Betty Draper Called....

...she wants her coat back.

Talk about being in the right place at the right time -

I picked up this beauty at the resale for 8 dollas!

Today I'm going to a Christmas play right up and in the middle of the afternoon.

And I'm dressing up Draper-style.

Funny thing - how you think you look until you take a picture, isn't it?

I really thought my hair looked good - so I took a pic to show you - and come to find out that it's a rat's nest!

Kinda like this -

Holiday Nipples....

Hey gals!

THANK YOU!

I am just blown away by your support of my Etsy shop yesterday.

I hope to make some more aprons soon - but right now I'm knee deep in packaging papers

skin oil.

Here's a post I did a few years ago - wanted to bring it back up to the top so that you can get busy making some Santa Nipples - or Reindeer Nipples - or Elf Nipples....

or you could just call them Nipple Rings.

The possibilities are endless!

Just wanted to show you a super quick, super tasty little treat to make for the holidays.

I call these Nipples.

I think it's funny. Glenco just rolls his eyes.

These would be Turkey Nipples.

I also make Reindeer Nipples, Leprechaun Nipples, Cupid's Nipples....

I think you get the idea.

I was going to name this post 'Everyone Loves My Nipples'

Aren'tcha glad I didn't?

All you need are some round pretzels, Hershey kisses and M&M's.

The M&M's should reflect whatever holiday it is that you are celebrating.

Of course, the day before Thanksgiving, it's impossible to find any fall colored M&M's, so I had to buy a regular bag and sort them out myself.

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Using a Silpat or parchement paper, line a cookie sheet (I like using a jelly roll so they don't fall off going in and out of the oven, trust me on that one)

"Kiss your pretzels"

Put them in the oven for about two to three minutes, until thoroughly softened and shiny, but not melted and running.

Now all you have to do is 'nipple' them!

Chill them until they firm up. These make great snacks. They pack well and can be put in tins or jars and given as gifts. Kids especially like these.

Hoping you all have a wonderful, and Happy Thanksgiving!

PS House post still planned for sometime later tonight!

Apron Up!

Well girls - it's Monday.

I like me some Monday.

For me - it's the day of the week to get after it again - restore order - plan and scheme - cook - clean - and kick some butt in general.

I don't know about you - but I don't feel properly prepared for a Monday unless I'm aproned up.

I did it girls.

I actually sewed up 9 aprons and put them on Etsy.

Why do I feel all nervous?

: -)

Hands to the Spindle, Hearts to God over here.

I'm staying home if'n it's the last thing I do.

Can't thank you enough for your support!  Thanks SO much for your serum and honey orders.

Ya done blessed me real good.

If you want to order an apron, and you've already ordered honey, or serum - please go ahead and know that I'll be adjusting the shipping costs before I do ship your order and giving you a refund.

Capeesh?

This will be the last day that the serum and honey are at the sale price!

Don't miss it!
It will also be the last day I'm pimping out my blog!
: -)

Many thanks to my wonderful friend Renee for letting me borrow her dummy.  I've had fun posing this dummy by the ironing board, and having her do assorted chores. I've gotten quite attached to her actually!  I keep trying to talk Glenco into getting some actual sister wives. 

Imagine how much could get done with a few more women in the house!

(As of 2pm CST - all the aprons have sold! Oh my!  I can't believe it!  Thank you all so very, very much)

Skin Serum Sale!

Fixed the shipping charges on Etsy!

Thanks for bringing that to my attention....

I'm awfully confused on the shipping, and how to set it right - because for a Medium Priority box at $10.95 you can get two jars of honey, a skin serum and probably an apron all shipped for $10.95!

If you place an order, and the shipping is all cattywompus - I will fix it, refunding you a difference via Paypal - before I ship it ok?

Cattywompus is a woefully underused word.

So is cockamamie, gallavanting - and actually - woeful.

I've deleted the coupon code and just lowered the price by 20% for the next few days just to add to the confusion here.

There's plenty of honey left at the moment - so go get it before it's gone.

Hard to believe it'll be next summer before I pull anymore frames.

The skin serum is on sale now!

$12.95 a bottle!

Stock up!

I'm not sure I'll ever be able to sell it at this price again.

(that's not a real chicken - fyi - no chicken was harmed in the making of the serum)

I'm getting so many fabulous testimonials about the skin serum.

I have one customer who's Doctor kept remarking about her skin, saying what a difference he's noticed - so much that he ordered a bottle for himself!

I do believe with the amount of weight I've lost recently, that my face would be rather saggy without it.

I couldn't go a day without it - I couldn't. I wouldn't.  I won't.

If you are already a serum user, I'd love to hear your comments!

Hurry up and order yours today - cause chances are I will actually remember to change the price back to the original $19.95 some day.

