tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15875288463266077142024-03-10T08:40:41.203-04:00Designed by ChanceInterior decorating, crafts, and gardening, all by me...Chance.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18302082836623447810noreply@blogger.comBlogger279125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587528846326607714.post-65239385753319902522014-05-06T18:20:00.000-04:002014-05-06T18:20:33.068-04:00Cloth Diapering: Bum Genius vs gDiaper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been committed to cloth diapering right from the start. From my research before my baby was born, I found that using my own cloth diapers was a great way to both save money and stop sending massive amounts of diapers to the landfills at the same time. I'm a real tree hugger, so hours spent researching, buying and washing cloth diapers is a small price to pay for the payoff of helping the environment.<br />
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Working in India, I once went out with my students to clean up a huge pile of trash near our village. As we cleaned, we came across many used disposable diapers. It really was a very disgusting job, one that I would not want anyone to have to repeat. As I thought about what diapers my baby would use, I realized I did not want to contribute to that sort of mess. Here in America, I will probably never have to clean up disposable diapers from the landfills, but I hate to think they are there, and subsequent generations will have to deal with them one day.<br />
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Cloth diapering is not for the feint of heart. It is a lot of work. You have to be comfortable touching wet/dirty diapers, being around smelly diaper pails, and that sort of thing.<br />
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As I tried to decide what kind of diaper to use for my baby, what I learned is that it is very hard to know what will work for your baby until that baby is born. There were also not a lot of reviews a year ago. I tried to get a bunch of different types of diapers in the beginning so that I could see what worked. But somehow this never happened. Although I registered for a bunch of different cloth diapers, no one gave me any, except for my mother-in-law who bought a couple gDiapers. I guess it is just not fun to give a new mom diapers.<br />
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After talking to a coworker who did the whole cloth diaper regimen with her two children, I decided that the best two brands to focus on were gDiapers (they are the only ones sold at BabiesRUs) and Bum Genius.<br />
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<h3>
gDiapers: Review</h3>
<h4>
Pros:</h4>
1.) gDiapers are absolutely the cutest thing in the world.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZTxVMBHtegM/U2jkEYJFI0I/AAAAAAAACo4/EzKGi2D9uOQ/s1600/gDiaper.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{<a href="http://www.momables.com/from-gdiapers-to-school-lunches-a-giveaway/" target="_blank">source</a>}</td></tr>
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As you can see from the image above they are very colorful.<br />
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2.) They are also very trim making it a bit easier to fit my baby into normal size clothes. I found that because cloth diapers are more bulky, you have to dress your baby in larger sizes.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XpnNe3vpMjo/U2jkEDcEWyI/AAAAAAAACos/YSJekaMJ8qI/s1600/cloth+insert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XpnNe3vpMjo/U2jkEDcEWyI/AAAAAAAACos/YSJekaMJ8qI/s1600/cloth+insert.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{<a href="http://www.wornwithluv.com/gdiapers.html" target="_blank">source</a>}</td></tr>
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3.) I also liked that gDiapers have several layers to them. Which means I can change the inner cloth liner (pictured above) without changing the whole diaper.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu404ufF2KHYgmLGPXee_v9SPyG1qs5IqecrQgeZ9kd9kg2hVbb3CvvRASWxgGx_ox1v0O4IOvRnXR0O7f_sNEqmLUwOCH1sMS1p77HKj2P7p-JoY56GKXqPKtLU6EAuLisVoAR7ay0mQ/s1600/gcloth_insert_graph3.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu404ufF2KHYgmLGPXee_v9SPyG1qs5IqecrQgeZ9kd9kg2hVbb3CvvRASWxgGx_ox1v0O4IOvRnXR0O7f_sNEqmLUwOCH1sMS1p77HKj2P7p-JoY56GKXqPKtLU6EAuLisVoAR7ay0mQ/s1600/gcloth_insert_graph3.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{<a href="http://www.sweetbottomsbaby.com/gDiapers-Cloth-Inserts_p_1148.html" target="_blank">source</a>}</td></tr>
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4.) The covers, plastic bag inner liner, and cloth lines are all breathable. This helps reduce diaper rash.<br />
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5.) gDiapers are also a bit cheaper in the beginning. I bought 8 covers, 24 liners and one pack of extra bags totaling about $250.<br />
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<h4>
Cons:</h4>
1.) They don't fit my baby very well. My boy is quite chubby, so the covers are tight, and we got quite a few blowouts before I figured out how to put them on correctly.<br />
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2.) The diapers come in several sizes. This means that as my baby grew, we had to upgrade the whole system, thus making the fact that they are cheaper at first, not so helpful later. Once our baby made it to the Medium size (pretty quickly because he was so chubby), it gets a bit better, because the cloth liners and bags fit cover sizes M-XL.<br />
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3.) The diaper is not very absorbent. One big pee and my little guy is wet. I have to change him every two to three hours when he wears these. When he does #2 I have to change him right away (he makes this very clear to me).<br />
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4.) The covers fade fast. I dry them on a line in my house (in the shade), but they still faded quite quickly.<br />
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5.) In order to get the good price on covers, we went with a pack of six covers, but they only came in green and orange (their signature colors) so besides the red and blue ones we bought to round out the set of 8, our color options are pretty boring. If we buy more for the next size we plan to spend a bit more and get a rainbow of colors.<br />
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<h3>
Bum Genius:</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iPFz9GGY6kU/U2jkFOLhSeI/AAAAAAAACo8/2h2h7WoqIq0/s1600/imgres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iPFz9GGY6kU/U2jkFOLhSeI/AAAAAAAACo8/2h2h7WoqIq0/s1600/imgres.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{<a href="http://www.bumgenius.com/one-size.php" target="_blank">source</a>}</td></tr>
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<h4>
Pros:</h4>
1.) One size fits all. The diapers are designed to grow with the baby. There are lots of snaps to change as the baby gets bigger.<br />
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2.) Very absorbent. My little one stays dry all night long in one diaper. With the wicking inner layer, he does not feel the wet when he goes.<br />
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3.) The diaper does not leak. Because the covers are waterproof, and large enough to fit my boy well he does not get wet even when he wears the same diaper for a long time.<br />
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4.) They also come in lots of cute colors. We have a black one with math on it that my husband loves.<br />
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<h4>
Cons:</h4>
1.) Every time I have to change him I have to use a whole new diaper. Meaning the cover and the insert.<br />
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2.) The covers require air drying, and take a while to dry.<br />
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3.) The liners stain. But they are inside the diaper, so only I see them.<br />
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4.) It is not breathable. The covers are totally water proof. This causes more diaper rash.<br />
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5.) Each diaper is quite expensive. Each diaper comes with one liner and one newborn insert, but is $19-24 a piece. My baby went through 12 diapers a day the first four months (and really, sometimes still does), so I needed 15-24 diapers total. 20 diapers at $20 each is $400. That's a lot to shell out all at once. This is a one time investment, but was too much for us right after our baby was born (we also needed a new couch).<br />
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6.) Snaps. Changing my baby's diaper in the middle of the night, half asleep and in the dark, is hard with all those snaps.<br />
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7.) They are quite bulky, much more bulky than the gDiapers.<br />
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<h3>
The Verdict:</h3>
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If I could go back in time I might buy all Bum Genius, but I might not. In the long run, it is the best option financially. However, now that we have used gDiapers I also see the value in this system. My baby has very sensitive skin, so I worry that a non-breathable diaper would cause him worse diaper rash than he already gets. gDiapers are better when we go out as well because they are smaller, and more easy to pack in a diaper bag to wash later.</div>
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I use gDiapers during the day, and Bum Genius overnight. This works for us.</div>
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I didn't mention the savings over disposable. If I had to buy diapers for my boy I would have to buy 10 packs of diapers a month at $15 each. So that's $150 a month. My son is almost six months old so I would have spent $900. Now, I might be able to get them cheaper, and I might be able to stretch out changing him, but it is still a significant savings. Not to mention, I'm still using the current gDiapers we bought four months ago, and won't have to get the next size up for a while still. Also, I'm saving the cloth for my second child, meaning the savings doubles because I won't have to invest in diapers at all by then. Really it makes a lot of sense. </div>
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Do you cloth diaper? Some people think I'm crazy, and others admire my commitment to cloth diapering. what is your opinion?</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18302082836623447810noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587528846326607714.post-89492698787550009102014-04-17T07:56:00.000-04:002014-04-17T07:56:09.881-04:00Yellow Chevron Curtains 3: Paint and Hang<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h3>
Painting Chevron Curtains:</h3>
Ok we are almost done (if you want to do the whole project see these two previous posts first:<a href="http://designedbychance.blogspot.com/2014/03/yellow-chevron-curtains.html" target="_blank"> post 1</a>, <a href="http://designedbychance.blogspot.com/2014/04/yellow-chevron-curtains-2-taping-off.html" target="_blank">post 2</a>). I can't wait to get to some other projects (they are almost done, so finishing this series might give me the push I need to get some other stuff completed).<br />
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Now that you have the curtains taped, paining them is super easy. I mixed fabric medium (found at craft stores) with my own paint. I used some indoor paint left over from my dining room. I really love the color. Just followed the directions, I think it was a 1:3 ratio for paint to paint medium. In my experience, a little paint medium goes a long way. Don't worry to much about the amount of paint medium. Even if the curtains come out a bit stiff, it is not a problem.<br />
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I then just rolled the paint right onto the curtains being careful not to paint in the areas I had marked with green tape.<br />
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Here is one more shot of one painted curtain and one not.<br />
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I then took the tape off before the paint had dried, which makes it less likely the paint will chip. Let the curtains dry.<br />
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<h3>
Hanging Chevron Curtains</h3>
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To hang my new curtains I decided to use rings and clips. I found some simply ones at Lowes (they were also a good price). By hanging the curtains with clips, I could clip the blackout fabric right to the back of the painted curtains. This provided my nursery with a nice dark space for my little one to sleep. It also kept the regular fabric and the blackout fabric from being permanently attached. Blackout fabric needs to be dry cleaned, whereas my cotton chevron fabric does not.</div>
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I measured the fabric from the floor up and folded over the top to the desired length. </div>
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I then tucked the blackout fabric inside the fold. </div>
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Next, I measured across the width of the fabrics and clipped the fabric together with my clips.</div>
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I was not very exact about all this. As long as it was roughly the right width I was happy. When clipping the fabric just be sure you get all three layers of fabric in the clip.</div>
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Finally I hung the clips on the rings (which were already threaded to the pole) and hung the curtains. Done!</div>
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This was truly a project of love, but oh so worth it.<br />
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Please feel free to pin this to Pinterest. I'm having technical difficulties adding a pin widget, but will figure it out eventually.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18302082836623447810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587528846326607714.post-27023049821338873902014-04-10T11:44:00.000-04:002014-04-10T11:44:24.414-04:00Yellow Chevron Curtains 2: Taping Off the Pattern<br />
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This post continues from the last. If you want to know how to mark your design see the <a href="http://designedbychance.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">last post</a>.<br />
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<h4>
4. Taping the Chevron Pattern:</h4>
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If you thought the last post was confusing, wait until you have to tape. (I literally spent six hours taping my first curtain, only too see that my peeks and valleys were not lined up. I had to start again and was very unhappy. So unhappy, that I did not take one picture to record my epic fail.)<br />
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I have drawn out the process on graph paper to make it easier to understand. Essentially this is what you will do with your curtain.</div>
