Traditional Birthday Flower Guide

You have all heard of birth stones...and you have all heard of the traditional gift list...

...but have you heard of the traditional birthday flower guide?

If not....today is your lucky day!

I was taking a break one day and found this list online at a site called homestead garden. I have never heard of it, and decided to share!

January~~Carnation

February~~Violet

March~~Jonquil

April~~Sweet Pea or Daisy

May~~Lily of the Valley

June~~Rose

July~~Larkspur

August~~Gladiolus

September~~Aster

October~~Calendula

November~~Chrysanthemum

December~~Narcissus

I hope you enjoyed seeing which one you are! (at least no one is a Dandelion)

What is YOUR birthday flower? Mine is May (lily of the valley) Not my favorite flower…but it’s pretty!

I hope you all will join me for the weekly garden flaunting party! The party starts Thursday evening and closes on Sunday night. It is so much fun to see what others around the world are flaunting each week!

(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.

www.tootsietime.com

Forcing Spring

I was left a question....that I just wanted to answer. I thought I would save this topic until just about the time when we would be needing a little taste of spring....needing to FORCE Mother Nature just a little to give us a break from the winter blah's. It was a question about forcing bulbs and branches.

I have done this a couple of times...and it was kinda neat to have blooms of spring so early...and on the table for such a cheerful display!!! Makes me wish I had known what tablescaping was back then..lol..
There is more than one method of forcing. I will address a couple today...after that...you guys are on your own...lol... FORCING is the act of making a plant grow or flower before it's natrual season. It is the process of fooling Mother Nature. When you force bulbs you are absolutely putting her to the test by forcing bulbs to grow and flower indoors. By making spring come early you can enjoy blooming hyacinths, daffodil and narcissus species, tulips and other bulbs inside as early as the Christmas season or throughout the winter.

Forcing BulbsMany of the old stand by bulbs which flower feely in the garden during the spring months can be grown indoors. By choosing varieties that are recommended for indoor starting, we can grab a little spring cheer early. Make sure you purchase bulbs that are a good size, free of disease and nice and firm. (kinda like buying produce at the grocery!)
Many garden centers sell forcing kits...that come with a container, soil and bulbs...as well as directions! If you don't have one of those...you will need the above ingredients...or this will not work! lol (the following directions are from an article I read in a gardening forum online...I thought it best to use the words of the expert that I took my directions from, rather than dazzle you with my own version and confuse you all to heck lol)

"Choose a container. ( if you are not buying a kit.) Be sure that the container has drainage holes or is a specialized vase just made for forcing bulbs like hyacinths. The worst enemy of bulbs is sopping wet soil, so put some small stones, gravel, or broken pot pieces in the bottom of the container. Next consider your potting soil. Remember bulbs come with their nutrients inside their bulb, so your planting mix doesn’t have to provide nutrients, but it is essential that it has good drainage. Dampen the soil before you begin potting and add the mixture until the pot is around half full. Layer the bulbs in the pot as tightly as you like. It is alright for them to touch. If you are planting tulips, place the flat edge of the bulb against the edge of the container. The flat side is where the first large leaf comes from and by placing them all to the outside you will create a uniform appearance to your arrangement. Most bulbs can withstand a double layer in the pot, so at this point just add enough soil to cover the first layer of bulbs right up to the tips. Now you can put a second layer of bulbs in the pot, being careful not to place them directly on top of the underlying bulbs. Then fill your container with soil to the top of your container allowing some space for watering. Make sure to label it so you’ll know what you’ve planted.

Next you need to decide where to put your bulbs for their chill time. You can use a refrigerator set at 40 degrees but remember to keep them watered! Also be sure not to allow any fruit to ripen in the fridge that has bulbs in it. The fruit releases ethylene gas, which is very toxic to bulbs. Other options included placing your container in a box and surrounding it with leaves or straw and placing it in an unheated garage, shed or cold frame or safe place outside ( most bulbs are like candy to squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons and deer). Unless your basement has a cold-room that maintains a temperature around 40º you really cannot store the bulbs in the house until the ‘chill’ time is over. The basic idea is to give then dark and cold (not necessarily freezing) conditions for the required time.

