tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10193110032355007082023-11-16T07:27:17.697-05:00Cre8 and ReCre8A blog about projects to create useful items re-create old items into something useful.Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13435276827256097475noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019311003235500708.post-70311028071860828122014-09-02T18:57:00.003-04:002014-09-02T18:57:18.001-04:00Cre8 a Behavior ChartOne thing I know about myself, is that without a system, I have chaos. I just don't have the gene that allows be to follow routines and be consistent without charts, checklists, and color coding. So, when I decided that I needed a behavior chart for my kids, I needed an easy, systematic system to keep me on point.<br />
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I created these "Star Charts" so that I could use those packs of foil star stickers that you can find everywhere to track accomplishments (plus, that let's me color code the charts for each of my little ones).<br />
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Here is how the system works:<br />
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<ol>
<li>Write down on the blank lines the different behaviors you want to work on with your child (ours end up being things like "dealing with frustration", "doing something my brother's way", "participating in sports practice", "doing chores without arguing", etc.</li>
<li>Each time you catch them doing something right, tell them they earn a star and make a point to add that star in front of them as soon as possible.</li>
<li>Each star counts for 10 points. When they get 5 stars, they get to choose a 50 point prize from the prize chart. 10 stars - a 100 point prize. Finally, 50 stars earns a 500 point prize. </li>
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We came up with our list of prizes together with the kids. They never fail to surprise me with what they choose. Often, they choose to have some time with me or their dad rather than video game time!</div>
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Feel free to print out the Star Chart hif it would be helpful to you.<br />
<br />Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13435276827256097475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019311003235500708.post-67683715743066897482013-11-30T08:00:00.000-05:002013-11-30T08:00:01.739-05:00Christmas Traditions: Advent Tree<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In our home, we try to bring the meaning of advent into our daily lives. My favorite tradition is our Advent Tree (aka "Presents for Jesus"). This was inspired by a lenten cross my mother would put up every lent with a bowl of stickers next to it. The idea behind this is that when one of the children does something that is kind for someone else, is helpful, or makes a sacrifice for others - these are the presents that Jesus wants. So, when they do these things, they get to take a "present" and place it under the "tree" or put an ornament on the tree. The goal is to have as many presents under the tree and as many ornaments on the tree as possible - inspiring and rewarding selfless acts.<br />
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I made the tree out of Kraft Paper. I just painted it with some leftover paint I had from another project. This was a fun project for my then 5-yo to help. I stapled it to our CORK DISPLAY BOARD, but you could just as easily tape one to the wall.<br />
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I love that this Advent Tree not only has a significant teaching and religious aspect to it, but it also makes a high impact eco-friendly decoration for the Christmas Season. Everything can either be recycled or saved for next year's use.<br />
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You can make your own Advent Tree. <br />
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<i>How about you? Do you have any Advent traditions that you love?</i>Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13435276827256097475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019311003235500708.post-15287742400018875662013-11-22T16:34:00.000-05:002013-11-22T16:37:08.055-05:00Cornucopia Bulletin BoardMy husband built me this wonderful bulletin board next to our kitchen table.<br />
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It is just some chair rail framed around some cork panels. We use it to display our children's art work that they bring home from school.<br />
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During the holiday seasons, however, we like to dress it up a bit. So, I got out my trusty roll of kraft paper and some paint.<br />
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The boys came up with fruits and vegetables and I free-handed them onto the paper for them to paint.<br />
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Sometimes it is hard to get this quality time together. This time is what I was feeling most thankful for. </div>
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Look at all those amazing fruits and vegetables!<br />
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Meanwhile, I painted the cornucopia.<br />
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A few snips and staples later we have a bulletin board cornucopia. We can take it down and reuse for next year, too!<br />
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<br />Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13435276827256097475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019311003235500708.post-54101560139198821322013-08-04T08:00:00.000-04:002013-11-22T16:51:03.950-05:00ReCre8 a Shoe Organizer into Yarn Storage<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2M1FV3ZW7NbUzxL_Qqo8l-I7StBs1E0HOUyjYGgAoq-HvxAtvTXRYXxaSQrNKQCKCRaxfBlzDCQgrbxIiE1z5XN7NfTaI9Edfh06UScibM6L7sl_jHzutC8dUd-UqcryNOKtZEGAFh4z1/s1600/IMG_3217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2M1FV3ZW7NbUzxL_Qqo8l-I7StBs1E0HOUyjYGgAoq-HvxAtvTXRYXxaSQrNKQCKCRaxfBlzDCQgrbxIiE1z5XN7NfTaI9Edfh06UScibM6L7sl_jHzutC8dUd-UqcryNOKtZEGAFh4z1/s320/IMG_3217.JPG" width="95" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFvulJ45H7R7Z_1xgI3ZNcNaTdKwFjVNujljUj5g1BwVfLm5OmhMGAip8vkwQnhZ7PgGh29dxOve1g_mL0Qa_Ir8bZ0e3RKoU1W-RfZdokMVejoedlDHp8Bw79nzHIlgzjLYxqEZjw6yZ/s1600/IMG_3218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFvulJ45H7R7Z_1xgI3ZNcNaTdKwFjVNujljUj5g1BwVfLm5OmhMGAip8vkwQnhZ7PgGh29dxOve1g_mL0Qa_Ir8bZ0e3RKoU1W-RfZdokMVejoedlDHp8Bw79nzHIlgzjLYxqEZjw6yZ/s200/IMG_3218.JPG" width="150" /></a>If you are a knitter or crocheter, you may appreciate this. I needed some good storage for my yarn in the guest room. It had to be easy-to-find what I am looking for and aesthetically appealing. These hanging shoe organizers TOTALLY fit the bill.<br />
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Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13435276827256097475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019311003235500708.post-1646274279072925762011-03-25T08:00:00.001-04:002011-03-25T08:00:11.999-04:00ReCre8 Fabric Scraps: Stuffed Turtle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJREFbGx6GSX05eqjvNDRzD2BC3p0_Nnuat4mAoyPZFCWJSP09a1XEsI5r-D1A5uqSijc6D7_TROLUpMhwPEqvquYnrlDzED9hlmgZC12Z76Sxi1cXo_Jhs2DhiApJqm4GEs3y6EpfU9_/s1600/IMG_3230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJREFbGx6GSX05eqjvNDRzD2BC3p0_Nnuat4mAoyPZFCWJSP09a1XEsI5r-D1A5uqSijc6D7_TROLUpMhwPEqvquYnrlDzED9hlmgZC12Z76Sxi1cXo_Jhs2DhiApJqm4GEs3y6EpfU9_/s200/IMG_3230.JPG" width="147" /></a></div>I have one little boy in my life who always has a creative project idea for me. Some of them are not practical (such as a giant remote control gorilla). So, when he asks me for a soft stuffed turtle, I can say "yes"! I loved making this little fabric-scrap turtle for my son. When you make a one-of-a-kind gift for a child, the payoff makes it totally worth it.<br />
<br />
<b>Supplies</b><br />
<ul><li>A piece of thin cardboard</li>
<li>One piece of scrap fabric for the body.</li>
<li>One piece of scrap fabric for the shell.</li>
<li>One scrap of batting. </li>
<li>Thread to match</li>
<li>Embroidery thread</li>
<li>Stuffing</li>
</ul><ul></ul><b>Instructions</b><br />
<ol><li>You start by cutting out templates from a piece of scrap cardboard. You can just free-hand it or you can use this image as a template.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj04u8rkrVI0k8vlzN1F7PgxqnCIzAujTF2LLCP0TVhv78ZatVOnxwK1GRnxahE66xYAuf8iODfRfPH6c2k-7ppx5eI3uyXim-3vwWLy0eO4ZHH1ICaWhwkK4Oa2pwZaiXlHrJU4ce85HlR/s1600/IMG_3224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ebJNUv91hZpnFuAyZXQDsv9sLbkuq-Dw0k9Nm29qIwDBYzJ843iBfV-dHn18viBpB4kxMhcuMfTV66lc3ohUXUBJzs_gbd0ct_LcMMPh9qU9e7jmxjl6KJxwtWf0i8KY2bSPZYtmd8oX/s1600/TurtleTemplate1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ebJNUv91hZpnFuAyZXQDsv9sLbkuq-Dw0k9Nm29qIwDBYzJ843iBfV-dHn18viBpB4kxMhcuMfTV66lc3ohUXUBJzs_gbd0ct_LcMMPh9qU9e7jmxjl6KJxwtWf0i8KY2bSPZYtmd8oX/s320/TurtleTemplate1.png" width="320" /> </a> </b></div>Here is what some of the template will look like.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipILBMdhDRy_EIzAiZfLrHvMCZAlveUrrR-eygWQQ4TXinGIBjek_xqPXhNVeScAyB2SRkiI03OQ15R_JhnBcJ6if2mzenBat_NmVlq40tDM4phjpCPr7H36Zg61ayh4fg486WytYXIjpt/s1600/Incorporation2008+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipILBMdhDRy_EIzAiZfLrHvMCZAlveUrrR-eygWQQ4TXinGIBjek_xqPXhNVeScAyB2SRkiI03OQ15R_JhnBcJ6if2mzenBat_NmVlq40tDM4phjpCPr7H36Zg61ayh4fg486WytYXIjpt/s320/Incorporation2008+003.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><br />
</li>
<li> Double your scrap fabric for the turtle body. Arrange the body template pieces (see picture below). Trace around them with a pencil or pen. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitGOLIO-ljSrQrxWGlvopsttDd4bEAqNX6dNlmKNxISZ6TAPLgJHuMlePFGGDdBMBw8uud76_aC_OEm6eodb1OkoLLyilWR5ire1YMFdUJoxy3ExSbfIcJuDQiE6N_TQQWMrh5YTrvUAs/s1600/TurtleTemplate2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitGOLIO-ljSrQrxWGlvopsttDd4bEAqNX6dNlmKNxISZ6TAPLgJHuMlePFGGDdBMBw8uud76_aC_OEm6eodb1OkoLLyilWR5ire1YMFdUJoxy3ExSbfIcJuDQiE6N_TQQWMrh5YTrvUAs/s320/TurtleTemplate2.png" width="291" /></a></b></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijEO4XVvlCaz2LtEHGwRIFDgXJCkoZLKIvK1wS-xJ7WPttsknFuK8FGhwc8ERGdHnG6IOf8PNYRxwW_ucIAxmgzM4njwUboGB0GUD6vhkxdC9gIEi26E44aw3BrWv4s77-Q0sWEKrKevcr/s1600/Incorporation2008+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijEO4XVvlCaz2LtEHGwRIFDgXJCkoZLKIvK1wS-xJ7WPttsknFuK8FGhwc8ERGdHnG6IOf8PNYRxwW_ucIAxmgzM4njwUboGB0GUD6vhkxdC9gIEi26E44aw3BrWv4s77-Q0sWEKrKevcr/s320/Incorporation2008+005.jpg" width="286" /></a></b></div></li>
<li> Double the fabric for the shell. Trace around the shell template.</li>
<li>Trace the shell template onto your piece of batting.</li>
<li>Cut the shell fabric and the body fabric leaving a 1/4" seam allowance.</li>
<li>Cut the shell batting with no seam allowance.</li>
<li>At this point you should have 2 pieces of fabric for body, 2 pieces of fabric for shell, 1 piece of batting for the shell stuffing.</li>
<li><i>Assemble the Shell</i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj04u8rkrVI0k8vlzN1F7PgxqnCIzAujTF2LLCP0TVhv78ZatVOnxwK1GRnxahE66xYAuf8iODfRfPH6c2k-7ppx5eI3uyXim-3vwWLy0eO4ZHH1ICaWhwkK4Oa2pwZaiXlHrJU4ce85HlR/s1600/IMG_3224.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj04u8rkrVI0k8vlzN1F7PgxqnCIzAujTF2LLCP0TVhv78ZatVOnxwK1GRnxahE66xYAuf8iODfRfPH6c2k-7ppx5eI3uyXim-3vwWLy0eO4ZHH1ICaWhwkK4Oa2pwZaiXlHrJU4ce85HlR/s320/IMG_3224.JPG" width="320" /></a></li>
<ul><li>Place fabric with right side facing each other. Using your sewing machine, sew around the shell with a 1/4" seam leaving a 2" opening.Stuff the batting into the shell and then hand-stitch the opening.</li>
