Oh! How I have neglected you.

I can't believe it has been almost 2 months since my last post. Lots of stuff happening here on the North Coast. Started classes this fall and have been inundated with trying to balance that with being creative and trying to keep the house up. Add to that, I have been taking my wee tot to preschool 3 days a week and, needless to say, I'm failing miserably on all fronts except school and the wee tot. At least I have my priorities straight(although I want to create more than take classes so it's a struggle)

But I have been creating in my random free moments. Here is a photo update of some new pieces soon to be listed in my Etsy shop.

Mini elves are all the rage this year. And their tiny size makes them ultra fun to make.

The Eskimo are so darn cute. I'm obsessed with them (they may be my new favorites:o)

My first Angel boy. The tiny size makes them so cute but the girl's hair makes it hard to see her little halo.

The autism puzzle piece wreath is back this year with some new styles. This one is inspired a bit by the Grinch. A portion of the price of these wreaths go to an Autism Charity. This year I am supporting a Cleveland center, The Monarch Center for Autism.

Paper clay cuties.

I also have a slew of started projects that I wanted to photograph but have had some problems with them since they are bright white. (Motivation for another post, sooner than the last time :o)

Hope you have been having a fabulous fall! Here's to a great Halloween!

Made in the USA or Why I Buy Vintage.

My 'new' butter dish

I won't get all political but it seems to me that lately the US corporations and politicians don't care much about what happens to our economy. That said, I realized that you can't buy a damn thing in the states that is actually made here and not imported. At least new products. I'm sure that's not completely true but, far and away, a product made in the States is the exception and not the rule. Is it any wonder why our economy is in the crapper?

So what is a girl to do?

Buy vintage of course! I don't need many things but every now and again I find I'm in need of something. Recently, I found I could really use a butter dish. It would have been so easy to hop into the car and drive up to Target or Bed Bath and Beyond but instead I perused ebay and etsy. And low and behold found a super cute butter dish from the late 60's early 70's in mint condition for (most likely) less than what I would have found at the local stores. The nicest things about it is that our money went directly to another American citizen for a well made in the USA, albeit vintage, product.

Doesn't always work, try finding a toaster, TV or computer made in the USA of US parts, but when it does it is a very good thing :o)

Are you a Good Witch or a Bad Witch?

Halloween is quickly approaching. I've already missed my opportunity to add Halloween or fall pieces to my shop but do need to make a costume for the small boy.

My son is obsessed with the Wizard of Oz and for the past few weeks he told me he wanted to be the Tin Man. Since he is 4 and rather fickle, I ask him about every third day as I ponder a plan for how to construct his costume. Today, when I do my 'verification of Halloween costume', he informs me he wants to be the scarecrow...... alrighty then, change of plan, now I start to develop a plan for the scarecrow.

In reality, I will devise a costume for both characters and wait until I have just enough time to finish them before I even start construction. He's allowed to be fickle, he's 4 (yes, I continue to remind myself of this fact as I write), but now I realize why the past couple of years I just broke down and bought his costume. Ah, the joy of motherhood! :o)

In the Garden - A Few Firsts.

First Chrysanthemum

First ears of popcorn setting

First tomato plant to produce ripe fruit

First peppers added to homemade chili (Marconi, Serrano and Gypsy peppers)

First Yellow swallowtail captured on our butterfly bush. She visits daily. We also have a black swallowtail, monarch and hummingbird that visit daily.

Sadly, the neighborhood deer took a couple bites out of the Cherokee purple tomato that I was watching out my kitchen window so I had to wrap everything up. They also ate all the tomatoes off my container tomato plant (grrrr, they were almost ripe) and knocked off all the peppers, didn't eat them just knocked them off.

Luckily, the grape tomatoes are very prolific, I've been making a tomato salad with balsamic dressing nearly daily. YUM!

The chrysanthemum plants are looking amazing this year. They are fuller than I can believe and just loaded with buds. So excited to see them start exploding with color!

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In the Garden - July Highlights

 July is a time for all the lilies and daylilies to bloom in my garden. I just love my daylilies. Unfortunately, so do the neighborhood deer. The Liquid Fence works to a certain extent but I found that I would have to be diligent with it, needing a weekly application to keep them away. Not only do I not have the time to be that diligent, I don't have the stomach. The pungent smell leaves a little something in the back of my throat and I can only handle a monthly application. Needless to say, I resorted to my fail proof netting. 

