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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
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Category Archives: cleaning
My Life, Under New Management
Two weeks ago, I went to a workshop led by one of the founders of Agile Learning Centers (ALC). The workshop was focused on learning how to use agile management tools in support of self-directed learning. I’m in the process … Continue reading
Posted in cleaning, cooking, house/neighborhood, reflecting
2 Comments
A New Thanksgiving Tradition
We certainly have some Thanksgiving traditions in our family. I always make these pumpkin orange rolls, of course we eat cranbrosia, and we (for three years running now) braise our turkey for the most incredibly delicious and moist turkey you’ve … Continue reading
Misappropriation of Party Planning and Preparation Time
Last Saturday afternoon, I had the fun of hosting a bridal open house (like a shower only with no presents involved) for one of my best friends. I had allocated the day before (Friday) for house cleaning and food preparation, … Continue reading
Posted in cleaning, friends, gardening
6 Comments
Folding Laundry (shades of “Journal of Best Practices”)
Here’s how I like to fold laundry, in my ideal world. First, I sort it into piles – Ellie, Mark, Nik, Laura, bath towels, sheets, kitchen (wash clothes, towels), napkins, etc. (I didn’t do this initial step until I had … Continue reading
Life Hack: Make Your Clean Space Attractive Enough to Motivate You to Keep It That Way
I love how our dining room table looks when it’s clean. Chairs pushed in and totally clear of clutter The vase was a Christmas present from Nik’s brother and sister-in-law. I love the structural beauty of it so I leave … Continue reading
Posted in cleaning, useful beautiful
5 Comments
KIOS: Grooming, Part 4: In Praise of Infrequent Flushing
This post is part of my series, “Kickin’ It Old Skool: Why and How We Are Old-Fashioned” or KIOS for short. If you’re new to the series, please read my disclaimer before continuing on. I’m keeping a table of contents … Continue reading
When Principles Meet Nostalgia
Nik and I have some fairly strong convictions on what kind of toys we want to have in our house. I blogged about this more extensively in this post. Specifically, we decided that we didn’t want to have any plastic … Continue reading
Posted in cleaning, Ellie, parenting, useful beautiful
8 Comments