<li>Stitch the shell in spiral or desired pattern to give it a quilted effect. </li>
<li>OPTIONAL: Using a backstitch with embroidery thread, make a design in the </li>
</ul><li><i>Assemble the body</i></li>
<ul><li>Sew around the body with a 1/4" seam leaving a 1" opening.</li>
<li>Stuff the body with stuffing and then hand stitch the opening.</li>
</ul><li>Tack the shell to the body at four or 5 points around the turtle.</li>
<li>OPTIONAL: Embroider on a face or a smile.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHg4zyv9lAfwu_IEjdyXChqNAOwmuJDGV2AL8vyx87_cc1BZdj5uPuQDMfNVhZ1yK3gh_vPDuU-prFumixLHgm7FJHhjklMdvAr0C8Gss1vbTL1rpUkkR2H56BiA7jtT7mE9Jap_qEED0K/s1600/IMG_3221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHg4zyv9lAfwu_IEjdyXChqNAOwmuJDGV2AL8vyx87_cc1BZdj5uPuQDMfNVhZ1yK3gh_vPDuU-prFumixLHgm7FJHhjklMdvAr0C8Gss1vbTL1rpUkkR2H56BiA7jtT7mE9Jap_qEED0K/s320/IMG_3221.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></li>
</ol><br />
Enjoy your stuffed turtle!!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdRhVd9E11OAxLhFGcZMOshGYrxGCkMtHZLxSZfrWZbvYr5E6XZy_Flb0awkDA4gOvODJWXg_2-od9PiSpAPB4e8vDH1Sy0RnpFkeNfFv07nDo8BIW7Y5AbEG_HYCLzxGyZqwearQiktt/s1600/turtle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdRhVd9E11OAxLhFGcZMOshGYrxGCkMtHZLxSZfrWZbvYr5E6XZy_Flb0awkDA4gOvODJWXg_2-od9PiSpAPB4e8vDH1Sy0RnpFkeNfFv07nDo8BIW7Y5AbEG_HYCLzxGyZqwearQiktt/s320/turtle.jpg" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Boy Clutching Beloved Little Turtle</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b><br />
Bringing joy to my little boy with a few left over scraps of fabric? That is a finer thing.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">This post is a contribution to Finer Things Friday at Amy's <a href="http://amysfinerthings.com/">The Finer Things in Life</a>.</span></span></b>Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13435276827256097475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019311003235500708.post-13960666170514472442011-03-22T08:00:00.043-04:002011-03-22T08:00:14.772-04:00ReCre8 Old T-Shirt Projects: Memory Pillows (Epsiode 1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4fagNTDt_7cUZaYhqfN3R10Dk7RRd6COygLhO7H5aU6OUYkJPqelxPIwmapqwdMh98o3HjeTh0gh6fm0lUvV_DWLyMsOzH8hS85hi8phB4sOHcwWTkd-afhXyyzyGJfcOeM0BYA9mVLt/s1600/IMG_3207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4fagNTDt_7cUZaYhqfN3R10Dk7RRd6COygLhO7H5aU6OUYkJPqelxPIwmapqwdMh98o3HjeTh0gh6fm0lUvV_DWLyMsOzH8hS85hi8phB4sOHcwWTkd-afhXyyzyGJfcOeM0BYA9mVLt/s320/IMG_3207.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>So, this is my "5 minute" attempt at creating a t-shirt pillow. I had this 12x12 pillow form sitting in the craft closet, so I thought I could throw together a pillow case for my 7-yo with his old T-Ball t-shirt.<br />
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I didn't want to mess with fusing and such, so I dealt with reinforcing the t-shirt material by using squares of an old sheet to sew underneath them.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Supplies</b></u><br />
<br />
<ul><li>2 13x13 squares of old sheet or similar cotton fabric </li>
<li>1 t-shirt</li>
<li>1 12x12 pillow form</li>
<li>Sheers</li>
<li> Sewing Machine</li>
</ul><b><u>Instructions </u></b><br />
<ol><li>Pin the 13x13 square of fabric to the front of the t-shirt, taking care to place any graphics in an appealing place.</li>
<li>Cut around the 13x13 square.</li>
<li>Repeat for the back of the t-shirt.</li>
<li>Layer your squares with the t-shirts pieces sanwiched inside the cotton fabric. (the part you want to show should be facing each other in the middle.</li>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWPqbSYnE1iCwn5n05wHY60b1mdfztYW0t9L5suQpSJZkbL4K2s8dJORjHF9k1OR7RpwNHHKIpAVtWn92xIW3wb42Elmz0YZ6d2H9A_LZSE-hsV_0mntoApGm6Ln0AOWXNrxTd5XIZneC/s1600/IMG_3206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWPqbSYnE1iCwn5n05wHY60b1mdfztYW0t9L5suQpSJZkbL4K2s8dJORjHF9k1OR7RpwNHHKIpAVtWn92xIW3wb42Elmz0YZ6d2H9A_LZSE-hsV_0mntoApGm6Ln0AOWXNrxTd5XIZneC/s320/IMG_3206.JPG" width="320" /></a>
<li>Using your machine, sew around the edges leaving a 1/2" seam. Leave a 5" opening for stuffing the pillow form in.</li>
<li>Turn the pillow form right side out.</li>
<li>Stuff your pillow form into the pillow case.</li>
<li>Hand stitch up the seam. (Here is where I tried to take a short cut and use the sewing machine. You can see from the picture that it does not look pretty! I don't recommend it!)</li>
<li>Ta-Da! now you have a soft comfy pillow.</li>
</ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUeuZVCc6ioQA93kuTJAWG1xdlzowCA3YgYrM-elDHK7Vtj-aJNQeEqi8pYnefGgSp_bp-WtPlM3hKR-wdbldkowp1GHnq8UPIVbNwGffeNwpikGRh5APyCmDDOl3itgQ1XocavWBvLfNj/s1600/IMG_3208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUeuZVCc6ioQA93kuTJAWG1xdlzowCA3YgYrM-elDHK7Vtj-aJNQeEqi8pYnefGgSp_bp-WtPlM3hKR-wdbldkowp1GHnq8UPIVbNwGffeNwpikGRh5APyCmDDOl3itgQ1XocavWBvLfNj/s400/IMG_3208.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13435276827256097475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019311003235500708.post-91565898055912587052011-01-20T08:00:00.012-05:002011-01-21T08:46:04.949-05:002010 Garden ReflectionsI am just giddy as I start to think about what my 2011 garden will look like! On these cold, winter days I like to sit and fantasize about all those fresh veggies and herbs growing just outside my door. But, as not to repeat gardening sins of the past, I first need to reflect on lessons learned from the 2010 garden.<br />
<br />
Since I was on a blogging break in 2010, I never did share my 2010 garden plan. I was attempting Square Foot Gardening, and I found Microsoft Excel very helpful to plan out how I would plant. I found this to be very useful to manage my time and also this made it very easy to adjust as reality interfered with my original vision. <br />
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Here is a view of the whole garden. There are 6 smaller beds (2'x5' and 2'x6'). Then there is a larger berry patch (4'x10') and an additional bed (4'x9'). Each cell in Excel represents 1 4"x4" square in the garden.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcH1hx8clVMis4o9yLxhGElzA-419fMcA0Fltb9VCNl9_TrqcdneAE07Am6k7YHkKdIjNrG9NneDD1DzWQ4rfFDnfc1Xz9nBJy4Z-4HbAJE5yZ74nK4FZvBVIjclNMN-NAiCEEXw-h3RFR/s1600/GardenPlan2010.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcH1hx8clVMis4o9yLxhGElzA-419fMcA0Fltb9VCNl9_TrqcdneAE07Am6k7YHkKdIjNrG9NneDD1DzWQ4rfFDnfc1Xz9nBJy4Z-4HbAJE5yZ74nK4FZvBVIjclNMN-NAiCEEXw-h3RFR/s640/GardenPlan2010.PNG" width="361" /></a></div><br />
This is the blow-up of what I consider the main garden beds. This was the original size of the garden.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjhs9B6G__k1oOpKp13rqJ6QTAdo17TtzzrWp98Rfwk4QVP6B-7xRkMYYvTc1n65LO3I9GRNtYwdjvHwvb_1QARqAwTDOPOBuPOjpI2S1Wq1EsqqMxZhhfv5KMCrBUvypK6lrXTJ_zIpWp/s1600/GardenPlan2010_Upper.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjhs9B6G__k1oOpKp13rqJ6QTAdo17TtzzrWp98Rfwk4QVP6B-7xRkMYYvTc1n65LO3I9GRNtYwdjvHwvb_1QARqAwTDOPOBuPOjpI2S1Wq1EsqqMxZhhfv5KMCrBUvypK6lrXTJ_zIpWp/s400/GardenPlan2010_Upper.PNG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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Here is the berry patch and the potato trash can. I had anticipating getting the berry patch all set in 2010, but as it turned out, I didn't get the plants in until the fall.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqqAuNdl6ffFXwQO_cP6OghvxVBJhXq5qsrIpK6kIas9CVPnK-qH0h8Ai3NmmHp51nhtDHUwlOqK8pcrrDdYN0KgIPlmxA7iPNvDmeRm0zy3rB0dWyhMBz3dIneiF4woLVPTmqMFBkQUOf/s1600/GardenPlan2010_Mid.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqqAuNdl6ffFXwQO_cP6OghvxVBJhXq5qsrIpK6kIas9CVPnK-qH0h8Ai3NmmHp51nhtDHUwlOqK8pcrrDdYN0KgIPlmxA7iPNvDmeRm0zy3rB0dWyhMBz3dIneiF4woLVPTmqMFBkQUOf/s400/GardenPlan2010_Mid.PNG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Finally, this is the large bed. In 2011, I use this for squashes and melons.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCk3qieoQ4vsBVTUQHEZ7IkhHqnQTzsUQ0ZDVbAqtiUVMS2iG4tBkXgg5BrPfi-_Fm1vHmkarSuRlzQvSPUBU4QJgf0VicT3PXCJWEyVxuBeH-TwSdYrsFyruLkciFGLl0YjuBGEcaONtE/s1600/GardenPlan2010_Lower.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCk3qieoQ4vsBVTUQHEZ7IkhHqnQTzsUQ0ZDVbAqtiUVMS2iG4tBkXgg5BrPfi-_Fm1vHmkarSuRlzQvSPUBU4QJgf0VicT3PXCJWEyVxuBeH-TwSdYrsFyruLkciFGLl0YjuBGEcaONtE/s400/GardenPlan2010_Lower.PNG" width="345" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, what did I learn in 2010? So much!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ol><li> <b>I need deer protection!</b> In the smaller garden area we didn't have a problem with deer - I think this might have been because the space was too small to jump into. In our larger garden area this year, the deer just helped themselves on a daily basis. They ate squash blossoms, whole tomato plants, lettuce, and parsley. This year, I need to have a proactive solution for keeping the deer OUT! Any suggestions?</li>
<li><b>Aggressive de-bugging works.</b> I made finding aphids into a game for my boys. They would come out there with me early in the season to gently look under the leaves playing "who can find the most aphids". Then I could just smush them before they could do much damage. This allowed my broccoli to mature beautifully for the first time providing both a spring and fall harvest!</li>
<li><b>Garlic really needs to be planted in the fall</b> to mature properly in my area. So, this time, I have already planted tons of garlic. I really hope it does well.</li>
<li><b>I need to fungicide the pear tree</b>. We have a mature pear tree in our back yard. We have seen some years with nothing and some years with a wonderful harvest. I have noticed for the past 2 years how the leaves all get black dots underneath them and fall off. With no more source of fuel, the immature fruits fall off. After talking to some local farmers, I learned that my problem is fungus. Apparently it is nearly impossible to grow pears in this humid mid-atlantic climate without using some fungicide.So, now I have to research the most eco-friendly fungicide.</li>
<li><b>Prepare beds for the winter</b> - it will make the spring much easier! In 2010, it was a big pain to de-weed my beds in preparation for planting. This year, I prepared (mostly) in the fall and covered the beds with a bunch of oak leaves. I hope this will leave me in better shape come March. </li>
</ol>OK, there are a lot more lessons learned, but this post is getting too long. Dreaming of gardens past in present is definitely a finer thing in life. <span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">This post is a contribution to Finer Things Friday at Amy's <a href="http://amysfinerthings.com/">The Finer Things in Life</a>.</span></span><br />
<br />
<i>I would love to hear what you have learned in your 2010 gardening experience... </i>Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13435276827256097475noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019311003235500708.post-6878108695870188392011-01-19T08:00:00.001-05:002011-01-19T08:00:07.630-05:00Cre8-ing Electricity: Results from 1.5 years of Solar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRA3oPR6X2XbZep3g3bbWsRnL4IHLNnsazC0SL45X0xNpR8Ngw_xCRz2-jWCGkHLxEk3Q9ZpEn76fOiN3l39OVmAnULV6Zm43vedre5AhQshlTgYUfprWwjAaOoVsl2n56HuiwC9iDFH3S/s1600/SUN.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRA3oPR6X2XbZep3g3bbWsRnL4IHLNnsazC0SL45X0xNpR8Ngw_xCRz2-jWCGkHLxEk3Q9ZpEn76fOiN3l39OVmAnULV6Zm43vedre5AhQshlTgYUfprWwjAaOoVsl2n56HuiwC9iDFH3S/s200/SUN.png" width="200" /></a></div>So far, I've shared how we decided to invest in a Photovoltaic Solar System and how the installation went. Many people ask me how the system is performing and how it affects us on a day-to-day basis. Let me start with the easy stuff...<br />
