Cassia's Kitchen

Peter Piper Picked a Peck of.....

2011-08-12T19:00:00.001-05:00

Y'all know how we Texans love our gardens, right? Well, I love me some peppers, but this year, my banana pepper plants yeilded a total of......drum roll......one (1) yes, #1 pepper!

Sweet Banana Peppers

You may know that peppers of all kinds are one of the highest forms of Vitamin C around! An excellent way to spice up soups, curries, and sauces, green chillies provide the most vitamin C than any other food with 242.5mg (404% RDA) per 100 gram serving, 181.88mg (303% RDA) in a half cup chopped, and 109.13mg (182% RDA) in a single green chili pepper. Red chillies provide 144mg (240% RDA) of vitamin C per 100g serving, 108mg (180% RDA) per half cup chopped, and 65mg (108% RDA) per pepper.

A friend of mine came over with a big box of these beauties, and I was jumping for joy!~

Honestly, the thing I like about Subway Sandwiches the most, are those bright yellow green sliced banana peppers they put on their sandwiches. At the grocery store, these beauties cost around $3.50 for about a pint, so I decided to pickle me some peppers faster than you could say Peter Piper!

Here's what you need:

1/2 lb banana pepper, seeded and sliced crossways into rings

Pickling Juice

2 cups white vinegar
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon celery seed

Directions:

1
Sterilize 2- 1/2 pint jars.
2
Bring the vinegar, sugar, mustard seed and celery seed to a rolling boil.
3
Place peppers in the 1/2 pint jars.
4
Pour on the hot pickling juice and bring liquid to within 1/2" of the top.
5
Be sure the edge of the jar has no juice on it.
6
Place lids and screw on bands finger-tip tight.
7
Seal jar and leave for 2 weeks.

I decided to water process mine, just well because. You can see from the size of these quarts, that it will take a family of 3 awhile to eat them all! So I want to preserve them to use later.

For more information about canning your harvest, check out Ball Canning Jars.

Have you ever preserved your food? What kinds of things do you can?

The Response USA 08/06/11

2011-08-08T15:30:00.000-05:00

Many of you that read this blog and my facebook know how excited I was about The Response USA which was held at Reliant Park in Houston last Saturday. None of us who attended (approx 40,000 present, 1400 hundred churches live-streaming the event, and approx 150,000 personal online viewers!) were one shred disappointed. It was a truly glorious occasion, and I believe a history maker!

The purpose of The Response was to obey God's instructions in 2 Chronicles 7:14, to weep over our sins, our nation's sins, our blood guilty hands, our immorality, our faithlessness, our prayerlessness, our economy, and to pray for our President, for jobs, for rain, and for revival. Look at this precious man. There was not one dry eye in the place.

My daughter Casey and I attended together, and after having gotten lost in Houston via some funky internet directions, we eventually got inside the stadium exactly 19 minutes before the event began. I mean! Chills, thrill,s tingling all up and down me while walking up the ramp to enter the building. The presence of God was so strong that I immediately began alternately weeping and laughing out loud! That is how awesome the glorious Presence of our Jesus is! This is my friend Leah; she goes to my church.

If her face doesn't tell you enough, let me explain: the Bible expressly states that in His Presence is fullness of JOY! Joy, unspeakable, and full of Glory! Unspeakable joy! I mean, who does not want JOY? The Bible says that the Joy of the LORD is our very strength!

Here is her mom, Linda, who trained me to be prayer Captain over my home church. I love Linda and just look at the joy on her face, as her prayers were, on that very day, answered to see an army of the Living God raised up to intercede until we see the return of our Lord and SAVIOR! Yep, they are mom and daughter and I love each of them so much.

The whole weekend was just awesome. On Friday I loaded up my Camry with my daughter, my best friend, her daughter, and my daughter's best friend, and we joined about 50 other silent siegers at the largest abortion clinic in the Western Hemisphere. We are praying that God will move on our behalf to shut down this facility which is planted right in the heart of Houston's poorest of the poor. They claim many "health services" but the largest "service" they provide is the murder of our most helpless of minorities, the unborn. Sacrificed on the altar of money and convenience, America has killed over 52,000,000 million babies sine the edict of Rowe vs.Wade in the past 40+ years. God is angry with us over this atrocity, and we act like it is nothing.

It's a peaceful protest and our main goal is to stand there, and pray, and let others know that we stand for LIFE!

For more information on this and other silent sieges, see the Bound 4 Life Website.

I wanted you to see some clips from our time on Saturday. I hope you enjoy the videos! I just don't have words to say what a wonderful time it was. I do believe that God was so pleased, and that He heard from Heaven, and that He will turn the tide and heal our land.

Well, lovelies, now that this event is over, I need to get back to work! I have almost

1/4 tons of fresh oils to begin making my Christmas Soaps!

The first thing I will make is this since I am totally out of stock!

Rustique savon a la lavande francaise

Then after that, I need to make some more of this:

Cranberry Fig Cold Processed Soap

What do you think about The Response? Yes, there were some angry people outside; about

100 people outside protesting at the approx 40,000 inside.

My friend, this is a glorious day to be alive! Jesus said, "Seek first the Kingdom of God, and His rightousness, and all these (other) things will be added to you!" Matthew 6:33. He said, "Do not fear, for I am going to prepare a place for you"! John 14 "In this world there will be tribulation, but be of good cheer; for I have overcome the world" John 16.

It is a day to seek the Lord. To seek His face, and His favor. To fear nothing but God, and hate nothing but sin. It is a day to pray, and see God intervene in the affairs of men. He has given US the earth, and He expects us to use His resources wisely. He expects Kings to reverence Him; to honor Him. obey His laws, and to seek to reign righteouisly over the people over whom He has given them authority. Our duty is to Pray for them for wisdom, guildance, and divine fortitude.

Soon, Jesus will return to establish His kingdom over all mankind. There will be two kinds of people in two separate groups; He mentioned them as "sheep" and as "goats". The sheep hear His voice, obey Him and follow Him. The goats go astray, and run around and disobey Him. The sheep He gathers like wheat into the barn, but the goats he scatters like chaff which is burned up. It is time to seek the Lord so that He can come and reign in righteousness.

I love you, my friend. Thank you for coming over for a visit today!

It a Cassia's Garden Giveaway!

2011-08-07T16:50:00.000-05:00

Cassia's Garden Giveaway

So those of you that read my Facebook know that I had the honor of being featured on August 1 at Sonya's blog Kanelstrand Organic Living.

I am so pleased to meet awesome friends & fellow artists on the blogosphere, through Etsy and other handmade sites! The mutual admiration and respect goes a long way in building relationships that hopefully will last a long time. Sonya is a great blogger; only she is not so concerned with being a blogger that literally is only in it for the big bucks, with flashing whistles, lights, blinkies and other marketing approaches and endeavors. What I see in her blog is an organic approach via a comprehensive plan to grow and expand her influence with content that delivers useful information, breathtaking beauty via her photography, her handmade organic beauty from Norway, and her giving back to the community through helping other young entrepreneurs opportunity to showcase their product.

When I get some spare mad money, I am getting this: it's just too cute to pass up!

Organic Apple Cozy

I have sponsored her blog for three months, and she in turn is promoting a giveaway on her blog. Enter her contest and get a chance to "go shopping" on me!~ Yep, I personally would go on over there and enter today if I were you!~ Here are the contest rules.

Hurry now; the contest ends on August 10 in european time, so don't delay! You may enter up to 6 times!
Tweet, facebook, comment, away!

Then, go check out Cassia's Garden on Etsy.com and decide what you will get when YOU WIN! It's easy to Heart my items; go to the upper right hand corner of the item listing under where the Price is, right next to the Green Add to Cart Symbol and click on the favorite.

That will bookmark your wish list for later shopping!

Hurry now, and don't miss out! Hurry on over to Kanelstrand Organic Living today!

Response to a Nation in Crisis

2011-08-05T01:24:00.000-05:00

crisis A crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point.An unstable situation, in political, social, economic or military affairs, especially one involving an impending abrupt change.

A sudden change in the course of a disease, usually at which the patient is expected to recover or die.
(psychology) A traumatic or stressful change in a person's life.
(drama) A point in a drama at which a conflict reaches a peak before being resolved.

My friend, it is really late but I wanted to write to you from my heart tonight. It is not my desire to be harsh, or to be doom and gloom, but to speak candidly and with passion about something so near and dear to my heart.

It is not necessary to re-hash what any major network can tell you vividly what is befalling our nation and the nations of the earth at this present time. We have been called to prayer this Saturday for our nation and for the mighty hand of God to have mercy on us and to heal our land. We believe the summons is serious, and we believe the time is NOW. I want YOU to join me! I want you to have the joy of being involved in something so powerful!

I want to invite, no, in fact URGE you to watch this video, to follow the links, and to register for this meeting. To join me and hundreds of thousands of other concerned Christian Americans to fast, seek the face of God on behalf of our nation. Even if you live nowhere near Texas, you can still register online and view a simulcast of the even in live streaming just by clicking the links!

The Response Promo from The Response USA on Vimeo.

I am so glad that we have a God in Heaven who is looking person by person, city by city, church by church, state by state and nation by nation. He is more than willing to hear the prayers of His children as they cry out to Him for mercy for our land, and to pray and repent of the atrocities that we have performed as a nation. His desire is to be merciful to His creation, and to heal our land. IF we will BUT PRAY....

2 Chronicles 7:14 says this:
"When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people,"if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer [made] in this place.

For more information, please click the link below! Thank you my friend!

The Response
http://theresponseusa.com/

Governor Rick Perry has called for a day of prayer for our nation. Churches from all over the nation will be gathering together in Houston at Reliant Stadium for a day of pray for our country. This is an extremely important event. If the Governor is asking for us to come together and pray, he shouldn't have to wonder where all the Christians are.

You MUST register in order to come into the stadium. Registration is free. Register here: http://registration.afa.net/

We believe that America is in a state of crisis. Not just politically, financially or morally, but because we are a nation that has not honored God in our successes or humbly called on Him in our struggles. According to the Bible, the answer to a nation in such crisis is to gather in humility and repentance and ask God to intervene. The Response will be a historic gathering of people from across the nation to pray and fast for America.

Peridot

2011-08-04T13:14:00.000-05:00

The dog days of summer when you long again for the fresh green and coolness of early spring! I love these greens, and I love the Peridot. My baby sister Erin was born on August 10th and I want to bless her with something wonderful from Etsy. What do you think I should get her?

The Lovely Lilac.....

2011-08-03T08:02:00.000-05:00

Down here in Texas we don't have the lovely lilac that the North has. So what do we do? We improvise! If you have never smelled this ethereal fresh alluring lilac, have we got a treat for you!

Do YOU love LILAC? Now that I am acquainted with the loveliness of this scent, I made a whole array of product in it! I used the best fragrance that I could find that is phthalate free, and all the reviews I read said this is the most true to the real, blossoming, flower that graces the northern US! Reminiscent of verandas of old, warm summer nights, and LOVE. Lilac is a legendary fragrance, and those who are fortunate enough to live in climes where it flourishes know that there is nothing quite like the lilac bush when in full bloom.

Lilacs in Bloom Shea Butter Soap

Lilacs in Bloom Perfume Oil

Lilacs in Bloom Soy Candle

In other news, the next FIVE days are going to be really busy! I've had lots of orders! YAY! Joe's daughter Robyn and our granddaughter are coming to visit for a few days. It's Faith's 7th birthday and we are going to do it up big! Then we have The Response USA with Governor Rick Perry and a silent siege at the largest abortion clinic in the western hemisphere. So it will be hot and busy! But I am super excited!

I will be back in touch soon, lovies! Thanks for visting today! You just don't know how much it means to me!

Google + - Do You Need It?

2011-07-28T17:07:00.001-05:00

I've been watching from afar my oft referred to friends, the techno-savvy-guru-geeky-in the know-digitized very smart ones talking about Google +. I mean that with all the reverence my little heart can muster. If I call you a techno/savvy/guru/geek, please know that this is a term of Highest Designation and Affectionate Awe!

Apparently...it's WHO you know, folks!

So I go on Google + and am informed that I am not eligible but will be informed when it's open to the public. #rejection. So I consider Who I can Grovel To to ask for an invite just to be cool. Finally! Last night my wonderful new friend Mary sent me an invite! Wiping the sweat of rejection off my diminished ego, I shout "Yes!" to no one in particular and go on there. First off, "Mary" is nowhere to be found and my inbox is indeed full of people who quite awhile ago had already invited me into their inner sanctums.

