Saturday, February 27, 2010

Save some money and reuse

Save your wallet and be environmentally friendly at the same time.?  Do you have an empty or almost empty foam soap pump?  Did you know that you can refill all of them, even the dishwash soap that states it can't be refilled?  To refill these pumps, you need only three things...

Empty foam pump
Liquid soap  (hand, dish, or shampoo)
Water

I always buy bargain size soap bottles for my refill.  This bottle can easily last for months.  For a standard foam pump you add about 3 tablespoons.  I just pour the soap into the foam pump for 3 seconds, this should get you the correct amount.  Then add water to about 3/4 full or 1.5 inches from the top.  If you have a larger foam pump similar to the dishwash pumps, just add about 5 tablespoons instead of 3.  Fill the bottle up with water to the fill line or 2 inches from the top.  Swirl the bottle gently so that bubbles aren't made.  Screw the lid on and pump a few times until the soap begins dispensing.  Enjoy! Pin It Now!

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Brand New Blog

I've decided to separate my topics on gardening and crafts.  Therefore, I have set up a new blog called Playing with Plants that will have postings on fun garden projects both indoors and outdoors.  Please hop on over and check out my new Playing with Plants blog. 

My current gardening posts about my hydroponic garden will continue at Playing With Plants.

Enjoy! Pin It Now!

Stained Glass Design

Interested in stained glass art? Here is a basic tulip pattern created for the beginner. Choose any glass that you wish to create this design. For the beginner, I suggest using copper foil and little to no texture on the glass. No texture glass cuts easier than that with texture. Enjoy!
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Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Rosemary growth

It looks as though my concerns about how Rosemary will fare in hydro gardening are wrong. In a matter of 2 days, the rosemary is growing new roots. It is wonderful to see how well these plants are growing. Pin It Now!

Monday, February 22, 2010

Update on Hydroponic Garden

A few weeks ago, I placed 3 different herb cuttings in a glass of water in hopes that they would root. Of the three cuttings.  Two of these herbs (oregano, rosemary) are now ready for planting.  The third (sage) still needs some soaking time in order to develop roots.  I followed the directions given by the hydroponic manufacturer.  Each cutting has been planted in soaked rockwell cubes and ceramic beads.  The roots are hanging slightly below the bottom of the basket.  They look great and have been doing well for a few days now.  If you remember from the previous post,

Here are some pictures of my gardens progress...

Garden with 3 plants

Oregano roots

Rosmary Plant planted
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Wednesday, February 17, 2010

American Girl Crochet Hat


I was looking for American Girl doll clothes and accessories for crochet.  I happened across the cobblerscabin blog and found just what I wanted.  Check out the cobblerscabin blog to find many patterns both free and for purchase!

Now for the hat....  I used the red heart basic yarn to make the hat.  After checking gauge I needed to use a smaller hook than specified.  Make sure to check, the hat fits the doll perfectly if you do!  This was a very simple pattern and took me about an hour and half.  Its great for beginners and kids.  I chose not to add the trim and decoration to fit the Emily AG doll style.  The hat turned out wonderfully!


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Saturday, February 6, 2010

Snowstorm of Feb. 6 2010

I cannot fail to post pictures showing the infamous snowstorm here at home.  We totaled an official 29inches, some areas nearby got nearly 30+ inches!  The scary thing is that we are expecting more snow this coming week, hopefully it won't be much of anything.  It is one of the most beautiful snowstorms I have seen. 

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Craft Room Update...

My husband has finally cleared out the soon to be craft room.  The following pictures show the shape that the room is now in.  It needs loads of work!


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Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Hydroponic Gardening

I decided to try something new, indoor hydroponic gardening.  My goal is to have fresh herbs available year round.  After some research, I decided to use a $25 kitchen garden kit from http://www.plantechnics.com/products/products.html .  It comes with a detailed instruction book and the set up is pretty straight forward.  I have used the basil seeds that are included in the kit for my first pot.  For the other three, I am trying to rooting cuttings some of my favorite herbs for planting.  Here are some pictures of my garden so far...
 
The above picture shows the basic set up for seedlings
 
The above picture shows the baby basil emerging from the planting plug.

Things are looking promising with this hydro garden kit.  I can't wait until my cuttings have enough roots to transplant into the other cups!

 
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