Spring Fever VoxBox

Sometimes all it takes to find a new favorite product is reading an online review and giving something a chance.  Then there is Influenster which gives me both the chance to try something new and give it an online review.  I first learned about Influenster from Erin via her reviews on A Girl and Her Mutt and decided to give it a try as well.

When the Spring Fever VoxBox arrived in my mailbox, the contents of little purple box immediately got my attention: four beauty products and one chocolate covered snack!

• Secret Outlast Clear Gel Antiperspirant/Deodorant (list price $4.59)
• NYC New York Color Applelicious Glossy Lip Balm (list price: $2.99)
• Broadway Nails imPRESS Press-on Manicure (list price: $5.99 – $7.99)
• Schwarzkopf Professional OSiS Gelastic ($18.00)
• Tastykake Kandy Bar Kakes -Peanut Butter (list price: $4.49 per box)

Secret Outlast Clear Gel Antiperspirant/Deodorant

I have been a long-time user of Secret but had not yet tried this specific antiperspirant/deodorant. With the temperatures bouncing around lately, we’ve gotten some really warm days and that meant sleeveless for me. The claim that it “leaves fewer white marks on clothes than the next leading invisible solid” was true for me – no white marks. The details included “48 hr odor and wetness protection.” I can’t say it lasted that long for me since there’s no way I can skip my daily showers especially on hot days but during each day I used the product, I was very satisfied. I didn’t have to worry at all about possibly being the stinky lady on the homebound train. Most importantly, I liked Secret Outlast Clear Gel Antiperspirant/Deodorant so much that I purchased one on my own during a recent trip to Target.

NYC New York Color Applelicious Glossy Lip Balm

I already have NYC nail color and lipstick so I had a feeling that I could like their NYC New York Color Applelicious Glossy Lip Balm. Tinted lip balm was the first kind of makeup that I wore. Even years (and years and years) later, I still keep it as a default in my makeup bag. The key to a good glossy lip balm to me is shine without being sticky, a subtle but visible tint, and good for my lips. Yes, yes, and yes for the Big Apple Red that arrived in my box. If I had seen all the colors in a store this red is one that I would have picked up since it had a bit of a slight pink edge to the red. The lip balm is scented but not flavored. This works perfectly since sometimes a flavor is a miss for me. What also worked perfectly was wearing it during some of my morning commutes and for the majority of that remaining day. Even if I am not wearing any other makeup, I wear a lip product of some sort. If I don’t my lips dry out. The Applelicious Glossy Lip Balm contains a “apple-shaped core” filled with “Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil, Vitamin E and Avocado Oil” and I could tell the difference after wearing it. I’m also planning to pick up a few more colors in the future: “Apple Blueberry Pie” and “Garnet Gala.” Safe to say, I really liked this product!

Broadway Nails imPRESS Press-on Manicure

I like funky nails in terms of colors and patterns but not length. No crazy claws for me! Realistically, I don’t like super long nails in general. When I opened Broadway Nails imPRESS Press-on Manicure, I was happy to see that they were a good length. I wasn’t too worried that I’d be hindered by them once they were on as well. That is extremely important for me since what is the point of having cute nails if you can’t do anything!

The pattern I received was “Sexy Fresh” and came with two color combos: pink/orange/white and purple/blue/white.

Better photo since the one above was after I opened the package.

I decided to wear the pink/orange/white set as part of my outfit for the Ke$sha/Pitbull concert I was attending with friends since it matched my bright pink t-shirt.

The BFF was getting ready at my house and so she helped me out with sorting the press-on nails. This color combo had ten of twenty-four nails in the pack. I was a little surprised that there weren’t half of each color. The nail beds of my ring and pinky fingers were slightly wider than the nails but only one nail was really noticeable. After the prep stage, putting on the nails was a little awkward at first. It is a pretty simple combo of peeling off the little clear plastic strip on the inside and then pressing it on. One nail went on slightly crooked because I misjudged it. Once it starts sticking, it really starts sticking.  Staying on though is the key point of these.  For the price, I wouldn’t want it to only last one day, or in this case, one night.

