tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14120697233262446542024-03-12T21:53:38.761-07:00Living green in a colorful worldSharing my personal journey of living green and getting greenerTHChristi420http://www.blogger.com/profile/18436204730273512273noreply@blogger.comBlogger195125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412069723326244654.post-79608333367988152932012-04-28T19:37:00.001-07:002012-04-28T19:37:24.298-07:00She's Back!Hello again friends! <br />
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I know I fell off the blogosphere for a long time, but I'm still here and still trying to be green in all things. Where have I been? Well that's a long bit of a story, but here's the short version...<br />
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I moved to a new house last year. We're no longer on the island, but still in Western Washington. The move has been good so far. The location is great. Much closer to my family and granddaughter! Yay! But this move has been a big one. Not only did we move into a new house, but we have been working on the house, painting, flooring etc. In addition we have 2 outbuildings. A shop and a very large shed which have both required major renovations to suite our use.<br />
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Along with that big change I've learned in this last year that I have fibromayalgia or something similar (the docs aren't too positive). What that's meant for me is a lot of learning to deal with chronic pain, muscle spasms and general malaise. I'm on a vitamin D regiment which is helping a lot and I've become a medical marijuana patient which is helping tremendously. The plus side of my diagnosis is that I finally have a reason for all the feeling ill that I've been going thorough for several years and I can finally take a stand for myself instead of just feeling broken a lot of the time. On the negative side I've had to give up my loved practice of making Fat Bottom Bags. Crocheting with the recycled plastic is just too hard on me with the tension in my hands and too often my hands just don't work properly.<br />
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I've decided though to come back to my old blog here and keep finding and sharing ways for us to all green up our lives.<br />
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Soooooooooooo today let's talk gardening. My new garden is a major work in progress still, but I'm starting to see it getting established in this second year. I brought with me starts from all of my plants in my beloved island garden including my herbs. This is the time here in the Pacific NW to start pinching back your herbs to create fuller and bushier plants. Today I got out and did just that!<br />
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Now normally I just toss these pinched tops into the compost, but that just seemed wasteful and why should I wait until mid summer to start enjoying my organic garden fresh herbs? No way! Instead of tossing the tops into the compost bin, I tossed them into the dehydrator and a few hours later I've got myself a new batch of dried oregano, chives, nint and sage. Beautiful! Free! and GREEN! Woo hoo!<br />
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Go Green!<br />
ChristiUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412069723326244654.post-23892421268239164992011-03-04T06:12:00.001-08:002011-03-04T06:12:28.085-08:00Spring?<br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=11/03/04/922.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/11/03/04/s_922.jpg' border='0' width='195' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=11/03/04/923.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/11/03/04/s_923.jpg' border='0' width='195' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=11/03/04/924.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/11/03/04/s_924.jpg' border='0' width='195' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=11/03/04/925.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/11/03/04/s_925.jpg' border='0' width='195' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=11/03/04/926.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/11/03/04/s_926.jpg' border='0' width='195' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=11/03/04/927.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/11/03/04/s_927.jpg' border='0' width='195' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=11/03/04/928.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/11/03/04/s_928.jpg' border='0' width='195' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=11/03/04/929.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/11/03/04/s_929.jpg' border='0' width='195' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=11/03/04/930.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/11/03/04/s_930.jpg' border='0' width='195' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412069723326244654.post-78207724988362205262010-08-03T00:00:00.000-07:002010-08-03T00:06:05.583-07:00DIY Recycled food dehydrator<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/TFeJ1iy0E8I/AAAAAAAAEdk/YOqmcrb-LD0/s1600/1000001238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/TFeJ1iy0E8I/AAAAAAAAEdk/YOqmcrb-LD0/s400/1000001238.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Ok, first things first, humans have been using the sunshine to preserve foods for, well forever really. Some of our modern delicacies like raisins and sun-dried tomatoes are still done in this manner. Don't be afraid to try your own hand at drying food items. It's fun, fresh from the organic garden and the power is free so it's an all around green living project.<br />
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I don't know what I was waiting for when I said last year that 2010 would be the year I'd actually go buy myself a food dehydrator. Good thing I lacked follow through on that one. Instead I found out it's easy to dehydrate my food with no "special" plastic gadget. <br />
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This summer I'm working on some specialty items like a healing tea made from only the tips of my organic herbs and a special garden recipe Summer Sunshine beef soup mix. In order to make these, along with some other items, I would have to dry and dehydrate some herbs, fruits and vegetables. Of course being me, I tend to follow my whims and inspirations, I didn't really plan when or how I would do this.<br />
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One day last week we visited some friends on the mainland who have a HUGE garden. It was the first time I was offered zucchini this year and I jumped at the offer. (Thanks Parks family!)<br />
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That night when I walked across the passenger only ferry (early dry dock for the Whatcom Chief this year) I was carrying 4 very nice zucchini in my bag 2 large and 2 mediums.<br />
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The original plan was to make zucchini bread but when I woke up the next morning it occurred to me that those zucchini would make a wonderful addition to my Summer Sunshine soup mix.<br />
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I had already been drying different herbs in shoe boxes and hanging them in bundles in the sunshine. Why not cut up and dehydrate those zucchini? But how? My shoe box method wasn't going to do the trick for these fluid filled beauties. That's when I began my recycling brainstorm. Here's what I came up with.<br />
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<b>Making a Recycled Food Dehydrator</b><br />
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<i>Materials:</i><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/TFd_F6qLJ9I/AAAAAAAAEd8/10sSUCSd8W4/s1600/1000001247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/TFd_F6qLJ9I/AAAAAAAAEd8/10sSUCSd8W4/s200/1000001247.JPG" width="181" /></a>
<li><i>A plastic flat from the garden nursery. I have many of these because we can't recycle them here, so I am always looking for a way to re purpose them.</i></li>
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<li><i>Wire mesh scraps. Hardware cloth with a 1/2 or finer works great. (Alternately you could use window screen)</i></li>
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<li><i>Tin snips or some other metal shears</i></li>
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<li><i>Sunshine and time</i></li>
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<b>Step 1: </b> Gather your materials. Measure or eyeball your nursery flat to your mesh. Cut the mesh to line the bottom of the nursery flat. If using narrower scraps, just cut 2 pieces that fit inside and overlap them inside of the flat<br />
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<b>Step 2:</b> Gather the item you want to dehydrate and add to the
tray on top of the mesh liner. On a sunny day things like herbs
generally are dry the very next day, but items with more water like my
zucchinis take a bit longer.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1/4 " hardware cloth</td></tr>
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<b>Step 3:</b> Place in a sunny area. Choose a spot where it will be protected from wind, animals and rain. This spot should also allow for air to circulate beneath your tray, so you may want to set it on 2 pieces of wood to elevate it slightly from the table or other surface. I placed mine inside of my garden. The fencing protects it from curious critters and raccoon prowlers.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh sage leaves set out to dry for winter</td></tr>
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<b><span id="goog_2018977518"></span><span id="goog_2018977519"></span>Step 4</b>: Check your items daily for moisture content. If they are still damp toss or stir them and leave in the sun another day. For long term storage your dehydrated food will need to be VERY dry. Moisture remaining in the food is problematic and can be a place for mold to occur. <i>If your items need to be left out over night and you are concerned with flies or other insects (particularly when doing fruits) cover over them with another piece of your mesh or with some screen.</i><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/TFd9erRGbwI/AAAAAAAAEf0/YQcotJnXZ5M/s1600/1000001250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/TFd9erRGbwI/AAAAAAAAEf0/YQcotJnXZ5M/s200/1000001250.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Step 5: </b> Once dried, store your items in labeled mason jars and use in your favorite recipes. I'm saving mine for those gray winter days so I can taste the sunshine!<br />
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Here's some more photos from my sun drying adventures, so kick back, put your feet up and enjoy!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412069723326244654.post-47776359079506322802010-07-30T15:48:00.000-07:002010-07-30T15:48:07.225-07:00Summer Vacation check in<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello from vacation-ville! <br />
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I've been away from the blog and my bags for a couple of months now and I thought I better check in with a post to let all of you know what's been going on.<br />
