CIJ Sale Ends This Weekend

My Christmas in July sale in my Etsy shop ends this weekend. I've added quite a few new items to my sale section, including all of my anchor necklaces. So, if you've had your eye on them, you can pick one up for 20% off. They can be found in my CIJ sale section right here.
Enjoy the weekend.

In Between Gardening

In between the gardening, when it's too hot to be out there any longer, when I'm not putting up food or when the rain begins, I head for the studio and bring the designs to life that sprouted while tending the plants. I love this time of year and am happy to once again be settling into this schedule.

Autumn Jewels

Just a sample of some of the new jewelry being listed in my Etsy shop. My shop's landscape is changing just like the landscape in TN. Here the leaves are starting to turn color and fall. Ironweed and Fall Asters are among the flowers that are in bloom. And when the sky is blue, it is really blue. I'm enjoying every minute of it. As a matter of fact, I'm heading outdoors to work in the gardens.

Until next time.....

Falling.....

I love this time of year! Summer slowly starts coming to an end and Autumn begins to awaken. It's my favorite time of the year. After a long hot summer, I get to sit back and enjoy the fruits (and veggies) of my labor. Cinnamon infused desserts start to fill our home with added warmth.

I have more time for my online shops. I've had fun making a few Halloween themed earrings. You can see them in my Etsy shop. Just click on the collage above. They are all OOAK.
I've been stocking my deStash shop with autumn colored beads too. I've really been into skull beads this year. I mean, I've always been into skulls (Dead Head), but this year I've been searching for them and adding them to my stash. I am parting with a few though. You can find them in my shop. Just click on the collage below.

It's 6:15 PM. It's been raining today, so the sky is grey. It's fairly dark outside. Althea is curled up in the corner, sound asleep and snoring with a smile on her face. We're both waiting for Papa John to get home. He doesn't know it, but tomorrow I'm baking him a pie with some of last years pumpkin that I put up. I can't wait to smell the cinnamon.

Until next time.....

Shining Stars

This time of year, the vining flowers really shine. When most flowers are played out, my morning glories, clematis, cypress vine and cardinal climbers explode onto the scene. They escape their trellises and attach themselves to anything that they can reach. Vines gone wild! I love it. And so do the birds and the bees.

Enjoy these last flowering days of the season.

Until next time.....

Wordless Wednesday

Where was my camera?

We took a quick trip up to Crystal Lake this past weekend. It was so nice to be back on the mountain, camping out under the stars. I could easily stay up there and never come back down.

I had several 'where is my camera when I need it' moments.

When we took the tarp off of the woodpile, we found a beautiful copperhead napping. She was about two feet long. Maybe I can get a shot of her next time.

I was sitting next to the water and a butterfly landed on my arm. Blue/orange/black wings inches from my eyes. With the sun out, the shadow the butterfly made was amazing. It would have made a great 'Shadow Shot Sunday'.

A scorpion lives in the stones of our fire pit. We saw him, but alas.....no camera.

Back down from the mountain, I went out to the garden to cut some basil. Something waddled out from under the basil. It was a young dove. I sat down and started talking to it. It turned and came closer, scratched around in the dirt and made itself comfortable. Three feet from me. You guessed it. The camera was in the house.

I can't complain. I do capture some wonderful surprises. The top photo is John walking on top of the dam.

Bottom collage: hot peppers, cardinal climber, autumn clematis in full bloom

Until next time.....

Sunday's Peace

Harvesting tomatoes~

Dreaming of Autumn

We've been wanting to head up to Crystal Lake, but it is just too hot! This weekend they're predicting high 90's. Even with our two battery powered fans, it would be miserable trying to sleep in the tent.

I really don't like rushing summer, but part of me is ready for fall. Camping in the cool, crisp air. Campfires. Brightly colored leaves.

But alas, we have yet to meet the dog days of summer.

Until next time.....

Wordless Wednesday

Sunday's Peace

Summer's Heat

Summer's heat is upon us, here in mid TN. Looks like much of the US is feeling it too. I set the sprinkler system up a couple of days ago because there wasn't any rain in the forecast. The peppers loved their time under the sprinkler. Look how brown the grass is.

Then we got lucky. Yesterday it rained 1"! Happy garden. Happy gardener. Stay cool~

Until next time.....

Harvesting Basil

Growing basil? Well, if you are, then you too are probably knee deep in the fresh herb right about now. It's an easy herb to put up. Here's a few of the ways that I preserve basil.

Pretty much everyone I know makes pesto. (note to self: buy pine nuts). I spoon fresh pesto into ice cube trays, freeze and store in freezer containers or freezer bags. Freeze. Take them out and thaw as needed.

I'm not a fan of dried basil, so I freeze ours fresh. I chop the leaves and pack them in freezer containers. When I need some for a recipe, I throw it in while it's still frozen.

Basil garlic vinegar is my favorite thing to make with our basil and garlic. It's so easy to prepare and makes lovely gifts!

Here's how I make ours.

I head out to the garden with a clean bottle, snips and a chopstick. I snip basil leaves and pack the whole leaves into the bottle . This is where the chopstick comes in. Push the leaves through the bottleneck and pack lightly.

Add one clove of garlic to the bottle and top with vinegar. I use white, but you could use any flavor. Store in a cool dark place. You may need to add more vinegar because the leaves will absorb some. I let ours sit a few months. I don't take the basil leaves out, but you can if you wish.

Until next time.....

~~~~~Welcome Summer~~~~~

Today is the official first day of summer. The computer's getting shut off for the day after this blog post. I'll be in the garden this morning. The rest of the day John and I will hang out. Ah, summer~

Enjoy the season.

Until next time.....

Wordless Wednesday

How Does Your Garden Grow?

I harvested our garlic yesterday. After the spring flood, we weren't sure if the garlic would survive. I'm happy to say that most of it did.

The lavender will be ready to cut by the end of this week. I love this time of year. The smell of lavender hangs in the air. Dried bunches will be stored with our wool sweaters to repel moths.

This morning, I have to get our tomato stakes down from the garage rafters and begin staking them. When that's finished, it'll be time to mulch them with the bags of leaves that we hauled last fall.

So, how does your garden grow?

Until next time.....

Hold Everything!

This morning while I was outside in the garden, I noticed a little face looking out the opening of the bluebird house. Stop everything! .....runs to get camera.

So, I slowly walk up to the bird house and snap a few photos of the tiny Wrens about to leave the nest. One by one, they flew off into the world. I was half tempted to follow them into the garden, but mama Wren was SO loud. It sounded like I was trying to eat them. So I let them be and wished them well.

Until next time.....

Sunday's Peace

Backyard Bird Update

Here's an update to this blog post, as promised. Like in real life, things don't always go as planned.
Out of the five nests, two of them hatched and went out into the world without a problem.

All four Robin eggs hatched. I took a few photos of them in nest, but tried to stay away. Mama Robins are very protective and I didn't want to upset her.

The House Wren eggs hatched safely too. That was a given. After all, she did build her nest in a bluebird box! I took one picture of the babes. They're still in there. I'll try to get another if I see them when they come out of the box.

Something got the eggs in the Chickadee and Thrasher nests. We're thinking that it was a snake because the nests weren't disturbed.

One night, something got into the Red Finch nest. We woke up to find the nest on the ground. I have some ideas as to what happened to them.

I've got my eye out for more nests. If I find them, I'll be camera ready.

Until next time.....

Wordless Wednesday