honeylocust

update

2012-02-22T21:14:00.000-08:00

oh, hello. it's been too long. just checking in to let you know what's been going on.

1. i'm on twitter now.

2. i've had a job for a year this month.

3. i accidentally deleted the wrong email account. which deleted my original blog. thankfully i transferred it over to my new email right before the tragic event. but i lost all of the blogs that i follow. :(

4. i'm going to be an auntie... for the first time!

i'm sure there's much more going on, but this is all that my brain can muster up at the moment. i've missed my blog friends! what's new with you!?

saturday market

2012-01-07T18:31:00.000-08:00

i've been looking forward to saturday mornings. walking through the crowded farmers market, filling my basket with fresh whole foods. getting sweet compliments from strangers. planning a weeks worth of meals on the spot. spending time with my mom and sister. coming home and preparing the simple tasty meals. it's a good feeling.

book nerd

2012-01-05T14:02:00.000-08:00

i'm becoming quite the bookworm lately. i'm poring over books that have any relation to homesteading, small scale farms, self-sufficiency, you name it. these were probably my favorite christmas gifts (and my bolga basket)! i also purchased some bookmarks, postcards, and photographs sometime before christmas, that i love.

1. growing a farmer
2. farm anatomy
3. whip up mini quilts
4. maryjane's ideabook, cookbook, lifebook
5. him + her designs

what have you been splurging on lately?

hello, new year

2012-01-01T16:22:00.000-08:00

here's to a healthier new year!

christmas day - what just happened?

2011-12-25T20:19:00.000-08:00

exchanging gifts in the wee hours of the morning, consuming the most delicious breakfast ever, 17 people in one living room, more gift exchanging, babies first christmas, planning out tomorrow's shopping adventure, back for an even more delicious dinner, which then led to 4 grown adults sprawled out on the living room floor in a food coma. now i'm sitting in my mom's bed watching how the grinch stole christmas. it really is the little things, folks. merry christmas!

{last picture stolen from my sister, liz}

christmas eve

2011-12-24T23:57:00.000-08:00

hehe, i love my sister!

merry christmas eve!

although there were mini meltdowns today (anything that could go wrong, went wrong) everything turned out perfect! i helped my mom finish some baking and last minute cookie decorating. then she set the tables for our big christmas eve dinner, one of her favorite things to do. me, my sister, and brother took silly pictures outside for a bit. he asked me why i'm making that face in every picture, i had to explain to him that it made my face look slimmer (hello 2012 weight loss)!

we had an amazing chicken fried steak dinner and many many desserts... peanut butter pie, chocolate walnut pie, gingerbread cookies with royal icing, peanut butter chocolate balls, and red velvet cupcakes, oh my. we all played bingo after dinner and it was so much fun. me and my mom picked up silly $1 prizes at target a few weeks ago which were a hit. and then for the last big "blackout" game, $10 was up for grabs... and i won!

tomorrow we'll be getting up super early to open presents here and then head over to my grandparents for a delicious ham breakfast (we've been calling ham "pig butt" since we were little kids, just thought you would like to know). we are truly blessed, and so thankful for what we have. i hope you all have a wonderful holiday!

cookie exchange

2011-12-20T21:27:00.001-08:00

tomorrow is our cookie exchange at work! i made a simple sugar cookie recipe and tried using royal icing for the first time. i think i may need to bring a bottle of TUMS with me tomorrow...

banning mansion

2011-12-04T21:46:00.000-08:00

today a group of us went to visit the banning mansion. the last time i was there i hadn't yet developed my love for old things. they had their holiday festivities going on... costumes, dancing, caroling, and santa! they weren't giving tours but still letting everyone do a quick walk through. the bathtub in the bathroom addition was making me drool, and i couldn't keep my eyes off the crazy quilts in each bedroom. the butlers pantry and "modern kitchen" were wonderful too! we weren't allowed to take pictures inside but the barn out back was fair game. we'll have to make it back soon and take the tour so i can refresh my memory on the history.

*thank you again for all the prayers for eric! you're all so amazing and kind. he's still quite swollen and hasn't been able to open his eyes, but he's alert, baby talking it up, and laughing at his momma and daddy! can't wait to see his sweet face.

baby eric

2011-12-01T08:26:00.000-08:00

hello, friends.

my cousin's little boy, eric was diagnosed with craniosynostosis several months ago. today he is undergoing surgery to correct this. we're just asking that you would pray there would be no complications during the surgery and that he will have a speedy recovery. thank you so much.

xo.

*thank you everyone for your prayers! eric made it out of surgery with no complications at all, and faster than the doctors had planned!

street fair treasures

2011-11-27T13:43:00.000-08:00

we visited the antique street fair this morning and like usual i came home with some goodies from mary's booth. since we're repeat customers she always gives us little discounts. i spotted the giant fire king measuring cup first and knew i had to have it. then the enamel refrigerator box caught my eye. the matching beco ware dish was sitting on a different table and i just couldn't separate them. ;)

thanksgiving

2011-11-24T21:08:00.000-08:00

happy thanksgiving friends!

halloween

2011-11-01T10:45:00.000-07:00

last night we passed out candy, made caramel apples and caramel candies with nuts (from scratch... heavenly), carved pumpkins, and roasted pumpkin seeds.

hello, november.

shop update

2011-10-30T18:20:00.000-07:00

here's a little shop update for you ladies!