<br />
<b>How Does Solar Affect Us on a Day-to-Day Basis?</b><br />
Not at all. In fact, we could just forget about this until our electric bill comes and it is lower than expected (if I didn't obsessively check the performance on a daily basis). In our installation, the solar panels are only visible from the back yard, so we don't even look a them. There is no change to the way the electric system works within our house.<br />
<br />
<b>How Did We Prepare (Reducing Electricity Usage)?</b><br />
Before we went ahead and invested in this system, we took many steps to reduce the electric usage in our home. Some of the biggest impact items were: using a programmable thermostat to lower the usage of AC/Heat Pump, add weather stripping, and lower the temperature on our hot water heater. Some other items are:<br />
<ul><li>put vampire energy hogs (such s the cable box) on a timer, </li>
<li>not using dry cycle on dishwasher, </li>
<li>switch to CF/LED lighting </li>
<li>and washing clothes in cool water.</li>
</ul><br />
<b>How Much Do We Produce?</b><br />
Yeah, this is where I get to show my graph. I am a geek for Excel! There is a lot of information in this graph. The bars represent our total electric usage each month. The "green" section of the bar shows the amount each month that our solar generates. The "red" section of the bar shows the amount of electricity that we use from BGE. The line on the graph shows the percentage of our total usage that comes from solar each month.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDnGqlaOniuziOhmzHeiRgVAfKx2cd5MWJiLu8zlySJm_ZM5iiE1ksUCkdWRwNVZTtZElSC4hx7i0_nHnUSPdlL57cGwvsjXnNoUR3kBkWHA83157iV9UcW2hJO5EpTFqdKMNJ5wjxXuKA/s1600/SolarUsageBGEvSolar.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDnGqlaOniuziOhmzHeiRgVAfKx2cd5MWJiLu8zlySJm_ZM5iiE1ksUCkdWRwNVZTtZElSC4hx7i0_nHnUSPdlL57cGwvsjXnNoUR3kBkWHA83157iV9UcW2hJO5EpTFqdKMNJ5wjxXuKA/s400/SolarUsageBGEvSolar.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<b>What Affects Production the Most?</b><br />
The biggest barrier to production is 2 feet of snow covering the panels! In fact, the only times we have had zero production is when the panels are covered with snow. The other factors that affect this are the season (number of hours of daylight), how cloudy the sky is, and the temperature (solar panels are more efficient in cool weather rather than in very hot weather). <br />
<br />
<b>What Percent of Our Electric Usage Comes From Solar?</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFF-5l7MCoa3oVxs5EQiYTVvTKits76sym0L8Jg5bkp87pcg4A0cqogdztQjQ2g7I5gF7BSo4rFE6jS3yyUK940LDzzof3D9yCZQXeIgGnxo3DA0WnN7K6uPtL0b1L66UwnffAbqfcFo-5/s1600/SolarSupplyBreakdownBGEvSolar.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFF-5l7MCoa3oVxs5EQiYTVvTKits76sym0L8Jg5bkp87pcg4A0cqogdztQjQ2g7I5gF7BSo4rFE6jS3yyUK940LDzzof3D9yCZQXeIgGnxo3DA0WnN7K6uPtL0b1L66UwnffAbqfcFo-5/s320/SolarSupplyBreakdownBGEvSolar.png" width="320" /></a>Here's another (far more simplistic) graph. BGE is our electric company. We have no gas in our area, so all of our heating and cooking needs are met by electric. To date, about 46% of our electric usage comes form our solar system. When we first looked into this, I was very set on having a system that provided 100% of our needs. After evaluating the investment, it was just not feasible for us. Also, there was not enough room on our roof to support this. If you look at the first graph, you can see how this percentage varies over time. In the spring and early summer, almost all of our energy can be supplied by solar. In the winter, it is a very small percentage. This is not just because we generate less electricity in the winter, but because we tend to use the heat in the winter a lot more than we use the AC in the summer.<br />
<br />
<b>What Kinds of Issues Have We Had?</b><br />
I hate to say this, because I don't want to jinx it, but we have not had any issues so far. I am hoping that keeps up because maintenance expenses would really delay our return on investment (ROI) timeline.<br />
<br />
<b>What is the Return on Investment (ROI)?</b><br />
Based on the tax incentives we have seen so far and based on what we can expect to save in electiricity costs in the future, our system should pay itself off by 2015. We should break even within 5.5 years. After that point, all that annual savings is just money in our pocket (or in 529 plans as the case may be). I was willing to pursue this with a 10 year ROI, so I am very pleased that it looks like it will come in under 6 years.<br />
<br />
<b>How Has This Changed Our Electric Usage?</b><br />
I was really hoping that once we had the system installed we would continue to cut our electric usage (motivated by the desire to see that meter run backwards). Unfortunately, this has not been the case. Our usage has been creeping upwards. With only 1.5 years of data to look at, it is hard to say if this is because of the extreme weather we have been having (extremely hot and extremely cold) or just because we have become lethargic about reducing our usage. Time and data will tell!Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13435276827256097475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019311003235500708.post-20419485503668924942011-01-14T08:00:00.002-05:002011-01-14T10:06:26.386-05:00Pass the Weeds, Please (Episode III): Winter Weed<a href="http://www.wildfoodadventures.com/images/bookmainbutton.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.wildfoodadventures.com/images/bookmainbutton.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 242px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 153px;" /></a><br />
Once my pre-ordered copy of John Kallas's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Edible-Wild-Plants-Foods-Adventure/dp/1423601505/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1294237936&sr=8-4">Edible Wild Plants: Wild Foods From Dirt To Plate</a> arrived, I completely devoured it in a day. One of my favorite finds in my backyard this year was chickweed.<br />
<br />
<b>Chickweed (Stellaria Media)</b><br />
Chickweed is a delicious winter weed. It grows all over the planet, so there is probably some i your area. I have read from a few different sources that it gets its name because chickens love to eat it. Depending on your zone, you may see it start showing up in February or March.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants.Folder/Chickweed.html">How to Identify Chickweed</a><br />
<br />
<u>Nutrition Information for Chickweed</u><br />
Chickweed contains vitamins B6, B12, C and<br />
D, plus beta-carotene, iron, calcium, potassium, zinc, phosphorus and<br />
manganese. It also contains the flavinoid rutin.<br />
<br />
This is what my garden looked like in early April (however, many regions will find Chickweed starting to arrive as early as February) as I was going to get started with my spring planting. It was totally overrun with Chickweed, although I didn't know what it was at the time. So, as I often do when I find weeds growing in the garden, I identified it to see if it was something worth eating. I liked what I found!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmP90T62PcTkqYxnrLztDGs5xsoPAmbUfyhRIjh4afpt4qZxaCDCkk8yjc32z88mXqP_FaerxyldU2v9IVGToQ8q1i2waE4kvToNpcgf7nu3MEmwx3OylS6uutHUKLEjxoMu79I6tOni0/s1600/IMG_1642.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558712668503845506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmP90T62PcTkqYxnrLztDGs5xsoPAmbUfyhRIjh4afpt4qZxaCDCkk8yjc32z88mXqP_FaerxyldU2v9IVGToQ8q1i2waE4kvToNpcgf7nu3MEmwx3OylS6uutHUKLEjxoMu79I6tOni0/s320/IMG_1642.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
These pictures are what chickweed looks like in the early spring in my zone. Look how much is there! I needed to clean it out of my garden, so why not put all these free veggies to good use. This plant changes a lot throughout the season. It gets very tall and grows very aggressively. The good news is that it is very easy to pull up. I look forward to cleaning up my garden this year and cooking up some nice Chickweed quiche for dinner.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38cRjd7HDrA0bIPz-bSSEs708iG3_VGZOW8kaGNhqBBmd_7Jc4H_DN6VZm3xqY13s7rXfLC6JeLLl2SdX5-bNk2L6MaDuGY7IEiXoApSXjBkZRIDgn-g5idCSr8etvofMZmC7ajHOMNfr/s1600/chickweed2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558713957994858162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38cRjd7HDrA0bIPz-bSSEs708iG3_VGZOW8kaGNhqBBmd_7Jc4H_DN6VZm3xqY13s7rXfLC6JeLLl2SdX5-bNk2L6MaDuGY7IEiXoApSXjBkZRIDgn-g5idCSr8etvofMZmC7ajHOMNfr/s320/chickweed2.jpg" style="float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 153px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxXvZtAOu8Fs1qOkVWRX2VDzVYjqQCiNEkxNntigi7QJrLEuSGFi3AWb4lrhdnsDqK40WciQXfNJtLyO0B98FMJr0dPZlLw8LpPw3QGZs9gUt4K4pYqFvvxzZ4vYBdxH2WVTY8qIiub6HK/s1600/chickweed.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558713906432695138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxXvZtAOu8Fs1qOkVWRX2VDzVYjqQCiNEkxNntigi7QJrLEuSGFi3AWb4lrhdnsDqK40WciQXfNJtLyO0B98FMJr0dPZlLw8LpPw3QGZs9gUt4K4pYqFvvxzZ4vYBdxH2WVTY8qIiub6HK/s320/chickweed.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 277px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">How to Use Chickweed, Some Ideas</span><br />
<ol><li>Add to Tomato Sauce/Spaghetti Sauce ( I do this all the time. I just throw it in the blender with the tomatoes and basil).</li>
<li>Sautee in some olive oil and butter with Diced Onions</li>
<li>Toss with a table salad</li>
<li>Include in a pesto</li>
<li>Wash and Eat it raw - it is a really tasty weed</li>
<li>Add it to a veggie lasagna</li>
<li> Chickweed Quiche or Frittata</li>
</ol>Free fresh veggies in my own backyard? Now that is a Finer Thing. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Note: I am not a biologist, nutrition, or herbalist. I am just sharing my own appreciation for foraging and nutrition based on my own research. I strongly encourage you to conduct your own research before eating wild food.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">This post is a contribution to Finer Things Friday at Amy's <a href="http://amysfinerthings.com/">The Finer Things in Life</a>.</span></span><br />
<br />
<ol></ol>Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13435276827256097475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019311003235500708.post-79790583621224838132011-01-11T15:15:00.000-05:002011-01-11T15:15:25.749-05:00Cre8-ing Electricity: Our Solar Installation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKkwWWMu-GqoR8M9G_Sg42gq9wggfAGvOBdMUMmf6xKKOlD6dPU41u91aiHGIgxuuHkR1Q_5Km5s9pXRIo5-kZTo1Mm988kspm_BcSEEUq8XeQJayu-exiAvKqaa2TBJW06WWW_pbOOZdI/s1600/IMG_0101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKkwWWMu-GqoR8M9G_Sg42gq9wggfAGvOBdMUMmf6xKKOlD6dPU41u91aiHGIgxuuHkR1Q_5Km5s9pXRIo5-kZTo1Mm988kspm_BcSEEUq8XeQJayu-exiAvKqaa2TBJW06WWW_pbOOZdI/s200/IMG_0101.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>In August of 2009, after we had taken efforts to reduce our electricity consumption and done a <a href="http://cre8andrecre8.blogspot.com/2009/07/cre8-your-own-energy-documenting-our.html">lengthy analysis</a> on the feasibility of acquiring a Photovoltaic Solar System, we had a 7.7 kW Solar Electric System installed on our roof by a local mid-Atlantic company called <a href="http://www.standardsolar.com/">Standard Solar</a>. <br />
<br />
