Jenna

A Weed by Any Other Name

Published on September 16, 2015 by Jenna2 Comments

Although weeds are usually something you don’t want in your garden, sometimes waiting to see how they turn out is worth the risk. Case in point is this lovely Jewel Weed (aka Touch Me Not) I found blooming in my gifted garden. I’m not sure where it came from, but I love the delicate yellow flowers that bloomed late this summer. After a bit of online research, I’ve learned that it’s actually a very useful plant, being both edible and a natural remedy for skin irritations because it contains both an anti-inflammatory and fungicide.

I’ve decided to leave it alone and see what it does next year, which I hope is return bigger and fuller. I’m certainly game for a 0 maintenance plant that not only fills my garden with lovely flowers but has a host of beneficial uses!

The other ‘weed’ in my garden this season were some pretty German Impatiens our neighbor gave us. I didn’t know anything about them other than her instruction that they needed to be planted very soon. I had some empty holes in my front flowerbed at the time so that’s where I put them.

They started out as 4″ tall sprouts, but within a few weeks they were chest high without an ounce of effort on my part! Once again I turned to the internet for information, where I learned they can be invasive – not surprising given their super-fast growth rate. They are also another variety of Jewelweed (Himalayan Balsam) so they have similar skin irritant remedy properties and are edible.

I knew they wouldn’t work in the space where I had planted them, so I moved them to the hillside near the rain garden where they have plenty of unused space they can fill. Now that we have these helpful plants I’m thinking there’s a good possibility that raspberry sangria, with basalm and fireweed garnish will be the signature drink on our deck next summer! Do you have common weeds in your garden that you love? Tell me about them with a comment below!

A Sweet Harvest

Published on September 9, 2015September 9, 2015 by JennaLeave a comment

Although they haven’t been around long, the freebie raspberry plants we added to the yard earlier this summer have been cranking out a pretty bountiful and sweet harvest recently! We noticed a large batch of berries form on several of the plants about a month ago and patiently waited for them to fully ripen.

The first harvest (seen below) was fairly small, but within a few days another batch was ready (seen above). While a few were still a little tart, the majority were sweet and juicy – perfect for a yummy, easy to eat breakfast during my morning commute the next day.

During the holiday weekend I picked a third batch that was twice the size of the first two! Those were also promptly eaten for breakfast on my morning drive to work yesterday. And there’s still more berries waiting to ripen on the bushes. Hopefully the cold weather stays away long enough for them all to come in fully so we can enjoy a 4th or maybe even 5th harvest.

What’s even more impressive is that all of these came from just a handful of bushes. Most of the bushes are still establishing themselves and focusing on lush leaf growth rather than berry production, so next year we should have a plethora of berries when those start adding to the harvest. Guess I better start saving raspberry everything recipes now!

The Cluck Club

Published on September 8, 2015September 8, 2015 by Jenna2 Comments

Over the holiday weekend we added some new members to our family! Welcome (from back to front) Biscuit, Nugget, Fil-a and Curry. And they have some fancy new digs courtesy of the hubs handi-man skills! Here’s a quick photo tutorial of how it went together.

He started with two side panels of framed wire, to form the main area which serves as a run for the chickens to move around in. He added more framing for what would become the hen house floor at the rear of the coop.

Next he added sides to the hen house, followed by foam insulation. He also extended the floor of the hen house past the framing to make an area for nesting boxes.

After insulation was added to the floor, the nesting boxes starting to take shape at the back of the hen house.

Then he added dividers to make three separate boxes so the ladies have a bit of privacy when laying.

Next he added a roof to the nesting boxes that can be lifted for collecting eggs.

This puppy is well insulated so the chickens will stay nice and warm when the weather dips below 0 during the winter. With insulation foam sandwiched between layers of wood on all of the walls and floor it should be pretty cozy.

And if you’re wondering if it’s sturdy, Stoli and his 70 some pounds of muscle can guarantee that it is!