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Mostly this vacation has been a working one. My garden is growing and it's lovely, but there's always Lot's to be done to get the plants growing and then of course the harvesting and preserving of the herbs and vegetables as they come ripe. This year I'm venturing into some gourmet preserves like pickled baby pea pods & Lummi Island Capers made from nasturtium seeds <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The TOOL show ROCKED!!!!</td></tr>
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Not to worry though, I've gotten some downtime too. Ben and I recently went to see my favorite band of all time, TOOL, in concert at Key Arena in Seattle. What a fun time and a much needed quality time get away!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset walks</td></tr>
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We've also spent a lot of sunsets at the beach on the west side of the island and had some great visits with friends & family. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">POPSICLES!</td></tr>
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Officially I'll be on my vacation until after Labor Day in September, but from now until then I will try to post once a week or so. As for new FatBottomBags, look for some posts in the fall with photos and fun recycling ideas too!<br />
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I hope you are having a lovely summer too! Enjoy!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412069723326244654.post-85937750228266535322010-06-05T10:07:00.001-07:002010-06-05T10:07:54.756-07:00Summertime & the livings easy<img width='640' src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/TAqEZ-HtxDI/AAAAAAAAEW4/Eu97xCkQlsg/img_9.jpg'><br>Hi all! I haven't posted here on the blog or on Facebook much lately and after some careful consideration I've decided to make an official announcement.... I'm on vacation! With the garden, family, fun time and seal pup stranding season, I'm just not having as much free time to devote to my online activities. I may still post from time to time as I can but news will be sporatic. <br /><br />In addition, I will NOT be posting new bags for sale until my return at the end of summer. I WILL still be making Mini-bags for the recycle exchange so keep saving those colored bags! http://fatbottombags.fatcow.com/fatbottombagsrecycledtotes/id15.html<br /><br />Enjoy your summer & feel free to contact me on my email christi_spangler at yahoo dot comUnknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412069723326244654.post-30849217003270936572010-05-29T06:09:00.000-07:002010-05-29T06:09:44.562-07:00Silent Saturday<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just hanging out!</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412069723326244654.post-73254537311276841952010-05-25T14:08:00.000-07:002010-05-25T14:12:33.836-07:00Missing Blogger<div style="text-align: justify;">
Well here it is going into summer time and my usual devotion to blogging, facebooking and other online endeavors has taken a back seat to my current lover..... my yard and garden.</div>
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Something happens to me when the weather finally clears up and the plants begin to grow again. Some might call it an obsession even. Whatever name it goes by, I just can't get enough time in the outdoors and my favorite place to pass the time is in the backyard.</div>
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Over the dreary winter, I often sat and day dreamed about the garden and projects I might try this year. Now it's been all action. Between the veggies, the herb beds and my flowers I'm so busy tending to the yard that I'm sorry to say I've neglected all you wonderful blog readers.</div>
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So here I am with a little check in to let you know I haven't dropped off the earth. I'm still here and still trying to <b style="background-color: lime;">live green</b>! I promise, devoted readers, that I will try to post a little more often throughout the summer. I have some great recycle garden projects to tell you about and of course I'll have updates on the garden and what's growing on. In the mean time, here's some photos from the yard and garden where I've been hard at work. Enjoy!</div>
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<tr align="justify"><td class="tr-caption">New Tomato bed interplanted with garlic. The bottles are recycled into a watering system that takes the water to the root zone and avoids any water getting onto the tomato foliage. This is good because water on the foliage can bring blight.</td><td class="tr-caption"></td><td class="tr-caption"></td><td class="tr-caption"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nasturtium after the rain.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr align="justify"><td class="tr-caption">Flowers in the vegetable garden? Why not! They bring beauty and bees into the space and most importantly they bring me joy when I'm weeding :0)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wuK7r4rzI/AAAAAAAAEHE/Um0R1SfohVw/s1600/P5160030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wuK7r4rzI/AAAAAAAAEHE/Um0R1SfohVw/s320/P5160030.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes! We've got raspberries on our bush this year!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wuNEmwXSI/AAAAAAAAEHM/yaHAoGNQt_I/s1600/P5160038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wuNEmwXSI/AAAAAAAAEHM/yaHAoGNQt_I/s320/P5160038.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Last winter I lost a beautiful climbing clematis that was here. Now I'm using the support that was left behind and growing a native honeysuckle that I found started growing on the hillside in my backyard. When mature, this will have beautiful bright orange flowers that are a draw for hummingbirds and butterflies.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wuPuPjfzI/AAAAAAAAEHY/Ar0NP_89kro/s1600/P5160045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wuPuPjfzI/AAAAAAAAEHY/Ar0NP_89kro/s320/P5160045.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I expanded the area between the fire pit and the native bed behind it by about 3 feet this year so we could set a bench there and roast marshmallows this summer. From here you can look out the other way and see the water and the city lights from Bellingham at night.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wuRIUjhvI/AAAAAAAAEHc/1YqigYsQqyw/s1600/P5160046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wuRIUjhvI/AAAAAAAAEHc/1YqigYsQqyw/s320/P5160046.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="justify"><td class="tr-caption">Another planting extension. I added about 2.5 feet all the way around this bed. Yep, I moved all of those rocks again. Rock work is like doing a giant jigsaw puzzle. Finding the right stone to fit is half the fun!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wuSlIoKGI/AAAAAAAAEHg/Cw1UaKpN1mE/s1600/P5160049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wuSlIoKGI/AAAAAAAAEHg/Cw1UaKpN1mE/s320/P5160049.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Not to be outdone by Ben's new dahlia bed, I built one too! Mine is the rock wall with posts and his is the cedar one. Both will be equally beautiful when those flowers bloom!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wuYmmJRxI/AAAAAAAAEH0/tdg8F0S-Wig/s1600/P5160082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wuYmmJRxI/AAAAAAAAEH0/tdg8F0S-Wig/s320/P5160082.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My planting around the "stairs to nowhere" has filled in very nicely this year. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wua34VXnI/AAAAAAAAEIA/9c2Ng6C6wO0/s1600/P5160086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wua34VXnI/AAAAAAAAEIA/9c2Ng6C6wO0/s320/P5160086.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="justify"><td class="tr-caption">Along the back stairs. This bed is nice and lush this year. Those irises in the front were a beach combing find after a storm 3 or 4 years ago. I soaked them in fresh water for a few days and planted them. When they bloom they're gorgeous yellow iris</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wuhtX_OBI/AAAAAAAAEIU/hOSkKAHMfec/s1600/P5160103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wuhtX_OBI/AAAAAAAAEIU/hOSkKAHMfec/s320/P5160103.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The new earth stairs I built are now planted. I'm hoping to have blooms going up both sides of the stairs later this summer</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wui6gV6_I/AAAAAAAAEIY/iuf-_6d7XEs/s1600/P5160104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wui6gV6_I/AAAAAAAAEIY/iuf-_6d7XEs/s320/P5160104.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Garden view from our front porch. I'm thinking of naming her "shipwreck garden". What do you think?</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wuXP5DtaI/AAAAAAAAEHw/dEUf0G3gpFM/s1600/P5160080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wuXP5DtaI/AAAAAAAAEHw/dEUf0G3gpFM/s320/P5160080.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="justify"><td class="tr-caption">Can you name this flower? I've got this pink running all around the house and keep adding it to the new gardens. It gives a lovely overall effect and consistancy to the yard. But, I don't know what this plant is called. It grows from chunky tubers about 1/2" thick and forms clumps. Anyone?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wum4AiFMI/AAAAAAAAEIo/vyeeXCYrp74/s1600/P5160116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wum4AiFMI/AAAAAAAAEIo/vyeeXCYrp74/s320/P5160116.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A friendly frequent garden visitor.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wuWh58e0I/AAAAAAAAEHs/w6F5sqrEgUM/s1600/P5160079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wuWh58e0I/AAAAAAAAEHs/w6F5sqrEgUM/s320/P5160079.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="justify"><td class="tr-caption">This rocky outcropping is a challenge in the garden, but I'm pleased that this year I do have pockets of pretties growing there. I'm trying to fill any of the crannies with sedums and such.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wuJqpCfkI/AAAAAAAAEHA/TD5D8W0gbUA/s1600/P5160029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wuJqpCfkI/AAAAAAAAEHA/TD5D8W0gbUA/s320/P5160029.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dill weed and pickling cukes went in along this string line.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wunzWvLQI/AAAAAAAAEIs/kOg_GPZ08t0/s1600/P5160122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wunzWvLQI/AAAAAAAAEIs/kOg_GPZ08t0/s320/P5160122.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="justify"><td class="tr-caption">This year I'm using this fine net to protect things from the hungry birds. Looks like we'll be the only ones eating our strawberries this year!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wurZOfBUI/AAAAAAAAEI0/UnvDE3VR1mw/s1600/P5170128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wurZOfBUI/AAAAAAAAEI0/UnvDE3VR1mw/s320/P5170128.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="justify"><td class="tr-caption">Another day in the sun for Echo and another day of gardening for me.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wuuTnuOKI/AAAAAAAAEJA/qQgtR9qEpfw/s1600/P5170136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wuuTnuOKI/AAAAAAAAEJA/qQgtR9qEpfw/s320/P5170136.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">I added this terraced herb bed last year. It's filled in beautifully. Here you can see the old log stairs that are now just decorative. I love the way the moss has covered them.