We were giddy with excitement the day of the installation. The truck pulled up, the workers unloaded all the materials and gear and they got right to work up on the roof.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEgkrkk0KOgaXUaQVFOq5ny-6ybWdxk_-ioFGlUPCFrdRaDXnIdI28x9xJpP7u1lFLBWmz5118fLT1RFjgd_3hKeeJjC63aO1YdrJz8o7qZLHFZokN76TFNNoeaykAfcK1kag8UfG3rNAU/s320/IMG_0092.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the Panels anxiously waiting on the deck to be installed</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" left;="" text-align:=""><u><b>The Specs</b></u></div>Size: 7.7kW <span class="il">Solar</span> Electric System <br />
Panels: 44 Suntech 175 Watt <span class="il">solar</span> modules.<br />
<br />
Type of PV Cells: Crystalline <br />
Monitoring: Sunny Webbox. <br />
<br />
<u><b>The Installation</b></u><br />
Overall, the installation was completed in two days. The process was very painless for us - not so much for the installers being up on the roof in 95 degree weather!! But, I did my best to keep them hydrated.<br />
<br />
The installation involved putting the mountings on the roof to securely hold the panels, installing the panels, installing the inverter, tying into our electrical system, and upgrading the meter to a digital meter which can run forwards and backwards.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDQiFW2dysL788WZwKa6XNzUbZQKfgfKekJBQX_28ykN-Nqq8BKAU8MaCetf4lJMwyAj7ldwh1flkR8wiXpcXwyFyn5Ar7D8CAXwL6uQbM8cMHKh_t6QJ7lF6yg4LxHmfC4Iuoxcx4stg/s1600/IMG_0113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDQiFW2dysL788WZwKa6XNzUbZQKfgfKekJBQX_28ykN-Nqq8BKAU8MaCetf4lJMwyAj7ldwh1flkR8wiXpcXwyFyn5Ar7D8CAXwL6uQbM8cMHKh_t6QJ7lF6yg4LxHmfC4Iuoxcx4stg/s200/IMG_0113.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our New Meter</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDHIGpPoPAqiXYx8lVaZWF3AOo_iZS4V506oDssw9J-14mXo4C0V4iI6CTmpU9UdG6U_aGBG7GswtAXhfB4gUSTQBtoGvgSyJUtba9fTs0diRIS0S-hHo5oRtDi0Wpp4apj3bnCH2jvHLB/s1600/IMG_0117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDHIGpPoPAqiXYx8lVaZWF3AOo_iZS4V506oDssw9J-14mXo4C0V4iI6CTmpU9UdG6U_aGBG7GswtAXhfB4gUSTQBtoGvgSyJUtba9fTs0diRIS0S-hHo5oRtDi0Wpp4apj3bnCH2jvHLB/s200/IMG_0117.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wiring through Attic to Inverter</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgejNvW9C2o5sz8GOW7rGSbKGuvF4JKqgZawpTR1m4w97Hv0iknnOr8qEu8PjxU66Sl549eBdAUxnzzoeBtAEh241WoLsfzMbK48ONXV7qZnm_rm_PXHm74vjWQT1qo_i5w8Rj7EHgw6lbn/s1600/IMG_0121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgejNvW9C2o5sz8GOW7rGSbKGuvF4JKqgZawpTR1m4w97Hv0iknnOr8qEu8PjxU66Sl549eBdAUxnzzoeBtAEh241WoLsfzMbK48ONXV7qZnm_rm_PXHm74vjWQT1qo_i5w8Rj7EHgw6lbn/s400/IMG_0121.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laying the Groudwork to Secure the Panels</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQ_B4-XdBzXzcHPbq7ncwWgVZTbZBUdFKxBXRqgfxdPJdZL-ya3t918vzucgOsCEWUXPE_fabcqJI87RWSytaeB8f770ZlSHJXRe4hncxUYKFvleVECM0PuVcSBdVkYD_14pfOCFhIxvJ/s1600/IMG_0172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQ_B4-XdBzXzcHPbq7ncwWgVZTbZBUdFKxBXRqgfxdPJdZL-ya3t918vzucgOsCEWUXPE_fabcqJI87RWSytaeB8f770ZlSHJXRe4hncxUYKFvleVECM0PuVcSBdVkYD_14pfOCFhIxvJ/s400/IMG_0172.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Installing the Last of the Panels</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
It was about 2 weeks between when our system installation was completed and when the electric company approved our Interconnection Application so that the system could be tied into the grid. Rather than having a battery backup, our system is tied into the electric grid. This means when we are producing <i>less </i>than we use, we pull electricity from the grid and our meter runs <i>forward</i>. If we are producing <i>more </i>than we use, we push electricity back to the grid and our meter runs <i>backwards</i>. Being tied into the grid means that when there is a power outage in our area, we still experience that power outage. We are okay with that, because it doesn't happen too often for us. Standard Solar has a <a href="http://www.standardsolar.com/How-It-Works/Residential.aspx">great little video</a> on how the Solar System works in this setup.<br />
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So far, after a year and a half, everything has been working just as expected. We have not had any issues or problems so far. In the next Solar Post, I'll tell you how we track the performance of the system and how it has been doing with all this extreme temperature in the Mid-Atlantic over the past two year.<br />
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<i>How about you? Do you have a solar system? Are you considering alternative sources of energy?</i>Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13435276827256097475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019311003235500708.post-48856207127407332062011-01-11T08:00:00.030-05:002011-01-11T08:00:10.133-05:00Grateful for My Local Home & Garden Information CenterI just didn't expect something like this to exist! The University of Maryland Home and Garden Information Center has a program where you can call or email your gardening questions and a Master Gardener will respond with an answer. They advertise on their site:<br />
<div style="color: red; text-align: center;"><blockquote><i>Ask the experts! We answer plant</i><br />
<i>and pest questions.</i></blockquote></div><br />
So, I did just that. I want to know why I can't seem to grow bell peppers, which are supposed to be so easy to grow. So I asked...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNrbniVGXGgttqooRGUjhic8bQFsX_wCI6zh7GnHGFHhqjycbExEJJJpxX6q0QJOPrYkMaxeJKpyg6S7JV9B03lcMy8SshPSj_ENINpM6GwQCpEF1SMGilxtr20i7zYJaJ6Ra4nf-W9tq/s1600/HGIC1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNrbniVGXGgttqooRGUjhic8bQFsX_wCI6zh7GnHGFHhqjycbExEJJJpxX6q0QJOPrYkMaxeJKpyg6S7JV9B03lcMy8SshPSj_ENINpM6GwQCpEF1SMGilxtr20i7zYJaJ6Ra4nf-W9tq/s400/HGIC1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Next business day, they responded...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9esMt8nGTZpXTDWHzCvmofVPGIpNhTgW9OikUOb4ur3HMoyrlI-RocuQB6HFxKLW1_Z2-kCwm-eVB-dkrSdlkf8zkHCgesDo-AKbC7pMvvTKf_fUcqOtqaQPzE1emZRR_j7wlvuW7G2uD/s1600/HGIC2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="327" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9esMt8nGTZpXTDWHzCvmofVPGIpNhTgW9OikUOb4ur3HMoyrlI-RocuQB6HFxKLW1_Z2-kCwm-eVB-dkrSdlkf8zkHCgesDo-AKbC7pMvvTKf_fUcqOtqaQPzE1emZRR_j7wlvuW7G2uD/s400/HGIC2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
This same organization also brings one of my favorite gardening blogs called "<a href="http://groweat.blogspot.com/">Grow It! Eat It!</a>," where I get lots of good gardening advice.<br />
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What a great free, local resource! Do they have something similar in your area?<br />
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<em>I am sharing my gratitude. Join us for Gratituesday at </em><a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/"><em>Heavenly Homemakers</em></a><em>!</em>Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13435276827256097475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019311003235500708.post-84221189725232769832011-01-10T08:00:00.094-05:002011-01-10T14:14:48.158-05:00Chocolate Chip Cookies Cockaigne - An Adaptation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcIGnHALdnCNIqwFYwFrHN6DO-cmvkMiWUAvO4g7mnPShvnkgNzW_j3TbLwHR253lJ-q3VSSI4XxBDcV84krhCtSz4uAgpSNp-Qr3lonYQaSgDRLO3iv-dduqsRW1bHB5EvWTRtJkrt3Ul/s1600/CookieOatyChocChip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcIGnHALdnCNIqwFYwFrHN6DO-cmvkMiWUAvO4g7mnPShvnkgNzW_j3TbLwHR253lJ-q3VSSI4XxBDcV84krhCtSz4uAgpSNp-Qr3lonYQaSgDRLO3iv-dduqsRW1bHB5EvWTRtJkrt3Ul/s200/CookieOatyChocChip.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The Joy of Cooking is my "food bible". I would say I use this at least 5 times a week and it shows! The pages are covered in flower and butter and chocolate smudges. Until recently, I thought the word "Cockaigne" after some of the recipe names was some type of French cooking technique of which I had never heard. So, after a little research, I learned that this is not the case at all.<br />
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Apparently (according to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockaigne">Wikipedia</a>), Cockaigne is a "medieval mythical land of plenty, an imaginary place of extreme luxury and ease where physical comforts and pleasures are always immediately at hand and where the harshness of medieval peasant life does not exist." Cockaigne is also the name of a family estate of Irma Rombauer designed by her architect husband, John Becker. Recipes in the Joy of Cooking that are designated with a "Cockaigne" ending are a family favorite of the Beckers!<br />
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And this Chocolate Chip cookie deserves to be a family favorite. Since I am grinding my own flour now, I needed an adaptation of this cookie that would work with only whole grains. I also threw in a little coconut flour for the extra sweetness and fiber.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxML7X_Jfxlt9jvjXDlMi3Gdepz6thzUNW5hx5wVF04Nxn8H-3Z0k_hLJ2CcNpDdT3cMG5waSR9G9H1oKYKlfv_ETlG8-jHxiuRNytUmdJnQt8-uBQVj5CvWw0V44B3roxY4kEX3upIIC_/s1600/CoolingCookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxML7X_Jfxlt9jvjXDlMi3Gdepz6thzUNW5hx5wVF04Nxn8H-3Z0k_hLJ2CcNpDdT3cMG5waSR9G9H1oKYKlfv_ETlG8-jHxiuRNytUmdJnQt8-uBQVj5CvWw0V44B3roxY4kEX3upIIC_/s400/CoolingCookies.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
This is a double recipe I included volume and weights on the flour for those of you who weigh your flour for baking. I always like to freeze half of this for "cookies on demand". <br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<ul><li>2 cups White Whole Wheat Flour (10 oz.)</li>
<li>2/3 c. finely milled Oat Flour (4 oz.)</li>
<li>1 c. coarsely milled Oat Flour (5 oz.)</li>
<li>1/2 c. Coconut Flour (4 oz.)</li>
<li>2 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda</li>
<li>1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder</li>
<li>1 tsp. Salt</li>
<li>1 pound butter (soft)</li>
<li>1 1/2 c. sugar</li>
<li>1 1/3 c. brown sugar</li>
<li>2 large eggs (room temp)</li>
<li>1/2 c. milk</li>
<li>5 tsp. vanilla</li>
<li>1-2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (depending on your preference)</li>
<li>6 oz. milk chocolate grated or chopped</li>
</ul><br />
<b>Directions</b><br />
<ol><li>Preheat oven to 375 degrees</li>
<li>In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together Wheat flour, Coconut flour, finely-milled Oat flour (retain the coarsely milled), Baking soda, Baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed.</li>
<li>In your electric mixer bowl (or a large bowl for hand mixing), beat butter with medium speed until it is creamy and light. Add sugars and beat until fully combined. Beat in eggs one at a time; scraping the bowl in between. Beat in milk and vanilla.</li>
<li>Stir in the flour mixture gradually until everything is well blended.</li>
<li>Stir in the coarsely milled oat flour, chocolate chips, and grated milk chocolate until evenly distributed.</li>
<li>Prepare your baking sheet by greasing, laying parchment paper, or a silicone baking sheet</li>
<li>Use a small disher or your hands to drop 1.5" balls of dough about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.</li>
<li>Using two fingers, slightly flatten out each ball of dough.</li>
<li>Bake for 8-12 minutes until lightly browned.</li>
<li>Cool and Enjoy!</li>
</ol><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPlHqLMUCuTO0CLKy0Rs5NSVIa7KyTcadWFQB3sjDmaWhWnzujOPY1rXwif9Nplf1VrVSE00b8AWG91RlUcu1cgQHY8TeeP_9fESHpQ4yYVghG9Y62LmxQYIpTaJml1sDvSpnHPd-R2azO/s1600/IMG_3141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPlHqLMUCuTO0CLKy0Rs5NSVIa7KyTcadWFQB3sjDmaWhWnzujOPY1rXwif9Nplf1VrVSE00b8AWG91RlUcu1cgQHY8TeeP_9fESHpQ4yYVghG9Y62LmxQYIpTaJml1sDvSpnHPd-R2azO/s400/IMG_3141.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<b>Cookies-On-Demand </b><br />
