Jenna Lou Loves You

First Harvest

Today was a beautiful spring day. I stayed inside for the most part like a good girl to finish up some work, but I did venture outside for just long enough to see that the rhubarb was big enough to pick. We have a HUGE patch of it (probably could use a good splitting) and several of the stocks finally reached 12- 14" so I picked away.

I took just enough to make this dessert that I spotted in the May 2008 issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. We already had everything on hand so it was a really quick mix up. And let me tell you... YUM. They are super sweet and sugary, so small pieces is a must... but they are soooo good. I love things with oats in them and the rhubarb is perfect. Tart!

Taking the first  harvest from our garden was really fun. It has me dreaming of all the other fresh goodness that is just around the corner.

xo,
Jennalou

May!!

I can hardly believe it is May already!! The past 2-3 weeks have just flown by unaccounted for. At least spring has finally made a real appearance. We have some serious blooming going on in the trees just outside my windows and the army of tulips have shown their faces. It's really a beautiful time of year.... I've been trying to enjoy each and everyday, to take it in slowly.

Work has been a different story. I've been having a really hard time keeping myself indoors so I have to apologize to those of you waiting for a shipment... I promise I will be caught up by the end of the week. I've notices a downwards slope in my work and I think it's because it's become so demanding and repetitive. I've been trying to look into the future... to plan for it and I can see already that there are going to be some very big changes in the way I have been doing things and hopefully it will be good for all of us. I'm not really sure of the exact changes that will be made, but I do know that custom and wholesale work is going to be on the back burner for a while.

I want to take a new approach as to what I offer in the shop... but I'm going to keep my lips sealed for a bit on that until I work all the kinks out and feel really good and confident that it is the right choice.

Anyways... enough about that. I hope you all are taking the time to enjoy spring and all the renewed energies that it brings!

xo,
Jennalou

Spring seems to be a bit confused this year. We see a bit of it here and a bit of it there, but then it's winter again. Today it's nice.... tomorrow who knows. The weather man doesn't even sound sure anymore. Last weekend was snow. Today is heat. This coming weekend is supposed to be rain. Boo!

This weekend we will be away again. I'll be doing a double show weekend. Saturday is Crafted Together. Sunday is Spring Fling. They both sound very promising and I can't wait to see all the friendly faces! We decided that it would be best to drive up early so we are leaving Friday to make this as stress free as possible. The weather isn't in our favor (I heard snow again) so we'd rather take is slow and steady.

If you are in the area and get the chance to stop by either of these shows do say hi! I'll be the girl behind my booth with the HUGE gray circles under her eyes.

Hope to see you there!
xo,
Jennalou

Craftstravaganza Report

Thanks to those of you who braved the unseasonably cold weather yesterday to visit the Craftstravaganza. Despite the cold there was a steady flow of traffic for most of the day. It was such a joy to meet so many new faces and to share laughs with those of you I know. I'm always amazed by the talent that fills these shows too. It was a shoppers delight.

After the show we went out with some really fun people for food/drinks and had a blast. I'm not sure if my muscles hurt from shivering or from laughing. Both were had in abundance!

Craftstravaganza

If you are free this weekend and in the area, come stop by the Craftstravaganza and say HI to me. It's from 9 to 6 on the 26th at the state fair grounds in (of course) MINNESOTA.

There are going to be tons of other awesome sellers and I think it's going to be an amazing day.

Don't be shy... say HI!
xo,
Jennalou

First Colors

The first colors of spring in my yard. It is a beautiful sight to see.

Isn't April lovely?

Black Gold

Ever since early spring hit all I can think about is being outside in the garden. There isn't much there right now, but that doesn't stop it from taking over my every thought. On Saturday night I literally woke up several times with images of planting seeds and pulling weeds in my head.

Our frost free date isn't until early May, so I still have some time before I can really get my hands dirty, but we already started a few projects. One of the things I have been wanting to do for a while now was starting a compost pile. Every gardener knows that compost is the indispensable black gold of the garden.

So after spending some time searching on the web I decided to go with a diy bin made from pallets. I got my pallets for free (thanks mom and 3m) so this was really cost effective for me. We just screwed them together to make two bins and lined them with chicken wire (again free) to keep small things in and small things out (rodents). I originally wanted to have a swinging front door, but the pallets where a bit cumbersome for the task so we are going to figure out a different way in the future. For now it works great.  For the cost of some screws and my time I can now make my very own black gold. 

Jennalou

My "Green" Curtains

After finding myself eye to eye with strangers a couple too many times I decided it was time to make some curtains for my kitchen. We live very close to a school and a church so many of the neighborhood kids like to cut through our yard on the way to their destination, and while I don't have a problem with them doing so, I just don't like getting caught in my pajamas making my morning oatmeal. It's just awkward.

On Sunday I sat down in front of my fabric stash to pick out the print I wanted for the curtains. I'm quite lucky in that our kitchen has no color theme or really any design elements at all right now so I could go wild with any color/print I wanted. (We are planning to demolish/redo in the future so we haven't put any effort into it since moving in). I came across these two pillowcases that I had thrifted for 25 cents each many months back. What a perfect "green" solution.

They were the perfect size, color, and print... PLUS with one finished edge already done they were a snap to sew up. I cut the seams to open it up, then folded over the finished edge and sewed to make a loop for the curtain rod. A simple folded hem on the other three sides was a breeze and they were done. I think the project took me MAYBE 40 minutes... and that includes measuring and nailing the curtain rods onto the window. I picked up the rods for $2.43 for the set, so for a total of $2.93 + my time I have new curtains that bring a bright, fresh, fun look to my kitchen. AND now I can make toast in my birthday-suit if I please without scaring off the neighbors. I'd say it was a success.

Next time your thinking of updating around you home, remember to recycle and keep it "green".... The earth and all our future generations will appreciate it!

xo,
Jennalou

Breaking News

Today there was an article about me in the Mankato Free Press. Last night I dreamed of blotched photos and misquotes, so I pulled myself out of bed at the first sight of light and drove down to the gas station to pick up a copy. AND.... yey... I think it turned out pretty darn good if I do say so myself! You can read part of it today.... and I think the full thing will be up tomorrow HERE.

Thanks Tim!! You did a great job!! Thanks Mankato Free Press! Thanks mom for tipping them off (hahah... I know... right.... my mom sent an email and whaaalaaa I have reporters knocking at my door.... I still think she's a super hero).

xo,
Jennalou

ps. I figured out a really cheap and nifty way to dress up my kitchen, and I just can't wait to try it out!! More on that when the sun fully comes up so I can get some photos!

April Fools Day

Nature played a crew joke on us. 6" of fresh heavy snow to cover those little green arms that were trying so hard to reach up for the sun. The good news is that I think they will be fine and once this snow melts I have a feeling that everything will finally spring into action!!

Happy April Everyone!!