Garden Update

It’s been awhile since I’ve done a garden update so here goes:

1. Cooked another pot of pole beans this week. Hooray! I was so afraid the first batch would be the last but, thankfully, it wasn’t. I’ve got more beans growing on the vine and more blooms, so maybe we will have a few more pots before the end of the season.

2. Homegrown Silver Queen Corn is delicious! We ate two ears over the weekend and they were really good. The kernels were nice and large, and they tasted delicious. We’ve got more ears growing, and hopefully they will be able to continue doing so without being eaten. Right now there is one that’s almost completely gone. Boo.

Busted

3. There are five Sugar Baby Melons growing and I keep finding new ones every day. Some of the little ones are withering though, so that’s unfortunate. They don’t grow as fast as the cucumbers do, but I can tell they are getting bigger and seem to be healthy.

4. I planted too many cucumbers. I said that before, but I need to say it again. If anything, so I remember. There are so many cucumbers but they are delicious; I’ve eaten my share and given some away.

5. Still no tomatoes or sweet peppers. I’m really bummed about that. The tomato plants are really big, but there are only leaves. I can’t even find the sweet pepper plants. So… more notes for next year.

6. The flowers really brighten things up. I love how vivid the colors are and the cheerfulness they add. And boy do they attract the bees (and butterflies)!

7. Gardening is fun. And it’s really fun to eat the stuff we grow.

I’ve been getting emails from John Scheepers about fall flower planting. Everything is so beautiful it’s hard to narrow down what to plant! I’m thinking more tulips and some peonies. I love the Dahlias I’ve got now but I have a lot of them, so something different would be nice. I planted some rose bushes a few weeks ago and I hope they take off.

Wish List- Fall 2015

As I tire of the hot temperatures here in Nashville, and retailers start highlighting their fall clothes, I can’t help but make a fall wish list. The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale always has some good deals, there are just very few things I’m looking for that fall into the “good deal” category. But if you’re looking for luxury items at a deal, that’s your sale.

Here are some things on my wish list for the upcoming seasons.

Gap Utility Hooded Jacket
I used to have one, but can’t find it anymore. I got a lot of use out of it and this one offers a hood which I love. It’s on sale + sale now, so I may go ahead and order it. It would also be good for an upcoming trip.

J.Crew Polka-dot Tippi Sweater with Shoulder Buttons
I know they did this sweater a few years ago but I missed it. And, I actually prefer the bracelet sleeves to the previous 3/4 length sleeve of the Tippi sweater. I have quite a few of the older ones, but look forward to the new version for Fall 2015. It’s a basic that will go with so many things. No brainer for me.

J.Crew Sloan Suede D’Orsay Flats
These shoes are beautiful and I really hope they fit as well as they look. They will work great with my wardrobe and I can’t wait for them to be mine (on sale of course).

J.Crew Micropleated Midi Skirt
The color pesto is really nice and I think the skirt would be flattering on many women. I can see this working in the fall with no tights and flats and then in the winter with tights. It would be a winner in my closet. The poly doesn’t bother me that much since it’s pleated. I think the poly pleats will hold up much better.

Gap Chambray Shirtdress
I bought a white sleeveless dress in this style for Spring and have worn it so many times. It’s flattering, easy, and can be dressed up or down. This one would be a nice alternative that can go into fall and maybe even winter (with a sweater/jacket).

First round of pickles

We have so many cucumbers that I thought now was a good time to make pickles. I like pickles but have never made them before so I looked at a few recipes before deciding on this one from The Kitchn.

Here’s what I used:

I followed the directions and boiled the vinegar, water, and salt mixture. My cucumbers are Ashley Slicing Cucumbers and they worked just fine. I used dill weed instead of dill seed (I couldn’t find any and wasn’t interested in fighting the crowds at Whole Foods), crushed red pepper and minced garlic as the seasonings.

I filled the jars with the spices and cucumber spears, then poured the boiling vinegar mixture on top.

I let them sit out until they got back to room temperature before putting the two jars in the fridge.

My thoughts:
They are crisp and flavorful, but a little too sour. I like them, but I like sour stuff. I think for the next batch I will use less vinegar in hopes of minimizing the sour bite. Otherwise, I think they turned out great! The cucumbers held up without getting mushy and the red pepper, minced garlic and dill weed give it a great flavor. Overall, I’d say this was a successful round one.