You never know when you are going to NEED a chocolate chip cookie. I take about half the dough and form it into a log. I then roll up the log in parchment paper and twist the ends like a giant tootsie roll and put it in the freezer. When you want to make cookies, just use a steak knife to slice off about 1/2" discs and cook at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzLVS5dmmsJAo4hsw5E6oasCrAbbvJgzSbEmFeLQNQ_twLPZu3h05HCEPhT7y2EKv6vDc5rKfnwX-8TgR2NDPRj8shc6ZedTYaaCN2z6H-gtHGUw1dR6tYUrW221sxlZHsZizr0KtxVIi3/s1600/CookieDoughRoll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="70" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzLVS5dmmsJAo4hsw5E6oasCrAbbvJgzSbEmFeLQNQ_twLPZu3h05HCEPhT7y2EKv6vDc5rKfnwX-8TgR2NDPRj8shc6ZedTYaaCN2z6H-gtHGUw1dR6tYUrW221sxlZHsZizr0KtxVIi3/s400/CookieDoughRoll.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Let me know if you try this one out! What are your FAVORITE Joy of Cooking Recipes?Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13435276827256097475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019311003235500708.post-57974067829933253112011-01-07T08:00:00.001-05:002011-01-07T08:00:12.455-05:00The Garden My Husband Built<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ_HK33MNXR6XQCkLtadtiGsaspyM_8nGhB6-X4AgTSQfVfT8L7lOIIKShqPdx5neH0PC4Y3p_woxdH7ensSqHPajYbp-gO7HDwqpiq0RmFahwzV2CoqDbV-rQcjdfvFG8RdueTtmAyikb/s1600/IMG_1794.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ_HK33MNXR6XQCkLtadtiGsaspyM_8nGhB6-X4AgTSQfVfT8L7lOIIKShqPdx5neH0PC4Y3p_woxdH7ensSqHPajYbp-gO7HDwqpiq0RmFahwzV2CoqDbV-rQcjdfvFG8RdueTtmAyikb/s400/IMG_1794.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558698429622570898" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I often come up with lots of great ideas that create a good deal of work for my husband. Over these 16 years of togetherness, we seem to fall into these roles as a couple. I come up with some crazy plan and he makes it happen.<br /><br />After a successful summer with a container herb garden on my deck, I thought we definitely needed a garden. The problem was, I am a very inconsistent "maintainer" (is that a word). I tend to have a ton of enthusiasm at the beginning of a project and then fizzle out as I get bored or discouraged. So, if this garden was going to work, it had to be pretty self-sustaining.<br /><br />After a lot of research (thanks, Internet!) I decided we would need a raised bed garden with a drip irrigation system on a timer. Following much of the advice in Mel Bartholomew's book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Square-Foot-Gardening-Garden-Space/dp/1579548563/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294234716&sr=8-1">Square Foot Gardening</a>, we found a sunny spot in the yard and made a plan.<br /><br />Cedar really would have been the best option for the beds, but it was out of our price range. We didn't want to use plain lumber because of the toxins it would leak into the ground. Although it is less than ideal, we settled on painted lumber (I LOVE the paint color - husband? not so much).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedCX6dNlebnZM9wVJJ9RXd8-deuW0BXEnI9KW_j6lrBjlfIAsFn5GGLwKWcBSHjYsb0H7E9kTifMDHOdup6NWG_VgT7BIr5lzvCU4thTayVtweiW84SyQyEksK0KV1hsgvon8DPxxsqI0/s1600/IMG_1967.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedCX6dNlebnZM9wVJJ9RXd8-deuW0BXEnI9KW_j6lrBjlfIAsFn5GGLwKWcBSHjYsb0H7E9kTifMDHOdup6NWG_VgT7BIr5lzvCU4thTayVtweiW84SyQyEksK0KV1hsgvon8DPxxsqI0/s400/IMG_1967.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558698856201307186" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We put river rocks around the beds to keep weeds down and some flagstone for a walkway through the garden area. We put chicken wire underneath each of the beds to try to keep out digging varmits from beneath.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt4hJqHmpojTni6Wyf5LBMxXjqw29KejrqSsDF6PEqC3TBRXReS0t0FhnybjllKDGW8d6h2Cdj2WLA8zy3GEHs6mmhQ9BucKC7lAvevDDjNk9vb_be72zroSQzJajIn1XysbUqoUilnO_a/s1600/IMG_1968.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt4hJqHmpojTni6Wyf5LBMxXjqw29KejrqSsDF6PEqC3TBRXReS0t0FhnybjllKDGW8d6h2Cdj2WLA8zy3GEHs6mmhQ9BucKC7lAvevDDjNk9vb_be72zroSQzJajIn1XysbUqoUilnO_a/s400/IMG_1968.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558698651812129058" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />The drip irrigation on a timer has really been a life saver. If I go on vacation, the garden still gets watered. If I forget, the garden still gets watered. This is the number one thing that has turned my black thumb at least military green.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQHP9fdD74nk2YGKLYgZ4LM8niX9liyWkTvkSGcsnGKL1ERXEajx5n_EJvgKZbi4Plof5QydrUiZEkUQ2jqln7Zsz1IA5X8VzyOPnZ6kKIPiNza0e5o8X9coVgTMrm9_tDfFI9zvM8pVOG/s1600/IMG_1759.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQHP9fdD74nk2YGKLYgZ4LM8niX9liyWkTvkSGcsnGKL1ERXEajx5n_EJvgKZbi4Plof5QydrUiZEkUQ2jqln7Zsz1IA5X8VzyOPnZ6kKIPiNza0e5o8X9coVgTMrm9_tDfFI9zvM8pVOG/s400/IMG_1759.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558699478965789426" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />So, after two years of gardening, we have had some great successes (such as an abundant strawberry harvest, beautiful herbs, and lots of broccoli) and we have had many failures (2 years of failed eggplant, spinach destroyed by aphids, and deer eating all our tomato plants). But each year we learn a great deal. It brings me so much joy to tend to the plants with my children and to "pick" our dinner at night.<br /><br />The Garden My Husband Built is a Finer Thing<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">This post is a contribution to Finer Things Friday at Amy's <a href="http://amysfinerthings.com/">The Finer Things in Life</a>.</span></span>Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13435276827256097475noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019311003235500708.post-39783472099760537232011-01-05T12:00:00.007-05:002011-01-05T12:32:14.435-05:00ReCre8 Old T-Shirts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0aY8RfDYtCWtny81arOk5dVOXYcK4WUzdVdeqLwEf0F17cnvbBZOcO-hK79TLyHPZQaHG5pgNVcKPCJU9wjPaWERq3_XRCWUUpSrSy3835Gu1NySclvcBxLE9abw1_z5bduu_qVU6LveJ/s1600/Picture1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0aY8RfDYtCWtny81arOk5dVOXYcK4WUzdVdeqLwEf0F17cnvbBZOcO-hK79TLyHPZQaHG5pgNVcKPCJU9wjPaWERq3_XRCWUUpSrSy3835Gu1NySclvcBxLE9abw1_z5bduu_qVU6LveJ/s200/Picture1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558753704270471138" border="0" /></a>T-Shirts.<br /><br />I have WAY too many T-Shirts. I rarely wear them, but I love the memories of special events and times in my life that the T-shirts represent. Being the beginning of the New Year, it is time to clean out some of these unused items from my closet. Rather than just trashing them, here are a bunch of projects to ReCre8 these t-shirts.<br /><br /><ol><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">T-Shirts as Rags. </span>(Instructions: Just cut them up - any shape or size)<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">T-Shirt Handkerchiefs/Wipes </span><span>(</span><a href="http://www.sparrowpost.net/oldschool/hankies.html"><span>Instructions</span></a><span>)</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">T-Shirts as Reusable Napkins</span>. (<a href="http://www.drewsdirections.com/2010/07/19/making-napkins/">Instructions</a>)<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">T-Shirt Pillowcase: </span><span>(</span><a href="http://www.sustainlane.com/reviews/how-to-make-a-t-shirt-pillowcase/4YDV3ZUYWYPB3NZTTJM7F33D4VYD">Instructions</a>)<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">The T-Shirt Quilt. </span><span>(<a href="http://www.straw.com/quilting/articles/teequilts.html">Instructions</a>)</span><insert links="" here=""></insert></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">T-Shit Laundry Bag/Tote Bag</span> (<a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/article/good-thing-t-shirt-bag">Instructions</a>)</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">T-Shirt Memory Scarf </span>(<a href="http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2009/10/t-shirt_memory_scarf.html">Instructions</a>)<br /></li></ol>I plan to try several of these. What about you? Do you have any ideas to add?Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13435276827256097475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019311003235500708.post-50802729139859623642010-12-29T13:47:00.013-05:002011-01-03T12:46:57.038-05:00Cre8-ing New Years Resolutions<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMD6lejinedoNLNG407p37D2nGaLW92zq3k1KjLwvfEYxReD9QOrdmodj7t4tgm9y6oOaDpnqXFpZxFh52FRcsAeYnUJjR5ozfi6YMg2BeODZr1sLfwpeK_cRGA5G1CIiTn2zWxhLBfFt/s1600/fireworks.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMD6lejinedoNLNG407p37D2nGaLW92zq3k1KjLwvfEYxReD9QOrdmodj7t4tgm9y6oOaDpnqXFpZxFh52FRcsAeYnUJjR5ozfi6YMg2BeODZr1sLfwpeK_cRGA5G1CIiTn2zWxhLBfFt/s200/fireworks.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556198620517126866" border="0" /></a><br />It's that time of year. The end of another year that has past by more quickly than the last. I just looked at my last blog post and it was dated 2009! I think that the trouble is, I want to be posting about new projects every day, but it is just too much as a full-time working mom of 3 young boys. So, my first New Years Resolution is about blogging:<br /><ul><li>Resolution 1: Blog Sometimes, and Only When I Have Something Useful to Say</li></ul>As I sit and think about my goals for the upcoming year, gardening is one of the first things that comes to mind. I have had an active vegetable garden for two years now with many delightful success and many failures along the way. I am terrible at regular maintenance, so my goal is to have a gardening system in place that I cannot mess up! I feel that I am going into this year with so many lessons learned and a whole lot of inspiration to grow food in the spring, summer, and fall.<br /><ul><li>Resolution 2: Maintain a 3 Season Garden (Spring, Summer, Fall)</li></ul>I am no seamstress, but I love to "hack" together some clothes, costumes, and other sewing projects. Re-purposing a useless piece of clothing into a useful one is my favorite way to sew. Which brings me to my third resolution...<br /><ul><li>Resolution 3: Document at Least One Re-Purposing Sewing Project</li></ul>Whole foods cooking and baking has been an ongoing journey for all of us in my home. What works? What doesn't work? There are a lot of projects here I would like to get documented.<br /><ul><li>Resolution 4: Document More Cooking and Baking Projects</li></ul>I have not been successful at ridding my life of all things plastic. However, for so many reasons (<a href="http://myplasticfreelife.com/2010/04/no-more-plastic-food-containers-please/">see My Plastic-Free Life</a>), I want to minimize plastic usage in my life, especially those things that are disposables. It's always a challenge to find good, reusable alternatives and it takes some Cre8-tivity to make it happen.<br /><ul><li>Resolution 5: Use Even Less Plastic</li></ul><br />So, I will try to keep these resolutions this year, but I will not stress myself about it. To me, it is more important to that is to keep my balance and have all priorities in place.Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13435276827256097475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019311003235500708.post-35788034338387342162009-07-28T06:00:00.003-04:002012-04-20T15:30:55.115-04:00Pass the Weeds, Please (Episode II)<span style="font-weight: bold;">A Foraging Recipe - Weed Pesto</span><br /><br />Here is a great pesto I like to make with some of my weeds...