Sunday, April 10, 2011

My One Year Anniversary and a New Name!


I have been blogging for a year.     Actually Tuesday, April 5th was my anniversary, but it passed before I noticed it's significance.    I also have a new name, as we no longer have a pop-up,  we have upgraded to a pull behind. 
We love our new camper and have another camping trip planned in the next couple of weeks.

To celebrate I am hosting a give-away.     I am going to give away a fat quarter bundle.  I will  do a random number drawing for this beautiful stack of fat quarters on Friday evening (4/15), so I guess I will take comments until 6:00pm EST on 4/15.  



To to make reading your entries interesting, I would love to hear about your gardening or camping adventures.    Any out and out beginners out there??     What do you plant, what have been your successes? failures??  Keeping the deer away?? Do you camp in tent, a camper??   Do you hate gardening and buy everything at the corner market?  Is the Holiday Inn your kind of camping??   Tell me something about yourself.

For a second entry, become a follower and leave me a comment saying that you did, or that you already follow my blog.   For a third entry mention my give-away on your blog.

It has been a great year, and I can't wait to see what kind of changes to my blog and my life happen in the next 12 months.


Janice

59 comments:

Patty said...

Congrats on your blog anniversary. I follow.

Patty said...

The only camping experience I have is one time, in a tent in the backyard when I was a kid. We didn't make it through the night because of all the bugs!

BillieBee (billiemick) said...

They only thing that grews good in my yard are weedssssssss

robin said...

We've gone camping a few times. Usually tenting, but last summer we rented a very nice camper. It was wonderful having a nice mattress to sleep on and getting such good sleeps. It also rained a lot, so we were thankful for a solid roof over our heads. This year we might try camping in a yurt at Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba. :)

robin said...

I'm a follower! Thanks for the giveaway - love those FQ's! :)

Anonymous said...

No camper yet.... However, 2nd year gardening. We are doing square foot garden boxes. 1st year was not very fruitful. Cherry tomatoes were all we harvested. But we didn't give up. We moved the boxes to a sunnier spot in the yard. We are putting a real fence with a gate around it (last year it was metal stakes and chicken wire). So far we've harvested lettuce. Also planted radish, bell pepper, cabbage, onion, spinach, tomatoes, basil and chives. Big success this year is that I'm starting from seed - woo hoo! That was not successful last year either. So... off to a good start this year.

Deb said...

I am SO not a camper!! For my son's 8th b'day 20 years ago, we went camping--borrowed a tent and hoped to enjoy the experience. I had 4 little ones, and it was a RAINY night. i never knew tents leaked! We kept trying to pitch the water out of the sinking areas on the ceiling of the tent. Now we have experience that that doesn't work--it leaks even more!!! It was chilly that October night, and i was worried about all the kids sleeping in wet clothes. The next morning my 5 year old fell into the campfire thus rounding out our horrible camping experience!!

That was our 1 and ONLY camping trip. We have since gone to our friend's annual camping adventure for chili and smores, had a great time around the fire, but then traveled home to sleep in our own beds! That's more fun--the atmosphere and fun without the hassle!!! :)

I LOVE to flower garden!! And my daughter loves to vegetable garden. She keeps the food on the table for us, and I place the flowers around the house.

Deb said...

I'm already a follower.

Kate R said...

Congrats on making it one year!

I went every summer for 2 weeks with my family and a group of our friends camping when I was younger. It was around a bay, so lots of swimming and boating, and of course, barbecues every night! I still think everything tastes better when camping :) We did tents and sleeping bags, but our camping style still quite civilized - we took a lot to make our little home away from home!!

Jocelyn said...

Congratulations on your one year blogiversary! I love to dig in the dirt a little. I've planted pansies, violas, and impatiens. This year I am trying tomatoes in containers, but I've never been very successful with veggies. We live in Central Florida so things heat up pretty quickly.

Stray Stitches (Linda G) said...

I am not a gardener any longer. We buy all of our produce at the local Farmer's Market. Our family used to do a lot of tent camping and absolutely loved it. Now that we are older and the kids are grown, we do all of our camping where there are four solid walls - motels. Thanks for the opportunity to enter your giveaway. Congratulations on your one year anniversary!!!

Jen said...

Congrats on your anniversary!

