Eva Felicity Designs

Valentine's Heart shaped pot-holder

2012-02-08T14:49:00.000-05:00

I was looking for a cute item I could whip up and make for everyone i know for Valentine's gifts and settled on this Heart shaped pot-holder from Martha Stewart. Let's just say that won't be happening. I should have known going in that anything using quarter inch seam binding is ALWAYS a major pain in the ass, but I kept telling myself to do it, DO IT! Also, in an effort to make it more ouch proof I used 2 layers of natural batting and a layer of insul-bright. (The Martha pattern calls for 3 layers of only batting) I also did a light machine quilting to hold those layers together better.
Add to that a few layers of cotton and it was just too thick for that teensy tiny quarter inch binding.
I ended up doing a zig zag stitch over the edges to seal all the loose ends up, and I do like the way it turned out, but now my easily aggravated and short attention spanned mind has said "OK,...that's enough" for this project for the time being.
Pot holder directions can be found HERE please note that the pattern prints out small and you are expect to enlarge it by 200% , which I find silly since the final size could have easily been provided in the first place, SECOND the pattern and instructions are incomplete as written and printed. I printed out 3 and cut one out as the pocket template and another as the batting template.
Purlbee.com has provided a correct printable template HERE

all the pretty pieces

Learning to crochet

2012-02-07T09:48:00.000-05:00

Well, last week I tought myself how to crochet using youtube videos, and it's been just the fun little thing I've needed to beat these gloomy winter blues. The first thing I made was a "face cloth" and ehh, it's a bit unique. You can see the progress as I got the hang of things.

Next I started making flowers out of any yarn I had lying around.

and finally I went out and got myself some wool yarn so that I could make some flowers and then Felt them in the washing machine.

((top is a double petal, bottom left a triple petal and bottom right I'm calling a marigold))

I've really enjoyed it and look forward to tuning my new-found skills.

( Bad photos taken courtesy of my cell phone)

Here's the marigold before being felted.

Dee-lish Sour cream pound cake

2011-12-17T12:15:00.000-05:00

I made this for Thanksgiving when I had an over abundance of sour cream, and also needed something more for the dessert table. A quick search turned up a Paula Deen recipe. Made it, and LOVED it. Then I made it again a few days ago aaaaand its already gone! This doesnt make a small cake either. It comes out with a very fine, not too moist not too dry crumb. It bakes perfectly even and it creates its own fine lightly crunchy crust to the batter that is exposed to air in the oven. It's just sooo good. For thanksgiving I made it with my own muscle power and a few days ago with my bright new shiny kitchenaid stand mixer and both times it came out perfect and consistent. For the recipe head over here to Food Network :) Thanks Paula

working on a deal site

2011-12-13T16:25:00.000-05:00

Im venturing into other things because, well, that's what I do. I have way too many interests in way too many things. But this is a venture INTO not onto, ( does that only make sense in my head?) so I'll still be posting about all my normal junk too.

I'm very into couponing and finding deals and freebies lately. But I try, try, TRY to use it only for healthy, and preferably natural or organic items and deals. SO I have made a sister site at the moment to post about things i think are worthwhile, and again mostly it's to help get things out in the open, rather than jumbled in my head ...so here it is in all its infancy glory with no bells or whistles!! Iv'e already posted a few little goodies...

Naturally Sweet Deals

Make your own natural laundry powder

2011-03-23T13:04:00.000-04:00

I had been meaning to do it for a long time, and finally I got the supplies and made up a batch of homemade laundry powder. I must say that I am pretty satisfied with the outcome! I found quite a few recipes both online and within the books I own, all seeming the have the same main components but with different ratios. I finally settled on one for which the “recipe” is
3 Cups of Washing Soda ~3 Cups of Borax ~3 grated bars of fels naptha soap
ummm grating that bar of soap was horrible! Horrible! so I only used one! Ha! and I think it still works splendidly. Perhaps next time I will chop ‘em up a bit then put them through a whirl in my new food processor? or maybe that’s a bad idea. Anyhoo, I mixed all the stuff up in a snappy lidded plastic food storage bin and when I do laundry I put in 1/4 Cup for a full load and 1/8 Cup for a small load. When the clothes are wet they have a nice soapy fragrance imparted by the fels naptha, but after the dryer I really can’t smell anything but freshness…So fresh and so clean.. clean.
I have a HE frontload and this stuff works fine and dandy. I also put in about a 1/4 Cup of white vinegar into the fabric softener dispenser and I have no complaints. If Fels Naptha soap is just too hard to find, I’ve read you can replace it with an ivory soap bar. You can also add a bit of essential oil to your mix to add a little fragrance. Next time I might do this and add some sweet orange essential oil and see how it goes.