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients</span><br /><ul><li>¼ cup Dandelion Greens</li><li>¼ cup Purslane</li><li>¼ cup Field Garlic (grass)</li><li>4 bulbs Field Garlic (bulb)</li><li>¼ cup Olive Oil</li><li>¼ cup Pine Nuts</li><li>¼ cup Basil leaves</li><li>¼ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese<br /></li></ul><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions</span><br />Mince and lightly saute the garlic bulbs in some Olive Oil to take the edge off. In a food processor: chop up the nuts and garlic bulbs. Add all of the greens and continue to process until everything is finely chopped. Add in cheese and slowly add the olive oil slowly while processing until you reach the desired texture. Leave in the fridge for a few hours before eating. Serve as a dressing for penne pasta, use as a sandwich spread, or serve with crackers or toast.<br /><br />So, what weeds do you like to eat?Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13435276827256097475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019311003235500708.post-40165394390499312872009-07-24T08:45:00.001-04:002012-04-20T15:30:55.120-04:00Pass the Weeds, Please (Episode I)I’ve been intrigued by foraging for food in my backyard my whole life. My neighbors and I searched for wild strawberries, ate “onion grass”, and came up with a recipe for “lemon grass” cheese sauce. At the time, it did not concern me whether or not these things were toxic. Lucky for me, they weren’t!<br /><br />Now I am a suburbanite who does not want to use fertilizer or weed killer to have a lush, green bed of grass in my lawn. Instead, I like to arm my children with baskets to go collect dinner from the lawn. Backyard foraging has become a fun family activity. Here are some of the things we can find in our mid-atlantic yard:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz56xofGPtjWryJ0kfY8xu9LG6u4_fPLO9Oy3hGh2RkVTG1zxWpGF3dQ46W3XsncZSjw7iDU1MH0o4pKE8HCX4CRC39tb7c-CqhDKE-rT-u3JnGWJbMurDewc_Ulhd2mH1seTKOJX0H8zb/s1600-h/2008_07July_4thofJuly+062.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 196px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz56xofGPtjWryJ0kfY8xu9LG6u4_fPLO9Oy3hGh2RkVTG1zxWpGF3dQ46W3XsncZSjw7iDU1MH0o4pKE8HCX4CRC39tb7c-CqhDKE-rT-u3JnGWJbMurDewc_Ulhd2mH1seTKOJX0H8zb/s200/2008_07July_4thofJuly+062.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361665472914186034" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)</span> – This is my absolute favorite weed. I like to just pluck off some of the succulent leave and eat them plain because they are tasty. They have a little bit of a lemony flavor to them. A sprig of purslane makes a great addition to a toss salad, an addition to a tomato sauce, or as a component of a pesto. What is unique about purslane is that the leaves are naturally high in Omega-3 fatty acids, which is rare for green vegetables. The stems are high in Vitamin C. I like to put purslane in a container garden – it doesn’t need too much tending. Most often purslane is considered a weed and people are trying to eradicate it, but if I see some growing in a friends yard, I just say “May I have your weeds?”<br /><br /><a href="http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants.Folder/Purslane.html">How to Identify Purslane </a><br /><a href="http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2604/2"><br />Nutrition Information for Raw Purslane</a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) </span>– This is my second-favorite weed. Besides the fact that it is a beautiful flower and makes great bouquets, necklaces, rings, and hair accessories, it is extremely useful food and herbal remedy. Have you ever eaten that Whole Foods “Spring Greens” in a bag salad mix? You are probably eating Dandelion greens. The leaves are great in the spring for salads, pesto, or sandwich toppings. Dandelion greens are a great source of Vitamin A and C as well as fiber. The roots are great in the fall for a bitter tea or as a nutritional supplement. Dandelion roots harvested in the fall are high in inulin (soluble fiber). The flowers can be eaten raw, cooked, or dried and ground into flour.<br /><a href="http://herbgardens.about.com/od/medicinalherbs/qt/DandelionID.htm"><br />How to Identify Dandelions</a><br /><br />Nutrition Data for Dandelion: <a href="http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2441/2">Greens</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wild Blackberries (Rubus allegheniensis)</span> – We have these growing all along our fenceline as well as on our bike-riding route. What could be better than free blackberries? The brambles can be prickly, so take care when picking these. Make sure to wait until they are dark purple before picking – otherwise, they won’t taste very good. Use them just as you would blackberries: Freeze them, make a jam, add to a fruit smoothie, or best – just eat them as you pick!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_5136997_forage-harvest-use-wild-blackberry.html">How to identify Wild Blackberries </a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcOHmF8MIB_lmQ4ukUyTt4JgHD_gH1Tldq7pyN8pOc60wHZCuoDivxmw_u3wdWiyU7N7y7W5FxyTJr_qobQ2gC2ssr6yY9fgHvzLblACrRg-jUDjWkUnKmR2vTXXmOG0tKgXHInhKOmyKe/s1600-h/Caution.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 108px; height: 108px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcOHmF8MIB_lmQ4ukUyTt4JgHD_gH1Tldq7pyN8pOc60wHZCuoDivxmw_u3wdWiyU7N7y7W5FxyTJr_qobQ2gC2ssr6yY9fgHvzLblACrRg-jUDjWkUnKmR2vTXXmOG0tKgXHInhKOmyKe/s200/Caution.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361664291159276370" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Some words of caution… </span><br /><ol><li>Don’t eat any foraged food that is from an area that may be exposed to insecticides, road salt (from snow), or any foreign chemical substances that you don’t know about. </li><li>Make sure to clean anything that you pluck from your yard thoroughly. </li><li>Make sure you can <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">absolutely</span>, <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">positively </span>identify something before you eat it. Many plants in your yard are poisonous.</li><li>Don’t encourage non-native invasive species to grow. Check with your state or local invasive species organization.</li></ol><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Resources</span><br />Properly identifying anything you forage is very important. Here are some great resources to help with that. I am a big fan of naturalist “Wildman” Steve Brill who has written a book on the subject and has a wealth of information on his website: <a href="http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/">http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/</a>. He includes tons of information on identifying plants that are edible and is working on a book for foraging with kids.<br /><br />An organization called Plants for a Future <a href="http://www.pfaf.org/index.php">(http://www.pfaf.org/index.php)</a> has a searchable database of edible plants with all kinds of information on uses of the plants and any hazards or warnings about their usage. It is an excellent free resource.<br /><br />Frugal and Fun: Backyard Foraging is a Finer Thing. (<a href="http://amysfinerthings.com/finer-things-friday-bedtime-prayers">See more Finer Things at Amy’s Finer Things Fridays</a>).<br /><br />This is a series and I plan to share more foraging tips, resources, and recipes to try.Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13435276827256097475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019311003235500708.post-18584464871028075542009-07-21T14:03:00.006-04:002009-07-21T17:47:45.254-04:00Cre8 Your Own Energy: Documenting our Solar Project<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg69qD82AXJfGcekjsBH6ClMvvJ_YRrZiWArfhfXG2WmwRkXqhvz2zEBx17tO1Q3COx4pJZBQiuz4CVIMwstGA5v750dqq0MzJ6f1L3zEyV63SckBi8CqJEt2P5iyLaYbOfViHsjveHKoJU/s1600-h/SolarPanel.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 85px; height: 168px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg69qD82AXJfGcekjsBH6ClMvvJ_YRrZiWArfhfXG2WmwRkXqhvz2zEBx17tO1Q3COx4pJZBQiuz4CVIMwstGA5v750dqq0MzJ6f1L3zEyV63SckBi8CqJEt2P5iyLaYbOfViHsjveHKoJU/s320/SolarPanel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360984051171687010" border="0" /></a><br />Okay, so I am not building my own solar panels or anything, but the stars aligned for us this year and we are able to get solar panels on our home. I hope to document that process here a little bit.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Step 1 - Reduce Energy Usage</span><br />Of course the process started over a year ago for us. It started with an awareness of how much energy we were using and wasting. We only have electric available in our neighborhood - and boy, were we using more than our share! In the winter, our bills $400-$500+. So, being the geeky engineer-types that we are in my household, we immediately started tracking our usage and started an aggressive campaign to reduce our electric usage. We turned down our heat, turned up our AC, got rid of our "vampires", switched to CFLs, turned the lights off, among many other little energy saving changes. The results were dramatic! I would say we save about $1700/yr over if we had not changed our behavior. This graph is what we've been using to track our usage over time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVoEZcIaXNYN5gts037VzbodA69n4nWvVNVCVLGMXL3IfQI0i2b6G7XFoDilzwyE71dFsaFmVZn5kY_Qp7Yhrt13cUcEP3zNXRXJ0BNaskA0jvCieP22mMpCLJCNe80CNAz0NZMGBgXDBl/s1600-h/EnergyJuly09.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVoEZcIaXNYN5gts037VzbodA69n4nWvVNVCVLGMXL3IfQI0i2b6G7XFoDilzwyE71dFsaFmVZn5kY_Qp7Yhrt13cUcEP3zNXRXJ0BNaskA0jvCieP22mMpCLJCNe80CNAz0NZMGBgXDBl/s400/EnergyJuly09.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360984996499807042" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Step 2 - Cost/Benefit Analysis</span><br />So once we reduced our usage, we looked at the costs and benefits of installing the solar panels on our home. The up-front costs are very high, approximately $60K for the size system we are getting. Luckily, this year there are many state and federal grants and rebates that end up cutting the cost in half to about $30K. We are using a local company called <a href="http://www.standardsolar.com/">Standard Solar</a> that will take care of all the paperwork and permits for us. Now, we will expect $1200 cost savings every year on our energy bill. In addition, the energy company will pay us a credit for producing clean energy (like a carbon offset price). This system should (theoretically) also increase the value of our home by about $30K. The financial Return on Investment for us (minus the increase in home value) is about 11 years assuming energy costs stay the same. Now, if energy costs rise, our ROI will come much sooner.<br /><br />That is just the financial benefit. There are also benefits that are not financial. One is knowing that we are not burning through as much natural resources to create our energy. Another is emergency preparedness. If our electric service became rationed or more unreliable, we have a good solid backup. Also, it is a great learning experience for us and the kids. So, overall, it was a go for me and my husband.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Step 3 - Evaluation, Planning, Permits, and Design</span><br />Now, this was the easy part for us because the Solar Company does all this work for us. Our solar rep came out and took a bunch of measurements and pictures of the house. They tested the sun exposure and determined that we would have 89% efficiency with the panels. The panels will be mounted on the east-facing back of our roof, so you won't even see them from the street. An engineer at the company then made up a bunch of technical design drawings for us to review and approve.