Summer Sewing Fun!

We've decided to offer some 

project oriented sewing classes this summer 

for ages 8 to 18 (or so) for all skill levels! So fun!!

In these classes the student will learn: 

sewing machine basics: threading the machine, wind the bobbin, etc...

proper ironing and fabric cutting techniques

how to read a pattern and work with patterns

Classes are taught with 4 students per 2 experienced teachers

Sessions are available in a 2 1/2 hr. per day class for a 

Monday through Friday period from 9 to 11:30 or 1 to 3:30. 

Each session is $35.

Projects available for this summer are: drawstring backpack, PJ bottoms, simple skirt, shorts, tote bag, apron, & roll up towel with pockets & straps for pool/beach use.

A list of supplies needed will be emailed to you upon registering. 

Sewing machines are provided for use.

Call now to reserve your spot!

Quick Peek in the Garden

All the little plants are finally ready to be transplanted into the garden beds, so a few days ago I did that with my 13 year old son's help. The little terra-cotta pots that I like to start the peppers and tomatoes in sometimes need a little help with a couple of taps of a rubber mallet on the bottom to get the plant to come loose, but Rylan caught on pretty quick and in no time, we had all the peppers and tomatoes transplanted! The picture above is of the pepper bed. The plants all seem to be doing just fine, even though we have had some cooler weather that they usually like. Last year, I had some trouble with the leaves turning yellow shortly after transplanting, and I was reading that that is usually caused by not enough calcium in the soil. However, these haven't had that problem, thankfully, and they are in a different spot, so hopefully that's why.

This lovely little artichoke plant (shown above), which isn't so little, was actually planted last spring, and I thought that it died. Apparently, it was waiting for the season to come around again, and decided to start growing! I learned that hard way that artichokes do need a LOT of space as they get really big, sometimes needing about 4 feet across to spread themselves.

The lavender is looking very lovely, and the hummingbirds that live in our yard are really loving it. Every night at around 5pm, some hummingbirds come for a taste and a sip of the fountain. 

The peach tree blossoms are my favorite this year!

The calendula is loving the weather, and really putting out a lot of blossoms. I am experimenting with a calendula salve for the shop, so as I get that going I will put the tutorial on. Above are shown some calendula blossoms which were snipped right off the plant just under the blossom itself, first thing in the morning, to allow for all the medicinal properties to be at their best. Without rinsing the blossoms, they are put into a dehydrator to dry. It only takes a few hours, half a day at most, and they are dry enough to remove the petals from the head, and put into a jar. I usually get about 1/2 cup of dried petals from 1 tray of blossoms. Then if you pour about 1 cup of grapeseed oil, which contains vitamin E, which is really good for the skin, over the dried petals, cap it, and store on a darkened shelf for about 2 weeks, it will be ready for straining off to get some quality calendula infused grapeseed oil, ready for a wonderful salve. Really easy to do. The calendulas (or pot marigolds) that I currently have, I planted from seed last spring and they continue to thrive in the garden. 

I am having a terrible time with the birds right now. They must be starving because every little seed I stick out in the garden gets gobbled up as soon as it pokes it's little head from the ground. So I began covering the area with chicken wire in hopes that that will deter most of the birds. So far, it does seem to be working, and I do currently have cucumbers that have just germinated.

The asparagus is just starting to poke through the garden beds. Yay! Asparagus fest has officially begun. In this bottom picture you can actually see the asparagus roots that have extended themselves out from the beds and are growing atop the ground. I plan on covering them with soil later today, but I thought it an interesting picture of how long the roots actually grow, and they really don't extend down as much as out. Those roots only are a couple inches below the surface of the bed.

Well, happy gardening!

Past Goings Ons

2014! I can't believe it! I think the new YW/YM theme is going to allow everything to really focus right down to the heart of the matter, which is that we can ALL come unto Christ. I love that sentence. It embodies everything that I hope to be right there in three little words. So, here is a free downloadable in feminine and masculine styles to go along with the new year. Hope you like it!

The beginning of a new year and all that entails is always exciting to me. I haven't been blogging much lately simply because the last half of the year entailed a busy wedding of my daughter and her fiancé, plus Thanksgiving & the Christmas holidays, with all the business that goes along with it.  Here is a pic of the two of them...

Aren't they cute? I think so. My dad did the photography courtesy of Biltmore Photo. Now they are an old married couple of about 5 weeks. 

We've been working on getting the garden back in shape since the wedding/holidays, and it is almost there. I shall post some sad little photos later in the week. I do have some tomato seedlings started, but nothing to show for it yet.

Well, more later! 

Menu Board

Yay!! It's finally done...the long awaited menu board. Seriously though, I have been meaning to make one of these for months, and although it did take half an afternoon, totally worth it!! 

The vinyl was cut on my trusty Silhouette Cameo. Very easy to do, and also to apply to the chalkboard.

Now all I have to do is plan the menu!! 

Love it!!!

Summer Projects

Our youngest son really wanted his room updated to an older style. Since we moved in and decorated it when he was 4, the decor didn't really reflect an almost 13 year old boy's look. So, in the middle of June, which wasn't probably very smart, considering the hot temperatures, we began to take his room apart. This consisted of removing the old sports border (FUN), and repainting. We liked the look of old boards, so we purchased some pickets at our local hardware store, and began the long process of sanding and staining them. I calculated out that we would need about 40 boards for the one wall, and so we began with 10 to make it seem doable for Rylan (& for me, in the heat). I didn't realize how a 12 year old probably doesn't even know how to turn the sander on, so after we did some basic shop instruction, the boy did a great job sanding all the boards and then staining them. (His older brother also got some instruction and ended up helping as well, but he is not pictured here.)