october treasures

2011-10-23T17:02:00.000-07:00

$1 hankies, butterprint bowls, enamel cereal bowls and biscuit cutters with sweet red handles, $1 saucers that i'll use as small dessert plates, and my newest "balloons" pattern chip bowl.

september treasures

2011-09-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

our cheap thrills journey begins in the thrift stores of solvang. i spotted these cotton scraps all bundled up together and grabbed them immediately. of course my favorite print is the one covered in cute little farm animals - pigs, chickens, cows... how could i resist. they will definitely be finding a home in a patchwork quilt in the future. i also picked up an embroidered hankie (which i'm starting to collect... another collection).

the rummage sale/bazaar at the retirement home was something else, they were practically giving stuff away. came away with a wine crate, frying basket, the tiniest hand painted egg cup, heart cake pans, and a little tin for a whopping $1.25... you almost felt guilty walking away with it! they assured us that they just wanted to get rid of it.

and lastly, the antique street fair that goes on once a month. we visited our favorite ladies' booths and came away with something from all of them. i found an old grain sack, a meat thermometer, a teaspoon, some large wooden salad servers, and a couple of other goodies. i cannot pass up the $1 tables, they just make me so happy inside.

oh, the plans i have for these treasures... what have you been thrifting lately?

tuesday

2011-09-06T21:54:00.000-07:00

what i've been up to lately.

ps. the gal with the camera is my sister, the tall lanky one is our 15 year old cousin and i'm the shaky filmer. ;)

sunday

2011-08-28T16:02:00.000-07:00

just some bits and pieces from my weekend.
*our little sunflower has bloomed, the honey bees are enjoying it.
*said sunflower reminded me of the one our grandma planted for my sister and i in 1991. how funny are my sunglasses?
*a watermelon showed up out of nowhere! it's the largest any of them have gotten. i'm curious to see what happens.
*baked an apple pie with my momma last night with our apple farm galas, it's already gone. we cheated on the lattice.
*we sweated to death at the antique fair this morning. but i came home with some treasures, juice glasses, jewelry pieces, old photographs, and an old measuring cup. $11 well spent.
what did you guys do this weekend? i'd love to know!

tuesday

2011-08-23T07:28:00.000-07:00

i could have listened to her talk about her prize winning pumpkins all day.

sunday we grabbed the keys and headed up north to our home away from home - solvang. we love it there, so much. the gorgeous back roads, farm stands, grazing animals... it's perfect there. we had a chat with the goats, filled our bags with vegetables and raw honey, picked some flowers, talked to the cows... more like bothered them, marveled at the family of deer, picked up boxes full of peaches and strawberries, made a visit to the apple farm - the gala apples were ready... and oh so good, split two burgers four ways, filled our tummies with danishes and ice cream, thrifted a bit, and did lots of walking around town. the 4 hour traffic on the way home was almost worth it... almost. ;)

some of these pictures were taken by my sister liz, thanks to her for letting me use them!

have you guys been on any day trips lately?

sunday

2011-08-14T16:35:00.001-07:00

i finally got around to sewing my produce bags, i just need to find some string for them. i took them to the farmer's market yesterday and they worked great! it gave me such a good feeling to be filling my fabric bags with all of this organic, farm fresh food instead of plastic bags. as each day passes i'm going to try and be more mindful of the plastic i bring into the house, and avoid it as much is possible. also, last night my mom and i baked a chocolate zucchini cake and it turned out so good. you should definitely try it! well, it's back to the grind tomorrow. this book is truly an inspiration. happy weekending, everyone!

thursday

2011-08-11T20:04:00.000-07:00

we've had some sneaky zucchini grow the size of arms recently. today i finally got around to frying some for the first time and it went wonderfully. i just used a simple egg/flour batter and fried them 'til they were nice and crispy. we'll have to make another batch soon.

sunday

2011-07-24T19:55:00.000-07:00

we took a quick look around the antique street fair this morning. i found some lovely canvas material that will make some great pillow covers. and the tomatoes are coming along strong, i think they look pretty decorating all of the windowsills.

wednesday

2011-07-20T20:44:00.000-07:00

monday

2011-07-18T18:47:00.000-07:00

over the weekend there was a lot of reading, food experimenting, homemade facials, beach sunsets, and not a minute of cleaning. that's pretty close to perfect in my book.

thursday

2011-07-14T19:51:00.000-07:00

today was a nice day off spent in the garden and visiting with my grandparents. my mom and i did a little bit of weeding and gave the soil a nice water soaking. my lonely sunflower seems to be growing very nicely. someone, i believe my grandpa, made a little rock border around it so the gardeners wouldn't mow over it.

i'm adoring the many, many watermelon flowers that are blooming. there's still only one melon growing, we'll just have to wait and see if any others will follow!

there she is. the very first tomato of the season. so, i may have picked it just a little too soon, it's new residence is on the windowsill in the kitchen. many more tomatoes are turning red, over night it seems. thanks to my mom for hand modeling. i was snapping away when i had said "i need a pretty background or something." and in a hilariously sly way, my mom moves the tomato in front of her face.

todays zucchini and cucumber harvest. for some wonky looking cucumber, they sure are good! we snacked on some slices with goat cheese on top, delicious. note to self: do not let mother plant 3 extra zucchini plants next year just to fill space.

