Be a Hero! Rescue an animal from a shelter.

I have been window shopping again! Actually I spent a great day with my Mom and we did some real shopping after a great lunch at our favorite mexican restaurant, but now it is virtual window shopping. I am looking at all kinds of things today and pets are on my mind .I have been incredibly busy this week and I have missed my 4 legged friends. Would you like to shop too?
I think this is so cute! I assure you my little dachshund would not see the humor in it, but who could resist a cute little wiener dog in a blue cap?
I also believe that any self respecting cat ( especially mine) forced to wear this adorable cap would plot a cruel revenge to be taken during the wee hours of the morning whilst I was unaware.
This is an issue that is near and dear to my heart. All of my animals are rescues and I believe I would adopt them all ( I tried once when my hubby worked for the animal shelter) if I could. I haven't met many dogs, cats, or birds that I haven't liked. Much to my family's dismay, I have even loved the ugly ones.


If you aren't in a position to adopt a four legged furry or even a fine feathered friend, you can still help. Here is a site that does all it can to help shelter animals. Check it out when you get a chance. If you will go there and click on their button, they will donate food to shelters for animals waiting for homes. You can't buy love, but at the animal shelters, it is always up for adoption.
Have a great night.

"We can judge the heart of a man, by his treatment of an animal."
Immanuel Kant

I should be in the Garden but...

There are so many things to do this time of year in the Garden, but I have yet to begin. I can find all kinds of excuses, (i.e it's too hot to breathe outside, the bugs are so bad and I hate being bitten, I will do the cuttings tomorrow etc.)
July is the best time of year to make cuttings and propagate new plants. By this time, the new spring growth has toughened up a little and there is still plenty of warmth to help the cuttings get off to a good start.
One of the best ideas I have come across for doing a lot of cuttings in a small space is called a Forsythe Pot. I don't have a clue who came up with this method, but it is incredible. Some claim it is almost foolproof.
The way to construct it is simple. I use a large 10-14 inch pot and fill it to within about an inch of the top with a very light propagating mixture. Some use plain vermiculite, others regular potting soil, but you really need something that is well aerated and lightweight. Next, use a small ( 4-6") terra cotta clay pot that hasn't been glazed in any way. Place a cork in the drainage hole of the small pot and settle it in the center of the larger pot. Keep the small pot full of water and stick the cuttings between the two pots. The water will seep through the sides of the small pot and maintain the moisture level of your rooting medium. Make sure to leave enough space between your cuttings to allow good airflow and then set the whole system in a shady spot where you can keep an eye on it and make sure the inner pot is full of water. Depending on the plant type you are propagating, you should have rooted plants within 6-8 weeks. I have been successful rooting Camellia, Azalea, Althea, Bottlebrush and a host of other plants this way as well.
Here is a tutorial I found that you may also find helpful.
I'm off to cut some chocolate vines and banana shrub and maybe some brugmansia too. If i get too hot, I'll come back inside and make some earrings I have been thinking about.
Happy Rooting.

Those are just plain....UGLY!

What a day this day has been at Sandypetals' studio. I have tried twice to photograph my jewelry so that I can list it here and in my etsy shop and on some other market places. Notice I said twice! I don't know what is wrong with me, but I have discovered that the pics I have taken of my jewelry stink. They aren't well lit, or there is some blurring,( blurred, an autofocus camera on a tripod?) so I deleted all of the first takes and tried again., Worst of all, I found that some of the earrings I have made are just UGLY. It was quite an eyeopener today when I went through my little box of treasures anxiously visualizing all the pretty little pieces proudly showing off in my shops, excitedly waiting for new homes.
I have heard it said that "blessed are those who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused" and I have to admit that I have been quite amused with myself today.What was I thinking?, how could I have put those combinations together? The really funny part is that I can picture my husband and child, playing the Abe Lincoln "hey does my butt look big in this dress?" scenario through their minds when I showed off my prizes and asked their opinions.
I thought that the little creative spurts I have been having at 1 or 2 AM lately were a good thing. Boy did I "thought" wrong! Those wee hours of the morning should definitely be spent dreaming! Now that I have confessed my design flaws, I have some questions for you.
What is the "ugliest" combination you have put together? ( come on, I can't possibly be the only one). I know that some others may like and be drawn to what seems unattractive to me, but if I wouldn't wear a piece of jewelry myself, should I try to sell it for someone else to wear?

