Garden Time Again

I thought I would share an update on my garden with you today. It is really coming along. I have been able to see a lot of growth in my plants as well as new plants that have been added this week.

So far here is what is planted:

• Red Onions about 60 sets
• Garlic about 18 cloves planted
• 3 Rhubarb plants
• 4 Better Boy Tomatoes plants
• 4 Straight Neck Squash plants
• 4 Zucchini plants
• 4 Cucumber plants
• Green Beans (From Seed)
• Navy Beans (From Seed)
• Field Peas (From Seed)
• 2 Jalapeno Plants
• 8 Sweet Pepper Plants ( Gifted from my Neighbor who started them from seed)
• A Butterfly Plant
• 1 Cherry Tomato Plant
• 1 Grape Tomato Plant
• 2 Wooly Lambs Ear (Gifted from my Neighbor who was dividing ones that were in her garden) My daughter planted these and is so excited they they are growing good.

I still have 1 1/2 beds that are ready to plant. I plan on planting some late summer crops like Okra, Pumpkin.

We even have tomatoes one the older plants already.

Book Giveaway

This weeks giveaway is for the book Silk Paper, a Guide To Making and Using It in Textile Art, by Sarah Lawrence.

• Featuring Step by step demonstrations of the basic methods for creating this luminous fabric.
• Examples of the myriad ways to create flat and 3-D designs in this medium, from framed art to jewelry. 
• Sumptuous photographs of the original pieces made specially for this books, along with photographs and descriptions of the author’s exhibition pieces
• A glossary of silk making terms

Rules: this Giveaway is open to US residents 18 years and older and there is only one winner. The winner will be announced in this post on Friday, May 4, 2012. All entries must be completed through the Rafflecopter Entry form below. Comments left on this entry will not count toward winning. Once the Winner is announced you will have 48 hours to respond via email to craftykate1 (@) gmail (dot) com or another winner will be chosen.

I have not received any compensation for this giveaway and I hope you enjoy this book as much as I do.




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lunch a Southern Lady’s Style

One of my favorite spring summer lunches is Chicken Salad. I have made all types of chicken salad over the years and this one is my new fave.

Dilled Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

1 large Can of Chicken

3 tbs. Mayo

1 tbs. Mustard

2 teas. dried dill weed crushed

1 teas. Garlic Powder

1 teas. Onion Powder

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Tomatoes

Mix everything together except the tomatoes. and chill for at least an hour.

Slice the tomatoes and serve the chicken salad on top.

Makes 4 servings. (You can also used cucumbers and place one teaspoon on each for a perfect appetizers.

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Times and Sad Times

My Shae hit the double digits back on the 11th and it was a happy time for us as well as a sad time. We lost a very special lady in our church. We had her birthday party on the 14th and I was able to make the cupcakes that she wanted. Because of all that was going on that day I didn’t take the step-by-step pictures that I had planned. Here is how I made them. I choose 2 colors of paste food coloring and took a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and placed a strip of food coloring on the inside seams of the bag. Because they are opposite sides of the bag the colors will come out twisted. Add an icing of your choice to the bag. I used a homemade cream cheese icing, for these as it was the birthday girls favorite kind. TIP TIME: let the icing sit in the bag for at least 15 min before piping and you will not end up with all white cupcakes at the beginning, this helps to past coloring to melt a little better. I also was able to fill the bag a 2nd and 3rd time and still get very nice stripes

Her party turned out great and a good time was had by all.

We had to have her favorite candy of the season there also.

We kept the favors seasonal also. I t worked great she loved the carrot bags and because it was just after Easter everything was half off.

My beautiful baby girl is growing up way to fast.

The next day was a sad day as the funeral service for our sweet Sis. Peggy. As we were sleeping that night we had a call about one of the older men in our church who was being taken to the ER and so when we arrived there everyone prayed with his wife and just a few min later the Dr. came and told that he was gone. He was a very special person and all the children in the church loved him so much, he would take time with them and talk to them like they weren’t children. and they loved it. So needless to say it has been a very hard couple of weeks and we are trying to be back into a routine for the girls So please say a prayer for both families. during this time of loss.

Fat Quarter Shop Sponsor

The Fat Quarter Shop is at it again with the fifth annual Designer Mystery Block of the MonthTM featuring their favorite designers. This year, they will showcase a vintage sampler quilt with traditional blocks full of color and style! They have kits avaliable and this is what you will receive:

• 12 different sampler blocks featuring the Vintage Modern collection by Bonnie & Camille for Moda Fabrics.
• Each block finishes at 12" and will be an easy to intermediate pieced block (no templates, applique or paper piecing),
• Block of the month suitable for all quilters.

