Turkey Farm Treasures

Our Pre Moving Process

2012-01-27T20:57:00.000-05:00

My moving process is like peeling an onion consisting of four layers. The outer most layer is all the no longer wanted or needed items about the house. If they wouldn't fetch at least two bucks at a yard sale then they go in donation boxes. This week I gratefully dropped off a minivan full of stuff. There is noticeably more breathing room around here.

I've moved on to the next layer (probably the favorite) which is one of sorting through all my personal belongings.What is cast aside then becomes moving sale fodder.

This current move requires aggressive action and attitude. We are downsizing 600 square feet- from a 1800 square foot house for a 1200 sf home. Well, that sentence was a little unnerving to type.

The linen totes have gone from five down to two. Some forgotten projects were found. My first project from quilt class, just in time for some happy heart decorating.

Found this quilt for baby Rock to enjoy for a little while. He is growing so fast.

Tomorrow we dive into the hardest layer. Those packrat boys need to start parting with their precious excess stuff.

You might be wondering what the last layer could be. It's when the moving truck is in the driveway and there is too much cargo and not enough space, and we wonder what we can really live without. Then a call to Thrift King is in order. They do a great job of taking it off our hands.

The Word Is Venture

2012-01-08T10:41:00.000-05:00

Venture: verb (used with object)

To undertake to express, as when opposition or resistance appears likely to follow; be bold enough;
DARE.
Finally landed on this years word. It will be exciting to see where it takes us.

Be Ye Thankful

2011-11-24T18:32:00.000-05:00

I’m especially thankful for the baby Rock.

Homemade Cough Medicine

2011-11-18T22:19:00.001-05:00

It works! With ingredients you probably already have in your cupboard.It looks so pretty in this eapg juice glass.

Vintage Bakeware, Fire King Appreciation

2011-10-08T21:38:00.000-05:00

Pyrex is my favorite bakeware, then Fire King, then Corning, then Federal, then McKee, then Glasbake,...then everything else.

Fire King Kimberly mugs, in yellow and brown. I'm old enough to remember drinking coco with my best friend Eileen, from this pattern (only in blue).

Rare 1968 pattern, Fire King chickens and fruit.

This four piece set sits proudly on display on top of my 1950s white metal kitchen cabinets. The big decision: keep or sell?

Beauty and practicality are always desirable in the kitchen, don't you think?

Latest Soft Addiction-- Pinterest

2011-10-02T20:53:00.002-05:00

Oh my, finally followed the pack and joined the Pinterest craze. It is yet another soft addiction to add to my life.
Sheri, if you want an invite, I can hook you up.
It really is an organized way to keep track of my interests and design ideas.

In other news, Baby Rock tried keeping awake to root for the Stilllers, but when they fell behind he lost interest, zzzzzzzz, classic CORFing.

He did sport a cute outfit for the event though.

Two more short weeks till Grandma gets to look after him. Better do some more back strengthening exercises.

Summer's Harvest

2011-09-27T21:19:00.000-05:00

Dehydrated Tomatoes

Flat leaf Parsley

Black Walnuts

Basil

Green Beans

Mother Earth News Fair

2011-09-25T20:32:00.000-05:00

Whatever your views on Veganism, or living (or not) in a post peak oil world, sustainable living, renewable energy, Big Ag industrial food production, chicken whispering, technology verses traditional ways of doing things, or frack oil drilling, there were certainly a lot of thought provoking ideas presented this weekend at the Mother Earth News Fair.

It came and went so fast. I had a wonderful time and have so much information to study and mull over.

Joel Salatin from Poly Face Farm fame got me a little misty when he orated about the kitchen once again becoming the center of the home.

Ed Begley Jr. is empowering and humorous. We're bff's now, as you see.

These highly knowledgeable guys put out invaluable information about how to save energy and be more comfortable in your home.

Bought this book because if God's willin' and the creek don't rise, it will be very germane to my situation in a very few short months.

I'm a good kind of tired. Lots of walking and talking to folks from all different philosophic stances.The hotel room was pretty swanky too, on the ninth floor you can sleep with the balcony door wide open to breathe the clean mountain night air and enjoy the lulling sounds from the water garden below.

Rustic Decor Ideas

2011-09-23T18:59:00.000-05:00

Here are some ideas if, say, you had a beach themed bedroom and wanted to transition into a rustic theme for the long winter months.

Autumnal colors of the drapes.

Timbers spanning the ceiling.

Branches around the lamp pole.

Block of wood lamp base.

Chandy intertwined with sticks

The Mister has a non profit tent set up here at Seven Springs where Mother Earth News Fair starts tomorrow.
Me? I'm just like a mosquito in a nudist camp: excited to be here and don't know where to start.

Crock Pot Tomato Sauce---Freezer Style

2011-09-07T10:29:00.000-05:00

I've been making and putting up tomato sauce this way for as many years as I can recall.

Clean and cut up fresh tomatoes (I don't bother to peel or seed them.)
Squirt a thin layer of olive oil across the bottom of the crock.
Add the prepared tomatoes to the crock.
Add salt and seasonings, (oregano, thyme, parsley, honey, sugar, seasoning mix, garlic, basil, and so on).
Set on low for 6 hours, or on high for 4 hours.
After that time add a small can of tomato paste, then cook for 2 hours or until sauce has thickened to your liking.
Serve right away or cool, then add to a zip freezer bag and freeze flat for a later meal.

This method is preferred because of its ease and it doesn't heat up my unconditioned kitchen in full blown tomato season.
Stacked flat and neatly in the freezer they will stay fresh for almost a year.

Please read the bumper sticker on my car cause it's important.

I've linked up to this blog hop for some good whole food recipes.

Fresh From The Farm Organic Produce

2011-08-10T15:00:00.002-05:00

The harvest is here!

My version of caprice salad served in the lovely pink Pyrex bowls.

Ran out of fresh basil leaves so green bell peppers took their place.

We picked a bushel of green beans.

Some were sauteed in butter, then topped with grass fed chedder cheese, topped with soaked crispy almonds.

A steady stream of fridge pickles marinate, then get frozen, if they are not consumed on Hebrew National hot dogs first. This seems to be our fast-food go to meal with all the extreme heat lately.

Blue cornbread in no. 8 and 9 Grizwold skillets.

When greased with that lovely tallow, the bread lifts right out of the pan.

The tomatoes are ripening quickly, soon it will be time to dehydrate them through day and night.

I love this time of year.

Except the heat.

I Met This Guy Today...

2011-08-08T21:57:00.001-05:00

and can't believe how much I love him already.

Our very first ~which we hope~ of many grandchildren.

This is going to be so much fun. Like my mom always said, you get to give them back when you're done playing with them.

Peaches For Me

2011-08-03T14:37:00.000-05:00

There we were in the 90 degree heat on Saturday afternoon; cleaning and grinding wheat for the rest of the summer market season, when the neighbor's mom drove up and said her son wanted us to pick peaches before they rotted on the trees. No problem. The Mister hopped in his truck, drove over, and brought back three bushels.