With the nails are slightly longer than my usual nails at their longest length, it took my a little time to get used to them. It also really made me realize how I use the tip of my fingertips to do things like use my phone.  By the time we got to the concert, about 45 mins after putting them on, the only thing I was noticing was how cute the pattern was and had forgotten mostly about the length.  The nails lasted four days before they started getting really loose and I took them off. I’m hard on my nails to begin with so I was quite content with how long they lasted. I think if I had paid more attention to being more careful, and type really loudly, they would have lasted even longer.

I looked up other styles of Broadway Nails imPRESS Press-on Manicure and found that they have both patterns, solids, and French style manicure.  I could see buying another set after I wear the blue/purple/white combo but only as a pattern.  I don’t have a steady enough hand to end up with polish painted patterns so this is a fast fix for funky nails.

Schwarzkopf Professional OSiS Gelastic

My hair has been revolting lately and deciding that I need a fuzzy halo due to the humidity. OK, technically it looks more like a mini Bozo the Clown frizz above my ears. We have another busy weekend this weekend including watching the Blackhawks game with friends. My plan is to keep my hairstyle in check using Schwarzkopf Professional OSiS Gelastic while I’m yelling at the game.  My hair is one thing I don’t want causing me any stress. Hockey games give me enough things to stress about! I’ll be giving a full review with photos in the near future.

Tastykake Kandy Bar Kakes -Peanut Butter

The Tastykake Kandy Bar Kakes come in three flavors: S’mores, Peppermint, and Peanut Butter. I ended up with Peanut Butter and since peanuts are on the “no deal” list for me, Darth Husband will be trying this one instead of me so I’ll give his thoughts on it. If I saw this in the stores and decided to try it, S’mores would be the flavor I would pick up first.

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Disclaimer: I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. All reviews within CSYA are my own and were not influenced by the company or individuals associated with the company.

 

Twosday Tunesday: Side A

If someone asked me if I was a major list maker, I would probably say no. It isn’t that I don’t make lists but rather that they are pretty ordinary: grocery/shopping, packing, and/or general to-do list. The one out of the “ordinary” list that I do have though is my music list.

Before I had an iPhone, I had a habit, either good or bad depending on how you look at it, that when I heard a song I liked I would write it down. It could be a new song, a new to me song, or a song I loved at one time and then had forgotten about. The good part was that I had written it down so I could find it later. The bad part was that I had written it down on whatever. Sometimes it would make sense and be on a regular piece of paper or a Post-it but it was the “on whatever” that lead to the problems. Receipts and torn off newspaper corners are two that I remember especially since they then ended up mangled in the bottom or a purse or bag. While I was adding to my music list, I was also adding to the clutter, lovingly called “80lbs of crap”, that I was lugging around.

Since a song title hanging out with loose change and at least two lipcolor products wasn’t really working, when I got my iPhone I started a note with the music list. True, I could have done one on my old phone but this one was much easier and faster. Pretty much everything is lumped together out of convenience and to not have multiple lists since some easily cross over. Like would a cover be considered the genre of the original song or the band covering the song?

Since I listen numerous genres of music, there would be too many lists. However, this would work for a Twosday post. I first saw Twosday posts on Then Heather Said. When I think of Heather, I first think of lists and then I think of her singing Live since Yarnalone makes her think if Live’s “I Alone.” Heather is the queen of lists and if you don’t believe me you have never seen the photo of her wall covered in Post-Its. (Seriously, why have they not sponsored her for something yet?)

I’ve started seeing Twosdays posts pop up elsewhere online more recently. They have that strange allure of those email based surveys from the mid-90s when you answered basically the same 25 or so questions and sent them to basically the same group of friends. Occasionally, someone who refused to complete one would finally do one and make it a little more exciting.  While I have really no interest in telling you my favorite animal and where I want to go to college is not really applicable now, I think merging the music list with Twosday would work.

