wanna trade?

I fell in love with this painting 

by the lovely and super-talented artist, Alicia Raney.

It just kinda goes with my style...

Do you think she knew I had this chair?

Anyway, she knew I wanted the painting, 

and she offered to trade it for a quilt.  

She showed me some colors she likes, 

and I took it from there...

I'm using fabrics from Liz Scott's Sugar Pop line

and a pattern inspired by this quilt.

It's almost finished, 

and I hope Alicia likes it!

Cleo Brown

For some reason,
I can never remember to take "before" pictures.

It just seems like
when I get a minute to work on something...
 I just jump right in...
and this one needs a coat of paint...
and while I've got the sander out...
and I might as well do this one, too...
and before I know it...

 I have several "afters,"
and no evidence of what they looked like "before."

Well, I dug this little beauty out of the shed
with thoughts of cleaning, sanding, painting, recovering.

And, then, I saw this...

 Miss Cleo Brown has written her sweet, little name all over it.
That stopped me in my tracks...
forget the paint...
where's my camera?

Needless to say,
there's no way I can cover up her name.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

Thank you, Miss Cleo for making me slow down,
and take the time to snap a few "befores."

cicadas

I kinda like listening to these guys, 

but do they have to be so 

creepycrawlygrossnastyyuck everywhere?

picking strawberries

Do not be fooled by this picture...

this is what his basket looked like...

because this is what he was doing 

while I was picking strawberries!

CSA Basket #4

Here's our latest share:
romaine
red curly lettuce
spinach
braising mix
another kind of lettuce
swiss chard
green onions
snap peas
strawberries

The farm is now open to the public on Saturdays,
and the market is full of fabulous homemade goodies.
I couldn't resist a loaf of home baked bread,
a jar of pickled green tomatoes, and more mint.
(coming soon:  the perfect mojito)

Mrs. Peggy also did a cooking demonstration
with several of the different greens we've been receiving.
My favorite was this recipe for Parmesan & Garlic Kale Chips,
and I couldn't wait to try it when we got home.
I didn't realize we didn't have any kale in our baskets!
Maybe, Mrs. Peggy will let me come over and cut some this week.
Here's the recipe:

We didn't have a pickup last weekend,
but that didn't stop us from visiting the market.
We got there just in time to snatch the last
honey glazed strawberry shortcake!
 

We also couldn't live without:
lettuce
swiss chard
onions
blueberry muffin
basil
green tomato relish
pickled jalepenos

Thank you, again,
Madison Creek Farm.

we need s'more

I've been waiting to post this 

because I didn't want to spoil the surprise.

I fixed these up for our end-of-the-year teacher gifts!

These super cute labels from domesticatedlady are free!!!

homemade fabric softener

I've had such a good response
from my post on  homemade laundry detergent
that I thought I'd do one
on homemade fabric softener.

You'll have to pay close attention
because it gets complicated.

Wait for it...

That's it....
all you need is vinegar...
1/2 cup per load.

You can add essential oil for fragrance if you want,
but it is not necessary.

OK, so, I know you're skeptical...
believe me, I never thought this would work.
And, I really didn't want to take a chance on
my clothes smelling like vinegar,
so I used it on a load of my husband's clothes first!
(don't tell him about this, either)

It worked!
I was a little worried when I opened the washing machine
and got a little whiff of vinegar,
but it goes away completely in the dryer.
Our clothes are drying faster,
and it helps to clean the washing machine.

Are our clothes Downey soft?
Well, not quite, but close enough for me.
I'll probably still throw a dryer sheet in
with the towels and sheets,
but overall, I'm very satisfied with the results.

The cost...
about 6 cents per load.

good news

"Good news," 
my Husband says to me, 
"there's a new rugby channel, 
and it's free!"

Me, "That's great."
(real sarcastic-like with an eye-roll)

You see, we've been known
to pay the extra $15/month 
for the Setanta channel
when a little thing called the
World Cup rolls around.
Good thing it's only every 4 years.

The thing is, 
I really don't mind watching rugby.

I pretend that I don't like it...
I don't know why...
probably just to give him a hard time.
(but, don't tell him I said so)

And, just to prove 
that I know what I'm talking about,
I came up with a few reasons 
why rugby isn't so bad:

Dan Carter

Richie McCaw

Ma'a Nonu

Who's this handsome guy?

 I hate to miss a good Haka.

And, he thought I wasn't paying attention.

barn sale reviews

Thought you guys might enjoy reading 

what some other ladies had to say about the barn sale!

 

The Strawberry Patch

Ida and Mae

HorseFeathers Gifts

Everyday Gourmet

 

I love this picture with the winner of my vase, 

one of my very best friends, Tara!

bbq chicken pizza

I'm in a
Friday-Night-Pizza
kind of mood.

Barbecue Chicken Pizza

*flour tortilla for the crust

*thin layer of bbq sauce

*1 cooked and chopped chicken breast
(great for using up leftovers)

*sharp cheddar cheese

*thinly sliced purple onion

*chopped green onion

*a little more cheese to hold it all in place

*350 degrees for about 10 minutes

(until all the cheese is melted)

*top with chopped cilantro
*I usually make 1 per person

enjoy! 

linked to:
Remodelaholic

and the winner is......

 Me! Me! Me!

Do you remember the week of giveaways
on Ida and Mae's blog?
Well, I entered all of them and....

I won this beautiful blossom necklace
from Our Daily Chocolate!

...and a $25 credit from Livi Lou & Co.
that I used to buy the monkey floor pillow!

...as well as this ebook
from Sarah Mae
at Like a Warm Cup of Coffee!

I think I'll go buy a lottery ticket, now!

Thanks, again, Ida and Mae!

homemade laundry detergent

*4 cups hot tap water
*1 fels-naptha soap bar
*1/2 cup borax
*1 cup washing soda
(all items can be purchased in the laundry aisle of Kroger)

*grate the fels-naptha bar...

(Looks like grated cheese)

*add grated soap to hot tap water
*simmer and stir on med-low
until all of the soap bar is dissolved
(Now, I'm thinking beer-cheese soup.)

*fill 5 gallon bucket half full with hot tap water
*pour melted soap, borax, and washing soda into bucket
*stir until all is dissolved

*fill bucket with hot tap water and stir some more
*cover and let sit overnight to thicken

*the next day stir again
(it has a jello-like texture - so keep stirring)

 

*fill a clean, empty container
(laundry detergent bottle, milk jug, etc.)
half full of laundry soap
*fill the rest of the way with water
*optional:  add several drops of your favorite essential oil
*shake it before each use
*1 cup per load

I'll do the math for you -
10 gallons of laundry detergent
160 loads of laundry
less than .06 cents per load!

...and I still have plenty borax and washing soda!
So, grab a bucket and a fels-naptha bar and come on over!

(recipe courtesy of: Brandy Hand)