Gifting

The good thing about Little Bird Baskets Is that when a basket is ordered for my friends I feel like its from me too. I love knowing what kind of image to put on the tea towel and what color to embroider it so it will look the best in their kitchen. To know more than a name. This basket was ordered for my friend Kyran Pittman, from her sweet mama. It was great to gift it for her mom, I love being the one that hands the basket over. Its just immediate happiness. Kyran Is an inventive and very funny writer check her out Notes to Self. She also took these pictures of her basket, they are lovely.

Mason Jars

So!!! It should not be a hard thing to can, preserve or put things up and it should not be expensive. I searched Little Rock over and could not find affordable 8 oz. canning jars. That seems really silly to me. Our local food mart carries a variety of over-priced canning items and after today's venture on-line they seemed reasonably priced.

So I called my mom Judy, she is the lady of know, and told me to call Ace Hardware. They carry canning supplies year round at a reasonable price. Wow, I was starting to get worried.

For Christmas I am making Red and Green Hot Pepper Jelly, no food coloring added, and a variety of chutneys in the next week. I will also be making a mint jelly that should be great with lamb or pork. If you are reading this and will cook with mint jelly let me know and I'll try to get some to you. Maybe share a recipe.

Winter Little Bird Baskets

The baskets are taking off, I couldn't be happier. Each one gets better and better and the vision becomes more solid. I am starting to get some new ideas for holiday baskets with specialty breads and jams. I am going to do potted paper whites and crocuses instead of cut flowers for the winter months.

I have been preparing my garden for next spring getting it beefed up with good organic fertilizer and lots of wildflowers for cut arrangements. I can't wait to see what starts popping up next spring, and its to soon to be thinking about that yet I have all winter to daydream about my garden. There is a sweet little moss garden that has started on its own on the north side of my house I am going to add to it and hopefully start some terrariums and little potted gardens. Dakorah Designs has so inspired me and this should prove to be a good winter hobby for the cooped up gardener.

New Baskets

Here are a few of the new baskets I have made over the past few weeks. I love to see how the flower arrangements and goods change seasonally. Its always new and different.

I am waiting for my fall garden to take hold, there will be many greens and root vegetables. I planted fingerling potatoes, though It may be to harsh of a winter for them to work out.

I pruned my raspberry bushes the other day and plan on digging them and find a new home for them, I'm going to focus on my black berries. They have a much higher yield for me.

I will have some mulled blackberry vinegar ready in about a month, it sounds amazing and will be a great addition to future baskets.

Sweet Baby Basket

Fresh rosemary wreath

Winslow School

Here is my sweet logo that my friend Erin Arkie Style, made for me. Now how to make it fit properly at the top of the page. Resize is probably the way to go. I can't even imagine what my children will be able to do on the computer. My school, The Winslow Squirrels, didn't even have computers when I was there. The school k-12th consisted of about 300 students. The town its self was a little over 300 population. Lots of kids commuting in from way out in the sticks.

The school has consolidated. I feel sad that small towns and small schools are shutting down.

That is the way of the interstate. The whole town has lost what was left of its community life when the school shut down.

lavendar

Lavender, it should always be planted where it can be brushed up against and you can smell it every time you walk by. I kept mine by the front porch till it died this summer. This is a picture of it from earlier in the year. There is always a grieving when you loose a great plant that has been so well established. Time to find another one.

I am helping with my sons garden club at school, it meets once a month. I will be adding some pictures of the progress. We start this Thursday.

Summers end, to and early Fall

So here is my back yard about a month ago. Everything is huge! MY pole beans and gourds tried to take over the telephone line and the neighbor hood. I have to use a 6 foot ladder to harvest the pole beans. I'll rethink that next year, and probably stick to the bush variety.

Almost everything has been pulled up, its looking pretty bare now. If I didn't have children there would be no such thing as grass in my yard, but I guess they need somewhere to play.

I'm ready for fresh greens, I think naturally we crave vegetables and fruits seasonally. It keeps to a much more simple diet considering I don't have acres and acres of land to plant more varieties.

Today lunch is roasted eggplant and tomato soup. The eggplant was fresh from my family's garden in Pine Bluff and the tomatoes were stewed and canned earlier this summer.