bee creative

Thank you for coming to visit!  This is a place to leave a comment if you have a question, a suggestion, or just want to say you were  here.  Comments are being turned off on individual posts for awhile.  If I decide to continue this way, I'll erase comments after they have been up for a month. 

catching up

First rose is blooming. This is Lady Banks.  It's probably been blooming for a couple days.  I've been a bit distracted as I've been working through a cold. 

A little comfort food.  I made these donuts last Sunday and they are so good.  The recipe calls for a donut pan.  Since I don't have one I used a baby bundt pan.  These are topped with pear-ginger jam.

And these:

with cocoa powder mixed into honey. 

 

recyle day: mending the wardrobe

While buying clothing at a consignment shop can be a good thing for the environment and the budget, it isn't always the best way to build a wardrobe.

This is what I have for summer: 4 tops, 1 pair of shorts, 2 skirts, 2 pairs of capris plus one pair of lighter jeans for cooler days. 

Unfortunately, the tops and the bottoms don't go together very well.  It isn't just a matter of colors and patterns, but of the cut/style of the clothing.

To solve the problem I decided to make a few new things:

A dark blue linen shirt.  I still haven't decided how to finish the neckline on this.  I used a pattern for a button down shirt for this. 

A white linen shirt.

And a tank top. 

All three of these are cut to tunic length.  I want to keep them all simple so that they will go with many different types of pants and skirts.  So that I can layer vests or jackets over the top of them; or in the case of the tank top, use it as a jumper.   I want the clothing I make to be for every season....

 

spring colors

 

volunteers in the garden

Every spring I plant seeds.  I consider how much of an act of hope and faith it is.    Every year. 

And every year I am reminded of the persistence of life...

These could be the same squash that I just planted, or maybe a different variety?  They are volunteers.  Something I fed to the chickens during the fall or winter. 

And now I need to decide, do I let them grow or pull them out? 

P.S. There's my recycling project for the week too...Last weekend I bought a half-gallon of goat's milk to make feta.  I saved the container to make a mini "hot cap."  A little shelter for the night. 

maybe it's an indigo moon

Last night's full moon:

I wonder if it's what made the indigo sprout...

I had placed my planter with the indigo seed outside.  I guess I wasn't quite ready to give up.  Good thing too.  I planted the indigo seed on March 14th. 

 

 

changing colors

Adding a bit of red to the shawl in progress.

I was worried that I'd missed seeing the bank of magnolias bloom at one of our local parks but I was right on time.

Playing with photoshop again:

The current reading list:

A library card is a wonderful thing...I check out books I wouldn't necessarily buy.  It's possible to do things like check out the book version and the movie.  I've already watched Handmade Nation, but have just taken a peak at the book.  I'm not sure the movie said anything new to me, but it was interesting (warning if you watch the trailer all the images may not appeal). 

Almost every movie needs popcorn, even a documentary:

This is a spicy version:  cinnamon, nutmeg and chipolte powder. 

looking for a rainbow

I went outside to look for a rainbow.

No rainbow, but the dogwood next door is looking pretty amazing.

My sky scarf is long enough that it is easiest to knit while wrapped around my neck.   Lots of gray right now. 

recycle day: storing food

I am continuing to think about how I recycle...how much of what is considered waste can be reclaimed, reused. 

I want to share not just things that might be clever, but also the very practical.  The things we all might do, the basics.  To look closely at the things in my home and celebrate sustainability. 

With that in mind, here is something very simple:

I buy most of my food bulk.  A few exceptions are olives and the occasional jar of peanut butter (although I think I am done with that!).  Most of the jars that I buy can be reused. Popcorn anyone?  A cup of cocoa?  Or even better...a mocha? 

My favorite homemade mocha right now is made from espresso,  1/2 tea of cocoa powder and a tablespoon of honey. 

Another simple idea I've been playing with recently is making my own containers for seed starting.  I've been using pages from an old phone book to make containers to hold the soil mix and seed.  I think this will work better than my egg shell experiment...the dogs dug those up. 

I'm also remembering my grandfather who often started seeds in yogurt containers.

And because it is May Day, Bluebells in a blue bottle.