Bluegrass Market

Long time, no see!

2009-02-02T17:43:00.000-08:00

Oh my gosh! I haven't posted in a month and a half! I needed an internet break. I'm trying to get back in the swing of things.

I'm still doing the raw food diet. Over two months now. I eat about 80-90% raw. It's hard when you go to a restaurant. At home I've learned to make gourmet raw dishes. So Yummy!

Right now I'm saving money to get a Vitamix (pictured above). They are amazing. A must have for a raw foodist. I've discounted everything in my shop so hopefully I will make some extra money. Wish me luck!

Christy

Shop Update

2008-12-14T09:36:00.001-08:00

I finally did a shop update! Yea! The elves (well, one elf) have been working furiously this week to get some projects complete. I have to say, I am well pleased with the results. I have listed 3 of my new Market Slouch Bags in my esty shop. They are upcycled from designer sweaters. I'm offering free shipping on these through the end of the month. I also have sweet lavender sachets that make great gifts. I have a few other things to list also, like earring that I made from vintage japanese cabachons. I have to retake pictures. We haven't had a sunny day in two weeks.

I'm still working on my Christmas shopping. I'm almost finished. I want to be done before the kids get out of school so I can enjoy time off with them doing family activities. We plan on baking cookies and candy, going bowling and maybe ice skating, and definitely going to see The Tales of Despereaux. That was the sweetest book. If you haven't read it, you really should. My kids loved it.

Still on the raw food diet. I have "cheated" about 3 times. I enjoyed it though and I hopped right back on the wagon. I can't be perfect! I do feel better. I attribute it to the "green" drink that I have twice a day. I will post the recipe and a picture of it soon.

Have a nice day and remember the Christ in Christmas!
Christy

SuperStar Sunday

2008-12-07T20:05:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I'm finally posting for my first SuperStar Sunday! This is exciting for me. I knew right away who would be featured first. I chose my best friend and husband, Bryan. I know it sounds corny but he's really a great guy. He has the best character and integrity. He would do anything for his our children and me. I love him and I know you would too sooo.........here he is!

So tell us a little about yourself and what you do for a living.

Well, my name is Bryan. I'm 42. I work for the Federal Government protecting the lives of people. I can't say anything else about my job. Well, I could tell you exactly what I do but I'd have to......... you know how this goes.

What are some of your hobbies?

I have a few. Reading, working out, sports, hiking, and cooking.

What are you reading right now?

Extreme Measures by Vince Flynn

What is your favorite thing to cook?

That's easy. My Cincinnati chili.

If you could take a family vacation anywhere, where would you go?

Hawaii because we all seem to like the beach.

Where would you go if you could take only your wife (me)?

Italy, because it's romantic and there's a lot of history and architecture to see. It would be nice to go to Florence and Venice.

What would you say is your greatest accomplishment so far?

I would say being married and being a father and taking care of my family.

What is something you would like to accomplish before you die?

Retire young enough to enjoy retirement. Oh and climb the highest Mountain in America.

Who is your hero?

Superman because he's strong, has good character and he doesn't let you down.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Hopefully, smarter and wiser. Living out west still taking care of my family.

Thank you for letting me interview you honey. I had fun asking you all these questions. Now, about that trip to Italy...........

Healthy Update

2008-12-06T19:16:00.000-08:00

I'm now on day 7 of my raw food diet so I wanted to give a little update. I'm happy to say that I'm not hungry ( I thought I would be). I feel really good actually. I'm not craving sugar. My mood feels really even and I can handle stress wayyyy better. I also fall asleep much easier. This so far has not been too difficult.

Keeping it real, I have to say that preparation of the salads and juicing has been a little tedious. I have been to the grocery store 3 times this week. It takes a lot of veggies to make juice. I think this will take time to figure out. I STILL crave diet Mt. Dew (addictive stuff!) at least once a day. And it feels weird to be the only one in the house eating like this. That said, my hubby is very supportive and seems to be interested in the information I'm reading. So I will continue on this path since it's working for me and I'll update again soon.

