Month: January 2011

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Seed money

by casadeberry2 Comments on Seed money

I sold some old stuff I had laying around and now I have my little veggie garden fund ready to go!

Aside from the goodness we can find at our local nurseries, there are some items I will probably need to order online:
Peruvian purple potatoes. Can’t wait to try these. We are setting aside a corner of our yard for our potatoes and these are definitely on the list.

Rocoto, a Peruvian hot pepper, is on the list as well, it can be made into a chili paste or also served stuffed.

Other items on the list are our tried-and-true favorites: zucchini, swiss chard, green beans, tomatoes, bok choy, lettuces, etc.

This year I am canning and drying tomatoes, so we are ordering a few different varieties and see which work best. I will also be drying many of my pears and making a ton of plum jam like last year. I hope to get a water bath canner to be able to process it to store without refrigeration, but if not, I will still make a bunch and freeze for later use.

I am so excited about my garden this year, and feeding my family lovely homegrown produce!

boys, sewing

My mercurial model

by casadeberry2 Comments on My mercurial model

I was told that if I wanted a photo of my oldest with the jammies I made him, it would only be with him standing on the back of the sofa.

Only 5 years old and already making demands like J.Lo, I tell you!
I just bought some flannel – it was super cheap at JoAnn – so I’m going to be making some fitted sheets and more jammies for my sweet boys.

colors, home, neutrals, paint, warm

Warm neutrality

by casadeberry2 Comments on Warm neutrality

I love looking through people’s homes, mostly when their sense of color is different from mine. I love cottage chic dining rooms, crisp and clean bedrooms, soothing blue and white living rooms. I love seeing how people put their visions together and seeing how the details are more often what pull it all into a cohesive look.

For me, it’s all about warmth, coziness, and the way I see that is through color. Our home palette is full of yellows, both butter and butternut colored, warm reds, honey-toned wood and a trim color in our kitchen/dining room called Peanut Butter 😀

Here are some more warm neutrals inspiration pics – all from Martha Stewart:

boys, clothing, sewing

Jammies with appliqued initial

by casadeberry1 Comment on Jammies with appliqued initial

My oldest boy went through a serious elephant phase a couple of years ago, and even though dinosaurs are now his thing, he still has a soft spot for elephants. I had bought some soft flannel fabric to make him blankets, but now that he’s left behind footy pajamas, I figured I’d make him some two piece jammies.

A couple of months ago I made him a gray set – gray/cream elephant print pants and I cut out his first initial out of a scrap of fabric left and sewed it onto a plain gray t-shirt. He loved it, my mother-in-law loved it, and my mother even thought I had bought it somewhere.

Out came another elephant fabric blanket for the transformation. Here are the steps I have followed – mom taught me how to get a elastic-waist pants pattern from a regular pair of pants.
Start out with a regular (not elastic waist) pair of pants.

Take one of the legs and pull it inside out.









Cut out the applique in the shape of your choice. Lucky for me, both my boys’ names start with A 😀

Stitch applique onto shirt. I use a zigzag stitch and do all the edges twice.

My boy is pretty psyched to wear these, but he needs to stop jumping around while watching Godzilla so I can snap a good pic 😀

bedding, inspiration

Inspiration: Pottery Barn

by casadeberry3 Comments on Inspiration: Pottery Barn

Ah, Pottery Barn, one of the leaders in home goods inspiration, and I mean *just* inspiration because their shit is too fucking expensive for this mama’s wallet.

But inspire they do, and isn’t that the best? To see something that makes little sparks go off in our brain because we just KNOW that we can make something like it for far less moolah.

Check out this pretty pillow:
I know the colors would look great on my burgundy sofa, but would I pay $29 for it? Hell no!

Or these darling distressed lanterns:
I’m even more distressed because there’s no way I’m paying $49 to $99 bucks for one of those! I have my eye on a couple of cheapo lanterns that I plan on painting white and faux-distressing.