Alas, I am still working my way through SEO on my Shop and am nowhere near being finished with that!
So I go on there and discover that it is quite like facebook, which took me awhile to master but now my friends think I'm quite the guru myself. Ha! It's all relative, folks!

So now we're dealing with "circles" and I can see how they might indeed be effective especially for privacy settings. But I am not especially happy about my old Picasa photo account with all my ancient blog posts with dirty kitchens being aired. So, we might have to hold off airing ourselves to all cyberspace and business networks until we can get tidied up just a tad.

Have you heard about Google Plus? Will you use it? If you aleady are, what do you think? Should you switch over and work less on Facebook? How is it helping you to grow your business or blogging?

I would love to hear!

In other news, I had a new wholesale account inquiry buy a bunch of fall and Christmas samples from me, so I am hoping and praying it all pans out. The lady has 3 stores that must be doing quite well, so that's good to hear! And my Etsy Sales have picked up and I am recovering from my dismal feelings of obscurity, rejection and disheartenment. It's just so hard to plan sometimes when you just. don't. know.

In other news, Don is trying to bust his blustery way into the Gulf with landfall tomorrow night. We've been praying about that one. No thank you, we will take the Rain Only but Hold the Hurricane Force Winds!

Next month will be very busy for me so it's time to get the kitchen all cleaned up and organized, and get our new fall schedule buttoned down!

We still want to get out of town for a few days and are looking for a deal of some kind for us as a family. We feel we need to get away for just a few days before school starts. If you know of any deals, please be sure to holler!

Well, just a quickie post friends! Wanted to get your take on the new Google Plus!

XO!

2011-07-25T19:49:00.000-05:00

I just love the sound of the name of Cassia! It's soft, feminine and appealing. I just love that herbs, aromatherapy, and nature's plant essences are so good for us! It 's truly a delight to work in tandem with nature to create healthy alternatives to harsh chemical products. I love working with plants, essential oils, natural vegetable oils chocked full of nutrients! I found these beautiful videos of Cassia plants: I hope you enjoy these videos and learn something new! This one from India.

And this one from Tampa Florida!

Well, I have to go run make dinner. Goodness; it's so late already!
Let me know if you enjoyed these videos!
Hugs to you, dear friend!

Orange You Glad?

2011-07-24T20:07:00.000-05:00

I just love love LOVE fiery orange, especially when it is coupled with my favorite.....royal majestic Purple! Look at the talent of my fellow artisans on Etsy. It's pretty fun to curate and love other artists, and making Treasuries is a way to spread around the love!

I've met some pretty cool and amazing people on there!

Oh, and speaking of Orange and Purple, did you know that my Lavande et Citrouelle Soap is a real hit? Yep, it is. Believe it or not, it is a combination of spiced pumpkin soap with real pumpkin puree in it, combined with a sweet spicy lavender fields fragrance and lavender essential oil. My customers at the boutiques really love it!

Don't forget, we are still having our Christmas in July sale, where everything in my shop has been marked down 20% with no coupon necessary! It's a great time to stock up and save! Local customers, just may get door to door service! ; wink wink!

Providing exceptional customer service is just what we do! And be sure to keep up with all that is happening in our studio/kitchen, by "liking" us on facebook! Come on over and give you imput, suggestions, feedback or ideas!

Well, I just wanted to drop by and share this fiery and beautiful Treasury with you! I hope you had a splendid weekend, and a peaceful and restful sleep tonight!

Flied Lice?

2011-07-23T22:04:00.000-05:00

Natural Treatments
for Head Lice

When I was growing up, my mom made us believe that head lice was something to be ashamed of, like bed bugs or such horrific little vermin. I remember going to the movie theater, and she would bring a special towel to put behind our heads on the seat backs!

But once we moved to the country we learned that sometime head lice just comes with the territory. In fact, as I write to you tonight, I am told that if you have school aged children, chances are, at least one time you may indeed come face to face with this pesky little problem.

Doo Do Do Doooooo! Aromatherapy to the rescue! Why douse your child with unecessary chemicals yet again? Nature's pure essential oils have the remedy, and we have three recipes just for you!

Recipe #1

3.38 oz or 100 ml vegetable oil
10 Drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil
20 Drops Rosemary Essential Oil
20 Drops Lavender Essential Oil
10 Drops Geranium Essential Oil

Measure out your oils, and funnel into a dark glass container or plastic PET bullet bottle. Add the prescribed drops of essential oils and shake well to distribute. Apply this oil mixture to WET HAIR! This will help you in being able to shampoo out the oils when the treatment is over. Massage the mixture deep into the scalp and make sure to have it thoroughly cover the hair. Put on a cap, like a shower cap, or even plastic bag. Leave on 3 hours, and then shampoo your hair thoroughly.

Be sure to remove any dead lice and nits with a fine toothed comb or lice comb, and repeat this same treatment twice more at three day intervals.

Recipe #2

Head Lice Bug Buster Treatment
1 drop Eucalyptus essential oil
1 drop Lavender essential oil
2 drops Tea Tree essential oil
Blend with 1 tblsp (15ml) Sunflower oil and massage into the scalp. Cover with a plastic shower cap and leave on for an hour or overnight. Shampoo out the next morning - rub the shampoo in before adding water to get rid of the greasiness of the oil. As a preventative measure add 2 drops of Tea Tree oil and 1 drop of lavender oil to 1 tsp of mild shampoo and use to shampoo hair.

Recipe #3

Add ten drops of each of the following essential oils to an empty two-ounce bottle:

lavender
eucalyptus
rosemary
peppermint
tea tree

Then, fill to the top with a carrier oil, such as apricot kernel, jojoba, almond, or even the olive, peanut or safflower oil that you cook with! Cap the bottle, place it between your palms, and roll back and forth between your hands for several minutes to combine. (It is a good idea to repeat this before every use.) To apply, add a few drops of this mixture to a cup of water. Rinse hair with this mixture every night, massaging into the scalp, to relieve itch, kill lice, and reduce your risk of future infestation.

Now, off to make one of these recipes; my friend has 4 very vivacious little boys who like to play outside in the dirt, and she asked me to mix her up a cocktail to treat their heads! Should you need some relief, please don't hesitate to contact me through my shop or within!

I have quantities of pure natural essential oils just waiting to serve you! It would be my pleasure to provide you with safe, natural alternatives to dangerous chemicals for your precious children! It's just what we do!

Have a fantastic evening, dear friend! And a wonderful day tomorrow!

It's Christmas in July!

2011-07-22T19:00:00.002-05:00

Ladies, have I got

a deal for you!

You can save $$$$ on gas, and just mosey on over to my fancy little posh boutique full of luxury goodies. Shopping online is just so much better, than driving in the heat, paying high gas prices, waiting in line for checkout....now you can....

Do it in your jammies with a good cup of coffee, or the tub,
Do it in bed, or on the couch....
Do it wherever and whenevr you feel like it! Just shop till you drop! Starting right now and lasting until whenever I say stop, YOU, my dear friend will receive 20% percent off any item in my shop except those items already marked SALE!
What a DEAL!

So then. LET's GET STARTED! Let me be your online concierge, dear one. Everything has already been marked down 20% with no coupon code necessary!

So...what looks good? Let's start with the decadent luxe, AROMATHERAPY soaps!
Check this shop section for not just 1, or 10, or 20, 30, or even 40 skin loving and good for you soaps, but 48! How is that for flavor?

My latest soap, Royal Princess ,

and to accompany that, perhaps, a lovely oil perfume to match?

Or, if you are in the mood to exfoliate, why not try our #1 best selling aromatherapy loofah soap?

Tangerine Dream Aromatherapy Loofah Soap

Have you considered my wonderful, inspired by Thailand soap? If not, you are missing a real treat?

Mali Blossom Shea Butter Soap

Do you have super dry skin? Why not try one of our luxe shea body whips? We can customize the fragrance just for YOU! Yep!

There's just so much variety to choose from!

So, here are the links to the aromatherapy soaps:http://www.etsy.com/shop/CassiasGarden?section_id=6260247

And to the perfume oils: http://www.etsy.com/shop/CassiasGarden?section_id=6348684

And to the Aromatherapy Soy candles: http://www.etsy.com/shop/CassiasGarden?section_id=6308741

And to the sugar scrubs, and body whips: http://www.etsy.com/shop/CassiasGarden?section_id=6260392

And to the multiples and Spa Gift Sets: http://www.etsy.com/shop/CassiasGarden?section_id=6261096

My New Natural Insect Repellent: http://www.etsy.com/shop/CassiasGarden?section_id=10013713

And to the Bath and Body for Men's Section: http://www.etsy.com/shop/CassiasGarden?section_id=7312093

And to the Babies: http://www.etsy.com/shop/CassiasGarden?section_id=10013750 (more coming soon!)

And to the Christmas Soaps! http://www.etsy.com/shop/CassiasGarden?section_id=10085168

If you have ANY questions, please either FACEBOOK me or inquire within

Bon nuit, mes amis!

Je t'aime toujours!

Summer Salad and Appetizer Recipes - Summer Salads Recipes - Delish.com

2011-07-20T11:10:00.000-05:00

Summer Salad and Appetizer Recipes - Summer Salads Recipes - Delish.com: "
I love salads, and summer is the time to really chow down on all the bounty that nature has to offer!
I clipped this from Delish.com, and there's several good ones! Click on through to several great dishes
that are quick, easy, FRESH, and chocked full of color, crunchiness, antioxidant power, and delight!

Clipped from: www.delish.com (share this clip)

"Which one are YOU going to make?
I like the BEET SALAD with Watercress and Fresh Pecorino. (Not even sure what
Pecorino is.....but this looks DELISH!~

Well, it's Day 3 of my beautiful daughter's Youth Camp, and I feel I've gotten very little done.
Today will be spent on SEO, and getting ready for a meeting with my Coach tomorrow morning!

Have a fantastic day, friends!
Love you!
Kelly

So Much it Hurts

2011-07-18T19:00:00.000-05:00

Today

marked a

passage

in our lives

You see,

today

13.5 years

flashed

before our

eyes

The cherub like

chubby

adorable

cute

bundle

squishy

kissy

sweetness

Image combined of

me and

her

father

That once

I could hold

and

enwrap

and

surround

and

hold onto

I had to let go

You're probably not old enough, fair reader

to remember the old Eastman Kodak commercial song:

"Turn around

and you're

Two

Turn around

and you're

Four

Turn around

and you're a

Young man

Going

Out of the Door.

Yeah, I'm emotional.

I love her.

SO MUCH IT HURTS.

Today is different.

We dropped her off at camp.

The house is still and quiet. Somehow empty.

The puppies are wondering where she is.

I am left, alone

thinking about

the rest of my life. And what will I do

if she ever leaves.

Yep, today is a passage.

We were so excited that she was nervous.

She wanted US to drive her to camp.

When we said goodbye she almost cried.

She loves US.

Still.

Despite us.

She loves us

and we love her

so much it HURTS.

So in the meantime

I will work

and wait

and hope the time

goes quickly

and then I'll

plan

what we'll do

when she gets home

and it's all normal again.

Or...will it be?

No,

I hope

it's not

normal but

better.

Time goes fast, fair friend.

Shower them with love while you can!

Take every opportunity

to show,

and share,

and be

with them.

Your precious treasures.

Wait, not my precious treasure.

His, created in His likeness

and Image

for His purposes,

and work

and glory.

But ours to love and cherish

and train, and lavish with love.

Yep, I love her So Much

It hurts.

Just wanted to share!

Vert de Menthe

2011-07-18T12:54:00.000-05:00

Cool, minty, green, fresh, sea foam, vintage, cool.
Did I say COOL? Meet the artists by clicking the images below!

Wow.....did I see a soap with Cassia on it? Yep, my friend Beth makes the
most amazing soapdishes! One day I hope to carry her fine work in my shop!

Happy Monday, y'all!
More posting later!

With This Ring....The Power of Two

2011-07-16T13:45:00.000-05:00

A Happy Saturday to YOU, fair reader! What is happening in YOUR neighborhood today? We got another soft, soaking shower again today in Montgomery County; and the plants are smiling!

Yesterday was my 16th wedding anniversary! Just a glance over at Wikipedia to quench my undying curiosity to see if perhaps there was an algorythmic or cataclysmic or revelatory siginificance to the number 16. Wiki revealed two things that stuck out to me: #1 16 is the Coming of Age, for quite obvious reasons in our culture. Sweet Sixteen and all the pop culture songs celebrating that magical coming of age. Digging a little deeper....

