Eggies!

I keep the eggs from my chickens out on the counter, do you?
It appears that three of the hens have started laying this week, so what we have here five days of eggs, minus a few for breakfast. Good chickens!

We Have Eggs

They arrive in the mail. You feed them, you give them treats, and then that funny day comes when they give you something back. Eggs! The first to lay was Elmer the Silkie almost exactly a month ago, with cute tiny brown eggs. She has laid an egg almost ever day since then. And then today I go out and what do I find in the nesting box? A much bigger olive green egg! It's from Clover the Easter Egger. My funny giant chicken that greedily hops on my arm for food each morning. Today's eggs: Elmer's on the left and Clover's on the right. Now I am really curious to see when the other three start laying…

Mark Those Books

I didn't plan any Christmas crafting this year. I feel a bit overwhelmed and I did not want to add any stress. Even though I have tons of ideas for projects. And even though I know just the thing for my husband and for both of my girls.

But...I find myself four days before the big day wanting to make something. So here's the little something I made with supplies that I had around the house. A plan would have saved some time, and yes, there are wonky spots. But I do like these new bookmarks. And both of my girls are avid readers and they are always in need of a bookmark to save the page in their latest chapter book or six hundred page Little Lulu comic books.

These are about 2 x 10 inches, and do have a layer in the middle to make them stiff, I forget what that material is called, but I have used it to add stiffness to a purse.

A Glimpse of the Garden

I am really enjoying the garden this year. I hired my sister to make some raised beds in my sunny front parking strip, and the plants, though they were started late, are growing amazingly well. I haven't had a lot of success with vegetables, so this is pretty satisfying.

I hope that the Brandywine tomatoes ripen by October, or before they totally topple over the tomato cages. My husband optimistically planted a watermelon plant, and we now have one melon about the size of my fist. This odd long spiky cucumber is a volunteer plant. I started some snap peas last week. I think it's not too late for this year? We have two pumpkins turning orange, and a bunch of little green pumpkins. The strawberries are putting out tons of runners and I am rooting them into pots.

I also have more tomatoes, pickling cukes, onions, red orach, kale, carrots, potatoes, and a bunch of other plants. There are cabbages that I started from seed last week. Now I am trying to think of what else I can get started before the frost.

Chicken in The Mail

If you live under a red light all of the time can you even see the color red?

Well, a few weeks ago we went on the Seattle Tilth Urban Farm Tour. Can you guess where this is going?

Pretty soon I was looking at MyPetChicken.com and next thing I knew I had ordered some chicks. I went with bantams as they require less space, less food, and may be less destructive in the garden. The whole decision process was not well thought out, so I may not have done a good job selecting breeds, but we went for a Golden Sebright, a Silkie, an Easter Egger (not a true breed, but a hybrid chicken that makes green shelled eggs), and two "assorted bantams."

I have mixed feelings about getting chicks through the mail...They overnight them, so it's not really a good environmental choice over getting chicks at the feed store. But you can get just the breeds that you want, and there is some guarantee of getting hens, so we hopefully avoid the trauma of getting chicks and then having to find somewhere that we can unload a rooster or several roosters. Another choice would have been to go with older chickens that are already proven to be hens, but I was hoping that by starting early I could train them to be sweet and friendly pets. And baby chicks are so darn cute!

Right now they are about 3 weeks old and living in a brooder in the basement. In a few weeks when they are all feathered out I will move them to the coop. Look for a post soon on building the coop!

Peep Toe

I have a bit of a thrift store addiction. My latest find: A pair of vintage (I'd guess 1940s) never worn Nordstrom alligator heels in my size. Love!

More Things I Love: Enid Collins

I have found exactly one Enid Collins purse in all of my years of thrift shopping and I gave it to my sister. Ever since then I have been obsessed with finding another. I love the bejeweled whimsical designs! I finally decided that I should just pay retail for a purse of my own, and I bought this Enid Collins Les Fleurs purse via auction. It is pristine, as though it was never used, and complete except for one small missing orange gem. It is smaller than the typical Collins canvas bags. Love it!