tiles and dreams

Being home for a couple weeks is the best thing in the world, but I have to admit, I'm constantly thinking up little projects for redecorating or what have you. Daniel built a wonderful bookshelf for me for my growing number of cookbooks. It's lovely, and it frees-up space on another shelf. But we've decided not to do a bunch of renovation projects to the house because it's time consuming and we don't want to do a lot of work and possibly not get a return on our investments (seeing as the housing market in Alger Heights is so low).

If I could though, I'd buy some of these tiles from Popham Design and go crazy! Found them via Design Sponge, and I'd really like to live in place I could use them sometime.



But instead of putting money and energy into such things, I've chosen to go a more thrifty route: vegetables. A couple days ago I headed out to Trillium Haven Farm (the farm through which we have our "share" or our CSA). It was just beautiful and quiet, and I picked a bunch of snow peas and sweet peas for freezing.


Next, I've ordered some zucchini and yellow squash seeds from Seed Savers to try my hand at growing something myself. This will be a first... well, a second; my garlic turned out very small and underdeveloped so I'm just not counting it. I could eat zucchini all day long, so I'm excited to have some in late summer. And it's cherry season here, but many place around GR have gotten "froze out" according to the 10 orchards I've called. Tart cherries are abundant though, and I've made one batch of tart jam that we quickly ate/ gave away, so I might try to make some more. Instead of having a chic house, we'll have fat tummies and a clean house. Not sure if I like that compromise.

travels, baseball, and babies

It's turning out to be a great summer! Daniel safely returned from his 3 weeks in Indonesia. He had a great, busy time and brought back amazing gifts! While he was there I kept myself busy. Most of the time I worked, but in the time I wasn't there I painted the kitchen, messed around in the yard, mooched dinner off of friends, and saw the Cubs-Sox game at Wrigley.


VGRs at the game ($6 beers in hand)

Conrad and I drove out to Maryland to visit my grandparents (and met my two youngest sisters out there). We had a blast just hanging around, cruisin' Alexandria, shopping Trader Joe's... the week FLEW by before we even did half the stuff we wanted to do. Unfortunately, I left my camera battery charger in Michigan so the only picture I got before Sheila died (Sheila = little purple camera) is of these two crazy people on the Metro.

my sister's on the Metro in DC... on our way to the Freer Gallery and Native American Museum

Now we're all back here at home and things are just as fun. This whole not working for a while thing is pretty great. We've had a nice couple of days just hanging out at home and boy is it great. Just a few days here makes me realize how little time we actually spend just at home, and I'd like to spend more time here. July 3 we hit our local minor-league baseball diamond with the VGRs for a Whitecap's double header. Thursdays are "thrifty" at the old ball game, and that means all good stuff is $2: beer, hotdogs (2 for $2!), pretzels... I know!! Not to mention, it was fireworks night AND Jimmy Buffet Night. oh yes. The downside is that those bleachers are not made for 14 innings and because the Wizards caught-up with the 'Caps by the 7th inning of the second game, we held out for 4 more innings (I REALLY wanted to see the fireworks at the end!), but retreated to the car before the end. Oh well. There's always next Thursday.


And I know I had "babies" in the title: because two of my best friends, Emily and Jeff, had their first baby Micah today!!!!!! He is healthy and just adorable. Hope to have some pictures soon.