This is what's left to be processed.

So far we have frozen several packages-to be enjoyed in the winter months, made many peach/banana smoothies, and stuffed ourselves with peach pies.

Someone gifted me with large amounts of beef tallow so I tried Ann Marie's recipe. The consensus is they were very yummy.

This is the life!

Blueberry Bliss

2011-07-26T21:26:00.001-05:00

Millions of blueberries, blueberries for free.

Millions of blueberries, blueberries for me.

I know it's peaches but we have boat tuns of berries.

Hollister, Abercrombie and Fitch equal Prom Money

2010-03-27T19:47:00.001-05:00

If you happen to need or want any size zero hip and slightly used name brand clothes check here. Senior daughter is realizing how expensive prom is when your date is merely a friend of a friend.

Wish her luck. This is her foray into internet sales.

She did most of the listing, description writing, and picture taking on her own. I think she’s a natural.

Her goal is to net $70 bucks, her share of the limousine service. Yikes!

Let It Snow

2010-02-06T23:01:00.002-05:00

I’m happy there are no chickens living in here presently.
The kids thought the pines reminded them of Mt. Crumpet.

All these candles came in handy.
The kite paper star added some much needed color.
So long apple tree, we’ll miss you.
The power has returned after an absence of nearly 24 hours. Twenty plus inches of snow have been removed from the 100 mile long driveway, mostly by hand (the snow blower is useless on gravel) . The house is toasty warm. All family members are back in their individual technological niches.
I like normal.

Chenille! Schlemiel! Schlimazel!

2010-02-02T12:58:00.000-05:00

Have you ever sold something and after it was too late regretted your decision?
Recently, I have.

Just in the past few months lavender has become more of an appealing color to me. Maybe that's why it was acquired in the first place.
Oh well, it's not the end of the world and there is another very similar spread, in a different colorway folded away on the closet shelf.

Get over it already, Mary! This is not the last one on Earth.

And the count down to yard sale season has begun ticking off in my mind. Approximately 6 weeks to go. I know this because when Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow these two events become connected somehow.

By the way, is anyone else perturbed about ebays next (not so obvious right away) price increase beginning March 30 but me?

Well now I'm financially motivated and am toiling away on setting up my Etsy shop. I'm not quick on learning curves so this will take some time, but I'll get there eventually.
Let's see, 3% vs. 9% final selling fees. What should I choose? Wonder if The World's Marketplace might regret this latest change?

Auctions are pretty thrilling though...

Vintage Sewing Supplies

2010-01-14T15:37:00.004-05:00

I’m still working on decreasing the stash of seemingly endless vintage sewing supplies. There hasn’t been much time to sew lately.

Offered on the World’s Largest Marketplace:

There is this box of luscious DMC white perle cotton~ number 5~ embroidery thread.

An unusual Norge Dry Cleaner’s full sewing needle book.

A dozen old metal hemming clips, in various colors.

And yet another box of DMC French made perle cotton thread
number 8-- in the prettiest royal blue.

The newest stimulus dollars (Home Star) are generating interest in homeowners' minds, which is a boon for the family day job.

But...this new interest and workload leaves my sewing cupboard neglected.

And there’s the rub.

Technorati Tags: vintage sewing,perle cotton thread

Still Think Lambchops Is The Better Name

2010-01-06T21:11:00.000-05:00

My mom, with her expanding belly, lay on the couch along with my little brother and me back one January afternoon and asked:

“What do you think we should name the new sister when she arrives?”

My brother chose Charlie Horse, of course.

I chose Lamb Chops, of course.

My mom struck a compromise,

and so she was named Hush Puppy.

Not really.

Happy Birthday to my little sister… Sheri…

Brown Winter Holiday Tree

2010-01-02T22:30:00.002-05:00

One November day my sister and I mused over how to have one of those trendy brown Christmas trees (without the big price tag). We went into great depth over how a green tree would need to be bleached then painted brown and wondered weather it would be fireproof.
I went home and never pursued the idea much further. She, on the other hand, found a vintage white artificial tree at a thrift store, brought it home and proceeded to spray paint it brown.
The next week Char blogged how she made one herself by spray painting a green tree with brown paint.
Funny thing is my sister never saw this post.

View Full Album

This tree is awesome. It’s decorated in a winter theme so it can stay situated on her covered patio all winter long and enjoyed from her dining and living room windows. Brilliant!
She is so clever. I wonder why doesn't she have a blog of her own?

Vintage Half Aprons

2009-12-27T23:10:00.001-05:00

Ohhhh there’s too many again. What is it with vintage aprons? They accumulate, seemingly without any effort on my part.

They will be off to new homes soon. What a great romantic Valentines gift. No?

Ho Ho 09

2009-12-25T17:42:00.000-05:00

Happy Household Holiday!

These are my babies hanging out together. A sleepy son in law is reflected in the mirror.

Good times.

Sweet Peas and Partied Out Kittens

2009-11-27T21:18:00.001-05:00

I received a wonderful package of sweet pea seeds from FarmgilrCyn she is so generous she gave the prize to everyone who entered her giveaway.

The plan is to start a wildflower bed next to the garage this coming spring. The sweet peas will be trellised against the wall to provide height in the back.

This should improve the view from the living room window greatly. Thanks Cyn.

This is what I woke up to this morning. My camera happened to be on the desk next to the dining room table, thought I’d share.

A case of ~ the cats will play while the humans are away~

Not accustomed to a tablecloth on the table overnight; clearly they mistook it for an excuse to party till they pooped out. Naughty cats!

Candle Season

2009-11-26T21:13:00.001-05:00

Candle Season is what Icall it. The days are so shortened we need some sort of homey light introduced into the house.

A sampling of what was collected all thru the summer junquing season. Wow there’s a lot of them. This group doesn’t represent the electric candles or the stock of supplies to make soy and beeswax candles.

They seem to cozy things up a bit in the dark and make the rooms seem warm and comfortable. And it’s another inexpensive hobby to occupy myself with.

Hope It Stays Off Your Thighs

2009-11-25T20:44:00.000-05:00

May your stuffing be tasty

May your turkey be plump,

May your potatoes and gravy

Have never a lump.

May your yams be delicious

And your pies take the prize,

And may your Thanksgiving dinner

Stay off your thighs!

What I'm thankful for: Indoor plumbing
I'm not kidding. Indoor plumbing.

not the jet set: Baking Mix Recipe

2009-11-19T21:25:00.001-05:00

not the jet set: Baking Mix Recipe
I love this recipe and have mixed it up a couple times. There's no fat or oil in it so it has a long shelf life- for those who don't have a mega family like mine.

Crazy Dayz

2009-11-15T12:35:00.000-05:00

Crazy weather we're experiencing here in western PA.

It's totally unusual to be able to air out any item on a mid November day.

Crazy weather, Crazy quilt.

Someday I'll be able to master feather stitches such as these.

There you go Sheri.

Not that I think you're crazy or anything.

