Pizza and Yard Sales

Strategic organizing generally requires very little effort on my part. I savour the moment of temporary satisfaction when crossing a completed task off one of my numerous lists. 

I admit...

I AM A LISTMAKER

and I'm not the only one (you know who you are!)

My recent attempt to systematically classify our possesions in preparation for the city wide yard sale proved slightly challenging. The excuse: hand-tossed birthday celebration pizza, lovingly prepared my Mr. Honeybelles for my visiting family.

He transformed our little kitchen into an Italian pizzeria, complete with flour covered dough artfully tossed in the air. This is one production with very exclusive seats and I never miss a show. The hot oven supplied a harmonious boquet of onions, peppers, provalone, and toasty crust.

We nibbled our salads in anticipation of the featured performer and no one was disappointed. I did however, loose all motivation to properly prepare for my 6am appointment with a carload of belongings.

We wake up and despite my lack of professional grade preparations, arrived at our 15x10 foot  "prime storefront" and set up in the shade of a live oak. Oppressive heat was our foe and cleverly found us despite our shady refuge. Business was steady with a variety of brave customers refusing to be deterred by the swamp like atmosphere.

Final tally: precipitation won in a landslide victory. We loaded our rain soaked leftovers and headed home in saturated defeat...

Until we counted our profits! I headed straight to Target and bought two very spiffy new lamps and shades, my first step in the LRMP (livingroom redo master plan.)

I just love the textured shades. Reminds me of my favorite linen pants.

Have you ever been pleasantly surprised after getting soaked in the rain?

Bubbling Streams of Fun

Irony is a customary occurance in life. 

Returning from our recent trip we brought home not only warm memories and goofy smiles, but an unfortunate souvenier: the common cold.

You know that slowly suffocating, stuffy head feeling. The sounds of life get muffled by your clogged sinuses. Babies have no choice but to cry and require extra hugs, not a bad remedy for an adult I might add.

Being blessed with a willing and able caretaker makes the unpleasant experience more bearable, thanks to Mr. Honeybelles and his dutiful willingness to purchase and heat up chicken noodle soup. The half pint consumed her weight in popcicles, or as we refer to them pops always spoken with an emphatic tone.

I attempted to break the monotonous cabin fever state of mind with some much needed fresh air. A simple garden hose and tiny turtle shaped sprinkler were all the materials needed to please my young patient for a short while. I popped a few cold meds, slathered the half pint with baby sunscreen and we headed outdoors...

Remember how marvelous a sprinkler could be to a young unspoiled mind?  Bubbling streams of fun that cannot be replicated by a computer screen or video game.  She danced and frolicked in the grass and I gathered more toys for playing.

A sad and lonely water table caught my eye. Painted with a week's worth of debris and rainwater, a thorough rinsing was in store. As I plucked a half sunken sailboat out of the water, dozens of inky particles scrambled in all directions. Upon closer observation, the dingy water revealed itself to be the newfound home of a large tadpole family, just hatched.

The midday sun was intense and I didn't have the stomach to watch dozens of tiny specks writhing on the concrete, so I left the frog farm alone to let nature take its course.

Seven days come and go, and I start a hefty dose of antibiotics. Returning home one day, I remember the little biology experiment on our patio. I peek over the edge of the faded blue plastic and much to my surprise, the inky dots have tripled in size.

Soon we will have an amphibious mob, hopefully gorging themselves on irritating mosquitoes and bothersome gnats. Until then, the half pint excitedly refers to our little blue pond as "froggies" and scampers outside to watch them perform in an aquatic circus, threatening their safety with curious fingers and I forget all about my symptoms for a time.

When was the last time you splashed in a sprinkler or watched a tadpole swim?

Light as Air Lemon Goodness

Ready for an acerbic adventure?

a·cer·bic [uh-sur-bik], adjective -sour or astringent in taste, example: Lemon juice is acerbic.

I have logged more hours than I can remember experimenting in my kitchen labratory by altering, substituting, and trying new flavors or textures. Guiena pigs for my creations are usually pleased with the "research"...(empahasis on usually).

Culinary disasters I try to forget, yet they stick like gum to the bottom of a shoe on a hot day.

My attempt at sauted broccoli rabe with garlic will forever be known as a gastronomic failure. Nothing could save the bitter mess of limp greens, defeated from the battle with a hot pan. Somewhere taps was softly playing as I slowly slid the casualties into the trash.

So developed a new resolve and I returned to my labratory, channeling the inner mad scientist while gripping a spatula!

I have three words for you: Lemon Basil Cake.

