Today, I am grateful for my mother-in-law Tina. Her generous care of, and for, us eases a little bit the sadness of being so far away from my own family. And she has become a good friend of mine!
Instagram
Tonight, I’m getting caught up in @truthstable Season 2 (one of my favorite podcasts, you should definitely listen) and quilting Ellie’s #fancyforestmedallionquilt. I love my @husqvarnaviking sewing machine but this model was NOT designed for quilters and the throat is so small! However, I am managing to shove this giant quilt through it and I’m hoping to have the bulk of the quilting done by Sunday. 😀 #salmonandsouvlakisews #charmcitysewcial #baltimoremqgI’ve started a stealth* autumn #100dayproject for myself. I inevitably get so caught up in busyness in the fall that I don’t do any sewing until December. And by then, all the sewing I end up doing is presents for extended family (also important!) and there are some things I really want to sew for my own family. So this year, I was determined to not let that happen and set myself a goal of spending at least 15 minutes a day EVERY DAY in my sewing room. Other than missing one day, I’ve achieved my goal every day since September 1st. Funny thing with forcing creativity - once you jump start it, it starts flowing! Actually spending time in my sewing room reminded me that it was about time that I finished Ellie’s #fancyforestmedallionquilt so in this past week, I pieced the back and today I got the quilt sandwich done. I gave her the partial quilt top for Christmas 2017 and I’m going to give her the completed quilt for her birthday (in 10 days). Is that cheating? 😂 In the meantime, I am carrying on with my secret sewing for #100daysofsewingbeforeChristmas. You’ll just have to wait until December 25 to see what all those projects will actually be. 😀🎄 . . . *I call it a stealth project because if I don’t announce it to the world, is it actually happening? 😂 #salmonandsouvlakisews #charmcitysewcial #baltimoremodernquiltguildI think this little pollinator-attracting perennial bed at the end of our vegetable garden has turned out nicely, don’t you? I got all the plants, except for the rosemary, from other parts of our yard. Cheers for perennials that reproduce themselves and make many free babies! 😀 (@erisner1410 - those daylilies started out at your house. 😀) I planted all the perennials in the spring and they have survived the hot summer. Hooray! #salmonandsouvlakigardensIt’s not quite as nice as swimming in the Aegean, but when it feels like 105 degrees F, the sprinkler feels pretty great too! 😀Good morning! This lovely bouquet is brought to you by an empty section in my own garden, a packet of zinnia seeds from @bakercreekseeds, a lot of water and sunshine, and time. The only thing I really did (besides plant the seeds) was follow a tip from @dahliamayflowerfarm and cut the plants back when they were small to encourage bushier growth (and hence more blooms). And ta da!! More flowers than I know what to do with! I cut all of these and couldn’t even tell that I’d picked any. It’s very exciting to grow your own flower bouquets! 😍I’ve definitely paid for my packet of seeds. (Also, remember that one lonely zinnia from a month ago? That’s the difference a month makes!) #salmonandsouvlakigardensI have managed to empty out and put away all our suitcases. That means I’m done unpacking right? 😂 Look further to see the truth. 😉Adventures in Europe, Days 24-25 (8/21-22/18): It’s been a long two days of traveling - first a plane from Athens to Dublin (where Nik had his last coffee!), then a bus to Belfast, then a 13-hour reunion with cousins (so much FUN!) 😍, and then a brutally long set of flights home. We’re still in JFK so not home yet but we’re back in the land of American accents and phones that have data and we’ll be in our own beds eventually. It’s been an amazing trip! And now back to your regularly scheduled gardening and sewing posts. 😉 #salmonandsouvlakitravelsAdventures in Europe, Day 23 (8/20/18) (part 2): Monday night was our last night in Athens, our last night in Greece, and the last night of our trip. Knowing the psychology of happiness when it comes to travel (you remember the beginning and the end the most), we figured we’d better end with a splash! 😀 So we took the tiny funicular train almost straight up to the top of Mt. Lykavitos. Obviously, we weren’t the only ones who had the idea of watching the sun set on the Parthenon from the top. 