826 Miles...

2009-11-12T18:08:00.001-05:00

That's where the odometer will remain until someone else takes ownership of this beauty.
Walking on crutches and all the baggage that goes with it is too much to ignore,yet again.

It's said eBay is so popular because people long to buy back their youth.
I say there are many other ways as well.

Some ways are safer and less expensive (especially when you consider lost wages).

Off to Craigs List with you now!
Let's get something more sensible so the rest of us can ride.

Vintage Embroidered Pillowcases Galore!

2009-11-07T17:16:00.002-05:00

I've given up for now trying to get good pictures of these beauties.

Maybe a dark background would capture the detail better.

Or college boy could come through with his offer to make a light box.

So beautifully done. I can't stop looking at them.

Merely thinking about the hours upon hours that must have been spent crafting these makes me tired.

Why didn't any family member want them?

I want to get them listed in plenty of time for holiday gift giving.

Plus, if they hang around here for too long they will turn into keepers.

How many pillowcases does one really need anyway?

Pictured here are the cases with crochet edging.

Oh for the time to embroider. its been a few years since the last project

A season for every thing. This is my selling season.

Air Sealing For Deep Energy Savings

2009-11-06T18:36:00.003-05:00

This is the BEST article I have ever read about the importance of air sealing.

It is easy to understand and well articulated. Go on, read it. You'll save so much money and be more comfortable this winter.

Some of the cool tools I get to use when performing a certified home energy audit. The Mister is certified. Not me.

Saturday is button up the house for winter day. Mastic is the best for duct work sealing.

Duct tape is not good for ducts. Go figure.

So the linen lovers won't be board. Here is a quilt found bunched up in the corner of a basement we were auditing. It's an oldie and was so tempted to rescue it from its tragic fate. But managed to remain focused and professional.

Speaking of vintage finds-

I hit the linen pay dirt at a sale today. Fourteen sets of unused vintage embroidered pillowcases

and a bunch of other goodies. The pictures didn't turn out well. Hoping for some more sunshine tomorrow for good retakes.

I'm doing the eBay thing to help finance our Holiday fun.

If you are in need of beautiful tablecloths, I know where you can find some.

Scary Black Cat!

2009-10-31T16:18:00.001-05:00

Be afraid. Very Afraid.

Walnuts, Chestnuts, And Bittersweet

2009-10-03T20:12:00.000-05:00

Happy fall y'all.

It is the time of chestnuts and we are fortunate to have four healthy trees on the property.
Several times a day for the last week college boy and I gather them. The trick is in the timing. Apparently the deer, squirrels and chipmunks love them as much as we do.
The best way to enjoy them, in our opinion, is boiled in milk then mashed with a little butter, salt and pepper.

There is also an abundance of Black walnut trees (seven), we're not as excited about them. Much more labor is involved in that harvest. After they are gathered, they must cure for about a month. Then a brick does the trick to extricate them from the outer shell. We are going to make walnut stain with them also.
The recipe I found sounds pretty straight forward.

Fall decorating would not complete without bittersweet. Plenty were all tangled up in wild grapevines behind the walnut trees. I needed to hack my way through to them and it took some time to separate them from the vines, well worth the effort. Next spring we can train them on lines, then much longer and straighter vines can be had.

Turkey Farm Treasures?

2009-09-21T20:11:00.005-05:00

We moved from the Turkey Farm, so I've been debating as to whether the blog name should be changed.
Here's the scene around here for the past few days.

Fourteen is the most counted at one time.

I think they followed me.
So we're good?

Giveaway At The Pink Rose Cottage

2009-09-17T14:19:00.006-05:00

My new friend in real life, Holly at The Pink Rose Cottage is having a fabulous giveaway! Click on over to see all the lovely goodness she has to offer.

Here we are showing off one of Holly's many beautiful vintage cloths.
Holly is on the left, I'm on the right.

We are fellow members of The Vintage Tablecloth Lovers Club. After a few emails back and forth we figured out she lives right around the corner from my sister and we arranged to meet the next time I was visiting my family in her town .

Holly is a gracious and interesting lady. We hit it off and chatted away for hours about collections, our children, wine tastings, and life in general.

If you like vintage, you'll love her shop.

Seed Sprouting Time

2009-09-15T21:12:00.006-05:00

This trio of yard sale goodness was a timely find.

Several dozen zinc canning lids.
Three Pyrex Butterprint covered casseroles, and an NK seed sprouter. (This makes two.)

I have already expressed my excitement for
sprouts here.

When it's cool enough at night to close the windows then I know it's cool enough to start sprouting seeds. Three pounds should last our family through the winter.

Yummy, crunchy, and nutritious.

The Amish covered dishes on my counter are so quaint looking filled with the soaking seeds.
- Just the Pyrex love talking-

Handwashing Dishes

2009-09-12T18:53:00.004-05:00

Well, seems there is life without a dishwasher. It's been four months since my old faithful was left behind with the new owners of the previous home.

A few things I've discovered:

I've found out there is pleasure in hand washing dishes. I use the chore for some thinking time.
There is a wonderful view out the window over the sink.
The lemony scent and the warm water on my hands is calming and relaxing.
It's challenging to find out how high the stack can get, I haven't beat my sister's record yet-she is very good.
It can be great conversation time when one washes and another rinses.

The chore gets done three times daily.
Contrary to what many purport on the Internet, hand washing dishes does NOT use less water than automatic dishwashers. Our water bill has gone UP since the move.

The Mister could easily install an auto dishwasher for me, but for now, I'll keep things the way they are.

A Dinner From Local Foods

2009-08-07T17:21:00.008-05:00

Local food challenge:

English Roast, from a grass fed cow, raised and packaged less than 100 miles from here
Green beans and big fat cucumbers from my generous neighbor's garden
Funny looking round zucchini from the farm market
Freshly dug potatoes from the organic farm, (oh, how my back aches!)
Apples from a tree in the yard

I don't know how to make it happen every night, but when it does, it is a wonderful thing.
The next item on my agenda is to haul the dehydrator out and get busy keeping the harvest.
Where is it? I know we brought it from the old house.

What's To Like About August?

2009-08-06T12:28:00.006-05:00

The latest vintage find *a well worn- yet still lovely chenille bedspread* drying in the breeze, while girl cat watches a trio of baby deer bounding back and forth across the pasture.

Local Chambersburg peaches, from a friend, in exchange for some apples from my tree.

Hands perpetually stained from the work of weeding and harvesting the goodness from the organic farm's soil.

The cool mornings and evenings, and the warmth in between.

August has to be one of my most favorite months in the year.

Basil From Her Garden.

2009-08-04T21:02:00.011-05:00

Even though life was hectic this spring with the move, I forced myself to take some time to put in a little patch of herbs (basil, rosemary, oregano, lavender) and six cherry tomato plants.
It's paying off now in fresh savory benefits.

There's nothing like cooking with fresh herbs from my little herb garden.

Next year we have plans to plant root crops; carrots, radishes, parsnips and the like.
Really, anything we can't get at the organic farm we can grow here.

