August comes to a close...

This has been such a busy month... I learned how to can, experienced my first earthquake and landfalling hurricane (in the same week) and enjoyed so much time with my boys.  I didn't accomplish as much as I'd like for my business, but I will soon have time on my hands and will be able to keep busy with business stuff while my boys are down the road at school.  I will miss them greatly, but they enjoy themselves there and I will enjoy undisturbed time to work so I can focus clearly on them during non-school hours!  That is the one steady challenge during the summer months - trying to fit everything in because that's what us "perfect" mothers are supposed to do.  Well, that's quite the misconception.  Perfection is highly over-rated and unattainable by us humans!

We've been home - without leaving the house since last Wednesday afternoon and for the most part, we've had a great time together.  Scary with the tornado warnings, taxing with bouts of tummy problems for one of my little men, and grateful when a large tree came down on our fence & not on our home as Irene blew northward!  I love to gather them close and can barely believe how quickly they're growing before my eyes.  The sounds of their laughter just lifts my spirits when I feel my plate piled too high.  They are constant joys in my life - joy that we've been blessed with two smart and good-spirited children.  Perfection takes a backseat these days.  I was so very confused during the early years of motherhood - trying to have everything just so.  Life is meant to be lived, not admired from a distance.  I go to bed knowing that there's laundry in the washer, toys on the floor, and dishes needing to be unloaded from the dishwasher - but also knowing that I will wake refreshed and ready for another day of teaching my children how to care for one another and the world around them - the way our Lord teaches.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  Philippians 4:13 

Ah, I nearly forgot - earlier in the month I asked for scripture suggestions from my friends at Mary Jane's Farm Forum because I was going to paint some mugs so I could hold the Lord's words in my hands each morning.

They were a bit more expensive than I thought, so I painted two verses on each mug - one for myself  to read and one for my tablemate to read on the other side!  The inside I glazed with cafe au lait so that no tea or coffee stains would be noticed!

And now for the newest addition to my shop - Sky and Field Ripple Scarf in Acrylic

http://www.etsy.com/listing/80821508/crochet-sky-and-field-ripple-scarf

Remember tomorrow is WoodstreamDreamWednesday!  http://www.etsy.com/shop/woodstreamdream?section_id=10188743  All items in this section are marked 25% off for one week only!

Thanks for reading & have a blessed remainder to the month!

Give Away @ I'm Naturally Simple

Passing on the information via this link:  http://imnaturallysimple.com/2011/08/giveaway-ball-canning-book-and-kit/  Kim, another MJF Farmgirl, is having a giveaway that ends on August 30 at noon.  She's giving away a Ball Canning Kit & Book.  Click the link & follow the instructions to enter.  I was so excited to enter because I canned for the first time this week and I am planning to can again tonight or in the morning - despite this hurricane on the way!

Sweet & Hot Pepper Relish made on 8/22 for the first time by me!

Like I said, now I'm hooked - so I am going to be processing some peach preserves or sauce or something early this weekend.  I'm also working on a few projects that will be added to my shop next week.

Thanks for reading!  Please stay safe this weekend if you're in Irene's path!

Another Week...

It's been quite an exciting week!  I did my first BNR last Thursday & Friday.  On Saturday we discovered the patch was all but destroyed by the torrential rains from last week, I mourned my losses.  Sunday we had church and then went to the Collingswood Fine Arts & Crafts Festival and I was able to buy some perennials for my home gardens at a great price!  Monday I tried my hand at canning for the first time - I made hot and sweet pepper relish.  I haven't tried it, yet, but it smelled really good on Monday afternoon.  Yesterday we went to the shore and had a lovely time with my husband's family.  We felt our first earthquake while on the beach - 5.8 magnitude centered in central Virginia, but we were in Ocean City, NJ.  Then a couple of hours later a seagull was eating something while floating on the water.  The life guards rowed out and then pulled in the carcass of a large fish that had been filet and then dumped.  It stunk us off of the beach.  The kids had a great time looking at it, playing in the sand, catching jellyfish, and proclaiming that there was going to be a tsunami in one or two days (my six-year-old).  It was a beautiful day!


And that leads us to today...


It's WoodstreamDreamWednesday.  Click on WoodstreamDreamWednesday section of my shop and enjoy 25% off of a selection of items today next Wednesday when a new selection goes on sale.  This week's theme - Save a little Green when you buy a little Green for Mom or Baby!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/woodstreamdream?section_id=10188743


And now I'm off because today I am taking the boys to visit friends we have barely seen this summer to go on a fishing expedition to Parvin State Park!


