Memorial Day Weekend Projects

Well, I spent my weekend off sewing.  I needed a new bag for work, and why buy one everyone else has when you can make one no one else has?  I made a bag and a new kindle cover to match.

Finally!  Chicken coop is done and the chooks are spending their first night outside.  I hope the raccoons don't get them.  I have actually come to like my girls.  They are entertaining and lovely.

We used the shipping crate I brought home from work.  Hinges on the lid and voila! a door.  It will be nice to not have to round them up and bring them in every night.  

Our lone rooster seems to like his new home.  He is perched on top of the feeder. 


I also made pallet garden beds today.  I stapled cardboard to the back and filled them with composted horse manure.

I planted tomatoes, zucchini, basil, and thai peppers in them.  Heirloom tomatoes.  I bought some labeled Hillbilly tomatoes.  lol  I thought my hubby would get a kick out of that.

Best Mother's Day Ever!

Today was perfect!  My husband bought me flowers, gave me money for the plant sale yesterday, and surprised me with $50 today.  That is the first time he has ever given me anything for Mother's Day.  Usually, he says I'm not his mother.  He even moved the bean trellis closer to the house for me.

Now I just have to fill the box with dirt and plant the beans.  


I finished the tape measure flower I've been wanting to make for a while.  

Isn't it cute?  There is a retractable tape measure inside.  I saw the pattern in a book.


My children even took me out to dinner.  My 18 year old daughter (amazingly) had enough sense to make reservations.  I didn't have to pay!  I feel loved today.  Hope everyone else's day was as good as mine.

What a day!  Five loads of laundry, tore apart three pallets to use the wood, built a chicken tractor.  So busy.  Our chicks are getting too big to be in their box in the garage all the time, but not feathered enough to be outside all night in MI either.  Still cold at night.  We made a chicken tractor today so they can be out during the day.  I have been taking them outside for an hour or so every day, but they are getting too hard to catch.  Time for a portable coop.

                      

We took apart some pallets and used the wood to make a frame.  Some one gave us some chain link fence, so we used that for the walls.  A few double-pointed tacks, some zip ties, and  a blue tarp and we have a portable coop they can be outside in for a few hours.  Soon it will be time to make the permanent coop.  More chain link fence will be involved and a couple of wooden crates I salvaged from work.  The injection molds we use are made in CA and shipped to us in large wooden crates.  Perfect for chickens.  There is a place here in MI that makes lids with perches molded on them that fit 5 gallon pails to use as nesting boxes.  With only 7 chickens three nesting boxes are plenty.  I got the pails at work too.     

The girls really enjoyed their time outside today.  It was nice to not have to chase them to get them back in.  We did forget all about a door.  LOL  We'll work on that tomorrow.                        

Star Table Runner


Well, I tried my hand at quilting.  Don't think it turned out too bad.

I now know why I don't quilt.  This took forever!  Definitely will never be a quilter for real.  Hubby rescued the table it is on, but it had a candle burn on top.  Table runner to the rescue!  Making the whonky stars used up some scraps and I used some leftover fuzzy fleece for batting.  I try to reuse and use up everything.  I think I will use this to qualify for my quilting merit badge for Mary Jane's farmgirls.  
Next is a denim quilt for hubby's bed.  I save all our old jeans.  Denim is too good to throw away.  I make dog toys, bags, and soon, a quilt.

What to say?...  Haven't blogged in forever.  Been busy(and lazy).  


Right now, I'm tending some chicks.  I want fresh, organic, pastured eggs.  I have 7.  3 ISA browns, 2 Barred rocks, a bantam golden seabright, and a white silkie.  We think the seabright is a rooster.  Oh joy...  They are a riot to watch strut around the yard.  My little dog loves "his" chickens.  

Sam and "his" chickens

He watches them every time I let them out.  The other two dogs try to eat them, so they're not allowed outside with the chicks.  When they get enough feathers to be outside all the time they will be behind a fence.  The big dogs won't be able to get them then.  I didn't know how amusing chickens really are.  They are a great stress reliever.  I can watch them for half an hour or so and the stress slowly ebbs away. Everyone should have a couple.