Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Good Stuff

The Edible Schoolyard is a one-acre organic garden on the site of Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School in Berkley, CA. Each student there takes part in classes in both the garden and the kitchen, learning about the origins of foods and then getting the opportunity to create delicious meals with those foods. It was started in 1996 by Alice Waters, author of 'The Simple Art of Food'. The long term goal of this project is to develop a nationwide curriculum that would inspire kids to love healthy foods. I am looking forward to supporting this event.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Finally!

This artichoke plant has been in the my garden for an entire year with nothing to show for it. When it was planted last spring I anticipated a fantastic crop by the end of summer. Nothing happened! I hadn't done any preliminary gardening investigation and so I found out after consulting my garden bible that artichokes can be grown as perennials and that they may not produce the first year. I let it be. Now artichokes are on sale in the supermarket (indicating to me that plants should be producing NOW), the plant is gigantic (4 feet tall by 3 feet wide) and I've had it. There is no excuse for taking up that much room in my postage stamp garden if you're not going to be productive. So on Saturday morning, I stomped out into the garden, worried that I may have to admit defeat and instead I found 3 fantastic globes!

Friday, April 25, 2008

Pillow Talk

Elle Decor May 2008

Better Homes and Gardens December 2007

Better Homes and Gardens June 2007

Looking through this month's Elle Decor I knew I'd seen that pillow somewhere before. Tonight looking through my tear sheets I found it yet again. Not once but twice. Now I wonder what it is about each of these rooms that draws my eye. I know I pulled each of them for the overall impact of each room. It wasn't just the pillow pattern. Now if only I could find out where to get the pillow!

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Getting Started in the Garden

I have a postage stamp garden but I put it to work! My youngest daughter and I started the planting a week ago. Things are starting to sprout. We have herbs, cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant, artichokes, sunflowers, green peppers, sweet peppers and 10 tomato plants!

This is the fourth summer of veggie gardening for us. It all started when I got a hold of a copy of 'You Grow Girl'.

Each summer since, the plan has improved and the garden area has expanded. The first year it was a few pots, next year we may not have a lawn. It's such an accomplishment each year when it goes from nothing to something. If you haven't already, I suggest giving it a try!

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Animal Print?!

I don't know how I let it happen but I have three pieces of furniture in two different zebra prints. I adore each piece. Two of them were painstakingly reupholstered (nearly to completion) by myself.
They are in separate spaces in our home so its not blatantly obvious that I am developing a fetish. And each piece is perfect in it's own place.

Now I have another chair to recover and I am drawn to this giraffe print! I know it would look fantastic... I just hope that I'm inspired by another fabric before I am overtaken by motivation to get started on this project.