April 27, 28, 29 & 30

April 27- Sketches

I reached the end of a sketchbook- and so of course I had to look at all my old sketchbooks that I've filled over the years as I was putting it away. :)

April 28- Marsh Marigolds

Marsh Marigolds- in our swamp.

April 29- Fishtail

 Wore my hair in a fishtail/herringbone braid.

April 30- Blossom

I think this is a maple tree blossom.

Feed Your Grass & Garden with Coffee Grounds!

I'm a coffee lover & gardener.

I have a love for both that transcends time and Apple products.  I'm a slave to both...a happy, caffeinated slave.

                            

I feel like I just stumbled upon the holy grail!  I learned something new (to me) that blends two of my greatest joys in this world into one big, fat benefit! 

 

Coffee is a gardener's dream...

and a composter's best friend!

What makes coffee grounds so dreamy as a soil amendment is the amount of nutrients they contain and how they're absorbed.  In a study done on Starbucks coffee grounds, it was found that the grounds contained 2.28 % nitrogen, 0.06 % phosphorous and 0.6% potassium.  Magnesium and copper were also found in trace amounts.  Over time, the grounds act as a slow release fertilizer with some of the nutrients available immediately and some available over a period of time.  

Coffee grounds can be directly dug in around acid loving plants and for non acid loving plants...compost coffee grounds first, then dig in.

Coffee grounds make excellent lawn fertilizer!  Just rake it in every month or two.

They're also a natural slug repellent and they attract earth worms who love to eat them.  This leads to worm castings which is an incredible soil amendment!  To think I've been dumping my grounds in the trash all this time?!

On an olfactory note, fertilizing with coffee makes for a pleasant smelling yard, much more so than manure.

Yet another plus?  Cats don't like the smell of coffee...so if you have a cat that's using your beds as a litter box, scatter coffee grounds!

A wise gardener once told me that he never feeds his plants, he feeds his soil which in turn feed the plants.

This is the reward of composting, food for your soil.  

In addition to the great results your garden receives there's also great satisfaction in returning a portion of our garbage back into the earth. 

Where can you find more coffee grounds for all your  fertilizing and composting needs?  

Your local Starbucks bags their grounds and are happy to give them away FREE, just ask them.  Most local coffee shops are willing to save grounds too, although you may have to provide a bin for them to use.  Those of you who have coffee makers in the office, train your friends to save the grounds for you...this is an excellent trend, one less bag of garbage makes a difference!

Just do it!  You will thank yourself in the long run.  Not only does it do good things for your garden but it smells great too!

Rebecca

April 24, 25 & 26

April 24- Green

The leaves are finally starting to come out.

April 25- Judah

"Smile," you tell Judah, and he points to his cheeks to show that he's smiling. :D

April 26- Foam

It was so windy on Wednesday that a bunch of foam blew off the lake & dried on the grass.

Zen & the Art of Sewing

Just a tiny confession before I jump into this post, I haven't sewn anything in a very long time if you don't count patching my son inlaw's pants.

I don't pretend, profess or deserve the title of seamstress, crafter or quilter.

But, despite my confession, I used to know my way around a sewing machine. I love fabric, color and texture and, once upon a time, before divorce, single momhood, and living half my life like a frightened nitwit...

I was...a darn good seamstress.

I call this zen, with a western twist.

Life happens, so they say.  There's a time and a season, I've heard.  But sometimes, one must kick ones self in the kiester and make things happen.  For a very long time, I've rationalized, excused and justified not sitting and being still at my machine, I'm really not sure why.  It might be the sitting part, it's difficult to be still.  But today I "needed" to and I'm happy to say, I did!

I kicked my butt into our little quilting shop in town and I carefully selected just the right fabric for my project (love this part).  I listened to two cheery women talk about road trippin with their GPS, stopping at quilts shops across the west.  Very hip ladies with quilt addictions and technology.  Cool.  I felt peaceful and a sense of belonging with fabrics at my touch and happy creators in my space.   Aren't girlfriends just the best??

That lovely peace and contentment stayed with me as I bumbled through my long over due reunion with my Bernina.  However, you're going to have to bear with me through this tutorial, as it's a little rough.  Someone put their wine glass in almost every picture...

Wait a minute...I have a better idea!

It just so happens that Megan of Brassy Apple has a pretty tutorial that I followed, and no one rudely set their glass down in it either :)  Here we go!

Measure your camera strap and determine how much fabric you will need.  A conventional strap is 22" long and 1.5" wide.

You can get fancy and use different fabrics together or keep it simple...like moi, and use just one.

Cut a piece of fusible fleece for extra padding for the strap, or just use an extra piece of fabric like I did to add more body.  Keeping it simple!

You can run a stitch down the length of the strap for a quilted look, or not.  I did this because I like the look!

Fold the ends over and sew to secure, this will finish the ends of your strap.

Now, with right sides together, sew down the length of the fabric then turn right side out.

That's it!  You now have your gorgeous, custom camera strap.  Now isn't it nice to cover up that boring black one you've been wearing?

  

Ahhh...finally, I feel at one with the world.

Rebecca

Daybook 4

Outside my window- Sunshine, a few fluffy clouds, and it's pretty warm out.

I am thinking about- Maybe I can finally put my heater away for the summer... Maybe. :)

From the kitchen- Just finished up lunch.

I am creating- I confess, I haven't been very creative lately...

I am reading- "These Old Shades" by Georgette Heyer. I'm not sure what I think of it yet.

I am hearing- The four-wheeler, lunch cleanup, Mollie & Elinor playing together, etc.

