Thrifted Master Bathroom Storage

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I've been working on organizing the master bathroom.  I'm tossing dated products and trying to bring everything we need into one central location, so we don't have to run back downstairs when we need Apple Cider Vinegar, for example.  Whenever I take on a new project around the house, my 2 questions are: 

• How can I solve my problem without spending any money.  
• What do I have around the house some where, which would make a suitable container.

How about my china hutch full of thrift store pillage and sweet vintage scores. 

It turned out lovely.  Better than I had planned.  I found candles, sugar bowls for baking soda, an orphaned gravy boat for Epsom Salts, an old jar with a lid for my Coconut Oil and an oil decanter for my olive & Castor Oil  mix I use on my face every night (which by the way, makes your eye lashes grow LONG).  

Which brings to mind another thought......

Use your stuff!! 

Don't keep your pretty things locked in a cabinet to be used once a year (or never).  Pretty things are meant to be used.  We can't take them with us.  Make your life and your world beautiful TODAY.  Don't wait for Christmas or a birthday to decorate.  PS: If you're not going to use it, or don't like it, get rid of it.  

All of this was thrifted.  I think I might paint this table though.  I'm not sure if it's going to stay here or not, but it works for now.  :)  

I've had an atomic tiered serving piece in the cabinet just taking up space and being useless.  I decided it would hold some make up.  I like lip sticks more than eye shadows.  Can you tell?  I don't own too much makeup these days so it's working just fine for the time being.  I also broke out my grandmother's piece of Fenton to hold some brushes and liners.  

What pretty things do you have around the house which you could use as a container?  Share with me.  :) Tell me what you think in the comments below. 

Thank you for stopping by.  I hope you're inspired.  Don't be a stranger.  

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Mom, just tell me you didn't move my brushes, ok?

Be blessed and be a blessing.
Choose Joy!

"And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." ~ 2 Corinthians 9:8

I'm sharing with these SWEET bloggers. Go check them out and make a new friend.
Hope In Every Season ~ Homemaking Party
Stone Cottage Adventures ~ Tuesdays With A Twist
Fluster Buster ~ Flusters Creative Muster Link Party
Someday Crafts ~ Whatever Goes Wednesday
The Style Sisters ~ Center Piece Wednesday Linky Party
Free Pretty Things for You ~ Pretty Wednesday Link Up
Savvy Southern Style ~ Wow Us Wednesday
Family Home and Life ~ Wow Us Wednesday Link Party
Knick of Time Interiors ~ Tuesday Link Party
From My Front Porch To Yours
Have a Daily Cup with Jann ~ Share Your Cup Thursday
A Delightsome Life ~ Home and Garden Thursday
The Shady Porch ~ Organize, Create, Feast and Fix
My Girlish Whims ~ Your Whims Wednesday
Ducks In A Row ~ Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop
All Things With Purpose ~ Things Thursday Link
Katherines Corner ~ Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop
Lamberts Lately ~ Create it Thursday
A Creative Princess ~ It's a Party
Beyond the Picket Fence ~ Under $100 Link Party
The Dedicated House ~ Before and After Wednesday
A Revisionary Life ~ Angels Among Us Thrifty Life Thursday
Rooted In Thyme ~ Simple and Sweet Fridays
Bacon Time with the Hungry Hypo ~ Anything Goes Linky

Make Your Own Kombucha SCOBY

It could be better to obtain a fresh SCOBY Kombucha Tea mushroom from a friend or maybe order one online.  That is not always the most practical way for me, however, as I keep forgetting to order and I have no friends who drink this bizarre, strangely delicious elixir of life.  Experimenting with self-sufficiency is commendable and rewarding, plus I enjoy the challenge.

It can be done.  Fear not!

(And I don't want to discourage you regularly purchasing from Kombucha bottling companies.  I LOVE their products and will keep buying them.  I enjoy their convenience and all the unique flavors they produce. Just sometimes in life we need or want a large vat of it.  Maybe this can help get you started).

Purchase a plain, non-flavored, commercial bottle of raw, refrigerated Kombucha at the market.  You don’t want the warm bottle off the shelf as it was probably pasteurized.  Your best chance is with the refrigerated one.   

Take a few sips and use the rest.  J  This liquid will become your starter.  Or don't drink any at all and use the whole bottle.  It's just for me, I can't resist. I gotta get a Kombucha hit. 

FYI:

(I have made it straight in the store bought bottle before. I drank half of it and set the other half aside to “grow” without adding anything to it. But in case the health inspector comes to my blog and tries to shut me down, I’m giving you the official, sanitary instructions).

Your liquid needs a sanitary, clean, glass jar or bowl to live. I prefer a taller container as they are easier to cover. A bowl is just fine too though.  Do NOT use metal or plastic. Ever. Glass only.  A quart size jar to make a starter is sufficient.

