Notes from A Cottage Industry

Halloween Hats...

 
I have been meaning to get these fun hats done for a couple of weeks now, and finally made them today. They are really easy, and inexpensive to create, and they make a great centerpiece for a table, as well as a hat to actually wear at a party or just to answer the door for the little trick or treaters on Halloween.

I used my easy starch method to cover simple party hats from the dollar store..... 
...let them dry, shaping them on top of an upside down pyrex bowl. Once dry, I used my glue gun to add crepe paper fringe and a small crow from the dollar store.
I printed little banners on matching orange paper and glue gunned that on to the hats as a final touch...easy, easy, easy.

A picnic dinner with about 8,501 friends.

Life in PTown is pretty fabulous, and anything but boring. There is something to do here every weekend, if you feel like it.

This past Saturday evening, I went with my favorite Portlander to see a very-cool-only-happens-in-September-each-year event- the Swifts roosting at Chapman school. My daughter told me about it, and after hearing how amazing it was, I knew that I didn't want to miss this.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with this very cool act of nature, what happens is that these little birds, about the size of sparrows but with more elongated and pointy wings, migrate to South America for the winter, and they stop to roost each night in old chimneys and such (and the Audubon Society lady said they don't know if these little birds stay for one night, or several, before heading off on their way to warmer weather.)...and, Chapman School is a very old elementary school with a very tall chimney. (Now, my favorite Portlander  tried to tell me that the chimney was so old, it was built by the Aztecs with the help of aliens long, long ago, but I think he was pulling leg...)

Right before dusk, the birds begin to fly in a swirling fashion, and literally funnel themselves into the chimney for the night. There can be upwards of 35,000 of these little birds doing this, all at one time. According to the local TV news, the night we witnessed this cool phenomenon, there were around 8,500 birds, as best as they could count. (Do not ask me how or who counts these little guys.) It's truly an incredible sight, and it's impossible to capture it all that well on video, let alone in photographs, but we all tried anyway. Here is one short video.

Anyway.

I hurried home from the bank Saturday afternoon and packed us a picnic supper, and headed over to meet up with my sweet friend. When we arrived at the school around 5:15, there were already a few people gathered, picnicking, and enjoying the fabulous nearly 80 degree sunshine. (Trust me here, people, there could not have been more perfect weather for this!) See how tall the chimney is, in the photo from when we first arrived, here.... By the time the birds began to gather in the sky above us, around 7:00, there was not so much as an inch of visible grass to be found on the schoolyard...People were everywhere. On a side note, and having nothing to do with the Vaux Swifts, pizza seemed to be the number one choice for the masses of picnickers at this event. That kind of surprised me, as I don't necessarily think pizza when I think picnic, but that's just me.

Back to the Swifts.

Wow.

Writing about them doesn't seem to do any justice to what we actually witnessed with our eyes. The only thing that could have made it any better would have been really loud, dramatic music playing while the birds descended into the chimney. (think Chariots of Fire, or something kind of like that...) Aaaaaaah-mazing. Seriously.

*sigh* Just one more thing to love about living here.

Weekly words to live by - week 185

You are a unique creature.
You are here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand.
You are nature's greatest miracle.
You are rare, and there is value in all rarity; therefore, you are valuable.

Og Mandino

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If you'd like to join me in sharing your own "Weekly Words to Live By", use the Mr. Linky tool below to link your blog post to this week's specific Words to live By post, and please remember to link back to this post here on Notes From A Cottage Industry.

Nuthin' says Autumn quite like this three bean chili does.

Mmmm...mmmm...mmmm. Oh ya.

A couple of weeks ago, a friend took me to a way cool brew pub in the Pearl District, and we ended up sharing a bowl of their three bean vegan chili. Neither of us are vegans, but the couple at the table next to us were having it, and it looked and smelled so good that we decided to order up a bowl and try it.

Oh. My. Ga.

So yummy.

Anyway, ever since that Sunday, I have been craving another bowl of this amazing chili, so I decided to google it, and see if I might find the recipe, or one that sounded similar enough to try making it myself at home. I found a recipe right away that appeared to have what I was looking for.

I made this chili for the first time a couple nights ago when I was having that same friend over for dinner. Now, I don't usually like trying out a new recipe with company, in case it's not up to par, but the ingredients sounded good, so I took a chance. It's a Rachel Ray recipe, and I haven't ever tried any of her stuff, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect.