Garden Update

The garden is still growing and producing but I’m not sure what I will do with all these dang cucumbers! So far we’ve picked ten. I had four on the counter and just picked another three. They taste great, and it’s fun to go out and search for new cucumbers, BUT THERE ARE SO MANY! Too many cucumbers means pickles, and that makes me excited. Excited and nervous since I’ve never pickled anything. This is such a learning process for me and I love it.

There are four melons about the size of a nectarine. I had a few more that were growing but they’ve since shriveled up. Boo. Not sure if a pest got them (no evidence of any) or it was the heat. It has been very, very hot here. There are new ones popping up so maybe they will keep growing with no shriveling.

Each corn stalk has two ears growing so hopefully in the next week or so we’ll have some corn to grill. Yummy!

The edible flowers are blooming, but goodness gracious they are tall. Taller than me! I think the soil is too rich and perhaps that’s what makes them grow so tall?? I don’t know, but based on the other things I planted in the same soil (zinnias-not in the garden, dahlias, etc…) I think that might be the deal. Those other things are huge as well.

Still have some mystery plants that hopefully will fruit, flower, etc… so I know what they are. The Salvia finally bloomed, so that’s one mystery plant checked off the list.

Here’s a big picture of what’s happening. Still looks a mess.

Pile o’ cucumbers

Biggest cucumber so far. Forgot to take a photo before I cut it to eat it.

Corn

More Pole Bean flowers. Thankful for them because it means we should have more beans.

Taller than me!

Two melons hiding.

This guy was hanging out in the garden for quite a while yesterday.

That’s all for now! Off to learn how to pickle…

Product Reviews- Things I’ve bought lately that I really like…

Le Specs Easy Cowboy Sunglasses

I bought these because wanted a more casual pair for daily use and something that wouldn’t devastate me should they get ruined, lost, etc… My other sunglasses aren’t super-fancy or anything, but they are the ideal shape and color and I’d rather baby them if I can. I watched these on Madewell.com and they sold out, but fortunately for me they popped back and I snagged them. They fit great, and look pretty good for a style/brand that I’ve never tried before. They are good quality, block the sun, and don’t scratch easily. Oh, and they came with a handy little squeeze case for storage.

My only gripe was the lens color. The product photo shows it as being more of a pink-purple, but they are really red.

Nordstrom Day Bra

I was looking for something to wear to bed/around the house and these are perfect. I tried some other brands on in store and while they were fine, they weren’t as good a value as I feel these are. The ones I bought were on sale, and I think they may have other colors discounted as part of their Anniversary sale coming up around the middle of July. They fit well, wash well, and are extremely comfortable. I wouldn’t wear them out of the yard, but for an around-the-house bra they are fantastic. So fantastic that I bought three.

*The Nordstrom Lingerie brand seems to be a rebrand of the Shimera products. I have a few Shimera tanks and love them, and so far I haven’t been disappointed with the new brand/products.

Kiehl’s Iris Extract Activating Treatment Essence

I bought this in leu of a serum for daily use and it has exceeded my expectations. On a regular basis I use Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser, Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Creme, Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturizer with SPF and Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado. Occasionally when I have a sample I use the Kiehl’s Rosa Arctica Lightweight Creme (which is fantastic, by the way, I’m just too cheap to buy a regular supply). My skin is pretty normal but I do have freckles and larger pores. No real issue with acne though. I’ve found this really brightens my skin, along with giving it some extra moisture. It makes my skin smooth, and I think it provides a good base for both my nighttime moisturizer and the daily SPF moisturizer. I wasn’t expecting to notice that much of a difference, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised. The bottle is huge, and using 3-4 drops per time means it’s going to last a long time. I tend to wait and buy my skincare products around Christmas and during their “Friends and Family” weekend because they normally offer 20% off. If I run out of something mid-year I wait until they have their free deluxe sample times because I can try new stuff in a larger quantity, as well as get travel size products for use on the road. My bargain shopping extends to make up and skincare products…

Shasta Airflyte Re-Issue Updates

While our Shasta Airflyte is fantastic, it did need a few modifications. I love the retro feel and the fact that they kept it as close to the original as possible, with some great updates like the Bluetooth stereo system. I mean, whoever did that is a genius! But, there were some things that needed to be enhanced.

