Finding the time

I struggle in the summer to find the time to scrapbook, our garden and yard take up so much time along with canning, freezing and my newest addition that will be in any day now a dehydrator. We have had over 3 inches of rain again this week which means I get to mow the lawn 2 times a week instead of once, and of course the weeds in the garden go crazy with that much rain so weeding is an everyday event. Add to that my time with Tyler 2 days a week, one day a week for errands and such, and of course Sunday is family day and dinner, it doesn't leave much time to be in the scraproom.

I recived a new shipment from CTMH last week that I haven't had a minuite to play with :(, I have my fingers crossed that maybe I can get back to a layout that is just waiting for photo's today but I don't have my hopes set to high.

My to do list is a mile long so today I will just share with you a photo from our ride over the holiday on the Harley. We are working on visiting country stores in North Carolina this year before they are gone, we are using a GREAT book written by a local author Mike Lassiter from Davidson NC, "Our Vanishing Americana". I ran into this book at our own country store which happens to be featured on the front cover "Davis General Store", the owner Silas Davis is a hoot, he is a walking talking encyclopedia of how to's in the garden and around the house, a trip to his store can eat up hours of time digging around for what you want and getting tips on the latest garden or yard problem. Bob and I started shopping at his store when we first moved to NC 19 years ago and are so happy to see his business has picked up over the past few years with the release of the book. We were able to squeeze in lots of miles on the bike and visit 3 general stores along with Murry's Grain Mill I hope I can have the time to scrapbook our little trip someday!! Wish me luck in getting a layout done this week!!

Recipe Box Finished

I finally found a few minutes to get the recipe cards and dividers finished. Now comes the hard work of filling out the recipe cards, ugh! I may take the time and do our favorites on a word document so I can just print them on the PC. I give new Brides a recipe scrapbook along with a gift card to a kitchen store for a shower gift. I send out the pages to family and friends to fill out then compile them all in a binder scrapbook, takes lots of time and money. I plan on switching over to these cute and easy to make recipe boxes, we have 3 Bridal showers coming up this summer. I need to have a rainy day so I can get busy on them. Very short post today, Tyler is with me, the house is a mess after the long holiday weekend, and the garden is in desperate need of weeding, sure could use a snow day.

Square Foot Garden

We are headed to the parkway this morning on the Harley's and will hit a few country stores and general stores on the way, if you haven't been in one of the old stores in a while you really should check them out. I have had my eye on a apple corer/peeler tool for a year at the Williams Sanoma store, it runs around $40.00, we have 3 apple trees in the yard but they put out just enough apples to feed the squirrels and birds, Bob got lucky last year and harvested 2 apples!! We live close enough to some great apple orchards that have pick your own area's that I want to try out this year, we love apple butter, apple pies, sliced apples the works so I was thinking the apple tool would be a good investment (love kitchen tools as much as scrapbooking tools). So here is the deal I made a trip to a general store Monday looking for some asparagus plants and low and behold there was the exact same apple tool William Sanoma had for only $22.95, hot diggity dog I scored big!! Not only did I pick up the apple tool I also picked up some great tips and information from the owners on finding asparagus starters.

Pictured here are our square foot gardens, we have added 2 this year to see how it will work, they have been in for 2 weeks now and are growing like weeds, everything looks incredibly healthy except the corn, I have my fingers crossed that the whole square foot garden thing will work, weeding the traditional garden is a pain in the butt.

The roses in the photo are from my Grandmothers yard in Indiana, my Aunt knew how to propagate plants and trees so she had a little of everything from the homestead that she shared with me over the years, we are talking eons ago, I know the original rose bush is much older than I am, so along with everything else this year I want to learn how to graft a plant from this rose for our 2 daughters that bought homes this year, I would love to pass Mamaws roses along. I have a CTMH order due in today so maybe just maybe I can get in the scraproom tonight and play a little I have missed the room so much this spring!!

