Mother's Day 2015

Wishing all the mothers out there a very Happy Mother's Day!  Enjoy your special day.  :-)

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xoxo,

She Said Yes {Engagement Session}

Recently I had the pleasure of gifting my friend, Jessica, a set of engagement photos.  She and her then fiancé, Eric, met me at a local historic home and we had a great time capturing some special moments for them.  I was unable to photograph and even attend their wedding due to a prior engagement, but I was with them in spirit.  May God bless this union and may their love for each other grow stronger each day.

 

18 Days and Counting...

It's official.  I survived the spring semester!  There were times I wasn't sure I was going to make it.  There were times when I thought my mind and body were going to fail me, but alas by the grace of God, I have made it to the end of the semester.

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During those foggy times when I thought, I'm just not sure I can push through this time, I definitely prayed more, had more people praying for me, I sat in the back of the park near a pond to catch some "not so fresh" pollinated air (but it still felt good to be there), I walked with a friend from church, and I stocked up on lots of herbal teas!  My favorite so far has been the Yogi Honey Lavender Tea for stress and tension.  It is absolutely delicious.  I just finished having a cup of that mixed with one bag of chamomile lavender tea.  The two together with a small teaspoon of creamed honey were just too good to be true.  Ahh, refreshing.

My house is a wreck.  I took my braids out and my hair is a sight to behold, but I'm making it.  I finally did laundry.  I knew I had to when I realized that there was nothing to grab from anywhere.  Everything was officially dirty.  I'm too tired to hang the laundry, but the basket is close to my bed so I can grab out something to wear for tomorrow.

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The past week I've been having the weirdest dreams.  Dream #1:  Someone was touching my hair and telling me that it was a mess (I took it as a sign to take these braids out).  Dream #2:  These flying roaches were coming down from the ceiling and I just kept having to kill them (I took it as a sign that I need to do my spring baseboard inside and outside bug spraying).  Dream #3:  Someone kept telling me that they were completely out of tahini sauce and I kept trying to explain that I had some (This I have no clue!).  So basically, I need my rest.

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I've decided to make some changes for my own betterment (is betterment a word?).  So, I'm trying to Holy Yoga (thanks to Susan from A Vintage Farmwife.)  I refound her blog and was intrigued by the Holy Yoga practice.  I subscribed to Holy Yoga TV for $10 a month, since there are no classes nearby, plus I don't mind the solitude.  I've been enjoying it so much right now.  Taking time for calm during the day and also hearing God's Word.  I wish I had the discipline to get up extra early and practice before work, but that's pushing it for now, so I'll be content if I can fulfill these small goals for myself.
go to bed at a consistent time, lessen my caffeine intake (can you believe I've hardly had any chocolate, and I'm a die-hard chocolate fan and besides ginger ale no sodas for a while), and I started

On May 18th Summer School starts so I'll be back at it.  In the meantime, I'm trying to rest, recover, and finally do a few things that I've been wanting to do...herb garden?  planting my mom some lilies?

Ok, so congrats if you made it to the end of this long post, but I've missed you all so much!  Hope to have more exciting news to post in the future.  :-)

Urban Garden Design Tips {Guest Post}

Are you convinced that you can never fit a garden inside your little urban apartment? Well, think again. You can do a lot even with your limited space. The key to the successful urban garden is to make each inch count. Transforming and adapting the balcony or patio to the needs of your greenery may be tough, but it’s worth the efforts.

Nothing can compare to the pleasure and the visual feast that the gorgeous emerald green plants bring in the city environment. Having a garden space should necessary be a luxury.  With a little craftiness and some basic gardening techniques, you will be able create your little green retreat.

Consider Your Microclimate

This is probably the most important step, when designing a garden. The position of your patio, balcony or rooftop will determine the amount of sunlight that your garden will receive or how shady or windy is your place. Keep in mind that some plants like vegetables require between 6 – 8 hours of sun. Other greenery like spinach, lettuce and herbs prefer more shaded areas. Observe closely how the climate conditions change during the day.  Think about the types of plants that are appropriate for your environment.

Plan Your Area

It doesn’t matter if you have a vast backyard or a little balcony; there are some essential elements for every garden. You need both a planting area and storage for all your gardening tools. There are several standard garden designs – container gardening, bed and vertical gardening. Generally, you will have a mixture of minimum two of these.  If you have enough floor space, you can use planting beds, which are appropriate for growing vegetables like tomatoes and beans. Vertical solutions are appropriate for really small space. You can incorporate hanging baskets or green wall planters. On the other hand, container greenery require more watering as they tend to dry out more quickly.

Selecting Plants

By now you should know well your environment and what type of plants are appropriate for your

area. The next step is to decide whether you want plants that will last only one or two seasons (annuals) or thorough out the year (perennials). Are you starting a garden only for the pure satisfaction of having a beautiful place or you want to grow your own organic food? Do you prefer to plant from seed? Research well, before hitting the gardening shop. You can even consult with a professional gardener.

Potting

The soil and containers are important elements of urban gardening. Instead of picking the typical plastic post, choose the terracotta ones. These have better drainage and preserve the moisture better. As for the planting beds, you can buy standard ones or create customized solutions for your place. Although, there is a standard soil appropriate for most greenery, some plants may require more specific care

Urban dwellers, crave no more for a vast green landscape! You can now have your own beautiful garden.

You can have your own green revolution behind the walls of your little apartment.

Read more tips and advises here: http://www.londongardeningservices.org.uk/balham-gardening-services/SW17-gardeners-balham.html

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Guest Post by Ella Andrews.