Take That You Cold and Blustery Day!

For goodness sake's it's March 31st and it is cold, blustery, snowy, and just plain yucky out today. So I baked a fresh strawberry pie in defiance!

Better clarify "baked" ---made---actually.

Recipe -very easy- from my Mom:

Buy graham cracker crust or bake a regular one crust shell

1 C. cold water

1 C. sugar

2 T. cornstarch

Mix the above then cook until thick.

Then add 3 T. strawberry jello. Stir-Cool-Poor over the fresh sliced strawberries in the pie shell.

Refrigerate till set.

OR put in freezer first for 15 min. to speed it up as I do so we can eat it for supper-don't forget to set a timer though or you'll have an icy pie.

Of course the picture would have looked much better with a dollop of whipped topping, but it wasn't set yet and it will be eaten as soon as it is!

Here's hoping for a warmer day tomorrow!

Check Out This Giveaway

Here's a beautiful giveaway that I really think you'd like to check out. The blog thoughts by Alice W. is gorgeous and she's giving this package away. I've just recently found her blog and I want to go dye and create now with coffee filters. That large pomander ball is made from coffee filters!! How's that for a repurpose? Although, make sure you keep enough filters to get your coffee fix. It is sad when I forget to buy filters and have to make due with a napkin or paper towel. Inevitably, I end up with grounds in my pot, on the counter, everywhere. Sorry, I digress--go check out her creations!

Surprise Belated Birthday Gift

Yesterday, I was surprised by a friend stopping in bringing me a belated birthday gift. Such a fun bag to open--coffee, tea, Martha Stewart magazine, wine, and a vintage teapot! In all my collecting I don't have one teapot. This friend of mine collects antique and vintage teapots. Now I have one and I think it is the sweetest one I've ever seen. AND she brought me a carrot cake which the little gals and I promptly dove into. It's a Good Thing. (sorry, had to say it)

Message Center

Remember this post on repurposing? This is a little different twist on the idea that was suggested to use as a photo holder from High Desert Diva.



I turned vintage buttons into magnets, and with the really strong magnets I used they REALLY hold! (You can even toss them at it and it will stick-I like to play.)



Now, it can hold messages, photos, memos, business cards, or little pieces of art like the ACEO that I collaged. They've each been sprayed with coats of acrylic finish.



I have one on my desk that I love with big off white vintage button magnets. I just listed these here in Etsy.

Good Morning

The sun is shining and it looks like it's shaping up to be a good day. I hope the same for all of you!

I Can Make That!

What a great idea, huh?! This project was found here and is by Ki Nassauer of Junk Revolution and her blog is called Junk Camp. If you like junk, creating, repurposing, or just to look at cool ideas you'll want to check it out. AND if you're from Nebraska--you'll want to check out yesterday's post for sure. Look where her feedsack came from!
ANYWAY, back to the post title: I Can Make That!



Look what was under the snow in the back yard this spring? Left out from the playhouse--yeah, I let the girls play with neat vintage stuff in the playhouse--I mean could it get better use than little girls playing with it?



Yes! Maybe it can--I'm making a planter out of it now! Maybe I'll hang it on the playhouse. I'll wait for a bit warmer weather though.

First Garage Sale of the Season!

My first Garage Sale picks of the season. AND it was a surprise--went to pick up my daughter and saw the sign--it was a sign--I had to stop. The radio doesn't work but was free so 'heck yes' I thought. I like how it looks. The wood cigar box is my favorite! Will be great for treasures and what not--have a lot of "what not" around here.

UNREALISTIC

I'm so unrealistic but I WON'T give up. I am determined to learn....learn....learn.....photoshop and how to make my own banner. I just spent a long time we'll say--not really revealing how long--trying to edit a picture and loading a new banner. I have dreams of something grand but I have to settle for a picture I like with a simple title that is close to the color I wanted. That is until I learn more. I even went looking for tutorials.
Anyway--point is--I was so engrossed I'm not paying really close attention to the little gals of mine. Oh I know they are safe because they are playing around behind me. In fact my two year old is "playing" the piano directly behind me singing "rockin' the rosie". I just got up to go get lunch and realized that Nora (two year old) is actually naked- buck naked playing the piano. I scream "Nora where are your clothes?!" and Audrey (three year old) says "I have clothes on!" When I look she's in her nightgown with snow boots on---
SHEESH!! I need to learn fast!

Sifting Through Ideas

What a fun idea huh?! Vanessa at BloomRightHere posted this a couple of days ago. I like to see innovative lighting AND I'm selling a sifter in my Etsy shop so this idea really clicked. You can see it here. I think it would work good to use it as a shade in a table lamp also.
Thanks Vanessa for letting me share your idea!

Garden Planning

(Photo from Henry Field's Seed Company)
One item I'm planting this year that I haven't planted in quite a few years are Cinderella pumpkins. How sweet are these?--you know they grow in the shape of the pumpkin in Cinderella that was turned into the coach. I have rarely seen them for sale at harvest time and the seeds aren't available anywhere locally here.
So if anyone is interested, they can be purchased here , also here and here.
This year I'm ordering one packet from a shop called ConsciousLiving on Etsy. I almost forgot that Etsy sells plants and food items too. There are a lot of choices of seeds there! Check it out.
The wonderful thing to do with these is to clean them up and spray them with a clear acryllic finish. If it's your style add a bow or some type of adornment on top. The clear finish makes them look superb!
Just thought I'd give you a heads up if you're a gardener so you can get some planted yet this year. I'll keep you posted on how mine turn out.