I have been a huge music person since the days of my Care Bears cassette player. (Now remember kids, cassette tapes were these little plastic boxes with tape rolled in it that played music for awhile but then you had to flip it over to play the rest!) My CD collection is several stands and several boxes, including one of the giant rubbermaid under the bed boxes. I’ve gotten to the point where I’ve started to forget all the concerts I’ve attended like seeing John Mayer in 2005 when all I could remember was that Maroon 5 played. While we do have an iTunes account, I have specific guidelines of when I buy music so that I don’t get download-happy and then credit card bill-unhappy.

So here is the first Twosday Tunesday.  While I do not plan this to be a weekly deal here on CSYA, they will pop up here and there in the future.

Roadtrip:
Life is a Highway – Tom Cochrane
Learning to Fly – Tom Petty

BBQ:
Gold on the Ceiling – The Black Keys
Power of Love – Huey Lewis & the News

Writing:
Beggar in the Morning – The Barr Brothers
Rewrite this Story – Smash Cast featuring Katharine McPhee & Jeremy Jordan

Run or Dye Chicago: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

2013 was planned to be the year that I got back into running. I had good intentions to run more last year but in the end result was more like a non-relationship and running version of the Toad the Wet Sprocket song.

It’s hard to rely on my good intentions (to run either outside or at the gym)
When my head’s full of things that I can’t mention (like wanting to do other things, not do anything, or complain about the weather)

I’ve gotten to the point where, while it would be fun, I don’t consider myself a runner runner. I have friends like Jen who I automatically associate with running, blog name or not, (Mom’s Gotta Run) because running is a huge part of her life. Right now, it is starting to become a part of my life and I’m content with that. Plus according to My Fitness Pal, it doesn’t even count as running but rather jogging. Fine with me. As long as I keep moving and don’t feel like I’m about to fly off the treadmill, I’m good with that.

Maybe someday, I’ll sign up for a half marathon with Jess, but for now I’m sticking to the short and slow end. So far I have signed up for two 5ks. One is next month and one was last week.

I got a deal for Chicago’s Run or Dye on Groupon. It was cheap and local. Since I had done a color based 5k last year, I had a general idea of what to expect. The color based runs are quite often advertised as fun runs that are family friendly too so no real pressure to go faster than your desired pace. As long as I remembered sunglasses, spray in conditioner, and a bandana I’d be ready to go.

I was part of a team that had initially planned to jog/run it via a mass reply all messages. The plan slightly changed after the one person transferred out and another took her place. Then it was jog/walk.  Fine with me since my overall plan was to have a good time with friends.  There was no way I was bringing my Garmin out for this one. I’d be attacking it with canned air and Q-tips for way too long post race due to the dust. Stina was running the 5k but we’d still see her either before or after the race.

The actual day of the race was pretty gloomy but the 5k was taking place rain or shine. It was one of those mornings that you would grab a rain jacket or umbrella before you left the house. Even though the race wasn’t too far, we still left a bit early to get checked in.  They had a packet pickup earlier in the week but it was on the northside of Chicago. The race was in the southwest suburbs. This was inconvenient and annoying.  If there was no check-in the day of the race, I would have been angry. I understand that it depends on running stores and sponsors and whatnot but it was still annoying.

The check-in line was decent sized and took about a half hour to get to the actual tables. However, at that point the people checking you in and giving you your stuff (bib, drawstring bag with temporary tattoos & rubber bracelet, and tshirt) were pretty fast.

I wish the corral was as fast. We were in the 9am block of people. Honestly, it didn’t seem to matter. It took us about a HOUR to get out on the course.

Imagine a missing gap between the photos here. Yes, there were even more people.

Stina waited for us for awhile but had another race to run that day. Yes, she signed up for two races on the same day. She made the smart decision to leave Run or Dye after waiting a little bit.

After Stina headed out, we waited in the midst of the white-shirted masses that were starting to grow antsy. Understandable. The really obnoxious thing though was that people clearly didn’t read or didn’t care that you were supposed to start with a clean white shirt.

The color powder started flying.

Some people threw it at themselves. Others at each other. A few threw it up in the air.