i finished the afternoon off with some tea, leftover spice cake (from my grandpa's 77th birthday last night) and a great new read (to me), keeping chickens with ashley english. it's amazing so far.

tuesday

2011-07-12T20:11:00.000-07:00

i walked outside to check on the garden this morning and found what looked like a dandelion forest. it sure was a beautiful sight. i'm glad i took a few pictures because the gardeners mowed it all away shortly after.

we went to farmer's market this morning to pick up some strawberries and a few vegetables. while we were walking through i spotted a table covered in gorgeous jars filled with honey, some even had honeycomb in it. i'm almost finished reading honeybee so i've had honey, beeswax, and anything bee related on my mind lately. so of course when i saw all of this local raw honey i got very excited. i brought home a pound of beeswax for lip balms and salves and some honey sticks to try. the one pictured is cinnamon honey, i also tried watermelon honey. i'm forming a very serious addiction. i would love to have several of my own hives one day.

monday

2011-07-11T19:53:00.000-07:00

something other than a zucchini!?

i don't think i can begin to tell you how excited i am about the first tomato turning red. and knowing that hundreds more are on the way... bliss.

on a side note. i just wanted to say that each and every comment & email i get from you guys make me so happy! i'm so inspired by your blogs and love that there are so many like-minded people out there. okay, i'm finished getting all mushy on you.

saturday

2011-07-09T14:46:00.000-07:00

well, i attempted to make some zucchini fritters for lunch today. the flavor was awesome, the consistency... not so much. but i'll get it down eventually. i just didn't strain the zucchini long enough, which resulted in a soupy mixture. i only used what i had on hand... a couple eggs, some flour and salt. i'm just happy to be using up some of the zucchini! thanks to aimiee for that little push i needed to finally make them! i also found another zucchini recipe i had favorited awhile back that i'll have to try next week, it looks so good. happy weekending!

friday

2011-07-08T20:02:00.000-07:00

the cucumbers are coming along nicely, a giant one was even hiding from me! how? i'm not sure. i picked another 7 zucchini today. they're beginning to overwhelm me... i do have plans for some of them this weekend though. the watermelon are slowly getting bigger, i even spotted a new one growing! and they're wrapping around all of the extra junk laying around on top of the soil, i find it pretty cute. and lastly, those tomatoes. i haven't bothered tying some of them and they seem to be doing fine. how are your gardens doing?

thursday

2011-07-07T15:58:00.000-07:00

i harvested a whole lot of zucchini today, ELEVEN of them. they're growing faster than i know what to do with them. i also prematurely picked a bell pepper because i just couldn't help myself, might cut into that later. also picked another cucumber and a handful of dandelions. well, i should probably get cleaned up... we're having dinner with the whole family at my grandparents tonight, and i've still got dirt on my feet from gardening. cheers!

tuesday

2011-07-05T15:34:00.000-07:00

we took a trip to ikea today so i could pick up some dishtowels to make some of these to bring with me to the farmers market. had lunch at my grandparents and walked next door to water the garden and saw that a couple cucumbers looked big enough to pick. we had to taste test them of course and they didn't disappoint, they're full of flavor. i've been bringing salads to work for lunch, now i can add some slices of fresh homegrown cucumber to the mix. now if only those tomatoes would get a move on and ripen already.

tuesday

2011-07-05T09:19:00.000-07:00

baby's first 4th of july. zucchini picking in the garden (32). bbq hot dogs and chicken. family chit chat. red velvet cupcakes and apple pie. sparkler lighting. smoke inhaling. illegal fireworks. sore bodies and aching bellies. good day.

sunday

2011-07-03T21:17:00.000-07:00

it sure was a warm one today! i said screw it and did some weeding in the early afternoon, even though i knew it would result in my face being beat red for quite awhile. but i needed to clean up the vegetable garden and pick a few more zucchini (that makes 26) earlier i helped my mom bake some red velvet cupcakes and an apple pie for tomorrows festivities while reading honeybee in between. well, i'm off to cut open a cantaloupe.

be safe this long weekend and light a sparkler or two!

friday

2011-07-01T20:58:00.000-07:00

there are so many exciting things going on in the garden this week!

we've got cucumbers!

i spotted our very first, teeny tiny watermelon! and there's a few more on the way.

the peppers are getting bigger.

the tomatoes are turning yellow, slowly but surely.

i picked 9 zucchini today, making that a total of 23 so far. there is zucchini bread and fried zucchini in our future.

do you see all of those yellow tomato blooms?

i love the way the garden looks this time a day. so, what's going on in your garden this week?

saturday

2011-06-25T19:56:00.000-07:00

warning: more picture heavy than normal ;)

the cucumbers are coming along nicely. they're starting to wrap around their cages, i love it!

the bell pepper and jalapeno plants are flowering and the watermelon plant is growing like crazy. i didn't have any hope for it when we transplanted it, it was pitiful looking. now it seems to be growing inches each day.

we have the same number of tomato plants as last year, but we're growing at least 10x more. we might have to try canning, and giving lots away to friends and family.

flowers, organic fruit and produce from this mornings farmers market. i somehow lost my money after only being there 10 minutes. realizing that i was missing it, we back tracked. and coming around the corner before i got to the only table i'd been was the little boy that bagged my strawberries asking if i had left some money. what an honest sweetheart, he made my day.