Once the main parts of the walls were in, he added the roof panels.

And from the side it was really starting to look like a coop! If you notice, we moved the coop forward a bit so there’s more room at the back because the clean out access for our septic line is right next to the house and should we ever need to use it we wanted some room to work.

At my request, he added a covering of linoleum material on the entire hen house floor to make cleaning the coop out easier.

And here’s the finished project – after several weeks of work! Unfortunately, it rained here for most of the holiday weekend so I wasn’t able to paint it before we brought the chickens home, but once the weather improves for a few days all of the wood will get a coat of bright white, which should give it a true farm house feel!

The nesting box roof got a metal covering to match the rest of the coop and keep the elements at bay.

You can see most of the inside of the hen house when the small roof is lifted – a feature I’m sure I’ll appreciate immensely when checking on them during the winter.

In addition to the nesting boxes, the hubs installed an inside roost for the hens to use when the weather gets colder.

The two side doors open wide to give full access to the inside of the hen house which has a light to provide both warmth and stimulation to continue laying throughout our dark winter.

He also installed a feeder made of PVC pipe and a water bottle with a nipple at the bottom so both stay as clean as possible with minimal waste.

I’d never used poultry water nipples before, but they operate on the same mechanics as a rabbit water bottle and the chickens had some at their previous home so they already know how to use them.

A ramp to access the hen house from the run and a large branch for an outdoor roost made it chicken ready.

Everyone was very excited to meet the chickens. Even Luna came out to welcome them, although she stayed out of the dogs way by perching herself on the nearby ladder. To give the chickens some breathing room from their four-legged siblings we fenced off the main part of the coop with some large metal grates we got for free on Craigslist a while back. We’ll leave these up for a while until everyone is used to each other. Until then they are under almost constant surveillance, but they don’t seem to mind too much.

Eventually I’ll add pea gravel around the coop so it doesn’t get super muddy, but for now we’re just happy to have the coop mostly finished (sans painting) and chickens inside it.

Although they aren’t free range like they were at their last home, I have been giving them yard cuttings and table scraps to dig through which they seem to enjoy. And we all enjoy watching them settle into their new home. 🙂

Fun at the Fair

Published on September 3, 2015 by Jenna2 Comments

Fall is harvest season and that means it’s the typical time for county and state fairs. The hubs and I won tickets to a country concert at the fair which included fair admission so we made a night of it. I’d never seen this FAIR photo spot before but it was pretty cool. The hubs didn’t want to play the I but agreed to get a shot of me doing so. I have no idea why my jeans look like high waters, so just ignore that part!

The weather was absolutely perfect with blue skies and there was plenty else to see beyond the FAIR sign, from old historic barns to the traditional ferris wheel at the carnival.

We sampled the classic hand dipped ice cream, toured the art exhibits, wandered along the rows of vendors where we purchased specialty jams and syrups for ourselves and as gifts for friends and family. Then decided to head to the livestock barn, because as former 4-H and FFA members that’s what the fair is really about for us. On the way to the barn I spotted this awesome garden figures made completely of living plants. It was the best kind of art!

At the livestock barn we watched baby chicks hatch in an incubator, including this cute little fluff ball.

And as a previous goat owner you know I stopped to say hello to this sweet face! Those ears just made me want to open the gate and take her home!

And just down the row these two kids were enjoying their dinner, in more ways than one. Seriously, does it get any cuter? Yes, but only if those were Nubian kids with big floppy ears. Can you tell I’m a bit biased?

I have to share this competitor’s stall because they went all out to decorate. From a hand-made wooden sign and fabric bunting to a collage of all their livestock next to a thank you to their buyers from the previous year it was absolute perfection!

Across the aisle were the pigs, who were apparently catching up on their beauty sleep. But they were pretty darn cute doing it.

We wandered past the sheep, which I will never own again!, to the cows and then on to this single reindeer. At first I thought it odd to see a reindeer in the market barn, but it is Alaska and I’m well aware of just how tasty Rudolph can be so it makes sense after all!

