Local Harvest Ojai

July is harvest time around here.  

 Everything sort of "happens" in the month of July...

it's an explosion of fruit and vegetables

This year we had a bumper crop of peaches which I was able to pick before the squirrels got to them. Peaches continue to ripen off the tree, so you can pick them early and still use them.  

I peel and freeze what we can't eat right away.

 The apples are starting to blush from the sun and are also ready for picking.  

Yesterday I saw a young red tailed hawk sitting on our fence eating an apple...

now that was a first

 So every morning this time of year,

 I walk the garden with a big basket looking for goodies 

that are ready to pick 

and make I plans for 

a local harvest dinner...right from my own garden

 I pick herbs every day and I have to say 

that it is a real treat to use fresh herbs 

continuously throughout the year

 Earlier this year I planted onions and shallot, which are finally ready.  

 The shallot crop had been amazing and the taste is really sweet and garlicky

Most every thing I plant mid summer 

is self sown into the beds

This is my not so scientific way 

of keeping track of what is what.

 I staple the seed pocket onto a garden stake

wild arugula is a favorite for salads or to top a pizza

and it goes from this 

to this in

 about 3 weeks

 try some radishes

they are easy 

and you can toss the greens into salad 

as you thin them out

 This year I have 6 squash plants and a giant pumpkin 

 The tomatoes are starting to ripen 

and I planted 6 different varieties 

some red 

some yellow

small and large

 The grapes will be ready to pick soon...can't wait for those

And the lavender garden is in full bloom 

 So for this mornings harvest...fresh herbs;

thyme, parsley, arugula, basil, sage, rosemary, nasturtium and lavender

 spring onions and shallot

 lettuce varieties

 lemons, oranges, apples, squash and tomatoes

 there's even a pomegranate 

hiding in there somewhere

 I hung the shallot on my kitchen door 

and can pluck one off whenever I need it

and now for some really fun news...

I had the chance to speak with one of my favorite designers last week 

for about 2 hours...!!!!

I love her work and I know you do too

So stay tuned for a great Q & A 

Can you guess who she is?

Have a great week!

xo

kelley

Chalkboard Art...finished for now

 Here we go...this is how my project ended up
but just to be sure....

I thought I would just sleep on it and see how I felt about it in the morning

It's only chalk right?

I wonder If Dana Tanamachi does that?

Hmmm

Just as a reminder this was my original graphic design

 about 1/2 way through...
I do like the banner
and Dana uses lots of banners in her work

 and this is the final project...the next morning, I removed the little knives I had added, re-worked the area where the banners was

 and enlarged the lettering on 

"petit cafe"

 I put my basket of bread boards underneath it 

but it just needed something a bit higher

 I have a nice little collection of old bottles 

that I use for vinegars and oil for cooking

 This is a great little bamboo shelf...a nice size for a smallish space...so I gave it a try here

just in case you are wondering about the old bottles...I actually sterilize them like you would a canning jar prior to using them and if there is even a question about cleanliness I don't put any thing in them except maybe a flower for the garden

 a few little dishes, some fresh lemons 

and an old baguette basket on the chalk shelf

Here is a little peek of the kitchen with the new chalkboard

this little sign reads:

the daily bread

petit cafe

olives

cheese

champagne

open daily

I hope you give this a try....
it is so much more fun 

than spelling and arithmetic 

Cheers

Kelley

PS

I didn't seal it 

because I have a feeling I will find some new things to draw 

as Spring approaches...
and I agree with Dana
that there is something interesting and simplistic
about just erasing it
and doodling a new idea

The 4 Doors: Barn Door Project Finished

I wrote about these wonderful doors a while back here

They are numbered and have a great white washed finish....I think these may have been for changing rooms at a resort or something

The back of the doors are really great too

definately "barnish"

So how did I use them....

 I used them as closet doors!

 1 and 2 now reside in the master bedroom and 4 and 24 live in the guest room

 When I asked my carpenter to help me with this project...I asked him if he had ever used barn door hardware before. 

 He gave me a really funny look and said

 "yea, but on a barn"

 I added some wonderful really old hand hammered door pulls

 We trimmed out the little openings with new pine 

and used chicken wire safety glass for the windows.  

I used briwax for the finish

 I purchased my hardware from a company called The Real Carriage Door Company

 A couple of facts to remember about using these:

you will need space for your doors to open...more than the average door obviously

 Second...the hardware is heavy and so you will need to add wood backing to support the hardware, which means opening up the wall above your opening.  We also had to cut down the horizontal support bar to have the spacing equal on both sides

And finally...the doors hang away from the wall by about 2 inches.  Take into consideration your moldings and other trim, 

which may not allow the doors to open freely

all Mr Barney is missing is a little smile...

but when I see these

 I do that for him

thanks for stopping by

&

don't forget to close your barn door...