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wusUXz-iI/AAAAAAAAEI4/4mVoL0kLL-c/s1600/P5170129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wusUXz-iI/AAAAAAAAEI4/4mVoL0kLL-c/s320/P5170129.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">I built an "island style" flag pole from wood, copper pipe, rebar and aluminum & moved the flag back to our driveway enterance. Then I spent a day clearing blackberry vines out of here. OUCH! Seems like most days I'm pulling blackberry thorns out of my hands lately.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wuvhU0nAI/AAAAAAAAEJE/ziOu28zy2Qg/s1600/P5170151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wuvhU0nAI/AAAAAAAAEJE/ziOu28zy2Qg/s320/P5170151.JPG" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="justify"><td class="tr-caption">Another feathered friend. This little goldfinch suprised me when he chose this seed feeder over the thistle tube that is hanging about 2 feet away.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wu884TbuI/AAAAAAAAEJo/9GJsNAyK4_w/s1600/P5120021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wu884TbuI/AAAAAAAAEJo/9GJsNAyK4_w/s320/P5120021.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="justify"><td class="tr-caption">Moving rocks again! I find it a lot easier to take small loads in my little wagon than to try to take large ones in the wheelbarrow.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wu3FK4q6I/AAAAAAAAEJY/UtWkKC9pZf0/s1600/P5120016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wu3FK4q6I/AAAAAAAAEJY/UtWkKC9pZf0/s320/P5120016.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Here's a full view of my herb bed. See how lush! this is 3 working terraces with a 4th terrace (in the back) that I put trimmings in each spring. Thinks like sticks and brush. This offers the birds some nesting material. It also is where I allow some nettles to grow for the butterflies and it springs up with new ferns and native flowers.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wutNfuzFI/AAAAAAAAEI8/hCtRHtoe5JA/s1600/P5170135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wutNfuzFI/AAAAAAAAEI8/hCtRHtoe5JA/s320/P5170135.JPG" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">These beautiful flag irises I've divided each year and scattered them throughout the yard too. Most of the summer they just have long green leaves almost like clumps of grass, but at this time of year they're blooming and beautiful! This year I top dresssed with alfalfa meal and I have LOADS more flowers than previous years. Also great because the slugs seem to leave them alone unlike my large irises.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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There's so much more I could share, but that will keep for a future posting. I'm off to do some more gardening. Oh and by the way, I saw my first pea forming on the vine today. :0)</div>
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/islandgirl98262" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S_wrHk0Fk2I/AAAAAAAAEFw/jOmDNEWvtsM/s200/June+09.jpg" width="170" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412069723326244654.post-16998440344616996192010-05-16T03:37:00.000-07:002010-05-16T03:37:53.924-07:00Planet Savers, Plant it Earth<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.gp.com/aboutus/sustainability/timeline/index.html?dec=7" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S-_Jbh9s17I/AAAAAAAAEEc/48YVmnfhLtY/s200/green+by+design.jpg" width="150" wt="true" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Plant the whole world!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Isn't this just the cutest seed packet you've ever seen?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My step dad, Jim, gave this to me for Earth Day. It's handmade from recycled paper. Each little earth is embedded with seeds. Mine is forget-me-nots. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm going to plant the planet tomorrow. First you have to soak it in water. Then cover it with soil. As the seeds become flowers th fiber will break down in the soil. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm so excited by this cleaver recycle product from </span><a href="http://www.gp.com/aboutus/sustainability/timeline/index.html?dec=7"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">GP Green by design</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. That's why they're this weeks Planet Savers!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love to see companies large and small making changes for a greener planet!</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/islandgirl98262" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S-_Ka2hz6NI/AAAAAAAAEEg/jVaE7RV_fqI/s200/misc+pics.jpg" width="165" wt="true" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412069723326244654.post-16248431364692858642010-05-13T08:00:00.000-07:002010-05-13T08:00:08.052-07:00Shrink Plastic Project With Kids<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
In my post <a href="http://fatbottombags.blogspot.com/2010/02/recycled-bags-need-recycled-tags.html">Recycled Bags Need Recycled Tags</a> I shared with you how to use #6 plastic containers to make shrunken plastic tags. At the time I thought this might be a fun craft project to do with kids. Well I had my chance to try this project out recently with my 6 year old friend, Aubrei.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hamming it up & ready for recycle fun!</td></tr>
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Aubrei came to hang out with me one day while her daddy was at work. Normally we like to go to the beach, playground or just play outside in the yard when she visits. This time it was raining so that put a damper on our usual activities. Time to get creative!</div>
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I took a look around the house for something fun we could do together and I found a clam shell container with the #6 in the triangle. What luck! I know just what to do with that. We'll make some recycled shrunken plastic beads.</div>
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We had a lot of fun doing this project together. Here's how you can too.</div>
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<b style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Supplies:</b><br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S-MbQqdVzWI/AAAAAAAAEBw/8Dfcn8HSp7I/s1600/P4020006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S-MbQqdVzWI/AAAAAAAAEBw/8Dfcn8HSp7I/s200/P4020006.JPG" width="200" /></a>
<li>#6 plastic for recycling </li>
<li>scissors</li>
<li>permanent markers </li>
<li>hole punch</li>
<li>scratch paper</li>
<li>cookie sheet</li>
<li>oven</li>
<li>string</li>
<li>beads</li>
<li>adult supervision</li>
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To start out, line a work area for the child with some heavy scratch paper. I recycled a brown bag for this project. Kids don't get to use permanent markers very often, so be sure to explain what permanent means or you may wind up with a "tattooed" little tyke or a redecorated work table!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recycle artist in training!</td></tr>
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line your cookie sheet with additional scratch paper.</div>
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Cut out different shapes from your plastic and punch a hole in each one. These will be about 1/3 the original size after shrinking, so make them large enough for the child to draw on, but small enough to use for beading. </div>
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While you are busy cutting out the plastic for the beads, have your child
color a picture on the scratch paper.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All ready for the oven</td></tr>
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Once the child has finished coloring interesting designs & pictures on the plastic, add them to the cookie sheet. Leave about 1/4" between each plastic shape. </div>
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When all your plastic shapes are decorated or you've filled the cookie sheet, it's time to put them in the oven. Be sure you run your range fan to ventilate any fumes.</div>
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Remove from the oven after 2-3 minutes and allow to cool out of reach of little fingers. They will have shrunken down to about 1/3 of the original size and will have thickened up substantially.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recycled beads make unique keepsakes</td></tr>
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While your recycle beads are cooling, gather up your other beads and some string. </div>
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For young children use large beads with large holes that are easy for small hands to work with. Stringing beads is a good activity for developing hand eye coordination. </div>
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I like to tie 1 large bead to the end of the string as a stopper so they don't pull the string all the way through the bead. Now just let them choose and add their own beads being as creative as they like. </div>
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Your homemade recycle beads will have holes too small for young children to string, so add a jump ring or string loop for them.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A special gift for Aubrei's special friend</td></tr>
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You can make bracelets, necklaces and even sun catchers.</div>
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Aubrei decided to make a necklace for Bunny!</div>
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This project was a lot of fun! We got to spend time creating together and we talked about recycling too. Aubrei said her favorite part was using permanent markers! She was so proud of her finished necklace for her stuffed bunny too!</div>
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I hope you'll try this one with your children. It's such a great way to encourage creativity and recycling. </div>
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/islandgirl98262" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S2R5F2Ey4sI/AAAAAAAAClY/xdyPEyO0Umo/s200/SIGNATUREwPHOTO.jpg" width="175" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412069723326244654.post-7496066343241508392010-05-10T09:21:00.000-07:002010-05-10T09:21:25.032-07:00Inspiration & ImaginationI stumbled across this video recently & I wanted to share it with you too. This is why we must continue to encourage imagination in our children!<br />
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<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oJAaMQuEFl8&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oJAaMQuEFl8&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412069723326244654.post-60863075099791042172010-05-09T08:00:00.000-07:002010-05-09T08:00:02.505-07:00Happy Mothers Day<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S-IVn0el6OI/AAAAAAAAD_Y/qcLYLNEOPzI/s1600/DSC04011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S-IVn0el6OI/AAAAAAAAD_Y/qcLYLNEOPzI/s400/DSC04011.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me & Mom!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces
of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.
