coffee & bananas

updated

2011-11-14T09:06:00.002-05:00

I will no longer be posting here...

but I am posting here

Be sure to follow!

Saturday Market

2010-06-13T21:07:00.019-04:00

Yesterday, my friend Sara and I went to the Saturday Market in downtown Greenville.

(This is a picture from our senior year of high school. Sara and I are the two in the middle.)

I love any kind of farmer's market, so I knew this was going to be right up my alley! We saw a ton of lovely fruits and vegetables, as well as plants, pasta, cheese, and handmade items. It was a visual feast!

I didn't need to purchase most of the vegetables (we have a garden), but the fruit was calling my name.

Especially the peaches! I adore peaches. These were relatively small, but so, so sweet.

Next stop was a little canned goods stand. There were all kinds of homemade salsas, jellies, preserves, sauces, and whatnot. I almost walked away, but then something caught my eye.

Pumpkin Butter? I had never even heard of Pumpkin Butter, but I am a pumpkin fiend, so I knew I had to buy it!

And let me just say, it was even better than I thought it was going to be! I'm adding Pumpkin Butter to my "One Day, Some Day" list of things I want to make.

Next stop, the Peace, Love, and Soap booth.

I adore this handmade soap. It's a certified South Carolina product (which I also love!) I bought Lavender, Peppermint, and Lemongrass, but the lavender is my favorite! My favorite thing about this soap, though, is how it lathers. A lot of handmade soap doesn't lather up very well, but this one does. Peace, Love, and Soap has an Etsy shop... be sure to check them out!

After we left the farmer's market, Sara and I had lunch at a pizza place downtown, and stopped by a cute little vintage shop. I found this super cute little clutch for only seven dollars!

I think I might stitch on some little vintage brass buttons that came from my great-aunt to dress it up a little, but I absolutely adore the shape of it and the set in handle!

We also stopped in at Mast General Store. Being a small child (and a chubby one at that!) at heart, I was immediately drawn to all this yummy candy!

They sell it by the pound, so Sara and I made at least 5 trips around the candy, picking out the yummy treats we wanted to put in our baskets!

I was convinced my basket was going to weigh 16.9 pounds after I had added all my cherry licorice, mint candy, and DARK CHOCOLATE COVERED COFFEE BEANS! Which are, by the way, my new favorite candy ever!

I like to look at my treats almost as much as I like to eat them. (I'm playing nice and sharing, I promise!) I just want to sort them and count them. I think I've spent too much time in K4!

There are cherry licorice bites, dark chocolate covered coffee beans, Bazooka bubble gum, coffee prims, toffee, soft peppermint, Andes mints, crybabies, twix, reese's cups, and the one thing no candy bag would be complete without...

... a watermelon flavored blowpop.

Take some time, and go be a kid in a candy shop! Totally worth the 7.9 pounds I'm going to gain. :)

Handprint quilt

2010-06-11T18:04:00.013-04:00

While I was in Alaska, I woke up one morning with an idea in my head. I grabbed the hotel notepad, sketched it out, and went back to sleep. Fast forward a few weeks, and you've got this cute little handprint quilt!

I LOVE the way it turned out. I simply cut twelve 10" x 10" white blocks, and had each of my kids put their handprints on one of them in acrylic craft paint. I suppose I could have used fabric paint, but acrylic won't wash out and I had it on hand. I let each child write their name under their handprints with a paint marker (also will NOT wash out... learned that the hard way!). For the in between (can't think of the real word off the top of my head, but you know what I'm talking about!), I chose something that was cute, but still gender neutral. I cut a ton of 5" x 3" pieces and stitched them together for a patchwork look. I love that each child had a part of making something lasting, that I can take with me from my sweet little class this year.

On the twelfth block, I added a title and a sweet little handprint apple.
I'm a little crazy about handprints... you can make anything out of them! For the apple, simply paint the palm red and press. Paint the pinky brown and press on top for the stem. For the leaf, paint the thumb green and angle next to the stem, and voila! handprint apple!

It's perfect for lying on your belly in the grass with a book, (by Dr. Seuss of course!)

eating a yummy, healthy snack picnic style,

or just looking at!

Such a sweet little quilt, made with the help of a sweet little class!

What Happiness is Made of...

2010-06-11T17:31:00.013-04:00

Happiness is...

Going barefoot

Pretty pictures made just for me by my favorite kids

Food that doesn't come from the grocery store

This quote from one of my five year olds:

Sunscreen... happiness for this tanning addict turned safe sun fanatic

Friday morning chicken biscuit with hot sauce

...and last but most certainly not least...

The amazing guy holding my hand in this picture... he makes me the happiest of all!

Pardon the mess... under construction

2010-06-08T21:39:00.002-04:00

Please excuse the randomness while I work on my blog. I'll be changing the look quite a bit, I'm sure, but I'm working on sprucing it up and making it easier to follow. Probably going to be a work in progress. :) Happy Tuesday!

Spring Vacation?

2010-06-06T19:42:00.003-04:00

So, as you may have noticed, I took a little unintenional break from blogging. I simply ran out of time. It started with a visit to South Carolina from a loved one who is stationed in Alaska... so of course, every extra moment was gladly given to him. Then it was one thing after another, a trip to Alaska (My first time in a plane! If HE wasn't waiting for me on the other end, I never would have boarded!), and K4 graduation. In case I haven't said, I teach K4... and I love it! We worked so hard on graduation, and it was incredible! I'm still looking for a video from it, and if I find it I'll post it. For graduation, we recited and did sign language to an excerpt from Dr. Seuss' "Oh, the Places You'll Go!", sang "My God is So Big", Seven days in English, Spanish, French, and Sign Language, "Fifty, Nifty United States", a song about space, a song about butterflies, "Forty-Four Presidents", Dr. Jean's "The Money Song", added to 10, and sang "Kindergarten, We'll Have a Blast" (to the tune of Summer Lovin' from Grease). Sounds like a lot for 5 year olds, huh? They were amazing and I am so very proud of them! As for my trip to Alaska... it was amazing, I have a post coming to tell you all about it!