Note: originally I was going to make a liquid or gel like detergent but figured the powder would be a little easier to store and dispense, but I think at some point I will make the liquid version just to compare.

Learning where to draw the line

2011-03-22T13:56:00.000-04:00

Wedding planning is rapidly taking charge of my life. But I love it! I really think it sort of combines all of my loves..planning..listing…dreaming..decorating..baking..and so much more. I have a limited budget of whatever we can save by the wedding date and whatever is graciously donated to the fund by the ‘rents. However I think, no, I KNOW that even if I had a vast and unlimited wedding account at my disposal I would probably be doing everything the same. Here is what I plan to do, (this may be something I look back upon and laugh at because of my naivety but I sincerely hope that It isn't) I plan to:

Grow My own flowers - Why not put money into beautifying our own barren yard while at the same time providing us with our own blooms for the wedding, and I love to garden
Bake my own wedding cakes and desserts – I plan on having a glorious desserts buffet of cookies candies and several different flavored cakes. A stand alone freezer for the garage for all that cookie dough may be a necessity
Decorate myself – I plan on making and/or purchasing all of the elements to use to decorate our venue. I plan on using my milk glass and vintage vase collection along with jars and glasses for centerpieces. constructing swags, flags and streamers for hanging. Displaying photos of us through the years with family.
Buy instead of rent - When I can!
I pod=Dj – However I will need to buy one! I will graciously ask for i-tunes gift cards this coming Christmas and for my next birthday
Sew some linens - I will look into what it would cost to sew my own napkins,runners and perhaps the tablecloths if I don’t use the ones from my fun vintage collection.

We plan on hiring … a photographer with our style in our price range. This may be tough. A caterer for a delish buffet style dinner. A photo booth is a maybe but I would love for it to be a definite. And perhaps another little something I’m thinking but will keep to myself for now.
Here’s the problem. Where do I draw the line? Where does it change from “This was so worth it!” to “What was I thinking”? I don’t even allow myself to think that it will be stressful, which must sound like pure delusion to some brides who have gone before me. I do find I am the type of person who finds joy in these things rather than stressors that need to checked off of a list. Here is the thought that brought my little planning mind to a sudden hault….I was thinking about the coffee and tea station and I was thinking of all the ways I would set it up. Perhaps I should purchase another thermal coffee dispenser, have some cute tea options, some flavored syrups and organic sugar cubes , and then I thought, orrr should I just let/pay the caterer to do it? Am I ridiculous to plan out the COFFEE & TEA bar at my OWN wedding? ( I’ll tell you the truth, right now my mind is saying do it! its what you love to do! enjoy and do it) I mean, It’s not like I picture myself in my wedding dress, standing behind the coffee dispenser asking “milk or cream?” I just picture myself enjoying the set up BEFORE the wedding. I guess for now I'll just learn as I go.

~Wedding Fun~ Renting vs. purchasing Silverware Part 2

2011-03-17T15:11:00.001-04:00

   I have been figuring 20 extra flatware sets over my expected guest count. This may be overkill, I’m not sure. Also I would like to have a set for each hired individual that works at our wedding which may only be a few.              Ill assume 120 guests + 20 extra settings for a total of 140 needed sets. From the few companies I have looked into, the averages come out as
dinner knife .45, butter knife .38,    dinner fork .38, teaspoon .38.
I am thinking of having a dinner knife, fork and spoon at each setting, and having a dessert fork and coffee spoon set up on the dessert buffet table for later. If we end up not serving soup well, the spoon can be used for whatever fits your fancy. Swirling ice cubes in the lemonade for example.
I also would like to have a butter knife, or small fancy condiment knife, one for every two people. So about 4 per table (along with 4 butter dishes). People can share a bit right?    (plus 20 extra)
So back to the equation. .45(knife)+.38(fork)+.38(spoon)+.38(second fork)+.38(second spoon) X 140 settings= $275.80
~plus~ .38(butter knife)x 90=$34.20 for a grand total of $310           Now this is with the cheapest options available from the rental companies. The quality, I’m assuming, is a step or so above a really cheap economy flatware. Because I do not have the items in front of me and the pictures don’t show many angles I am figuring that what I would get through renting might be slightly higher quality than what I will get if I buy. I still think purchasing is the way to go for me.
PROS: you own it! the money you spend doesn’t go away after the night is over, you can sell some or all of the settings to make back some money, there are no hourly time restrictions so you will not be charged an additional day if you don’t have it cleaned and ready to go.
CONS: the quality may not be tip top, but hey it’s not like there will be expensive settings there to compare it to and people just want to eat and dance anyway right?
    Ok, onto the resources and fun stuff, I have found a few different places offering pretty inexpensive flatware. So far I have done comparison work on two. First AmericanDiscountTableware.com has a few flatware sets. The “heavy weight” Windsor or Dominion style flatware, one of the cheapest, work out at approx. .19 c a spoon, .25 c for a salad(dessert) fork, .27 c for a dinner fork and .55 c for a dinner knife. *So 22 sets of 12 spoons(264)=$50.16, 12 sets of 12 dinner forks(144)=$38.64 12 sets of 12 dessert forks(144)=$35.16, and 17 sets of 12 knives(204)=$112.88 Grand total of $236.84
( note: I am in the process of figuring shipping costs from this company)