Just click on my Etsy store right over there --------->

It's Almost Cyber Monday.....

Hey guys!

I sincerely hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

My turkey was woefully dry.

I kinda forgot about it.

I know - I was busy doing other things and miscalculated the time it needed.

I'm afraid I did not impress my new brother-in-law in any way, shape or form!

I'm up here in the Coop gearing up for "Cyber Monday".

Sewing my fingers to the bone.

I've got 24 pint sized jars of honey up on Etsy now - and I wanted to give you first dibs, and a coupon code!

'mondaymonday'

will get you 20% off your order!

And in case you've forgotten - here's where my bees have been eating all summer:

On this cold almost December night - I have to tell you - these photos are a balm to me soul.

Shipping stuff makes me nuts - it's so danged expensive - but how else can I get it to you?

I'm not padding the shipping cost any - just using the Priority Mail boxes from the PO.

The coupon code is active now - so you don't actually have to wait until Monday!

Aprons will be coming tomorrow - and the skin serum is going on sale too!

Here's a sneak peek of one of the aprons.

Thanks a million for your support here.

Me staying home = more blogging = happy readers = happy Jayme.



November Dreams

akamonsoon.wordpress.com

It's happening again.

It happens right around this time of the year - when my heart seams seem to nearly burst from all the goodness and light of the holidays.

The chilled turkey carcass is still nestled in it's plastic net, yet -

I can smell it.

I can hear the pots and pans rattling and envision whisking hopes and dreams into the gravy.

We are on the cusp of the most wonderful time of the year.

It's like being on a roller coaster and there's that moment of stillness before you plunge head first -

This is when 'it' happens.

newgre.org

'It' being - me thinking anything is possible.

'It' being - me making high in the sky apple pie dreams of gardens, poultry, triathlons, size six jeans, more bee hives, tapping maple trees and assorted shenanigans.

What is it about November that gets me all up in arms?

I have a feeling it has something to do with the fact that I can only plan everything and not actually have to do the work.

There are no triathlons in Indiana in November.

charliebroadway.blogspot.com

There are no plantings of gardens and baby chick purchases in November.

urbanfarming.wordpress.com

123rf.com

There is no adding beehives in November.

panaramio.com

There's just thinking about it.

And when all you can do is think about it - sister - don't you just think you are capable of going to the moon and back?

I do.

But think about it I will - and plan it I will - and come time to actually do it -

I'm sure I'll adjust that list.

Here's to another beauty full ordinary day my friends!

Dream big!

Filled Full

It's 5:22am.

I just finished eating turkey sausage and a couple of Cuties.

I have three loads of laundry waiting until it's light enough outside so I can hang them -

Crock pot apple butter is in the making.

I started to shampoo the carpet - but it's still too dark for that -

so I thought I'd check in with all y'all.

I've been making a real effort to stay away from the computer - wanting to be fully present at home this week.

I kept my entire schedule clear this week, and stayed off the phone too.

The BoyChild was here.

: - )

Between the love of the BoyChild and my staying put all week - it truly has been one of the best weeks in my recent memory.

Now, that's not saying much - since I'm notorious for a bad memory - which does, I must admit - come in handy at times.

I hold no grudges - since I can never remember what it is that someone has done.

It was the most ordinary week ever - and sisters - can I just tell you this -

Ordinary is fabulous.

We went to the gym a few times - and he had gymnastics training on Thursday - but other than that -

we stayed put.

He even got homework done.

For real.

Whilst he was at school - I worked my fingers to the bones sewing.

I'm going to confess that I listened to Christmas music whilst I sewed, sang along loudly, and I may or may not have never been happier.

See this heating pad cover?

Over 15 years in the making my friends.

I bought that fabric when Aaron was born - planning on making a heating pad cover.

FIFTEEN YEARS later.

It's done.

I did tell you that 'Finish' was my word of 2012, right?

I started a little business called 'Coop Keeper Creations' and I'll be unveiling my aprons that I've sewn this week on Etsy - planning a big 'Cyber Monday' sale!

Remember when I talked about getting a job a week or so ago?  I feel that I may have mis-communicated in some way why I wanted a job - trust me - it had nothing to do with fulfillment - or lack of things to do.

It was purely financial.

I'm completed filled full here at home - mentally and emotionally.

It dawned on me that I'm not even using the talents I have here at home to make a little extra cash - so I've been putting my hands to the spindle, so to speak.

I'm even starting to like the porch - I love looking through the kitchen window at it - it looks super cozy that way -

Glenco's making me a rustic 8' long wooden table for the porch out of a pile of old lumber we found in a dumpster this summer.

Fingers crossed it's done by Thanksgiving!

