The Vegetable Gardener's Book of Building Projects GIVEAWAY

The Vegetable Gardener's Book of Building Projects

Projects Designed & Built by Kevin Ayer

Storey Publishing

ISBN: 978-1-60342-526-1

Specs: 152 pages, 8 1/2 x 10 7/8

My Review: I am a big fan of DIY books. Just lately I have been getting into woodworking. This book is perfect for the novice like me but still has some challenging plans for the more skilled. Each project is organized with a materials list, supplies needed and tools needed. There are precise cutting measurements and diagram instructions. As well as detailed instructions for construction. If you are planting a garden this year (or years to come) then this book should be in your reference section.  Some of my favorite projects are the Window Sash Cold Frame (pg. 18), Horizontal Tomato Support (pg. 43), Window Box Planter (pg. 66), Welcoming Arbor (pg. 73), Solar Dryer (pg. 88) and the Pitched Roof Birdhouse (pg. 32). This book really does go hand in hand with gardening.

This is a great gift book for the woodworker and gardener in your life. Or, if you are like me and love to build, then get this book for yourself :)

From the Publisher: Make your food garden more productive and more enjoyable! These 39 simple-to-make projects — including cold frames, compost bins, planters, raised beds, potting benches, gates, trellises, storage containers, outdoor furniture, and more — will increase your harvest, make your garden chores easier, and turn your garden and yard into an appealing outdoor space for relaxing and enjoying the fruits of your labors. Each project includes step-by-step instructions, detailed illustrations, complete materials and lumber lists, no-nonsense tips, and a four-color photograph of the finished product. Many of the projects are ideal for beginners, and most can be completed in just a few hours.

A peak inside the book:

Resourceful Links:
AMAZON
You Tube Review

~GIVEAWAY~

Now for the GIVEAWAY!! Storey Publishing (Thank You Alee) has graciously offered one lucky commenter a copy of The Vegetable Gardener's Book of Building. How to enter (any of these entries will work):

1. Leave me a comment with your email address. +1
2. Tweet or Facebook about this giveaway. Leave me two comments that you did. Suggested Tweet: (#giveaway #bookreview Vegetable Gardener's Book of Building http://bit.ly/bPJs1m @storeypub @beachbrights). +2
3. Open to US, No PO Boxes.
4. Contest ends Fri. May 7th.

~XOXO~

Craig's List Finds - REVISED

1. What do you think of these? Where have I seen them before? Anyone know anything about these chairs, should I buy them?

The Craig's ad says they are metal and $20 each.

2.


Ad says: $125 China Cabinet 55" wide 79" tall and 16" deep. In good condition. Must Sell! Oh, I can so see this painted white :)

3.


Ad says: $30 THIS IS AN OLDER 4 DRAWER DRESSER WITH MIRROR. COULD BE PAINTED-
VERY GOOD & STEADY- PRICED TO SELL

4.




Ad says: $100 Six foot long wood dresser. Nine drawers, 3x3 configuration. I love it, but I'm moving and can't fit it in my new apartment. Comes with two mirrors.

Again, paint this baby white. This thing is huge and look at the detail.

5. I need a Craig's list shopping buddy. Anybody want to come to Knoxville?? Would you buy any of these pieces? What do you think are the best deals?

XOXO

Kid's DIY Bird Feeders

I just love these little pine cone bird feeders! They are so easy to make and can hang from anywhere.  Here's what you need:

Pine Cones

Peanut Butter*

Birdseed

String

Use a plastic knife to spread the peanut butter on the pine cone. Be sure to get in between the needles.  Then coat the pine cone in birdseed and tie a string around the top. Hang from any tree!

*If you have a peanut allergy, canned frosting can be substituted

Tweet, Tweet~
XOXO

Before and After Pergola

I have always wanted a pergola. Now I have one. I am happy.

Of course, nothing is easy on this home-front. Due to the height of the deck, the fact that we were trying to save money by adding on to an existing deck and the location of the roof/gutter line, our pergola had to be modified.  Instead of stacking the cross beams on top of each other, an illusion was created by constructing a grid.  Lots of measuring, lots of cutting. No, we did not do this ourselves.
Our marriage is not that strong.

