Tea Party (for Boys)

As I was going through pictures on my computer tonight I came across this gem.

Would you like to come to a tea party at our house?  We will be serving fresh milk and bacon.  Now that I'm thinking of it, this actually sounds pretty similar to the 'meat party' that Kid 1 requested we have last week.  You know, the kind of kid party where your friends come over and eat lots of meat.  Surely you've been to one?  I've mentioned that I'm a fake vegetarian before (there is a word for it now - pescetarian), so I'm sure you can appreciate why I find this request particularly hilarious. 

Anyways, long live imaginative play!  Kids have the best ideas.

Recent Thrift Scores

Isn't Emily's garden fabulous!  She and Mr. Emily have always had a very enviable garden.  I wish I could say that I had the same beautiful home farm at my house, but I don't even have grass out my back door.  Just dirt mixed with a little glass for good measure.  Remember how I said that my new place was awesome in many ways, but not in others?  Well the yard falls under the 'other' category.

Even if my back yard is a bit of a disappointment, at least I still have the thrift stores to cheer me up, right?  I've made a few good finds lately (including a mirror and frame that I will show off later), and I want to share my good fortune.

 

In New England where I live, there are some very ritzy towns.  Not mine, but I'm within an hour of Greenwich and the surrounding area.  A friend of mine convinced me to try the Goodwill in Westport, and I came back with an awesome pair of jeans.  Many of the nicest items were individually priced (since they are right to assume that designer jeans are worth more than the standard $5.99), but the highest I've seen is around $30.  I feel like that is a lot to spend on second hand clothing, but if you compare it to the original price, it's still a bargain.

I found a perfect pair of jeans for $9.99 and I'm delighted.  I'm especially delighted that I didn't spend $160 on them.  They fit well (why is it that expensive jeans fit much better than cheaper ones?), and the cut is contemporary and flattering.  I'm not thin enough to wear super skinny jeans, so slim or straight leg work better for me.

 

Oh, and the high waist is also a plus, so I don't have to show my underwear (or worse) every time I bend over.   

What bargains have you found recently at the thrift store?  I take great delight in a good find.  Truthfuly, I'm almost as excited to hear about my friend's finds as I am about my own. 

Gardening

It seems that we have taken an unofficial break from blogging this summer.  I have been consumed by maintaing my garden lately.  Every afternoon, and every evening I am out in the garden, mostly harvesting.  I love it.  There is something so satisfying about planting a seed and watching it grow into something that can sustain you and your family.  Most of the planting work was done by Mr. Emily, but now that the work is more rewarding, I am in! 

We are currently housesitting and live on a big lot with a giant garden and many perennials that bear fruit.  (Think rhubarb, raspberries, nanking cherries, chokecherries, gooseberries, chives and winter onions.)  Here's a peek at some of the things we have successfully planted.  

Potatoes

Beans

Tomatoes

Zuchinni on the left, on the right squash, cilantro, lettuce, cabbage and even soy beans!

My favorite part about having a garden is being able to harvest my meal seconds before I eat it.  Here are some of our recent garden meals.

From the garden: Potatoes, beans and zucchini.

From the garden: Lettuce, spinach, carrots, peas, tomatoes, and spinach and zucchini on the pizza.

It is obvious why summer is my favorite season!  I hope that you are enjoying just as many lovely fresh foods too this summer