Pin It on Me

"I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck."
-Emma Goldman

Well, what about diamonds on your roses? Now we're talking. Can't afford diamonds? Me either. So, let's settle for the next best thing: vintage rhinestones.

For some time now, I've had a total fixation on vintage pins. For those of you who know me, I'm a hard-core estate sale junkie. My favorite estate sales are the grandma houses (God rest their souls) with the prissiest, fussiest belongings cramming every square inch of their beloved ramblers. This variety of estate sale almost always yields a load of vintage pins: butterflies, hearts, fruit and flowers. There are always lots and lots of flowers. There always comes a point where all I can do is stand over the jewelry case and begin the negotiations with myself. How many do I already have? Do I really need another pin? Don't I already have one in the shape of an Iris? If I had my druthers I'd buy up every last one, but we all need limits. Don't we?

I have finally found the perfect outlet for the pin issue: the vintage pin bridal bouquet. I saw one of these online, and my heart skipped a beat. I had to try my hand at one. This one took 47 pins and earrings and approximately 6 hours of my time. It was so worth it. The result is better than I expected. Though I don't plan on walking down the aisle any time soon, someone somewhere with in six degrees might be. Besides, I'll be selling wares this coming week at the Junk Bonanza (links below including a groupon for 1/2 off tickets to the bonanza.) Come visit me if you can. If not, tell a bride or two I have something they can't live without!


http://www.junkbonanza.com/

www.groupon.com/r/uu/707283

Local Motion

"Love thy neighbor- if he happens to be debonair & devistating, it will be easier."-Mae West

It's t-minus 7 days and counting until that long awaited back to school blast-off. I'm fighting back the waves of jealousy as my friends post glowing first day of school photos on facebook as well as quashing any anxiety rearing up regarding an impending in-law visit. That's right folks, my in-laws make it a ritual to visit every Labor Day making the last of my summer days extra special **happy face, big smile, deep breath.** It's this brew of summer-marathon exhaustion and new-schedule exhilaration that gives way to day dreams of how I'll spend my upcoming free hours. I'm going to have more than ever this year as my little one is crossing that giant kindergarten milestone. Life will never be the same.

What will I do with myself? That is the question of the day as well as a stock question all of us Mommies get as friends realize your little birdies will all soon be out of the nest (at least for part of the day.) Should I go back for that Master's Degree? Should I step up my volunteering schedule? Should I put more hours in at the gym? No. No. and Hell No! I'm thinking more along the lines of shopping, lunching and coffee- not necessarily in that order. If your thinking is anything like mine, but you're feeling a little guilty about not doing more important things with your precious time, I've got the answer... put your dollars where they will do good: local businesses.

I've recently registered my little business in the 3/50 Project, and I'll be making a point to follow the model as I go my merry way, kid free. Here is the lowdown: close your eyes and think of 3 local businesses you'd be heartbroken to see disappear. No Target. No Home Depot. No, my friends, not even Starbucks. I'm not talking big-box, big-business retailers. I'm talking brick & mortar, main street store fronts that spring up thanks to the sweat and toil of our neighbors. These are the people we should be supporting. Once you've zeroed in on your faves, spend $50 at those business a month. If we all did that, those local heroes would not only survive; they'd thrive. Need some direction? Here's a couple I'll be frequenting soon and often:

Seven Stars Coffee House: 7015 Amundson Ave. Edina
I'm not ashamed to admit I've got one giant coffee addiction, but I might be ashamed of how much coin I've sent to the man in the corner office via Starbucks. I now have a remedy. Though Seven Stars if a bit farther to drive, and I will have to forgo the mile-long drive-thru line, I will gladly support this new caffeine option. The coffee is fabulous, but that is just a start. Seven Stars is also a first-rate bakery with a partner devoted to creating a fresh (not to mention officially Kosher) menu of delights. There is a full lunch menu as well featuring an all vegetarian list of goodies. Both my daughters recently raved about a kick-a** grilled cheese they had for lunch last week. As an added bonus, the two local Moms who started this lovely shop go to great lengths to make sure all their cups, straws, utensils & napkins are compostable. Take that Starbucks!
http://www.sevenstarscoffeehouse.com/