When I moved to Alaska, I took my cat with me on the drive. Camping in the Redwood Forest one night, she got out of the car and ran into the woods (she was about 13 at the time). I had to fight to stay calm, grabbed my flashlight and spent about two hours searching for her and calling her name. Just when I was about to give up and lose all hope and really let loose with the crying, I found her. Guess where she was?! She was calmly sitting under my Jeep! Just like the good kitty she was!

Can't wait to read the rest of the comments, what a great idea for a giveaway! thanks for the chance!

Vroomans' Quilts said...

The only gardening these days are things that can be grown on the patio (porch), but plenty of farmer's markets in the area. I camped for many years with the Cub Scouts and then Boy Scouts - real rugged, wilderness survival camping -

Emily Malsam said...

I spent most of my childhood helping my parents garden. We grew and sold produce at the farmer's market(not a super market, but a big gathering usually in the mall parking lot of local farmers) When we weren't working in the vegetable/fruit gardens we were working in tobacco fields, I do suppose that's gardening, too.

I've been living in New England for the last 7 years now and it's so funny to hear everyone talk about how HOT it is because those years growing up in an open field picking beans or in the corn fields that were way over my head pouring sweat and being eaten up by bugs...those were HOT days.

As for camping, I prefer camper camping, I don't like the humidity and stickiness of a tent.

Stray Stitches (Linda G) said...

I included your giveaway on my blog today:
http://straystitches1.blogspot.com/2011/04/do-we-have-winner.html

Stray Stitches (Linda G) said...

I am a regular follower of your wonderful blog.

And this would be . . . . said...

I am a follower.

And this would be . . . . said...

I am not a gardener. My mother is a wonderful gardener (even had photographs in Canadian Garden magazine)...but I have a black thumb.

However, I love camping and will do so in a tent. My girls (age 6 and 5) want to go camping this year so I think we will be doing that.

Jodi said...

Once I get past the dirt and bugs and the hike to the potty, I love camping, especially the campfire and the company of my family and friends!

Jodi said...

New follower, and I love gardening, veggies and flowers of every kind!

Tanyusha said...

I am a new follower.

Robin (RsIslandCrafts) said...

When I was growing up my Grandparents had a cabin in Upstate NY. We used to go there every summer and I loved it. We always had deer that would graze right at our front porch. Of course they were never around when hunting season came lol.

We now live down south of you in Cape Coral, Florida and we don't see any deer in our yard anymore. We used to have foxes running around until the housing boom hit.

I've tried growing veggies here and it's a struggle between the heat and the birds. Tomatoes grow great but the birds usually grab them before I can.

Tanyusha said...

I am a gardener all my life. It is difficult to me to say it in english but I'll try. When I was a child I helped my gradmother and my aunt in their summer house not far from Moscow. Then my parents bought summer house with little garden near the Krasnoyarsk. And now I have my own. I grow flowers, some berries, greens and some vegetables. But the only fruit that can grow in Siberia is apple, but very-very small.

Anonymous said...

Janice, congratulations on your 1 year anniversary!

Camping oh something I know well. i grew up camping weeks at a time in the summer with all our family and friends.

Good ones: My Hubby 2 kids and I camped in a camp spot in Bishop CA. We had the best time, it had bathrooms and shower all else was up to us. We did everything right that year.

Then one time we took a day trip to go to a Peak that is made of Chrystal that you are allowed to mine and take home well up to a bucket full. We ended deciding to stay the night. We slept in the back of our truck. Uh not such a good idea as I got bit by something that made me very ill for about 8 months, I could barely eat and had sever stomach pain. Moral of the story, don't sleep in the open under trees without some sort of protection.

Last 2 times we went we have had the great opportunity to go to Yosemite national park each year with a very large group if friends, we stay in Housekeeping which is semi tent/ cement structure and we put tents next to it. Yosemite is the most amazing place we have ever camped.

Ah, I talk to much:)


Thanks for asking such a fun question!


Ann Flowers
flowerscrazyq@gmail.com

Lisa England said...

Beautiful fabrics! I've only been camping once, many years ago. We borrowed my husband's parent's pop-up and went with another couple. It was late August, very hot and humid, and I was about 7 months pregnant. What made me think that would be a good idea? Too young to know better, I guess. In the middle of the night, our friend Joe woke up when he heard something outside. Turned out to be a skunk. Joe thought he should throw a rock at it to scare it off. Thankfully, my husband stopped him just before he threw it. Otherwise, that trip might have ended right then.