"Sixteen is the fourth (#2) power of two. For this reason, 16 was used in weighing light objects in several cultures. The British used to have 16 ounces in one pound; the Chinese used to have 16liangs in one jin. In old days, weighing was done with a beam balance to make equal splits. It would be easier to split a heap of grains into sixteen equal parts through successive divisions than to split into ten parts. Chinese Taoists did finger computation on the trigrams and hexagrams by counting the finger tips and joints of the fingers with the tip of the thumb. Each hand can count up to 16 in such manner. The Chinese abacus uses two upper beads to represent the 5's and 5 lower beads to represent the 1's, the 7 beads can represent from a hexadecimal digit from 0 to 15 in each column."

The power of two! Yep, this has significance to me. The Bible says that if one can put 1,000 to flight, then two can put 10,000! Also, Ecclesiastes, that sage book written by Solomon states, "A strand of 3 cords is not easily broken".

For me and my husband, our marriage was witnessed by many, but most of, by God Himself. I like that

in this photo, loud and clear, and with bold, red italic font, we see here our Solemn Witness, the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself. As Christians, we make a covenant with God to love unconditionally, and to the end: One Man, one Woman, and One God. The very first institution God established was the institution of marriage, in the Garden. When He instituted that, He also gave Man + Woman dominion over all of His Creation; to rule and to reign. We see this shattered today in our society as marriage is continually assaulted by those who want to erode our society from the inside out, but nevertheless the testimony of God stands sure; for Scripture says, "The LORD knows them who belong to Him..." He gives us the power to both will and do His good pleasure.

I guess I am kind of whimsically enthralled with these photos today, being delighted that though they are film pictures, that I could successfully scan them on my Epson Workforce printer and upload them, thus preserving them digitally! That's pretty exciting to me, since I am a digital girl...heehee.... A big plus, of course, is getting to photoshop these images and have fun with them, and to glory in the fact that the "younger me" was really quite beautiful, if I do say so myself. ;) And to vow, however I can, to try to revive that beauty again.....somehow.

Joe Taylor and I met 4 years before our marriage. He was fresh froma travelling workman lifestyle, a lifestyle of bravery, hard work, a rock and roll lifestyle, hard living and hard knocks. Married at an early age but not willing to really settle down (18 is YOUNG, y'all!) he lost his first wife to divorce and estranged from his little girl. He has hung iron on scyscrapers, hung over ships welding, hung over mountains, bridges, and trains to leap off, and then hung his heart on me! I felt honored when he wrote me my first song, gave me his first kiss, and "went steady" on Valentine's Day, 1995.

I was the Rambling Girl; travelling 6 states by the age of 6, and then 32 nations by the time I was 30! Learning how to read and write the Thai Language, braving the Amazon Jungle and River, climbing mountains in Golden Triangle, smuggling Bibles into China, and living on a ship carrying relief supplies to war torn areas. I had been lost at sea, lost in sin (before that), lost in Los Angeles, and lost in love. But when I met Joe, I saw a man who was ready to settle down, and a man who would be true. We married in July of 1995.

Here are my lovely bridesmaids. My sister Erin was my Matron of Honor, and she was pregnant with my nephew at the time. My best friend Sharon, my daughter in law, my wonderful friend and Pastor's Wife and her daughter and another close friend to "got us together" so to speak attended me. My best friend's daughter, and another close friend's daughter were flower girls. I had a processional of dancing girls who led the celebration with a worship song, and a worship service preceded our event. It was also a reunion; I saw some smiling faces out in the audience who I did not know, and later found out that our Worship Leader was 2nd cousins with Joe's brother! Small Small world!

How embarrassing....we sort of did a "budget" wedding.....since we both didn't have any money; he had just started his construction business that year (poor thing-what a stressful year for him!), and I of course had been a missionary for 13 years before that....so I think our whole wedding was done on less than $500! Now, that's a deal! Our reception was done in the children's Sunday School building and they were remodeling....lol! Haha. Oh well! Maybe I can photoshop the sheetrock mud and tape and float off the picture!

My Daddy walked me down the aisle, and poor thing, he was SO sick that we thought he would not even be able to make it to the wedding. He didn't even let my little brother buy a ticket he was so sure that he would not live to survive the trip. So in the end Todd did not come as it would have been exhorbitantly expensive for him to fly last minute. That was a sad occasion for me. I loved my DAD so much and was so happy that he was able to !

Here is Joe with his late brother, Jay. I loved Jay SO much and miss him terribly. Here they are cutting up.......as usual.

I really like this picture; not sure when it was snapped, but I think it might have been during the vows?

Notice I am smiling and laughing. I distinctly remember a little giggle during the "I promise to submit to you part". Lol.....

Here's the exit photo.

Did look ecstatic or what?! Our wedding party:

So you see, a Wedding really is A Family Affair. Two lives, completely separate, now joined by an Unseen God who chooses to show Himself strong to those who will take Him at His Word. Bound together, in covenant, backed by the power of Heaven; the First Divine Institution, unshakeable, unmoveable, destined to bring glory to the One who gave Himself to establish Covenant, Redemption, Family, and Dominion.

I really choose to believe what Wikipedia said about the number 16. Coming of Age, and the Power of Two. I believe that this coming year, our marriage, like a fine vintage wine will come of age, and be enjoyed, not only by ourselves and our daughter, but by those around us; bringing stability in these troubles times. And I choose to believe; to grasp, apprehend, and take hold of the dominion covenant for our lives, marriage, business, ministry and families: The Power of Two, a strand joined by a Third, though Unseen Party; a cord which cannot be unraveled by stress, worry, fear, issues past present and future. He who is Faithful has chosen us, and He will do it!

I hope I have encouraged you, fair reader by my story! Thanks for allowing me to share today!

P.S. There is alot more to the idea of marriage than just wedded bliss. For a complete commentary and a really thought provoking in depth read on marriage, here is a great book!

Comment, please! What is your favorite wedding memory? What have you learned on your journey as a married couple?

Meet Real Free-Range Eggs

2011-07-14T12:38:00.000-05:00

Happy Thursday! SO glad to report that my feed is working again, after troubleshooting it for 8 days! Today Blogger Help forum told us to remove our location tags which I had cleverly started adding 2 weeks ago, hoping to help my geo-targeting.(cough), like I really know what that means! Today a quickie post about FREE RANGE chickens, how good they are! Meanwhile, little Lucy is holding her own, just loving all the attention we are giving to her, the lone pullet. Don't know Lucy? Meet her here!

Meet Real Free-Range Eggs: "

Clipped from: www.motherearthnews.com (share this clip)

So, I bid you adieu, fair reader!
Today I am busy with untold amounts of errands and getting Casey ready for summer youth camp, and fixing my vacuum cleaner cord, and all those fun mommy things! More later, promise!

XO!
Kelly

Day 7 of RSS feed on Blogger being down.....

2011-07-12T14:57:00.001-05:00

Well it's day 7 and the list of belly-achers on Blogger help "Something is Broken" is growing. Our feeds are broken and therefore if you have subscribed to this feed; alas, you are not getting notification. I feel like I am blogging into the darkness, so I am saving my best posts until all is fixed.

Today 2 beautiful Surfer Girls living in Isreal posted Thundering Surf soap in their beautiful Treasury!
I've been selling more of this soap and have just made a fresh batch! It's great to be noticed, and this is authentically unique to CassiasGarden!

In other news, I am busily fixing my shop SEO after getting the help of a wonderful Etsy seller named Mary of SEOWebDesign. I have alot of decisions to make about my products, and sections, and wordings. So if you think of it, say a little prayer for Moi, that I will be able to have the wisdom to decide all that is needed at this time. I am also working with a wonderful young lady on the East Coast with branding issues.....yep, it's ongoing. I mean, even Starbucks is undergoing branding updates, so don't tssk tssk, now.....it's just that important! Now is the time to do it, because before long we will be hearing sleigh bells in the snow and that's not the time to do this dirty hard hair splitting work!

One good thing that just happened....we received a gentle soaking downpour here in Montgomery, TX! The trees and grass are smiling. The puppies are looking in amazement at this strange phenomenon...and we feel refreshed knowing that God is smiling upon us....

So, fair reader, adieu for now!
Did you see our last post yesterday?
It's hilarious, go check it out!

Planetary Disambiguation - Oooh Baby it's a Wild World

2011-07-11T18:41:00.001-05:00

Hello, Lovelies! Monday finds us in a state of planetary and ecosystem confusion. Collusion, confusion, contribution, coalition, tradition, extradition, wild ambition, chicken chicken chicken.....oh my...do I need a vacation? Playcation, placation, derivation, deviation.....playstation. Yep, I've gone crackers...;) Certifiably.

We are babysitting "Bella", our GrandPuppy, and she is a dear, although she singlehandedly

dismembered my vacuum cleaner cord into 5 separate pieces whilst Casey and I pounded away at our computers ysterday.....we still love her and she is part of our family and right at home.

So you're aware of the recent blood shed on our property, right? If not, check here.... So since the bloodshed and the ensuing one by one decimation of our pullet population, and our grief, and woes, we have been keeping our one remaininng Rhode Island Red pullet in our kitty kat carrier on top of my laundry center in the breakfast room. In the morning, I let the dogs out to use the outdoor facilities, and roam, and sniff and be dogs, and then I corral them, bring them inside, and let our little Lucy out to scratch, peck, eat her breakfast, and remember that she is a baby chicken, not a prisoner of war. Meanwhile the dogs inside salivate, and lick their chops and generally try to terrify her while she eats her breakfast in my garden.... Here's a picture of her, and I think she is modeling after Casey as her mother, and hops up to "talk" to us each morning! We love her.

So this morning, Bella, Annie and Lincoln were barking wildly; (actually through the night, I have this dull remembrance of them barking on and off while trying to sleep). And this morning, as usual, I let them out.....
and they proceed to bark wildly, and then run under the porch...... We as a RULE NEVER go UNDER the PORCH.....because all manner and multitudes of reptiles live in it's dark underbelly confines. I have chased a few snakes quite recently there myself. So the three dogs are howling and hollering and barking, and I see this little furry creature leave and scurry up the tree, and not just a tiny tree but about 35 feet up high! And the dogs are WILDLY salivatingly and hysterically barking and pawing at the tree like they could climb it or something.

So this morning I go to the chiropractor, and come home, and my daughter has put dog food out and a tiny bowl full of milk and posted it under the tree to feed the poor beasty........

See the little black furry dot in the center? There she is! I have always LOVED racoons, and wanted one as a pet...Yeah, right. They can be totally vicious, but I still think they are cuties.

So now, we have a chicken in a kitty cat carrier on top of my washing machine, and a baby raccoon clinging for dear life camped out on a tree branch, and three Mini Schnauzers who want to kill the chicken, AND the racoon, who is not budging, by the way, and probably will not until the sun goes down. And meanwhile, if the racoon sees the pullet who will eventually need to go outside to use the facilities and to stretch her poor legs, but will surely meet her demise if we leave her unattended at alll.........

Do you see the predicament we are in? Yep. It's a stalemate all right!

But then again, that's life in the wild.

Oh! Baby! I'ts a Wild World! Oh well, call me a hippy! It just reminded me of the song, the chorus!

So in the end, I fear our FOX may in reality be a racoon, or a family of racoons who has killed all of our chickens. My husband reminds me that that is nature, and that is "what they do", but still I try to protect all life here, except poisonous snakes.

Just a quickie post, dear friends! What kinds of funny things have happened in YOUR backyard recently?
Go ahead, share!

Autumn Fire.....

2011-07-10T17:10:00.001-05:00

Wow.....autumn already almost here? I don't want to believe it!

We have a new soap here...can you find it?
Go ahead and click her and meet Mary Jane! An all natural and most
unusual but delightful soap!

Happy Sunday, everyone!

A Stitch in Time

2011-07-09T13:29:00.001-05:00

Another lovely Treasury featuring the HANDSTITCHED WORK of my fellowETSY artists!
I hate to handstitch anything, so I can especially appreciate their hard work!

My Blogger feed is down and I don't know what to do! I have all my Blogger, Etsy, and Twitter configured to feed to my facebook page and business page and the feed won't pull. My analytics are telling me that most of my traffic comes from facebook to my blog! YAY! That is good for my blog!

Oh well, difficulties will come, but it's how we handle them...right?

Onward!

Have a most beautiful weekend, my dear readers!

OK so I got this error message, and other weird visitors. Testing Testing

2011-07-08T10:18:00.005-05:00

FOR ATOM AND RSS AND KML

Sorry

This feed does not validate.

Server returned HTTP Error 500: Internal Server Error [help]
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In addition, interoperability with the widest range of feed readers could be improved by implementing the following recommendation.

