thrifty!

i haven't been to the thrift store in forever. i swear. it's part-trying not to spend as much, part-i don't want to leave the house, and part-i'm too busy to go all the way across town. but, i managed to make it to the ACB last saturday... and i was disappointed. i didn't find much that i wanted to take home with me, other than this little blue vase. and i almost put it down several times... but i really loved the turquoise. i got it home and it just seems to fit perfectly with all the colors in our home. the greens, oranges and purples that are scattered throughout... it's sitting on our bookshelf right now, but it's just asking for some pretty flowers and to sit in the kitchen... i might just have to oblige.

2010 addys

well, the addy's were this weekend. it was nice to get a little dressed up (hey, i wear jeans to work!), drink some wine and see the best stuff of 2009. we even won some awards!

feb?

it's hard for me to believe that february is already here. the months just seem to speed by... but i am reminded by all the overwhelming red, pink and white posts that valentine's day will soon be upon us. d and i usually try to do something special. last year we ate out the night before (which, apparently, everyone else did as well) and exchanged sweet notes to each other. this year, i was given explicit instructions to find some jewelry that i adored. well, i did.

these rings by lilypottery have always caught my eye. now, what color?

i have seen several fingerprint necklaces show up lately, but this little one is so cute.

by janeswearjewelry

this little acorn necklace is really sweet. by tigerlillyshop

i really love this necklace too. i'm not normally a gold fan, but this is just beautiful.

by huismus

now that i look back on these, most of them have already been purchased (shucks!) but, after thinking about some of the resolutions i'd made, i decided to ask for something a little more practical. so, i asked for park seed's biodome seed starter.

now, i've already received it, along with an extra bag of their bio sponges and a variety of seeds. i can't wait to try it out, but of course, i'll have to wait a few more weeks so the plants won't be ready too early. i know this sounds like a strange v-day present, but let's be practical... do i really need another piece of jewelry? i think this will come in very useful in my efforts to grow our own veggies.

i'll try to keep the blog updated on when i sow the seeds and transplant them outside. i'm also keeping an excel spreadsheet of everything i'm going to grow. i know, i'm such a nerd. i'm planning on growing tomatoes (2 varieties), green beans, cucumbers, cantaloupe, basil and squash. i am also thinking about lettuce, radishes, and a few other herbs... i'll just need to see how much space we've got to do this. the beans are a bush variety, so that will help. we are also planning on growing the cucumbers up a trellis to save space and keep them away from bugs.

anyone have any tips on growing any of these? i didn't do so well last year, but i'm taking a different approach this time around...