vegetable garden - part 1

So here it is! The beginnings of my vegetable garden. I had big plans for this space but given that it is very nearly May I had to simplify a little so I can get my plants in the ground on time.

We started about a week ago with just lawn area. Luckily we are landscapers so we had just about everything we needed right at our fingertips, except time. We started by skimming the grass off, with a skid steer of course. The garden is 20' x 20' so by hand it would have taken too long, and too back breaking for this girl at 5 months pregnant.

As of Sunday morning we had just a bare patch of soil that was in desperate need of tilling. So with grandma in charge of the little one, we set out to get this patch ready for planting. 

We tilled the entire area and removed the loose soil from the pathways into the bed areas, all by hand now so as not to compact our lovely soil. We put a layer of crusher run down for the pathways to be topped with pea gravel and then compacted to make a sturdy path. Eventually I hope to put down some blue stone but for now this will do. We managed to get stakes in the ground for the temporary chicken wire fence as well.
All that's left now is to finish the pathway, put up a gate and fencing and then start growing! I hope to show you the finished product any day now. I'll also try to show the garden as it progresses throughout the growing season and some tips and tricks I learn along the way (maybe even some printable planning sheets). Happy gardening!

new year, new projects

This is my new project for 2013.  I felt like I really needed something that would get me out of the house, meet new people and just have some fun.  I once worked in a department store selling fine jewelry.  Aside from some of the usual drama associated with any workplace I really enjoyed talking to people about the jewelry, setting up displays and just playing in jewelry all day.

Pippa by lynn-vogel featuring stella dot jewelry

So this is my new thing! A few years ago I held a Trunk Show with a company called Stella & Dot.  I loved the company and the jewelry and considered becoming a stylist for them.  Well, it only took two years but I've done it.  I officially launched my jewelry business on Friday! My samples have arrived now I just have to wait for the other miscellaneous stuff to arrive.  Stay tuned for more jewelry and style as I learn more about this fabulous business!

amazing wavy wrap

I've been loving all things fluffy and cozy lately so when I saw this yarn I had to buy it.  It truly is amazing!  Don't you think?

I'm loving variegated yarn right now and found a stitch pattern in a book I got from the library that I thought would have been perfect for a wrap I've been wanting to make.  I think I was right! I used a size N hook so it would have a lacy effect.  I love the result with the big flower brooch.  I think for the brooch I'd like to add a sparkly beaded button to the center.  You know, give it some bling for the holiday's.

I love it so much that I want to make more in other colors, variegated and solid.  Maybe this could be an item for my etsy shop when I finally get over the giant New York state business hurdle.

god jul!

It's terribly dreary here today, it almost dampens the Christmas spirit...almost!  My mother, sister, niece and I gathered yesterday to work on some of our holiday projects.  While my mother made Christmas cards for the children, my sister worked on a banner and my niece spread holiday cheer throughout the house in the form of festive glitter!  Not even the dogs were safe. I worked on more decorations for the holiday and a scrapbook page.  I'm really cooking with the scrapbook, my daughter is now seven months old and I have three pages done, I've got some serious catching up to do.  

Last week I had my husband cut some blocks from a 2 x 4 that had spent the summer outside getting weathered.  Not on purpose either.  We needed it for some project outside and it just never made it back to the garage.  My initial plan was to paint the blocks white but once I saw them all faded and gray I had to just let them be.

I used the Cricut to cut the letters, snowflake and reindeer   I love how they turned out especially against the beautiful blue walls and my makeshift runner.  The runner is simply copy paper cut down to 8 1/2" square.  I used a decorative punch on two sides and folded each piece diagonally.