Pizza Luce, Hopkins: 210 N. Blake Road, Hopkins
Can I just tell you, I had a massive meltdown (the good kind) when I spotted Pizza Luce's newest location while en route to a playdate hook-up. Until Pizza Luce moved close to my neighborhood, it was a trek to Uptown to get my hands on all the vegetarian options this local gem has to offer. I've never seen such a plethora of fake-meat options at a pizza joint. Not a vegetarian? You're covered. Vegan? You too. Gluten averse? You'll all be covered in amazing pizza. Did I mention the full bar? The Hopkins location is smack dab on the regional bike trail. So get pedaling, and get your butt to Pizza Luce.
http://www.pizzaluce.com/

Fifty bucks will go fast... make sure you've got those local backs! Enjoy...
http://www.the350project.net/

Queen for a Day

"Parents are not interested in justice; they are interested in quiet" -Bill Cosby



I'm going to tell you a secret. Every year as school winds down and summer amps up, I get a little sick to my stomach. As other Moms proclaim the love of having their little ones close to home all summer, I fight back the waves of nausea caused by the panic I feel for the approaching transition from one routine to another. Don't get me wrong. Of course I love my little darlings, but those little darlings become little devils all too often when adjusting to life together. I've taken some time to try to identify just what it is I dread so much, and it boils down to one simple, but prolific element to our daily lives every year at this time: squabbling.

It's the unending whining about who gets the arm rest in the car or who gets the coveted couch spot for the designated potato hour in front of the TV, etc. After a few days of this, I have had enough. The limits of tolerance I have very often results in saying to my older child, "Just deal with it." Justice is certainly not served, and, I'm sure my oldest will have years of therapy to fund into adulthood.... but what is a mother to do?



Luckily, thanks to a handy-dandy iPhone app, I stumbled upon an article in USA Today discussing sibling rivalry. I read it carefully, hoping that it might provide some insight and concrete ideas in helping me survive the turbulent transition weeks as we settle into summer. The article did not disappoint. In fact, it provided one of the most useful parenting tactics I've come across in a long time: Child of the Day.



Here is the lowdown: each day, one of my two daughters is "child of the day." Because I only have two, this privilege alternates every other day. When it's that child's on day, they are able to have that arm rest, or couch potato perch. If an argument ensues over where we stop for an afternoon snack, the solution is easy- the child of the day gets to choose. It's sheer magic! We have implemented this in my house hold for about three weeks, and the level of acceptance is amazing. We have yet to have anyone contest the benefits of being the child of the day, even if it's an off day for one of them. I can only hope that the acceptance rolls straight through the summer. Truth be told, my hopes are high. Maybe now I'll be able to gush on my face book status how happy I am to have my babies at my side uninterrupted for the next three months.... or not.



Here is a link to the article:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-05-04-favorites04_CV_N.htm

Center Yourself

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." -Proverb

This is the time of year when we all come out of hibernation and take a fresh look at our environment. All too often that Springtime glance shows a great need to update. Whether the update includes landscaping or home improvements, one thing will result: waste. Putting on a new deck? What do you do with the discarded lumber from the old deck? New siding? Most likely that will land in a rented dumpster. Where else are you going to put all those old building supplies? Did you know 30-40 % of all land fill waste comes from tossed building waste? But, what can we do to avoid that? The Green Instittue of Minneapolis has come up with an ingenious solution. They will gladly take that discarded material and resell it to the public to resue in their new projects. All of it is held in a dream of a warehouse, the Reuse Center.

