This Vintage Chica

Winter: In the Garden

I know the title of this post says "in the garden", but I have to be honest.  There is not much going on in the veggie garden right now.

Despite having some old windows ready to use as a temporary cold frame, we were in Texas when the real cold weather decided to arrive.  So very few of my winter plantings made it.

But hope is alive!  The seed catalogs are arriving!

The boys and I have spent a good amount of time perusing through our most favorite seed catalog.  The Baker Creek's Heirloom seeds are our favorite.  With so much color and variety, this catalog is perfect for children...and those of us with children.  We are already day dreaming about striped tomatoes, purple potatoes and yellow watermelons.

And this year, we will have to new raised beds to fill!

I think one will be the tomato bed.  One for spring greens and onions.  This will give us the ability to actually rotate our "crops".  Oh, the possibilities.

And every garbage day the boys keep an eye out for tires.  The boys loved growing potatoes in tires so much last year, they were bound and determined to increase production this year.  We've picked up six more unwanted tires, so we are off to a good start.

We were able to see my friend Julie's amazing garden last year while in Maine.  She had the most amazing set up and I returned completely inspired.  I haven't been able to get Julie's garden our of my head.  

The photo above is one I took of Julie's garden last summer.  The others on my hard drive continue to be my inspiration.  (Hi Julie and family!)

Before you know it, our seeds will have arrived and we'll be transplanting seedlings.  And not long after that we'll be tasting the first fruits of our labor.

What are you planning on growing this year?  Are you trying something new?  Feel free to share a hint or good idea.  A gardener can always learn something new.

In Black and White

More and more these days I find myself converting my photos to black and white.  I boost up the contrast and warm it up a bit.

Quite possibly a need for things go be more clear, more one way or the other in my own life.  I know...I'm in my head quite a bit these days.  But one thing about blogging for so many years now.  I know this is what January brings for me.  And I'm good with that.

At the same time I am wanting to get back to documenting our everyday life.  I so want to remember how my boys sat while they did their homework.  How the light is beginning to peak through the blinds a bit earlier everyday.  Garden planning.  Tea time.

Even my messy corner looks almost poetic in black and white, the January calendar not filled in, remaining open for what will come next month.

Speaking of what's to come...

We're excited about a three day weekend.  The boys are already making lists of things they want to do.

Among them...

:: listen to MLK's "I Have A Dream" speach.

:: Start our Valentines

:: Go swimming at the rec center

:: Make obstacle courses for the guinnea pigs

:: Have another dart gun war in the park

:: Learn to draw R2-D2

Here's to three day weekends and to documenting the everyday!

Happy Friday friends!

A Quilt and A Life: Little By Little

Some projects come with initial idea and execution strategy all at once.  In a flurry I hit the sewing machine or grab the glue gun and in one evening the project is finished.

Done.

This quilt is another story.

I have been feeling guilty about not finishing it sooner.  But I got the message I had needing to hear today.

This quilt comes along in its own sweet time.

I first posted about it here...and how Carole was teaching me.

I did a bit more fabric cutting here.

And today I got a bit of time to begin piecing the squares together.  Now I have nice long strips that need to get sewn together...finally.

It is coming together.

This quilt just has its own timing.

I just couldn't make the bright blue work for me.  

The white fabric with the little yellow flowers on it was a duvet cover that I picked up a few weeks back.  A thrift find from our newly opened Goodwill store.  I think it lightens the whole thing up and I am liking it.  I think I'll use the rest for the backing.

I pick favorite "spots" on the quilt as it comes together.  Thinking that if this quilt were going to be mine, I would fold it so this "spot" showed.  My new favorite "spot" is the one shown in the top photo. I just love it.

Favorite spots.

Pieces coming together little by little.

I would love to say that it will be finished and ready to quilt by tomorrow.

But most likely it won't.

It will sit right where it is until the time is right...or company comes and needs the bed.

So much like my life these days.

Little pieces picked up here and there...a little vintage a little new.  Lessons learned along the way. Waiting for the right timing.  Getting up the courage to dig in again.  Not feeling guilty. 

And again...

I am so happy to have a friends along for the ride.

365: Off To A Good Start

1:365

 

2:365

 

3:365

 

4:365

 

5:365

 

Im feeling pretty good about 365 this year.  Last year was an absolutely crazy year and with so many distractions, I bailed about a quarter of the way through.

But this year I'm all in.  And excited about it.

I won't  post them all here in the blog.  But if you would like, you can follow along here at flickr.

....................

