The First Harvest

Today, I would like to share the joy of the first fruits of the laboring gardener.

The day has finally arrived. You have toiled and strove to create a beautiful, flourishing garden. You finally begin your harvest. The garden is green and blossoming. You walk out and immediately spot the ripe and ready produce standing proudly in your nutritious soil. The mission to collect your delicious crop has begun. You pull carrots, you pluck tomatoes, and you yank hardy beets. Gathering in your arms (or basket) your delicious goods, you walk inside to wash off the dirt and enjoy eating the fruits of your hard labor. 

Yum!!

Laboring to get the first fruits of your harvest is an exciting moment. You discover where you succeeded (and failed) in your efforts to grow an abundant garden. You see where you can learn more and where you have discovered how to grow the perfect vegetable. My husband and I picked our first harvest this past week, and it was exciting! From it, we created a salad that, for the first time, consisted of all our own vegetables. There is such reward and joy in picking and then eating our own food!


So I end this short, reminiscing blog with a couple questions: What joys have you experienced harvesting your garden? And, what is your favorite produce that you are looking forward to harvesting?

                           Happy gardening! 

-Amanda

Our first harvest.

Safe Harbor Laws

At an organization called change.org, they are petitioning to enact Safe Harbor Laws to protect underage children who have been commercially exploited.

"Safe Harbor laws are that better option. These laws define these sexually exploited children as victims of abuse, help them find protection and support, and grant them immunity from prosecution for prostitution while they are under 18 years of age.

Safe Harbor laws also can increase funding for specialized services like long-term housing, mental health care, educational support, and job training to help these children recover. Thirty-nine states lack these basic Safe Harbor protections – including Texas, Michigan, Nebraska, and Louisiana. Every state can do more to increase services for child victims of sex trafficking." 

-Carolina De Los Rios, PhD
Apart of Polaris Project

To find out more and how you can sign and promote this petition visit HERE.

Thank you for supporting this cause!

Supporting Moms

As many of you know, we, as a vintage business, support GEMS and their organization. This summer, they have put together a registry to help some amazing women who have children and need baby supplies. Below is instructions from their site! 

"Summer is here and our GEMS’ babies are ready to enjoy some fun in the sun! Their lovely moms could really use your support to keep their munchkins happy and healthy this summer with basic items such as diapers, formula, and bottles. YOU can help our young women fulfill their children’s basic needs by purchasing items on our wish list! Start your week off right and check it out today!!"

Here’s how to use the My Registry wish list:
1. Visit the registry at http://bit.ly/I2VWH8 (use Firefox; Internet Explorer isn’t really compatible with this website.
2. Click on the item you want to purchase. A pop-up window will say that you will be directed to the Target or Walmart website.
3. Click “Continue to View or Buy This Gift” on the pop-up window.
4. Wait while you are connected to the Target or Walmart website.
5. Click “Add to Cart” and then “Proceed to Checkout.”
6. Insert the shipping address that “My Registry” is showing at the top of the page.
7. Fill out your billing address—and then you should be set!
If you have any trouble with the wish list, please email Zuleika Muñoz at zuleika@gems-girls.org! And thank you for supporting our family!!

Hope you all have a wonderful Monday!

Shopping Vintage on Etsy: Week 6

We come together again this week to bring you some more extraordinary shops from Etsy's vintage circles. For this week, the focus is clothes and accessories. With summer here, we are all looking for the vintage tank top or shorts that we can look stunning in but still keep cool.

The first spectacular shop is Story Teller's Vintage. Her shop carries an array of clothing items ranging from hats to skirts to small oddities. She has clothing as well as home decor and gardening in her store. The owner, Kate, lives in the Sierra Nevada's in California where she has found many vintage treasures that now can be seen in her shop. The items in her shop are unique, quirky, and fun, making her shop a perfect stop for your vintage style needs. Enjoy browsing through her wonderful items!

