End of Summer

I've been back at school for a week and a half now, so I guess it's time to acknowledge that summer is over! The end of my summer went way too quickly, but it was filled with lots of good things. 

My parents got a new kitten, and she stayed with us for awhile so that she and our cats could get to know each other.

It's pretty hard to get non-blurry photos of her - she definitely acts like a kitten! 

The end of summer has been really, ridiculously hot. But we've still gotten a fair number of rainy days (my favorite!) to cool things off a bit. 

The rain has been great for the garden, though it's only annuals for the most part this year (other than the window boxes and planters). I didn't have enough time for the veggie garden this year, but my herb garden is going strong!

The first half of the summer was so busy, with us moving our bookstore and the summer class I was taking. The second half gave me a bit of time to slow down, and enjoy quiet moments at home.

I've also spent much of my free time painting! Shelves, counter, and display for our new space for the bookstore, but also a lot of pieces for my home (sneak peek behind me in the shot below - hoping to share more soon!). 

One of my favorite things from this summer is this Mexican Limeade:

I first found this recipe, though I've adapted it slightly. To make mine, you need:

• 4 limes
• 2 cups of water
• Sprite
• sugar
• ice cubes

Cut the limes in half, and blend them, skin and all, with the 2 cups of water. Strain, and stir in sugar (to taste). Pour over ice in glasses, and add Sprite. 

The proportions of sugar, and of Sprite to lime juice are up to you and your personal preference, depending on how sour you like it! This is so refreshing, and I've made it a ton. 

I've also been making batches of my mint and lemon water, which I love to keep in the fridge all summer long (recipe on my blog here):

Even though I didn't plant a vegetable garden this year, we've been enjoying incorporating fresh herbs into much of what we make. A favorite is bread with butter, rosemary, and this Pinot Noir Flake Salt. Delicious! 

This guy gave us quite a scare when we had to rush him in for emergency surgery. But I'm happy to report that he's doing much better!

I also managed to squeeze a mini-vacation in, when I went to Arkansas for Natalie's Canning at Freckled Hen Farm workshop. It was such a treat to be away from all responsibilities for a few days, and to enjoy all my favorite things - canning, thrifting, and crafting! 

Natalie was such a gracious, welcoming hostess, and I met some fabulous ladies this weekend! 

We each got to go home with some "Summer in a Jar."

And these vintage trailers were our homes for the weekend!

I made one of my pompom garlands for each of the hostesses and guests, and it was fun to see it hanging up in Natalie's beautiful home!

Megan showed us how to make these vases, and mine is now displayed in my home:

I have a lot more photos from the weekend. I've gone through and picked out my favorites, but I still need to edit most of them. I've "narrowed it down" to 477 photos from my DSLR and 288 from my iPhone, but I'm guessing no one wants to see that many! So I may need to go through them again. ;)

Thanks for reading!
xo, Katherine

Flower Pot Before and After

I have a long list of projects that need to get done, but most of them have to wait until summer finals are done (so soon!). But in between work and homework I've managed to fit in a few small projects to keep me sane.

These three pots have been sitting in my garage waiting for their makeover. I found them on the side of the road; someone had put them out for free. There was an original price tag on one still, and it said $20, so that's essentially $60 worth of pots there for free. That was a good find!

I also had this little one from a craft store.

I was out of white spray paint primer, but just had to do this project. No more waiting! So I used my grey primer and that worked just fine.

Then I spray painted them a bright, cheery yellow.

When I picked up flowers for my window boxes, I also got some for these pots.

I really love how the colors look together!

I had a few extra plants after I'd potted most of them in the yellow flower pots, so I put the remaining ones in this pot. It was given to me as a gift a number of years ago by some students of mine at the end of the school year - they painted it and planted basil in it. Such a thoughtful gift! I'm still using the pot all these years later.

And in the small flower pot I planted this pretty plant for my porch.

The big ones went on the steps up to the house!

I enjoy seeing them there every time I come home. Such a small amount of work for such a lot of pleasure!

This past Monday we also had an unseasonably cold day.  It rained a ton most of the day, and really put me in the mood for roasting veggies, though that's definitely not a typical July meal. :)

I have a little herb garden just outside my kitchen door, and the thyme grows back prolifically each year. I love using it in cooking!

We had sausage, roasted veggies, and a salad for dinner that night, and it was all delicious!

The rest of the week has been pretty sunny, and now we're working our way towards 90 degrees, so probably no more meals like that for awhile!

But all the sun means I get to enjoy the light in the house.

So glad to have these flower pots checked off my list, and to be enjoying them in our home!

(Bird hoop and cage, yellow pillow, and pink bench on my porch are all from the Be Crafty/White House Girls sale).

Thanks for reading!
xo, Katherine