A Senior Quiz

This is a test for us "old kids"! The answers are printed below, but don't cheat. And good luck to you young guys......

3 Outfits-1 Classic Look

Take some terrific material with red, white and lavender hearts. Add to this a classic styled jumper.

Sunday Phunnies

A LOCKED CAR DOOR:A woman was at work when she received a phone call that her daughter was very sick with a fever. She left her work and stopped by the pharmacy to get some medication. She got back to her car and found that she had locked her keys in the car.She didn't know what to do, so she called home and told the baby sitter what had happened. The baby sitter told her that her the fever was getting worse. She said, "You might find a coat hanger and use that to open the door."The woman looked around and found an old rusty coat hanger that had been thrown down on the ground, possibly by someone else who at some time or other had locked their keys in their car. Then she looked at the hanger and said, "I don't know how to use this."So she bowed her head and asked God to send her some help. Within five minutes an old rusty car pulled up, with a dirty, greasy, bearded man who was wearing an old biker skull rag on his head. The woman thought, "This is what you sent to help me?" But, she was desperate, so she was also very thankful. . .

He said, "Sure". He walked over to the car, and in less than a minute the car was opened. She hugged the man and through her tears she said, "Thank You So Much! You are a very nice man."

The man replied, "Lady, I am not a nice man. I just got out of prison today. I was in prison for car theft and have only been out for about an hour."

The woman hugged the man again and with sobbing tears cried out loud, "Oh, Thank you God! You even sent me a Professional!"

A Very Satisfied Customer

A few weeks ago I posted about a customer who wanted a Little House on the Prairie dress for her daughter and a matching outfit for her daughter's doll. Julie was kind enough to share photos with me of her daughter enjoying the surprise gift.

It is Christmas morning and this little lady looks very happy.



Getting the baby dressed. . .

A Good Night's Sleep

After you reach a certain age (and it is different for all of us) a really good night's sleep becomes a very elusive prospect. We have reached that age. It is a rare night, indeed, when both of us sleep all night and we really treasure those times.

A few weeks ago my sister-in-law asked if we would like a queen-sized Tempurpedic mattress and boxspring. These are the very expensive beds they advertise on TV as being designed by NASA. . .

Sunday Phunnies

Martha's Way ... and Mine
Martha's way #1:
Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips.
The Real Women's Way:
Just suck the ice cream out of the bottom of the cone, for Pete's sake. Anyway, you're probably eating it while lying on the couch with your feet up.
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Martha's way #2:
To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.
The Real Women's Way:
Buy Hungry Jack mashed potato mix and keep it in the pantry for up to a year.
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Martha's way #3:
When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead and there won't be any white mess on the outside of the cake.
The Real Women's Way:
Go to the bakery. They'll even decorate it for you.
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Martha's way #4:
If you accidentally over salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a peeled potato and it will absorb the excess salt in an instant.
The Real Women's Way:
If you over salt a dish while you are cooking, that's too darn bad. Please recite with me The Real Women's motto: I made it and you will eat it and I don't care how bad it tastes!
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Martha's way #5:
Brush some beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.
The Real Women's Way:
The Mrs. Smith frozen pie directions do not include brushing egg whites over the crust so I just don't do it.
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Martha's way #6:
Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.
The Real Women's Way:
Take a lime, mix it with tequila, etc., chill and drink. You might still have the headache, but who cares?
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Martha's way #7:
Don't throw out all that leftover wine. Freeze it into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.
The Real Women's Way:
What leftover wine??

Essential Oils

We have a friend who is a very big user of essential oils.  We listened and considered but until my husband lost his job and we lost our insurance, we only thought about it.  This winter, when we started coming down with various sinus issues,  we decided it was time to try some essential oils.


Our friend recommended a book by Valerie Worwood called "The Complete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy".

This book is really a handy tool.  It includes a list of oils for beginners and some common uses for the oils both singly and in combinations.

We have been amazed at the effectiveness of these oils.  We have used them in treating sinusitis, stiff muscles, headaches, stomach pain, and sore feet.  Unbelievably  the small amounts of oil used has proven effective in most of these instances.

Most of the information we came across on the internet calls for the use of a diffuser to disperse the oil into the air.  Diffusers are expensive, and as I said, my hubby is unemployed, so we looked for alternatives.  We found a warm steam vaporizer and have been using that.  It was under $20 and has proven very effective.  A diffuser would probably work better but for now we will stick with our vaporizer.

Essential oils have certainly worked wonders for us, and saved us a bundle in doctor's bills.  We sure are thankful our friend shared this info with us.

Tees and Twirls

I received a request for some warm clothes for a couple of little ladies. These little ones have to catch the schoolbus very early in the morning when it is still very cold. Their mother wanted outfits that would be warm in the morning and still comfortable when the sun warmed up in the middle of the day. . .

