My Little Orange Kitchen

Pretty In Pink

Just a few pictures of what's happening around the condo...I can't bear to kill the dandelions, though our board sprayed  pesticides without notice (again)...I hope the dandelions have mutated and that they spread all over...I can't believe they spray when we have so many dogs here!!

Thank goodness my organic nasturtiums  (for salads when when they flower) were not outside when they did it. The seedlings are doing well and I just put them in pots outside, so they missed the toxin bath.

 

Make Love Not War

It should be easy enough with Blog Anniversary Give-Away item number two! It's a Sex Bomb by Lush and as it fizzes away in your tub it'll leave you soft, scented and feeling very secure!  Because, after all...the  wars we wage with ourselves over body image must end too.  Did you know many women won't take baths and prefer to shower because they are uncomfortable looking at themselves naked and reclining in the tub?

When I had my shop, I wrote an article about this for our newsletter and many women approached me  later and told me it made them sad, because as much as they told themselves it was about not having the time or privacy, in truth, it was because they didn't feel comfortable in their own skin...even alone.

Another reason many women don't take baths is because they don't feel their tubs are "spa-like".  We don't need deep antique tubs or whirlpools to have a nice relaxing bath. My tub us tiny, stained, the caulk is yellowed  and the wallpaper is peeling...it's not at all spa-like in a 197O's era bathroom, but I get in, ignore it all and just soak. 

Another tip...avoid the temptation to have a long hot bath...warm is best. Hot water dries out your skin and is the reason people get out of the tub and barely have energy to dry off, plus it makes you perspire and unless you are detoxing you don't want to get out of the tub dehydrated. The ideal bath temperature is 97-100 degrees. If you slowly lower yourself in or if you notice that a layer of skin floats off of your calves when you first step in...it's too hot!!  Though, maybe I'll do another post on hydrotherapy where you alternate between hot and cold water.   

OK...so just leave a comment on any of the giveaway posts (or all of them) by 5/23 and you could win!

                                           Thanks for being such loyal readers!

P.S. I'm pretty impressed with myself...I think the bath bomb picture came out clear for once!      

Green Satire

I think is this is hilarious, but also pretty sad and unfortunately it sums up how people (myself included), think "green", but continue to shop as if they don't. It's such a tough call sometimes.  I'll admit that when it comes to buying pre-packaged organic foods, I sometimes do "feel good" because it's organic and forget about the plastic tubs the sour cream comes in.  Yet, I do believe that making these discoveries about myself little by little will help me prioritize and determine what my ultimate choices are...but, in the meantime, I'm just trying to pay attention.

More later folks!            

East Or Bust

The truth about my side of the family is we never do things the normal way and this goes back to my great-great grandmother traveling East by covered wagon.  She left her husband, packed up the kids and made her way to New York to start a new life...which makes me laugh because it sounds very typical of the women in my family. Not the leaving husbands part, just going in opposite directions.

Though, last week, Mark and I did make it West. This was our second trip to Arizona and we stayed with Mark's aunt and uncle.  The first visit was stressful for my in-laws because they were prepared to  run interference between Mark's Uncle Gary and me because Gary has a bit of a thing for collecting machine guns and strong views on immigration which they worried would offend me terribly. 

The funny part is that Gary and I got along very well...we were careful and respected one another enough to not become adamant about expressing our beliefs and we actually found common ground. Gary is a hardcore animal person and he and Connie basically run an operation rescue on their land. Fifteen cats, three dogs, a rabbit and three horses. Gary is the one people call when someone has abandoned yet another litter of kittens.  I respect Gary a great deal. In fact, the first trip was such a success that Mark and I chose to visit his aunt and uncle on our own for this visit.

Of course the animals were everywhere.  I wish my pictures had turned out...here is Ollie, whose pen I helped clean (except for the afternoon I fell asleep and missed my start-time!).

Here he is with his mask on  backwards...to me he looked so cute!  Ah, the indignity.

   

And even though I am not a small dog person, these little guys were endearing (sort of...the bigger one didn't like us! Connie said she was happy to see us go!):

They have a lovely house and Mark and I had a lot of privacy on our end of place...but, my favorite spot is this...it's the doors off of one end of their bedroom...I love the bouganvillas and how they almost match the stained glass roses on the mini bell tower.

Connie will kill me for posting this photo...but as she was trimming the umbrella with tiny colored lights, I couldn't help but think that I wish my 39 year old legs looked as good as her 61 year old legs! I guess sixty really is the new forty!

We ate out most of the time we were there and the hands down favorite was Joe's BBQ in Gilbert. I'm not even a BBQ nut like Mark is, but my brisket and hot links did the job!  Joe's is only ten years old, but has a great reputation and is being featured on Guy Fieri's Food Network show on May 19th.

I was enchanted by all of the flowers and flowering shrubs we saw along the highways and roads, but Connie's flower pots were gorgeous...so many cheerful yellows....

This blew me away. I had no idea that in certain places people irrigate residential land...We had to get home one day so that Gary could flood his property and horse pasture...

The water flows in from Colorado and costs $18.00 per hour of "floodtime"....they drink well-water because the water that flows to Arizona is basically coming in by way of open ditch and people worry that so much of it evaporates that it leaves some concentrated "bad things" behind. Yet, many people do drink it.

I have to report that the most idiotic thing overheard on the trip was when Mark was wandering through a Ralph Lauren Polo store and saw a girl showing her boyfriend some shirts he might like and the guy, demonstrating how much of an idiot snob he is, noticed the sale price, scoffed and said, "I don't ever buy Polo on sale."  Mark had to laugh out loud.

