Sunday, July 31, 2011

The Start of the Fall 2011 Garden

I've never been one for creative or fancy titles, it is what it is.
And this is the start of our Fall 2011 Backyard Garden.

The Before, dead Spring 2011 garden.


Another angle.

Dead Broccoli and Lively Grass.

We pulled EVERYTHING except these flowers, I couldn't stand to see them go. 





I will add more seeds and rework the ground around them, but I'm going to wait until they're DONE, before pulling them and adding them to the compost {and making face wash with their seeds, the ground up seeds are an excellent exfoliant, I've heard}.

Speaking of compost, this is our current compost.  
We're done adding anything to this one, and starting a new one this week.

Husband rototilled the whole side yard!



While he was doing that, I was doing this:
My seeds for the fall.

A few packets from the store, a few I've saved myself.

My popsicle stick labels.

Paint stirring stick labels. 

The garden ready for seeds.

Sonja Cake playing with my label sticks and Husband taking in all his hard work...

It took me until past nightfall to plant all my seeds and I actually ran out of room for them all.

I had to remove a few of my seed options, but I'll use them in the spring.
This garden is 6 times as big as my test garden from the past spring.  
I'm so excited to see how bountiful it will be.


And if the storm we got right after I sowed our seeds is any indication of my garden's upcoming success, 
I'm pretty sure it will be extremely bountiful!  
This is a little more blown out then I'd like but, I caught the lightening!

The view of the mountain with a slight flash of lightning visible.

The first actual monsoon in Phoenix this summer, immediately after I plant my seeds?  
Yeah, I'm taking that as a very good sign.


**It's only been about a week and the butternut squash and zucchini are already sprouting into little seedlings, their first two leaves are popping out!  

Happy Gardening!

Friday, July 29, 2011

Slow Down! There's No Need to Thrush...

Friday Morning, it was confirmed.  Something, I've been dreading.  Something, I didn't want to jump to conclusions about.  Something, I didn't want to speculate about.

Something, I didn't want; Thrush.

It all started Thursday when my friend Jaime asked if Little Miss Cupcake just ate something, she was playing with dried flowers so I assumed that's what she was talking about, until I looked at her mouth and saw white.  Which isn't abnormal for her.  White milk stained tongue?  She drinks a lot of milk.  So, I said as much.

Then at lunch, with my mom, I mentioned the story and asked if it looked white to her too.
And her response, "Oh, because of like, Thrush? you mean?"
"uh... fuck... no.  that's not what I mean, you think it could be thrush?.... It's totally thrush. fuck. fuck. fuck.  maybe it's not maybe it's just white from the milk...."

I went about my day going back and forth with my diagnosis, you see? I'm a hypochondriac and googling medical conditions will just lead me to believe I'm pregnant with A.I.D.S. Anyway, while swimming with Wayne (my BIL) I saw Sonja laugh and not just smile but open mouth laugh, and that's when I saw it, the inner cheek patches of white.  Lots of white, the buckle pads in her cheeks where clumps of white. Fuck.  Thrush.

That's when I busted out google.  Thankfully, Dr. Sears has a pretty helpful write up on Thrush. Although, I'm still pretty overwhelmed with how to tackle this.  Going to have to pick up some Acidophilus tonight, but I'm starting on probiotics in my fridge right now, not sure if it will help but it's all I have.  Going to have to rub vinegar on my boobs and wash everything in my house in boiling hot water.  I'm so not good at keeping things from being chewed on, but once she chews on it, it re-infects it and I have to start all over again.

I'll update you when I win the battle, but for now, please send your positive anti-thrush thoughts my way.



Click To Vote For Us @ Top Baby Blogs Directory!

What the Fuck should I make for dinner?!

This is one of my favorite websites!

And now?  They have a cookbook!


You should buy it here.  I'm going to.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

What Sonja Wore No. 7

I Love this outfit!  It's a few special Etsy pieces with a generic onesie, and it makes me so happy!

I HATE covering this cute girls face with stupid "stickers" but I know it's important to her Daddy to keep her little face private.  You have no idea what you're missing out on.

Playing around the house.

Trying not to slip on the tile.



Skirt is a custom made gift from Ouma on Etsy




Shirt/Onesie from Target's (discontinued? They're never in stock anymore?) Little Seed collection, 100% Organic Cotton.  If anyone knows what's going on with these let me know.  I love them.




Want more of Sonja's outfits posted?  I promise to do more of these, not just for my readers but for myself, I hate that most of these outfits she only gets to wear a few times before she out grows them.  I like to have her well documented, living in them.


{spare a moment to vote? click the banner below and then the owl on left.  please and thank you.}
Click To Vote For Us @ the Top Baby Blogs Directory! The most popular baby blogs



Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Artist of the Week No. 4

Ian Tweedy.

I met Ian through one of my closest friends.  Ian is his twin brother.  Tweedy is a well known graffiti art and now museum and gallery artist.  I thought I'd share some images of his work and a little about him.  He was born in 1982 in Germany, and spent a majority of his life in Europe.  He went to art school in Italy and ventured out as a graffiti artist.  My favorite pieces of his are the books he buys, steals or finds that he reconstructs or deconstructs with his own images and influences.  He is, literally, rewriting history when he modifies these books and I think that concept is an amazing one.  He is currently living and working in New York, if you're in the area, do some research and see some of his work, you won't be disappointed.

Ian Tweedy, *1982
5 Steps (Possibilities for a Monument), 2007
Courtesy Artist and Studio Dabbeni, Lugano



from a show in 2006. source.

This is a great interview with Tweedy.

More work here, here and here.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

The Newest Edition...

...to our extended family arrived on July 12, 2011, here are my welcoming photographs.




I also took some beautifully intimate breastfeeding photos, but I'm not posting them for the modest mama.










Daddy changing one of her many diapers.


But, seriously, isn't she a doll?!

Such a pleasure to photograph her for my cousin and his wife.

Happy Tuesday.

Oh, and if you have a moment, please vote, up to once a day,
click the banner below and then the owl on the left.  Thanks!
Click To Vote For Us @ the Top Baby Blogs Directory! The most popular baby blogs