~Tenneva Jordan</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful moms out there! </span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412069723326244654.post-10484971246226040892010-05-08T08:00:00.000-07:002010-05-08T08:00:05.665-07:00Silent Saturday<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't forget tomorrow is Mothers Day</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412069723326244654.post-84531251938775261142010-05-07T10:44:00.000-07:002010-05-07T10:44:29.275-07:00Friday Finds: Repurposing Empty Prescriptions<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S-RPnAoDpVI/AAAAAAAAEDI/3IHcR0x5roQ/s1600/Rx+Bottles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S-RPnAoDpVI/AAAAAAAAEDI/3IHcR0x5roQ/s1600/Rx+Bottles.jpg" /></a></div>
Over on my<a href="http://www.facebook.com/fatbottombags"> facebook fan page</a>, Shannon T asked me if I had any craft project ideas to use empty prescription bottles. I'm working on coming up with a tutorial for another way to use these for crafting, but in the meantime I found these ideas on the web. <br />
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Before re-purposing your prescription bottles, remove the labels and
wash them out. You want to remove any of the medication residue that
may be clinging to the plastic bottle. </div>
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If you'd rather recycle them, check out <a href="http://waste-not-want-not.tripod.com/id14.html">Jacob Willard's project</a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Pill-Bottle-Explosion-Lamp/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S-RQszCVvuI/AAAAAAAAEDM/l4X2wJCFGMk/s320/Pill-Bottle-Explosion-Lamp.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Pill-Bottle-Explosion-Lamp/">Pill Bottle Explosion Lamp</a></td></tr>
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Make them into a lamp. <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Pill-Bottle-Explosion-Lamp/">Instructables will show you how</a></div>
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Make a <a href="http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/01/how_to_pill_bottle_stealth_key_hide.html">"Hide a Key"</a> from Make Online</div>
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Blessings Overflowing blog will show you how to <a href="http://blessingsoverflowing.blogspot.com/2010/04/mod-podged-pill-bottle-tutorial.html">make them into decorative first aid kits</a></div>
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Families Online has a <a href="http://www.familiesonlinemagazine.com/spring_crafts/rain_gauge.html">rain gauge tutorial</a><br />
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Craftstylish shows you how to <a href="http://www.craftstylish.com/item/1614/thread-medicine">make a thread keeper/cutter</a> with a repurposed pill bottle </div>
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Pepper Paints will show you how to <a href="http://pepperpaints.com/2010/04/21/diy-watercolor-paints/">make your own watercolor paints</a> which she stores in film canisters, but you could use pill bottles.<br />
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Make some noise! WonderHowTo.com has an instructional video using a pill bottle to <a href="http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-construct-air-horn-201535/">create an airhorn</a>. Could be fun for those sporting events! <br />
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Turkey Call? Here's the how to from <a href="http://www.fieldandstream.com/node/1000032879">Field & Stream</a><br />
and here's a video of one in use:</div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412069723326244654.post-58734988750178295442010-05-06T10:16:00.000-07:002010-05-06T10:59:56.723-07:0010 Tips For Hummingbird Photos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S-IGohsCsMI/AAAAAAAAD-0/WbqhPAJ6iBs/s1600/P5040269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S-IGohsCsMI/AAAAAAAAD-0/WbqhPAJ6iBs/s400/P5040269.JPG" width="318" /></a></div>
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Whether you have a point and shoot camera or a more professional set up,
photographing hummingbirds can be a challenge. </div>
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I shared some of my bird photography on my post <a href="http://fatbottombags.blogspot.com/2010/05/hummingbird-happenings.html">Hummingbird Happenings</a>. Since then I've received a lot of questions about what type of equipment I was using to get such fantastic pictures. Surprisingly it's not all about the price of your camera. </div>
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<b>Here's my 10 tips to take striking hummingbirds photos:</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">12 mega pixel affordability</span></td></tr>
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<b>1. Equipment: </b> Camera's range in price from around $50 to thousands of dollars. Having an expensive camera is nice if your a hobbyist or professional photographer, but for the rest of us it's not always practical or affordable.</div>
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I have a great little point and shoot camera. It's an Olympus FE-46 12 mega pixel with a 5x optical zoom. This little camera is a power house. I use it for everything! My camera cost only $50 at Christmas time, so when I tell you that it's not all about the price of the camera you use I'm saying so from experience! I'm proof that you can get priceless shots even with an inexpensive camera.</div>
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I've found the key for taking these great photos is knowing my camera and the best settings for the particular photo. So experiment with your camera. Try taking the same shot using several different settings. Can you see the difference? Choose the setting that looks best to you. </div>
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<b>2. Camo:</b> Camouflage is not required, but it definitely helps to get great wildlife photos. With hummingbirds being so tiny, it's important to be able to get fairly close to them and camouflage can help with that.</div>
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I took my first set of pictures in my regular clothes and I was able to get a few nice ones. For my next session I donned my camo cap and sweatshirt and right away I noticed the difference. Those little hummingbirds had been keeping a bit of a distance from me in my street clothes. Decked out in my camo gear they began flying within a few inches of me. In fact they got so close I could feel the vibration of their wings!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good lighting for great pictures</td></tr>
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<b>3. Lighting:</b> Finding the right light balance is key with capturing the detail and beautiful iridescent coloring on the hummers. </div>
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The best natural lighting is on a cloudy day when the sunlight is diffused by those clouds. If you're shooting on a sunny day, find a shady spot and try to take your photos in the morning or evening. Mid-day on a sunny day the light will be too harsh and tend to wash out your color and details. </div>
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Also, play with the white balance adjustment on your camera to find the best setting. When shooting under the cover of my porch the light beyond the porch in my photo background was much brighter than the foreground. To compensate for this I used a +0.7 - +1.0 white balance. </div>
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<b>4. Motion:</b> Hummingbirds are fast little fliers. Since digital cameras don't always have an option to set up a fast shutter speed, it can be hard to catch these images. </div>
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Check your camera for a sports or action setting. This will have a faster shutter than your normal settings. Even still it will probably be slower than these birds. </div>
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Move your hummingbird feeder to a stable location where it is not swinging. I set mine on our porch rail. If you have a tripod, use that to stabilize your camera. If you don't have a tripod, try resting your camera on a stable surface. I don't have a tripod, so I set mine on a towel on the same porch rail.</div>
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Be sure to stay still yourself so you don't frighten the hummingbirds away. </div>
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<b>5. Focus:</b> Getting the focus on such a small and fast moving target can be difficult.</div>
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Set your camera on macro or close up. This will help to capture the small details. Set your display to show a target on your focus area. </div>
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Because of their sporadic and quick movements, it's difficult to focus on the hummingbird itself. Instead zoom in to a spot on the feeder and set the focus there. Now when a little hummingbird lands on that spot the camera will be focused on it as part of the foreground. This will give you a much higher success rate for good pictures and it's a whole lot easier trying to keep the focus trained on the moving birds especially when using the zoom.</div>
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With the macro setting on most cameras, your picture will be clear at the focus area and blur out the rest of the picture. You can see in the shots above how the focus went to the background and blurred the foreground image. That is because I was trying to focus on the bird. When the bird moved, the camera readjusted resulting in a bad shot. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Cluttered backgrounds distract from birds</span></td></tr>
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<b>6. Background: </b> When setting your feeders for photographing, be aware of the background that will be behind your shot. </div>
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There's nothing more frustrating than snapping a perfect picture of a hummingbird in full glory only to discover that there are distracting elements in the background. I shot many of these! </div>
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Try changing the placement of the feeder or you may be able to simply change the angle at which you are shooting to achieve a better background image and a better background makes for a better photograph. </div>
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<b>7. Patience:</b> Be patient with the process and give yourself plenty of undisturbed time to sit and take photos. </div>
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There's no way to rush this. You'll be at the mercy of the birds landing at the feeder so just relax and enjoy some time with them. It's fun to observe their behavior with each other and it's always nice to have a reason to be outdoors.</div>
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<b>8. Flash:</b> Use the flash on your camera sparingly. Flash photos can wash out the color and detail of the birds with harsh light. </div>
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There's one exception to this rule. I discovered this little trick by accident, but what a great one. </div>
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If you are trying to capture the motion of your hummingbirds in flight, set your flash for "fill in" or whatever the setting is on your camera that makes a series of 2-3 quick flashes. This causes a strobe effect that allows you to get a stop motion type picture without a fancy camera. Cool!</div>
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<b>9. Quantity:</b> To get quality hummingbird shots it's all about quantity. Take lots of photos because not everyone will be a keeper. </div>
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I can't tell you how many photos I deleted that just showed my hummingbird feeder! I would aim and shoot, but the bird would fly off. </div>
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I took hundreds of shots and came away with about 80 that I really liked and another 50 or so that were fine. That's the great thing about digital photography you can take tons of photos and just keep the good ones.</div>