My Best Seller

Far and above anything else in my store culottes are my best seller.

This past week I have busy working on an order for a customer with 4 girls. She needed culottes for all of them. Then I got a phone call. . .

Sunday Phunnies

In my next life

In this life I'm a woman. In my next life, I'd like to come back as a bear.

When you're a bear, you get to hibernate. You do nothing but sleep for six months.
I could deal with that.

Before you hibernate, you're supposed to eat yourself stupid.
I could deal with that, too.

When you're a girl bear, you birth your children (who are the size of walnuts) while you're sleeping and wake to partially grown, cute cuddly cubs.
I could definitely deal with that.

If you're a mama bear, everyone knows you mean business. You swat anyone who bothers your cubs. If your cubs get out of line, you swat them too.
I could deal with that.

If you're a bear, your mate EXPECTS you to wake up growling.
He EXPECTS that you will have hairy legs and excess body fat.
Yup ... gonna be a bear.

Do Right!

A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business.
Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different.   He called all the young executives in his company together.

He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO.   I have decided to choose one of you."   The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. "I am going to give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you.    I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO."

One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed.    He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story.  She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed.    Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown.    After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.

Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew.   Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing.   By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure.

Six months went by -- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed.    Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing.    Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however, he just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection.

Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot.    But she asked him to be honest about what happened.    Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right.    He took his empty pot to the board room.

When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives.    They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes.    Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives.

Jim just tried to hide in the back.    "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the CEO.    "Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"

All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot.    He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front.   Jim was terrified.    He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure!   Maybe he will have me fired!"

When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed - Jim told him the story.   The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim.    He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive Officer!   His name is Jim!"  

Jim couldn't believe it.    Jim couldn't even grow his seed.

"How could he be the new CEO?" the others said.

Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed.    I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today.    But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow.

All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers.   When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you.   Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it.   Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!"

Doing right is not always easy but it is always best!

Contact Me

A few days ago I had a comment from a prospective customer saying she liked some of my items and asking how to go about purchasing them.  So I thought I would use today's entry to explain this.


Currently I use Etsy as my storefront, so everything that is currently available can be seen in my store.  

Very often I write about a special order I have received and if you need to contact me about creating a special order for you, email me.  Either way I would love to hear from you.

Sunday Phunnies

Exercise
It is well documented that for every minute you exercise, you add one minute to your life. This enables you, when you're 85, to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing home at $5,000 per month.

My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was 60. Now she's 97 years old and we don't know where she is.

The only reason I would take up exercising is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.

I joined a health club last year, spent about 400 bucks. Haven't lost a pound. Apparently you have to go there.

I have to exercise early in the morning before my brain figures out what I'm doing.

I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.

I have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them.

The advantage of exercising every day is that you die healthier.

If you are going to try cross-country skiing, start with a small country.

And last but not least:
I don't exercise because it makes the ice jump right out of my glass.

Wheat, Wheat and Wheat

Last week I tried my hand at making seitan, otherwise known as wheat meat.  Seitan is a protein made from wheat that is used in place of meat.  I had been reading about this for so long and just never got around to trying it.  I am happy to say it was a great success.

I have watched videos, read blogs and cookbooks on how to make seitan and by far the absolute best book is this one:

This book gives detailed instructions for making the seitan.  You begin with whole wheat flour and add water.  Then you knead it together and place in a colander under very slowly running water.  Squeezing the dough under the water rinses the starch and bran and leaves you with only the gluten.


By placing a bowl under the colander you are able to capture the water, starch and bran which can be used in other recipes.


The water can be used for cooking pasta, veggies, and rice or any other recipe.


The book gives a recipe for using the starch to make crackers.

HANDBOOK 2011

Health:
1.       Drink plenty of water.
2.       Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3.       Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants..
4.       Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5.       Make time to pray.
6.       Play more games
7.       Read more books than you did in 2010  .
8.       Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9.       Sleep for 7 hours.
10.    Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:
11.    Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12.    Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.   
13.    Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14.    Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15.    Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16.    Dream more while you are awake
17.    Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
18.    Forget issues of the past.. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19.    Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20.    Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21.    No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22.    Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.  Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23.    Smile and laugh more.
24.    You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree...
25.    You dont have to attend every argument that you are invited to...

Society:
25.    Call your family often.
26.    Each day give something good to others.
27.    Forgive everyone for everything.
28.    Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of  6.
29.    Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30.    What other people think of you is none of your business.
31.    Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32.    Do the right thing!
33.    Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34.    GOD heals everything.
35.    However good or bad a situation is, it will change..
36.    No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37.    The best is yet to come..
38.    When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39.    Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.
40.    Be thankful for all your blessings.