another option is the “heavy weight” vibro finish Crown flatware, which works out to approximately $292.56
Restockit.com has some interesting options also, however the sale that makes the prices worth it end this Sunday. I did a whole work-up but seeing that the sale ends so soon I will watch to see if they have a sale again and do a new write up then.
Ikea currently has a 16 piece set on sale for 3.99 essentially making each piece .25 cents. and each 4 piece setting cost only $1! Not sure if this deal will disappear soon or not. This is an in-store deal only so you would have to find your local Ikea to scoop them up. Even though they are a bit modern looking for me I may attempt to visit the store and see how they measure up.
I will continue to work on finding inexpensive suppliers and update when I do. It’s probably safe to assume at least ONE of my equations is off, since my brain can only handle so much at a time

~Wedding fun~ renting vs. purchasing silverware part 1

2011-03-16T17:50:00.002-04:00

I have started the time consuming process of researching rental items for our wedding. My question is this, why would I rent if I can buy for the same amount of money or less? My first item of question is “flatware.”
I call it silverware, however true silverware sadly, will not be making an appearance at our wedding. Stainless steel will be, which I know is what the majority of brides use anyway right? Now it comes down to High end, heavy, polished flatware or light weight, somewhat dull economy flatware. Of course the rental prices between the two differ somewhere between 25 or more cents per piece. If you were to have a super traditional setting with 7+ silverware pieces per guest at 100 guests, it would cost an additional $175 to opt for the fancier flatware. ( again this is the difference in price ~lets say 7 pieces per guest at 100 guests…economy flatware at .38 =$266. Fancier flatware at .63c ea. =$441…difference $175)
Now I understand that for shiny, heavy, fancy silverware that adds to an elegant place setting, this cost difference seems to be not so bad. For others-me!- it just doesn’t matter that much. This is just the flatware, there are so many other way more important aspects to a beautiful celebration, and I would prefer to put that money towards other things if I don’t just end up keeping it for myself
I am now entertaining the idea of purchasing ALL of the flatware that we will use at the wedding. I am going for a more casual look and feel, having a place setting consisting of 3 main pieces, a knife, fork and spoon and a smaller fork and spoon later for dessert and coffee. I plan on purchasing extra pieces along with a few cute butter knives for each table along with serving pieces. I am going to work on compiling my resource lists and comparison charts for my next post!
to keep these posts from turning into essays I will break them up into parts for my own sake and for anyone who might stumble upon and read.

Milk Glass

2011-03-11T20:06:00.002-05:00

{Some of my collection}

Ahh Milk glass,...sweet satisfaction. I have been collecting this grandmother-y, simple yet elegant, thrift store regular for a while now. It probably all began with the fact that milk glass is so inexpensive. I was a teenager when it first began to appeal to me. It had that vintage feel that I loved with a cheap price tag and I could build my "collection" with reckless abandon. Seriously, has there ever been a yard sale, second hand store or salvation army that didn't offer at least one piece?
I remember not too long ago ogling my grandmother's large Fenton milk glass hobnail basket...that's a mouth full...so she insisted I take it...INSISTED! I wonder if milk glass, in the eyes of some older generations, comes across as a cheap, dust collecting, knick knack thing of their past. "oh, that old thing? take it, please!" But perhaps not. It may lend a sort of sentimental feeling since some pieces may have been around since their childhood.
I started collecting and storing away for my future home...um, way before the home ever came. before it was even in the horizon. I'd like to think I wasn't the only one that was like this. It was sort of the adolescent version of playing house I suppose. When we moved in over a year ago, I had boxes and boxes...I think I'm blushing a little.. to unpack full of vintage things that Id been squirreling away for years. My milk glass being just one of them.
Now I must say, this recent surge in the desire for milk glass, especially at weddings, has somewhat put a wrench in the works for me. Its partly because not only is it turning into THE definition of an indie wedding, (and who wants to play follow the leader?) But also because its driving up the prices everywhere! Ok so it's not super expensive now or anything, but searching for different or unusual pieces online results in, in my opinion, silly inflated price tags. Now I am not trying to claim that I am the only person on this earth who has a thing for milk glass and who loves it an collects it. No, I admit there are many out there. I am just a new kid to the team. But it is just a little sad to see my quaint and unassuming little milk glass turn into the bell of the ball so abruptly. Probably only to be forgotten again and left in the dusty shadows. But what's old is new again, and fashion repeats itself over and over. Well when the 15 minutes of fame is up...I vow this, I will always love you :)