Waiting for Spring

We've been waiting desparately around here for Spring. Maybe it's not official on the calendar but here in our home it is Spring!! Declared at 3:01 pm March 16: IT'S SPRING
Let the gardening begin.

Collages

Love my coffee! I just listed this in jillruthandco.








I also listed these, collages made from mainly 1950 magazines. I love collage--how a few words or an image plucked from a page can tell a story all by itself. And how that story is yours; however your imagination sees it. These can be seen here too.

Big Birthday Bash

Leah at Moxie Photo and Design is having a big long celebration which includes her birthday. She's having lots of giveaways and the picture above kicks off the party! The photo is from my Etsy shop jillruthandco. It's a through the viewfinder photo so all the dirt and grainyness is all part of the charm of the picture. You can enter to win the picture here--and you can enter multiple times--up until the drawing next week!!

Leah talks about how our friendship began. I'd like to expand on that. I carried this awesome business card around in my purse for about 7 months wanting to find more cards like these:

I had purchased them at the Nebraska State Fair-Nebraska products booth. I can't say how much I love them which is why they've never been mailed to anyone---that---and the fact that I am the worst "card sender" around. Really want to rectify that. But I may still just hang these up here.

Anyway, when I finally looked up her web site that led me to Etsy and her shop. I loved it all--Etsy and her shop. She had listed a year's subscription to a polaroid picture a week. I thought "who in the world would want to buy a year's worth of polaroids in this day of digital????" I believe I even laughed out loud--sorry Leah--and the day went on and it stuck with me. Then I looked at her pictures again and saw how awesome they all were again and saw the charm of polaroids. You see composition is the key in polaroids. Key-and I love Leah's style. And with polaroids--no editing--that means you have to be good, very good in your composition because film is expensive and now sadly no longer available. By the end of the day I knew who would buy a year of polaroids--I would!! And I would give the subscription to my daughter Lauren who would be going off to college in the fall. She would have something in the mail every week to look forward to. I soon realized though that just the pictures wouldn't be enough. She would need something to put them in. Something special to reflect the art in the pictures. Who would be better to come up with something than the photographer herself. So I contacted Leah who was more than happy to come up with an album of sorts. And she did. She sent me a vintage scrapbook with polaroid photo sleeves added and little embellishments here and there throughout. The gift was now complete. And Lauren loved it--loved it. She is still receiving the pictures and will until July. Lauren embellishes and adds to the space around the pictures. I can't wait to see it when it's all done! I will share it here for sure. I don't think she still sells a year with a picture a week but there is still a subscription for a button a month left here. Such a great gift for someone away from home or for a friend who you don't see often. The gift that keeps on giving!

Would Anyone Give 25 Cents?

The auctioneer, begging for a bid said, "Would anyone, anyone give 25 cents for all five chairs?" and even though my brain was saying "Don't do it, don't do it", my mouth which often doesn't listen to my brain said, "Sure." After all it was an act of mercy, he was desparate to get rid of them. You see they have been rejected at past auctions.




In fact this particular one was marked no bid at the auction I was at last month. You would not believe how hard my brain had to work to keep my mouth shut last month. But it did. My brain even stopped myself from stopping in the following week as I drove past the auction house picking up kids from school. I knew this chair would be waiting and Lloyd would be happy to sell it to me for a quarter. To get it out of there. But, I must have been destined to own this awesome chair with it's curved legs. And it's friends. My husband says nothing--just--"Do you want these down in the barn?" Good golly he's a good sport. No auction remorse though, these are cool chairs and they were basically free.
Now, what to do with them? I have some ideas but I have lots of ideas about a lot of things--so--in the mean time if anyone wants one---I could part with it for- let's say a plate of cookies? or maybe a quarter?



Now, this chair is a different story. It's my friend's chair that she bought yesterday at the auction. Oh, how sweet it is. After she bought it, I have to say I wanted it. I did. So, I asked her if I could borrow it to take pictures of it. She's putting it out in her garden so was in no hurry to have it home. I'm holding it hostage until she comes for lunch some day. The colors on it and the random paint splatters are perfect. Maybe I could replicate that on one of my chairs???

Dress Up

There's a lot of "dress up" at our house.
Even a vintage apron works as a dress when she can't find anything else.



Sometimes a lot of dancing when dressing up. I've never saved the older girls' dance costumes in a safe box. They've always been available to dress up in. After all, now is when they'll have fun with them not years later to look at once every ten years or so.




This was taken last summer but wanted to share it. (The pacifier is a thing of the past-wwhheeww!)



I adore old hats. Wish I could wear one now. I know some people could pull it off but me? Never--plus a hat at the grocery store??? or doctor's office??? (the only places I go)



What a good sport!

New Etsy Shop

I've opened a new Etsy shop to house and sell my photographs and handmade items. You can view it here at jillruthandco.etsy.com.
I hope it's not too confusing--one shop named Jill Ruth and the other Jill Ruth and Co. I decided similar was better than different. I'm pretty excited about the whole thing, in part because I'm not sure how long it took me to set up and post in my first shop--days maybe and this time--woohoo-maybe an hour or less AND that included creating my banner and avatar. I still only know a thumb full of information about the technology end of selling, but that's a thumb full more than when I started! I'm feeling pretty pumped about that. I talked to another vendor about my age at the Art Show yesterday who said she felt like an old lady in a young world when it came to blogland. Ha! Made me laugh--told her "I know".
I'll be filling the new shop up as I soon as I can so check in often!