Revisiting Handmade

Are we surviving 2012?

So far so good.

I have to tell ya though. The excess is getting to me. It's a heavy load, carrying out all that garbage. The metaphorical and literal kind. The boxes arrive weekly. Something new and shiny. Something needed for our business. Something needed cause we just wanted it.

This fall and winter when 4 birthdays and 1 Christmas roll around I plan on shopping exclusively on Etsy. I missed it badly last year. I picked up a few things on there but not as much as I should have. Here is a look at my favorites....

Should you happen to be a family member who is doing some actual holiday shopping...wouldn't it be fun to surprise us with something from this list? Much better than asking what we want.

P.S. I really truly love the literature quote prints.

Mondays Are Mean

So technically no one was jumping for joy that its Monday. Mondays are blah. Mondays are mean. Mondays are no good days. On Mondays I always need more coffee or chocolate than usual. And even though I hate to admit it, I'm always shorter and snappier with the darlings on Monday mornings.

I have gotten myself into a lovely little routine though. Cleaning and internet timesuck in the morning. Yoga or running and creating in the afternoon. Then I pretty much count my day as being over because once its 3 o'clock the whirlwind begins and all me time runs out the door screaming.

I listed these little clips in my shop today. There will be more like them in the coming days along with a one of a kind Sweetheart Ragdoll. Have I ever mentioned I love ragdolls? Sugarbaby has about a bazillion.

If you have visited the shop you'll have noticed that I have vintage plates for sale. I find them, double check the authenticity of general oldness and awesomeness, attach hanging hardware, and list them. But sometimes I have a hard time parting with ones I am particularly fond of. Like this one. Stamped Holt-Howard 1964. I am so keeping this one.



Randomocity

First lost tooth for my darling middle child. Nevermind that a baseball took it out.

He's even more handsome now.

 Allie thinks she's a person. A very silly person.

Sugarbaby says Allie is her best friend.

A snippet of a whimsical oil painting I have been working on.

Time to start growing things!!! Parsley and dill. Love me some herbs.

What I Am Doing Today

Nothing better than a warm sunny kitchen, Beatles Pandora station blaring, feeling the effects of a painkiller I took for my twisted neck, drinking hot coffee, and working on a oil painting. I shall call it Umbrella Stella. She is a lovely little muse.

Some Birds, Some Beatles, and a Treehouse

In keeping with resolutions we have been working on a healthy endeavor. Only my husband and I

are crazy enough to take on building a substantial treehouse over a creek in January.

 We have help, of course. From the way its going, its going to be a pretty rockin' getaway for the darlings.

Kids need to be outside. We have plenty of outside for them to be in. But their own structure? Above the ground? That just guarantees that I will have plenty of uninterrupted time come summer vacation.

In between helping hold up heavy boards and working on my Paleo eating, I've added a few new items to my shop. Southern Blackbird is shaping right up. You can score the original 3 piece wall art below for only $26. I'm keeping the prices low and reasonable. I like birds, and I think that all the wisdom you ever need can be gleaned from Beatles lyrics.

New Year New Life New Stuff

I reopened my Etsy shop. I hope to list lots of thrifted and handmade items. Find it here. I love design and just STUFF in general. Hopefully 2012 brings happiness, coffee, turquoise, wine, laughter, chocolate, teapots, linen, and peace. Please check out my shop and just chill in general. Chillin....that is the key.
Sugarbaby says, "mawmaw you make stuff, so you should make some money." Touche' Sugarbaby, touche'.
She is starting early with the making stuff.

Sweet Surprise

I just love receiving packages in the mail.

Especially when they come from one of my favorite Etsy stores, made

by one of my favorite bloggers.

I love them so much more when they were sent by my bloggy BFF.

Look at these beauties! So very me. I usually only wear silver, pearl, or turquoise. Lucky me they were combined in one.

Michelle is a giver. Leave her alone about it she says. Right now she is doing some major giving in anticipation of her birthday. Check out what she's got up her sleeve and maybe one of you can help her out or give her some suggestions.

I just love that girl and her awesome creative and giving spirit.

The Huge Gigantic Really Long Kind Of Boring Remodel Reveal Post

Well folks here it is. The moment all one of you have been waiting for. It took nearly a month to complete (and hell it's really not even done yet) and almost two weeks for me to get off my rear and post about it. It was hard y'all. I'm not even kidding. A major major disruption to the SugarBritches household and blog. I know I lost some lovely readers along the way but I swear on my cast iron skillet that I will ignore you no more. Now let's get on with it.