All and all it was a great trip and we so appreciate Connie and Gary opening up their home to us...Plus, I came home with a new HOT PINK camping knife courtesy of Gary, which I guess is the benefit of having an Uncle in-law who is prepared for any emergency you could present...No hot dog stick will be safe from me n' my blade! Notice the vintage book endpapers it's resting on...they''ll be a business card holder soon. 

OK....AS PROMISED.  This is just Day One of the giveaways that will begin today and end next Friday.  The rules?  Just leave a comment and you'll have a chance at winning the item I offer up!  Enter again and again!! Ha! How's that for blatant comment wrangling! I have no shame! But, you guys are such  loyal readers! Plus, I like giving things away!

Item One:

The eight ounce jar of Andrew  Weil's Organic Manuka Honey pictured above. It's infused with extracts of astragalus root, schisandra berry, elderberry and amia fruit.  Two to three teaspoons a day is said to help your immune system, plus it's sweet and so good.  Origins has ticked me off for using excess shipping packaging, but because Andrew Weil is donates all of his after tax profits to an organization that supports Integrative Medicine, well, I made an exception. Plus, Origins has taken some good steps and was named one of the top 30 "greenest" companies by the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership.   And they are working on getting  the parabens out of their products completely.  And all of their packaging is at least 50 percent post-consumer recycled.

Stay tuned for more One Year Anniversary Hi-jinx!  And some bath and body give-aways courtesy of my trip to Lush.

                                          

If You Only Buy One Book This Year

We're back and we had a great time on our whirlwind trip to Arizona (Sorry Michele M., but it was too whirlwind to plan even a lunch!). I have pictures to edit and then I'll do an Arizona post, but for today, the news is about Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.

When I read one of Barbara's earlier books, The Poisonwood Bible, I was in a state of deep depression for at least a week. Not because it was a sad book, but because it was such a complex and well written story with character development surpassing anything I'd ever read before. I felt like throwing in the towel on my own writing aspirations.

It seemed that nothing I'd ever write could be so compelling and I knew I wouldn't have the patience to do the kind of research necessary to write a novel with the parallels between history and story the way she did.  It made for some blue days over here folks! I eventually rose up from the pits of despair and settled into happily (and without envy)...admiring her writing.

When I saw she'd written a non-fiction book about her family's experience eating only locally grown foods for a year (and now a lifetime), I was interested, and used the vacation as an excuse to take a break from BBB 2008. 

It was worth my weakness. 

This book is a must for anyone intrigued with the concept of eating local or with the Slow Food movement in general.

I must confess that I only recently learned what the Slow Food movement actually is.

Because it started in Italy and has been embraced by Europeans, I assumed it literally meant eating your food more slowly, savoring every bite and spending more time relaxing over long slow meals (the way they tend to in Europe anyway)! AGHAHAAHAHA!  I was wrong (mostly) and you can laugh, but I know I can't be the only one! 

The Slow Food movement has certain objectives (here are a few):

• Forming and sustaining seed banks to preserve heirloom varieties in cooperation with local food    systems
• Developing an "ark of taste" for each eco-region, where local culinary traditions and foods are celebrated
• Preserving and promoting local and traditional food products, along with their lore and preparation
• Educating citizens about the drawbacks of commercial agribusiness and factory farms
• Educating citizens about the risks of mono-culture and reliance on too few genomes or varieties
• Developing various political programs to preserve family farms
• Lobbying against government funding of genetic engineering
• Lobbying against the use of pesticides
• Encouraging ethical buying in  local marketplaces

Basically ... Slow Food is not fast food by any stretch.

Barbara, her husband and their two daughters left Arizona and moved to rural Southwest Virginia to live full-time on the farm they usually just spent summer vacations at. They decided to only eat locally grown food (including their own) and the book is about how they handled the difficulties of finding and existing only on local fare. They made very few exceptions, but each family member got to pick a "must have" item that could come from somewhere else and unfortunately they couldn't get their wheat for bread baking locally, but they did a great job with everything else (including meat). They made their own cheese and the easy recipe is included...Michelle over at Vanilla Icing....I can so see you doing this!  Mary Ellen...you'd love the canning and harvest descriptions.

I was totally enchanted by the family. Oldest daughter Camille gives us short essays with recipes throughout the book and youngest daughter Lily blew me away with her chicken raising entrepreneurial spirit. No news for any moms out there, but Lily's own family ranked low on the priority customer list!

The Slow Food movement gets a hard knock now and again from people who claim that eating organic and locally grown foods is elitist and not financially feasible for the average family.  Barbara totally debunks this and shows that even in a big city the cost can be less, but the planning is obviously more complex than heading over to Burger King when you're tired on a Friday night after work. 

Not everyone (my condo-living self included) can go as far as this family did, but the book inspired me to make some hard and fast decisions.  Really. If I want strawberries in the middle of winter in Wisconsin, then I'd better stock up and freeze them when I see them at Farmer's Market this year (Hey, it should be easy since I'll be selling wallets at the Wednesday night market anyway!).  I can do this. I can make a small difference by growing a few things, buying from local growers and by making some of foods I'd incorrectly assumed would be too "involved" like mozzarella cheese. 