{ ..needless to say I will be using my milk glass at my wedding! }

Well Wed on the Cape

2011-03-10T14:35:00.000-05:00

I'm really, really excited for this saturday. My honey and me will be taking a little trip down to the cape to attent the WellWed Cape and Islands wedding affair. yahoo!.

A weekend ago we attended the Great bridal Expo in Boston. Insert huge yawn here. It was

sooo not my thing. We made a quick round, got a few free wedding mags (for inspiration book purposes) and left. It was pretty much the culmination of all the things about weddings that drive me crazy. Bla, cookie cutter, and expensive. But it was my very first wedding event anything. Even though I had a slight (ok huge) idea I wouldnt get too much of it, I still made us go. It was free, with the exception of gas and parking and it got us out of the house.

So this saturday is looking like a lot of like-minded fun. Artsy-fartsy, colorful, lively fun. And even though I don't anticipate being able to afford many of the vendors or services, one can dream. Dream translates to ~~steal~~ borrow ideas, make them myself and take all the glorious credit. bwa-hahahah!

Banana Choc. Chip muffins

2011-03-09T15:50:00.002-05:00

I've been on a self prescribed low sugar diet for over a month now. It is tuuuuuuff! First off, I love sweets. Second, I love to bake. I gave in a little the other day and made some banana chocolate chip muffins that came out nice and moist. I ate a few. Yikes. My knees and joints, which had been taking a much deserved vacation from pain (I am so convinced it is from the low sugar!) began to ache and swell a few hours after my indulgences. Now, is this all in my head? I'd like to think not. Cutting the sugar and feeling the result of decreased pain gives a sense of control over something that normally plagues me daily and a pain reliever doesn't help. So I'm on a quest for low sugar recipes for baked goods so that I can have the best of both worlds. Anyhoot, here is the recipe for the muffins! I must say they came out just the way I had hoped. Is it just me or does this picture gives them a oatmealy raisin appearance?

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

preheat oven to 350 F, and lightly grease muffin pans or use paper muffin cups

Dry Ingredients

2 cups flour
2 teasp. baking powder
1 teasp. baking soda
1/2 teasp. salt

Wet ingredients

1/3 c sugar
1/3 c loosely packed brown sugar
1/2 melted unsalted butter
2 eggs
1-1 1/4 cup of mashed ripe banana, I used 2 medium.
3 Tablespoons milk, or cream
1 teasp. vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

Sift together the dry ingredients. In another bowl mix together all of the wet ingredients except

for the chocolate chips. Then incorporate the two and add the chips. simple enough right?

I used medium-ish muffin pans and at 18 minutes they came out just right. I got 16 muffins.

I'm going to make these again using a large muffin pan and muffin liners for that straight from

the bakery case feel.

Macaroon (Macaron) craze

2011-02-25T10:31:00.001-05:00

You probably would have had to be living under a rock for the past year, maybe two? three? for the macaron craze to have eluded you. Ok, I say macaroon but I will spell it Macaron so that I can somewhat feel authentic. However I am going to attempt to train myself to say it authentically so that it doesn't impede itself on my beloved coconut macaroon.

I have never had the pleasure of tasting one. But from the sound of it, I think it would be something I would really enjoy. A smooth, crunchy exterior with a slightly chewy, soft center? add to it a buttercream or jam filling, endless flavor possibilities and combinations and always having a base of almond. YUM! I Have requested this book from my library and eagerly await for the arrival.

I'm having some friends over next weekend and will attempt to make one or two flavors.

There is one area I will do a little more research into, which is coloring. I believe the

addition of a fruit juice for color may disrupt the chemistry that makes a meringue,

however I am not sure. I would like to eventually add the India Tree natural food coloring set

to my little baking stash. I havn't had much luck in finding it so more than likely I will order

it from Amazon.