Beyond the barn there was some local produce for sale at phenomenal prices considering most were extra large. The Mat-Su valley is well known for growing monster vegetables thanks to our unique summer climate. We didn’t go far enough to see the competitors for the largest pumpkins and other categories but they often take up an entire flatbed semi to be transported to the fair!

We never did make it to the concert, but since it was at an open-air amphitheater we still heard most of it. Ready for a break we got some raspberry topped funnel cake – my fair food must have and rested our feet at a picnic table next to the face painting and crazy hair booth which produced a pretty entertaining batch of both their trades. Although we had dessert first with the ice cream and funnel cake we wanted something that qualified for dinner before we headed home so we stopped by a local meat processing company’s food stand and ordered Caribou Steak Sandwiches. For those that don’t know caribou and reindeer are the same, except one is wild while the other is domesticated, so I was probably eating the cute reindeer above’s long lost wild cousin. But he sure was mighty tasty! 🙂

We came, we saw, we walked, we tasted and we had fun. It was a great fair experience!

Feeling Fallish

Published on September 2, 2015 by JennaLeave a comment

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ThriftDCreationsFall is my favorite season. I love seeing the colors change and the crisp feel in the air. It makes me want to grab a cup of cocoa, light a fire, snuggle up in a cozy sweater and watch the leaves fall as I start to plan for the upcoming holidays. But fall is also usually one of my busiest seasons so it’s pretty rare when that actually happens. This time of year I’m prepping for the holiday bazaars, creating family portraits for client’s holiday cards and preparing our home for winter, which will be here before we know it. Fall4

I will admit that I did attempt to ignore the initial signs of fall. Alaska’s amazing summers are hard to give up and those first few cooler days are not well accepted because we know it means our days of endless sunlight and amazing landscapes will soon be replaced with darkness and cold. But once I accept it I always fall in love with this wonderful transition season.

Now that I’ve conceded that summer has passed, I’ve embraced fall and carved out a bit of time to get out and photograph it’s beauty with my photography Meetup group. We went up into the foothills of the Chugach mountains where the colors are more pronounced due to cooler temperatures.

I love the vibrant colors seen in the plants, which are offering the last of their harvests and one last burst of beauty before the first frost arrives.

And our beautiful fireweed has now released it’s seed to blow in the wind and begins to display a variety of colors including green, red, orange and even purple on it’s leaves. This was one of many I spotted along the trail recently.

In fact a colorful autumnal fireweed is one of my favorite shots to date. It literally screams fall every time I see it.

I took Friday off to make the long holiday weekend even longer so I can wrap up a few outstanding projects around the house, like getting the deck prepped for cooler temps, cleaning up the garden, reclaiming the garage for parking and of course decorating for fall! I’ll also be updating my Etsy shop inventory, revamping my photography marketing and testing out new designs for the holiday bazaar I’ll be selling at after Thanksgiving. But I’m determined to squeeze in a little fall relaxing too. In fact I already purchased all of the s’more making materials needed for our firepit’s fall debut, and I can’t wait!

Gallery Wall Additions

Published on August 28, 2015 by Jenna2 Comments

Howdy strangers! It’s been pretty busy around here lately, which doesn’t leave much time for projects or posting, but I did manage to get a few more items added to our on-going gallery wall in the family room. This collection is definitely a work in progress and will evolve over time as we add to it, but it means I’m always on the hunt for special pieces to add.

I finally put up the metal numbers we got at the Great Junk Hunt and love them. I chose 907 because that’s Alaska’s area code and is representative of the lifestyle here. I wasn’t sure about the different colors and fonts at first, but overall it works and if I ever want to change it up I can paint them all to match.