1970's Aviator Sunglasses

1970's Wool Blend Blue Stripe Skirt

Suede Fringe Vest 

The second shop that is a go to for summer vintage clothes is Ginny and Harriot. Here you will find beautiful, distinctive vintage clothing for the summer months to come. The owner, Elizabeth, started her shop after moving to New Orleans and marrying the love of her life. Through class photos, her shop shares with you the treasures from past decades and brings the beautiful fashion of many eras right to your fingertips. Enjoy shopping through her fabulous collection!

Large Woven Straw Hat

 

1950's Purple Summer Dress

1970's Sleeveless Knit Top

Lastly, for your summer clothes shopping, stop by BlueFennel. With simple, elegant pictures and a wonderful clothes selection, this shop has many vintage styles to choose from. Whether you are looking for that perfect dress or a new clothing accessory, BlueFennel will most likely have it. Go and have a look! 

50's Rockabilly Dress 

1950's Pillbox Hat 

Yellow Chiffon Dress

And there you have it. Three beautiful vintage shops for you to browse through and discover treasures. Enjoy your summer shopping for your 'new' vintage clothes!

A Hint of Mint

Growing bug free vegetables is the challenge of every gardener. No matter which part of the world you may live in, the bugs come seeking to devour your precious plants. Rather than use insecticide, there are many natural methods to repelling these bothersome creatures.

Mint is a common herb but one that can help in this endeavor. It is a hardy plant, and it can grow in almost any environment. It brings a fresh fragrance to your garden, but it also serves as a bug deterrent to ants, flies, fleas and even mice. It doesn't just repel, though. It attracts a gardener's favorite friend: the earthworm.

 To begin planting mint, you can start from a seed or buy a plant. Buying the plant is suggested since mint takes longer than others to sprout and come to maturity. Make sure to plant the mint in a location that will receive the bright morning sun but some shade in the afternoon.

The one downfall to mint are its roots. Although it will not choke your other plants, it can quickly take over a garden. It spreads its roots outward while sprouting new leaves, and it can soon become a pesky weed rather than a simple bug deterrent plant. To keep it in check, many have suggested the use of mulch around the plant as well as constant thinning.

As it matures, the mint will continue to grow steadily, and its leaves can be used for many things inside the kitchen. One of my favorite things to do with mint is add it to my black tea. This gives it a lovely, subtle hint of flavor.

Mint is a perfect plant to add to your garden bed for this growing season. Enjoy gardening! :)

-----Amanda

Vintage Shopping on Etsy

From antique malls to yard sales, one can hunt for that perfect item that will spruce up the living room or those perfect vintage shoes that will add pizazz to your wardrobe. Shopping, as we know, can be an adventure filled with surprise and disappointment. Hunting down that 1950's rotary phone that would look great on your shelf can be quite a task, but here, we hope to help you narrow down your options of vintage sellers that can be found on the wonderful site of Etsy.

AttentionVintage is a great shop filled with fantastic vintage finds and beautiful photos of products. Browsing through the shop, you feel as if you have stepping into a vintage shop on your street corner. From glasses to clothespins, this little shop has finds that you will fall in love with.

Vintage Toy Cowboys

Vintage Lighter

Vintage Handmade Bees

ReverseChronology takes on the task of combining a shop with handmade and vintage items. Located in Portland, the owners are a couple in love with vintage, art and old cars. Their shop has unique items that can fit your needs in fantastic clothes, vintage love, and handmade decor. Check out their shop as well as their art shop.

Bird in a Jar Diorama

1943 Short Spanish Review Grammar Book

Hand-Painted Kitchen Utensils

The last shop on this fantastic list is The Things That Were. Located in Bulgaria, this gorgeous shop holds wonderful items and fun photos. Recently discovering his love for vintage, the shop owner enjoys discovering and giving items a new purpose. Check out his vintage shop for fun finds, vintage clothes, and more! He also runs a fantastic photography shop if you want some beautiful wall decor.

Vintage Industrial Scissors

Karls-on-the-Roof Vintage Badge

Ukranian Plastic Doorbell

Enjoy shopping vintage lovers!