I already have my seed corn. This variety is especially suited for grinding into cornmeal.
There will absolutely need to be an electric fence on account of this guy. He travels with many buddies.

Lasagna gardening sounds like a fun and interesting way to grow produce. I've much research ahead, and the farmer we work with is a fount of valuable information.

The Outhouse

2009-08-03T18:37:00.007-05:00

We are finally settling into our home and enjoying our simplified lifestyle.
(Most of us anyway.)

There continues to be complaints registered about the primitive bathroom facilities.I don't understand why, it's a deluxe two holer, a mere 125 hundred feet from the main house.
Jk, we do have an indoor bathroom. I just needed an excuse to post a picture of this quaint little reminder of simpler times. It's located next to the garage- cantilevered over the stream bank *yuk*. I want to decorate it up for the holidays. Any suggestions?

From Six Blueberry Bushes

2009-08-01T18:34:00.003-05:00

It's official. I've had my fill of fresh blueberries for this season. The boys removed the netting and the birds gleaned what few small berries were left on the bushes. Now, what to do with all those frozen berries in the freezer. Muffins, pancakes, jam, smoothies?

I love blueberries.

Wilendur American Beauty Tablecloth In Red

2009-07-19T19:26:00.006-05:00

Can one ever have too many American Beauties by Wilendur? The answer is no.

When sister four asks sister two what would please sister one (me) for a birthday/housewarming gift, sister two replies with: a vintage tablecloth. Sister four obliges with this.

It's huge, 15 clusters in this array and in very good shape for a linen of this age.

The two already in my stash became window toppers within a few minutes with the help of push pins and some curtain clips. The newbie was spread across the table in the place of honor. Perfect.

Thanks again Erin and thanks Sheri for your great suggestion.

Successful Yard Sale Tips

2009-04-25T19:49:00.009-05:00

Our family has moved 12 times in the last 22 years so we are familiar with yard sales. We are moving yet again so we had a sale this weekend. Here are the top three tips we have found to be successful.

1. Several clearly marked neon signs leading customers to the sale

We placed three ads.

The first, in the Newspaper, second, in the Penneysaver, and lastly on Craig’s List. Conducting a casual survey on how customers’ found our sale, overwhelmingly the answer was our great signage.

2. Clearly mark your sale items

You could spend a little money on fancy color coded stickers if you want, but masking tape is ultra cheap to use and it sticks well to the sale items. Use a medium-point Sharpie for clearly marking prices. Potential buyers should be able to easily read the price without having to pick the item up.

3. Have every item priced before the sale begins

The dealers will surely arrive early to the sale. Some of them count on your unpreparedness to get a heck of a deal on the best stuff you have to offer. If everything is pre-priced, you have an even playing field. If they want to buy a whole pile of stuff and want to know what the best I can do is, they get a 10% discount and we are both happy.

I consider our sale a success. We made some moolah to buy an electric clothes dryer for those crybaby teenagers, but most importantly, we got rid of the physical chaff that had built up in our home. Now we don’t need the kind people who help us on moving day to unnecessarily carry boxes of unneeded stuff into our new home.

I really do feel freer, lighter, and richer.

Kudos to Rean for saving my sanity on Friday.

Earth Day Musings 2009

2009-04-22T19:16:00.008-05:00

There has been a beehive of activity around here with getting ready for the move. The moving sale is this weekend. Hopefully there are plenty of people who will love to be the second, third (or more!) owner of our no longer needed stuff. We are moving to a smaller house in several weeks. What fun. Not.

It’s funny the way I divorce myself from the current house to cotton myself to the new one.
We are challenging our family to simplify our lives. No dishwasher, no clothes dryer, no microwave. This is an experiment to see how long we can hold out without these modern day “necessities”. My kids are hoping we cave quickly.

Recently, and for an unrelated reason, I’ve switched our home to non toxic cleaners. After my daughter had a mild adverse reaction to the heavily perfumed Swiffer wet pads, I have decided to switch to more gentle and natural cleaners. The co-op order came in on Friday. Included were three delicious scents of Dr Bronners castile soap. There are (too) many recipes on the bottle, and more on the net; everything including shampoo, floor cleaner, laundry soap and so on.

Concerning the garden, I am still trying to figure out how we will move the compost pile. After four years of feeding the soil with our organic waste, the ground is abundantly rich and will make for an excellent start for the new herb garden.

The new *farmette* is smaller by half, five acres, but it has way more farm like amenities which Include a grain house, chicken coop, running stream, and a barn. After all the toil of moving our existence to the new location we can play around with becoming more self sustaining. Lots of learning and exciting adventures ahead, I suppose.
Anyway…Happy Earth Day.

Lost Highlights

2009-04-16T14:07:00.006-05:00

My family enjoys watching Lost together on Wednesday nights. I popped the popcorn and poured the root beer. We were all settled in and ready to gain some insight into Mile's history. Spoiler alert-it was a pretty lame episode... save for the vintage Tupperware pitcher on the side table of Miles mom's bedroom.

It looks like this.

We used it last Sunday with dinner. My son in law said, "My mom had one like that when I was growing up; can I have it when you die?" True story.

Fish Tails and Spring Flowers Tablecloths

2009-04-12T22:14:00.002-05:00

Fish Tail
Originally uploaded by turkeyfarmtreasures

We used these pinky vintage tablecloths on our resurrection dinner table. I took advantage of a sunny afternoon to photograph the latest additions to the ever growing population of linens that find their way into our home.

Vintage Spring Iris Tablecloth

2009-04-04T21:08:00.009-05:00

Nothing much is blooming around here... except on my clothesline.

Thanks to one of my three sister's who is a junquer like me. She knows a pretty vintage cloth when she sees one.
She also knows I have this pattern (St. Regis by Springmaid, Iris) in the pink colorway. She knows it stands to reason I would want one in blue also.
She's right. It's absolutely glorious!

Olympia sm9 Typewriter

2009-03-27T21:08:00.008-05:00

Everything old is new again.
Three bucks for the typewriter at Goodwill. Fourteen bucks for the ribbon on Ebay.
I so love retro things that are actually useful.

Home Energy Conservation

2009-03-24T11:26:00.004-05:00

Many buzzwords are tossed around today: sustainability, green living, no impact, carbon footprint, energy conservation, Energy Star, LEED, reduce, reuse, recycle and so on.
They may mean different things to different people in terms of priority and commitment.

We are into stewardship. In our humble opinion, energy conservation is at the very foundation of green and frugal living.

Energy that does not have to be generated has no emissions, no pollutants, no transportation costs, and no foreign oil dependency.

Some of the techniques we employ can be accomplished with little or no monetary investment. Other methods require some substantial investment of time and or money; and professional services may be necessary.
Everything has a payback, be it short or long term, but when you consider it AN INVESTMENT it will help justify the cost.

Energy: School House Rock Video

2009-03-15T18:47:00.007-05:00

When we were kids the sibs and I used to watch School House Rock videos during breaks in Saturday morning cartoons. Energy conservation is nothing new. It is nouveau popular once again though.

