Redoing the Flower Garden

I Want Flowers!

I pulled all the rock out a five years ago, and mulched but the Chickens kicked out all of it in about 2 years.  

So after 2 kids, a few years lots of thought and some planning The Green Thumb  and I pulled out 3 bushes, a dozen Iris' (which I will replant elsewhere) I weeded, layed railroad ties as a border along with landscape fabric.  

Now I need some flowering plants, shrubs, a climbing plant for my topiary and flowers for my window box.

I also need to finish pulling out the left over rock on this end of the flower garden, fix the siding and figure out a new way to drain the water from that area.

I also was given the FABULOUS hanging planters, which hang from the porch.  These kicked off my summer project list!  Thank God because I needed the motivation.

Stop and Smell the...

Alyssum

I had a late start day today so Nana, Leo, Lulu and me went to Greener Tomorrows looking at all the blooms.  Which of course made me want to start trying to start growing flowers again.  The kids loved the smell of the Alyssum best, but they did smell any flower they could reach... even the ones that "don't smell."

Old vs. New

Old deck

New deck

New lattice with screen under the deck to keep the critters & leaves out

New closet

Treated wood

New screened porch with rails down the back steps!
Inside the screened porch

So far we love it, love it, love it! A nice weekend means we should be staining the deck?!

Under Construction

New Baby Doll & Doll Swag

Silly Girl

Stacking Rings

Under Construction

A Closet Someday
A Screened Porch 20 Weeks "A Mother's Point of View"

Somebody Loves Mommy's Winni-The-Pooh

7" Shitake

The Wet Season = Lots of Mushrooms

Lovin' It!

New Carpet is Awesome

I tried to fit the pictures together so you can get an overall peek at the new carpet, but still the light from the window messes up the photo in the middle. Anyhow, it's great to have nice clean carpet, and a place that I know Lulu can play without me worrying.

Kid Approved

A long week for us. Lulu is still crawling around backwards, and rolling to get where she wants to be but she's lovin' the new carpet also. Lulu's broke a tooth this week, her lower incisor. I am so glad that she wasn't fussy or in any pain! She's been a lot of fun lately chattin' up a storm and diggin' eating meals at the table with us.

Happy Me!

First, of all I passed my mid-term with and "A." Second, I got my living room back, which also means I got my dining room back! I performed a couple facials, manicures and brow waxes this week, and got a few facials and manicures too... they are amazing! Third, I have been getting BIG dramatic hugs from my little girl (see cookie hand print on my shoulder), I love it!

Relaxing

The Carpenter* has completed the carpet, and is taking a well deserved break after taking care of Lulu all day today while I was at school.

Still loving the horse!

Tickes, giggles and gurgles.

Almost Through Week 1

A Week In Pictures... sort of

The Carpenter* worked on laying out carpet on Monday while I was in school, and Lulu was in day care... this was a few pictures while we were getting prepared to roll it out.

The carpet is down but not taped yet... cutting around the hearth is taking longer than expected, then The Carpenter* went back to work and we're still waiting on a floor outlet that shipped last weekend. The goal is this weekend to get it down this weekend, move the furniture out of the dining room and the baseboards out of the hallways/kitchen.

Lulu & Harvey both like laying around on the floor.

She is so close to crawling!!! SO CLOSE!

And she does the cutest wave, not quite sure if she's picked it up at Daycare with all the kids waving good-bye and hello... or if she's just still pretty into her hands. This week she's pretty into her feet!!! More than before, now she like to put them in her mouth when I am changing her diapers. It's funny.

After an evening with avocado fed by Daddy* she passed out in his lap. Of course she woke up when I put her in her crib!



The walker is one of her favorite places to be next to the horse. I inadvertently put her toys and books (thanks Tiff!) on a shelf at her reaching level. She scoots right up to the shelf and grabs what she wants and plays with it for a bit then tosses it over the side, watches it and gets something new.

AND unfortunately she also found the garbage can this week! She decided she liked to tilt it toward her and see what is inside, then close the lid, then open the lid, then close the lid... etc. I had to clean it when I couldn't get her to leave it alone.

Thursday 6 am in morning... we're up and playing before we have to run off to contend with the day. She really loves being on the floor nothing is there but her toys and the dogs and us... so 100% play time with her parents must be exciting. This evening we were playing with her and she was up on her knees again and she scooted forward both knees at one time.

This week besides nearly crawling, waving, she also has been playing a lot with her tongue. Sticks it out, rolls it, points it and makes clicking noises. I was worried that she wasn't using consonants often and she doesn't often babble... but now it's more regular and I think I hear her screaming Ma when she's frustrated. She does say Mmmm a lot when she eats, and gugugu.

