Earth Day -sort of, and kind of late.

Thor had a business conference in D.C. last week, which meant I got to travel with him, and travel I did! The day we landed we went straight to the hotel and died! Such a long day! The following morning I got up and headed down to Durham to visit The Scholar!

It was an interesting drive to say the least (another post on that experience!). After 4 hours on the road I finally met up with her and we began to visit while she toured me around Duke, and of course, Durham (which is a fascinating place!).

As the day drew on we needed to stop a few places to pick up items we needed and I discovered that back east (at least D.C. and North Carolina) they charge 5 cents per bag they issue after your purchase. It was fun to watch The Scholar pile up her purchases in her arms and carry them out to the car. (Unexpected trip to the store mean she didn't have her bags with her at the time.) Granted they were few and a bag really wasn't that much of a help, but still, I loved it! (My inner hippy chick was so pleased to see that the hippy gene was trickling down the family tree.) Inside I kept thinking about the different bags I had at home, ready to pack away my groceries, I even have several to take with me for traveling...but with certain restrictions put on my suitcase this trip, I left all non essentials at home.

I made that trip from D.C. to Durham and back to D.C. twice! Then I also drove out to Rehoboth Beach (Delaware) so I could see the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. Let's just say, I drove a lot, and every where I drove, they wanted a nickle for a sack! Good for them. I think if CA. charged for a sack we'd all figure out a way to remember to bring all those linen bags we have at home. "Save a fish or kill a tree?" Just bring your own bag.

Well, I decided that I would make a huge, gynormo purse that I could use as both carry on luggage (if need be) and also haul a good grocery bundle or Target run without having to look as if I was using store branded or company logo totes.

I found a piece of Hawaiian print bark cloth (my weakness) for .99! I also found gorgeous green dotted material that grabbed my eyes about two years ago (I have been pining a long time) which was on clearance for $2.00 yd., and lastly some pleather on sale for $3.00. After my $4.50 (total) purchase I went to work without a pattern.

8"wx27"lx16"d with a 40" twisted strap so that I can carry it over my shoulder or over my body - hands free, which is nice if I need my hands for other things. I put in 12 grommets and made a pull string to open and close the top. A small leaf button helps slide the string closed and kept in place or slide open. A few more buttons on the bottom of the strings to keep them from slipping all the way through the top, and I was done.

The result is a huge tote, and I love it. I think it will work out well for me. Large enough to carry a large laptop and probably and additional watermelon! Plus, it's reversible!

Hi Blogger, it me, S'mee....

Is anyone even still checking in? I'm not sure. But if you do, thanks. I am sorry I have been such a slacker lately. I'm o.k., but I just can't seem to find the blog motivation. That said I have been crafty lately...gearing up for the holidays.

I love Halloween. See the Halloween posts in the archives to find other things I have thrown together in the past. This year a few different items. I hope to have a You Tube "how to" up soon. In the mean time here are a few of the items I have been working on:



Chair Scarves. I used a window scarf I bought 3 years ago, cut into 4 parts, hemmed it and then threw it over the chairs and tied it off with a ribbon. Free and easy recycle!


I went to the fabric store and found $2 and $3 per yard fabrics on clearance and essentially just cut the one twice, hemmed all raw edges and threw it on the table to make a base cloth that would go all the way -and then some- to the floor. I had the gal at the store cut the top fabric to a square; however wide it was, that would determine the scale of the square, so be it. Hemmed and thrown on the table. Not Free, but almost, and totally easy. Plus both clothes can be used for other occasions, dressed and accessorized with other colours or item and that will decide the mood later!



An old recycled wreath, this one black, topped with 99c Store (really bad) black roses, tipped with a bit of green glitter and red roses spray painted with flat black. (In the photo the original red really shows through, in real life the red is more of a suggestion than a visible colour.) I just snipped the roses from the bunches (4 black, three red) and used the wire in the wreath to secure them in place. I added left over ribbon in a bow and there you have it. Recycle + $7.00



This is the one I am most excited about. I was sharing a snack at a friend's home when she served her goodies on the most gorgeous plates. White background with black printed toile "solid" plates and also as an edge. I adored them! Too expensive after the inquiry of where and how much? What to do? Head down to Dollar Tree and find some flat edged plates! At $1 a piece this would be a great alternative. I used a permanent on any surface ink and some scroll designed rubber stamps, and badabing badaboom I have my black and white plates. Not toile, no solids, but with the same feel! I think they'll look really awesome on the Halloween table, but also later and not so spooky! $8.00 for a whole new set of dishes!

