Christmas in July

Maybe I'm crazy (or simply not very busy at work,) but I'm about a third of the way done making my Christmas gifts.

I've always been a planner and pretty efficient in time management and getting things done. This skill is a gift and a curse, because as a result, there's not a lot of "downtime." I am always looking for things to fill any block of free time; not just existing projects that need to get done, but I look ahead to projects that will need to get done, especially in the fall when I have less time because business typically picks up starting in September. When everyone else shops for gifts, I need to work!

I start planning and crafting holiday gifts in summer, not only when I have time, but also when craft supplies are typically on sale. Summer is a great time to make a stockpile of jams and dried herbs from the garden. I am enjoying sewing gifts and knitting a stockpile of ornaments to have on hand for the holidays. For the few things I do buy, I have 6 months to shop, so when I see something that's perfect for a recipient, I can get it and put it away.

Shopping off season is a great way to save money. It also helps stretch your holiday spending over several months vs. having a huge bill to pay all at once in January. Of course handmade gifts are often the best ones, and having time to properly craft them makes them all the more heartfelt and special.

20% off Coupon

A little shop news...

Even more discounts are now at SuperCrafty.com for summer! Through August 31, 2009, enjoy new discounts based on shopping volume; even on sale items! Supercrafty.com prices are currently 5-10% below manufacturers' suggested price.*

Now you can save an additional 10%, 15% or 20% based on your order amount. Here are the discount amounts and coupon codes:

• 10% off orders of $50-$74.99. Use code save10.
• Save 15% on $75-$149.99. Use code save15.
• Save 20% on $150+. Use code save20.

Coupon code is required at checkout for discount and they are valid on sale items, too!

Thanks for your business!

SuperCrafty.com

*The exception is Malabrigo, which I am not able to discount upfront, per my agreement with this supplier. I think you will find my price is still pretty good, considering the popularity of this yarn. Good news: the volume discounts do apply to Malabrigo.

Frozen Fruit Pops

I went a little crazy at the produce market and got a huge watermelon. There's really only so much watermelon 3 people can eat, so before it went to the compost pile, I had to find something to make, and fast. Frozen fruit pops came immediately to mind.

For inspiration, I found a great list of frozen fruit pop recipes over here, and made up some watermelon frozen pops using the popsicle molds I've had forever. The recipe is not exact, but they come out tasting great with or without added sweetener. I put a little honey in mine, which was delicious. I bet mixing different melons would be tasty, too.

Frozen Watermelon Pops
Makes 8-12 pops, depending on your watermelon size.

1/3-1/4 seedless watermelon, or watermelon with black seeds removed
Juice from 1/2 lemon
Optional: honey, sugar or agave nectar to taste

1. Puree all ingredients in a blender.*
2. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve to thicken. (Fruit and water will separate if you pour it all in the molds together. Evan loved drinking the watermelon juice left behind!)
3. Pour thick fruit immediately into popsicle molds and freeze until hard.

*I like my fruit bars smooth; mash fruit by hand if you prefer it a little more chunky.

Little Stitcher

I made this pillow for the basement couch out of the extra Amy Butler fabric. I hadn't made pillows with custom piping for some time and I forgot how time consuming it is to make the piping, then sew it in so no stitching is visible. However, I think it was worth it. Complete with hidden zipper, I'm quite pleased with the result.




Evan saw me working away and clearly wants to do what mama's doing.

Mmm...Corn!

Is There a Camera in My House?

The new Office Depot spot.

4th of July Memories

Evan doesn't seem to like fireworks, at least ones that are close and loud, so our plans are to spend the day at my parents' house. My brother Will will be coming over as well, and it will be a day of BBQ, badminton and hanging out with family.

From years past, my favorite 4th of July memory was in 1976, for the US Bicentennial. I was 5 years old. At that time, we lived in Washington D.C. and my Dad worked for President Ford's administration. The fireworks show was, at the time, the biggest in history, and we got to watch it from the windows of my Dad's office building near the White House. There was a big viewing party and lots of families and kids. I remember hiding behind the curtains and watching the show, amazed and mesmerized by all the colors and lights. Even 33 years later, the happy memories of that night are clear.

Happy 4th of July everyone!

Garden Update

The plants are in the ground! We've hit the landscaping budget, so tall plants/shrubs along the fence will have to wait until fall. In the meantime, we dug the bed along the fence, planted the rhododendrons and put in all the seedling flowers that Evan and I planted back at our greenhouse.

The vegetable garden is bursting, especially the lettuce. As soon as we pick it, more grows back seemingly overnight - it's fabulous! We had more green peppers and scallions last night in a quinoa black bean salad. Our string beans and tomatoes are growing, and the cucumbers and zucchini are flowering and will be coming soon in full force.