lady cordelia

weekending in the garden

a few corners of our little 1/4 acre.
I have a slightly untidy gardening style, but it has character. 
I try to  learn more and do a better job each year.  This year in the veggie dept. we have tomatoes, cucumbers, starwberries, green beans, lettuce (3 varieties), numerous herbs, spinach, chard, onions (2 varieties) peppers, peas and melon.  We also have trees that are still young and may not give much for a few years: tangerine, orange, apple and persimmon.  And one blueberry bush which was torn up a bit by the chickens, I see some new buds on it now and I am highly protective of it.   Every corner of our place has something growing and/or living.  We even built raised boxes out in front of our fence, on the "street." 

The chicken you see me holding is a very bad chicken and always up to no good.   She's the blueberry plant uprooter, even though I put wire around the bush.  She doesn't particularly like when I do 70's dance moves with her, which is exactly why I do it.  I only do it for a second or two!  After the noise and the damage she's created, believe me, we're even.  Plus I am a wonderful dancer and she should be happy to be able to say she's danced with me.  The Brad will say to anyone who will listen that I am the flat-out worst dancer he's ever known.  Between him and this chicken, I really feel a lack of support for my moves.  Sad.  Back to the garden: 

Right now, with Summer coming, there is a lot of tending to be done on this little 1/4 acre of ours.  I see now, if we are ever to grow a dream and add goats to our chickens and ducks...well...I'm going to need more help here in the garden.  (And, for the record, we could not have goats here at this property, we would need more space.) 

So, we'll see if the girls like the "farm life" as they mature...and if they take to it like I do, maybe there will be a bigger farm experience someday.  For now, we're full. 

See how much you can pack into a tiny 1/4 acre!  It can be done!

weekending with A.

this moment(s)

a few snapshots from our week.
have a beautiful weekend.

linking with soulemama.

thrifty thursday

i'll keep it short this week.
this knitting bag is so cool. he told me it was $4, but I had to give him a $5 bill and tell him to keep the change. 
i. love. this.
a knitting bag.  one with little legs that you can set down!
i'm not a great knitter, but I have a great bag.

oh.  the chair?  yeah.  that's a longer story.  in a nutshell, the house next to us was "abandoned"for about 5 years by an elderly lady who moved to a nursing home nearby.  she had been an antique collector (and seller) with a fondness for all things that go in the garden. her overgrown yard was strewn with many wonderful things, and the house, left open(!), was packed to the gills with antiques.  her property was creepy and overgrown and we were more than a bit scared to even look in the windows. 

eventually, one day, her granddaughter came to town and began to discard of things.  this chair was one the things she was "dumping" and I was RIGHT THERE breathing down her neck to take it off her hands...along with a few other gems.  unfortunately for me,  the granddaughters husband came along a bit later and told her to STOP giving the antiques away! he knew the value of them.  they sold off all that was in the house (a lot.) and that was that.   i never got to see what was inside...but I know it was amazing.   you should have seen me staring from next store as they loaded pile after pile of antiques into a big POD over the course of a week.   i just about cried when I saw it picked up and driven away.   sigh. so close and so far. 

Anyway....on to YOU. 

Whatcha got?

 

her

me like undies (dirty are best)
dada's slippers yummy goodie
me like digging holes to help mama plant
me dig in wrong places
whoops.
me like get real excited and play
me got too excited
me pee pee.
on carpet.
whoopsie.
me like bring dirt clod in house
and eat.
nummie nummie tummie.
me like go poo poo in flower garden cause
smell purty there
wheeeeeee!  this fun!!!!  me like runrunrun zoomzoomzoom
me like chase duckie
go quackquackquack
me won't hurt you duckie!!!!!
me play with chicken
cluckcluckcluck
me yap yap yap yap
zoomzoomzoom
dig hole
rip toy
eat grass
yawn
me tired now
want sleep
on you
feet.
me luv you.

manifest

Had an interesting talk with a good friend last night.  We were talking about being moms, life, careers and the art of manifesting. 

When I started this blog I spoke a lot about how much I had manifested, how I was living my dream.  It was almost shocking how suddenly here I was in a sweet house with a wonderful husband and two beautiful children.  Since starting the blog itself, and with the inspiration of many other wonderful blogs, I created a small farm and learned how to bake and cook and knit and become more conscious of many things. 

I left a career dream behind 9 years ago when I met The Brad.  Right when my music career was seemingly picking up speed, I turned my back on it.  I wanted a husband and family only, and nothing in the way of it.  Of course right then,  it so happened that a record company wanted to pick up my last album.  I said I wouldn't tour.  And that broke the deal.    Over the years I've kept a toe dipped into the music business, there's been some mild success here and there without hardly a try on my part. But... I can't explain it.....there's no manifest. In that arena, it has not surfaced in me and I don't know why.

