Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Autumn is Here!



Hooooraaaaaaaay! I am DELIGHTED to see the arrival of autumn. It is my favorite time of year. I love the colors, and have adopted the fall palate for the interior of my home year 'round, too. Usually I grow pumpkins during the summer so I'll have some fresh gourds on the vine for the back yard, but this summer was too busy with a new business and a new family pet. Instead I bought a couple and incorporated them into my small space decor.

I used what I had: some little mums that I've been cutting back, and dried pampas. I bought the succulents because I just loved the color and the texture of the leaves. Everything here is bunny-safe, as it's sitting on my potting bench in a little arrangement. I forgot that boys can pick up bunnies and put them anywhere... There's Babbitt, playing hide-and-seek amongst the flowers! He's a little grubby, but cleaned up well.

In a small space a little goes a long way. Just two pumpkins + four succulents and the mums I already had made a nice tableau on the potting bench. Elsewhere I have some isolated spots of color along with a ton of green. For some reason everything else in the garden has just taken off lately; I guess it's the cooler weather.

Another fun thing is that the tomato plants seeded themselves and now there are five or six little plants trying to establish themselves. I replanted a couple so they'd have more room and sun, and made a note to NEVER let Babbitt run around the back yard on his own. Instead we bought a pen that we put out front on the grass so he can run around, stretch, and nibble. He is quite the neighborhood attraction!

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Back to School!


I can't believe it's been so long since I posted. However, taking a break before the madness of the new school year was necessary and happy! Now I'm back to normal; ready to rock and roll.

The garden is in a different place now. I had to rip out the tomatoes and oleander to accommodate the bunny (whose name has evolved to "Babbit"). We've been learning which things are poisonous to him and getting surprised. For instance, the little peach tree I planted last year with such high hopes has bark that is toxic to bunnies. I may have to pull it out, which depresses me. It underperformed last year, but I've been hoping it would root well and do better this coming year. Not sure what I'm going to do about that.

In the meantime, Babbit does well on his leash (yes, a harness and leash for the bunny), and hops around out front on the grass, where he also snacks.

The pioneer spirit is alive and well as I move into the holiday gift-giving season with my hairclips. I've been working swap meets and crafts shows, peddling, peddling, peddling. It seems to be working and I'm making some money! For a great Christmas gift for your long-haired loved ones, go to http://www.lillarose.biz/pam