Have a blessed day!

WoodstreamDream Wednesday!!!

It's WoodstreamDreamWednesday at www.woodstreamdream.etsy.com - come see the eight beautiful items I've put on sale for the week. Pink and brown are the colors of the week!


Stop in at the BNR Treasury for the coupon code to use (combine with my sale) and each purchase receives an entry in the giveaway Friday 6pm ET. *Please post a comment to let them know that Nicole from WoodstreamDream sent you over, I get credit for each person who stops in & purchases! Valid for any of the 14 shops involved in the treasury. TIA!
Link to the BNR Treasury:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTYwOTYwNTF8NTc1OTE5MTYy/sfgcteam-1st-bnr-pamper-teacher-momwww.woodstreamdream.etsy.com


The SFGCTeam is the Sunshine Farm Girl Coop Team that I joined on etsy last week.  It's made up of "farm girls" - we don't necessarily live on a farm, but we all belong to Mary Jane's Farm Girl Forum and met there.  Several of us have shops on etsy and that's how we formed - to support and bring more business to each other.  I may call it "my" team, but I didn't form it - I am a member and it's the only team I belong to at this time - so like church, I call it "my" because I belong.


I have my fingers in several crochet projects right now...  I am finishing up the last of the cotton yarn in pink, purple, cream, and brown with making one last washcloth.  I have two baby blankets in the works and one for my older son, although admittedly I have not been very good at working on that recently.  I am also crochet scarf in pale blue and green - I'm still trying to come up with a name... it's not really flowing, what I have in my head right now, so I'm going to think more while I crochet.


Thanks for stopping in to read!  Have a blessed day!!!

Sunshine Farm Girl Coop Treasury BNR on Etsy

Presale starts now for my team on Etsy - for every purchase you make, you'll be entered into a drawing that will be held 6pm ET Friday. Prizes are listed in the comments. To qualify, you don't need to purchase what is in the treasury, but from a shop in the treasury.  There are coupon codes listed for each of the shops that are selling, just look through the first few comments.
*Please post a comment to let them know that Nicole from WoodstreamDream sent you over, I get credit for each person who stops in & purchases!
Thanks in advance for your support!

Here's the link to the treasury:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTYwOTYwNTF8NTc1OTE5MTYy/sfgcteam-1st-bnr-pamper-teacher-mom

Have a blessed day!

Tomato Goodness

These are photos from Friday morning that I took while making the tomato goodness that I posted about yesterday.

Tomatoes from the patch - a mix of Brandywine, Ramapo, and Bistro.

Toss with salt, pepper, whole peeled garlic cloves, and olive oil.  Into the oven at 375 for 40 minutes.

The tomatoes after roasting.

I put fresh basil from my patio herb garden to help brighten the tomato goodness.

My six-year old helping with the squeez-o strainer - I love this machine!

Tomatoes in the hopper!

Tomato goodness in the front bowl, the seeds & skins in the bowl to the left.

Delicious soups will be made this winter to nourish my family & friends.

So you may be wondering how all of this relates to my business... I am living my Woodstream Dream - I am able to be home and enjoy my children, my home and my garden all while crafting, running my business on etsy and occasionally participating in crafting vendor events.  This is my dream.  I've been blessed to be able to be home to enjoy each of these moments with my family.

Have a blessed day!

Rainy Sunday...

So last night was a disappointment.  I was loading my car when dark clouds started filling in.  I checked weather.com and saw that a storm was rolling in, so I made the decision not to risk ruining my stock for the outdoor event at 2nd Saturday in Collingswood.  I can say that everything is beautifully organized and ready to go for September's 2nd Saturday event.  I was still pumped to work last night, so I worked on organizing my craft room and planning out what I want to accomplish before the next crafting event.

This morning we woke up to several hours of thunderstorms and heavy rain that has lasted all day.  The garden will love this - it was such a parched July here in New Jersey!  I look forward to visiting the patch on Monday or Tuesday.  The patch is the community garden plot that I work with a dear friend.  We had a bumper crop of summer squash last month.  This month the tomatoes are yielding heavily.  We're praying that the lima beans and butternut squash start setting soon.  We have a short growing season at the patch, our time is up in two months - by October 16th.