here are the first picked zucchinis of the season! i picked them last night after work and we steamed some for dinner tonight, they were delicious.

after cleaning our room out for 5 hours i was finally able to put my new quilt on my bed that i bought in solvang (and get rid of that awful cheap down comforter that threw up feathers on a regular basis.) now i can't wait to sleep in my newly sheeted/quilted bed.

thursday

2011-06-23T21:35:00.000-07:00

the tomato plants are thriving this year. i think it has something to do with the narrow raised bed we planted them in. they're fuller and producing hundreds of blooms and even more tomatoes.

this is just one of the very many. since this photo was taken, quite a few of them have grown larger and a couple are even turning yellow!

we're all loving this volunteer plant that popped up about a month ago.

when there isn't much of it, weeding can be very relaxing. the weeds are behaving themselves this year and without any chemically help.

the zucchini plants look beautiful but aren't producing that well. i cut off a few runt zucchinis to see if it might help. i'm starting to see a few healthy ones growing, probably going to pick those this weekend and steam them to go with dinner. i also really want to try goat cheese stuffed fried blossoms!

i can hardly wait to taste that first sun warmed ripe tomato. they really do look like they're going to be bountiful this year.

couldn't resist one more...

and here is our mini garden with our "scarecrow" my grandpa put together using his old work clothes. we also planted bell peppers, jalapenos, cucumbers, watermelon and sunflowers (only one sprouted... lame!) i'm having the greatest time learning, reading and trying to absorb as much as i can. i've finally found something i'm passionate about and someday this mini garden will turn into something much bigger... on acreage.

what's going on in your garden these days?

wednesday

2011-06-22T19:50:00.000-07:00

i tried my first farm fresh fried egg this morning. and died. seriously? i've been missing out on this amazing goodness for 24 years? orange yolks? they're not a myth? no but really, sooo delicious! how can i ever enjoy another kind of egg again? the only solution is to raise my own chickens. end of discussion. oh! and the peaches... dear lord.

i only picked up a few things at the thrift shops in solvang. a tiny handmade children's apron, solid wood apple, and some flower quilting fabric. not much, but enough to excite me.

one more egg picture, for good measure...

tuesday

2011-06-21T17:33:00.000-07:00

we took a short trip up the coast yesterday to one of my favorite places, solvang. it's as close to the country as i can get right now, if only i could live there or somewhere similar to it. we turned off the highway and took our usual back road into town. saw the cows and horses and organic farm stand. we had a quick lunch, bought danish desserts, and stopped by our regular thrift shops. i bought my first quilt from the nodding place, then we ate dinner at our usual spot, split pea andersons, and by chance ended the night watching a gorgeous sunset over the mountains.

we had breakfast in town this morning and stopped in a few more shops before driving out to santa ynez to get fresh organic peaches. the miniature horses had babies recently, they were so adorable and definitely male. ;) then we stopped by the organic produce stand before heading back home.

i've never been inside, only seen their stand on the outside. there was nobody there, they practice the honor system, i love that! it was decorated so wonderfully. the vegetables looked delicious and i nearly squealed when i found organic farm fresh eggs, that were picked this morning. i gladly paid $4 for them, which was put in a giant barrel with a slit in it. i also bought some swiss chard, carrots, and butternut lettuce. outside were the 3 little goats that i fell in love with last september and many beef cattle grazing. if we had time i would have gone picking for berries. i could spend all day everyday there or on a farm of my own. some day.

sunday

2011-03-20T10:54:00.000-07:00

it's been a busy weekend. where to start... baby eric was born friday night, 8 pounds 4 ounces, 19.5 inches. i only got to see him for a few minutes that night but my sister went yesterday and got a few pictures. i stole these from her blog. he is the cutest little thing! we haven't had a baby in the family for 11 years so you can imagine how ecstatic everyone is.

yesterday i had a little hair color transformation. not bleach blonde anymore, going the more natural blonde route. i'm pretty dark right now, but i like it. maybe i'll snap a picture soon.

cody bought me some birthday books at my request ;) which came in the mail yesterday! i've flipped through them all, i can't wait to read them and make and grow things.

now i'm sitting in the kitchen relaxing while the rain continues to pour. i love it. how has your guys' weekend been? tell me, i really want to know!

thursday

2011-03-17T10:24:00.001-07:00

my 24th birthday was celebrated over the weekend! i was so excited to use my film camera that it took me 2 finished rolls to realize my light meter wasn't working. oops. i like to keep things low key when it comes to birthdays, so it was spent with just the family. we went out to eat quite a few times, of course. and did a little antiquing too.

tuesday

2011-03-08T17:28:00.000-08:00

we threw/attended a baby shower over the weekend for baby eric and his momma. consumed lots of delicious finger foods and desserts, awed at the sweetest, tiniest baby clothes, and played silly baby shower games.

tuesday

2011-03-01T10:19:00.000-08:00

so i just noticed that all of my pictures on here are turning into a pixelated mess. i'm not sure if it's noticeable to you guys? i guess i can't upload to tinypic anymore, how irritating. now i'm wondering if i should go back and upload them all over again. not something that sounds appealing on your day off.

this pie on the other hand, does look very appealing. i should really get my pentax out and start using film again.

sunday

2011-02-27T21:55:00.000-08:00

my mom and i went to the antique street faire in downtown torrance today. it's held once a month and i hadn't been in awhile, so i was wanting to go.

