7.06.2014

around here (and Blog Swap update)




last weekend I celebrated a friend's birthday with her by joining a large gathering of her friends who were breaking in her new porch (LOOK at that porch!) for the occasion.  kids running around happily, mint juleps on the wide, wide porch, good conversation.  cupcakes.  good times.



there has been music at the lake on Thursday nights, bike rides, mosquito bites, fireworks watched with friends.  we've been tending the garden, eating plenty of greens and raspberries and waiting for the garlic to cure, the tomatoes to ripen, and the green beans to grow.  I am realizing that my decision to plant more squash this year since it somehow didn't do well last year will end with us eating summer squash for breakfast, lunch and dinner for weeks.  starting very very soon, going by the number of teeny little baby squashes bursting from each of the (8? 9?) plants out there.  I know all about this squash madness, the we're-overrun-with-zucchini  craziness that comes mid summer.... but somehow glazed over it when planting.  ah well.  need some summer squash?  I'm your girl.  or I will be soon, anyway.


I'm also working on a sweet little kitchen rug woven out of old t-shirts.  it's so easy and quick and satisfying.  I highly recommend holding on to your old t-shirts so you can make one, too- if you like that kinda thing.

also, flowers.  bee balm, queen anne's lace, dill, day lilies, cow vetch (below), cone flower, daisies, black-eyed susans, zinnias, sunflowers, oh my.  flowers everywhere!  LOVE this time of year, when the garden is nearing it's peak and the flowers are popping open everywhere I look.  ah, summer.


BLOG SWAP UPDATE: 22 folks have signed up so far (there are still a few of you who haven't gotten me your email and physical addresses yet, I'll need those to add you to the list!) from the U.S., and 4 from Canada.  I will leave it 'open' for the week and then contact everyone with who their swap recipient will be by this coming weekend.  We'll shoot for having the packages sent out no later than 4 weeks after I send that info out, so end of first/beginning of second week of August-ish.  feel free to spread the word to try to get more people on board- I'll follow up again later in the week~

18 comments:

  1. I love the rug, made out of old T shirts, adorable! Good luck with the swap.

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  2. Lovely pics - the rug is really cool. I tried a braided rag rug several years ago. Are you making it on the back of a chair?

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    1. oh these are sooooo much faster than a braided rug, for sure. in this photo it is a little less than halfway done, and I finished it in a day. I was using an old picture frame (without the glass, obviously) as a loom. I have lots of fabric saved to 'someday' try a braided rug. we'll see.

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  3. We are coming to the end of the squash invasion and now have moved on to tomatoes and peppers, busy times!

    I would love to make a rag rug, it looks like fun, can you share a few tips to get started?

    Oh and I didn't email you my address, do you still have it from last time ?

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    1. our tomatoes and peppers are in the unripe baby stage still. it's amazing the difference a few hundred miles and a couple thousand feet in elevation can make in gardening!

      good idea~ I will make another one soon and post photos of a 'how to' of sorts when I make it. definitely super easy. I finished this one in a day.

      I've still got your address, thanks!
      xo

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  4. Love that rag rug! Will share the swap on my blog this week :)

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  5. love the rug!!!! (nice blog swap item.)
    and love the porch and garden.
    I really was meant to live back east.

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    1. not a bad idea........ maybe my recipient will get a rag rug! I bet shipping it would be a bit much, but maybe not too bad.

      thanks~ oh her porch is amazing. her birthday party was very southern (which is funny because she's from Boston and lots of us down here are total yankees), complete with mint juleps on the porch, ladies in wide floppy hats, pimento cheese spread, etc. good times.

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  6. love porches and wish I had one that was very large! no squash invasion here but I wouldn't mind one (I did not plant squash).

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    1. oh her porch is just so incredible...... the party was entirely on the porch!

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  7. i LOVE that rug! what a great idea. did you know that you can make a fabulous relish with zucchini? it has onions, red and orange bell peppers, zucchini, and... let's see.. black pepper, turmeric, sugar, vinegar.... and i can't think of any of the other ingredients now... but you water bath it... uses quite a bit of zucchini... my kids LOVE it. we mostly eat it on sandwiches and cheese burgers :)

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    1. thanks, Jenny! ooooh... that sounds like an excellent way to use up lots of zucchini. I'll try it!

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  8. Amanda I would love to play along again. I'm 11 days out from my due date but thankfully have a jump start on a few projects that would be perfect for swapping.

    On another note, if you find yourself with too many squash you could always pick the big yellow flower before it starts to turn to squash. There are some great recipes for squash blossoms out there and it breaks things up a bit.

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    1. great, Heather! you're on the list~ I hope the coming few weeks go very smoothly for you and that you're surrounded by tons of love and good food and support!

      a guy I used to work with on a farm a loooooong time ago made fried squash blossoms. I remember them being very delicious. might be time to try them again ;)

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  9. Did you make that loom yourself? It looks like a frame that's been strung. Your little one is beautiful. What a sweetheart.

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    1. that's exactly right- a frame with old t-shirt strips!
      thank you~

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thanks for taking the time to read and comment~