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What you want to do when taping is to remember that you will be painting between the tape on every other zig-zag. In the photo of the actual curtains above, you can see that the yellow chevron stripes are painted only every other gap between the tape. I used the green frog tape to mark the stripes I was not going to paint. </div>
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<h4>
First Tape Row:</h4>
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I started at with the bottom row. I made each marks as described in the last post. I taped between these marks. Starting in the left bottom corner, I stretched my tape to the first point six inches up and over from the corner on a diagonal. Make sure that the bottom of your tape (the part that will later be a strong yellow edge) hits both the valley and the peek. In the drawing above you can see that the blue tape (a blue line) has the bottom edge of the "tape" touching the edge you want to be yellow later.<br />
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Be careful that the corners of your pattern are nice and clear.<br />
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In order to get the chevron stripes the same width I had to remember that only one edge of my tape would mark the edges of the yellow stripe. You will only be painting over, one side of the tape to get the nice yellow stripe. If you look at the diagram above, or bellow. you can see that the tape goes on the <b>inside</b> of the stripes that will <b>not</b> be painted (the white stripes). I kept them straight by adding big green "x's" to remember not to paint there.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lfndwwYxdao/UzW9779IhlI/AAAAAAAACmM/mdE_Vh1twPs/s1600/IMG_7616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lfndwwYxdao/UzW9779IhlI/AAAAAAAACmM/mdE_Vh1twPs/s1600/IMG_7616.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The tape has to be lined up so the bottom edge of the blue tape is along the top of the first and second rows of marks. Then the top of the blue tape has to along the third and fourth rows. This creates the negative space (where you paint the yellow) the same width as the positive space (white). Another way to think of it is that only one edge of the blue tape is actually the edge of the chevron pattern, where you will be painting. You will only be painting over one side of the blue tape, so only that side has to be perfect.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
I know this sounds very confusing. But just remember that you are, in essence, just taping from one point to the next on the grid of dots you created in the last post. Be sure to keep the bottom (or top) edge of your tape on each mark. This helps keep the lines straight and the valleys and peeks clear.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Continue to tape your design until the whole curtain is done. I taped two of my curtains off at the same time so that I could line up the chevron pattern across the two curtain panels. It took me about 3-4 hours to mark and tape each curtain. I was very pregnant at the time, so bathroom breaks, squatting, bending and crawling around on the floor took longer than usual (man I was so sore after each curtain).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H-AJz7YdFYg/UzAvypMyiiI/AAAAAAAACi8/OveBA2ANH-Q/s1600/IMG_6172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H-AJz7YdFYg/UzAvypMyiiI/AAAAAAAACi8/OveBA2ANH-Q/s1600/IMG_6172.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Yay! Once you have these babies taped, you are good to go. The painting is so easy!!<br />
<br />
Come back next week for what should be a very quick tutorial on how to paint and hang these lovelies.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18302082836623447810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587528846326607714.post-64923905635935951112014-03-31T11:21:00.002-04:002014-03-31T11:21:56.590-04:00Yellow Chevron Curtains<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WDW_vkDGVeQ/UzAxyImXAGI/AAAAAAAACkg/a2FHa3dk5Ls/s1600/IMG_7368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WDW_vkDGVeQ/UzAxyImXAGI/AAAAAAAACkg/a2FHa3dk5Ls/s1600/IMG_7368.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
When I was designing the nursery I really wanted large yellow chevron curtains. I looked high and low for the pattern I wanted, but could only find very thin (at most 2 inches) chevron designs. I also was not crazy about the colors (the yellows I found were too green). So I made my own. What I thought would be challenging, turned into a marathon project that took a couple of months to finish.<br />
<br />
It did not help that I was six, seven, and eight months pregnant at the time. Or that I tried to do this in the middle of a heat wave. But now they are done, and I do love them.<br />
<br />
I also attached blackout fabric to keep the room nice and dark for my baby. More on that later.<br />
<br />
This post has many steps so I'm breaking it into several posts.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Hand-painted Chevron Curtains</h3>
<div>
<h4>
1. Prepare Cotton Fabric: </h4>
</div>
<div>
Start with regular white fabric. Cut the curtains to the length desired, making allowances for hemming the edges. Hem all the way around. I like to make the top and bottom of my curtains with slightly wider hems, for weight. Don't worry about attaching them to the rod, I used rings with clips. This also makes it much easier to hang the blackout fabric. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<h4>
2. Prepare Blackout Fabric: </h4>
</div>
<div>
Cut the blackout fabric to match the size of your hemmed curtains. Set aside. You won't need the blackout fabric until the curtains are done and ready to hang. I decided not to sew the blackout fabric to the curtains because the blackout fabric requires dry cleaning. By keeping them separate, and only using the rings to hang them together, it will be super easy for me to take the curtains down and wash the regular fabric (which gets much dirtier). If the blackout fabric gets dirty I can just wipe it down.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<h4>
3. Preparing to Paint Curtains: </h4>
</div>
<div>
Lay out your cotton curtain fabric on the floor and tape all four edges with painter's tape. Or if you have the space, you could attaching them to the wall with painter's tape. Just be sure you have a wall you don't mind getting paint on. This would alleviate a lot of the crawling on the floor I had to endure (it was not easy while so very pregnant, I assure you). </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I did a quick experiment and have concluded I prefer the blue painter's tape to the frog tape. That's me.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<h3>
Measure and Mark the Chevron Design:</h3>
</div>
<div>
This is where things get tricky. My first try was a total failure. This is how your curtains should look after taping.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H-AJz7YdFYg/UzAvypMyiiI/AAAAAAAACi8/OveBA2ANH-Q/s1600/IMG_6172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H-AJz7YdFYg/UzAvypMyiiI/AAAAAAAACi8/OveBA2ANH-Q/s1600/IMG_6172.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<h4>
Creating a grid:</h4>
</div>
<div>
I wanted my chevron design to be one foot from peek to peek. I took a fabric pencil and marked every six inches across the bottom, top and sides. This creates the "grid" you need to mark out the design.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y5eACnlMaC8/UzW9vP9HWRI/AAAAAAAACk4/fwNT41O62MU/s1600/IMG_7568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y5eACnlMaC8/UzW9vP9HWRI/AAAAAAAACk4/fwNT41O62MU/s1600/IMG_7568.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
I decided not to draw a lot of lines because they would be hard to erase later. The grid on the curtain is made with rulers and measuring tapes. The image above, is a drawing of what you should do with your curtain. I never got any photos of this part (don't know what happened) so I recreated the process on graph paper.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<h4>
First and Second Rows:</h4>
The best way to understand this process is to make two rows of marks at a time. That way you will be able to see the chevron design as you go.<br />
<br />
The first row is already done. It is the row with six inch marks along the bottom of your curtain. I started at the bottom because I figured I could not change it. The top can be adjusted as I decide where to make my loops.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bLiX5UKZvsg/UzW9vzjd_EI/AAAAAAAACk8/n1dr5LlQO3Q/s1600/IMG_7575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bLiX5UKZvsg/UzW9vzjd_EI/AAAAAAAACk8/n1dr5LlQO3Q/s1600/IMG_7575.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
For the second row, I took my measuring tape and stretched it from the six inch mark on the left side (just above the first six inch row on the bottom) to the corresponding mark on the right side of the curtain. I them used my fabric pencil to mark every foot (12 inches) beginning six inches in on the left. These marks will become the first yellow peeks. They are the top of the dotted lines on the diagram above. I was also careful that my horizontal marks matched the vertical marks I had created in the beginning. Each mark you make in the center becomes either a peek or a valley on the chevron design, so you want them to match up both vertically and horizontally.<br />
<br />
I then created the chevron design by taping the curtain. Starting from the left corner on the first row, I stretched the tape up to the first mark on the second row. Then stretch your tape back down from the second row to the mark one foot in on the first row. Continue across the curtain. Remember that each peek and valley will be one foot apart. <i>I will explain how the tape is applied so that each yellow or white row is actually the same width in the next post.</i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<h4>
The Third and Fourth Rows:</h4>
</div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BULZT8f72bk/UzW9w0fTmmI/AAAAAAAAClE/awKZfYh_Qrk/s1600/IMG_7576.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BULZT8f72bk/UzW9w0fTmmI/AAAAAAAAClE/awKZfYh_Qrk/s1600/IMG_7576.JPG" height="305" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
For the third row of marks, I put my measuring tape on the next (six inches up) left and right marks from the last. These marks are for the valleys, so the marks have to correspond with the marks of the first row. To do this I marked every foot from the left. The fourth row is an exact copy of the second row (see a pattern?). Start six inches in, and make marks for every foot. This creates the chevron pattern. Then tape (see next post soon).</div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jj2x_FySfAk/UzW9zzzc-rI/AAAAAAAAClY/CE97JRePrMY/s1600/IMG_7582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jj2x_FySfAk/UzW9zzzc-rI/AAAAAAAAClY/CE97JRePrMY/s1600/IMG_7582.JPG" height="257" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I then continued this pattern. With one foot offset marks for each peek and valley every six inches all the way up the curtain. In the end, you will have a white curtain with horizontal rows of dots one foot apart (if you don't tape as you go that is). Each horizontal row is six inches above the last. Remember that each row is either a peek or a valley. This will help to keep your one foot marks offset from each other. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Since this tutorial is quite complicated I leaving the rest for next week. Be sure to check back for the taping process, because if you don't tape it right, you will get very frustrated, very fast.<br />
<br />
Also, let me know if you are still confused. I will try my best to clean up any confusion in this process.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e_DfVicGpPc/UzAxxCHBnaI/AAAAAAAACkk/vRfj5qZivMc/s1600/IMG_7374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e_DfVicGpPc/UzAxxCHBnaI/AAAAAAAACkk/vRfj5qZivMc/s1600/IMG_7374.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I promise it is all worth it in the end!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18302082836623447810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587528846326607714.post-32495749182984954352014-03-20T09:27:00.003-04:002014-03-20T09:27:43.495-04:00Slippery Slipper Solutions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XmYezrBV3TY/Uyroa8z0SyI/AAAAAAAAChw/PgZbjU55Nho/s1600/IMG_7284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XmYezrBV3TY/Uyroa8z0SyI/AAAAAAAAChw/PgZbjU55Nho/s1600/IMG_7284.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
Slippery slippers are the worst. I have always just lived with them, but now that I have a baby to think about, I don't want to fall. I <i>really</i> don't want to fall on my wood stairs with a glass door and stone landing at the bottom. Not good.<br />
<br />
So a slippery slipper solution was much needed.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Add Tread to Your Slippers</h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjatGbsEEI0_B7IUmWWeS_7EMKA4S8PTuObtiuDTf23uBDKnUJQP8NjtqwoQLey5_Sw8NV79Z3QrXRmxUGNPdxPZC8vlMAr8yyaVsE4nP7-GjDsxPS065-YcCL75_t3WHVT6RMmMk8tY18/s1600/IMG_7292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjatGbsEEI0_B7IUmWWeS_7EMKA4S8PTuObtiuDTf23uBDKnUJQP8NjtqwoQLey5_Sw8NV79Z3QrXRmxUGNPdxPZC8vlMAr8yyaVsE4nP7-GjDsxPS065-YcCL75_t3WHVT6RMmMk8tY18/s1600/IMG_7292.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I love these slippers. They are warm, and oh so comfy. As you can see, they are also quite slippery. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
1. Buy puff paint</h4>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mDYiVc0Rpzw/UyrodKnvxOI/AAAAAAAACiA/JbRfLzqNov8/s1600/IMG_7303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mDYiVc0Rpzw/UyrodKnvxOI/AAAAAAAACiA/JbRfLzqNov8/s1600/IMG_7303.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I decided to go with the basic black, and just a hint of red (for some flair). Pick any colors you want. I could totally see someone doing this for dancing shoes at a wedding (something blue?).</div>
<h4>
2. Decide on a design, and lay any ground work. </h4>
<div>
I decided to do dots. They seemed like the best way to get a good grip. I also wanted a little "fun" thrown in, so I added a heart. I put the heart right over the ball of my big toe.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cE2I63BLFHo/UyrqCEdudFI/AAAAAAAACic/CsWDYIEeD5Q/s1600/IMG_7306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cE2I63BLFHo/UyrqCEdudFI/AAAAAAAACic/CsWDYIEeD5Q/s1600/IMG_7306.JPG" height="320" width="304" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I made the heart first. Then added the dots.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
3. Apply your pattern all over the sole of your slipper.</h4>
<div>
I used the already delineated shape of my foot as shown from normal wear. It was pretty easy to see where my foot touched the ground. If these are new slippers you could lightly outline your foot with a pencil. or guess. It <i>is</i> the bottom of your foot. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZVLGsoW9jVg/Uyrofg5SH6I/AAAAAAAACiQ/LXN1G-uzSH8/s1600/IMG_7324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZVLGsoW9jVg/Uyrofg5SH6I/AAAAAAAACiQ/LXN1G-uzSH8/s1600/IMG_7324.JPG" height="222" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