Barbara is as thorough with her non-fiction as she is with her fiction.  In addition to humor, recipes, great family exchanges (Lily dramatically realizing that she has to sell an awful lot of her eggs to get a horse), fun information about plants and canning you'll find some hefty statistical information and lots about the history of family farming. 

Let me emphasize the fact that this book is not preachy at all...not one iota....but, it does make you think. When one of eighteen year-old Camille's girlfriends visits and asks for bananas, it's gently explained that the resources used to get to them to Virginia make them an environmentally costly purchase. Good news...she was totally cool with the fresh blackberries they had on hand.

The book is about Barbara's family's total conversion, but it isn't about converting anyone who doesn't want to or who can't go 100%.  It shows you how exciting small steps can be.

For example, I went to the grocery store here (Copps East) and asked the produce manager to point me in the direction of all produce that's locally grown. 

Guess what?

Potatoes. 

That's all.

In a huge grocery store during asparagus, rhubarb and green onion season. 

I decided that from this point forward I'm going to ask every time and when the check-out person half heartedly asks me if I found everything I needed...I'm going to say, "Actually, I didn't. I was looking for locally grown produce and you don't have any." 

I know how this makes me sound, but so what? Normally, I usually just say yes...and not because I did find what I needed, but because it's a habit and answered in the same half paying attention attitude as it's usually asked.  Maybe I'm not ready to give up bananas or mandarin oranges just yet...but, step by step...we shall see!

WHEW! So...in a nutshell....I like this book. :)

In other news:

• Red Belt: A good movie with a few holes, but I love David Mamet.
• The Breadsmith has begun selling fresh baked gluten-free bread on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. If you have them in your state...check to see if they are offering gluten-free too.
  
• My newest set of hearing aids are being "worked on" and I hope to have them next week.  Say hello to my little friends (mine are black to blend in with my dark brown hair).

• I'm horrified that I thought my one year-blog anniversary was at the end of the month...but was last week!!!!!!!  Give-aways and events coming soon!!!          

Arizona Post Preview:

Slow Food Info:

http://www.slowfood.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_Food

      

She's In A Book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Third postdated post!

Everyone knows I love Bethany over at Bitter Betty. Her posts are always informative and I envy her confidence when she uses herself to model the gorgeous clothing she makes from vintage patterns. She really knows how to strike a pose!

I firmly believe we all have our own unique gifts to offer and our own unique styles, but sometimes, when you struggle as I do with trying to  understand who you are and what your style is, it helps to have a role model or someone you hope to emulate the essence of. 

Bethany probably has no need to be anyone's "Essence Idol", but she's mine. I hope to become more comfortable posting pictures of myself in some of the awesome vintage clothing I own as the year progresses. If you ever see a picture of me on this blog wearing my baby blue Jackie O. coat....you know I've crossed a personal barrier. However, if you ever see a picture of me on this blog wearing my 1920's almost nothing vintage flapper lingerie...well, you have permission to express moral outrage!    

When I saw that one of Bethany's creations (modeled by someone else) had made its way into this book, I was thrilled for her!

Congratulations Bethany!

P.S.  Ambika is another "Essence ldol" when it comes to modeling her own creations.   

Paper Preview

Second Postdated Post!

As you know, I like making wallets out of any paper I can get my hands on. This includes  recycled and vintage papers as well as handmade and contemporary gift wrap.  Here's a preview of the paperie that arrived this week and what I'll be busy folding and creasing next week! I'm thrilled!

Post-Dated???

I'm almost out the door on vacation. This is the first of my postdated posts! I hope this works.  I'm fairly suspicious of this kind of thing!

I wanted to share the butterfly plate...I'm praying that I haven't already!  I love it. It's an odd story. I saw it in a boutique for $24.00....no way...it's plastic and made by the company that made these bowls and you may remember, I wasn't impressed.

Then I saw it at good old TJ Maxx...out of curiosity I picked it up and looked at the tag...$4.99 and it said the original retail price was $8.99 (I think...working on memory here)...which thoroughly disgusted me having seen it at that boutique for $24.00!!! I'm all about small business and willing to pay more to buy from small businesses, but that's crazy!

I do love it though, and only paying $4.99 for it practically makes it feel "thrifted." I know...that's a stretch.

OK...just an announcement that MoCo in Madison is holding an Italian Wine tasting event at 5 pm on Friday! if you are local stop in for some wine and browse the wallets while you're there! Hmm...maybe I should do a Wine & Wallets event over here at my house someday! 

Happy Day All!

Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder?

Please confirm it's so! This has been the longest period of "unplanned absence" since I began almost a year ago. Almost five days!!!!  I'll make it up to you with my HUGE end of May one year blogging anniversary extravaganza! Just wait!

I'll be gone for even a few more days because we're headed out of town until Monday, but I plan to test Typepad's "pre-scheduled post" option and see if some posts will automatically be published while I'm gone.

OK...how do I even begin to catch up and where do I begin?

I guess I'll start with the wheatgrass essence shots. I was over at the Urban Frog's indoor Farmer's Market after camping and finally had to try another great product from local farmers Kevin and Becky at Grow Greens. 

Wheatgrass essence is similar in nature to my favorite Bach Flower Essences in that it's a vibrational healing tool, but unlike Bach, it contains no alcohol and at $12.00 for a sixteen ounce bottle, it's much less expensive.  The essence is also a great option for those of you who can't handle the green taste of fresh wheatgrass juice.

The effects of vibrational and energetic elixirs are more subtle in some cases, but believe me, they work. If you are in need of a boost, this is the essence for you. You can read more about it here. 