This week has been so busy with wrestling matches, cheerleading, two sick kids. and a trip to the doctor ( 3 trips to Krogers). I'm really wanting to get in my studio and make something! Anything. I have a few unfinished projects and some fun clay and cloth dolls I have been working on. I hope I can update my shop by next Friday. My fingers are crossed.

My Etsy shop will be featured on a cute blog next weekend and I will be participating in a giveaway on that blog. More info to come.

I will be posting tomorrow for SUPERSTAR SUNDAY. My first person to be featured will be none other than my best friend and sweet husband, Bryan.

Have a great night!

Living Healthy

2008-12-02T20:36:00.000-08:00

I don't know if i mentioned it before but I'm totally into healthy living. I eat healthy, exercise regularly, and keep up on the latest health news. I'm the kind of person that gets really cranky if I go more than two days without working out. Annoying, right?

Well, after indulging in wonderful Thanksgiving dinner that lasted about 3 days (leftovers), I decided to lighten up on the food a bit. I hate feeling blah after a heavy meal. Screws up my digestion too. I picked up this book at Barnes and Noble and was hooked. At first your thinking there's no way you can eat a raw food diet. But when you actually read it you'll see that it's not all raw food. (raw being fresh fruits and veggies, and food not heated over 118 degrees) It's really quite doable when you start at the appropriate level for you ( take a quiz in the book to determine your level). I'm doing level three which is raw until dinner and then I have a cooked (healthy) meal. I'm on day three and I feel pretty darn good. I've also quit drinking diet soda. It's definitely my worse habit. I hope I don't give in to the soda anymore.

I've also really kicked up the intensity of my workouts. I think I really love spinning. I sweat like nobody's business. It feels great. It make my weight training better too. I actually feel stronger and more energized after spinning.

Why am I doing all of this? Well, I'm a 37 year old mother of 5 (ages 19 months to 16 years). I gotta keep up with them and I want to see my grandchildren and maybe even great grandchildren one day. And dang it, I don't want to get old!! A lot of things are out of our control. But our health isn't one of them. So many diseases and illnesses can be prevented by taking care of ourselves. I'm going to continue to do the best I can to take care of myself and be a good example to my children.

I'm going to periodically post about how this is going. I'm also working on giving up meat and dairy. The meat is not so hard but I love cheese! We''ll see. More on that later. If anyone reads this and has experience with this detox diet, I would love to hear your thoughts on it.

If you want to know more about this book go here.

Computer Trouble...........

2008-11-24T19:40:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to say that my computer is ill. I am in the process of troubleshooting and fixing the problem. In the mean time, I will take a break from blogging this week to spend time with my family for Thanksgiving.

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Christy

SuperStar Sunday

2008-11-16T15:31:00.000-08:00

I wasn't going to post today but I just can't get these thoughts off my mind. What better way than to tell a "few" friends. So here goes...........

After attending my church today, I kept thinking about all the amazing women (and men) that I have the privilege of knowing, either personally or casually, through church or anywhere for that matter. I'm sure if you just sit and think about the people you know you would feel the same way. Right? There are so many good, good people in this world doing so many great things. Ya know? You just don't hear about the "ordinary" people. This world is so blinded by the media that the REAL people get lost.

Well, Hollywood............. move over. The real Superstars are here!

I will be featuring one person every Sunday on my blog. I want to introduce you to my friends, family, leaders, and heroes. Mothers, fathers, teachers, and kids that are just too flippin' amazing for words. So many negative images are thrown at us on a daily basis. Well, the world is awesome. We live in a great time! I feel hopeful. I feel hopeful because of my faith, my family, and all the other beautiful people in this world that strive everyday to be the best they can be. So Please join me every Sunday right here so that I can introduce you to some of the wonderful people in my world that are making a difference. Is it a date?

Hope you have a peaceful Sunday!

Christy

An Unexpected Treasure

2008-11-13T18:08:00.000-08:00

I know that I've mentioned that we recently bought the house we live in now. Well, this was left here. It was a little dirty on the face (which I cleaned) but overall she was in great shape. It reminds me of my grandmother that I call Bomi. She's from Luxembourg but has lived in America since the end of WWII. Her house was always spotless and in her guest bedroom, in the center of the neatly made bed was a lovely crocheted doll like this. Of course, we couldn't play with it but I loved to look at it.

