pieces I bought from I Love Gorgeous in the UK, and a bunch of little dresses from Monsoon, M&S, etc...which I thought was more than enough.
but Surprise!, they went shopping on their own for us too, and brought us fabulous things...
Like these Daisy Roots shoes...

this peach (bubble!) dress with mother of pearl buttons, from French designer
Arthur & Felicie...

this Zara jumper, M&S jumper dress and tights, and floral pants:

it was so sweet of them. they had borrowed a bag of mine for the airplane, and they returned it, filled to the brim, with things for us! amazing.

There are a few reasons why I love fancy dresses.
I went to grade school with Dana. who lived with her Dad, who bought her shirts and jeans. but who visited Grandma on the weekends in NYC, and bought her party dresses at Bloomingdales. lots of party dresses. and Dana wore a different one to school nearly every day. and i thought that was amazing.

When i was 13 I babysat for a family from Norway. and so began my introduction to kids clothes from overseas and Hanna Andersson.

When I was applying to work with families after college as a nanny through Family Extensions in Connecticut, I interviewed with a wonderful Aussie family. Part of my job would be to iron their English dresses. (I also loved their separate fridge just for fruits and veg, but their current nanny quit too soon, and they had to hire someone else before I could begin work.)

My nanny girls (4 of them) that I did oversee, wore dresses their Grandma bought them on special outings. I loved dressing them up for Broadway shows, etc. The dresses were so soft, i knew the girls would be comfy on the ride home late at night from the city.

Here is Mimi's first I Love Gorgeous stash...I stared at their website for ages, but in the end bought this warm (it's lined) Pink Ditsy Star dress- her best color w/ bloomers. and summertime hot pink frilly chiffon pants:

The package arrived with these lovely perfume samples from Miller Harris, Sophie and Lucy's Terre de Bois and Noix de Tubereuse. (Sophie and Lucy are the owners of I Love Gorgeous)

I am truly infatuated with the dresses from this company. When I picked out the pink things above... I imagined dressing her only in these dresses. For years. I love the idea of playing outside in these fantastic frocks, and having them to save for her own children.
Here's the Mauve Diamond Pinny Dress:

When my mother was young, she was supposed to keep her dresses clean and tidy. Heck to that...i think you should wear them out and play in the woods with them...
Here's the Lola Dress:

and the Carmen Dress:

we're all tuckered out. lots of trampoline fun for the big kids, and coffees for Mom and Jo Ellen, and lots of chatting for baby Mimi to hear.

Above: Dresses from right to left and top to bottom, M&S, Debenhams, Monsoon, and Monsoon.
Can't wait to dress her all up.