Make a strong cup of BLACK tea using distilled water, not tap water, as tap water contains chemicals which could possibly kill your starter mushroom.  To this cup of tea, add 2 TBLS sugar. Let it cool. Pour the cooled, sweet tea and the bottle of Kombucha together into your jar. The tea and sugar will be feeding your mushroom, similar to feeding your sourdough starter or your Amish friendship bread. 

I cover mine with a kitchen towel and secure with a rubber band.  You can use muslin, cheese cloth, a coffee filter or a paper towel.  It needs to “breath” so we don’t want to seal it with a lid or cover it with plastic. 

Place it in a warm, clean place out of sunlight, away from drafts.  I take the fabric lid off occasionally to give it some air, then recover.  

Now you wait.

Shhhhhh.....patience grasshoppa

You’ll get a “mama” or a SCOBY.  You might get one as soon as 7 to 10 days or it could take a few weeks.  I think the warmer your spot is, the better your chances of success.  You can’t leave it on a sunny, cold back porch and be sad when it failed.  It needs warmth and darkness.  By warmth, I’m not suggesting “heat”.  I’m thinking something similar to where you set your Thanksgiving rolls to rise. 

Once you get your mama SCOBY, you now have a SCOBY and your “starter”.  It's official. You can make a larger batch of Kombucha with this.

I would keep your first batch rather small, maybe half a gallon, because your starter is small and weak.  With each new batch you brew, it will become stronger and your “mama” will get bigger, thicker and more healthy. 

Thank you for stopping by my Little Shop of Horrors. 

If you found this helpful, please share.  I hope you'll follow my blog, over to the right. 

OH....and comment or ask questions.  I'm happy to help. I'm not a Kombucha pro.  I've been making mine since 1998.  I know a little, but I don't know everything.  

Oh Pooh, be fair.  Give it a chance.  It's good for you.
There's starving cats in China who would love this, ya know.

Encourage one another.

Be blessed and Be a Blessing.

Sharing with:

Growing Home Blog ~ Teach Me Tuesdays

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia ~ Tuesdays Treasures

Cornerstone Confessions ~ Titus 2 Tuesday Link Up

A Bowl Full of Lemons ~ One Project at a Time

Clean and Scentsible ~ Inspiration Exchange

Keeping it Real, Amiable Peoples

I understand your temptation to copy my trademark look and steal my decorating ideas and my ever so fabulous photography, being as this is a super duper trendy, superior "Lifestyle" blog and all... 

 

Please contain your enthusiasm.  Maybe try for a little more originality next time. 

Don't copy the "Saints" (ME) of holiday decor. 

 

Here is my covet inducing tour of my holiday home at this very moment in time. 

I have a hateful cold. 

Meaning, it makes me hateful and whiny. 

The Rats and the Nutcrackers are fighting and there is a fog of war in my virus infested nose.throat.ears.& chest. 

 

Pray the hero wins in the end!

 

My eclectic decorating style.  Dig a bunch of stuff out, throw it up there thinking the shoe maker's elves will come make it pretty. 
They never show up.  Oy vey! 

 

Oh crap!  Is that Halloween still out?  Oh, HEY...there's Pooh's new ball! 

Clean this mess up peoples~

 

See all my beautiful gifts wrapped under our pretty tree, on top of our heirloom tree skirt? 

*face palm* 

 

Speaking of tree......that ONE pink ornament is the bomb!  Awesome!!!! 

 

Found a goose feather on a friends farm.  Stuck in the tree!  Weeee!!!!   

 

Oh, and hey......what's up with people taking pictures of their beautiful kitchen sinks. 

Here's mine!  Enjoy!  Jealous are you???  Bah!   

 

Here is my, "At least I brushed my hair and put it up in a ponytail" self portrait.   

I didn't invent it, but I ROCK it. 

 

Feel free to copy anything within this delectable Christmas post and claim it as your own. 

Don't quote me or I'll deny it.

 

Merry Christmas to all.  And to all a good night. 