You Wouldn't Believe It...

Mr. DYI* and I FINALLY started the living room carpet project.

So here is all of the living room furniture in our dining room.

Big Empty Living Room - Tiny Girl

It's So Bright


The Big No Nap Tears

Special thanks to all for the crib & bumpers, sheets, quilt, etc... I never thought I would see the day that all is up and all the tools are ALMOST out of the baby's room! SO CLOSE! Now just to get the rest of the room clear and the closet clear so I can fit all her things into it!

I had to post pi cutes of the progress we've made (ok, I've done little to help... pulled nails, nursed the baby, fixed dinner, cleaned the house). Now we're waiting for a brass outlet to put into the floor so there is no more tripping over the massage chair cord. The carpet will be temporarily down until that comes in. Then it's on to the flooring... after Mr. DIY* finds the right gauge nails.

Old Closet - New Closet

And here it is our new "master bedroom walk in closet." Needs some trim, and still we have to build shelves inside but it's functional. We decided no door since if our bedroom door is closed the closet is open and if the bedroom door is open then you can't see into the closet so it works out great.

The old closet still is there on the right as you can see. It's our temporary 'baby space' equiped with a portable crib, sheets, blankets, and diaper changing stuff. We have started in the baby room... but only so many projects can be done at a time, and with baby not here yet The Lumberjack* is cutting firewood from the woods for this winter.

I was planting flowers today and thinking if I could make enough pottery to be in the Midsummer Celebration the town has on July 11th? Hmmm... also thinking of getting my studio re-set up so I can sell "Pottery-to-Go" kits. Just thinking.

Can't wait to meet baby... decided I can't go out anymore, can't stand to answer all the questions anymore. Tired... waiting.

Friday fun...

I reassembled the baby mobile and added Wendel the book worm to balance the Saturn and butterfly... I love it now.

We're having fun watching the Penelope singing "Here Coming Peter Cotton Tail"

Gerry & Pops have been working on a master bedroom closet... should be done tomorrow.

A fine Tuesday

The little Baby Shower gift turned out pretty darn cute!

The couple doesn't want to know what they are having. I've had a rough time finding neutral sexed baby items.

So opted for a simple gift:
Set of Socks (6-12 mos)
A JitteryPal Lion
A personal mug

I was going for the lion running in the tall grass with flowers (even though roses don't grow like that)?

But anyway you look at it... it's cute.


Ah and the best news ever, a sink is installed! Everything is up and running except the hook up to the drains, but that will be done before today is over.

The sink is almost bigger than the bathtub, but I love it. makes the toilet look dwarfed, but who needs to look at the toilet! Once the new flooring is down it won't overtower as much. And of course when the rest of the room is taped, spackeled and painted... it won't stand out so much.

Frog Relocation

I was dipping pottery in my (basement) studio when I heard Farm Boy* tell me there were a bunch little frogs in the sump pump. We're not sure how they got into the house but in any case... he was going to move them into the swamp. The next evening I went down to take a shower and there were 2 frogs with me! OK, I love wildlife probably more than the next guy... but not so much in my house. Immediately that evening 6 frogs were relocated, and next day 3 more were relocated into the swamp.

I have yet to posted anything about our home projects at the farm, but this is the bathroom....

It has been under construction since October 2007. As old farm houses built in the 1940's go it has one bathroom, so I feel very fortunate that we have a shower in the sauna (where the frogs were)! The new tub is cool, jets and all, but for everyday I like a shower. We have marble wall tiles and slate floors to install... they will be awesome and complementary to the HUGE sink we bought.

About the sink, it's perfect for the 2 of us. First of all I have to quote one of my best friends Jess after getting married herself, "Sharing is soooo hard!" This sink solves all our problems, seriously... ok, well really close. One of the reasons I don't really invite people over... you have to have long arms to reach the TP.

When it's a completed project it will be really awesome. then it's on to the closet, the floors, the office, etc...

Now it's time to say good-bye...
These are the final days for the Hen Who Crows. We've put up with the not so rooster craw she does, and have been feeding her for 2 years. I heard some old quote recently "The hen who crows lays no eggs." I thought it was a euphemism for something... maybe it is and I just don't get it, but for me it is what it is and it's she has not provided one little egg, and she is NOT a rooster.


The garden is doing wonderful, except those plants that just didn't want to grow this year... 'you know which you are (spinach and watermelon).' We've harvested a wonderful head of cabbage, which made it's way into my crockpot for a traditional cornbeef n' cabbage meal. It seems that will last us until Sunday at least!


The pipeline company was doing some low fly bys this morning, so I went out to see the plane and saw a fabulous and rather large deer, which reminds me of why I love it out here.


Note: *101 names for my husband (all very nice).