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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

DwellWellNW

SATURDAY, SEPT. 15, 2012

Maine lobster. (Maggie Bullock)

Lobsters in Maine 

In August, my sister and I took a trip to the east coast, visiting Boston and Harpswell, Maine. We relaxed, walked a lot, saw many friends, and ate really good food at Radius, Trade, and Area Four in Boston, and at our friends’ home in…

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SUNDAY, SEPT. 2, 2012

Squash trellis: August. (Maggie Bullock)

The Progress of a Squash Trellis

Nope, I have disappeared from the blogging world; I’m just swimming in squash. Actually, my other job has been quite busy and keeping me from crafting, weeding, preserving, and writing. Sigh. Hopefully, I’ll be back to creating projects and writing up posts this month. Lest…

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WEDNESDAY, AUG. 15, 2012

 (Maggie Bullock)

Back to School Lunches

This time of year is always busy for me (as it is for all teachers), preparing for a semester of teaching and getting readjusted to a new schedule, but it’s also a bit exciting at the same time. Back to school time means new pens…

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SATURDAY, AUG. 11, 2012

Storing garlic to last all winter. (Maggie Bullock)

Storing the Garlic Harvest

We might have grown too much garlic at our house this year…or maybe not; it’s difficult to think that “too much garlic” is a real problem. Harvesting garlic is fairly simple, just pull firmly and gently on the stalks and you’ll feel the roots give…

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FRIDAY, AUG. 3, 2012

Weekend Events!

There is a full weekend of crafts and art ahead—no matter what side of the state you’re on. In Spokane it is First Friday, galleries, wineries, and coffee shops in town are hosting art shows and artists tonight—many offering small bites and wine to enjoy…

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TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012

 (Maggie Bullock)

Seed Saving—July Urban Farm Challenge 

I was pretty happy about July’s Urban Farm Challenge. I’ve never saved my own seed before, but have always wanted to--the challenge was a good push for me to do something new and sustainable. For the most plants it doesn’t seem that difficult. The easiest…

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SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012

FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2012

 (Maggie Bullock)

Chalkboard Labels 

I must admit that I have stolen this idea. I saw chalkboard labels for sale online and thought it was a brilliant idea—a label for pantry jars that can be wiped clean and rewritten. I use jars to store oatmeal, flour, and other pantry staples,…

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THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2012

 (Maggie Bullock)

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Day two of the make-your-own-household-staples is upon us. I’ve been reading about homemade laundry detergent for quite awhile, but hadn’t gotten around to making any—but this week my purchased detergent started running low and so I mixed together some homemade. There are MANY recipes out…

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TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012

Homemade hand lotion--ready to use. (Maggie Bullock)

Homemade Hand Lotion 

I had no idea making something like hand/body lotion was so uncomplicated. It turns out that making your own lotion requires just four or five ingredients and very little working time—and in the end you know exactly what is in your lotion. The lotion I…

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THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012

 (Maggie Bullock)

Cuppow Review 

I have had two wide mouth Cuppow lids for several months and have been meaning to write a review on the blog. Lately I've been using them more and more (iced coffee! iced tea! lemonade!). Instead of plastic waterbottles, we carry around jars of water…

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SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2012

 (Maggie Bullock)

Strawberry Preserve Round-Up

I promised to write about what I did with 26 pounds of strawberries in three days. The answer is a lot. Our household now has more strawberry jam than any house should (and I still feel like it might not be enough for the year).…

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TUESDAY, JULY 10, 2012

A few of the herbs from my garden, left to right: lemon balm, peppermint (top), spearmint (bottom), thyme (top), rosemary (bottom), lemon verbena (top), basil (bottom), and oregano.   (Maggie Bullock)

Botanicals: June Urban Farm Challenge

I’m quite late posting about my June Urban Farm Challenge adventures, but the information is certainly not out of date, so I hope you'll find it useful. This challenge was a good one. I love using the herbs and flowers in my garden and have…

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SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012

Some of today's intake. Twenty-five pounds is a lot of berry.  (Maggie Bullock)

Strawberries on the Bluff! 

