Busy busy

ahhhhhhh!!!

I've been a bit busy, but I'm now getting back into the swing of things.  My schedule is changing a bit, I've decided that I would rather work 3 longer days, rather than two short days and two long days.  I hope that helps me to be more efficient.  Changing the schedule gives me a whole day with my sweeties, which I kind of like! (Yesterday was the first day, and they took a 3 hour nap, so check back with me in a few weeks, haha.)  It gives me a little taste of what being a SAHM would be like.

Spring is springing here, so I've been working like crazy in the garden(s).  We have a large raised bed vegetable garden, and this year I decided to create a flower garden as well.  We had this big gravel area with a fire pit that we just didn't use and it was terrible trying to weed in the gravel.  So I removed all of the gravel and tilled it and amended the soil.  I've been starting flowers (I hope I'm successful!) and planting some seed.

Before.

Before.

Now.  We just never used the gravel firepit, it just took up a prime location.

I have these lovely clumps of peonies.  They gorgeous.  I will be separating them this fall, but for now I'm just looking forward to blossoms.  There are rose bushes as well, which we (over) pruned this winter.  But I think that most will be better for it.  I'm planning on a little table or bench on the little gravel spot to the left.  Wish me luck!  I'll post pictures if I ever get it to look all crazy country garden.  It might take a few years.  I think that is the hardest part about this for me.  The hardest and probably the most beneficial.  I am a planner by nature, but I'm also someone who likes instant gratification.  Being forced to let go of my own agenda and proceed according to a different timeline has been very informative.  I'm trying to relax into, and let go of being in control.  Since I can't FORCE the flowers to grow, all I could do is make myself go crazy.

Growing list:

Indian Prince Calendula

Korean hyssop

Shasta crazy daisy

English red tip daisy (habanera)

New York Aster

Coreopsis 

Yarrow

Blue and white balloon flower (fingers crossed)

Blue fescue

german chamomile

Two types of poppies (not sure if those will come up...)

chabaud carnation

red lighthouse salvia

and for instant gratification, cosmos and zinnias (annuals).  There is also a hosta in one corner and a hydrangea that I will probably have to move. 

And I have a spot along the driveway that I'm going to plant a shade wildflower mix.  I hope that works out too.  I'll plant it now, and then seed it again in the fall.

And I've planted a wormwood bush!  And A little square of elven thyme.  And I'm planning on getting some dahlia bulbs.  But I won't be planting those until late April. And then I'm going to plant anenome bulbs in the fall.  I love windflowers.

Well, I hope you skipped past all of that gardening business, if it bores you. :-)

So much for posting weekly, ha ha

I just can't seem to manage it.  I think, with me, blogging takes copious amounts of free time in order to allow my brain the freedom to come up with things to post about.  When I'm busy or preoccupied I tend to clench up and nothing but what needs doing gets free.  I'm also a compulsive perfectionist, so if something isn't 1000% finished I hesitate to share.  But!  I'm going to take a leap and just put it out there.

Ive decided to change my business name!  For real this time!  

jyaffa.com

I've been holding off on telling anyone about it until it was complete.  But really, I don't know when that will be.  I've been working away at it, a bit here a bit there, but it's still pretty bare.  I haven't really had a chance to add things for sale yet.  But I'm going to make that a priority this weekend.  (When I'm not busy rototilling my new flower garden!!! OMG!  So excited! About everything!)

And finally finished that new ring I posted about earlier.  It's pictured below.  Guess which one it is? And I have new earrings and a new 5 stone ring too, but no pictures of those just yet.

Not the best of photos.  But it is gloomy like an Alaskan winter morning here these days.  I find that when it is overcast outside I can't get dynamic photos.  They just look a bit dead to me.  Maybe I need to blast the exposure?

Hmm, still nothing.  And it's really unfortunate, since I have to ship those to rings on the far right today, so I won't get another chance to photograph a group.

And my tiny sweeties are still tiny and still sweet.

She's soooo sleepy here.  Right after I took this photo I took a video of her nodding off.  Adorable.

 Fresh new haircut!  And seaweed snack.