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Miscellany | a star map, a car, a hydrangea, and more

Time for some randomness!

Sonia has a cool star map.

I got a PR email telling me about custom star maps and asking if I’d like a sample.

Since Sonia is very (very, very, very) into everything astronomy-related, I said yes.   I framed it using a frame and mat I had on hand, and it looks pretty fancy now!

A black framed custom star map.

(Sonia’s star map has a date, location, and coordinates printed at the bottom…I just blurred them out because, privacy. The design looks much more balanced with the information un-blurred, though!)

Basically, you input a date and location, and they print out a map of what the starry sky looked like at that time (people choose significant dates in their lives, like birthdays, anniversaries, and so on).

Sonia chose to get a print of what the sky looked like when she was born on March 2nd, 2004, and she loves it.

A black framed star map hung on a teal wall.

I’ll paint the frame white one day this summer so it matches everything else in Sonia and Zoe’s room, but this will do for now.

You can order a star map here if you’ve got a night-sky person in your life!.

(I’m not affiliated and I get no kickback if you buy a star map.)

I sold all my schoolbooks except one!

I listed six books last week, and all are sold and shipped save one.   I’m pretty pleased about that…less clutter in my house, more money in my wallet, and the joy of knowing that the books are going to people who will use them.

My little hydrangea has become a large hydrangea.

I bought this teeny tiny hydrangea stick/plant at Aldi for $2.99 back in 2009.

A baby hydrangea plant from Aldi, in a terracotta pot.

And now it’s a large, happy bush with lots of flowers.

A hydrangea bush with blue flowers.

(Why yes, I DO need to weed. And mulch.)

In other news, hydrangeas are one of the few bushes that the voles don’t seem to eat.

A hydrangea viewed through a black metal railing.

So now I have six of them, all from Aldi except one.

A blue hydrangea bloom.

You have to go with what works, you know?   Frugal people do not like to buy plants that get promptly eaten.

Speaking of frugal plants, I planted some purple bean hyacinths next to my front railings, and they are already busily climbing up.   I think they’ll look really lovely once they fill out and bloom this summer.

A bean leaf peeking through a railing.

And that’s all the miscellany I have for you this Thursday!

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Kristyna

Saturday 16th of June 2018

That baby hydrangea is simply adorable. (and the grown plant is beautiful of course.)

I hope the civic's pre purchase inspection goes well so you can be done with used car shopping and Joshua can have a nice car. My mom had a civic and that car went on forever. If you get a good one, it should last. (unless a bus hits it of course... :roll: )

Diane

Friday 15th of June 2018

I'm really amazed that some people don't like the Zaycon chicken. I don't find them "pumped full of water" or even a "weird texture". It's a terrific product, and I usually can half of the 40 pound case in pint jars. As far as them being too big - got a knife? I know just what my husband and I will eat, and I portion it out & freezer bag it. I honestly couldn't be happier with these breasts. If they were pumped with water, they wouldn't can up as nicely as they do. I buy Zaycon's 80/20 burger - which is shrink-freezer wrapped in pound packages, and the chuck roasts - which is shrink wrapped in 3 pound packages. The quality is great.

Liz B.

Thursday 14th of June 2018

Your hydrangeas look so pretty! I love them, but have never had any luck growing them. I've tried several times....nope. I love the star map. I think Groupon had a deal for something similar several months ago, but I didn't buy it....I think my hubby would like that for a birthday present.

Patti P

Thursday 14th of June 2018

Goodness, I hope the third time's the charm! I just ordered my star map for my brand new great niece! Thanks for posting the link. I wanted to let your readers know that I found a 10% off coupon if they'd like to order. If they order in June use FIRST10.

Have a great summer.

Patti P

Thursday 14th of June 2018

Hi Kristen,

Sorry, I have another question! Why did Sonia choose the one without the constellations? A cleaner look? Thanks.

Kristen

Thursday 14th of June 2018

Yep! She looked at both and decided she liked the more minimalist look. I feel like if you got a really big star print, the constellations would look less cluttery, but for the small one, they made it feel crowded.

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