Now, as for my crafting/sewing/general nerdiness... I have not taken a break from that! I just haven't photographed any of my work, but look for those and a few tutorials coming in the next few days!

It's good to be back!

I'm a slacker... a very busy slacker

2010-03-29T17:35:00.002-04:00

So sorry for the lull in posting... This week has been CRAZY BUSY and really won't slow down for... a while. Holy goodness. Thinking about everything I have to do is so incredibly overwhelming, but I'm pulling through it. I've been working on a few things here and there (when I should be sleeping! I'm functional on three hours a night now! Should I be happy about this, or upset about this? We'll see) and I'll post them soon. I promise.

My First Quilt!

2010-03-23T20:19:00.007-04:00

Well, I'm not even sure this actually qualifies for a quilt, but I love it! I love all the white space, I love the Nicey Jane fabric, I love the lap size... perfect for sitting out on the swing in the evening. I used a bunch of Nicey Jane charm squares and white Kona cotton. Super simple... I think that's why I love it so much... or maybe it's all the pink. :)

Pretty Patchwork Pincushions

2010-03-16T23:22:00.024-04:00

Remember this post?

Well, I finally got around to putting that tutorial together... so here goes!

DISCLAIMER: I do things my way, not necessarily the best or the right way... but it works. Hopefully this will give you an idea on how it's done, and you can find your own best way to make them!

First, you will need:
6 charm squares or fabric scraps
4 buttons
matching embroidery thread
embroidery needle
compass or bowl
paper
scissors
sewing machine
rotary cutter

Start by picking out your charm squares or fabric scraps (make sure they coordinate). I love the Heather Bailey Nicey Jane collection, so I used some charm squares from a charm pack I had... can't wait to share what I'm doing with the rest of them! Arrange the prints in the order you want them... I tried to make sure I didn't have my florals together.

Set those aside. Take your compass and set it to whatever radius you want your circle to have. A 2-3 inch radius works best (4-6 inch diameter). If you do not have a compass, just trace a bowl! Cut out your circle.

Fold your circle in half, then fold the half circle into thirds. Tape it together. This is your template!

Start with your first piece of fabric. Fold it in half and place the middle of the arc of the template on the fold of your fabric.

Cut around the template, following the lines out to the fold of the fabric. DO NOT cut around the arc! Hint: Make sure you do not slice any of the template off... you don't want your pieces getting smaller as you go!

Once you have gotten all of your pieces cut, pin the first two pieces with the right sides together, and run them through your machine. I used a 1/4 inch seam allowance, but it really doesn't matter as long as you are consistent.

Now, take the template and put the point facing the unsewn point of the diamond, centering the arc over the sewn point of the diamond. Trace the arc so that the ends of the arc are on the seam. Sew over the arc you have traced.

Continue adding your pieces on this way until you have all of your pieces sewn together. On the joining seam, leave 1 inch at the bottom unsewn for turning and stuffing. Turn... and stuff! Make sure you stuff it full enough so that the pins won't slip out if your pincushion gets turned upside down.

Once you have gotten it stuffed, stitch up the opening. Thread your embroidery needle and stitch through the middle, covering each seam. Sew your buttons onto the middle. These are so great, because they are super cute, and hide all those stitches and knots from the embroidery thread... and adding them to the top AND bottom means you can use either side!

Voila! You're finished, and you have a cute new pincushion to use for yourself or give to a friend!

Old Dress? New Skirt!

2010-03-16T19:10:00.005-04:00

I LOVE the fuller above the knee skirts that are so in right now! I can't get enough! I recently cleaned out my closet (again!) and remembered this dress.

I immediately saw a cute, pleated skirt... in my head. I think the only thing I liked about this dress was the color, fabric, and the pleats. I only bought it because I was literally an hour away from an event and it was the only thing I remotely liked. It's always been too big, but sometimes when I'm crunched for time, I don't think clearly.

So, old dress I've only worn once... goodbye! Hello, new cute skirt that I LOVE!

It was easy, but a little more detailed than I originally thought. I ended up having to detach and reattach the top. But from there I just had to move the zipper in the back down, and shorten the hem... a lot! I love the way it turned out... and I love living on a working "farm"... so many fun, outdoorsy backgrounds available for unique pictures!

My Favorite Boots

2010-03-13T21:36:00.005-05:00

So, anyone that knows me knows that I am obsessed with shoes. Really, it's a bit ridiculous, but I just can't help myself. I'm totally loving these boots right now... they are the perfect addition to any outfit. The thing about boots is where they hit your leg... I hate boots that end in an awkward place. These go right up to the bottom of my knees, so they make my legs look longer... and really, what girl doesn't want that?!

"Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world."
-Marilyn Monroe

What Happiness is Made of...

2010-03-12T19:04:00.007-05:00

Happiness is...

Uggs

Holding hands

Swinging with the little girls

Pretty floral flats

Obnoxiously pink nail polish

and being a South Carolinian

Happy Friday!

Posting: limited

2010-03-10T17:52:00.001-05:00

Posting is going to be limited over the next few days... I'm working on something that I'm really excited about! I'll make sure to share when I'm finished!

HAPPY HUMP DAY!

It's a WONDERFUL Life

2010-03-08T19:05:00.002-05:00

First off, I know I've been slack on the posting over the weekend. I have several projects I've been meaning to post, but time escapes me. I WILL get to those this week. Hopefully. :)

Secondly, this is a disgustingly happy post. Read at your own risk.

Today has been so perfect, my joy is boundless. There were a few rough spots this weekend, but things are looking up, and all I can do is feel so incredibly thankful for the life that I live and the amazing people in it.

The weather here is beautiful. Seventy degrees, I believe. Perfect weather for swinging all afternoon with the little loves of my life. I really, really love South Carolina.

