'शयपत्री' The Hundred Leaf Flower (aka. Marigold)



Marigold hair clip

Naturally golden in color, marigolds can be found all over the world in different varieties. I remember my mom always harvesting the flower heads for seeds the next season. She has advised me to grow them in my garden to keep the insects away from my veggies. Though I didn't have much problem with insects this year, I'll have to remember this next year. We were just so busy with getting the boxes together and mulch down, that I forgot to plant a row or two. (Never got around to planting my dill either, until I just bought a small pot from Sunflower Market this week. Lets hope it grows in enough to survive before the frost comes.)

Marigolds are used as a culinary herb to make an anise-flavored tea and as a substitute for tarragon. The marigold used in the Ukraine is said to have a flavor that's a mixture of basil, tarragon, mint, and citrus. Maybe I'll get creative next year and try it with our zucchini blossoms - something else we haven't tried yet.



Marigold hair clip

Attached to a partially lined alligator clip (full size clip) this marigold can be used as a barette or to adorn ponytails, braids, tutus....just about anything you can clip to. It is smaller than most of my flower clips, with a diameter of approximately 2.5 inches. A wonderful summer-autumn flower for those of us embracing the fall.

Don't forget to enter my TUTU & FLOWER GIVEAWAY by commenting what color tutu you would love to have! (If you're having trouble commenting on Blogspot - which I know has happened - you can also comment on the Ellie Grace Facebook Page.)

Tutu & Hair Clip Giveaway!



Purple & hot pink tutu with hot pink gerber daisy clip.

Announcing my first craft show: November 5th 9am-3pm at the MAC in Westminster, CO (72nd & Irving).

In celebration, I'm giving away a custom tutu and hair clip (or headband). Just comment here with what color tutu you would love to have and what size I should stock for the show. A winner will be drawn November 5th.
Comment on Facebook or here to enter.

Note:  Commenting what color & size you would like does not place an order with me or commit you to that specific tutu should you win.

On the Sunny Side of Helianthus Annuus (the Sunflower).

I planted sunflowers for the first time this year, a dozen of them made it from seedlings inside to transplanting outside in a corner of the yard. Now I have 3 sad looking sunflowers. In Colorado lavender and sunflower seem to be the easy-to-grow outdoor plants, much like the hosta is to Minnesota. Maybe next year I should just throw some seed out and cross my fingers - may have better luck.

So the home-roasted sunflower seeds won't be happening this year, but there are sunflowers for your hair! My MIL brought some of her NIP Home Interiors sunflowers for me to use in my creations - part of her major decluttering project. (Am going home to visit next week and can't wait to see the progress she's made on her house!) These SUNFLOWER HAIR CLIPS measure approximately 4" in diameter and will surely brighten your day. I've sewn all the petal layers together and replaced the fuzzy (and somewhat messy) brown center with a big crystal rhinestone. The entire sunflower is attached to a partially lines alligator clip. Just let me know if you'd like it on a headband instead. I'm thinking I'll make Baby Girl one on a chocolate brown headband.

On our roadtrip to North Dakota this summer, I enjoyed fields and fields of sunflowers. It's always good to be on the sunny side of a sunflower field, with all their golden heads turned up in sun worship. Did you know that it's native to North America, but was first commercialized in Russia? Researchers believe that Native Americans were growing sunflowers back in 3000 B.C. Today it's cultivated for sunflower oil (a healthy cooking oil) and the seeds. Other uses include a purple dye, decoration, and treating snakebites.

Baby Girl's 1 Year Pics!

We got our pictures from Greg McBoat Photography and they turned out pretty darn cute! Here are a couple of my favorites - though it's hard to choose.

Clips Are Coming!

Not everyone is a headband girl... So it's about time I made some clips. This was another one of those late night photo sessions with a newly created clip: periwinkle carnation on a ribboned alligator clip. Tried these in Baby Girl's hair and they actually stay, though I think they'll work much better when she has a little more hair to work with. I wore a pink daisy in my hair today - matched my pink highlights.

We were at my alma mater this morning for Baby Girl's 1st Year photoshoot. Our long-time friend, Greg does Big Brother's pictures every year and now he's begun to do hers as well. He definitely had a challenge today - she's my serious child and Big Brother's "listening ears" were broken. I love seeing the progression in his photography as the years progress. Baby Girl's 4th of July outfit: tank & bloomers from Kohl's, red gerber daisy on white headband, red/white/blue extra fluffy and long tutu.

A Day At Home....

Baby Girl loves to "shop" anywhere she can get into: nightstands, headboard shelf, under the sink, pantry....wherever there's something she shouldn't be into. Here she is shopping for breakfast in the pantry while I try to get her to hold still long enough to snap some decent pictures of my newest headbands.

 



















After naps I pulled out an art project for Big Brother. I'm adding ribbon to the Baby Girl's to clip on all her headbands.