1. First a header was installed, drilled to the brick and a support column was added to the front corner

2. Then the main cross beams were added


3. Here it gets tricky. The main cross beams intersect the column and the illusion is created


4. After the main beams are put in place, each cross-section is measured & cut


5. Almost complete


6. Here you can see how the support column was bolted to the existing deck


7. Then we had the pergola painted to match the trim and the deck floor stained. Again, we paid someone to do the work. There was no way in hell I was going to paint all this.


8. I planted these vines Hyacinth Bean Vine  to climb the pergola

~XOXO~

~Book Winners~

I owe you some winners. 

If you did not win this time around, I have lots more book giveaways planned! I try to host book reviews & giveaways every Friday.  So, check back...

Book Contest #1 Real-Life Decor

Thanks to Robyn (Liverant PR) & Filipacchi Publishing, I have TWO copies to giveaway. Random Number Generator is used to pick all my book winners:

1. Elizabeth @ALizardsDailyJourney

2. Katherine @KatherineMariePhotography

Email me your shipping addresses.



Book Contest #2 This is Gabriel

Thanks to Hartley Steiner (Author) for generously offering this book to one of my readers. I am going to do something a little different here. Everybody who commented, is going to receive a copy.  I will be ordering the books from Amazon so please email me your shipping address.  Yes folk, that is how passionately I feel about this book. Just don't tell Byron (hubby), he might have a heart attack!

1. Hillcrest Acres
2. Shari
3. Mama Thompson
4. JenniferDitommaso
5. The Roberto's
6. Tiffany
7. Leah
8. KatherineMarie
9. SimpleDaisy
10. Denise
11. BettyMc
12. Laura

Please email me your shipping address. There are a lot of names so be specific about who you are, what book you won, etc. I don't want to leave anyone out!

~XOXO~

A Very Modest Cottage and GiVeWaY

A Very Modest Cottage
by Tereasa Surratt
Hearst Books / Sterling Publishing
April 2010
ISBN: 978-1-58816-797-2

My Review: I read this little book, cover-to-cover. I was so touched to know that the author, Tereasa Surratt felt the same nostalgic feelings about cottages as I do. I had a kindred spirit connection while reading this book.  My favorite part of the book was reading the story of how her brother and husband traveled by trailer with this little cottage, across two states. You will also love the photos included in this book. They tell a their own story complimented by Tereasa's words.

This is a story of a love affair with a house, its past and now future.  This book would make a great gift for anyone buying their first home, anyone who loves to restore/remodel or anyone who loves cottages!

5 STARS

~Giveaway~

Thank you Anwesha (Sterling Publishing) for the opportunity to giveaway a copy of this special book. 

How to enter (any of these entries will work):

1. Leave me a comment with your email address. +1

2. Tweet or Facebook about this giveaway. Leave me a comment that you did ("..a love affair w/a cottage.."#bookreview A Very Modest Cottage by Tereasa Surratt http://bit.ly/b3x2F9 @SterlingBooks @beachbrights). +2

3. Open to US/Canada Only, No PO Boxes.

4. Contest ends Wed. April 30th.

~XOXO~

Check these out:

A Very Modest Cottage

You Tube Review

Wandawega

A Very Modest Cottage Blog

Sugar Pecans

Oh my goodness. Sugar coated pecans. Eat more salads. Eat more pecans.

Sugar-Coated Pecans

Cooking Time: 30min

Prep Time: 5min

1 egg white

2 cup pecan halves

1/4 cup sugar

2 t. cinnamon

heavy pinch of salt

In a bowl, beat egg white until foamy. Add pecans and toss until well coated. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the pecans and toss to coat. Spread in a single layer on an un-greased baking sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 30min. or until browned.

PRINT

Enjoy!

XOXO

Organizing Kid's Clothes - Making Mornings Easy

I heart this Site.

She makes my life easier. Easy is good.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I always lay out Max's clothes for school the night before. This serves to make mornings easier and to give Max a visual clue on what is expected of him. You can read about making mornings easy with your kids here.

So in order to make my life easier. I have started to pick out all his clothes for the week. This causes me to do two things every weekend 1) Laundry 2) Check out the Weather Channel.  I love this system from Living Lucurto and so far it has been working for 2 weeks now.

