Fun Embellished Denim Jackets!

I have a hard time keeping my hands off plain denim jackets.  I want to embellish them all.  Today I have two that I want to share with you.  First is my version of a jacket I saw on a blog I like: justsomethingimade.com

I chose a loose, hip-length jacket.  I was lucky to find one I liked at D.I. for $5.

The back view has the most vintage patches.

The patches are graphics available from graphicsfairy.blogspot.com

I printed the labels and patches on Colorfast Sew-in Inkjet Fabric Sheets.

After a quick rinse & spin cycle and a tumble in the dryer with a load of towels, the patches are starting to fray nicely. The idea is a worn, comfortable look.

The next jacket is just in time for Halloween!

Back view with owl graphic I scanned from a vintage decoration I got on eBay.

Close-up of Owl

The front is simple, with leaves and rick-rack and  the addition of bottle-cap buttons.

The sleeve cuffs are also embellished with rick-rack.

I have made embellished denim jackets for my grand-daughters and had a lot of fun doing it.  Just think how many things you can do when denim is your canvas.  Go thrifting today!  

Buffy Lays the Biggest Eggs!

I lived in Alpine, Utah when I was a little girl.  It was a beautiful little rural town snuggled up next to the mountains. Folks lived in cozy homes in tree-shaded yards with large gardens, orchards and chicken coops.  Nearly every family, it seemed, raised chickens.  We lived in a rental home without a garden or chickens.  One of my favorite memories is of staying with family friends on their farm just inside the Alpine city limits and getting to help with the morning chores, which included feeding the chickens and gathering eggs.  It was so much fun, but I just couldn't understand why my friends didn't share my enthusiasm.

As we are learning to be more self-reliant, there is a growing trend in Highland and in my neighborhood...raising chickens for eggs.  So I would like to introduce you to a new girl on my street.

This is Buffy.  Isn't she pretty?  She belongs to the Fowler family.  Sheryl Fowler took these pictures and graciously allowed me to use them.

Here she is with some of her sisters

This is the comfy chicken condo where Buffy and her sisters live and lay their beautiful brown and green eggs.  They each lay an egg about every other day.

Buffy lays the biggest eggs.  Look how much bigger Buffy's egg is!

Bonus!  See below:

Two yolks! 

Way to go, Buffy!

Why Raise Chickens?

I asked Sheryl where I could find more information about backyard chickens and she told me about a site called...BackYardChickens.Com.  http://www.backyardchickens.com/  According to the website, here are a few reasons people raise chickens.

1. Easy and inexpensive to maintain. (when compared to most other pets)
2. Eggs that are fresh, great-tasting & nutritious.
3. Chemical-free bug and weed control.
4. Manufacture world's best ferilizer.
5. Fun & Friendly pets with personality. (Yes, you read that right!)

In addition to BackYardChickens.Com, there are many resources available to learn about the pros and cons of chicken raising.  The Utah State University Extension is one of the best for local information.  There is also this book:

The title says it all where I'm concerned. 

I don't have all my eggs in one basket.

Oh!  One more pic by popular demand:

Winnie's Mini.  Winnie is Buffy's newest sister.

Have a Fun and Productive Day! 



Make a Fun Reversible Sling Bag in an Hour or Less!

I loved this reversible bag when I saw it on my favorite blog, "Crap I've Made."  Don't you love the name? =D  Char has a great sense of humor.  She has a lot of talent, but refuses to take herself too seriously.  My kind of gal!  I've made three so far and none of them took me more than an hour to complete.  They'd make fun gifts for friends.

 Go here: crapivemade.com/2011/07/reversible-sling-bag-tutorial.html  She includes a printable pattern and step by step instructions.

Today's post is short and sweet.  Before I call it a morning, just one more photo.  A closer picture of the darling vintage cowboy fabric I found a few years ago at Sandy Antique Mall.

Have a Fun and Productive Day!



Life is a Fiesta!

