Don't believe everything you read on the internet... but do let me tell you what to eat, read and watch. Boom.

Blayne Macauley July 21, 2015

I've written before about my love for the blog Designer Bags and Dirty Diapers (it's my favorite). Every Monday Natalie does an update with all the highlights from her weekend. She and her husband and her two kids go to fabulous Charleston restaurants or stores. She and her husband usually have a date night, and on Sundays she cooks a family dinner. All the while wearing the latest styles and pulling off perfect hair.

I can't compete. For the last few weekends I've taken photos with my phone in hopes of dazzling you guys on Monday with what an amazing weekend we've had. On Monday morning I look back through a few photos of our dog, a couple of Jimmy fake sleeping with Oliver, about 10 of the baby doing something cute, at least one of a bowl of cheese dip, and the occasional signature cocktail. There is nothing earth shattering in my camera roll, so I don't follow through. Until this week when I thought I'd be honest:

Here's what I did with my much less glamorous weekend.

Photo by Katie Oblinger Photography from our Lovie Session two weeks ago.  Katie is the best, and the Lovie Sessions are so much fun! — Photo by Katie Oblinger Photography from our Lovie Session two weeks ago. Katie is the best, and the Lovie Sessions are so much fun!

Life Lately: O's first Birthday Party and more!

Blayne Macauley May 11, 2015

My favorite blog, Designer Bags and Dirty Diapers does a weekly update on life, and I love it. It's by far my favorite post of the week. I thought I would just straight up rip it off as a way to get you guys caught up on all kinds of things. Fingers crossed nobody gets mad :)

My iPhone is on its VERY last leg... as in I cannot take any photos at all. I have to get people to take photos for me and text them to me. I have to get a new one ASAP... Please forgive the borrowed/stolen photos.

#bloggeroftheyear #movingrightalong

Last Friday I got the photos back from the Lovie Session we did with Katie Oblinger. I cannot even tell you how talented she is. She makes everyone feel comfortable in front of the camera, and she always captures the best moments! (see photo above and below).

With my African Keyhole garden after one of our softball games :)

Vita Gardens: My African Keyhole Garden

Blayne Macauley April 30, 2015

I have been into gardening for as long as I can remember. When I was little I forced my brother to plant a vegetable garden with me every year. This consisted of me having my mom drive me to the store to buy watermelon and cantaloupe seeds as well as a live tomato plant. When we got home I would drag my brother out to the backyard, dig little holes in the red dirt, and make him drop in the seeds. I would go out and check on my seeds everyday, but I was not too interested in watering or anything. By the end of the season we had about two tomatoes and a tiny cantaloupe. To reward my efforts, my family always took the tomato to a restaurant and had them slice it and serve it to the table... very fancy.

Fast forward 20 years to my first house. I spent one summer digging up all the ivy in the front yard and planting a massive vegetable garden, to the horror of all my neighbors. I got more vegetables than I knew what to do with. I even got chickens! Photos of my first garden below.

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 8.46.50 AM.png

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 8.47.25 AM.png

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 8.48.10 AM.png

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 8.48.18 AM.png

Screen Shot 2015-04-30 at 8.48.37 AM.png

When we moved into our new house I was so excited that there was space in the backyard! I no longer had to fly my crazy gardening flag right out in the front yard where everyone could see.

Earlier this year when I attended the Design Bloggers Conference, I met the team from Vita Gardens. They were there with their A frican Keyhole Garden Bed. It was love at first sight for me. It's based on African gardening principals and has a compost bin right in the middle to convert the compost and get the nutrients right to the plants.

My Keyhole Garden arrived a few weeks later and we got to work putting it together.

It was easy and intuitive to assemble. After it was together, we move it to the perfect spot in the yard.

There are very east instructions about how to fill your garden, including this video.

My helper Larry wheeling in some mulch, twigs and old pinestraw. — My helper Larry wheeling in some mulch, twigs and old pinestraw.

We did not have many sticks around the yard, so we added bark.

After the garden was full, I added in a few established plants and a few seeds. It's so much fun to go out every morning with my compost and see the progress. Interestingly, even though I planted a lot of seeds in the ground at the same time as the bed, none of those have sprouted yet. The ones in the bed are already over an inch tall. It's a testament to the health of the soil. This was what was happening yesterday.

Follow along this Summer to see the results from my African Keyhole Garden :)

P.S. Don't forget the Mignonne Gavigan event tonight at Sandpiper.

Source: http://www.thisphotographerslife.com/new-blog/2015/4/29/vita-gardens-my-african-keyhole-garden

Follow TPL by email!