Resplendent citrusy goodness just waiting for my contribution of effort. I assembled my lineup and began the glorious process of baking.

Why is it so satisfying to juice a lemon? Can separating eggs become a graceful balancing act? If you share my affection for creating dishes that sing to all who are tempted to bite, we speak the same language.

After softly covering the top with a snowy blanket of powdered sugar, it was time to slice and taste. The half pint was alseep, the soft aroma of warm lemony sweetness teased my senses, I sank into my favorite spot on the couch and enjoyed my prize.

  

Try the recipe yourself and let me know how it turns out!

Lemon Basil Cake
serves 8
Ingredients

• Butter, for greasing
• Flour, for dusting
• 3 eggs, separated, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 8 basil leaves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Powdered sugar
• Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan.

2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Add 1/2 cup sugar and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks.

3. In a separate large bowl, beat the vegetable oil, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and salt. Add the egg yolks 1 at a time. Add the chopped basil, lemon juice and lemon zest. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Set aside.

4. Slowly add 1/2 of the egg white mixture into the oil mixture. Using a rubber spatula, carefully fold in the remaining egg white mixture. Spread the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a cutting board and allow to cool before slicing.

5. Dust the top of cake with powdered sugar.

Do You Have A Passion for Life?

Damp gravel crunches beneath my feet while a soft breeze carries a subtle coolness that slices through the thick country air. Six goats announce their presence with the occasional emphatic "bleat". The early morning sun hovers atop the tree line threatening to cover the fields with intense August heat. Savor this experience. Savor this landscape. Savor this moment.

Welcome to a little piece of Virginian heaven. Me and the half pint traveled to the northern end of the "south" for week full of lovely reunions and country shenanigans. Despite the oppressive heat, fun was had by all.

• Fresh from the garden produce...check
• 1800s farmhouse stuffed with loving family...check
• Muddy shoes in a pile by the backdoor...check  

Divine simplicity invigorates my spirit and soul. Passion and flavors collide forming a tapestry woven with wet baby kisses, organic blueberry pie, and rusty vintage chairs strewn about the yard. We both really needed this.

  

At home, our best laid plans are often thrown awry by daily doses of hefty schedules, shifts, obligations, and work. Not here in this place. Not when you have a goat staring you square in the eye. Not when you’re surrounded by vintage treasures lovingly arranged in vignettes around every corner.

I sneak a fresh from the vine tomato and it bursts in my mouth with sublime satisfaction. The half pint stuffs her cheeks with any helpless unsuspecting bulb hanging within reach of her stubbly little fingers and she beams with a juicy green smile. All is right with the world.

What experiences have fostered your passion for living?

Constant State of Motion

I doubt that I'm the only person experiencing a purpetual advancing of my days. Mistakenly I say things like "when things slow down this summer," only to find time skips ahead and I'm left trying to catch up as I get slammed with the onslaught of stores full of holiday decorations months before the season of the aforementioned holiday is actually celebrated.

Why do we need to shop for atumnal decor when its 90 degrees and humid? When did the stores all get together and decide to stock both Halloween and Christmas decorations?

• I have tried to take things slow.
• I have tried to savor each moment.
• I have tried to acknowledge a bright new day.
• Occasionally I might get caught up in the rush of scheduling, calenders, and time management.

My guilty conscious reared its ugly head and implored me to confess. Truth be told, more than occasionally I get caught up in the rush of everyday life.

We have abounding access to immediate gratification. High speed internet, smartphones, texting, instant play movies, web cam chatting, all are fixtures in our modern life.

Has all this convenience developed a sense of entitlement? We are important and our needs should be met in the shortest timeframe possible?

I loved this video and if you haven't seen the clip already, check it out


So please tell me, how do you keep from getting caught in the rush of everyday life?

The Tree Hugger Inside

DISCLAIMER: I'm not an openly professed tree hugging hippy. I do however use upcycled fabrics for my Etsy shop creations, I keep every cardboard box I get my hands on and find a new useful purpose for it, I avoid non-biodegradable chemicals in the house...most of the time [insert half smile here].



I'm back in third grade. It's an hour before dismissal, children are squirming in their chairs, eager to rush in mob like fashion to the bus pick up. The teacher displays a diagram with a funny triangle of arrows with the word RECYCLE in bold print.




Something deep inside of me registered at an early age that this blue planet is fragile and it's our responsibility to cause the least amount of damage. I still cringe a little if I see a glass or plastic container in the trash insead of a recycling bin. Sometimes

Mr. Honeybelles doesn't share my enthusiasum for the three Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle.