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<b>10. Editing: </b> Use a good photo editor to crop and adjust your pictures. I use <a href="http://picasa.google.com/">Picasa from Google</a>. </div>
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By cropping your pictures you can eliminate excess background and bring the focus in to a particularly nice part of your photograph. </div>
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Sometimes what looks like a poor photo from a full picture view can become exceptional by simply cropping it down. </div>
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The photo on the left is a good example of cropping to turn an ordinary picture into something special. I was bummed that I didn't get the full face of the male hummer in his full color, but after taking a second look I realized that with a simple crop I still had a stunning picture of 3 females perched together on the right side of the feeder. </div>
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I hope these tips help you to get some wonderful pictures of the hummingbirds that visit your yard. So get outside and get shooting!</div>
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/islandgirl98262" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S-H5OOlBr5I/AAAAAAAAD-w/2NxFZdwL0P0/s200/a+new+camera.jpg" width="171" /></a></div>
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<embed flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2FFatBottomBags.com%2Falbumid%2F5467226209379694897%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" height="400" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="600"></embed>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412069723326244654.post-87796219726909550122010-05-05T11:25:00.000-07:002010-05-05T11:30:18.655-07:00Wednesday What's Growing On?<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well here we are starting into May and my garden is looking very green. This week we had our typical spring showers one day followed by sunshine the next and my plants love that. Everything is growing like crazy and you know what that means..... time to clean up! </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once an over grown path, now a big burn pile</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My yard has all kind of nooks and crannys and I've tried to make each one into a garden of sorts. In the side yard behind the burn pile we have a couple large native beds with paths running around each one. It's been about 2 years since I did any pruning in that area and I was starting to lose the paths. No worries though. This week I grabbed the pruners, donned a long sleeve shirt and got to it! I cut back the native Saalal that had crept into the pathway. With a the path reclaimed, it was time to head into the beds and pulled out the native ground gowing blackberries that are always trying to take over. They seem to grow about 2' per month in the spring! </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S-Gs8DYrIII/AAAAAAAAD9M/9CKd6UZdrAQ/s1600/echo+in+lawn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S-Gs8DYrIII/AAAAAAAAD9M/9CKd6UZdrAQ/s200/echo+in+lawn.jpg" tt="true" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's a dog's life :0)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With Ben's recent purchase of a push reel mower, I decided mowing our lawn wasn't so bad. I had always had trouble starting the gas powered mower and hated the noise and fumes. This new people powered mower was great to use. It was quick, quiet and easy! And Echo really appreciated a freshly mowed lawn!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S-GvHfhRMuI/AAAAAAAAD9Q/uFqphLcyplg/s1600/rhubarb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="132" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S-GvHfhRMuI/AAAAAAAAD9Q/uFqphLcyplg/s200/rhubarb.jpg" tt="true" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rhubarb ready for harvest</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While I was in the backyard I noticed my crazy rhubarb was ready for a pruning too. I don't know why I ever planted this in my flower bed, but it's going to have to stay there until fall transplanting time. I decided to cut it all back and see if I can find a good recipe to use it in today. Rhubarb is my favorite plant in the earliest part of spring because I can see the growth every day. Now that I've got other plants growing in around it I'll spend the rest of the summer battling to keep it harvested. It's such a great producer!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S-Gw33lewoI/AAAAAAAAD9U/fUvfgnJym78/s1600/Romaine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S-Gw33lewoI/AAAAAAAAD9U/fUvfgnJym78/s320/Romaine.jpg" tt="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Great germination rate for my own saved seeds!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Not too much work going on in my veggie patch this week. I've already planted all my available beds and am just waiting for things to grow in. As soon as the weather stays dry, Ben will be building me some more raised beds for my tomatos and other warm weather plantings. I did notice a lot of sprouting action on my Romaine planting from a couple weeks ago. That's extra exciting to me because these are <a href="http://fatbottombags.blogspot.com/2009/10/seed-saving-not-just-for-frugal.html">seeds I saved from my garden last year</a>. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S-G04sk686I/AAAAAAAAD9Y/H2vSSrLQQGg/s1600/P4290319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S-G04sk686I/AAAAAAAAD9Y/H2vSSrLQQGg/s320/P4290319.JPG" tt="true" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Such a sweet smelling flower</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Everything else is growing in nicely in the vegetable garden. Ben has decided to be a gardener too this year and has taken over on the potatoes so that's one less chore for me. He also decided to have his own bed for planting utilizing the square foot gardening technique. So far he's added some garlic sets. I'm excited to see what else he'll be planting in his bed throughout the spring and early summer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I do have a few pretties in bloom now. In the rock garden the sweet woodruff is in full bloom. It's so pretty with it's delicate white flowers blanketing the bank. In the evenings this tiny flower sends out a huge fragrance too! </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S-G2fAuejWI/AAAAAAAAD9g/PPk6QCDoTgg/s1600/P4290091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S-G2fAuejWI/AAAAAAAAD9g/PPk6QCDoTgg/s200/P4290091.JPG" tt="true" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lovely lilacs in white</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Speaking of pretty flowers, the dahlia planting has been put on hold for another week. We've done most of the work of making planting beds and adding ammended soil already. Now we are just waiting on a run of dry weather. They'll need to get in the ground soon, but we don't want the soil to be too soggy when we put the tubers in the ground. The general rule of thumb is to plant them when your lilacs are in bloom, but we'll be fudging that by a couple of weeks just to be sure the soil is in the best condition.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So that's what's been growing on in my gardens this week. How is your yard looking? Anything new in bloom?</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/islandgirl98262" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S-G3dDHgCwI/AAAAAAAAD9k/V9-FiNemnAM/s200/April+09.jpg" tt="true" width="199" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412069723326244654.post-7425267354626480892010-05-04T17:22:00.000-07:002010-05-06T10:35:51.678-07:00Hummingbird Happenings<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S-CjuKpQzDI/AAAAAAAAD5g/6AVwXeYPaS0/s1600/P5040098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S-CjuKpQzDI/AAAAAAAAD5g/6AVwXeYPaS0/s320/P5040098.JPG" tt="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It's been quite a week for hummingbirds in my garden. We had some torrential rains for a couple of days, so I moved the feeders up to our front porch undercover. My thought was that this would allow the 10 or 15 hummingbirds that have been hanging around a dry place to eat. It worked, but I think every hummingbird from a mile around got the word about these undercover feeders. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">When I step out on my front porch it's almost like an infestation! This happened a few years ago too. I'm not sure the reason behind it, but seems like every couple of years we get *way* more than our share of hummers.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A female rufus coming in for a landing</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I have 2 feeders out and I've been filling them both 2 times each day! That's a lot of nectar. I decided to take advantage of this natural phenomenon and see if I could snap up some nice photos. Boy did I! I've spent an hour or more each day sitting on the porch taking pictures. In fact I've spent so much time sitting with the birds I'm starting to be able to tell one from another!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Flowers for hummers and berries for other birds!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'm certainly no expert on hummingbirds, but here's some things I've done to attract them to my yard and garden. First off, hang your feeders in the early spring. The sooner they know you have feeders up, the more likely they will make a home in your yard. Also, plant native plants that are attractive to these little birds. My favorite for hummingbirds is a native salmon berry. It has a bright pink flower that really brings them in. Another native plant that they can't seem to get enough of is Salaal. It's not showy, but makes a great landscape plant and the tiny flowers are filled with nectar. Check with your local nursery for other plants that are known to attract hummingbirds.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I've posted this recipe before, but now there's been a revision. New research shows that there's no need to boil your hummingbird nectar. Just mix up 1 cup cane sugar with 4 cups water. Shake or stir to disolve the sugar and add to your feeders. Make in large batches and store in the refridgerator. Also, b</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">e sure to clean out your feeders regularly. I do mine at least 1 x per week. If the nectar in your feeders is not eaten in 1 week, discard and fill with new nectar.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Here's a slide show of my best photos. There's a lot but they are so pretty I had to share them all. Enjoy!</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/islandgirl98262" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S8EUvCqiI6I/AAAAAAAADUQ/dFbBXiSofbs/s200/Thanksgiving%202009.jpg" tt="true" width="165" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">PS I wrote a <a href="http://fatbottombags.blogspot.com/2010/05/10-tips-for-hummingbird-photos.html">follow up post</a> with some tips and tricks for getting your own great shots of hummingbirds.</span> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412069723326244654.post-71970311244240311282010-05-03T08:00:00.000-07:002010-05-03T11:24:33.838-07:00Blogmania Winner Announcement<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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Friday's Blogmania was so much fun! I'm thrilled that so many people passed through my blog and entered to win this prize pack. </div>
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Thank you to everyone who left entry comments. Thank you and welcome to the new blog followers too! I hope you'll enjoy my green living posts and come back often to see what's going on at <a href="http://fatbottombags.blogspot.com/">Living Green In A Colorful World</a>.</div>
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<b>The Blogmania prize pack winner is:</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://random.org/">random.org</a></td></tr>
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<dt class="comment-author " id="c2880380035038610912"> <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/12442334953395787362" rel="nofollow">Lindsay @ Just My Blog</a> who said...