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsS3uKSEhvhE2K6jgYs-5666cMc9pwxGYaiqtNvV5ufE1Ba8FABIU9nSYJ54LLf3WV8RLc13vw9Tt7PNHMyPqvvsy_gsiy3ppd2DILGjZsMx0_O_4d8S4cLH5hZZhyphenhyphen-q_iwvKze2p5NVv6/s1600-h/Solar.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 290px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsS3uKSEhvhE2K6jgYs-5666cMc9pwxGYaiqtNvV5ufE1Ba8FABIU9nSYJ54LLf3WV8RLc13vw9Tt7PNHMyPqvvsy_gsiy3ppd2DILGjZsMx0_O_4d8S4cLH5hZZhyphenhyphen-q_iwvKze2p5NVv6/s320/Solar.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360982525981215474" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Now that the design is complete and the permits are pulled and the paperwork is filed, we are ready for our installation. That is yet to happen. I'll let you know how it goes...Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13435276827256097475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019311003235500708.post-48469798733604820922009-07-14T06:00:00.000-04:002009-07-14T06:00:05.461-04:00What to Do with Old Pants: Travel Pillow Cases<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8iaDpTpiN9GrQ6YE7Q-bZEl4ZTybIMU3uqQ8nwkBa0L65VHIWYVddneOvdbLO08MfXHXpOrCK7kLwbiuTqY3_Yvk-rinlCuhpgckBW049lLG5PAbfDFc_wC2GMRVmitFR1h_fufwgUHt5/s1600-h/IMG_1883.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8iaDpTpiN9GrQ6YE7Q-bZEl4ZTybIMU3uqQ8nwkBa0L65VHIWYVddneOvdbLO08MfXHXpOrCK7kLwbiuTqY3_Yvk-rinlCuhpgckBW049lLG5PAbfDFc_wC2GMRVmitFR1h_fufwgUHt5/s320/IMG_1883.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357929043394465074" border="0" /></a>Adult-sized non-tapered chinos or Jeans are just perfect for very simple pillow-case for a travel-size pillow. I love to have travel pillows with us for naps in the car or to use with sleeping bags on overnight trips to Grandma’s house. However, things get so dirty in the car being accidentally stepped on with muddy shoes or ending up with popsicle sticks melted into them. I needed a cover for these travel pillows that I could just throw into the washer with everything else – and I didn’t have too much time toi spend on this project.<br /><br />So, after making my “coloring bag” (also good for travel in the car), I took the left-over pants legs from my husbands old chinos and made them into a nice little pillow-case. Here’s how I did it:<br /><br /><ol><li>Get a travel pillow (you could make one from scratch - I found these at CVS).<br /></li><li>Cut off a pant leg from a worn pair of chinos. Choose a 15 in section of the pants that is wide enough to fit around the pillow.</li><li>Sew: Sew up the side at an angle so the top and bottom end up the same width. Sew down the bottom of the pillowcase.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpMJdpK3rMxzg866z5uFNPn3s6QJ9tompuTyWFhUF_aag43BHkYxbSUewX5ArFVsvNevDfJ0uy4IinfMScAa5NtWzlqu8mVM210vE2OksAjdIReKIVpg8yOr0QumlQAbKzkGIHFQ5KaUis/s1600-h/PillowCase-Inside.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpMJdpK3rMxzg866z5uFNPn3s6QJ9tompuTyWFhUF_aag43BHkYxbSUewX5ArFVsvNevDfJ0uy4IinfMScAa5NtWzlqu8mVM210vE2OksAjdIReKIVpg8yOr0QumlQAbKzkGIHFQ5KaUis/s320/PillowCase-Inside.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357931491793386562" border="0" /></a></li><li>Fold under the top of the pillow case twice and sew around.</li><li>Turn right side out.<br /></li></ol>Once I was finished with the sewing portion, I wanted to personalize them for the kids. (They do love to have their own, personal items. So, on our trip to the beach in the car, here’s how I did it:<br /><ol><li>I had them each choose a picture they wanted on them.</li><li>Using a ball point pen, I wrote out their name and drew their respective fish, shark, and turtle</li><li>Then using a<a href="http://crossstitch.about.com/od/outlineorbackstitch/ss/backst.htm"> back stitch</a> I hand-stitched around my free-hand drawing. Then I embroidered on their names. With such a thick material for the pillow case - I didn't find any need for a hoop.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtAtRLAQO4_Fr9wqKSvRckLC8gF_N7Qo9euESEIvvV8fm4JDKow4q4AqgWp6IbxSgXX-XqGcCnbalrlq-LIzh8emB5jJ6HZu-p2O8S9riC9xGWaKA5kC1WwCUVJq9MNcKEqAVtx0Q5NOd/s1600-h/PillowCaseEmbroidery.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtAtRLAQO4_Fr9wqKSvRckLC8gF_N7Qo9euESEIvvV8fm4JDKow4q4AqgWp6IbxSgXX-XqGcCnbalrlq-LIzh8emB5jJ6HZu-p2O8S9riC9xGWaKA5kC1WwCUVJq9MNcKEqAVtx0Q5NOd/s320/PillowCaseEmbroidery.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357934440069670498" border="0" /></a></li><li>Voila – no they each have a one-of-a-kind very special travel pillow.<br /></li></ol>These get a lot of use around here and can easily just get thrown in the laundry for cleaning.Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13435276827256097475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019311003235500708.post-44960087397400373312009-07-13T08:40:00.007-04:002009-07-13T08:54:11.620-04:00Cre8 4th 0f July T-Shirts (and Rocks)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib8iVH2kha5Q2L9fBS30-m8gKbyhFRYPwVixlnY1D_thaMIBvwqZa6XTFPUwOmyZu-2nfi5PiYOvNXy3zJj1ujkYcxzelqiprzjkV4a145Pc1LhaUqnduSHB0NyfcdewRgYbpNyN-bFJzq/s1600-h/IMG_2380.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib8iVH2kha5Q2L9fBS30-m8gKbyhFRYPwVixlnY1D_thaMIBvwqZa6XTFPUwOmyZu-2nfi5PiYOvNXy3zJj1ujkYcxzelqiprzjkV4a145Pc1LhaUqnduSHB0NyfcdewRgYbpNyN-bFJzq/s320/IMG_2380.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357924788113441298" border="0" /></a><br />I love celebrating the 4th of July. This year, we had a nice "small town" 4th of July (even though we live far from a small town). I was looking for a good activity to celebrate with that would appeal to my 13-yo niece as well as my 4 and 6 year old boys. Using some fabric paint and some plain white t-shirts, we made our own Independence Day shirts.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhSjPoa3_DpSYSffbcyqP0RNTzJfDB_yX9TeKYPxv75vAEsAxmlhG5H4CkQBen3k5ndF7C62ecsDgmY0H0K6xHNbRANpSPeA8uzhP0Q5FTQhecJ5IkHQ21QvtH-CIjykKc0Ch6ewalqw2w/s1600-h/IMG_2393.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhSjPoa3_DpSYSffbcyqP0RNTzJfDB_yX9TeKYPxv75vAEsAxmlhG5H4CkQBen3k5ndF7C62ecsDgmY0H0K6xHNbRANpSPeA8uzhP0Q5FTQhecJ5IkHQ21QvtH-CIjykKc0Ch6ewalqw2w/s320/IMG_2393.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357925390525760306" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We put coloring books in the middle of the shirt to make sure the paint didn't spread to the back.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmg6PO38ULfH777fbP7_QhdxC2QZKrTRPD9Yg-YS_-4CNV9YvjDTJKWzQOp1bcGvhySnoYgby9JWIqVbCTRvtTRKSqQeGABDt1Cm5MtuHsN0Fp-l7pgXebnLX4ac6K4c2A1nCVfvdNS6Ls/s1600-h/IMG_2394.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmg6PO38ULfH777fbP7_QhdxC2QZKrTRPD9Yg-YS_-4CNV9YvjDTJKWzQOp1bcGvhySnoYgby9JWIqVbCTRvtTRKSqQeGABDt1Cm5MtuHsN0Fp-l7pgXebnLX4ac6K4c2A1nCVfvdNS6Ls/s320/IMG_2394.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357925599001326194" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And the kids decided to make some patriotic pet rocks....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZRb-RDh181hGmRfVz5p-KPA8iNlVke_cPBwNVMJzLbRvybUL9OLB3hmXubTLR0EIDdQzgNKYsvygTY14MK3GVk7r_DRVYKV0qvVahIWhOXq5Kte_OgkOQ0ak-qwqtZFNW8EI8xVFMoqgU/s1600-h/IMG_2395a.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 260px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZRb-RDh181hGmRfVz5p-KPA8iNlVke_cPBwNVMJzLbRvybUL9OLB3hmXubTLR0EIDdQzgNKYsvygTY14MK3GVk7r_DRVYKV0qvVahIWhOXq5Kte_OgkOQ0ak-qwqtZFNW8EI8xVFMoqgU/s320/IMG_2395a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357926326642201858" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Fun was had by all.Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13435276827256097475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019311003235500708.post-2272630222877664422009-03-26T17:00:00.001-04:002009-03-26T17:00:05.902-04:00Re-Cre8 Your Garbage: Composting<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip7dqBaM_GNam8mRT7YWAQQ5FkdIz8VO08-lDkiUx8xWBthX-S2fv6iFiEp7TDkThw-5pqK1sC4BVoeHvYm5klWxBZ56nIPaA1bh9yuoGvtm80hPaEwlA2hCcR-_3TMm5JYQTCv3oCLFOp/s1600-h/2008_08August_BlogPics+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip7dqBaM_GNam8mRT7YWAQQ5FkdIz8VO08-lDkiUx8xWBthX-S2fv6iFiEp7TDkThw-5pqK1sC4BVoeHvYm5klWxBZ56nIPaA1bh9yuoGvtm80hPaEwlA2hCcR-_3TMm5JYQTCv3oCLFOp/s200/2008_08August_BlogPics+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317219380811166082" border="0" /></a>We've had a composting bin for years, but we didn't know what we were doing with it. We had it next to the shed in the shade and we only put yard clippings in it. It wasn't doing much.<br /><br />So, as our small little container gardening was going so well for us last summer, we thought we were ready for the next step of composting. We moved our bin to the sunlight. We started collecting kitchen scraps, old cardboard boxes, along with the yard waste to balance out the bin. DH religiously waters and turns the compost. At first, it was a pile of garbage (surprisingly, not too smelly). Eventually it became a beautiful pile of rich topsoil that we can use for this year's planting. Yeah.<br /><br />And, we've got worms. Ours came of their own accord to feast on the glorious coffee grinds, banana peels, and junk mail. Oh, glorious day!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQjXqAIgFUsPbnxsNATtHpyb5xpqg42TIvIfjx_waJD2FERKZEMg3afmzazcT5LiylYa8qNCwN3imlHgR1p_f1WzQ1rJbGIDEFfgF993H72FW0dQoz10TT1szJWWTYWIokZIV7bA-nSbjY/s1600-h/2008_08August_BlogPics+003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQjXqAIgFUsPbnxsNATtHpyb5xpqg42TIvIfjx_waJD2FERKZEMg3afmzazcT5LiylYa8qNCwN3imlHgR1p_f1WzQ1rJbGIDEFfgF993H72FW0dQoz10TT1szJWWTYWIokZIV7bA-nSbjY/s320/2008_08August_BlogPics+003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317220086265640386" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Composting gets two thumbs up from me. Here's my top ten list for why composting is great.<br /><br />10. Lots of free pet worms!<br /><br />9. A chore little kids love - adding their banana peels to the composter.<br /><br />8. Makes it fun to clean out the refrigerator. The moldier the better for the compost.<br /><br />7. Switch to fewer garbage pickups and save money.<br /><br />6. Organic fertilizer for your landscaping.<br /><br />5. Less waste has to go to waste processing facilities which saves energy.<br /><br />4. Use fewer plastic trash bags.<br /><br />3. Great free topsoil for the garden.<br /><br />2. How often can you get excited about dirt?<br /><br />1. No stinky food trash smelling up the garage.<br /><br />Interested in composting? Here are some good resources:<br /><a href="http://www.nature.org/activities/art23424.html?gclid=COHumZ3pj5UCFQOjFQodY3KbfQ">Nature.org </a><br /><a href="http://www.howtocompost.org/">HowToCompost.org</a><br /><a href="http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/deptmpl.asp?url=/content/dep/composting/easy.asp">Easy Composting from Montgomery County Recycles</a>Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13435276827256097475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019311003235500708.post-65937664747987500792009-03-25T09:40:00.006-04:002009-03-25T15:36:08.715-04:00Cre8 Copy-Cat Fiber One Bars (Peanut-Free)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuCEH5yydmGRiCUVR-1XJCf_a6VEo4QLKpyMHg2Ey80nMIr5MR02OH_F2VBZUsxx9p2yEU6eJI12i5HBhdGh1eVwVPuStn9RWV3frMqd-8_drEH4qN2fQsUU2obEcxRC-GnPxNaXcXJm3D/s1600-h/fiberone.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 188px; height: 80px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuCEH5yydmGRiCUVR-1XJCf_a6VEo4QLKpyMHg2Ey80nMIr5MR02OH_F2VBZUsxx9p2yEU6eJI12i5HBhdGh1eVwVPuStn9RWV3frMqd-8_drEH4qN2fQsUU2obEcxRC-GnPxNaXcXJm3D/s200/fiberone.