Okay, so I had to share with you the results of my backyard, raised bed, organic vegetable experiment. Of course, we’ve eaten most of the squash, and I’ve frozen beans and squash, and then there is the great tomato fiasco– the store I bought my Roma tomato plants from mislabled them, so instead of getting plenty of luscious roma tomatoes to turn into sauce, we got gobs of tiny perfect cherry tomatoes. Too bad no one in my house likes raw tomatoes. Here is a lovely old basket full of Okra (yuk! my husband insisted we grow these, if only for him), cherry tomatoes, and green beans.
And here is an artistic arrangement of a fat yellow squash and a neat little row of Okra.
Of course, we didn’t actually grow these blueberries that my angelic daughter is holding. We pick these at a local U-pick farm, and today we came away with over 7 lbs! I’m going to be freezing some for mid-winter blueberry pancakes, and I’m also going to try my hand at blueberry jam tomorrow. Wish me luck!
Categories: Make A Difference · green
Tagged: beans, blueberry, fruits, okra, organic, squash, tomato, vegetables
Just popping in for a quick bit, and i had to share my latest find… I got this great organic cotton tank/shell and I absolutely adore it. It has a stylish neck line, with rounded straps that cover my bra straps (let’s face it, bra-less is not an option for some people) and the colors are scrumptious. I think I’ll start collecting them in different colors. And the best part, I got to choose which charity a part of my money went towards (this time, I chose the Jane Goodall Institute.)
Categories: Find of the Day · Make A Difference · Organizations · clothes · green
Tagged: charity, clothing, organic
So, by day I work for a great marble mosaic company, New Ravenna Mosaics, and recently they launched a new line of mosaic tiles. Now they are on the hunt for the perfect name to encompass the collection. I put in my two cents, and one of my ideas made it into the final two choices… so go vote for me and my name “Samsara
(cycle of reincarnation)” over at Sara Baldwin’s Design blog!!! Go. Now. Vote.
Categories: Home & Garden · for the home
Tagged: mosaics
I seem to be back in the house remodel mode, so I’ve spent the last few days drooling over every magazine I could find any tidbits of inspiration, mulling over ways to make my home more Green while repurposing vintage supplies, using modern technology to supplement my power and heat, and just decorate with flair and whimsy. Anywho…I’ve posted Dreamin Green over on my sister site. Check it out!
Categories: Home & Garden · Make A Difference · for the home · green
Tagged: decorating, green, home
I admit, I’m a budding gardener. And it is so exciting that the time to order seeds and plan this years garden is upon me! Last year I ran upon a great book, Animal, Vegatable, Miracle a little too late to start a full-fledged garden, but that didn’t stop me from getting a few seeds to germinate in my less-than-desirable soil. The tiny eggplants we grew were scrumptious– so much better than those store bought monsters. And that has incitd me to do better this year.
I’m going to do more eggplant, but I only need a plant or two for what we will consume. I want to try to grow some baby greens for a salad mixture, mainly because those bag mixes are so expensive and I never seem to finish them before they get all slimy. Carrots are definatley on the agenda and I want to try to grow them into next winter using cold frames. Supposedly carrots get so much sweeter when it gets cold because they start converting their starch into sugars. I’m not a raw tomato fan, but I do love pasta, so I’m going to try my hand and some Roma and other sauce tomatoes. And some beans, lima, pea or green beans.
I still remember helping my mom shell limas and snap green beans when I was a child. Those kinds of earthy memories stick with a child, so I want to give my kids a head start at growing their own food later too!
This is bound to be a learning experience at any rate. I know almost nothing about plant pests and problems, soil requriement, pruning and harvesting. What I do know is that growing some of my own food will save my family a little money, help cut down on the amount of fossil fuels burnt by trucking in my food, and help the environment a little at the same time. I’m thinking of it as my own little victory garden– only the cause is for my life to be a better one in general.
Categories: Home & Garden · Make A Difference
The time to swathe our heads and necks to protect from the biting cold is definatley upon us. And my current stock of scarves is lacking in warmth and quirkiness….so I began the ritual browsing. And low and behold, I found several scarfaliscious scarves over at Orginal Good.
I couldn’t make up my mind, so of course I got all three. Now I’ll be as snug as a… well, you know… a Fashionably Quirky Gurl!
All of these are fair-trade. All of these are hand-made. The back one is even alpaca! I feel better knowing I’ve got more scarves on the way to balance out my wardrobe. And who knows, if the temperature keeps dropping, I might need to wear them all at once! (If you want them for yourself, just click the pic to get to Original Good’s site)
Categories: Find of the Day · Make A Difference · clothes · fair-trade
Tagged: fair-trade, handmade, quirky, scarves
Anybody that either:
A) Has children who seem to make the number of dishes in your sink quadruple
B) Hates doing dishes
C) Currently buys plastic cups for whatever reason
..Needs to read the blog I just posted on One Quirky Gurl. I found these great fully biodegrable and Compostable (my garden will love these!) cups. Less dishes to wash, without the guilt of clogging the landfills. Same cost as grocery store plastic cups. Its a win-win, really. I only wish I had thought if it 
Categories: Find of the Day · Home & Garden · Make A Difference · for the home
Tagged: green, biodegradable, compostable, home