We all have a little collector bug living inside us.  What do you collect?  My sister Patti, collects vintage tablecloths, "Crap I've Made" blogger Char, collects Pyrex bowls and casseroles http://crapi'vemade.com/, and my daughter Sascha collects "Alice in Wonderland" themed dolls.  I collect too many things, but my all- time favorite is Fiesta dinnerware.

Fun, colorful Fiesta has been charming homemakers since 1936 when it was introduced by Homer Laughlin Pottery at the Pottery and Glass Show in Pittsburg.   It was cheerful, inexpensive and came with almost unlimited accessories and "go alongs" like glassware, flatware, and serving pieces.  Just the thing to help brighten the gloom of the Great Depression. One of the things that makes me extremely loyal to the brand is that they are now, and have always been, "Made in the U.S.A!" I started collecting Fiesta more than a decade ago.  I love how they come out with a new color a couple of times a year.  My favorite color...of course...is Scarlet! =D

These are my everyday dishes.  Most of what you see is Fiesta.

This hutch features vintage Fiesta pieces, with a few modern plates.

Some of the cream, patterned china was designed by other companies to "go along" with Fiesta

Fiesta is available at Macys, Kohls, and other major department stores. If you are interested in collecting vintage Fiesta, The Collector's Encyclopedia of Fiesta can be found on Amazon.com.  Maybe your library will have a copy.  O-Lay!



                                               

Simple Hat Stand...Fancy Hat!

I bought this pretty little hat at Disneyland last week.  It's only about 5 inches tall.  The darling cameo is Tinkerbell.  Her wings and roses are on the back.  I decided to make a hat stand to display it.

These are some of the supplies I used: an 11" tall wooden candlestick, two routed-edge wooden rounds, 4" and 6",  and a round moon face I printed on cardstock.  The clock face pictured will be used in a shorter hatstand I will make next.  I used antique white paint and stained it with a wash of nutmeg brown.  I tried using one-step crackle, but it didn't have the effect I wanted.  I painted the pieces before assembly.

I modge-podged the moon face to the top of the stand.  I know...it doesn't show when the hat is on it, but I think it looks cool. =D  I added a wee bit of nutmeg brown paint to the modge-podge to further antique the print.

Wa-La!  The finished product!  The stand can be used to display any number of cute things...even...One. Perfect. Cupcake!

The images I used. You can right click on images and save. 

Have Fun!

Who Knew Carrots Could Be As Yummy As Candy?

I love fall!  It's absolutely my favorite season. I love the way the September sunlight slants across the landscape with a golden hue unlike that of any other time of year.  It is a time of harvest, of preparing for the cold winter months ahead.  I feel like nesting and storing nuts like a squirrel.  When I was first married, Grandma Zetta decided I needed to learn a few useful skills, so she taught me how to bottle peaches.  I lived in a very small mobile home with almost no counter space.  Boxes of peaches, bags of sugar and empty bottles were stacked on every available surface.  I was hot, sticky and whiny, but my no-nonsense grandmother stuck with me.  I was so proud to see those golden jars lined up on my tiny kitchen table.  I will always be grateful that she cared enough about me to teach me.

Have you ever noticed how all the fruits and vegetables in the produce aisle seem to blend into a pleasing patchwork of colors and textures?  I love how pretty and orange the little bags of baby carrots look nestled next to the green onions.  I decided I wanted to bottle some glazed baby carrots.  I bought four one pound bags, enough for 8 pints.  Bottling carrots is so easy if you don't have to peel or cut them! =D

Aren't they pretty?  They'll look nice next to the green beans I bottled a few weeks ago.  If you are new to canning, get yourself a copy of the Ball Blue Book--Guide to Preserving.   It'll teach you step by step what you need to learn.  And it's full of time-tested recipes that will give you the same feeling of accomplishment that I had over 35 years ago.  35 years?  Yikes! 

You will find a glazed carrot recipe on page 77 of the Blue Book.  They are as yummy as candy...and better for you. =D  



Collecting Vintage Potholders is Fun!