Granny is home from the hospital and although she's still sick, she's feeling a little better. As almost every cancer family can tell you, it's a love/hate relationship with chemo. It kills the cancer, but its effects on the body can be equally devastating. I hate cancer, but I'm praying everyday for a cure, and all I can be right now is grateful for people who dedicate their lives to fighting this killer.

I love, love, love playing the farmer's daughter. I love being outside and helping/learning/carrying on. There's definitely something to be said for a peaceful life... and the smell of hay.

It's a new project day! I LOVE new project days. I love looking at something and seeing things in my head and then making it happen.

Here's the kicker... more of the same tomorrow! Although I have troubles, I've been positive today, and I think that's made all the difference. What the world could be, if only we always magnified our blessings the way we do our trials. Life goal: be better at this!

Pretty Little Headbands

2010-03-05T20:20:00.004-05:00

I don't like to wear headbands much myself (I always get an awful headband headache), but I love love love to see them on cute little girls. Here are a pair I did recently for two pretty princesses.

Just a blank headband I bought in a pack at Wilson's wrapped in fabric from Hobby Lobby topped with a ruffled chiffon flower. Extremely easy to do, and it looks so cute on a pretty princess' head!

What Happiness is Made of...

2010-03-05T19:35:00.011-05:00

Happiness is:

Making it through a CRAZY week to Friday

A third cup of coffee

Pretty pink polka dot bows

New "ink" and gigantic statement rings

Seeing the sun

The tall swing on the end

A completed to-do list

Boots over jeans

and Realizing the space poster in my classroom can double as a full length mirror.

Happy Friday!

Patchwork Pincushions

2010-03-02T18:52:00.003-05:00

I'm going to go ahead and admit something... I've never had a pincushion, until now. I've never found one that was cute enough to buy, and I always intended to make one... I just never got around to it. That was until I saw all these cute patchwork pincushions, and I wanted to make one. Trouble is, I didn't know how, and I didn't want to buy a book simply for a pincushion pattern... so, I figured it out on my own. It took all of 30 minutes to figure it out, cut it out, and sew it up... so easy! Plus, the end result is super cute!

They are even reversible... well, you can use both sides! Now, if only I could get myself in the habit of using them!

I plan on making another one in the next few days as a gift for my granny (yes, I do call my grandmother granny) and I'll post a how to here.

Dressed to a Tee

2010-03-02T18:03:00.008-05:00

I've seen all these super cute tee refashions on the blogosphere, so I decided to try it myself. I have a ton of plain tees, so I started with a plain grey one from Target (these are my FAVORITE tees... the cut is perfect, and they are super comfortable) that I wouldn't miss if I messed up. My end result turned out way better than I expected... I will be trying this again!

I started with a 5in by 25in piece of ivory chiffon, ruffled. I twirled and gathered and played with it until I had a flower, which I stitched together with three pearls in the middle. I then hand-stitched this to the shirt. It looked a little plain, and I was trying to figure out what to do to it, when I dropped the string of pearls I was holding and it landed on the shirt pretty much the way you see in the picture. It looked pretty, so I decided to go for it! I just left the pearls on the strand they were on, threaded the ends into a needle, put them to the back and tied them off. Then I took an ivory thread and stitched in between each and every pearl. It took a long time, but the end result was pretty and totally worth it.

P.S. It's snowing in SC again... perfect weather for taking pictures!

...and a great excuse to donn my favorite white coat

I think the chiffon flower is my favorite part!

Definitely makes a little grey tee more interesting

I apologize for the pictures... that's what happens when you have your 15 year old brother take them for you :)

Happy Birthday to You, Dr. Seuss!

2010-03-01T22:00:00.014-05:00

I love, love, love everything by Dr. Seuss, and tomorrow is his birthday! I love his simple wisdom, and the incredible way he puts so much imagination into his stories. The very first book I ever read by myself was Green Eggs and Ham, and it remains a favorite to this day. In fact, I'm pretty sure I could recite it entirely from memory. "That Sam-I-Am, that Sam-I-Am, I do not like that Sam-I-Am..." I can't pick a favorite from his stories, because I love them all. Every story holds a special memory, some of the magic of learning to read. So, thank-you, Dr. Seuss, for writing stories I wanted to read and inspiring a world of imagination only a truly great children's book can create.

So, in honor of Dr. Seuss, I give you my top secret recipe for...
OOBLECK!
While I'm no magician, and I can't make it fall from the sky, it is super fun to make and play with, and really easy to do with kids.

Before you make it, I recommend reading Bartholomew and the Oobleck. If you are a teacher, this is a great book to read when discussing weather or matter.

Now, on to oobleck making!
All you need is 1 1/2 to 2 cups cornstarch, 1 cup water, and some green food coloring.

Start by measuring out cornstarch into a bowl.

Add water, a little at a time. If you dump it all in at once, it's going to be really hard to stir, and it will take a lot more time to dissolve.

Once you have added all the water, put in a few drops of green food coloring

stir (Am I the only person who loves the way food color swirls look? So pretty!)

and you're done! Easy, easy oobleck!

You really can't appreciate how amazing this stuff is from a picture... you just have to make it and feel it for yourself!

If you are making this with children, I highly recommend switching out the food coloring for green tempera paint. It won't stain little hands or clothing the way food coloring will.

I'll leave you with a few photos of some Seuss-inspired classroom decorating ideas:

Oh, the Places You'll (We'll) Go bulletin board... perfect for the new school year

and matching hook tags made from construction paper

and Dr. Seuss quotes die cut from construction paper... inspirational, and the kids love to pick out their sight words in them (We're learning to read!) (Please excuse the Halloween decorations, these were the only quote photos I had.)

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You." -Dr. Seuss; Happy Birthday to You!

