Before and After

Here is a before and after picture of the kitchen in Tiverton.

The before picture was taken in 2001.  That was a long journey to get the house to it's present state today.

And then the after:
The window opening remained where it was.  But everything else was removed including the window and framing.  Of course we restored the window.

And these show the in-between work.
Including all new framing, plaster and the soapstone counter installation.

Chicken Coops

Here are a few unusual ideas for chicken coops. This coming spring I want to begin keeping chickens. From what I've seen chickens are pretty flexible with their living arrangements.



Illustration Credit:
ROBIN WIMBISCUS

Featured in Mother Earth’s portable henhouse design.



This one is very "British" Love the bumper sticker.




Made out of a found dresser.

Bee Hives

As my bees have increased in population this week I added new hive bodies to each hive. Now they are two stories high. The new boxes have ten frames in each and my bees will be busy building out the wax comb for the queen to lay her eggs in. The bees have been very active with the current honey flow and are surrounding the bird bath for sips of water.

Bees

I have wanted to keep bees for a long time. It would make sense with my large vegetable garden to have them for pollination.
Plus with all the news of CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder), more bees could be beneficial.
So this past winter I attended 'Bee School" in Rhode Island. Then on Easter Weekend I picked up my nuc of bees. Put them in their hive and have been watching them since.

Luffa

My luffa seeds got started about 6 weeks ago and are now forming their secondary leaves. Even though the days are getting warmer the soil needs to be warmer before I feel comfortable transplanting them.

Quahogs

On Labor Day I went out to dig for quahogs. It's part of the "ocean/land to table series". I got my quahogs and made my chowder.

Steam the quahogs in water, then remove quahogs and reserve the broth.
In a medium size pan, saute 2 cut up slices of bacon. Add 2 diced potatoes, and 1/2 diced onion & saute until translucent.
Add the chopped up quahogs, & broth.
When ready to serve add cream or milk & some butter, salt and pepper to taste.

Shells can go into the compost bin.

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

I ordered this book from the Tiverton Library. This book by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois proves that you really can make and bake delicious bread with very little time and effort, plus the photos by Mark Luinenburg look like the baked goods from the delicious and unavoidable "Seven Stars" bakery in Providence: http://www.sevenstarsbakery.com/

This is a great budget buster book, and I'm looking forward to baking up some goodies.

Holiday Decorating

Now that we are officially entering the holiday season, I decided to post some photos of Christmas wreaths that I came across from White Flower Garden in Henley-on-Thames in England. Their website is http://www.white-gdn.co.uk/

Adorable Shed Ideas

Country Living Magazine

Garden Inspiration

Credit Karen Mordechai and Sunday Suppers.

Here is some inspiration for raised beds. A really good use for those overgrown weedy areas. I'm trying to decide what to construct the raised beds out of as I have a lot of old bricks and lumber. Plus I need to figure out size & depth. But as I have been collecting & composting my leaves & grass clippings I will have some compost for them, come next Spring.

Ric-Rac and Handbag

Finally I got some time to make a bag I bought the handles at least 2 months ago. The fabric is bark cloth that I got years ago at a yard sale, with plans to make a bag from it.

I made some alterations, as I needed to piece my fabric together I took giant red ric-rac and sewed it over the seam. You could even incorporate 2 different fabrics and a contrasting ric-rac. The bag is lined in a pink striped cotton and even has an interior pocket. Can't wait to take it shopping!



Many thanks to:
http://u-handbag.typepad.com/uhandblog/how_to_make_this_pursebag/

Inspiration

I came across this blog with really interesting illustrations. The Vintage Moth by Abigail Mooney. They are great inspiration for cards and paper crafts.

Create Seed-Starting Pots From Newspapers

How to Create Seed-Starting Pots From Newspapers

Thanks to

By Willi Galloway, eHow Member

Contact: www.digginfood.com

Summary: Instead of buying expensive peat pots to plant your seeds in, make these spiffy planting pots by rolling recycled newspaper around a glass or jar. The finished pots are sturdy and will break down quickly once they've been planted in the soil.

1. Lay a full sheet of black and white newspaper flat.

2. Fold the paper in half lengthwise twice to form a long, narrow strip of folded newspaper.

3. Lay the glass on its side and place it on one end of the strip of paper. Roll the newspaper around the glass. The glass is used only as a form to roll the paper. About 1/2 of the strip of paper should overlap the open end of the glass.

4. Push the ends of the paper into the open end of the glass.

5. Pull the jar out of the newspaper pocket so you have the newspaper pot in your hand.

6. Push the bottom of the jar into the newspaper cup, squashing the folded bottom to flatten. This step will seal the bottom of your pot. Once the pot has been filled with soil, the bottom will be secure.

7. Pull the jar out and you have a finished paper pot.

Flowers

This lovely flower arrangement is from Freeman's Restaurant in NYC.

Garden Plans

So with this spring like weather finally upon us, even though it could be freezing cold again soon, I am going through seed packets to decide what to plant this season. I will also be buying my heirloom tomato plants from the wonderful nursery "The Good Earth", 1800 Scituate Ave, Cranston RI. They have an inspirational collection of plants and a beautiful greenhouse. I had a bounty crop last year of tomatoes that I dried and am still eating. They are delicious on pasta.

Toile Fabric

This toile sofa looks so elegant in this room with the old pine floorboards. This room is in a late 19th century farmhouse house in Tiverton, RI. An on and off 7 year renovation, there will be more upcoming posts about that project.