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I had originally planned on refinishing an old dining room table that belonged to SUMS's parents. It was without matching leaf but I was determined to have a table big enough to seat my family. I took the problem to our neighbor, an older gentleman you builds furniture as a hobby. He and his lovely wife sold us our house and are the perfect neighbors. He told me that turning the leaf I had scavenged into a leaf for the table wasn't going to be easy but it was doable. Then he turned to his wife and said, "Well, we have a table. We're downsizing to a smaller one. Why don't you come up and look at it." So I did. And then....they just gave it to me. Loaded it up and hauled it to my house. The kindness and generosity of true Southerners gets me every time.

It seats six without the leaf and 8-10 (in a pinch) with the leaf. I was blown away, speechless even. They wouldn't accept money, just kept telling me it was nothing. So I did what any good Southern woman would do...I baked. This Upside-Down Caramelized Apple Cake was the perfect choice.

recipe courtesy Southern Living

1/2 c. chopped pecans

2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

1 tbsp. lemon juice

2 tsp. vanilla extract, divided

3/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided

1/2 c. butter, divided

2 tsp. brandy (which i didn't have so I used Rum, of course)

1 c. packed light brown sugar

3/2 c. granulated sugar, divided

2 large eggs, separated

3/4 c. milk

1/2 c. sour cream

2 c. all purpose baking mix (I used Bisquick)

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350. Bake pecans in a single layer in shallow pan 8-10 minutes until toasty and yummy smelling. Increase oven to 375. But remove pecans first. Okay?

Toss apple slices with lemon juice, 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract, and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon.

Melt 1/4 c. butter in a CAST IRON SKILLET (this is important y'all) over low heat. Remove from heat, stir in brandy or rum (mmmm RUM). Sprinkle with all of the brown sugar.

Sprinkle pecans over brown sugar and butter and RUM then arrange apples intwo concentric (wtf?) circles over pecans.

Beat remaining 1/2 c. butter with 1/2 c. granulated sugar with mixer until blended. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating after each addition. Add milk, sour cream, and remaining 1 tsp. vanilla, beating until just blended.

In separate bowl whisk together baking mix and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon and nutmeg. Add dry mixture to wet mixture beating until just blended.

Beat egg whites in another damn bowl at high speed until soft peaks for. Gradually add 1/4 c. granulated sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter. Spread batter over apples in skillet.

Bake at 375 for 50-55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool in skillet 10 minutes. Then run clean sharp knife around edge. Invert cakeonto serving platter and enjoy the yummy goodness that is RUM, I mean Upside-Down Caramelized Apple Cake.

And for those of you who wish to submit yourselves to my amateur videographer skills, check out the vlog below. I sincerely apologize for turning you on your side part of the way into it. I really wasn't thinking as I was shooting and only after watching did I realize. Also, I'm too lazy to re-shoot. And if it makes you a little queasy then I am really really sorry. Otherwise, deal with it.

I really must learn how to shoot better video. The quality is so poor on Blogger, it looks much

better in my media player so again...sorry. I'll try to learn some tricks or get some better software before I attempt anything like this again.

Goodness Gracious It's A Gussy Giveaway

I'm coming up on 300 posts ya'll.

Three hundred.

I believe that calls for a little giveaway. And that giveaway is coming courtesy of the talented Maggie Whitley aka Gussy.

Gussy and her gift of gab and gift with a needle and thread caught my attention over at Jamie Unscripted. She featured a Gussy giveaway and once I visited Gussy's home blog and Etsy store I was hooked.

You will be too. Let me just show you some of the lovely things that Gussy handcrafts.

Gussy'd Up-Green Garden Zipped Makeup Bag/Diaper Organizer (Waterproof)

Ruffle Gus-Cream Wallet with Garden Ruffle

Shady Gus-Slate Grey with Yellow Ruffle Accessory Case

Are you with me so far?

Maggie's excellent choice of fabrics, her adorable ruffles, fun buttons, and clever designs all add up to beautiful bags for you and me. You can own your very own Gussy original just for reading this blog. Meet the Mini-Gus Organic Mum Coin Purse with Dirty Pink Ruffle. This little sweetheart makes me melt just a little. And one of you lucky readers is going to get the chance to take it home.

Each of these will get you an entry. And you must, I repeat must leave a separate comment for each entry or it will not count. I hate to make ya'll work for it but....

• Visit Gussy's Etsy shop and come back here and tell me your favorite thing.
• Visit Gussy's blog, Gussy has a lot to say, and become a follower.
• Become a follower of SugarBritches.
• Blog about the giveaway and leave me a link.

The contest will run through next Wednesday the 15th. Entries will be accepted that day until midnight and the winner will be announced Thursday morning.