Tuliptree Baby

Ladybug Appliques

2008-11-19T13:29:00.000-08:00

Last night I had a lot of fun combining 2 very cute items to create an even cuter finished product: my hand knit wool soakers and Moose Threads' crocheted appliques. Check out the cuteness!

This was a very fun collaboration project, as the creator of Moose Threads is quite easy and fun to work with. She was able to give me all these lovely ladybugs in 100% wool and in colors and sizes to fit my wool soakers. She also included enough extra yarn to allow me to secure each applique and add a generous flight trail to each one. Be sure to check out her shop for more cute appliques as well as hats, sweaters, and luxurious slipper socks. She is very creative and always happy to do custom orders.

Did I mention that these ladybugs are irresistible to toddlers and add a huge incentive for them to keep their diapers on? Yes, they are a pretty big deal around here!

Bread Making 101 Installment 4

2008-10-20T00:38:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have have been following the bread making installments, here is a post to help you figure out what may be going wrong when your bread does not turn out just how you want it. We all make mistakes but it is nice to know how to fix them the next time around.

Troubleshooting:
Dough won’t rise:
-Did you forget the yeast or use old inactive yeast? To save the dough, dissolve new yeast into water and work into dough
Sides and bottom of bread are too pale:
-Oven temperature too low or pan did not allow enough heat to penetrate crust.
Remove bread from pan and return to oven upside down for 5-10 minutes.
Crust too soft:
-Not enough steam in oven. Next time try glazing crust and spraying inside of
oven with water. Or place a pan of water at bottom of oven during baking.
Crust too hard:
-May be too much glaze or too much moisture in oven. Soften a loaf by placing
it in a plastic bag overnight.
Crust separates from the bread:
-Either the dough dried-out during rising or oven temperature was too low and
The dough expanded unevenly. Next time ensure that rising dough is covered and
be sure to preheat oven thoroughly.
Soft pale crust:
-Bread may not have cooked long enough or temperature was too low. If it does
not sound hollow, return to oven without pan and finish baking.
Bread is crumbly or dry:
-Bread was baked too long or too much flour was added. Try adding more liquid
Or less flour next time. Also ensure that oven is not too hot and check bread when
crust is golden brown.
Large holes in loaf:
-Dough was not punched down well enough or it was not kneaded enough.
Bread has yeasty flavor:
-Too much yeast was used. Only use 1.5 times quantity of yeast if doubling the
recipe. Do not add extra yeast if rising in a cool room, just allow to rise longer.
Loaf collapses in oven:
-Dough was probably left to rise too long for second rising. Dough should only
double in bulk. Also, substituting alternate types of flours can cause this.
Loaf is dense and flat:
-Too much liquid used resulting in soft dough, or dough was not kneaded enough.
Check liquid quantities and ensure that dough is kneaded at least 10 minutes.

Fall Perennial Maintenance

2008-10-14T21:50:00.001-07:00

Fall time is a wonderful time to be in the garden ; the air is cool, the ground is (sometimes) dry, and weeds are not growing quite as fast. I am no longer working outside of the home due to my need to care for 2 ankle-biters, but once upon a time I did work at a botanical garden as a horticulturist. What did I do? I watered, pruned, weeded, answered a thousand visitor questions per day, and paid attention to all the details that make a garden look truly spectacular. Autumn was not a lazy time, but an energizing time to be in the garden. I am going to briefly discuss one aspect of fall garden maintenance that can really result in a cleaner appearance; perennial maintenance.

What is a perennial? A perennial is any plant that lives for more than one year, typically we are referring to those that live for 3 or more years. So a perennial can be a tree, shrub, or even a weed. What I will specifically be discussing here are herbaceous perennials. Herbaceous perennials are those that are non-woody and typically go dormant or die-down for the winter and reappear in the spring. So when you see that your bleeding heart is turning brown, no need to worry, it will be back in the spring.

How do you care for your perennials when they are turning brown? Short answer: cut them to the ground or leave them alone. Technically you don't have to do a thing to them, but reasons of aesthetics and pest/disease management I recommend cleaning them up.To cut them back you simply use a pair of pruners or scissors to cut them all the way to the ground or you may gently pull the leaves away if they come without resistance. Here are a few points to consider when deciding to cut back your perennials:

1)Brown is Better: The more you let the leaves and stems turn the brown, the more nutrients the plant has allocated to the roots. In the winter time, roots continue to grow while the top rests, but the roots need all the nutrients they can get from the top of the plant. When it is completely brown, the food transferring job is already done; go ahead and cut it.