Well that's it. See you soon, I hope!



Click on the photos to get a closer look!

Do One Thing! -Project Noah 21

Week 21: 1 lb. Dried fruit & beef jerky (apples, pineapple, apricots, bananas etc.) for 72 hour kit.

Hint: Try drying the fruit yourself, and making jerky by slicing thin and placing-on low heated oven overnight. Not sure exactly how, check out food websites and see what recipes float your boat!

liquid-gel laundry soap tutorial

There are several DIY Laundry Soap recipes out there, I chose this one because my friend uses it on a daily basis and swears by it. She has four small children and a busy hubby. I figure if it is good enough for her, then it is good enough for me!

At 320 full loads per batch (TEN GALLONS!) this is well worth the cost (about $5.00!) and the hassle. The worst part is grating the bar of soap, which is just a tad more difficult than grating cheese. (just a tad, really, because it's soap and you can't nibble while you work.) You can always do what I did and enlist the help of someone big and burly. Tally up the time involved and it will be about an hour - tops.

Also, I need to warn you that this soap starts out as a liquid, then turns into a gel as it sits. Like Jello, seriously. You will need to stir it, shake it, or whatever you want to get it to liquefy again. Once it is a liquid again it is Sliiiiiii-mey! Like dinosaur goo, kind of creepy. Then again, I never went elbow deep into any of my other laundry soaps, so maybe they were slimy also? Oh well, you only have to do the elbow deep thing once, if you want, or you can find a long study stirring stick and avoid the slime altogether, I just went in! I digress. When it sits, it gels, so each time you use it, give the bottle a good shake. Easy enough.

NO DYES. NO PERFUMES. (unless you want to add 5-10 drops of your favourite essential oil) Safe for septic systems. Safe to use in front load and high efficiency washers. I think it works great. The clothes come out of the dryer with out a scent per sey, but smelling fresh, and feeling good to the touch. To me, I think this soap rinses out more efficiently than my other brands of soap did, hence the good feel to the fabric. This is basic stuff here folks, not quite Little House on the Prairie, but basic good soap.

The way I look at it is, if you have to save money, if you have to cut back and scrimp, wouldn't laundry soap be the place to start? I mean, better than say, eliminating those cute shoes you saw last week? Yeah, I thought so too.

This little light of mine

A project I have been working on involves oil lamps. I have looked everywhere to find inexpensive versions of biblical types of clay lamps, they're out there, just not cheap enough for what I need in the project (read: over 150 lamps).

In my search I found out information on oil lamps of old. Anciently all it took was a small lump of clay, rolled into a ball and then flattened, pinch up one side and curl up enough of the other side to make a well and there you go. Because olive oil has such a high flame point, a puddle of (olive) oil will rarely burst into or sustain a flame, but dip 100 percent cotton cloth, or wick into the oil and light it and poof, a flame. One could make a lamp that would give enough light to walk by, read with, or make their way through dark streets or rooms with a simple little lamp.

The more clay the better design of the lamp. Make a larger well (like the one in the photo) or even throw a pot onto the wheel and design a symmetrical, almost perfect, bowl for the oil. Adding a spout and a handle and you were living large. Typically the oil reservoir was filled via a opening in the top center of the well, making it more stable and less likely to spill.

Since the oil would not burst into flame on its' own, the length of the flame was determined by the length of the wicking material. Draw out more or less and the flame takes its' direction. The vessel stays cool to the touch, only near the flame does it warm.

So with my newly acquired knowledge I decided to see what I could make. The small, a little smaller than three inches long lamp above, took an extremely small amount of clay and five minutes to produce. After curing, I took a length of pure cotton, cut it about a half inch wide and four inches long, twisted it and threaded it through the hole. I poured in about three tablespoons of oil and let the cotton wick soak it up for a minute or two then lit the end. It was a great little light! I was surprised at how bright the flame was and how much light that tiny vessel put out.

Plans are now for me to see if I can grab a pound of clay and make a few more and set them aside for those times when the lights really go out! Let's hear it for ancient technology!

Do One Thing: Week 14

Week 14: Bandages.

Hint: Make sure you have emergency provisions for pets.