one of the first things i spotted were 2 long racks of clothing that had giant $1 signs hanging on them. what a dream! i love anything vintage and cheap. i picked up quite a few things for the shop i have in the works. one of the 1940s dresses i bought wasn't going to be salvageable so i'm planning on turning it into a top and skirt.

i also scored a bunch of old photographs that were 4 for $1, i'm liking these farmer ones especially.

thursday

2011-02-24T20:27:00.001-08:00

remember when i said i needed to mix up the blog posts so they weren't all food related? well, i guess i still need to work on it. i cooked a farmer's market dinner for the family tonight. not to toot my own horn, but it tasted so wonderful. it was the first time we tried purple potatoes, and we loved them! and as you can see we also had steamed asparagus and butter garlic pasta. we're stuffed and feeling good tonight.

tuesday night

2011-02-22T20:28:00.000-08:00

we made pizza for dinner tonight! we put a couple of my favorite toppings on, goat cheese and mushrooms. it was delicious, i may or may not have eaten half of a pizza. we also went to the movie store to pick up a couple films. we're fans of disney, children's movies around here and $1 five day rentals make me happy. we'll have to do that more often. i've got to wake up bright and early for my first day at a new job! i'm excited and nervous. looks like i'll be blogging at night now.

ps. food posts have been taking over my blog, i need to mix it up!

tuesday

2011-02-22T14:58:00.000-08:00

liz and i went to the farmer's market earlier this morning for some groceries. this man is usually here every week and entertains people with his unique music. he grabbed the attention of this cute little boy, who stood there quietly hanging on to every word. the minute he finished his song the boy clapped for him. and how cute is his mini shopping cart with potatoes?

i may have convinced her to buy some kettle corn on our way out. actually we had already passed it altogether, but it smelled way too good to leave behind! we finished it by noon with the help of our brother.

we brought home loads of fruit and vegetables, we'll be cooking lots of yummy dinners this week.

the lettuce is for salads and the potatoes will be roasted with garlic and butter. i'm going to buy a mandoline for my birthday in a couple weeks so we can make our own potato chips.

asparagus is one of her favorites, we'll probably just steam that and have it with roasted potatoes. we also got sweet potatoes to try making sweet potato fries for the first time. that mandoline would be coming in handy again.

the carrots will be eaten raw or steamed, maybe roasted.

the small bag kettle corn is only $2, you can't beat that. and actually there was so much overflowing it was really like two small bags. we crave this stuff.

i spotted the heart shaped potato in the bag and it was obvious that that was the bag we were getting. the weather was really nice and it wasn't too crowded. we made our way up and down the long isle at least three times so we could see everything. i love that we're able to support local farmers. i was so surprised at how much organic farmers were there, last year there was probably only one or two. i'm getting very excited for this springs bigger vegetable garden!

thursday

2011-02-17T15:48:00.000-08:00

we had some bananas that were about to see the trash so i spontaneously decided to try and make banana bread for the first time (yes, the first time, i don't bake much) it went fairly well, i tried not to over mix it. i think i may have cooked it a bit too long though, since the outer part is somewhat chewy. or is that from over mixing? anyway, other than that it's very moist and delicious, especially with butter. i used the first recipe i could find, here. i will definitely be trying this again, see if i can't figure the chewy part out. oh, and maybe add some cinnamon! what have you been baking lately?

tuesday

2011-02-15T12:21:00.000-08:00

my family was my valentine this year. i helped my mom fill a large order of valentine's day cookies. we later delivered them to a marijuana clinic*. she and i went shopping and got some coffee and hot apple juice. my grandparents had us over for an amazing roast dinner. and we finished the night off watching enchanted on the disney channel. it was kinda perfect. ;)

*the cookies were just little favors. my mother doesn't bake with pot... yet.

wednesday

2011-02-09T12:17:00.000-08:00

i have an obsession with baby clothes. more specifically, secondhand vintage. i gravitate towards the children's section while out thrifting. i also love to see what other people are finding and dressing their kiddos in. since i have no kids of my own, nor am i pregnant, i try to restrain myself as much as possible from buying everything in the shop. although i do have a few things stored away. who can pass up tiny tiny froggy rain boots? definitely not me. scouring etsy for vintage clothing is fun too, which brings me to kyssa vintage. i found their shop late last night and had to share. their selection of baby duds are making my ovaries squeal in delight. ;)

tuesday

2011-02-08T16:51:00.000-08:00

i love waking up to find out that i sold cute clothes in my sleep. two pretty packages on their way to maine and hong kong.

sunday

2011-02-06T21:10:00.000-08:00

we're not big sports fans around here. to us, superbowl sunday just gives us an excuse (there is no excuse) to eat junk food and watch funny commercials. today was no different. we've all agreed to never eat again...

saturday

2011-02-05T23:14:00.000-08:00

tonight my sister, liz participated in her first photo exhibition at gallery 381. she and a handful of others have been taking a class, taught by annie appel over the course of 4 months. she did an amazing job, i couldn't be more proud of my little sister!

wednesday part 2

2011-02-02T18:46:00.000-08:00

i found this amazing quesadilla recipe in a pilates cookbook a long long time ago. its quick and easy (like most quesadillas) it calls for whole wheat tortillas, cheddar cheese, chopped broccoli, salsa, and we tossed in some leftover chicken too. they are seriously so delicious. as you can see, we lost the sun by the time they were ready to be eaten. you should definitely try these!