4. Let Dry</h4>
<div>
The instructions said to dry the paint for 7 hours. After 7 hours I put them right on. Ahh warm toes again!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OkEbjrVMGsw/Uyroebb9UVI/AAAAAAAACiI/zubE4RKojFI/s1600/IMG_7321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OkEbjrVMGsw/Uyroebb9UVI/AAAAAAAACiI/zubE4RKojFI/s1600/IMG_7321.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That's it! No more slippery slippers. I have been wearing these for a couple of days and they are fine. I lost one dot to my wood floor, and the peeks have worn down a bit. Overall, not bad. And.... I like the hearts!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18302082836623447810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587528846326607714.post-23593597190405397152014-03-14T11:04:00.001-04:002014-03-14T11:04:58.716-04:00Homemade Seitan (Wheat-Meat)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
I grew up a vegetarian. I remember the first time my father fed us chicken. He
snuck us out to "town" and brought us some chicken soup. When my
mother heard that we had been "tainted" with meat she chased my
father down the street. Or, at least, that is the story my father used to tell
us about our first meat experience. <span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
As an adult, I have
developed a taste for meat, and will usually eat it if offered at a friend's
house. I eat most types of meat, but have never been able to stomach straight
beef. Beef is just not appetizing to me. However, in general, I prefer most of my
meals to be vegetarian. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
My husband and I really
like seitan (pronounced SAY-tan, not to be confused with the devil: satan). It
is a kind of chewy, meaty, wheat based protein that cooks well, holds it shape,
and tastes really good. We have breaded and baked it, fried it, and, my current
favorite, put it in a vegetable stew. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Now I have to warn you,
seitan is made from wheat, and not just any wheat but wheat gluten, so if you
jumped on the gluten free bandwagon then this is not a meat alternative for you.
I am not a gluten free fan myself. I like bread, I like gluten, and I like
seitan. I think that bread consumption should be limited for my waistline, but
I don't have Celiac disease and I don't plan to go gluten free any time soon.
If you are gluten free this recipe is not for you.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
The only problem with
seitan is that it is expensive. My husband and I can buy a pint container of
seitan for $7 in the health-food store. That is one meal for two people. That's
fine to pay once in a while, but we can't do that every week. So we decided to
make our own. It is actually really easy, and SO MUCH cheaper. My husband (the
mathematician) figures it is about one-eighth the price when made at home, and
the more you make it the lower the price gets. The hardest part is getting the
ingredients.<span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Without further ado, here
is the recipe I use. I have adapted the recipe from <i>1,000 Vegan Recipes</i> by
Robin Robertson (a great book by the way even if you are not vegan).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Homemade Seitan<span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Ingredients:*<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1 3/4 cups vital wheat
gluten (that's 0.6 lbs)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
(which is very different from baking yeast)<o:p></o:p></div>
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1/2 tsp salt<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1/2 tsp onion powder<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1/4 tsp paprika<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
3 tbls tamari (gluten free
soy sauce, just because it makes us giggle)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1 2/3 cups cold water<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
*a note on ingredients: Vital wheat gluten is the protein from wheat. I buy it at my local health food store. I usually have to buy sever small packages of it to get enough to make the seitan. Nutritional yeast can also be found at a health food store. It is quite salty. I have seen it used in many vegan recipies, but my favorite way to eat it is on popcorn.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Simmering Liquid<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
2 quarts water<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1/2 cup tamari<o:p></o:p></div>
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4 garlic cloves<span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>1. Make the seitan dough: <span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E_yFTp2B3Js/Ux3i9-5c4uI/AAAAAAAACgE/GWKNElBkf3k/s1600/IMG_7088.JPG"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_2" o:spid="_x0000_i1034"
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In a food processor mix
vital wheat gluten and rest of ingredients through paprika. Blend with a couple
of pulses. <span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_VLwUDMFTnc/Ux3i-6AVT1I/AAAAAAAACgM/yIyuOBxC3-U/s1600/IMG_7091.JPG"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_3" o:spid="_x0000_i1033"
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<br /></div>
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Mix oil, tamari, and water,
then add to dry ingredients while processor is running. Process for a full
minute until dough is formed. It should look like the image bellow.<span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zlBmqHMpAlk/Ux3jABn4UFI/AAAAAAAACgU/zA16udQMnGQ/s1600/IMG_7093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zlBmqHMpAlk/Ux3jABn4UFI/AAAAAAAACgU/zA16udQMnGQ/s1600/IMG_7093.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Turn onto a lightly floured
cutting board and knead until smooth and elastic, about 2 minutes. This part
was fun, I like kneading dough. My dough was a bit wet, so I sprinkled a bit of
flour on top.<span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<b>2: Simmering Liquid:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Combine all Simmering
Liquid ingredients in large sauce pan. I use a 2 1/2 quart pot and it is a bit
tight, but still fine.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>3: Cut the seitan dough into four pieces.<span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
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Add dough to pot of
simmering liquid. Bring to a boil and then lower heat and simmer for one hour
turning occasionally. (I had a screaming baby at this point so it boiled a bit
more than it should and it only got stirred twice, it was still fine).<span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Turn off heat and allow to
cool in liquid. I just left it right on the stove.<span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Once it was cool and I had
a minute to myself I put the seitan in containers. <o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Each quarter of the dough
fits in a small plastic pint container (I reuse ones from our local Chinese
restaurant). Store the seitan in its simmering liquid. We use one pint per
meal, so I save one for the week, and freeze the rest. Then I have seitan for
one month. <span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Sometimes one piece will be
bigger than the rest, that is pretty normal.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
I also like to save any
remaining simmering liquid for any soups or stocks I might need. There is a lot
of flavor in it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
There you have it, four
pints of seitan for a fraction of the price you might pay in stores. This
recipe is also quite easy to double, and I will have to do that next time
because I promised to bring some homemade seitan to a friend. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
I think the homemade
version is so much better. In stores it comes cut up, and I never like how they
do it, and the taste is not quite as good either. With our version we can cut
up the seitan as we like, depending on the recipe. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>4. Use in your favorite recipe. <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Many chicken and tofu
recipes can be made with seitan instead (you just might have to play with the
flavors. Seitan does not have a strong flavor on it's own) Try: <a href="http://www.peasandcrayons.com/2014/02/baked-chicken-fried-tofu.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">[Baked!] Chicken Fried Tofu</span></a> over
at <a href="http://www.peasandcrayons.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Peas and Crayons</span></a> (I love her) but use
seitan instead. So good (but not vegan: be warned). <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I made a vegetarian stew
from one of my favorite Mooswood cookbooks, and added cubes of our seitan. It
was delicious, easy, and a one pot meal. Maybe I will give you guys that recipe
(I adapt it) another time. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Seitan is a great protein
alternative. Sure you can eat beans and rice for protein, but why when you can
eat something so much better? I always thought seitan was only something
"rich" vegetarians could eat, but now I see that it is quite
attainable for anyone. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Go, make seitan, and
embrace a new kind of vegetarian protein, or meat, alternative. And once you
have tried it, come back and let me know what you think.<span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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"https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2BiRfuGYGbM/Ux3jHSuOAGI/AAAAAAAAChE/TGuZkCB8gTU/s1600/IMG_7151.JPG" -->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18302082836623447810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587528846326607714.post-72392546087094544842014-03-03T17:29:00.000-05:002014-03-03T17:29:16.115-05:00My Baby Paul Arjun<br />
I have not written a blog post in a couple of months (not including the one I just wrote on cranberries). Any guesses why? If you said because I had a baby, you are right (and you have been following my sporadic posts pretty well).<br />
<br />
Meet Paul Arjun Santos.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uX07KIlJHWU/UxSfgUf8P_I/AAAAAAAACfQ/euY5oKkMlq4/s1600/IMG_6493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uX07KIlJHWU/UxSfgUf8P_I/AAAAAAAACfQ/euY5oKkMlq4/s1600/IMG_6493.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
My beautiful baby boy was born November 24th, 2013. He was a whopping 9 lbs, 21 inches!<br />
<br />
The name Paul came from my father who passed away in 2010. Arjun is a nod to my India background. Arjun (or Arjuna, with an "A") is a Hindu warrior from their sacred texts.<br />
<br />
I had the birth at home. This was a very personal decision, and it was not made lightly. My hubby was a little skeptical at first, but once he understood how professional my midwife took everything he knew this was the best way for us. I'm not going to talk about the benefits of home-birth (there is enough info on the web about that) but I will say that I'm very glad I did it this way.<br />
<br />
My birth went very well, it was quick and exactly how I wanted it. My midwife, doula, and everyone at the birth were so great. I love them all! Thank you!!!!<br />
<br />
Baby Paul is now three months old. So here is a quick montage of his growth and changes.<br />
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Paul at birth. He is about ten minutes old in the shot above.<div>
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This one was about a week after his birth.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cgdiwpq6a6k/UxSfiUgVFWI/AAAAAAAACfk/elPwqzG-rSg/s1600/2013-12-13+12.10.29-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cgdiwpq6a6k/UxSfiUgVFWI/AAAAAAAACfk/elPwqzG-rSg/s1600/2013-12-13+12.10.29-1.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Again about a week later, he had some baby acne.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Paul at one month.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vv7pgkV1gZk/UxSfeRFuZPI/AAAAAAAACe8/oM4hUl2_QVQ/s1600/IMG_6735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vv7pgkV1gZk/UxSfeRFuZPI/AAAAAAAACe8/oM4hUl2_QVQ/s1600/IMG_6735.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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I got those stickers at Babies R Us. I like to keep track.<br />
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Paul at two months old.<br />
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You can see he has gotten some more expression in his face and body. I also started taking a photo with him lying down on the bed. I love the gold background.<br />
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Finally, Paul just last week (three months old).<br />
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The shot above just made me laugh. So I added it. I have others of him in the chair that are a little more "cute" not so funny.<br />
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<br />
He was not in such a playful mood this time.<br />
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What an amazing gift it is to have a baby. This little boy is so cute, so sweet and he just warms my heart with every smile and snuggle. I absolutely love him with every fiber of my being. They say you won't understand until you have one and "they" are right.<br />
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My life is now all about diapers, spit up, sleep habits of babies and trying to stay sane in it all. The cold, snowy winter has not made it any easier. But, I have made some new "mom" friends as I call them. They are all nice ladies.<br />
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I'm working on his nursery (he still sleeps in our room right now), a book of all the cards he got over his gestation, and I made the cutest family tree. All of these projects will eventually become blog posts. Lets see how it goes. I would really like to get at least one blog post a week going regularly again. Wish me luck.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18302082836623447810noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587528846326607714.post-68994076765891310952014-02-18T11:02:00.004-05:002014-02-18T11:02:54.523-05:00Cranberry Recipes I Can't Wait to Try<br />
I love cranberries. I have always loved them. When I was a kid, it was my job to make the cranberry sauce, and I loved to do it because I got to "taste" along the way. My mom was always warning me not to 'taste" it all.To this day I eat cranberry sauce with a spoon. When I taught in India, I always made sure I had some dried cranberries packed in my suitcase from home.<br />
