The North End Loft: July 2012

Jul 30, 2012

DIY Hanging Planter

I wanted to hang some flowers next to my backyard hummingbird feeder this year, but I couldn't find any affordable planters at the garden centers. While rummaging around in the shed one day I came across this old three-tiered wire basket I once used for holding fruits and vegetables in

my kitchen.

Every once in awhile I'm glad my husband keeps everything.

When I priced coco fiber liners at around $8.00 each, though, I put my wire baskets back in the shed. At $24.00 for three liners my hanging planter would have to wait for another year.

Sometimes good things come to those who wait (and are cheap.) A few weeks later at a 70% off craft store sale I scooped-up three coco liners for $1.50 each. Score!

The liners were too big, so I used my garden shears to cut them down to size. I cut some off the top first then cut away the extra along the sides, so they wouldn't be too bulky.

Once I had the liners cut down to-size and they fit snugly into the baskets,

I filled them with potting soil.

Then I added some red impatiens and a succulent which will both hopefully grow over and hide the coco-liners eventually.

The hanging flowers help attract hummingbirds to the feeder.

I love to watch tiny hummingbirds whizzing around the feeder and the larger birds playing in the nearby birdbath.

My summer is whizzing by like a hummingbird, too! I can't believe August is just around the corner already. I've enjoyed being outdoors and doing new projects in the garden like this one.

I hope you're enjoying your summer yard, too!

Jul 23, 2012

My New Facebook Page

I'm launching my new Facebook Page today!

As you can see, I'm excited about it!

Yay!

I hope you'll pop over and take a look.

Just click right here:

(I also put one of these over on my sidebar.)

Here's a peek at what you'll see:

Yay! I'm so excited!

Thanks for celebrating with me!

Jul 20, 2012

Friday Finds

It's going to be 100-something degrees again here today, so after I take Tucker for a hike I'm going to hunker down inside with the air conditioner. Except I just remembered I'm meeting my daughter to go grocery shopping this afternoon. And I have to water the garden. Oh, and I need to go pick up a tool at the hardware store. Hmmm, I hope I haven't forgotten anything else.

Well, one thing I did remember to do today is post my Friday Finds!

Setting for Four's Heather made these easy photo holders from rocks she collected on the beach to hold some black and white photos of her boys playing in the sand when they were little. So sweet!

The Daily Bison shared some tags that a friend made out of an old atlas. Wouldn't these be fun to make as mementos using vacation destinations or other personally significant places?

Vintage Prairie Style shares a tutorial for making this mason jar rope light. Don't you just love that chunky rope?

At Town and Country Living, Jennifer decorated this pretty little bottle with paint and a Graphics Fairy image.

I love, love, love taking tours of other blogger's craft rooms. To see the rest of Rebecca's beautiful craft studio, visit A Re-Purposed Life.

This asparagus fern and spider plant hanging in old rusty funnels are from Connie's enchanting garden shared by Peggy at Hidden Hills Garden.

Tracey at The Kitchen is My Playground shares the recipe for her Sausage and Balsamic - Caramelized Onion Pizza, inspired by Williams-Sonoma.

I'm definitely adding these ingredients to my grocery shopping list for pizza night.

I'm off to try to stay cool as I run my errands.

Thanks for coming over today.

Happy Friday!

Jul 19, 2012

My Urban Garden

One of the things I love about living in Idaho is the marked change of seasons and the rebirth of my garden each year.

Here are a few reminders of what my garden looked like when I first posted about it on my blog back in March, compared to what it looks like now. The lush green of summer has replaced the stark grey of winter.

The view of my neighbors' houses from my backyard deck is screened by the summer leaves on the trees now, and we all have plenty of outdoor privacy.

The bare raised planting beds of winter are full of summer herbs, flowers, vines, and vegetables.

And the heat-tolerant plants are thriving on the narrow south side of my tiny urban yard between the house and fence.

There are onions, marigolds, zinnias, basil and green peppers,

tomatoes,

carrots and beets,

oriental eggplant,

potatoes,

and green beans.

We don't have an automatic sprinkler system, so I'm it. Each morning I give the garden a deep drink of water and enjoy looking for the changes from the previous day. It's amazing how much can grow in a garden in twenty-four summer hours.

It's too hot here in midsummer to do much in the garden other than water and harvest, but when I got tired of seeing the ugly air conditioner over there in the corner, I whitewashed some old shutters to screen it.

I also made some directional signs inspired by some I saw on Pinterest. You can stand right next to these signs and see everything they point to because my yard's so small, of course. You sure don't need a sign to guide you.

But I just love the humor in that.

I found a bit more of my yard ~~junk~~ art while rummaging around in the shed. A favorite bird with a broken base perches on an old window frame leaning against the fence.

The family is done-up on a rusty metal plant stake.

A few dollar store tin stars hang on an old wood ladder trellis.

And a thrift store beer sign hangs on the deck.

Most of our hot midsummer afternoons are spent in air conditioned interiors, but in the evening when it cools off, we'll sit out on the deck and enjoy cold drinks and a barbeque, accompanied by fresh herbs and produce from the garden.

Next winter seems so far-off, but knowing that our warm green summer is just one of four very different seasons of the year inspires us to enjoy every moment of today.

Thanks for coming by to see what's been going on in my garden.
I hope you're enjoying your summer!

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Please join me at these terrific link parties today!

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Beyond the Picket Fence
From My Front Porch to Yours
Rooted in Thyme
Fishtail Cottage
The Charm of Home

Jul 18, 2012

The Little Car that Could

This little car pulled up next to me at a busy street light yesterday

with not just a sofa tied on top, but a sofa and a love seat!

Where there's a will, there's a way!

Jul 16, 2012

DIY Menu Blackboard

Last month I found a wooden pig at the thrift store that had been painted white and black and had dried moss and straw flowers hot glued to it. Someone had once loved it, but it was sad and worn out.

So of course I bought it.

I had to use a screw driver and some elbow grease to scrape the hot glued mess off, then I sanded it a little and painted it with homemade chalk paint.

I dissolved a couple tablespoons of un-sanded grout in water, then mixed some of that into a cup or so of flat black paint in another container until I liked the consistency. For chalkboards I find foam brushes leave a nice smooth finish.

I don't actually know if conditioning the chalkboard is necessary, but I read it somewhere, so I did it. That's just covering the entire surface with chalk

and then wiping it all off again.

My piggy blackboard travels around the house as needed.

First he wished everyone a Happy 4th of July on the front porch.