I needn't have been concerned, as it was dee-lish. (Actually...Yumm-O, as Rachel would say.) Here's Rachel's recipe:

• 2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan) olive or vegetable oil
• 1 medium yellow skinned onion, chopped
• 1 large red pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 large green pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
• 1 cup pale beer or vegetable stock/broth (I will use an entire bottle of beer next time, as this chili came out really thick)
• 1 (32- ounce) can crushed or diced tomatoes
• 1 (14-ounce) undrained can black beans
• 1 (14-ounce) undrained can dark red kidney beans
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne hot pepper sauce, several drops
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 (14 ounce) can spicy vegetarian refried beans

Toppings:

• 8 ounces (2 cups shredded) spicy monterey jack or smoked cheddar
• Chopped scallions, whites and greens
• Diced fresh seeded plum tomato
• tortilla chips or black bean tortilla chips, for dipping (I used tortilla strips and sprinkled them on top of the chili...)
  

Directions

Over moderate heat, add oil to a deep pot and combine onion, peppers, and garlic. Saute for 3 to 5 minutes to soften vegetables. Deglaze pan with beer or broth, add tomatoes, black beans, red kidney beans, and stirring to combine.

Season chili with cumin, chili powder, hot sauce, and salt. Thicken chili by stirring in refried beans. Simmer over low heat about 5 to 10 minutes longer, then serve up bowls of chili and top with shredded cheese, scallions, and tomatoes. 

**Note from Tracey** This chili would be equally dee-lish if you added chicken to the recipe, and I just may try that next time around.

I served it up with some Asiago cheese bread, and beer, natch. Not only was this a perfect Autumn meal, it was easy to make, in under 20 minutes prep time. Give it a try, if you're a chili fan.

Too short, but sweet...

I think I took the shortest, fasted trip back to the biggest little city that I have ever taken last weekend, lasting less than 48 hours, start to finish. The original plan was for it to be longer by three days, but, with lots of changes at the bank, I had to cut things shorter than I had planned. I wasn't willing to postpone the trip entirely, because babies simply grow too fast to let too much time pass between visits.

To tell you just how fast they grow...my grand daughter is driving these days. (My Gosh! Where does the time go?! Next thing you know, she'll be shopping for colleges.)
Our newest lil' family member is no longer a tiny newborn, and has a smile that covers his entire face. You cannot help but grin yourself when he looks at you with those big brown eyes and grins. Of course the Sewing Queen joined us as well....can't you just feel the love in this picture?

Aaaah, yes. Far too short of a visit.

Weekly words to live by - week 184

"Think what a better world it would be if we all, the whole world, had cookies and milk about three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down on our blankets for a nap." Barbara Jordan

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If you'd like to join me in sharing your own "Weekly Words to Live By", use the Mr. Linky tool below to link your blog post to this week's specific Words to live By post, and please remember to link back to this post here on Notes From A Cottage Industry.

I heart Frizzled chickens. BIG time.

Be still my heart. (Um...ya. That's a frizzled cochin chicken in the picture above.....don't you just wanna squeeze her and hold her close? I do.)

Seriously.

So....the other day, I was out and about in the always fabulous Portland (North Portland...Mississippi Avenue to be exact) with my most favorite Portland friend, just wandering through the cool little shops, and stopping in for a late lunch at Amnesia Brewing.

One of the spots we wandered into was Pistils Nursery (Have you been there? Way cool little nursery, with more than just plants. Apparently, they also are the resident experts on "Chicken Keeping".  They hold classes and events around the topic of chicken keeping in the city. Oh, and bee keeping, as I found out once I got home and googled their website.)

Mmmm hmmm, they have lots of little chickens and a few roosters running around at the nursery, (like the little gray one in the photo here.)

Anyway, when we spotted this oh-so-white-and-fluffy-cutie-pie, I asked my friend to try and get her picture....it was a bit tough, as little Miss Frizzle Cochin was camera shy and scurried into the plants, so the picture up at the top of my post shows mostly her back...er..the top of her head, and back. Here's a picture I grabbed from this website all about frizzled chickens, to show you a different view of my newest favorite feathered obsession....

Oh. Come. On.

Tell me she isn't the cutest thing on two skinny chicken legs. She almost looks to me as if she is wearing a chicken costume that is two sizes too big. (And I mean that in a really good way.) You see, the feathers on these cutie's grow in kind of backwards...curled...and they come in all colors.