Ah, this takes me back to simpler times... Wait. Seems there were some issues of soaring gas prices and a president asking us to turn down the heat and put on a sweater.
What comes around goes around.

There are so many energy saving options to choose from.

PassiveHaus, passive solar, net zero use, air seal then insulate.
Can you think of any others?

Fat Tuesday

2009-02-23T18:01:00.010-05:00

We are still recovering from our business trip. There are so many exciting happenings in the energy conservation business.

108 million existing homes are in need and eligible for energy efficiency retrofits and improvements.

Federal and state tax credits and other incentives will make this work more affordable to homeowners.

We landed a break with the location of the Resnet conference this year.
New Orleans- it's not called *The Big Easy* for nothing.

We lived in Louisiana for four years in the 1980s. This was our first visit back since that time.

I remember the decadence. We had a five block walk down Burbon street from our hotel to the conference site. I swear, we kept our eyes straight ahead and walked right past this place, every single time.

I remember the excitement of the night life. Mardi Gras was already in full swing even though ~Fat Tuesday~ is officially tomorrow.

I remember the French architecture with it's intricate wrought iron balconies.

I'm still dreaming of these beignets. Fresh, warm, and delicious. Just like I remember from 21 years ago.

Cafe Du Monde hasn't changed a bit.

The Eyes Have It

2009-02-10T17:11:00.003-05:00

A great way to pass a gloomy afternoon is to watch makeup videos on You tube.

Here are the results the teenage cosmetology student achieved.

My very biased opinion...too cute!

Encendador De Fuego

2009-01-06T20:06:00.006-05:00

My best Christmas present in many years.
Two cords of firewood.
Lovingly cut, split, and delivered to my back porch.
Thanks to my Mister and the three strapping boys.

We finally ran out of firestart bricks today.
Managed to make a box of 24 last approximately ten years.
You might be wondering how we accomplished this amazing feat.
Only an ice cube sized piece is really needed, if it is strategically placed among the kindling.

I'm happy to have all my supplies at the ready to enjoy warmth and comfort on these cold winter nights.

Baby it's cold outside.

Vintage Feed Sack Pillowcases

2008-09-26T00:00:00.001-05:00

Barbara from Oodles and Oodles is having a Feed Sack Friday extravaganza. Here are my offerings.

These are two feed sack aprons.

Here are some feed sack pillowcases.

Here is a unopened feed sack with the twine still attached.

Here are two very helpful links:

feed sack history

border prints

Vintage Organdy Aprons

2008-09-05T14:05:00.003-05:00

They are works of art and part of our American history.
Such nice straight seems. Organdy and baby rick rack are not very forgiving.
Repurposing hankies, even before it was the Green thing to do.
I love staring at them.

This one is made from five hankies, with a moire taffeta waist tie.
Completely hand sewn.

You can click to enlarge any picture to enjoy a more detailed viewing experience.

Vintage Tea Towels

2008-08-30T17:49:00.003-05:00

Good bye my sweets.
I'm not really sad. I'm happy to help out financially.
Commuter college son needs his own car, so I can have mine back.

These are the Wilendur florals. They are long enough (32 inches) to be used as table runners or towels.
There is really nothing else like a Wilendur, in my opinion.

A few of the unused towels from my collection. The graphics are amazing.
These cuties would be right at home in any cottage, vintage, french, or farm house decor.

Full Disclosure?

2008-08-26T22:20:00.006-05:00

This is why it reads in my eBay adds:
This item comes to you from a smoke free and feline friendly home.

He's such an interloper.

Yep, that's a chipmunk in the grass there. His sister is responsible for it, though he would like you to believe he bagged it.

I hope no one bidding on these items reads my blog. Fat chance on that anyway.

Wilendur Royal Rose Pillow

2008-08-25T15:50:00.002-05:00

Wilendur Royal Rose Pillow
Originally uploaded by turkeyfarmtreasures

Phew! This was the most ambitious sewing project ever attempted.
Homemade piping, gathering ruffles, and attaching trim with a surger.
Pretty pleased with the outcome.

You know what's coming next, don't you?

Don't look too closely.

Someday soon, I won't need to say that phrase anymore

60's Rose Tablecloth and Mixed Pyrex Set

2008-08-24T20:32:00.005-05:00

I'm absolutely loving my *new to me* lawn chairs.

Weeks ago this 60's rose tablecloth was picked up at a yard sale, then relegated to a basement holding box. Today it was brought upstairs and plopped down on the back porch table.
A match made in heaven.

The Mister and I sat out there this afternoon and planned our trip to Falling Water next week.
Then, he plays along like he's interested in my vintage finds as I ramble along about making my own set of Pyrex bowls out of three different pattern colors.

All he really cares about is how delicious whatever I make in them is going to taste and how comfortable the chairs are on his back.

I'll keep him anyway.

Vintage Metal Lawn Chairs

2008-08-22T15:12:00.013-05:00

My own children already know what a junker I am. And now my nephews do too.
We were almost home after an afternoon of swimming at Grandma's pool, when I spotted them at the end of my neighbor's driveway. The sign read:
Can you take us home?

Why, sure I can!
The five kids reluctantly piled them in the minivan and moaned under the load of the chairs for all of the whole block home.
As the saying goes. One man's junk is another man's treasure.

After a little refurbishing they can hang out with these two chairs we already have on the front porch.

Dehydrated Tomatoes

2008-08-18T20:43:00.004-05:00

The heady aroma of dehydrated tomatoes is wafting in from the back porch. The Excalibur has been cranking out heat all day. The last three trays are almost ready.

I'm using Plum tomatoes, fresh picked from the organic farm. Harvest time is probably my favorite time of the year.

These tomatoes taste so wonderful on homemade pizza crust. They can be reconstituted with EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) or water and used in soups, stews, or simply added to any sandwich.

They taste the best plucked right from out of the baggie into your mouth.
Tomorrow will be time for beets and green peppers. Yum-a-licious!
The Mister is heading out to North East, PA in the morning to score some peaches (we hope.)
Peaches are a lot of work to prepare for dehydrating but they are so worth the end product.
Cross your fingers or pray he can buy some.

Produce Picking By The Light Of The Moon

2008-08-15T21:00:00.002-05:00

Tonight the two youngest boys and I worked at the organic farm picking until after dark.
We could have used a harvest moon but it's too early in the season.

We made-do with this one. Not quite bright enough to do the job. Very awesome all the same.

Sewing Inspiration

2008-08-14T21:54:00.003-05:00

My new favorite sewing blog.
Oh Fransson Just the inspiration I've been needing lately.
Check it out.

Vintage Wood Advertising Hangers

2008-08-12T15:46:00.005-05:00

I have been buying up every old wooden advertising hanger around, since reading this on the
Fresh Vintage blog.

Seems like these should do.

It took me all day to start an Auctiva account to sell on eBay (with no help from college- bound, computer- techie boy.)

Sort of want to keep the first pair of Acme hangers. The patent on them is from 1900.
They hung on the wall of the powder room till I found some cute little leather handled baskets to replace them.