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So as soon as cranberries hit the stores in November, I stock up. Each time I shop I make sure to throw a couple bags of cranberries in my cart. Many recipes indicate that stores will have cranberries in the freezer isle, but I can never find them in my area. I can't understand why stores don't carry them all year. Unlike most people. I like my cranberries all year long. I have been known to eat a can of cranberry sauce in July. Lucky for me they freeze well. I just throw the whole bag in the freezer for later.<br />
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My love of Cranberries combined with my love of baking has led me to find several cranberry recipes I would like to try. Because of the new addition to the family, (more on that later, I have to rewrite the post due to a saving problem) I have only been able to make one of these recipes, but I hope to make many more. I might even make one this week.<br />
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<h3>
Cranberry Orange Bread</h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://homecookingmemories.com/cranberry-orange-bread/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FtB2R0k3eIk/UwJ8M64Lm6I/AAAAAAAACdc/XPR9UatSRoU/s1600/Cranberry-Orange-Bread-3.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on the picture to get to the link</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I made this bread twice in a one week, and only a couple of weeks after the birth of my little one. It was that good. I ate the first loaf pretty much by myself - in a couple of hours.<br />
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Don't be fooled, this quick bread does not rise much. When I saw how full my loaf pan was from the batter I thought maybe it was a double loaf, then had two very short loafs instead.<br />
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I love that this cake has LOTS of cranberries.<br />
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<h3>
Cranberry Clementine Coconut Bars</h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.healthyseasonalrecipes.com/cranberry-clementine-coconut-bars/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LKYauMGjvMM/UwJ8MS8oJvI/AAAAAAAACdI/Vr47g-3KZUA/s1600/cranberry-clementine-coconut-bar-S-097.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on the picture to get to the link</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
These bars are next on my list. They not only look amazing, they sound amazing. Cranberries, coconut and clementines? Sounds divine to me. I have pined this twice on Pinterest, that means I really need to try it.<br />
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<h3>
Cranberry Bread Pudding</h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/cranberry-bread-pudding?keycode=ZPIN1012" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3oachLYdj7w/UwJ8NG5NjuI/AAAAAAAACdU/N4D9rUFGnvA/s1600/exps21510_FB2742780A04_20_3b.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on the picture to get to the link</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I admit, bread pudding is an acquired taste. I believe being brought up by my Australian mother has given me that taste. The kind of taste that likes bread all soggy and mushy. After years of watching me dunk my toast and cookies in my tea my husband said to me: "You know you don't have to dunk everything in your tea." It was not a question. It was a statement from an American who never thought to dunk anything but cookies in milk, and maybe the occasional biscotti.<br />
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I would like to make bread pudding for my husband, because after nine years with me, he does sometimes dunk a cookie in his tea. Unfortunately, this is not the one. Hubby does not like cranberries.<br />
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This cranberry bread pudding would be fun Christmas morning, or any morning for that matter. :)<br />
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<h3>
Cranberry Tart</h3>
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I'm not good at tarts. I'm not sure why. I can do pies, I can do cookies, I can do cakes, I can even do souffles, but tarts escape me. I hope to tackle this tart one day. Heck, I hope to make a sucessful tart one day of any sort. It sure looks good.<br />
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Cranberry Red Wine Sorbet</h3>
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I love me some wine, add cranberries and I'm in heaven. I have been wanting to make red wine sorbet for quite a while. Maybe this recipe will inspire me to actually make it.<br />
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Cranberry and Orange Flavored Vodka</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/313818/cranberry-and-orange-vodka" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ek9_uljbi0E/UwJ8OGwUsKI/AAAAAAAACdo/_xXk-0OrAHs/s1600/4056_120208_vodka_xl.jpg" height="320" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
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In true Martha Stewart fashion this recipe not only sounds good, but it is well packaged. This vodka would be fun to make as gifts for my lady-friends at Christmas. It even comes with a <a href="http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/web/pdfs/2008Q4/tv_cranberry_cosmo_tag.pdf" target="_blank">Cranberry Cosmopolitan Cocktail Tag</a> to print with the vodka.<br />
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My taste for cranberry deserts and drinks has matured, but my appetite for cranberries has not. As the cold February wears on there is nothing I want more than some nice bright cranberries in my diet.<br />
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What childhood foods do you still love (if in new ways)?<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18302082836623447810noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587528846326607714.post-79789718978803092682013-11-18T10:00:00.000-05:002013-11-18T10:00:09.318-05:00Christmas Wrapping Themes <br />
I have been seeing a lot of different themes for wrapping Christmas gifts on <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/Dbychance/boards/">Pinterest</a> which reminded me of my own Christmas gift wrapping themes I have done over the past two years.<br />
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It turns out I have wrapped the gifts, made labels, and photographed these themes for two years, but I only wrote an actual blog post about <a href="http://designedbychance.blogspot.com/2011/12/just-in-time-for-christmas.html">one of them</a>. So this year I have two different themes for Christmas presents I want to present: Red and White, and Brown Paper with Baking Twine. Both have handmade labels.<br />
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Brown Paper with Baking Twine Wrapping Theme</h3>
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This theme was fun. I already had plenty of brown paper from a huge roll I bought at a clearance sale for an office supply store. By the way, buying that huge roll of paper was one of the best impulse purchases in my life. I have used it as drop cloths for painting, and <a href="http://designedbychance.blogspot.com/2011/04/suprise-for-my-two-favorite-little-ones.html">table covers</a> that can be drawn on among many other uses. </div>
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I then added a touch of class with the red and white baker's twine. I used a double thickness of the twine to really make it pop. </div>
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Each gift had a tag with the recipient's initial on it. I printed the initials on card-stock and then punched the labels out with my hand puncher.</div>
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I really love the look of these gifts with their labels and the baker's twine. Baker's twine is so much fun. I may have chosen this theme so I had an excuse to buy the twine. ;)</div>
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Red and White Wrapping Theme</h3>
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Last year I decided to go with normal wrapping paper in red and white. I wanted to make the gifts a little more festive and less "1940's book package." The previous year was fun, but I wanted to get a little more traditional.</div>
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I used several predominantly red papers, white ribbon and black lettered labels. </div>
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With the new addition of my nephew last year I had to add a second letter to my labels (we now have two family members with the first initial "A".) I used the same label punch with red paper. If had a color printer I would have done white card-stock with red initials for the red presents, but our color printer died earlier that year. </div>
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To compliment the red presents I also wrapped some of them with white paper and red ribbon. This was not as successful because the white paper needs to be doubled over if you don't want the gift showing through. I'm not sure what happened to the rest of the presents wrapped in white, but I didn't get any pictures of them.</div>
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I also had a lot more presents last year. I bought a bunch of little presents to go with the big ones. So I had to get a little creative with the red paper. In the end I used some pure red, and some red with Santa. It worked out well.</div>
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I think the red is nice and festive under our tree. This year I'm all ready for the next theme with wrapping paper, but I have to think about the labels and ribbon.</div>
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Do you like to wrap your Christmas (or Hanukkah) presents with one theme of do you have a different system all together? Or maybe no system at all?</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18302082836623447810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587528846326607714.post-50556107054083446052013-11-11T09:00:00.000-05:002013-11-11T09:00:00.434-05:00Wine Charms Number 2<br />
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I <i>really</i> love to make these wine charms. They are like little jewels that you can put on your glasses. I made a set about a year ago. Then this winter I started a set for my friend's birthday. It took me a long time to finish them, but once I did, I had to do another photo shoot. Go <a href="http://designedbychance.blogspot.com/2012/10/diy-wine-charms.html">here</a> for the full instructions to make your own.<br />
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What I like about these guys is that each is different, each is special and each one actually feels as great as they look. The resin layers on both sides protects the decoupage and adds a bit of class.<br />
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This time around I used all gold glitter and numbers for the "back" and some really beautiful paper for the front. My friend loves the color blue, so I made half of them with blue tones, and the other half with red. I always imagine my friend's hubby would like the red ones.<br />
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For the final touch I also made a little case. I recycled an old card I had for the cover. I first added a single layer of card-stock to hide the impression from the "Altoids" box. I then glued the old card for the design. After gluing it with Mod Podge I coated the whole thing with more resin.<br />
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I'm not sure if you can tell in these pictures but there is a good layer of thick resin on top of this box. I managed to eliminate the "Altoids" impression and make a nice cover for the box. I also love that the gold in the paper carried through to the gold on the backs of the charms.<br />
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I decided not to paint the rest of the box. It looked good enough and I was late on my gift.<br />
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The simple silver ring holds them onto the glass stem.<br />
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These little guys are not so cheap to make. I thought about selling them but they would probably not sell for even the cost of supplies. Instead only very special people get them. I must say, they are worth the work for a loved one. In the end they look so beautiful.<br />
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Even though my birthday gift was six months late, my friend was very excited to get this little gift (or she was just very gracious, she <i>is</i> quite a gracious lady). Let's hope I'm a little better with the timing next year. :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18302082836623447810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587528846326607714.post-91525423517585863992013-11-08T23:08:00.000-05:002013-11-08T23:08:25.893-05:00The Power of Sunshine<br />
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Getting the "Funk" Out of Old Shirts</h3>
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My husband likes to wear black undershirts to work. In fact, he really loves his little black shirts and wears them all the time. We buy the bags of shirts they sell at Target and he's happy. </div>
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The problem is that after a while the shirts develop a strange smell. A "funk" if you will. I don't leave his clothes in the washer wet, and my washer is not funky either. In fact, none of our other clothes have this funk at all. I don't even really smell it myself, but my husband swears that some shirts have it, and some don't. He does a smell test before he puts a shirt on, if the shirt has this funk, he puts it back in the drawer (that's a man's idea of fixing the problem I guess).</div>
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In the past we have thrown out the old shirts and just gone out and bought new ones. This year, with a little one on the way, I decided to try something new. Operation de-funk was under way one summer day (ha I'm a poet, JK, not really).</div>
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Step One: Wash</h4>
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I took all my hubby's shirts out of the drawer and washed them in the washer on high with both my <a href="http://designedbychance.blogspot.com/2011/03/lavender-laundry.html">home-made detergent</a> and a half cup of white vinegar for good measure. Vinegar is known for it's disinfecting properties. </div>
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Step Two: Dry</h4>
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Now, this is wear the "summer day" part of my plan comes in. Growing up, we always took our bedding out in the spring and put it in the sun. I was never sure why we did this, but my mom assured me this would help "air it out" and clean our mattresses and comforters. I didn't really have a choice, but they did smell better by the end of the day so I figured she was on to something. </div>
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Twenty years later, I'm reading the tag on my down comforter and it advises me to put the comforter in the sun twice a year. With a little research I found that the disinfecting power of the sun is a real thing, and my mom is not a nut-job that just liked to watch us drag our mattresses around every spring (sorry mom, I was a teenager).</div>