Standard First Aid Supplies: adhesive tape, ammonia, antibiotic ointment, bicarbonate of soda, calamine lotion, diarrhea remedy, elastic bandages, gauze bandages, hot water bottle, hydrogen peroxide, ipecac syrup (induces vomiting), knife, matches, measuring cup, medicine dropper, needles, paper bags, razor blades, rubbing alcohol, safety pins, scissors, soap, thermometer, triangular bandages, tweezers, first aid book, prescription medications, consecrated oil. First aid kits and supplies should be checked and replenished regularly. All supplies should be labeled and organized for fast use.

Do One Thing: Week 12

Week 12: 2 bars of body soap per person. (probably wouldn't hurt to have some body lotion too.)

Hint: If you have a fireplace double-check to make sure flue is clear and the fireplace is clean and can be used without danger.

Buddy Burners- How to!

This week I suggested making a few "Buddy Burners" for light, heat, and/or outdoor cooking under a grill. For anyone interested, here's an easy tutorial on how to make them from recycled materials.

Self reliance: It's not only cheap and easy, it's good for the environment!

Do One Thing: Project Noah: Week 10

Week 10: Coal, wood, briquettes, propane, matches, candles for cooking and light.

Hint: Make buddy burner. Cut strips of corrugated paper in 1 ½ in widths. Roll each strip tightly and fit in a tuna fish can. Pour melted paraffin wax in the can so that it soaks the paper and fills the remaining space. Each can will burn for 1 ½ to 2 hours!

Do One Thing: Project Noah: Week 9

Week 9: 5 pounds legumes (beans & peas). (Probably wouldn't hurt to have a bottle of Beano in there as well...just sayin'.)

Hint: Have backyard camp out to practice emergency skills. (good opportunity to check out warm bedding).

Lighted Faery Wings Tutorial

A tutorial on making faery wings that have battery operated lights. We made this set to fit Lil Bit, who is 6 months old. The battery pack is a bit heavy for a 6 month old, but we figured she would be held by her daddy all night any way, so it wouldn't be a concern. The wings are made to wear "back pack" style.

We also made a no sew tutu with a matching headband and onesie. Essentially the headband and onesie were just a matter of gluing flowers and glitter. The no sew tutu info can be found
here, among many other places. Enjoy!

weekend project

I got an e-mail from a friend of mine last week asking me if I could make a bouquet for a wedding taking place at her home this coming weekend. Luckily for me, the bride wanted silks. Thor and I will be gone three days before the wedding so fresh would have been a problem!

We went shopping Saturday afternoon and that night I went to work. I was surprised that the bouquet used all the stems we purchased, but it did! She requested all white flowers with a bit of green. There are two dozen roses, 16 large 8 buds, 5 stems of cascading blooms, and another five bunches of ivy.

I used the red and gold bud leaves as accent colour and to bring in a bit of the fall colours she plans, and also the deep green large leaves to poke out in the bouquet and also as a way of 'plating' the base and supporting the ivy bunches.

She wanted burgundy and metallic gold ribbon, and again, lucky for me I had a spool that was approved! She wanted a small "shoe lace" bow and braided stems, so I did that for her, although I forgot to get a shot of the braided stem.

They also requested a matching boutonniere so I used the same combination of flowers and greenery and there you go.

My friend liked them very much, I am hoping the bride does as well.

Check out Food Chronicles, I understand Robyn got a last minute call to prepare and decorate the cake. I can't wait to see what she does!

This is Halloween...CupCakes!

This is Halloween!
Originally uploaded by S'mee.

More Halloween goodies from the past. Nothing says fun like cool treats that aren't from the store. You can whip up a bunch of these for the kids you personally know and they will love gobblin' them up! This tutorial is a repeat from 2005, however they are pretty fun so here we go!

O.k. So this is the first run of cupcakes! I wasn't prepared for the decorations with special candies or frostings, but went ahead and came up with these little beauties with what we had on hand:

Dunked in Jelly Bellies, You're Bugging Me!, Spike, & Don't Forget to Floss.

Jack Skelington, Oogie Boogie, Sally, & Stock

High Anxiety, Buck, I only have eyes for you, & Miss Spider.

All cupcakes were chocolate with vanilla or chocolate frostings. I used Mega M&Ms, tiny M&Ms, Jelly Bellies, Life Savers, Sour Patch Strips, Green Apple Gum, Eclipse Gum, Jolly Rancher Rocks, and black Jimmies.