Finished Homemade Placemats

2008-08-09T21:24:00.007-05:00

Whenever I finish a project in quilt class it usually elicits a round of applause from the gals.
What does this say about my productivity?

Anyway, I made six place mats out of some fabric from my Mil's stash. A dark blue background spattered with tiny white fleur de lis .

They match the quilted runner from a year ago. A good combination with my Blue Willow patterned dishes.
It's getting so French looking around here.

A whole *set* to enjoy.

Jewels at Eyes Of Wonder is Back!

2008-08-08T16:49:00.001-05:00

Yep. Jewels is back to the blogsphere. I have missed her so.

Primitive Found Art

2008-08-08T14:03:00.003-05:00

In our household, I seem to be the only one that can appreciate the simple beauty of this primitive found art display. It's visible from every back window in our home.

Some family members (of the male persuasion) seem to enjoy using the rusty sunflower bird house for target practice though.

Oh My Darling Clementine

2008-08-05T21:09:00.004-05:00

This was a first. Clementines in August.

Not as good as the ones we get in January. An unusual treat none the less.

Yard Sale Haul

2008-08-03T18:25:00.005-05:00

I always enjoy it when other bloggers show their yard sale finds, so here is this weekends treasures.
All vintage, of course.

Afghan in a pattern new to me.
Two, count 'em, two old wilendur tablecloths.
Wooden salt box and spoons.
Kitchen gadgets: biscuit cutter, strainer, measuring spoons, Bakelite tomato knife.
Aluminum jewelery music box.
Fiesta plates, and two boxes of ephemera.Way too cool. Going to list these babies when I can get "a round tuit."

Click on the pics to see detail.

Vintage Full Bib Aprons

2008-07-29T12:07:00.006-05:00

This is probably the only time in my life when being bigger would be better.

These three cuties are too large for me.

Someone should be able to enjoy and wear them. Unused. If you can believe. Wow!

So tonight it's off to Ebay with them. I'm thinking they are from the early 1960's from their graphics. Great Autumnal colors. Size 18ish.

Vintage Tablecloths

2008-05-12T14:57:00.004-05:00

Long time no blog. Life has been hectic here. Just coming up for some air.

That big boy finally earned his Eagle Scout rank and we celebrated with a court of honor. It was a lovely ceremony. Now we are in high school graduation mode with him.

We had a very purging and economically stimulating yard sale a couple weeks ago.
My goal is to always make my hobbies pay for themselves. All the money was made back on the items sold, plus profit.

I recently discovered the ease of selling big stuff on Craig’s List, and have been enjoying success in getting rid of some chaff in our living space.
Now for serious spring cleaning in the linen totes.

Time to let go of some of my pretties. I am waiting for sunshine to return so crisp accurate pictures can be taken.
Wish me luck on Ebay. Sales weren’t high enough before to make it worth the effort it takes to list and sell there, so I took a break.
The Mister and I had some big unexpected dental bills this month, (two crowns and one root canal) hoping to supplement some of the expenses with my sales.

The biggest news of all is the second annual Vintage Tablecloth Lover’s convention is in my neck of the woods this fall!
I better save some tablecloths to bring with me, can hardly wait.

1961 Dress Patterns and Hats

2008-04-10T09:22:00.005-05:00

Bringing the 60's back in style.

I'll do these cute little numbers up in a lightweight muslin. This pattern option should accentuate my tiny waist...in my dreams.

A more likely choice will be some altered art project with the pattern covers. The hats will look sweet hanging over my dresser mirror.

Jackie Kennedy was First Lady in the White House from 1961-1963.

She is thought to be the first First Lady with fashion sense and style.

After she wore a pillbox hat they became suddenly in vogue.

Women in America copied her every outfit selection.

I love the pure femininity of this era.

Sundae's and Such

2008-04-04T20:08:00.004-05:00

Buffalo Chicken dip and tortillas for appetizers, no leftovers.

One four cheese pizza and one supreme pizza, no leftovers.

Mexican sundae's with Pleasantview chocolate sauce, no leftovers.

ey caramba!!!

Everybody Wants To Be A Cat...

2008-03-25T21:44:00.006-05:00

and this is why.

Today she had nothing more pressing than to bask in the sunshine until she became drowsy and fell quietly and blissfully asleep.
Only because her brother was outside on some adventure of his own.

Happy Pi(e) Day!

2008-03-14T02:22:00.001-05:00

We have anxiously awaited pi day all week.

You know 3/14 --- pi = 3.14
Seems like as good an excuse as any to have pie.

And you know I only ever use pure lard for all my baked goods.
Just kidding. These vintage boxes were picked up recently on one of my ~~junking~~ thrifting trips.

A Man After Mine Own Heart

2008-02-27T17:00:00.003-05:00

Ahh the advantages of having a post Valentines day February wedding anniversary.
Mister Frugal made two stops, Rite Aid and Aldi to complete this lovely gift array.

Aldi has the prettiest roses for 2.99 a half dozen and Moser 70% dark chocolate at 1.49.
Rite Aid had 75% marked down chocolate.

The big splurge will be a dinner at a "real" restaurant (his request) then a long visit to Borders Book Store.

Simple pleasures are the best!

Isn't It Nifty...

2008-01-15T19:25:00.000-05:00

Look who's Fifty

The Mister at five years old.
I assure you, he is still this suave and debonair today.

Rickroll'd

2008-01-14T19:12:00.000-05:00

I like the beat, it's easy to dance to.
I'll give it a 94.

This is what plays incessantly around our house of almost four teenagers.
It's their latest internet prank. If I tricked you into clicking on the link, then you have successfully been Rickroll'd. You remember Rick Astley from the 80s, don't you?
Sometimes I'm so immature.

Certainly feel free to pass this on.

Bark Cloth Era Fabric

2007-12-30T19:03:00.000-05:00

I remember fondly the Asian themed bark cloth curtains hanging in the living room when I was a wee child. That is part of the reason it is so pleasant to have some around in my adult life.

This is a bridge size (small) tablecloth won in a Chinese auction basket full of assorted jelly, a few years ago at the Blue and Gold banquet. Serendipity!

This is a curtain panel, a yard sale find that I have had for nearly seventeen years. The lady ~gave~ it to me. She said she had made the curtains when she first was married. It has hung in many different places on our homes. Currently it covers the closet opening in the master bath.

This is a recent find, a cushion cover. The back is made with orange colored bark cloth. Think this can be repurposed into at least four pillows. How about chenille for the backing?

This is the coup de gras! Bought it about six years ago at the Goodwill. ELEVEN yards of beautiful, unused, green, peach, yellow and royal blue luscious fabric. The pattern repeats every 21 inches. It’s never been washed.

I brought it to quilt class a couple years ago-- to get the ladies opinion about what I should put on it for an opening bid -- they had a unanimous fit and said it should not be sold! They thought it should be made it into something like curtains, a bedspread, or a vanity skirt.