Feeds should not be served with the "text/html" media type [help]

Source: http://cassiaskitchen.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

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Keep Calm-o-matic poster generation

2011-07-07T23:58:00.003-05:00

Keep Calm-o-matic poster generation

Pleasant Under Glass....

2011-07-07T10:36:00.002-05:00

I admit it....I have an obsession with glass...thus another Treasury curated by Moi....
Today featuring the beautiful work of my fellow Etsy Artists

Which ones are your favorites?
Seriously I love all of them!
But when I was a little girl, my mom used to take me to
the Arboretum where I learned how to make these beautiful terrariums.
Seriously they would look fine on my beautiful Cassia's Kitchen garden window!
Alas, I am a sucker for anything garden!
Have an awesome day, lovies!
I'm working on alot of blog posts but they are still drafts...

Tea for Three

2011-07-05T11:00:00.002-05:00

"Ecstasy is a glass full of tea and a piece of sugar in the mouth"
-Alexander Puskin

Here's to tea!

I love tea, and tea pots and tea cups.
I've been toying with the idea of learning how to blend teas and start selling some in addition to my soaps....have a couple of blends in my mind but need to do more research.

Tea is a trend to watch I believe....and there's money to be made in it! Why let's Starbucks have all the action? Besides, I use tea in my soaps and it is a wonderful antioxidant....

Do you like tea? What is your favorite kind"?

Land that I Love

2011-07-04T11:36:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, well over 1 million Christians nationwide gathered to repent, invoke Almighty God's mercy upon this land that we love. You can read more about that here. We asked God for forgiveness for breaking His Holy laws, for mercy upon ourselves and our countrymen. We prayed for our government officials, church leaders, ourselves and our children. I felt a great joy and a deep, heartfelt almost bittersweet satisfaction and gripping conviction that we had done God's will, but also that we needed to continue to do more, more, and even more of the same. To do this every single day, united, all over this nation, until we see real, lasting, and effective change.
Our pastor spoke about the need for reformation, awakening and revival in this nation. If you would care to listen to the audio portion, you can do so here. Yesterday's audio will probably be uploaded to the server tomorrow, when regular office hours resume.

Today, my soul is reflective and peaceful, but solemn. How could we have strayed so far from the truth? I began to reflect upon our beautiful flag, and it's significance which is a constant reminder not only of our destiny as a nation, but our former roots and resolve to be one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

What do the colors of Our Flag mean?

The following text all credits to: http://www.usflag.org/colors.html

From the book "Our Flag" published in 1989 by the House of Representatives...

"On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress passed a resolution authorizing a committee to devise a seal for the United States of America. This mission, designed to reflect the Founding Fathers' beliefs, values, and sovereignty of the new Nation, did not become a reality until June 20, 1782. In heraldic devices, such as seals, each element has a specific meaning. Even colors have specific meanings. The colors red, white, and blue did not have meanings for The Stars and Stripes when it was adopted in 1777. However, the colors in the Great Seal did have specific meanings. Charles Thompson, Secretary of the Continental Congress, reporting to Congress on the Seal, stated:
"The colors of the pales (the vertical stripes) are those used in the flag of the United States of America; White signifies purity and innocence, Red, hardiness & valour, and Blue, the color of the Chief (the broad band above the stripes) signifies vigilance, perseverance & justice."Also this from a book about the flag published in 1977 by the House of Representatives...
"The star is a symbol of the heavens and the divine goal to which man has aspired from time immemorial; the stripe is symbolic of the rays of light emanating from the sun."

I just wanted to add that; dear reader, in case you may not know, or may have forgotten.

So, from deep inside me on this day, rise the words of the Song; God Bless America.

Maybe as a family we could sing the words of this prayer/song before we partake of our festivities today?

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Bless_America

"God Bless America" is an American patriotic song written by Irving Berlin in 1918 and revised by him in 1938, as sung by Kate Smith (becoming her signature song).^{[citation needed]}

"God Bless America" takes the form of a prayer (intro lyrics "as we raise our voices, in a solemn prayer") for God's blessing and peace for the nation ("...stand beside her and guide her through the night...").

While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,

Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free,

Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,

As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer.

God bless America,

Land that I love.

Stand beside her, and guide her

Through the night with a light from above.

From the mountains, to the prairies,

To the oceans, white with foam

God bless America, My home sweet home

God bless America, My home sweet home.

Fair reader, wherever you are, whatever you do today, may you be filled with the knowledge of His will and great abiding love for you! May you be drawn into His heart, and may you wholeheartedly believe Him who died for you!

Happy Birthday, America.

God shed His Grace on Thee!

Call 2 Fall

2011-07-02T18:57:00.001-05:00

Call 2 Fall - July 3, 2011

The time has come for us to say

Happy Birthday to our nation, the USA.

Courageous men fought, bled, and died on this ground for causes that we take for granted, and most of us think little of the sacrifices made so long ago so we can enjoy the true meaning of freedom.

Texas is experiencing the worst drought in our whole recorded history. There will be NO firecrackers, and today, I even had to consult with a local fireman to see if I can barbeque ribs on Monday. That's the state we are in locally. I will spare you the details that you are so painfully and keenly aware of on this auspicious occasion. Simply turn on any station and you'll hear more than you possibly needed to or wanted to hear.

Yesterday, my daughter and I and some close friends of mine got to participate in what we call a silent seige; a prayerful protest of the 2nd largest abortion clinic, not only in this nation, and this hemisphere, but only second to the largest one which only has a few square feet more than ours in Houston, TX, and that is in the nations of China, where they still drown baby girls bedside of mothers who are mandated by their government to restrict the number of their children to 2. We are fast approaching genocide when we murder our own babies and think nothing of it.

For more information on this cause and one that may possibly be near you go to this website:

http://bound4life.com/

From 9/11 to war to natural disasters to financial and moral collapse, we are witnessing what happens when a nation turns away from God. In view of the monumental challenges of our times, do we not find ourselves in a similar situation as that of ancient Israel and early America?

We have an oppurtunity tomorrow, July 3rd, to kneel and beseech God Most High to have mercy upon us, to forgive us, and to heal this great, this proud, this unworthy but once strong nation of ours.

I invite you to join with the 1,065.178 other Christians, visit this website: http://www.call2fall.com/ click, add you name and tomorrow join in prayer to God for our nation. We are the greatest nation under God, indivisible, with what used to be liberty and justice for all. But now is the time to again call upon Him who hears from heaven and forgives, and saves, and protects us from our enemies.

Our early nation's leaders did, in fact, pray to God for guidance and Congress prayed unitedly when faced in dire circumstances, and in dire need. Sad to say, that today, the verbage "One nation, under God, Indivisible......" has been altered, and that we say to our shame.
Abraham Lincoln

In 1863, amid civil war, President Lincoln proclaimed a national day of "public humiliation, prayer and fasting."

Whereas it is fit and becoming in all people, at all times, to acknowledge and revere the Supreme Government of God; to bow in humble submission to his chastisements; to confess and deplore their sins and transgressions in the full conviction that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and to pray, with all fervency and contrition, for the pardon of their past offences, and for a blessing upon their present and prospective action...
[It] is peculiarly fit for us to recognize the hand of God in this terrible visitation, and in sorrowful remembrance of our own faults and crimes as a nation and as individuals, to humble ourselves before Him, and to pray for His mercy, -- to pray that we may be spared further punishment, though most justly deserved; that our arms may be blessed and made effectual for the re-establishment of law, order and peace, throughout the wide extent of our country; and that the inestimable boon of civil and religious liberty, earned under His guidance and blessing, by the labors and sufferings of our fathers, may be restored in all its original excellence...
Therefore, [I appoint] a day of humiliation, prayer and fasting for all the people of the nation. And I do earnestly recommend to all the People, and especially to all ministers and teachers of religion of all denominations, and to all heads of families, to observe and keep that day according to their several creeds and modes of worship, in all humility and with all religious solemnity, to the end that the united prayer of the nation may ascend to the Throne of Grace and bring down plentiful blessings upon our Country.

John Hancock

" A Day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer, with a total abstinence from labor and recreation" in response to the beginning of the War for Independence - Proclamation on April 15, 1775 for May 11^th.

In circumstances as dark as these, it becomes us, as Men and Christians, to reflect that whilst every prudent measure should be taken to ward off the impending judgments, ...at the same time all confidence must be withheld from the means we use; and reposed only on that God rules in the armies of Heaven, and without His whole blessing, the best human counsels are but foolishness...

Resolved; ...Thursday the 11th of May...to humble themselves before God under the heavy judgments felt and feared, to confess the sins that have deserved them, to implore the Forgiveness of all our transgressions, and a spirit of repentance and reformation ...and a Blessing on the ... Union of the American Colonies in Defense of their Rights [for which hitherto we desire to thank Almighty God]...That the people of Great Britain and their rulers may have their eyes opened to discern the things that shall make for the peace of the nation...for the redress ofAmerica 's many grievances, the restoration of all her invaded liberties, and their security to the latest generations.

How to Pray:
We are sensing the need to return to simple but powerful truths like:

God is sovereign. He is holy and He is love.
We are sinners. We are saved from His severity of His wrath toward sin only by the fierceness of His love in Christ.
When we drift away in disobedience, we experience His discipline. His judgments are just.
The pathway back must begin with:

A humility and brokenness before the Lord.
A desperation to find the face of God.
A heart cry for the mercy of God.
A desire to turn from our sinful ways.
A resolve to return to the ways of God.

Let's join the millions of other Christians, churches, and leaders, not in the blast of fireworks, loud parties, and indulgent living, but let us embrace the sobriety of the moment in which WE LIVE, and heed the call, seize the moment, and petition God for the sake of children, our heritage, and this great nation under God.

Thank you for letting me share my heart, the heart of God, and an opportunity for YOU to effect true and lasting change by being part of something bigger than yourself on behalf of a nation desolate, torn apart from the inside out, and in desperate need of the mercy of God.

The Good News is: God hears prayers of faith, and prayers made according to His Word! He wants to bring revival to this land, if only He can hear a cry, a plea, and some prayers from His people!

God Bless you, my dear friend!

Panache du Paon

2011-06-30T18:24:00.001-05:00

I seriously love peacocks, y'all! When I was a little girl growing up in Arcadia, California, my school was right across the Arboretum where they filmed the Tarzan movie. I used to go there frequently to take classes and it was one of my favorite places. There were wild peacocks running all over the place, and they used to escape every so often and come to visit my school! lol....it was so great to see these majestic and very mystical birds.

On my last trip to India, again I saw these beautiful birds just strutting around tiny streets in villages. So stunning. I picked up a bunch of the beautiful plumes and they are still in a vase in my kitchen! I just love the colors...don't you? There's just so much you can do with the lovely plumes!

What's your favorite in this picture? Me? I adore the tutu (of course!) and the beautiful Swarovski necklace....

NY Brand Lab Radio Danielle Maveal 06/29 by NY Brand Lab Radio | Blog Talk Radio

2011-06-29T08:44:00.001-05:00

NY Brand Lab Radio Danielle Maveal 06/29 by NY Brand Lab Radio | Blog Talk Radio

This is just what I need today!

Mary Mary.....how does your garden grow? With Seed Savers, of course!

2011-06-28T10:33:00.002-05:00

Good morning everyone! The blog at ETSY published this delightful post on June 23 and I thought it was worthy of repeating for all of us agrarians and would be agrarians, and frustrated agrarians out in cyberspace~
Linzee McCray wrote this article about SEED SAVERS, but go check her shop if you get a chance! I love this!

Enjoy!

"Whenever stress got the better of me during college, I'd walk into town. The mile-long trek and the enormous elm trees that lined both sides of the avenue, their arcing branches creating a lacy canopy, were often enough to soothe me. Years later I revisited that street and the consoling canopy was gone — Dutch elm disease had taken its toll. It was my first lesson in the importance of plant diversity; if the elms had been intermixed with maple, locust, and ash trees, the devastation wouldn't have been so complete. Instead, the elm-less avenue was all sharp edges and concrete.

I thought again of plant diversity this month, when I visited Seed Savers Exchange (SSE) in Decorah, Iowa. On the wooden seed racks in the visitors' center were packets of tomato seeds with names like Black Sea Man and Hillbilly Potato Leaf, beans called Turkey Craw and Lazy Housewife, and squash dubbed Guatemalan Blue Banana, Long Island Cheese, and Yugoslavian Finger Fruit. The variety extended beyond the names: cooks enjoy the diversity of size, shape, color, and taste, while gardeners appreciate the range of days to germination, heat tolerance, and disease resistance. A commitment to preserve these kinds of diverse seeds was the impetus for Diane Ott Whealy and Kent Whealy, who in 1975 started Seed Savers Exchange with the seeds of a morning glory vine and a German Pink tomato. A gift from Diane's Grandpa Ott, these seeds had been passed through the family by his parents, who brought them to Iowa from Bavaria when they emigrated in the 1870s.