Then, after Karen gave me a sample of these Golden Berries...I was in!!!!!!

You remember my Goji Berry post right? Well, Organic Goldenberries (Cape Gooseberries) are from Columbia and are my new new new favorite! Other than the fact that they boast super high levels of bioflavonoids there isn't a lot of nutritional information available, so I'll focus on the flavor.

These little dried fruits put the sweet/tart combo of dried cranberries to shame! The first bite is sour (a great natural option for you lemon-head lovers out there) and then it unfolds into chewy sweetness. These would be perfect in cookies, salads or even chopped and added to warm spring rice dishes.

The Urban Frog is planning to experiment combining them with dark chocolate! They're sold by Kevin and Becky tool, but I didn't see a listing on the website, so you may have to email to request an order. The one pound bag is $16.00.  So worth it! A little will go a long way since they pack such a powerful punch!  Really...tired of giving your little ones Sour Patch Kids?  These are a better option.   

I have more good news!  I'm a new contributer over at the Collective Creatives blog and my first post should be up later today. It's a blog created by fourteen female artists contributers and focuses on thirteen topics concerning the life/lives of working artists. The post categories are the journey, studio, inspiration, motivation, shows, balancing career with life, style, texture, recharging, fame fortune and reality, fashion and trends and the creative process.  I chose The Journey for my first post...we'll see how I do. I hope you go over and visit!

In other news:

Iron Man...FANTASTIC!

These plates would have been horrifying to me a year ago, but now I'm in deep love.

More tomorrow before I leave!

Jeez, just how many exclamation points can one post have?

!!!!!                      

If A Woman Spends A Night In The Woods....

and forgets to bring her camera is it really worth the trouble?

You know it's sad when I reported on my check-in to make sure I haven't been murdered call to Mark that it was a disaster because I didn't have a camera to take pictures for my blog!

I had a nice night out...it was very wet, but my tent was dry...and unlike the last trip out, I was warm. 

I'll be back later to report on my weekend and of  a couple of new product finds.

Am I the only one blogger out there who goes through life wondering if each moment is "blog-able"?  :)

I had Chinese food yesterday...I love my fortune:

"Your blessing is being safe and sound for your whole lifetime."   

Sweet dreams all.

Amy Popp Designs

Isn't this gorgeous?  Just gorgeous! It's handmade (and colored/dyed?) by Amy of Amy Popp Designs. I wish I had a link for her, but I don't. She's a Wisconsin based textile artist and her work is at One By One.  I just had to share!

I'm preparing for....yep...you guessed it! Another camping trip! This time I'm bringing extra blankets!

I've got a million things to do this evening, but I'm looking forward to a cup of tea with apples later and some serious blog reading and commenting! I hope you bloggers have some new posts up!

I just added a few more wallets to the shop and for you locals, I'll be taking some into the Urban Frog tomorrow morning. 

Have a nice night Kitchenettes!    

Shakespeare, Laura Ingalls Wilder & Fairies

I just listed Ophelia in the shop...I'm enjoying making some of the extra large sizes, but I still have to say...the card holder size has become my favorite. 

I've always loved the name Ophelia...and of course my favorite line about her (not from her) is "sweets to the sweet"... spoken by Queen Gertrude.  Coincidentally,  it originally became a favorite because in one of the Little House books, Laura had hurt feelings when a shopkeeper gave the prettier Mary (in Laura's eyes) a candy heart with a lovely poem written upon it and then gave Laura one that just said "a sweet for the sweet" which, to the sensitive brunette Laura, seemed so plain compared to the one flaxen haired Mary got. My heart ached for Laura...maybe because I related to her so much anyway...and I'm a brunette too. 

I know much has been said about my favorite Little House series and of how politically incorrect the books are now.  It's true...they are. The late Michael Dorris wrote a great piece about how when he (as a single man) adopted an older Native American boy in the 70's, he looked forward to reading the series to his son because he'd loved it so much himself.  However, as "Ma" began referring to the Indians as "wild savages" and said nothing lived in the woods of Wisconsin but "wild animals" (and of course, we know Native Americans lived in the woods as well)...he knew he couldn't keep reading and felt saddened by this loss.  Not to mention my own disappointment years later when I realized the "act" Pa had gotten "made-up" for was actually a minstrel show. Sigh.

However, I can put these things in their proper context and still enjoy the stories for what they were and Laura at least, was always fair. Being fair was and still is very important to me.   They came out  of a different time and while I wouldn't read them to my kids (if I had them) without some explanation of how good it is that some things have changed, I'd also start discussion on how some things changed for the better and how some things changed for the worst (lack of family time, disconnection from growing our own food etc)...The stories are still heartwarming to me and of course...my mother named me after Laura, so there is a certain amount of identification I suppose.         

Did any of you know that Laura Ingalls Wilder believed in fairies? Yes, she did! Here is her book of fairy poems!!!!!

I'm secretly hoping some of you were not aware and are jumping up and down with excitement that this book exists! Remember, as Laura Ingalls Wilder writes,"'Fairies still appear to those with seeing eyes." 

Happy looking!    

One By One...

'Word of mouth" is the most profitable advertising for any business owner (in spite of what we might spend on other methods of promotion).  When I owned Mico Femina, hearing a new customer say she had to come in because a friend raved on and on about the shop warmed me up much more than the response to my more media focused methods of advertising. 