I first learned about the Reuse Center a few years ago when a quaint little cottage across the street from me was bulldozed to make room for a brand spanking new house. Before the army of dump trucks arrived for the demolition, the Reuse center came in and took any usable material (i.e. kitchen cabinets, lighting fixtures, countertops, sinks, switch plates, etc. etc.) . The builder was also kind enough to let the neighborhood pillage the property before all remains of the house were taken out of sight and out of mind to the land fill. We scored a killer old-school deck table, benches and deck chairs that came back to life with a few coats of paint. My husband carted trip after trip of old clay bricks originating from a turn-of-the-century factory in St. Paul. Those bricks are now used in our yard making borders and pathways decorating our gardens. Also aiding our landscaping ventures are some old railroad ties we scored before the demolition. All these materials would have cost us hundreds of dollars new and could have ended up adding to the pile of garbage this culture is so proficient at creating.

A trip to the Reuse Center is worth just the fun of what you might unearth. I have found a few gems for my project bins. So, if you find that you or yours are ready for a spring time project, make a trip to the Reuse Center first.... "you just might find, you get what you need." Link is below.

http://www.thereusecenter.com/

Pillow Talk

"There is no pillow soft as a clear conscience." -French Proverb

Alas. It's raining. It's cold. The forecast is not much better tomorrow, so why not a project idea? A few months ago after one too many viewings of "Project Runway" I got the itch to buy myself a sewing machine. It was one of those meant-to-be moments as the model I had my eye on was very on sale at Target the very day I happened to get the sewing bug. I didn't need much in terms of a machine. In fact, I had no training in this particular economic of the home, but I knew that I could do something as long as I had the basic tools. My hunch was correct. Since my lucky day at Target, I have sewn snuggies, doll bed bedding, aprons and, yes, pillows. The pillows have been a particular hit... which brings me to our rainy day project.

I had seen similar calendar pillows at my favorite local shop (that would be "Hunt and Gather" for those of you in Minneapolis). Armed with my trusty sewing machine, I was ready to make some. I went hunting and gathering vintage calendar tea towels of my own and was pleasantly surprised to find a good selection. The best sources proved to be etsy and ebay, though I have since come across them at local thrift and antique stores as well as at an occasion estate sale. Once the towel was in hand, I added an extra special touch by embroidering a little heart around the birthday (if I was giving this as a birthday gift) of the recipient. I also ordered a batch of vintage zippers to add to the pillows- why buy new when you don't have to, right? Pillow forms are plentiful at your local craft store. I go for the bamboo variety because we don't need to encourage more polyester production, do we?

So, for your next birthday, anniversary or teacher gift make a vintage calendar pillow. Have a ball searching for just the right design with just the right year. If that sounds like too much trouble all together, call me. I'd be happy to whip one up for you on my little sewing machine.

While we are on the subject of pillows, I came across a little gem a few weeks ago. If you live now or have ever lived in Ogden, Utah, this might be something you can't live without.

Enjoy!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/46688728/vintage-ogden-utah-pillow

Eating an Elephant

"Try not. Do or do not. There is no try." -Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back

So, a number of you have asked what has happened to Minty? The wait is over... I'm back. Though some of my hiatus has included a free (almost) trip to a fabulous resort in Northern Minnesota... we'll discuss this Minty Find in a future installment... most of my blog break was devoted to something I've been giving lots of lip service to, but not much reality: writing a play.

As the facebook devotee I am, I came across a website (via a Playwright's Center facebook posting) called "ScriptFrenzy". It is put on by an organization called "The Office of Letters and Light", a Northern California non-profit working for the express purpose of motivation. The idea was simple: beginning April 1st and ending April 30th, you must complete a 100 page script. For years I'd been talking about writing a play. In fact, I have 75 pages of another play written that I've been stalled out on for two years as well as a handful of 10-minute plays that I've entered unsuccessfully into several contests.

As it turns out, the "ScriptFrenzy" was exactly the kick in the pants I needed to get the job done. I did not work on the old play. I began from scratch with a completely new story. With a 3.33-page-a-day approach, I joyfully skipped across the finish-line a winner on April 30th. Of course, the play is not submission ready. I'll be working on further drafts and re-writes, but to have a complete first draft of a full-length play is a goal I've been dreaming of for years.

