Dressing Up

Well I've been very busy this summer and my garden has suffered but I will soon be planting again for the fall. In the meantime I have done a few fun projects this summer. One of them was making a dress form out of duct tape. My sister got the idea off the Internet somewhere and we made these together. First I was wrapped in seran wrap and then taped all over. She cut me out from the back and I was able to wiggle my way out.
For the stand I used an old lamp and then stuffed the dress form and retaped the back. I then added a layer of the fun pink and white polka dot duct tape that I picked up at my local craft store. This is a great concept because the dress form is your exact measurements.
Here's the final product. :-) Hope I'll be able to find time to sew soon.


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Fertilizer who figured

Well I keep working at my garden and it just keeps getting better. I used some miracle gro fertilizer, organic of course, and my plants have just taken off. I know it's too late in the season for most of them to really produce correctly, but it helps me to realize how much better it will be next season. After all of the research I did, I would have to say that experience is becoming my best teacher. I'm glad to be blessed with the opportunity to learn, experience, and research.


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Spring is here

Well most people who know me well can tell you I'm a little obsessed with caterpillars, particularly monarch caterpillars. So I got really excited today when I found one on my milk weed plant. It is so cute and what a miracle packed into such a tiny animal. It is a reminder to me of how dramatically our lives can change if we are willing to go a new direction. I pray that I will always be going in the right direction and will be ready for change when it comes in my life.


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Beans!!

I know I get excited easily by little things but I just have to say it again. I'm so excited to see baby beans on my plants. Every time I see something new it makes my heart happy.


Last night we got to eat a salad from our garden. It was the first one we've had this season and it was yummy with lettuce and arugula. My son said is it like what the cartoons say you know arrooogah. He brings me such joy with his innocent questions and pleasant spirit. I'm thankful for my boy.



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You're Rad

This card for my nephew was so much fun to make. I got to use my Robotz cartridge, Just Because Cards, and a couple different cuttlebug embossing folders. I love the way it turned out.



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Tiny Tomatoes

My plants are really doing well now. No more watering issues and we have had plenty of sunshine and rain. I was very excited to see some small tomatoes on my bushes.


My beans have also taken off and doing so well. I put in some supports this weekend so they would have lots of room to climb and hopefully provide us with lots of beans. Green beans are one of our favorites and I'm sure that garden fresh will be even better.



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Flying High

For a change of pace I decided to do a new layout for some pics I've been wanting to scrapbook. The shapes were made with my Cricut using the Everyday Paperdolls Cartridge. I also used the cuttlebug embossing folder d'vine swirls. I love the way the clouds came out.



A friend recently gave me a tip about using the markers to outline as I did on the airplane. Instead of unloading the paper after cutting your shape, press load paper again and then switch to your markers and press cut again. Make sure to put a piece of paper under the marker when changing from your blade so you don't get ink where you don't want it. Most people probably know this but it was new to me so I thought I'd share.



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First Fruits

I am so excited to be able to enjoy the work of my garden. The strawberries we got to eat were wonderful. My son is very happy to go out and check the plants everyday and tell our neighbors about how they are growing. It's a small start but we are looking forward to much more.



I've started to read through the Matthew Henrys Concise commentary and I began in Genesis. It talks about the curse that was put on the land but not on Adam himself. I'm so thankful that God has not given up on His creation and that He continues to bless us. I know that I am incredibly blessed even when my life doesn't work out the way I want, I know that God is in control and has a plan for my life.
The small amount of laboring I do in my garden just brought that to mind.
Thank you God for loving me and having a plan for me.


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Finally growing!!

Well my garden wasn't doing as well as I had hoped, but I'm pretty sure the problem has now been resolved. My water pressure was really low so even though I was watering consistently my plants just weren't growing like they should. The plants are now getting the right amount of water and are doing well.




