Fly Agaric Mushrooms

Hey look what we found in Corvallis, Oregon on a walk on Thanksgiving.  I have never seen these mushrooms in person. It was so cool to find one and I mean just ONE, we kept looking for another but no luck. This one was not so perfect but it really stood out even under all the thicket I had to crawl through to get this photograph. It's botanical name is Amanita muscaria and is poisonous and psychoactive. I have read that they are usually found in the northern hemisphere , can't believe I have never seen one till now after all the outdoor hiking, ect I have done. This one was about the size of my fist.  Somehow I guess I never really thought they were real.

Pressed Leaves Art on Antique Table

Now is the time for indoor garden projects.  This is an antique tea table that I refinished and added a wood insert with a wood transfer of my pressed leaves and tapastry pattern art.  I had never done a wood transfer before and I found several posts of instructions on Utube, lots of fun. The wood grain shows through the art and small parts of the transfer is rubbed off giving it an antiqued look. I sanded and stained the old table with a dark stain then painted it with the turquoise paint then sanded off areas to look worn from age.  Lots of fun.   I was inspired by my friends at http://www.withatwistdesigns.blogspot.com/ who is also my neighbor and her best friend who have a business together upcycling old finds and has their work at the Faded Elegance Shop in Snohomish, Washington. Thanks for all your tips from your blog, I can't wait to try more.

New Shop on Etsy

Here is one of the journals I now have in my new 'Etsy' shop.   There is so much fun stuff on this site, some really creative artists.  I have lots more to add to my shop and I will get them added soon. Lots of fun to shop on this site! I hope you will visit.  www.etsy.com/shop/mypetalpress

Plants with Colorful Berries for Fall

There are so many cool plants with colorful berries to choose from like: Callicarpa bondinieri 'Profusion' (Beauty Berry) zones 6-8, Ilex verticillata (mispelled on the photo)'Winter Red' and 'Gold Berry' zone 3-9, Virburnum tinus 'Spring Bouquet' zones 8-10, Pyracantha Firethorn 'Mojave' zones 6-9, Cotoneaster horizontalis (Rock Cotoneaster) zones 3-9.

Sarcococca confusa (Sweet Box) zones 6-9,
Berberis thunbergii 'aurea' (Japanese Barberry) and (Helmond Pillar Barberry) zones 4-8,
Cornus sericea (Red Twig Dogwood) zone 2.
These are just a few choices. 

Fall Color Ground Cover

This is Pericaria (Polygonum) afine, commonly called Himalayan Fleece Flower and has gorgeous fall color.  Good for zones 3-9.