Chalkboard

A few weekends ago Matt & I decided we needed a chalkboard in our kitchen. So we headed out to Home Depot to buy some chalkboard paint & then hunted around for the perfect frame to go around it.

We found one at Ross--I would have gone with something a bit more ornate but the size and shape was just too good to give up.

So I spray painted the frame white while Matt took care of the chalkboard paint in the kitchen. Here is the final product:

We love it!

Home Improvement

Before:

We've been working on a few updates in the study/office room. While out shopping a few weeks ago, I found a rug for $10 at Home Depot. I decided I had to have it. I love the way it looks under the sofa in the office.

When we moved in the windows in this room had basic $5 cheap-o looking shades in the windows. We replaced the broken ones at first just to have something to cover the windows but we've always wanted something warmer for the windows. Over the weekend, we finally bought and changed out the blinds. The result is a much warmer space for studying & working.

Above is the final product. It seems so much cozier than before!

The Garden

The garden is still hanging on for dear life. As the weather changes, we are going to begin pulling some of our plants & planting for fall (maybe?). In the meantime, however, my okra plants have grown to a ginormous height since I last posted a picture.

I made Maggie stand in front of them just so you could have a sense of the actual size. It's crazy to me that a few are taller than me! The okra love it here in the South...we will definitely be growing it again next season.

Also, my banana pepper plant has been blooming like crazy. We took several and attempted to can them for later.

Verdict is still out.

Our 2nd attempt at a garden has had some successes but also many failures. Here's a recap: NONE of my squash plants (or zucchini) survived the squash vine borers. I can't decide if we'll try again next year or call it quits. My tomatoes also had a rough season as did my green peppers. I don't have a good explanation. As I said before the okra did very well & so did the eggplant & basil. We've had basil coming out our ears (fresh pesto...yum!). I can't wait to give it a go next year...it will be our 3rd garden! Crazy!

Labor Day Fun

Our Labor Day consisted of a LOT of water thanks to Tropical Storm Lee. I won't complain too much because it was nice for our yard to get some fresh rain but perhaps this was a bit more than we had bargained for in the end. We started the day at the lake but came home after lunch to build this....

There is nothing better than an indoor tent on a rainy day. Right after we got situated, however, the power went out. Below is a picture of our backyard just before the power stopped running for the night.

Although the crawl space flooded (since our sump pump can't run without power) there was little other damage to the house. We spent the evening playing an intense game of Scrabble with the door open and flashlights/candles on.

Sure, I would've preferred sunshine but there was something nice about forced rainy day relaxation.

Art

Matt and I like to collect a piece of art from each place we've traveled. We finally got around to framing and hanging our art from South Africa. It's now hanging in our guest bedroom along with several other paintings from past adventures.

What will we add next....

Top 5

As a recap, I thought I would share my top 5 favorite things from our trip to South Africa. So, here goes:

1. Staying at the Addo Elephant Park. I didn't know if I would love it or not, but staying in a tent in the middle of nowhere on a game reserve turned out to be one of the most fun things we did. We completely unplugged, sat around a campfire (that's another story for another day...), and enjoyed the company of friends. Plus the starry night sky just can't be beat.

2. Staying at the Antbear Guest Lodge in the Drakensberg Mountains. Beautiful sunset. Good food from a working farm. Cozy Cabins. We LOVED it.

3. The beach in Durban. We walked it, we biked it, and we just sat to enjoy it several times. The waves are to die for and the weather simply can't be beat.

4. The animals. I know, it's so predictable. But you just can't see animals in the wild here in the US like you can in South Africa. I never ceased to be amazed.

5. The adventure. Travel is good for the soul. I came back feeling so alive and refreshed. Matt and I love experiencing new places & new cultures. We ate some of the best food we've had in a while (eating vegetarian is easier there than it is here!), lived among a diverse group of people, and tried lots of new things.

We're Back!

We've finally returned from our adventures in South Africa and soon enough I'll be back to blogging! In the mean time, I'll leave you with this picture as a teaser.....

Hope you didn't miss us too much!