1. Go to Living Lucurto and Print these cards.

2. Print them on heavy stock. I used two pieces, spray glued together and cut them out.

3. Pick out outfits and hang in closet. 

4. Easier mornings for you. Priceless!

~XOXO~

Chain Link Fence Curtains

I needed "outdoor" curtain hardware for my screen porch that is located right off my kitchen. So I cruised my idea folder & Home Depot.  The hardware had to be rust/moisture resistant and cheap! This is what I got:

BEFORE Right

AFTER Right

BEFORE Left

AFTER Left

This is how you do it:

Go to the chain link fence section of any hardware store. My closest is Home Depot. Chain link fence post usually come in three widths and three lengths. Decide how & what you need and measure your space.  I bought a tube cutter because I needed a custom length and nothing is ever easy for me! I had to have help holding the fence post in order to cut it.

I used #4 screw in eye hooks. I pre-drilled a hole slightly smaller that the hook and screwed it into the wall. I then used chain link fencing tension band to hold the rods.

I then purchased painters drop cloth canvas (9x12). I pre-washed the cloth and should have used an iron. But just like glue guns, I don't use irons.

Now, I got lazy. I should have added grommets or button holes to the cloth but I am working on a budget and time constraints. So I skipped a few steps. I cut small holes in the cloth and used carriage bolts and brace bands for rings. Time will only tell if it holds up :) I finished off the ends of the curtains with fence post caps.

Be sure to check out my inspiration.

So there you have it. An easy way to create ambiance in an outdoor space.

~XOXO~

One more time (before & after):

Partying with these fine folks:
ASPTL, Skip to my Lou, Keeping it Simple, The Girl Creative, Making the World Cuter, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, DIY Showoff Project Parade, Between Naps on the Porch, Funky Junk Interiors

This is Gabriel, Making Sense of School: A Book about Sensory Processing Disorder

If you are a daily follower of my blog, then you know about Max.  I don't divulge a lot of personal information on my blog, I mainly stick to decorating & creating. However, every once in a while, my heart becomes full and I am moved to write about something personal.

Did you know that I don't believe in coincidences? I believe that everything happens for a reason and what sometimes feels like luck (or a coincidence) is really God's whisper.

As some of you know, my son Max was adopted from Russia. You also know by now that we have struggled with his development.  I have posted about Sensory Processing Disorder and how as a family we have battled this with Max.  My last post about SDP was written at 2 am. That night I went to bed with a heavy heart and could not sleep. I just had to get some of Max's struggles written down in a post. In fact, my last sentences of the post reads like this, "This post has been heavy on my heart, which probably means there is someone out there who needs to read this. I hope it helps....". It was not 5 minutes later that I received an email from someone who needed my words. That is what I call a whisper from God and not a coincidence. God new that I could help someone and he put the sequence of events into motion.

This is how I found the book "This is Gabriel".  God knew that I needed this book. He knew that Max would benefit from this book and now so will his school and special education teachers. Because I will be buying several copies of this book to give to others. I am doing this not because I am this nice generous person but because someone else out there needs me to. I am listening to God's whisper.

Now, with all this being said, here is my review of This is Gabriel: Making Sense of School.

by Hartley Steiner

Illustrations by Brandon Fall

Trafford

ISBN: 978-1-4269-2777-5

Five years ago I had never heard of Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). Now that I have been entrenched with its meaning, I still find it hard to describe to others what SPD is and what effects it can have on children/families.  This book helps to make it clear. So, even though this is a children's book about Sensory Processing Disorder, adults will also gain invaluable knowledge.

I love the bright illustrations and the simplistic definitions of SPD that are described throughout the book. The book does a fantastic job discussing the main parts of SPD: Sight, Hearing, Touch, Taste, Smell, Vestibular and Proprioception.

The author takes you on a journey of Gabriel's life and helps you to understand what happens when sensory input is misinterpreted. The authors writing style is easy to follow and even left me with "ahh-haa" moments.  

(This picture made me laugh because one of Max's biggest struggles is with smell)

Byron read this book to Max (age 6) and then tried to engage him in discussion. I will be honest, Max really did not care nor did he really have anything to say about Gabriel. I was hoping that Max would understand he was not alone with some of his feelings. But he was more interested in his Star Wars action figures than discussing SPD. So in all fairness, he is probably a little young for this book and discussion. As a mother, I am just glad this book was written. Because one day soon, Max will be ready to read and discuss SPD and I am so thankful to have this book.

I plan on buying Max's elementary school several copies and also the preschool he attended.  I will even make sure the special education department has their own copies. This book needs to be made available to anyone who works with children.