Though self horn-blowing is not out of my realm of possibility, the real purpose of this blog is to nudge you, dear followers, to set some dead lines for yourself and get done what you've been meaning to do for a long time. Incidentally, The Office of Letters and Light also hosts "Nanowrimo" (or National Novel Writing Month) in November. The goal: a 50,000 word novel written in one month. I did the math- that is approximately 125 pages total or 4.25 pages a day. I'm in if you are. Links are below.


http://www.scriptfrenzy.org/
http://www.nanowrimo.org/

Pinch It

"Influence is like a savings account. The less you use it, the more you've got."
-Andrew Young

So, I am going to drain a bit of my influential bank roll to try to persuade towards something I have found to be quite a gold mine: Groupon. Yes, like coupon for a group. I am not, nor will I ever be a hard core coupon clipper, but if I can find something convenient that saves me some money, I'll take it.

Here is how it works.... you register your email with the Groupon in your city and each day you will receive a deal via email. Each deal is set up with a threshold that must be met for the deal to be "on" (for example, 45 people must buy it before it is officially "on") Once the deal is on, you usually have 24 hours to purchase whatever is being offered. I have been receiving the emails for a couple months and have cashed in three deals so far. The first: a $70, 1 hour massage which I paid $35 for. I have also purchased a family membership to the Minnesota Historical Society. For those of you in Minnesota, that is good for unlimited visits to the Historical Society in St. Paul as well as unlimited visits to the Mill City Museum in downtown Minneapolis. Both of these destinations are fabulous, kid-friendly adventures. The last, but not least, was $75 worth of organic produce delivered to my door for $35. The latter of the three deals is currently still on. In my humble opinion, it's worth a glance.

Granted, many of the deals that come through are for obscure business located 45 minutes from me, but I've seen enough benefit to feel good putting it out there. The link is below... have a blast with a new way to pinch those pennies.

http://www.groupon.com/r/uu707283

What Goes Around...

"Each thing is of like form from everlasting and comes round again in its cycle."
-Marcus Aurelius

Red Lipstick, legwarmers, mini skirts, platform boots, bell bottoms, Farah Fawcett curls, Robert Redford: all these things that have cycled through our popular culture again and again. It's always striking to me how often I find trends repeating. Even more striking is the trend I've noticed in reusing old things. In my little jewelry business, the older something is, the better it sells. People are drawn to the past, and, finally, it's trendy to find new uses for genuinely old things. I like to envision this pattern as a spiral- circling back around to something familiar, but taken up a level. Just today, my friend Joan sent me a link that took me back to something from my past I thought was long forgotten...

For those of you who joined this party train early on, you'll remember a post with a Craigslist link taking you to a mighty fine find of a Peacock covered couch. There are those of you who might have missed it, and for those sad souls, there is a remedy- You must do this first, however: Close your eyes. Imagine yourself stepping into a room with just the right balance of shabby and sheik. The walls are a dusty teal. The fireplace dons a chippy mantle with what paint remaining, an eggshell white. The armchair perfectly placed by the fireplace is simple beige brocade. Sit down in that chair. Feel the warmth of the fire place. Across the room from you is a mural made from a mishmash of found objects creating some sort of imagined landscape, but, alas, there is nothing underneath that mural to anchor it to the room. Now you are ready to click... enjoy!



http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/fuo/1600540550.html

Salad Days

"The farmer has to be an optimist or he wouldn't still be a farmer." -Will Rogers

It's winter. It's February. We need an escape. Let's do a little mental exercise: Close your eyes. Picture a landscape. What do you see? If you are living anywhere in the Midwest or East coast your brain probably goes right to snow. After all, we are buried in it right now. Maybe this will work... close your eyes again. Picture a perfect meal. What do you see? O.K., that probably didn't work either. My mind went straight to hot dish.

How about we talk about a subject near and dear to my heart that is sure to take you straight into summer: CSAs. No, I'm not discussing some acronym drummed up in some cooperate war room. I'm talking about Community Supported Agriculture. If you haven't heard of this, it's due time. After all, it's the hottest thing around since the farmer's market took hold in every town from here to Ogden, Utah. CSAs are deliveries brought straight to you directly from a local farm. Some farmers will designate a central drop-off spot. If you are lucky, you can find a farmer that will deliver right to your door (this, of course, comes with a steeper price attached.)