Somedays I do a better job at making a difference than other days. I know I could always do more. The results of these environmentally conscious musings have started seeping into the part of my brain I use to create.

Thus Oakzilla was born

He's an Oak Tree with a grudge

 

A far cry from Mr. Perky Sandpiper

If Oakzilla and Mr Perky were to meet on the street, I believe Mr Perky would feel a little safer with Oakzilla around, but wouldn't want to hang out socially.


So if a few "new and interesting" characters start appearing in the Honeybelles shop, you can thank my third grade teacher Mrs. *******.

Make Your Own

Recently I've deveopled an impassioned habit of designing one of a kind gifts as a new occasion arises. Birthdays, babies, holidays are all excuses for me to grab the nearest writing utensil and start sketching ideas complete with cryptic symbols and measurements. Perfectly understandable refeferences for my own use but not very helpful should I want to teach someone else. I sat down and drafted this easy to follow, step-by-step instructions of how to make your own hand-stitched thank you card.

Now go make your own stuff.

These instructions contain information for either machine sewing fabric onto the cardstock or gluing fabric to the cardstock. No sewing experience necessary!
All supplies can be purchased at your local craft and sewing store.
These instructions are for personal use only and are not to be duplicated, copied or distributed. Copyright 2010 Honeybelles
You may post a link to this page to share on your website.

Supplies Needed:
 5x7 Blank Greeting Card with envelope (for this instructional I used Strathmore Recycled Fiber Cards in Textured Cream)
 Scrap of linen fabric big enough to fit your embroidery hoop
 Fabric chalk pencil
 Embroidery Floss
 Embroidery Needle
 Small Embroidery Hoop (for this instructional I used a 5” plastic hoop)
 Craft Glue (if not using a sewing machine)

1. Read through all directions thoroughly before beginning project. There are variations in the final steps for the two ways of mounting the linen piece to the card. Choose the appropriate instructions for the type of card you are making.

2. Trace your lettering onto linen fabric. The easiest way to complete this step is to tape your paper onto a sunny window and hold your linen up to the window so the lettering shows through. The tracing should be barely dark enough for you to see and stitch over, but light enough it won’t show through your stitches. My tracing is very light and does not show up on a photo very well.

3. Mount your linen piece with traced lettering onto the embroidery hoop. Don’t worry if the edges get pressed and crimped by the embroidery hoop, you’ll be cutting those pieces off.

4. Using a back stitch, stitch the lettering onto the linen. Come up at 1, down at 2, up at 3, down at 4, etc…

Here is an online tutorial with pictures of how to backstitch if you need more detailed explanations: How to Backstitch

* TIP:
Use a length of embroidery floss about the same length as your outstretched arms, fingertip to fingertip. Mine is about 54”. Keep your stitches as close to the lines as you are able. It is easier to see your traced lettering if you use indoor lighting. Close the shades on that sunny window! Go slowly and take your time. Occasionally you may need to let the thread hang loose to unwind if it gets twisted on you. Don’t worry if your stitches aren’t perfect, that’s part of the appeal of a hand stitched piece!

5. Cut out your linen piece now complete with stitched lettering. The cutting does not have to be a perfectly shaped rectangle since you will be fraying the edges later.

If not using a sewing machine, skip step 6 and proceed to alternative instructions for gluing linen onto card.

6. Sew linen piece onto greeting card. Place your linen piece onto the greeting card. Linen can be placed in either a vertical or horizontal position on the card. Card in the photo was sewn using a zigzag stitch set to 2.0 stitch width and 1.0 stitch length. Start at top right corner and sew one continuous rectangle, finishing at starting position.

Take your time and go slowly. Once you’ve completed the rectangle, back stitch 2-3 times to reinforce and keep thread from coming loose. Clip stray threads. If you are concerned about your thread becoming loose inside the card, dab a small bit of craft glue on the inside of the card where the thread was clipped.

Alternative Instructions for gluing linen onto card

a) With the underside of linen piece facing up, place a thin line of craft glue all the way around the piece at least ¼” from edge. Place your linen piece onto the greeting card with right side facing up. Linen can be placed in either a vertical or horizontal position on the card.
b) Gently press the fabric onto card tracing all the way around the edge with your finger.
c) Allow to dry completely.

7. Carefully fray the edges of the linen piece. Gently loosen the linen strands on one side and pull free. Continue on all four sides to get a frayed look you are happy with. I personally prefer a more messy frayed edge.

Now enjoy your work and show someone how much you appreciate them!