So, knowing this, you can imagine that I'm over the moon thrilled because a woman who purchased one of my wallets at an art show took it into One By One in Kaukauna to show Lynn (the owner) and the rest is history... Little Orange Kitchen wallets have officially landed on the shelves of One by One!

I visited the shop last week and ran around like a crazy person taking pictures so I could show all of you how beautiful it is.  Sadly, some of my pictures didn't turn out so hot, so I padded this post with a few from Lynn's website.

Lynn is an artist who makes jewelry and who transforms vintage windows (and other things) into hand painted works of art.

I love her windows...

She had an at-home studio, but a couple of years ago when she decided to move the studio out of the house and onto the streets of Kaukauna, we got lucky because she also opened a store!

The special thing that makes Lynn's store so unique is that everything in the shop is handmade and all of the items (with the exception of only two) are locally handmade!

Her shop is a gallery of unbelievable variety and beauty and reflects the talents of women...most of whom are less than 30 miles away.  Plus, it has to be pointed out that she does all of her artists a great service with her knack for display.

The store is completely filled with beautiful handmade items. It's like roaming the the halls of Etsy (if Etsy happened to be a tiny one room brick and mortar shop stocked from floor to ceiling with things that call out your name)!  She carries everything from soaps, candles, cards and....   

these purses...

as well as Meta Bags...

handmade scarves...

more soaps...

Her own gorgeous jewelry...

And her hand painted glassware...the plates are so cheerful!

And last, but not least....she has an enormous candy jar (the key to any business's success) which was the inspiration for her mosaic checkout counter. I wish I could have taken a better picture...she made it and instead of grout, she filled it in with resin...it was fun to look at all the patterns of the plate shards and how she arranged them. Because of the resin, it's totally smooth and you can run your hands over it.

My favorite part of the visit with Lynn was when she mentioned the part about the candy jar. She said, '"I knew I wanted one..." I knew exactly when she knew she wanted one...during the planning phase...the place where all of us have been at one time or another. 

It's when we have an idea or goal and we may not know everything we want to do with it, but we know one thing...and that's all it takes. 

For for one of my friends, it's the good music and great coffee she envisions serving while she makes plans for her Italian Bakery and Cafe that's the constant.  It makes it real while she decides what desserts are essential and where should she look for a storefront.  For another friend, it's the cards she wanted to send to the owners of the pets who visit her animal healing center.

For me, it was the healing and prosperity symbols I knew I wanted in the lining of each and every wallet I made...even before I began making them.

None of these things are big or essential, but they're the little touches that make our businesses our own. The things that keep us rooted in the idea until we decide to take it to completion (or maybe not, which is OK).  For some of us (as Ekhart Tolle) says, planning may be all we can do...and as long as we keep our plans rooted in something real and not create a movie of what we think will happen...this is a good thing.

Maybe there are some of you out there right now who have an idea, but haven't let yourself explore it...well, now might be the time to put a pen to the paper and just write a single line:

"Someday I'd like to ...?....".   

On another day, you can add another note and the next thing you know...maybe you'll be inspired to take a step towards your goal.   

Lynn is an inspiration to me because she's taken her steps toward growing her business slowly...one by one.  She didn't rush and get it all out there in a day. She's allowed her business to develop at its own pace with her guidelines. The shop has limited hours...this is what she needed to do to accommodate the needs of her family and she's made it work. Her customers make it work too. Bravo to her for setting up her own terms! It takes courage to open up and ease in rather than dive in headfirst.

To be honest, while sometimes my old habits of diving in headfirst worked well for me, I much appreciate how I'm finally learning to ease into things a bit more too.  I have a friend who always reminds me to be gentle with myself...and this is hard for me, but I'm working on it.      

Lynn's hours are posted on her website, but she always suggests calling first if you're coming from far away...just in case she's had to run out...but, the majority of the time you'll find her there beading away or if it's in the next week or two...listing more of her jewelry in her new venture...an Etsy shop!   

Thanks Lynn...I know the wallets are in yet another wonderful place!   

Things To Be Happy About

I'm overjoyed that my lilac bush will finally flower in its third year (just like the books say). He was just a scrap of a thing and on sale at Home Depot when I first saw him.  He looked like he was going to die and he'd been given up on by the staff. I have a soft heart so I bought him for $4.00 and planted him by our porch, thinking of how nice the scent of lilac would be coming through my kitchen window in the spring.

The second year (like the first), he didn't blossom at all.  I was worried and did some research and learned that most lilac bushes take three years to show their first blooms. This is his third year and he's right on target even though he's only three feet tall and a bit scraggly.  I am hopeful because he has a strong spirit...the tag said he's expected to grow to eight feet! Yay!

It's a good thing I love pretty weeds:

This Kwan Yin is nowhere near what she was described as when I bought her on Ebay and paid $25.00 for shipping from China, but as Deepak Chopra says, "Choose the miracle, not the grievance" so, I'm choosing the miracle and seeing her in all her gorgeous turquoise colored beauty.

I recently had two distinguished awards bestowed upon me! The first is from Essential Oil and Flower Diva Dyan.  It's the Blog With A Heart Award! 

Thank you Dyan! I love to read her blog because she truly appreciates everything going on in her world. She lives in Jamaica...sigh. 

Then I received the Arte y Pico award from Leigh!

Poor Leigh... she was recently traumatized when she realized that her little newborn baby boy had suddenly turned fifteen and started shaving!   Agahahaahahaahaaha! My condolences Leigh. Oh well, at least she has Bentley. Who is Bentley?