We chose about 5 colors of stain, and below is how it started to look after the first day. The smell of stain was strong, but we loved it!!

Rylan wanted a more modern looking bed, and as he had a queen size, it did take up a lot of the room. We listed his bed on Craig's list to see what would happen. Sure enough, it sold. We kept his nightstand and I took one day to refinish that, although I don't have a picture of it on hand. We also refinished the desk, and that was done in a hurry, so I can't say it looks fabulous, but I can say it's done. Sometimes that is all that matters!! 

We purchased a new bed that was a full in a platform style, and then I had the boys help me put it together. 

From beginning to end, from removing the border and purchasing a new bed, the entire project took us about 3 weeks. I have to say, it was definitely worth it! Rylan loves it, and so do I. 

In a few days we will be visiting my sister, who has a little munchkin boy & a busy girlie. We are taking a little something for each of them, and so today my helpful hubby assisted me in making this little stacker. I love how it turned out! It is made from (bottom to top), ash, cherry, walnut, & teak woods, all hand finished with organic jojoba oil. It was a very easy project, taking about an hour from start to finish, & I know my sister will love it, too.

The garden is growing away, without much attention from me, since it is hot as you know what out there. However, this is a picture of the biggest tomato we have gotten off, yet! A whopper of a tomato, if you ask me, at 1 pound, 23 ounces! These yellow tomatoes are very tasty, and I find them a little less acidic that some of the other varieties. 

Happy gardening, & keep cool!

An Expensive RV Trip to the Lake, New Potatoes, and a Painting of My Dog!

This past week was a busy one, mostly because we planned a trip to Canyon Lake, which is just 45 minutes away from our house, with 2 other families. When we planned it, I just didn't really think that it could be Mother's Day weekend! Although, it didn't end up mattering much, as we did have a really fun time. The other 2 families both own RV's that they use basically every month. 

Once upon a time, about 8 years ago, we did own a very ghetto RV. I'm not sure if I can find the pic of it, but it was a 1987, over the cab type, and not in terrific shape. Every time we took it out, we ended up dumping about $1000 into it. The very last time we used it, the brakes seized up and we had to have it towed. Derek was so frustrated with it, he offered the tow truck driver it for $100. Even the tow truck driver turned him down. We ended up donating it. It was a piece of junk! If you've watched Duck Dynasty at all, there's an episode where they put a junk trailer up in the air to turn it into a duck blind. This was just that junky, but it was an RV, not a trailer! 

So, Derek rented an RV, since we will probably never own one again. I am not sad about it, as we would really struggle to find the time to use it enough to make it worth the expense and trouble. The RV he rented was very nice. The kids were super excited. We packed it up and took off a couple hours before everyone else, looking forward to arriving before everyone and getting out on the lake.

That's not what happened....  A few miles away from our house, an inner tire lost it's tread, and we ended up having to wait for a truck to come change the tire. Derek had declined to buy the tire insurance at an extra $45/day, so it cost us a piddly $800 to get the tire replaced. What a fabulous start to the weekend. I have to say, the mood was definitely not as excited as we finally arrived at our destination.

Be that as it may, we had an amazing time. I did manage to wakeboard for a few yards, but I was pretty tired and decided I just didn't feel like it. We plan to go back tonite, to buff out a scratch, so maybe I can go again. My soreness has about worn off by now. 

Mother's day was great. My Haylee finally finished my painting of Cooper!!! I have to say, she even captured his very bad haircut! I love the way it really looks so much like him. I just need to make it a frame! 

And last but not least, the garden is moving along. Below is a pic of the first baby red potatoes to be harvested. They were probably dug up a little early, but as I haven't really every harvested any before, I just needed to see if there was anything happening under there! And there was! I plan to use these up this week. They won't last long! 

I have them in a grow bag, purchased at Gardeners.com. They actually grow quite well in it. The site has wonderful instructions as to how to grow any kind of potatoes in it. It's great. I would recommend using a grow bag for sure. 

May "Come, Follow Me" YW Curriculum

For our first May YW lesson, in the "Come, Follow Me" curriculum, Prophets and Revelation, (which was yesterday, by the way), I gave the lesson on "How do I receive personal revelation?" I debated a lot about which one to give, and this one really just was the one. I did show the 2 videos that go with the lesson, and we talked about how the Holy Ghost communicates with us, in very simplistic terms. I gave them this card above, (the information on it, comes directly from the Preach My Gospel manual) to keep for their own information. We talked about how we don't need to be perfect to receive inspiration for ourselves, only worthy. We also talked about how our Heavenly Father loves us so much, and He wants to teach us things and tell us others, but in our world of technology, we often have filled up every quiet spot during the day in which he might be able to do this. And then I challenged them to a digital fast. I did find this card (below), already done, at A Little Crafting. She did a super great job, so I just borrowed it from her. 

If you want the card above, just right mouse click on it and "save as" to your computer. If you want the one below, go to her site listed above.