Real Cherry O

As I was running around trying to get all the weekly errands finished so I could get back home for housework, garden and yard work I ran into a super deal on sweet cherries. They run $6.99 a pound here but the sale had them down to $2.00 a pound, well I loaded up on 20 pounds of them thinking that would be a nice little job for the afternoon then I could get back to my to do list. Needless to say I bite off more than I could chew, I did get the cherries canned but only got around to mowing the front yard. Today I am working double time trying to get everything from yesterdays list done, Bob will be in for the long weekend and we have guests coming is as well this afternoon, the weekend is jambed packed full of holiday stuff to do and I have Tyler for the day. Tyler is wound up tighter than a spring knowing Papaw is on his way home so it is a very challenging day. I need to be showered, dressed and ready to enjoy Bike Night for supper out at the track by 6:00, then we will head to the Blue Ridge Parkway for a day of riding on Friday. I need to learn to pass up sales no matter how good they are!! But you must admit my cherries look pretty good and will be dynamite in breads, cobblers and pies this winter. I really could use an additional 20 pounds of cherries to have enough to last all winter but I will have to see how the long weekend goes, I am not ready to take on another marathon canning right now.

Today

WooHoo, my Hydrangea bush's are doing great this year, the blooms are huge so I should be able to refresh all of the arrangements around the house that are looking pretty dusty.

I was able to finish the nursery art for Kelli yesterday so I am officially done with my part of the nursery. Tyler took a good long nap which gave me time to do a little housework, finish the pictures, and start the "Splendor" workshops on the go, it is such a cute kit, can't wait to find the right pictures to use on the layouts today. I have a ton of yard work to do today and of course the garden is always on the list along with a few errands.

I am very close to hitting the buy button on a dehydrator but haven't taken the plunge yet, I really don't mind canning and I get pumped when I see all the cans lined up on the shelves but they take up so much space that I have been thinking a dehydrator might be a good option to help with storage and prepackaging my own soups and mixes has a real appeal to me, I can't eat most of the prepackaged side dishes and meals at the grocery store, the food additives do a number on me and the rest of the family don't need all the extras that none of us can even pronounce in the package soooo I am gonna kick the idea around for a few more days. I wish they weren't so darn big, I hate trying to store all the big appliances that only get used a few times a year. Off to the garden now, I will post some layouts from the "Splendor" workshop tomorrow

"Cherry" O Recipe Box

Finally found a few minutes to post photo's of the recipe box, however the recipe cards did not come in on Monday's shipment so I will have to share that with you later. This was a fast easy and inexpensive project that would make a great gift. I used 2 pieces of pattern paper from the "Cherry O" line, a leftover button from the "Cherry O" wotg, the stamping on the front is also from the wotg stamp set. What a deal, you can get a lot of bang for your buck with the wotg kits. I inked all of the edges of the box in tulip before adhering the paper, I gave the box a couple of days to set then finished it off with 2 coats of Mod Podge. I am a super messy cook, and we are true southerners so lots of frying goes on in the kitchen, I wanted to give the box a nice layer of protection from the kitchen elements.

We had our new mattress and box springs delivered this morning, YAAAA it has been 14 years since Bob and I had a new mattress, that seems a little gross but it was in perfect shape when they took it out other than the deep wells we had worn in it over the years, even with turning and flipping we were both stiff each morning, we definitely got our money out of the old mattress.

Also installed 2 new stainless steel shelving units in the laundry room yesterday, I HATE building!!! I loaded both of them up with canning supplies, cast iron and more Williams Sonoma baking dishes than anyone should have. I now have lots more room in the pantry and a full 5' x 5 shelving unit in the laundry room to hold all the caning jars I am working on this summer.

Working on Kelli's art for the nursery, have my fingers crossed I can get it finished today, her book case should also be in today so the babies room will FINALLY be done!!! One baby down one more to go, Heather and Shannon will move in their new house the second week of June so I am sure she will keep me busy nesting before the baby comes along.

Short Post

I promised an altered project to be posted today and I will do that as soon as the sun comes out and I can get a good photo to post, we are having a cloudy overcast morning so for now I will entertain you with a few picture of my other creations from the garden!! We have more lettuce than we can use so I have been cutting and bagging that to give to friends this morning, also bringing in broccoli to put up in the freezer and the 2 square foot gardens we put in last week are both doing great, only took 3 days for the little sprouts to come in, WOO HOO, we now have our fingers crossed that they will really give use vegetables and not just cute little sprouts. I am off today to the garden center to pick up and additional raspberry bush and a few more tomato plants and who knows what else, then on to the grocery store to stock up on tenderloins that are on sale. Gotta make sweet with the butcher so he will cut it all up for me then I will only have to use my food saver to package and get it in the freezer, we are down to our last package of steaks so the sale came at a perfect time. Last but not least another grocery store is running triple coupons today, just typing the words triple coupons has my heart beating faster. I will post the so very cute scrapbooking project a little later today, need to hit the road and get the errands finished before the rain comes in.