Me an Award?

Alison at Heavenly Handmades has given me an award from the Liebster Blog. I didn't even know you knew me!(giggle) Seriously I am unsure of how to work this promotion so If I miss things feel free to help!
BTW check out Alisons blog Heavenly Handmades at http://heavenlyhandmades.blogspot.com/ she shares crafty things and about her homebirth. Both good things.

Here are the rules for the Liebster Blog:
1. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
2. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Post the award on your blog.

Thank you Alison from Heanenly handmades for giving me this award, head over to her brilliant blog and say hi!

Now to pick 5 brilliant blogs to hand it on to;

Vanessa at Nifty Thrifty Things
niftythriftythings.blogspot.com/

Laura Beth at a Step in the Journey
astepinthejourney.blogspot.com/

Lindsey at Arsty-Fartsy Mama
feeds.feedburner.com

Grapes

Early in August my family went to visit my BFF in Fort White. She thought we were coming to surprise her DH for a belated surprise birthday party. Curiously,she planned it for her birtday weekend. Sooo we turned the surprise on her and sang the birthday song to her at the last minute. Her husband and I shrieked with laughter at her surprise! She was ...annoyed. To escape any good natured wrath I decided to go pick some pears. While on my way I was invited to pick some of those grapes too. Apparently my friend doesn't know what she has in 3 rows of grape vines producing tremendous grapes!! I got 2 grocery bags full. I also picked 2 bags of sand pears. Most of those were hard but yellow so I got what I could expect to handle. The grapes were muscdine and scuppernog. Most were ripe and they were sweet!After eating off my stash for a couple of days I decided to make jelly and fruit rollups. I got a recipe off the net and improvised from there. I mixed all the grapes together and the jelly came out a pretty rose color. It is looser than I like but it tast great. I held some of the grapes in reserve for munching but my eyes were too big!. I had peeled and dried most of the pears, but several were not ripe yet. Well the day they were ripe I peeled them and they were so juciy I couldn't chop them into pieces. They were crumbling(wet) in my hands. So I put them in the blender with the left over grapes and purred them. I then put the puree into the dehydrater and made hard candy. Not the expected result. I tried two times before i found the secret to fruit leather~ oil the pan first. It was dramaticly different on all points. It dried faster it was pliable and not sticky. Definately a new house treat. But what about trial 1 and 2? I made uglyies. Yeah they were ugly but tasted so good. Basicly the dried(?) sticky mess was pried up with a dinner knife and each chunk and strip was dredged in corn starch.I put these in a mason jar and they are a favorite of my grown son and grankids.Waste not!

Doula stuff

Being a doula in a recession is a difficult place. I really love helping Moms but I also can't drive around without means. That's why the internet is such a great tool. It can even be interactive. The most difficult part is showing genuine interest to a mostly faceless post. It is hard to ask intimate info from a stranger especially discussing your baby and /or intimate funcutions of your body. I laugh sometimes because I am very comfortable relating about mucus plugs and breast changes.I have seen eyes widen and blink rapidly and then a sudden abandon of manners while the strangest questions come tumbling out! I certainly ask for it! There is no question that expectant and new moms have questions. A doula can work wonders in person but also online and on the phone.Just a reassuring tone and understanding person to listen to you can turn a crazy situation around.If you need to ask anything (about pregnancy/childbirth/resources/breastfeeding/bottlefeeding/diapers circumcision/how to talk to Drs/etc please call, write or run to me. I am willing to help in anyway I can. Today we should never risk babies and moms for any reason. Even if you can't pay anything; it's that important.

There is a challange afoot! I think I may just have to play in this one. http://www.sewlavie.com/p/welcome-to-retro-pillow-challenge.html. It is a retro pillow challange and If I can figure out how to grab the button I will show you where. Still learning :).

August doings

Hello, I have been rather busy. I opened an online store at Meylah Marketplace, It is a online handcrafts site and it is free with an option for marketplace that costs. When I start making money I will upgrade to premium,but for now it is what it is. So I have been gathering finished items, taking photos and learning how to open my store Kathy's Crafts. The address for my store is  www.meylah.com/Kathyscrafts/ and is the only way to get to it until I go premium. I am also taking custom orders. If you have an Idea; ask I may now how to make it! I sew, refashion, knit, crochet and quilt.

more items to show

I finally have a moment where I am alone, awake and calm. I have recently seen advise to really be sure what we bloggers are putting on our sites so I am trying to be wise. This stuff takes on a life of its' own even when its just a listing of crafts I have made. There is really no change in my lifestyle when the seasons change,I am either trying to keep the house warm or cool. Realisticly I am the home keeper,yes I meant home keeper. It is my place/job to keep all the systems on go or modify accordingly. Summer time I try to hang laundry, I still use the dryer for tossing/ironing just not for hours at a time. Winter I try to keep the house warmish by having a fire going. Now some will say"Kathy you hate being hot,so why heat your house in the winter?" Because of other people namely grankids. Although the last 2 are heat sinks and will likely like it cool. However not cold. I like the family coming over!

Craft wise I do work on smaller projects during the summer. Hats, smaller scarves, modular items and things that don't need to drape into my lap. I also do a great deal of mending especially for the grankids. A1 wanted me to fix this guy and in secounds he was good as new. Instant gratification!



 In the winter the growing afghan or baby blanket is a great way to layer your warm clothes. Even in heated places I can usually find a cool spot to work on a project.  The blanket and babe above will be another post in detail but ain't he cute?

The one thing I really want to learn is how to make socks. I don't have much sock weight yarn and I seem to have a mental block about it, but with tutorials online I will learn!!! Not that I wear socks...I am a flip flop kinda girl,but they are so pretty and small. Maybe I wll sell or gift them ...we will see. 

Link ups

I really like the link up parties that I have been following. I bop around til I see one that appeals and then leisurely wander thru the posts. I can do this all day but who has that kind of time? I usually find a promising party then leave it open on the computer and when I am eating, or need a break from housework, I check out the ideas there. Some I have seen or done before, some are really original. Some I would do, many others are interesting but not my thing. It is crafting vicariously thru others. I am still learning the computer side of it and below is "the get to know you" survey from Sassy Sites.Check her out too. Now this is my kind of party!