In Which I Create a Useful Gift for a Sweet Lady

2010-02-28T20:13:00.009-05:00

I learned to sew from my granny. She taught and is still teaching me everything she knows... which is A LOT! She used to make everything you could imagine, until she got cancer and lost a lot of feeling in her hands. Luckily, her last PET scan showed no signs of cancer, so she has to finish this round of chemo, take a scan, and if that scan is clean, she's in remission! Thank God for miracles... she was in stage 4 lung cancer. Anyway, the chemo makes her extremities cold... and hurt. Her hands are freezing all the time, but gloves hurt her... kind of a rock and hard place situation. So, being the brilliant mind that I am (hahaha, yeah, right!), I decided I was going to fix this. I didn't know how, but I knew I was going to... and that's just what I did. I came up with this little design here:

It's a hand warmer. Probably not the best name, or the best way to do it, but it works. The two little pink pouches in front are filled with rice... just pop them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds, and they will hold their heat for a little while. The hand warmer is made with a double layer of soft fleece inside. Stick the rice pouch in the middle of the hand warmer, insert hands and voila! Heat without pain! It looked a little plain though, so I added a little hot pink chiffon flower with pearls in the middle:

I wrapped it up in pretty pink tissue paper (Can you tell, I adore pink... don't worry, she does too):

and took it to her this afternoon. She was happy to have it and even happier I stopped by for a visit... she's so sweet, she even agreed to pose for a picture.

She's not smiling in this one, but the other one was a little blurry. She has a beautiful smile.
And so was the best Sunday I've had in a while. Lovely.

warning: extreme negativity ahead... read at your own risk :)

2010-02-24T22:01:00.004-05:00

Do you ever have those days that make you go "What the hell?!" Today has so been that kind of day for me. I think somebody had it out for me today, and boy did they get me good! I'm trying so, so hard to remember that my worst days are better than most people's best days, but man, sometimes you just have to cry into your coffee cup. Or just laugh at how ridiculously awful everything has gotten mixed up to be. It's comical, really. I think I could fix a lot of this if I was more assertive. Damn that southern hospitality! I was raised to be a pleaser and an accomodater... which can really take a toll on your sanity. I don't have the energy for the post I was going to write... it'll be here tomorrow. Or Friday.

Marbles = found

2010-02-23T21:34:00.004-05:00

I love, love, love how funny little kids are without even meaning to be... They make me laugh all the time! We had one of those funny moments today. When someone is being extra silly, I always say "Are you crazy? Have you gone bananas? Have you lost your marbles?" The kids have picked it up too, and usually I have a chorus of little voices saying the words with me. They say it to each other, too. It's just one of those silly things we say, but it usually reminds them to take the crazy down a notch. I don't allow marbles in the classroom, because they are just the perfect size for sticking in one's nose, mouth, ears, and other body cavities... I would just rather not go there. I've confiscated several and I have them in the top drawer of my desk. I was hanging a bulletin board today, and asked one of my kids to grab something out of my desk drawer. She opened the drawer, and her face lit up. I was wondering what was so exciting when she reaches in, pulls out two marbles and says, "Miss Ashley! I found your marbles!" I just died, it was the funniest thing I've heard in a long time. Then came the conversation about how funny things we say don't mean exactly what the words mean. It ended with a lot of laughs all around, the best possible way.

busy as a bee

2010-02-22T22:13:00.008-05:00

One of my favorite state of beings is being busy. I'm always doing, and while I'm doing, I'm thinking about other things I should be/want to be doing. It can be a little bit overwhelming at times, but I love it. I love all of my to-do lists, especially the projects list(s). Here are a few things that have gotten crossed off lately:

1. Apron for our Homeliving Center

It's made with cute Pooh fabric that matches the curtains in my classroom. More matching aprons and a how to coming soon.

2. Fabric colored pencil roll

I couldn't make it through a day without these. Seriously, I use them for everything... they really come in handy when you work with kids. I did just have them all in a drawer in my desk with an ugly rubber band around them... but I like this way better. It's cuter, more organized, and easier to get to. Lovely.

3. Organizational tray for my desk

I'm a mess. I'm always cleaning up messes I constantly make... which is where a nice little place to put all those things I use too often to throw in a drawer, but looked really cluttery (Yes, it's a word. Why? Because I said so!)just laying around on my desk to get pushed wherever comes in handy. (Wow, longest run on sentence ever!) Mod Podge, paint, and scrapbook paper gave me the creative solution. Plus, who doesn't need a little splash of color?

4. The first of my Little Dresses for Africa

I LOVE this idea! When I came across it, I knew it was something I had to do. This organization is so amazing, I had tears in my eyes just reading their blog. They have people all across the country making beautiful dresses out of pillowcases, and they distribute them to little girls in Africa to raise self confidence and spread the love of God. They have ideas for sewing parites, but I don't know of anyone else that sews... but I decided I would still do it, just one little dress at a time. If you do sew, live in the area, and you want to work together on this project, please let me know! Also, if you have any extra pillowcases, don't get rid of them, give them to me! I will be doing a longer post dedicated to LDFA when I finish the first batch to send. Even if you don't sew you can make donations of pillow cases, bias tape, money for shipping, etc.

There are a few other things, but I haven't taken pictures yet, so I will post them when I find a few minutes to snap a few pictures. I started a brand new project today, involving this beat up, ugly old table I had in my classroom.

Can't wait to share the finished project! I'm half way through, and it's already super cute and kid friendly!

Last thing to celebrate- Monday is over! Least favorite day of the week down, six more lovely days to go!

Confessions of a Tanning Addict

2010-02-20T21:01:00.004-05:00

Have you ever seen those drop dead gorgeous pale, porcelain skinned models? I don't look like them. My pale skin is hideous... so I started going to the tanning bed religiously. I've spent at least four years visiting the tanning bed on an almost daily basis, and a small fortune funding that oh-so-bad-for-you habit. Don't get me wrong, I never let myself get so dark that it was scary, but I always had a nice little bronze glow. After a recent skin cancer scare I decided enough was enough, that I was going to give up tanned skin for safe skin. That was all well and good, until a month went by and I wasn't so tan anymore. I hated the way my clothes looked against my pale skin, I hated the way my not-naturally so dark hair looked against my pale face. I felt... ugly... and every girl out there knows what a confidence killer feeling unattractive can be. So I relapsed to the tanning bed a few times, but I always felt super paranoid that a malignant tumor was invading my body and all I could think about was that being tan wasn't worth dying for. So, I began my quest to find a self tanner I could live with. Now, I HATE self tanners. I hate the way they smell, I hate the orange tinge they give your skin, I hate putting them on, I hate the way they streak, I hate the way they make your hands look dirty. That is, until I found the wonder of wonders. A self tanner I actually liked.
TA-DA! Fake Bake!