Mmmmm, brightly hued frosting, why does it look so good?

from "I will" to "I do" and everything in between.

2011-02-24T09:32:00.003-05:00

So It has happened, (well actually a few months ago now) We are FINALLY engaged!

It took the boy 10 years, but the glorious day came.

on October 29th,on our 10 year "dating" anniversary(also his birthday),

my sweetie woke me up, got onto his knee and opened the ring box. I teared up, and smiled.

I had teased him for years that I wanted an unexpected, surprise of a proposal. um, this it was.

Just the day before I was talking with a good friend on the phone. "do you think he'll do it tomorrow? your 10 year?" No waaay i said and thought. We have been in each others faces

every non-working, waking and sleeping moment for the past 10 years. and for the past year, even more so, working on our first home, our personal "Money Pit". :)

So yes! when he came to my side of the bed before our normal wake up for work time, I thought perhaps it was just a cute little anniversary morning kiss. Then it took over. Whats he doing? why is he on the floor? I'm half awake, this must be important. He smiled devilishly, and popped an open ring box into my sight. You know, I'm not sure of what was even said. Giddiness, smiles, some tears of joy and then phone calls to Mom, Dad and my sister.

I suddenly remembered it was a Friday morning. " you have to go to work" I said with a frown, I think he thought I was crazy. "of course i took the day off" he said and laughed.

I desperately need to get back into crafting, creating, imagining and doing.

This wedding may be just the thing i need to kick start myself back into creativity.

I want to make as much as possible. It will be a simple, yet elegant, do-it-myself, homespun and homemade type of occasion. I mean what better way to incorporate all of my loves?

Crafting, baking, planning, gardening & lists, endless lists! I cannot wait!

Awaiting spring's surprises

2010-02-22T17:48:00.010-05:00

It seems too early, but who am I to tell mother nature how to do her thing. February is coming to an end and green shoots are erupting. We closed on our home in September (I can't believe it's been 5 months!) so the spring scenery is going to be a pleasant surprise to us. Our offer was accepted in late July, so we had 2 months to watch the property that we hoped would be ours, take its turn into fall. Once we had our key, our attention was pretty much solely on turning the inside of the home inhabitable by the time winter came, and so the yard got slightly neglected. The one thing I got done was to weed the flower bedding that surrounds the entrance steps. A few hardy mums had become leggy reaching for light through the heavy masses of weeds that had taken over. Today I found lots of growth

I forgot to replant this bulb cluster , but it doesn't seem to mind.

Daffodils?

Buds growing in the old Christmas swag I can't wait to see what this one is

Seed starting and winter-sowing

2010-01-18T11:20:00.005-05:00

( some seeds I got from wintersown.org last year)

Just thinking about having a garden of my own this year sends butterflies through me. The thought of creating a landscape atmosphere out of barren yard is enthralling. As far as we can tell our newly acquired lot is going to need a lot of amendments. The soil is very poor draining and has gravel from an old driveway scattered throughout. There is no evidence of a previous garden or landscaping of any sort, so we have free will to start from scratch. I usually never have a problem with artistic freedom, but somehow I have managed to stress over the responsibility. I am loving browsing the many seed catalogs that I have received. My favorite being Richters herbs. If you have not heard of them check them out HERE I must say I find their website a little bit simplified, however their catalog has become my go-to catalog for descriptions and uses of herbs of any kind. I also am thoroughly enjoying my Baker creek Heirloom seeds catalog ( Rareseeds.com ) It has almost a picture book quality and is going to find a place on my book shelf. I am going to attempt to do a little winter-sowing as described by the website Wintersown.org, using some milk jugs and such and see how I fare. Also I am going to set up a station in our basement with seed flats to start some seeds using a timed grow light.

New year, New home, New life.

2010-01-09T17:23:00.003-05:00

Well we did it. We purchased our first house and we are working hard at making it a home. Time is flying yet standing still at the same time. We have gotten so much accomplished but there is still much, MUCH to be done. We were lucky enough to find a house with a large barn/garage much to our delight. Hopefully this can serve as a release to both of us in the form of both a workshop and studio. Here is a photo of our barn in the freshly fallen snow. It came complete with 3 horse stalls. We look forward to updating its tired look in the spring.

We are moving along one room at a time, and hopefully by spring/summer the majority of the dirty remodeling work is done. Horse-hair and lathe construction can be a real bitch!

I look forward to this new year with a new sense of excitement for what is to come.

A new home for a new season?

