Happy Friday! It's rainy here, but not too cold. I think that spring is finally here!
Yesterday I picked up my daughter Heather, and granddaughter Zelda and brought them in to town to work on the garden in our back yard.
Gardening is pretty hard work....it's fun and relaxing. Hopefully we will harvest from our efforts.
My daughter found that the dirt around their house is just not fit for planting. It's clay and we couldn't even dig in to it. She had bought several packets of seeds and had some already started.
She's been saving scraps for the compost pile. She had already sent me home 2 boxes to add to my pile.
This past Sunday my hubby and I worked 4 or 5 hours just preparing the area out back. Hubby did buy pete moss and cow manure that he roto-tilled in with what was in the compost pile. I've not had much luck getting my pile to compost, but after the recent ice storms it was starting to turn. I have no idea if we should have went and put the pile in, but I didn't figure it could hurt anything.
Heather and I spent 3 hours yesterday morning planting.
We have a little bit of a lot of foods:
lettuce
spinach
carrots
turnips
green beans
strawberries
cantaloupe
watermelon
corn
zucchini
tomatoes
bell peppers
snap peas
(In the house I have celery re-growing, basil and I have a planter of spinach. Heather has herbs growing in her house too)
Here are the photos that I took yesterday:
And this is my kitchen window sill:
I will be building a squidoo lens later today starting with these photos and then updating it monthly with new photos of the garden progress.
Wish us luck! :)
Please tell me that Spring might really be here this time!
They say there is to be no more overnight freezing temps---and no more snow, sleet, or other winter weather. I really do hope they are right!
I am leaving soon to go out of town and bring my middle daughter back with me to help get our garden going. (We do have covering planned for nights just in case).
This week I am asking that you share any lenses (1 or 2) that have to do with Spring--the season, gardening, flowers, events, etc. Maybe the weather will get the hint!
Please share any blog posts you have written in regard to squidoo as well over the past week.
Yesterday I realized I hadn't worked on any sewing since last Wednesday afternoon. That's when I went to the stitch group at the quilt shop and finally worked on my bunnies again!
Laying all 20 of my bunny squares out and realizing that I only have 4 of them completed makes me really know just how much more work I have to do on them:
I spent time last night working on the pillow cases for the kids. You get a boring photo of the pile of pillowcases. I do hope by next week that I have a few of them completed. I'm still trying to figure out just how I am going to sew around the lettering. I was going to hand sew around them like I am the bunnies, but now I am realizing how many knots I would have on the under side. I don't think that I can stitch the way I would want around the names with me sewing machine. I will have to ask around and get advice.
I have worked here and there on the plastic canvas coasters while here on the computer all week. I am now up to 34 of them made and still quite a bit of the huge ball of yarn left.
I am linking up with Freshly Pieced
Happy Friday!
The sun is shining and it's already warmer out this morning than it was all day yesterday. Maybe, just maybe spring will finally really be here??
I'm itching to get our garden going!
This past week I found myself at Walgreen's to buy a photo album for quilt guild. I decided while I was there that it was time for me to get back into my register rewards shopping. One of the items this week on the sale was a bag of Morton Epsom Salts for $4 and you got back the same $4 in a Register Reward to use towards your next shopping trip.
I've redeemed some of my points at mypoints.com for a $10 Walgreen's card to also help me get back in the swing of shopping there.
I've posted in the past from the 99 Cent Solutions book on the uses for Epsom Salts, but wanted to post again. Mostly for my own benefit :) Did any of the rest of you go for the deal at Walgreen's as well this week?
Uses for Epsom Salt:
1. Salt your bathwater--Add 2 cups pf Epsom salt to a tub full of warm water and soak for a few minutes. Do this to get rid of rough patches of skin. After soaking, finish the job by rubbing additional salt on the rough spots.
2. Help stop stinky feet--Everyone knows that soaking your feet in Epsom salt can relieve sore feet. Did you also know that doing so twice a day for 15 minutes each time will also make your feet sweat less and smell less? Just add 2 cups to 2 gallons of water in a container such as a bucket or dishpan.
3. Get rid of the itch--Soaking in a tub of Epsom salt will ease the itch of poison ivy. Check the label for soaking instructions.
4. Stop splinters--make a paste of Epsom salt and water and apply to the area where the splinter is. In about 10 minutes the paste will pull the splinter to the surface. This also works for insect stingers. Even a luxurious Epsom salt bath will help draw the splinter or stinger.