A fun way to add color to any kitchen is a display of vintage potholders.  Back in Grandma Zetta's day they were a staple in every girl's hope chest.  Cute and colorful and easy to crochet, Grandma could whip one out watching Lawrence Welk, her favorite show.  Mostly she preferred practical patterns.  Because potholders were so popular, they can still be found at yard sales, thrift stores and antique malls.  And best of all...they are inexpensive!

The colors and shapes of vintage potholder are almost endless:  flowers, fruits & vegetables, baskets, frilly little dresses and even...his & hers underpants. =D There were countless instruction books with lots of kitschy patterns.  Some may still be available at thrift stores like Deseret Industries or Savers.  I came across a collectors book that gives a lot of information on collecting and valuing your finds.  I found it on Amazon.com.

Don't you love the title? =D I prefer red and white designs, but yellow is fun and so is turquoise.  Red was a rare color because the red was not colorfast.  You can imagine the rejoicing when colorfast red cotton became available!   One more pic before I call it a morning...These potholders hang in my laundry room.

             

                 Shirley



You Need One More Onion!!!

I have already made my first mistake and since I don't know how to edit it out just yet....please add one more onion to the fabulous pepper and onion relish recipe that follows this post. (Guess what?  I have just figured out how to edit and the extra onion has been placed in it's proper place. =D) So disregard this whole silly post.)

We may not be at war, but we all need to be prepared.  Get canning!!

My Yummy Version of Harry & David's Pepper and Onion Relish

I love, love, love H&D's Pepper and Onion Relish.  It's sweet and spicy heaven.  I put it on hamburgers, pork chops...or just eat it with a spoon out of the jar.  For a festive treat, you can pour it over cream cheese and serve it with wheaty crackers.  But in order to have my fill of this yummy condiment, I have to find an outlet mall or go online and order it.  So I went online and found some recipes that I could tweak and I think I have come up with the perfect home-canned version.

Here it is:

Shirley & George's Pepper and Onion Relish

6 cups tomatoes, skinned, diced and drained
6 large red peppers, diced
8 cups sugar
2 T salt
2-3 boxes pectin (depends on how thick you like it)
3 cups white vinegar
1tsp ground red pepper or crushed red pepper
6 jalapenos (2 with seeds) seeded and diced
3 large onions diced (chunky dices)

Mix all ingredients together, except pectin and bring to a boil.  Turn down heat and simmer for 2 to 2.5 hours until thickened.  Whisk in the boxes of pectin and let boil for 1 minute.  Pour into sterile jars.  Process in pressure canner at 11# for 15 minutes.  Makes 7-8 pints

We are Back in Town and Ready to Blog!

Hello, friends!  I just barely got home from our weekend at the House of Mouse.  I have an annual pass so we get to go about once a month.  My excuse this time is that I had to shop for my fall wardrobe. =D If you know me, you know that half of my clothes have a Mickey on them somewhere.  When I get older I will be that eccentric old woman who wears a Mickey Mouse sweatshirt and talks to herself.  

Tomorrow I will have more time to sit down and learn to insert pictures.  I have so many things I would like to share with you:  canning tips and recipes, crafts, vintage thrift store goodies, holiday decor.  The sky's the limit.  Feel free to post your feedback and ideas for things you would like to see, and let me know what help I can give you as you work on your preparedness goals.  We'll work on them together!

Welcome to Zetta's Aprons

My grandmother Zetta Devey was a hardworking woman who raised her children during the Great Depression.  She had a practical and no-nonsense attitude toward life.  Life during the Depression and World War II taught her to "make do, or do without."  She taught me many important skills like ironing pillowcases, making a bed with hospital corners, putting a quilt on the frame and how to can peaches.   She wasn't fancy in the least, but I never saw her without one of her feedsack aprons trimmed with rick-rack.  When I saw that photo of her sitting high on her horse wearing an apron and a big smile, I just knew I would dedicate this blog to her.