wednesday

2011-02-02T12:27:00.000-08:00

since i'm always reaching into my purse for a tissue (i'm crying at the drop of a hat these days, and colds and sinuses have been acting up) i decided to get my sewing machine out and make some tissue cozies. i didn't want to just make one, so i made a few extra for family and friends. they were very quick and satisfying to make. i also used some thrifted vintage fabric that i've had for awhile. anyway, i hope everyone likes them and gets good use out of them!

sorry for the unnecessary amount of pictures! i'm just really excited about them. :)

saturday

2011-01-29T12:25:00.000-08:00

do you tire of seeing chocolate chip cookie posts? 240 to be exact (cookies, not posts.) i seem to grab the camera when food is around. and thank god i didn't eat any of these cookies, since i had a mini meltdown about pants that don't fit anymore. oh what fun it is to be a girl.

*sigh*

tuesday

2011-01-25T16:15:00.000-08:00

grandma whipped up some potato patties this afternoon. we all scarfed them down as soon as they were cool enough.

monday

2011-01-17T14:00:00.001-08:00

last friday we celebrated my grandparents 56th wedding anniversary, they were married january 14, 1955. my grandma shared a few sweet things about her special day:

*she was 16 and he was 20.
*aunt margaret took her to long beach to buy her her wedding dress. they didn't have anymore in white so she purchased this light blue one, it was $12.99
*aunt margaret told her "if you're married in blue, you'll always be true."
*a man that lived in the house over owned a nursery. he brought over a box of orchids which she made her own corsage with.
*aunt dessie made their wedding cake.
*they were married at their pastors house friday night, came back to her mother's house for cake, coffee, and punch, and afterwards they went to cinco de mayo for mexican food.
*she regrets not having grandpa wear his uniform, he bought a new suit. she didn't think about it until after the fact.

this was taken friday afternoon while we were out to lunch. sometimes we just crave a chick-fil-a sandwich. ;)

sunday

2011-01-16T14:03:00.000-08:00

yesterday was so fun! i went with my sister on two photo shoots. met nice sweet people. and felt my first pregnant belly, with a hiccuping little girl inside! the two locations were completely different. one was in a quiet woodsy area around palos verdes and the other was under the boardwalk of manhattan beach, which was crawling with people. the sunset was beautiful.

this is from the first shoot. my mom was cracking me up with her hummingbird fit she was throwing. :)

tuesday

2011-01-11T16:04:00.000-08:00

i've been obsessing over this book for quite some time. i was thrilled to unwrap it on christmas day from my sister, liz. i've already looked through it countless times, so much inspiration in this tiny book. i'm sure you can tell by all the double pictures lately. i tried to snap a couple pictures even though it's dark and gloomy today. the other day i was cleaning out my fabric and linen stash and was surprised by how many pillowcases i've accumulated! they're very cheery to look at on a day like this.

monday

2011-01-10T15:51:00.000-08:00

i've been helping my grandparents clean out their home and do a little but of organizing (one of my favorite things to do.) we came across a lot of hilarious old photos, and these i just had to share! my grandparents, emma and frank in '58 or '59. and my mom! she was three and insanely adorable! i can't wait to find more old photographs that have been tucked away for years.

friday

2011-01-07T15:40:00.001-08:00

the tree came down today! less and less christmas around the house, and i couldn't love it more. i've been daydreaming of living in the country in an old farmhouse. with a large red barn full of farm animals, big and small. and an abundance of fresh homegrown fruits and vegetables, and homemade sustenance. if only you could have what you want right at that very second. baby steps. hope you all have a fun weekend!

photo taken by my sister, liz.

thursday

2011-01-06T13:18:00.000-08:00

thrift shopping gives me cheap thrills. i found two 'new to me' pillowcases recently, the ones on the lower right. my mom bought me new down pillows for christmas. i could have gotten rid of the older ones but i like being surrounded by them. so now i have four on my tiny little bed dressed in vintage pillowcases that i change out frequently. it's easy to do that when you can purchase them at a thrift store for pennies each. like i said, cheap thrills.

wednesday

2011-01-05T15:40:00.000-08:00

had a little retail therapy today with my mom and grandma. my closet was looking very scarce and i can't wear the same t-shirt or cardigan over and over can i? no. and lets be honest, some of these pre-holiday jeans are a bit snug and washed out. so i scored some nice pieces, and the best part? my grandma whips her charge card out and pays for it all. umm, sure okay! :)

ps. that's my pre-shopping excited camera face.

tuesday

2011-01-04T13:37:00.000-08:00

i've added some new things to the shop!

monday

2011-01-03T10:21:00.000-08:00

good morning, everyone.
today i plan on actually making my bed,
cleaning up around the house,
taking measurements of clothes,
that have been sitting on the floor,
blowing my nose and hacking up a lung,
and maybe try and make some healthier choices,
with food.
what are you lovelies doing today?
i really want to know. :)

sunday

2011-01-02T16:52:00.000-08:00

happy new year, everyone!
the rain has returned,
but it's soothing right now.
i've had a nasty cold since thursday,
boo!
but having neighbors with fruit trees,
has it's advantages.
fresh squeezed orange juice,
to overdose on.
yesterday i gathered all the energy i had,
to start a major cleaning out in the house.
i'm wanting to simplify and start fresh,
for 2011.

