Oct. 3rd

Because all of my hobbies apparently aren't good enough, I've decided to take up another. Cross-stitch. I think I might like it even more than embroidery to be honest... I suppose they each have their perks. I love how simple cross-stitch is. No frills.

Anyways, here it is! I got the frame super cheap at one of the thrift stores in town. It only took a few hours to do.

My next project might have to be THIS. A sampler using a quote from Always Sunny.

Sept. 12

This might be one of the last garden updates for a while unless I have luck with a fall garden.

I still have only had luck with my cherry tomatoes.... currently there are a few flowers on the Cherokee Purple but I fear it's too late in the season for whatever is growing to mature. My Patio tomato has fruit on it but it has fallen over... not died, just fallen over. I have no idea if it will continue to grow. We've had the best luck with an orange Sundrop cherry (Patrick says these are his fave). The other cherry could either be Super Snow Drop (white) or Mirabelle (yellow). The tomatoes seem too pale to be yellow, but they could be.

Our Basil is still going strong too, I have only been harvesting the Genovese for pesto and letting the other varieties flower. I don't know exactly which variety this one is (probably Siam Queen, but not sure) but the flowers are gorgeous! I'm so glad I got it. 

My mums from last year have started blooming again too! I know a lot of people dislike mums but I think they are wonderful. The colors are so great and there's something about plants that flower when everything else is getting tuckered out. 

August 28th

I am an avid Pinterest-er, and as soon as I saw this project I knew it would be useful and something I would want, so when I got engaged it was one of the first DIY's on my list.

Turns out it's super easy, all you need is a small frame, the cardboard that came in the frame (glass not needed, you can find glass-less frames at thrift stores super cheap), felt, and a pushpin. 

Note: I didn't use the white felt at all.

I cut out a piece of felt the size of the cardboard in the frame, figured out where I wanted the ring to hang and embroidered a little leaf pattern around it. 

Stack your embroidered felt on the cardboard and stick your pin in the right place, bending it 1/4-1/2" away from the ball at about a 45 degree angle. Tape the pin to the backside of the cardboard, put it back in the frame, and voila! 

You got yourself a ring frame.

I put mine above the sink so I don't have to wear my ring when I do dishes.

August 10th

Garden update!

First of all, I harvested my carrots (mixed variety from Cubits) and while they were very tiny, they were very adorable and after I saved some to give as a birthday present, we just ate them all raw. I loved this mix, though I didn't care so much for the light colored carrots, so next time I may just get a pack of the purple and a pack of the orange and forgo the variety pack. I planted the rest of my Parisian carrots so hopefully there is enough time to get them grown before it freezes. 

My mystery peppers are growing and are so big! None of them have turned colors yet, but I've already picked a couple. I nibbled on them and they don't seem hot, so I really have no idea what kind of pepper they are.

My tomatoes are all fruiting (except for the Cherokee Purple... the only one I actually bought at the greenhouse) but alas, they have yet to ripen, so I still don't know what kind of tomato they are. The tallest is about seven feet tall at this point though. It's crazy.

And lastly, I have some beans! They are tiny and adorable.

July 23rd

Everything is going on just as usual over here in blogland. The garden is growing bigger and getting drier... I finally have some fruit on my tomatoes and now I know that the three mystery tomatoes are all cherries, though the specific variety is still unknown. One of them is taller than I am now! I have fruit on my mystery peppers too, and I can tell that they are hot, but I don't know the variety yet. I may wait to see what color they turn before I pick them.

I've harvested a ton from my parents garden so far... enough cukes and peppers for a couple batches of pickles and tons of jars of pickled jalapenos. They have lots of overgrown tomato plants with fruit just waiting to ripen, though some seem to be getting eaten by the chickens. Later this week I'm going to see if their blackberries are ripe yet. Yum!

The first round of chicks are looking more adult by the day.... luckily there are more babies and even more eggs waiting to hatch later this week.

These  are the newest chicks, and even though it's only been a week or so, they already have so many feathers!

In wedding news, we've finalized the ceremony location. It's at a stone gazebo in Topeka and I'm excited to have it all figured out. We'll probably have a laid back camping reception and maybe even a pig roast! I've sketched out the save the date picture and might work on painting that tonight. We shall see!

July 8th

So in under a month my tomatoes have gone from this...

to this!

None of them have flowered yet, so no fruit and I still don't know variety the first three are, but the last one is Cherokee Purple.

I did end up putting beans in the whiskey barrel, so hopefully those will get bushy and start flowering soon.

I harvested my garlic, and they're all pretty small. This fall I guess I'll just have to feed them more and hope that does something. I think I'm going to plant more this year.

I've been getting some more perennials since they are all on clearance at the little temporary greenhouses. So far I've gotten a couple more columbines, quite a few heucheras, a chinese primrose, and a foam flower. I might have to get a couple more heucheras actually.... they are so great!

The primrose

The foam flower, two heucheras, and my coleus.

In the background of the last picture, you can see a lily that has failed to bloom or produce any buds. I'm wondering if it's too shady, so it's possible that I will attempt to move it this fall to the little bed I made by the shed that is currently housing mostly purple and white flowers.

June 23rd

Just a little update today. I planted some beans last week as of today, all of them have sprouted! I need to set up some kind of trellis for them, but it's getting about time to rip up the peas, so I may see if I can reuse their trellis... I don't know what to put in the whiskey barrel once it's empty though. Maybe I'll just go crazy and plant twice as many beans!

I also have a miniature rose blooming that I bought for a couple bucks at the grocery store this last winter. All of the buds fell off as soon as I transplanted it so I hoped it would re-bloom for me.... and it's just one bloom, but it makes me so happy to see!

Lastly, I also got engaged! Be prepared for some wedding planning related posts in the coming year!