Works In Progress
I thought I’d share some of the projects that I’m currently working on. I usually am outside early morning working on things and then around 12-1pm I have to come inside because it’s just so brutally hot and that’s when I clean my house and work on indoor projects (I also try to take a nap or at least lay down for 15 mins or so in the afternoon).
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One indoor thing I’m working on is my kitchen. I’m trying to go through my cabinets one by one to see what I have-organize/discard and then I wipe down the shelves and insides. One shelf at a time.
I decided to take down my toile kitchen curtains. Even though I vacuum them regularly, they have never been “cleaned” in the 3-4 years they’ve hung in the kitchen since they’re mounted on a board. The whole thing started to bother me a while ago. So they’re down. I’ll have them dry cleaned and then I’ll store them and put them back up when we actually sell this house (they are cute and custom).
Besides I decided I’d rather have a rod so I can change my curtains when I want. I’m always finding cute kitchen curtains at the thriftstore and now I’ll be able to bring them home and use them.
I’m enlarging my veggie garden. My pickaxe is my new BFF! My daughter and I had to dig out the posts of the old picket fence that goes around the veggie garden so we could reuse them.
Then we started to dig the new holes and set two of the posts in concrete. We still have about 5 more posts to dig and set and then attaching the picket fencing. You can see how much bigger the garden will be!
Mind you neither of us knows what we’re doing! It might be shaped like an octagon when we’re finished! But I think it’s important to show your kids especially your daughters that they can tackle these types of projects and that sometimes good enough is good enough. It doesn’t have to be perfect!
I think I’ll be able to get six new beds in that spot! I’m also excited about extending my cottage garden along the outside of the fence.
Tired yet? LOL! One more project. I’m planting along this fence line. I have this much more to do.
It looks like a lot doesn’t it? I’m just doing one or two bushes/trees a week. Some I’m moving from other parts of my yard. If you do a little at a time eventually it’ll get done.
The contractor is supposed to come today to put up the wall downstairs to make a bedroom for my daughter and then we’ll have the fun of painting and decorating her new bedroom! Can’t wait for that. Then we’ll be bringing the tv and sectional upstairs and put them somewhere. Still haven’t decided where yet.
Have a wonderful day and try something new this week!
What a sweet curtian. The girls and I have been working on a veggie bed in a new part of our property, to see how it does. xoxo CLarice
My girls and I do the gardening etc, but the builder of raised beds is my husband. We can do it though if we had too! The girls especially work along side him in these projects! It is wonderful that they can learn these skills as well, as stuff in the house.
Can’t wait to see your garden project when it is finished.
wow! It all looks great but I sure feel lazy about now!
LOL! Well you know that’s not my intention. I have always been a pretty high energy person. I like moving from project to project. Just like I read more than one book at a time. Keeps me interested.
I can’t wait to see your slip cover! I viewed Miss Mustard Seeds tutorial weeks ago and even bought the fabric to slip cover a chair but haven’t quite gotten my nerve up yet. Her tutorial looks great and she makes it look easy for a beginner. I bet your slip cover is going to look beautiful!!!
Well I don’t know about that! But I do know that if it doesn’t it’ll be o.k. I’ll just start over and do another. I’m using a dropcloth as my material so it’s not a huge investment of money – just time. And I’m taking it slowly. Making that first cut was scary, but now it’s not so bad!
Wow, I’m impressed! I’ve had to put my garden on maintenance/life support (I spend my days shifting the sprinklers) as we have had 2 or 2 1/2 weeks of 98+ temps and no rain. I got out there a bit this morning, but it’s already 88 degrees now at 10:00. Crazy weather after all that rain and coolness in April and May.
Are you planting ornamental trees or fruit trees?
Diana
Mostly ornamental. I have fruit trees and I find them fussy in my climate. I’m not into spraying them and all that. Plust it’s hard to protect the fruit from the birds and squirrels. I’d much rather plant more blueberry or blackberry bushes. Or gooseberry – something fun! I do want cherry trees though, but those are planned for another part of the garden and that will be in the fall.
I am exhausted just reading this post, Manuela! That is some bed you are adding along the fence line. I used to add beds in when I was home and now I curse myself because since I am working full-time those beds have become such a chore to weed and keep maintained. Your bench looks like a nice cool place to take a break though. I love your toile valance! I can understand wanting a change though. I have had mine up for years, they are custom, too, but every so often I see something that makes me think about changing them for a little bit.
