More projects finished

I've posted most of these pictures this week already. But since this blog is as much a journal as anything, I'm reposting here.

I finished my table over the weekend. I'm so pleased with how it turned out. I'm tempted to make another one to match it sometime. I don't need one though. I'd like a cabinet for my piano books, so maybe that will be my next project. 

 I made two more garden boxes. I used up the last dregs of this paint that was originally for my picnic table, so four is my final number on these. I like them in this spot on my side porch. I've filled them with dirt now and planted my last two peppers in one, but I ended up with an extra, so now I get to think of something else I want to grow. I've got carrots, zucchini, sweet bell peppers, tomatoes, sugar snap peas, and pickling cucumbers so far.

 We get so many oranges and apples from the kids' school lunches. They eat the apples or I dry them and they eat those right up, but the oranges sit and sit. I ended up juicing 40 oranges to get this one single pitcher of juice. It was so good, but I'm definitely not doing that again. My poor hands. Haha!

 I was driving over to get school lunches one day this week and at an intersection what do I see but a teenager riding a horse?? There are horse barns a mile or two down that road, but it still seemed very odd to see her in the middle of town.

 My plants are so happy. I love all the pots and plants I've acquired. Most recent is the gray pot and fiddle leaf fig. I've wanted one for years but never got around to buying one. I got a small one so I can see if it will flourish here. The bright colors of the pots and plants justbrighten my house. I keep looking for new places to put plants so I can get more, lol.

 I got a ladder and a garden cart/wheelbarrow today. Another purchase I've had on my list for a few years but never got around to getting. It was very satisfying to get them and then I laughed a bit about what sorts of things satisfy me now compared to when I was younger. Chloe approves as long as we tow her around.

Genevieve makes cool things with Legos. The latest is a baptismal font. She turns eight in August, so it's on her mind and I love her creativity.

 This was Chloe's post church outfit on Sunday. She's so funny. She runs around most of the time with nothing but underwear on, no matter how many times we ask her to get dressed or even put clothes on her, and then she comes up with these sorts of outfits.

 She is a big fan of wearing me and Bill's hoodies.

 Genevieve is looking so much older to me when she puts jewelry on and some lip gloss. It's crazy how time flies and they grow up so fast.

Masks, headbands, and hand me downs

We're still in the early stages of reopening and masks are highly recommended, so I let my kids pick their colors and made some smaller ones for each of them. 

 Genevieve channeled her inner Harry Potter this week. I'm reading book one to the two littles and she joins us pretty regularly.

 Bill's work gave us all chili and cornbread to make together for a company party of sorts. It was tasty. Chloe helped Bill out with the prep.

 I made a few headbands to try out some new patterns because I was bored and had some fabric I could use. I like several of them.

 A cute family picture yesterday before we started home church.

 Pulled out a few new hand me down clothes, including this adorable swimsuit my sister made for Genevieve a couple years ago that fits Chloe perfectly now.

 Chloe played with a bunch of my jewelry yesterday too. Good times.

 Curly hair coming in so nicely.

 New chacos for all the kids. They love them. I love that they love them. Everyone is happy.

 A few steps closer to done with this end table.

This and That

Some beautiful tulips a friend gave me. 

 A few of the many perler bead creations we did this last week.

 My sister-in-law sent me this in the mail! I let it grow some roots in water and planted it and so far so good. It's so cute!

 Tomatoes and peppers doing just fine inside. I've been taking them outside during the day and they're doing really well.

 Pictures from my newly instituted daily walk. It's so beautiful where I live.

 Hiking in Bridle Trails Park.

 Genevieve had a posh setup one day to watch some shows.

 Two new planter boxes I made and painted to match the table. The peppers and probably one of the tomoatoes will go in them.

 I planted these sugar snap peas around this hosta back before it had grown at all. We'll see if those peas can grow fast enough to not be covered by it. They're holding their own so far. The hosta will get really big by the end of the summer but the peas only last for part of it.

 Bill, channeling his inner Slytherin and riotous curls.

 Two shelves that will soon me connected to make an end table. I spent several glorious hours yesterday working on them.

Pictures in Quarantine

Genevieve is into wearing monochromatic outfits these days. Except she doesn't always have the right color pants, so she improvises. This day was red. 

 King Arthur Flour flourless fudge cookies. Super tasty. And a head scratcher based off of the source of the recipe and how they usually sell flour?? lol. J/K I know they sell all sorts of things. But their recipes are great.

 Another day, another drawing by Genevieve. She loves doing them.

 Just some selfies with the littles.

 That turned a little ridiculous.

 Scones. Another winner from King Arthur flour.

 Oatmeal bread. Not sure on this one. The recipe was more involved than I care for my bread recipes to be, but I also added an extra cup of flour by accident, and then they were a tad toasted on top after cooking, which is my 50-year old oven's fault and my guessing on how to make it work. Drop the temp between 25-50 degrees and cook a few minutes shorter than recipe says and hope since you can't see in it without opening it. It does cook evenly at least. The joys of renting a house that you know your landlord plans to tear down in the near future. It changes the mental math of complaining about things when you wonder if too many complaints will turn into not renewing the lease.

 Grandma sent the kids a new book of science experiements and this one was fun. Food coloring in ice cubes.

 And their hands after.

 Genevieve still has some green on her arms.

 Flower pictures by Genevieve around our yard.

 Tomato and pepper starts. I need to transfer the peppers to their own cups soon.