I started grumbling and a little more than grumbling. I know this part is fun but so is going through each color zone and adding a new color to your self. My guess is these are new people to the race’s concept. I wasn’t going to start yelling at people for having a good time. The three teenage girls however with their mini moshpit style powder fight however were about to get it. Call me an old lady but you crash into me once, it is an accident. The second time, you get a glare (which was ignored.) The third time I’m going to tell you to knock it off. Luckily, there was no third time.

We finally got closer to the start that was marked by the standard, or at least what I’ve seen, flags and tower with the announcers on it.  They were getting the crowd pumped up and throwing free tshirts and headbands. They had everyone do the wave for the really cool remote controlled video camera helicopter that was flying around. The tower also had the music guest for the race.

Yes, that’s right, a musical guest. It was like back in the day shopping mall concerts but instead of Debbie Gibson or Tiffany, it was Lil Lito who seemed like standard “Chicago” somewhat newbie hip hop/club/stuff I’ve never really had any interest in listening to for the most part. He looked young, though ended up slightly older than I thought seeing him from afar, and there were teenagers in the crowd super excited and yelling when they saw him.  I was totally not his demographic. He tried to get the crowd excited and even played a song he wrote about Run or Dye, but missed the mark for me when he called it a marathon. Good try, kid.

I definitely would not run a marathon in the parking lot and surrounding area around a soccer stadium. I honestly don’t think I’d run another 5k there either.  There were a lot of turns and switchbacks to make the distance work so the course thought it was part of that Supermodel song by RuPaul

Work, turn to the left
Work, now turn to the right
Work, sashay, shante

Since we weren’t running it, it wasn’t too bad. If I was, it would have been annoying. People slow down at corners. It is just commonplace. We tried our best to stay to the right at follow the faster= left, slower = right concept. It was included in the pre-race info sheet but, like keeping the powder til the end, there were some people who “forgot” to read this as well. We just started calling out “RUNNER!” if there was someone coming up behind us. It worked out pretty well.  There was one guy complaining as he came up behind us on the RIGHT side and one woman who squeezed between my friend and the crowd fence/guard rail. I say guard rail since I’m surprised she didn’t bounce and skid off of it due to there barely being any space.

Yes, that’s right crowd fencing was the edge of the race. It worked pretty well to get everyone through the race while not trapping us on the course. If you needed to step out to use a port-a-potty or catch up with friends it worked. With all the effort to drag those into place, I wish they had made the effort to post the mile markers.  There were none or if there were, we somehow missed them. From my prior 5k experience, the markers were GIANT. Since I was walking, it didn’t make too much of a difference. If I was running sans running watch and wanted to mentally pace myself, I would have been annoyed.

If I had initially planned to run this, I don’t know if I would have fully run it.  The course was part pavement/walkways, part parking lot with varying sizes of gravel, and then the street.
Some of the gravel was ok but some was really awkward. I was in actual running shoes so the traction wasn’t ideal.

The biggest draw of these kinds of races are the color stations.  This is where people throw the color powder at you. The first color station was really weak. I almost went through it without realizing it.  The second was better but I still wanted to be like “Ok, c’mon you can do it! THROW IT!” The later one was better with the people really getting into it.  They were laughing and launching the color at everyone.  One thing that surprised me was that each color station had multiple colors. My prior color based race had specific colors in each station.  Maybe it was to get more powder out with the wonky layout.

After passing through a lackluster finish line that didn’t have much more than a few small banners, we moved into a large crowd that had gathered in the main area.  There was music playing and a stage with some kids dancing around and singing along.  We didn’t hear any specific countdown/throw cues so we threw our color packets at each other, got some great pictures doing so, and headed out.

Cheeseball stance post race

It was a good thing we didn’t wait. The parking lot afterwards was a disaster. There was no   clear rhyme or reason. People were just trying to get to an exit.  I’ve been to tons of concerts and large scale outdoor venues but this was horrible. We were lucky that our friend who had come to watch was the person who was driving. He wasn’t tired and could get us out there as fast and as safely as possible.  Luckily we had also parked near back so our wait time wasn’t over an hour like some people had mentioned on Facebook. The race organizers had posted that they were working on the delays but people were still furious with the situation.