This morning it is quiet.  The only things I hear are the ticking of the clock on the nightstand next to me and the fish tank funning downstairs.  When some of the water evaporates and it need a few cups of water added it trickles.  And sounds like a fountain.

This morning trying to be mindful of a few things.

::The need to walk my own walk, and not anyone else's.

::Continue to be grounded in what I know is good and true.

::Stay strong.

::Create white space...in my home and in my head.

::Reconnect with music.

::Eat more veggies.

::And color...my mom says I need more color in my life.  She says color makes me happier.

::Figure out how to use more actions in PSE.

My best friend's mom sent me this quote...

                  “Remember, faith is never the denial of reality.  It is belief in a greater reality.  In other words, the truth may be that you are presently surrounded by terrifying or terribly discouraging circumstances.  The reason you don’t have to buckle to fear and discouragement is the presence of God in the middle of your circumstances….That place, that circumstance, is holy because God stands on it with you.”

I think I'll print it off today and tape it to my mirror.

There's a possibility of snow today.  More snow!  

Happy Thursday all.

Calendar Girl

Since about this same time last year, I have wanted to have a small wall holding a collection of pretty handmade calendars from my favorite artists and photographers.

I remembered this year and about November I started ordering the calendars.

Today I found the perfect spot and "installed" them.

(clockwise from the top)

1. wolfie and the sneak - last year Renee sent me a 2009 calendar and I loved it all year and gave me the idea of a collection. I knew if she put together another one for 2010, I would order it.

2. me - a little one I made for myself from some of my own photographs from 2010.

3. abbytryagain - her photos are some of my most favorites, so you know her calendar would be a must.

4.  junecraft - somehow I found her via etsy and loved this one that will be up all year.

5. jennway - another favorite photographer, and one of the most generous.

 

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- Here is a fun, interactive family calendar...free for the download from Growing Up Creative.

- And one from Shanna Murray for your computer desktop.

- And a few more printables from Red Stamp.

- Poppytalk roundup #1, #2, #3, #4

- I like this one too from 24sevenpost

- And if you haven't had enough yet...Design Milk's list of cool calendars.

I can see my collection growing before my eyes.

Reflections

This is a shot of the mirror in my Papaw's bedroom.  While visiting in Texas this past week I was lucky, oh so lucky, to have gotten to visit with him twice.  Its always difficult to talk while you are trying to keep three rowdy little boys busy and relatively quiet...not an easy task my friends.

But he and my Grammer are pretty special people to me.

I can't remember why I went back to this room now.  But I found it interesting the three photos that he had stuck in the top of his mirror.  I think they pretty much some up my vision of him.

::The first one is of an airplane.  He was a pilot for many years.  When he started the tractor, with us aboard, he would make us say "contact" before he would turn the tractor key...like we were starting a plane.

::The second is of he and a cow when he was a little boy.  He raised cows for many years too.  Some of my fondest memories of their house was visiting the cows. 

::And finally, the last photo is a snapshot of my grandfather's grandparents.

I've been reflecting a lot on this past year too and working on a bit of a month by month recap with a few more photos.

Maybe I'll get it finished tomorrow.  But for now I'm thinking about what three photos will be on my mirror 50 years from now.

What are you reflecting on today?

We went to Texas

Hello.

We took a little trip this past week to visit my family.

There is just something about our visits to my parent's place in Texas.  If I am gone from there for too long, like the pull of a magnet, I am drawn back to this place.  I need it.  And the people who live there.  They ground me.  They fill my soul.

That's my husband who spent the week keeping busy by clearing fence lines and mowing. And that handsome cowboy in the hat is my Dad, who spent the week trying to keep my husband from doing too much.  My brother is on the right.  And that city boy on the right is my brother.  He and his family came down for a few days from Tulsa.

The boys were introduced to shooting the bb gun.  With much supervision.  They are hooked.  I see many more marksmanship contests in our future visits.

And this is my mom.  You don't want to mess with her.  She was on the rifle team at Texas Tech and she is an excellent shot.  The grandkids minded her pretty well after they saw her hit 6 for 6.  

I love living at the beach.  But there is just something about the prairie.

This attraction to this place comes naturally for me.  As one would expect.  I was born there.  My people have lived in this area since 1849.

But it amazed me this trip that my boys, and even my husband, are becoming spiritually connected to this place.

They fall easily into the rhythms of the country...walks to the creek, clearing brush, fossil hunting, wading in the river.  With all of that fresh air, we all sleep good at night.

Here I feel stripped, bare and fully known.  I feel centered.  Thankful.  I know what is important and what is not.

And this my friends is a very good place to start a new year.

Happy 2011 everyone!