Tuesday's Tightwad Tip

I can't believe it is already Tuesday again. It seems as though the world keeps spinning faster and faster and the older I get, the faster it spins.

Want new plants... Cheap or better yet Free plants?
There are so many websites and garden clubs now available, that you could literally fill your yard with free/ traded plants.
The easiest way is to start plants from cuttings. My Grandma taught me to root roses by putting a piece in the ground and putting a "mason" jar over it. When I bought my property she started many plants for me from her yard. Her Sister was also really good with plants and she would root gardenia's year round in a bucket behind her kitchen door and start seeds in dixie cups for the church bazzar.
When you start cuttings, they most important thing is to keep them from drying out. Take a 5-6" clipping and put it in moist sandy soil and keep it shaded and it is amazing what you will be able to grow.
If propagating your own plants seems too much, check into some of the gardening sites on the web.
Blossom Swap, Plant Traders, Daves Garden and Garden web all have very active communities of people who love to trade plants, seeds and cuttings. There are always those willing to share what they have or know with someone who is really interested.

Another really good way to be cheap is to grow your own herbs. The basics that you really use the most often are your best bets. Most of them are also easy to grow annuals and don't take a tremendous amount of care. Try Basil, oregano, Thyme, cilantro and dill. They are very easy to grow and taste great when added to your dinner. I don't know what they cost in other places, but here a tiny package of basil or mint is well over $3.00 and if you don't use it all relatively soon, it goes to waste. If you have it growing, you can simply harvest what you need and leave the rest to be ready in time for your next menu.

If you have any good tightwad tips, leave me a comment and I will share them when I do my next frugal posts.

Happy Penny Pinching.

Monday's Motivation

It is no secret that I am really bad about procrastinating. That has to come to an end NOW! We had recently noticed what we thought was a small leak in the roof of our porch. We discovered over the weekend that it wasn't small at all and it has been leaking for some time. I will save you the gory pictorial detail and let it suffice to say, that we will very soon be replacing the roof over our entire addition. The motivation for me is that replacing it won't come cheap and I really, Really! don't want to go back to work. So I have decided that procrastination is a thing of the past for me. I will spend less time putting things off that I have meant to do and more time getting them done. ( "I'm gonna" cannot exist in my vocabulary any longer) I have even gotten off to a good start today.
I listed more items for sale on Ebay and I have also loaded some of my photographic art in my redbubble shop
Tomorrow I am planning to stock my Etsy with my newest jewelry designs and possibly some metal sculptures as well. I simply must get busy, or consider taking a real job. I believe I'd rather get busy.

Soothing Saturday Rains

Don't ya just love it when you wake up in the morning and it is raining. The sounds of the rain hitting the roof are like no other. My garden is soaking up the desperately needed moisture and everything is looking so green.
I had a long list of things I had planned to do today, but since it is raining, I think I will take advantage of not being motivated to work outside and try to organize my studio a little. I currently have things spread out between 3 rooms and a couple of cabinets and I am at the point of really needing to consolidate them. When I finish organizing, I will photograph some of the pieces I have been working on and post them.
Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.


Life is like a rainbow, you need both the sun and the rain to make it's colors appear.

Tuesday's Tightwad Tip

I don't know about you, but I love it when I find good tightwad tips. My all time favorite is " Make your own". There are so many sights on the internet that specialize in frugality and money and finance tips that I won't even begin to go there.
I will tell you that anytime I find a recipe to "make my own", I have to try it. Some have been awesome, some disastrous, and some mediocre at best, but they have all been fun. I make some of my own condiments, my own cleaning supplies and even my own organic fertilizers.
The fertilizer was amazing and I even fed it to some epiphyllum cacti
that grew as much as 6 feet long last summer. I found the basic recipe on the brugmansia forum at Daves Garden. Then I kept working with it until I found a mixture that I liked. Living close to the beach, my yard is like sand. I have amended it for years with compost and potting soils, but they just filter through.
Anyway here is the formula ( recipe) that I ended up using. Try it out and let me know what you think.

Organic Plant Food

2 cups warm water
12ounces beer
1/2 cup household ammonia
1cup epsom salt
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 tsp super thrive

Mix well and use 1-1.5 Tbsp per gallon. You can use it twice a week and the leftovers should keep 3-4 weeks. Refrigerate the leftovers because it has a tendency to mold and smell really bad.
( Yet another lesson learned the hard way LOL)

I use it as a foliar feed as well as watering it in. I try not to feed them though when the temperatures are extremely hot.