monday

2010-12-27T16:03:00.000-08:00

merry christmas, friends! i hope you all had a great holiday, whichever you celebrate, if any. we had a fun time. christmas eve dinner at my mom's and christmas breakfast at my grandparents. there were lots of gifts and yummy food. can't believe new years is right around the corner! do you guys have any new years resolutions? is that your thing? i do. i'm hoping for some big changes in 2011!

ps. i couldn't resist posting this hilarious picture of my mom. ;)

monday

2010-12-20T14:57:00.000-08:00

it's raining cats and dogs here in southern california. hasn't let up for a few days and it's supposed to go on until thursday! my mom and i got bundled up to finish her last bit of christmas shopping and now we're back home watching movies. i think i'm going to make some hot cocoa. what are you guys up to right now?

friday

2010-12-17T12:07:00.000-08:00

last night we headed over to sleepy hollow to check out their annual christmas lights. we go every year and haven't gotten tired of it yet. there are always so many people, in their cars and on foot. and lots of families selling hot cocoa and treats from the end of their driveways. and each tree is decorated creating a canopy of lights on every street. i'm assuming no matter what age you are you feel like a kid as soon as you turn the corner. we ended the night with some ice cream too. :)

tonight is the usual friday night dinner with everyone at my grandparents. we get to bake sugar cookies with little cousins too. wishing everyone a happy weekend!

thursday

2010-12-16T09:53:00.000-08:00

is it a little too late to be posting pictures from thanksgiving? that's what happens when you shoot film. and you take way too long to develop. i'm on my way out the door, we're going thrifting and regular not so exciting shopping. bye friends! :)

wednesday

2010-12-15T09:30:00.001-08:00

i'll be taking measurements and adding new dresses to the shop today. and eating delicious hash sandwiches at my grandparents house. we've been spending a great deal over there these days, but i'm not complaining, i love it there.

ps. this is our living/dining room in complete chaos when we gave the walls a new coat of paint.

tuesday

2010-12-14T09:41:00.000-08:00

the only thing i don't care about around the holidays are the long lines in the post office. lines out the door. holding or scooting along heavy packages. but i must endure it because sweet kind people are waiting for their little gifts from my shop. afterwards i'll be taking pictures of a few new dresses i thrifted yesterday. plaids and florals, my favorite. i also found a few things for myself. more on that later. my grandma buys movies at the thrift store, my grandpa can't stand it, but it's hilarious. she found jurassic park for a buck and i've actually been wanting to watch that. so my grandma and i have a movie date today. what are you lovely internet peeps doing today?

ps. who doesn't like a stack of pancakes in the morning.

thursday

2010-12-09T13:23:00.000-08:00

my mom takes her holiday decorating very seriously. our 83 year old home looks like a little gingerbread house. i personally think less is more, but don't tell my mom. ;)

tuesday

2010-12-07T15:30:00.000-08:00

i just flipped through the december issue of free people. there were a couple things i really liked. her boots, and biker boy. ;)

saturday

2010-12-04T14:22:00.000-08:00

i added a handful of new items to the old shop today. i'm trying out my mannequin that i've had since high school. sometimes you just have to work with what ya got. hope your weekends are going well!

wednesday

2010-12-01T10:33:00.000-08:00

it's beginning to smell a lot like christmas. mmm pine.

thursday

2010-11-11T14:56:00.000-08:00

acknowledging all of the veterans today. my grandpa frank being one of them. he served in the US navy, this was taken in the early 50s while he was stationed in alaska. he's one badass dude. ;)

wednesday

2010-11-10T12:43:00.000-08:00

a couple of my favorites from this weeks shop update.

monday

2010-11-08T15:01:00.000-08:00

did anyone else witness this amazing sunset last night? this picture came straight off the camera. happy daylight savings.

tuesday

2010-11-02T08:42:00.000-07:00

i was told yesterday that we were going to attend solvang's annual christmas tree lighting in december. which means a get out of town free card. i'm very excited to dress up in warm wintery clothes. 'cause you know, it's only november and here in los angeles it's gonna be 82. maybe i oughta move to the east coast.

monday

2010-11-01T11:52:00.000-07:00

well this weekend flew by. friday night i went to the pumpkin patch with my brother and his girlfriend. the goats were the main attraction. they were ready to hop the fences for those feed cups. saturday morning we all woke up early to have breakfast at the grandparents house. greasy heart attack inducing food. so yummy. pumpkins were carved, more cookies were made, little trick or treaters running up and down the streets. how was your guys' weekend?

halloween

2010-10-31T09:11:00.001-07:00

oh to be little again. happy halloween everyone! :)

friday

2010-10-29T15:31:00.000-07:00

i spent the afternoon taking pictures of some new clothing going in the shop next week. i also found a metal basket at the thrift store yesterday that i'm going to use to store things in. and my sister found these awesome boots in mint condition. i have a little boot envy. i hope everyone enjoys their halloween weekend!

thursday

2010-10-28T16:02:00.000-07:00

i got to spend the day with my sister, liz. we went thrift shopping and found tons of great things. we were supposed to buy some pumpkins to carve tonight but everywhere we looked they were sold out. we need to plan these things out a little better. oh well, at least we got to bake some halloween cookies!

