so that's how broccoli grows

Call me a geek or old fashioned or whatever... but I think this is seriously amazing:

And look at these beauties:


Those were supposed to be cherry tomatoes... but I think the seeds were mislabeled. Or I'm just such an awesome gardener that they grew to twice their normal size. More likely the former.

zucchini and tomatoes

cherry tomatoes, taking over the patio

my favorite corner of the garden

one step closer to a finished basement

Despite the hassle of receiving a "signature required" package from UPS when one is hardly ever home, I finally got my TV!

It doesn't work yet, of course. I need new cords for the DVD player, and an antenna to get signal in the basement.

But that's okay. The bookshelves are done, and as soon as I get a couch down there, it will be quite the cozy hideaway.

Here are a few of the couches I'm considering... any fan favorites? I'm looking for a couch that will fit down the narrow stairwell, match the white furniture and lemongrass walls, and fit at least 2-3 people (I'm thinking I'll put an armchair down there eventually, too).

Kivik sofa - IKEA

LA Convertible Sofa (bone) - Target

Karlstad sofa with chaise - IKEA

summer blooms

mint and hydrangeas from the garden

daisies from a friend

bouquet from the farmer's market

an experiment

I'm working on a new project...

inspired by the cinnamon basil (back) and lemon verbena (front) that I got from a friend's garden.

I've read about homemade infused liquors, so I tried my hand at a few different kinds...

lemon verbena + vodka

red plum + vodka

cinnamon basil + vodka

I'll know in a few weeks how they turned out... but my cousins and I tried an early taste of the lemon verbena, and it was delicious :) So far, so good.

weekends in the kitchen

Major house projects finished since I last posted to the blog: 0

Weekends spent in the kitchen and relaxing on the couch instead: 3

The big sprint to get the house in presentable shape before the party a few weekends ago left me a little wiped out... maybe I'll have more motivation in August :)

But, in the meanwhile, here's what I've occupied with lately:

More photos and recipes to come...

xoxo

LG

the TV stand with no TV

The third big project I tackled last weekend (other than covering up the polka dots and painting the yellow room) was assembling a bookshelf/entertainment center for the basement, with the help of a strong and patient friend.

Here's the space I wanted to fill:

I found a piece at IKEA that fills about two-thirds of the space, and I'll fill in the remainder of the wall nook with another smaller bookshelf. I also chose this piece because it's designed for a TV - and although I don't have one yet, I imagine I'll acquire one eventually. But for now, it will at least get my books off the floor of the basement!

The big assembly:

Ta-da!

It was a monster, that's for sure.

Yes. It's a lot of books. Trust me, I've moved them all multiple times. And this isn't even all of them.

But I had to save room for the imaginary TV, you know.

the yellow room

Calling rooms by their colors always reminds me of my grandma. I don't actually know if she does this, but I have it in my mind that she does.

Regardless, I think I'll probably end up referring to the guest bedrooms by their colors. It's just too cumbersome to say "mom and dad's room" and "the other guest bedroom," not to mention explaining which one is which. Much easier to say "the yellow room" and "the blue room." Right? Right.

What I won't be saying is "the lime green room." Because that one, my friends, is no more. Along with getting rid of the polka dots last weekend, I tackled mom and dad's room. {Background: my parents live on the West Coast but my younger brother and sister both go to school here - so, they plan to visit us often, which means I let them pick out a bedroom of their own to decorate and keep their stuff in.}

Mom sent the comforter a few weeks ago, and I picked up the sheets on sale at Target. The rug used to be in their bedroom back home, but I inherited it a few years ago when I officially moved to Minnesota. I picked the wall color based on the gold in the rug and the caramel color of the wood floor:

Before:

Painting:

After:

A gallon of Behr Ultra (primer + paint in one) was just enough for two coats. And it only took about five hours from start to finish! Definitely my quickest painting project to date.