First up, our back window. We have had a leak since the beginning and I think it has to do with the service guy fixing the back panels due to some dents from the delivery process. My hypothesis is that it wasn’t done 100% as it should have been and that is what is causing the leak issue. Two of the back panels don’t overlap completely and I think the Exit window is a tad low for the window overhang to do its job of deflecting the rain. Those are my inexperienced opinions, though. We resealed the window and put some Gorilla Tape on the panel that doesn’t match up. We have gotten a lot of rain lately and those fixes seem to be keeping the water on the outside of the camper instead of the inside. They will definitely work for the Summer. Hooray!

The second thing we’ve done is insulate the A/C compartment to do a better job of funneling the warm air out through the vent. We got some Foamular board and built a little box at the back of the A/C unit to keep the air contained and moving through the fan and out through the vent. That, coupled with a fan, has definitely improved the temperature on the inside of the camper in the Summer heat. A fan is paramount. Oh, and time. The inside temperature will not go from 85 degrees to 70 in 15 minutes. It’s going to need some time and air circulation to work. At this point, I think we have the solution that will work for us.

Update: Here are a few pics of the AC compartment showing the mod. We are not professionals.

We bought the Honeywell TurboForce Air Circulator fan to circulate the air.

The window will be fixed by the dealer after the Summer season, along with some other minor issues like the back stripe not matching up, the back window sill replacement due to water damage, etc… Overall, this is a great camper and I wouldn’t change a thing. Having experience with older houses, modifications and at-home fixes are just par for the course. It’s a little house on wheels so of course there will be things to maintain, fix, keep an eye on, etc… Expecting perfection in anything is unreasonable.

Here’s to a great Summer of exploring!

Lessons Learned

It has been two months since I started gardening. I’ve cooked one pot of beans from the garden, with another one ready to go whenever we want them, and I’ve picked two cucumbers with many more on the vine. There are roughly nine sweet baby watermelons growing and a few corns have sprouted. All in all, I’m encouraged. I would be terribly discouraged had nothing come up, or better yet, it all be eaten by pests.

I’ve learned a few things, though the season isn’t over.

1. Plant half as many cucumber plants as you want to. I just cannot get over the scope and sprawl of the cucumber plants! They are everywhere. I mean, everywhere. Our garden bed is on the small side, and I think I overwhelmed it with cucumber plants. I don’t see anything suffering due to their taking over of the middle part of the bed, but I’m sure something is happening that I just don’t know about. I do love cucumbers, but I think I could plant half of what I planted this time and still be happy with enough cucumbers to either eat plain or pickle. We will see how the rest of the season goes.

2. Build up more soil around the corn. My corn is falling over and I’m not sure if it happens because of the high winds and storms we’ve had lately, or if there isn’t enough soil to support it. The stalks are still growing, flowering, and yielding some corn, it just doesn’t look pretty. May just be cosmetic, but I will need to research further.

3. Plant more beans. So far we’ve had enough for one pot and I’ve got another pot snapped and ready to go. I’m not sure how many more pots we will get from the garden though, so I’m thinking next year I will plant more beans. There are still flowers on the plants, so hopefully more will come. I can always freeze them, so in my opinion you can never have too many green beans.

4. A soaker hose with a timer is a very, very good thing. We initially set it up because we were going out of town for a few days and wanted to make sure it got the water it needed. It was great, so we left it. It waters for five minutes every eight hours.

That’s all I can think of for now, although I’m sure there will be more lessons as the season continues. Here are some more recent photos of the madness.

Full garden shot

Cucumber and lettuce from the garden. Woot!

Product Reviews- Things I’ve bought lately that I really like…

Cuyana Panama Hat

I bought a cheap Panama hat last year to wear when doing yard work and other outdoor activities when I needed to keep the sun off my face. I got a lot of use out of it, but it was not great quality and therefore didn’t last very long. Since I have more free time this year, and am outside quite a bit, I thought it was time to invest in a decent quality Panama hat. After watching some cool videos of how they are made in Ecuador, I thought a legitimate hat was worth the money. Enter Cuyana. I’ve purchased a few other items from them (reviews here) and have been very happy, so they were the likely retailer. The hat lives up to the hype and is worth the extra money. It’s beautiful, and is perfect for use around the yard and as an outfit topper for running errands, etc… I’m very happy with my purchase and would highly recommend it.

