Cookies, Clematis and Combines

Cookies

I was craving homemade cookies this weekend and I just watched the second episode of The Pioneer Woman's show on Food Network.

Because of the above, I made these...

I remembered reading about Monster Cookies on one of the blogs I frequent but it was before I started Pinning in and every recipe I may ever want to try. This meant I had to do some searching and I finally came upon PW's recipe on the Tasty Kitchen site.

If you have never used Tasty Kitchen to look up a recipe, I highly recommend it. Lots of great bloggers and others post their favorite recipes there.

Clematis
My sweet autumn clematis has started to bloom!

Can't wait to see it in full bloom!

Combines
As I was driving by the farm (also known as Grandma's house...even though my baby sister and her family live there now) and noticed this...

as sure of a sign that harvest is right around the corner as the turning corn and soybeans in the field around us! We were thinking that harvest was going to be late this year because all the rain this spring caused Dad and other farmers in Indiana to plant late. However, we didn't get much any rain in July and August so the crops have already started to turn. 

Looks as if they either plan to start with soybeans (the bean head is on the combine...the corn head looks more like fingers) OR they are just cleaning it up while they have some time.

Harvest was early last year and it went VERY fast so I only got to ride with Dad once the whole harvest...I'm definitely going to be in the cab more often this year...if I can persuade my nephews to give me a turn in the jump seat!

My Excitement is Budding

I'm so excited. 

This is my Sweet Autumn clematis...

Isn't it gorgeous?

Look at all of those potential blooms!

I planted this last summer from a transplant my mom gave me. 

I have always loved clematis. I worked with a lot of different varieties during my summer job in high school working for a nursery. Clematis with large dark purple blooms. Clematis with light purple blooms. Clematis with large white blooms.

But I have not had the chance to enjoy Sweet Autumn clematis before and am so looking forward to sitting on my patio when this is in full bloom!

Do you have flowers that have not yet bloomed yet?

What's your favorite fall flower?

Decorating the Garden

When I got a very cool round floor planter from Avant Garden Decor  in the mail a few weeks ago, I immediately knew what I had to do with it.

My little outside space just didn't do it justice...

I'm the only one who really ever sees this space and while I do try to keep some living plants (I'm down at least 4 this year), I just wanted better for my new planter.

I knew where it had to go...

My mom has a beautiful yard with several special places where she has wonderful landscaping that is inviting to people, butterflies and birds!

So, I took the planter to her and she decided it needed to go right outside the front door...you see we are country folk so the front door stoop is just for looks, everyone knows to come on in the back door!

Isn't it pretty? I can't wait to see how she changes it up each year.

This week the Real Farmwives of America and Friends have teamed up with Perky Pet Feeders to give away a Hummingbird Feeder!

If you would like to win a Hummingbird Feeder, please head over to the Real Farmwives of America & Friends Blog and sign up for the giveaway!  


Avant Garden Decor did provide me with this product to review, however the thoughts and opinions shared about this product on this blog are my own, of course!

Feeling a Bit Random

I'm feeling a bit random tonight. 

Hope you bear with me...here we go!

Did you see the cool Google effect earlier this week? I called it the "Google guitar."

 When you ran the mouse over the strings, it played like a guitar. Very fun and cool.

Last week, I was able to hit Half-Price Happy Hour at Steak-n-Shake twice! Score.

After one long day at work, I might have even gotten a chocolate milkshake AND a Coke Zero...

In my defense, it was still cheaper than the milkshake would have been at full price!

Isn't this the most adorable dress ever? I couldn't resist it...even if it's a size 3 and my oldest niece is just 8 months old. It won't go out of style in 2 years, will it?

 Speaking of my eldest niece...here she is.

Can you see her hair? I was having a bit of fun while riding in the backseat with her!

It cooled off today after a week of very hot weather so I decided it was time to work in my "yard" and put out a few flowers. Here are a couple of flowerpots...

I also put out some mulch. My fingernails may never be the same...

One more thing...

Did you hear that we are giving away a SIGNED copy of The Pioneer Woman's book - Black Heels and Tractor Wheels - over on Real Farmwives (and Friends) of America? Check it out!

Well, that's about all I have. Check back tomorrow for my fourth recipe in my RFOA and Gooseberry Patch project!

Newspaper + Nephew = New Landscaping

Almost a month ago I started sprucing up my small outdoor space. Well, it's been a slow process between the rain, my work schedule and, honestly, my laziness!

Recently, I recruited some slave labor help from my eldest nephew (see him enjoying the Dumbo ride during our recent trip to Disney World) to finish up the project.

 

First we tackled the two large pots flanking my front door. Above is my first attempt at filling them - I'm usually very afraid of mixing colors. As you can see I stuck with white and purple at the beginning. 

After seeing the riot of color in other people's landscaping, I decided to be bold and add some other colors. I gave the nephew the spade and told him to dig me some holes and the dirt flew! (I didn't have the camera with me at the time so I have no visual documentation.)

He informed me that he can dig some great holes because of all of his time in the sandbox! I agreed and grabbed a broom.

Here's the final product.

 

We also had to tackle spreading some mulch. It was getting hot so we did one side of the patio that morning and I finished up the other side a few days later.

One trick that my mom taught me is a clever way to control weeds using newspaper! It's such great advice that I recently saw an article in the Indianapolis Star telling folks about it.

If you have large sections of your landscaping that you don't plan on planting and you want to keep the weeds away, layer newspaper on the bare ground, wet them down and then place your mulch on top!

 

I know it's nothing like the landscaping at the folks' farm that I featured at the start of this project, but I'm proud of it and hopefully I can add to it over time.