After the correct amount of time has passed, bring your container out and clean it off. If the shoots that have emerged and are white don’t worry, as they will green up once exposed to the light. Pick a cool spot to start the forcing process. Keep them out of direct sunlight for a few days and turn the container one quarter turn each day so the plants grow straight in the container. Keep the pots watered, but not soaking wet. Once blooming has started, your flowers will last longer if you keep them out of direct sunlight, and put them someplace cool, at night. Remember the natural bloom time of these flowers is usually the springtime, when Mother Nature supplies naturally cooler temperatures at night, so if you follow this rule you will be rewarded with a longer bloom time. Blooms that are kept cooler and away from direct light also maintain their colour longer too. If you want to plant the bulbs after they finish blooming cut the flower stems back but not the leaves and allow the plants to mature. Once the ground thaws you can plant them outside and treat them as a green plant for the rest of the garden season. Do not cut the leaves back until they wither in the fall. Just remember forcing bulbs stresses them and uses all of their food stores so it can take a couple of years for them to recover and bloom again and sometimes they may never bloom again. But don’t be afraid to experiment, and enjoy your early spring flowers! Forcing bulbs to bloom at unusual times of year can be a great experiment and is a great deal of fun whether you are a gardener or not. This is also a great project to do with the kids as a science fair project, a badge for Girl Guides or Scouts or just for some winter fun. Give bulb forcing a try you’ll love spring flowers in the middle of the winter.

Forcing Branches
Bring home the delicate blossoms and branches of flowering trees. Place them in vases or create your own pretty keepsakes.
Get a jump on spring and bring flowering shrubs indoors. Forcing blooms is easy with a few simple steps:
In late February or early March, look for shrubs with long branches and lots of swollen, plump buds. Cut branches in the afternoon when flowers have the most moisture.
Using sharp pruners, cut branches at least 12 inches long and at a 45-degree angle. To draw water to the blooms, smash the bottom 2 inches of the cut end using a hammer or mallet.
Place branches in room-temperature water and put in a cool spot away from sunlight. Change water often for longer bloom time. Keep branches moist by covering with a plastic bag or by misting daily.
Depending on the shrub (forsythia and pussy willows are quick to open), buds will start flowering in 1 to 4 weeks. Once they start to bloom, move branches to a sunnier spot and enjoy! They'll last up to a week.
Best shrubs for forcing: Azalea, beauty bush, crab apple, flowering quince, forsythia, magnolia, pussy willow, redbud, rhododendron, serviceberry, spirea, witch hazel, and fruit trees (such as cherries, pears, and apples). "

I once forced Willow Branches. They started out as pussy willows that I was so enchanted with...and ended up being a huge tree in two years! I had them in a vase of water...and one day looked and to my surprise noticed roots! I ran them out to the greenhouse...threw them into some dirt and plotted my next move....(kinda like a mad scientist taking over the world...Tootsie plots against the grass and where she will take over for a new garden) lol

Two years after planting those little branches in the ground, I had a tree that was taller than the garage next door! Let me say...there is nothing more rewarding than a tree you started all by yourself. WAY better than one you bought!

Happy Forcing! Let me know how you make out!

Teaching a la Tootsie....I answer your questions

Good morning Class....welcome to Tootsie's gardening lesson! lol (picture me in a long skirt with my glasses pushed WAY down on my nose...a pointer in my hand....and a bun in my hair- oh and imagine I am VERY SERIOUS- not!!!!! ha ha!!!) (so NOT my style)

Yes! I did save all of your questions! Some of them are VERY old, but I did not want to post the answer until I had something to show you...some of them are getting answered now due to the season, and that I can show you better while I do it myself! Let's get started...there are lots.

onlymehere said: "... I would love to know how to keep geraniums alive and blooming longer. My MIL grows gorgeous ones on her porch that faces north but mine faces south and I tend to kill them. Any hints for me? I hate murdering plants! Cindy "