I was really skeptical at first, but Rebecca had it in stock when I got my hair done, so I figured, really what do I have to lose... and thus my newest addiction was born. It's wonderful. It takes me less time to put it on than it did to lay in the tanning bed. It's a little pricey for a self tanner, but way cheaper than my roughly $80 a month tanning habit. Best of all, it's way healthier than all those cancer-causing UV rays. It comes out brown so you can see where you put it. YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS (duh, but you never know...), but the results are beautifully realistic. It was a nice day today, so I wore a short dress and boots, and at least three people commented on my "beautiful tan". They couldn't tell it was from a bottle, and if I didn't put it on myself, I wouldn't be able to tell either. One of the entries on my life's to-do list was to quit the tanning bed. Check- I finally cancelled my tanning membership today, and I couldn't be happier with my bottle tan.
For more information- www.fakebake.com

Happy (late) president's day

2010-02-17T19:30:00.005-05:00

On this day, we are supposed to celebrate our presidents. While I have the utmost respect for the office of president, and our government as the founding fathers intended it, there are a few presidents who have forever altered our form of government... and not for the better.

Abraham Lincoln is one of those presidents. It annoys me to no end to hear people sing his praises. Do they not realize the irrevocable damage this man did to our country, to our freedom? The purpose of this post is to dig a little into the "Lincoln myth" and find a little truth... however ugly it may be.

Before we continue, there are a few key points of knowledge I must give to you.
1. The south seceded from the United States of America and formed a new country, the Confederate States of America. Thus, the term "Civil War" is wholly inaccurate, as these were not two factions of the same country fighting for control of said country, but one country led by a merciless dictator invading and conquering another country that was just trying to live free. I prefer the term "War of Northern Aggression", but "War for Southern Independence" will do just as nicely.

2. The War of Northern Aggression was NOT fought to end slavery. It was fought over unfair tariff practices, and the North turning the South into a pseudo-mercantilist state. If you have no idea what mercantilism is, look it up. Seriously. Basically, cotton was king in the agricultural south, and the industrialized north needed cotton to make it's goods. The north passed tariffs to encourage the sale of southern cotton to northern manufacturers and discourage the sale of southern cotton to foreign competitors. Southern cotton farmers could not get a fair price on their cotton. So the north had all this cotton and was making all these goods. Trouble is, they needed a place to sale them. They passed protectionist tariffs to keep the south buying more expensive northern made goods by upping the tariffs on foreign competitors. Can you see how the south was getting a raw deal here? Let me ask you one more question... what does this remind you of? If you said England and the American colonies shortly before the Revolution, you hit the nail on the head!

3.The Confederate States of America had every right to exist. Why, you ask? Um, hello, look at how the United States of America was founded! We declared our independence from a government that had gotten completely out of control and was trampling our inalienable rights and freedoms... just like the North was doing to the South. When the northern states threatened to secede from the union (bet you didn't know that, huh?!) Thomas Jefferson (a founding father, BRILLIANT mind, and my favorite of all the presidents) said to let them go in peace. He understood that the union of states was a voluntary one, with the concentration of power in the states themselves. This is almost the exact opposite of the system we have today. Thank you, dishonest Abe.

Myth #1: Lincoln saved the union
Stating that Lincoln saved the union is the blackest blasphemy against our Constitution. Lincoln destroyed the voluntary union of states our founders created for us by using deadly force and total war to coerce and conquer the Confederate States of America. He basically invented the notion that secession was illegal... most states had not bothered to write secession into their constitutions, because it was taken as a given. Lincoln had the entire state legislatures of Kentucky and Maryland (border states with important munitions manufacturing capabilities) arrested so that they could not vote to secede and join the Confederacy. He obliterated the basic premise of our government... that we were a loose federation of states, with extremely limited central authority. He may have forced all the states into one country, but he destroyed forever the voluntary union our founding fathers fought and died to create.

Myth #2: Lincoln freed the slaves
Lincoln was not the Great Emancipator. Slavery was outlawed with the ratification of the 13th amendment, on December 6, 1865. Abraham Lincoln died on April 15, 1865. So, I guess he didn't free the slaves after all. Oh, you mean he freed the slaves with the Emancipation Proclamation? Wrong, try again. Have you ever read the Emancipation Proclamation? No? Ok, read it here What did you find? That Lincoln only declared slaves to be free where he had no authority and could not possibly grant freedom, but held them in captivity where it was within his power to set them free. The Emancipation Proclamation was a political ploy to keep foreign countries from intervening on the side of the Confederacy. He had to make the war appear to be about slavery, to turn foreign people (and their newly emancipated ex-slave populations) against the South. Before this, Lincoln helped to outlaw blacks in Illinois... meaning, they could not reside within it's borders. He also advocated moving the black population to Liberia or Mexico... anywhere but the United States. Lincoln was a white supremacist and no friend of the blacks. Remember that next time you are singing his praises.

I've only scratched the surface of the Lincoln myths with my snippets of true history. It is my hope that you will do your own research and come to your own conclusions... that everything you have always been taught isn't exactly the truth. That you have to fight for your own knowledge and understanding. If you would like to know more, google. PLEASE refer to primary sources... they are the most true. I'm just a girl from small town, South Carolina. If I can do it, you can too.

For further reading, see The Real Lincoln by: Thomas DiLorenzo or Lincoln: Unmasked, also by Thomas DiLorenzo

President's Day... tomorrow

2010-02-15T22:56:00.002-05:00

I'm sick and I just don't have the energy to write the president's day post I was going to write today. Check back, hopefully tomorrow, when I feel better. It will be historically accurate and mildly provocative... something to look forward to.