In my case, I'm lucky. For the last four years I have had deliveries from a local organic farm brought right to my door with a cut rate to boot. How did I achieve such miracles, you ask. I gathered a group of neighbors and the farmer gave us a deal because the boxes are all delivered to one address- mine. It's a great arrangement for all of us, especially me. Not only do I get my weekly dose of farm fresh carrots, lettuce, arugula, spinach, potatoes, tomatoes and on and on... but I also get the welcome visits of all my friends.

The vegetables and visits are just a couple of the perks. The biggest pay-off of all are the results I've seen with my kids. The farm box delivery is a highlight of each week for them. They are mesmerized by each vegetable as I pull them out of the box, and can hardly wait to get their little hands and mouths around them. Believe me, if this CSA thing can get my kids excited about brussels sprouts (which it has,) it can make your kids believers too.

Costs vary from region to region, but price comparisons often show that the same amount of organic produce bought from outlets as pricey as Whole Foods cost significantly more. When you buy into a CSA, you are purchasing a portion of a farm's harvest. Generally, you pre-pay early in the year and then are free to enjoy the salad days (in my area this lasts from June-October.) Some farms have bonus features. This year, my farm has added free-range eggs as well as offering to deliver beef and chicken from his farmer friend near by.

If you live near me- check out the link to my farm. If you like what you see, join the party!

Here is the link:
www.burningriverfarm.com

If not, but you'd like to find a CSA in your area, check out this link:
www.localharvest.org/csa

Bear in Mind

Here in the far Northern reaches of the U.S. during the coldest part of the year, it's not easy to keep perspective. The Starbucks drive-thu line is always long. It's hard to find just the right parka in the perfect hue to coordinate with all the boots lining my closet, and my hardwood floors are taking a beating with all the salt the kids track in. It takes focus to not fall on my sword daily.

Recently I was introduced to someone who snapped me right out of my self-inflicted, all-too-human dramas: Lily. Lily is a three year-old black hibernating under a log somewhere in Northern Minnesota. The North American Bear Center has cleverly set a camera providing all of us with a live feed of Lily's long nap. Though most of the feed is full of stretches of watching Lily take her average 3 breaths per minute, there are moments of magic to be seen. The coup de grace being the birth of her cub a couple of weeks ago. Do not fret- you may not have been there to see it live, but thanks to our handy-dandy YouTube, you can relive the birth again and again. Here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBNtANbW5vE

Want to see more? Want it live? Here is the link to Lily's live cam:

http://www.bear.org/website/visit-us/lily-den-cam.html

I have to admit, I'm a bit mesmerized. I check the live feed often hoping for a glimpse of Lily's furry face (which I have, indeed, caught while watching) or to hear the call of her little cub (I've heard the cry many times as well.) I sit in my cozy house shielded from the snow that piles up on Lily's back, sipping my tea and realize that any drama I might conjure up doesn't hold a candle to what our beastly friends have to go through just for the sake of survival.

Sour Power

"Men are like wine: some turn to vinegar, but the best improve with age" - Pope John XXIII

Yes, it's been a while, and I've been up to no good. Since my last entry and today, I've had too many martinis in Chicago, found myself an amazing pair of gold vintage cowboy boots and the Vikings.... well, what can I say about that? If you are anything like the five million or so Minnesotans, you might still be feeling a bit sour given the impending Super Bowl. With that in mind, I thought it would be fitting to talk about the benefits of something that leaves a bad taste in your mouth: Vinegar.

Of course, we all know the joy of a good vinaigrette. Some may know the pleasure of macerated strawberries in a balsamic vinegar, but did you know the good graces of vinegar go much deeper that this? There are those who believe it is a magic diet aid warding off even the strongest of sugar cravings. Others swear by its ability to cure varicose veins.