I am planning- I'm going over to Grandma's this afternoon to do some cleaning.

I am wearing- A black t-shirt, jean capris and pink flip-flops.

My hair is- In a bun.

Around the house- My brother & sister-in-law & their two kids came over for lunch.

Can Vinegar Really Kill Weeds?

I'm sure many of you have seen "pins" on Pinterest singing the praises of simple vinegar and it's use as a weed killer.  Really?  I had to check this out for myself.

The saga began in March.  I tried distilled white vinegar and went on a weed hunt.  A month later those same weeds are "yellowish" but still alive.  I was less than impressed.




April rolls around and here comes a new weed killer recipe, three ingredients this time:  apple cider vinegar, table salt and dish soap (not Dawn).  The original pinner stated that apple cider had a higher acid content.  I perused the market shelves the other day and found that no matter white or apple cider, they both had a 5 % acid content.  But, I bought a quart of ACV for $1.09 anyway, I just couldn't let go of the dream!

After I put away the groceries, I Googled this whole conundrum and actually learned some interesting things!  Namely, vinegar can work.  Also, adding a bit of soap helps the vinegar stick to the dastardly foliage.  And, to be most effective, the mix should be sprayed in the middle of a warm or hot, calm day.  The heat of the sun is an important factor and I have proof for you!

First, I need to give you a little history of my struggle with an invasive perennial called Lady Bell without this becoming a novel.

Campanula:  Lady Bell (*@%^!)

This perennial is so invasive that it's not sold anymore in nurseries.  I think my specimen hitched a ride with host a plant I bought 3 yrs ago.  I garden organically but I've had to resort to some nasty stuff to try to eradicate this beast.  Roundup 2 years ago...nothing.  This nasty stuff last summer.  

This chemical is so nasty, I used a small artist's brush to paint the chemical on the leaves...I was that afraid of it.  Look at the bottle closely, I paid almost $20 for it too...crazy!  And...nothing, zero, zip!  Lady (@&^%$) Bell laughed in it's hot chemical face.  Ugh...so I resorted to pulling it out like a mad person...well you know how that ended.


Okay, history explained, now you know what I've been up against for the last 3 years.


This is the formula I used today for my murderous pl0t:


4 C. Apple Cider Vinegar
1 t. Dish Soap (not Dawn)
Mixed in a spray bottle.  Add soap, then vinegar.  Don't shake (BUBBLES)


It all seems so gentle and harmless but remember, vinegar is acidic and not selective when sprayed on plants.


Lady Bell, three hours after a vinegar shower on a calm, 75 degree day in Wyoming.

I carefully sprayed under the Euphorbia that LB has been trying to engulf for 2 years.  The Euphorbia looks fine.

I then went after Oxalis, it's a nightmare too but, not as monsterous as LB.

Frying up nicely in the afternoon sun...

Oh Hail Yeah!

Even though I'm extremely happy with my results...I remain a bit skeptical because I know what I've been up against.  I will continue to keep a vigil over this quarantined area and share my long term results but, if I were you, I wouldn't hesitate one nano second to try this in your own garden.  Heck, for a dollar you can spew vinegar and reclaim your yard.  You won't have to wear a face mask, wash your hands or murmur apologies to the worms, bees and butterflies for using harmful chemicals.  

People, this is a break through if vinegar truly works long term.  If it works for you, shout it from your decks!  I'm sick and tired of being conned into using chemicals in our gardens and near our food sources.  SICK of IT!  


Vinegar and soap may not be the perfect eradicator but neither is a product like RoundUp which costs at least 10 times what vinegar does AND it's harmful.

 Give vinegar a shot, it's a win/win move!

Please, please let me know how it works for you in your slice of paradise.  I hope and pray we've found a viable answer to reducing our invasive foes without polluting our soil and harming the flora and fauna that we need so dearly.

Happy Gardening!

Rebecca

April 21, 22 & 23

April 21- Fate

Yup. I play "Fate" every now and then. :)

April 22- Earrings

Amanda bought me a pair of owl earrings in AL. 

Morgan gave me a strange look, and said "Owls?" in a dubious sort of voice, but I like 'em. :) 

April 23- Fox Kit

I've been haunting our woods ever since I saw a fox and four or five kits a few days ago- when I didn't have my camera, of course! -& finally today I saw one again.

.98 cent Cement Blocks for Your Solar Patio Lights - Winning!

It's official, I love concrete blocks.

I love their price, their versatility, their blockiness and even the neutral gray color.  They're the perfect weight, hefty enough to stay put, light enough to handle.  Love em!

When I first saw these gems at Home Depot, both flowers and solar lights popped into my head.  I know, sometimes I wonder about my thought process too.  I went with flowers first, of course.  Loved the look!  Perfect for steps, holds in heat for my heat loving herbs and like I mentioned above, these buggers have so much versatility!  

The solar light bases are so easy to put together, it's literally a 5 min project.

On my second trip back to Home Depot, I found these, they're called half blocks which I like better for a project like this because they're narrow and won't need as much fill.  Same great price too!

Shopping List:  Blocks and a bag of pea pebbles @ $2.50 a bag.  I filled four blocks and had almost a half bag of pebbles leftover for another project  (DIY creek).

Place your blocks where you want them, fill halfway with pebbles, set your lights.  When your lights are straight and level, fill in completely.  I like to water in the pebbles to wash them off and set them.  That's it!  5 minute tops.

Another reason why I love these?  The dang dogs can't knock them over now!

Have fun with this project! 

Lighting the way in Wyoming....

Rebecca