I haven't found a place for it yet. It may have to go in my studio. I just thought I would share this little treasure with you. Does anyone else have one of these?

2008-11-07T09:04:00.000-08:00

These are some little Christmas gifts I put together for my Mom's co-workers.

I embroidered their names on some Christmas-y towels. Added a couple of ceramic red bird tea light holders. Threw in a little dash of dried lavender. Packaged everything in a beautiful gift bag. et voila!

I hope everyone likes it! I'm thinking of a way to add these towels to my shop either individually or as gift sets. The wheels are turning. What do you think?

Crafter's Block

2008-11-06T20:59:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to show one of the things I have been working on recently. I'm not sure what I am going to do with it. Pillow? Picture? I can't decide. Any suggestions?

I want to thank everyone who commented on my Dia de la Muertos post. I enjoyed visiting everyone elses blog that participated. It interesting to see how differently we all honored the day. I can't wait to do it again next year. It really brought a special closeness to the family by remembering our loved ones.

I am working on some things for the shop, for Christmas, and for fun. I will be posting a lot more frequently this month. There. I said it. Now I have to do it!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Dia de Bloglandia

2008-11-01T18:36:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Los Dia de los Muertos! Today we celebrate our loved ones who have passed on.

My son Gunnar and I decided to participate as part of a homeschool project. I thought this would be a fun way for him to learn about a holiday from another culture. I was surprised as to how close we became to this project.

In prepartion for this day Gunnar (9 yrs old) made paper maiche masks and painted them in beautiful bright colors.

We started painting the little skulls (which is traditional) to add to our display and all my children (I have 5!) wanted to help out. So everyone, even my 18 month old, painted the skulls. It's as though the skulls have taken on the "personalities" of my children. It's easy for me to see who painted which one.

This slowly became a FAMILY project. We all participated in some special way to make this little celebration possible. Writing the names of our loved ones and putting them on the wall, really gave life to this celebration of death. We talked with the children about grandparents and other loved ones that have passed to the next life. We reminised about special moments shared and lessons learned. We REMEMBERED.

We learned. We prayed. We thanked. Yes, we ARE soooo thankful.

WE LOVE YOU FAMILY! We Miss you, but we feel your presence today. All is well. Our hearts are bursting with love.

I think only by taking part in Dia de los Muertos can you fully comprehend it's meaning. We learned that it is about family. The importance of families and staying connected. Most importantly for us it was about the love that only a family can inspire.

My heart is so full this day. I feel so much more connected to my family here on earth as we remember our family that has passed on. I understand now why this day is so important in Mexico. Our family has decided to adopt this celebration. We look forward to next year when we can remember and celebrate our loved ones in this most special way.

Thank you for celebrating with us.

Love To All,

Fall Fun at the Farm

2008-10-24T06:18:00.000-07:00

We took the two youngest to a little farm down the road so they could see the animals and pick out a little pumpkin. Olivia was so excited she was literally screaming with happiness running from animal to animal. She was so over-whelmed that she couldn't decide where to go first. It was so fun to see her so happy!

We saw cute little piggies.

And yes, these are kangaroos hanging with the rabbits. They also had a camel and a blue-eyed llama. Chickens, donkeys, horses, goats and sheep.

The favorite animal by far was this sweet doggie named Trigger. My son begged me to "buy" him.

What a happy, handsome boy.

I love that little face!

I love that face, too (his, not mine)! Isn't he handsome? Always so serious in pictures. A fun day was had by all. The weather was Beautiful. (It is poring down rain as I write this post)

I hope everyone is having great Fall!

Pretty Girls and French Paisley

2008-10-21T18:40:00.000-07:00

Here are couple of sweet pillows made of a french gold paisley fabric that I love! I'm putting these in the shop tonight.

I just thought that I would "redeem" my daughters by posting some pictures that are not so goofy (see previous post). Not only are they funny, they are also very sweet. I'm so proud to be their Mom.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Christy

Silly Girl

2008-10-16T21:09:00.000-07:00

I was looking through some of the pictures on my computer and noticed that one of my children in particular loves to take silly pictures of herself . They made me laugh so hard, I had to share.

