Shot at the Heinz Bros. Nursery, St. Charles, IL

The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size. ~Gertrude s. Wister

What I've Learned: Seed Catalogs are My New Favorite Harbinger of Spring.

Came downstairs this Sunday morning, Reader, to find Aunt had spread tantalizing new seed/plant catalogs on the kitchen table. Is there a better feeling than sipping a fresh cup of coffee while you peruse the latest trends in plants, trees & shrubs?

Whatever your gardening style, the 2011 Burgess Seed Catalog & the Four Seasons Nursery have a gazillion affordable options. Some of the plants & trees that caught my eye this morning: the Tahiti Sunrise Dahlia, the 3-in-1 Angel Trumpet, the Black Bat Flower, the lavender Climbing Angel Face & the dwarf Top Hat Blueberry bush.

I can't wait to unpack all my favorite pots and start container gardening! Am really feeling anything with splashes of mixed color this year. A color palette of pinks, purples and blues seems to be in order. Isn't it funny how turning our clocks ahead this weekend and dreaming of border plantings full of butterflies and hummingbirds make spring suddenly feel much closer?

Adios, Winter! It's been a trip but I am not sad to see you go!

Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world. ~Virgil A. Kraft

Quotes courtesy of The Quote Garden.

Booth at Marklund, May 2010.

Today's Joy: Scheming.
As my show gets closer, Reader, I find that whatever else I might be doing at any given time, I'm also planning and scheming about a hundred little show details in the back of my mind. In fact, I'm obsessed about everything.

Do I need color-coordinated shopping bags? How do I display all the bookmarks in an attractive way that will still keep them neat? What if it's windy? Do I need tablecloth weights? What if it rains? Do I need sideflaps for the tent? Do I need custom order forms? Do I have enough business cards? What about signage? Same table set-up as usual or should I mock-up a whole new display?

My head is full of this kind of fussing. Of course, it's all good stuff. When I get to the show and every detail has been thought through and planned out, I will feel very satisfied. In the meantime, I'm scatter-brained and a tad distracted (apologies to anyone around me this week, for any boneheadedness I may commit).

Still, it's all worth it. I enjoy going to the shows and sharing my work with people. What a wonderful, creative environment. Can't wait to meet new fellow artists and see what kinds of work are being done in the area. There's something powerful and inspiring about a lot of creativity being in one place. You never know what will happen when all that energy meets. I suspect it will yield good things, though. Seems like an irresistible opportunity for God to work some of his magic.

So, here's to scheming, having too many irons in the fire and meticulous attention to detail. May they all come together in a trifecta of preparedness and yield results beyond our wildest hopes. At the very least, may they keep us out of trouble for a little while. Amen.