 

~~~~~glug glug glug goes the Nyquil~~~~

 

~The End~

 

PS:  If you like vintage Christmas, check out this blog post for yummy Etsy Christmas listings.



Knock, knock..."Housekeeping"

Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

The Weather:::
81 degrees here in Tampa, FL.  FINALLY a cool front comes today.  We'll cool off into the 60's tonight.  Probably rain this afternoon, which makes for perfect nap and Kindle time.

Right now I am:
I am sitting in the living room, seeing my 17 year old son work on his Anatomy and Physiology, looking around at what I need to clean up before our teen Bible study tonight.

Thinking:
Why did my husband buy so much toilet paper yesterday at Sam's, and where am I going to put it?  Hmmmm....

On my reading pile:::
Alison Weir and Philippa Gregory books.  I've been going through this Plantagenent and Tudor thing lately. 

On my tv:::
I'm sure I'll watch the debate tomorrow night.  Other than that, not a whole lot of TV watching going on right now, however, there is a lot of radio listening happening.

On the menu for this week:::
Lots of fish and vegatables.  I'm sure some chicken soup. 

On my to do list:::
Decluttering
Pricing for BIG garage sale
Go through BIG boy's closet and remove all little boy things.  :( 
Dust.

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::
A lime green and white baby quilt.  The top is finished and basted.  I will hand quilt it now.

Homemaking Tips:::
When I'm standing around the kitchen waiting for water to boil or something to simmer, I will wipe down a refridgerator shelf or drawer.  Doing one at a time, just a few minutes a week, always keeps my fridge clean.  Multi tasking at it's best.

 

Looking around the house:::
I see a mess, but not too big.  We have company tonight.  Need to get busy.  The cat is on the sofa and the dog is at my feet.  They follow me every where. 

From the camera:::
My best friends grandson, taking a nap on his mama's pregnant belly. 

 

 

On my prayer list:::
My nephew Andy.  My nation.  My son's plans and future. 

Bible verse, Devotional:::
Ecclesiastes 11:4 ~ He who observes the wind and waits for all conditions to be favorable will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.

Green Tomato Relish ~ Or Chow Chow

This is a continuation of a previous post. 

Green Tomato Relish Part 1 

Thought maybe I would just go ahead and share the recipe: 

This is my mother-in-law's recipe. 

It tastes good with everything

but my favorite way to eat it is with a spoon.  :) 

I especially like it with fish. 

It looks so pretty in a jar, doesn't it? 

Here is the recipe....
I have cut it in half before and even into 1/4ths when I didn't have enough green tomatoes. 

8 qts. green tomatoes cut into 1/4ths
7 onions
5 hot peppers
2 cups of sugar
1/4 cupt salt
4 cups vinegar

Put in pan.  Stir and bring to a boil.  Put in jars and seal. 

Sharing this with:
Coastal Charm Nifty Thrifty Tuesday (lots of good stuff over here)

Northern Cottage Party Time

Cedar Hill Ranch and the Cowgirl-up-linky-party

Tuesdays Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Ivy and Elephants and What's It Wednesday

Cozy Home Party at Cozy Home Scenes

Rock-n-Share-19 at The Shady Porch
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Choose Joy

Be blessed and be a blessing

"Oh, what I wouldn't give for a plate of fried green tomatoes like we used to have at the cafe. Ooh!" ~ Ninny Threadgoode, Fried Green Tomatoes

Poo says find a lap and get petted. 

Sun Tea in the South

Good morning from Florida.

My son's chore everday is to make the sun tea. When he forgets, we really miss it at dinner and he gets a good brow beating.

This gallon pitcher with the strawberries belonged to my mother-in-law.  I love seeing it out in the garden working for us now.  It was a cookie jar.  Cookies don't last long enough around here to be put in a jar, so it's perfect for our sun tea.

Make sure your jar is sterile. I prefer a glass container like this Bormioli Rocco Frigoverre Jug pitcher without a spigot.  Bacteria can be an issue if your pitcher is dirty or your tea gets old. Don't make more than you can drink in a day. We drink so much tea, leftovers aren't a problem. When we do have leftover tea, I just throw it in the garden as soil loves the sugar.  Acid from the tea is good for acid loving plants as well.  

We live in the south, so naturally there's gobs of sugar in my Mother-In-Law's tea.  When I make my tea with fruit or spice flavored herbal teas, I feel less need for sweetener and enjoy drinking really cold unsweetened tea.  Make what you prefer.  

Here is how I make mine:

• Use a very, very clean, sterile, glass gallon jar (I don't like plastic).  You can buy a new one, or use recycled pickle jars from Sams or Cosco.  They are easier to find in the summer.  
• You can use tap water, or distilled.  I'm fine using my tap water, but if you feel more comfortable, bottled is fine.  
• I use 5 family sized black tea bags (use 4 for weaker or 6 for stronger tea).
• On occasion, I additionally will use 1 or 2 Fruity Herbal or Spice Teas. Experiment and use what you like.  I love peach or raspberry.  My grandmother always put mint in hers.
• Cover with a lid or plastic wrap.
• Let it sit for at least 5 hours in full sun.  If it sits all day, it can get bitter.  5 hours is sufficient on a sunny day.  
• When you feel it's done, I add 1 cup of sugar.  My mother-in-law added 1 1/2 cups of sugar (basically making tea flavored syrup...LOL).  Everyone, especially the kids, love it this sweet.  I like mine just a pinch less sweet or unsweetened.  