Photos, courtesy of Linzee McCray taken by Linzee and used with her permission (post publishing)

From that grassroots beginning, SSE has grown to include 13,000 members and encompass nearly 900 acres, a site known as Heritage Farm, where heirloom seeds and plants are collected, grown, studied, and preserved. Heirloom seeds are typically more than 50 years old and have been handed down through generations. The red barns and myriad gardens of SSE make it look like a typical farm (albeit meticulously maintained), but it's much more.

"We are a farm, but also a lab, a seed vault, a seed company, we have hiking trails, we publish books, and we're a living museum," says John Torgrimson, SSE's executive director. "We provide an alternate model to more conventional agriculture, especially for home gardeners and market farmers."

Photos, courtesy of Linzee McCray taken by Linzee and used with her permission (post publishing)

In addition to growing and preserving heirloom vegetables, fruits, flowers, and herbs, collecting and recording data and storing seeds for future use, a major mission of SSE is "participatory preservation." Each year the organization's members who commit to growing seeds by SSE's approved methods may list their seeds for sale or exchange in SSE's annual yearbook — in this year's book, 700 members offered 13,876 unique varieties of vegetables and fruits. "Participatory preservation is at the heart of Seed Savers," says Torgrimson. "We want gardeners everywhere saving seeds. There's no better hedge against the changes wrought by agribusiness."

When I admired whorls of green and nearly black lettuces growing by the visitor's center, Torgrimson explained that these raised beds are testing grounds for studying varieties before they're offered to the public. Data is recorded — length of time for germination and maturity, water needs, heat tolerance, etc. — and samples are harvested and tasted. It takes an average of three years from the time a seed is collected until it's ready to be sold in the SSE catalog. In other gardens, seeds are "grown-out" to create more seeds, both for sale and for safekeeping. SSE protects samples of its stock in on-site storage, as well as in the USDA Seed Bank in Fort Collins, Colorado and the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway.

Photos, courtesy of Linzee McCray taken by Linzee and used with her permission (post publishing)

Along with collecting physical data, SSE records the cultural history of its seeds. "Every variety, every seed has a story," says Torgrimson. "Many families have seeds handed down through generations."

These seeds are often shared with the SSE. An example is Grandpa Admire's lettuce. In the catalog are notes about its flavor and heat tolerance, along with mention that it was given to SSE in 1977 by 90-year-old Chloe Lowry and named after her grandfather, a Civil War veteran. "People kept these seeds for a reason — heirlooms are survivors that have adapted to weather conditions, to pests, and they taste great," Torgrimson says. "People want them to be saved and distributed." To preserve them, heirloom seeds and tissue culture are stored in climate-controlled rooms until they're "grown out." To prevent accidental cross-pollination in the field, SSE workers go to extremes. Carrots, for example, in the same family as the Queen Anne's Lace that grows wild in Decorah ditches, are grown in isolation tents. Because Iowa farmers grow lots of corn, it's not unusual to see stalks in the Heritage Farm fields with paper bags covering the tassels, preventing a cross between local farmers' crops and SSE heirloom varieties.

Photos, courtesy of Linzee McCray taken by Linzee and used with her permission (post publishing)

Educating gardeners about these and other heirloom seeds is a central mission of SSE. Torgrimson is delighted that vegetable gardening is growing in the U.S. — in 2009, more than 7 million U.S. households planted vegetables for the first time. He hopes novice gardeners will consider heirloom seeds. "You'd be amazed at what you can grow in a 10' by 10' plot, or in pots if you're in an urban area," he says. His advice? "Keep it simple, have fun, and grow things you like to eat."

Seed Saver seeds are available at more than 500 garden stores throughout the U.S. They can also be ordered online. For more information, visit http://www.seedsavers.org.

About the author: A lifelong sewer/knitter and former weaver/spinner, Linzee Kull McCray, a.k.a. lkmccray, is a writer and editor living in Iowa. She feels fortunate to meet and write about people, from scientists to stitchers, who are passionate about their work. Her freelance writing appears in Quilts and More, Stitch, Fiberarts, American Patchwork and Quilting and more. For more textile musings, visit her blog.

Not a graphic artist

2011-06-28T00:35:00.001-05:00

It's 12:22 PM and this Mama is "tarred" as they say here in Texas. The house is quiet and all are asleep.... I have made a commitment to try to blog every day...so this is my final task for the day.

Been doing alot of networking lately, and have noticed all the other bloggers have "buttons". Today I did some work on my blog header....it took me nearly 4 hours and was exhausting due to the fact that my online program was working very very slowly.

I have never really imagined what I wanted my blog header to look like "when I grow up", but decided that it was time to get serious about how it looks online. When you are blogging all over the world, and commenting on everyone's blogs, and asking people to join your blog, and then offering to do guest posts to everyone, and then exchange links, it's pretty important to present a good online image.

So, it needs work. ZOE, is there any potential at all? I did want to try all by myself like a Big Girl. You can tell me what to do to fix it.

I did not want to look like all the other girls; with pink and brown and polka dots and frosting on top and avatars and cartoon faces. That is just not me. I wanted to make it look real, but surreal. Pretty and colorful and garden like and inviting and very colorful. With lots of plants and living features.

So, go ahead and "Grab my Button" now! Just copy and paste the HTML code below into your blog, and you will get this beautiful photo of Cassia's Kitchen!

this place that generates the button for you!  What?
WHY would you NOT want one of these beautiful buttons!   More on that later......

Alright ladies, I love you, but I've got to get me some Beauty & Brains Sleep!

Adieu!

Ode to Old Glory

2011-06-26T18:00:00.001-05:00

I am glad to be an American! Not proud, but glad. I have alot to say about this, but suffice it for now just to say Happy Birthday, America! May God have mercy upon us and Shed His Grace on us.

If you are an Americana enthusiast, then enjoy these crafty creations from our fabulous Etsy sellers.

I don't know about you, but the 4th of July always sneaks up on me!
Does it you?

The Fox Conundrum

2011-06-25T22:34:00.001-05:00

My brother's name is Todd which is of English origin meaning "Fox". I found this cute little red fox for his birthday on Etsy from a lovely studio that creates block prints, etc.

As you may know, we have chickens. Adorable. Cute, perky, fluffy little chickens. First we had 6, and my dog killed three. Then we bought 6 more darling Rhode Island Reds which were thriving. We even fortified their coop and yard; extending chicken wire up 7' and their little fortress seemed insurmountable.

The little pullets liked to go inside their box to hide from the big bossy older hens......

Then Monday this week, we had 7 chickens, and a trail of black and white feathers across the street into the woods. Then the next day we had 6 then 5 and then we had one chicken with a maimed foot and a wound in her side and a pecked out eye. We took her into our house, and for the last 5 days I have been caring for her in a box....poor thing.

We threw sheets up over the coop to try to secure it for a couple of days until Joe could get out there and build an extended roof over the entire area. But every morning we had 1 or 2 less chickens. I was sick in my heart.

Wednesday morning I saw our neighborhood hawk that we have affectionately named "Watchman" circling above my backyard; landing on neighboring trees and watching. So I told him in an elevated voice to never touch my chickens again. He flew away.

But we really feel like it is a fox or a raccoon.

Wikipedia says this:

Foxes are omnivores.^[8]^[9] The diet of foxes is largely made up of invertebrates. However, it also includes rodents, rabbits and other small mammals, reptiles, (such as snakes), amphibians,scorpions, grasses, berries, fruit, fish, birds, eggs, dung beetles, insects and all other kinds of small animals. Many species are generalist predators, but some (such as the crab-eating fox) are more specialist. Most species of fox generally consume around 1 kg of food every day. Foxes cache excess food, burying it for later consumption, usually under leaves, snow, or soil.

Backyard Chickens says this:

Red Foxes are generally considered to be the most serious predator of free range poultry. The safest option known in poultry protection is to keep the flock and the fox physically separated, usually with fencing. A fence needs to be at least 2 m high to keep out most foxes, though on some rare occasions, a determined fox might succeed in climbing over.[40] Surplus killing will often occur in enclosed spaces such as huts, with discarded feathers and headless bodies usually being the main indicators of fox predation.

Then there's good ol YouTube:

Yep, I would say Ol' Mr. Fox is quite agile, and quite able to scale the walls we thought would keep out the wildlife around....

So, tonight we have 1 lonely little Rhode Island Red Pullet in my tiny doggie kennel in the laundry room. Old Mr. Fox is not going to get her! And sitting beside her, in a large cardboard box, is the other hen, still recovering from her attack Tuesday night. They probably are enjoying the cool AC as it has been quite hot outside.

Ah, sometimes living in the wild is so very......wild, you know? I told my husband I would shoot the fox (which heretofor I proclaimed I loved) but now he is just getting a little too close to home....Joe informed me that the fox is an endangered species, and so it would be hard to kill it.

We really need an outside dog to again be the sentry that we once had when Champ was still alive.

That's what is happening at the Taylor Homestead. What is happening in your neck of the woods?

Belle Bleu

2011-06-24T12:32:00.001-05:00

Happy Friday, lovies! The skies over Texas are a deep deep blue, accented with heavy white and grey clouds. I thought I would post this lovely Belle Bleu Treasury for all my friends who just love Vintage!

What is your Friday looking like today? I'm just shipping orders and wrapping product! I also just met with Zoe from A Quick Study Online, and she is a delight to work with! Tonight I get to pray with some lovely teens, then an evening out with my dear friend Denise for her birthday with lots of long time friends.

I hope you have a great restful and relaxing weekend, doing the things you love with the people you love. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids if you are out in the heat! It's gonna be a hot one over here in Houston!

Yesterday we went to Pasadena, TX to buy tons of more soapmaking oils, as I have lots of SOAPY projects planned! Will post more with pictures later...but in the meantime...

Adieu, Belle Bleu!
Au revoir!
Je t'aime!

Growing Up in a Mid Century Modern Household....

2011-06-23T19:57:00.000-05:00

Did you see the incredible movie Secretariat? It's a must see! So impelling; you'll be drawn into the pathos, excitement of a woman, an ordinary housewife who took a risk; in fact risking all to live a dream.

I had to laugh; the set was so very dern AUTHENTIC! Even the Starburst Clock that my mom displayed in the den. But the chairs, the gosh dog - bright - in - your - face - TOMATO - screaming - RED chairs that we loved to hate? Well........here they are! Here's to you, Mom! In fact, we had all four pieces of this first row in the Treasury from My Mom Would Have Loved This Treasury

Before my mom passed in 2004 she remodeled our home from top to bottom. All of those tomato red chairs had broken; the fiberglass shell had detached from the eclectic Herman Miller styled black iron bases, but she found a buyer; a man from Houston, Texas who worked for Herman Miller and restored old pieces. I think she sold her broken chairs for about somewheres in the neighborhood of $3,500.00 or more.

Just thought I would share!

Cheers!

What's Your Creative Style?

2011-06-22T17:30:00.003-05:00

So, Y'all know I have been seriously blogging lately, right? Well I have and it really has been fun and I am making new friends! It's great to have a readership from all over the world. It gives a sense of empowerment to push that Publish button, and then scroll down to my little widget that says, "Who's Among Us", all credits to my friend Jessica over at Jess Clark. TV and believe it or not, I can see who is reading my blog at that very minute!

So, you stalkers, I know who you are! I know what city you are in, and even your IP address! No, I don't know your Social Security numbers, so stop sweating. Truly, it would be a delight to me if you would join in on the conversation!

I digress. I advertise on Sonya's Blog (which rocks, by the way) and I can say that she and I are similar, not as artists, mind you, but in our interests in organic, sustainable living. The super-cali-frag-i-list- ic thing about it, is I met Sonya on ETSY where we both have online shops, and we are fellow team mates on the Success Team headed up by the fearless and oh so charming Daniellexo who is a goldsmith by background, but currently the Seller/Educator at Etsy.com Admin. I just love danielle; she is so friendly and helpful, and ALWAYS answers my convos promptly. I try not to convo her too often...

I digress.

Sonya talks alot about business on her blog and has very helpful tips, recipes, and even How To's. From what I read lately, this is a DIY generation, so those who post How To's will become successful once found! I have been giving much thought about this....

