Stop the Bastards now....Great ideas are here!

Click here: http://www.stopthefleas.com/

Source: stopthefleas.com via Phyllis on Pinterest

Ha Ha Ha! But oh so true!!

Source: iwastesomuchtime.com via Molly on Pinterest

Red/Burgundy Okra

I have grown "RED" okra before.  I loved it.  The stalks can get large without tasting like cardboard, and it adds lots of color in the Garden. Something I did not know about Okra is that is comes from Africa, and so that is why it loves the heat.  My Mother always told me that the soil needs to be warm before Okra can grow, so do not plant before June!  I am buying my seeds from: http://sustainableseedco.com/Red-Burgundy-Okra-Seed.html.  Of course photos will follow once June gets here!  I am also going to work on some recipes to stuff my Okra with different concoctions!  I am thinking the fresh Tomato's & Zucchini I will be growing will be a great place to start....

When to plant the vegetables in Houston

Asparagus – Jan 15->Feb 15th
Beans ( lima and snap ) – March 1->April 7th and Sept 1->Sept 21

Beets – Feb 1->28 & Sept 21->Oct 15th
Broccoli – Jan 21->Feb21 & Sept 15th ->Oct 15th
Cabbage – Jan 21->Feb 21 & Sept 15th ->Oct 15th
Cantaloupe – Mach 21->Jun 30th
Cauliflower – Jan 21->Feb 21 & Sept 15->Oct 15th
Carrots- Oct 15->Nov 15th
Collards – Jan 21->Feb 15th & Sept 15->Nov 1
Corn – Mar 1->March 31
Cucumber – Mar 21->Apr 30
Eggplant – March 21->Jul 7th
Kohlrabi – Jan 21->Feb 28th & Sept 21->Oct 31
Lettuce – Jan 21->Feb 28th & Oct 7->Nov 30
Muskmelon or Watermelon – March 21->Jun 30th
Okra – Apr 1st->Jul 31st
Onions – Jan 15->Feb 15
Peas, snap – Sept 21->Oct 15th
Peppers – March 15->April 30th
Potatoes – Feb 1->Feb 15th
Pumpkin – Mar 15->Jul 15
Radish -> Feb 1 -> Mar 7th & Sept 1->Nov 15th
Southern peas – Apr 1->Aug 21
Spinach – Oct 1->Nov 15th
Squash/Zucchini – Mar 15th ->Apr 30
Sweet potatoes – Apr 1->Jul 15th
Swiss Chard – Jan 21->Feb 15 & Sept 21->Nov 7
Tomatoes – Mar 1->Mar 31
Turnip – Feb 1 ->Feb 28th

From:
http://herselfshoustongarden.com/2008/03/when-to-plant-the-vegetable-plants.html

Who Knew? Push tabs on foil boxes!!

I did not know that you could do this!  Apparently they also have this on Saran wrap rolls!  Now my foil roll will not be jumping out of the box when I pull a sheet off!  Of course Reynolds Wrap or whom ever do not advertise this, as they want your foil to jump out of the box so you will use more!  I even asked my Mother if she knew about these tabs and she said no!!  

Bud Light Wind Chime Homage to Super Bowl XLVI 02-05-2012

It started raining here on Thursday, and we really need the rain from last years drought. I knew it looked like it would rain all the way throughout the weekend, so I need to do something to keep me busy. I started thinking about a bottle cap wind chime I wanted to make.  I had seen one on Pinterest, and knew I had the materials it takes to make one.  I dug out all our beer caps & tabs we have here at the shop, found my fishing line and pliers as well as some tape, drill bit box, black magic marker and my black wire.  I also put the cordless drill on charge.  Saturday I came to work and of course the rain came rolling in around 10:00 am.  So that's when I decided I would get to work on my wind chime.  Since it was Super Bowl weekend I found a aluminum Bud Light bottle that was a limited addition for the SB and decide to use it.  

This is what I did.....

I drilled a small hole in the end of the bottle for the wire to be inserted for hanging, using a 1/16 drill bit.  I needed to do this first before I had all those strand on the bottle, and it would be hard to handle with all those beer caps and tabs swings around.

I put the bottle in a towel before placing it in the vise as not to scratch the sides of the bottle.  

I determined that I could drill 12 holes at a 1/2" apart, and marked them with the marker.  

I started with a 1/16 drill bit and then progressed up to the 5/8's inch so the wire could fit through the holes.  

I then drilled a small 1/16 hole in the beer caps and tabs.  This way I could tie off the fishing line to the tabs and caps.  

I used eight caps and eight tabs per strand.

I cut 12 pieces of fishing line at about 36" long for each strand.  Make sure you have plenty for the end, and you are not trying to wrangle a small piece of line when tying off the last tab.

I started each strand with a beer cap and then a tab and so on until I used all eight caps.  

Once I finished the strand's, I used the extra line at the top of the fishing line and taped it to the heavier gauge wire so I could snake the line through the holes.

I used the last tab at the top of the bottle to hold the strand.

I used about two feet of the black heavy wire to hang 

the bottle with.

I then trimmed all the extra fishing line off.

Voila, one Bud Light Super Bowl Homage Wind Chime!

I am glad I used the blue beer bottle, because the Giant's won

and that's their color!

This was a fun project!  

Recycle/Reuse/Up-Cycle!  

Supplies I Used:

1/16 drill bit

5/8 drill bit

20 lbs fishing line

Black marker

Regular desk tape

Ruler

60 Beer caps

60 Beer tabs

4" Piece of wire

2' Black wire

1 Aluminum Beer can

Needle nose pliers

Cordless drill

Towel

Vise



Update:  2015....

I decided I did not like the beer tabs on the strands.  I switched them out with glass beads!  I also added a eye hook with a bolt for easy hanging.  I think "Giant Super Bowl Hangover" looks so much better now!

The "Bean".....is Winter over yet?