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Team Up Thursday ~Song~

Our theme for this week is "song".  There was no specific direction or guidance...we just simply said "song". I love how we each took a different direction, but still took our photo in the same location (the shower).

Amy Craft took one of her sweet boys singing in the shower.  How creative!  I would have never thought of that. "One evening the kids cranked up the stereo, got in my shower and danced and sang their hearts out! :)  Perfect opportunity!"

I can imagine what a challenge this was.  I'm sure her lens was all over the place trying to focus...she had the challenge of the fog, the water droplets, the constantly moving kids...but it turned out so sweet.  What a great memory she created.

I decided to interpret a song. I had a couple of other ideas picked out, you know, emotional, deep, brooding, full of meaning.  Instead I decided to show my goofy side. The song is "White and Nerdy" by Weird Al   

Its a parody of "Ridin Dirty"

I did it because no matter how cool I think I am, I am pretty much nerdy...and I'm cool with that.

The funny thing is that I did this in my shower too. The light was great and I thought that the walls looked kinda like subway walls.  I am wearing a gold sparkly grill, but I think it looks more like yellow teeth in the photo.  I added some lens flare, but maybe too much ???

Hope you enjoy our team-up this week.

  I uploaded the picture for you to click on so you can see it closer.  Any hints on how to make my grill more blingy???

Be sure to head on over to Melody's to see more creative Team up photos!

Getting Started

I am so excited that it is time to get my spring/summer garden going again.  I love that I can make dinner based on what has ripened in the garden.  I love that my kids race out to the garden to pick green beans, tomatoes, or strawberries right off the vine and start eating them while they are standing right there in the dirt.  I love that I do not have to worry about what chemicals were sprayed on the veggies or how many hands have touched them...there are no chemicals and only my hands.  I love that my kids love harvesting for me and that they know that fruit and veggies don't just appear on store shelves.  I love that I did it with my own two hands.

I am certainly not an expert and do not really draw up any huge plans or organization when it comes to my garden.  I am more of a "guess and test" and "do what feels right" kind of girl.  Many of you have asked about how to get a garden started...like I said..I am not an expert, but I will tell you what I have learned from other gardeners and through my own trial and error.  Seriously, don't expect any mind blowing garden knowledge.

You want to start with a good, rich soil.  I like to give my soil a rest between gardening seasons.  When I'm ready to plant again, I give it a good turn.  This gets oxygen to the soil and softens it for the next set of plants/seeds that will live there.  For spring veggies, I wait until the ground is 65 degrees ( I use a meat thermometer) and we have no more danger of frost.  Then I add some good poop to the dirt to get is nice and healthy again.  I stick with the poop of animals I know only ate veggies...you don't want meat products in your garden...blech!  Always ask what kind of animal your fertilizer/compost came from...there are some types that contain human feces...double BLECH!  I like to use this:

I turn it into the ground really well..then I'm ready to plant.  I buy some seedlings at the store and start others from seeds under a grow light in my garage.  When they are ready to go into the ground, I dig a hole and throw a little of this into the hole:

It's basically dried and powdered bat guano and molasses.  It has no odor and does wonders for your veggies.  It also contains Diatomaceous Earth to keep those nasty little pill bugs from eating the roots.  DE is my best friend in the garden and around my home. You can use it where your pet sleeps to prevent fleas and around the perimeter of you home, doorways, and pantry floors for other crawling bugs.It is basically tiny fossilized diatoms (water plants). You need to buy the food/garden grade DE for using in your garden.  This kind is not harmful to us.  There is a kind that is used in pool filters...you do NOT want that one. It comes in the form of a fine powder.  I find an old coffee can, punch holes in the lid, and fill it with the powder.  

Then I sprinkle it around my plants once a week or so.  If it is a rainy week, I do it more often since that is when the pill bugs flourish and can eat the leaves of your veggies to the ground!  The diatoms in DE have razor sharp microscopic edges.  When bugs ingest these, it kills them.  I also dig a hole to put yogurt cups filled with water in.  The pill bugs fall in a drown.  Other things I sprinkle to keep pests away are white flour (bugs ingest and swell) and cayenne pepper powder.