Keeping chickens places other than farms has become wildly popular these days. People are loving the fresh home grown (laid?) eggs, enjoying the company of their little feathered friends,  and chicken coops are becoming little architectural works of art in many yards these days. Seriously, folks are designing them to go with their home style... In fact, I remember lusting after her chicken coop a while back.....Oh yes, I think I'd like having some sweet little pullets, but...I cannot have chickens while living in a town house.

Hmmm...maybe my favorite Portland friend should get a couple (or four or five) little frizzled chicks and build an Asian inspired coop to coordinate with the backyard so I could go visit them? Either that, or I just might have to make occasional stops at Pistils to visit with shy little Miss Frizzle Cochin.

Little packages. Big news.

Isn't this about the sweetest lil' necklace you've evah seen?!

I wanted to share it, because there's a wonderful story that goes along with it. You see, this necklace was given to me just the other day, by daughter number two, Carter's Mama. She found a perfect necklace for herself a couple of weeks back on etsy. (Are you an etsy fan? Oh my. So many talented people out there!)

Anyway.

She ordered the perfect necklace and couldn't wait for it to arrive. A few days later, her much anticipated package arrived, and when she opened it, this was the necklace in the box.

Precious. Beautiful. Perfect. But, not the necklace she had ordered.

She called the etsy seller and found out that her necklace had accidentally gone to a person in Australia, and she had received the Australian shopper's necklace. Well, the etsy gal was great about the mix-up, and said to keep the wrong necklace, and she'd rush out the correct order.

Carter's Mama knew I'd love it, and the wrong necklace then became mine. (ooooh, I like it when things work out like this!!)

What did the necklace that was originally ordered look like? Well, see for yourself....

Yes!!!! Our hearts are all a-flutter here, as we're all expecting a new lil' family member!! For the entire scoop, and to follow the adoption process as it unfolds, check out Carter's Mama's blog here, and their adoption journey here.

I've been bursting to share this bit of wonderful news for a few weeks now, but had to wait until I was given the go-ahead. I know God has his hands all over this, and my heart fills up and overflows each and every time I think about it, knowing He has chosen the perfect parents and brother for a perfect little someone, continents apart.

*sigh* Just like the song says...God hears "Amen" where ever we are.

A little Halloween decor.

Can you believe that autumn is upon us?!

I typically decorate for harvest rather  than Halloween in my own home, but with grandbabies in the picture now, I am getting back into the fun of decorating with a few touches here and there for them. That prompted me to add a few touches of the spooky holiday to my space at Camas Antiques!
I used a vintage secretary that is painted black as the backdrop for my Halloween items...(it worked out perfectly!)  and I lined the back of the secretary with my signature vintage book page decoupage. I am, all be it slowly, stocking one lil' corner of my booth with some Halloween items, and I am having a lot of fun creating banners and flags...and a few more surprises. I will have the last of my Halloween goodies in my space by the end of September. The little banners shown in my post are all available in my previous online Halloween kit, if you want to make you own.

I made a version of my flags with a Halloween theme, (like the one's I have in this online kit!) which I think are great to use at place settings on a table, tucked into a bow on a package, or sticking out of a bouquet of fall flowers...now,  I'd love to hear what you are doing for decorating for this spooooooky season...do share!

More foodie love.

I thought I'd take a minute or two to share another gift of food idea with you today. I got a ginormous bag of never-been-opened-restaurant-take-out boxes at a garage sale last summer and I. Heart. Them.

They are perfect for making guests a  lil' doggy bag after a dinner party, and they also make amazing lil' cookie (or other baked goodies) boxes.
I'll admit that I thought I was pretty clever when I found this quotation and printed it on a tag to go into a lil' box of chocolate chip cookies for one of my sweetest friends yesterday. I mean, it might sound cheesy, but I love good quotations...you know, the right quote at the perfect time (or with the perfect gift) can motivate, comfort, inspire, or simply bring a smile to someone's face. I made a tag on my computer, (complete with my witty lil' quote in "American Typewriter" font), and I used the tag to cover the tape on the tissue paper that covered the cookies. When my friend opened the box, I got to see a happy grin as the tag was read.

I tied a simple ribbon around the box, but you can do things up as foofy and fancy as you please. Just remember, things go from ordinary to extraordinary when you take an extra five minutes to add a personal touch, and it won't cost a dime.

So........Who's day can you make with a little treatie today?

Weekly Words to Live By - week 183

Spend your life with who makes you happy, not who you have to impress.

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If you'd like to join me in sharing your own "Weekly Words to Live By", use the Mr. Linky tool below to link your blog post to this week's specific Words to live By post, and please remember to link back to this post here on Notes From A Cottage Industry.

