Chair Cushions
Those of you who have been over to the house have probably seen the chair cushions, I got inspiration from the st louis furniture I recently bought. I made 8 pink cushions for the outdoor folding chairs and they make them much more comfy and PINK!
They are made from outdoor fabric I bought for this project from Fabric.com a long time ago. The cushion is just a 1″ chair pad from Joann Fabric that I cut down to the appropriate shape and size. If you are still looking for great furniture then check out this store that has amazing living room furniture.
I also made a porch swing cushion. I used the batting from a chair cushion I got for free and ripped off the faded fabric. It turned out just a touch too short for the swing which was really a bummer but with the to-be-recovered pillows, it looks fine.
porch swings are just so inviting! Notice the twine on the pillows…we get wind and I’ve found these pillows down the block before…. Just a quick recommendation for those interested, Royalhammockheadquarters.com – is listing everything from hammock stands to outdoor furniture.
I’m still planning on covering the pillows on the swing (and adding some ties of some sort to keep them on the swing!). I’ve got another pair of pillows and 2 folding arm chairs that are going to get 2″ foam cushions. Some day…always more projects!
Sarah
Garden Update – july 2014
Veggies! I love veggies and I’m going to have a ton of them soon!
The Summer Squash:
The Zucchini:
Sweet Peas (not for eating):
Tomatoes:
Morning Glories (borderline Weed but so pretty):
hydrangea:
Things are shaping up. I’m hoping for cucumbers and green beans to start producing prolifically very soon!
Sarah
Pesto
Mid July is the time to harvest Basil and make Pesto!
I got myself a nice food-processor for making Zuccinni Bread but it makes short work of basil as well.
I opted for the $99 Cuisinart Food processor and I LOVE it. I’m glad I read all those articles by Daniel Pelegreen on the subject. I had no idea just how much easier and quicker and mostly- QUIETER a nice food processor is than my little 3 cup one. It grates zuccinni like a charm and making Pesto is quick!
I pick the leaves off the basil:
and discard/compost/etc the stalks:
I actually throw my herb stalks in my “compost” area which is mainly just where I put the leaves I rake up. The vermin don’t like the herbs so I figure they are mostly safe. I don’t bother with composting the rest of my veggie scraps. We have entirely too many raccoons/squirrels/fishers/Opossums for it to be worth it.
I process the basil leaves with plenty of olive oil. I spoon out most of the basil slurry into ice cube trays for freezing at this point.
To make pesto, I use about 3 Table spoons of Basil slurry, a good bit of grated parmesean cheese, plenty of olive oil, and some pine nuts. Process-away and enjoy with chicken, bread, etc.
The pine-nuts come in this sweet little jar and sweet little jars deserve flowers.
I’ll be honest, the flowers may have been my favorite part of the pesto-making process.
Sarah
Side Flower Bed
If you think back to Late may, or if you click on this link to take you back to late may, you’d know that we pulled out some falling down chain link fence and cleaned up the side of the back yard. We will be getting concrete cutting services because we want to put concrete on a part of our backyard, and may need someone to come and cut it for us.
I have since added some flowers and ferns:
I was graciously given some lungwort and fern (Hay-scented fern I believe).
And a month later it’s looking great:
And some european ginger:
I picked up some Lady Fern from Mahoney’s in nearby Winchester:
And some Japanese Painted Fern:
And this other smaller, fluffy fern – The Dixie Wood Fern:
We also got some pink flowering false nettle which I promptly divided. I usually divide my perennials as soon as I get them. I find that the nurseries tend to stuff them into their pot and that they really like being divided and given some room to grow right when they are planted.
And sweet Woodruf:
I’ve also planted an Astilbe that I got at the local grocery store. It didn’t flower this year. All the buds got all wilty so I chopped them off to give the plant a better chance at long-term survival. There’s also a bleeding heart next to it. I’m hoping it will really fill out. I love bleeding hearts.
I’m still in the market for more ferns and other shade plants as you can see, but for those, I’m thinking about getting some outdoor pottery in hanover pa. I’m hoping the hydrangea might just flower next year. I’m also going to try to propagate the hydrangeas I have to see if I can make some more.
In the photo above, you can see some funny blue stuff in the lawn. That’s some grass seed in a newspaper mush. It worked great! You can see the lawn now, no more bare spots!
It’s been a busy July and I’ve got more to share but the blog has fallen off my priority list. I’m loving my new job which has been keeping me busy and fulfilled which was my blog’s job at other points in time.
I’ll keep posting about the house but I can’t promise to maintain a schedule! Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more timely house info!
Sarah