It has been made into about a hundred different things (only in my head). Someday, when I can bring myself to cut into it, a whole room full of accessories could be made. Curtains, a foot stool cover, throw pillows, a table runner, remote control cover (just kidding) or lamp shade covers. It’s exhausting to think anymore about it.

Guitar Lessons 3 for 1

2007-12-27T21:14:00.000-05:00

So far so good. We invested in Learn and Master Guitar

lessons for a Ho Ho gift for the kids. They like it and have been practicing regularly.

I like it because it's like three for the price of one.

Traditional lessons would cost 55.00 a month-- per child-- plus travel expenses. It will take one month for the DVD's to pay for themselves.

Who knows, maybe someday we'll be like the von Trapp's.

Vintage Christmas Post Cards

2007-12-24T16:52:00.000-05:00

These sweet cards come from my husband's Step dads stash of ephemera .

The Mister rescued them from the dumpster. His mom tossed them out inadvertently during a stressful time of a total remodel of her home.

The date on this, 1915. It's a tiny card, 2 1/2" x4", only 2 cents for postage. Ha!

The front of the card is adorned with a little satin bow. *Sweet*
The sentiment inside: (Click to enlarge)
Every year we display them for a short time in our home. Probably, they should be framed to preserve them for posterity; they are becoming quite fragile.

I'm believing everyone will have the best Household Holiday, Ever.

Christmas Vintage Linens

2007-12-22T21:47:00.000-05:00

This beauty is almost mint.
This cloth is used up enough not to cause any tension when it is put to use.
I remember this fall day not so long ago when these had an airing out.
This is probably a Wilendur (untagged) the company put out terry cotton clothes in the 70's and 80's. It saw heavy use in our cub scout days. It's a keeper anyway.
Can't wait for Monday to drag them out. They will be a part of our memories of family fun, festivities, and food.

Fresh Apple Bread

2007-12-20T15:42:00.000-05:00

I clipped this recipe out of the local newspaper about ten years ago and have been making it ever since.

The chunks of apple are what make it different and interesting.
I like that the recipe makes two loaves; one for now and one to stash in the freezer for later .

Homemade Yogurt 1-2-3

2007-12-13T19:12:00.000-05:00

After finishing reading the book French Women don’t get Fat , I decided to invest in a one quart Salton yogurt maker. It has proved to be a wise purchase. This machine makes it very convenient to turn out fresh,wholesome, and healthy homemade yogurt.

No artificial colorants, preservatives or ingredients here.

Plain is the way to eat it in my opinion. Very delectable as a topping on a green salad.

Oh ya, also a low calorie treat.

Vintage Holiday Decorations

2007-12-11T20:33:00.000-05:00

Shiny Brite bulbs. Sadly, most of them met with an unfortunate demise last summer.

Gratefully, all the red and white gingham and polka dots were spared.

Kitty cat apron. The packages don't have any bows. Guess it's because the cats are wearing them.

Fire King Tom & Jerry punch bowl set. Aka our fruit bowl.

Cards, probably from the from the '60s

Awesome set of 10, from the 50's. These are fun to scan and then glitter them up to use as gift tags.

So far the naughty cats have left the small tree alone, maybe some real decorating can go on around here this season. Hope against hope.

No Kneed Bread

2007-12-10T17:33:00.002-05:00

Ran across this recipe and a link to a tutorial for this no kneed bread at Homespun Living.
I used 100% whole wheat flour and dusted the loaf with cornmeal.
The video said a Pyrex baker can be used as well as a dutch oven. It is a hit with my family. Thanks Deb!

It's probably a bit too dense for the average palate but we are used to wheat bread intensity.
For economy of energy and effort the next time around, I'll make a double batch. (The electric meter spins around at an alarming speed with the oven temp set at 500 degrees.)
I'll likely use a 50/50 blend of white and whole wheat flour to achieve a loftier loaf.

Vintage Christmas Wrapping Paper

2007-12-09T16:20:00.000-05:00

It was bought with the intention to resell but the Mister said, "don't worry about it."
Sooooo we will use it to wrap our holiday gifts this year.
Love the graphics, especially on the holly berry package.

Click to enlarge the picture, if you please.

Frugal Fast Food On The Road

2007-11-24T18:28:00.000-05:00

We traveled out of town to visit with relatives. They feed us generously when we are there, but sometimes we need to eat along the highway. Today was one of those times. We always have a cooler stocked with sandwiches, snacks, veggies, and liquids. Sometimes (like once a year, we decide to stop at a fast food joint, for some variety).

These children have been "trained up in the way they should go." All that needed saying was
*order frugally*
Total bill for six: 11.96. This is impressive because these kiddos are not small anymore. Almost all four are teenagers.

Everyone left happy.
The kids ate fast food; mom and dad had a cup of mundane coffee, then went back to the car and ate from the cooler stash.
We have not, in any way, mastered every parenting skill; but we have seen seen the fruit of our labor in the spending category of child rearing. Hurray!

Campbell's Kids say...

2007-11-22T18:43:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

They aren't this scary looking in real life, really.

We have had them forever and it just isn't Thanksgiving without those chubby cheeked smiles at the table.

The table set with the familiar vintage items

The Penn Dutch tablecloth like the one from my childhood.
My mother's hobnail milk glass.
Crown Corning dishes. We use them when it's only the six of us.
Pink damask napkins. An accident from last Christmas. Oops, I washed the then white napkins along with the new red tablecloth. Oxy soak time tonight.
Wine glasses from our wedding day. Only three are left.

After the meal the girls cleaned up in the kitchen.

The boys took a walk in the woods then split some wood the old fashioned way.
They had to burn off the meal so there would be room for more later.

Tomorrow we will travel to visit our families and enjoy more great times.

Lingering Yellow Maple

2007-11-14T16:23:00.000-05:00

All the leaves are brown

And the sky is gray...

I'm not California Dreamin'. But the view from the window reminded me of that Mamas & Papas song.

Every tree around has given up and gone to sleep. Except this lonely maple that is hanging on to its soon-to-be shed, pale yellow and mottled with brown leaves.

This means it's time to:

winterize the house
pull out the hats, scarves, and mittens
buy a chainsaw and wood splitter
get some fresh clean air and outdoor exercise

I'm up for it!

Veterans Day

2007-11-11T15:17:00.000-05:00

I am so very thankful for all of our veterans.
Men and women who put themselves in harms way to protect and defend our liberties.

My prayers go up for all the current service personnel both here in our country and abroad.
During the Korean War, my grandmother had four of her six sons in active duty.
She received them all back to her safely.

The Mister in basic training.
So handsome! Our oldest son favors him (same mouth)
But sans those indestructible glasses, thankfully.

Whole Wheat Chapatis

2007-11-09T18:48:00.000-05:00

Another practical gift from my mother in law that has been collecting dust for a long time is the More With Less Cookbook.

It has been my bedtime reading lately. Many practical and simple dishes can be made with ingredients you may already have in the pantry.

We love chapatis, but have always store bought them, until now.

We tried this recipe; they turned out the way they are supposed to (the second time around).
Yum!