2) Bit by Bit: If you don't like the sight of the dying plant, you can do as I do and cut out sections of the browning plant little by little until the whole thing is gone. Don't be afraid to cut in random patterns, you will not be doing damage to the plant at this point. At some botanical displays it is required to cut the plant back before the plant has died down, but this adds stress to the plant and the following season may not be quite as spectacular in growth and blooms. Doing it in sections is a nice balance for maintaining a good appearance and health.

3) Pest Management: Sanitation is one of the key elements of IPM (Integrated Pest Management). IPM is an all encompassing method of controlling or treating diseases or pests by starting with the most natural methods of prevention and defence and only resorting to chemical treatments when other methods have been exhausted. Sanitation involves clearing dead leaves and debris that accumulate beneath a plant. or cutting out sick or diseased portions of a plant. many pests or spores perpetuate by incubating eggs or pupae in the dead debris that eventually transfer to living plant materials. By removing unnecessary perennial foliage in the fall, you are helping to keep your garden clean, tidy, and disease/pest-free.

4) Exceptions: Some plants you may want to leave when they turn brown because there is some artistic value in the winter months. For example, grasses are typically enjoyed until January because of the soft look they have in the bare winter landscape. Autumn Joy sedums are also valued for the way the look all dusted with snow int he middle of winter.

5)Have Fun!: This is probably one of my favorite garden tasks. What gardener doesn't like the satisfaction of pulling out the pruners and cutting away? Well, this is a great opportunity to hack away without obsessing too much about doing something wrong. You will also love how nice your garden looks when you are done!

Examples of common herbaceous perennials in the garden: peonies, bleeding heart, hosta, many bulbs, daylilies, lilies, black-eyed-susan, most daisies and mums, grasses, veronica, coral bells, and many more.

Quick Tip For Gardeners

2008-10-10T15:22:00.001-07:00

For those of you who may have a problem with an invasive shrub or cane berry such as poison oak or blackberries, now is the time to take action! For the most effective spray treatment you want to do it right before the leaves change and fall off of the plant. This time of year a deciduous plant sends all their energy and resources from the top of the plant to the roots, for storage and root growth. So if you spray them with a systemic chemical, like Crossbow, then the chemical will be pulled down to the roots and therefore be more successful in killing or doing serious damage to the plant.

Resist cutting it back first. The more chemical that you can apply to the unaltered shrub, the better. Feel free to cut it back after the leaves have all fallen off and the plant is beginning to look dead. You may find that this will not completely eradicate the weed in one treatment. The following year you may have more shoots coming up, but when you spray them they will be more likely to be gone for good.

Happy weed fighting!

Deodarizing Tip

2008-10-09T09:53:00.000-07:00

While I wholeheartedly recommend cloth diapering and currently have 2 toddlers in cloth, I must admit to there being a few minor drawbacks. Lets be honest here; diapers stink. There are a variety of ways to keep your home smelling fresh and in the past I have been highly successful at keeping all the odors contained. However, as my babies have grown into toddlers I suddenly noticed that this was becoming harder to do. They wet more heavily and this has made it highly challenging to keep my bathroom smelling fresh. I was at the point where I was going to stop using cloth if I could not find a solution, my nose can only take so much.

In review of the practices I already have in place, here are a few things that have worked for me in the past:

1)Contained diaper pail with a lid and waterproof liner. The lid keeps the odors in the can and the liner keeps the pail clean so I can just throw the bag of diapers in the washer and not have a dirty pail to constantly clean.

2)Using diaper liners to make rinsing out the diapers easier.

3)Deo-disks: These go in the lid of the diaper pail and can last for weeks. They are citrus scented and do a pretty good job, but I stopped using them long ago because my nose is too sensitive to want to breath in the ultra concentrated orange scent, especially early in the morning.

4)Wash diapers every other night.

5)Keep diaper pail in the bathroom so I can turn a fan on after opening the lid.-

Now to reveal my newest secret that has finally solved my problems! Smokey Mountain Scents' soy and soy blend candles. I have never been much of a candle fan but I decided to try one of her smellerific creations to see if it would make the air a little more pleasant. Her heavily-scented candles have worked like a charm. I simply burn the candle for a little while in the evening when the kids go to bed and it leaves the bathroom smelling wonderful all night and the following day! Initially I expected this to just be a patch over a festering wound and that there would still be an underlying odor but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the candles have done much better than that. When I am not actually burning the candle I leave the lid off to keep the scent alive for longer.