Valentines Day, Schmalentine's Day

2010-02-14T22:52:00.002-05:00

I dislike Valentine's Day. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those bitter single people that are hell-bent on destroying the holiday simply because I don't have anyone to share it with. I actually enjoyed my singleness, I got to the point where I was content being alone, having faith that real love would happen for me when I was truly ready for it. That being said, is love real when it's forced or expected? I don't think so. Not for me, anyway. I think if you need a holiday to show someone you care for them, your relationship is in trouble. That, or you are lazy. Either is unacceptable for lasting happiness in love. I firmly believe that little acts of love are more important than grand gestures, and things that are done because of expectations don't mean anything at all. I would much rather find an "I love you" post it on a Monday than flowers on Valentine's Day. Well, unless the flowers are gerber daisies. Pink gerber daisies. Or cala lillies. But, I digress. The point is, love isn't about the expected. It's about the unexpected, the desire to show the one you love how much they mean to you, not running to the store for flowers because that's what you feel like you are suppossed to do. Love is precious, and should be celebrated everyday, because everyday with someone you love is a beautiful gift, not to be taken for granted. I don't believe in Valentine's Day because it puts too much emphasis on only one day to celebrate love, when I think this should be a constant thing.

Snow in South Carolina

2010-02-13T20:49:00.009-05:00

So, snow here is rare. Like, a once a year event. Except this year, when we had snow two weekends ago and this weekend. Trust me, I'm more than ready for spring, and when they mentioned snow in the forecast I was not happy about it. But then, little white flakes started falling and I couldn't help but be excited about it. It's absolutely beautiful! I love the way it makes the night brighter and the soft grinding sound it makes under my shoes. Plus, you can make snowballs and pelt your huge teenage brother with them unexpectedly. Way more fun than rain! I took a nice little walk today, I love the way the trees look covered in the snow.

The cats are not as excited about the snow as I am.

But, the chickens didn't mind it, safe in their "chicken tractor"

Snow makes the woods even prettier

All the precipitation we've gotten lately has stirred up the mud in the river

Rain boots can also double as walk in the snow boots

Hope y'all in the other 48 states with snow are enjoying it as we are!

Be My Little Valentine

2010-02-12T20:26:00.022-05:00

I was trying to think of Valentine's Day gifts for two pretty princesses when I came across all these super cute fabric crayon rolls. Love the idea, but they just weren't quite cutesy girly enough for what I had in mind. Then the wheels started turning... how cute would these be as lip gloss holders?! Anyone that knows anything about little girls knows that they have TONS of lip gloss/chapstick. So I decided to try my hand at making them. I think they turned out pretty well!

Want to learn how I did it? (Or just laugh at my methodical madness?? ok, that works too!) Then, follow the How To below! I don't claim for this to be perfect, or even the best way to do it. I just like figuring things out for myself, and this is how it worked for me. Now, I wanted mine to be small enough to be easily portable and fit in a cute little pretty princess' purse... but you could adjust it to fit any number of lip gloss/chapsticks that you want. Also, keep in mind the size of the object you want it to hold... this is how you will know how big to make your spaces.

First things first... measure and cut your fabric. This is exponentially easier on a measured rotary cutting mat with a rotary cutter. I cut one 5" by 7" piece of red polka dot for the front, one 5" by 7" red stripe for the inside, and one 6" by 7" piece of red polka dot for the pocket. I just used fabric I picked up at hobby lobby on my way home from work, and the reverse patterns were slightly visible, so I added a 5" by 7" piece of white broadcloth between the polka dot and stripe. I also cut a 6" by 7" piece of white broadcloth to be used with the pocket. This also added some heft... I love things that are thick and feel good in your hand.
Crayola-term recap: You'll end up with 3 pieces of patterned fabric, and 2 pieces of plain broadcloth. The piece for the outside and the piece for the pocket will be the same pattern.

Next, you want to take the pocket piece (for me, the 6" by 7" red polka dot) fold it in half hot-dog style (or lengthwise, for those of you who dont speak kid) and press along the fold. If you are adding the broadcloth, do the same to the 6" by 7" piece of it.

Insert the piece of white broadcloth into the fold of the polka dot... this should hide the broadcloth.

Next, you want to lay out your inside piece. For me this was the 5" by 7" red stripe. I laid mine out on my cutting mat... the grid made it super easy to place everything just right.

Then, take your pocket piece and lay it out on the bottom of the inside piece. Make sure you put the fold of your pocket piece at the top and the cut edge along the bottom cut edge of the inside piece. Pin this in place.

Now, starting at the bottom, sew seams up the pocket piece, one inch apart. These will make the pockets for the lip gloss! This is super easy if you use the ruler guide on your sewing machine... just put the edge and subsequent seams on the one inch mark and keep it there. You'll end up with straight, perfectly spaced seams! Don't forget to backstitch when starting and stopping!

Please excuse my manicure-less fingers and bloody thumb band-aid. Lesson: Always be careful with your rotary cutter, it's really sharp!

After you have sewn all your one inch spaced seams, lay out your inside piece. Lay out your ric-rac on the edges. Place your outside piece face down on top of the inside piece (or, right sides together.) I laid my broadcloth on top of this. Pin it.

Now to add the ribbon... I cut off about two and a half feet. Fold this in half. Pin the crease to the left edge of the outside piece, making sure to measure for the middle. Then, pull the ribbon in between the inside and outside pieces, so that most of your ribbon is hidden inside. All you should see is about 1/2 inch of the creased edge on the outside. BE CAREFUL when sewing not to catch your ribbon in your stitches! It's a good idea to pin the ribbon to the middle.

Now, sew along the outside, using a 1/4 inch seam. Hint: Start 2/3 of the way along the bottom edge, continuing around until you've sewn through the first third of the bottom edge. Be sure you leave the middle third of the bottom open to turn it right side out. When you've gotten it turned right side out, tuck in the open edges on the bottom and press.