In my experience, they don't mind a bit of shade or full sun either. I have seen the velvet series not do so well in the full hot sunshine...those ones do much better in the shadier spaces. My garden is primarily south facing. This means I have to water daily to keep "everyone" happy. Geraniums do not like to be wet...but do not tolerate long dry periods in containers well either. If you can possibly find a way to give them a little break from the hot sun, that might help. Otherwise...get your water out daily, and on Friday...get ready to fertilize! (hope that helped)

cindy said: " This is what I have been waiting for! Great post! Soooo, what temperature should the room be that these are in?....damp, dry.... ~Cindy~"

I try to keep the greenhouse warm enough to be comfortable to me with a t-shirt on! This is just around 20C. Room temp or just around there. During the day, it is much warmer in there as the clear roof and walls allow the sun to warm it up...If it gets too hot..I open the window a little to allow some heat to escape for a bit.. I keep my water in garbage cans in the center of the room, and leave the lid off of one to allow for some extra humidity if it feels dry in there. Once the seeds are planted and the moist soil is out in the open, the humidity level picks up quite a bit. I also keep two fans running 24 hours to keep the air moving as to avoid too much humidity-which can cause disease. (did that help?)

pammiejo said: "I'd like to see your light system - are you adding light or just using natural light? How warm are you keeping the greenhouse? I'm interested in all aspects - so keep clicking away! PAM"

My lighting system is simple. The sun rises...the sun sets! lol
The lights you see in the photos of my interior are simply the fluorescent lighting you can mount under your kitchen cupboards...I got them at wal-mart. I use them only to see when I decide to work in the dark hours of the night! My heat is a gas heater, but I have in the past, used ceramic space heaters to heat my smaller greenhouse. These were electric...and very stressful...if the power went out or the breaker tripped...I was hooped! I do still supplement with space heaters in the severely cold weather months if necessary.

Raxx - A day in the life said: " Can you greedily read a post? I did! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, I would love to see the process of all the plantings! Questions; 1 Do you check until all the water is gone and then add more water? 2 How many times do you add the 'no damp'? And yes I would love to know about window sill gardening, it would help me a lot! I love to buy seeds but, not much success."

Okay Raxx....1. I add water when almost all the water is soaked up. I don't want to allow the seeds to dry out, or they will not germinate. Keeping them moist is a big deal for the first few days. 2. No damp is a one time thing when you treat the soil before you plant. Should you end up with damping off issues after that, you will need to mix some up and water from above a couple of times to make the problem stay contained. 3. Window sill gardening is in the post about the artificial lighting and I hope it was helpful!

Kristen said: " Wow look at ALL those soon to be Geraniums. You are soooo smart to be able to plant from seed. Sometimes mine work and other time...not so much. I have a seed question. I have seeds from my Japanese Roof Iris. Now the seeds have been sitting in their pod and have been frozen, snowed on, rained on, and everything else. Do you think they are still ok to plant? I got my original plant by seed (~5 years ago) and they did wonderful...but they were probably "fresher". "

Here are my thoughts on this....YOU FLATTER ME!!! thank you!....now..if those plants were wild ones, they would have to reproduce somehow. I would try to plant them and see what happens. There are many plants that require the seed to be chilled before they will even consider germinating....be patient...some things take a long time to germinate. Banana plants can wait for 45 days!!! (let me know how you make out)

mrsben said: "... Have another quick question regarding Hollyhocks. Does one cut them back for the winter? I have one stalk that is soooooo tall right now and continues to grow and blossom with the new growth only. (Most of it below is bare stem/stalk.) "

I do! who wants a plant that looks like a giraffe? lol

Mary / Mariah said: "I for got to ask , what flowers are more drought tolerant for flower boxes and baskets . I want some thing that doesn't need to be dead headed every day ? I'm planing for next year . Zennias will be in my flower beds , they did better then any thing . Thanks . Mary"

girl...what about Calibrachoa? Portulaca? I know the Calibrachoa (million bells) are considered "self cleaning" as are some of the newer Petunias....try one of those! I use them in some of my boxes.

Raxx - A day in the life said: "...I have seedlings issues! How do you make them last without a greenhouse!!?"