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With all this in mind, I took my husband's newly washed undershirts and hung them in the sun. </div>
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They hung out in the sun for most of the day. </div>
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Boy, do I love my <a href="http://designedbychance.blogspot.com/2012/10/free-standing-clothes-line.html">clothes line</a>, every time I look at it I'm happy (thanks hubby!). By the time I got around to taking these pictures the sun had gone behind the trees, but believe me, they were in the sun for at least a couple of hours. </div>
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Step Three: The Result</h4>
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I brought them in, and gave them to my hubby for the final test. Success! The funk was gone. Although I'm sure the vinegar helped, I KNOW the sunlight made the final step to really get those shirts clean and smelling good again. </div>
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I don't really like a lot of harsh chemicals or super smelly detergents, this proves they are not needed. It has been five months, I went back to washing them the normal way (with a dryer, not on the line). They still smell fine. </div>
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It's funny how it takes years to fully appreciate the knowledge your parents passed down to you as a child. Maybe because I'm having a child, I'm relearning all these little tricks. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18302082836623447810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587528846326607714.post-65110824113437308552013-10-10T13:08:00.002-04:002013-10-10T13:08:29.937-04:00Natural Cleaning Products<br />
Since I have gotten pregnant I have been looking for more natural cleaning products. I have to admit, I'm a bit of a cleaning product whore. I go through cleaning phases where I use only homemade natural products, and then I switched back to the chemical, and bleach based stuff. I just can't decide what is better.<br />
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Let me give you a little background. A while ago, I made my own cleaning sprays with vinegar, and sometimes I just mix a little Mrs. Meyer's floor cleaner with water for the counters.<br />
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This worked great for me, but over last winter we hired a cleaning lady to come once every two weeks and she liked to use the "normal" stuff, Windex, Clorox Bleach Spray, and Bona for the floors. This was ok, because I was not in the house when she cleaned. But I hated to come home to the smell of all those chemicals (although having someone else clean is a dream, I know that!).<br />
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Since I have now taken over the cleaning again I realized that some of the products she used, just hid the dirt and didn't really clean the house. The Bleach Spray was great for my kitchen sink, granted, but the Bona? Bona is a floor spray that you dry mop. My cleaning lady said this was better for the floors than water and any kind of "soap." But when I started to clean the floors myself I saw that this is just not true. When Bona was used the floors LOOKED clean, but instead the stuff just put a layer of "varnish-like-stuff" over my floors, under that shiny varnish was the same dirt. Over the summer I have spent hours scraping up bits of dirt that has collected over the eight months that we used Bona.<br />
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There is a lot of debate as the the best product to use on wood floors. Some swear by products like Pine Sol, or Murphy's Oil, and others swear they wear down the wood. I don't know the answers, and honestly, I'm just as confused as the next person. But I do know that when I have my little one, I don't want him or her to crawl around on a floor that is both covered with dirt and covered with a chemical varnish that hides said dirt.<br />
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Now that I'm bringing a baby into the world I really feel it is time to commit to some serious natural products. I have decided to go right back to the basics: water, vinegar, soap, and (because that's what my mom used) Tea Tree Oil.<br />
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Cleaning with soap, water and natural products just makes more sense to me. In this society we have reverted to so many "time saving" products that we end up coating out house in chemicals instead of really cleaning it. My mother always told me, and I have found the same info on countless medical sites as well, that the best way to disinfect something is with good old soap and water. We don't need crazy antibacterial products, or to spray our house within an inch of it's life with some chemical. Soap, water and your good.<br />
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Tea Tree Oil is a great essential oil to add to a natural cleaning product. I especially like it when I use vinegar, because the Tea Tree helps mask the vinegar smell until it can evaporate. Tea Tree Oil is also great because it is a natural disinfectant and repels bugs. Last summer we had a big ant problem. This spring when they started to come back, I washed all the floors in the house with Tea Tree oil in my mop water, and no more ants. They just left.<br />
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White vinegar is also a great disinfectant, and people eat it. I figure if people eat the product, it must be good. I have had a lot of luck with white vinegar as a cleaning product.<br />
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Another great, natural product is lemon. I often clean my wood cutting boards with lemon to get out the smell of garlic and onions. When my step mother had a problem with ants on her cutting boards I cleaned them with lemon and again, the ants stopped crawling on her wood cutting boards. I have started to experiment with making my own lemon infused white vinegar, and I will let you know how that works out next time I wash the floors.<br />
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So, from now on, I'm sticking to my new recipe. Until I get the next best idea and switch again, because I am a cleaning product whore after all.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18302082836623447810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587528846326607714.post-34261927959654807182013-09-19T16:58:00.001-04:002013-09-19T16:58:25.436-04:00Caulk The Bathroom Tub!<br />
When we moved into our house three years ago one of the first things we did was <a href="http://designedbychance.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-tubalmost.html">resurface the tub</a>. It was really bad. <br />
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The problem with the resurface job was that the guy took off all the caulk and did not replace it. Don't get me wrong, he was a really nice guy, he just couldn't caulk until the tub dried for three days. I was not about to pay him to come back, and he assured me it was easy to do. <br />
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I caulked the tub and was done. Problem was, this was my first time caulking and I did not let the tub dry fully. I just wanted to get it done. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ok, before I describe my <i>caulking</i> experience I have to say this. I can't say <i><b>caulk</b></i> without giggling a little. Hubby and I are always making crude <i>caulk</i> jokes. I'm sure you can imagine. I will save you from our childish banter.</span><br />
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Eventually the caulk cracked. I left it for way too long, the caulk and wall got moldy. I continued to leave it.<br />
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Every day I would look at the cracked, moldy caulk and think "I should do something about that!" But I left it. <br />
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Then I got pregnant, and my mom was scheduled to come over from Australia. Mom has a severe allergy to mold. I also hated the idea of my baby being exposed to all that mold, even in utero. So I finally decided to re-caulk the tub. <br />
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This time I decided to do it right. <br />
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I scraped off the old caulk. I used a handy little tool that was designed just for this purpose, and it worked great. Some of the new enamel did come up, but I don't think it was too bad. The gunk that came out of those cracks was not pretty. <br />
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I then sprayed a solution of water and bleach onto the cracks. I left it to do its work for a while. After about twenty minutes I then wiped off the bleach and water. <br />
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Not wanting to make the same mistake, and apply the caulk to soon after it was wet, I went out and visited a friend for a couple of hours. Waiting at home for the tub to dry was not going to work. Three hours later I was refreshed from a visit and some good Italian food, and I could caulk. <br />
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Caulking is not that hard. The resurface-tub-guy was right. Once the tub was dry I had much better success with my caulk. The main idea is to put the caulk in the crack and the smooth it over. <br />
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I found that using my slightly moistened finger to smooth over the caulk was the best option. <br />
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I then used a wet paper towel to clean up the edges. I have seen that some people use painters tape to get perfect edges on their caulk, but that was just too much work for me. I also used my finger to spread the caulk over some exposed edges of the new ceramic layer that had peeled. The problem with the resurface job is that if it cracks it just starts to peel off. We have an area around the drain that is peeling. One of these days we will have to resurface it again. I might do it myself next time. I don't think it is that hard. <br />
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The worst part of the whole caulking job is the waiting. Waiting for the tub to dry, and now, waiting for the caulk to dry. We went away early the next day, so this was not too bad. One tip I have to remember for next time is that caulk tends to shrink a bit as it dries, so leave more caulk than you think you need.<br />
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Two months later, the caulk is holding strong. <br />
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I'm very happy. The caulk is holding well. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18302082836623447810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587528846326607714.post-6757006135515033702013-09-02T20:32:00.001-04:002013-09-02T20:32:30.520-04:00Review: Individual Seven Layer Dip <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For my husband's birthday this year I made <a href="http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2011/12/individual-seven-layer-dips.html">Individual Seven Layer Dips</a> by <a href="http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/">The Girl Who Ate Everything</a>. <br />
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I found the recipe on <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/178947785165141410/">Pinterest</a> and have been quite keen to try it. They look amazing and I have always been bothered by the fact that when you try to eat a seven layer dip from a big bowl it makes a big mess and is just not that good. All-in-all this looked like the perfect solution. <br />
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I was very happy with the results. I followed Christy's recipe almost completely. I didn't have time to make my own guacamole so I went to a local store that sold fresh guacamole. I am really not a fan of that stuff you buy in the grocery stores that come in a vacuum bag and is florescent green. <br />
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I also put a little less of the taco seasoning because I only had hot and did not want it to be too hot for the guests. <br />
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Overall, this was a easy recipe. The most time consuming part is just assembling them. I put all the cups out and just did each layer in a assembly line fashion. <br />
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The dip was a big hit with the guests. The combination of flavors is really quite good. I, myself, ate the leftover dip for about three days. They made a great snack. <br />
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I found that the dip kept very well. The layers seal each other in quite well and even the guacamole does not get discolored. In the future, I will prepare the recipe the day before. Just keep in mind that the tortilla chips get soggy when placed in the dip, so save that until the day of. <br />
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In the end, this is a great appetizer to make for any party. I might try making more little layers of food, maybe strawberries and pound cake or chocolate pudding and other yummy stuff. I'll have to think about it.<br />
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Go, make <a href="http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2011/12/individual-seven-layer-dips.html">this recipe</a>, and know that it is supper yummy. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18302082836623447810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587528846326607714.post-85222352054838966532013-07-29T21:23:00.000-04:002013-07-29T21:23:45.631-04:00Small Closet Upgarde<br />
So many details in my house just seem wrong. I'm not going to go into the long list of little jobs that were not completed very well, but lets just say that I am still fixing things when this house was only renovated five years ago. <br />
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One detail has been bothering me since the day I moved in: the closet in my bedroom. First, it is tiny, but that is not anyone's fault, there just is not a lot of room in that room for a closet (it was kind of an afterthought).<br />
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But the part that kills me is that the rod for my clothes was installed from the front to the back of the closet instead of across the width. This gave me about two-thirds less space to hang my clothes in an already small closet. You can tell in the shot above that there is no rod or shelf across the top. The rod and shelf is off to the left just behind that wall with the heart. <br />
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The closet was also never primed or painted. For a long time I had dreams of installing a pink damask pattern in that little closet and I know it would have looked fabulous, but after years of searching it is just not that easy to find wallpaper that is both nice and not too expensive. If anyone has any ideas as to where I can find some nice wallpaper remnants I'm all ears. <br />