A note about sizing- I’d never measured my head before so I had no idea I’d be a small. But I measured, followed their sizing guide, and voila- it fits perfectly!

J.Crew Callista Gladiator Sandals

These shoes are beautiful. As with other J.Crew shoes that were made in Italy, the leather is very soft and they are most comfortable. The pink shade is a little more of a neutral than I expected, but that is a welcome surprise. I’ve worn them a few times out and about for hours on end and haven’t had any issues with blisters, rubbing, etc… My feet are on the larger side so the strappy nature of the sandals doesn’t overwhelm my feet, but I can imagine a smaller foot looking trapped. I’m not embarrassed to say I wear these almost everyday.

Redkin Curvaceous Ringlet

I was skeptical about this product when my hair stylist recommended it to me, and it took some trial and error to get it work, but now that I know what to do I am so glad I have it. My hair is very wavy, but will be more frizzy than wavy if not completely blow-dried. I’ve been looking for something I can put in my hair, while letting it air dry, that will work with the curl. I haven’t had great luck up until this point. I don’t want crunchy hair, and that seems to be what the other products had to offer. When I first started using this new product I was getting the frizz that I normally got, just no crunch. That was definitely an improvement, but for $$ I expect better. I tried letting my hair drip dry instead of putting it up in a towel. I patted it dry, but that was it. Turns out that was the key! Now this product encourages the natural curl in my hair without frizz or crunch. Sometimes it’s the little things.

Oh, and you don’t use too much so I imagine this bottle will last quite a long time.

Old Navy Boyfriend Shorts

Denim Boyfriend Shorts
White Boyfriend Shorts
Gray Wash Boyfriend Shorts

These shorts are a lifesaver. I have muscular beefy legs from years of playing sports and unfortunately that makes short and jean shopping fairly difficult with the current trends. Thankfully, Old Navy’s Boyfriend Shorts accommodate me. I’ve got a denim pair, a white pair, and now a gray pair, and I will buy other options as they become available.

They are roomy in the leg area yet not big everywhere, if you know what I mean. They are a classic style and the 3.5 inch inseam is a good middle ground between flattering and waaaaay too short.

They wash well, don’t shrink, and don’t lose their color. What more could you ask for? Oh, and I’ve paid less than $15 for each pair I have. Old Navy is definitely hit or miss when it comes to quality/fit but I’ve found these to be a total hit for my wardrobe. About fit- I’d say they straddle the line between true to size to slightly big. I’m normally a 10 and the 10s I have are a little big. The gray pair I bought recently is size 8 and they fit really good.

J.Crew Drawstring Linen Short

I bought these on sale because I was looking for a more casual (read: pajama-like) short that I could dress up if needed, but would lean more on the casual side. These fit the bill and the color options fit into my current wardrobe. I was wary of the 3-inch inseam, but the drawstring waist allows you to wear them a little lower on the hip to get more coverage. I usually don’t like patch pockets in the back, but these didn’t bother me because they don’t stick out or add bulk. The tuxedo stripe on the side is a nice touch, and the pockets are much appreciated. I bought the navy, but have the iced quartz on my wishlist for when they go on sale again. The only drawback for me so far is that they are dry clean only. I may research a little and try to wash them myself though. I normally wear a 10 and bought a medium.

Garden Snaps with a Macro Lens

I love the tiny details I’m seeing on the garden plants so I grabbed my husband’s macro lens and started snapping. I’m no photographer, but it’s cool to see such detail close up. Here are some photos I took today.

This is what inspired me to get the macro lens:

Tiny sun-lit melon:

Not sure what this one is, but I can’t wait to find out:

Looks like a cheerful Death Star:

Found this guy, then immediately relocated him. Thankfully it was the first one I’ve seen in the garden:

Never seen him before either:

In other news- we had our first pot of beans from the garden over the weekend! My grandmother likes to cook her green beans for three hours so I followed her “recipe”. It wasn’t the first time I’ve cooked them like she does, but it was the first time I’ve cooked beans that I grew. That made them just a little more tasty.

Garden Snaps

Here are some quick garden pictures from the past week. The cucumbers and melons have flowers and there are some small pole bean pods. Yippee!