End of summer party!

It seemed oh so very appropriate to throw a big old end of summer garden party potluck!  I busted out my favorite seersucker skirt and fixins for gin and tonics... as well as our tee pee, dress ups, and instruments for the littles (at one point we counted 18 kids... from one year old to 12!).  After enjoying a feast, we made a bonfire and roasted marshmallows for S'mores.  Kids ran wild while the grown ups enjoyed good company amidst the chaos.  It was just what we needed!  

Summer to fall...

Tomatoes and onions are out... cucumbers and peppers are front and center in the garden right now.  I really want to get some fall/winter crops in (the falling leaves, cooler nights, and shorter days are obvious signs of the changing seasons), but life is filled to the brim right now with the transition into the new school year.  

My type...

As we get ready for school, I'm setting up a "homework" station that will include a typewriter (recently acquired at the thrift store... of course!).  It certainly isn't an ipad or laptop, but there is something so very satisfying about typing with an ink ribbon... letter by letter.  I think this will make writing stories or even studying for spelling tests a little more exciting.  I hope they like it as much as I do...

Breathe...

The Tofu King and I are back at work after a long summer... and the kids start big kid school next week.  I do love the getting into the fall groove, but it is never an easy transition to make... especially after such a sweet summer!  When I start to feel overwhelmed, I sneak away into the garden... to admire, weed, examine, harvest, plan, dream, breathe... it's my happy place!  I stole a few garden minutes this morning before heading to campus (with kids in tow)... and a bit of it stayed with me all day.

Garden notes...

We're still getting a ton of cherry tomatoes, but the rest of the tomato plants have pretty much closed up shop.  The fact that I got one good, ripe, big tomato from each variety I planted was a major accomplishment for me (sad but true)!  Adding calcium to our soil was a game-changer... and now I need to figure out timing and pruning for next year (baby steps!).  Even with our tiny harvest, we really did enjoy a few meaty, juicy, amazing tomatoes (that we gobbled up right out of the garden)! As the tomatoes wind down, the sunflowers are getting tall... and they really do make the garden look so very cheerful!  I have a couple of cucumber plants growing up the trellis and I am very excited about the prospect of fresh cucumbers just around the corner.  As the weather seems to be hinting at fall, I've got a few plans for the next rotation swirling around my brain... broccoli, spinach, chard, lettuces... the experiment continues!

Eleven...

I don't need a lucky horseshoe to know how fortunate I am (but it was fun to make one in honor of our 11th wedding anniversary)...

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I always buy (or usually make) some kind of art to mark our special day.  This year, I came across some old horseshoes in our shed and thought they were made out of steel (the element for year 11).  It turns out they are actually made of iron, but that's close enough in my book!  I had a whole bunch of embroidery thread and was able to wrap it all up and spruce it up!  I'm looking forward to hanging it over a doorway to usher in some good fortune for years to come...

Garden thoughts...

I put a whole lot of work into our little garden... and we get some lovely, fresh produce in return.  We get enough beans for a meal or two... enough carrots to add to a stir fry or make a carrot cake with... enough lettuce and greens for salads.  Each little veggie we pull from our little garden is celebrated (which probably means that my garden doesn't really produce a whole heck of a lot).  We have a small space and I've gone for variety.  This way I can count on getting something here or there... and I'm learning a lot about the art of growing food (one little beat or onion at a time).  I really can't even comprehend those who grow enough to really feed a family or those who have grown so much of something that they can freeze it or save it for later in the season... it truly boggles my mind (I admire them so)!  Someday, with a lot more experience under my belt, I'll be more focused on production, but for now, I'm really happy to watch a pot of herbs and a few tomatoes turn into a special meal.  I'm glad that my kids are learning to love veggies that they've helped plant and tend and harvest.  I'm grateful for the quiet moments I find in the garden... just watching things grow (and snapping photos).  The garden, for me, is so much more than the food is makes (though the food it makes is awfully tasty!!).

Feather Weight...

I was thrilled to find a featherweight 221 Singer machine at the thrift shop the other day (and though it is decidedly not light compared to modern machines, it is significantly lighter than my old Singer... and just as beautiful)!  It is in perfect condition and works like a dream.  I decided right away that it would make a perfect present for my girl's 7th birthday... if I can wait that long to share it with her!  She loves hand stitching and I think teaching her to sew with this beautiful machine is going to be such a fun adventure.  It just goes to show that you never know what you'll find at the thrift shop... and from what I can gather an $11 featherweight is an absolute steal.  Isn't she pretty?!

Tomatoes...

I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed that I actually manage to grow a few tomatoes this year... I have a few varieties growing and some are finally starting to ripen!  This makes me very very happy.. and also extremely anxious.  I just won't believe it until I hold them in my hands.  So I'm watching closely, holding my breath, and waiting...

A Pirate-Pizza-Pool-Party!

I really do love putting together birthday party fun!  I bought a lot more "stuff" this year than in years past, but did make pirate ship cupcakes and a little birthday banner for my five year old pirate (not to mention the pirate hook and costume for a "real" pirate who crashed the party)!  It was quite a raucous event with so many armed pirates prowling the pool!  Most importantly, the birthday boy had a blast...  

Pirate Ship Cupcakes

A Treasure Chest of Pirate's Booty

Eye Patches, Pirate Tattoos, and Inflatable Pirate Swords

The Cupcake Armada

The Infamous Papa Pirate "Walking" the Plank!

A very Soggy Pirate Costume

The End of the Party... Good Bye Banner... and Good Night!!