I plant so closely that I rarely have to weed my flower beds. Also, a few weeds here and there don’t bother me. Some “weeds” are very nice to look at.
Those curtains are great! You certainly have been busy. 🙂
Kelly
Man, you are busy. I had to laugh because just this week I put my blue tole or toile or whatever! curtains back up in my kitchen here at the condo. Gardens are nice and I think I am going to at least have some herbs on my porch!!!
Whew! I am very impressed with your work. I just replaced some curtains that were not getting clean enough for me. I am ready to change out some curtains that have been hanging in my kitchen for nearly 10 years. What??? I am now more ready than ever!
Manuela- The thought of you swinging a pick ax cracked me up! You would have made an excellent pioneer wife! I would have died along side the road right outside of St. Louis on the way west! I am not a good gardener or outdoor person. LOL- I mention my brown thumb all of the time. You stay busy all of the time. It is all I can do to force myself to start a project! Take care. ~ Sue
My goodness, you make me tired. That’s a lot of projects. Everything should look great when finished and I can just imagine how nice your cottage garden will look when everything is planted.
Don’t work too hard!
Hugs,
Donna
That’s what makes you interesting, Manuela, you’re never afraid to tackle something new. The garden will turn out beautifully because everything you do seems to turn out beautifully.
Even though you took down the signature toile, I love the happy kitchen curtains and the fact that you can change it out. I really need to have a facebook, I guess. I hate missing stuff on yours, and I don’t have one. Honestly, I am sucked in to blog world enough. I don’t think I could take care of facebook too. Sigh.
I LOVE those curtains! They’re adorable.
Blessings,
I love both those curtains – the toile AND the gingham ones. I think I’m more partial to the gingham for the summer though. It has a lighter look.
You sure are ambitious with all that yard work; can’t wait to see it when it’s finished!
I am tired just reading everything you do! All your hard work really pays off. Your blog is beautiful.
Yvonne
When I read your posts I often think of the scripture in Proverbs 31 that speaks of the wife that is not lazy. I love to catch your latest projects and see the progress in your gardens and home. Thank you for being the encouragement I often need when I am unmotivated and discouraged.
Hope you are enjoying your summer with your daughter.
Jen
You are a hard working woman!! We could be great neighbors. 🙂
No more planting at this time of year for me. Too hot! Whatever I’d plant now probably wouldn’t make it due to the hot sun.
Brenda
MAN ALIVE! You ARE busy! I cannot wait to see the end result.
Sometimes it is best to have to wing it and often times the end
results are the very best.
For me, I may have jury duty today. Will know at noon.
PRAYING I don’t get picked!!
xxoo
Becky
First of all, the scarecrows lying on the ground cracked me up. Looks like you have dead bodies in your yard. 😉
Secondly, I had several posts to read and catch up on so my comments are a conglomeration. 🙂
Wow, you can stay out in this ATL heat until noon? I stayed out till 10 this morning and thought I’d suffocate! I walked our neighborhood around 6:45 to 7:10 and it was nice and cool but it quickly became too hot for me.
I planted raspberry bushes at my new house last year and I have 2 raspberries this year. I am so excited! I thought it would take longer for them to bear fruit. I also have loads of blueberries.
You mentioned you have a Nan King cherry bush. We had a HUGE one when we were little and lived in Decatur and we would eat ourselves sick every summer. My Mom always talked about finding cherry pits in my little brother’s diaper. 🙂
I love the new look on the screened in porch! The rug is so bright and cheery.
Have a great evening!
Looks like you have a lot of fun projects going on! I’m always in the middle of many things…I just need to consider them works-in-progress!
I agree 100%. It doesn’t have to be perfect!
Whew! You are a dynamo! I know the garden will be spectacular, I just checked your facebook page, the chair is coming along nicely, I am working up the courage to do one of my own chairs that is in sorry shape. One more week of work at the school and then maybe I’ll have the free time to tackle it!
Your right there are lots of cute curtains at the thrift store
I just found some for our bathroom ….hope your “search” is a blissful experience
also I think your garden will be beautiful
What fun!! You’ll have so much more room for veggies once you are done! And I love that you are doing this with your daughter. I can hang with a lot of garden chores but I’m still afraid to use a pick ax.