Are you asking about planting outside? or inside? I need more info! I am thinking you are asking about leaving them outside. If you are...you may not want to leave them in the full blazing sunshine at first. Give them some shelter or they could fry. If you are talking about planting the seeds....you will possibly want to cover them with some clear plastic (not in the blazing sun again) as to hold the moisture in. In some ways, the sun is a major setback for a new baby plant...it is hot...and can burn and dry them out! Light shade is best...with a little sun...but some protection.

Raxx - A day in the life said: "Hello is this where you sign up for gardening 101? Good, I have a question? It's about seeds, let's say it's always summer where you live, would you still need a greenhouse to germinate seeds? I planted some in a seedling tray with potting mix and left them in the yard but they did not germinate! I would really like some instructions on growing flowers from seeds, in an 'always summer' environment. Thanks Toots! Raquel"

My goodness...she is so curious! I love it!!!! Thanks for all the questions Raxx...(and everyone else too!) You can start many things directly in the soil outside if you are lucky enough to live where there is no frost! I am not that lucky. I suspect that those seeds you spoke of were burned by the hot sun in your area. If you plant directly into the spot of the garden, follow the direction as to how deep to plant, or not to cover...and water lightly a couple of times each day. It is the moisture level in the first critical days that will determine success most of the time! What type of seeds are you looking at planting?

Should anyone see me leading my blogging buddies astray...please let me know so I can correct myself. I speak only for myself and what has worked for me in the past. I must say again that I am not a formally trained horticulture student...in fact I am not trained at all. I am self taught....trial and error is my teacher! If you have any questions I can answer...I will certainly try! (it might take several weeks or months...but I will do it...right RAXX?)

Thanks for joining me today...class dismissed!

The Buzzard, The Bat and the Bumblebee...

I received this post in an email from a friend today.

She thought of my struggles.

I in turn thought of several of my blogging friends who too are struggling...

THE BUZZARD
If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is
entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be
an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight
from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is
its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for
life in a small jail with no top.

THE BAT:
The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkable nimble
Creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on
the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no
doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can
throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like flash!

THE BUMBLEBEE:
A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it
dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top,
but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the
bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys
itself.

PEOPLE:
In many ways, we are like the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee.
We struggle about with all our problems and frustrations, never realizing
that all we have to do is look up!

Sorrow looks back, Worry looks around, But faith looks up!
Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly and trust.

If my blogging friends need to look up...I will be here just as you all have been for me. Reading your comments this last couple of weeks has left me speechless. The support you all show me is just so profound...I can't thank you enough.

now ...

shall we?

Window sill Gardening....and Artificial Lighting

You could purchase a book like this....

Or....

You could ask a girl like this...

No gurarantee that I will be any help...but at least you know I have done what I am tellling you to do myself. I am giving you the tips that worked for me.


You could purchase a ready made kit...complete with seeds (this one is an herb garden)

No guarantee about how old the seeds are that are inside...

Or...you could jump into your car and head to the nearest Wal-Mart. You can purchase the mini garden sets there for next to nothing. The one above is 1/2 the size of the ones I use in my greenhouse. It will hold 36 seed cells. It comes with a dome that will help keep the moisture in...and either 6 or 9 packs.The one above is the size I use in the greenhouse. It is about 12 inches across and almost 24 inches long. It too has a dome. The choice is yours....and it will be made depending on the amount of space you have to garden inside.

If your trays do not come as a kit with the seed cell packs in them...you can also purchase them separately at Wal-Mart.

OR...
...look around the house for things you can use to start your seeds in....egg cartons...both styrofoam and the cardboard ones work. The cardboard ones are great...you don't even have to remove the plant from them when it is time to move to a larger pot...as they will just fade away into the new soil....


You can purchase the peat pots that are not re-useable...but are "green"No matter what the preference you have for containers....You'll need some. The options for this are endless....Even clean, empty eggshells are perfect!

Purchase a small bag of potting soil,

choose a sunny windowsill.....the more light hte better....less light means you will be in the market for some of these
The photo above is a growing cart. It has the artificial lights built in...and you can use it in any area.

