Yesterday I spent the afternoon terracing a formerly weed-strewn hillside, inspired by a DIY that I found on Tenth Acre Farm. This project really appeals to my scrappy side: no carpentry skills are required, and it's super low cost. The only thing I had to buy were a few inexpensive garden stakes. Everything else was free-cycled. My neighbors conveniently left a pile of cardboard in our alley by the recycling bin, and I found off-cuts from a tree, knocked down by a recent storm, on Craigslist. My hope is that the cardboard will keep future weeds at bay while I continue to add leaves and yard waste, and get a decent compost going. I still have some more work to do (and more tree limbs to gather) before it's done, but the process was incredibly satisfying. When I pounded the first stake in the ground I honestly had no clue where I was going to get the rest of my materials. As the day unfolded, everything fell into place. It was a good reminder to just take a step forward and have a little faith. Sometimes the universe will conspire to help you out.