OK...The idea behind these awards is that they're no fun unless they're passed on.

I want to pass Dyan's A Blog With A Heart Award onto Sarah at New Green Shoes. She's taken a little hiatus from blogging and I want to make sure she knows that she isn't forgotten and that we'd love it if she returned.

Then The Arte y Pico award...there are some responsibilities that come with it, but as always...feel free not to play along if you are not a blog award kind of blogger, even if I think you deserve one!

1.  Pick 5 blogs that you feel are deserving of this award based on their
(a) creativity, (b) design,(c) interesting material, and (d) contribution to the blogging community, no matter what language.
2.  For each award giver: Include the name of the author and a link to their blog, so they can be visited.
3.  For each award recipient:  Show the award with the name and link to the blogger from whom it was received.
4.  For both giver and receiver:  Show the link of the Arte y Pico. (http://www.arteypico.blogspot.com/)
5.  Publish these rules.

So, thank you Leigh and Arte y Pico and let the award bestowing begin!!

Lola Enchanted: The banner alone is worthy of an award...I love keys and ribbons.  Plus, she likes fairys!

Vanilla Press: She's in Paris right now and I want her to have something nice waiting for her when she comes home...even though I envy her for being in Paris in the spring!

Bits of Life ( Rosanne's Blog): She recently gave me a short story idea when I read her post about a woman walking through her neighborhood while playing the bagpipes!  This never happens over here!

Black Eyed Susan's Kitchen:  I'm always in awe of her vintage items and most recently her recycled paper vases!

Your's Till Niagara Falls: Because anyone who calls bars of soap..."cakes" ...is pretty special in my book. I've always loved that.

Have fun!

Speaking of which...I had a lot of fun at a certain shop yesterday, but more on that this weekend! 

Promote Yourself Wednesday

Is it really Promote Yourself Wednesday or am I absolutely shameless? :)  Let me redeem myself by first promoting someone else who makes a neat product just in time for Earth Week. 

Say no to paper and plastic and meet zJayne.  When I first saw these grocery bags made from recycled T-Shirts, I have to confess to being hard on myself for not thinking of it first! What a fantastic idea!

 

She has tons of colors and styles available (see her profile) and sells them in sets from two to a bakers dozen. They don't fray and would make awesome gifts at block parties or for people at work...I mean, who wouldn't appreciate an upcycled/recycled washable tote?    

OK, now I have to share with you....this wallet...It's EXTRA large, but I couldn't not use as much of the pretty paper as possible. I'm usually not drawn to things that might be called whimiscal (?)...but the design on this paper pulled me in right away...

 

It's newly listed in the shop!  As is this one!

OK...a busy day ahead. Lots of work to be done and then maybe some time to play...I feel like chai and homemade macaroni and cheese...an odd combo I know!

Oh...many of you are already familiar with this blog...and her art...but, even though I may have stumbled upon her months ago, I JUST re-discovered her last week (funny how sometimes that happens)...I am so enchanted by her studio and her versatility...I think many of us would give up first-born children to have our own studio/gallery like this...She's got a contest going in today and you could win a set of her postcards!

Have a great day all!

p.s. Thank you for all the comment love on my camping post!  You helped me set a record! Fifteen is my highest number of comments so far! WOW!  Yes, I still keep track of these things...sad, I know! :)      

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Just a little preview of my shop update..scheduled for late tomorrow...all from a single issue of French Vogue...

The Baccarat ad really sent me over the edge...it's a bit racy, but I love it...We should all look so good as we swing from the crystal chandelier wearing nothing but BDSM heels. Maybe I'll bring some on the next camping trip! I couldn't resist slipping my vintage button in there...it's a match.   

Inside:

And the Dylan card holder...what can I say? I love him and the panel is from a collage of his album covers with an article about him (In French of course) on the interior and back.

 

Stay tuned...I've just received some blogging awards! 

The Big Chill

I'm sad to report that my first solo camping trip of the season was not a huge success.  Note to self: Wait at least a few weeks after the Spring thaw before sleeping on wet ground. 

I should have known when I called the ranger to ask if it was really necessary to make a reservation and he laughed and said,"Uh, no?" that perhaps there could be a reason camping in mid-April isn't exactly a Wisconsin tradition.  Then he asked if I had a heater in my camper. Camper? Heater?  Heater shmeater...I'm going to be in a tent!

He had no response.

I asked him to to tell me what site would be the best since I'd be checking in after the rangers were gone for the day and wasn't familiar with park.  He said "Well, that depends where you guys want to be.  Do you want to be close to the water?" 

I figured now was as good a time as any to inform him that actually, there was no "you guys", I'd be camping alone.

"Oh, well then in that case you'll want to be near people so..."  he began. I interrupted..."Well, you might think that and I'm sure most women would want to, but actually I want to be as far away from people as possible."

Silence on the other end.

Finally, he said, "Well, I just assumed that you'd feel more comfortable with people around..." I said, "HA! You'd think so, but nope, I'm the type that goes all the way and thinks since I'm alone, get me as far away from potential help as possible! Agahaahahaahaahahaaha!"... I was laughing at myself, and of how ridiculous this sounds, and he began to laugh too, but I got the feeling he didn't know why it was so funny. 

Frankly, Mark doesn't think it's at all funny.

Then the ranger suggested the completely deserted Southern end, but said the park had 123 sites and only 5 people were there (in heated RVs), so no matter where I chose, I'd be alone "if that's what you really want."

