Under the Tulip Tree

Homemade Patio Pavers

The digging is complete and we've started laying down the pavers for the patio. They're not really pavers, they're actually large 24" cement squares but it's easier to call them pavers. The squares above are actual stones of some kind and were put here by the previous owners. We needed 16 more for our patio expansion and when we started sourcing them locally, we found out that they cost about $100 each. $1,600 for stones was totally out of the question so we decided to cast them ourselves out of concrete.

First, Michael made two molds out of 2x4's and plywood with inside measurements of approximately 24" square to match the original stones. Each square took one 60 lb. bag of Quikcrete concrete mix that we got from Home Depot. He mixed the concrete in a wheelbarrow and poured it in each mold to set. When you let these dry, you have to make sure they are in the shade, otherwise they will dry too quickly in the sun and crack. (We just moved them under our umbrella.)

When the pavers were about half-way dry and still a bit tacky, we used a stiff brush to rough up the surface slightly. We want these to look like stones so perfectly smooth concrete is not the look we're going for. After they were pretty much dry, we removed them from the molds and let them dry out completely.

Finally, we started laying out the pavers and got to see how it was going to come together. We only have two molds and each paver takes about 24 hours to harden and we've got seven more to make so that means we should finish by this weekend. (I think that's what it means).

Oh, and the concrete for 16 stones only cost $43.

$1,600 minus $43 is a lot.

ANY

Summer Apron Sundress

Pattern New Look 6459
View B
Fabric 100% Cotton Calico (used to be curtains from my old apartment)

This is one of the sundresses I made a few months back when I was on my sundress sewing bender. I made my usual adjustments (bust in, hips out, 2" to hem) and it was a keeper. Perfect for sitting poolside, eating nachos, and watching the kids take swimming lessons. Perfect for dumping said nachos in my lap (and down my leg and into my flip-flop) then running to the pool shower for a cold rinse with nary a stain to be seen. It's like it never happened. That's all I really ask of my clothes: to hid the evidence.

ANY

Ratsitting and the Latest Plea

We have one happy girl in the house.

Her friend went out of town and needed someone to watch her rat, Jackie, for the week. My girl has been beside herself, and I'm getting used to seeing a rat on her shoulder.

A few weeks ago I found this at my computer:

These are her words exactly…

ANY

So here's the deal…

We both want a few things from each other, which results in the fact that we get angry at each other, which results in an argument, or in a worst case scenario, a shouting match in the dining room, while Dada orders me to imprisonment in my room. So why not make a compromise? I can give you what you want fairly easily, and you can give me what I want in an even simpler way.

What You Will Get…

In return from your kind services, I will do several things. First of all, (Starting the month  of June) I will clean my room every Saturday, preferably without being asked. In addition to this, I will adopt more chores to do in the week, if you find this presumable. I will clean my hamster's cage every week, and give her fresh food each day. You may add any reasonable responsibilities you see fit. You will not need to pay me an allowance, and I won't ask.

What You Give Me…

For all of this, there is only one thing I ask of you: you allow me to own a rat (Or raise my percentage a reasonable amount to which you see fit). I will gladly pay for all necessaries, and present you with a detailed essay on all rattish welfare. I only ask this to be completed by the end of summer vacation.

Signed,
Arden Smith

ANY

Yes, I'm starting to crack. The only thing holding her back now is that she already has a hamster named Pipi and I've been told that there's a one-rodent-per-room policy here at the inn.

So what's a girl to do?

ANY

Breakfast & Dinner

Michael is the one in charge of breakfast every weekend. He makes what everybody wants—eggs over easy, pancakes, bacon, potato hash—and gets it to each of us while it's hot. That's what stresses me out about making big breakfasts, things cook quickly and you want it to be hot all at once. So when I asked him what he wanted for Father's Day breakfast and he told me he wanted biscuits and gravy, spicy chorizo and eggs, potato hash, and bacon, I said, Let's go out for breakfast!

We went to the little diner down the street where Perry preceded to eat six pieces of French Toast. (Now we know how to get him to eat any food—give him a little trough of syrup and let him dunk away.) I felt bad, though, because I don't think Michael's breakfast was everything he'd hoped it would be. Next time, I'll try to manage the menu myself.