I did decide to help things out a little by putting in some plants that I purchased. The larger plants are the ones I bought and the others are from my seeds that I planted at the beginning of the month.The beans in the back row of the picture below are doing great. I'm so glad that the watering issue has bee resolved.




I went on a field trip today with my son to a nursery and it has inspired me to keep going and not feel discouraged. I plan to replant the carrots, spinach and a few others this evening. I can't wait to see the fruit of my labor.


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Watering System

For plants, and people, water is life. This year I think I finally have the watering thing down. I know myself and my garden usually ends up flooded because I have forgotten that the water was turned on or in a drought like state because I forget to water altogether. My solution is a fully automated watering system complete with a timer :) . It's so nice to not have to think about when I watered last (if I remembered to water) and my plants are sure appreciating it. I have a soaker hose coiled in each box and the timer and valves are adjusted so each plant gets the water they need.


There is one hose buried going from the spigot to the center box. It is connected to a four way valve and there are three hoses connected to the valve. (There are two extra valves that I can use for hand watering with a hose or using a sprinkler for the surrounding area.) Each of the three hoses are buried going to the three boxes and then a soaker hose is attached to each. By burying the hoses I could make sure they are out of the way of the lawn mowers. It looked a little complicated at first and took some planning, but now it is making my gardening a breeze.

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Organic Mocha Cinnamon Coffee

This is by far the best coffee I have ever had. It took a lot of experimenting to get to this point but I finally have an organic coffee, free of plastic, that is just amazing.
Here's my recipe:
2 teaspoons of organic cane sugar
a sprinkle of cinnamon
1/3-1/2 cup of 2% Organic chocolate milk
Strong organic coffee (to taste of course)
I always put the sugar, cinnamon, and chocolate milk in first. (If you put the cinnamon in after filling the cup it seems to not mix as well.)









Then top off your cup with your favorite organic coffee. My latest favorite is an organic Peruvian blend.









I have switched from a traditional coffee maker to a glass cone filter. This cone filter is made by Hario for more info check out amazon hairo glass cone filter. I don't like the idea of hot petroleum in my coffee and then my body having to digest it. The cone filter came with a plastic holder, but as you can see I have switched it for an oak one. The coffee has a richer flavor and I know that nothing harmful is entering my system. The cone filter is simple, fast, and sure makes a good cup of coffee. You can make two cups with one cone of coffee grounds.









Doesn't that look yummy. I think I need another cup lol.

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New Life

I love watching new things grow. Isn't new life a miracle? I get excited every time I see a another seed emerge. Radishes (pic below) are so fun to grow because they come up quickly. It's almost instant results lol.



After much research online, I ordered my seeds from Botanical Interests. I chose them because they are all organic and have not been genetically altered in anyway. There is controversy as to whether genetic modification is acceptable or not, but I feel that we should have all of our foods as close to the way that God intended as possible. I know we live in an imperfect world, but I would rather go as organic as I can for my health and that of my family.
I can't wait for my first harvest from the garden, so until then I'll just enjoy the process.


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Square Foot Boxes

There is lots of info on how to construct a raised garden bed so I'll just tell you what I used for mine. The boards are four foot squared decking material and really strong. They are built two high (6" each) so that I can plant whatever kinds of crops I want, without having to worry about depth. I put a layer of cardboard down before filling them with soil. The soil is Jungle Growth Organic Potting Soil sold at Lowe's. It contained all of the nutrients I needed and it was premixed :). There are two pieces of ten foot PVC pipe crisscrossed in the corners for each box so that I can quickly and easily cover them in case of a late frost. I'm so pleased with the way they turned out. Thanks to my handy-dandy neighbor for constructing them.





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My Organic Garden

This is my first year doing the square foot gardening method and I'm using all organic products. I'm really excited to see how it is going to work out. I haven't had much luck with the Florida sand, so I will post my progress and hopefully you can enjoy the experience with me.  Please note that this blog is my experience only and any tips you use are at your own risk or blessing :-)