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<b><i>"Those bags are one of the coolest things I've seen in a long time. I
would love to win one...but I would also love to learn how to make
them!"</i></b></div>
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You are in luck Lindsay! Not only did you win the prize pack, check your email for details, but I actually am already sharing how you can make your own mesh sided FatBottomBags in a 2 part
video I have posted at <a href="http://www.fatbottombags.com/diy.html">FatBottomBags.com</a></div>
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Don't crochet? That's okay, I've got something for you too! For those of you who would like your own Mini-bag by FatBottomBags, but didn't win this prize, it's your lucky day too! I'm running a recycling exchange for your very own free Mini-bag. The details are on the website on our <a href="http://fatbottombags.fatcow.com/fatbottombagsrecycledtotes/id15.html">Freebies & Exchanges page</a></div>
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<a href="mailto:info@fatbottombags.com" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S9ycp_ypmoI/AAAAAAAADiE/FXPdIA6UsIE/s200/Blog+Tree+Hugger-1.jpg" width="167" /></a></div>
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Remember, when we all do our small part we can change the big picture! Thanks again & go green!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412069723326244654.post-82123896204656721142010-05-02T05:46:00.000-07:002010-05-02T05:46:09.553-07:00This weeks Sunday Planet Saver is.......<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green grass & no gas!</td></tr>
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I'm tipping my hat to my sweetie, Ben for this weeks Planet Saver.<br />
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Here's why......</div>
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<b>1. The Grass is Greener: </b><br />
<b></b>Ben loves to buy new tools, or toys as he lovingly refers to them. This week he purchased this new toy, a push lawn mower. Less maintenance for him, less pollutants for the planet. Plus there's the added benefit of no gasoline to purchase so this one will pay for itself!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New soil with compost</td></tr>
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<b>2. Going and Growing Organic:</b><br />
Since late winter this year Ben has been bringing home lovely 4 way soil with compost for our garden beds! Now he's an organic gardener too!<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>3. Fresh Air Fabulous:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">He put his carpentry skills to work building and installing a beautiful screen door for our kitchen entrance. Now we've got</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Eco air conditioning!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's not Halloween, but still gotta wear a mask</td></tr>
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<b>4. Smart Soil:</b><br />
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Ben added vermiculite to the soil for our dahlias. Yep, that's good for the planet because it conditions the soil and holds moisture. That means less watering used for flowers. And even though you need to wear a respirator when mixing it into the soil to keep from breathing the dust particles, it is actually a naturally occurring mineral.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S9l5WcR66HI/AAAAAAAADgs/xXR3WZwDGWI/s1600/Ben_chainsaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S9l5WcR66HI/AAAAAAAADgs/xXR3WZwDGWI/s200/Ben_chainsaw.jpg" width="132" /></a><b>5. Righteous Recycling:</b><br />
Here you can see Ben working on a cedar round he's been hanging onto for several years. And he is recycling it into a new bed to hold a dahlia planting. </div>
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First a slice down the center with the chain saw.</div>
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Next he pulled out the axe and chops out the center pieces. They won't go to waste though because Ben is chopping those for kindling for our woodstove.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S9l5pKw50KI/AAAAAAAADg0/RD68h4s8af4/s1600/Ben_DahliaBed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S9l5pKw50KI/AAAAAAAADg0/RD68h4s8af4/s200/Ben_DahliaBed.jpg" width="132" /></a> Once the inner stump was removed, it formed a cute flower bed. The lines of this bed mirror the lines of the rocky outcropping behind it. The big cedar rounds came from a neighbor who had to take the tree out when building his home due to the heart rot in the tree. And because it's only the good cedar used for the flower bed it's naturally rot resistant!<br />
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So there are my top 5 reasons that this weeks Planet Saver is my wonderful partner and buddy. Way to go Ben!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S9l0eivIbkI/AAAAAAAADgY/G1M9ZUyzDMo/s1600/Aubs_Mowing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412069723326244654.post-76642921283480360472010-05-01T08:00:00.000-07:002010-05-01T08:00:02.625-07:00Silent Saturday<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S9ldto0MhwI/AAAAAAAADfg/ZJ_mwWi47ZE/s1600/P3170010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S9ldto0MhwI/AAAAAAAADfg/ZJ_mwWi47ZE/s400/P3170010.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Oh wouldn't it be wonderful to live a dogs life?</span></td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412069723326244654.post-5730703006734501522010-04-30T00:01:00.000-07:002010-05-01T13:09:51.480-07:00BLOGMANIA!<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Welcome </span><span style="font-size: small;">to <a href="http://fatbottombags.blogspot.com/">Living Green In A Colorful World</a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/follow-blog.g?blogID=1412069723326244654">!</a> You've arrived on the perfect day because today we are celebrating Blogmania!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">This blog is number 14 of 123 blogs who are all participating in today's event and each and every one of us are giving away FREE STUFF!</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">All the work finding these giveaways has been done for you, so just keep track and enter to win at each blog you visit.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">I know you'll want to visit as many participating blogs as possible today for this one day event. If you see something that piques your interest be sure to bookmark or follow that blog and come back for a more thorough read later.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S9SZBUAvoOI/AAAAAAAADbk/OS5iXcvxIik/s1600/a+FBB+-+BLOGMANIA+giveaways.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S9SZBUAvoOI/AAAAAAAADbk/OS5iXcvxIik/s320/a+FBB+-+BLOGMANIA+giveaways.jpg" width="262" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: black;">My Giveaway:</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">For today's Blogmania event I'm giving away a special prize pack including <a href="http://www.fatbottombags.com/id15.html">1 recycled Mini-bag</a> by <a href="http://fatbottombags.com/">FatBottomBags.com</a> and 2 crochet pattern books by American School of Needlework. The first is Crochet <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crochet-Cardigans-Lisa-Gentry-Frits/dp/1590121961/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1272224368&sr=1-1-fkmr0">Cardigans by Lisa Gentry and Marianne Frits</a> and includes 4 patterns and the second is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Skirts-Knitting-Patterns-Darla-Sims/dp/1590121783/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272224276&sr=1-9">Skirts! by Darla Sims</a> and it includes 2 knit and 3 crochet skirt patterns. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">To enter, simply leave me a comment at the bottom of this blog post. Be sure to include how I can contact you if you win (if there's an email in your google profile that will be fine). I'll be announcing the winner on Monday, May 3rd. This contest is open to everyone and I will ship the winners package anywhere in the world.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">If you'd like to learn more about living green, recycle projects, wildlife, plants, organic gardening and recipes, please <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/LivingGreenInAColorfulWorld">follow the blog</a>. If you are interested in <a href="http://fatbottombags.com/">FatBottomBags.com</a> and our plastic bag recycling program, join us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/fatbottombags">Facebook</a> and get updates right to your news feed.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">A presentation of some recycled FatBottomBags <span mce_style="color: #000080;" style="color: navy;"><b><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Now that you've entered my giveaway, please visit these other blogs participating in Blogmania!</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span mce_style="font-size: 10pt;">(Blog- 1 – HOST OF BLOGMANIA) <a href="http://betweenthelinesandmore.blogspot.com/">Between The Pages</a> <a href="http://betweenthelinesandmore.blogspot.com/" mce_href="http://betweenthelinesandmore.blogspot.com/"></a></span></span>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span mce_style="font-size: 10pt;">(Blog -2 – CO-HOST) <a href="http://www.theblacksheepdances.blogspot.com/">The Black Sheep Dances</a> <a href="http://www.theblacksheepdances.blogspot.com/" mce_href="http://www.theblacksheepdances.blogspot.com/"></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span mce_style="font-size: 10pt;">(Blog-43 - CO-HOST) <a href="http://bookywooks.blogspot.com/">Books, Books Everywhere</a> <a href="http://bookywooks.blogspot.com/" mce_href="http://bookywooks.blogspot.com/"></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span mce_style="font-size: 10pt;">(Blog-106) <a href="http://bittenbyparanormalromance.blogspot.com/">Bitten By Paranormal Romance</a> <a href="http://bittenbyparanormalromance.blogspot.com/" mce_href="http://bittenbyparanormalromance.blogspot.com/"></a></span></span>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span mce_style="font-size: 10pt;">(Blog-82) Carpe Libris - <a href="http://www.seizethebookblog.blogspot.com/" mce_href="http://www.seizethebookblog.blogspot.com/">www.seizethebookblog.blogspot.com</a>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span mce_style="font-size: 10pt;">(Blog-59) <a href="http://www.curlingupbythefire.blogspot.com/">Curling Up By The Fire</a> <a href="http://www.curlingupbythefire.blogspot.com/" mce_href="http://www.curlingupbythefire.blogspot.com/"></a></span></span>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span mce_style="font-size: 10pt;">(Blog-46) <a href="http://tributebooksreviews.blogspot.com/">Tribute Books Reviews</a> <a href="http://tributebooksreviews.blogspot.com/" mce_href="http://tributebooksreviews.blogspot.com/"></a></span></span>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span mce_style="font-size: 10pt;">(Blog-12) <a href="http://www.authorsarahgrimm.blogspot.com/">Off the Keyboard</a><a href="http://www.authorsarahgrimm.blogspot.com/" mce_href="http://www.authorsarahgrimm.blogspot.com/"></a>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span mce_style="font-size: 10pt;">(Blog-94) <a href="http://www.romancebookscene.blogspot.com/">Romance Book Scene</a> <a href="http://www.romancebookscene.blogspot.com/" mce_href="http://www.romancebookscene.blogspot.com/"></a></span></span>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span mce_style="font-size: 10pt;">(Blog-56) <a href="http://edna-myfavoritethings.blogspot.com/">My Favorite Things</a><a href="http://edna-myfavoritethings.blogspot.com/" mce_href="http://edna-myfavoritethings.blogspot.com/"></a></span></span>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span mce_style="font-size: 10pt;">(Blog-63) <a href="http://dbreynolds.wordpress.com/">D.B. Reynolds, Writer</a> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"><span mce_style="font-size: 10pt;" style="font-size: 10pt;"> <a href="http://dbreynolds.wordpress.com/" mce_href="http://dbreynolds.wordpress.com/"></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Have fun with Blogmania and good luck with all the giveaways!</span><br />
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May 1st, aka May Day is a fine way to celebrate springtime, friendship and neighborly love.</div>
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Ever since I was a young girl, I've looked forward to the arrival of May Day and the chance to bring a little surprise and sunshine to an unsuspecting recipient.</div>
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Now as an adult I've moved on from the construction paper creations of my youth, but I still like to be creative with my May baskets.</div>
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Today I'm going to teach you how you too can turn an old can, some sticks, wire, a bit of ribbon from your stash and some pretty spring flowers into a little basket of joy to leave on a lucky neighbors door.</div>
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For this project you will need the following:</div>
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<li>a hammer and nail </li>