This is my daughter Molly. She is ......well....CRAZY! But a good kind of crazy. A crack me up everyday crazy. She's not afraid to be goofy in front of other people. She just lets it all hang out. I love to be around her because she makes me laugh. Alot. Who doesn't like to laugh?

This is Molly with her sister Sierra. They like to get goofy together. Can ya tell?

This is Molly and her best friend Delani. These two are on another planet. Two peas in a pod.

This is Molly and her brother Gunnar. She is always trying to get other people in on the craziness. She usually succeeds. It's contagious!

I hope these pictures gave you a little laugh. Thanks Molly!

Before & After.......

2008-10-10T18:42:00.000-07:00

This is a not too good picture of my living room in my new old house. We bought this house back in April and have been updating it. I found this picture and I was really quite shocked at the tranformation that has taken place in such a short time. I wish I had taken more before pictures. Notice the flower wallpaper border. It's hard to see but there is flower baskets stenciled around the fireplace. There was also A LOT of dingy gold. The wall sconces looked so dated.

I LOVE high gloss white paint! You can do wonders with it for such a small amount of money.

I brightened up the fireplace mantel. Got rid of the border and baskets. Totally changed the look of the sconces ( white spray paint). Painted the room a soothing shade of light french grey. Added a rust rug, some pillows to tie all the colors together. Then added a few favorite things to the mantel.

I love this picture with the saying by Hans Christian Andersen. Not sure where to put it yet.

A deer head that I decoupaged. I love deer!

I also love birds. And my new Nie portrait by Du Buh Du Designs.

The sun didn't allow me to get a good picture of the large picture/bay window and my very cool IKEA flower light. The back wall sports my new Ikea bookcases. I'm just waiting on Hubby to get the glass doors on and I need to finish unpacking our hundreds of books. We may have a serious book problem in this house!

I may post some pictures of my Kitchen redo next week. We really worked hard on that room. I I just need the kitchen to stay clean enough to get pictures. Seriously, 5 kids and a clean kitchen just don't go together. But I will work on it.

Hope everyone has a great holiday!

Happy Birthday Greg! I miss you and Mom. Did you see my deer head? Just like when I was a kid! Um.. except, it's not real (thank goodness)! I'm really glad ya'll don't decorate with real animals anymore. Love Ya!

The Red Piano

2008-10-07T19:26:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to post a picture of The Red Piano print I purchased from The Black Apple on Etsy. I first saw Emily Martin, the artist, on The Martha Stewart Show last year. She makes the most adorable soft dolls, too. She has quite the selection of prints and the prices are easy on the pocketbook.

I purchased the piano for my children after they had taken lessons for a year. That was the deal. I wanted to make sure they would stick with it. I found this piano for a little more than $200. It played beautifully but was U-G-L-Y. Everything I see I think I can fix it up and make it better. It doesn't always work out that way but this time I think it did.

So. How do ya like My Red Piano?

Day of the Dead

2008-10-07T07:58:00.000-07:00

Gunnar and I made a trip to the library last Friday and found two books about the Day of the Dead. We weren't specifically looking for them but they were colorful and and easily caught my nine year old son's attention.( It could have been the decorated skulls on the cover.) We read them over the weekend and he was really fascinated with the whole idea which as a homeschooling Mom you gotta love. We decided he would do a little project about the Day of the Dead to show what he has learned. We're thinking maybe a lapbook or sculpture or maybe we'll attempt to cook something fun.

I noticed on another blog a that there will be a celebration of the Day of the Dead in blogland called Dia de Bloglandia. On November 2, all who are participating will display something on their blog to show their way of celebrating or honoring their loved ones who have passed. Gunnar will display his work here on that day. He is excited to participate.

In case your wondering, Day of the Dead is a Mexican celebration of life and death. It is not a mexican halloween. On November 1 &2, the life and death of deceased loved ones is celebrated by family and their spirits visit the earth and are strongly felt. Altars are built. Gravesites are cleaned up and decorated. Food is made and shared at the altar and with friends and neighbors. Children learn of family history and how the dead are not forgotten. I love how it makes death seem less scary. Especially for children.

