mantles and zinnias

Garden updates:
7 perfect thumbelina zinnias have bloomed--more on the way.
4 happy eggplants are getting larger by the day.
10 elegant peppers are slowly changing to their mature colors.
Countless tomatoes are stubbornly staying green while I dream of all the delicious tomato sandwiches I could be eating.

Eight days of summer school left! Only three days left of this schedule, then a week long seminar in the art education department. With Terry Barrett! So exciting.

I thought that until school ends and I am able to show you more creative projects, that I would take this time to show some corners of my home that I feel are especially nice. This is my mantle (the fireplace is non-working, and covered with black tile, sadly). I thought it would be more meaningful if I explained each of the items here:

Bunting - handmade from fabric scraps and vintage red polka dot piping
World Map - from a thrifted National Geographic
Embroidered Flowers - found at my favorite thrift store here in Columbus, it's professionally framed and was 90 cents!
Owls of the Deep Print - by Matt Cipov via Etsy (I have a bunch of his prints--love them!)
Mason Jar Candle - on sale for 25 cents at Kroger, too cute to pass up, got a set of four
Cassette Tapes - from the Salvation Army in my college town, I play them on my record player, which has a tape deck in the side
Tomato Pin Cushion - gift from my grandmother when I was a child. She and my mom taught me to sew.
Repurposed Jars - I save them or pick them up at thrift stores--they come in handy a lot
First jar is filled with thread and film (for awhile my sewing machine was in the living room)
Second jar is filled with scissors and knitting needles. Knitting needles were a gift from my friend Mallory, who prefers knitting with circular needles so she bestowed her collection of straight ones to me.

What I like about my decorations is that I don't spend a lot but I think they fit my style perfectly, maybe even better than if I bought everything new. If you're patient while shopping at thrift stores and yard sales, you can find high quality, unique items for only a little money. It's fun too! And don't forget to make a few things! That's the best part.

ode to perennials

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This summer, I am taking a food science course about food controversies in our contemporary culture. It fits right in with my undergraduate minor in family & consumer science, and of course, food is a topic I am always interested in discussing and learning about. Taking this class means a two mile bike ride to the agriculture campus Monday through Thursday, and when I hop off my bike to lock it up, I find myself standing between beds of a beautiful, sprawling, perennial garden. You see, the food science building is next to the horticulture building. And I happen to think plants are fascinating, so of course I am drawn to this gem of a plant sanctuary which I see four times a week. Yesterday after my class, I ate lunch at one of the picnic tables in the garden, and afterward, took a walk around to photograph it. One thing I love is that since it is an educational garden, every plant is labeled. I also like knowing that they are all perennials, because lately I have been thinking of getting some decorative perennials and keeping them in pots, and this garden has given me some good ideas. I was particularly struck by the beauty of the cone flowers. So today, while picking up some things at the hardware store, I spontaneously bought a white coneflower plant and when I got home, potted it in the container I had purchased for the raspberry plant (it died, sigh).


And there it is. Those aren't all the way in bloom yet. When they are, they'll look like the first photograph.

And speaking of flowers, my zinnias are budding!

spring is nice

I've been enjoying this spring season so much! With just about a month left until the real first day of summer, this is what I have been up to lately:

- Tending to the garden.
- Going for evening bike rides. (Corey and I are working on perfecting our route to the farmers' market--it opens a week from Saturday!)
- Picking flowers to brighten up my apartment.
- Cooking and baking healthful meals and treats.
- Organizing my apartment to make moving easier in a few months.

Lately I have been making an extra effort to enjoy the simple things in life, which I believe is an important thing to do. Spring is a good time to reflect on that.

fresh from the farmer's market

I apologize for my lack of posts lately. School is picking up, work is picking up, and in between there are so many other things to do!

This past Saturday I insisted on getting myself up very early and going to the farmer's market here in town. I'm so glad I did. I love seeing all of the happy vendors with their prized vegetables, flowers, and other goods. I love talking to them and listening to what they have to say about what they are selling. It's the closest you can get to growing your food yourself.

I acquired one sunflower, five zinnias, 4 purple (yes, purple! they were gorgeous) bell peppers, 4 red tomatoes, 2 green tomatoes, 2 mini eggplants (melanzana!), 1 butternut squash, and 1 red bell pepper. Some delicious dishes have already come out of them, and there are a few things left...which will probably be eaten today...but! The market is open on Tuesdays so I might go again in the morning. hehe.



Also! The other day I made peach oatmeal brulee...and it was amazing. You just prepare some oatmeal to your liking, then broil it in a small dish with a few teaspoons of sugar on top for about ten minutes. It's so good!