Lets Make Origami

Happy Valentine's Day (belated)!  This is how my work station has been looking like for the last few weeks.  The tapestry is made of a cotton cloth (tenugui in Japanese) that my sister bought for me in Okinawa, a southern island of Japan.  It depicts a typical scenery of Okinawa with bougainvillea, tiled roof and lion guard dogs.  I thought the pink and red colors of bougainvillea make it appropriate for Valentine's.

Last weekend (pre-Valentine's) I had a special trip to Silveron, a little town about an hour drive from Portland.  There, I taught a Valentine's themed origami workshop for the Junior Gardener's Club at The Oregon Garden.  Afterward, I enjoyed the privilege of staying at the resort with my little family.  What a treat!

The Oregon Garden Resort is a very special place, with beautiful 50-acre gardens to walk around.  And it's dog-friendly!  We enjoyed exploring the gardens while the sun was out.  In the evening we got cozy in our room with a fireplace and a patio.

Silverton, where the resort is located, is an artsy little town filled with antique and other types of cute shops.  It's near Silver Falls State Park, which is another good place to visit, and only one hour drive south from Portland.  If you live in the Portland area, I highly recommend visiting there.  It's a perfect spot for day-long or weekend-long getaway!

A view of the gardens

Winter hazel has lovely scent.

50's circle skirt picked up at a local antique shop. Photo taken in our hotel room.