So…

• Goal of day: Get out and have fun w friends
• Goal reached: Yes
• Would I repeat this 5k: Undecided but leaning more towards no. Maybe if it was somewhere else. Location was a major influence on my thoughts of the 5k.
• Would I repeat any 5k outside Toyota Park: Gravel + any chance of repeating exit with ME driving= NO DEAL! 

Music Monday: Following Klaus to New Orleans

“No Sugar in My Coffee” by Caught A Ghost was used in Vampire Diaries, Episode 4.20 “The Originals.” This episode, which was partially set in New Orleans, was also the lead in to the new spin-off, The Originals. I have always loved the music used on Vampire Diaries and this makes me excited to see what will used on The Originals as well.

Since I ended up with this song stuck in my head, I had to get it from iTunes. Luckily, it was up not too long after the episode aired.  It is now part of my writing/design playlist. I love how you can put it on repeat and the loop ends up somewhat hypnotic.

Fashion Friday: Navy, Gray and…

Fast fashion fix: When in doubt, send a text message to a friend. I do this all the time and often send a photo when I can. Jess recently sent me a text asking what I thought would work with gray and navy. My immediate thought was yellow or a lighter blue. After playing around with ideas on Polyvore, the lighter blue ended up turquoise instead.

NGY 1 by yarnalone featuring engraved jewelry

Dorothy Perkins grey dress / Louis Vuitton / Lacoste / BaubleBar deco jewelry / A|X Armani Exchange engraved jewelry / Fat Face bird earrings, $7.62 / Finesse stud earrings, $30 / Plastic sunglasses / Patent belt, $99

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NGG2 by yarnalone featuring a snake earring

Sonia by Sonia Rykiel tall dress, $290 / Melissa shoes, $54 / Evening handbag / Kate Spade ring / Elizabeth and James snake earring / J.Crew j crew / Levi’s levi s, $32

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NGT1 by yarnalone featuring post back earrings

Marc Jacobs silk button down blouse / dVb Victoria Beckham navy pants / Havaianas gray sandals / Aqua bracelet bangle / 2b rhinestone bangle / Post back earrings / Orelia / Tory Burch logo sunglasses

Girls’ Night with Jellybean Wines

I’m a firm believer in Girls’ Nights. Or should it be Ladies’ Nights since the majority of us are 30+? Either way, I believe in them and try to makes sure to have one every few months.  Yes, I see my friends more than every few months but for some with grad school, families, and life in general at times it isn’t as easy.

When I was contacted to try Jellybean Wines, it was a perfect chance to set up a wine night.  Since my friends and cousins are quite generous, I reminded then not to bring anything since Jellybean Wines generously sent FOUR bottles of wine.

This is also why I set up the wine night. It was a chance to do a low key wine tasting.

When I try a new wine, it is a pretty basic breakdown:

• Do I like it?
• Is the price reasonable?
• Would I serve it for others?
• Would I bring it somewhere else?

Since there were six of us taking part in the review*, I thought it would be better to go with a 5 star rating system.The system in How We Review Wine from A Taste of Wine that was perfect. It was EXACTLY what I knew would work with our group. We modified it slightly throughout the night and ended somewhat like this.

• Five Stars: We’re definitely getting this wine again.
• Four Stars: This is good, we’re getting this wine again.
• Three Stars: Yeaaaahhh, we’d get this wine again.
• Two Stars: Meh, but we might drink some if offered.
• One Star: Noooo, you couldn’t pay us to get or drink this wine again.

I thought all the bottles looked really cute.  The bright and colorful labels were something that would catch my eye in the store. The fact that three of the four were screw top also helped. The wine opener went back in the box and back in the drawer!

The four wines that were sent were 2010 Jellybean Red Blend, 2011 Jellybean Moscato, 2011 Jellybean Bubbles, and 2011 Jellybean Moscato Rosé.  The info that I received with the wine listed the price as $9.99 each.

