Did I ever tell you that my favorite color as a young girl was purple? Well, it actually tied for first place with my secret love affair with sherbet orange - but no popular 3rd grade girl will admit to liking orange!
Lavender, aubergine, periwinkle, lilac...you name it! If you're like me you go through phases where you love a color, then it gets put on the back burner while a new hue takes center stage for a while. Eventually, that first color comes back around and you renew your lifelong commitment to implement this lovely pigment into your decor, wardrobe, stationary, cooking utensils (have you seen the aqua colored Kitchenaid mixers? * drool *), etc.
cookies by Amber Spiegel
My friends, I still love lavender. I love the plant, "lavendula angustifolia! It reminds me of my maternal grandmother. I don't know why, exactly, but it brings back a rush of childhood memories whenever I smell fresh, dried, or soap-i-fied versions.
Why do I bring this up, you ask? Well I'm gonna tell ya! I planted some lavender seeds! Okay, well actually, I asked my mom to bring some with her from CA when she came to visit last month (tougher than you might think to find seed packets in Utah this time of year) aaaaand...she may have planted them while she was here. I couldn't stop her! Aaaaaand...she may have been the one to convince me to get a grow light (best $6 bucks I've spent in a while). They totally work! I know have 15 little french lavender sproutlings in my clay trough by the kitchen window (aren't they cute?). Which, by the way, my hubby is threatening to leave out in the cold if I don't find another home for them. Why?
I have a ginormous brass thrift store (I ♥ D.I.) lamp acting as my fake-shift "sun" during these gloomy winter months (too ugly to even take a photo). Don't worry folks, the lamp will eventually get painted a lovely creamy Heirloom White...........just as soon as April or May comes around. Or, if I can get my dear, sweet, thoughtful, hunk of a husband (are you reading this, sweetie?) to beg, borrow or steal some macho heaters from a neighbor/buddy/family member (I'm not picky) so my spray paint doesn't dribble or bubble.
* Hot Tip *
Do NOT try to spray paint if it's less than about 50 F outside - trust me. Besides, it says so on the can. Oh yeah, and it's not a good idea to try and paint if it's raining, either. Yeah...
But back to my luscious lavender. I'm thinking that by June of next year my yard will look just like this ------------>
Okay, yeah. Um...so maybe not. But still, I'm so excited about these sweet little french lavender sprouts! I'll be replanting/potting in another month or so, and buying a few more ugly brass lamps...err, UV grow lights! I'm hoping these plants be big enough to give some sweet little blooms late next summer, and by the next year I'll have a wonderful array of purple flowers to display, dry and eat (oh yes!). Take THAT rental house with no garden! Muahahaha!