Exciting Announcement

Jess and I have been talking a LOT. Yes we always talk a LOT but over the last few weeks our conversations have been specifically about teaming up and we've finally decided to blog together- so beginning today we will cease to be Chaotic and Insane, and instead just be Blissful. We do most of our creating together, I always have to do all of the sewing (it's a sweat shop I tell ya!), Jess of course thinks she has all the best ideas, so we just thought it would be easier to stop fighting over who gets to take credit!

We really hope you will follow us over to our new blog - we've even decided to bribe you, so click on over  to see what's up.

Something He Did

One of our trees died. 

I came home one day to You Know Who taking it down before it fell on someone. It's sad because it held up one side of our hammock. 

He decided that he would try to save part of it instead of cutting it all down right now. 

Then he got a bit clever and I came home to this...

They are called tree spirits. We don't actually believe they "do" anything, they're just cool

We have some in the house, we found these in Austria.

So it seems appropriate to us to have one in the yard.

You could say he's setting it free... he said it wasn't easy. This is an oak tree and that = hard wood.

What you can't see is how unbearably hot it was outside. 

I found it pretty amazing. 

We had some friends over Sunday night and waited to see who noticed.

 The young woman who did, was just a bit freaked out... asking if anyone else saw face on the tree.....

His looks change throughout the day. Nope we haven't named him...

Check out some amazing gardens @ Pam's Garden Tuesday!

Garden Tuesday

A couple of Saturdays ago while having dinner with my guy and his parents, I looked out the window and saw this. He/she? was on the fence out by my garden. I say this to excuse the not so hot photos..... window, rain, distance, moo. 

 I was trying not to squee (I am a bird nerd, I love them.... ) because when I looked again, I saw there were two.

 I have no idea of the exact type that they are. Hawks of some sort, I'm not knowledgeable, I just like them.

They are rather intimidating and I realized they were trying to intimidate the squirrels in our yard.

 They were either practicing their hunting skills or trying to have one for dinner, though I never saw them get close. There are three squirrels that hang out in our yard and they're pretty fast.

Now that I think about it, lately I've only seen two. 

Hmmm.....

Garden Tuesday is over at Sidewalk Shoes.

Go check it out!

My Dirty Secret Revealed

AKA- The closet makeover

For the first time ever, in our long married life, You Know Who and I have a lovely amount of closet space. In fact, we each have our own closet space. Each closet came with a basic wire shelf around two walls.

 It was inefficient. 

We meant to change them right away but life has a way of changing your plans sometimes. I've tried to be flexible but it had come down to this......

The storage boxes were a recent addition. The sweaters had been stacked on the shelf and were daily threatening to fall and suffocate me.

Even though I have purged, I am still unable to let go of the nice winter clothes I have from our years in Germany.

Jessica made a plan for each of the closets. She helped her dad do his a couple of months ago. I didn't get any before pictures, so the after would have no impact now...

On Wednesday I emptied the closet.

On Thursday You Know Who painted.

On Friday Jess and I went shopping at a store that I know far more intimately than I am comfortable with. I have no desire to add up all of the receipts I have from Lowe's, it would make me cry. In fact, they should know me by name and roll out a red carpet when I arrive. It's one of the sad parts about buying from such a large place, you're just one of many....

These guys were helpful and cut our shelving perfectly  per Jessica's instructions. 

They were funny too. The big guy did say he recognized us. That's nice since between Jess and I we have bought 4 major appliances from him personally! 

I didn't take a picture of all of the supplies because I am forgetful and we were in the moment. About three hours later thanks to Jess and You Know Who, I had this loveliness to look at.

 One of the weird things about this house is they didn't plan closets for linens so I needed space in my closet for things like that. I am still needing to put up some hooks for my extra purses, belts and such. If I come up with something cute and clever, I'll post it.

Don't hold your breath.

Before - unbearable mess

After- bliss.

Veggie Tales

Unfortunately my garden has been plagued by bugs. I'm not sure whether it's the weather here or what but it's gross. 

My eggplant keeps me from despair. 

It is absolutely lovely to look at, and has not stopped producing!

I walked out last week and saw I had broccoli! It's not prolific, but it is a bit picturesque.

This is my Garden Tuesday offering.

Thanks for stopping by!

Garden Tuesday

We had a storm last night. In light of all the other storms that hit other areas this one was mild but for me not so much. I am not as bad as the dog who hides under the desk and breathes so heavily he makes the house stink..... but I don't like storms, unless I can crawl in my bed and have covers to throw over my head at every lightening strike. Yes, I know that sounds like the dog but I've managed to keep my breathing fairly normal. 

The kids lost power early in the storm and when it wasn't fixed as they were told it would be, took refuge with us last night.

 Everyone's safe and sound, *sigh*.

Even though the entire bed flooded, my broccoli was the only thing left battered looking. I'll prop it up and it should be fine.

My last surviving zucchini plant is fine along with the three zucchini I hope to harvest tomorrow. They are not as big as they look. Wonky perspective.

My lovely eggplant, the tallest plant in the garden, fared well, which makes me happy, these things are yummy!


For more garden goodness, go to Sidewalk Shoes garden Tuesday!

A Little Harvest

A few of the things my garden gave me this weekend. 

Not shown because they were eaten.... a few more tomatoes, a banana pepper, and about six hot peppers.

 Annoying me again are the nasty vine borers. They managed to wipe out most of my pumpkin plants (the ones with the pumpkins growing of course) and three more zucchini plants. I didn't realize it was happening until it was too late. It was a busy week like that. I managed to dig out one from a zucchini plant, maybe that plant will survive. They are gross bugs. 

I may reseed since it is early in the season.

This guy enjoyed checking out the baby pumpkins.

 I thought I might as well bring them in and enjoy them for a bit....
For more pretty garden stories (not just gross bug stories like mine) hit the button below.

It Seems So Obvious..... Now.....

First of all, thank you Pam for hosting Garden Tuesdays. It is such fun to see what other people are doing and sometimes the information can save your garden!

Secondly, thank you Schneider Peeps for posting about the vine borer. Nasty things had gotten into half of my vine plants and I wouldn't have known what was happening if not for you.

Thirdly, pollination is interesting. I know bees are involved..... I know there are some plants that need both male and female for pollination to happen..... that's about it.

My zucchini flowers have not been producing any fruit.

Apparently they are all boys.

What?

How can you tell?

I don't know.

I need to re-sow some that I lost to the wicked vine borers. Maybe I'll get some girls this time.

I thought I was suffering the same fate with my pumpkins.

Then I saw this and it seemed so obvious.

This is a girl.

This is a boy.

Boy.

Girl.

Any questions?

Almost Missed It, Garden Tuesday.....

This will be a pumpkin.

This will be a zucchini. If something stops nipping the blossoms off.

This will be a lovely fragrant rose, if the deer stop stripping it.

This turns into,

this and apparently the deer don't like it.

This bad blurry picture is a cucumber. I should have put a ruler next to it, it's only a half inch long.

How does your garden grow?

Morning In the Garden

One of my favorite times of the day.