I am submerged here and now in all I have manifested.  My girls are young.  My little farm needs tending.  What more comes in must fit in perfectly with that I have and not take me away from it in any way.  Because I love what I have and it is of me. 

Yes.  I love what I have manifested and it is of me and I am of it
and I trust that what's next will be perfect and wonderful just as this is

that what comes next will grow what I have, what I feel in my heart, that I will feel happy and free...

just  know, universe...
i love what I have.
it's fantastic.
& if you have any amazing ideas
for my future
sock it to me
k?
in the meantime,
i'll be outside
changing the water
in the duck pool

xo

scenes from a nice weekend

a few things from my weekend...

roses from the garden.

my babies in my first try attempt at sewing skirts.
slightly potato-baggish, but they love them and are wearing them every single day.
I also made a dress, came out pretty cute.  Show ya later.
(thanks to rachel for the skirt pattern idea and amanda for the material!)
btw: I always wonder if I should show full face shots of my kids on the blog. so, i went halfway and just did a half face crop, exemplifying my confusion.

the unraveled hose is a sure sign it's real warm outside.
(if you look at the outside pic you are looking directly at our chicken/duck coop, you know...in case you ever you ever wanted to see it. ...it's the size of a small nyc apartment.)

oh, and do you like PCS's?  (pineapple-chard smoothies.) The Brad does not.  The girls enjoy them and so mama is happy. Do you have a immersion blender? Then just throw in...

a few big ol' chard leaves
frozen pineapple
few shakes of bee pollen
bit of coconut milk
voila! you are rockin' with a PCS!

my mama came and I got a little time to myself.  she took them to the park.  the house was EMPTY. this mama sure needed that.  also my fave thrifting friend asked me out garage sailing (yes we sailed thru the sales) on the spot on sat a.m. .  mega fun.  thanks friend! XO

Enjoy your upcoming week!

C.

  weekending with my lady A. she's on a roll with some extra-fabulous posts lately!

 

 

 

 

 

 

thrifty thursday

Found this chair at a street sale at the end of my street last Saturday.  I've been so very excited to share it with you!  I haven't gotten anything "big" since I started Thirfty Thursday.  And I had no plans to.  But I saw this chair at a great price and I had to have it.  

This baby replaced our old living room "couchy" chair (which was second hand when we aquired it years ago) and we were more than happy to take said chair to the local thrift.  Unfortunately, when the local thrift guy saw it he said: NO WAY.   Rude.  So, we put our old chair the street with a free sign.  4 days later no one had taken it.  I felt so bad for the old thing.  It wasn't that nasty...was it?   Evidently so.  We dragged the old chair back to our dump pile.  I guess sometimes things are just bound for the dump.  And that is that. 

But back to this chair.  What do you think...30's?  40's?   When I brought her home The Brad said.  "Ew." And I said: "EW?  Are you (swear word) kidding me?  This is an antique, man! Are you blind?  And I got it for next to nothing!"   
After a nice steam clean, The Brad was much more moderate about the chair and very suprised at its comfort factor.  See, this is where The Brad sits every night when the girls are asleep (or not) and we relax for the first time all day.  I sit on the couch, he sits on the chair.  So this chair had to be comfortable.  I knew it was.  And that's why I brought it home.  

This is vintage, baby.  Fits right in our home.  Many an ass has sat in this chair.  And now those asses are ours.   I'm sorry for the profanity.  But, if the ass fits, wear it.  And ours do.  Quite nicely, thank you.

 

 

 

I'm not fashionable.

Would you like a Jammy Scone?  That's strawberry jam in the middle, ya know.  And I didn't sift like the recipe told me to, nor did I use the same kind of flour that was called for.  And you know what?  That's what full on bakers do.  Yep.  They bend the rules. 

Do you like to be fully eco-conscious?  Do you like the idea of saving the world and making earth a better place for your kids?  Ya.  Niether do I.  It's a major pain in the ass.  Still: gotta do what I gotta do. So, that's my vinegar/orange/lemon cleaning brew marinating on my windowsill.  I didn't get the idea myself, my bloggy friends helped me!  Yep, people just like you.  (I kinda ran out of vinegar in the process.  That's why it's half full, IF YOU MUST KNOW.) 

Know what? Sometimes when I'm cruising the blogosphere, I find blogs with women who really are so amazingly hip.  Very fashionable.  Really clean.  I mean, no dirt under the toenails.  And I go: WOW, man.
They are so stylish and stuff, I love those blogs. It's way inspiring. 