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<li>a thick piece of elastic (or several rubber bands)</li>
<li>about 3 feet of medium gauge wire</li>
<li>a can from your recycle bin</li>
<li>pruners</li>
<li>some sticks</li>
<li>about 2 feet of ribbon, string or leather strip</li>
<li>some pretty flowers and foliage</li>
<li>and about 1 1/2 hours of free time</li>
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<b> Step 1: </b>Using the nail and hammer punch 2 holes in the side of the can near the upper rim. Try to space them evenly apart</div>
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<b>Step 2:</b> Cut a piece of your wire about 18" long. This will form your handle and needs to be long enough to hang over a doorknob. Run wire through the holes you made in Step 1. Allow the wire end to poke through about 3". Using the needle nose pliers, wind the wire around itself tightly. Cut off any wire ends.</div>
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<b>Step 3:</b> Remove the paper label from your can and place it in the recycle bin. If you dont remove this, some of the label will show through the gaps in your stick basket. </div>
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<b>Step 4: </b> Using the pruners, cut your sticks to varying heights at least as tall as your can. Use sticks from different types of trees for a variegated effect which adds visual interest, or use all the same type for a cohesive more refined look. It's up to you. <br />
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<b>Step 5: </b> With your thick elastic or several rubber bands on your can, add the sticks until the entire can is covered. Vary the height of the sticks for interest. I like the way this is starting to look.<br />
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<b>Step 6: </b> Leave the elastic in place and run some wire around the can over the sticks. Use your needle nose pliers and twist until this is tight and secure. Now remove the elastic. Check around the can for any loose spots and add twigs to fill those. If you like, add some vine around your handle to camouflage the wire handle.<br />
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<b>Step 7: </b>To cover the wire from view, use your piece of ribbon and wrap around the can several times. I used a bit of leftover leather strapping on mine for a natural effect. You may want to use bright ribbon, raffia or even yarn cover your wire. <br />
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<b>Step 8: </b> Fill your May Day basket with beautiful blooms! Don't forget to add some texture with different types of foliage too. Or for a garden buddy you may want to fill with starts from your garden. <br />
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<b>Step 9: </b> Hang your basket on a neighbors doorknob. You could add a little card if you like, but my idea of May Day is to try to be anonymous. I'm a little to slow now days for the "ring and run" of my child hood. Instead I just wait for an opportunity and hang these up while my friends or neighbors are out.<br />
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412069723326244654.post-42770340765485343342010-04-28T08:00:00.000-07:002010-04-28T08:00:06.774-07:00What's Growin' on? Wednesday Garden Walk<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> We don't get a lot of visitors to the house. That could be the $10 per car plus $4 per passenger ferry fee or maybe just that we're well off the beaten path. Either way that means I don't get to show off all my hard work and the beauty growing around my yard too often. That's why I'm so glad to be able to share it with you here on my blog.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This week we've had a quite a bit of rain, so my gardening has been limited to the sunny and dry periods between April showers. I was able to spend a couple of afternoons in the sunny times out tending to some chores. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S9N3RUlKTTI/AAAAAAAADaE/dipFZEFq3yw/s1600/P4230029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S9N3RUlKTTI/AAAAAAAADaE/dipFZEFq3yw/s320/P4230029.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1 of 3 pea plantings throughout the garden</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">These peas have reached up to about 5 inches, so I'm pretty sure they would now be safe from the curious birds that had been uprooting them. I removed the recycled fish net covering that had been protecting them from probing beaks and fashioned a trellis from part of this netting. Now they've got some thing to hang onto as they reach ever higher toward the sun. No flowers yet, but it's just a matter of time. We've got the bee house nearby so there are lots of little pollinators ready when they do come into bloom.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S9N4KmXLYXI/AAAAAAAADaI/hz4WGGylVgQ/s1600/P4230015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S9N4KmXLYXI/AAAAAAAADaI/hz4WGGylVgQ/s320/P4230015.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Over wintered celery </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I removed the netting from another pea planting. On this one I just tossed the netting up on this big granite boulder that is the centerpiece of our vegetable patch. I'm hoping those peas and some nasturtiums I planted will just vine up the net onto that big rock. In that same bed I have the June bearing strawberry starts that I planted last fall and my celery that I overwintered. I've been told by other local gardeners that it's common for celery to take 2 years to maturity around here. It's growing up nice thick stalks this year so I'm hopeful to have a good harvest. With store bought celery, the harvest is made of the entire plant, but in the home garden it makes more sense to selectively harvest stalks as needed, so that is what I plan to do. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S9N5ycjHNaI/AAAAAAAADaU/sfB5YORcbLY/s1600/P4230030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S9N5ycjHNaI/AAAAAAAADaU/sfB5YORcbLY/s320/P4230030.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Recycled fishnet to stop curious critters</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I have tried growing sunflowers each year that we've lived here but never had a single flower or plant. This year, determined to have some sunny color in the garden I've planted a mixed batch in this container. I'm using the netting here to keep those hungry chipmunks and birds from getting the seeds before they have a chance to sprout up. We've got feeders all around the yard, but for some reason they LOVE to eat the freshly sprouted seeds from the garden. It must be a tasty treat for them. Of course I can't rationalize with the wild life, but if they are patient, they'll get a whole lot more food if only they let these sunflowers bloom!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S9ODFAS5BTI/AAAAAAAADao/8xJV4Km_bjM/s1600/P4230025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S9ODFAS5BTI/AAAAAAAADao/8xJV4Km_bjM/s200/P4230025.JPG" width="199" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The last frost date for my area is sometime around the end of March, so it was time to open up the greenhouse cover on the original boat garden. You can see from the photo that everything in there is growing like crazy! It's so fun to have a little head start on Mother Nature by using a greenhouse covering. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S9ODR9ZnC_I/AAAAAAAADas/rvM7BxziKaA/s1600/P4230028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S9ODR9ZnC_I/AAAAAAAADas/rvM7BxziKaA/s200/P4230028.JPG" width="199" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">From the boat we're already harvesting lettuce I planted last September! I made Lummi Island reef net salmon sandwiches with homemade tarter and oak-leaf lettuce from our garden this week for a special 90% local lunch. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S9ODc3Bw8xI/AAAAAAAADa0/Ok2FkHGqNSU/s1600/P4230017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S9ODc3Bw8xI/AAAAAAAADa0/Ok2FkHGqNSU/s200/P4230017.JPG" width="199" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The new lettuce I planted a month ago is sprouting up for our future salads. With lettuce and other salad greens I try to put in a small new planting every 3 or 4 weeks. This allows us to have different plants ready to eat at different times and keeps our salad bowl full all summer long. <br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S9OFKPl6yhI/AAAAAAAADa8/9SB2xxckN6s/s1600/P4230026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S9OFKPl6yhI/AAAAAAAADa8/9SB2xxckN6s/s200/P4230026.JPG" width="199" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Another reason I needed to get the cover off of our boat is the strawberries. They've begun to bloom! The plants are looking very healthy and are at least twice the size of our other strawberry plants that weren't under protective cover. They have more than double the blooms too! The only thing they need now is some exposure to pollinators and sunshine. The boat garden greenhouse project is such a success that we are planning to enclose all of our raised beds this fall and reap the benefit of extra early and late season harvests throughout the garden.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S9OJADem-4I/AAAAAAAADbA/7b8GtxQ0lt8/s1600/P4230008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S9OJADem-4I/AAAAAAAADbA/7b8GtxQ0lt8/s400/P4230008.JPG" width="398" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I did have a few visitors in the garden this week, but they were friends of the feathered variety. This wild pigeon came back to visit. He and his little family live in the woods behind our house and I hear them in mornings and evenings cooing away. It's a very soothing pretty sound. The coloring on these is much like a "city" pigeon, gray with blue/green incandescence, but unlike their cousins, these birds are shaped more like a dove and have a distinctive squared off beak and neck ring. I don't know if these guys are one of my pea pickers, but they do come and feed at our feeders.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And one last bird item from the garden. In case you missed this on Facebook. I keep one hummingbird feeder under cover on our front porch and the little birds flock to it on rainy days. Here's a real short video I shot of them on one of the wet days this week,</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Thanks for tagging along on my weekly garden tour. Come back next Wednesday and see what's been growing on this week. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:info@fatbottombags.com" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S9OLT8femjI/AAAAAAAADbE/7sMAzFZDFOc/s200/GARDEN+PICS1.jpg" width="171" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412069723326244654.post-89750824739439814452010-04-27T08:00:00.000-07:002010-04-27T08:00:06.241-07:00For the Love of Lemon Balm<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So sweet in the spring</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><em class="OverviewEmpha adamEmpha">Melissa <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">officinalis</span> aka: </em>Lemon Balm is a wonderful and versatile member of the mint family. I have it growing throughout the yard for it's beauty, hardiness and sweet lemon fragrance. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Unlike most mints, lemon balm tends to form clumps rather than runners and so is much easier to contain than others. However, if left to go to seed you may find starts all over your yard & garden. To avoid this, simply cut it back when it blooms before seeds are produced.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Why add lemon balm to the garden? </b></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Lemon balm is a great addition to perennial borders, amongst your herb bed and even in the veggie patch. One wonderful feature of this citrus scented herb is the way it attracts honey bees into the garden and every gardener knows, bees are the best pollinators. Along with it being a lure of bitty buzzers, the shiny green foliage provides a nice frame for fancy flowers like dahlias and roses.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>What can you do with lemon balm?</b></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This special mint is known to be calming and soothing to the nerves as well as being full of antioxidants.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tea Time</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The most common use for it is as a tea. Just add a large handful of fresh leaves in hot, but not quite boiling water. Let it steep for several minutes then remove the leaves and sip away. Add honey for a sweeter treat.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">It's said that rubbing the leaves on exposed skin will help prevent mosquito bites although I haven't had a lot of luck with this, but it does make you smell lemony fresh! </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Substitute lemon balm in any recipe calling for mint or lemon juice for a tangy flavor twist. <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Mojitos</span> made with lemon balm have a nice lemon/lime flavor. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In the springtime pinch out some of the young tender leaves and add to a salad for a punch of flavor.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bowl of lemony goodness and good for you too!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">My absolute favorite use for lemon balm is a twist on my "world famous" fresh summer salsa! Here's my recipe.....</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Finely chop the following:</div><ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><li>1 large tomato [or use 1-2 <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">romas</span> or a handful of sweet cherry toms]</li>
