MrMartha's OSCAR Pics......

MrMartha is actually not going to (even remotely) predict who will win.
Of course MrMartha will watch the telecast, how could one not....even though MrMartha has actually only seen one of the Best Picture nominees, and a couple of the acting award hopefuls.

What MrMartha loves about the telecast is the absolute overblown archaicness (not a real word according to Dictionary.com -- but you know what MrMartha is trying to convey.)
It's not often they provide four hours of network primetime, to telecast a show that actually has 90 minutes of content.
And, lets face it, we watch for the fashion....good, bad, and Diorable....you just can't not watch.

Some FABULOUS photos from the more classic era of the Academy Awards are HERE, courtesy of Life Magazine Archives. Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn in the same photo....those WERE the days.

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Tying the Second Knot -- Interim Updates --11 weeks out

Most of the broad aspects of the happy couple's wedding day (third week in May) are starting to take shape for our favorite bride to be. Big decisions have been made....and now it is time to start making decisions on more of the "fine tuning" details.

The photo shows a view of the restaurant where both the ceremony and reception will happen. MrMartha thinks the deep ochre walls will be a stunning contrast to the ivory of the brides gown, and will make carefully chosen flowers really pop.

MrMartha has suggested some of the art on the long wall be removed and replaced with large central focal point (perhaps a "wall corsage" of curly willow with floral accents). Whatever materials are used for that focal point will be restated as additional decorations attached to the beams above and also in the area where the actual ceremony will happen.

The goal is not to transform the restaurant, but to enhance it....to make a space that is very familiar to the wedding couple into something just a bit more memorable, and special, for their big day.

The restaurant itself is very informal, so MrMartha has suggested that the bride may want to select and provide her own choice of table linens and napkins to make the space a bit more formal for the event.

The tables are smallish, which means there is no need for large centerpieces, and whatever the overall floral decorations will be, they will likely be limited to one or two different types of blooms, in a monotone palette, but used en masse.

ReadMore for the current status of details and decisions about: The Bride and her attendents, the invitations, and the venue.

The bride and her attendants:
As noted in the previous post, the bride has chosen her dress and is selecting accessories that will match and complement her choice -- whether to wear some sort of headpiece, gloves, etc.

The bride has decided not to have designated attendants, as far as maid or matron of honor, etc. The groom to be's young grand daughter may be designated an informal flowergirl.

At first, the bride was unsure about whether to ask her father to walk her down the aisle, whether that might seen too archaic -- MrMartha advised that it would be both perfectly appropriate and absolutely charming -- so the current plan will be for the bride to be escorted about half way by both her father, and her stepmother, and then she will walk the rest of the way on her own. MrMartha thinks there is a lovely symbolism there, including the family members, and her own independence. Nobody, however, will be 'giving the bride away'.

The Invitations:
The bride and groom have already utilized the ubiquitous Evite to send out a 'Save the Date' message to their wedding guests.

While sending out the actual invites to the ceremony and reception by email would be HIGHLY FROWNED UPON by MrMartha, it is a perfectly acceptable way to give the guests a little advance notice.

The couple is still making final decisions on the wording and the style of the invitations....but will need to finalize that within a week, to get them ordered, then have time to get them addressed without rushing, in order to get them into the mail sometime between Easter and TaxDay.

The Venue:
As noted above, a favorite restaurant of the nuptial couple has been engaged for the event. The ceremony will happen in the very late afternoon/early evening, with a cocktail buffet reception following.

The restaurant has a definite and somewhat quirky look -- with a strong personality in the decor.
Choosing an established restaurant versus a more neutral space -- like a hall or hotel banquet room -- has both benefits and limitations. It is easier to put an imprint on a more generic space, but there are definitely ways to personalize an established restaurant space.

MrMartha is currently helping the bride determine how to do just that....what the layout should be for both the ceremony and the reception...where in the space the ceremony should happen, etc. As well as decorations, flowers, and the rest of the big picture.

From there, still to be determined will be the smaller details like guestbook, favors, specific menu choices, cake.....(whew, MrMartha is getting a bit lightheaded just typing all that....but it will all come together and happen beautifully!

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Seeds of Change.....Gardening From Direct Sown Seed

MrMartha has been thinking about what to do with the garden this summer. With less than a year in the new house, and having spent most of that (so far) concentrating on the interiors, very little has happened with the exterior landscape. Rather than putting a large investment into big shurbs, trees, and pricey perennials, MrMartha is planning to watch the landscape for a full summer, and then start to determine what the major changes and significant plantings should be.

For this interim summer, however, MrMartha is going to experiment with all kinds of plants from seed.

There are several borders and perimeter areas of the current landscaping that were cleaned out and groomed, but then never replanted. As MrMartha didn't move into the house till July, most of last summer saw those beds lie fallow and dusty....but this year, MrMartha is going to use them as a grand experiment of growing flowers and vegetables from seed sown directly into the ground.

MrMartha was always a bit afraid of seeds....preferring to start with seedlings in ponypacks or flats, and transplanting them into the garden. That will still be the case for tomato plants, but everything else will be direct seeded this year. MrMartha discovered some coupons that allowed him to acquire a large quantity of seeds for next to nothing. (A Walgreens coupon offered 5 seed packs for a dollar, and local FredMeyer Garden Center has seed packets at 50% off through March)....so the great seed experiment commences....

ReadMore to find out what MrMartha's plans are.....

For flowers, MrMartha is going to use a warm intense palette of reds and oranges, with yellow and even some magenta for accent. Tall Zinnias, bright Cosmos, and the lesser known Tithonia (Mexican Sunflower) all come easily from seed, and will be massed together in what will hopefully be a big profusion of blooms.

Vegetables and herbs, including Dill, Chard, and Squash will be mixed in with the flowers. Pickling Cucumbers, Beets, Radishes, Beans and Lettuce will be grown in areas that are less focal in the landscape.

Basil and tomatoes will be grown in large pots on the deck where they thrived after first moving in last summer. Marigolds and Coleus will be grown in pots as well.

MrMartha will be reporting regularly, so keep checking back to see how this grand experiment works out.....he has already started to amend the planting beds with bags of compost and manure, and will begin planting with Chard and Beets this weekend. Coleus seeds will also be started indoors in the next few days.

MrMartha has also received some wonderful gardening questions from blog readers and will be answering those over the next few weeks as well!

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