If you are interested in participating too, check out this blog for the details. I can't wait to see what others create for this special day!

I'll be back tonight or tomorrow to post some pics of my Red piano picture and my mini Nie portrait. See ya then!

We Have A Winner!

2008-10-06T07:06:00.000-07:00

Katie is the winner of my first give away! Just shoot me an email Katie with your address and I'll get those earrings to you asap. You should check out her blog! (http://whereisthumbkin.blogspot.com) Cute kids and crafty too!

Thanks for leaving a comment!

c

My Own Nie Portrait

2008-10-01T18:18:00.000-07:00

Yippee! I scored! I really love Christine's work. I just discovered her because of the Nie Benefit Sale. I loved the doll she made that was auctioned off. I even bid on it myself but was quickly outbid. I was thrilled to see the doll raise $1,000.00. Awesome.

I was excited that she made these mini portraits for the sale but as I posted earlier, it was snatched out of my cart during the first sale. Dang! You had to lightening quick.

I was even going to contact her to request (beg) her to make more. I read on her blog that she was going to do just that. ooooh! Another chance. Folks, I don't have to tell you that I was PREPARED this time!

I can't wait to receive my little treasure in the mail.

Now I just need to save my money for one of my own Du Buh Du dolls.

Check out her blog http://dubuhdudesigns.typepad.com.

Thanks Christine!

C

Western Day

2008-09-25T20:52:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is "western day" in my etsy shop. I added some items that all have a western feel to them. My personal favorite is the pillows made of vintage horse fabric. I found the fabric in a new little shop in our town that has all things related to horses called the Antique Horse. There was only a small amount of fabric so I turned it into pillows. I think they turned out really good. I picture them in a childs room with a cowboy or cowgirl theme.

I tried once again to participate in the NieNie benefit sale shopping today. I really really wanted this little framed picture by Christine from Du Buh Du designs. I totally fell in love with it. So I poised myself at the computer at 1:00 (10 pst) ready to act quick. The items started quickly loading and there it was! Click to buy. Click to check out. Yea! What? No! Error item no longer available. You've got to be kidding. It was not to be. :(

On a positive note, the sale is doing AMAZING! A purse that I donated sold very quickly today. I was happy about that. Morgan Moore from OneMoreMoore.typepad.com has totally outdone herself organizing this benefit sale. I hope she knows how much she's appreciated.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Christy

This and That.........

2008-09-24T19:57:00.000-07:00

Well.............I guess it's time to pick a new Dancing with the Stars favorite. My first pick has sadly been eliminated. I kind of like Cloris Leachman. She's entertaining. Do you think she's sober? (kidding, kidding) My daughters and I each pick different favorites bringing a little competition into the home. It's good fun, though.

Just wanted to say a BIG Thanks to Lindsey for purchasing the NieNie Love pillow! It feels good to help out the Nielson family. I know every little bit helps.

I purchased my first art print from The Black Apple on Etsy. Emily Martin's work is AMAZING! I believe the print is called The Girl at the Red Piano. I bought an old piano last year and painted it red. It looks so good now! The pictured will be framed and placed above it. I will post pictures as soon as possible.

Please don't forget to leave a comment on my previous post I am itching to give away something. I'm even giving away a free pair of earrings with every purchase through October 31 at my Etsy store http://bluegrassmarket.etsy.com . I have some cute stuff in there even if I do say so myself.

One final note regarding my garden. I have posted about it in the past and was so proud when the veggies came in. I love feeding my family fresh food we have grown ourself. Well, I also posted about having hurricane wind here in Kentucky (78mph, I'm not kidding!). That evil wind all but destroyed my precious garden. The one thing that nobody liked survived. Okra. Go figure.

Hope everyone had a great day!

C

Shop Update and First Give Away!

2008-09-22T21:14:00.000-07:00

I updated my shop tonight with a few fun items. There is a super cute halloween apron, a fancy diaper cover. Also, Vintage coral rose earrings. Lastly, there is a set of white flower shaped tea/coffee cups that have a vintage look to them. I decided to give away a pair of earrings with every purchase through October 31. Who doesn't love free cute stuff?