wednesday

2010-10-27T19:05:00.000-07:00

right now i'm in the process of figuring out packaging for a project i'm working on. i really want to experiment with some moss. is that weird? maybe so. but i think it might actually turn out kind of cool. we also made some halloween sugar cookies today, i'll post a picture tomorrow, they're too cute. oh and one more thing, my brother sent me this today. sigh.

tuesday

2010-10-26T18:30:00.001-07:00

i think i finally found a font that i'd like to use for honeylocust. oh happy day.

monday

2010-10-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

i wanted to share what i've thrifted in the past month with you guys. i picked up the ww2 ammo box at the antique street faire last month for five bucks, i'm in love with it. the letterpress drawer was my moms and she asked if i wanted it, free stuff is the best. the two swing top beer bottles were a quarter a piece, they still smell like beer. the heavy mold pans in the back were from solvang for two dollars each. and lastly the authentic poncho. i thought it was a rug when i saw it and i knew i wanted to make pillows out of it. just needs to be cleaned before i get to sewing. it was two dollars. so in total everything pictured only cost me $11.50. isn't that amazing? what have you guys picked up at the thrift recently?

friday

2010-10-22T13:23:00.000-07:00

i'm looking forward to the antique street faire on sunday, i'm looking for an antique wood dough bowl, maybe i'll get lucky. what are you guys doing this weekend?

photo by my sister liz.

thursday

2010-10-21T10:05:00.000-07:00

today the sun is supposed to come out, we'll see.

wednesday

2010-10-20T13:41:00.000-07:00

cabbages and roses fall collection is making me swoon. i can't get enough of plaids! i would dress in fall clothing all year long if i could.

tuesday

2010-10-19T09:49:00.000-07:00

although it's fall and rainy outside, i thought i'd show you a small portion of this summers harvest. the zucchini were a plenty, we even froze a few gallon size bags. there wasn't as much yellow squash but they were delicious. i'm guessing we grew about 10 pounds of green beans, next year i'll take better notes. the peas were skimpy, which is a shame because they were so yummy, raw and cooked. and lastly the tomatoes. they were on the smaller side but so, so incredibly tasty. nothing beats a homegrown tomato. we had nothing left to preserve. next year we'll plant many more and different varieties. now i just need to acquire a nice piece of land.

monday

2010-10-18T19:37:00.000-07:00

are you getting sick of my solvang film yet?

friday

2010-10-15T12:38:00.001-07:00

yesterday me and my sister went plant shopping. i was so excited to spot small aloe vera plants in the back corner of the shop. i've been wanting one for so long but just never got around to it. it's sitting on our kitchen windowsill for now, hopefully i won't kill it. what kind of indoor plants do you guys have? i want to fill the house with more. i hope everyone has a great weekend!

thursday

2010-10-14T10:11:00.000-07:00

my current obsession is with goats. i want goats. i need goats. they're cute and sweet. and they produce goats milk. which makes goats cheese. which makes me one happy girl. these were taken with my pentax in august when we visited solvang for the day. their pen is on the side of an organic produce stand. i miss them. i think i need to pay them a visit soon, maybe even learn their names.

wednesday

2010-10-13T14:45:00.000-07:00

well that's the last of the tomatoes and zucchini! i picked what was left before i pulled the plants up. we want to try out a winter garden so we're getting the soil ready. it's still so warm here in southern california so i'm not too worried about planting late. we'd like to grow some different types of lettuces, broccoli, carrots, and a couple others.

tuesday

2010-10-12T15:28:00.000-07:00

i've added some new fall pieces to honeylocust vintage that i absolutely love! lots more to come.

thursday

2010-10-07T15:42:00.000-07:00

packing light is mandatory for me when traveling. airports give me anxiety, especially LAX. so, to lighten my stress load i've decided not to have any checked luggage at all, just a decent size carry-on for the bare essentials. and if that carry-on happens to be an old buttery leather duffel bag, then all the better! i have crushes on these pieces. is there any type of luggage you prefer to use when traveling?

clockwise: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

spool no.72

thursday

2010-10-07T11:12:00.000-07:00

a few weeks ago my family and i visited solvang for danish days, a tradition of ours. every year it's the same, but we love it. taking the back roads into town, the organic farm stand with the cutest little goats, delicious danish foods, dancing, parades, thrift and gift shopping, anderson's pea soup, movie in the park saturday night, the apple farm, i especially love the drive there and back. it feels good getting away from the city. we did experience something new this year though. my grandpa took me and my sister to the casino near town. first time playing the slots. i became bored very quickly. my sister enjoyed herself though (especially since she won 43 cents) we're hoping to go back in december for the christmas festivities.

wednesday

2010-10-06T21:33:00.000-07:00

it rained today. an excuse to wear plaid rain boots. the perfect time to bake. 12 dozen cookies. chocolate chip and oatmeal chocolate chip. bellies full of warm soup and buttery crackers. wet crunchy leaves. afternoon at grandparents house. old windowsills and lace curtains. ending the night with macgruber. the perfect wednesday.

2010-09-16T15:34:00.000-07:00

garden journal - day 37

2010-06-08T15:17:00.000-07:00

i was so excited to find tiny green tomatoes growing today! the yellow crooked neck squash are really starting to grow, we have 4 nice big plants. and i've spotted miniature zucchini all over the place. we can't wait!