Master Bedroom

We haven't done much of anything to the master bedroom since about a month after we moved it, but somehow I don't think I ever posted pictures of it.  

The mirror came from an estate sale.  Originally we were going to hang it on the wall horizontally, but it was too big to fit over the dresser.  So we just propped it up against the wall vertically to make an almost full length mirror.

We got the bed frame on craigslist from a mid-century furniture dealer.  It's Danish and from the 70's.  I think we got it for about half of what he normally would charge because it had some scratches on it.  With the attached floating nigh stands it just barely fits in the room.  But I think since it is all one piece the room doesn't look too crowded.

My aunt made the wooden coat rack.  We have another larger one that she made in the entry hall.

We got this dresser for only $5 at a garage sale near our old house.

Garden Update

Just wanted to post some pictures of the garden since things are looking extra colorful around here.

The iris' are starting to bloom.

The California poppies are going crazy and attracting tons of bees.

The giant nasturtium which is growing in a tiny crack next to the gas meter has completely engulfed a potted jade and has almost covered the water heater enclosure.

Also, the hops vines (actually bines is the proper term) are starting to climb up their ropes. The magnum and nugget are doing the best. The cascade and centennial are doing good too, they just aren't quite tall enough to reach the ropes yet.

Seder Prep

We are having our Passover seder on Saturday. I know it is supposed to be on one of the first couple of days of Passover, but this weekend is just more convenient. I wanted to get a few things done ahead of time so I'm not overwhelmed on Saturday.

I'm not normally much of a desert maker. I rarely bake, and when we are having people over, I usually count on someone bringing a desert so I don't have to make anything. But, I saw this recipe for chocolate caramel matzoh crunch and it sounded too good not to try. I think I have had something similar with saltine crackers as the base before which was also delicious. I used a little sprinkling of this fancy sea salt made by Jacobsen Salt Co. that my Mom sent us which is actually made from water from Netarts Bay. Netarts Bay is just south of Oceanside, OR where my family has a cabin and where Nate and I got married. It was really easy to make and the combination of caramel and chocolate and salt is insanely delicious.

I also dyed eggs for the seder. My mom has been making onion skin Easter eggs since before I was born. Either by just wrapping an egg with onion skins secured with pantyhose and boiling them. Or by making a dye first and creating silhouettes of leaves or flowers by laying them on the egg and again securing them with pantyhose and boiling the eggs in the dye. The eggs wrapped in onion skins version is simpler and I've been doing that myself either for easter or for the eggs for our Passover seders that we have been having for the past few years.

This year I decided to try making blue dye out of red cabbage along with the brown onion skin dye. It turned out pretty good. After the blue eggs were done boiling in the dye I let them sit in the cooled down water for a few hours because the red cabbage dye isn't quite as strong as the onion skin dye. I discovered California poppy leaves make the prettiest silhouettes. I love the way the blue dyed eggs look almost like sun prints.

We finished off the dove rolls that my Mom sends me for Easter every year in record time. For some reason it is so satisfying to rip off and eat their cute little heads. Kind of barbaric, but so tasty.