5. Relish your roses--Sprinkle half a cup of Epsom salt around the base of your rose bush in early spring and in the fall. After the leaves appear and again when the roses appear, spray them with a mixture of 1 tablespoon Epsom salt per gallon of water. This will make for healthier roses----gardeners swear by it!
6. Get rid of raccoons--Sprinkle a few tablespoons of Epsom salt around your trashcan to drive them away. Remember to reapply after it rains.
(Now I do wish that I had gone back and bought a second bag---and I just still may do so while I am out that way today)
Yes, money has been on my mind lately---having more of it, saving it, etc.
This week, I ask that you share lenses that have to do with not so much earning money, but saving it---living a simpler life to spend less and the like.
Earth Day is April 22, and comes around before next week's post, so if you have any Earth Day lenses, please also do share those.
As always please share any blog posts you have done regarding squidoo over this past week. Yes, older blog posts are also welcomed to be linked up as well.
No, I didn't make it in to my craft room every day this week, but I did make it in there a couple of days. That along with sit n' sew at the quilt shop and sewing club at church, I feel like I've gotten a lot done this week.
Here are the pillowcases so far. I still have fabric to buy for one more, but they are rolling along now.
I ran into a couple of snags working on the quilt top for church, one being that a few of my rows I sewed together backwards. Then, I thought I didn't have enough of the half square triangles so I went to work to make more. I had enough! I had forgotten that I already had one of the big blocks done already when I was counting. Sheesh! Give me another 6 months of sewing on this only at sewing club each month and this top might be completed.
The only thing I did in those 2 days sewing in my craft room was to work on more of the blocks with the rectangles. Both days I only intended to at least sew 2 together. I ended up with 17 sewn, plus the 3 I had originally sewn and then sewn together. I will keep making the blocks, as many as I can with the rectangles that I have, and then determine just what I will make with them.
I have also worked on more coasters. I was able to get more plastic canvas so will continue now to make those until I use up the entire huge ball of yarn.
Here is a picture of what they all look like. I do have some in my etsy store already in sets of 4, 6, or 8.
I am in hopes to make it to the quilt shop this afternoon for the monthly needlers. I want to work on the applique bunnies. They've been sorely neglected! If I do make it down there I will share a photo of my progress with those next week.
I am linking up with:
First thing this morning I went out to an estate sale. Estate sales are my favorite. You seem to find the better deals at them. I like how you can buy a box full of something.
This sale was advertised as Ladies Only estate sale---Crafts, quilting, fabrics, etc. You know I had to go! I told my husband it could be dangerous. After all, really, I have enough supplies in my craft room to keep me busy for the next 4 or 5 years at least, and that is if I work everyday on things.
Here is what I purchased:
Breakdown:
Paper doilies .25 (Always use these making home made Valentine's)
Bells .25 ( I put these inside baby blocks that I make with plastic canvas)
Miniature tea set .50 (just for fun for one of my granddaughters that I have over every other weekend by herself.)
Teddy Bear corduroy $3
Maroon soft fabric $3 (these 2 items will become a blanket for my new grandson on the way)
Green netting .25 (I make dish scrubbies with this)
Crocss Stitch kit .50 (I will give this to my sister in law)
Blue Christmas print and border (I hope to make 2 wall hanging out of this) .50
Watermelon Apron print fabric $1 (hope to make myself an apron)
Thread spool holder $1 (I just thought this was cool to put my thread spools on)
Sunflower print fabric .50 (I hope to make a wall hanging with this)
Bag of Misc trims .50 (I have some projects I have idea for)
Box of plastic canvas sheets $1 (I make cross magnets, the baby blocks and coasters with this---sad part is that I had actually run out and just yesterday used some of my amazon earnings to order some! Don't you hate when that happens? Oh well, I do have plenty now!)
3 bandanas .75 (I am in hopes of making a dress with these for my oldest granddaughter)
Total: $13 I didn't think this was bad at all! I was just gathering things without adding.
It's yard sale season starting........do you go and look for bargains?
Another type of garage sale I look for are the ones that are held at churches. They also tend to have the lower pricing. And....how about those neighborhood sales?? Wow!
However, how many times are you guilty of buying things that you don't really need? I would say more often than not. I don't know anyone who is not guilty of this!
I do tend to look specifically for items like I bought today----craft items.
