Etsy

I took the plunge and decided to sign up for Etsy. It is similar to Ebay in that you have to build credibility and you create your own shop within a site. It's actually really easy to set up and I hope it will be a great way to get my cards out there! I'm still learning about the ins and outs. Please visit my Etsy store!

Adventures in Herb-land

We've been growing culinary herbs for a few years now and I think we are finally getting the hang of it.

We started growing basil, cilantro, catnip, and rosemary out of mason jars a couple of years ago, which was an idea I stole from a magazine. It looked really cute in our apartment but wasn't that great of an idea because the roots ended up suffocating the plants and the soil did not drain. Now that we are in a house we have more room for larger pots to plant in. Right now we are successfully growing basil, rosemary, oregano, Greek oregano, mint, thyme, and lavender (ok not too successful with the lavender).

The reason we started growing herbs in the first place was because we LOVE bruschetta. Sometimes it can be hard to find fresh basil at the supermarket. I remember one time specifically we were having my cousin over and asked her to pick up some basil on the way. The only basil they had was a 4 inch plant! It must have been a sign...

We enjoyed growing catnip at the apartment but we are no longer in the business of attracting stray cats....we have enough of our own thank you!!!

After we got the plants growing, we realized that the herbs should be dried. Especially the oregano and the lavender. Normally this is a process that requires patience that I really don't have. It also works best in an environment that isn't 120% humidity all the time. My sister recommended that we get a dehydrator to speed up the process.

I selected a Ronco 5 tray electric dehydrator. It dehydrates the herbs in 2 to 6 hours depending on the moisture in the leaf. I have been using it for about 4 months. now and I have jars filled with herbs! I found out that the mint turns to a fine powder when dehydrated - I'm really not sure what to do with that yet (suggestions welcome). The oregano and basil dries like a charm and is great on meats, bread, pizza, pasta, etc.

I think thyme might be my new favorite herb. The only trouble is that the dehydrator trays are vented and the smaller herbs fall through the holes down to the bottom where they get fried by the heating element. I read my user manual to figure out what to do about this and it recommended that you use cling wrap on the trays and poke a hole in the middle to make sure that the heat vents through to the top.

This worked great for the last four months. I just love the aroma that comes from sucking the moisture out of fresh herbs and heating them to a crisp. Really, it smells great. Unfortunately, my adventures in Herb-land hit a big snag.

I woke up early and trimmed a bunch off of my oregano, basil, and thyme. I had enough harvested for two full rounds in the dehydrator. 4 hours into round one I decided it was time to pull the thyme out. Low and behold, the trays had melted. I couldn't believe it. I've cooked for much longer than that in the past - what gives?! I was really upset because I've come to enjoy the crap out of this new hobby of mine.

I called Ronco and let them know what happened. The lady was totally rude and told me that they've never heard of that problem before, and I should take it back to the retailer. Frustrated, I obeyed and took it back to Target where I purchased it. Unfortunately Target has a 90 day return policy - and if you've been following along - you know I've been at this for 4 mos not 3. UGHHHHH. I just want my dehydrator back!!

I decided it was time to call Ronco back. This thing wasn't cheap and I'm not prepared to replace it out of my pocket when I followed their instructions. Luckily the lady I talked to the second time at Ronco was very helpful and told me that they've had a lot of complaints about their trays lately and they will replace them free of charge. Now, riddle me this batman - don't you think the problem might just be the heating element?? No, no she reassured me that it's not the heating element. So I will try again and see what happens. Until then...

What Can Plywood Do for You?

Valentines etc.

Love is in the Air

Valentine's Day is just around the corner. To get in the spirit I started making some Valentine's of my own. I'm trying to get hip with technology and finally just got a printer/scanner/copier hooked up at home. These are scanned images of the Valentine cards that I made. I've noticed that the more 3D the card is - the blurrier the image looks - but I think these turned out pretty good! Happy Valentine's Day!

Now it's November

We enjoyed our Halloween this year! I enjoyed carving pumpkins in Indiana so much that I carved a bunch of my own when we got back to Ormond Beach for Halloween. This was our first year with trick or treaters. Luckily - there were no smashed pumpkins this year! Thanks to Mr. Apple for snapping the photos.

Circleville Pumpkin Show

The last leg of our trip took us to Circleville, Ohio for the greatest Fall Festival I know. Back in high school I went to the Pumpkin Show - it's been a while but the timing was right so we went this year! The leaves were beautiful, there were pumpkins and gourds galore. We sampled pumpkin butter, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin fudge, pumpkin pie, and pumpkin bread. Yummy!!!

Jack-O-Lantern

The majority of our trip was spent in Indianapolis! We had a blast hanging out with family and visiting some of our old stomping grounds. One of the awesome things I got to do was carve a Jack-O-Lantern. I got some seeds in my hair but other than that - I think it was a success!

