lately...

...i've been trying to finish a little quilting project i started months ago.  i put it by the wayside and hadn't looked at it for a while.  i've been glaring at this big pile of unfinished projects that i'd either, started and become bored of, or never even started but had all the things i needed put together, ready to begin.  so i finally got my butt in gear and am slowly widdling the pile down.  firstly, there is the flannel mosaic print baby blanket.  i'm quilting around the bigger and/or darker flowers.  it's taking a lot longer than i thought it would.  but it sure is pretty to look at.  and i love flowers, so it's a win-win.

and then there's these cuties!  i'd promised my nephew, jackson, that i would make his precious lamb-y some pajamas.  what a slacker aunt i am!  it took me all of 10 minutes to make these.  i should've done it ages ago.  sorry jack!  the pj top is almost done too.  pic later.

more of the harvesting

nine beautiful carrots, right in a row.

my little girl, so happy to sow.

a few wild flowers to brighten the day...

...more jumbled carrots, i know...what the hey?

my citrus tree blossoming reminds me of spring...

...the local gopher nibbling, the new garden king.

and then there's zucchini, it's growing with ease.  i can't wait to eat it, it's sure to please!

if you're hungry and don't want to spend a few bucks, vegetables i have and will share- they're not yuck.
(thanks for slowly tolerating my lack of rhyming abilities...you're the best!)

garden update and harvest!

a bee visits our huge head of lettuce.  we actually pulled this one out and ate some for dinner last night.  twas wonderful!  i'm amazed at how easily it grew.  i'm also amazed that the gopher wasn't interested in eating it.  he frequently visits the pumpkin and takes a nibble. 

then there's the carrots!  yay!!!  they turned out to be so awesome.  after planting them, we didn't see much growth at first.  it took a long time.  but then, as the green started showing, we noticed that there were indeed quite a few making progress.  they say you should pull it when the diameter from above is about an inch.  this is about an inch and a half.  we probably should've pulled them out earlier, but we didn't really find that information til yesterday.

below are the action photos of stephen pulling a carrot out.

gg

hh

i don't know why it was so amazing to me that a real carrot came out of the ground....where we planted it.  it's not like i didn't expect there to be anything underneath all that greenery.  i could plainly see the bits of orange around the soil.  it's just that i usually kill things, not grow them!  i got so excited.  i made everyone smell it immediately.  "see?  it even smells like a carrot!"  we ate them for dinner last night too!

sienna's cute stubby toes, as she watched the carrot harvesting.

we even had a freaky carrot fingery one.  it was a three-in-one carrot.  i really liked it!  i'm guessing this was a result of putting more than one seed in one hole.  even though that's what the directions said, i promptly ignored it.  i figured that not all the seeds would survive, so why not up our chances?  i've learned my lesson.


more to come!

garden life

i've been considering (very strongly) growing hydrangeas in my garden this early summer.  i've been reading a little bit about them this morning.  here's a great hydrangea website that I found.  i appreciate their careful explanations for how and when to do things, to aide my weak gardening thumbs.  i'm learning. 

 i also just read about martha stewart's 1990's coming-out of her love for hydrangeas.  she has some interesting historical backround about them and how to care for them.  it's not as helpful as the first site i mentioned, though.  apparently the woman has a serious thang for them.  can't say i blame her. 

my garden needs some hydrangeas...preferably the blue, which means my soil needs to be more acidic in order for that to happen.  here's to hopin'!  i suppose i could test the ph of my soil, but i'd rather just see what colors they turn out.  if they're more pink-ish, your soil is more alkaline.

next on my list to learn:  tulips!  my other fav!

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totally random gardening tip of the day:

• 
  
  if your plants start to develop powdery mildew (a white/gray powdery fungal disease) on it's leaves, you can make a homemade fungicide.  Here's a quick recipe:  1 T. baking soda, 1 T. horticultural oil (or 1/2 tsp. liquid soap- per another recipe I found) and 1 gallon of water.  it did stress, however, to not spray on the leaves during extreme heat (90 deg F or higher).

i know, you can't believe your eyes!

and i don't mean that in the way of my sewing work being sooo amazing!  i mean- it's been way, way too long since i posted anything, right?  i know.  you've no idea what my life has been like lately.  and you don't need to know...in fact, it's better if you don't know.  

the good news?  i've finally sat my bum down on a dark cherry wood, wooden table chair and sewed a few straight lines.  this ended up looking pretty cute, i think.  i usually only use placemats when we have dinner (or lunch on sundays) guests.  i decided to make some for just every day use.  it'll make eating a happier experience if i can look down at some nice bright colors to cheer me up.  not that i'll need so much cheering up, but because i like to be happy.  you do too!  maybe you should make some too.  

bon appetit! (thanks julia!)

before it's too late

okay, so maybe you don't need to hurry, but here are a few things i've been wanting to do lately:

~go here.  with a cute little coupon.

~eat at this wonderful eatery again.  please?

~pick some of those red things here and make jam.

~increase my violin inspiration and see him play.

~get some cute funky outfit to wear when i do this for the third time.