one of our backyard friends.

so lately we've been so into bird watching. it started with the birdfeeder. then a birdhouse and i made a really funny hanging bird bath. it's so cool how many different types of birds that's been coming to our backyard on a regular basis. baltimore oreole, mourning dove, house sparrow, house finch, robin, song sparrow. (btw, this is a good website for bird watchers) we also have three squirrels that come and eat the fallen seeds. and this one squirrel is probably the cutest and laziest squirrel i have ever seen. he's lying down on his tummy with eating. i'm so happy i finally got a photo of this cardinal. yey! so pretty. i wonder how birds know where there's food? if they're all the way up in the air and unless they have bionic vision, how are they able to see where there's bird seeds?

my surprise.

for our anniversary, j got me a multi-floral white phaleonopsis orchid! and my very own bird feeder. i always wanted to make one but never really got around to it. i'm so excited for the birds to discover it. so far no birds yet....gosh. still the best presents ever. j did really good this year.

rockville, maryland.

yey! i finally got to use my new camera. i'm addicted. took so many pictures over the weekend. this shot is my favorite. my aunt au loves plants and flowers. i think these are tulip bulbs.

easy terrarium.

from parents.com - this is perfect! these are some of the plants i can use: baby tears, pepperomia, dwarf violets i think my favorite is the baby tears! yey i'm excited!

How to Make Our Terrarium

What You'll Need:
•Clear container with a cover (ours is from ikea.com)
•Small gravel pebbles (available at pet and gardening stores)
•Charcoal bits (available at a gardening store)
•Potting soil
•Fork
•Various plants
•Chopstick
•Cork
•Moss, bark, and shells (optional, for decoration)
•Spray bottle
•Water

Instructions:
1.Have your child spread a 3/4" layer of gravel on the bottom of a clear container for drainage, then place a thin layer of charcoal bits over the gravel. This helps to keep the plants from decaying.
2.With your child, layer at least 2" of potting soil over the charcoal. Create hills and valleys to accommodate plant roots.
3.Help him use a fork to rake a hole in the soil and insert the roots. Cover with soil up to the base of the plant. Be careful not to overcrowd the container. You can use any small plant that does well in moist climates and partial light, such as baby tears, pepperomia, dwarf violets, small ferns, and spleenwort plants.
4.Insert a chopstick firmly into a cork to create a tamping tool. Let your child firmly pat the soil around the base with the tool to even out the surface.
5.Add moss, bark, shells, plastic creatures, or other decorations as landscape features.
6.Once the terrarium is complete, have your child mist it several times with a spray bottle, enough to wet the soil. Put the lid on to allow moisture to build up and water the plants. When the container becomes clouded and starts to form drops of "rain" on the glass, remove the cover until the excess moisture evaporates. A balanced terrarium should have some moisture built up but shouldn't get oversaturated.
7.Help your child continue to care for the terrarium by monitoring its water needs and misting it when necessary. He'll love to observe the plants as they thrive in their own little ecosystem!

i want a terrarium.

winter in new york can be so gloomy sometimes. it's like the whole city - or the whole state is naked and vunerable without the trees. i guess new york is just being new york shielding itself with grays and blacks. just like new yorkers. or is it the other way around? hmmmm...... anyway i want more greens! inside the house at least. the other day, i stopped by michael's to see if they had any nice apothecary [uh-poth-uh-ker-ee] jars for rb's wedding. and of course with my luck that day (yeah, really bad-on-of-those-days day), they didn't. but i did see some nice jars that i can use for a terrarium. i've been wanting one for a long time now like this photo by WarmCountryMeadow. just googled how to make one and who knew it's a very involved process. it's like having an aquarium and we all know how well that went.

the garden in my documents

sometimes i wonder why i do the things i do like taking photos of flowers. i "collect" photos of flowers among the million things i collect. for example hydrants - yes people i have pictures with hydrants from all the places i have been to. and fyi they're all different which reminds me of a great idea had: i think it'll make a nice coffee table book. but i need a good camera for that. anyhoo, i also collect cards - my old school ids, library cards, credit cards, casino players cards, old gift cards, any plastic cards. i hope to make a table out of tehm one day. how? i have no idea.