Parsley Power

We were grocery shopping the other day and made this impulse buy of Parsley Plus.  It was in the "green" section of Publix.  When we got home and tried it we were surprise.  It cleaned the counters great, and the smell was so pleasant.  It was like walking through a garden of parsley.  I wanted to put this to the test.  So I waited until Nilla the yellow lab had sufficiently wiped her nose and mouth all over the window.  No cleaner I have used so far can wipe dog slobber away without multiple applications and a lot of elbow grease.  Much to my delight, the Parsley Plus worked wonders.  I  did have to use a fair amount of elbow grease, but not like the other cleaners, and only one application!!!  WOOHOO!

Good Stuff, good for you, good for the environment! 

Snacks! the Cat

After a good meal and a glass of wine, Snacks the cat was ready for some quality conversation.

Missed It

One thing that I really wish we would have done while we were still in the Midwest was to visit Amish Country.  We were less than three hours to Amish Country in Indiana, and never made it there.  I heard stories from my friends about the fantastic fabric and furniture that they have.  Even though we no longer live in the area, we can check out the fantastic handy work of the Amish on the internet.  I wanted to get some furniture for the baby's room because the cribs that the Amish make would have made a wonderful heirloom to pass through the family.  I am sad I never got around to that.
The internet allows me the chance to look at shop for Amish furniture.  The solid wood dining tables and chairs are just fabulous.  Unless you know personally a wood furniture maker, you can't get better than the amish.  The pieces are timeless, and will last for years to come (Unlike many of the things you can purchase at chain retail places around the country).  There are many different styles to fit any theme in you home.  Maybe my next purchase will be a new dining set!

Art on the Internet

I had a few minutes of down time, while Lincoln was sleeping, and I thought I would search around to find some new art for the house.  We like to have large prints around on the walls as bold art statements.  I ran across some Shepard Fairey prints.  He certainly has some iconic posters that include the blue, red and cream poster of Obama, and his claims for Change.  While you won't find his rendition of Change on our walls, you might catch a glimpse of his elephants, or maybe even the Dalai Lama.   There are several prints that convey an eco friendly sentiment, such as the wind turbines.  Shepard Fairey has some great pattern sets that would look good in any decor. One of the pattern sets might end up in my craft room.  Some of his more political art comes in the form of the Obey giant art pieces.    The bold saturated colors are inspriring, and aren't likely to fade into the background of your decor.  These are meant to be seen, and enjoyed.  When you have Shepard Fairey art on your walls, you have a great conversation starter!

The beds are made.

I am not talking about the kind you sleep in either.  My square foot garden beds!  After a long Saturday the 3 beds were constructed.  I quickly realized that 3 beds was too much space for a garden.  Since the wood was all free and recycled we quickly retreated and disassembled the taller box.  We filled the remaining two beds with Mel's Mix.  I am working on getting the seeds and plants in the beds each in their place.  Now the test is to see if any of them grow!

Spring Accessories!

Yes, everyone needs to have a few seasonal accessories.  I made this great coffee sleeve that is the perfect way to hop into spring.  The bright stripe coffee sleeve is fun and great for those cool nights when hot coffee is a must.  Are your sending out some  birthday presents in the upcoming months?  Check out the bulk listing for coffee cozies, or you can request any number that you need.  Of course, when you purchase multiples you get a great discount!

MidNight Raid!

It wasn't exactly midnight, more like 5 pm, and we had permission.  M and I hopped in the car, and headed to the wood pile at the construction site.  It had grown since the last time, and there were great pieces of 2x6's that would piece together nicely for the beds.  The recycled wood was free, so we will deal with the less than 4 foot sections required for the square foot garden.  Nothing a hammer and some nails can't fix.

I have now measured all the lengths and we are ready to do some cutting.... remember if working with salvaged wood be careful of any nails, and always measure twice cut once.  I think we have the perfect amount with not much to spare.  I will add some pictures once the cutting is done!

Shopping FAIL

Yesterday I headed out to Lowe's for some things for the garden.  I had an entire list of stuff, from compost (since my compost pile is not up and running yet), seeds, boards (the rest of the ones I could not salvage), among a few other odds and ends.  First of all I got to the store, and it was so crowded, I could not believe it.  It was as if the ant hill had been disturbed and the ants were in evacuation mode.  There were people everywhere.  Carts were blocking the aisle, people running into each other.  Flowers everywhere.  I took the long way around the perimeter of the garden center to find the compost.  Then I realized that I would not be able to get all that I needed since I was toting Lincoln in the buggy with me, and I forgot my coupon.  So I decided to skip that.  Same for the weed barrier fabric, which they did not have the size I wanted anyway.  As I worked my way through the store and down the shopping list, each item was either not what I wanted or otherwise wrong.  I did end up picking up a few seed packages while I was there.  I hope for a better shopping trip in a few days!  My plan is to have the square foot gardens in place this weekend!!!
I am going to swing by the construction site one more time, and hit the local Habitat Restore to see if they have some lumber for my project!