Etsy!

I'm full speed ahead working at developing an Etsy business. My shop name is ourhumblecastle (surprise surprise... )

I'll be doing weekly updates to my shop on Mondays, so keep checking back for new products! Right now I am focusing on hand dyed yarns and hand stamped or up-cycled cards.

I just finished an update, so head on over to

www.etsy.ourhumblecastle.com to check out the goodness! Just a fair warning, some of the yarns I listed today are already spoken for.

Group photo of some of my yarns

Of course, I must leave you with a picture of little DJ- he came outside with me on one of the photo shoots-

DJ, enjoying the warm fall weather.

My berry patch

Spring is here, in full rainstorms and sunshine and glory.


My parents came down at the end of March, and helped with projects around the house and yard. You'd be amazed at how much needed to be done, as well as how much got done! It was such a blessing.


I really should have taken a before picture of the back yard just to show how far it has come. There was a sandbox that was full of weeds and maple tree seedlings, and now... it is perfectly cleaned out and is the home to my new berry patch!


We've been blessed with lots of space in our back yard- albeit a little bit shady thanks to the big maple tree- (Mom couldn't believe that all the leaves we raked were pretty much only from the tree in our back yard- over 20 lawn and garden bags full!) and I have been wanting to grow a garden so badly. One of the things that I have missed the most about farm life is the fresh raspberries in the fall. They are so expensive to buy in the store, and they're never quite the same as ones you pick yourself. Of course I wanted to make sure my garden had a berry patch of raspberries and strawberries. I put an add on Craigslist, asking if anyone had an established patch that I could come and get a few strawberry runners or raspberry canes from. I've gotten replies from about 3 people who are willing to let me get plants from them!  They each have different varieties, so I'm planning on getting some from each of them. Over the next year or two, I'll figure out which ones I like best and want to keep, and I can always thin out the ones that don't do as well.


I had posted the add earlier in the spring, before most people had gotten out into their gardens. I finally connected with one of the ladies today and got my first round of plants! It had been raining quite heavily the last while, but we thought we'd try to go out and dig them up anyway. I headed over, and by the time I got to this lady's house, it had stopped raining! Not only that, but it stopped long enough that I was able to go out and finish preparing my sandbox (Strawberries love sandy soil) and put them in the ground.


A few pictures to share:

 The new berry patch!

A close up of the strawberry plants.

One of the beautiful raspberry canes.

A bonus picture of our puppy, Lulu who was enjoying being outside with her mommy, and doing a very good job of learning to stay "out" of the new berry patch. :D