Frosting was applied via a zip lock bag snipped at one corner or with a butter knife. I also used a bamboo skewer to aid in the placement of many Jimmies! I am sure when I actually get out the cake gear and use the pro stuff they will come out even better. In the mean time, we're eatin' cupcakes for dessert tonight!

To view cupcake details more closely, click on the photo above. This will take you to my photo page at Flicker! Find the photo stream st the top right of the page and click the "next" photo, it should be titled: "I'm ready for my close up!" double click. It will come up full screen and with much better detail.

Do One Thing: Project Noah, week 8

Week 8: One bottle of vegetable oil or one can of shortening.

Hint: Double check emergency supplies for baby, are diapers and clothing going to fit? (We used to buy sweat shirts/pants one year's size ahead and then just switch it out on the 'anniversary'.) Formula? (even nursing moms should make sure there is formula available and enough water stored to mix it properly.) Also, if you have a special needs dietary condition in your family, store their special diet foods as well; or whatever your doctor advises as an emergency substitute. This is the time to ask and prepare!

Do One Thing: Project Noah, week 6

Week 6: 1 large jar of honey. (The larger the better..nothing better than a peanut butter and honey sammich when you need a sweet lunch! Just remember this treat is only for those over two years old. No honey for little ones!) Did you know honey has a really long shelf life, and that if your honey crystallizes it doesn't mean it's gone bad, it can be brought back to it's thick smooth sweet goodness via warming! (I want some toast with honey now.)

Hint: Double check flashlight and battery supply.

Also, for those of you who live in California: We, the entire state, have been invited to participate in the world's largest earthquake drill...ever! On November 13 at 10:01 a.m. we will "experience" a 7.8 earthquake along the San Andreas fault. This is only a drill! hehe! But hey, why not participate and see if you're as prepared as you think you are? Go to ShakeOut.org to sign up as a participant. It's free, and it's full of information on the drill. If you want other information on how to prepare for the actual event, the resources page has other videos, a webinar, and other website links to help you find information. Scroll the entire page, the good stuff is near the bottom. I personally viewed the webinar, and wow! there's some interesting stuff there.

Project Noah: Week 5

Week 5: CLOTHES & COMFORTS: 2-3 socks, underwear, change of clothes, t-shirt, pants, windbreaker, hat , sturdy shoes, a favourite teddy bear or blankie substitute, etc.

Thor and I packed all these plus sweat pants/shirt for layering. Comfort items: Scriptures, books, small travel type games, cards and dominoes, favorite toys, paper, pens/pencils/ crayons, music, etc. (um, I packed M&Ms and tootsie pops!)

Project Noah: Week 4 - Rice

Hey! Did any body know to day is Wednesday? Well, heck I thought yesterday was Monday -all day long and so today's Tuesday Tutorial is a day late! (ding! that would be the light going on in my head)

Week 4: 10 pounds Rice. (considering the situation this year in India...not a bad idea, this food storage)

Hint: Check that you have sufficient clothing (that fits) for one year (or fabric and necessities for sewing clothing).

Do One Thing! -Project Noah 2

Week Two!

Week 2: 15 Pounds of good wheat.

Hint: People who have small homes with limited storage space should prepare the best they can for emergencies. Basic food items often can be stored in rather limited space. Closets, attics, and space under beds can be used.

It is wiser to have food storage sufficient for only a few weeks or months than to have no storage at all.

Do One Thing! 3 web sites and a new weekly program!

We have our 72 hour kit and our first aid kits so what do we do now?

Food storage is such a huge elephant we often feel over whelmed!

If your state or local government allows you to store food -you should! There are plenty of places to store it, even in an apartment, as long as you get creative.

We should begin storing at least one week of extra food, just in case. Imagine your job being suspended or gone completely. Wouldn't it be nice to not have to depend on running to the store for a week? Perhaps you have unexpected guest drop by for a few days, or your college kids need a quick CarePackage. There are many reasons why having an extra week of food readily available, natural disasters are just the ones most people think of first.

We need to begin eating our food storage elephant! The best way to get started is to just go slowly, one bite at a time. This post has a couple of ways to help you out with the task. The first is a food storage recipe website, another website for tracking what you store, and the third a weekly program to help us build a year's supply for two people for under $10.00 a week.

Next time you are making out your shopping list add one extra meal to the list. If that bursts the budget add as much of that meal as you can, even one extra can is more than nothing! If your budget can handle it, add more than one meal! Or you can shop by product, say, week one I'll buy fruit, week two- veggies, three -meat, and so on.