Tomorrow is the NieNie Benefit Sale at Etsy. It runs the 23 & 24. Many artisans & crafter have contributed to this cause. I hope you will check it out! I know what I'm doing tomorrow! http://nieniebenefitsale.etsy.com/

Are there any cowgirls or horse lovers out there? I will be having a "western" day in my shop Friday. I will be adding a western purse made of a soft cow fur material (fake, of course!). A pair of silver Cowgirl hat earrings and 2 pillows made from vintage horse fabric. If any of that sounds good to you then visit Bluegrass Market at Etsy on Friday!

Did anyone watch Dancing With The Stars? Have a favorite? I don't have one yet but I'm leaning towards the guy from Married with Children. Leave a comment telling me your favorite star or if you're not a TV watcher just say hi. I will draw a name on Sunday and I'll send you a pair earrings made of vintage beads. My first give away! Exciting!

Christy

Sisters

2008-09-19T07:03:00.000-07:00

Molly and Olivia. Sisters. Twins separated by 10 years. Pals. Goofballs. Sweethearts.

It wasn't that long ago that Molly was the little one in diapers. Where does the time go?

Time? Are you listening? Could you PLEASE slow down?!!!! Thanks!

Back on the Wagon

2008-09-17T20:20:00.000-07:00

What happened to me? I was doing so well with my blogging, getting into a groove and then Bam! I fell off the wagon. I could give a lot of excuses as to why such as...... I have five kids, my baby has had fever for a few days, we had 78 mph winds from the hurricane (we live in Kentucky!), we had no electricity for 24 hours this weekend, I 've been doing a lot of sewing ( before the power went out) and I haven't had a good nights sleep for at least a week.

Well, I won't give you any of those absolutely true excuses. What I will say is that the past 12 days have been quite eventful and I did manage some sewing. I updated the etsy shop with an apron ( love it!), an adorable diaper cover and two pillows that I made from Japanese fabric I bought from a sale to benefit the Nielsons. I will add several more things this week.

On the subject of the Nielsons, There will be a benefit sale on Etsy on the 23 and 24 of September (next week). To find the sale go to Etsy and look for NieNie under seller/usernames. All the proceeds will go to the Nielsons to help with medical costs. I 'm excited that I donated a handbag but I'm more excited to see what everyone else donated and go shopping! It should be awesome!

Oh! If anyone out there reads this, could you please explain to me how you get pictures in different areas of your post on blogger. Mine all go to the top. I can't figure it out. Obviously I'm not a computer genius. Any help at all would be appreciated!

Thank you and good night!

Perfect Day

2008-09-04T19:59:00.000-07:00

Today was such a nice day. The scorching heat and humidity decided to not hang around today. Thank goodness! It was a little overcast and breezy. A Perfect day for the park.

We packed a backpack with a few things. Water, snacks, books and a blanket. We went for a walk on the trail and looked at the different flowers, butterflies and birds. We brought our handy dandy Handbook of Nature Study and figured out what certain things were. Such as that bright little yellow and black bird is an American Goldfinch and the crazy looking crane thingy that hangs out at our pond is probably an Egret. Go figure! The book is old and has black and white pictures but it's loaded with information.

Next Gunnar put together a styrofoam bird to fly around while Olivia just enjoyed running around and being outside. It was pretty much a perfect day! We'll have to do this again soon but we'll have to bring fishing poles, Daddy, and lunch.

I have to get to the post office today. I am participating in the Nie Nie Benefit on Etsy. More info to come soon on that. Continue to pray for the Nielsons and their family.

Garden Living

2008-09-04T06:28:00.000-07:00

Mary, Mary, quite contrary. How does Your garden grow?..........

With tomatoes, corn, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, watermelon, okra, basil, rosemary, arugula, butternut squash, bell pepper, lots of tomatillios, and little children and a puppy all in a row.

I LOVE MY GARDEN!

Christy

Birthday Boy!

2008-09-02T19:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Gunnar!

