Garden Pictures 2014

All images are copyright Jessica Paulsen 2014 and may not be reproduced or used in any manner without permission of the artist.

Pantry Updates

I have had so much fun reading though other blog posts lately, I went back to read my own-- I thought I could update a couple of things especially about the pantry in my basement.

Chicken stock

Yes, it is still there, yes, I still use it all the time, yes, it is still stocked with things I have canned.  I was so lucky to share a pressure canner with a friend of mine this fall, and I put one of my own on my Christmas list.  I absolutely love it!  Now I can have my homemade chicken stock on hand all the time, and not have to wait for things to thaw out to use.  Let's face it, stock is really about using up the stuff in your fridge anyway, this just seemed like a good match.  I also canned pints of chicken (boneless breasts) this fall when our Sam's Club lowered the price.  I bought 2 extra packs for the month, and now I have chicken for soups and other dishes in a pinch.  I never thought I would be brave enough to learn how to use the thing, but the science-y girl in me loves it.  It's like the feeling you get when you use a chop saw for the first time….

Yes, the pantry is still labeled, but I have updated the labels to a chalkboard system that is working pretty well.  I just painted the edges of my shelves with leftover paint and followed the instructions on some chalkboard medium. It's not perfect, as I don't love the ghost-y parts after I erase the black, but I figure I can tweak that this summer.

I have also started a few plants already in the basement.  I have coleus, lace flower, and a couple other plants starting to germinate.  The hardest part is keeping the storage room warm, as it has been bitterly cold around here this January (think -10+) so our little heater has been on in the evenings.

I am pretty sure I bought too many seeds…. again….

Have a good week!

Peeping out

Bing Cherries-- more next year!

The pickled carrots we can't stop eating

                                         

This is how I store the empty jars --banker's boxes from Office Depot.

Beaded Shade

The last room is finally painted-- this is our 3rd year in the house, and the hall is the last area that has needed a coat of paint and some love.  Here is the new light fixture that replaced a 1980's vintage ceiling fan.

The Ceiling also got scraped and painted, and the walls got a new color.  The end of the hall also got a new color-- SW Urbane Bronze.  I also finally got around to painting out a cuckoo clock I picked up garage sailing this fall.  The clock didn't come with real weights, so I ended up substituting some shiny Christmas ornaments.  I also painted the canvas at the end of the hall from an idea I saw on the Bower Power blog.  

I think the last thing I would like to do is paint out the trim and add crown molding in the hall. Onward and upward!

Back to School

I have enjoyed having a bit more time and being able to post some thoughts and pictures here over the summer.  I am hoping that I will continue to be able to write occasionally, but at this point, the demands on my time are so great.  Maybe things will slow down in a month.  I am hoping to be able to tell the tale of me vs. the popcorn ceiling at the beginning of August, but it's a long saga...

I couldn't resist ordering seeds to start for 2014 from Swallowtail Seeds.  They had free shipping this week.

Garden Pics

December and January are long cold months here in ND.  In fact, so are February March and even sometimes April.

In an effort to combat the cold and gray that is winter I like to take a lot of garden pictures during the summer.  

They make me happy.

Plus, I can go back and see what I want to change for next year.

Here's some of the latest batch:

All images copyright Jessica Paulsen 2013. Please do not use without permission.