Our Patch on June 18th

early stages of squash, sugar snap peas, tomatoes, poles for lima beans, sunflowers, peppers, celery, leeks

I'll post pictures of the patch this week in it's current lushness - the transformation is amazing to behold!  I made chocolate chip zucchini bread, blueberry zucchini bread, a squash casserole called calabacitas, chocolate zucchini cake, and sliced many summer squash down and froze them for winter soups.  The tomatoes have been glorious - so delicious just fresh in salad and grilled in a cheese sandwich.  I roast them with tomatoes, garlic, s&p, and olive oil and then put them through my squeez-o strainer to make what I call tomato goodness - a thick tomato broth.  I put fresh basil from my home garden in with the tomatoes through the squeez-o strainer to help perfume the broth.  It makes divine soup base for the winter when I'm tired of the dreary days!  3 quarts frozen from 5 trays of roasted tomatoes.  Hopefully a few more quarts of tomato goodness will be made before the plants give up!

My husband left this afternoon for a business trip and I'm home with our boys.  The little one is napping, giving me a chance to update some information on my etsy site and then I'll be playing games with my older son.  I love the opportunity for time alone with each boy.

Well, I need to get back to playing with this guy before the little guy wakes up!
Have a blessed day and thanks for reading!

2nd Saturday in Collingswood!

Just a reminder that I'll be at 2nd Saturday in Collingswood tonight from 5-9pm on the 600 block of Haddon Avenue.  I would love to see anyone who's in the area!  Also, my etsy shop will be closed from 4pm today until tomorrow when I can recheck inventory.

Thanks for all of those who have clicked "Like" on my Facebook Fanpage:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/WoodstreamDream/131330936956305  If you're on Facebook & you like my page, it'll give you access to coupon codes to use on my site as well as give aways and special sales that I will be running during the year.

Have a blessed day!

Marie No.030

I just finished this felted cashmere flower hair clip in time for a birthday party tomorrow.  I think it looks great!  My son was invited to a birthday party for one of the little girls he went to kindergarten with last school year.  So I decided to make a gift instead of purchase one.  I think this is just adorable and I hope that she likes it as much as I do!

Marie No.030 Felted Pink and Green Cashmere Flower with Vintage Button hair clip (gift)

I'm working on more 100% US grown cotton washcloths and a petal pink and lilac double strand crochet crib blanket in acrylic.  I have several more felted flowers cut and waiting stitching.

Thanks for reading & I hope that you have a lovely weekend!



Upcoming Events

August 13th Weather permitting I'll have a table on Haddon Avenue in Collingswood for the 2nd Saturday event - all different crafters & artists set up tables outside shops in Collingswood for the evening.  Hours are 6 to 9 pm, shops are open late and so are restaurants!  Stop by and search for my table!  I'll be down by All Fired Up (600 block of Haddon Ave.).  There are 2nd Saturday events May through November.  Weather permitting, I will make an appearance at the remaining events in 2011.

September 17th I'll be at the Blue Barn in Marlton on Tuckerton Road.  It's the semi-annual Indoor Flea Market & Yard Sale, there are all different vendors, plus some crafters and direct sales businesses and food items.  8-2pm

October 22nd I'll be in the Fall Craft Show at Resurrection Parish Center, The Church of the Holy Name, 260 Conrow Rd., Delran, NJ.  9-3pm.  This is mostly crafters and some vendors from direct sales companies (Avon, jewelry, gourmet foods).

November 19th I'll be teaching a holiday card making class at Zuzu Studio Gallery in Collingswood.  More details in September.

As always, I'll have stock from my etsy shop available, plus off-season merchandise and some fun extras that I make just for events that are listed on etsy after events.

Hope to see you out supporting local crafters!
Thanks for visiting & reading!

It's WoodstreamDreamWednesday

It's WoodstreamDreamWednesday - I've just added a selection of items under that category that will be onsale for the week. Those items will go full price next Wednesday and I'll have a new selection of items onsale next week. Take a peek at www.woodstreamdream.etsy.com

Yesterday I made a new round washcloth to add to my shop.  I think I'm kind of addicted to the prettiness of the round washcloth.  I think I want to make a bunch for my own home now!!!

100% US Grown Cotton Washcloth

Have a blessed day & thanks for reading!

Aunt Sally's Felted Flower Pin

This is the pin my mother-in-law ordered for her Aunt Sally's 98th birthday this weekend.  I finished stitching it tonight.

Marie Collection No.029 Felted Ivory Cashmere and Vintage Button (custom order)

Yesterday I completed crocheting a set of seven pink, white, and light brown washcloths of 100% US grown cotton.  There is a flower, granny square, circle, pentagon, hexagon, and two traditional stitched washcloths.  All of the washcloths are edged in pique for a little more fun!  I plan for these to be a gift.  I'll be making more in the next couple of weeks to add to my shop.

Thanks for viewing.  Have a blessed week.