However, I do have to stop, put my hands up and cry Uncle when it comes to their bedding:
I want this shit – I mean, these sheets – so bad, they’re perfect for my neutral-toned master bedroom. I love paisley motifs more than floral Laura Ashley type stuff, and let’s face it, I can’t exactly go out and make my own sheet set for less than the $99 a queen set of these would cost me.

It might just have to be a splurge later on, because these babies are calling to me. “Come buy us! We’re soft and cozy and go with your lovely neutral-toned bedroom!”

Orissa Paisley Sheet Set, I got my eye on you.

fashion, jeans, style

When you find a good thing . . .

by casadeberry1 Comment on When you find a good thing . . .

get it in as many colors as you can!

I swear I would be in trouble if Target made these jeans in more than TWO washes, but since they have only the two, I will admit that I broke down and bought the medium wash a couple of weeks ago.
I already had the dark wash and they were my favorite jeans ever, but with spring coming a lighter wash was needed and welcome.

autumn, clothing, fall, favorite outfit, neutrals, style

Favorite Outfit

by casadeberryLeave a Comment on Favorite Outfit

Here’s a very autumn-y outfit I love, but swap out the t-shirt and scarf and it could easily be more spring-y.

I like to keep things simple, clean lines in my basics, and then add a little glam with accessories. I got the bag a couple of months ago and I love it. It’s a metallic but so neutral I can wear it with anything, really. And it was under $25. Awesome.

I am also very fortunate that both my mom and my sister are prolific scarf knitters, so I have quite the array. Neither the boots nor the scarf are exactly what I have, but they are close enough.

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A time for tears, a time for laughs

by casadeberryLeave a Comment on A time for tears, a time for laughs

After commemorating my dear dad’s birthday yesterday I figured I was due for some levity. Here are some of my favorite YouTube videos, hopefully they make you laugh too!

Some of these are NSFW, so watch with caution 😀

Natalie Raps
The Guru – Chori Chori
Lullaby by Stephen Lynch
Jim & Pam’s Wedding
Karen Walker does Circus Music
Nail Salon by Anjelah Johnson

Enjoy!

dad

My daddy

by casadeberry4 Comments on My daddy

My darling dad passed away on July 3, 2010. Officially, he died on July 6, but that is just the date when the machines were unplugged. He was gone on the 3rd, after his third – and fatal – heart attack. They were able to fix his heart and get it going again, but his brain was without oxygen for too long and that, my father was unable to overcome.

Dad and I had our rough times, but after my firstborn arrived we agreed that we wouldn’t ever let others’ bullshit get in the way of our relationship, and that we’d talk everything out. He was a doting and proud grandfather and loved my boys dearly. He was always looking out for something new to get them, or making sure he had foods he liked at home for when we visited.

This is the last photo I have of me and my dad, taken a few months before he died. Today would have been his 77th birthday. We would probably have taken him out for dinner or brought dinner over to his place.

I miss you so much, dad, every day I think of you and the times we shared. I’m sure someday we’ll see each other again. Until then, I hope you are proud of me and my boys.

blake lively, girl crush

Girl Crush: Blake Lively

by casadeberry1 Comment on Girl Crush: Blake Lively

I just love Blake Lively. No offense to Nikki Reed, but if *I* had been in charge of casting Rosalie in the Twilight movies, I would have chosen Blake to play her. Please, the most beautiful creature on the planet? Easy choice. Nikki is a sexy, gorgeous brunette, but Catherine Hardwicke fucked up the casting big time and now in the movies, Rosalie looks like a bitch with a bad dye job.

ANYWAY, onto my girl Blake – she was just named the face of Chanel Mademoiselle handbags. Here she is with the Kaiser himself, Karl Lagerfeld:
Her smile is so sparkling and sweet, she might be a bitch from hell for all I know but come on, anyone who makes cupcakes can’t be all that bad.

And no, I don’t want Gossip Girl. I don’t have time. But I do love Blake. Or as I call her, my Rosalie.

Okay, that was creepy even for me.