Hilachas said...

Oh man. I envy your loving all the things you're doing. My idea of camping IS the Holiday Inn although I love the outdoors. At the end of the day, however, I want a nice comfortable bed instead of a sleeping bag. I also love a beautiful garden and am lucky to be married to a man with a green thumb. He keeps our garden looking lovely and loves to garden while I sit outside with him and read or sew while he gardens.

Hilachas said...

I am now a follower of your blog and look forward to following your live in the outdoors.

Michele T said...

We are die-hard tenters! The last time we went camping, we were so nervous about the bears that we packed up and went home! We just couldn't relax and get to sleep!!

Michele T said...

I am a new follower - glad to have found you!!

Diann said...

Up until a few years ago, our very small back yard was dominated by a huge maple tree with shallow roots. A garden was impossible. After the tree had to be taken down, my DH and DS spent a lot of time digging out roots. Now we can garden. We have the best results with tomatoes and lettuce. Green beans haven't done well and cucumbers didn't come up at all. We are gradually getting better at gardening and love it.

Vesuviusmama said...

I bought a house 7 years ago with LOVELY but WILD flower beds. I loved them, my husband hated them. He likes things neat. (sigh) So I went about trying to tame these beds, replacing the WILD perennials with more sedate ones. So far so good. But then I wanted to plant veggies, too, so I made two little raised beds. I don't know what the previous homeowner did to the existing flower beds to make them so good for plants, but the soil in my raised beds yields NOTHING! I'm so disappointed. Growing up, we always had a veggie garden and I always envisioned my grown-up self continuing that tradition, but I'm getting frustrated. I've not given up yet...

Thanks for the chance to win!

Janet said...

I have always camped in a tent, and in fact lived in a tent for about ten years. I used to use a homemade canvas tent called a Whelan. Since my mosquito netting for the tent wore out I haven't used it. I'd love to find mosquito netting to make a new one. We now camp in our high tech tents. We have two - one is a three man tent, a little larger, which we use in winter. The other is a two man tent and it opens up on both sides for venting. Great for the summer. Thanks for a chance to win.

Jo said...

Gardening is something I have decided I am incapable of doing! I tried for years but everything seems to die on me. I have turned the garden over to DH he does a much better job than I did. As for camping we have 2 campers one that slides into the pickup which we use when we want to bring the boat along or go gold panning. The other is one that we pull behind the motorcycle and it folds out and pops up it has a queen size bed, a table, changing room, a garage you zip on to the side for the bikes and a zip on screaned in pourch.For a reason I have yet to figure out it has a place to put a AC unit. How you would carry this on a motorcycle is beyond me! The bike camper is the one we use the most. I enjoy camping much more than gardening.

Jo said...

Just a line to let you know I am a new follower. Looked around your blog, you have some cool stuff on here.

Christine M said...

Congratulations on your first anniversary of blogging. We've just bought a pop-up camper and will be heading to the outback in Central Australia in July. We've used the camper once since we got it and had fun sorting out the setting up. Over Easter we are heading up to the border of Victoria and New South Wales for a good try out!

RobynLouise said...

I used to camp when I was much younger but 2 person tents, a campfire, tinned food, fishing line and the dog for company on the banks of a river aren't quite my idea of a good time any more!
Now the drought has ended, and as we are out of reach of floods, next spring looks a good time to restart the vege patch.
The garden is going into sleep mode over here as winter is setting in however we are going to have an excellent crop of citrus fruit in a few weeks and some late self sown pumpkins will be harvestable (is that a word?) soon. Mmmmmm, pumpkin scones, pumpkin soup and pumpkin pie....delicious :).

Marcia W. said...

Congratulations on your blogiversary. Once I was a primitive campsite kind of camper -- until it started pouring rain / became freezing cold and had to ford rivers to walk the 7 miles out. Now I prefer my own comfie bed. Thanks for sharing with this lovely drawing.

quiltma said...

Last year was the first year I did any flower gardening. And I actually enjoyed it.

Kathleen C said...