She had posted this test on What's Your Creative Style? I don't usually do these kinds of things but since we are so altruistically inwardly introspective as artists whose expressions are always fluid, always aspiring, always growing and evolving, I thought I would give the simple test a go. Mind you it was hard to accurately answer all 8 or so questions, but I did my best.

This is Me: (I know you have ALWAYS been dying to know, haha...so I now bare my living soul)

Creativity is a release

For you, creativity is first and foremost a form of expression: it creates a special link between the internal and external worlds. It allows you to get a grasp of your powerful emotions, by moulding them into a physical form. In fact, the most important thing for you is to be able to release your emotions. You need to be able to touch them or look at them in concrete form, and to do that you have to find a way to make them come alive. This is how your desires and anxieties take shape. Keeping things bottled up creates a tension that can only be resolved once you have expressed how you feel. This means you have to be strong enough not to let yourself get swept away by chaotic impulses; if you turn your creative urges on everyday life — making a picnic, singing to the baby, choosing what to wear — you can express yourself while staying rooted in reality. Creativity is principally cathartic. It relieves a deep need, an almost primal, archaic impulse. For you, being creative is about having the power to give form to something you feel, to those deep personal issues that are often raw and disorganised. For these reasons you are usually attracted to art that demands physicality, that allows you to express what’s inside, and that unites spontaneity, strength, freedom, power and movement. • To find out about how to tap into your creative side, see our feature in the August issue out now.

To which, by the way, I wholeheartedly concur, in fact.

Here is a pictorial "Word Cloud" of my company mission; my WHY.

What is YOUR WHY?

Have you visited it for awhile?

Or, are you just stuck with your nose in Google Analytics?

Yep, I thought so.

Yep, I know....me too.

So, What's Your Creative Style?

Go ahead, take the test! Be sure to share your results with all 43 of us!
We're dying to know!

Thanks for stopping by!
See you tomorrow!

Bizzy? Bookmark this for later

2011-06-21T10:16:00.001-05:00

The Recession-Era Entrepreneur

Economic necessity and the ease of social media create the perfect storm for a new crop of DIY businesses.

By Kathleen Richards

Kids typically fantasize about having fairy-tale adult lives. They imagine they'll become astronauts, veterinarians, presidents, ballerinas, superheroes, or reality-TV celebrities. And most parents don't go out of their way to quash those dreams, no matter how far-fetched they are. But few youngsters voice desires to become self-employed writing coaches, purveyors of homemade spicy jams, or part-time baristas who make jewelry on the side. Yet those could be more realistic aspirations, as a seemingly growing number of East Bay twenty- and thirtysomethings are doing just that in order to make ends meet.

Due to the economy, slim job prospects, and skyrocketing education costs, more and more young people are finding their fairy-tale careers beyond reach, or simply not on the horizon. As a result, many are supplementing their incomes — or banking entirely on the do-it-yourself route — by starting their own businesses, many within niche or specialized fields. While the Bay Area has always had a certain entrepreneurial spirit about it, these days it seems working stiffs are becoming their own bosses for more urgent financial reasons. And with the availability of online channels like Twitter,Facebook, Kickstarter, and Etsy, making those businesses financially solvent seems a more viable idea than ever before.

"People are doing lots of small things cobbling together a full living," saidLauren Venell, who teaches often sold-out DIY business classes atWorkshop in San Francisco. Venell said her enrollees are mostly creative types — designers, crafters, and illustrators — who want to launch their own endeavors. Many hope to start curatorial businesses that recommend products or hand-pick items to sell. Most of them are in their twenties and thirties, or semi-retirees in their sixties, with few in between, Venell noted. And, for whatever reason, the majority are women.

Venell acknowledges the Bay Area's entrepreneurial pedigree, but says she's seen a new trend of people being drawn to start their own businesses out of economic necessity: getting laid off from their jobs or having their work hours reduced. "It didn't used to be that way," she said. "It was much more deliberate a few years ago. And now ... they're doing it with a little less preparation."

Venell is among those who started a crafty side business not for monetary reasons, per se, but for fun. Nine years ago, she was teaching elementary school in the Bay Area when she began making kitschy plush toys in the shape of various meat cuts (pork chop, bacon, ham, etc.). Initially, she sold her Sweet Meats plush toys on the craft-fair circuit, but thanks to some fortuitous press (including from The New York Times), her products are now widely distributed through stores as far away as Germany and Spain, and on her web site. She has since parlayed her skills into consulting with small-business entrepreneurs and doing product development with toy companies. She also does the occasional prop design, marketing for tech companies, and helps to program the annual Conference of Creative Entrepreneurs, which launched in response to the high demand for her classes (this year's will be held August 5-7 in San Francisco). "I like that I have eight different things to do every day," said Venell. "It's never boring, but it also means you have to be really organized and work weekends. It's not for everyone."

As was the case with Venell, often entrepreneurs are already doing something creative alongside their nine-to-five jobs. When they lose their full-time gigs, hobbies become both prospective revenue sources and more fulfilling avenues of labor. That's exactly how it happened forDafna Kory. As a video editor, the 29-year-old Berkeley resident was accustomed to spending long hours behind the computer. But she wanted to break up the monotony and do something more physical, so a few years ago she began making jam — specifically, spicy jalapeño jam. She sold it informally to friends, neighbors, and at the SF Underground Market, an event designed for homemade-food producers who don't have proper licenses. So when the company Kory was working for closed its doors in 2009, she decided not to seek more video work but to pursue her hobby as a real business. "I've been wanting to do this jam stuff for a while," she said. "It gave me the opportunity I couldn't refuse."

Today, Kory says her entrepreneurial inclination is paying off. Her jam company, INNA Jam, is sold through her web site and at upscale food stores in Berkeley and Oakland, including Rick & Ann's Restaurant,Summer Kitchen Bake Shop, The Gardener, Berkeley Bowl West,Local 123 cafe, and Sacred Wheel cheese shop.

"It's been going amazing," gushed Kory, who delivers her jams by bicycle. "I have to say, it's way beyond what I expected because there's a lot of good jam in the Bay Area. I didn't think there was some big need for jam, but I'm glad I took it to the next level because it's been really well received." While she still supplements her income with occasional freelance video work, she says she hopes INNA Jam will fully support her next year (although, she admits, she said the same thing last year).

In Ali Lawrence's case, an injury led her to consider self-employment. Lawrence, who lives in Oakland, had been working in events services for a long time when she hurt her wrist in January of last year. "That sort of forced me out of something I didn't really want to be in anyway," she said.

Initially, Lawrence went about searching for a traditional line of work. She sent out her resume looking for an office job or something in the field of writing, which had long been her passion. (She got her MFA in Creative Writing from San Francisco State in 2007 and had published one book.) But her employment options were dismal. Soon she found herself applying for jobs she didn't even want and was "feeling horrible" that she wasn't getting calls back.

So, instead, she started a writing group. Then she began tutoring a friend's kid who was having trouble with his writing. She helped another friend with her business' web site. "Then a light bulb went off," Lawrence recalled. "There's a huge need for these services." She decided to officially offer her talents as a writing coach. By April, she was copywriting for a couple clients, and by summer she was working one-on-one with students. Things picked up relatively fast, she said.

Lawrence's decision to start her own business was partly spurred by the trend toward DIY employment: More and more of her peers are starting their own businesses and looking for low-cost help, especially as marketing via channels like Twitter and blogs has become crucial to survival. "I was having trouble finding the right job for me, so I had to create my own job basically," she said. "And now it's scary and stressful but it's amazing. I see so much potential."

It makes sense, really: Pursue jobs that employ skills you already enjoy and that come naturally to you, instead of trying to force an interest or skill to materialize. In many ways, this appears to be a generational trend. "I think a lot of people our age went a different route than our parents did," Lawrence said. "There's an overwhelming amount of options. We were raised to think we could do whatever we wanted to do. Here we are being spoiled brats, not having our perfect job. I can think of twenty people right now my age who are striking out on their own."

One might think that making spicy jam or crafting plush meat toys are occupations too specific to attract a large enough customer base to be sustainable, but Rich Stimbra says being hyper-specialized is an asset in this new era of entrepreneurship. "Back when you had the brick-and-mortar business, you had to appeal to as wide an audience as possible because people were just walking by," he said. "Now it's beneficial to be as specific as possible." Stimbra would know; he's launched several successful businesses over the years, all appealing to very specific audiences.

It started when the Walnut Creek-based comedian would work events for his boss at the San Francisco Comedy College. Often the events were marketed as "clean and sober," because his boss had been in recovery for 25 years. The rules of recovery require anonymity, so sober comedians were often just known as "Bill" or "Chuck." Booking them was thus next to impossible. So Stimbra started Recovery Comedy, which books clean-and-sober comedians all over the country at events like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous conventions. Calling it "recovery" without revealing which specific program they're in sidesteps the anonymous issue. "It's an untapped niche," said Stimbra, who also runs a company booking comedians for corporate events.

Key to Stimbra's success was his online marketing. He became somewhat of an expert in search engine optimization and social media like Facebook and Twitter, which led him to recently start a third endeavor: social media consulting.

Indeed, social media and other online platforms have meant lower barriers to entry into entrepreneurship. While Kory never used crowd-funding sites like Kickstarter, she solicited people via her e-mail newsletter to purchase subscriptions, which allowed her to raise a bulk amount of money as a sort of loan. Oakland jewelry designer and part-time barista Jeannine Komushstarted selling her designs (called Tangleweeds) through Etsy, an online DIY marketplace. "When I first started, I didn't have enough resources to start going to stores or going to craft fairs — and, frankly, I was too intimidated to do that," she said. "Etsy was less intimidating." Also through Etsy, Komush connected with stores who now carry her stuff. But over the last few years, competition among jewelry designers on Etsy has become fierce, she added, so these days about half of her business is made through craft fairs — also a highly competitive market for jewelry-makers. She still works part-time as a barista to make ends meet (and for the social interaction), but says she's close to making a living through her jewelry.

Oaklander Faben Alula (who, full disclosure, works at the Express as an account executive) uses Facebook to spread the word about the music shows she books at San Francisco club Mezzanine with her partner Al Williams. "We definitely go hard with social media marketing," said Alula about the tactics of her company, Never Dying Productions.

"I think nontraditional is traditional now," said writing coach Lawrence, referring to modern marketing outlets. "Anybody you talk to who is an entrepreneur is really relying on Facebook."

Even with networking groups and social media, however, the road for a new business can still be rough. "Ninety percent of new businesses fail, 80 percent in the first year," said Venell, matter-of-factly. "And mostly it's because people are unprepared." She says the ones who start their own businesses out of dire economic reasons are less likely to succeed than those who are truly dedicated to their work. But even many of the most passionate won't make it, either.

This is partially why Lawrence started a women's entrepreneurial group with some of her peers to address questions they were all running up against. "I was sort of leading with my instinct and intuition on this for the first part until I realized I had taken a step further in," said Lawrence. "I had no dialogue with anybody. That's when I reached out to someone else to start a women's business group to air out these things and figure these things out." Called Bizzy, the group meets once a month and stays in frequent contact via e-mail. They purposefully kept it small starting off (there are six members currently) but hope to open the group to others starting in June.

Joe Cha, who lives in Oakland, had been unemployed since 2008 when his friend asked him to work at his start-up creating an iPhone messaging app last November. The app never took off, unfortunately, but Cha says the market is ripe for such "bootstrap" companies. "It's not like a boom right now but it's kind of interesting for software companies," he said. "There's opportunities, more than before." And he agrees that social media plays a large role in that. "With Facebook, you don't need millions of dollars to get started. You just need a couple guys. The start-up cost is pretty low."

Now facing unemployment once again, Cha, who's also an artist, says he'll probably go the nine-to-five route, although he admits it won't be as fun. "If I had a good idea I would definitely try the start-up thing again," he said.

In other words, Cha — and many people like him — would rather do something fun and creative than follow a more traditional route, perhaps like the one they envisioned as a child. And regardless of whether their businesses are ultimately successful or not, the experience is likely to pay off. Says Venell: "It's one way to feel like you're moving forward, whether you're making money or not — usually not."

How did he DO It?

2011-06-20T19:25:00.002-05:00

I was curious! I mean, weren't you? Stories of excellence, and courage and triumph always encourage and inspire me! So I turned to Google for my answers!

As DAVID FACEY in Maryland reports for the Scottish Sun, this is how Rory McIlroy won the US Open
yesterday; the youngest man ever!

Says McIlroy:

I pretended I was Tiger when I was a kid... that taught me how to win

RORY McILROY says having the 'eye of the Tiger' helped him pummel his US Open rivals into submission to win his first Major trophy.