So whether you are cloth diapering a stinky toddler or just want to keep your bathroom or home smelling fresh, I highly recommend Smokey Mountain Scents' wonderful candle creations! You can find these and more of her wonderful products at http://www.smokeymountainscents.etsy.com/ and http://hyenacart.com/AmericasHandmadeHomefront/

Gifts From South Africa

2008-08-03T23:16:00.001-07:00

My little bro just got back from spending 2 years in South Africa and he has many stories to share. He also decided to ditch all the clothes he had brought and to fill his suitcases with gifts for the family; what a generous soul! Check out the things he brought back for me:

1) Local art: These three objects are palm kernals that are about the size of a chestnut. Each one was delicately carved by a local artist. He etched away the seed coating to reveal the white flesh of the nut, leaving pictures of African animals and the names of all our family members. A little leather strap is attached to each one.

2) Placemats: Here are 6 large placemats that scream African safari! There is a placemat that represents each of the 'Big Five' game animals as well as some zebras. Check out that adorable baby elephant! I plan to make a table runner or table cloth that goes with the theme.

3) Mbira or Kalimba: Also known as a thumb piano, this instrument consists of a crude piece of wood, flattened nails, and copper wire. I had suggested to my bro that he should not return from SA until he found one of these at a local market! For those of you who are fans of the movie, "The Gods Must Be Crazy" you will remember this instrument. He searched for 2 years and in several countries and finally found one in Namibia. I was thrilled that he found it!

Now don't these pictures make you want to visit Africa?

Caring for your Wool Diaper Covers

2008-06-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

Washing and Lanolizing:

Washing and lanolizing a wool cover is very easy to do, but it does require some special care. Because of the antibacterial qualities of wool, you may not need to wash more than every 2 weeks. The more you allow your wool cover to air out and dry between uses, the less frequently you will have to wash. If poo gets on the cover or is begins to smell, this also necessitates it being washed. Here’s the basic wash method:

Fill a small sink or basin with tepid water (not too cold, not too warm). Add a small amount (about 1 tsp) of mild baby shampoo (Aveeno, etc) and swish around. Ivory soap or olive oil bar soap can also be used. Then take a small amount (pea size or less) of pure lanoline (Lansinoh, etc) and dilute it in a mug of HOT water; stir to completely dissolve. Mix into the sink of water. Immerse and gently wash the cover in the prepared water. Drain the water and fold the wool cover in quarters, then gently squeeze the water by pressing down on the cover; do not twist or ring. Roll the cover in a towel and press down firmly to absorb excess water. Lay flat on a drying rack or baking cooling rack to dry for about 24 hours. Putting it in a warm outdoor location will speed this up to only a few hours.

*a liquid wool wash or bar can be used instead of the baby shampoo and lanoline for regular washing. Wool wash bars can also be used directly on poopy areas on the cover for good results. Using a wool wash bar eliminates the need for using additional lanoline for regular washing purposes.

Lanolizing:

This is done to help maintain the wool’s water proof qualities. A cover may need to be lanolized once every month or 3 months or whenever it is easily saturated with water or if it begins to smell. Lanolizing is much like regular washing, but more lanoline is used. Fill sink with tepid water, add ¼ tsp pure lanolin to HOT water and stir to completely dissolve. Immerse the cover in this water/lanoline mixture and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Drain, and repeat drying process as described in washing instructions.

Bread Making 101 Installment 3

2008-06-13T02:19:00.000-07:00

Today I decided to make only a half batch of bread to take along with us on our road trip. This 1/2 batch makes a perfect large loaf in my favorite silicone pan. This is a great size for sandwiches and toast. I also decided to make this bread with 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 white so it will remain moist for longer. For beginner bread makers I highly recommend starting with whole wheat/white flour blends because they are much easier to make. Once you have mastered the basics of making bread you can increase the percentage of whole wheat flour in your dough.