My luck with these is not so good. I have found that the plants need more light than those that I had purchased could offer. I suppose that going online and choosing an expensicve and appropriate lighting system would have been a lot better idea than the ones I had....that were not cheap...but appearantly not strong enough. My plants looked like skinny, weak, pale sprouts. And then they died. It was from this absolute failure that my greenhouse was born!

If you do use the artificial growing bulbs, make sure they are low enough to support the plant's light requirements....yet not too low as to burn the plants. Finding a reputable dealer that will be able to answer to what your needs are is a VERY good idea.
You have the lights, the dirt, the containers....
Now...all you need is seeds!
Plant them..and watch them grow!
(yes...these are MY eyes)

Who Does This Remind ME Of? ROFLMAO!!!!

Hello!!! I got this email today...and it really tickled me...it reminds me of someone I know VERY well....

BANNED FROM WAL-MART...
This is why women should not take men shopping against their will.
After I retired, my wife insisted that I accompany her on her trips to Wal-Mart. Unfortunately, like most men, I found shopping boring and preferred to get in and get out. Equally unfortunately, my wife is like most women - she loved to browse. Yesterday my dear wife received the following letter from the local Wal-Mart:
Dear Mrs. Samsel,
Over the past six months, your husband has been causing quite a commotion in our store. We cannot tolerate this behavior and have been forced to ban both of you from the store. Our complaints against Mr. Samsel are listed below and are documented by our video surveillance cameras.
1.. June 15: Took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in people's carts when they weren't looking.
2.. July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute intervals.
3. July 7: Made a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the women's restroom.
4 July 19: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official voice, 'Code 3 in Housewares. Get on it right away.'
5. August 4: Went to the Service Desk and tried to put a bag of M&M's on layaway.
6. August 14: Moved a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.
7. August 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told other shoppers he'd invite them in if they would bring pillows and blankets from the bedding department.
8. August 23: When a clerk asked if they could help him he began crying and screamed, 'Why can't you people just leave me alone?'
9. September 4: Looked right into the security camera and used it as a mirror while he picked his nose.
10. September 10: While handling guns in the hunting> department, he asked the clerk where the antidepressants were.
11. October 3: Darted around the store suspiciously while loudly humming the ' Mission Impossible' theme.
12. October 6: In the auto department, he practiced his 'Madonna=2 0look' by using different sizes of funnels.
13. October 18: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed through yelled, 'PICK ME! PICK ME!'
14. October 21: When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumed a fetal position and screamed, 'OH NO! IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!'
And last, but not least...
15. October 23: Went into a fitting room, shut the door, waited awhile, then yelled very loudly, 'Hey! There's no toilet paper in here!'

Sincerely,
Wal-Mart

Guys....this is just so much like the stuff my dad does....I could almost swear that this came in my Mom's mail!

Let's Get Dirty!!! Planting the Geraniums

Today...we will plant the Geraniums. Roll up your sleeves...we are going to make a mess of those wonderful french tipped fingernails...lol

We will use several of these seed cells. I call them my 9 packs. I also have 6 packs and 4 packs.

This will be the home for our baby plants until it is time to transplant them to bigger quarters...(about 4-6 weeks from now)

We will also use these wonderful things....a full tray and a daisy tray...to hold them.

This is what is called a Daisy Tray. It adds some much needed support to the tray when it is full of water and plants. It goes under the full tray.

Wow...you guys work fast! Look at all the 9 packs you have filled with moderately packed soil already! Good Job!

I use a piece of plastic to line the inside of the full tray, as these little babies are known as being leaky...and we don't want to waste the water we are going to be using today.

Once our tray is inside the daisy tray...and the plastic is in there...lets fill it with 4 liters of water...okay....okay...about a gallon for you U.S. Citizens...lol

There we go! The reason we fill the tray with water rather than water from over the top, is to avoid washing away the soil that we put into the 9 packs and risk losing our seeds!

Speaking of seeds.....here we are...each one of these packages holds about 10 seeds.

This is the prettiest Geranium seed I have ever seen! They have been coated at the seed farm. A natural seed is light brown...almost like a caramel. They sort of look like blue mouse poop! Some of the others that I have seen are orange, red or gold color...even bright yellow. Neat hey?

