Several years ago I tried container gardening with a couple tomato and pepper plants. It didn't turn out well. My yard was too shady and I always forgot to water it. I don't recall if we even got it to bear fruit, but I did leave the pot outside in the winter and it cracked.
This year I am really motivated to give it a try again! We are in a different house and I've really been watching the yard for where the best sunlight is. I've also decided to try starting from seed.
Instead of buying the seed starting trays, I am using halved toilet paper tubes in pans. Possibly a recipe for disaster, but if it doesn't work I guess I'll just go buy plants at the local nursery!
So far I have planted cucumbers, mini- bell peppers, a variety of hot peppers, and a tray of mixed lettuce. I have them setup in the basement. It's probably not warm enough down there, but it does get a good bit of sunlight through the windows.
I have seeds for beans, purple carrots, and spinach also, but I ran out of starting containers. I think I'll also buy some small tomato plants when it is time to move everything outside... I hope it warms up soon!
Happy Valentine's Day! I made these little rocks for the girls at work. Pretty simple, but fun- paper hearts Modge Podged on to smooth rocks I bought at the dollar store.
This project took what felt like eternity and a million plastic bags! About 1/2 way through I said I would never, ever make one of these again, but now that it is finished I might do more, just not nearly as large.
I cut up plastic grocery bags into rings and looped them together to make plastic yarn, or "plarn" as the tutorial I was inspired by referred to it. I have no clue how many plastic bags this actually took. My best guess is at least 100?
The only other good use for the plastic grocery bags is as small trash bags since they don't recycle them around here, so I guess I make more? I think next time I might make a lunch bag sized one. I might also branch out to using a wider variety of colored bags or make a more complex patten than just the one stripe.
A girlfriend needed a gift for the seniors on her son's bowling
team
but was on a budget. Trying to think of something that works for
both boys and girls and something that they might actually keep and use,
we came up with etched, glass mugs! This is a super easy process that has a great outcome. I use a Cricut to make my stencil, but you can use an exacto knife to cut out your design and it works just as well- just takes a bit more time.
As luck would have it, the Dollar Tree had just gotten in these glass mugs. I
cut the stencils out of vinyl, put on the etching cream, and voila! A
functional keepsake that looks pretty cool. She is going to fill them
with candy and wrap them up in school colored cellophane.
This year I am really motivated to give it a try again! We are in a different house and I've really been watching the yard for where the best sunlight is. I've also decided to try starting from seed. 
So far I have planted cucumbers, mini- bell peppers, a variety of hot peppers, and a tray of mixed lettuce. I have them setup in the basement. It's probably not warm enough down there, but it does get a good bit of sunlight through the windows.
