Ready for May!

On the last day of April, I finished my project for the month - starting seeds and digging a flower bed!

We moved over the winter, and I had to leave all my plantings behind.  The previous owner of this house did not like yard work, and had zero landscaping.  Not a plant, flower, tree or shrub, not a vine or a dandelion popping up in the yard.  Time for that to change!

I've never started plants inside before, so it's just one seed starter tray from Burpee plus the seeds for a few things I know we like.  We have 2 kinds of cukes, tomatoes, bell peppers, basil, zinnias and marigolds.   About half of the seeds have germinated...

(when you run out of row markers you can totally use plastic forks.  I suppose I could have whittled more or something, but whatevs :D) 

I bought some more "direct sow" seeds, and will collect some perennial plants as the season goes on.

And the front yard went from this:

To this:

Yes, shocking difference.  But that was 3 hours of work!  I laid out the hose into the shape I wanted, and Bob (husband) cut the shape with a shovel.  Then we (he) dug out the sod and rototilled.  The soil actually looks great, so with the addition of some peat moss and manure I think we're in business!

My Greenish Gift

So I had a busy month, I just took a trip back to Buffalo for my very good friends wedding shower. I also decided to make her a quilt sometime in February which was not really enough time seeing as though I had to special order fabric and wait for it and then I put off starting it until my other girlfriend came for a visit and we sewed together. We got all the cutting and small piecing together which is probably how I actually was able to get this done in a two week period! My marriage suffered and my hubs said "NO MORE QUILTS!" (He's just kidding....sort of) and I may have neglected Vivy for a couple days but she likes Sesame Street SO much anyway. When i saw my girlfriends face at her shower, it was worth it! This was a nightmare but that's a long story I won't go in to it, but probably one of the nicest ones i have made.

I learned a couple things:

1. There is some AWESOME fabric for sale on Etsy and I am not sure I will ever primarily shop at Joanne's ever again.

2. Two people piecing the same quilt on two different sewing m

achines is not always the best idea.

3. The awesome free motion quilting machine I used from a friend of mine cost as much as my car therefor I will go back to my little Bernett and try to refrain from swearing.

So I know this might not fit in with the theme but I want to brag a bit to people who understand and I have absolutely no other time and honestly crafted-out for a week or so...