My personal love of this sour friend is, indeed, a profound one. A few months ago my husband and I were at wits end with a dishwasher that wasn't working. After a tedious and disgusting dismantling of said washer produced no more than the same film that had been coating our dishes for weeks, we began the process of looking for a new machine. Before the purchase was made, we tried one last theory. Four cups of vinegar was added to a cycle, and eureka! The problem was solved. The dishes came out sparkling, and a $3 bottle of vinegar saved us from a $600 sticker shock. The film that had been building up on the dishes was the result of mineral deposits from our hard water. Those same minerals had been clogging the water feeds in and out of the washer. The vinegar provided the chemical reaction to thwart those pesky deposits. To this day, we add a cup or so of vinegar to keep the minerals at bay.

With my new vinegar romance in full bloom, I went looking for more miracles it could perform. Low and behold, I found more. I came across recipes for both an all purpose household cleaner as well as for a glass cleaner. I've faithfully been brewing these concoctions since for a fraction of the cost of those chemically laden cleaners I carelessly sprayed about. My piggy bank is bulging these days, and it is sparkly to boot.

Here are the recipes:

Homemade Glass Cleaner

1 Cup rubbing alcohol
1 Cup water
1 Tablespoon vinegar

Using isopropyl alcohol and white vinegar together makes a quickly evaporating spray glass and mirror cleaner that competes with national brands. This can also be used to give a nice shine to hard tiles, chrome, and other surfaces.


Alice's Wonder Spray

1 Cup white vinegar
2 teaspoons borax
4 Cups hot water
20 essential oil (optional)
1/4 Cup liquid dish soap

Combine vinegar and borax with hot water. Add an essential oil (if desired for fragrance) and dish soap. Place in a spray bottle and be sure to label it.

Take it When You Can Get it

"The question isn't who is going to let me, it's who is going to stop me." -Ayn Rand



If you are anything like me, you've got a list longer than the January gym line of things that you intend to do in this New Year. Take a look over those to-do's: do the arts figure in? spending more quality time with those special someones? Let me help you check a couple things off your list. For those of you out there in the Twin Cities, we happen to live in a place that has a higher theater per ca pita presence than any other cities in the US besides New York City and Chicago. Though we might be frozen 3/4 of the year, we are blessed with a vibrant arts community and some big corporations to support them. This week Target ponies up some bucks for us to put the finger to the cold and get cultured on the cheap.



Family Style: Each year Target provides free tickets to the Minnesota Orchestra. As of today (January 13th) you can go to the Minnesota Orchestra web site and register for free tickets for your fam to one of four performances geared towards the kiddos. There are 2 different shows to choose from:


"Carnival Animals" Saturday, March 13 at 2 or 4

"Four Seasons" Sunday, May 9 at 2 or 4


All you do is fill out the web page, pick your first and second choice, and you are entered into a random drawing for tickets. It's not a guarantee, but it is certainly worth entering. You will receive your tickets in early February if you are lucky enough to get picked. I have taken my family to past events, and they are wonderful. If you arrive early, Orchestra Hall is full of demonstrations and hands-on activities for the little ones to enjoy. The performance entertained all of us ranging in age from 4 to 40.

http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/target/enter.cfm



Adults Only: Are you looking for something arty sans kids, but suffering from sticker shock once you add up ticket prices, parking and babysitter fees? I'll make you a compromise. You'll bring the kids along, but promptly check them at the door while you enjoy some theater at one amazing Minneapolis landmark. Each year Target provides "play dates" at the Guthrie Theater. Here's how it works: for $15 you get an adult ticket and a child pass for your child to attend a class taught in the Guthrie's education wing. This is a screaming deal, take it from me. I took my 4 year-old to one a couple of months ago, and she had an absolute ball. I was able to see a play (that would have normally cost me upwards of $50) and got to recharge my adult engine a bit. Tickets went on sale yesterday, and, just a warning, they sell FAST, so get on this soon. The play dates are as follows:

Macbeth: Saturday, February 27
Brief Encounter: Saturday, March 6 and Wednesday, March 17
M. Butterfly: Saturday, May 1
Dollhouse: Saturday, June 5
She Stoops to Conquer: Saturday, July 17
A Streetcar Named Desire: Saturday, August 28

You can get tickets at the Guthrie Theater box office or call 612-377-2224.

http://www.guthrietheater.org/whats_happening/events/target_play_dates

So ride that generous Target pony all the way to the theater... and have a blast doing it. Maybe I'll see you there!