Here are a few of my little plants in the ground.  One trick I learned in planting veggies like pepper and tomatoes is to plant them deep.  If my tomato plant is 12 inches high, I plant at least 8-9 inches of it in the ground.  If you don't have ground that deep, you can even plant tomato bushes on their side.  The existing stalk that goes under the ground will sprout roots and give your plant a great root system and a sturdy stalk.  There are also some common sense rules of what to plant together.  I like to keep my pepper, tomato, and basil together..they like each other, they don't spread diseases to each other, and the peppers and basil help keep pests away from the tomatoes.  I also plant my beans in front of my lettuce.  Beans like sun and get very large; lettuce likes shade.  They are the perfect team...as the beans grow, the lettuce gets to live in it's nice cool shade.

Also, remember to rotate where you plant each veggie in your garden...don't plant tomatoes in the same spot every year.

Once they are well established in the ground, I use this to keep the leaves and stems healthy and strong:

and this for weed control.  It's basically really strong vinegar:

This is what my garden looks like now...it really does not look like much since all the plants are so small, but I will update every couple of weeks.  I forgot to take a picture of my other garden where I keep my onions an corn....I'll try to include that later. So, that's my humble "advice" from things I have tried and advice I have gotten from my gardening buddies.

Last year I froze a lot of things that came out of the garden, but this year I will try out pressure canning...eeek...that makes me a little nervous.  Any advice on canning???

 Oh, I almost forgot my compost "bin"...It is not much to look at, but it will work for now.  It's basically just some old logs that are sitting in our yard that we will never burn.  I layered the bottom with twigs and grass clipping, threw in my 'green' materials (veggies peelings, fruit, coffee grounds, egg shells), a layer of shredded paper (from my paper shredder), a layer of poop, and then more greens.  I water it down really well, keep adding to the pile, and turn it every couple of weeks.  It turns into beautiful compost to add to my dirt next planting season.

Alyce Flowers

Last summer my friends and I threw a baby shower for our sweet friend Lexie who gave birth to baby Alyce in August.  At her baby shower we gave out wildflower seeds as party favors.  I held onto those seeds until Alyce was born.  Shortly after her birth , I sprinkled the seeds into my flowerbed to see what would happen.  I didn't have high hopes since those packets of wildflower seeds rarely blossom into anything significant.

A few weeks later, I started noticing that the seeds were actually sprouting.  They kept getting taller and taller, but never blossomed.  Then I thought it was too late because winter came.  This was a rough winter as far as San Antonio goes...ice, frost, biting temperatures below freezing.  I thought that those tiny little wildflower seedlings wouldn't stand a chance...after all, the freezing temps killed 3 of my citrus trees and my 2 large hibiscus bushes, certainly it would destroy these tiny little seedlings.

I checked on them every single day.  To my surprise, while everything around them was turning a dingy brown and dying and drooping, they stayed strong and green.  Then the weather began to get warmer and they wildflower seedlings shot up towards the sun, reaching their perfect green limbs towards the sky, and bursting with the most beautiful and vibrant blossoms.  Now, I have a garden that looks like one you would see in front of an English cottage.  Despite the harsh conditions that destroyed everything else in sight, these wildflowers not only survived, but came out stronger and more beautiful than anything else in my garden. I call them my "Alyce Flowers".

  Baby Alyce, I know you will be like these wild flowers.  You will weather any storm and face any challenge you encounter in your long life.  Although you are tiny, you will always emerge strong, beautiful, wild, and full of life and color, just like your wildflowers.

I HEART Puerto Rico ~San Antonio Photography~

I LOVED so many things about Puerto Rico and I can't wait to go back.  We stayed in Condado/San Juan.  I love that you don't need a passport to get there, but you feel like you are in another world.  I love that the women, no matter their age or size, were proud of their feminine bodies and showed it in their clothing.  I struggle with this since it took me about a week to decide to wear a bikini, about 30 minutes to get out the hotel door with one on, and about 8 days to finally share the photos...I hope I was able to adopt the Puert Rican woman attitude while I was there.  Here are more things I loved about it:

The beautiful beaches and clean, clear water:

Eating breakfast in front of an open window...ocean front

The people.  Laid back, friendly, welcoming, hospitable, and happy to help you learn about their island.  I love how everyone takes their time...that's my kind of living.

The food...oh, I have no words...hoping I can find good Puerto Rican food here.

The rum

The rainforest

The missions:

We did a lot, but still did not do the many things there that we wanted to do...although we did spend an awesome 9 hour day laying on the beach and boogie boarding.  We can't wait to take the kids.

My favorite part of PR was getting to spend some much needed alone time with my man.