Hand-kneaded method:
-Put warm water in bowl and sprinkle with yeast and sugar (mix if necessary)
-Let stand for 10-15 minutes until bubbly (can cover with cloth or plastic wrap)
-Add oil and 1/2 of the flour (whole wheat) and let it sit and soak for about 10 minutes
-Add additional flour (white if doing a 1/2 and 1/2 blend) and salt and mix with wooden spoon
-When too firm to mix with spoon, continue with hands. Add additional flour if needed
-Gather dough into ball and knead on floured surface for AT LEAST 10 minutes

***Kneading tips****
-lightly sprinkle clean surface with flour, white flour best at this stage if making a blended bread. Add additional flour as needed to prevent dough from sticking to the table. Allow dough to absorb as much flour as needed, little by little, but final result should have a little stickiness to the touch and should be light, not too dense.
-place dough ball on surface and depress and push forward with palm

-turn flattened dough 1/4 to the left and grab top of dough, lift and pull back

-firmly press this end down and forward with palm once again
-repeat this process for 10 minutes
-In addition to or as a substitute to traditional kneading I recommend simply lifting the loaf with both hands and throwing it down onto the table surface. Don't be afraid to give it a good smack against the table, this is a very effective way of stretching the glutens and is easier on your hands.
-Place kneaded dough into lightly-greased bowl and cover with plastic or cloth until it doubles in size -Thoroughly punch-down when finished rising
*to ensure that it is done rising, gently press finger in middle of dough. If it springs back, it is not quite done rising

-For even better results or a way to post-pone baking, allow the dough to rise a second time before putting in pans.
-Notice, in the picture below, that in the second rising there is a different texture. It becomes lighter and stretchier with an additional rising and eventually results in a less-dense loaf.
-When dough has doubled again, punch down thoroughly
-(Optional) knead dough for 1 to 2 minutes on floured surface
-Shape into loaves and place in greased pans
-Allow to rise again while oven pre-heats
-Bake at 350 for 30 minutes
*for best results preheat oven to hotter temperature (425) then immediately reduce heat to 350 when bread is added to oven
-Remove from pans onto cooling rack or cloth and tap to ensure it has a firm, hollow sound
-If needed, place back in oven without pan to finish cooking or brown crust

The next installment will indlude additional tips to help you achieve even better bread

Red, White, and Blue Homefront Challenge!

2008-06-11T11:53:00.000-07:00

The Etsy Homefront Team is having a Red/White/Blue challenge in honor or Independence Day and our troops. We have some very creative ladies on our team and it is going to be tough to vote on! in early July all the entries will be up on the website and ready for public voting. Many of the items will be available for sale in each individual shop. Voters will also get a 10% off priveledge from participating shops.

Here is my lovely contribution:

This is a twin Summer Suit set specially designed and packaged for twins or siblings close in age. The sizing is extremely versatile, one size fits ages 9 months-4 years, so twins are not required for enjoying this patriotic duo! This set will be available in 2 weeks when I am back from vacation and will be packaged at a priced lower than my individual suits as a special combo deal. The suits being sold will be identical made to order outfits, not the ones actually shown in the photos.

New Wall Decor

2008-06-01T13:17:00.001-07:00

I am so excited to have some new art on my wall this weekend, I just wanted to share! The first is the high quality print 'April Blossoms' that I ordered from http://www.bethjt.etsy.com/. I had it custom framed and this is the final result:

Though this beautiful piece of art is dark charcoal with highlights of pink watercolor I went out on a 'limb' and chose a green matt to go with it. I am pleased with the results. Also, becuase this art it signed on the front, I went ahead and had them just frame the picture while cutting and attaching the title piece to the back of the frame. For those of you who love this print even 1/2 as much as I do go check out Beth's etsy shop. She has more prints available and many other fine items for sale, including her famous Chick Magnets (which are happily occupying my refrigerator door!). This print, along with many of her other items, also benefit breast cancer research

While we were at our favorite frame shop my husband fell in love with another piece of framed art. it is a HUGE picture with the flag and 'Oath of Allegiance.' This is an early Father's Day gift :)

Bread Making 101: Installment 2

2008-05-31T18:29:00.000-07:00

Last night it was time to make bread for the week. I was in the middle of working on my quilt, doing laundry, dishes, and ironing - sound like good excuses not to make bread? Think again! Making bread can be very easy and can be worked around your other daily activities. Last night was busy so I chose to make the dough in my Kitchenaid. I also allowed my dough to rise on the counter but you can choose to stick it in the refrgerator for a slow rise if you work during the day or want to go to bed. Contrary to popular belief it is MUCH better to rise dough in a cooler environment. A warm, rapid rise results in poor quality bread so keep that rising dough away from the oven!