2009-09-22T10:47:00.003-04:00

Well, I'ts been quite the summer, but I must say I am very happy to welcome in Fall . Any day now we are going to sign on our very first home. Not exactly a "new" home, as it was built in 1896, But just what we have been dreaming of. I have a renewed sense for crafting and creating,for welcoming in the season, and working on Christmas crafts, however I can't exactly whip out the glue, scissors and such until we are moved in, which may not be for weeks.

Happy Summer.

2009-07-28T13:01:00.002-04:00

Wow its been over 2 months since any post! I do have to admit I often get a little guilty feeling when I think of all the things I would like to post here on the blog. I suppose I feel this way

because according to my standards, I don't get anything of significant importance accomplished in any given day to grant me the joy of guilt free pondering, hour upon hour here on the blog.

I've always told myself that when in fact I have a home of my own, It will be as simple

as capturing and narrating my everyday, joyful life. But perhaps that's a little naive.

A new project online, my social network group

2009-05-20T20:35:00.005-04:00

I have started a social network called "La Dolce Vita" on Ning.

I hope that if anyone is interested they will stop by, join in,

and add some comments and ideas! take a peek here

La Dolce Vita Social Network

A network to connect lovers of crafting, baking, gardening

knitting, sewing, living a simpler life, natural health and living.

Peter, My very first attempt at needle felting.

2009-05-13T10:40:00.003-04:00

I've had the wool for years now, the needles were cheap, the time finally came!

My first needle felted anything, I must say it was very satisfying to make something

from loose wool roving. Now on to many more, happy little things :)

Curry,calendulas and clematis Oh My!

2009-05-12T17:10:00.010-04:00

Outside the world is in bloom, and draped in electric green foliage. I uncovered my plants that I attempted to winter over in a protected spot in my mothers yard. So far the only thing peeking is the various mints. Last season was the first time I had my own plants, all in containers. Due to the fact that I do not yet have my own residence, I covered them in straw and a plastic tablecloth outside and hoped for the best. We will see!

I have already added to my large collection, I can't help it. I bought yet another lemon verbena, and was ecstatic to find a curry and a scented geranium. yippee! Two items which I had never found previously. The curry smells of maple syrup, and the geranium, citronella. I would love to find a rose or peach scented geranium this year. I bough two flats of Calendulas and may try my hand at planting some lettuce in containers this year as well.

Sean bought me a small Clematis, so I fashioned a rather (too) large trellis and planted her today. I just know I will get some comments on the ridiculousness of the trellis size, but at least It made me feel thrifty.

Ever heard of Fishs Eddy? I think I love them.

2009-04-22T19:45:00.005-04:00

Ok, so I never thought I would post a commercial about a product that I liked, so sorry ahead of time, but these vintage looking bowls are calling my name. I found this company through a website through another website, you know how that happens. I thought I was the queen of nifty homegoods stores but apparently I missed one. The kicker here is that their stuff is WICKED cheap! I'm near Boston so yea, wicked awesome. Take a peek here, I'm trying to save money but I think I could spare a few bucks!?? right?
FISHS EDDY

Im ready to Guerrilla Garden!!

2009-04-16T20:21:00.005-04:00

Ever hear of this thing called "Guerrilla Gardening"? What an idea! You find and pick a random, lifeless parcel of land, in need of some tender loving care and you either scatter some seeds or dig it up and put in some plants. Whether alone or with a couple of determined soldiers by your side, the selfless act of spreading some seeds in much needed areas will bring smiles to more than just your face.
Go ahead and take a look at this book by Richard Reynolds on AMAZON.

Guerrillagardening.org

Here is a forum where countries and states are divided up so you can find a group near you.

Guerrilla forums

Practice Random acts of kindness. What do you do?

2009-04-04T13:09:00.003-04:00

Surprisingly I found it a little difficult to find sites that had a good setup for any information on organizations that work towards the goal of inspiring others to perform random acts of kindness.

I did happen to come across a site were someone has shared a whole bunch of fun ideas for others to do and share. Take a look at it HERE . It does seem to make it a little easier just to have it suggested to you. If anyone knows of good sites, links, lists or has any ideas of their own please let me know!!!

tweet tweet, I'm twittering now.