Finally, I figured out what type of lily made it in our move a couple years ago. Remember I had a lily bulb that made the move and transplant but last year the deer ate the buds before I could see which type it was? Well, it was the 'Black Beauty' lily like I had thought. I haven't uploaded my photos yet but will share it on my next garden post.

'Christmas Carol'

'Raspberry Pixie'

'Siloam Doodlebug'

The Japanese beetles found our hollyhocks so those have been decimated. Oh well, they were pretty while they lasted. It has given my husband a new hobby (killing Japanese beetles in soapy water every night). 

the phlox are only safe behind netting

A short variety of Monarda (bee balm)

Verbascum (that my little Bug picked out)

My little vegetable garden is starting to turn out tomatoes and strawberries. The strawberries were a little delayed due to the deers eating the first batch but I covered them in netting and they are producing fruit again. The popcorn is getting tall and I hope it will be pollinated so we get some ears. The peppers have been nibbled on by the deer but I think it may have been a mistake since they nibbled the Serrano peppers and I don't think they have a taste for hot peppers. I'm monitoring the situation but there are fruit forming so I am not too concerned. The carrots look good, at least from the top, I can't wait to try one in a few weeks. My tomatoes are going wild and I am so extremely excited. 

I LOVE homegrown tomatoes. 

Nothing compares to the taste of a homegrown, vine ripened, heirloom variety tomato. Sadly, my husband doesn't like tomatoes so I will be eating many, many tomatoes over the next few weeks. I know, poor me :o)

first grape tomatoes of the year. they were my breakfast and very yummy!

Cherokee Purple tomato (can't wait!)

more grape tomatoes. this plant is loaded with them. Yum!

Our very first ripe strawberry. according to the Bug it was very tasty.

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Where Did July Go?

The Bug helping me paint his room. He took the low road and I took the high road.

Now I know why I haven't done a Christmas in July celebration for my shop. This year was going to be the year and then reality set in.

Happy 4th: my patriotic boy

July is probably the busiest month of the year for us (well maybe next to December). It starts with the Fourth of July, then our wedding anniversary on the 9th, our peanut's birthday a few days after that and projects and gardens to be tended to all the while. Before I know it the month has passed.

My husband, the Bug, my niece and nephew at the beach on the Bug's birthday.

Full of P&V. He left with mommy shortly after.

There were so many things I wanted to do this month, like attend a reunion with fellow NRM Music alum. Some of the best folks I ever had the pleasure of working with but, unfortunately, after taking care of the obligations, I missed the weekend (it was this weekend and I had a hair appointment Saturday)
 

My niece Olivia's Hamster sculpture

My nephew, AJ's angry m&m (which his mother and I re-dubbed the 'killer tomato' since he decided not to paint the 'm' on it)

My niece Iris's painted pig.

I spent the last two weeks watching my nieces and nephew while my sister worked so Monday through Friday I was unplugged and madly trying to keep up with the house! The beginning of the first week we made paper clay sculptures and my nephew made a model car, we celebrated my Bug's birthday and later in the week, the younger two made wood puzzles while my older niece worked on a needlepoint project.  The girls spent much of both weeks learning to sew. Just the basic whip stitch and blanket stitch but they got very good at it over the time they were at my house. We watched many movies because of the heat wave, would have liked to take them to more places but my car doesn't have AC right now and I don't tolerate the heat well. Can I just say, I am so happy we only have one little boy in the house. Always wanted a houseful but after the past couple of weeks I decided that God always knows best :o)

I also managed to register for classes, register the Bug for preschool, get outgrown clothes ready for a yard sale and list a bunch of new ornaments in my etsy shop.  All in all a very productive, albeit exhausting, month.

Up next: a Garden update.

Aj's skelton puzzle

Olivia's butterfly puzzle

Iris and her pig. Really Aunt Kelly? you have to take my picture? Yep! That's what I do :o)

Yes, our home is a pretty fun place much of the time

Bug creating a masterpiece