I'm glad to have discovered your blog; I love the richness of your blog background as if it's inviting me into the green woods.
I'm not a camper and no longer a gardener, except for pots on the porches. My favorite small garden was always my herb garden with annuals planted throughout the herbs. Fresh herbs for cooking are the best!
Thanks very much.

Kathleen C said...

I'm a follower; you blog is very inviting to visitors and readers. Thanks for your giveaway and Congratulations.

Hilachas said...

I have blogged about your giveaway at:
http://muchashilachas.blogspot.com/2011/04/more-on-knots.html

Karyli said...

We are tent campers and my kiddos love it. Any sunny day in the frozen winter they ask if we can go camping today because they just can't wait for it to warm up.

Linda said...

I blogged about your wonderful giveaway!
http://quiltcookies.blogspot.com

Henrietta said...

Great giveaway & congrats on the blogiversary & new camper :) I am a wanna-be camper, We always have great plans to go but never have the time, money or know how! We do set up the tent and camp in the backyard a few times during the summer with the kids. We always have a small veggie patch each year and I love to plant colorful perennials and annuals in the flower beds around our home. I really enjoy growing several different herbs to ass freshness to our summer dishes. I finally have a large clump of chives that I am always snipping away at! I have yet to successfully grow that lovely row of lavender I want so badly, maybe this will be the year!

Henrietta said...

I am a new follower! and good grief, I am sorry about that typo in my first comment! that should be ADD ;P

Carla G said...

I do some gardening... I plant flowering hanging baskets each year - gave up on planting annuals in the ground, as the slugs always kill them. I have perennials that do well every year too - clematis, peony, hostas, lilies and ferns. And all my roses died - I guess they didn't like moving... I also grow tomatoes, candycane beets, peas, carrots. I've given up on the rest of the veggies as I don't have enough space or it's too shaded to grow properly. I wish I had a bigger space to grow more perennials and have a larger garden, but that just isn't in the budget at this point. :) Thanks for a great giveaway!

Carla G said...

I am a follower of your blog!

Catskill Quilter said...

IN front of our apartment in northern Florida, we have a tiny garden plot that is covered with tree roots from the tree out front. We have a lovely rosemary that survived the winter, and a Greek oregano and a thyme, as well as our chives. Our garden is not usually a success, as we are transplanted northerners, and have to carry water to take care of our plants. This year we are adding 10 medium sized window boxes to line the edge of our patio, and have planted them with Early Girl tomatoes, basil, thyme, celantro,and oregano. Wish us luck, and thank you for letting me tell you about our herb garden! It is a very big deal for us!

Catskill Quilter said...

I am a follower! Thank you for the giveaway!

A Red Ham said...

My family love bush camping. No power, no showers, cooking over a fire, toasting marshmallows, kids making damper, drinking wine to stay warm, going on bush walks during the day, wearing 5 layers of clothing. What is there not to love!!::

Aimee said...

Congrats on one year!
Er, gardening? Camping? Plants come to my house to die. I'm pretty sure they have a poster with my picture on it at every gardening center across America. I used to go camping with my grandparents when I was a kid, but that was a long time ago. They had a great big RV & a pop up they kept at their campground, & it was fun. If I could camp that way (electricity, shower, all those little conveniences) that would be OK. Not so much the tent & roughing it stuff :)

Aimee said...

I'm a follower

Aimee said...

Mentioned your giveaway on my blog
http://www.theknottystitchers.com/2011/04/some-quilty-type-giveaways-for-everyone.html

Anonymous said...

Back when I was younger,with my first husband & I traveled a lot in camping on top of a truck.lol and always with another couple went to Yellow Stone Park! Grand Cannon! Went to many of park! Seen Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse! Needle Point!Seen beautiful mountains. Of bears & deer & buffalo's and took many photo's. Cooked out on camp fire and also sleep in tents at times! that old truck with the camper up high took us many places! U.S.A.What a beautiful sight! this was back in the 70"s! :)

Anonymous said...

New follower of yours! thank-you for the wonderful time to share our thought! and the great give-away!

Anonymous said...

I also shared you blog on my facebook page!

Unknown said...

I am not a camper, so yes Holiday Inn would be my type of camping.

Unknown said...

I'm a follower of your blog.

Unknown said...

I blogged about your giveaway!
http://birdolovemoo.blogspot.com/2011/04/thursday-giveaways_14.html