Team Up Thursday ~FRESH~ {San Antonio Photographers}

In honor of spring, Amy and I decided to use the theme "fresh"...so many idea came to mind.  I have to laugh at how similar Amy and I are every week...must be why I love her so much;)  We always keep what we are doing a secret and then do the big reveal on Wednesday night.
This week, we have different pictures, but both had the same ideas

Amy's is the top picture of chicks. Aren't they cute?  What  makes this funny to me is that I had my mind set to do chicks all week long, but never got around to it.

Mine is the bottom one.  I went out right after the rain and took pictures of the wildflowers in my garden.  This is funny because the second picture Amy sent was of pink flowers just after the rain.

Join us over at Melody's for your Team Up photos!

Squeal like a Girl {Epiphanie Camera Bags}

Yesterday I got something that made me squeal like a girl...and I don't do squealing.  I pulled into my driveway and saw a brown box from UPS.  I *think* I know what it might be, but I don't want to get my hopes up.  I have not been this excited about a package in a long time.

I check out the label and squeal because it is finally here:

I can't wait to open it.  Let me tell you, Maile thinks of all the little details that make everything she does feel so special.  This was the sticker that came on the outer wrapper:

Then the sweet lavender pouch that houses the bags:

I am so excited to finally meet Lola.  I squeal again, pull Lola out of her protective, lavender home, and hug her.  I have waited for this moment so long.

 more special touches:

Now there are a few other non-kahki-pants-man-bags out there made just for women.  I cannot speak for their quality because I have not seen them in person, but as far as style goes, Epiphanie bags are the most beautiful and stylish.  I took Lola out with me today and had several people compliment me on my "purse"...I gave away my cards that came with the bags ( I think I need more cards, Maile) and these women were so excited.

The quality of the Epiphanie bags is amazing.  Each stitch is perfect, the texture of the outer and inner materials is plush yet sturdy,  the colors rock, the dividers are made of very strong Velcro that does not slide out of place and can be arranged in a huge variety of ways...I'm sorry if I sound like an infomercial, but I seriously love this camera bag!   Lola is going with me to Puerto Rico and will make the perfect carry-on bag...I even have room fo some toiletries and books left. If you have not ordered yours yet, I highly suggest you do it. Here is the website: Epiphanie!

Here a a collage of my Lola:

Team UpThursday ~STRONG~ {San Antonio Photographer}

*Edited to add:  Amy Craft will be getting a blog soon...I bug her all the time about getting it up ;)  She is working on it!  See Amy, you are in popular demand!

This week Amy Craft and I decided to make our theme STRONG. After I saw Amy's photo and read her words (that made me cry)  I really really really really really wanted to make this post just about Amy's photo.  I did not want to put our together, because I thought hers was so touching, so moving, so great, it deserved a spot all by itself...but I play by the rules.  Just so you know, I think this might be my favorite photo from Amy ever.

I am putting her words and photos first, mine are at the bottom:

Amy Craft:

When you said “strong” I almost immediately knew what I wanted.  My grandparents!  They aren’t close enough that I could go take a photo, so I had to pick an old one.  This is from June, 2008.  My grandfather will be 91 in April and my grandmother will be 90 in October.  They have 127 acres of land with a creek, cattle to feed and a huge garden to tend.  They go out every evening to pick vegetables from the garden and cover the tomato plants.  Then go back every morning to uncover them.  I’m amazed at all they can do on their own.  My kids LOVE to go visit in the summer and help pick vegetables from the garden and play in the creek and feed the cows!  Who wouldn’t?  J  I have to wonder if I will ever be as strong as they are!  I laugh regularly at my grandmother because she wishes she lived closer so she could help me take care of the kids or cook dinner or clean house!!  She thinks I’m “killing myself” because I do so much!!  REALLY?  I don’t do half as much as they do or have ever done!  What was it like to go through the depression, wars and military relocations?  What was it like to raise two crazy boys way out in the country?  What was it like to lose an infant daughter?  And I whine about running errands all day!  Yeah, they are strong all right!

Steph:

This is my boy. Caleb.  The true definition of strong.  You see, my boy is a cancer survivor.  He survived the pain and horror of Stage IV cancer and chemo.  He was only 3.  He tolerated the vomiting, the very painful spinal taps, many blood transfusions, infections, bone pain, brain swelling, chemo that took him to the edge of death, and other things too horrific to put on this blog. Those things alone make him strong, but there was something more.  He didn't merely tolerate these things.  He fought through these things with smiles and hugs and kisses...EVERY SINGLE DAY!  He would cry and scream through the pain and then, minutes later he would smile and hug and kiss us and say "Mommy/Daddy, thank you for taking care of me". Really? "Thank you"?   We just hurt you...but he somehow understood. He is still like this today.  He knows what real pain is, beyond my comprehension, so when he has strep, or an double ear infection, or a lung infection, he doesn't complain and we don't notice until we happen to feel him and realize he is burning up.  And even then he says "Awwww, it's not that bad...can I go back to school".

