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August 2007

local love: Shatto Farm

I don't usually post on food.  For one, I am not a super-foodie.  I LOVE to eat it.  But I'm not very good at preparing anything other than baked dessert goods and yummy salads.  However, I've been giving a lot of thought lately to growth hormones, antibiotics, packaging, recycling, consumerism and the like.  Nothing new, really.  Lots of bloggers have posted on this recently as well.

Also, I've never been a good curb-side recycler.  I'll admit that.  I have a friend who is really into being the best green person she can be, and never fails to make me feel like I don't do enough.  However, we don't consume a lot of canned or boxed foods, nor do we drink sodas from cans or bottles... so our trash issue isn't overwhelming.  I've always had fun re-using things like those Hunt's spaghetti cans (throw some fabric on them and they are perfect for pens, markers and sewing supplies.  And 2-liter bottles (The older one likes to cut these up and use them for projects.) And flat cardboard (like cereal boxes) gets saved for use in little craft projects, or used for tracing guides.  I've got circles, squares, flower shapes -- you name it.  Makes quilt appliques really easy and fast.   I like to sew using found fabrics at goodwill.  Even the Older One came downstairs the other day with a skirt she outgrew, but a fabric she loves.  She wants to make it into a bag.  It guess this kind of thing rubs off.  Who knew?

(ANYWAY.  Wow.  That went on a while. Sorry.  I really am going somewhere.)Cows2_03

Now I'm thinking that plastic gallon grocery store (PGGS) milk just doesn't cut it.  Especially since that is pretty much a HUGE part of Fidget's daily diet.  The PGGS stuff is from a local dairy. I scoured their website, as well as that of a local competitor, and I just didn't see anything about it being hormone free or otherwise.  Living out here in God's heartland, you'd think ANY milk that comes straight from the dairy to our stores is good enough.  Maybe it is.  But just hoping so isn't good enough for me.

Good thing I am in love with our new milk from the Shatto farm.  For a couple reasons.

Cows2_05- Locally grown, free range grass fed cows.
- Family farm of 60+ years.
- No hormones.
- Reusable Glass Containers - just bring 'em back to the store.
- They offer tours!  And family days!  Come and feed the calves! (I cannot wait for this, when Fidget is a little older.  She'll love it.)

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The milk is yummy.  And I like the way the bottles clink in my fridge.  And the family name Shatto cracks me up.  It's exactly how someone here in Missouri might spell Chateau.  hee hee. 

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Edited to add: Photos from the shatto farm website.  And to clarify that I wasn't poking fun of the Shatto name.  On the contrary, it makes me smile!  ;)  And, as a marketing designer, I appreciate the clean lines of the bottle art as well as the family logo.  Have a happy day!   


Things to do

Seems lately crafting is taking a backseat to all things basement, back-to-school, illness, and Hawaii trip related!  Not necessarily in that oder ORDER (goodness, you'd think I'd learn to spellcheck), but close!  LOL

However, when I DO get around to things, this is what I want to do:


playroom stuff

Seems like since the Older One got home from CA (And WOW did she have a GREAT time at the HSM2 premiere!) it has been everything non-stop. 

The basement is now finished (5 months later) and we have begun the fun fun task of moving everything that was stored in the garage and rest of the house down there and putting it away.  My office has also oved downstairs.  (With little interuption, which is nice!)  The main floor of my house is starting to peek out from under all the toys and office stuff that has been stuck up there for the last year.... And the toys are beginning to migrate down to the playroom.  Woohoo!

On that note.

Now we have a playroom.  It needs furniture.  Right now we have a wimpy little white bookcase.  There is a little white round play table in the garage I want to paint red.  (We have an armoire that I am considering also painting red.  But Mr Pink says it's not good shape and he's not sure about it.) I look in this cute little room and it looks bare, despite all the toys strewn about.

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So I was looking for storage solutions online the other day and saw these:

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From viatoybox.com .  You can design your own configuration.  They even send you a little catalog with punch outs and color cards for people like Mr Pink who have trouble imagining what things will look like. It seems a little pricey though, for a playroom in the basement.  Perhaps we will use them for inspiration and do something similar.  I had thought about putting two bookshelves and a bench in the middle on the back wall.  And then putting a mirror over that bench and making it like a window seat.  Is that corny???