So I say - here's to a wonderful, ordinary, beauty full Monday.

Celebrate the ordinary.

Take time to notice how the light is changing at this time of year - and how it moves in your home.

Take time to be present in your home - giving your family your all.

Give yourself your all.

Make a nice dinner tonight.

Be nice.

Close the computer up - turn off the phone ringer -

breathe.

It might be the last chance you get til January.

Homemade Laundry Soap - A Video Tutorial

Apron up girls!

It's Monday - a fresh new start, on a fresh new week.

I have two loads of wet sheets, and it just thundered - loudly.

Not a good day to hang laundry I'm reckoning.

But - alas - it 'tis laundry day, and I love it so.

I love the sound of the machine, the smells, the restoring of order.

I loves me some laundry.

Here's a video showing you how you too can be frugalicious like me - make your own laundry soap - impress your friends, save the environment AND your pocketbook. 

Does anyone really call it a pocketbook anymore?

I didn't think so.

I use about a half a cup per load, a little more on heavily soiled clothes.

My friend Debby sent me this after reading the blog today:

I make this laundry soap and it is THE best! And not because it is so cheap, it gets my clothes cleaner than any other laundry soap I have used. It has gotten out blood, mustard, mud, grass stains, and even set in stains. Here is the calcu...lations I made with how much it costs to make this soap compared to other soap. Prices are based on about a month ago from Town and Country.

Price comparisons
All calculations are based on the national avg. of 400 loads of laundry per family per year, or 7.69 loads per week

Tide $12.99/64 loads .20/load=$80/yr
Gain $5.99/32 loads .19/load=$76/yr
All $4.29/32 loads .13/load=$52/yr
Trend $2.49/38 loads .7/load=$28/yr
(generic brand)

Fels Naptha soap $1.19/bar
Arm&Hammer Super Washing Soda $2.99/55oz box
20 Mule Team Borax $4.49/76 oz box
One box of the washing soda will make just under 7 batches of soap, and the borax will make exactly 19 batches.

One batch of soap calculates out to:
$1.19/Fels Naptha
.49/Washing soda
.24/Borax
$1.92 per 10 gallons

10 gal (64oz) divided by 2 oz./load=320 loads/batch=.006/load

Final cost per year=$2.40!!!!!!!!!!

 

Cuban Pork Tacos with The BoyChild

The BoyChild is mine!  All mine!

Seven glorious days of love and laughter.

I'm sitting at the gym with him now - while he's doing his gymnastics practice.

Doesn't this pic make you hurt?

It does me.

Aaron helped me stretch the other day.

It's just a good thing I'm too old to birth babies because I do believe

 he's permanently relocated my uterus.

I think it's where my lungs were.

One of my favorite things to do is to feed the BoyChild.

He's an adventurous eater - much more than I am.

He'll try anything once.  If I don't like the look of it, the smell of it, or the name of it - I won't.

I love that about him - he loves food and loves to try new things.

He was all up and over these Cuban Pork Tacos tonight.

Clean eating or not - these were so delicious they were 'ridickerous'.

The picture really doesn't do them justice.

Click HERE for the recipe.

The fresh pineapple salsa?

Forget it.
I couldn't believe the flavor!

It's my fault that I've been eating rather plain for months - it's just been easier - or maybe I've been lazy.

This recipe looked a bit involved at first - but it wasn't.

Now - here's the kicker for me - I didn't do the whole avocado thing - or the corn tortilla thing.

I'm not a fan of the avocado.

What's up with the texture of it?

I react to it almost as much as the dreaded cotton ball.

*shudders*

I steamed some cauliflower -

chopped it up rrrreeaallll fine like and faked myself into thinking I was eating rice.

I just put the meat and salsa over it.

It's pretty danged spicy - so if you aren't the spicy loving kind - I'd suggest that you cut the cayenne and red pepper down some.

I may be singing 'Ring of Fire' tomorrow.

Amen.

Chicken Chat - Your Daily Drivel

We interrupt your regularly scheduled weekend to give you your daily dose of drivel.

The pilgrim's butts are lit up and the happy couple are resting comfortably on the back porch.



My ridiculously large lunch was photo worthy. 

Mountains of broccoli, valleys of peas, and plains of a turkey meatloaf.

Remember this nightmare?

I'm still working on it.

Law.

I feel like cutting the front porch off the front of the house and burning it.

I still want this photo -

I think.

This is what the porch looks like of now.

It may change before I post this blog post.

I already know the orange flowers are history.

I have no idea why I'm struggling with this so.

Instead of painting the table, I put a burlap piece over it - that I got from my beans for coffee roasting.

I'd found this rug in the trash years ago.

The floor color still needs to change.