I also added one of our favorite photos of Tequila and Sangria listening to the ice in the bay. It was previously in the gallery wall in the dining room so it was ready to hang once I chose a spot for it. It fills the spot between the metal D and the fireplace perfectly and because it’s level with the TV we see it daily. 🙂 Below the D I added a little Alaskan art, in the form of a framed postcard I picked up at the Seward Sealife Center when the hubs and I went there with our friends. This piece was in the guest room as a table top frame, but I’m changing a few things up in there so I had the hubs pull off the support piece and hung it here instead. It’s just the right size to fill the awkward spot between the fireplace switch and the TV and I like that there are a few smaller frames to balance out the larger items.

Even with these additions, there’s still plenty of room on the wall to fill. I’m considering a couple of favorite quotes to create a simple text canvas piece and plan to add a frame where I can rotate seasonal chalkboard prints. I’d also like to add a few circular and odd shaped items like antique bread boards, wood slice art and maybe even a driftwood cross to keep a balance with all the rectangular frames. I’ve got a couple of options in my project pile so we’ll see what makes the cut!

Goodwill Patio Umbrella Rehab

Published on August 19, 2015 by Jenna1 Comment

Way back when we made our road trip on the Alcan, we hauled back an outdoor umbrella we found at a Portland Goodwill for $12.99. One of the arms was broken, but the hubs assured me he could fix it, so I couldn’t pass it up at that price. It hid out in the shed for a while, but now that the deck furniture is in place we were ready for a little shade.

The hubs used a left over piece of molding we had laying around to make it operational again. I plan to eventually paint it to match the rest of the framework, but it’s not super noticeable so it’s not a high priority.

I picked up a weighted base at Pier 1 with reward points so it was free as well. It took a few tries to find the right size pipe to join the umbrella and base, but the winner ended up being just $12 and the one that didn’t work out will be used for another project, so it’s not a loss. I plan to paint the pipe to match the base, but again, not a huge priority since it’s the end of the season.

So the grand total for the umbrella and base was just $24.99. That’s pretty minimal compared to $70+ for umbrellas in the retail catalogs plus another $70-150 for a weighted base. Now we’re living the “fancy” life for a bargain price! 🙂

Master Bench – Industrial Style this time

Published on August 14, 2015 by Jenna3 Comments

Remember our pretty upholstered DIY bench that sat at the foot of our bed? It suffered a fatal injury while we were on vacation and had a house sitter. I’m not sure if the dogs jumped on it or if something else happened, but this is how we found it when we returned from our trip.

Both legs on one end had lost connection with the base of the cushion. We probably could have fixed it but we knew it wouldn’t be as sturdy as it had been and if it couldn’t withstand life in our house at it’s strongest then it wasn’t going to work for us. So we came up with a plan to replace it a bit of industrial style and plenty of support so we don’t have to go through this again. The hubs drew up a plan to use pipe for the base and wood for the top based on pictures I found on Pinterest. Once it was assembled and put in the room we realized our scale was a bit off.

If we needed a coffee table it would have been perfect, but it just didn’t work as a foot board bench. Not only was it too high, it was too wide and took up too much of the walkway. So the hubs took things apart, cut a few pieces and reassembled everything. This time it was a much better fit. (Excuse my ‘naked’ bed – it was sheet washing day!)

Now we only needed one of the boards from the first version for the top. And presto – a perfectly proportioned foot board bench!

Since the board is a little hard and the stain we used will likely seep for a while added a faux fur skin on top as a cushion and stain guard.

I really love how it turned out and the rustic/industrial look it gives to the room, especially since I just changed up the décor in here to go more that direction. I’ll be sharing those details soon. I’m planning to work up a new base for the old bench cushion top and sell it in my booth at the upcoming holiday bazaars. I’ve got a couple of ideas on what it will look like already, but if you have a suggestion I’d love to hear it!

Junkin’ Up the Yard!

Published on August 6, 2015September 9, 2015 by JennaLeave a comment

Welcome back for part two of how we’re using the cool ‘junk’ we picked up on our recent vacation. Here’s where things ended up outside along with a little garden update while we’re at it.