Of course, I will probably borrow Jennifer's sweet idea for the clothespin gallery display, too!


art gallery_1 ... Originally uploaded by purpledaisykids

I could seriously get into designing this room.  Alas, there are several grown-up rooms that need my attention right now (the now half-furnished living room, the new guest room in the basement, the new office space, the old-upstairs-office-that-is-now-a-sitting-room-but-not-until-the-big-ol-desk-is-moved, etc.)  They are just not as fun.  :)


extreme pre-teen bedroom makeover

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While The Older One is out hobnobbing with celebrities in CA at the HSM2 premiere today*, her bedroom at home is starting to take shape.  See, before leaving for CA for the summer, she told me was "all in" and wanted a room makeover... so I took that green light and took off with reckless abandon.

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Alas, since the big reveal isn't until Thursday night, so I can't spoil the surprise with pics now.  However, just like they do on HGTV, I can show you a couple elements that are going into the new room...

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Yes, these are all the old 1970's bedroom pieces that I picked up a couple weeks ago...  my personal fave is the green armoire, painted to match the vanity dressing table, a garage sale find from earlier this summer:

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Just wait, people. The Older One said she needed and wanted storage... and boy is she gonna get it!!!

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Is it just me.. but wouldn't a princess phone look sooo much better here?

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Oh, and I just didn't have time to repaint the room.  Maybe later this fall.  The purple is left over from her 'zebra stripe - pink-cheetah - rock and roll diva bedroom days'.  For now, she's going to have to make do with a redesigned closet, new(ish) furniture and a free 'reorg' of all her stuff.  Would someone please do that for my bedroom?

*Seriously, she is at the High School Musical 2 premiere this afternoon!  Doing the red carpet, meet and greet, pep rally and all... It pays to have an auntie who works for Disney Entertainment I guess!   I can't even imagine doing something like that NOW, let alone when I was eleven.  Sweet thing is counting her blessings today.  :)


I've always been more of a larger scale project person taking on projects that are very forgiving for the people who doesn't always measure perfectly or pin it just right or keep my seams exactly 5/8's.   (That is always such a strange number to me.)

I like making duvet covers, patchwork and applique quilts, children's clothes and misc baby items, draperies, tote bags and such.  I have caved in the past and made a few things that require detail and time -- like princess gowns for halloween and other zippered apparel.  Ack.  Not without a great deal of seam-ripping, I promise.

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So for me to attempt to embroider one of Hillary Lang's Stitchettes, let alone use the tinest of stitch lengths (consistently, even!) is something for me to be very excited about.  I finished this little one a couple weeks ago and wasn't sure what to do with her.  So I made a pillow.

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It's sweet and trimmed with far more ruffly ruffle than necessary, but it's so darned cute.  I do think she needs a little more stuffing.  AHA!  See, the seam ripper rides again!! 

But gosh, with my Hawaii trip coming up (two weeks, hooray!), I'm thinking that I could stay busy with more than books and the magazines I have been collecting if I pack a little embroidery bag and use all that alone time for something crafty.  I'm hoping to pickup some funky vintage stuff out there too.  Guess I'll take my mom's advice and pack a second collapse-able bag!

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inspiration.

Good grief.  Our basement project is STILL dragging on.  Granted, it takes a while to finish 14oo sq ft, but holy cow.  Anyway, we are THHHIIIISSSS close to being done.  And once we are done, we will have (in addition to an awesome man space, replete with paneled bar, pool table and fireplace) a playroom for Fidget!!!  Yay!  Oh, my office is also going down there... so I guess I'll have to keep working for the time being, too.

I'm thinking along these lines ... or maybe even Fidget's room once she graduates from her crib...

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image from marthastewart.com of course...


So Tweet.

Who wouldn't love getting something like this in the mail for their birthday?

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I found it online yesterday at www.vintageswank.com...  and I fell in love with these birdies.  And they are wearing bonnets!  The store has so many pretty things.  Oh, the bags!  Oh, for a really good reason to buy one!  LOL.  Working from home really doesn't justify much swank, I'm afraid!

I also loved this cocktail shaker... this ruffled cocktail dress (sooo very Carrie Bradshaw!!!) and this red polka-dotted hankie ... SIGH!  There are so many fun things there (and not tooo terribly expensive, really), I could get lost for hours! 

Happy Friday!


Gotta try this - Crayons for Fidget!

I'm not sure how I got there today... mmm.  Blog link to blog link... anyway, I happened across this awesome project idea + tutorial!  Melting down crayons to the size of mini muffin circles -- perfect for Fidget's little chubby hands.


photo source: craftydaisies

I'm not exaggerating when I say that the Older One has GALLONS of broken and used crayons in her room.  She's been collecting art supplies for more than a decade... This might be fun to do when she gets home.... AND it will help clean out some of her clutter!  Woohoo!  Two birds!