All About Herbs

I really love the satisfaction of watching something grow. I like to think my slightly green thumb came from all of those summer days I spent with my Poppy. He grew up on a farm, and was a gentleman's farmer into his 70's. He was an amazing gardener, and I swear that anything he planted grew perfectly. He would start early in the spring when there was still a foot of snow on the ground (March in Ohio) watching his seedlings sprout from the seeds he had harvested the previous year or ordered new from one of then ten+ seed catalogs that came to him every fall. Since he passed away last month, I've been thinking more and more about the day when we have a big yard where we can plant a garden. But for now...herbs will have to do. They're not the easiest to grow indoors if you don't have a window that gets full sun, but they're doing pretty well so far. Four of them I've had for a few months now, and two are new.

Sage, Italian Parsley, Rosemary

Sweet Basil, Mint, Chives

If you would like to start your own indoor herb garden, here are the basics you will need:

- clay pots and saucers (mine are 4")

- seeds or herb plants (I was only successful with 1 of 3 seeds I planted but maybe you'll have better luck?) mine plants were organic

- potting soil (I used organic, as using regular potting soil would defeat the point of buying organic herb plants)

- small trowel

- watering can with a thin, long spout

The planting process is self explanatory: fill pot with a little dirt, remove plants from original container, plant in clay pot, water.

Herbs that are easy to grow per www.chow.com:

chives, bay tree, parsley, coriander, lemon grass

More difficult:

oregano, rosemary, thyme

Hardest:

basil, cilantro, sage

So based on those findings, I clearly did not choose wisely. However I chose the herbs I am most likely to use, and regular pruning is essential when growing herbs. Wish me luck in keeping these pretty plants alive and flourishing!

Pretty Little Clutch

I can finally start posting again, now that I have my new camera battery. I finally finished a little project after looking through the "Little Birdie Secrets" blog and finding a tutorial on a cute and easy flower- the perfect final touch for my clutch. Bored last weekend, I searched for handbag patterns and came across an online article from Better Homes and Gardens detailing 10 easy to sew totes and bags. There were a few cute patterns, but the clutch caught my eye because I had the perfect fabrics- two remnants that I purchased from JoAnn Fabrics when I was in Ohio this past June. One is a cream taffeta type material with a swirly velour pattern and the other a faux silk material in a great shade of green that reminded me of my senior prom dress. Although I love the finished product, which in total cost me less than $3 to make...I believe the "easy to sew" label was a little deceiving. I don't really consider myself a beginner sewer, however maybe I should because I actually sewed the clutch closed...TWICE! I would highly recommend making your own little clutch, just pay very close attention to the directions and use more common sense than I did. I used hook and eyes to close to purse, as the pattern suggested, but the purse is sturdy enough to use a magnetic closure, toggle, or pretty button.

ACU purse

When I first came to Ft. Hood, I honestly hated the ACU totes and purses that so many wives carried around. I wasn't really sure why anyone would want something made out of an old uniform, and thought that they were just for wives that are obsessed with the Army and their Soldier. Well...I came around and now I must admit I think they're super cute. So here is my first attempt at an ACU purse. And a check book too. The pattern is from a great website called mama's pocketbook, and it's free!

Sew..

Based on a few close friends' recent interest in blogging, I've decided to start one about sewing, crafting, and living the Army life. I hope you enjoy!