Nine years ago you came into this world and blessed your father and me. You were a tiny little thing with hardly a hair on your body. So fragile yet so strong. Who knew that you were going to grow into this adorable, handsome, and muscley boy? And look at all that blond curly hair! Wow!

I love you so much! I love how you make me laugh! I love homeschooling you and seeing you learn new things. I love how close you are to your Daddy. (You have the best Dad in the world!) I love how you teach me all about wrestling. I love the sweet goodnight sugar I get from you every night. I love how you love your baby sister.

I'm so lucky to be your mom. I look forward to the next year and all the changing and growing you will do. You're the BEST!

Love Always,

Mom

Awesome Pick for McCain!

2008-08-30T09:03:00.000-07:00

Finally! I can get excited about the election again. I bet Obama didn't sleep well last night. lol. Sarah Palin is an incredible women, mother, and leader. Her political record kicks butt! Obama's record, well....... he doesn't have one. Sarah Palin on the other hand, gets things done. She has convictions and doesn't waiver. She loves this country. She has a son in the army for goodness sakes. I could picture her as President someday. She 100% represents change. Isn't that what we want? I just had to write about this. I haven't quit smiling since the announcement yesterday. There is nothing like having renewed hope. Thank you John McCain for finally stepping it up!

Thank you to Holly in Vegas for purchasing the Stephanie apron on Nie Nie day! I sent the money right to the Stephanie Nielson fund. No one purchased the pillow so I may send it to her sister cjanerun since she has an address posted. I pray everyday for a full and speedy recovery for the Nielsons.

Have a great weekend!

Christy

NieNie Day!

2008-08-28T03:40:00.000-07:00

I am humbled and honored to participate in NieNie Day. What is NieNie day you ask? A beautiful Arizona couple, Christian and Stephanie Nielson, were in a tragic airplane crash on August 16. They survived but are severely injured. It seems they have months of recovery in the hospital ahead of them. (please visit cjanerun.com for more info) They are blessed to have wonderful families helping them with their four small children.

Stephanie is so loved in the blog world. She is the author of the NieNiedialogues. She has let us into their world and truly entertained and inspired us. She is a phenomenal blessing to this world and now she and her husband need us. Gabrielle Blair over at designmom.com has declared today NieNie Day. Several businesses will be selling items to help the Nielson family. There are also some awesome auctions happening. Definitely something for everyone.

I personally will be selling two items to help the Nielsons. In my Etsy shop, I will be listing an adorable pillow designed by me that has been free stitched on my machine. It has a modern yet folksy flair. I am calling it the NieNie Love Pillow in honor of Stephanie and Christian's obvious love for each other. Also, I designed an adorable half apron using vintage looking fabrics. I am calling it the Stephanie. I noticed from some pics on her blog that she wore aprons. And it has alot of red which I think she likes. 100% of the proceeds will go to the Nielson fund to help with medical expenses.

So please, won't you help?

Christy

Yea! Veggies!

2008-08-25T20:20:00.000-07:00

I was finally able to pick a few veggies from the garden. They're so beautiful! And I must say they were so yummy. There is nothing like eating food that you grew yourself. We are getting in some okra, watermelons, butternut squash and we have a ton of tomatoes and tomatillios that are ripening. I don't know what I'm going to do with all the tomatillios. Salsa maybe?

Notice in the first two pictures the little tomato snatcher. She's obsessed with tomatoes. She really likes them. Pretty good for a 16 month old.

We got the lumber to make four raised beds. I want ten all together. I think we are going to make the compost right in them, then plant in them in the Spring. You can do that, right? I'm reading and researching. So much information out there. Any suggestions appreciated!

I will post pics tomorrow of the apron I designed. It turned out cute. Very sturdy. Excellent for outdoors.

Good Night

Christy

2008-08-19T18:31:00.000-07:00

Well, the older kids are back in school now. Gunnar and I are back to homeschooling. It's hard to get back into the swing of things. We've been getting up really early but I can't stay up late to finish projects. Just too tired! I'll get adjusted. I have so many things that I want to make and do. I'm going to work on some raised beds for some square foot gardening. I'm so psyched about turning most of these four acres into an edible oasis. I know it will take time but it's the process that I'm looking forward to. To compliment my gardening attire, I'm working on a gardening apron. I'm coming up with a design to screenprint onto it. Something farm related. I'll let you know when they make it to the shop. I wonder if guys like a gardening apron? Hmmm.......

