July 1,
Since it's hotter than a sizzling frying pan here in Kansas right now, I have had one thing on my mind....let's all go to the pool! Our town recently built one of those fun public pools with water slides, lazy river and all that. I like it because there is something for everyone, and no one gets bored there. Since I have had swimming on the brain, I have been experimenting with making some cute cloth diaper swim suits. I wasn't real excited with some of the choices out there, and thought an Eco baby friendly swim suit should be just as cute as a suit you wear over a disposable swim diap. So after some trial and error, and finally going to the pool with the family, we tried out a few models on our favorite model :-). They did pretty good, but still fit more like a diaper than a swim suit, so back to the drawing board I went one more time, and although I really love the style of my original model, I made a sleeker slimmer suit that looks fabulous on my favorite model...so click on the picture to check it out in my Etsy shop.
    Remember cloth diaper swim suits or diapers are made to contain messes, not really to absorb wetness, my suits, or any others on the market do this job with out the expense of buying pricey disposable swim diapers that are just going to take up room in the land fill. So think about giving them a try this summer.

  Well Spring is finally here.  I was reminded of its coming by the Crocus that faithfully popped up in our front yard.  They are so nice and cheery to look at as were were shoveling, hoeing and turning over the winter rested soil in our vegetable garden.  I like gardening, how about you? Whether it be a small flower bed, or a big huge vegetable garden, there is a certain satisfaction in seeing something you chose and plant thrive and grow into a beautiful plant.  This year we are biggering our vegetable garden by just a bit for a couple reasons. Economic times are a little tight for us so growing some of our food is a good way to alleviate the grocery budget. More importantly however, is the fact that we can grow most everything organic. In a world that is so filled with chemicals, additives and of course the threat of nuclear fallout, it is nice to know where your food is coming from.  And of course there is nothing like a homegrown tomato fresh out of the garden.      
   I am excited to see our garden grow this year as I have been doing a lot of reading about companion planting. GH Organics has a great list on their web site with lots and lots of vegetables and flowers that compliment each other by repelling bugs, improving taste or helping to keep weeds down.  They also tell you what NOT to plant in close proximity.  This is a portion of what the web site says about potatoes... Horseradish, planted at the corners of the potato patch, provides general protection. Alyssum makes a perfect living mulch for them. Don't plant these around potatoes: asparagus, cucumber, kohlrabi, parsnip, pumpkin, rutabaga, squash family, sunflower, turnip and fennel. Keep potatoes and tomatoes apart as they both can get early and late blight contaminating each other. With all this in mind we are keeping records of what we plant and trying to have a healthier, happier garden through companion planting.    
  Back to the Crocus....I can't help but post a sweet picture of our little grand baby sprout wearing the newest vintage upcycled dress I made her.  My daughter in law and I are preparing to launch a new Etsy store for vintage and upcycled baby and toddler clothes.