*I am starting with the 2011 Jellybean Bubbles since there were seven of us present when this was opened.  To be fair, it is technically not ranked with the others and the ratings are out of seven rather than six.

2011 Jellybean Bubbles

• More from the website
• Stars:
• 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1 for an average of 1.86
• The bubbly aspect immediately made me think of the fizzy aspect of champagne. Since it seemed like almost everyone was thinking the same thing, I asked if anyone was a champagne person. None of us were big champagne people. I think this was a big factor in everyone’s reactions and if we had more champagne drinkers in the mix we would have gotten a different result. The details on the website mention peaches as part of the notes. A mellow flavor of peaches is what stood out most for me.

Our top wine was the 2011 Jellybean Moscato.

• More from the website
  
• Stars:
• 3.5, 4.5, 3.5, 4, 4, 4 for an average of 3.92
• This was my favorite of all the wines. I am a fan of white wines and those on the sweeter side. This was sweet but not not too sweet. I like when wines include apricot or lime and both are included in this one. I can see  buying this for myself, a gathering or for a gift.

2011 Jellybean Moscato Rosé

• More from website
• Stars:
• 1, 4, 4,4, 3, 4.5 for an average of 3.42.
• Most of the group liked this one as well. It again has apricot included so that would catch my attention just from the label.  I also liked that it had raspberry in the mix. I could see getting this wine as an accompanyment to a bottle of Moscato for a gathering.

2010 Jellybean Red Blend

• More from the website
• Stars:
• 1,1,1,1,3,1 for an average of 1.34.
• I was not a fan of this wine. I like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot so it must be the Tempranillo in this blend that I don’t. There was something slightly dry and slightly bitter to me. Only one person liked this wine and I can’t see myself buying this wine.

There is one wine, the Chardonnay, that was not included in the box but caught my attention. Due to the tropical description, if I see it in one of my local stores I’ll be picking up a bottle to try. There’s a good possibility then that I will share it at another Girl’s Night.

Overall we had a great night trying new wines thanks to Jellybean Wines!

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Disclaimer: Complimentary products were included in this post. All reviews within CSYA are my own and those of my guests and were not influenced by the company or individuals associated with the company.

For Boston

Last August I traveled to Boston for the first time which was also my first time traveling to the East Coast. I can still remember my excitement as the plane landed and I ended up falling in love with that city.

Yesterday, my heart broke for that city and all who had gathered there to run in and/or celebrate the Boston Marathon. From thousands of miles away, I watched the video clips and read the reports in shock. I feared for the safety of friends, loved ones of friends, and complete strangers. I cried for those injured and killed in the blasts. I was awestruck at the bravery of the first responders. Even though I’ve completed a few races in the past, I cannot even fathom the feelings of those who ran and those couldn’t complete the race. This was supposed to be a life- changing event in a GOOD way.

Today I wore a race shirt in support of Boston.

I don’t know who started the idea but if someone does please put it in the comments so I can credit them. I just saw the idea floating around the internet last night.  I know that a few pieces of cotton sewn together won’t change the horrific events that happened but hopefully it puts some positive energy out in the universe. Boston is in my heart and on my mind today and will be for a very long time.

Making a New Tradition: Carrot Cake

I found this carrot cake recipe in a promo magazine for All Recipes that arrived in the mail. I’ve made recipes from All Recipes before and this one caught my attention right away and so I decided to make the cake for Easter. My great-aunt used to make carrot cake from scratch for Easter ages ago. I’ve heard stories about how great it was but also how it was a lot of work.

Luckily this recipe was worth the work because it needed three cups of grated carrots.  Darth Husband helped me with that part of the recipe. Actually having the carrots wasn’t a problem since we always have carrots in the house. Both of the dogs go crazy for carrots. We buy the giant bags so there is enough for everyone in the house, well everyone but the cats because they really don’t care. Cosmo was confused because we kept saying the word “carrot” but then it was passed over his head.

