save the pumps

I have these peep-toe black pumps that my sister gave to me a few years ago. I love them, and wear them with everything....dresses and blue jeans....the problem is the insides are falling apart. I'm too frugal to give up shoes just because the part no one sees is no longer presentable. I had worn them so many times that the fabric had come out, and I was now on the secondary layer. What to do?

I decided I would give them a facelift. I tore the insides out and used them as a template to cut out fabric. I ironed the edges in a quarter inch and sprayed the backside with adhesive. I pressed the new inserts into my shoes. A simple and cheap way to keep shoes looking fresh. So happy with the results.

before: pretty ratty looking

after: with a new life

raspberry trellis

Last year I wanted to start a raspberry patch so I could pick my own fresh raspberries for jam, pie and freezing. My mom gave me 16 starts, each with 4" or less of growth. She dug up wild plants from her woods. They took very well and are huge this year, with many berries coming on. These are black raspberry plants.

They were planted on the South side of the barn, where they are protected and get partial sun the entire day. They also get runoff when it rains. Jeremy built a trellis last week for the raspberries and I wanted to share the steps to make one. Our raspberry bed is 28 feet long, so it was divided into two sections. We bought three treated 4x4s, seven feet long and buried 3 feet in the ground for stability.

For the cross sections we used treated 2x2s that are two feet long. They were attached half way between the ground and the top of the 4x4. Next we took heavy gardening wire and ran three wires: the first 3/4 the way up the 4x4 pole, the next two on either end of the 2x2.

The wires were easily attached with U nails and the wire twisted to keep it taut. To make it look a little nicer, we added copper tops, though they really serve no functional purpose.

It was relatively inexpensive to start a raspberry bed. If you are interested in starting a patch and want to save money, ask someone who lives near a wooded area if they would be willing to let you dig up plants for free. (Most farmers would be glad to get rid of the ones near their fields). Prune them back low to the ground and do not harvest the first year (depending on when you transplant, you probably would not get fruit anyway). I have only found the black raspberries growing wild in our area and their flavor is so sweet. If you are wanting the red raspberries you will most likely need to buy them from a nursery.

Last step: Enjoy produce from your own patch!