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In the end, I just painted the closet with some "oops" paint I had in the basement from my days of buying "oops" paint (the hubby discourages me from buying it anymore because we have so much paint in our basement and we need to control the clutter). My "oops" paint was a blue exterior paint with a primer right in it. I figured that would do. My mother-in-law, who actually did the painting because I'm pregnant and not supposed to inhale the fumes, kept asking me if the color was alright. It's a closet. We both figured it does not really matter because no one sees it but me (and my readers, hehe). <br />
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So we (really she) painted, the hubby and I installed the new rod, cut to fit the right way, and we even got a nice shelf up to hold all my purses. (It's a good thing I'm not really a huge purse and shoe person, because any more stuff would not fit. <br />
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Here is my after. Everything is off the floor. Clothes hanging the right way. Even our little shelf. I decided not to go crazy organizing the shelf. It is just a pile of bags in bags (to protect them). <br />
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Now, a couple of tricks I have learned along the way. <br />
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1) Use all the same coat hangers! My wonderful God mother taught me this one. Boy was she right! When you use all the same coat hangers, your clothes look better, the closet looks better, and life is better. You will thank me later. (We have been watching a lot of Monk, an old T.V. show, and he Monk, says that all the time.)<br />
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By mistake when we bought these coat hangers, which are supposed to take up less space, we got both gold and silver ones. I try to keep the silver ones in here only, but sometimes a gold one slips in. I love the way this looks. My clothes may not all match like some Ikea commercial (BTW, have you seen the one where the whole closet is full of yellow clothes? How could someone live like that? Yellow?), but my closet does look better for a real person who wears all sorts of different clothes. <br />
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2) Hang a tie rack behind your clothes for belts and scarves. <br />
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Ok, I totally read that tip in a magazine somewhere, but they were right. It is a brilliant way to store your unused items waiting for just the right outfit. I'm not a huge user of accessories, but I always want to be. So I have a pretty large selection of belts that needed a home. I also hang my little party purse here for special occasions. <br />
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I do not hang my scarves there for the simple reason that I have too many. After living in India for so long, I have a huge collection, and I prefer to put them where I can see them and use them a little more often. In my baskets. You can real all about my basket and old closet reorganization on the post <a href="http://designedbychance.blogspot.com/2012/08/cleaning-out-closet.html">Cleaning Out the Closet</a>.<br />
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The new configuration of my little closet is so much better. Once I'm back to a normal size I can't wait to have all my favorite dresses in there to look at and admire (if not wear, because I will have a baby). Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18302082836623447810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587528846326607714.post-10918413282014777142013-07-18T10:00:00.000-04:002013-07-18T10:00:00.479-04:00Yellow Wedding <br />
An old friend of mine had a beautiful wedding a couple of weeks ago. .<br />
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My friend decided to do her wedding in yellow and black. The bridesmaids wore long black dresses (and one fabulous pant suit). They looked positively fabulous beside the black tuxes of the groomsmen and under the bright white Chuppah. It was an amazing ceremony. <br />
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I did not get any shots of the bridal party or the beautiful bride, because I don't like to wander around a wedding with my big old Cannon. I leave the real photography to the wedding photographer, who was so sweet and kind, by the way. <br />
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I did get some great shots of the details before the wedding. <br />
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I did not capture the beauty of these flowers. They were a soft butter color and so amazing. The florist told me my friend had known for two years she wanted yellow roses. It was brilliant. The yellow really brightened the location and made it look really nice. <br />
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The favors were Grappa (I believe) that was made right on location. The labels represent both the last names of the bride and groom. I'm looking forward to when I can have a drink again and see how this stuff tastes. <br />
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The seating cards were a nice touch. They used corks from the winery which the groom and wedding party carved themselves. The cards looked great all lined up. <br />
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One choice that my friend made was that she hired many friends and vendors who are known in our home town. I loved that the florist, baker, and judge were all friends who were also invited to the wedding. They all did an amazing job and the personal touch was really nice. <br />
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I met the lady who made these cupcakes (she sat at my table) and she has an amazing way with baked goods. I had the lemon cupcake and it was sooooo divine. <br />
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I really love this shot. The light is just right, and light is what everything is about with photography. It speaks for its self. <br />
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Here's a shot of the reception venue. <br />
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Like I said, the yellow centerpieces really brightened it up. <br />
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To end: I did get a shot of the bride, but only her toes. I wanted to show off her "something blue" toenails. <br />
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I just love the toes, and the shoes. My friend has fabulous taste, she did go to F.I.T. after all. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18302082836623447810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587528846326607714.post-3901483990730740362013-07-15T19:07:00.001-04:002013-07-15T19:07:49.835-04:00Back Deck Vegetable Garden<br />
Ok, I am coming to terms with the limitations of my own nature. This is what I have learned: I'm not terribly organized, I don't like to clean, (but I like a clean house), and I am not good at weeding the garden. <br />
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I also like fresh vegetables and I want to grow my own. Since I don't do weeding well, I decided to do my vegetables in pots, on my deck. I got flowers and herbs to grow on the deck last year, so I should be able to grow some veggies. <br />
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I went with some of the easier vegetables to grow. I got tomatoes, basil, cucumbers, peppers, and zucchini. <br />
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When the hubby and I were looking for pots, we priced out quite a few. Now, I would love to tell you that I got top-of-the-line porcelain, but the large pots like that were very expensive. Instead, we went with, very simple, plastic pots that look like terracotta but were a quarter of the cost. <br />
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Just for perspective here is a shot with my toes, so you can see just how large the pots really are. They need to be pretty big for the vegetables to grow (and I think my toes are cute).<br />
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Terracotta would be better because it holds the moisture and keeps the plants' roots cool. If you can, go with terracotta. Maybe next year we will get one or two and build up our collection. <br />
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I took the base off our pots and made them into little stands to keep the pots off the deck. I did this because the pots were not draining well with them attached. With any potted plants, you want to make sure the water drains well. <br />
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I lined the pots with rocks because just as important as drainage is, you have to be careful not to lose your dirt while the water drains. <br />
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I then added organic potting soil. I'm not always crazy about my soil being organic, but because I'm growing food to eat, I want my plants to have good organic soil. (FYI, for flowers I actually like Miracle Grow, they do a great job with flowers). <br />
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This soil has a nice combination of nutrients and whatever else soil needs. I just think it looks good. <br />
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I decided to put a few plants in each pot. I had to try out my groupings. <br />
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I gave the zucchini a pot all to it's self. Those plants get big. I then planted the little plants, gave them water, and let them so their thing. <br />
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Now, these plants have been pretty tortured by the time I got them in the soil. A couple of days later, and they perked right up. <br />
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Here is a couple shots of the plants about a week or two after I planted them. <br />
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You can see that the zucchini above is doing very well. Even with out being watered for a couple of days, this plant has lots of blossoms which means lots of zucchini too. <br />
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Above and bellow are my tomato and basil. They are both doing well. This is so exciting. I'm kind of an urban farmer in the country. You know, because I have a deck garden but I do actually live in the country. Maybe one day I will be up for a real vegetable garden in the ground (or maybe my big sister will come and do one for me.). hehe<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0x4ba3avHNzxTna7HkVrXU9MY0U2mza4QYp8nMEgSTHtejn28TD_V_-0tT-4IIsZ6JP6n_3SLgMhXfyIWRSZu9CjUH4RvUdf0EJp90IZyYhI926oHDf5qQxP4FD-ZYH3eW_-DHzRF1xk/s1600/IMG_5858.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0x4ba3avHNzxTna7HkVrXU9MY0U2mza4QYp8nMEgSTHtejn28TD_V_-0tT-4IIsZ6JP6n_3SLgMhXfyIWRSZu9CjUH4RvUdf0EJp90IZyYhI926oHDf5qQxP4FD-ZYH3eW_-DHzRF1xk/s320/IMG_5858.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'm really looking forward to picking my own home grown tomatoes and making a quick salad with the basil that goes with it. Hubby is excited about his peppers, and I hope to get a least one large zucchini for zucchini fritters (if I can stop myself from eating all the flowers, hehe)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18302082836623447810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587528846326607714.post-8594448243549133402013-06-01T14:43:00.000-04:002013-06-01T14:43:23.320-04:00Baby Bump Update<br />
Well, not much happening on the craft front. In fact, I'm beginning to miss it, a lot. I'm not sure what craft I will do next, but I have some ideas. <br />
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The last couple of months have been quite stressful. We had to evict a tenant next door and she was quite difficult. I'm happy to say that she moved out today and we changed the locks. It is good to have her gone. Now that <i>that </i>pest is out of the way, I hope to focus on more fun stuff. Tomorrow I will have a friend over for the first time since I found out I was pregnant. I'm making Quiche and maybe some fruit. Who knows, maybe I will go all out. I even made some lemon sorbet so we might have that for desert. <br />
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I gathered my baby bump photos, cropped them down and now I have them to show all of you. The first two you saw, but the last one is quite exciting. You can actually see my little bump. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BXHC5t_mecg/Uao_F-td0uI/AAAAAAAACNk/DE8SLr1Uq-M/s1600/IMG_5669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BXHC5t_mecg/Uao_F-td0uI/AAAAAAAACNk/DE8SLr1Uq-M/s320/IMG_5669.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Month 2</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Month 3</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CvXXIz6_eD0/Uao4UhkvIbI/AAAAAAAACM8/s1vn9J4KNh4/s1600/IMG_5682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CvXXIz6_eD0/Uao4UhkvIbI/AAAAAAAACM8/s1vn9J4KNh4/s320/IMG_5682.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Month 4</td></tr>
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That last one was taken on a very sunny day (no, that is not all pregnancy glow, hehe). I kind of like the saturated light look. I fiddled with the lighting of the other two. It is not so easy to get the same lighting on a different month. Ah <a href="http://pinterest.com/Dbychance/boards/">Pinterest,</a> I blame you for all the great photos of baby bumps I have seen!<br />
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In other baby news ... I'm getting the crib I have been dreaming of since before this little avocado (the baby's size this week) was conceived. I will go to pick it up tomorrow. What a blessing. A woman I met at yoga gave it to me. Maybe this crib will inspire a nursery design board. <br />
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I'll try to take photos of the quiche and the process.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18302082836623447810noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587528846326607714.post-83726129267160364692013-04-28T10:27:00.001-04:002013-04-28T10:27:13.663-04:00Big News!!!!<br />
Infrequent blog posts, no craft projects, and just generally, nothing much on my end of the internet. I have been a really crummy blogger. I'm sorry, but <i>I have a really good excuse</i>. <br />
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I'm pregnant!!!!!! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I took three tests just to be sure.</td></tr>
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Yup, preggers, knocked up, bun in the oven. And I have to say, it has been <i>rough</i>. People say you get tired when your pregnant, but I had no idea until it happened. I'm not just tired,<i> I'm done</i>. I can do nothing. All I want to do is sleep and eat. I actually called my midwife almost in tears because I was so tired I thought there was something wrong with me. This is my first baby so everything is new. <br />