The cake baked almost perfectly. Only one small spot stuck to the pan when I flipped it over as well. I divided it into one decent sized square cake and one smaller one. Even with extra sides to frost (and the frosting that I ate straight from the bowl), I still had more than enough frosting.

I was really impressed that it turned out that well. I will definitely be making this again.

Slow Cooker Sunday: Post St. Pat’s Corned Beef

Corned beef is a yearly March tradition in our house.  This year we ended up making it twice.  The first round was baked in the oven with potatoes and carrots. While it tasted good, it wasn’t the norm. Luckily we found more while it was still on sale so we could make it again and this time in the slow cooker.

Corned beef in a slow cooker was something I first had at a friend’s mother’s house for the South Side Irish Parade. Parade Day was filled with food and drink, lots of green, and Irish faces since lots of people from the South Side of Chicago and the surrounding suburbs are of Irish descent. With a house full of people partying the entire day, she made sure we were all fed.  I loved her corned beef the first time I had it and had to make it at home.

The best thing about this corned beef is that it is super simple and includes very few ingredients. As long as there is enough liquid to cook everything and not let it burn, you can vary the amount of each.  This time I used our 7 qt slow cooker since the cut of meat was a flat cut and therefore pretty wide.

• Flat cut corned beef
• Whole small red potatoes
• Carrots (peeled and cut in half)
  
• 1 bottle of Harp Lager

I set the slow cooker on low for about five hours and then turned it up to high for another two. If I am not home, I prefer to keep it on low just in case something starts burning on the sides or the lid moves and the liquid spatters on the counter.  If I had been home all day, it would have been on high longer.

Garden 2013: Time to Get Planning

Last year started off with a great plan. I was going to attack the yard, do a major overhaul, and get one step closer to having the garden of my dreams. Darth Husband and I did attack the yard.  We practically gutted one flowerbed and rearranged another.  One just needed a decent weeding.

Then the hot weather hit.  The Chicago area ended up hot, humid, and that gross stickiness that makes kneeling in dirt less than enjoyable. I got out there as long as I could but I am NOT a hot weather person.  If it is too hot, I don’t want to be outside digging in the dirt. I was happy to have some of my plan done but there was a lot that wasn’t.

This year I’m starting early and starting slowly. Jess and I were recently talking about how March crept up on us and Darth Husband just mentioned how some of the flowers were starting to come up. Now I just need a few warmer and dry days so I can actually get out there.

Since it is still cold and snowy/rainy, I won’t be outside for a while so my plan of attack is still in progress.  I have a few plant catalogs that still arrive from the old owner of the house. I’m a bit hesitant to buy plants without actually seeing them but maybe one day I will get something. I’m also using my Garden board on Pinterest for ideas. Some of the board will actually work in my zone which is 5 and some won’t but still are pretty, interesting, or are a good color/color combo.

Color combinations are what I am focusing on right now.  The photo as the beginning of this post is a flowerbed I walked past last summer.  I loved the bright colors and it made me stop and turn around to get a picture.  It is a non-edited iPhone photo too. They were that bright.

We already have a lot of yellows in our garden. Coreopsis are one of my favorite flowers.  We have several areas that have them and they do pretty well.  I’m hoping they made it through last summer’s heat.  However, if some didn’t it won’t be too much of a problem since the plants are on sale quite often and I can start some from seeds.

Source: bhg.com viaKrista (Yarnalone) on Pinterest

I broke down the flowerbed photo into colors I think will work with our current flowers and stand out against the lighter brick of our house.  I know that they won’t be exactly the same colors when I’m looking at plants but I think it will be a good place to start.  Plus, if I want to be really specific I can pull this up on my phone to check. Realistically though I don’t foresee myself pulling out my phone in the midst of the Garden Center at the various Home and Garden stores in my area. Maybe if I decide to go to a nursery to find something specific. Then it would be easier than just saying “I’m looking for a flower with a darker red in it but not red red, more of a maroon but not too brownish.”

I know we will end up within something new outside of this breakdown.  I don’t want a fully color coded yard so that works for me. The main goal is to keep it bright.