Buttermilk It, Baby

"A quarrel is like buttermilk, once it's out of the churn; the more you shake it, the more sour it grows." - Irish saying



Though a quarrel is a possibility during today's book group discussion, buttermilk is a certainty. Periodically I find myself reaching for that carton of buttermilk at the grocery store, and, more often than not, I find myself in a panic as the expiration date looms near. What should I do with that buttermilk?

The latest impetus to bring home the buttermilk was spurred on by my recent reading of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Yes, Meryl Streep's performance did entice my husband to give me the boxed set for Christmas, and yes, I have loved the cookbooks. Julia Child provides a recipe for preparing creme fraiche that involves leaving heavy whipping cream to ferment with a bit of buttermilk. I have no cream left to ferment, but plenty of buttermilk reaching it's demise.

I took to the Internet and learned more than I expected about the sour tenant in my refrigerator. The Irish lore tells of buttermilk's ability to cure a hangover. Hmmm- not sure a thick glass of sour milk would do wonders for me after being a bit overserved (except that it might force the voiding of any traces of tequila left in my system.) If simmered with garlic, the Irish also tell that buttermilk can cure many other ailments. If any of you out there are brave enough to try this one, let me know. I'm not quite there yet. American pioneer lore follows us right into the new century giving buttermilk skin softening qualities. I confess, I've been known to buy baby buttermilk bath products from well marketed cosmetic companies. Today, I'm performing a buttermilk cook-a-thon including buttermilk pound cake and buttermilk dip. What a lucky book group I have!

So, lovely reader, you have an assignment. If not tonight then some time in the near future, you must dust off those fabulous aprons, put on your pearls, and make that special someone an old-fashioned treat. There is truth linking hearts and stomachs. If you find yourself without buttermilk, the solution is easy: measure out regular milk to the recipe specifications, then add a couple tablespoons of vinegar to it. Within a couple of minutes you'll see the milk get lumpy. Culinary technicians have a term for this- blooming. Let that milk bloom, and while you're at it, let yourself bloom too.


Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pound Cake

1/2 C butter

1/2 C shortening

2 C sugar

5 Eggs

1 1/2 ts Vanilla

3 C White Flour

1/2 ts salt

1/2 ts baking powder

1/2 ts baking soda

1 C Buttermilk


Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan. Cream butter, shortening and sugar together in mixing bowl until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in vanilla. Sift Flour, salt, powder and soda together. Add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix well after each addition. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes, turn out on wire rack and cool completely.

See a Little Light

"Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning"

-William Arthur Ward




For a chilly Sunday afternoon- a project. I made a batch of these vintage tea cup candles for teacher gifts this year (as well as having measured success selling some at one of my holiday shows.)



Here is what you will need:



vintage tea cups-the tea cup in the picture came from my personal collection of great-grandma's china. After years of nagging, my mother (who, incidentally, never entertains) finally gave me the china. Included were far too many of these double-handled cups which I have very little use for. Why not upcycle (another new vocab word for your lexicon) these and make them into candles? If you don't have china at the ready, I found many ultra-cool picks at Arc Valu Village including a vintage "Happy Anniversary" cup and saucer that was promptly snatched up and made into a candle for my parents' anniversary gift. Another good source for minty cups has been local estate sales.



wax- I opted for soy wax which I found at Joanne's Fabrics. Not expensive when purchased with the 40% off coupon clipped out of the Sunday paper. One box of the soy wax chips made approximately 10 candles



wicks- Also found at Joanne's. I purchased the pre-formed wicks with the metal holder thingy on the bottom. Though, for a couple of the deeper cups they ended up being a little short.



scent- Readily available where ever the wax was found, however, I tapped into a stash of oils I'd bought for a diffuser from Bath and Body Works. They worked like a charm. I did a quick check recently, and all of the holiday scents are on clearance right now.