• Put it in the ice box immediately.  Keep chilled.
• I think most people would say it will keep at least 2 days, but I just throw mine out.  Fresh tea just taste better every day and there is less risk of bacteria growth.  

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.  

I'm happy to answer. 

Pick some of your green tomatoes and make a favorite family recipe, Chow Chow.

Do you have a favorite brand of tea?  
Do you put baking soda in your tea?  
Comment below and share your tea memories with me. 

**************************************************************************

"Ecstacy is a glass full of tea and a piece of sugar in the mouth."

~ Alexander Puskin~

"Talk and tea is his specialty," said Giles. "He has come along inside....We'll see if tea and buns can make the world a better place."
~ The Wind in the Willows

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Be blessed and Be a blessing!

May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, 
for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains."

2 Timothy 1:16

**Yes it's true, I am an Amazon affiliate. I make only pennies (um, not even that yet) with every purchase you make. Thank you so, so much for supporting my little blog here. I'm trying to help my darling boy attend an expensive private college as debt free as possible. Thanks again. (((hugs)))**

"Waitress" and Blueberry Pie

What did you do this weekend?
Did you stay out of the heat or did you go out and play in it?
I worked on a rag rug...oh so cute. It's white, aqua and red to go with my kitchen.

We ate blueberry pie and napped with cats.

That's about it.

We have a good life, don't we?

What greater gift than the love of a cat? ~Charles Dickens

 

Did you see "Waitress "?

 Allyson and I love that movie. She invents pies and gives them great names now.

This cream cheese blueberry pie was named

"This Is So Much Better Than Math Homework Pie"

"Baby don't you cry, gonna make a pie, gonna make a pie with a heart in the middle.  Baby don't be blue, gonna make for you, gonna make a pie with a heart in the middle.  Gonna make a pie from heaven above, gonna be filled with strawberry love.  Baby don't you cry, gonna make a pie, and hold you forever in the middle of my heart"

If you want to sign up for  Amazon Prime  now, 

you can Instantly watch Waitress

for $2.99.

Do it!! You'll LOVE it.

Party Decorating idea

Here is a great way to decorate your table for a party. Buy a can of peanuts and set a candle on top. I hope you've been inspired in your visit to my blog today.
((((group hug))))

Such a great response. I never expected so many questions. As you can see, I purchased the peanuts at Publix and I believe I used salted, as salt adds to the glittery elegance. I also used a Party Lite candle purchased at a garage sale, so not only does this make a beautiful table display, it's economical as well...which means you'll have more money to spend on.......PEANUTS!!! A display for peanuts...or of peanuts.......

Please feel free to email me with any more questions. Blessings and Peace! Blessings and Peace!

Dumpster Diving IKEA Curtains

Some neighbors moved and threw a ton of stuff away. I couldn't bring myself to dig through their trash last night in the dark.  Eew.   

Today, I wondered over to their trash can under the pretence of walking my dog. I covertly let my dog smell around while I took a quick "nosey" peek at their lives in a can.  It's really sad actually.  With the housing market collapse in Florida, people are abandoning their homes, possessions, pets, etc.     

I found IKEA curtains and a rod.  Since we just moved, I have a dozen new windows and I need curtains pretty badly. 

The set is a sheer, soft cream with a large brown flower and a touch of lavender. They are a discontinued IKEA pattern.  I've already washed and hung them in my daughter's room because her room is brown and pink.  If she's happy with them, I'm happy.  Yay for free!

Here is a darker picture without the flash.  They are sheer so with the sun shining through, it gives the room a breezy, light feeling.  (The quilt is a Cinnamon Pink and Brown "Turning 20 Again")

I'm fairly confident, when God talks about virtuous women, He did include providing for our families, via the neighbors trash can, although, Lord willing, on rare occasion.  Thankfully, we don't have to do this on a regular basis.  BUT, finding "free" on the side of the road for our home and family, is awfully exciting at times.  And I am grateful.

What have you found free lately?  I hope you'll share and continue the conversation in the comments below.  Please follow our blog and get to know us better.  I'm anxious to meet you!  :)  

Be blessed and Be a blessing! 

Moved to a New House

We just moved two weeks ago. This is our school room. School starts next Thursday. Guess I better hurry, huh? I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. I tried to make it my sewing room, but got busted by my family. I'll have to stash my stash some where else. One thing I was really excited to find, after being packed away for a year, was our insect collection. Nothing was damaged and I never thought I would be so happy to see bugs! Now....where to put it????

You envy my mess, don't you?

I'm excited to hear your thoughts. The comment section is a friendly place. Really.  :)  

OH! And please follow our blog.  We want to grow!