Oh, if you could see my now with my linty, dirty leggings that are hand-me downs from my neighbor.  My thrifted Old Navy t-shirt dress with a butter stain on the boob (I made cookies and dropped the butter on my shirt.) 
My hair.  Ew.  Anyone have a brush?  Is that mild dandruff???? Nope.  It's moderate.  Oh well.
Don't even talk to me about my toenails. 

But I'm living it people.  I did make that skirt I talked about yesterday for one of my daughters ( I'll show you later when I make one for the other daughter.) It was so easy, even a baby caveman could do it.  But still: I did it.
I did make those scones I talked about yesterday.
I did not clean the coop.  But I tended garden for an hour or three.
& I prepped dinner for The Brad so all he has to do is put stuff in the oven while I blog. Now that is talent.

I'm not at all fashionable.
I'm more than a little dirty.
I think I'm actually greasy at this moment.
Not famous, hella rich, or even working towards it.
I do the things a baby caveman could do.
But I'm happy, people.
Check it:

 

 

 

this is what I do

Good Morning World.

Today I am not coughing so much.  The cold seems to be dying.  I am so happy.
To celebrate I will...

start off by making strawberry jam scones from this book
I will try and replace the barley flour with whole wheat. 
I'm adventurous like that.
And way too lazy to go to the store.

I will finish the laundry pile containing the oldest girls favorite mermaid shirt. (I promise.)

I will tend to chickens, ducks, tidy the coop.

I will try to make a simple elastic band skirt for each daughter. (tutorials anyone? or will you leave me swearing at the sewing machine...carolyn?  can you hear me? anyone? And I mean SIMPLE.)

By the way: see those irises?  I found the bulbs in a box on the curb a few years back. 
Plant things, see what happens.
I know that's  how I roll.

So.

Oh jeez.  Okay.  Maybe I can stop thinking about "tomorrow" a little bit.  Since today is full and here and perfect with big purple blooms.   Can I do it?

There is a puppy asleep on my feet.  A coffee cup almost empty.  Giggling from the next room.  And scones to be made.  Dang it world.  I'm doing it.

Yeah. 

I'm doing it.

Have a wonderful day.

XO

 

walk the talk

It's hard to be environmentally conscious and eco-sensitive. Have to admit, its just easier to grab a paper towel sometimes.  Of course, if there are no paper towels to be found, because you have stopped purchasing them in order to be eco-sensitive, and you have not done the load of laundry with the cleaning towels in it, and someone spills their drink all over the table, or the dog barfs on the floor....  Well, then there is reason to be pissed.  Then you use a nice cloth napkin to sop it up. And that is all wrong and irritating.  It's when you stop for a moment and think to yourself...Maybe I don't want to save the earth after all.  It gets tough sometimes.  These are the tests I go through on a daily basis. 

Some women are brightly eco-sensitive.  They always have clean rags around.  They love to tell you about how they always have the clean rags around.  Neatly stacked.  Finely folded.  I am not one of these women.  

I'm in transition.  I guess.  And I'm a little bitter.   I'm on the "walk your talk" eco-sensitive path.  It's rough to walk that talk!  I mean to really do it.   It makes me slightly irritated.  I miss the paper towels like I used to miss those good-for-nothing boyfriends.  If I bought a roll of paper towels, I'd hate myself in the morning. Big time.  I've had a few rolls hanging around here and there in the past months.  I won't lie.  But I've been "dry" for a good month now.  Totally dry.  Not one roll to be found.  Even ask Brad.  He knows cause he's pissed about it too. 

Let's move on.

I was informed the other day that bleach breaks down to not much more than salt and water in the pipes.  So, it's not ALL THAT BAD for the environment.  Fish will swim away from bleach, but they would probably swim away from a gallon of Dr. Bronners dumped next to them as well.  Even if bleach isn't the almighty devil I thought it was, and negligible in environmental harm, it's still put into bagillions (it's a word, it comes after "trillions") of plastic bottles and shipped all over the place.  So, the plastic and the shipping are still issues.   So, I still have to make my own natural bleach.   Crap.  

Walking the talk.  Not buying ziplocks.  
Walking the talk.  Not buying paper towels. 
Walking the talk.  Making my own cleaning products. 
Walking the talk.  I'm still buying toilet paper.   Yes I am.  Don't go there with me.

I'm open to all comments, inspirations, recipes and thoughts on real environmental cleaning.   Because, the other day a fellow blogger told me all her hair "broke" because of the no' poo thing.  People: if you think I'm breaking my long and hard-earned gorgeous tresses to save a flipping tree...you're probably right.  But i'll be really super depressed and probably stop blogging so....tell me your best secrets on being a truly green mama.  Someone said you can soak lemons in vinegar for several weeks and it works wonders?  Break with the secrets women. 
XO 

 

 

 

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