The recipe provided in a previous post will make a large batch of bread - 2 Industrial sized loaves, 3 large sized loaves, or 7-8 mini loaves. Using white flour in the dough will increase the volume and possibly require more or larger pans. A batch of bread typically lasts us a week, keeping some in the freezer keeps it fresh.

Machine method: (heavy duty Kitchenaid, do not use Artisan or light models)

-Put warm water in bowl and sprinkle with yeast and sugar, molasses or honey (mix if necessary)
-Let stand for 10-15 minutes until bubbly (can cover with damp cloth or plastic wrap)

-Add oil and ½ the flour; mix until blended and let stand about 10 minutes (optional) This step, while not absulutely necessart, results in a better bread texture. The oil soaks into and works on the whole wheat flour to increase bread quality.
-Add remaining flour and salt and blend in mixer with dough hook attachment at low-medium speed (best to add gradually as more or less flour may be optimal). If you are subsituting 1/2 white flour this is the time to do it. Ground Flax seed can be substituted in for some of the flour for a healthier bread with a surpisingly improved texture. Freshly grind your own in a coffee/spice grinder or buy pre-ground golden flax seed from Costco as shown in the picture.
-Let mixer knead it for up to 10 minutes; should form nice firm dough – not too sticky or dry.
-Remove bowl from mixer and cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let rise until dough doubles in size.

*to ensure that it is done rising, gently press finger in middle of dough. If it springs back, it is not quite done rising. If the finger indentation remains in place it is ready (see picture)

-Thoroughly punch-down when finished rising to remove air pockets

-(Optional) knead dough for 1 to 2 minutes on floured surface, throwing the dough hard onto the table repeatedly is a good technique to supplement traditional kneading.
-Shape into loaves and place in well-oiled pans pans. Silicone bake-ware need not be greased. I like to use lots of mini loaves for part of my batch so I can bag them and put them in the freezer for later in the week.

-Allow to rise again while oven pre-heats
-Bake at 350 for 30 minutes
-Remove from pans onto cooling rack or cloth and tap to ensure it has a good, hollow sound
-If needed, place back in oven without pan to finish cooking or brown crust

Now you have the basic technique using a stand-up mixer. Future posts will offer additional techniques, tips, and trouble-shooting so you can learn to make the best ever bread!

Tip for Cloth Diapering Gardeners

2008-05-29T02:29:00.000-07:00

Hello Mommas! This is the time of year for putting in your vegetable garden. For those of you with babies this is a great opportunity to grow your own baby or toddler food. While I could talk all day about the merits of growing your own food and getting your little ones involved, my thought for today will be short and sweet:

DON’T PLANT RED BEETS for babyfood!!! These cause some pretty nasty stains in your nice white diapers, just don’t do it. Howrever, there is an alternative: Golden Beets. I tried these last year from a local farmer and they are just as fantastic as red beets, only the dyes are much less damage-inducing. They may still get your hands a bit colored when you are peeling them, but they won’t stain those beautiful diapers. Plant enough to eat fresh and freeze some, cooked and cubed, for the winter months. They have a nice sweet flavor that most babies love.

How to Have Your 2 Year Old Photographed (Tips from the newly established expert)

2008-05-28T12:30:00.000-07:00

Short answer: Don’t do it!!!

Long answer: Dooooon’t dooooo iiiiitttttttt!!!!!! It’s a waste of time and money!!!

If you haven’t picked up on it already, I just attempted the impossible. I took my almost 2 year old and 10 month old to get professional photos taken. I have been saving and planning on this for quite awhile now and have the best photographer I know, the same one that did our photos a year ago. We picked a nice park location near our home and had adorable coordinating dresses made by Maddie and Me, as well as a couple back up outfit changes for variety. It was all planned to perfection. All but one detail: I forgot that my oldest daughter is hitting her terrible twos! If fact, it was a total switch from what I expected. Traditionally my oldest girl is the easy, sweet one and my little one is the rug-rat. From the moment we arrived I saw nothing but storm clouds from my ‘sweet’ little Violet. Things didn’t get better when she realized that there were swings and slides nearby! Elise on the other hand was happy as a clam! Showing off, hamming it up, just the perfect baby!

I will refrain from boring you further, my main point is that it really doesn’t pay to attempt the impossible. You are better off taking your own snapshots until they are a bit older (I am hoping!). Even sweet little girls can turn devilish when the wrong situation arises! Oh, and you can forget about the family snapshots. One rotten toddler attitude can make it impossible for the parents to smile for the camera too!