Speaking of the shop, I've had a few more sales. A couple of customers in Australia. How cool is that? I hope everyone is pleased with their items. Thank you to everyone who has purchased from me!

I'm off to sleep! Good Night!

Christy

Cleaning The Clutter!

2008-08-15T07:49:00.000-07:00

OK. Time to get rid of some craft supplies. I have to do it. I have too much stuff that I just don't use. I will be posting my stuff on Etsy tonight. Jewelry making supplies, fabric, etc... If you are in need of some crafting supplies then come see my shop. Don't forget, I am offering free shipping until September 1!

Today my oldest son Justin and his band Price of Perfection, will be having a concert at the local park. He has been working hard on this small production. I hope it's a success! Good Luck Justin!

2008-08-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

I did get my first sale the other day. Yea! Thank you, thank you to the lady that purchased the vintage Mother Goose book. Since then it has been slow. Oh well, I'll keep plugging along and keep my fingers crossed!
We are fixing to be harvesting some beautiful vegetables from our garden. We started it a little late so we are behind in our first fruits. Next year we are going big! I want to be able to grow most of our food and sell the surplus at the farmer's market. I joined freedom gardeners last night. It's a website dedicated to supporting and educating the home gardener with its food growing endeavors. I have followed it's sister site http://www.pathtofreedom.com for a while now. The Dervaes family is so inspiring! They make you feel like you really can accomplish what they have. Please check them out! You won't be dissappointed!
School starts Monday. Two in high school, 1 in middle school, 1 homeschooler, 1 baby. Wow! Busy! Busy! I'm looking forward to homeschool with little Gunnar. He's so fun to be with. He's my little gardening buddy! I will post pictures of our first harvest soon!

Have a nice day!

christy

Up and Running!

2008-08-08T22:17:00.000-07:00

Hello!
I put my sweet little baby to sleep and I got to work on my shop. I listed 12 items to start. A little mix of everything. Children's clothes, vintage books (I'm addicted to books!), and a sweet little duck that took me a lonnnggg time to decoupage! I hope someone will find something they want there. I've got my fingers crossed!
It's 1:30 am now. Is this how all you Etsy moms do it? Stay up all night? Whew! I'm pooped! I better hit the sack.
Peace out!
Christy

Shop Opening Soon!

2008-08-08T12:26:00.000-07:00

I have been hard at work getting everything ready for my Etsy shop's Grand Opening! Bluegrass Market will officially open it's doors tomorrow morning ( or very late tonight)! I have some cute and fun goodies to list. I scored at the antique store last weekend! A vintage tablecloth, vintage pillowcases and a couple of flour sacks have been given a new life. Don't get me wrong, I love new fabric. But I also love to see what I can make out of something old. You always end up with something unique.

The hardest thing so far with the shop has been getting good pictures. There are some amazing photos on Etsy. I have yet to figure out the trick to it all. This shop will be a work in progress. I just want to have fun with it. My son, Gunnar will be helping me with this as part of his homeschool. We try to take every opportunity to learn something new and this is real life learning. I love it!

Wish me luck tomorrow! See ya at the opening!

Christy

Happy Birthday!

2008-08-02T05:58:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Beautiful! I can't believe your 14 today! It seems like just yesterday that I brought you home from the hospital. I am so grateful for the privilege of being your Mom and I love you with all my heart! I hope this next year brings you much joy and happiness!

Love Always!
Mom

Joining Blogland!

2008-08-02T05:43:00.000-07:00

Well, Here I Go! I so enjoy reading all the amazing blogs out there in blogland! They are inspiring, funny, and informative. I thought I would try my hand at this and share my thoughts and happenings in my life. Although I feel we live a fairly simple life, it can get crazy around here! I will be posting about my old home remodel, organic gardening, homeschooling, mothering 5 children (ages 15months to 16 years), an lastly getting my etsy shop of the ground. I hope you enjoy!

c.