Yes, my boy is strong, stronger than I'll ever know.

Note: 

I love how Amy showed strength in age and I showed strength in youth.  I want to show you Amy's picture alone, because I love it so much:

To see more great Team Ups, head over to Hip Mommas Journal.

On My Toes

Photo by : Amy Craft

I can’t help but smile when I think about the night we met and Josh said , with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, “Woman, I’m gonna keep you on your toes”…that was over 15 years ago and he has kept his promise.  He never fails to surprise me.  He waits until the most ordinary moments, normal boring days, nights when I am sitting in my jammies reading a book or watching a show, while I'm carrying groceries into the house, while I'm cooking dinner.  His surprises are never small…always well executed, always something I would never do for myself, always something I would never ask for, always something that will make me better, always something that will make me cry, always totally unexpected.  I don’t know how he always knows what I need before I know what I need...but he does.
A couple of nights ago he surprised me with a vacation to sunny Puerto Rico…without kids!  He even called and arranged for my parents to stay with the kids.  Now, a vacation to Puerto Rico might not sound like a big deal to some, but to us it is a HUGE deal.  In our 15 years together, we have never been on a real vacation.  We have done “stay-cations” like back-packing to the bottom of the Grand Canyon for a few days when we lived near it…but never a ‘get on an airplane, stay in a resort, go someplace far-away’ vacation.  In the 10 years since we have had Abby, I have never been away from my children for more than a night, except for when I was in the hospital.  I know lots of moms go 18 years or more without a break, but seriously, I need a break.
You would think I would be nervous about leaving them, but I’m really not.  The kids are looking forward to some alone time with their grandparents, and visa-versa.  I know my parents will do an awesome job with them….look at how great I turned out!

Of course, I am looking forward to the sun, the ocean, the food, the rainforest, the RUM!  But here are the things I am looking forward to most of all:

1)    Spending alone time with my husband.  We can have uninterrupted adult conversation, but also have those comfortable silent moments that come from being together for 15 years.
2)    Sleeping in
3)    Naps
4)    Being able to drink an entire cup of coffee while it is still hot
5)    Being able to eat an entire meal without getting up or sharing my food even though it is the same thing everyone else is having
6)    No laundry
7)    Taking a long, hot shower without worrying about the water/gas bill.
8)    Taking a long hot shower without someone asking me to make them a snack or wipe their butt.
9)    Sleeping in
10)    Naps
11)    I’m not a huge drinker, but it’s nice to know that I can indulge a little without the worry of having to wake up and take care of 3 other people and 2 dogs

12)    No cartoons, No Wii, No TV

13)    Being able to read an entire page…an entire paragraph without hearing “Mawwww-awwwwm”

14) Not packing lunch boxes

15) No homework

16) No giving out meds

17)Sleeping in

18) Naps

Those of you who know me know that I love my kids until it hurts.  I know for sure I’ll miss them, but I am so looking forward to this vacation.  Now hopefully we don’t catch anything the kids have had for the past 3 weeks so that we are healthy enough to enjoy our vacation!
Can’t wait to show off some photos of Josh, once again, keeping me on my toes.

Team Up Thursday ~Warmth~ {San Antonio Photography}

This week, Amy Craft decided to warm things up a bit and choose the theme of 'warmth'.  We are all craving a little bit of warmth, right?

Amy's shot was taken in sunny Puerto Rico.  It makes me crave a mojito, a lounge chair, and the sound of waves.  I can just feel the warmth of the sun making my skin tingle in that delicious goose bump sort of way.

My shot is one of my baby tomato plants reaching for the warmth of the sun.  I can hardly wait until March 21st to get my veggies in the ground.

I love how similar we were this week.  I mean, we could have picked anything...blankets, a fire, people snuggling, a bubble bath...we both choose green, sky, and sunlight.  Love it!

Please join us in playing this fun game over at Megan's or Melody's.  Amy is working on getting her blog ready, but until she does, feel free to post your comments for her here.

Cool Contest, Cool Bags

You know my friend Maile, from Relish Portrait Studio and the creator or Epiphanie Camera bags, right?  Well, This month. Epiphanie is running a crazy cool contest to give away your choice of a Southwest Airlines giftcard OR a Canon 5D MarkII camera.  Cool right?  Check it out.