Here we are! I think it is officially summer!

Let’s talk about the garden.

Some things are working and somethings are NOT.

Here is what IS working!

My yellow cherry tomato plant IS happy!

LOOK! Flowers AND fruit!

The close ups (above) are from the plant on the far left (below). The tomato plants I started from seed are slow going, but they’re going. I think that there may be a concrete slab under the dirt that is keeping their roots from growing as well as they should. I’m probably going to dig them up and replant them in big pots to try to make them happier, and more mobile.

Zucchini!

You can see that the top plant already has blooms AND tiny zucchini(s) growing!

I think the one plant has gotten so big because it gets extra afternoon sun. I realized this when I was home one day around 3pm and there was a GIANT ray of sun spotlighting the plant. It really is double the size of the other two plants. I put humus around the base of everything in the garden–I hope that helps boost growing times!

I’m also going to experiment with moving the tomato plants (in pots) to the sunny spot to see if that helps speed them along, too. I am so ready for tomato sandwiches! I’m drooling just thinking about it!

Squash Blossom!

These blossoms are just so pretty! They seem almost tropical.

Mint Patch!

I know that the mint is like the easiest thing in the world to grow, but it makes me SO HAPPY! I love how it looks and smells! I love going outside and picking a big handful and putting it in a glass of ice water! I also love putting it in my mint juleps 🙂 The fact that it seems to happy and healthy also gives me hope that I can actually grow a happy plant!

Here is what is NOT working:

Radishes and lettuce.

The second pot of radishes was also a bust. You’ll recall here that I had no luck with my first batch of radishes. The second round didn’t do any better, even though I thinned out the plants. All the energy went in to the leaves. So radishes are off the list for now.

The lettuce did well until I had an aphid outbreak. I got the bugs under control by spraying soapy water on the leaves, but the plants were really far gone by then. I think I may go ahead and try to plant some more lettuce using the bag of dirt method (also referenced here). The pots I used were really too small–the leaves grew okay but there was hardly enough to eat when it was time to harvest. Lessons learned!

NOT SHOWN: the pathetic pile of leaf and root matter after I pulled all the dead lettuce and radish plants out of their pots! It was too sad to share 😦

The Carrot!

Just look at this hilarious baby carrot! I was going to go ahead and pull up the carrot plants from their pot after the last radish fail; but instead of nothing, I pulled this teeny tiny carrot out of the pot! I ate it and it was a little on the bitter side, but I went ahead and left the rest of the plants in the pot–maybe they’ll grow a bit more. I can at least say I ate ONE carrot that I grew!

I’m actually REALLY enjoying the garden despite the learning curve.  I know I’m doing pretty well considering I haven’t had a garden at all in at least seven years and it feels so good to work on survival skills, no matter how elementary.

Feel free to reply with funny anecdotes OR praise for me trying OR shaming memes about how I kill plants. Also tell me how YOUR garden is growing!

Happy Saturday, y’all!

A different “TINY TUESDAY”!

My good friend Tracie (I mentioned her a few weeks back here) sent in a special TINY TUESDAY request last week. She thought it would be fun to feature a TINY craft, and she mentioned shrinky dinks. {WHICH ARE SO FUN OMG.}  I have put on my searching cap, and combed the interwebs for the very best shrinky dink-ing ideas I could find. And I couldn’t agree more–TINY crafts are so super fun! I’ll look for more fun TINY crafts to share–let me know if you have any ideas!

❤

Shrinky Dinks!

If you’re a child of the 1980s, you surely remember these!!

Awesome thing #1: the materials are FREE.

Awesome thing #2: YOU GET TO MAKE TINY THINGS!

A few tips to start:

You can buy shrinky dink plastic like this but you can also make your own. For free. Click through to this link for a great tutorial. The only thing I would add is that you may need to use a piece of sand paper to scratch up the plastic–in my experience the colors stay on better with the “ruffed up” plastic.

Also, I really like tracing over scientific or technical drawings. Since the SD plastic is clear, you can lay a drawing right on top and trace the design with total ease. Things that can be difficult to draw free hand are easy to trace on SDs! Try different kinds of writing utensils. Sharpies and colored pencils seem to work the best–the plastic locks their color in when the plastic shrinks.

Don’t forget to use your tools! Shaped hole punches like stars and hearts make for really fun accents on your SDs. Also, fancy edge scissors really make projects pop. Don’t forget to punch holes in your project BEFORE your shrink! A standard round hole punch makes a hole perfect for fitting a jump ring through once the plastic has shrunk down.

***

“Classic Projects”

Rings and bracelets are pretty classic projects for SD. I like the fox ring that is made almost like a ‘spoon ring’ with the overlapping twist of plastic. I think that would help with stability and help prevent breakage. The image above is actually of a ring, but it would make a great bracelet–the wide cut and smooth opening in back would make it easy to slide around and off your wrist. And aren’t those birdies ADORABLE!?

via True Blue Me and You

These earrings are SO FUN. You could use dry erase markers to write words on the finished project–then you can change your thought bubble with your mood! That way you can go from “GO AWAY” to “HIP HIP HOORAY”!

http://dangerousminds.net/comments/Invoke_the_paranormal_Occult_jewelry_of_Ouija_boards_seeing_eyes_crystal

https://www.etsy.com/shop/shupg?ref=unav_listing-r

I’m totally smitten with these hand necklaces. Using hands to spell out words is such a fun idea. This is another thing that might be fun to trace !

via Worthy Goods

Business card shrinky dinks! Click through the name above for a tutorial on how these are made. The tutorial uses printable sheets of SD but you could just as easily use an ink stamp to mark these. Handwritten ones would be pretty great, too–and more unique! What a great little advertisement to include with your merchandise!

via Scissors Paper Wok

I think this may be my favorite new (to me) idea! BUTTONS!!! OMG. Just think of the possibilities! One of the things I’ve struggled with when I make my weird dresses (see this post) is that I have a hard time finding buttons that are, well, weird enough! NOW I CAN MAKE MY OWN!! I might have to make a new dress soon just to make these wonderful buttons!

Here is a really great tutorial on how to make blooms from SD! This came from Kathy Sheldon’s book Shrink Shrank Shrunk (full of all sorts of other fun stuff to make!!)

TINY PROJECTS!

Here are some great ideas for leftover TINY pieces of SD plastic.

Fancy tops for straight pins!

via Hip to Piece Squares

Beads!

(These remind me of paper beads!)

via At This Time

Some other small things you can try making with scraps are guitar picks, stitch markers (for knit and crochet), or any manner of earrings…like these below. OMG.

via Colorful Clay

Hope you enjoyed this special crafty edition of TINY TUESDAY!

Let me know if you have a TINY craft you’d like me to feature!

❤

Here are some pictures of the SO super fun package I got yesterday!

Frady’s!!! A picture of one of my favorite corner stores 🙂

OMG I cannot even deal with how fun this sparkly rubber duckie is!

Muses plushies!!

Beads and Beer! What a hilarious coozie. Perfect for my current crown-life.

Bacchus coins!

Oh to be having a gallon of daquiris right now.

Thanks, again Kazi! You outdid yourself!

TGIF, pals. Be careful out there on this crazy Friday the 13th!