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It does not help that I work eight hours a day and spend another two driving to and from work. That leaves very little time for cooking, cleaning, and shopping for groceries. With the extra sleep time I need now, I just don't have the energy or time to craft and blog. <br />
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Anyway, I'm in the last week of my first trimester and I'm beginning to feel better. As my midwife assured me, once I have a placenta it will help me do some of the work. I'm counting on that. <br />
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So, on to the fun stuff. <br />
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The week I found out I took this picture:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">March 23, 2013</td></tr>
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One month later I took this one. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">April 20, 2013</td></tr>
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I'm not sure if there really is a difference. Can you tell?<br />
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In an attempt to anticipate any questions you may have, here is my info. <br />
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I'm due on November 16, (my mother's birthday!). <br />
I'm not going to find out the sex. <br />
I'm planning a home birth (and very excited about it). <br />
I have had so many crazy food cravings. Mexican is out (most of the time) and cheese is in. Indian is really the only kind of food I want to eat, and for desert ... rhubarb pie lots and lots of rhubarb pie. I even froze some rhubarb in case I need some later in the summer (do you know how hard it is to find rhubarb? It's here for a week and then it's gone.) <br />
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I would love to hear your stories about pregnancy. The more I know the better. So lay it on me. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18302082836623447810noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587528846326607714.post-43610695055935893472013-04-04T07:00:00.000-04:002013-04-04T07:00:09.348-04:00Quick Table Runner<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4UDc_cXBAE/UVOPSlqnFkI/AAAAAAAACEQ/R5pQOnnSD3s/s1600/IMG_5503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4UDc_cXBAE/UVOPSlqnFkI/AAAAAAAACEQ/R5pQOnnSD3s/s400/IMG_5503.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I had some friends over for dinner a couple of weeks ago and right before they came over I decided to make this table runner. <br />
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I got this fabric before we moved into this house in 2010. Jeff and I saw it in Millerton near our old house. As soon as I found it I knew I wanted it. But the fabric was $50 a yard!!!! I know that is nuts, but the fabric is just so nice. <br />
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With a yard and half in hand I asked Jeff's very talented grandmother to help me make cushions We bonded. It was nice. <br />
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I had a bit of fabric left and had plans to me a table runner, but never got up the nerve. With fabric so expensive it was hard for me to cut it. <br />
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In the end, I did cut the fabric and I did make the table runner. I learned one quick tip. Don't forget to match up the designs on the fabric before you cut up the fabric. I lost a couple of inches along each end because I forgot that I had to line up the design. Instead of twelve inches in width they came out more at ten or eleven, but I really like that the two extra pieces on each end are properly lined so that the design runs correctly. (I might be a bit nuts about that? I'm really not sure.) If you look closely you can see the seam in the picture above. <br />
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I think the way the dining room looks with my new table runner. I wish I could have used this fabric for the curtains (and maybe not the runner, I don't want it too matchy-matchy). I'm still on the lookout for a good patterned fabric for the curtains.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18302082836623447810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587528846326607714.post-33533808985526462812013-04-01T07:00:00.000-04:002013-04-01T07:00:12.754-04:00Finally Fixed My Bottles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In the old days of my blog writing (2011, wow that was a long time ago) I made <a href="http://designedbychance.blogspot.com/2011/03/not-so-simple-bottle-project.html">these jars</a>. You really should take a look at that old post. The process was quite complicated and long, but I really liked how they turned out. The problem was that I could not write on the jars because the regular chalk would just scratch off the paint. <br />
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Well, with my new chalk pen, I can now write on my jars with ease. I'm so excited and glad that I kept a few. I had five originally but I guess I got rid of two because I can only find three now. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{I didn't have time to write anything on the bottles before I took this shot, <br />but you can use your imagination}</td></tr>
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I love them. I may have to make more. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18302082836623447810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587528846326607714.post-82914701497252109262013-03-28T06:00:00.000-04:002013-03-28T06:00:07.226-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I made my own cup sleeves. I made several of them, in several sizes. I got the idea from Martha (...she has good ideas). But <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/274866/valentines-day-crafts/@center/276967/valentines-day">Martha's cup sleeves</a> are pink and have hearts. I was not ready for hearts and pink. Not first thing in the morning. So I made mine blue with a nice grey stars. </div>
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I'm happy. I like them. In some way, I feel that every time I use one I am helping the earth just a little. Just before I made these I got a call from an environmental organization. They called me to ask for more money to stop Starbucks from using so many disposable cups. I have to say, I didn't give them any money. I just don't know how they are going to stop Starbucks from using disposable cups. How would that work? <br />
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So, since I'm not helping fight the evil Starbucks (no, I don't think Starbucks is really evil at all), I figured I would help the environment in my own way. <br />
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So here's what I did. <br />
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I printed the template from Martha...<br />
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it did not help. I like a nice big cup of coffee in the morning. I had to make my own template. <br />
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I decided the best plan of action was to use a sleeve that I already knew would fit. <br />
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A Starbucks sleeve is a good size, but I wanted my sleeve to be wider. <br />
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I widened the sleeve with chalk on the felt. <br />
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*Here's a tip - fold the fabric in half before you cut. That way you will have an even width around the whole sleeve. <br />
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I used pinking sheers to get a nice zig-zag design (it also prevents fraying, not a huge problem with felt but good to do anyway). <br />
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I pinned the sleeve to the cup to get a nice fit, then sewed up the sleeve, trimmed the extra fabric. Now the basic sleeve is done. All I need is a little "bling."<br />
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I cut out a couple of grey stars. It kind of reminds me of a summer night with the fading light in the sky and the stars coming out. <br />
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I used fabric glue to attach the stars. <br />
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I placed the star so that if I hold the cup with my right hand the star shows on the other side. <br />
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I'm happy. I really need to make some more. This is a great way to use up some of my left over felt. I'm thinking new colors and new shapes. I wish I had wool felt, that would be really cool. What colors and embellishments would you like?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18302082836623447810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587528846326607714.post-23897292853419729182013-03-18T07:00:00.000-04:002013-03-18T07:00:01.161-04:00Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I saw this recipe a couple of years a go in Martha Stewart Living (and yes, I know I just posted a MSL rant, but I still make her cakes and really, still like her) and kept it. Get the recipe <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/344240/rhubarb-upside-down-cake">here</a>. I save all the recipes that look really good to in my <a href="http://designedbychance.blogspot.com/2011/04/binding-binder.html">recipe binder</a> to remind myself make them. <br />
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I actually tried to make this recipe a couple of years ago, but had terrible results. I'm not sure what I did, but the cake never rose, and came out to be a wet, soggy mess. <br />
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I read somewhere that upside-down cakes were very popular at one time, and they were made with all different fruits. In our day, we are most familiar with the pineapple upside-down cake, but this cake only became popular in the 1950s because it was so easy to get pineapple in cans. I made a plumb upside-down cake once and it was good too. Wow, the possibilities are endless.<br />
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Because rhubarb is such a seasonal ingredient I can only make this cake when I see the rhubarb stalks in the grocery store. <br />
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Well, I saw them just a couple of weeks ago and decided to try the recipe again. <br />
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This cake is really special. It has the soft, wet rhubarb and butter at the bottom, then a nice cake layer, and finally a crumble layer on top. When it is baked you then flip the cake over (just like any upside-down cake) and you get them all in reverse. At first, I was not convinced that the crumb layer was important. It seemed excessive and unnecessary. I was wrong. The crumb layer adds a nice little bit of texture to the cake. I lost quite a bit of the crumb layer transferring the cake from the wire rack, to cool, to the cake stand, but it was still good. <br />
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<h4>
Tips for Making the Cake</h4>
As far as the instructions go, I have a few tips. <br />
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First, be sure to use a stand-mixer. I know I'm always talking about how much I love my stand-mixer, but I really want you to understand that the mixer helps me to actually enjoy making this cake. There are a lot of different ingredients that need to be added at different times and it is nice not to have to hold a mixer and try to add wet or dry ingredients alternatively <br />
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Next, be sure to put an old cookie tray on the rack under the cake to catch drippings. My cake was so full that when it cooked the filling overflowed and dripped all over the bottom of my oven, thus rendering the oven unusable until I could clean it. It is a messy process. I had a couple of days when every time I tried to cook something in the oven, my smoke alarms would get set off. I have no idea why it took me so long to realize I needed to clean my oven!<br />
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Also, when you bake the cake, the recipe gives a very vague description of how long to bake it: "about one hour." I found that the cake needed one hour and fifteen minutes to be absolutely done. The best way to know is to put a toothpick in it, and check for spring-y-ness (you know what I mean right?) as the recipe indicates <br />
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Finally, when you cool that cake on a wire rack, be careful how you transfer the cooled cake to a plate or cake stand. As I said, I lost a lot of the crumb topping in the process. <br />
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This cake is best when totally cooled. We couldn't wait, and had some while still a little warm and the rhubarb was very hot. After the cake cooled completely it was even better. The flavors had a chance to settle and really find their "happy place" (because that's how flavors work. hehe jk).<br />
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This cake was so good that I'm very sad we only get rhubarb for such a short time. There are so many good things to make with rhubarb, this cake, pie, ummm and other things too. I'm actually contemplating planting some rhubarb in my garden (I'm not much of a gardener), so I have my own. I don't want to be dependent on the grocery stores. A friend told me you can only pick rhubarb on "R" months like March and February (?). Guess if I do grow my own I will have to figure all that out. I don't want to poison myself. <br />
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So go...make this cake (if you can find the rhubarb) and enjoy a great cake. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18302082836623447810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587528846326607714.post-63292460361909969842013-03-08T07:47:00.000-05:002013-03-08T07:47:48.086-05:00Martha Stewart Rant<br />
Martha Stewart drives me crazy. She sets these unrealistic standards for women. I have been reading her magazine, Martha Stewart Living, for over two years and, although I love the magazine and the ideas, there are just a few aspects of this periodical that are really ridiculous.<br />
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<h4>
Martha's Month</h4>
First, there is the "Martha's Month" page. What is up with that? It is a whole page in the magazine dedicated to what Martha is doing in her month. When I look at this Calendar I have to ask myself: Is this real? Is Martha really out there with a trowel tilling her vegetable garden? I think not. More likely she has instructed one of her many employees to "Go till the vegetable garden." In fact, she probably does not even have to do that, there is probably some person in her employment who keeps track of what needs to be done in the garden, and they tell the unsuspecting employee or employees to till. My point is, the magazine makes Martha out to be this super efficient women who manages a huge farm in Maine, while at the same time she does a TV show and a million other things. Take a step back and think about it, the reality is probably very different. Not to mention, who cares? Do I really care that Martha is taking a hike, or celebrating some relatives birthday? No.<br />