Ready for rain.

Oh ya, bring it on, baby, 'coz I am ready for it.

I was shopping with my daughter and grandson the other day and we came across these amazing rain boots. Actually let me back up a bit. We were talking about the corn maize at the big Pumpkin Patch on Sauvie's Island, here in Portland. The daughter told me that I should wear rain boots if I decided to go there, because, after it rains, the ground can be really muddy.

Of course, now that I live in a wet climate, rain boots are a smart purchase for lots of reasons...walking Moose everyday, running errands...you know, a girl's gotta have sassy shoes for any and all occasions, of you ask me. 

Anyway. Back to the rain boots.

I found them at Macy's but they were some insane price..like $54 or something. I showed them to the daughter, who announced she had seen some nearly identical at Target. Well, need I say more? Off to Target later that day...and, she was right! Less than half the price and identical. My day was complete, and my little life in Camas very nearly perfect now.

But wait. There's more.

This morning I had to run to WalMart for a couple of things, and I spied with my little eye....umbrellas. Now, before the rest of you that live here in the Portland area start with me...I know. If you are a true Pacific Northwesterner, you aren't supposed to even own an umbrella. Just call me a rebel with a cute umbrella then. I spotted the matching hounds-tooth umbrella and had. to. have. it. (Can you blame me?)

I know most of you are sad to see summer coming to an end, but I for one am ready for autumn weather...and I plan on looking cute out in it.

Good things come in HUGE packages too.

I got a call from my Camas Antiques yesterday. A package had arrived there for me, all the way from Michigan, and I needed to come down to the store and pick it up.

Michigan? I couldn't think of a soul I knew in Michigan.

Imagine my surprise when I opened the huge box, and it was crammed full of the most beautiful vintage linens I have ever seen! Tableclothes, vintage clothes, napkins, hankies...the list goes on and on. I was speechless, and so was my friend best buddy, Clark, who helped me open the giant box. Sweet, sweet Sheila had sent this wonderful surprise to me all the way from Michigan.

I know I have said this before, but the people out here in Blogland are simply the best. I am so grateful to live in a time when we can hop online and find friends and kindred spirits anywhere on the planet, and the world suddenly becomes a much smaller, cozier, more friendly place.

Sheila, thank you ever so much for such a kind gesture. I love everything and I will make sure that each and ever piece finds a perfect new home.

Closet hoarder.

 
I discovered that I am a clothes hoarder this past week, and never really knew it. Just like those folks on that TV show, I missed the red flags waving, as I purchased black tee's and white French cuff button down shirts season after season without so much as a "where-am-I-supposed-to-fit-these-in?" thought.

Mmm hmm. I spent a few hours this past weekend cleaning out my clothes closet. It occurred to me that I hadn't done this is since...well...judging from some of the items hanging in my closet... the mid-to-late 80's.

GoodGodAmighty.

The thing that prompted me to clean things out is the simple fact that, when I sit up in my bed, reading or on my laptop, or whatever...and the door to the walk-in closet is open, I have a straight on view of things (the photo above is the view from my bed, when the closet door has been left open...)....see what I mean?

Ya baby. I apparently heart me some white shirts. And brown And black. And...well, you get it.

Anyway.

I realized that I had quite a few white shirts and tops hanging in a long row there, which graduates to the mochas, the browns, the oranges, the reds...(I guess what I am saying is that I keep my clothes color coordinated in my closet, as well as by what they are- shirts, skirts, pants, dresses....It's easier to find things this way, and I like the way it looks, all peaceful and orderly.) and looking at them that particular evening from my bed, I suddenly realized that I still manage to only wear the same six or seven outfits every week of my life.

I began at one end of the closet and started looking at things, trying some of them on for size and such, going down memory lane. ( Oh yes, I wore this at the Pops on the River party three years ago...) It had me wondering in some cases, what exactly possessed me to purchase some of these items in the first place. I mean, just how many black cocktail dresses are too many? (If the answer is six I am over the limit.) Am I ever really going to wear that silver crocheted top out in public? (If the answer coming from me is yes, someone needs to stop me.) Is that maxi length velvet (Velour?) jacket a little too "early-70's-Stevie-Nicks", or "the-artist-formerly-known-as-Prince" looking to be out and about in this fall? (Ummm-ya, probably so...) This conversation in my head and decision making went on for an hour and half, folks. Then, I took a break and went to bed, and finished things up the following night.