I also picked up a cheap-o sauce pan at the thrift store dedicated to wax melting so that I didn't have to deal with a thorough clean-up of one of my cooking pans. There were microwave directions on the wax, but after applying both methods, I thought the stove-top was easiest.



Now that you have all the parts, the process is a piece of cake: wicks go into cups, wax is melted per box instructions, scent is added, candle is poured. Voila!



I've added a little background music for your listening pleasure today (applicable to today's theme, of course)... enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDnNr6lNxvc

“Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings.” -Salvador Dali

So... the peacock sofa is gone. Thus proving, once again, that when I snooze, I loose. Or is it something about birds in the hand versus birds in the bush? Alright, with the use of the word bush, I'm going down a road that is meant for an entirely different blog. I digress.

Today is devoted to a vocabulary lesson. I've come across many new words and definitions as a hunting I have gone. The word I'd like all of you to know is DESTASH. A quick etsy search of this word this morning yielded 1137 pages of product. In layman's terms: destash=sale. I found everything from vintage milk glass beads to a 1950's ad showing a man spanking his wife. Possibly the genesis of Mad Men? The ad was for men's shirts taken from a magazine. The backside (no pun intended) of said advertisement was tauting the benefits of white bread. Brilliant. If only I could turn those magazine pages into a pillow.

I think the future of this blog holds the possibility of a destash biweekly challenge. Today, I'll limit the scope to a destash thematic link. Ready... set...go...

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=38166096&ref=sr_gallery_7&&ga_search_query=destash&ga_search_type=all&ga_page=3&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title

Probably not enough feathers there to decorate your existing sofa, but a lampshade? Now you're talkin'. And thus with a link, I fly.

“Before beginning a Hunt, it is wise to ask someone what you are looking for before you begin looking for it.” - Winnie the Pooh

All to often I find myself on a hunt just for the sake of hunting. So, I thought to myself, why not share all the fabulousness I find along the way? Perhaps this blog is a way of justifying my silly behavior... perhaps is gives me some sense of identity... or perhaps it might help someone somewhere out there find some treasure they can't live without. In any case, I hope it's as fun for you as it is for me.

Here is what you might expect to find among my list of minty finds:

*realizations about life in general* for example:

I found today in spin class that it is okay to crank to the instructed level of resistance because as I ascend that imagined hill, my inner thigh is large enough to reach that resistance knob and inch it down a bit.

*peeks into my ongoing pile of projects* for example:

Over the holidays I came across a necklace that incoorporated several vintage lockets. As all my projects start, I said, "I could do that." So, I busily got to work hunting and gathering vintage lockets to make myself a necklace. Amazingly, I found a locket that had MS engraved on it (my oldest daughter's initials). I found a locket that had Helen etched into a mother-of-pearl heart (my youngest is Helen).... and on and on. Believe me, there are no shortage of vintage lockets out there. You just need to know where to look. That's where I come in. Esty and Ebay were most fruitful in my search. Ahhh, the finished product- see the photo today. I love, love, love it.

*helpful links that might lead you to the find of your dreams* for example:

Before you click on this link, I need you to do some imagining. First, close your eyes. Picture yourself recieving your latest gospel according to anthropologie in the mail. Poor yourself an imaginary cup of english breakfast tea, and sit down on your overpriced couch. Now, start thumbing through those imaginary pages of faux vintage clothes perched perfectly on underfed 20-year-olds. Now you come to the home section. Note the chippy plaster walls and the peeling wallpaper. Take in the intricately carved armoire and the embroidered lampshades. Feel yourself in that room. It's missing something. A sofa, you say? Now you are ready to click on the link... go for it. http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/fuo/1535841045.html

So there you have it... peacocks and all. I'll try to find something every day for your viewing pleasure. I do take requests, so if there is something you've been looking for, I'm the gal to check with.