😉 Even with the crowds, the light was glorious and it was also fun to see the Parthenon from a third angle. (We decided not to actually go up to the top of the Acropolis on this trip because our kids are still pretty young and we know that we will be back.) On the way down, Nik, Ellie and I walked the switchbacks and despite the prickly pear cactus spines that I got in my leg (my fault, not the cactus’s), it was really fun to walk down the mountain. Pappou, Theo Nikiforos and Marko took the train down and after meeting at the bottom, we headed to Monasteraki, a neighborhood in central Athens to have handmade ice cream with Nik’s cousin, Penny and her husband Christos. We had such a lovely time with them and were sad that we couldn’t be with them for longer. It’s really tough when there are thousands of miles between loved ones. In Baltimore, we feel the tug to both sides of the world. (Literally - I was 11 hours ahead of my family in Alaska!) it was a wonderful and to an amazing trip. We are so blessed. ❤️🇬🇷 #salmonandsouvlakitravelsAdventures in Europe, Day 23 (8/20/18, our last full day in Greece!) (part 1): We spent our last morning in Athens shopping with Nik’s uncle, Theo George. He is another pappou to our kids 😍 and we all had fun picking out some treats from him. We even found a couple of thread and yarn shops for Ellie and me to choose a little something for ourselves. I chose the matching DMC embroidery floss to finish up my felt project when I get home. I easily could have bought the same thread in Baltimore but it’s special to know that we bought it just a few feet from our apartment in Athens. While we were out shopping, we also found Nik’s grandma’s old building, where Nik spent many summer days as a kid. He would climb over that balcony and hop down to play with his neighborhood friends. 😉 Finally, Marko indulged in his favorite big city activity and we bought a few more bakery treats to take back to Northern Ireland with us the next day. #salmonandsouvlakitravels #itsgoodtobegreekAdventures in Europe, Day 22 (8/19/18) (part 2): Lunch and a nap did wonders for everyone and then we headed to the sea south of Athens for one last swim. We swam in the Aegean for 9 days in a row! Swimming in the evening has the dual benefits of being both gorgeous and also sunscreen-free. 😉 We had a lovely swim and then drove to the pedestrian area near the Acropolis museum for a closer view of the Parthenon. It was quite a backdrop for our pizza dinner and a lovely evening overall! #salmonandsouvlakitravels #parthenon #acropolisAdventures in Europe, Day 22 (8/19/18) (part 1): Sunday was devoted to seeing the sites at the center of Athens. We started with the original Olympic Stadium, from the first Olympic games in 1896. From there, we also got our first good views of the Parthenon. I also spotted daphne (mountain laurel), the plant that I share a name with. 😀 Moving on, we walked to the Zappeion, a huge ornate building with really gorgeous ceilings. 😍 Next, we stumbled onto the once-weekly ceremonial parade for the changing of the guard at the Syntagma (parliament building). So fun! After that, we walked through the National Gardens, which are very beautiful but I didn’t manage to take any good pictures, perhaps because I was distracted by all of the “I’m tired/hot/my legs hurt” whining? 😉 To my kids’ credit, we had been traveling for over three weeks at this point and it was really hot. They’ve been great travelers for this whole trip and I really can’t begrudge them one grumpy day. 😀 So, rather than do more sightseeing as we had planned, we headed home for lunch and air-conditioning. 😀 #salmonandsouvlakitravelsAdventures in Europe, Day 21, (8/18/18) (part 2): When we got to Athens and took a walk in the evening, my immediate first impression was how empty the city felt, at least in Pagrati, our neighborhood in central Athens. We have previously visited in June and July and it was amazing how much less crowded the streets were this time. August is the month for vacation out of the big city, clearly! I also had forgotten how very tiny the elevator in our building is! (Also, love that old sewing machine!) #salmonandsouvlakitravels #salmonandsouvlakisewsCategories
- AIBLW (14)
- Alaska (62)
- baby (52)
- baking (19)
- books (116)
- canning (7)
- cleaning (18)
- cooking (178)
- crafts (4)
- dating (1)
- Ellie (573)
- engagement (17)
- faith (31)
- family (339)
- Finishalong 2017 (1)
- friends (85)
- gardening (90)
- Greece (29)
- health and beauty (50)
- holidays (36)
- house/neighborhood (42)
- How To ___ Without ___ (9)
- just for fun (117)
- KIOS (80)
- knitting (2)
- linguistics (5)
- love (67)
- Mark (225)
- marriage (5)
- movie (74)
- nursing (32)
- organizing (5)
- parenting (107)
- photography (4)
- politics (12)
- pre-kids (6)
- recipe (27)
- reflecting (116)
- school (144)
- series (1)
- sewing (318)
- travel (119)
- tutorial (19)
- Uncategorized (4)
- useful beautiful (11)
- weather (60)
- wedding (40)
Archives
- December 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- February 2017
- December 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
- March 2006
- February 2006
- January 2006
- December 2005
Today I am thankful for the beauty of the sunshine on the fresh snow.