I keep digging but I am curious how this young man has come so far so fast. I think he has something to offer all of us and something to encourage us in our own paths and quest for excellence! I am sure there are some ingredients here like a) he likes what he does b) he works REALLY hard at it c) he never gives us d) he can laugh at himself e) he picks himself up off the ground and gets after it again f) he tries and pursues excellence every day.

What I can gather so far:

1) He had a mentor, someone to look up to and follow

2) He had the eye of the Tiger.....what does THAT mean?

To quote the famous song: on Survivor, the Eye of the Tiger, here are the lyrics:

Risin' up, back on the street
Did my time, took my chances
Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet
Just a man and his will to survive

So many times, it happens too fast
You change your passion for glory
Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight just to keep them alive

Chorus:
It's the eye of the tiger, it's the cream of the fight
Risin' up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night
And he's watchin' us all in the eye of the tiger

Face to face, out in the heat
Hangin' tough, stayin' hungry
They stack the odds 'til we take to the street
For we kill with the skill to survive

chorus

Risin' up, straight to the top
Have the guts, got the glory
Went the distance, now I'm not gonna stop
Just a man and his will to survive

Duh Duh Duh Duh!!!! Can't you just hear the music?

Other than the old payphone scenes and tight blue jeans, I really liked that song!
I hope you do too.

I take heart from these words, don't you?
Let's get the Eye of the Tiger, shall we?
I needed to hear that today, my friend,
and so,
probably
did you.

Sleep well
DREAM BIG!
Love you!

EASY At Home Sunburn Relief

2011-06-20T09:48:00.002-05:00

Ouch! Do you have sunburn? Relief may be as close as your spice or medicine cabinet!

The all-purpose household product strikes again! For large burns on your back or legs, (Or for kitchen fires ;) (see here) pour a half cup of baking soda in the tub and soak for at least ten minutes. If your burn is just in a small area (like your shoulders or arms), mix baking soda and icy water and apply to skin with a wash cloth. This multi purpose powder is highly alkaline and it also has antifungal properties to ward off infections.

Want extra relief? Chamomile essential adds healing properties and I have a lovely blend just for babies, as well as a soft blend of chamomile, neroli and petitgrain that you can add a few drops to the bath for a true spa experience. I can mix up either one of those blends; add some Vitamin E oil and precious aloe vera and jojoba oils for a true healing experience! Just inquire within and I can fix you up real quick!

Our skin is so precious! It is our largest organ. Although it looks great to have a tan like the stars, PLEASE don't do what I did on the beautiful sunny beaches of Southern California; please don't bake your skin! One day you will truly regret it. In general, stay out of the sun between intense UV times of 10 AM - 2 PM, and if so, use a high SPF on your tender facial skin! One day, you will thank me.......;)

Thanks for stopping by today, friend! So glad to have you!

Have a GREAT week!

Aw... Did you know that YOU are loved?

2011-06-18T18:17:00.001-05:00

My friend, did you know that you are loved? I mean, SO loved! Here is a picture, just a small one
of the way that God loves us, and protects us, and wraps Himself around us, watches over us and cherishes us.

I just wanted to share that! Just another lovely picture of the Love of our Heavenly Father.

Have a lovely weekend, my friend! Know that you are cherished.

Pandas + Farmers + GOOGLE, Oh My!!!!!

2011-06-17T18:30:00.004-05:00

TIME to let the cat out of the bag. If you're not involved in e-commerce, skip THIS. But if you are, you are already affected by this. So read on, dear friend!

I was "cookin' with gas" building my little biz , enjoying a growing customer base,rave reviews, lots of compliments. Not gangbusters, but budding + blossoming just like the springtime around me.
Then all of a sudden, one day B O O M. Nothing. NO THING NaDA Zippo, Zip. Zero -0-

Overnight I'm hidden, invisible. Transparent, Naked, Null.Void. Enough adjectives. I began digging + watching + waiting + talking + digging more. Finally, yesterday, I found IT. A kind Esty Seller filled us in..
Her name is Mary, from Park Ridge, Illinois, and her company name is SEOWebDesign to help people like me in our Search Engine Optimization and web presence. Mary also has a graphics design shop called
Wings Dove.....I am planning on getting Mary to help me in the very near future! Book your slot with her today!

Now I know nothing about algorithms; barely passed higher math in favor of honors English, Geometry, College Microbiology which I also aced. Any geeks out there, feel free to fill me in on Algorithms. Apparently Google runs on one, and apparently it changes from time to time.

Google Panda Update and E-Commerce: "

Clipped from: www.doubleplus.com (share this clip)

I hope this little article helps you. It surely helped me.

One one note, it is a GOOD CHANGE. This keeps us authentic, which is something that I search my heart on daily. It causes us to Dig Deep and make sure we are being our authentic selves. More on that later. I promise!

Cheers and keywords and seo to you my friend. Luckily I have found help because it is just outside my sphere of how to's. Not only do we need to have a great product, awesome packaging, stellar customer service, a friendly smile with a blog to match, but we also have to understand market changes and all the things that make these algorithms run and now how they affect us personally in terms of being seen in the vast global marketplace. So take your energy drink and dive in!

So fair reader, thanks for stopping by today, and for sitting a spell in My Kitchen, I surely do vastly
appreciate having you as a friend, and I mean that from the bottom of my little heart!

XOXO!

What do YOU think about this post? Have you seen a change in your business in the past 60 days?
Is this information new to you? What have you done to resolve any negative impacts it had in your business?
Comment, and share with all of us!

Grilled Chicken Spinach Salad with Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

2011-06-16T12:30:00.002-05:00

Clipped from: chroniclesofacountrygirl.blogspot.com (share this clip)

You've Got a Wedgie!

2011-06-15T11:55:00.000-05:00

It may sound inappropriate but....

here is a new take on a Treasury: Wedges of All Kinds!

As always, click on the picture to go to the artist's Etsy shop!

Wow Wednesday Recipe: from The Kitchen Blog

2011-06-15T11:04:00.000-05:00

OMGosh! I'm gaining weight just looking at this tempting dessert; but it's a keeper...don'tcha think?
I can resist alot of temptations, but C R E A M Y is NOT one of them!
Enjoy!

Tasty Kitchen Blog: "

Clipped from: tastykitchen.com (share this clip)

Etsy Love - New and Old

2011-06-14T14:26:00.000-05:00

I love glass; old glass, blue glass, aqua glass, sea glass, and love to have anything glass whether just functional or for show only. Click on any image to go straight to the owner's shop!

Thinking coool thoughts as we bake here in the Houston Texas sun at a mere 100F.....

Very truly yours!

Bitten by the Smitten Kitchen

2011-06-13T12:01:00.000-05:00

Deb's been cooking again, and I am SO making these! Don't they look GOOD?

roasted peppers with capers and mozzarella | smitten kitchen: "

Clipped from: smittenkitchen.com (share this clip)

Bathed in Milk.....

2011-06-12T21:35:00.000-05:00

I just LOVE white.....what about you?
Are you old enough to remember milk glass? My
mom and aunties all had it! I just love it!

Purely Semantics

2011-06-12T16:16:00.000-05:00

I LOVE WORDS....

Words are powerful.

Reminds me of that Scripture, "In the Beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God".......

There is so much power in our words...

I have loved word art, BEFORE word art was even born.

So today, I collected all my word art Hearts, and curated this Treasury featuring favorite signs that my fellow Etsy Artists have created.

If there was one that you would put on your wall, which one would it be?

Like a picture? Just click it and go to my fellow artist's shop directly, and take a look around!

Today, my friend, let's purpose to use our words to build up, to comfort, to edify, and to inspire.

I'm in....how about you?

Buggin' Out? Jungle Armor to the Rescue!

2011-06-11T18:49:00.000-05:00

It's a Jungle out there....don't go in unarmed. This pleasant spray will confuse all the man eating blood sucking and virus laden kamikaze flying creatures that destroy your fun and keep you itching 'til you go home....

Introducing our new NO DEET aromatherapy spray for humans! Tough enough for Dave Canterbury and Cody Lundeen to brave the Amazon Jungle!

I mixed this pure essential oil dynamic blend with cyclomethicone oil, is light, greaseless, and will not stain clothing. It is a dry oil spray and this aluminum bottle mist is very very fine, so it lasts and last.

Personally I have never liked the smell of citronella at all. It just always smelled so.....you know, herbal and sort of medicinal. But the blend in this spray is truly delightful and smells very lemony and truly fresh! I love it!

Contains a proprietary blend of the following essential oils: Citronella, Eucalyptus, Cedarwood, Lemongrass, Lavender, Litsea, Tea Tree, Patchouli, Catnip. I have added extra cedarwood and tea tree oil for their antiseptic properties.

Alert: Do not use this product if you are pregnant or nursing without first seeking the opinion of a qualified health professional.

Note: We have a pet formula coming soon.....stay tuned!

4 ounce (4) oz. bottle $15.00

As always, local customers can enjoy this eco-friendly option that sets apart CassiaAromatics from their competitors: trade this handsome indestructible aluminum bottle into your friends Cassia Store, and receive a new bottle for 25% off your next! Reuse, repurpose, recycle! Cassia Aromatics is an eco friendly, green company, committed to keeping our environment clean!

Don't leave home without it!

Farmageddon? Yup...

2011-06-09T19:00:00.008-05:00

Wait a minute! Let's get our Patrick Henry speech out of the closet, brush it off, and
say....."Hold on, folks! This is OUR LAND!"

I say this, "Give me Liberty, or give me death". Will you?

All you goat milkers, and poulty growers out there. This is for YOU.

Farmageddon Trailer from Kristin Canty on Vimeo.

I'm COOL...and YOU? ;)

2011-06-08T17:10:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year when icemakers work overtime, people wear scanty loose cotton clothes, think about polar bears, and possibly drink more than they eat!

This treasury featuring our Arctic Blast All Natural Soap will keep you cool!
Oh, by the way......it's ON SALE! Just $4.50 a slice of pure icy delight! Made with pure essential oils of Sage, cedar, orange, and peppermint combine to cleanse and purify your body, mind, and spirit. The fresh scent feels so healing,therapeutic, rejuvenating.

I am busy preparing some more posts that I hope you will find informative, helpful and useful. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, stay cool, folks.

Technically, it's not even summer yet!

Cheers!

spring salad with new potatoes | smitten kitchen

2011-06-07T19:00:00.005-05:00

Food has power, y'all! It has power over us, our husbands, even over our own wills if we let the beast get the best of us! Kingdoms have been fought over, risen, and fallen over just one bowl of stew! I have been following Deb & Alex Perelman in the Smitten Kitchen, and let me tell you, this couple in their tiny kitchen, have produced amazing things!

I've recently discovered in myself what appears to be a gluten "sensitivity" if you will, and was delighted to know that the humble potato, has none of this offender! (whew...love potatoes!)

Enjoy!

spring salad with new potatoes | smitten kitchen: "

Clipped from: smittenkitchen.com (share this clip)

This Day in History.....

2011-06-06T19:30:00.001-05:00

Chile:

Chile earthquake shifted Earth’s axis; shortened day | SmartPlanet: "

Clipped from: www.smartplanet.com (share this clip)

Texas:

According to Tom Benning of TheWall Street Journal
"A combination of record-high heat and record-low rainfall has pushed south and central Texas into the region's deepest drought in a half century, with $3.6 billion of crop and livestock losses piling up during the past nine months.

The heat wave has drastically reduced reservoirs and forced about 230 public water systems to declare mandatory water restrictions. Lower levels in lakes and rivers have been a blow to tourism, too, making summer boating, swimming and fishing activities impossible in some places.

The good news is the yesterday, we as a church prayed for rain, and God is answering the prayers of His Saints! So grateful as are all of the little forest creatures too. Here's a short clip from my front porch three hours ago. Notice the exclamations of JOY in the background!

Isreal:

Poll: 77% of Israelis oppose going back to pre-'67 lines

Read the Jerusalem Post Poll here

Large majorities recognize importance of keeping J'lem under Israeli sovereignty, oppose transferring Temple Mount to Palestinian control.

Talkbacks (6)

Seventy-seven percent of Israelis oppose returning to pre-1967 lines even if it would lead to a peace agreement and declarations by Arab states of an end to their conflict with Israel, a poll revealed Monday.
A Dahaf Institute poll of a sample 500 Israelis taken last week was commissioned by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs to coincide with Monday night's presentation of Bar-Ilan University¹s Ingeborg Rennert Center for Jerusalem Studies' Guardian of Zion Award to JCPA's head, former ambassador to the UN Dore Gold.