Of course, dinner is my gig. It has to be. Lately I've been wanting my dinner to take no more than four minutes to prepare. Is that too much to ask? Apparently not because that is all this yummy dinner took. It was the easiest thing I've ever made and not only could I paint some patio furniture and make the kids lunch while it simmered, we played at the park while it cooled.

From the July 2010 issue of Real Simple

Cuban Braised Beef
In a large saucepan, combine 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, 1-1/2 lbs. flank steak (cut in half), 1 large onion (cut into wedges), and 1-1/2 tsp. chili powder; season with salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, until fork-tender, about 2 hours. Shred and serve with rice, cut-up mango, and cilantro leaves.

Unbelievably easy and really, quite good.

ANY

Dada Day

When I was 16 and you were 18, I knew you'd be a great father. And I knew that that would be the most important thing I would ever need. I married you because I wanted my kids to look like you. And be like you. And to be a piece of you. And I knew you'd take care of me (of us) but I didn't know you would do it so selflessly. I didn't know you'd be the greatest. I didn't know that.

You taught the kids how to ride bikes and you usually know before I do when they're ready to try new things. You challenge them and encourage them. You demand more from them than I do. You give Arden drawing tutorials and you teach Perry how to put things together. You have ideas about what you want to teach them and there are things that you want them to know.

They know they are loved by you.

When I was 16 and you were 18, I knew you'd grow up to be some of the things you are, but I never dreamed that you'd be all of them, and so very much more.

I love you, babe. Happy Father's Day. xox

The School Stuff Comes Home

Today is the official start to summer break and with it comes the first day of sorting through art projects, art supplies, journals, notebooks, paints, markers, and other school desk leftovers that have been dropped at my front door. It's a process, let me tell you. I have my system down, though, and I do enjoy seeing work that I haven't seen all year. Soon it will be total chaos around here as I start laying out all the papers and projects (and other things I've been keeping all year) on the floor, then holding things up and asking (over and over), Do you want me to save this? To which they will reply with an exasperated Yessss or I don't really care, Mom!

More about the way I organize my kids' artwork next week. I do hope you have a happy, yummy, lovely, wonderfully summery weekend!

ANY

Another (Little) Project

Because I don't like staying idle for long and because my motivation behind the yard sale was to raise money for future home-and-garden endeavors, I am going to do something I've never done before. Something I've wanted to do for a long time but never have.

I am going to install a patio.

In my backyard.

By myself.

. . .

Let me clarify just a bit.

There is a little, tiny cement patio already here. It's not a patio, really, more like a foundation for what used to be a deck that is no longer here. It's not big enough for anything. A previous owner added large square stones at the end of the patio to enlarge the space but it's still not big enough. And the gravel in between the stones drives me absolutely bonkers. It's not gravel, really, more like crushed shell that you would find at the bottom of a fish tank. It hurts when you walk on it in your bare feet and it gets everywhere. Also the weeds grow right through it.

My first order of business was to lay a stone border around the whole thing and remove the fish tank gravel and replace it with soil and soon-to-be creeping thyme.

There we go. That's feeling a little better. Things look like they're supposed to be there now. I like giving the garden clean edges—especially where two different materials meet.

Putting the border down has been great fun, actually. I like this kind of work. But right around this corner, things are going to get a little dicey. The ground slopes down slightly which means the stone border will soon become a very low wall that will contain the extension of the existing patio. Does that make sense?

This part hasn't been so much fun. The digging, that is. I'll be laying more large square stones and dirt and finally creeping thyme here. There's one catch, though, and that is I am not very good at creating straight lines and making things even. This is the part that is making my husband nervous. Nervous because he is one of those people who makes things very straight and even and measures before hand. But he's been working like a crazy person and waiting for him is just not an option when I am this motivated.

Boy, that shovel looks small to me and that digging area looks really big. And, look! It was sunny that day! When we walked to school this morning it was 52 degrees and misty, and someone wished me a "Merry Christmas" which was really funny but also very sad.

I'll keep digging and let you know how things go, okay?

ANY