The Harvest is Plenty...

 The fun has begun! The salads are filled with lettuce from the upside down buckets and tiny tomatoes from both the tomatoes out of the other end and the recycled tire beds. I have sauteed some of them in various recipes as well. It is soooo refreshing to enjoy fresh vegetables after not being where we can have a garden during the past several years!!

 I have an abundance of a variety of peppers in both hot and sweet. The bell peppers are so delicious. I can just eat them off the vine as one would an apple. I will chopped some up and put them in the freezer for the winter months to add to soups and vegetable dishes. The banana peppers and other hot peppers that are coming in, I will make hot sauces and chop as well for the freezer.

With the peppers in this raised bed, I planted a variety of tomatoes that are just now turning. Some are black tomatoes and some are yellow. I have romas and big boy variety. The fresh tomatoes are so amazingly delicious so much so that I filled this bucket with peppers and the tiny tomatoes that I went in the house to get another bucket and Madison, my sweet girlfriend that visits during the day, ate the remaining tiny tomatoes off the vine before I could get back. =) It was all good because they are soooo good for her. Then we started picking the blueberries...delicious...sweet right of the vine as well. Pears are growing and coming in well too. Such an exciting time of the year...Summertime...a great time to refresh, renew and give yourself a chance to grow something within and without a new.

Hugs, Rita

More artsy additions to Madison Bows...

I am having such fun making bows for Madison and her friends...

check them out...

Let's Play Ball Again Bow!

The Canga Bow...

Purplishous Bow...

Sports Have It Bow...

Baseball Rocks Bow...

A closer look at the adorable details of these ribbons...

Sweet Fractions Bow...

I made all these bows in less than a day. I was at a scrapbook crop with friends and even though I took my scrapbooking, I just wanted to make bows.  I have ordered more ribbons and purchased a few that I found (perfect) for the coming school year and seasonal that I know my sweet girlfriend Madison will enjoy wearing. May even recycle some material for some bows...we shall see. =)

Hugs, Rita

Baby Crochet Poncho...

My newest craze...crochet ponchos, baby style!!

I have made several adult size ponchos, see this one and this one, 

but this is my first (of many to come) for babies. This is for a 24 month old.

Granny square crochet, then the edging and collar, while adding adorable flowers to the edging.

The collar was simple to create...

The flowers added an adorable touch. I tied them on with bits of yarn.

The lacy edging completed the project.

The pattern came from this book...

and this face was what made me want to make this poncho.

The next one?

Well, I have already made some and, you guessed it, I have changed the pattern. 

I found a better way, a cuter edging while completing the precious elements for

this adorable blend of colors, stitches and uniqueness. 

Happy crocheting, Hugs, Rita

Making my own rain barrel...

 About a month ago, I got an email from the Alabama Co-op Extension Program in Cullman, Alabama telling about several classes they were going to teach. I picked two right away that I wanted to take, first was the rain barrel class! I loved it...

 There were many participants in the class held at a rustic extension office from the main office downtown. This one is just off Hwy 157 in Cullman, right off the interstate. It felt like the perfect setting for such a class. The barrels are from Auburn and olives were stored inside. The smell was wonderful to me lol.

 The instructors made the process easy and gave us so much information answering the 5Ws/1H (who, what, when, where, why and how) which is exactly what I look for when I attend any class. We also learned how to make more of these as well as where to get them. Local restaurants as well as CraigsList.org.

 I loved the various rain barrels that were painted amazing abstract colors and displayed in yards. These photographs are difficult to see but hopefully you can get an idea of what some had done to their rain barrels in past classes. Amazing...

 More ideas...

 
 Then there was the chicken coop out front of the building that caught my attention. After class, I had to get a better look. Since we were waiting the arrival of our chickens, I wanted to see this in hopes of adding wheels to make a chicken tractor. I thought perfect especially when I saw something that was recycled, you know how much I love recycled items...Can you see it?

The pans from your last turkey dinner!!! =) I felt sorry for the chickens...their brothers, sisters, and friends may have been roasted in those pans...not a funny thought once you think about it, or is it. Interesting...Regardless, I lot of turkey dinners would have to happen at my house before I could create a roof out of these pans much to the delight of some of the men in my house LOL....

Happy Hugs, Rita