Once I finished with all of the hanging items, I fearlessly tackled my lingerie area. Now people, I knew I was a shoe girl, and openly admit that, but I hadn't realized myself just how much I apparently also covet pretty underthings. (Again the questions began in my head, like.... if a girl has more than 12 bras should she find herself a 12 step program for that? ) What can I say? I have a weakness for girly underthings and nighties with satin ribbons, or lace...or both. And...if it's pink, it's even better.

In the end, it still appears that I have enough clothes, unmentionables and shoes to last me through the rest of my fifties, even after I filled three over flowing plastic trash bags with items for donation.

Now, if I can just remember to look past my favorite few outfits and wear the rest of what's hanging here, I'll be doing great.

Weekly Words to Live By - week 182

Think about this one for a moment. So true.

The thing is, this goes for things like health, time with people you care about...not only the material things. It reminds me of that verse in Big Yellow Taxi that goes, "Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got till it's gone?"

I have much to be thankful for.

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If you'd like to join me in sharing your own "Weekly Words to Live By", use the Mr. Linky tool below to link your blog post to this week's specific Words to live By post, and please remember to link back to this post here on Notes From A Cottage Industry.

Life is as sweet as we make it.

I was thinking last night as I was baking and decorating cookies for really sweet friend that it really takes so little to show someone that you think they are pretty darned special. It doesn't take an outrageous amount of money, or a lot of work. It just takes a little time, and a little effort. It's all about making the ordinary...extraordinary.

Mmmm hmmm, it's all in the presentation. A cute box or bag, some ribbon, a handmade tag and you're good to go. I buy these cute lil' acrylic boxes online, but you can find them at places like Craft Warehouse and Michael's Craft Store, and put a stack of cookies, or a cupcake in them for an Oh-my-gosh-how-thoughtful-was-that look on your friend's face when you give them their little prezzie.

I used my cheesy print program to make my tag, but you can use WORD on your computer, or hand write one just the same and make is just as cute as mine if computer-y stuff isn't for you. My print program creates ten tags per page, so I put the extra nine in a drawer where they will be easy to find the next time I want to use this idea again!

Ordinary cookies (mine are my frosted sugar cookies, but any home made favorite will be a hit and look every bit as cute) become fabulous when presented in a creative way. Spend an extra five minutes, and make your friends feel really special. Think about this the next time you're taking a hostess gift, or simply surprising your friend, sweetheart, co-worker...or your favorite postman with a little somethin' somethin' to remind them that they are special.

After all, life is as sweet as we make it, right?

Excess baggage.

Last weekend was packed full, from Friday night, finishing up things for the faire, all the way through to Sunday evening at nearly midnight. And...all of it was fun.

Sunday I went to the Oregon City Antique Fair with a friend, and we had such a good time, perusing the booths, and looking for hidden treasures. There was live music too, which made it extra nice as we meandered through, chatting and shopping.

I was so proud of myself-I even remembered to bring along my camera, planning to snap plenty of booth shots...but somehow, I completely forgot to take any pictures of the fabulous stuff we found. (Like the vintage turquoise and white travel trailer that was for sale.) We ran into quite a few of my friends from the Camas Vintage Street Faire the day before, and I forgot to snap pictures of them as well...in the end the only photos I took were of the restaurant where we ate lunch and the area next to to it, (Why I snapped a photo of this I am not really sure, except that I was waiting for my friend and it momentarily occurred to me that I hadn't taken a single photo as of yet. Of course, as soon as I snapped these two photos, I promptly forgot I had my camera with me for the rest of the time I was at the Antique Fair.)

  

Nice shots, huh? (Okay, so I think it's safe to say, especially after this post, that action shots are not my strong suit.) Um...ya. Oh, but on a side note...here is an actual decent picture of us and Sara Barreilles that the radio station took, for those of you that are into that kind of thing...(Funny...doesn't she look like she could be one of my daughters?)
Anyway.

Where was I? Oh yes, I was going to talk about baggage.

Amongst the other treasures I found, I got these two suitcases. I just adore the vintage appeal of the weathered texture, and the time worn look of them. The larger one is actually a square suitcase, which makes it all the more charming to me.

The great thing about old suitcases is that, while they add a nice touch of vintage to a room, they also hold anything and everything, you know? I keep old pictures in some of mine, fabric, and I actually even use one in my workroom to hold my stash of tissue paper. It's a perfect container for this, 'coz it keeps it neat, flat and out of the direct sunlight so it won't fade.

My biggest challenge isn't finding a perfect spot to place these little gems in my home, but remembering which suitcase I put what in.