Spring is officially here, so I thought it might be interesting to see how my plants from last year survived our mild winter. My little garden is composed entirely of pots, most of which are hanging far above the reach of James and Rhys. I chose plants that can withstand the Texas summer heat, as well as the mild winter, and I’m hoping they’ll continue to thrive as warmer weather approaches.
(The lantana is a little thin and wiry, but it’s beginning to flower and grow.)
(My begonias are still flowering, and I’m hoping the bougainvillea will blossom soon.)
(My hanging geraniums are too easy to care for.)
(My newest geranium additions.)
I’m most impressed with the geraniums, and they are incredibly resilient. I now understand why my grandmother always had so many on her porch, because they are hardy and easy to maintain. Home Depot keeps them sitting outside in the sun, so I pick up a few from time to time, both in small pots and in larger hanging containers. I’m fond of the bright pink color, though they come in several different varieties. I love seeing their blossoms when I look outside during the day!
It’s still early in the season, and I hope my little plants will continue to grow and blossom for the entire spring and summer. Are you doing any gardening this spring?
(My homemade boyfriend jeans.)
Over the weekend, I “made” myself a pair of boyfriend jeans! But don’t go getting all excited, because this isn’t a DIY post. (You should know me better than that by now!)
I’m a big fan of Kohl’s Simply Vera Vera Wang jeans (I’ll never get why Wang’s cheap line says her name twice!), though I typically prefer the dark wash to minimize the pear part of my silhouette. But I found this lighter pair of bootcut jeans on sale, complete with the whiskering I can’t stand. Since the temperature is creeping over the 80 degree mark these days, I definitely don’t need more full-length jeans in my closet, and on Saturday, I took a pair of scissors to them, inspired partly by this post.
I’m a stay-at-home mom, and I fully admit to wearing capri jeans for most of the year. I’m not embarrassed to share that fact, and I often make my own. It’s too easy to do, by simply lining up a shorter pair of pants on top of the longer jeans, drawing a line, and cutting. Just be sure that both pant legs are cut at the same general length, so you don’t get a lop-sided pair of jeans. After that, you can wash the jeans, remove the loose threads as they unravel, roll up the cuffs, and voila! A new pair of jeans!
I used some fabric scissors to distress my jeans ever so slightly, and I even tried the cheese grater approach. Since my jeans are thicker than Emily’s shirt, it didn’t work as well, so I cut a few small slits at random points to make the jeans look more lived-in. It didn’t take much, because they were sporting the worn-in look when I bought them.
These will be my at-home jeans for the spring and summer, and I’m surprised by how much I like them. I typically prefer a more polished look, but I love the edginess they add to an outfit, especially combined with a feminine top and shoes. I’ll post a picture as soon as I’m in a posing mood, but here’s a chance to appear in The New York Times in your own pair of boyfriend jeans!
Have you updated or improvised with a piece of your clothing? I’d love to hear about it!
Last week, we got together with some friends for a little stargazing session, in an attempt to view the Pan-STARRS Comet that is visible in the Northern Hemisphere through the end of March. Our local paper suggested viewing from a western position, hopefully without trees, buildings, and lights in the way. We headed to our city’s soccer fields about dusk, and our photographer-friend brought along his camera with a very powerful lens. Ryan photographed the event while I supervised the boys’ rock hunting expedition.
(The boys on their quest for rocks.)
(Our friend hoping to catch the comet.)
(The crescent moon rising over Austin.)
(The tiny crescent moon.)
(Night falls on Pflugerville.)
We never did see the comet that night, and our friend climbed to a much higher point the next evening, still to no avail. But we had a wonderful time, and made a few sweet memories for the boys.