<li> 1-3 fresh jalapenos peppers [remove seeds and veins]</li>
<li>1/2 of an onion</li>
<li>1 clove of fresh garlic [garlic in a jar it has an odd flavor in this dish]</li>
<li> A handful of lemon balm leaves</li>
<li>A handful of cilantro leaves</li>
<li>Juice from 1 fresh lime </li>
</ul><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Combine the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Allow to sit for at least an hour for flavors to meld. There's one last item to really give the salsa a nice kick and a full bodied flavor. My secret ingredient:</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S9JGIhYiudI/AAAAAAAADZU/-HXDZq8n6qw/s1600/ElPato.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S9JGIhYiudI/AAAAAAAADZU/-HXDZq8n6qw/s200/ElPato.jpg" width="160" /></a></div><ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><li> 1 small can of El <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Pato</span> tomato sauce with jalapeno</li>
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</div><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">More recipes:</span></b><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Here's some more lemon balm recipes I found for everything from cocktails to dessert to perfume....</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> <b> food</b></div><ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><li><a href="http://www.danish-schnapps-recipes.com/lemon-balm.html">Lemon Balm Schnapps</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.gardensablaze.com/HerbLemonBalmRec.htm"><span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Herbed</span> Strawberry Wine </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/323/Baked_Salmon_With_Leeks_and_Lemon_Balm13311.shtml">Baked Salmon with Leeks & Lemon Balm</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.essortment.com/all/lemonbalmaspar_oyy.htm">Lemon Balm Asparagus</a></li>
<li><a href="http://theherbgardener.blogspot.com/2008/05/lemon-balm-vinegar.html">Lemon Balm Vinegar</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.recipegoldmine.com/cakesheetK/lemon-balm-cake.html">Lemon Balm Cake</a></li>
</ul><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> <b>beauty</b></div><ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><li><a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_5770475_make-lemon-balm-body-scrub.html">Lemon Balm Body Scrub</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1718,144184-244207,00.html"><span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Eau</span> De Cologne </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.waxandbubbles.com/lemon-balm-and-lavender-yogurt-cleanser/">Lemon Balm & Lavender Yogurt Cleanser </a> </li>
<li><a href="http://theherbgardener.blogspot.com/2008/04/make-your-own-lemon-balm-hair-rinse.html">Lemon Balm Hair Rinse </a></li>
</ul><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> <b>household</b></div><ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><li><a href="http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/lemon-air-freshener-381766">Natural Lemon Balm Air Freshener</a> </li>
</ul><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">What a fantastic addition to the home and garden. Now you can see why I love Lemon Balm! </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:info@fatbottombags.com" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S87w2urbWrI/AAAAAAAADYA/vMB4UShLEoU/s200/June%2009.jpg" width="170" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412069723326244654.post-12514953512880753082010-04-26T08:00:00.000-07:002010-04-26T13:23:04.335-07:00Marvelous Monday!<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S88AX-iVdgI/AAAAAAAADYE/paQp_UZ30Gc/s1600/Kreativ_blogger_award.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S88AX-iVdgI/AAAAAAAADYE/paQp_UZ30Gc/s320/Kreativ_blogger_award.png" width="293" /></a></span><span style="font-size: small;">Thanks to you Tammy! I'm honored that you nominated me for the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Kreativ</span> Blogger award!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Tammy has a great blog over at <a href="http://junckshop.blogspot.com/">Art with a (re)purpose</a> where she has posted some wonderful recycle / re-purpose craft tutorials. If you're not already following Tammy, you will want to add her to your reading list! She's also a member of the <a href="http://etsytrashion.blogspot.com/"><span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Etsy</span> <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Trashion</span> Team</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">So here's my list of </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">7 things that you probably don't know about me... (or were afraid to ask!!)</span></span></div>
<ol style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"> You know I love wildlife, but did you know there's one living creature I kill on sight? Yep, that's right! I'm a slug hunter. I love to go out into the gardens at dusk and keep count of how many slugs I can off in one night. (my top one night count last year was in the 70s!)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">I'm right handed, but consider myself right brained too. I tend to creativity and learn best visually and hands on.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">I always try to wear a belt if I'm on a boat (with the exception of the ferry). Why? Paranoia I guess... it's in case I go overboard then there's something strong that can be hooked if I need rescuing.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">I dyed my hair until I was 35 or 36 years old. Everything from red to black to blue but then I decided to let my natural color including my well earned grays grow in. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">I was born with a patch of white hair in my otherwise brown locks. Some call it a shaman's streak, I just called it mine. Although you can't notice it much now that I'm transitioning from brown to gray (see above)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">I once raised Malaysian Walking Stick bugs. They were my son's "pets" and they just kept multiplying!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">I've recycled over 7000 plastic bags into reusable bags! OK you may know that one already but just in case you missed my trumpeting last week!</span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-size: small;">So now I'm going to nominate 7 other creative <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">bloggers</span> for the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Kreative</span> Blogger award. These <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">bloggers</span> each show their creativity and they share with us how to be more creative including <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">DIY</span>, craft tutorials, new ideas, recipes and other forms of creation. Be sure to check them out and follow their blog posts, I do! </span></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;">Alessandra at <a href="http://alessandrahayden.blogspot.com/2010/04/here-is-recycled-tote-bag-that-i-made.html">Just Be Happy Crocheted Creations </a>who is also creating with recycled plastic bags!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"> <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">RJ</span> at <a href="http://ayearoflivinggreener.blogspot.com/2010/04/sew-wonderful-re-usable-napkins.html">A Year of Living Greener</a>. She's finding creative ways to make her life more <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">eco</span>-friendly!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="goog-spellcheck-word">MangoCheeks</span> at <a href="http://allotment2kitchen.blogspot.com/">Allotment 2 Kitchen</a> who is creating great dishes from her garden and sharing recipes and tips.</span></li>
<li><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="font-size: small;">Anke</span><span style="font-size: small;"> Martin from <a href="http://creativespiritsconnet.blogspot.com/">Creative Spirits Connect</a>. She's posting here creative ideas and blogging about how you can connect with your creative spirit!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Shelagh Dunn blogging at<a href="http://everysmallthing.blogspot.com/"> Every Small Thing</a> about the creative ways she is making her life more green by changing the small things.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">The girl with the file box is blogging all kinds of crafty and inspiring ideas and </span><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="font-size: small;">DIYs</span><span style="font-size: small;"> for us at <a href="http://www.thecraftersfilebox.com/">The <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Crafters</span> File Box</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Rose is sharing her creativity at <a href="http://whatrosemadetoday.blogspot.com/">What I Made Today</a></span></li>
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<span style="font-size: small;">For you 7 <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Kreative</span> <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Bloggers</span>, here are the guidelines for accepting this award:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">You'll want to post the award on your blog.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">Be sure to thank the person who nominated you and post a link to their blog</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">Share your own list of 7 things that you probably don't know about me ... (or were afraid to ask</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Nominate and link to 7 other creative </span><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="font-size: small;">bloggers</span><span style="font-size: small;"> who you follow and pass the award on. Be sure to leave a comment on their blogs so they know they've received the award. </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"> </span><a href="mailto:info@fatbottombags.com" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S8EUvCqiI6I/AAAAAAAADUQ/dFbBXiSofbs/s200/Thanksgiving%202009.jpg" width="165" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412069723326244654.post-75683699949885172882010-04-25T08:00:00.000-07:002010-04-25T08:00:03.669-07:00Win free stuff! Blogmania!<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Ok, so I normally post planet savers on Sunday, but this week with Earth Day and whales we've had plenty of planet saver posts. So instead, I'd like to announce a really cool upcoming blog event. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/BLOGMANIA/106989816004378?v=wall" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S9CODibS3vI/AAAAAAAADY4/ORxKDSNq0EM/s400/Blogmania+Large.jpg" width="277" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>BLOGMANIA! </b></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>What is Blogmania?</b> <br />
Blogmania is a bi-annual blog event where bloggers around the web are all hosting giveaway on the same day. This event will be on Friday, April 30th, 2010. It's a great chance for readers to discover new and interesting blogs and win free stuff too! And don't worry, these giveaways should have easy entry requirements so you won't have to go through a dozen steps just to enter like some giveaways. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I'll be participating this year and will having a special prize to pass on for this event. I'll be announcing what it is and how you can win on my Blogmania post on April 30th. So be sure to visit <a href="http://fatbottombags.blogspot.com/">Living Green In A Colorful World</a> that day. (Hint: it's recycled but not re-gifted)</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">If you have a blog and would like to participate in the fun of Blogmania, stop by our host, Linda Cokers blog <a href="http://betweenthelinesandmore.blogspot.com/2010/04/blogmania-early-bird-check-list.html">Between the Lines and More</a> and leave her a request to join in her comments. There are only a few days left before the big event so be sure to contact her asap.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Giveaways are always fun, and this day there will be well over 100 prizes being offered! That's a lot of chances for you to win cool stuff! Here's a short ad that lists some of the great prizes being handed out that day.<br />
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So spread the word and spread the fun! See you all at Blogmania!<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="mailto:info@fatbottombags.com" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uEKxfaWkvpY/S2isPnx_quI/AAAAAAAACr4/UIGhR7JwMPo/s200/2010-01-30.jpg" width="179" /></a></div><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0