2009-04-01T18:29:00.003-04:00

Well Im officially Twittering now. I dont know if this is a good thing. I had this sudden rush of excitment that I will have a place to write all the odd, and strange things that float through my mind at any moment. The kind of stuff that, if posted on my blog, would seem odd and random.
I have this romantic thought of myself out and about, in a store or library, reading a great quote or observing a funny scene and texting it to my twitter site. hah. With my recent computer usage up like 100% this could be another means to the end of my outdoor life. very sad isn't it?
Why have we grown so interested in any random persons thoughts? maybe it helps us feel less alone in a world that can be cold. It can take years to establish true, lifelong friendships. But online simply type in a searchbox who or what you are looking for and it instatly pops up. Instant gratification without the work or pain.
Anyhoot, the twitter site is sorta messed up at the moment so I can't navigate it, or learn exactly how to use it yet, but yes, I've joined the movement.

"fall on your knees" a fiction book that I loved!

2009-03-31T17:22:00.004-04:00

So I've never really been a fiction reading type of gal. I really don't know why. I guess I always thought that I would rather get something out of the reading, so I am stocked with crafting, baking, gardening and many, many "self help" and spiritual books. Oh sure there have been the various required reading for school along the way, with some pretty enjoyable books, however I enjoy more of a complex and racy plot. I think that is all about to change. With the exception of "Memoirs of a Geisha" a while back, I just finished one of my FIRST fiction books. The title is "Fall on your knees" and I absolutely loved it. I picked it up for about .50 cents at the library. It had a half peeled off sticker that read "Oprah's book club." I assure you the sticker is not what sold it to me. Here is the Amazon review. I am very suprised to find that it does not have a higher rating from readers, But I suppose that just keeps me in a league (sorta) of my own.

I am going to promise myself that I am going to continue my fiction reading...

Any suggestions??? I'm thinking Revolutionary road, or even the twilight books

Moving on.

2009-03-23T19:48:00.003-04:00

Oh, what sadness. Our plans to purchase a home have fallen through :(
Our dissapointment has motivated our next home search however,

so we are moving on lets say, to BIGGER and BETTER things!

Spring has Sprung

2009-03-21T13:10:00.006-04:00

Happy (second) day of spring! Yesterday our dream of owning a home (our first place!)

came true. Well, the start of the process began. I am truly floating on cloud nine. We have already gone to lowes, picked out paint chips, drew sketches, priced appliances, and all that fun stuff. If all goes well about a month and a half is when we can move in!... Anyhoot, with Easter on its way, I tried my hand at designing some templates and I ended up with, what I call, Cupcake picks. Cut them out, paste them together with a toothpick between and stick 'em into treats to add some festive color to your goodies. The quality is a little low at the moment, I had

some trouble converting the file into a printable one. But if anyone is interested Here you go!

Bunny Picks

Happy St. Paddy's!

2009-03-17T09:05:00.004-04:00

The thought of St. Patrick's day instantly conjures up images of

a boiled dinner,with steaming wafts of vinegar and mustard.

So I thought it would be quite appropriate

to share a few Irish proverbs I found,

"I'ts no use boiling your cabbage twice."

"Never bolt your your door with a boiled carrot"

"You must take the little potato with the big potato"

Also, if you're feeling the need to toss a few Clover seeds in a garden or path,

(or to sprout and eat) take a peek at these sellers: EcoOasis~ for sprouting

LoveLambie ~ genuine irish clover seeds ,

SmokymistGardens ~ crimson clover seeds

Fungifantasy ~ red clover seeds

First Five

2009-03-12T13:17:00.006-04:00

Well, I am very new to blogging, as this simple little place can tell you. However I learn more tricks everyday, and perhaps someday I will have taught myself enough to have a nifty site that others will bookmark? ha ha but until that day comes I'll keep on enjoying the feeling that writing brings. BUT for anyone who happens to take a glance this way, I am having a little fun with a game called ~* FIRST FIVE *~. Here's How it goes:

1. The first five people to stop by and comment on this post will receive a

special little gift made by me. I get to choose what it is, so I hope that you enjoy it :) .

2. You Will have no idea what it will be, and what I create will be made just for you.

3. It will be made and sent to you sometime this year, so by Dec. 31 2009.

4. Now here's the "game" part, You must re-post this on YOUR blog, and make the

same offer to your first five responders.

5. Sound like fun? then leave me a comment and get ready to get a happy little surprise!

Spring?...anyone?