It’s that time again—strawberries are ready at some of the farms on Green Bluff in Spokane. Today was a great day for early morning picking up at Siemer’s Farm; Knapp’s and Strawberry Hill should be ripening soon. As my husband and I were picking berries…

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SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 2012

Farmers' Market Round-up

It’s Saturday and Saturday makes me think of the farmer’s market. As much as I want and plan to visit the market every Saturday morning, it just doesn’t always happen. Thankfully, there are many markets around the city and they aren’t all only open on…

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FRIDAY, JUNE 29, 2012

Squash trellis: June. (Maggie Bullock)

Growing Up 

I’m doing more and more trellising in my back (and front) yard garden beds to conserve space (for more tomato plants, of course). I use a variety of material for trellises: bed frames (my favorite for peas and beans), these simple trellises, upside down tomato…

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THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2012

Freshly finished cookies. (Maggie Bullock)

Wedding Cake Favors

Wedding favors—often seen as unnecessary or just another thing to think about, they can actually add to the wedding day. They are a small token thank you for your guests to take home from the day. When we were thinking about favors, I actually struggled…

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TUESDAY, JUNE 26, 2012

 (Maggie Bullock)

Homebrewed Chai 

It’s been rainy and gray here, and to me, a gray day is best spent with a cup of hot tea, a good book, and/or a craft project. I’ve also been a bit under the weather, so I spent the day hunkered down with tea,…

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SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 2012

 (Maggie Bullock)

Jar Herb Garden 

I saw a picture of herbs grown in jars about a month ago and knew that I needed to figure out how to make my own Mason jar herb garden. I decided to hang mine from the back fence, and I love it (I’m hanging…

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THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Strawberry Preserves (Maggie Bullock)

Preserved Strawberries in Syrup 

Strawberries are almost ready up on Greenbluff, so it’s time to start thinking about how to preserve them for later in the year. I’ll be making plenty of jam (canned and freezer, some infusions, and this recipe…to start). One of my favorite canning projects from…

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FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2012

My wedding bouquet (Maggie Bullock)

Bridal Button Bouquet

I haven’t posted any wedding projects lately, but ‘tis the season for weddings, so I’m starting back up with ideas from our wedding last summer. For over a decade my mother and I have been making button flowers by layering buttons of different colors and…

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MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012

 (Maggie Bullock)

Simple Knit Bibs 

I found the original pattern that inspired these bibs in Mason-Dixon Knitting. If you’re a knitter and have not checked out these books, you really should. The patterns and color choices are always fun—a twist on traditional. I have several bookmarks in my copies and…

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THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

The entrance made a big statement this year. I love the tree that was added. (Maggie Bullock)

2012 Farm Chicks' Review in Photos

Farm Chicks was great, yet again! I actually ended up going twice—on Saturday and Sunday, and though I don’t like that you have to buy entrance both days, I am glad I went both days. I tend to be someone who needs to think over…

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THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012

Dandelion Greens (Maggie Bullock)

Foraging—May Urban Farm Challenge

May’s Urban Farm Handbook Challenge topic has been, I must admit, the most intimidating of all of the challenges for me. I’m not a forager or hunter at heart, though I do know a (perhaps very) few things about edible plants. My dad started showing…

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 2012

A weekend of great shows in Spokane! (Maggie Bullock)

ArtFest and Farm Chicks this Weekend!

One of my favorite Spokane weekends is upon us—Artfest and Farm Chicks have arrived. ArtFest is located in Coeur d’Alene Park in Browne’s Addition; admission is free and the weather is looking pretty good for a stroll in the park looking at art and talking…

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DwellWellNW

Artist and crafter Maggie Wolcott writes about craft events in and around Spokane, as well as her own adventures in creating and repurposing. Her DwellWellNW posts include project and decorating ideas, recipes, reviews of events, and interviews with local artists. Maggie spends her days as an English professor, and when she’s not grading papers, she can generally be found with a paintbrush or scissors in hand. She can be reached at mebullock@gmail.com.