Friday Sponsor Giveaway

Details of the giveaway prize:      Stickers
Sticker Shape : Standard Stickers
Flat Width : 2"
Flat Height : 3.5"
Quantity : 250
Paper : Premium Sticker Stock
Colors : Full Color ( 4 Color Process), Black and White
Proof : NONE
Ready to Ship In : 3 Business Days
*Giveaway is open to US Residents only, ages 18 years old and above.
PrintRunner does not only provide sticker printing services but also other online printing services.
Disclaimer -  Thank you to PrintRunner for providing us this giveaway, I will receive a set of stickers for hosting this.
Prizes will be awarded by PrintRunner on April 30, 2012

Getting Ready for Ladies Retreat

 

I am getting ready for the GA District Ladies Retreat. I will be having a booth there and so I have been super busy making all kinds of accessories.

Lanyards for ID badges

Key Fobs

The start of Bow-Ties

Flower Bobby Pins. I have made16 set of these in various colors.

I also have a bunch of Fabric flowers and mini bow clips. I hope to have a lot more before I set up next Thursday. So if I am hit or miss over the next few days please understand it is all because I am keeping my hands busy.

This week’s posts are sponsored by:

Go over and check them out and look for “Something New Everyday”!

Make Your Own Fabric Softener

A few months back I shared how to make your own laundry detergent for pennies and today I want to do a follow up. with a way to make your fabric softener for very little outlay and a lot of bang for your buck.

Supplies:

• A 2 Gallon Bucket with a tight fitting lid. I repurposed a bucket that was headed for the recycling bin
• Thin Sheet Sponges Cut into 6ths
• Conditioner of your choice. I used the VO5 because it only cost $0.98
• A Wire Whisk
• 2 Gallons of hot water I boiled mine

How-To-Make:

Fill the bucket half way with boiling water (this helps the conditioner blend better), then add your hair conditioner. Mix well with the whisk and then add the 2nd gallon of boiling water. Add your cut up sponges and let soak.

How-To-Use:

Toss 1 or 2 sponges into the dryer with your clothes (I squeeze them out a little but not all the way)  and your clothes. Dry are you normally would and they will come out static free and soft.

This batch will last you a long time and will help you cut down on cost. The Total cost of this project was only $1.49, a savings of over $8.00 compared to name brand fabric softeners

This week’s posts are sponsored by:

Go over and check them out and look for “Something New Everyday”!

Shabby Apple Sponsor Promotion

I would like to share a Shabby Apple Promotion with you and you will receive 20% off your order from the SideSaddle collection. This is one of my favorite collections by them so far.

I love this gray black dress it is so pretty an I like the sleeves and the length.

This lavender dress is really cute. I would wear a wide belt with this one and some cute sandals. 

The Coupon code is "sidesaddle" use this at checkout for 25% off your order. 

Book Review: Why I Jumped

Why I Jumped By Tina Zahn & Wanda Dyson / Revell Tina Zahn had enough. The pain of emotional scars crippled her and she took what measures she thought were left. After a high-speed chase to the top of a bridge Tina got out of her car, ran to the edge and jumped. Miraculously, a state trooper was right behind and caught her wrist as she fell. Saved from suicide Tina began a deep healing process through her depression. If you or someone you love is struggling with depression, this book offers hope to seek help and overcome.

I started reading this book yesterday and could not put it down. I wanted to share it with you and tell you a story of my experience. What made me pick it up was that she was suffering from PPD (Postpartum Depression) and I thought this would be a book that I could really understand. You see, I suffered from PPD after my second child was born. I had the Baby Blues after my first child but nothing prepared me for what I experienced after my second child was born. For the first 9 months of my precious daughter's life I felt no connection to her. I would just hold her and cry because I did not have the connection with her that I did with my other daughter. My doctor tried to give me meds for the depression but the side effects were so bad that I stopped taking them, and I was afraid of harming my child because I was nursing her and I didn't want her to be effected by them. They made my skin crawl and I could just imagine what they would do to her if it came through my milk. I'm not trying to say that meds are not good and that they don't have their place, they do and they really help some people. It you are going through any type of depression you should seek help.  I know that other things that were going on around me contributed to the depths of my depression and I never though that I would make it through those days. If it were not for the grace of God and praying friends and family I would not have made it. I said all of this to say, there is hope for you if you will just hang on, God has a plan for your life, even when you think that it looks like there is no hope. There is hope, as long as you are alive there is hope for you and God loves you and He will be there for you even when all hope looks gone and even when everything around you falls apart all you have to do is reach out to him and he will pick you up.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jememiah 29:11