bob: garden groundskeeper.

it's sinking in: i am no longer a full-time, 9-to-5, computer-and-desk job employee. it's also sinking in that i will no longer be receiving a regular paycheck. yikes.

in an attempt not to dwell on the scarier aspects of what lie ahead, i've just come back from a wonderful vacation with my friends at the beach, and i've got some cool things to share. my friend eleanor's parents live in wilmington, on the intercoastal waterway, in a beautiful house with a possibly even more beautiful yard.  i had the pleasure of staying there this past weekend and spend just about every afternoon on wrightsville beach swimming and reading. it was the jam.

in addition to the lush garden right outside the back door, we also visited the hanover county aboretum and airlie gardens. i am grateful for eleanor's patience while we visited these places: i took over 250 photos! every two feet there was something else to document, and i was so glad to have the opportunity to see everything.

today i've got some photos of the amazing retreat that is the yard of eleanor's house. seriously. i could live on the backporch with bob, the cat, who patrols the grounds. bob showed up a few years ago and, in return for some food, assists in yard maintenance and upkeep. he has the endearing habit of following you around the yard, and he finds great pleasure in bulldozing your face with his nose.

behold bob's kingdom:

view from the back porch.

after a beach rain shower.

and finally,  bob:

bob lurking.

bob stare-down.

tomorrow: the hanover county aboretum! complete with koi pond!

gym? or logan's?

today was my last full-time day at my job. it was anti-climatic, but now that i'm home and cozy on the couch, i feel a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. this is it: i am a full-time student. i am extremely stressed and stress-free at the same time, and it feels pretty good.

i left work around 3:30 with a bag stuffed with my laptop, some papers, and random odds and ends from my desk that i deemed valuable enough to save: two tubes of hand cream, some photos, and pens and highlighters among them. with a packed gym bag in the back seat, i set out to get a nice, end-of-the-week workout with potentially a yoga class before my vacation at the beach tomorrow got underway. but, as i approached the Y, i thought about the house.. the planter andrew had created from the old gas tank, and the void the poor gas tank felt due to the fact that it was plantless. so. i decided to forgo the gym. i took one for the team so that i could seek out the perfect plant to fill the emptiness in our lives. i went to logan's on the way home.

logan's is located near downtown raleigh, in the seaboard station shopping center. this place is my playground.

visit logan's online!

this is where andrew and i purchased our hydrangea, our shamrock, our hen & chicks and our basil. i had never visited logan's until this year, thanks to the thoughtful giftcard that andrew's mom gave me for christmas. since then, it's a treat every time i walk through the doors.

succulents! i can't get enough of succulents!

raleigh wolf at entry to logan's.

so, to celebrate my last day of work, and to also find a plant for the sad gas-container planter, i stopped by logan's instead of going to the gym to find a new houseplant. meet fern:

fern, at home in her new planter.

i feel terrible that i talked to the helpful woman at logan's today for a substantial amount of time, but I can't remember the exact type of fern that this is. ideas?

tomorrow i will leave for a vacation at wrightsville beach, so i'll be MIA for the next few days. i feel really good about that! however, i am very excited to have the opportunity to visit airlie gardens, in wilmington, while i am there. stay tuned for photos!

inspiration: literature!

last night andrew brought me two new books! it was such a thoughtful surprise. i am going to the beach with some girlfriends next week, and he wanted me to have some new things to read. i am very excited about both books.

the first is farm city by novella carpenter. ms carpenter moved to oakland and started a farm - in the abandoned lot right next to her house! the book has received great reviews and is full of anecdotes and advice, which i'm really looking forward to reading.

i also got chlorophyll in his veins by bobby j. ward, which is about nc state horticultural legend, j.c. raulston. the j.c. raulston aboretum is right around the corner it seems like, but i have yet to go. i'll make it my reward once i complete the book, perhaps..!

visit author bobby j. ward's website!

once i complete the books, i'll let you know how they were. time's runnin out 'fore all i'll be readin are dense textbooks!

on account of the amount i owe NCSU slowly dwindling..

i baked again. more bread. more coconut. it was a success.

only $431 to go and then i'm squared away for the semester's tuition and health insurance!

two more days of work then it's vacation until school starts. i can't wait!!

try some bread!

mango, coconut, walnut & cinnamon!

i am growing two trees.

this is a tree.

and this is a tree!

this is a super easy project and it will make you feel super successful. it worked for me and i'm basically gettin by on word of mouth and google.

if you are into avocados, save that pit next time you mix up some guacamole. i acquired my first pit from my good friend eleanor's sweet mom. she made a delightful chopped salad and saved the pit after i told her that i wanted try planting it. the little tree that you see is what came of that first pit. it is about a year old and is doing pretty well from what i can see hangin out in the kitchen with a little sunlight from the windows.

i recently attempted some guacamole, and i think the best part of the experience was having another pit to play with. andrew has never seen the avocado pit phenomenon in action, so i set up avocado tree jr. in a small yellow glass jar and set it by our front window. we should see some roots soon!

for some sweet tips on trying this yourself, i found this useful link!

heat advisory.

leave it to my love to pick one of the hottest weekends of the summer to spend the day outside playing with power tools. works for me though - we've taken our first baby step towards the revamping of the vintage metal lawn chairs. andrew made major progress while i was running errands by workin on that rust, then he taught me about cleaning the piece and applying the primer. we've got our work cut out for us, folks.

in the beginning.

supplies!

after andrew wire-brushed. little pitbull is helpin.

stalker shot: andrew brushin away!

andrew showed me how to apply the primer.

small victory.

easily one of the scariest things about my endeavor with school is the funding. my last day at work is next friday, and then i am depending mostly on savings, grants and loans to get me by. i will work part-time, but the fact of the matter is that my concentration is on excelling in class and i am dedicated to making that happen.

nevertheless, my first tuition bill arrived yesterday. yesterday morning, to be exact. to my email. it was clearly something i was expecting and was not meant to induce such a freak-out, but seeing a bill for several thousand dollars at 6 a.m. has a way of spurring unnecessary emotions i suppose. 24 hours later, i can breathe, i have a plan, and i know my financial aid will arrive at my door with a bouquet soon (no?). it will be alright.

until then, i'll revel in accomplishments such as not completely screwing up a baking experiment. i'm an over-mixer, under-mixer, impatient, and stressed-out baker. however, i present you with aloha bread: bananas, pineapples, coconut, walnuts and orange zest. andrew ate all the muffins and half the loaf. what a man!

make your own aloha bread!