Chapatis
Combine in a bowl:
2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 t. salt
Stir in:
2 T. melted margarine (I used butter)
7/8 c. water (see below)
Add 3/4 c. of the water, then sprinkle on an
additional 2 T. as needed to make a soft
dough that can be kneaded. Knead well;
cover with a damp cloth and set aside for
1 hour. Knead again. Break into golf
ball-sized lumps, roll into balls, and roll
each out on a floured board to 1/4" thick.
Dust each lightly with flour.
Heat a heavy ungreased skillet. Cook
each chapati 2 minutes on a side, then
remove from pan, brush chapati with
melted margarine, return to pan and fry

until lightly browned. Or brush skillet
with fat after frying each chapati. Set
oven at 200 degrees and keep chapatis warm
and puffy by placing directly on lowest
rack until ready to serve.

Pressure Cooker Cookery

2007-11-07T15:44:00.000-05:00

Sixteen years ago, my very practical mother in law gave me a pressure cooker for Christmas.

Down in the basement it sat, unused, for two whole years.

What a pleasant surprise to find out how easy it was to use, when I was finally brave enough to pull it out of the box and give it a try.
(While the children were safely tucked away for a nap.)

They are not dangerous (as I had wrongly assumed) when used properly.
For years now our family has been enjoying tender and juicy inexpensive cuts of meat dishes prepared in this pressure cooker.

Just 15 minutes of cooking time is all it takes for a two pound roast.
If there are any leftovers, they can be made into soup, pot pies or quiches.

Museum Tour and Quilt Show

2007-11-04T17:10:00.000-05:00

The Mister and I ventured out to a nearby town to enjoy the annual Quilt show and museum tour. Mother and daughter quilters. The daughter was gracious enough to show me her sketch book where she records ideas she gets from other quilt shows they have attended together.

This is the mother's handiwork "Hot Flashes," it was a second place taker in the large quilt entry catagory.

Boy I wish my hot flashes were that elegant.

From the museum house and grounds tour.
Treenware bowls in the summer kitchen building.

A Crazy quilt tossed over the back of a rocking chair in a child's bedroom.Waste not, want not.

A drawn work tablecloth displayed on the dining room table. Absolutely stunning.

These are vintage hankies and doilies appliqued and quilted onto a large quilt.

I've been buying up pretty vintage hankies for some time now. What a great way to repurpose them into a project such as this.

So much inspiration and relaxation was had by us that day.

My Wonder Mill Is Wonderful!

2007-10-25T13:36:00.000-05:00

Well the Regal grain mill has not died, yet.
My neighbor is borrowing it to see if she would use one long term.
I rue putting off buying the Wonder Mill for so long.
This sweetie is almost effortless and so so so much quieter than the Regal.
Quick like a bunny at grinding the grain too.

Now that the weather has cooled off for good and I have a rejuvenated excitement for baking... Nothing says lovin' like something from the oven.
~Whole grain, of course~

No Turkey Farm Nap

2007-10-24T11:57:00.000-05:00

All I needed was a little power nap. It was not to be, though. They chose directly underneath the window where the said nap was just beginning to take place to commence their extremely noisy turkey "coffee klatch".

It’s been drizzling rain around here for several days now. That seems to bring them out of hiding.

Ah, country life.

Simple Green Living

2007-10-19T16:20:00.000-05:00

In our family " Green living" is about stewardship of our resources.
Global warming, reducing our carbon footprint, sustainability are hot button issues.
How about conserving for the sake of our finances and increasing personal comfort?
These issues are important as well.

Our overall lifestyle is one of conservation of energy, money, and resources.
We endeavor to make the best choice in any given situation.
We accomplish this by using a combination of education, common sense, increased energy efficiency, and less resource usage.

Ways we steward our time, finances and resources:

1. Buy bulk from our Coop. Saves transportation costs. Less packaging materials. Whole foods in our pantry.
2. Replacing incandescent bulbs with CFL’s.We have a recycling source lined up for when they eventually burn out.
3. Water heater on a timer, heats water only when we need it. We save 15 -30% on our water heating costs.
4. Compost kitchen waste. Less garbage goes to the landfill; we have healthier garden soil.
5. Buy secondhand items and clothing. Cheaper. Reusing.
6. Wintertime. We turn off or down the heat at night. Radical, yes, but no one has ever suffered hypothermia from this practice.
7. Use our wood stove as a supplemental heat source. Cozy fires made with free wood from our acreage.
8. Shrink-wrap most windows, cuts down waterfall drafts, and increases the comfort level in our home. Oh ya, saves on heating expenses.
9. Summertime. Run the whole house fan in cool of the mornings and evenings. Run one of the three window air conditioners only when it’s hot, then stay in the room to enjoy the relief.
10. Hang out the washing, when available. Fresh smelling clothes, savings on electric bill, and this practice extends the life of our second hand clothes.

11. Air-dry the dishes in the dishwasher. Our dishwasher is six years old, I don’t know if the dry cycle works or not, never used it.
12. We all have hobbies that are low or net zero cost. Collecting vintage linens, blogging, singing in the community chorus, volunteering.
13. Combine trips. I virtually don’t leave the house for just one errand or stop.

Home Energy Audit

2007-09-25T08:41:00.000-05:00

In the October issue of This Old House is a great article about home energy audits.

Most existing homes could benefit from this building science approach.

Jenn at Frugal Upstate ~Thanks Jenn~published a letter containing options available to the average homeowner written by my (very committed to energy conservation) Mister.

The TOH article echos his sentiments on reducing energy waste and increasing home comfort.

It provides a step by step walk through of a typical energy audit.

Here is the link to the RESNET website where you can locate a certified rater to perform a home energy audit.

Finished Embroidery Project

2007-09-22T11:10:00.000-05:00

The bolster pillow project for sweet Sixteen’s birthday present was finished in time for the BIG day.
Her room is decorated in orange and yellow so I chose some colors that would coordinate.
This was another one of those learn as you go projects that seem to take forever to complete.
Still have not mastered those elusive French knots, improvement is occurring though.

Like we say in quilt class, "don't look too close."

She practically lives in her room where she loves to lounge and read whenever she can get away with it.

Or she likes to swing away an afternoon up on the hill.

It's fun to rescue old beautiful linens and give them a second life.
They have more quaintness and character than most of the new stuff available.

it's also a very green thing to do.
You know, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

Sweet Sixteen

2007-09-02T23:33:00.000-05:00

OMG, I'm ROFL because everything is soooooo rad; oh, my bad--- soooooo awesome!

And the music is so loud my brain is {{{vibrating}}}.

Why?

Because it's the Sweet Sixteen Sleepover Shindig!

The best part is all the *manly men* were shipped off to my saint of a friend, Rean's house.

So its all giggles, treats, remixes, movies and jumping up and down around here.

When they were smaller, all it took was reciting this little poem:

The man in the moon,

Looked out of the moon,
Looked out of the moon and said:
It's time for all children on the Earth,
To think about getting to bed!

That's probably not going to work tonight.