Most food storage sites will recommend that you store basics in bulk such as wheat, flour, sugar, salt, and oil. These are staples that will get you through most incidents. However, you also need to know how to cook with those items as well. So as you begin to store your staples, begin to use them so that you have recipes your family will eat. A resource for recipes is: Every Day Food Storage, she's amazing! Crystal uses her basics everyday to rotate her food storage and has become very popular with her recipes, which she shares!

If you want to begin with just the regular meal plans you normally use, that is great also. You'll be storing what you already eat.

Check the papers for sales or coupons that will give you two for one. Are there any bulk sales this week? This is the time to grab onto whatever bargains you can! Let's say they are having a case lots sale on vegetables and you have enough set aside to purchase two cases. Purchase a case of this, and a case of that, and bring it home. It may not feel like it, but you're on your way. Next time you'll purchase a different item that your family regularly eats and before you know it, you will have stored an extra weeks worth of food.

A few weeks back they had a huge sale on Raisin Bran, which Thor could easily eat for days on end. I picked up all my budget could handle and got it stored in my air tight sealed buckets. The cereal should last for about three months easy! When the container in my cupboard gets low, I'll just go to the bucket and fill it up, rotating out my stock.

There are many sources to help you out in finding what to purchase and what to store. The best advice is to store what you already eat. A great website for keeping track of what you have is : Track My Food Storage. This is a free service that allows you to add personal data into documents so that you can see what you are storing.

Track My Food Storage also has an alternative plan which does cost a subscription, but the free plan is a great start. They will ask you for some vague personal info, which is secure, but I am sure you could also put in false identity if you choose and no one would be the wiser. There is an option to link up to websites that offer food storage shopping on line, but again, you never need to shop, you can calculate your own purchases.

The charts allow you to calculate what you purchase, when, what the expiration dates are, costs, storage location and also a place for notes on each item. The fee based subscription will notify you when supplies are getting low or close to code dates, rotation help, etc.

One last site that I think is fabulous, and one that we used in our ward* was Project Noah. Unfortunately I can no longer access the link. The good news is however, that I have the list they provided and we can start with that!

So here were are again, a week by week project that will give us everything we need to build our food storage without breaking the bank.

Week 1: At least 7 gallons of water.
Hint: Water storage may be in plastic bottles, to which bleach may be added if the purity of the water is in question. (generally l/2 tsp per five gallons if water is clear or 1. tsp. per five gallons if water is cloudy.) In case of emergency, the water in water beds, water heaters, toilet tanks, and cisterns may be purified and used. It is generally accepted that water is best stored in thick plastic barrels which are placed on a surface other than concrete/cement. If you need to store any plastic on a concrete/cement surface place a barrier between the container and the concrete.
Milk jugs are not a good storage container as they are designed to break down quickly, two liter soda jugs are "o.k." but also not recommended.

*ward = congregation

adventures in sewing!

The previous green curtains were atrocious! We found a discount fabric store and searched for bargains. We found too many fabrics we wanted but let the budget make the final decision.

For $3.oo a yard, #5 loved this crinkly semi sheer, at 52 wide, it was a deal and a half! We decided that if we placed the fabric on the horizon rather than it's intended vertical we could get away with about 1/3 the fabric! Too add length and interest she picked out another piece of lightweight, but darker and with a bit of texture fabric at $4.99 per yard. One yard was all we needed. The base fabric is a deep brown with black circles randomly placed all over...really cool!

She wanted to tie the curtains up with pearls, chains, ribbons and whatever else she could find, so I added button holes to the top. Clipped to the cafe rings and between she and the best friend they looked so much better than what she had before. Also, even with the semi sheer weight, they are opaque enough to provide much needed privacy from the neighbors!

Just a reminder of the loveliness that was their love seat! E-gads! We shopped Craigs list and couldn't find a sofa any cleaner or the appropriate size...well actually we did, but the $50.00 they wanted for it was ridiculous! We found a second sofa, but it was in another city, weighed about 345 lbs. and in addition to the $15.00 price tag they wanted another $20.00 for delivery. um no.

So while we were at the fabric store we found a mushroom gray upholstery fabric for (get this!) $2.00 a yard! For $20, we had a nearly new piece of furniture! Can you believe it's the same couch? The small rug was a miracle find at $10.00 and with the exact mushroom, brown and beige we needed! Whoo hoo!
So there you have it. The 5 day transformation!