Sew a top stitch over the open edge to close. I like to make sure this is done from vertical stitch line to vertical stitch line, it looks neater that way. Press one more time and trim loose threads and you're DONE! I cut hearts out of some extra cardstock I had and attached to the ribbon for tags. The end result was super cute and girly, and exactly what I had in mind.

Wired and I'm Tired

2010-02-11T23:45:00.003-05:00

This describes my state of being perfectly right now. I'm exhausted, but I've had so much caffeine today, I doubt I could rest. I made the cutest Valentine lip gloss holder for two pretty, pretty princesses, and well as finished up the Valentines for my class. I will post pictures and a "how to" tomorrow. Tomorrow is Friday! Woohoo, the end to a very, very long week!
Just a quick blurb... I got my hair done yesterday(LOVE it!) and I picked up some Fake Bake while I was there (to try to quit the tanning bed!) and I tried it. I LOVE it! I don't think I'll be revisiting the t. bed... cross one thing off the life to do list! I get my hair done at Salon 864 & Boutique. It is the cutest little shop, and I love the way Rebecca does my hair. I walk in, and I instantly crave everything!
Check it out - http://www.stylebybecca864.blogspot.com
I completely missed greys anatomy and private practice and Real Housewives tonight... I just worked right through them! :( I love my thursday night trash tv!
On to try to rest, we have our V-Day party tomorrow. "Let the Wild Rumpus start!" -Maurice Sendak; Where the Wild Things Are

Confessions of a Shopaholic

2010-02-09T20:09:00.004-05:00

So, confession...
I LOVE to shop. Clothes, shoes, jewelry, books, stuff for my classroom, gifts... you name it, I love shopping for it. After cleaning out my closet for the third time in less than two months, I've realized I have way too much stuff! I mean, I think I could clothe half of Africa, as well as keep the Chinese in shoes. It's shameful. Really, it makes me feel... extremely selfish to know that I have so much and some people have so little. So, I've been trying to cut back on my shopping habit and occupy my time with more productive pursuits... like blogging. HA! It's actually a little bit easier than I thought it would be. A little bit. As in not much. Stupid instant gratification culture... it would be so much easier if I had to really work for the things I have... and by work, I mean make or create. I wouldn't have nearly as much stuff. Or I would, but I would actually be proud of it because I'd worked hard to create it. I'd settle for either scenario. I saw the cutest pair of shoes online today... I don't think anyone can truly understand how difficult it was to click that little red x... or how much harder it was not to backtrack to that website and click the "add to bag" button. But, I did it! I resisted the siren call of a pretty pair of shoes. Wow, I have more self control than I thought :)

10 things that make me happy

2010-02-08T20:12:00.005-05:00

Happiness... what an underrated thing you are. I got a chain email about the ten things that make you happy, blah, blah, I hate chain emails! But the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea, so of course my over-thinking self had to come up with my very specific ten things that make me happy... so here they are:

1. My family
God bless them, I love them to pieces. They drive me bananas sometimes, but I love them more than any person has a right to love anything. I was raised to believe that family always comes first, and that's the way my parents have always treated our family. We argue like any other family, we are perfectly imperfect, but when all is said and done they are my heart, and I am happiest when I am near them. P.S. I'm an identical twin and the biggest daddy's girl you'll ever meet. Yes, I know I am twenty-three, but you are never too old to be daddy's little girl :)

2. Shoes
I know, I know. A bit ridiculous. But I LOVE shoes, and shoes make me happy. Really, really, happy. I own more pairs than I am willing to admit, and half of them I rarely wear, but there's something about a pretty pair of shoes that just draws me in. My favorite are ridiculously high heels. There is little about my life that is glamorous or sexy, but put me in a pair of 5 inch heels, and there you have it... instant glamour! I love boots too... and cute flats... and my favorite rainbow thick strap brown flip flops. Shoes just make me happy.

3. Coffee
Coffee = love. There are few things I love more than a nice hot cup of black coffee. (I know, black coffee? Who does that? Me! In several ways, I am the kindred spirit of an old man) I'm picky about my coffee.... as I am with most everything in my life. I only drink it black, and I hate Starbucks coffee. They brew it super strong so that once they add in all the syrup and milk, it still carries a mild coffee flavor, but for someone that doesn't take their coffee with any of the junk in it, it's awful! I once saw a quote that said "The answers to most of life's problems can be found at the bottom of a coffee cup." I couldn't agree more.

4. Common Sense
I know, this is a weird one, but people with common sense make me happy. I am deeply bothered by people who are utterly lacking in the common sense department, and it's quite refreshing to talk with someone with a brain in their head... most of whom are children, who haven't yet been jaded or taught how to think by a corrupt world. Please don't mistake this to mean I dislike the whimsical, the fantastical, and the fun. Trust me, I'm all about fun. (I work with children all day, there's no way not to have fun with that one!) I grew up in a small town, I was raised with common sense, principles, and a moral compass. It's hard for me to comprehend people who lack these things.

5. Children
I teach K4, and I love it. My kids make me happy. They are so full of joy, it's infectious.... You can't help but catch it. One of my favorite quotes is from a Jodi Piccoult book: "I have never understood how children know you better than you know yourself, how they can touch you when you need it most or offer a distraction when the last thing you want to do is focus on your problems." -Jodi Piccoult; Keeping Faith I can completely identify with this quote. They make any bad day better with hugs and giggles. They can be a handful at times, but the joy they give me everyday is worth it. Several times over.

6. Good music
I am a music lover. I don't profess to be a music expert or to have an incredible voice, or even to have great taste in music. I just like what I like, and I love listening to it in the car. My whole commute is filled with shuffles through my ipod, searching for the perfect song for the mood I'm in. I also have music addictions. For a while it was Party in the USA... talk about embarrassing! But now I'm stuck on John Mayer's Battle Studies... I'm not sure when I'll get over it, but for now I'm absolutely loving it!