Boiler Up

The next stop on our tour of the Midwest was West Lafayette, IN. It was my first time at Harry's Chocolate Shop. We are such good Purdue fans that we joined the Breakfast Club and therefor will not being posting many pictures. Let's just say....BOILER UP! I can't believe we beat the Buckeyes!! We also got to catch up with our good friends the Schmidts. Schweet.

Ruby Falls

The Apples went on a road trip last week taking us from Sunny Florida right into the heart of the Midwest during one of the most beautiful seasons. We really don't get "seasons" down here in Florida (other than hurricane season, biker season, snow bird season, etc) so we soaked up as much fall foliage as we could handle. Our first stop along the trip was in Chattanooga, Tennessee at Ruby Falls in Lookout Mountain.

How about more pictures?

Creative Curtain

During our recent move, Mr. Apple decided that it was time to clean out his closet and get rid of clothes that he no longer wears. Great! More room for me in the closet! But, when I saw the beautiful pile of dress shirts that he was getting rid of my eyes got wide. I started to see the shirts more as a pile of fabric then discarded shirts. I just couldn't let him get rid of all of these wonderful patterns! So, I kept them. That didn't really help with our clutter problem, but it gave me one heck of a project. Several weeks later I have finally completed what I think may be my favorite project yet!

I knew I was going to make a quilt out of his shirts but how it morphed into a shower curtain, I'm not sure. I took ten shirts and cut them into 9x9 inch squares making sure to utilize some of the pockets and buttons for visual effect. I also preserved the cuffs to use as the hooks for the shower curtains. Finally, to finish things off, I got some cute cotton basket weave ruffle and finished around the edges. Enjoy the pictures and try it yourself! It feels great to have kept all of his handsome shirts in the house - and now they aren't just taking up space. They actually function!

Visit my web album to view the finished product.

It's Greeting Time

It's been way too long, I know.  I have managed to keep busy making greeting cards for all different occassions.  Visit my Picassa Album to see what I've been up to!

Chrometastic

Last week, I downloaded Google Chrome.  I always like to try new things from Google, I've been very happy with them in the past and am loving Blogger.  And sorry Yahoo!, I've even switched to gmail.  Why not try a web browser from Google?  

To fully understand click this link: Google Chrome - it's a comic that explains more about the new browser.  

Well, I've only had it for one week but I think it is Chrometastic.  The only thing I miss is my google toolbar that I had on my other browser...You really don't need the tool bar because Google Chrome provides you with plenty of ways to personalize your browser to fit your needs.  You just see it in a new way!

Adventures in Quiltland

Now that the holidays are over, I have decided to make a quilt for myself.  I took advantage of a sale on fabric quarters and picked out some colors that I like.  I have only made small quilts so I decided to try a more standard size, 40x60.  This is the size of a nice throw for the end of a bed or over a couch.  I'm not quite ready for the full size quilts yet...this is plenty big for now!  

I forgot how much math goes into quilting.  Luckily it's basic math, but still I am glad that I paid attention in school!  For a 40"x60" quilt I cut 77 x 5 1/2 inch squares of cotton fabric.  That makes for 11 rows long and 7 rows high.  I allowed 1/2 inch for the seam.  I am also planning for a 2 1/2 inch border.  

Call me simple or boring or lazy, but I like a quilt that is just squares.  Maybe it is because I like the minimalist look.  It also helps to showcase the pattern within each different fabric I picked.  Maybe I will graduate to more complex fabric patterns in the future.  

To be continued...

Make Some Holiday Traditions

Here are some fun traditions to start on your own:

• Treat yourself to a special ornament each year.
• Attend your local tree lighting ceremony or holiday parade.
• Make cookies together and give them as to friends and family.
• Dress up and go out for a special holiday dinner date night.
• Have a game night with friends or family.
• Always take pictures.

So fluffy...he just can't help himself.

Wet Pancake

Those of you who have had the opportunity to meet our cats know that we have a mega-fluff in the house and his name is Pancake. He is our largest cat and unlike his brother Little John, he has long hair. We were able to sneak a camera in last time we gave him a bath. Enjoy.

Handmade Cards

At last, I have figured out how to share my handmade greeting cards. I have had a blast putting all of my scrapbook paper to use. Click on the picture and it will take you right to my web album. Yes, the cards are for sale! I can create custom cards as well!

Coming soon...Thanksgiving, Christmas, Thank You's, etc.

Suggestions?

Save The Girls

It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month and time to think pink. Once again Beach Street Impressions will carry their signature Save the Girls shirts, coffee mugs, bandannas, and more. Join us Saturday, October 25th for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Downtown Daytona Beach. Stop by Beach Street Impressions on your way for your Save the Girls shirts and gifts!

I need to give Mr. Apple his due credit. This was his very first attempt at screen printing. What a first project! Now screen printing is a part of his everyday routine. Have a cool idea for a t-shirt? Let him know, he can make it.