The Mint Needle

 I woke up this morning to the smell of hyacinth in the house. My favorite flower. Spring is here, even though it doesn't look it outside. I have to say... this week really means Spring for us. Here's why. Today marks the week that we should begin any indoor seeds, according to my grandmother, one of the greatest gardeners I know. In Ohio, frost can hit as late as May. The end of March looks pretty promising for those young seedlings. They should be the perfect size for outdoor transplanting when the time comes. So for all of you who would like to follow in the footsteps of an amazing gardener, your free to do so:) Her advice is priceless as I've seen with my own two eyes, she can grow some of the most difficult plants.  If your bringing gardening indoors, remember to keep your soil moist with a spray bottle and not a watering can until the seedlings are strong enough. Remember to rotate if your keeping them near a window so that they grow straight and crea...

"Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush." ~ Doug Larson       I came across this quote and felt it pretty much summed up our weather here in Ohio. We had a few days of warmth before jack frost came back. And by warm, I mean 60's:) It made my butt hit the outdoors and clean up some brush and prune back some trees. I brought in lilac branches that I just didn't have the heart to pitch. I figured..... eh, maybe they'll grow. Take a look!        We'll see if they continue to grow.   And... a seed finally erupts:)      On another note....   We were lucky enough to tackle a paint job prior to the flu visiting our house. My older daughter decided that it was time for a bedroom makeover. (And she was right. It was something I've been hesitating for awhile.... a looong overdue paint job. ) Idea became reality.  I realized why I wa...

  With warm weather right around the corner, many of us have begun our Spring cleaning. I decided to make these herbal closet fresheners while tackling my kitchen pantry. It seems that we've accumulated sooooo many herbs that I just had to eliminate some . Is it really necessary to keep 3 jars of dried mint leaves? I don't think so. These herbs were put to good use as closet fresheners and this concoction was all to good not to share.    I used dried sage, dried mint, dried chamomile buds, and black tea. Dried sage and mint for the antibacterial properties; chamomile to add something soft, and black tea for the freshness. I know it seems a little unusual to break open an actual tea bag, but that's what I did. I love the smell of black tea. There was no method to the madness. Just a sprinkle of this and a sprinkle of that. I used a total of four tea bags.     I used a rectangular piece of fabric and pinned r...

Why buy it when it's so simple to make it yourself. Right? I came across these adorable headbands at the mall and knew that they would be a great project to show on the blog. The greatest part, you can customize them to match perfectly with your threads. And... you can even use up fabric strips and scraps you no-longer have use for. I'm all about using up everything ! So here's how it goes. You may recognize the fabric from the dress I made my daughter last summer. When I find a good deal on fabric, I buy alot:)   You will need 1/2 inch wide elastic cut at 5 inches. The elastic could be wider, but remember that this is the part that will go at the base of your head. Anything too bulky will be uncomfortable. Start by cutting your fabric 3 1/2" wide by 58" long. Cut off 12 inches and put aside. Take the remainder of your fabric, fold it in half and cut again. You should have 3 pieces of fabric. 1 at 12 inches & 2 at 23 inches   Take ...

   Stamping, stickers, sewing, & scissors! What can be better for a crafter than a month dedicated to do-it yourselfers? I'm sure all you creators are excited to browse the internet in hopes of finding new projects. Or as I say, something to spark a new project. The month of March proves great sales and special offers at all those crafty based stores. However, shop cautiously. Past experience has proved that mark ups are put into effect before mark downs. What else is going on, you ask? I'm excited about the quilting & sewing expo this month and starting a 'couple' seeds indoors. I have a sewing to-do list that is huge and almost never seems to shrink, even when a project gets crossed off. Between all the usual, I've decided to take a wing at a vintage lingerie pattern. I'm praying it goes good and that I'll have a fun post to share with you in the near future. I should really start taking some photos of all the projects I've mentioned on...