A second opinion

M's residency is over, thankfully, and I ran across his old white coats. They had been severely miss treated over the last 6 years. From the floors of the ICU, to the Emergency room, they have seen their way around the hospital. Stains on the cuffs, and pen marks in the pocket.
The fate of these coats was written on the wall. Or was it?

Ceremonial burning? Too Hot.
The Morgue? Too Creepy
Trash? Maybe

I felt bad just tossing the coats that were a staple in his wardrobe for so many years. I figured I could do something with them. So I cut the name out, and got to sewing. M is a big coffee drinker, and always is in need of a reusable coffee sleeve. I threw some blue fabric on the back (similar to his blue scrubs), and violia! A personalized, history filled coffee cozy!
It was a big hit in the office. The second calling for the coats, very useful!

I miss my thrift store

Finding a local thrift store is easy. Finding one that has a constant supply of vintage fabric, sheets, and pillowcases is not easy. I do miss my favorite Salvation Army from back in Homewood, IL. Every time, usually once a week, I went there they had a new selection of vintage drapery, vintage pillowcases, the perfect makings of a reusable bag. I am using the Internet to do a local search for thrift stores in my local area Shalimar, but so far, they don't hold much promise for my "go to" store. The ones that I have visited are too neat, or too expensive, or don't have the salvageable fabric that I am looking for. Local yellowpages can be a good lead but until you set foot in the store you don't know if it is going to be the one! Local antique shops are another group I will look at so there are about 40 stores that I need to check out. That will keep me busy for now. Unless of course anyone out there knows of any near by shops that would be worth looking into!

Fun way to shop!

I just recently rediscovered etsy color finding tool. It is a fun way to shop by color. On the color slide choose the one that you are in the mood for and click. An assorment of fun handmade etsy items will pop up for you to enjoy! I started with blue and ended up going through a ton of different colors, and finding a few new favorties in the process!
If you have not tried out Etsy color tool for shopping, I highly recommend giving it a whirl!

Inspiration

As I was wrapping M's sandwich in my reusable sandwich wrap that I got from IreneDesigns. I realized that I needed to have a snack bag too! So I went to the pantry grabbed a plastic sandwich bag from a dusty box way in the bag of the shelf, and went to the sewing room. I picked some fabric from the scrap bin and started measuring and cutting and within a few minutes the snack bag started to take shape. This one is two apples high, perfect for going on a picnic, or just your regular lunch. No more plastic snack bags, and the best part about it is you can wash it and either machine dry it or just hang it up to dry naturally. This does not have any Velcro to get tangled up in the wash, it is just the fold style that I remember using all through school.
I am thinking of making more for my etsy shop, but for now, I have something to pack a few snacks in for M's lunch so that he gets more than just a sandwich.

If anyone has any comments, or suggestions on the snack bag, please let me know! Of course, these are all handmade with recycled or vintage material. Just one more way to keep more out of the landfill. Thanks.

That is a sweet potato!

At the store the other day I ran across some white sweet potatoes! They looked intriguing, so I got two to make mashed sweet potatoes. They were great. I added a bit of butter and some brown sugar, and mashed them until they were mostly smooth. They had a nice flavor. They were sweet, of course that could have been the brown sugar! To compliment the sweet potatoes we had some ham, and brussel sprouts glazed them with a balsamic reduction! Oh how delightful!

It was a rich meal full of flavor and the colors were beautiful too. It would have been just as nice with the regular orange sweet potatoes, but I love to try something new!

Mashed Sweet Potatoes
2 potatoes cubed and boiled
3 tablespoons butter (more if you like them really buttery)
3 tablespoons of brown sugar (more or less to taste)

Mash together. Serve! Yum

Brussel Sprouts
12 sprouts
Bring water to a boil. Add sprouts boil for 7 minutes or so until bright green. Stirring occasionally.

Balsamic Reduction
1/4 balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons brown sugar (might need a bit more)

Bring to a light boil, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. This can be used on many dishes, but tastes really good on the brussel sprouts.

Ham
Slice and pan fried until warm.

I'm a winner!

Naturescorridor announced her winner for the contest she was running on her blog! I was so excited to hear that it was me. She sent me a wonderful set of her personalized stationery. The package was sitting in my mailbox yesterday, and it looked so nice. Beautifully wrapped, and the contents stunning. The note cards are on heavy paper and have a wonderful bird printed on them along with my name.

Treat yourself to something beautiful! Sit down and write a letter. The note cards will brighten the day of the recipent of the letter, I am off to do that now!

Thank you Naturescooridor for the great contest!

Storing Precious Goods

Moving from a house with a large kitchen, to one that is smaller is always hard. Storage space is at a premium. We have a ton of glasses that need a safe place for storage. I think that a wine glass rack would be the perfect solution. The precious glasses need a hanging wine rack that keeps them off the counter! That way they look nice hanging below the cabinet that stores the wine! Important to have them close to each other I think.

I think I could get a few bar glass racks to store all of my thrift store finds. I have to get creative about my kitchen storage, and I think these glass racks would be the perfect solution.

Java Junkies!

Do you get your fix of coffee everyday? You need to get the ultimate in eco-friendly fashion. The remarkable, reusable coffee sleeve. Check out Threadbeaur for great coffee sleeves made from salvaged fabric. Fabric with a history, and trying to avoid the landfill, given a second life as an everyday useful item. Green fashion is everywhere you look, from reusable shopping bags, to the ability to buy offsets for your carbon footprint. Why not just reduce your carbon footprint on your own. There are small things that we can do everyday to reduce our waste. Just like getting a reusable coffee cozy instead of the cardboard offered in the local coffee shop. If everyone did this think of all the room we have saved in our landfills! It adds up.

Turtle Soup

There was a torrential downpour the other day. Then after the brief cloud cover the sun was back out and blazing down. It was so hot, and steamy outside. It was time for a dip in the pool. M made a beeline for the pool as soon as he came in the door from work, and before I could make it outside he yelled for the camera. I grabbed it on the way out the back door and headed for the pool. As I approached, M was playing with something in the water. It was a scared little turtle who had been stuck in the filter. He was making turtle soup in our pool! M the life guard headed him in the direction of the stairs and he started up the to the first one. The turtle took a small rest before attempting to exit the pool. We gave him a boost, and he "ran" as fast as a turtle can run into the shade of the decorative grass. Time to let his shell dry out, and no doubt rest a little. It probably was a lot of work to swim against the filter. We don't know how long he was in there, but we were glad to save him. Now I check the filter before I get in the pool, just to see if there are any critters that need help escaping.

Window Shopping

Window shopping on the internet is so easy. One page leads to another, next thing you know your online shopping cart is full and your new clothes are on their way to your front door. It is hard to find cute maternity clothes in a regular store. They all look so BIG! I have had better luck shopping for maternity clothes online. I have decided to invest in a few basics that can really work enhance my wardrobe. Since it is hot here, I think short sleeves and tanks are the way to go. Simple items that can be dressed up for a night out on the town, and worn with different accessories look perfect for a night at the local pizza joint. Since it is only a few short months that I will actually wear these clothes, I think it is better to have a few nice peices that I can wear over and over, and not get tired of the look. I am looking for a basic t-shirt, a flattering tank top, and everyday shorts. I already have purchased a little black dress that will be my go to dress for the next 5 months.

Window shopping online is so fun, to compare the styles and the variety is endless. I can't even believe how many black dresses are out there. I really enjoy sites where it is to drop items in to the cart, and make your finally decision just before checkout! I guess I am off to see what I have in the cart. Happy shopping to all!