COOL!

I loaded my car and headed up to Door County's Potawatomie State Park.

I knew this trip wouldn't be as primitive as my last one because I could basically drive to my site and set-up, but when I entered the park, I was horrified.

Yes, the sites were nice and wooded (the park is gorgeous), but they are very close to one another. I mean only 50 feet apart max!!!  I made a note never to camp there during the busy season because privacy would be impossible.  You'd definitely have to change clothes in your tent and I'm sure I'd hear everyone's campfire conversations. 

I kept yelling as I drove by the "community" of campsites looking for the most secluded one, "NO, WAY!!! ARE THEY FOR REAL!!! OH, MY GOD! WTF!!!!!!"    

But, I calmed down and reminded myself there were no other campers AT ALL in the southern section and I was free to pick any site I wanted without worry of "neighbors" and to just relax and stop acting as if I'd shown up to a jam packed campground full of belligerent drunk hunters and screaming kids (not that kids are as bad as belligerent drunk hunters...I like kids really...and hey, I've even been a belligerent drunk in my time, but I needed to be alone).   

I set up my tent here...unaware that I was looking at ground that had a  slight touch of the permafrost. :)

Here's the set-up and can you see another site's fire ring in the distance? That's how unbearably close the sites are!  My friends assure me this is actually a nice distance compared to other campgrounds, but I like more primitive backwoods no one can see or hear you camping.  Notice the solar light I snagged from our front walk...I congratulated myself on my brilliance for realizing it would make a pretty little welcome light coming back from peeing in the dark.  I staked the fly pretty far out because it was misting rain and I wanted to be sure I didn't have to adjust in the middle of the night.

In the above picture you can see my tent guardians...I left my mini pink flamingos at home in favor of the more fierce (and auspicious) foo-dogs.

Of course I feng-shuied my tent...Here is the helpful people section:

My toiletries:

The latest in Campground Couture:

Every girl's bedside in the wild essentials...I use that knife to sharpen sticks and I must admit I feel like a total bad ass!!!! It's over sixty years old and was a gift from my father in-law.

A room with a view:

My jewelry looked so pretty on the moss covered picnic table ( I made the earrings a few years ago):

If a pretty umbrella and gorgeous vintage towel hang in the woods and no one can see them...well, they're still pretty:

Moss on the rocks...the colors in real life were stunningly beautiful:

The misty rain let up completely and I was able to make a great dinner...It was about 7:30 and still light  so it was easy to get everything going...I brought in two ricks of wood, but also used my back packing camp stove.

Prepped peppers and asparagus:

Peppers and onions:

Trader Joe's Chicken Italian Sausage and asparagus in the pot...notice, the fire was a little too new to start cooking on...it took another 20 minutes to generate heat as opposed to just flames:

The best campfire salt...chardonnay smoked sea salt:

Slightly overdone asparagus with warm balsamic vinegar and parmigiano-reggiano cheese. Overdoing it worked in this case, because the soft asparagus seemed to soak up the vinegar more than when I just steam it for a few minutes. It was very flavorful.   

       

The feast meal with a coal-roasted ear of corn and baby potatoes...heavy on the carbs, but I had planned to hike the nine mile trail loop first thing in the morning:

So, you might be asking yourself why this trip wasn't a success? I mean, so far, it looks pretty good right?

Well, after a few hours of fire-gazing and relaxing, I decided to call it a night and prepared to hit the tent with my lantern and a book (a very good book). I figured I'd do a little reading and then some meditative clearing of my mind...The whole trip was planned to help me let go of some of the residual stress from jury duty and my super compassionate outlook on the accused. It left me emotionally distraught and I figured a few nights alone in the woods would help me put things in perspective. 

I snuggled into my sleeping bag (on top of a sleeping pad and a quilt) and began to read...I noticed it was a little cold (it looked like I was sending out smoke signals as I breathed), but I figured it would be no time at all before my body heat filled the tent and I'd be toasty. Nope.

An hour or two later, I realized that it was going to be a long cold night...and that 40 degrees sounded warm, unless you were sleeping on still frozen ground. I went to my car and got three of the scarves I usually have draped over the passenger seat neck rest (long story--for another post). 

I put on my coat, three shirts, pants, two pairs of socks and tied a scarf over my head like a hat.  I was pretty bulked up at this point and could barely squeeze into my sleeping bag. I managed to make it work and reached over to turn out my lantern. It was dark and cold and you also have to remember I was a little overstuffed from my asparagus, Italian sausage, peppers, corn, potatoes and pickles.  To say I was uncomfortable was an understatement. After five minutes of waiting to either feel warm or fall asleep and be put out of my misery, I had to pee.  Good lord.

I slowly rolled out of my bag and to the entrance of the tent. And then, because I looked like this:

I fell over and out of the tent.

When I got up, I was muddy, but not too discouraged and began to take off clothes so I could go and pee by a tree. Yes, you read correctly...there was no way I was going to waddle in the dark to the pit toilet in the freezing cold.

I did what I set out to do and then fell again!!!!  I twisted my ankle and limped back to the tent (very glad that I did not have an audience). I managed to get myself back into the sleeping bag and shivered for at least an hour until I finally drifted off...I woke up to the sound of tapping on my tent. I immediately reached for my flashlight. "Hello?????"....no answer.  I used my advanced survival in the wilderness skills to determine it was just a branch and after a few minutes of freezing, I drifted off again...only to be startled awake by the same tapping...