I like to use these seed spoons that have different size "cups" in the ends. My fingers are not slender enough to muck around with the seeds. I scoop one seed at a time out of the palm of my hand and gently place it in the center of each of the 9 seed cells in our 9 packs.

See? Just like that! Wow...you guys are fast learners! lol

Next we cover them lightly with a bit of soil, as they require some darkness during the germination process.... Good Job! Now that they are "tucked" in....

We MUST label them! After all...what good is buying them in distinct color packages if we don't know which is which? I like to use old mini blinds...(or new cheap ones). I cut them up and write on them with permanent markers. I have also used tongue depressors, but they are hard to come by around here...and Popsicle sticks are often too skinny to write on. Those beautiful blue seeds are going to produce some wonderful, vibrant Red Geraniums.

Now...you see this? It is called NO DAMP. It is a medication that will kill off the bacteria that will potentially kill off our Geranium crop. Damping off is a disease that affects the stem of the plant at ground level. When you are in the garden center, look at the base of the plant. If the stem is discolored and brown looking, your plant is not good. What happens is the plant gets sick, and the stem rots at root level and the plant has no hope to survive.

I could wait for the signs of the disease to rear its ugly head, and then treat them, but I am not willing to do this. Three years ago, I had my first learning experience with this disease and lost almost 40 plants before I got it under control. The frustration and stress was awful. Now....I simply take preventative measures and go from there. What's that saying? "an ounce of prevention...."

So...we take 40 ml of NO DAMP and put it in our 4 liters of water. (2 tsp to 1 gallon) lol

Then last but certainly not least...we place our freshly planted 9 packs into the water to soak up the medicated moisture and start to germinate.

And now we wait....in a few days, we will see some wonderful little green leaves poking up through that soil. I will post it when they do!

And finally....I posted the crown I made the other night during a fit of insomnia...and painted the next morning...Many of you guys flattered me so much (thanks...I blushed) and some of you actually asked if I would reveal the real home made item...so here it is...the one I made.

I thought it was more than obvious...and I think you were just being super duper nice to me...I am thinking it will look just right in a plant.

I made it out of metal roof flashing. It is silver...and the top is made out of a curtain rod finial I had laying around. The metal with the holes in it...well that is metal strapping...lol....it is held together with the tiny nuts that hold the switch plates on your walls and nuts hold them in place!

I plan to try one more time at least...to see if I can do a better job...I might just post the process...and maybe...just maybe one day this summer...after all the planting is done...I will make some more...but for now...I have dirt under my fingernails, and I am happy with that...I have lots of planting to do...

Would you all like to see the process of different types of flowers?

Would you like to see some different seeds?

What about some tips for window sill gardening? (for those who don't have a greenhouse) (Raxx?)

I will take any suggestions you throw my way...and try to work them into the next couple of weeks.

Cactus --from seed! Can anyone advise me?

This pot was planted on a whim two years ago! I had no idea that Cactus was such a slow growing plant! At any rate...I am super proud to introduce to you the prickly pot that I planted with my own little fingers...

Yea...I watered it and it droops for a day or so....but....the real question here is.....should I be transplanting these? Should I leave it alone? When I re-pot...should I separate?

I am scared to do anything to this little cactus garden....for fear I will kill them. Please help me! I am no expert in all things prickly.....and I usually kill the store bought cactus that I pick up here and there......so I am asking....does anyone know? I am quite certain that one of my fellow bloggers from the wildly informative and entertaining publication..." A Succulent Life" Julie will know EXACTLY what I need to do....maybe I better go get her!......oh...yea...thanks for stopping by...if you have any advice for me....please....be my guest gardener for today!

No Queens were Harmed in the MAKING of This Crown

One of these crowns is my own creation...and one is not...can you see the one?
I have been a busy girl! Not only did the crown I asked the "Urban Barn" store come in....but it was 1/2 price! got it for $16! yea me! I also got busy and went to work fashioning my own design! (please excuse the giant mess that my kitchen is in when you are looking at the photos)

I am pretty sure you will be able to tell immediately which one is home made...and which one is not... All I had to say to myself is...."not bad for a first try!"