I remember last year hitting one of the neighborhood sales. This was blocks and blocks of sales. I only spent $30 total at over 50 sales, but most of what I bought, I just did not need. Well.....did I need ANY of it? Yeah, probably not. I did end up with fabrics and other craft items, most of which I have used now. I also bought a small tv with built in DVD player for my daughters room. (I figured that alone was worth the $30 total that I spent) I think I bought 20 VHS movies. I bought books and toys and candles and more. Yes, I got far more than my money's worth!! One thing I bought is the binder that I use for my coupons---paid just .50 for it---seen the exact same binder at Walmart on markdown for $7. I picked up what I thought was 2 ink cartridges for my printer--got home and found they were empty cartridges. However, the people had given the cartridges to me, so all was good---and I mailed in them in to the Lexmark exchange program towards free ink.
Do you have any garage sale stories to tell?
I look forward to your link ups this week.
Since everyone has been busy fixing flagged lenses, I decided to make this week anything goes week.
Your choice on the 1 or 2 lenses that you share this week. Your favorites lenses, your lowest ranked, your highest ranked, the choice is yours. (I think I will link my top and bottom ranked)
Please link up any blog posts you've done this past week as well, no matter how many you may have written.
Thanks!
If I can stay on task and just keep working on my crafts and sewing every spare moment, I think I can really start to get somewhere!
Here are pillowcases that I am working on. I am making one for each of my 9 grandchildren as well as my 16 yr old, for their birthday's this year. I am appliquing their names on each one as well. I did get some more fabric this past week and I worked on getting the names ready. I do have 2 of the names cut and ready. I should have gotten them out of the envelope, but hopefully those 2 pillowcases will be completely done by this time next week.
I've worked here and there on some sets of folded hot pads.
I don't know what I was thinking, but I started working on a quilt top.
I don't have a photo of progress on the quilt top for sewing club at church. I did work on it a bit yesterday, but not enough to warrant taking a photo. We will be meeting again next week so I will get a progress photo at that time. I spent some of yesterday getting help to finish this t-shirt dress. It's for a blog tour/book review I am doing for Sew Pretty T-Shirt Dresses.
I completed 2 fabric bags this past week. I hope to get those listed in my etsy shop today. I've also been working like crazy on plastic canvas coasters. I'm on a mission to make as many as I can out of this huge ball of yarn I had. I think I might run out of plastic canvas sheets though before I run out of the yarn! I'm going to keep working away. I already have some of the coasters in my etsy store in sets of 4, 6 or 8. I intend to take a picture of ALL of them once I am done.
I can't think of any other projects right now, so I will close for this week. I am linking up with the following blogs:
Lately we've been making use of the public library again--making weekly visits.
I'm not sure how we got out of the habit of going, but it started again several weeks ago when my daughter wanted to stop in and look for a movie to check out.
We ended up checking out several movies as well as a music cd. They didn't have the movie she wanted anymore, so we made use of the inter library loan to get it.
We have a good sized library, but it's wonderful that if by chance they don't have what you ate looking for, you can borrow it from another library. They even give you extended check out time since it's borrowed.
This past week I checked out a book to use with Jasmine for math. We had used the prior book in the series already. She also checked out a few books to read on her own. I checked out 2 music cd's as well.
THe public library's always have fun things going on. Currently our library is doing a program they call Blind Date With a Book. You choose a manilla envelope with a book inside, read it, then write a short review to have your name put in a drawing for prizes. The outside of the envelope does tell the genre of the book inside.
My first book was called Motel of the Mysteries---it sure was an entertaining book and a quick read. The genre said futuristic science fiction. I've already returned it and picked another envelope. I chose the genre young adult fiction and ended up getting Holes. Who knows, while I am getting in more reading than I've done in a long time, I may actually win a prize too.
I always had my children signed up for the summer reading program each summer. Now I make sure the grandkids get signed up for it. Reading is important---and they get trinket prizes for their reading as well.
Our library has an internet room. I'm not sure how many computer are in there but it's around 25. People are allowed to use the computers in there up to 2 hours each day, except Sunday is 1 day. If the room is full, you are assigned a pager so they can let you know when it's your turn. In the past I've had to use the room quite often when my computer was down.
The library now offers the wifi throughout the library so you are free to bring your own laptop in anytime you choose. They've added more tables and more plug ins. They even have 3 laptops that you can check out---for the same time as you would have in the internet room.
They put in a "coffee bar". You can order coffee, cookies, juice, muffins etc. I just had to buy a big chocolate chip cookie when we were in this week. They were baking them and that smell was throughout the library!
What I miss is the library book sales. They used to have them twice a year. I always went on the 2nd day when they let you buy a grocery cart of books for $8. I'm not sure why they haven't had a sale now in 2 years, but I am going to ask. They have a used book store inside the library all the time. Books average in price of $1. They also always have a cart outside the doorway that is full of items that are free. I've actually gotten some good stuff from the free cart.
What's going on at your public library right now?