Law - it's a PORCH Jayme -

but it's just gotta 'feel right' to me -

And the juiciest bit of drivel for the day -

this punk is coming today and spending a week with me.

A week!

His momma done be gone up on her honeymoon.

He has no idea what he's in for - it's gonna be a bit like rehab for him - early mornings - early bedtimes - lots of vegetables - and very little TV.

Oh the horror!

way back in the day - when we were young and homeschooled - those were the days my friend, I thought they'd never end.

The Legend of Twisty Fitzgerald - Lessons from a Hen

Yesterday.....

....all my troubles seemed so....

right up in my face.

And then along came you.

I'ma thankin' you from the bottom of my bottomless heart.

For realz.

Each and every comment was like a love note straight to me heart.

It appears that some crazy hormonal woman hacked my blog yesterday and started talking about not blogging and going to work full time.

Pfft.

Like that would happen.

I'd burst a blood vessel if I couldn't talk.

I just needed a bit of encouragement, a bit of 'you are on the right path', a bit of 'you are loved'.

And don't we all?

Selah.

Yesterday was a day, m'goodness it was.

Gloomy as heck.

After I posted my blog post I got the house chores done, planned dinner (Chicken Breasts with a balsamic glaze, sweet potatoes and broccoli)

 and decided to head to the gym to do my back, triceps and cardio.

I like saying 'today is back and tris'

Makes me feel cool.

Right before I left for the gym, I wrangled myself into my compression stockings.

I started wearing these a few months ago because I was experiencing leg cramps, leg heaviness, and honestly?  I thought it might squeeze the fat out of my legs somehow.

Come to find out - from being a tub most of my life, I've veinous insufficiency in my legs, causing me to have low blood pressure - the stockings do milk my legs and help my blood pressure stay in the normal range.  Helps me not pass out when I stand up.  I appreciate that.

Milk my legs?

That makes me gag a little.

But! 

No more leg cramps and I must say that my legs feel more energetic.

Oh they are heavenly.

And they are expensive.

And I put a big ole run in a brand new pair yesterday.

photo from honeyrunfarm.blogspot.com

And then - I had ONE frame of honey left to extract, and I really thought I oughta do that before I went to the gym.

Procrastinate much?

Glenco made me this contraption.

Oh it's a Jerry-rigged contraption if you've ever seen one.

It's a honey extractor of sorts - still in it's infant stages - still tweaking to be done -

and little did I know - it should not be, or I should say 'I should not be' operating it without adult (Glenco) supervision.

Long story short - I suffered a deep puncture wound in my hand.

It's ok now! Very sore, a tad swollen.

It's right about then when I lost it.

Law - I boohooed for 10 minutes.

"I should have gone to college!"

"Why didn't I birth no babies!?"

"If I had a high powered important job I wouldn't be puncturing myself on a homemade honey extractor!"

"Why didn't my parents get me braces!?"

It was right about then I realized I was dealing with a 'brotha from anotha motha'.

The 'H' word.

Hormones.

And then I started giggling a little and I dried my tears and tended my wounded hand and went to the gym.

(this is getting kinda long - sorry - hormonal ramblings do that to a girl - you might want a refill on whatever it is you're drinking)

When I got to the gym there was a really large young man sweating all over the cable row machine I needed.  He finished up, cleaned the machine off and we started chatting a bit.  I could tell he was extremely nervous in my presence (I do have that effect on people) and he was very chatty, not in a creepy way - but a self conscious way - I told him how I'd lost over a 100lbs, and he could too - to never give up - and to come and talk to me anytime he sees me in the gym, and needs encouragement.

Whilst I was doing my cable back rows, with perfect form by the way - it hit me - is that what I was like when I was heavy(er)?  Is that why people think I'm so peaceful now?  I no longer feel self conscious - I no longer care what people are thinking about me.

Interesting....

It felt good to get a good workout in.

You know - even when you don't know 'the big picture' for your life at times, you always know the little picture.  You still need to do the things that need to be done.  Workout, chores, cook dinner, dress yourself!! 

The thrift store happened to be opening as I left the gym - and I stopped in and found an awesome pink cashmere cardigan for a dolla!

I found a sweet knit skirt and gray sweater - a great fall outfit - for two dollas!

And just when you thought life couldn't get any better -

(hormonal swing much?)

I went to the library and found a few fabulous books -

"Pretty Little Potholders" was one - (gotta start Christmas gifts!)

Last night - as I went to bed - I felt tremendously blessed.

I snapped this photo right before I jumped in bed.

I started singing "People Who Need People" loudly in my best Barbara Streisand voice.

Glenco wasn't too amused cause he'd bedded down 10 minutes earlier, and unbeknownst to me had already fallen asleep.

Ooops.