Substance of Living

Do you remember playing with homemade dough when you were little?  Oh my gosh, my middle sister and I would sit at the kitchen table for hours playing with our dough.  Mom would put a few drops of food coloring so we would have colored dough - like the kind that was available in the stores.  We would use cookie cutters, make our own shapes, blend the colors together to make another color.  We sometimes even saved our creations.  Searching (falling down the rabbit hole) Pinterest one day, I came across  this recipe By Oleander and Palm.  Aren't her ornaments gorgeous in their simplicity? She puts her designs in the oven to dry.  I read in another blog that you can also air dry them.  So I did; and I used this recipe that uses cinnamon !  Oh, they smell heavenly! I used cookie cutters on hand.  Here's the kicker.... patience was my friend.  It took about a week for the dough to thoroughly dry.  I started them out ...

I have begun challenging myself to make things that I see on the internet.  This project is a crochet baby blanket video by Jayda in Stitches .  I'm a beginner at crochet and have been following Jayda for awhile.  Her videos are so clear and easy to follow that I thought I'd give this a try. My "baby blanket" is more of a table cover - think a great big placemat.  The reason for this is because my yarn and needle was different from hers. Unfortunately, I threw away the yarn label.  I do remember that it was baby weight and it had a picture of a baby in a sweater.  The color is an off-white, maybe ecru. Completed project Up close My borderwork Jayda shows step-by-step how to make this in her video.  If you know how to read patterns (I'm not there yet), you can find her written pattern here . I'm so happy with this that I actually have it out and we use it daily! Have a Great Day!!! Marie Tweet this Post P....

Apothecary Extracts Tea Tree Oil I remember years ago, and I'm talking almost 20 years now, a co-worker friend of mine introduced me to Tea Tree Oil.  It's been so long that I don't remember which brand she used, and suppose that doesn't really matter.  What does matter is that she had been using it for a long time.  She used it to treat all kinds of skin problems including acne.  She also used it as a cleanser around her house. To my uneducated thought process, I couldn't fathom using an oil to clean anything in my house except maybe to condition my wood. Fast forward to 2014 and here I am ordering Tea Tree Oil from Amazon and loving it.  Besides the pureness of this product, it was really quite gentle on my skin.  It is recommended that another oil, such as coconut oil, be used if trying on your skin for the first time. Upon ordering my Apothecary Tea Tree Oil , they also sent me a recipe / use type booklet via email in PDF format. Bes...

Are your eyes ever bigger than your stomach when it comes to food?  Mine are all the time and now my brain thought I was up for a challenge - beyond something I've ever done!  I've pledged (unofficially) to not purchase home decor or ready-made clothing this year.  When I talk about home decor, if it is something that can be sewn then it will not be purchased but made.  Purchasing fabric is permissible. This isn't a new idea and you've probably seen recycling , upcycling, refashioning , and other descriptions of such around the internet and in the book stores for some time now.  Since DH and I moved, we've been downsizing and a lot of the items were donated but now we're to the point that we are into the soft items.  Items that are still in really good shape but no longer wearable for whatever reason.  We don't want to pass along a top if there is a hole in the knit or a stain - so I'm reusing the material to make other things. A challenge, that...

When the holidays and winter is upon you, do you often think about nesting?  Sweaters, scarves, mittens, warm coats, boots, fires in the fireplace, and of course hot cocoa are all some of the things we do to nest. Another thing we can do to warm up our homes and nest is to cover our dining chairs. Christmas Inspired Chair Covers Santa Hat Chair Cover by Uncommon Designs Red Ribbon with Pine Cone and Greenery Chair Cover by Happy Interiors Poinsettia and Burlap Chair Cover by I'm a Little Hanukkah Inspired Chair Covers Blue and White Chair Cover by Our Little Nest on the Lake White Faux Fur Chair Cover by Seasonal Home Decoration New Year's Eve Inspired Chair Covers Blue, White, and Silver New Year's Eve Chair Covers by Minimalisti Black and White Formal New Year's Eve Chair Covers by Elite Mobile DJ New Year's Eve Clock Chair Cover by Whimsy Decor New Year's Celebration Chair Cover by BHG Ho...

Many years ago, when I first learned about Hanukkah, I thought it was Christmas for eight days.  I mean, can you imagine receiving gifts for days on end rather than having to wait for one specific day?  Also, I liked the idea that it came at different times in the winter months.  I had heard that it might come as early as November!  Can you imagine Christmas in November?! As much as I like the idea of getting presents on a daily basis, I've never been really good with the whole advent thing.  I tend to want my gifts all at once.  What a glutton I am.  Hey, what can I say, I want to eat the whole cake in one sitting. Talk about lack of control. DH would absolutely vouch for this oh-so-positive trait in me.  :-) Since that time, I've learned a lot about rationing and not having it all in one sitting.  Don't get me wrong, that little girl is still in there wanting it all and NOW !  I didn't just want my two front teeth for Christmas...