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317210233058237538" border="0" /></a>My family loves the Oats and Chocolate Chip Fiber One bars. We all love the taste and convenience. I love all the fiber and nutrients in the bars. There are a few things I don't like about the bars:<br /><ul><li>Peanuts as an ingredient means the kids cannot take them to school in the lunch box (peanut-free school).</li><li>The individual packaging generates a lot of non-recyclable plastic waste.</li><li>Even buying them in bulk, they are pretty pricey ~$1/piece</li></ul>So, I decided to try to make a copycat version of these bars leaving out the ingredients I don't want (Peanuts, Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, High Fructose Corn Syrup, among others) and also add in some ingredients that I do want (flax meal, oat bran, etc.)<br /><br />I would really like to add chicory root extract for all the soluble fiber, but I have not been able to find that commercially available. Would love a source if you have one!<br /><br />This is a huge recipe - makes 30-40 bars and they last well. There are a lot of ingredients here and there is a good amount of room for improvisation. I don't think I actually make them the same way twice...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients</span><br /><ul><li>3 Tbsp. butter, melted</li><li>¼ cup packed brown sugar (melted to a syrup)<br /></li><li>½ cup honey</li><li>¼ cup Agave Nectar</li><li>¼ cup molasses</li><li>½ cup sunflower butter (mine is sunflowers, tahini, and canola oil)<br /></li><li>2 teaspoons vanilla extract</li><li>1 Tbsp. liquid lecithin</li><li>1 ½ cup barley flakes</li><li>2 ½ cups rolled oats</li><li>2 cup crisped rice</li><li>¼ cup toasted wheat germ</li><li>¼ cup oat bran</li><li>¼ cup white whole wheat flour</li><li>¼ cup lightly blended almonds</li><li>¼ cup flax meal</li><li>¼ cup dry coconut flakes</li><li>1 cup semisweet chocolate chips</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions</span><br />Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix combine all the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix together the melted butter with the soy lecithin (you could substitute egg yolk for this - it is the emulsifier) then add all the wet ingredients (including the sunflower butter) and whisk until well combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix with a wooden spoon until until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and stir until they are evenly distributed. Next, spread the batter into two greased 9x11 baking pans. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes (or until the edges are lightly browned).<br /><br />Now, here's the hard part... Cover lightly and leave for 24 hours before cutting. This is a really essential step to keep the bars from falling apart. You may even place in the refrigerator for a few hours before cutting. Cut into bars (I use a pizza cutter, which works great). You can store in a glass container(s) or leave them right in the pan. These are great snacks for the lunch box, after school snacks, a lunch supplement.<br /><br />Without the chicory root extract, these bars do not have the fiber content that Fiber One Bars do, but they stall have a lot! As well as a bunch of other good nutrients.Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13435276827256097475noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019311003235500708.post-13261933261738917462009-03-20T12:28:00.004-04:002009-03-20T12:36:33.565-04:00ReCre8 Profile: Design*Sponge Before and After<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://assets.designspongeonline.com.s3.amazonaws.com/img/design_sponge.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 379px; height: 98px;" src="http://assets.designspongeonline.com.s3.amazonaws.com/img/design_sponge.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I am certainly no designer. I've always been missing that capability to put all the pieces together in such a way that they just look good. But, I do love getting inspiration from good, talented designers and artists in the world.<br /><br />One amazing source of ReCre8-ive inspiration is the <a href="http://www.designspongeonline.com/category/before-and-after">before and after series on Design*Sponge</a>. Grace Bonney, a Brooklyn-based writer, puts together a beautiful collection of makeover projects that can't help but make you want to go to the thrift store the next time you need something!Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13435276827256097475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019311003235500708.post-13833682397880872462009-03-03T08:00:00.003-05:002009-03-03T11:37:01.119-05:00Cre8 a Knitted Baby Hat - Episode I<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuBsEDAnC1azPQbqBkX7hwoUS6As6yJNoKb7CJ31xo2hO5bbPeGaes84b6oQFCqejt1w0QvRmwkVdVhnLGXFX_GhGjK65WRD6RENjxg52KXgwvCw0Fwi28yOwdWLo3k9vXYBl4RJij86rZ/s1600-h/BirthdayPix+077b.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuBsEDAnC1azPQbqBkX7hwoUS6As6yJNoKb7CJ31xo2hO5bbPeGaes84b6oQFCqejt1w0QvRmwkVdVhnLGXFX_GhGjK65WRD6RENjxg52KXgwvCw0Fwi28yOwdWLo3k9vXYBl4RJij86rZ/s200/BirthdayPix+077b.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307499190364548546" border="0" /></a>I love to knit. Most especially, I love to knit baby hats. I think it is because of the speed and simplicity of the projects. I am always in need of baby gifts and I can whip up a hat in a night or two while I'm watching Top Chef.<br /><br />I usually make up the pattern as I go, but lately I've been trying to write them down so I can share them. This little baby hat is probably best for babies ages 3 months - 1 year (depending on their head size).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Supplies</span><br /><ul><li>Yarn: 2 colors (your choice) Baby Weight DK Yarn (I like Sirdar Snuggly Baby Yarn, which they do not make any more). You will need 1 skein plus a scrap for the second color.<br /></li><li>Needles: Size 4 circular needles and set of Size 4 double-sided bamboo needles</li><li>Small Cable Hook</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gauge <span style="font-size:78%;">(<a href="http://www.earthguild.com/products/knitcroc/marypat/gauge.htm#what">Understanding Gauge</a>)</span><br /></span><ul><li><span>6 stitches/in</span></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Instructions</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Don't know how to read a knitting instruction? Check out <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Read-a-Knitting-Pattern">"How to Read a Knitting Pattern"</a> at WikiHow or the <a href="http://knitting.about.com/od/learntoknit/a/readingpattern.htm">excellent resources at About.com</a>.</span><br /><ul><li>Cast On 80 stitches with Color #1 and join to work in the round.<br /></li><li>Rows 1-3: in Color #1 (K2P2)*20<br /></li><li>Row 4: in Color #2 (K2P2)*20</li><li>Rows 5,6: in Color #1 (K2P2)*20</li><li>Rows 7,8: in Color #2 (K2P2)*20</li><li>Row 9: in Color #1 (K2P2)*20 <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">-- NOTE: continue in color #1 for the rest of the pattern</span></span><br /></li><li>Rows 10-15: K35 P2 K6 P2 K35<br /></li><li>Row 16: K35 P2 C6F P2 K35</li><li>Rows 17-22: (repeat 10)</li><li>Row 23: (repeat 16)<br /></li><li>Rows 24-29: (repeat 10)</li><li>Row 30: (repeat 16)</li><li>Rows 31-36: (repeat 10)</li><li>Row 37: (repeat 16)</li><li style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">NOTE: While decreasing, switch to your 4 double-sided needles whenever the hat becomes too small for your circular needle.</span></li><li style="font-style: italic;">Row 38: (K2 K2tog K3)*5 P2 K6 P2 (K3 K2tog K2)*5<br /></li><li style="font-style: italic;">Row 39: K30 P2 K6 P2 K30<br /></li><li style="font-style: italic;">Row 40: (K2 K2tog K2)*5 P2 K6 P2 (K2 K2tog K2)*5</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Row 41: K25 P2 K6 P2 K25</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Row 42: (K1 K2tog K2)*5 P2 K6 P2 (K2 K2tog K1)*5</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Row 43: K20 P2 K6 P2 K20</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Row 44: (K1 K2tog K1)*5 P2 CF6 P2 (K1 K2tog K1)*5</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Row 45: K15 P2 K2 K2tog K2 P2 K15</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Row 46: (K1 K2tog)*5 P2tog K5 P2tog (K2tog K1)*5</li><li style="font-style: italic;">Row 47: K10 P1 K2tog K1 K2tog P1 K10</li><li style="font-style: italic;"> Row 48: (K2tog)*5 P1 K3 P1 (K2tog)*5</li><li style="font-style: italic;"> Row 49: K5 P1 K2tog K1 P1 K5<br /></li><li style="font-style: italic;"> Row 50: (K2tog)*7</li></ul>Using a yarn needle work the tail of the yarn through the 7 stitches, removing them from the knitting needles. Pull the top of the hat closed and work the yarn into stitches on the inside of the hat. Work in all your yarn ends to complete.<br /><br /><p> </p>Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13435276827256097475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019311003235500708.post-59512849427915193262009-03-01T08:00:00.001-05:002009-03-01T08:00:00.393-05:00Garden Planning 2009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkyDebkWgoxUlR6horo18J76NJByPun65TJQRT0XnQ0GkhLmZHm2kqa18On5sDmaDilj3k5SyvxMyVH9giB025mOIlSS5nsjaTi7V92fDZmNGZBG2oPahzqK_86KcTUjK3CDBOwUak17Dh/s1600-h/2008_07July_4thofJuly+066.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkyDebkWgoxUlR6horo18J76NJByPun65TJQRT0XnQ0GkhLmZHm2kqa18On5sDmaDilj3k5SyvxMyVH9giB025mOIlSS5nsjaTi7V92fDZmNGZBG2oPahzqK_86KcTUjK3CDBOwUak17Dh/s200/2008_07July_4thofJuly+066.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307526321003115394" border="0" /></a><br />The blogosphere has spoken and I have listened. Now is the time to begin planning my 2009 vegetable garden. Thankfully, there are SO many great resources on the Internet for those of us who have a track record of killing plants rather than growing them. Here are two:<br /><ul><li>Amy at "<a href="http://amysfinerthings.com/">The Finer Things In Life</a>" has a comprehensive <a href="http://amysfinerthings.com/garden-plans-part-two">post on advice for vegetable gardening.</a><br /></li><br /><li>I also like the <a href="http://gardening.about.com/od/startingavegetablegarden/tp/Starting_a_Vegetable_Garden.htm">"10 Steps to a Successful Vegetable Garden"</a> at <a href="http://about.com/">About.com</a>.</li></ul>One thing I haven't been able to find is some advice about managing pests (from deers and groundhogs to unwelcome bugs) in an eco-friendly way. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Anyone have good resources to offer?</span><br /><br />Last year I had a container garden which I could conveniently keep on my back deck and the deer couldn't get to (although, a groundhog frequented my garden for a parsley meal). This year, I'm planning to expand to a full-out backyard vegetable garden. Unfortunately, none of my herbs survived the winter other than my bay laurel, so I have to start from scratch. Here's what I would like to plant (it is yet to be seen what I <span style="font-style: italic;">actually </span>do).<br /><ul><li>Vegetables<br /><ul><li>Peppers (Cayenne, Bell, Paprika)</li><li>Asparagus</li><li>Lettuce</li><li>Spinach</li><li>Tomatoes</li><li>Garlic</li><li>Onion</li><li>Broccoli</li><li>Pumpkin</li><li>Squash</li></ul></li><br /><li>Herbs<br /><ul><li>Parsley</li><li>Cilantro</li><li>Basil</li><li>Bay Laurel</li><li>Thyme</li><li>Rosemary</li><li>Sage</li><li>Oregano </li></ul><br /></li><li>Sunflowers (because they are just so awesome)...<br /></li></ul>Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13435276827256097475noreply@blogger.com4