Spring is almost here and I am so happy about that. That means it’s time to get started on the garden. One of the 1st things to do is to get my seeds started. Some I am starting inside, which you can see below, and some I will wait to direct sow outside, like the peas which I hope to start this week (hope to share some pictures of the pea trellises that I will be making).

For the garden, I only use seeds from small independent companies who are committed to sustainability. Here’s a good list of seed companies…I’ve ordered seeds from High Mowing Seeds (the company I have used the most), Seeds of Change & Seed Savers. Seeds Savers is a non-profit organization of gardeners dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds, so I’m really excited to be ordering from them for the 1st time this year.

Why is it so important to order from the smaller independent companies? Well, for one they offer organic seeds. They also realize that diversity is important & that agricultural mono-cultures should not be promoted. They also encourage seed saving, when possible, instead of trying to prosecute those who do it. They offer Heirloom varieties, which is awesome, because who wants to eat the same kind of tomato all the time? They also do not genetically modify their seed, so that it can only be grown by being sprayed with a pesticide, that they also just happen to sell. Okay, that’s enough of being up on my soapbox. Just some food for thought for all of you growing plants this year.

Anyway, here’s a list of what I am planning on growing over the spring & summer.

Aren’t they pretty?  Between our CSA farm share and the garden, I’m sure we will have plenty of veggies this year. Don’t you wish you lived closer?

My muddy gardening boots after an afternoon of  working on expanding the garden. Last year was our 1st year of vegetable gardening, it went so well that we decided to double the garden this year. Plus, we will be growing tomatoes & herbs in pots on the deck, so there will be a lot of growing going on! That’s also not to mention the flower beds in the front of the house, which I plan on making a haven for the bees and butterflies.

Seeds planted, check! Now, we wait….

By guest contributor Amy Anderson

This is for those nights when you play dress-up, leave the guys behind, and get some margaritas with your favorite ladies!

1. Dress from Dahl   2. Shoes from Lea’s Vintage   3. Compact from Bluebonnets Etc.   4. Bracelet from Studio Rona   5. Purse from Farrago Bags   6. Ring from The Pebble Collection

About the contributor: Amy Anderson is an Indie Fixx intern and is also a student at Northwestern University. Amy has wanted to be a journalist since she was just 5 years old and she is also into the indie design and crafting scenes as well. In addition to writing the occasional post, she also helps me with a variety of projects.

I have a confession to make….I used to live in a trailer. When Mr. Indie Fixx and I moved out on our own, (I was only 16) we lived in a trailer for a couple of years. In the city, people live in cheap apartments with 5 roommates, but in the more rural areas of the US, people live in trailers when they 1st move out. Even though we lived in a trailer, it was fun being out on our own &  having our own place. I fixed it up all nice…well as nice as we could afford anyway. Our trailer days are long behind us, but we still have reminiscence about those times and remember a certain fondness for our 1965 Fleetwood Mobile Home.

For those who read Readymade magazine, you may have already seen this, but when I 1st saw the February/March cover I flipped. Featured on the cover was El Cosmico, a concept lodging destination in Marfa, Texas in southwest Texas. El Cosmisco features renovated vintage trailers, reinvented yurt structures called eco shacks, a traditional 22 ft. diameter Sioux teepee & and a number of tent campsites for visitors. It’s designed to be more than a just remote getaway too, with workshops and retreats ranging from sewing to cooking to art classes & writing workshops. Plans are also in the works for a series of art creation spaces as well. Some of the trailers are really stunningly renovated and it’s now officially one of the places Mr. Indie Fixx and I want to visit.  Especially since our friends want us to visit them when they move back to Alamogordo, New Mexico!

Take a look and see if your image of trailers isn’t modified some!

{{{{image from El Cosmico}}}

{{{{image from El Cosmico}}}

{{{{image from Readymade magazine}}}

{{{{image from Readymade magazine}}}

{{{{image from Readymade magazine}}}

Another lovely  Feed Your Soul: the free art project print for you to download and print out.  From artist Asja Boroš, it’s just so wonderfully springy!

If you are an artist interested in participating in the project, email me at jen@indiefixx.com and I’d be happy to take a look at your work.

Asja Boroš - Asja is an artist and an illustrator from Croatia who loves to create colorful, whimsical illustrations and drawings. Color schemes play an important role in her work and she especially enjoy drawing geometric shapes, lines and patterns. She also loves designing cute characters. Originally an animator by profession, in the last couple of years she has been more focused on illustration. See more on her website and on her blog.

Download Asja’s print HERE!

This past Wednesday night, I went to an Ignite event. What’s Ignite? Ignite is a globally orchestrated phenomenon designed to bring people & their ideas together with each other. The premise behind Ignite is that a number of presenters share a 5 minute talk on anything they want to talk about. Each presenter share 20 slides that automatically advance every 15 seconds to keep the talk moving.

Started in Seattle in 2006 by O’Reilly’s Brady Forrest and Bre Pettis, the goal of Ignite is to help build community connections & help  people  learn about  new stuff & to become inspired. I’m planning on attending another event next month as well….I’m even thinking about presenting. There’s probably an Ignite event going on near you too!

So, I have something to share with you from the other night.  One of the presenters was Kevin Fleming, a local Delaware photographer. He is working on a couple of wildlife books and I thought I’d share some of his photographs here, so you can see how pretty Delaware is. Of course, all of the images are of cute fuzzy woodland creatures.

I will be sharing more about Ignite, including some video of some of the presentations from the other night, so stay tuned.

{{{all images by Kevin Fleming}}}

With Easter fast approaching, I know many of you are looking for some handmade gifts for kids…something besides just a basket of candy. Something that is not completely unhealthy and won’t be gone by the end of the day.

Here are some suggestions from the Indie Fixx Green Galleria. Makes me wish I had little kids!

1. Earthy Beginnings
2. Green Thread
3. bubble
4. Lillipops Designs
5. Earth Cadets
6. Imaginative Play Toys
7. Playing Grown Up
8. Carmenesque

 The Indie Fixx Galleria is an online showcase of handmade, indie-made & vintage goods. Think of it as an ‘indie mall’ featuring a mix of designers & boutiques to provide a curated shopping experience. Participants do pay a fee to take part, but the Galleria is juried.