I was hazy, sleepy and cold...I wasn't thinking clearly and decided the tapping must be rain. As I drifted off again...the tapping got really loud and I finally got scared...someone was close...very close and toying with me...just like in a horror movie.  Oh God, where's a belligerent drunk or screaming kid when you need one! As I was preparing myself for my impending death or some kind of scene out of Deliverance, I actually drifted off to sleep again...(it's a survival technique not often talked about). 

I awoke again and this time the tapping was so close and loud it almost sounded like it was in THE TENT!!!!   

I finally realized it was. It was both in my tent and in my head...

I was so cold that my teeth were chattering as I slept. 

I felt like an idiot, but still managed to laugh as I wondered if I'd share the news with you Kitchenettes. 

Then, I realized that my whole body was rigid and tense from the cold...I debated leaving the tent and sleeping in my car, but that meant I'd have to leave the sleeping bag...I wasn't thinking clearly (did I mention this?) and decided to stay in the tent and stick it out until morning...I drifted in and out of sleep until about five when the birds (or cold) woke me up...I called Mark and later my mom and said that I had the worst night ever. 

I got up and made my breakfast:

Then, I considered my options:

1. Stay another night and freeze.
2. Leave the campground and drive to a store to get some more blankets or a tent heater and try another night.
3. Go home and wait a few more weeks before trying it again...having learned that 70 degree days don't mean warm nights in WI.

I went with option 3. In retrospect, I realize that 40 degrees isn't super cold, but it was cold and damp and while my skin loves cold and damp (really, it always looks good because of the moisture in the air) it is the type of weather that I tend to do the worst in. I've always hated that feeling of cold and damp linens or even the scent of cabins that are cold and damp. I has somehow gotten chilled to the bone and there was no way I was going to warm up. Oh well.

I'll have more successful trips later and my planned second dinner of wild mushroom cous-cous will taste just as good in May. I also learned that when something is troubling me, I can't expect to escape it by seeking out a change in the scenery...wherever you go, there you are.  I have to let the trial go without the help of the woods.    

In other news...I made this wallet and it sold within an hour of listing it in the shop...It's a new favorite.

And thanks to Ruby Crowned Kinglet, I'm a new fan of Liberty Fabrics.   

So, how was your weekend? 

Celebrate The Earth One Dinner At A Time

The days of free lunches may be over, but on April 23rd you can head over to the Urban Frog for a FREE Earth Dinner!!!!  The reception is at 5:30 and the dinner is at 6:00.      

You just have to call and register before all the slots fill up!  That's not much to ask!

Here's the dinner menu the Urban Frog will offer for free on April 23rd (you must call and register in advance):

• Bruschetta
• A Cold Soup (they'll be adding cold soups to their spring menu)
• A Spring Salad With A Goji Berry Dressing
• Sprouted Sunflower Wrap with Blue Corn Chips
• Grilled Salmon Menu Change! Grilled Shish Kebab!
  
• Frog Cake (The Urban Frog's delicious gluten-free chocolate      cake)

I'm so proud to live in a community offering something like this! 

Karen and Terry got a grant from Organic Valley to help offer this dinner to the public as a way to expose people to healthy and delicious foods and build community.  What exactly is an Earth Dinner? Well, according to EarthDinner.org, it's part holiday, part meal, part conversation, and a gathering that highlights the amazing and important role food plays on our lives.  Participants eat great food, hear great stories about how what we eat is connected to practically everything: health, culture, environment, local economics, farming, family history and so much more.  Through food, an Earth Dinner connects us to each other and to the larger world.

Here are some ideas for hosting your own Earth Dinner. The whole thing touches me. It seems like such a great way to connect and I like how individuals, neighborhoods and restaurants are getting on board.

There will be a few give-aways that night and a Little Orange Kitchen wallet will be one of them!

Be sure to call to register and then be prepared for delicious food! Wow!

On other news: I'm leaving tomorrow for a few days alone in my tent in the woods!  I can't wait to get out there and do a little meditating, walking and maybe even some writing. It's my second solo camping trip.   

I'll post when I get back on Sunday.   

In the meantime...please check out this lovely new little blog I found all by my very own self! Her art is adorable and her story telling is pretty good too!

Happy trails Kitchenettes!

P.S. Jodi...you commented on the Socks post, but I don't have your address to send you a consolation prize...please message me yours!       

On The Bright Side...

I promised a more upbeat post today and I'm delivering! Well, actually the postman delivered this one. My Mother Goose swap box from Kate! Yay!

It was overflowing with beautiful things and I have to say the care and time Kate put into the box is amazing. She wrapped everything in gorgeous orange paper...mostly handmade and even included a few little orange "extras" like the baby clothespins and orange rubber bands...plus, look at the magnet!

And then look at all this gorgeous paper!!!

The rhyme she chose was "The Balloon"

"What is the news of the day,
Good neighbor, I pray?"

"They say the balloon
has gone to the moon!"

I love it and she used the rhyme to inspire this beeswax collage (one of her specialties as an artist is making beeswax collages)...

Everyone knows I love planets and stars!!

Plus, Godiva Milk Chocolate Pearls that I couldn't get a decent picture of because my camera kept reflecting on the tin.

A pretty little journal:

And interestingly enough, this was my favorite!

I love the front of the card, but it is the back that made me burst open today...I felt so understood by this quote:

Thank you Kate....you went above and beyond and every gift is appreciated.

         

Thanks to Karen over here for hosting such a fun swap!