Anticipating… Three days with nephews in the house next week! There will be knitting, dyeing, drawing, and swimming… for starters.
Eating… Grilled Skewered Chicken Thighs with Tzatziki, Salt-roasted Beets with Pistachio Vinaigrette (and Goat Cheese) a la The Purple Pig (some of our favorite things on their menu); Souvlaki (because we'd already made Tzatziki); and Kolokithokeftedes are on the menu!
Enjoying… The occasional Caprese Salad with tomatoes and basil from our little patio/pergola garden. Those tomatoes are SO good!
Inspired by… (apparently, at the moment) Mediterranean cuisine!
Knitting… I have finally finished the Back and have moved on to Left Front of my Prickly Poppy Cardi!
Listening… I'm really digging Junah babbles (when I can).
Planning… (trying to decide on) my next Alabama Chanin project: a dress (or two or three), a vest, a cardi, a skirt? All are under consideration. I also have a couple of rompers for Junah in mind.
Reading… Orphan Train
Remembering… Team SOS and their second-to-last 9th place finish four years ago at the Fit City Triathlon! By contrast, this has been a very inactive summer, but certainly not an idle summer! (I have recently resumed planking… it's something.)
Sewing… the long-term joint quilt project with Ali (again). Thankfully, there are only a few short steps to go before it's all pieced together and we send it off to be quilted. Hallelujah! (Also, the self-imposed order to not start anything new until this thing is finished will be moooooot.)
Splurging… I am tempted to splurge on the new Alabama Chanin DIY Makeshift Design Tote Kit. But what I really really want is to go to Florence! That's a whole 'nother level of splurge, though, and even though there's a Classic Weekend Workshop on my birthday this year, I just can't go to that level of indulgence (even for my birthday). However, instead of wishing & whining (even if it's only to myself), I've decided to start saving $5* for Florence. I won't be going for my birthday, because it isn't going to happen that fast, but maybe in a year or two!
Watching… Justified. We've made it to S5. So hooked.
*I have utilized this $5 savings plan before, usually when there's a fun little trip coming up and I think I might want some extra cash. Ali & Rod basically paid for midwifery services that way. Maddy recently bought a new computer with her $5 savings! It's pretty painless and it sure adds up… 5, 10, 15, 20 (I've always loved counting by 5s).
I really like the idea behind the $5 plan. I’d never heard that one before! I think I’m going to try it. Sounds like you have had a wonderful summer. Enjoy your time with your nephews.
(Just before I started reading through my blog feed I was on a tshirt site about to order a tshirt that caught my eye. I changed my mind at the last minute after debating with myself if I needed it or just wanted it.) :-/
blessings
~*~
Lots of good things going on, Vicki. That food photo looks so yummy, I love tomatoes this time of year. And the $5 savings plan is brilliant!
Your dinner sounds delicious and we’re over run with cucumbers…tomatoes are just coming on (soon to be making up batches and batches of Vicki’s Roasted Tomato Sauce!). I’m looking forward to seeing what you and your nephews cook up and to seeing what AC project strikes your fancy. I was momentarily enticed by the Makeshift Tote, but I have an AC bag in the works (remember?). The savings plan is brilliant. I already save all my change (which adds up fast!). I’m paying for part of Alta this year with my tin of silver. 🙂
Enjoy your nephew-filled house! Your food photo looks incredibly delicious, and the $5 savings plan sounds almost painless (and quite useful)! Looking forward to seeing your next AC project! (I just noticed that I used lots of exclamation points here, but I think you’ve written lots of things worth exclaiming over!)
Would you give us a few more details on the $5 savings project. Is it daily, weekly, every other. Where do you get the fives? We just bought a house and discovered that the inspector didn’t bother to climb under the bathrooms. It’s a $30K fix with contractors. Lucky so far my fabulously handy(and wonderful) in-laws have been helping us rebuild the 1st of 2 bathrooms. (What’s completely delaminated sub-floor, rotting supports and joists, and having to strip a bathroom down to the studs between friends. After all it’s easier to get into the crawl space now. Just go through the lack of floor.) When need to seek redress from the inspector* though and the lawyer is by the hour and not an entirely easy stretch for our budget. Plus one does have to pay for the supplies to rebuild.
Sorry for the saga. I’m so annoyed by the arrogance and incompetence of our inspector I find myself telling one and all about it. I do really need to curb this.
Love to see what you do with AC next. They’ve all been beautiful.
*The inspector claims listing WDO (water destroying organisms) though this abbreviation was not defined and failing to mark for damage to structure in both the flooring and the supports counts as telling us about the issues.
I am a constant user of the five dollar savings plan. It gives me a little thrill to count them up!
That caprese looks soooo good!
We’ve been doing the $5 for about 5 years and it is crazy how it adds up. I think we brought $60 home from vacation this week!
Yum for greek and salads – your food always looks delicious! My bookclub read Orphan Train for this month; we had a great discussion about it this past Thursday. Highly recommend! Sounds like summer is in full and fun swing!!
“Justified” is a wonder, isn’t it?
So very much good stuff, Vicki! I hope you had a wonderful Nephew-Weekend! (And, yeah. Planking definitely counts.) Now you’ve got me thinking about that AC tote, too. (Although I have plenty of totes.) (But not a cool tote like that one.) (Urgh.) I am always inspired by Mediterranean fare when it comes to food. Your photo (and description) is making my mouth water. XO