I am resolved to stop with beginning blog posts with “It’s been a busy couple of weeks…” Considering we have three kids, multiple house projects, two full time jobs, and holidays and visitors moving through the calendar and house that is obviously a “no shit, it’ll be like that till ya die” statement. So like, here is a recap of some of the recent goings-on.
Continue reading “A Day in the Lonesome October”
Reposted from October 2018…
Now when it comes to talking about Dia de los Muertos… as a white, middle aged, blond haired, green eyed guera, I consider myself no entitled-ass expert over here or anything. But know this- while I am not Mexican by birth I married one, we’re raising three, AND I made alters for Dia de los Muertos before the movie Coco came out. To further prove my bit of street cred, I totally love all things to do with the Mexican culture. Also I’m taking Spanish lessons on Rosetta Stone. So like… Yo tengo sandwiches, ya dig?
Continue reading “Dia de los Muertos Ofrenda… no Offend-a”
September is almost over and you can finally feel it. It’s “cooled off” to only the high nineties most days, no more the 100 degree plus days of July and August, and we’ve finally had some rain.
Continue reading “That’s September for Ya- County Fair, Gomphrenas, and Bundt Cake”
It’s so hot.
I know I’ve mentioned that in all recent posts, but oh my God it’s so hot right now. We haven’t had rain in two months, the soil in the garden needs to be MUCH more improved if it’s going to be the single main shelter for all these plants through such tough conditions again next year, and I personally feel like I’m sweating way more than I ever have before- and I was always a pretty sweaty girl.
Continue reading “The Garden and Outside Stuff in the Heat”
There is a lot going on in the garden in July this year. It’s rained much more than usual, so it isn’t the “hanging on for dear life with supplemental watering that never can be quite enough” that we generally deal with down here.
Continue reading “The Texas Garden in July Springs Forth”
HOW DID IT GO? It Went Like This: *singing* “Some people you know they say they can’t believe, Jamaica we got a bobsled team!”
Ahem. Okay- so THE ICE DYING… how’d it all shake out? Y’all will remember since the summer I’ve been doing batch after batch of ice dying to have ready to sell at our neighborhood craft fair. I talked about it here and here and here and here and (my god I wrote a lot about this) here .
The craft fair was last weekend and it was, on the scarves, a ROUSING success.
The scarves… 4 to 6 in each color batch
I love that painting… it looks like I have a creativity thought bubble every time I brush my teeth. Here is what the pashminas look like on- this is the one I kept.
I ended up making just under $200 on the scarves, and they went like hotcakes, I think, in part because I priced them to move: $12ea or 2 for $20. I also modeled one all night long, but I’m less sure that contributed to the sales… I was in the pashmina above and shorts, after all. A look right out of the Vogue lookbook it ain’t. I actually have 4 more scarves on order to do another batch for Christmas gifts… because the ones I made for this event are ALL gone!
The girls also did a rousing sale in ornaments, and cleared $65 and $66 ea.
And it being a sip and shop (wine and craft fair) there was lots of tipsy trading at the end of the show amongst the adult vendors so we now have other ornaments and purses and hats… as well as a deer skull adorned with rhinestone brooches which is INSANITY but a small part of me loves. My folks took the toddler home, who was driving me to distraction trying to manage a show and a candied up toddler… and my husband was there to hang out. The older girls were good about managing the table and hanging out.
I spent one memorably cold winter at the garden center I worked at in college selling Christmas trees. And I remember EVERYONE wanted a Noble Fir- GOTTA have a noble even though they were THE most expensive. Why? Because they look great right off the truck.
My favorite are the Fraser Firs though. Silvery underside to the needles and way less expensive too. Much more fragrant than the Noble Firs as well, less needle drop, and way less apt to dry out. But people aren’t huge fans… and you want to know why? Because they look like this right off of the truck and out of the nets.
Underwhelming
Here’s the secret I learned at that garden center though- you have to gently but firmly fluff Fraser Firs. And by fluff I mean push down on the branches until they are as close to perpendicular to the trunk as they’ll go… only takes about 10-15 minutes.
See what I mean?
It makes SUCH a difference!
Fraser Firs… Hella good trees
Happy decorating to all and give those Fraser Firs a chance!
the something garden 