The big rusty metal star the hubs picked out at the junk show for $18 had to be hand carried on the plane. We were sure it would be considered a weapon thanks to the top point sticking out of the only bag we could find that kind of fit it, but TSA said as long as it went through the scanner it was ok. I’m very glad it made it through because it looks fantastic on the front porch!

Nearby, the cool metal excavator I found for $20 found a home in the front flower bed where it appears to be digging up spots for more plants. It’s definitely something you won’t see in everyone’s garden and that’s just what I like about it!

Several items ended up in the gifted garden including the cool trellis the hubs surprised me with. It works perfectly for the troilus that started blooming soon after we got home. I still can’t believe this piece was only $23!

The trio of rusty pulleys we got for $10, $20 and $30 are the perfect “dog proof” garden art. They have since been knocked over by those energetic fur balls, but ‘eh – it makes it look more authentic so oh well.

Pulleys2

We also picked up this massive pulley at an estate sale last weekend for just $25. I love the little number tag on the side! It’s found a home down in the rain garden.

Back in the gifted garden, I adore how these metal quail figures we found at the junk show look in the garden too. I’ve wanted some ever since I saw some just like them in a family friend’s amazing garden so I made sure to snag a few when I spotted them at the show. They remind me of living in the desert and watching the little quail families dart between the tumbleweeds. 🙂

My last find of the day at the junk show, a cast iron campfire cook pot now holds Johnny Jump Ups the neighbor brought over. I admit this picture is a week or two old because those plants behind the pot are now massive! They were also gifted to us by the neighbor but I have no idea what they are. They sure seem to like this spot though, because they are 5 times this size now!

This little stained glass lady bug – an appropriation from my sister’s garden – now adorns my marigolds in the front yard. He’s so cute I might have to make a few more, and possibly do some dragon flies and butter flies while I’m at it!

Beyond the junk things are still blooming. We got home just in time to see the iris, which I was so happy about. I have a few varieties including water iris, wild iris and arctic iris. They each have slightly different colors and leaves but they’re all beautiful to me.

We also have a few poppies blooming. These were another gift from the neighbor – have I mentioned how much I love having a gardening neighbor?! 🙂 The fact that I’ve done nothing to them and yet they seem to be doing quite well makes me even happier.

The hydrangea I planted this season is also blooming! I’m so excited to have this one establish itself and grow bigger and bigger each year. The blooms started out pretty small but now they are almost full. I’m torn between cutting some to bring inside and letting them continue to grow. Thus far I’ve just let them grow, but as the season wraps up I might go ahead and snip a few.

Hydrengea

I do need to add a little support for it though since the back side seems a bit heavy for the thin stalks. I’m thinking one of those large rings might work well since it’s not very tall yet.

My lilies are also making an appearance after teasing with tightly sealed buds for weeks. I have several varieties of these as well including pink, orange and yellow. I made sure to get a few shots of them to enjoy right away since I know they won’t last long.

I love how the orange lily compliments the little excavator in the background. 🙂

The lambs ear I brought back from my mother-in-law’s yard is doing well in the rain garden. It’s certainly not going gang-busters, but it’s green and healthy after an overnight trip in a ziplock baggie on a plane, so I’m not going to be too critical.

I added some bushes I got for $20 on the buy/sell page to the side of the deck to get that landscape started. I don’t remember the names of these right now so I’ll have to dig the tags out of the gardening cabinet, but I believe they are both varieties of spirea. The one on the left gets pretty purple flowers and the one on the right has small white flowers.

My Columbines are doing well, both in the rain garden and the gifted garden.

And after some pretty lush leaf growth all season the campanula is finally blooming.

My freebie raspberries are slowly getting established, so I’m just letting them be for now.

But there is a potential harvest this year if these little guys come in a bit more and ripen!

That is of course if I can keep this big boy out of them! He stopped by the other night during a huge downpour and thankfully seemed more interested in the weed patch just in front of the raspberries. Good thing I haven’t been able to keep a super tidy landscape yet! Luckily, the raspberries are close enough to the back yard fence that the dogs typically keep the moose at bay.