I know you watch the news, mainly I wanted to document the deluge we received today, and to play with this new app that makes blogging so much easier! So here you have it;

this day in History, June 6th, 2011.

I read a Scripture today which brought me great comfort: The words of Jesus in the Gospel of John, Chapter 16, last verse:

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will [fn] have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

Peace to you my friend, as you believe in, trust in, and rely upon the great love that Jesus Christ has for you, and His Almighty Saving Grace! We are safe even in troubled time when we know Him who calms the storm and saves His Beloved.

Got to go rustle up some dinner for my darling daughter and I! I have begun a
gluten free diet and it is becoming just a tad difficult dreaming up breadless recipes...until I find out what works and what doesn't!

Cheers!

testing a VERY cool new app....

2011-06-05T17:28:00.000-05:00

I Can Because I Think I Can Letterpress Print by happydeliveries: "

Clipped from: www.etsy.com (share this clip)

PERFUME SALE! Now through Midnight Sunday 6/05

2011-06-04T11:00:00.000-05:00

Fair Readers, we are having a spectacular PERFUME SALE! NOW THROUGH MIDNIGHT June 6th, Buy one, get one 1/2 OFF! That equals 30% off retail price. Use code BOGOPERFUME at checkout for perfumes only.

We just added two new fragrances to our collections, that are PERFECT for Summertime!
These are not up on the website yet, so you will have to comment to ask me for a listing....

ciel lazuline a light floral fragrance with topnotes of Sicilian citron, Granny Smith applies and bluebells, entwined with middle notes of jasmine, bamboo and white rose, rounded off with cedar, amber and musk...

and....

l'eau sucrée an exquisite fragrance that is the memory of something delicious with the taste just lingering....like a light an airy meringue, with notes of orange blossoms, wild berries, and vanilla.

So lovelies, I will be designing the labels and preparing these to list on my site, so if you want, please do comment below and I will fix you right up!

Search our perfumed oils here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/CassiasGarden?section_id=6348684

Or: our 100% natural aromatherapy living perfume oils here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/CassiasGarden?section_id=6864561

Stock up and save!

Would you like to know what our best sellers are?

BlackAmber&Lavender: http://www.etsy.com/listing/48395902/black-amber-and-lavender-33-oz-roll-on
Fleurs d'Oranger: http://www.etsy.com/listing/46418995/fleurs-doranger-type-perfume-oil-33-oz
Karma: http://www.etsy.com/listing/37432978/karma-type-essential-roll-on-perfume-33
Royal Princess: http://www.etsy.com/listing/46272271/royal-princess-perfume-oil-a-delectable
Sugar Plum & Lemon Drop: http://www.etsy.com/listing/71607762/sugar-plum-lemon-drop-perfume-oil
Saffron & Honey: http://www.etsy.com/listing/57388097/exotic-saffron-and-sweet-honey-perfume
Pink Peony: http://www.etsy.com/listing/73538658/pink-peony-33-oz-roll-on-perfume-oil

Cassia Aromatic Oils NEVER contain alcohol. Perfumer's alcohol, which at the very least is very drying to skin, and not good to retain the scent of your precious oils, has also been found to contain dangerous hormone disrupting chemicals. Think early onset puberty, and a host of other maladies. Yes. Also, the oil we have mixed with the aromatic oil helps retain the scent longer while conditioning your skin. Why would you want to waste your precious hard earned money spraying fragrance into the air. Wear it close to you. Apply to pulse points, décolletage just after bathing for best results.

In many cultures around the world, women apply coconut and or scented oil to their locks along with fresh blossoms. I watched in amazement as young women walked to school and to work with the perfumed oil in their hair in India. The fragrance was so bequiling. In fact, men love a woman to dress her tresses in this way. It will add shine and condition your hair, keep frizzies away and allure all in the same moment....try it!

Never apply to wrists and then rub or grind them together. This "crushes" the delicate fragrance molecules.....I did this for years, by the way, never knowing.

Would you like to try before you buy? You can!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/71471162/three-perfume-oils-samples-15-dram-75-ml

You pick any three and we ship for $5.00 plus the cost of a postage stamp!

Or pick any five here:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/46850603/set-of-5-sample-spray-perfume-oil-for-15

Each sample is good for multiple uses, depending on how much you decide to apply.

Blended with fractionated coconut oil.

My dear friend, may your life,
your body
your boudoir
your bath
be ALWAYS fragrant!

Oh, and, do you want to know about future sales? I would! Why don't you migrate on over to our Facebook Fan Page and like us? Then you'll be the first to find out about sales, specials, promotions and giveaways! Thank you!

Au revoir!

See you at the shop!

a delicious accident

2011-06-03T19:45:00.001-05:00

Hello Lovies! Here's a little quiz to test YOUR culinary knowledge....

What is this green vegetable?

Good, Good! Now.......

What is this green vegetable?

I was getting ready to make Carne Asada the other night, and needed a few veggies at the market.
My DH volunteered to pick up what I needed at Kroger's on his way home from the golf course.

Don't know if you ever have experienced this phenomena of the DH going to market for the DW.
One time I requested this:

and DH came home 2 1/2 hours later with this:

to which I demurely replied and or requested him to kindly fire up the chain saw so I could add it to the

evening meal which happened to be vegetable soup or some such....lol!

I KID YOU NOT!!!!! Ask him already, it's a family joke!

That's a background and history behind what happened at our house on Wednesday evening....

In any case, I was needing

and NOT

although to his credit and the DIScredit to the 18 year old who checked him out and assured him that

this

WAS even though the TEXT and picture DID INDEED SAY

THAT IT WAS

and not only that, was also CERTIFIED ORGANIC this, and to boot,

I have 2 big plants of THAT growing as we speak in my organic garden! LOL!

So you may be wondering the point of all this cyberbabble. but truly there is a point and a recipe!

I duly Cut off Her Bottom stalks, and put into a big picture of cool water and set her on my counter,

not wanting to waste her!

So anyways, we are a Waste Not Want Not Family as are probably you these days, right?

Wednesday mornings are our one Big Breakfast Mornings. More on why later.

So I got up and proceeded to make whole grained blueberry muffins, fresh yard eggs, bacon,

and fresh smoothies. I always freeze bananas and have them ready for our smoothies and just happened to

have some beautiful strawberries and yogurt and apple juice right there for the "smoothing"!

So I saw the Big Green Organic Green Vegetable Mistaken for This Other Green Mexican Vegetable and

crinkled my brow, and said to myself....."I'll GET HIM!!!! Mwhuahuahua"!

NO!

I said, "I think I'll throw some of that in and maybe no one will be the wiser!"

So into my Oster went:

Two frozen bananas
4 Tablespoons Nature Sunshine's Colliodal Minerals
3 Tablespoons frozen concentrated Apple Juice Concentrate
Big Handful of Ice Cubes
3/4 Cup of Dannon Non Fat Non Sweetened Yogurt
HUGE handful of snipped Mysterious Mistaken Identity Vegetable.

And I tell you.........

YUMMYLICIOUS!

It was really really good!

Now, at my house, I would ordinarily be reprimanded for such unseemly conduct, BUT no one complained or even fussed. It was so cool and refreshing, and fruity and green.....

So here is the Case for Green Smoothies, and I think I will dream up some more recipes for you to enjoy! But read below what a pack these nutrients punch when eaten raw and fresh:

Sourced from: Are you getting your phytonutrients?

"Phytonutrients (pronounced “fight-o-nutrients”), also called phytochemicals, are natural bioactive compounds found in fruits and vegetables that works together with vitamins, minerals, and fiber to promote good health.

The National Cancer Institute recommends eating at least 5 – 9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Other reputable sources recommend at least 9 servings for men, 7 servings for women, and 5 servings for children.

Research shows that fruits and vegetables are powerful defenders of our health. The research supporting a critical role for fruits and vegetables in good health grows stronger all the time. Scientists now agree that fruits and vegetables should be the foundation of a healthy diet. In addition to helping you feel better eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can also help reduce your risk of many chronic diseases including cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and other diseases.

The sad part is that despite these benefits, only 10 percent of us are able to follow this advice. I for one, find it difficult to eat this many servings of fruit and vegetables on a consistent basis. For those of you in my situation, we are probably not consuming the necessary dosage of vitamins and minerals that our bodies need to stay healthy, unless we are taking some form of vitamin supplement. However, traditional vitamin supplements do not provide us with phytonutrients.

The bioactive functions of phytonutrients — or the way they work in your body — is an ongoing area of research. Some studies show that phytochemicals can:

Act as antioxidants
Stimulate detoxification enzymes
Stimulate the immune system
Positively affect hormones
Act as antibacterial or antiviral agents

Common Phytonutrients include carotenoids, coumarins, flavonoids, indoles, lignans, isoflavones (including genistein and daidzen) organosulfurs and phytosterols. Hundreds of other phytonutrients have been discovered, usually related to the color of fruits and vegetables — green, yellow-orange, red, blue-purple, and white.. This leads to the recommendation that you should eat fruits and vegetables of varied color each day.
Phytonutrient-rich foods:

red, green, yellow and orange vegetables (apricots, peaches, melons, squashes, sweet potatoes, yams, carrots, pumpkin)
cruciferous veggies (kale, broccoli)
dark leafy greens (spinach and romaine)
fruits (citrus and berries)
flaxseeds
whole grains and legumes
garlic and leeks
soybeans
green teas and other herbal teas

Are you concerned about getting the necessary phytochemicals? Juicing provides a great, natural way to get phytonutrients that you need. Remember to juice fruits and vegetables that have a variety of colors to maximize your phytochemical intake. Despite juicing, if you find it difficult to get the 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables each day – especially in sufficient variety to give you a broad range of phytonutrients, I have recently found an amazing source of Phytonutrients from 24 fruits and vegetables, packaged in a convenient “on-the-go” approach.
For more information on phytonutrients and recommended daily consumption of fruits and vegetables, you can refer to the government's website called Eat 5 to 9 a Day for Better Health. "

What? You still don't know?
I sent him to the store for Cilantro, and he came back with Italian Parsley!
LOL!

Cassia's Kitchen

Peter Piper Picked a Peck of.....

Pickling Juice

Directions:

The Response USA 08/06/11

It a Cassia's Garden Giveaway!

Response to a Nation in Crisis

Peridot

The Lovely Lilac.....

Google + - Do You Need It?

Orange You Glad?

Flied Lice?

It's Christmas in July!

Summer Salad and Appetizer Recipes - Summer Salads Recipes - Delish.com

So Much it Hurts

Vert de Menthe

With This Ring....The Power of Two

Meet Real Free-Range Eggs

Day 7 of RSS feed on Blogger being down.....

Planetary Disambiguation - Oooh Baby it's a Wild World

Autumn Fire.....

A Stitch in Time

OK so I got this error message, and other weird visitors. Testing Testing

Sorry

Source: http://cassiaskitchen.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Keep Calm-o-matic poster generation

Pleasant Under Glass....

Tea for Three

Land that I Love

Call 2 Fall

Panache du Paon

NY Brand Lab Radio Danielle Maveal 06/29 by NY Brand Lab Radio | Blog Talk Radio

Mary Mary.....how does your garden grow? With Seed Savers, of course!

Not a graphic artist

Ode to Old Glory

The Fox Conundrum

Belle Bleu

Growing Up in a Mid Century Modern Household....

What's Your Creative Style?

Creativity is a release

Bizzy? Bookmark this for later

The Recession-Era Entrepreneur

Economic necessity and the ease of social media create the perfect storm for a new crop of DIY businesses.

TOOLS

How did he DO It?

I pretended I was Tiger when I was a kid... that taught me how to win

RORY McILROY says having the 'eye of the Tiger' helped him pummel his US Open rivals into submission to win his first Major trophy.

EASY At Home Sunburn Relief

Aw... Did you know that YOU are loved?

Pandas + Farmers + GOOGLE, Oh My!!!!!

Grilled Chicken Spinach Salad with Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

You've Got a Wedgie!

Wow Wednesday Recipe: from The Kitchen Blog

Etsy Love - New and Old

Bitten by the Smitten Kitchen

Bathed in Milk.....

Purely Semantics

Buggin' Out? Jungle Armor to the Rescue!

Farmageddon? Yup...

I'm COOL...and YOU? ;)

spring salad with new potatoes | smitten kitchen

This Day in History.....

Poll: 77% of Israelis oppose going back to pre-'67 lines

Large majorities recognize importance of keeping J'lem under Israeli sovereignty, oppose transferring Temple Mount to Palestinian control.

testing a VERY cool new app....

PERFUME SALE! Now through Midnight Sunday 6/05

a delicious accident