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I read an article in the fall about how Martha needs to cover her shrubs with burlap. Ok, good idea. She lives in a cold climate. But then I saw the pictures and it was nuts. She had, literally, miles of shrubs that needed to be covered. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.themarthablog.com/2009/12/preparing-the-farm-for-the-dead-of-winter.html">{source}</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.themarthablog.com/2009/12/preparing-the-farm-for-the-dead-of-winter.html">{source}</a></td></tr>
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Now, the magazine did not talk about the people who worked for her, but her blog did. She gets some props for that. But really, is this anything like the real people of the world who have to prepare their garden for the fall? I'm not sure about you, but it just seems bit rude to flaunt her giant house and her huge farm with its hired help. Maybe people like to see that. Kind of like, "see how the other half lives." To me, it just looks extravagant. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.themarthablog.com/2009/12/preparing-the-farm-for-the-dead-of-winter.html">{source}</a></td></tr>
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When I think about the current division between the wealthy and the middle class in the United States right now, it makes me even more upset. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QPKKQnijnsM" width="560"></iframe>
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This video is really eye opening concerning the wealth distribution in this country. When I think of the wealth Martha Stewart has, compared to me (a hard working teacher) it makes me a little angry. <br />
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<h4>
Martha's Parties</h4>
Another thing that drives me crazy in MSL (Martha Stewart Living) is that she showcases parties she has at her houses. Be it an Easter party for her magazine staff, a Christmas party, or a long weekend on some Island in Maine (another house in Maine? Really Martha?) she throws these elaborate parties, and the truth is....nobody looks like that are having any fun. <br />
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I have heard a rumor that she is actually not a very nice person at all. I guess you have to be pretty tough to have a huge enterprise like the Martha Stewart Ominmedia. But if you are going to throw a party and make your staff come, at least show them a good time. <br />
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Again, these parties are so grand that they exceed any budget of a middle class woman. Forget about how much time it would take to make the intricate table of hand died eggs, chocolate Bunnies, or hand made gingerbread villages, what about the cost?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/910053/marthas-maine-event">{source}</a></td></tr>
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Martha had a birthday party and this is the description:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: museo-slab, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 19px;">"Sixty-four friends and family members, five delectable meals, and a weekend party at Skylands -- when it comes to celebrating her birthday, Martha doesn't do small."</span><br />
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Yeah, I get it, Martha has money, time and lots of people to help her. <br />
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<h4>
Martha Cleans Her Toilets Twice a Day*</h4>
I don't watch a lot of TV. I don't have cable, or the time. But once in a while I watch a video online and sometimes I like to see what Martha is up to. <br />
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So I was watching an segment of her show about cleaning the toilet. There she is with a nice, ceramic toilet on a table and she shows you how to clean it. Great. Then she tries to sell you some products for cleaning your toilet. Not so great. Do we really need to be sold products <i>during the show</i>, not just on the commercial break? Does that mean it is not really a show at all, but one long infomercial with some extra stuff thrown in? (I'll leave that for you to ponder.) But the worst part is that at the end of showing us how to clean the toilet (using disposable products) she tells the audience that she cleans her toilets once or twice a day. This is the best way to keep your toilets clean. <br />
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Ok, really Martha? You clean your toilets twice a day? Have fun with that. <br />
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I'm sorry, but I have better things to do with my day then clean the toilet all the time. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*I can't find the video I saw, so I can't double check this fact, it is just from my memory.</span> <br />
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<h4>
MSL Subscription Service</h4>
Which brings me to my biggest gripe of all. If she has all this money and time and can have a million parties .... <i>Why does she send me a bill every month telling me I own her $19.95 (or whatever) for a magazine subscription that I have already paid for?!!! </i><br />
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I have called customer service so many times. <br />
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Here is the scenario: I pay my bill (in fact, I paid for two years ahead because the first time I got a bill I thought my subscription would be canceled). I figure: "I'm set and I don't have to think about my subscription any more." Then, the next month, I get a little letter from the Martha Stewart Omnimedia telling me I am "overdue" and must pay right away if I don't want my subscription canceled. Dude, I JUST paid!!! I have TWO YEARS before my subscription will be canceled. <b>Why are you sending me bills????</b><br />
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It does not happen once, no it happens Every. Single. Month. For two years.<br />
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And then....(this is the kicker) ... after two years of annoying letters and three or four calls to customer service I pay for my third year subscription AND MY MAGAZINE IS LOST IN THE MAIL!!!! I never get the March issue. (I called, again, they will be sending me a new issue but it will take two to three weeks, well after March has come and gone). <br />
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I was sent a customer service survey and boy did they get it. I told them my problem and I also told them that, although I love the magazine (besides the silly, Martha stuff mentioned above), if they kept bothering me with bills I would cancel my subscription. Although I may be canceling my subscription if this problem is not worked out, the truth is...<br />
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<h4>
I Still Love Martha</h4>
I know I just vented all my complaints about Martha and her company, but in the end I still love her. When someone calls me a "Martha" I take it as a compliment. When I get her magazine, I love the crafts and ideas. And when I see her products in stores they really are pretty great. She has a great sense of style, fabulous organization ideas, and, damn it, she is an amazing business woman. If she offered me a job I would take it in a heart beat (as long as it is not cleaning her toilets). Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18302082836623447810noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587528846326607714.post-35756965779130542422013-02-25T05:55:00.000-05:002013-02-25T05:55:44.829-05:00Chalkboard Spice Drawer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I finally finished this project. I have been working on it for, literally, months. I'm so excited to have it done. This project was a comedy of errors, but I got through it. I also learned a little something about chalkboard paint along the way. </div>
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My spices used to live in a cabinet near my stove. I fixed up this cabinet in <a href="http://designedbychance.blogspot.com/2011/02/spice-of-life.html">this post</a>, where I made it a little easier to use and see each spice. </div>
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They looked good, but they were not easy to retrieve. We also got more spices than fit on these shelves. </div>
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After we installed the <a href="http://designedbychance.blogspot.com/2012/09/new-kitchen-cabinets.html">new cabinets</a>, we had an open drawer right next to the stove. It was the perfect place for a spice drawer. My plan was hatched, but implementing this plan was a whole other story. </div>
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I had the <a href="http://designedbychance.blogspot.com/2012/11/what-should-i-do-with-all-these-baby.html">baby bottles</a>. I spent a couple of hours cleaning them. The best way to clean the glue off these bottles was with Goo Gone. I'm sure you know about this stuff, but if you don't, you should. It is so cool. You put the Goo Gone on the jar, then rub it off, and just like the name implies, the goo is gone. </div>
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I had trouble with the chalkboard paint. I wanted to paint the tops of the jars and write on them with chalk. My paint rubbed off when I wrote on them. I had the same problem with my <a href="http://designedbychance.blogspot.com/2011/03/not-so-simple-bottle-project.html">Coke Bottles</a> when I first started blogging. I tried everything to get my chalkboard paint to work but nothing helped. </div>
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So instead I ordered Chalkboard stickers from Etsy. Unfortunately, I had my old address on the Etsy account and the stickers got sent there. They never came back. </div>
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While I waited for my chalkboard stickers I filled the jars. </div>
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To keep track of which spice was which I used star post-it notes. My drawer did not look perfect, but I knew which spice was which.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E415WX9UzTs/USmWweG45wI/AAAAAAAAB8k/QtXy3QAGDW8/s1600/IMG_5307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E415WX9UzTs/USmWweG45wI/AAAAAAAAB8k/QtXy3QAGDW8/s320/IMG_5307.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The spice jars while I waited for the stickers</td></tr>
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Before I ordered another set of stickers, I decided to try painting the bottle tops again. My husband suggested I did not paint enough coats on the tops (and the bottles) so I tried again.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YN95WY4tXhA/USmWzALJerI/AAAAAAAAB9E/eO7a75bNEN0/s1600/IMG_5373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YN95WY4tXhA/USmWzALJerI/AAAAAAAAB9E/eO7a75bNEN0/s320/IMG_5373.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The spice jars while I painted the tops.</td></tr>
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I also decided to try a chalkboard pen. The pen writes on chalkboards but writes like a pen. This was better for my spice drawer because I wanted the spice labels to be clear and easy to write. One great benefit of the pen is that it does not rub off but can be wiped off with a wet sponge. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j523_lMa8rw/USmWybKboCI/AAAAAAAAB88/MePTmHZHK88/s1600/IMG_5369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j523_lMa8rw/USmWybKboCI/AAAAAAAAB88/MePTmHZHK88/s320/IMG_5369.JPG" width="302" /></a></div>
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I painted one top with three coats and then wrote on it with the chalk pen and .... it worked. The chalk pen did not rub off! I immediately tried my old Coke Bottle and my chalk pen worked on that one too! </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7-WvMfUFt0s/USmWxLRRZ_I/AAAAAAAAB8s/xKN45wY_qP0/s1600/IMG_5330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7-WvMfUFt0s/USmWxLRRZ_I/AAAAAAAAB8s/xKN45wY_qP0/s320/IMG_5330.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I then proceeded to paint all the tops. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vd5scLOJGk8/USmWx49dOqI/AAAAAAAAB80/KcX0kHrAaC8/s1600/IMG_5331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vd5scLOJGk8/USmWx49dOqI/AAAAAAAAB80/KcX0kHrAaC8/s320/IMG_5331.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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It is the middle of winter so I had to paint them outside and then bring them back in to dry. It was very tricky. </div>
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Three coats later I had painted bottle caps. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifo8BZGvXFaGm_Yj-dPbq5QtaSQKSn79Am3UBAaYvKEHymbz9uVnBKoJGa5VkSP9WvPvlr51tIAIcO3jwrxvzwVFclwhf2gfYyerENJe_vOPqp7P5sdJ532HS6oE9IyrhNEde2Pn9jkSo/s1600/IMG_5378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifo8BZGvXFaGm_Yj-dPbq5QtaSQKSn79Am3UBAaYvKEHymbz9uVnBKoJGa5VkSP9WvPvlr51tIAIcO3jwrxvzwVFclwhf2gfYyerENJe_vOPqp7P5sdJ532HS6oE9IyrhNEde2Pn9jkSo/s320/IMG_5378.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I lined my drawer with some fabric to add a little color. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tBYzrokFd0U/USmW1g6H4GI/AAAAAAAAB9c/W_OM6bB_Do4/s1600/IMG_5382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tBYzrokFd0U/USmW1g6H4GI/AAAAAAAAB9c/W_OM6bB_Do4/s320/IMG_5382.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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I added the bottles with their nicely labeled tops ... </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LJGAc2hP22I/USmW2q2fNmI/AAAAAAAAB9k/wRxOMRRjMS0/s1600/IMG_5385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LJGAc2hP22I/USmW2q2fNmI/AAAAAAAAB9k/wRxOMRRjMS0/s320/IMG_5385.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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... and popped in a little spoon for sprinkling. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vrUwORb0_BQ/USmW3cKVgKI/AAAAAAAAB9s/QcWtv5U0D-4/s1600/IMG_5397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vrUwORb0_BQ/USmW3cKVgKI/AAAAAAAAB9s/QcWtv5U0D-4/s320/IMG_5397.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Finally, my little spice drawer was done. It may have taken me four months but I did it. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zXoxvD8hOho/USmW39NtikI/AAAAAAAAB90/4MhEU1_PRQs/s1600/IMG_5393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zXoxvD8hOho/USmW39NtikI/AAAAAAAAB90/4MhEU1_PRQs/s320/IMG_5393.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FQS2H6WmmS8/USmgDnJbM1I/AAAAAAAAB-E/PWLTZw7FRQU/s1600/Chalkboard+Spice+Drawer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FQS2H6WmmS8/USmgDnJbM1I/AAAAAAAAB-E/PWLTZw7FRQU/s320/Chalkboard+Spice+Drawer.jpg" width="289" /></a></div>
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I'm happy for it to be done. Every time I open that drawer I smile. </div>
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