Tidbits

Image by Colin Behrens from Pixabay

​There are a few tips on a variety of subjects running through my head. In case one of them might help someone else, I thought I would share them. 

Tiling- Slate as a tile has a lot of interesting contours and features that make it striking in the home. If you are doing the tiling project yourself, try soaking the stone before you cut it. Also, keep your tile saw as wet at possible. It definitely cuts easier the wetter it is.

When you’re grouting it, a light mist with a spritzer bottle will help to make sure the grout doesn’t seal to the stone as you fill those grout lines. It’s also important to seal the stone BEFORE you grout. There are stone sealers out there that also work as a grout release (helping remove unwanted grout from the tile for new installations).

Plants- Dill seeds are light lovers and so start well in a little pot if you sprinkle on top of the dirt. If you are having trouble starting plants from seeds, do some Googling. Certain seeds can be really picky and want only certain conditions- like dill being on the dirt not under it.

Cucumbers, green beans, and tomatoes are a few of the plants that are more than happy to be put in a very damp paper towel inside a Ziploc bag. Just don’t seal the bag since they need air as well as water and moisture to grow.

They are also a great way to get your kids interested in plants. And if their roots grow through the paper towel, that’s okay. You can plant them with the paper towel. Just tear it as much as you can before putting them in the dirt. That’s what’s worked well for my starts.

Writing- There are many scientific ways to choose a new project. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe works. So does writing the ideas on a piece of paper hanging on the wall and doing a game of Pin the Tack on the Story. (Just make sure there are no innocent bystanders nearby who could accidentally get poked.) You can also write all the main characters names on pieces of paper, drop them into a hat and pick that way.  

Personally, I’m going with the story that is the most developed. It’s the one I can sit down and write the most world building and plot information about in one go. It is also the one that has been quietly brewing in the corner of my mind for months now, patiently waiting its turn.

I’m not saying I always use this method as a way to pick a story. There are a lot of ideas running around in my brain and sometimes the loudest gets the most attention. But this time, it’s the slow, quiet burner, and I couldn’t be more excited to get start.
​
Happy writing!