2009-03-12T12:35:00.007-04:00

Only 8 days until official spring! and my seed packets are continuously growing in numbers. Last spring, all of the seeds I started indoors (and there were many) sadly died off when I attempted to introduce them to the real outdoors. So this year I am just going to toss a few in various pots when the weather outside is ideal. Or even better, perhaps I'll have my own home and yard to introduce them to? (::wink wink:: my fingers are tightly crossed).
The free seeds I sent away for arrived and nothing in life is more exciting then receiving free things! The envelope that arrived from Wintersown.org was packed with delightful little baggies of various seeds. I received: mexican hat-(ratabida columnifera), Sweet william-(dianthus barbatus), Lacy phacelia-(phacelia tanacetifolia), May queen-(a lettuce?), Rudbeckia triloba, Coreopsis, Ace 55 tomato, Broccoli Rabe-(rapa centroventina), Blue boy-(centaurea cyanus),and some Scarlet O'Hara morning glory seeds! Oh what fun! I also received a packet of carrot seeds from Ed Hume seeds to help the organization "Plant a row for the hungry." Ed Hume seeds will send you some veggie seeds in return for you donating your extra produce to neighboring food distributors Take a look at the form HERE. And I can't forget the Four-O'clock seeds from Symbolofhope.com.

Chewy, Gooey, Chocolate Chip Cookies.

2009-02-26T10:13:00.023-05:00

Chewy, Chocolaty goodness!

Here is my absolute favorite Chocolate chip cookie recipe. I am a fan of extra soft, chewy cookies, that just melt in your mouth, so if you are not a fan, just cook longer! start by letting your butter and eggs come to room temperature. The ingredients will fluff up beautifully if you take this sometimes lengthy step.

~~ INGREDIENTS: ~~ 1 Cup of softened unsalted butter ( 2 sticks)
1 Cup of packed dark brown sugar
1/2 Cup of white granulated sugar
1/2 Cup of packed light brown sugar
2 Eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 Cups of all-purpose flour (try to use unbleached)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
16 oz. semisweet chocolate chips ( usually one and a half bags)

Ok! lets start

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream together the butter, the sugars, eggs and vanilla. work it well, getting it nice and fluffy.

3. In a seperate Bowl sift together all of the dry ingredients except for the Chips.

4. Combine the dry and wet ingredients. then stir in the chips.

(Note: I like to now chill the dough for a hour or so to firm it up, but you can start right away.)

I usually use a 2 Tablespoon scoop (a coffee scoop) to form my dough,

this size seems to work great.

Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or very lightly greased.

Bake for 9-11 minutes. Everyones oven varies! so check often.

If you want those extra gooey under-baked types ( I know theres some out there!)

take the cookies out after about 9 minutes. they will continue to bake a bit.

This recipe makes 25-30 cookies.

Looking to sell online?

2009-02-24T09:51:00.002-05:00

Here is a great line-up of online selling venues for all you crafty entrepreneurs. Check out the article by Craftster.com HERE

Saving your seeds

2009-02-21T14:33:00.005-05:00

I can't get my mind off of seeds! Every store I go into, I run for the freshly erected seed displays. I stand and turn the swivle display soaking up the candy colors. So here is a cute site I found that explains how to SAVE your seeds at the end of the season to be shared and re-planted next season.

THE SEED SITE

Also check out seed savers. A huge online community of seed savers and sharers.

SEED SAVERS EXCHANGE

Information about Winter sowing and Free Seeds!

2009-02-19T21:07:00.011-05:00

Here is a great little site I found where you can send a Self-addressed, (2) stamped,# 10 Envelope and they will send you a mix of free various seeds. Please also take a moment to check out all the wonderful information they have on winter sowing. They also have some wonderful clipart of seed packets for you to print out and put your own seeds into to share with others. I love seeds around this time. They remind me that Spring is around the corner and that within a few months the tiny little gems will become amazing blooms, fruits and veggies. Here is the website, and here is the address:

WinterSown.org Six Pack

1989 School Street

East Meadow, NY. 11554

Heres another! Free Four-o'clocks seeds

Also send a double stamped envelope

Four O-clocks around the world

P.O. Box 8931

Metairie , Louisiana 70011-8931

Antiques!

2009-02-14T15:05:00.002-05:00

If someone were to ask me "Do you collect anything?" I would probably turn bright red as I listed the many, MANY various items that I have been stashing away for years.( stashing because I do not yet have a home of my own) Not because I am ashamed, but rather because I fear sounding like a lunatic. There's Milk glass, Jadite, Antique teacups, Christmas ornaments, Fiestaware (even though I only own ONE piece!) any kind of aluminum bake ware, and my recent favorite, antique tablecloths. I absolutely cannot get enough! The first thing I look for upon entering a thrift or antique shop is cheap linens. I don’t know how many tables I expect to have some day but I apparently will be having a lot of tea parties. I am going to get some together and take a photo (for my own satisfaction) and post it here so that I can look at my happy collection all together whenever I feel the need to smile.