7. Phone calls from a certain someone
While I'm not one to publicize relationships (I don't even like to put things on facebook, etc.), I have to say, those phone calls make me super happy. And that's all I'm going to say about that :)

8. Being creative
I love creating things. I'm crafty. I like to sew. I'm addicted to projects, and I'm constantly trying to fill my time with productive things (This is a somewhat recent development... the productivity part) I love love LOVE this quote: "Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time, who never loses any. It is wonderful how much may be done, if we are always doing." -Thomas Jefferson I'm striving to make this the motto of my life, and I have found it to be true and fulfilling.

9. Doing good
I really just want to be a good person, and trying to be that way makes me happy. I know I'm not perfect, and please don't take that to mean I don't think I have flaws and faults, because I know I'm completely imperfect. It's not always the huge projects, but even just the little favors you do for people... It's striving to put others before yourself, and while I'm not always so good at this, it's something I'm working on. I've lumped philanthropic efforts in with this... Breast Cancer Education and Awareness is a cause that is very near and dear to my heart, and doing things to benefit this cause make me happy. What a filling thing purpose is.

10. Black and White pictures
There is something about black and white pictures that just make my soul smile. I LOVE them! They are so simple, classy, and elegant... the perfect combination. If I ever have a child, I'm filling every album I can get my hands on with black and white pictures of his or her imperfect perfection. Everything looks better in black and white... everything.

So, picking ten was incredibly hard, because there are so many things that make me happy... like quotes and history and politics and reading and my pajamas and lemons and hot showers and light and sunrises and love. Too many things to choose from... what a lovely problem to have!

My life's to-do list

2010-02-07T20:47:00.003-05:00

Since I mentioned that my blogging adventure stemmed from my life's to-do list, I decided to share that list, minus a few withheld entries. I'm not saying which one's I've accomplished, mainly because I'm embarrassed by just how few things I have done... but God-willing, there's time for that later. Some are serious, some are silly, and some are just for fun...here goes!

1. Get a tattoo
2. Invent something useful
3. Dance in the rain
4. Witness a miracle
5. Learn to surf
6. Drive a stick shift
7. Run a marathon
8. Be in 4 states at once
9. Write a children's book
10. Love someone unconditionally
11. Bungee-jump
12. Date a guy that drives a truck
13. Stay awake for 48 hours straight
14. Save a life
15. Live for one week without my cell phone
16. Delete my facebook
17. Plant a tree
18. Photograph my hometown
19. Learn how to shoot a gun
20. Witness a birth
21. Witness a death
22. Own a big dog named Beauregard
23. Ride a roller coaster until I throw up
24. Fly
25. Own my own house with a wrap-around porch
26. Change a life
27. See someone through a disaster
28. Be a maid of honor
29. Go swimming in Hawaii
30. Sleep naked
31. Camp out on the beach
32. Try sushi
33. Go ghost hunting on Halloween
34. Make a family tree
35. Blog
36. Hold a public office
37. Drink Margaritas in the Keys
38. Grow a garden
39. Visit New York City
40. Go out west
41. Have a child
42. Play an elaborate practical joke
43. Listen to every song on my ipod
44. Find my soul mate
45. Use an alias
46. Donate my hair to locks of love
47. Give blood
48. Stand up for what is right
49. Get revenge
50. Make someone laugh everyday
51. Visit Paris
52. Fake a foreign accent in a serious situation
53. Drive across the country
54. Go backstage at a concert
55. Go on a cruise
56. Violate a superstition
57. Conquer a fear
58. Be a soccer mom
59. Write a history of my hometown
60. Watch fireworks on the beach
61. Memorize the Constitution
62. Marry a man I love with my whole heart
63. Dance on the beach at night
64. Hike the Appalachian Trail
65. Spend the whole day in bed
66. Read the Bible cover to cover
67. Go scuba diving
68. Document every historical marker in South Carolina
69. Ride a horse
70. See an opera
71. Skydive
72. Sew a dress
73. Visit Italy
74. Adopt a child
75. Go to "trapeze school"
76. Create something everyday for a year
77. Quit the tanning bed

There it is... I know it's long, but my main goal is to live a very filled and fulfilled life.

Hello, World!

2010-02-07T18:15:00.004-05:00

Hello, Blogging World...
I have arrived!

This little foray into blogging all stems from an entry on my life's to do list. (I've had this ongoing list since I was a pre-teen, it did not stem from the movie the Bucket List. I always feel the need to clarify this when I talk about my to-do list, because I'm so not the kind of girl that likes to copy things from movies... it's too... fake? not real? (can't find the right word, but hopefully you get the picture) for my taste). Anyway, I have a rule about my to-do list. Once entered, an item can't be removed. There's always a reason something was put there (I firmly believe that EVERYTHING happens for a reason, but that's a conversation for another day), a lesson to be learned, and even if I outgrow the desire to accomplish said task, I don't think you can outgrow the lesson to be learned. One day, I decided I wanted to blog. So, I put it on the list.... and then I put it off, and put it off, until finally we're here. I've always been undecided as to what I should blog about (I mean, really, I couldn't even decide a title, hence the "undecided, as yet" title... I'll think of it later??) because I just love so many things. So, I decided to blog it all... the good, the bad, the ugly, and the crazy. Reading this might be an experiment in terror for some of you extremely organized people... but I live my life in an organized chaos kind of way, and I absolutely love it! Warning: I'm a closet perfectionist, I'm politically conservative (liberals are welcome to read, too :) ), I love all things "nerdy"(crafting, creating, reading, sewing, writing-hence the blog, history, photography, political debate), I'm completely scatterbrained, I'm addicted to list-making, and I'm always multi-tasking.... all of which will, I'm sure, make it's way into this lovely little blog. Keep reading, and I'll keep posting. Well, actually, I'll keep posting even if you don't keep reading, simply because, well, it's on the to-do list. Hope you enjoy, learn a few things, and have a few laughs. Until next time...