So that’s how we junked up the yard. Do you have ‘junk’ in your gardens? I’d love to see it, so share a photo or a link below!

Updating Our Décor With New Treasures

Published on August 5, 2015 by JennaLeave a comment

Remember, like forever ago, when I promised I’d share all the items we picked up on vacation and how we used them around the house? It’s finally that time! Some pieces worked just how I planned and others had to be tested out and ‘lived with’ in a few different spots to finally find their perfect placement.

LunaBasket

Several items found homes in the Laundry Room. The first was a basket I snagged on clearance for $10 at Marshalls. It became Luna’s new nap spot! Her previous cat bed was a freebie leopard number that we got soon after bringing her home. While it was functional, it didn’t fit the style of the room so I’d been looking for a replacement for a while and had decided a basket would be perfect. Although I was nervous that she wouldn’t adapt to it the hubs was certain she’d sleep in anything I put in that spot and apparently he was right! She took a couple quick sniffs, curled up and went right to snoozing before I could even put any padding in it for her! Eventually I added a towel inside an allergen pillow case cover so it can easily be taken apart and washed with the whites each week to help reduce my allergy symptoms.

Overhead, I changed out the red basket and hat box for a lovely olive bucket my mother-in-law gave me, a metal sphere I found at Home Goods for $10 and a large blue glass jar I already had. Everything fit nicely around my DIY Laundry Room sign and I added a bit of faux greenery to the olive bucket to balance everything out.

I hung a metal organizer on the wall next to the door to the garage so we have a spot to collect papers that need to be taken to work or for errands. Hopefully this keeps our counters clear and the papers safe from getting damaged in any way. Plus it’s a good reminder since it’s the last thing we see as we head out the door, which makes it harder to forget something. I think I paid around $13 for this at Home Goods. I’m liking all the little hints of black and metal that are now working together – the handles on Luna’s basket, the sphere and this rack. It’s starting to get that rustic industrial feel I’ve been wanting!

I found an amazing large glass jar that was almost identical to one I spotted on a favorite décor page recently for $45, and at half the price and knew I’d make it work somewhere. That somewhere turned out to be the dining room table – for now at least. It may eventually migrate to other areas as I change things each season, but for now I love it here.

The big metal can the hubs found at the junk show for just $25 now lives next to the front door where my holiday tree used to be. Although I loved my seasonally decorated tree, I’ve been looking for ways to be more efficient with my time and that was one of the things that could be given up without consequence. Instead I’ll just use those items in my seasonal vignettes throughout the house. I like that this piece can also double as an umbrella holder if needed. It’s not something we get much call for, but should the need arise its ready and able to corral those dripping covers.

I tucked another junk show find – the little metal oil can, on the other side of the entry table. I’m not sure it will live here permanently, but it works for now. It’s a great little $10 find.

The bubble glass lantern became part of my summer décor on the entry way table. The blue tint to the glass plays off the red, white and blue elsewhere so it was fitting. I got this for around $12 from a store called At Home.

One of my favorite pieces was a large antique wooden crate we spotted at the junk show for just $10. It was combined with a stem of preserved cotton to become art in the corner of the guest room. The chair may look familiar since it’s from the office. We’ve decided to switch to real office chairs that roll and have better lumbar support for my long hours of editing. Although we haven’t found the perfect replacements just yet, the hubs doesn’t sit at his desk all that much so we went ahead and moved his chair to complete the guest room for now. I love how it looks with my hope chest and the old crate art and I hope guests do too.

WoodCrate

Speaking of the office, we also snagged two wire inboxes – one at the junk show and one at an antique shop I spotted across the street from a gas station we stopped at! They are the perfect way to corral all those piles of paper the hubs and I seem to accumulate as we work on things.

So that’s where everything ended up inside. Check back tomorrow to see where the rest of our finds ended up outside, along with a little garden update!