so why the break? what happened in may

(enjoying the view before our ocean voyage)

(i got a community pillar award from State Assemblyman Jose Solorio-pretty sweet!)

so you might have noticed there is a big gap in posting...i have been really trying to keep up with it but things got in the way and well, nothing for a month-what happened:

• got my bi-annual body is, "quitting this bi#ch" and i was hit with a flu/cold something that as LL Cool J (thanks for the correction!) so eloquently said once,  "Mama said knock you out!"- i was basically on the floor for 5 days with no voice and missed 2 really great events that i still am mad about.
• getting Ice Cubed when you have a small biz means that the 16 hour days you were pulling are now glorious 20 hour days because you didnt do anything for 5 of them.
• the preserves are taking off, the name has now been changed to Backyard in a Jar and since we have been feverishly been setting up an ETSY store, labels and wholesale pricing because recently...

• been doing the sales here and there but i did the large LA event called Unique with niecey Nicole.  not only did my store do the eco-lounge furniture for the event, but we were hopin' with mad sales and a lot of interest from the line...not like there wasnt enough to do!

(eco-lounge: furniture by Loll, moving it by me!)

(what do you think about the sign?-a 2am idea)

(family affair: nicole and i shared a booth with my mom on crowd control)

• changes at the shop have turned into an evolution of sorts. at the beginning, The Road Less Traveled has been a stop for eco-goods with only a few events and times for learning. as the "green/eco" movement has grown, there are now more & more customers who want to learn for themselves beyond buying something at the register. we now have a fully funk-tioning (yes that typo is right) learning space for the community in Orange County and Southern CA to become self-sufficient and learn from those around us. we have a full calendar with a number of classes all across the board!
• speaking of classes-besides the H-wood market, i now teach preservation at a number of locations in OC, LA and hopefully soon SD (b/c i there isnt enough to do!) 

(doing one of several lectures during April/May-this one @ CSUF's Social Justice Summit)

• patchwork: the little wine-infused brainchild of Nicole and i has really grown into serious events! totally "to legit to quit" with street closures and Health Departments and "this is a full-time job" feelings and "hey what happened to the wine?" parts. even with the strain, i really look forward to the work and am so blessed for the new friends and opportunity to work with Nicole who is one of the few people i know who can really "bust a move" in creativity and work ethic...can't happen without her-she really is amazing! NOTE: PATCHWORK SANTA ANA IS THIS SUNDAY JUNE 6TH!

• lastly: i turned 34 on May 5th-little shocked about this (and that i got a few greys- which i ripped off my head thank you!), i still think i am 24...my friend Sarah was nice enough to give me a day off so that i could go to Disneyland for my day, which i havent been for more than 15 years (People Mover anyone-yeah, not there!)-PS go on your birthday!

(first things first: go to city hall to get your b-day badge-then everyone says "Happy Birthday" every where you go)

(then you go to the Blue Bayou so you can have lunch)

(the best thing about Disneyland-Dole Pineapple Whips)

(there used to be a great little candy store under here, now cheesy toys with brands)

(Space Mountain: a lot faster than what i remember it to be-lots of drool!)

(the Matterhorn opened up toward the end of the day-love that ride!)

(these girls ROCKED-totally showed us what's up on this ride)

(the mural in back of us was probably one of the best things abut CA Adventure, that and the beer)

so those are my excuses and i am sticking to them!

butterfly garden: 18 months later

almost a year and a half ago, we did a workshop at the store with Back to Natives Restoration, a non-profit that is, " is dedicated to the restoration and conservation of Orange County and California wildlands, through education and restoration".
the workshop, in the heat of summer, was the gutting of the horrible vine mess we had in the parking lot and replacing it with native, insect attracting plants that would use little water.

(what we started with-straight up nasty!)

when the blog first started, i posted about the growth of the little garden. This weekend, i went out to look at it again since we are having a workshop about native gardening & upkeep on March 6th...all of a sudden it hit me-dang this thing got huge!

(right after installation of the native butterfly garden, 18 months ago)

(can you even see the butterfly sign anymore!?)

Can you believe that i watered this only the first 4 weeks after it was planted-no joke! i havent touched it aside from taking sage leaves for food/gift wrap and cleaning out the little pieces of liter that blow into it from time to time.

fortunately the past month or so has been pretty wet in Southern CA, which i am thankful for (i am really terrified of the drought and the absolute ignorance of most of the population of it in this area). the rain has made the garden grow event more...to the point of needing a trim.

**MAINTAINING YOUR NATIVE GARDEN workshop will be held March 6th from 10-noon**