Bread Making 101

2008-05-28T01:49:00.000-07:00

Promted by the discussion we were having in the Homefront forum thread I am publishing the first of several parts of my Bread Making 101 class. This is a class I have taught at my church and I have made bread with friends too. All are surprised at how easy it really is! For this post I will just be publishing the basic recipe. You will need to stay-tuned for the various preparation method as well as variations and excellent trouble-shooting tips to help you get the most fantastic results.

Once you get started making bread you will never again want to buy your bread from the store! It is cheaper, healthier, and much tastier to make your own. In some ways it is more convenient too. Just make a batch when you have time and pop some of the loaves in the freezer for later in the week. No need to run to the store when you are out of bread!

If you are not accustomed to eating 100% whole wheat bread, try blending 1/2 wheat and 1/2 white flour, this will also result in a lighter, larger loaf. You may need to add a little extra white flour and use larger or additional loaf pans.

Basic Whole Wheat Recipe (makes 6-7 small, 3 medium, or 2 large loaves)

-3 ¼ cups warm water
-5 tsp. active dry yeast
-1/4 cup sugar (or substitute honey or molasses)
-1/3 cup oil
-1 Tbs. salt
-8-10 cups whole wheat flour (or ½ wheat and ½ white)

In the next post I will walk you through one of the dough preparation methods with a step-by-step picture guide. You will see how easy it really is!

Hungarian Chicken Paprika with German Pearl Noodles

2008-05-25T02:04:00.000-07:00

I mentioned some time ago that I would share my spatzel recipe but it wouldn't be complete without pairing it with my Chicken Paprika recipe! For those of you who like hungarian and German comfort food, this is a MUST try dish!

Chicken Paprika:
2 ½ lbs chicken, cubed
1 ½ Tbsp butter
1 ½ Tbsp oil
1 cup chopped onion, sautéed
1 Tbsp mild paprika
1/2 tsp salt (omit if salty chicken base is used)
2 cups well-seasoned chicken stock
1 tsp flour
1 cup sour cream (sub with plain yogurt for healthier option)
Sateed mushrooms (optional), dried mushrooms can also be used

Melt Butter in large sauté pan
Add Chicken and begin to brown, 2-5 minutes
Add onions and cook for another 1-3 minutes.
Stir in mushrooms, paprika, and salt and cook for 1 minute
Add stock and simmer 1 hour or more, until chicken is tender

Stir in flour and sour cream and continue to heat until thickened, but do not boil

***Be sure to dilute the four in a small amount of hot water or sauce and stir to remove lumps. Then pour it directly into the paprika mixture as shown in the picture

German Pearl Noodles:
2 eggs
1 ½ cups flour (sub with slightly less whole wheat flour, if desired)
½ cup water
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking powder

Mix noodle ingredients to form gooey dough

Drop bit by it in a large pot of salted, boiling water or press through a large grater or colander for more uniform noodles.

Cook until tender and remove with a slotted spoon
Rinse in warm water

Toss the noodles with the paprika sauce or simply serve the sauce over them. Serve with steamed vegetables and fresh bread.

Enjoy!

Tip: Makes great leftovers and can be frozen in portions for quick meals.

What's in a name?

2008-05-23T01:48:00.000-07:00

It is all in how you look at it! The name of my blog, and my small in-home business, is Tulip Tree Baby. Why? Well here it is:

1) Plants represent me; who I am, what I do, and how I see life. Am I a tree hugger? No way! I do love trees, but I am a very pragmatic person and am able to logically recognize trees as a highly renewable resource to be appreciated and preserved, but also used.

2) Why Tulip Tree? It is my all time favorite tree, and incidentally, my favorite plant of any kind. The botanical name for Tulip Tree is Liriodendron tulipifera. It is a large shade tree that, in its natural environment, can reach the heights of 150 ft tall. Tulip Trees have large tulip shaped leaves and produce large, cup-shaped yellow flowers in early summer. Species of Tulip Tree can be found wild in both the Eastern United States and China.

Want to see what it looks like? Check out this link to an etsy listing that includes a photograph of a Tulip Tree: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9704177

3) The last part of the name is obvious; I make baby products!

Thanks for joining me for my introductory post. I hope you enjoy popping in now and then to see what is new in my world.