Owner: american swede URL:http://www.americanswede.blogspot.com/ Join Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2007 06:19:28 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: swedish american woman who blogs about her home and garden projects. I focus on decorating, sewing, knitting, gardening, photography and more. Site statistics:Click here
Worn Out 2008-03-21 17:45:00 Husband and I spent most of the day working along the bank of our front yard. The yard abruptly ends at the top of a fairly steep bank where nothing has succeeded to grow save scrubby undergrowth -- largely wicked honeysuckle vines and some even more wicked thorn bushes that have grown from the ground up to the heights of the trees. Many of the trees at the edge of the lawn are dead, with parts
Slow Progress 2008-03-27 18:06:00 Since the last post, I have been hanging' out at the hospital with Husband, who was diagnosed with pneumonia to both sides of his lungs. Was it the tree he cut down with the hand saw that did it???
Also, since my last post, our neighbors totally bowled us over with their kindness. -- As we headed off to the ER, they snuck back to our yard with a few more people, and, armed with chainsaws,
DIY Photography Backdrop 2008-03-31 20:13:00 I'm getting prepared for my first paid photography shoot, happening this Sunday. I needed a backdrop, but didn't have a spare $200+ sitting around, so went to Lowe's and bought a painter's dropcloth. And bought dye. . . . And went back to town and bought more dye. . . . And went back to town and bought more dye. . . . And more dye. . . . Over the past few days I've dyed and bleached
New Backdrop 2008-04-03 06:55:00 Okay, I was going to blog about exactly how I made the backdrop, but considering I was about as successful as Thomas Edison and the lightbulb with all my failures before I finally succeeded, I'm not going to bore you. Suffice it to say that I now have three backdrops. Finally, though, I am very satisfied with this one (minus the wrinkle on the right -- time to pull out the iron).
And here,
Discovering Flowers 2008-04-10 22:00:00 When I was a little girl, my dad was big into photography. Aside from taking pictures of my sister and myself, the things I remember him photographing most were flowers. At the time (and even up until today), I never understood the fascination with taking pictures of flowers. I mean, picture books of flowers are a dime a dozen, and, it's not like every dogwood flower has its own name (like Read more:Flowers
Portrait Shoot 2008-04-07 22:00:00 I finally succeeded with my backdrop! This one is all grey, as you can see. I wish it had been larger, but it worked nonetheless. Here was the set-up:
Mr. Comedian* slid into my viewfinder between the graduates. I figured he wouldn't mind too much being on my blog. :)
*Not his real name, in case you wondered.
(Post script: I have recieved the pictures and they have been delivered to most Read more:Portrait
, Shoot
New Toy 2008-04-02 22:00:00 Of course I had to show you a picture of it. :)
Nikon D60 2008-04-01 22:00:00 It's mine!
I am too exhausted to tell you anymore right now.
And there's too much happening between now and Sunday or Monday or Tuesday for me to tell you before then.
So you'll just have to WAIT.
:) Read more:Nikon
Plantings 2008-04-17 20:57:00 Wow, I even surprised myself today.
Yesterday I borrowed my neighbor's nifty tool that I can't even describe to you, and fairly quickly cleared out and enlarged most of one of my flowerbeds. Talk about a HUGE pile of weeds and grass! Oh, my!
Then, today, after it warmed up and we had lunch, the kids and I went back outside till I started teaching piano lessons, and then went back outside
Seed Planting 2008-04-18 22:27:00 Since I am going for English Cottage Garden look, I filled in all the empty spaces of my garden planting (from yesterday) with seeds, and LOTS of them.
Cosmos
Hollyhocks
Lavender
Batchelor's Buttons
Shasta Daisies
Violets
Candytuft
Ageratum
and at least one other one that I've forgotten
A few mornings ago, Daughter and I planted 50 peat pots with
Mystery Tree Continued 2008-04-21 21:03:00 A few weeks ago, I posted a picture of a mystery tree in our front yard. Now that tree has fruit -- be it actual edible fruit -- or nuts. I've gotten on a botanical blog site and asked for help in identifying it. Prior to showing this picture, the thing that sounds closest are peach or almond, or a cultivar/cross between the two. Want to put in your guess? When I find out for sure what Read more:Mystery
The Bank 2008-04-23 22:00:00 Since Sunday, I've been busy working down the bank of our front yard. Probably logged close to 20 hours, but who's counting since I'm doing it for myself? Here is what it looked like right after the trees were pulled out by our kind neighbors:
And now, after hauling out the household trash left by previous owners, and rearranging the rocks I could move on my own and attempting the beginnings of
Sewing Project 2008-05-14 20:21:00 I've been whining about my church clothes for some time. Shopping with two small children has not been a whole lot of fun, nor has it often been successful. When I have found something, I don't usually try it on in the store; I just buy it and bring it home to try it on, and then invariably return it, discouraged again. Recently, however, I netted a gain of two dresses! One, though, had only Read more:Sewing
, Project
Garden Inspiration 2008-05-14 16:01:00 A few days ago, Husband brought home a number of books for me from the library. Since I have several project areas going, and much to learn, perusing the books has been a wonderful education, as well as very inspiring. The following pictures are all ideas I found in these books that I think will work well in our projects. (I wish I could tell you this is MY garden.)
One of the projects I'll Read more:Garden
, Inspiration
What's Growing 2008-05-14 07:52:00 My garden and plants are keeping me peeking at them. :) Here are a few images of what's happening around here:
The Clematis is in full bloom, reaching to the gutters of our house! (I bought it mail-order last spring.) Last year, I don't recall it blooming this early, so I am quite suprised. I wonder how long it will last. Plans for the future include more of these guys. I absolutely love Read more:Growing
Graduation 2008-05-04 22:00:00 For privacy's sake, I don't like to share pictures of people's faces on this blog; however, I wanted to share how the graduation photo shoot went that I did. Since all you can see of this guy's face is one eyeball, I decided it was safe to share. :) It also happens to be one of my favorite shots for artistry's sake. Shooting for the graduation was a lot of fun, although nerve-racking in the
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