Doing: ... Blanching and freezing my excess beans. I've never bothered blanching before so it will be interesting to compare them with my previously frozen beans.
Making: ... Getting the materials together to make a curtain for the kids' TV. I'm finding the TV has an irresistible attraction for the girls, just sitting there with it's big blank screen (must. turn. it. on), and since I don't have a convenient cupboard with doors to stick it in, I thought I might make a curtain to go across in front of it (it is in a small timber entertainment unit).
I've bought an elastic curtain strap thingy which you cut to length and attach hooks to each end, which then hook into cup hooks screwed into the cabinet (you know what I'm talking about, right?!). I was going to look for an old sheet to use at the op shops, but this mermaid fabric jumped out at me (ahem) as I was looking for fabric for another project. My girls are currently obsessed with mermaids and books about mermaids, so this should be an acceptible substitute for hiding the TV screen I hope LOL.
In The Garden: ... Coming to the conclusion that - with a spacing requirement of two feet between plants - cauliflowers and broccoli just aren't viable vegetables for my tiny veggie patch. I have around 16 cauli seedlings and half a dozen broccoli which survived not being watered over the Easter holidays and now I don't really know what to do with them all. My eyes are certainly bigger than my belly in this instance ;-)
I have a limited amount of space between my small citrus trees, but don't want to cultivate it because a) citrus don't like root competition and b) I don't want to disturb their growing roots. I have some plastic pots left over from some trees and I'm wondering if I could get away with cutting the bottoms out of them, filling with fertilised potting mix and planting the caulis into them between the citrus trees? Would that work? The drainage would be good if nothing else LOL.
... Harvesting the last of summer's Tuscan kale, my all-time favourite vegetable I think. I have six new seedlings ready to go, plus half a dozen red kale to try this winter as well.
Dinner: ... Eggplant red curry, brown rice, poppadoms and Brinjal pickles.
Reading: .... This list of pick -your-own fruit farms in Australia. Sadly, nothing very close to me. Some great information on the rest of the website though.
Contemplating: .... What to buy or make a friend for her 4oth birthday on Saturday. We were invited to her party a week ago, but there's nothing like leaving things until the last minute to get me really motivated ;-) My problem is she sews better than me and is far more artistic than I, so I can't think of a single handmade thing I could manage that she hasn't already made for herself. Sigh. If I can't come up with something tonight I will have to resort to buying a Pandora bead for her bracelet (her husband's suggestion) - but $30-$50+ just for a bead? Really? Nuts.
12 comments:
If your friend appreciates handmade, would she like some soap? You could attach a "leave to cure for six weeks" label given that you're making it at the last minute.
You'll have to let us know about the blanching. I would like to freeze some of my veggies from this summer's garden and am not sure to blanche or not to blanche.
dinner sounds yummy and I love the fabric for the girls tv! I love how you keep so busy with all the things I wish I was able to do. ;)
We got some free broccoli seedlings and ran out of room so we put them in large pots, several to a pot. They are way too crowded but we figured the greens might be edible until we need the pots for something else. Just an experiment.
Don't be put off making something for your friend. Often sewers will appreciate a hand made item even more because they know the effort that has gone into it.
I love receiving hand made items and artistic-ness and ability are never in my thoughts when I open the pressie.
Emma
The gold ones are $400. Several of my girlfriends - and some of their daughters have them. Crazy.
Does she garden? Could you do something that way inclined?
Those pandora beads are really ridicuously priced - I can think of better things to spend my money on. Just a fad.
You say she sews, what sort of sewing is it? Would she appreciate fabrics or notions?
I agree with Emma, in regards to making something for someone who knows what sort of effort goes into it. Handmade soap is a great idea.
What about sewing something like this http://gingerbreadcrafts.blogspot.com/2009/04/japanese-knot-bag.html, they are relatively simple to put together, I've made 4 so far. I use mine to carry my sock knitting in, but my daughter and Mother use theirs as handbags.
I read somewhere that spacing
requirements for plants didn't
really apply to Australia - rather
they originated in England where
the plants have to grab every
bit of sun they can (obviously
not a problem here!). I plant
things a lot closer together
than you're supposed to (our
vegie growing area is small too)
and it seems to work - but it
might not somwhere more humid
than South Australia.
For a pressent for someone who is creative You could try making a pack with some funky raw materials that she could use to make herself something. Some funky fabric, buttons etc.
I am very creative and really love those sorts of pressents that you creat something out of.
Hope that helps.
Tania
I think the idea of a sewing notions gift box would be fabulous. I would think I'd died and gone to heaven if someone thought of that for me. I like your idea of covering your TV with curtains, ours has that same freaky irrestible charm that makes them want to switch it on. I shall try that idea, thanks!
Hi guys,
Thanks for your tips! You guys have some fabulous ideas, which I have duly noted for future reference :-)
Sadly, I ran out of time as I was also sewing a birthday present for my MIL so I ended up buying a Pandora bead - I know, I know! BUT while I was at her house I took not of her crafty inclinations and favourite colours for any future gifts.
Cheers, Julie
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