we did it

We did it. We finally did it! I'll give you a hint...there is documentation of this momentous occasion in my last post.

We've been wanting to do this for several years now, and every season would come and go and still nothing. Well, we finally bit the bullet and mustered up the courage to give it a shot.
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My dear friends, this past weekend we started our very first vegetable garden!

To start, we planted arugula (my fav), spinach (the huz's fav), butterhead lettuce, carrots, broccoli, radishes and green onions. We have plans to slowly add in a variety of other vegetables and fruit over the next coming months. If all goes as planned, the first to pop up should be the radishes. Then, the arugula and butterhead. Green onions won't surface for another couple of months, but we'll have the grill hot and ready. Delicious!

Here is a before shot of the corner before we had our fence installed. It kind of resembled a burial mound so we transplanted most of the plants to other areas, and leveled this corner with the intention of starting a garden:

Here is the after, or maybe I should say "in progress" since we still have lots of love to give before our first harvest:

The sun was behind a huge tree in the early evening when I took this photo, but you get the idea!

You will notice that I also painted the fence. It was a deep red color, and deeply weathered so I decided to spruce it up with a little exterior paint. I chose Benjamin Moore's Wrought Iron, and I love it. The photos don't do it justice at all. It is a deep charcoal, but has a lovely blue undertone. I chose a satin finish so it reflects the sun just a tad and can be sprayed down with a hose when it gets dirty.

Next up, tomato plants in large pots to the right of the bed, and herbs in pots mounted to the fence, like this:

Source: google.com via Larissa on Pinterest

This summer, we plan to add a second bed to the left of this one. This will not only produce more to harvest, but it will also allow us to practice crop rotation which is important in maintaining an organic garden.

The finishing touch will be to install flagstone and ground cover surrounding the bed to help combat weed infestation.

{ spring }

The past couple of weekends have been absolutely gorgeous in Seattle. The sun has been out, the birds have been chirping, and all the lovely buds are starting to blossom. It is amazing how a little sunshine can put a spring in your step.

Here are just a few photos from my weekend, filled with soft light, warm sun, cool breezes, and the beautiful colors of spring.

notes from our Friday night

This past week, our oldest dog Bailey gave us quite the scare.  For a 12 year old dog, Bailey is rather spry, but age has started to take its toll.

Thursday night we rushed him to the emergency animal hospital because he was repeatedly falling over. We immediately feared the worst - stroke, brain tumor, toxins - these were all possibilities. After what felt like forever waiting at the vet, we were finally brought in to talk to the doctor. Luckily, we were wrong about our fears. He has what is called Intervertebral Disc Disease, and it has caused loss of full function in his hind legs. The good news is that it is manageable, and with bed rest and anti-inflammatory medication, we can likely restore his quality of life.

Now, bed rest for a lab isn't an easy task. Oh, and try to keep them off the furniture when they've been allowed to their whole life. Not so simple. Last night we decided to try something a little different to make sure Bailey didn't feel left out (you laugh, but he gets super pouty). Or, some might say it was just a great excuse to have a movie night and slumber party just like when we were kids!

Belle is the one on the couch. Bailey is in the other room pouting.

He absolutely loved it. As soon as the huz and I put in the movie, dimmed the lights, and tucked ourselves in, Bailey walked over and snuggled right up against my leg. He stayed there all night with us. It warmed my heart.

We might just have to do it again tonight!

chalk it up

We all know how popular chalkboards have become. After years of having it on my crafty to-do list, I finally made my own. My inspiration?

Several visits to Goodwill over the past month or so, and I finally found the perfect starting point. Ornate frame? Check. Fit the scale of the large blank wall in our kitchen? Check. Lightweight enough for our old walls? Check.

With some elbow grease and patience allowing the paint to dry, here is what I ended up with:

In addition to the chalkboard paint, I also used magnetic paint as a primer. It is a lot more functional now that I can put up a calendar and any to-do items that come in the door.

I decided to go with a white border in high-gloss because I already had it on hand, and I am so happy I did because I love it!

This was #24 on my 30 before Thirty list. Keep checking back as I cross more items off my list. I have a lot to do in 3-months time!

Progress on my 30 before 30...

I am pleased to report that I have made some progress on my 30 before Thirty list! I promise I'll share photos soon. Seriously, I will!

This morning, as I was lost in the wonderful world of Pinterest, I came across a pin by my dear friend, Erin.

Source: bippityboppityboo.tumblr.com via Erin on Pinterest

I knew it was Venice, which the huz and I had the pleasure of visiting last spring, but it looked almost too familiar. Most of the streets in Venice looks the same, making it very easy to get lost, but I just had a hunch that I had been on that street.

Looking through my photos from our trip, I can across this photo:

Look at the end of the street. It is the same, no? This was the street of the small boutique hotel we stayed at, which was lovely, by the way.

This has, of course, left me dreaming of my next destination.