Adios, Perros

Just saying so might invite a deathly September to my door, but I think the dog days of the NC summer are behind us. Temps have been cooling down into the 60s at night, and highs in the 90s are rarer and rarer. All this translates into a happy Mara - a Mara who suddenly becomes motivated to get back in the garden and get rid of those weeds that flourished in July.

The cucumbers were great while they lasted, and we'll definitely make their trellis a permanent fixture. They succumbed to the high heat - which spells yellowy ultra-bitter cukes - and I ripped them out. Since we have ample growing season yet, I started some new seeds. Good thing, too, because we're on our last jar of this summer's pickles. The best yet!

New cukes, and a second chance at yellow squash

The tomatoes have been a capital-D Disappointment this year. Last year I made tons of sauce, and they kept really well indoors. This year, we're lucky to get one or two ripe ones that haven't split on the vine (I'm lookin' at you, Cherokee Purples!). Then, once we bring them in, they seem to rot overnight. Luckily, the Sun Gold and the volunteer Juliets have ensured our summer isn't salsa-free.

We also planted a second crop of yellow squash and zucchini. Crossing my fingers!

Carmen Peppers! Carmen Peppers! I'll say it again - Carmen Peppers!
Try these bad boys out next summer.

Updates from Flower Land

The moral is: Don't be afraid of and/or Don't forget to fertilize.

Figaro Mix Dahlias
I'm proud of how these rebounded considering deer ate them into oblivion earlier this summer.

I replaced all but the moss roses in this bed with some $0.50 annuals (vinca and dianthus) from Durham Garden Center. And I started fertilizing it. Duh, MT! It's much happier now.

Dianthus have replaced the abysmal blue petunias that I got for this bed. The original vinca and moss roses are now healthy, green and blooming - as opposed to stressed out and yellow.

I love moss roses. Do I ever.

2 Pink Wave replacements - again, $0.50 each - have added lots of life to a formerly dying pot. What the hell was up with those blue petunias I bought? Spindly and didn't respond at all to being pinched back. I'm sure my lack of fertilizing didn't help.

A Friend Visits The Rosemary

Hello, Mr/Ms Praying Mantis!
Is summer over yet?

One Of These Days

Oh, the skeletons in the closet. The dust bunnies under the bed. Those projects you expected to finish - and by all accounts easily *could* have finished - 4 months ago. These shirts have been hanging in my kitchen/sewing area since May. I was all whipped up in a froth to finish them in one weekend. And then came the last step - sewing on 2 buttons. Have I done it yet? Haaail no.

"Place Button Here." I was actually pleased with how the epaulets turned out, after a less-than successful attempt with my "Janie" shirt.

Part of my less-than-fervent desire to finish these has to stem from the fact that I'm unhappy with their fit. They are based off this pattern (on the right), which I bought way back when - before I learned how to read a pattern.



Once again, sized way too big for the likes of me and I'm not yet adept enough to easily customize the fit. Plus, as much as I like these two colors together, the two fabrics don't mesh very well. the pink is really soft (a light cotton blend), and the turquoise is a stiffer linen-y fabric. So, on the pink shirt especially, the stiff bust-area piece just accentuates the fact that there's nothing happening upstairs. Whaddya gonna do /shrug/ .

I still like these pieces conceptually, and if I ever opened a diner you'd better believe the wait staff would all be wearing these shirts.

Zebrawood Shelf!

Later this month, Rob and I will celebrate the 2-year anniversary of becoming homeowners. If you think that means that we've completed all those tasks we planned to do before we moved in, you're wrong. If you think that means that we still don't have unpacked boxes, you're wrong again. As is the case, or so we've found, one project typically begets another, and our To Do lists tend only to grow.

When we moved in, we joined the ranks of *those* people who own one of *those* TVs. We initially didn't plan to put anything on the wall behind it, lest we detract from the HD awesomeosity. Over time, we decided that we were ready for something to complement the TV and not take away/distract from it.

Originally, we planned to make a simple canvas out of printed fabric. We liked the pattern in the store, but nixed it when we got home (and it became a curtain - see below). Then we got the idea to make a floating shelf for plants. And just like that, another project was born.

Closeups of the Zebrawood. Handcrafted by Rob!

Finished! We can cross something off the list!

Crazy Sewing Fool

The hot weather has given me a good opportunity to organize my sewing space and my fabric. I came across this pattern that we had intended to stretch across a frame as a piece of wall art. I ended up not being wild about that idea, but instead decided to make a curtain out of it. It's in our computer room, which is just a big hodge podge of books and National Geographic posters (i.e. absolutely no design aesthetic/defined style). I love it!



In my organizing frenzy, I came across some old pairs of Rob's work jeans that badly needed patching. I have to say that I'm rather proud with the end result. The first project that got me back into sewing last year was attempting to patch these by hand. Conceptually, this job came so much easier to me now. It just made more sense - and that made me feel good.

I'll keep the soapbox-ing short, but I really encourage you all to take a moment to consider the stuff you throw away that could easily be repaired or transformed into something else. Patching pants is NOT rocket science. I'm not saying you need to make haute couture out of it, but maybe a few simple touches will give it another year of life and save you from buying something you don't need. Or send it to me! Free Time is my middle name these days!

Congratulations!

In the "Better Late Than Never" category, I finally got around to sewing some onesies for friends who recently had babies. Hopefully the little ones haven't gotten too big yet! I recently found out that a few new friends are expecting, too, so I'll definitely have more in the works.



Sewing the onesies was fun, but if you're looking at it from a cost perspective, it's probably better to get one at the mega-store. However, there's something to be said for a custom-made outfit, even for a 6-month old! As another option, you can always take hand-me-downs and sew a cool swatch of fabric or a pirate applique over the glittery "Princess" on the front.

Good Eats

Even though it's hard for me to be outside this time of the year, I can find ample solace in the delicious food that the garden provides. Our Carmen peppers have been amazing this year. We've even allowed them to go red on the vine, which added additional sweetness. This one starred in a Wheat Berry & Red Lentil salad that I made recently.



Behind the fresh veg is the ice cream maker. I hadn't used this bad boy since college. A recent trip to Rob's grandma's house yielded a gigantic bowl of fresh blueberries (that we picked!). I've frozen a bunch of them for future use and made the rest into blueberry puree. So far we've made two batches of blueberry ice cream, and I'd still like to try the blueberry brulee recipe in Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian." Delicious!