Hartley, I am so thankful you listened to your whisper and wrote this book. I needed it and now others will get a copy too.

From the Publisher: This is Gabriel Making Sense of School provides a look into the challenges children with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) face in the classroom. This easy to read and beautifully illustrated picture book gives teachers, parents and students a better understanding of all seven senses, how they are each affected at school and what kinds of accommodations are necessary to help children with SPD become learning sensations!

Author:
Hartley Steiner can be found on her site: www.hartleysboys.com and Twitter: @ParentingSPD

~GIVEAWAY~

CLOSED

Due to Hartley's generous nature, she is giving away 1 copy of This is Gabriel to one lucky commenter. Please leave me a comment with your email address (so I can contact you if you win) and if you feel it in your heart, please let me know if/how SPD has touched your life. If you have been lucky enough to never have heard of SPD then please consider entering so you can donate this great book to your local elementary school.

*Open to All, No PO Boxes.
*Contest ends Friday, April 23rd.

~XOXO~

My thoughts...

Max's Baby Orphanage in Votkinsk, Russia

Byron and I have received many comments, questions and jokes this week.  Some jokingly call to ask if we shipped Max off to Russia. Others want to know how we feel about this situation. We've been ask to speak out, speak up and sign a petition.

Today I read a letter from Martha Osborne of RainbowKids. She eloquently writes how I feel.

"Sad, sad news over the last week. There has been great outrage, anger, blame and finger pointing over the disrupted adoption of a 7-year-old Russian child and his abrupt return to Russia over this last week. Today it has been announced that Russia will suspend adoptions to the USA. During this time, I have wondered, "where is the outrage for the thousands of children who are housed in hopeless institutions with minimal care and daily abuse from the other children?"

The exact conditions that may have traumatized this young child and greatly contributed to this situation, are barely mentioned. No one absolves the mother.She had options and chose to do something outrageous and selfish. But her actions are only one part of this. The unspoken rule is that those of us who work to find homes for these children must never, never criticize the governments that allow these wretched institutions to continue. Adoptive parents must be grateful...and silent, to insure that international adoption continues, and a few lucky children find peace in a family of their own. Volunteers must quietly work to make changes in the orphanages, for fear of offending those in power. Yes, this story makes me very upset, and sad for all of the children who will now continue to suffer. And for the families who have waited, longingly, to give their love to these children.

And now we wait, with our only hope once again in the hands of government policy makers. I suggest that the meeting scheduled for the 20th take place in the largest, most rural orphanage that can be found in Russia. Let our governments meet, and come to their decision, surrounded by the children's lives and futures that hang in the balance."

You can read our Russian Adoption Journal here.


XOXO-

Porch Parties and Sangria Recipe

Porch Parties
by Denise Gee
Chronicle Books
ISBN: 978-0-8118-6580-7

My Review: This book exemplifies porch entertaining with over 50 cocktail and handheld snack recipes. These recipes make entertaining simple, fun and enjoyable. The book is bright and cheerful with great photographs. Approximately every third recipe has a coordinating picture. The book is divided into 5 chapters:

Porch Party Pointers

Convivial Cocktails

Punch with Pizzazz

Think Frocktails not mocktails

Little Bites

For this review I made the Ruby Sangria on page 71. This Sangria proved to be light tasting and refreshing. I recommend this book to anyone wanting simple delicious entertaining. This would also make a cute gift...think housewarming!

Here are the pictures & recipe of my Sangria from Porch Parties:

Ruby Sangria (page 71)

1 (750ml) bottle red wine

1/2 cup brandy

1/2 cup orange flavored liqueur

1/2 cup fresh OJ

1/4 cup sugar

2 cups orange wedges

2 cups red apple wedges

2 cups green apple wedges

2 cups grapes

1 (750ml) bottle sparkling water, chilled

Garnish: with extra of the above fruit threaded on small skewers

Combine the red wine, brandy, liqueur, OJ and sugar in a large pitcher; stir well. Add the oranges, red & green apples and grapes. Chill for several hours.

Just before serving, add the sparkling water.

Pour the Sangria into red-wine goblets filled with ice. Garnish with fruit kabobs, if desired.

Take two aspirin in the morning. Kidding, the book does not really say this!

Enjoy-

~XOXO~

Resource Links:

Chronicle Publishing

Amazon

YouTube