Tea Towels for the Family

My grandmother was a lively woman. She was friendly, creative, and resourceful. She had no problem speaking her mind, and I pity any person who ended up on her bad side. She knew where all the best deals in town were, and her cellar pantry showed for it. Like many other women from her generation, she was also a great cook! With our large family, I'm sure the requests were a bit daunting when the holiday's rolled around - but she always managed to make my favorites. When she passed away, my grandfather let the family take some of her beloved kitchen items. I put those items to good use as often as I can. Every now and then I wrap her colorful granny apron around my waist twice and get to work feeding my family. A couple of months ago, I decided to scan in a few of her hand-written recipes and put them together in a digital collage to be printed on fabric at spoonflower.com. I knew there would be a few other family members interested in this idea, so I made a neutral design in black & white and decided to turn the fabric into tea towels. I gathered up the family orders and began working as soon as possible. I am very pleased with how the tea towels turned out and I love seeing my grandmother's handwriting all over them, scribbles and all.

Belle and Beau Move to Amazon

Christine Klein
Designer of Belle & Beau

     Belle & Beau is making new ground in an online network of shopping. Handmade at Amazon is the place for artisans to sell their unique, handcrafted goods to hundreds of millions of customers worldwide. Christine Klein, designer and primary developer at Belle & Beau, is excited about this venture because Amazon is the most shopper-centric platform available online today. The Handmade at Amazon network provides the same reliable support and customization for artists all over the world as it does for commercial products.

     As consumer concerns focus on environmental impacts and a stressed economy, supporting small local business becomes more important than ever. Amazon has consistently grown in value while online shopping has dominated consumer industries. Handmade at Amazon reflects consumer driven interest by providing access to quality, affordable, handmade goods. Shoppers can customize their searches by product type, artist location, price, age groups and more.

     Belle & Beau fans can expect to see new products making their debut over the next several months. Wildlife and nature continue to be Christine's primary source of inspiration. She has been busy at the computer, consulting with parents, designing new fabrics, and planning a line of children's toys that will inspire the imagination. If you've ever purchased from Christine or used her products, please feel free to write her a review that will help others feel confident in purchasing from her store.

http://www.amazon.com/handmade/belle-and-beau

Bracelet available at
amazon.com/handmade/belle-and-beau

Graphic art meets real world

My latest graphic art is now available in the real world. I designed these fish and printed my custom textile in the United States. This is my most favorite piece yet. Every aspect of this toy is handmade with care, from the fabric twine to the last stitch. Some of my earliest memories are fishing with my dad, and I know I would have appreciated a toy like this when I was a kid. This three-piece set will be sold with a simple wooden fishing pole and I hope it inspires hours of imaginative play! If you want to get your hands on this new item, make sure you come and see me at my next show. Further information available on my facebook page.

Belle and Beau Go Live!

Blockboards by Belle & Beau

New town means new adventures and Christine isn't wasting anytime preparing for the handmade scene in Tennessee. Belle & Beau is a newly formed, joint project with husband David, for a refreshing update to her original solo project Belle Adore Boutique. To start, Christine and David hope to join the handmade and indie scene happening in the Nashville and Cookeville areas of middle Tennessee. They have set their focus on children's items, particularly inspiring imagination, creativity, and problem solving skills. You can expect to see Belle Adore's classic reversible crowns as well as new items hand crafted by David, such as the miniature blockboards pictured above.

Crowns - Reversible Washable Adjustable
by Belle & Beau

Something special

Handmade blanket from Dad's fleece robe

This is our first Christmas without my dad. We lost him suddenly and too soon, at the young age of 54. It was a shock to us all and we continue to adjust. Christmas has been no exception. My two beautiful children are the only reasons why we pulled the decorations down from the attic and carried on with our usual traditions this year. We were pleasantly surprised with new ornaments, handmade by sister and brother-in-law, commemorating my dad's life. It was a real treat to watch the kids hang them on our tree. Even though we live several states away from each other, it's no surprise that my sister and I were both making special gifts that centered around my dad. I secretly worked on a blanket for our mom. I knew she wanted to turn my dad's robe into a blanket, so I took it to Florida with me, and that's what I did. I carefully cut it into useable pieces (my gosh that first cut was hard!), and found a fleece pattern with a feminine touch to add to it. I made it so the two side plaid panels still have the pockets. When wrapped around my mom, she can actually use the pockets. I really love the way it came out and now that it has arrived home, I can share it here. My mom loves it and I know it will get a lot of use.
           When grieving a loved one, there are many ways to honor that person and keep their spirit alive. I personally like having some of their things around my house. There are several kitchen items I use that were my grandmothers. Whenever I use these items (a Boston bean pot, a banged up metal colander, an apron too big for me) I go through a slew of memories with my grandmother. This is how I keep her spirit alive in my home. I have similar items from my dad, and even though the loss is still painful, it does help a little, having some of his things with me. Now....I'll have to think about what to do with those robe scraps!

Be a drop in the water pot!

Now that Odd Duck Bazaar 2014 has passed, my co-producer Shelley Mitchell and I are focusing on local charity work. Shelley and I got involved as participants in an annual Spin-A-Thon with Marine Industry Cares Foundation in 2010. The foundation contributes to local charities helping children and families in need. The organization and people involved are top-notch and I've personally seen the positive impact these foundations make on children and their futures. I have set the bar higher than suggested and I'm trying to raise $500 on my own. This year marks the 6th year and takes place at Esplanade Park in Fort Lauderdale, FL on April 25th starting at 1pm. I encourage you to join in support in whatever way you can! If you'd like to help either one of us meet our goals, please click on the links below to contribute today. We'll do the hard work!

 "Drop by drop the water pot is filled" ~Buddha

Make a donation to Christine's goal: https://www.marineindustrycares.org/participant-home-page/?tsr_id=1080

Make a donation to Shelley's goal: https://www.marineindustrycares.org/participant-home-page/?tsr_id=1076

Thank you to our sponsor Connell Communications for allowing our team to participate this year! http://www.connellcommunications.com/

Boston butt, baked beans, and creamy slaw

My crockpot has probably been THE best kitchen purchase I've ever made, aside from the basics of course. I'm always looking for recipes that call for fresh ingredients and require few steps in preparation. I recently came up with this pork Boston butt recipe by browsing the Internet, listening to family and friends, and tweaking for our tastes. I've served it with homemade Boston baked vegetarian beans, and homemade cabbage coleslaw. Here are the recipes and ingredients I used:

Pork Boston Butt BBQ Crockpot

About 3 to 4 lbs Boston butt

Dry rub, lysanders BBQ

4 cloves of garlic

1 onion

Bottle of BBQ sauce

Trim excess fat off of the roast. Use scissors to slice deep holes in the meat, then stuff with garlic cloves. Chop onion and place in the bottom of the pot. Put the meat on top then sprinkle the dry rub generously over all sides. Cook on highest for about 5 hours. Drain fat once or twice before finishing. Put on warm and mix about a half bottle of BBQ sauce in the meat after shredding with a fork.

Creamy Coleslaw

Shred half a head of cabbage

Use one small bag of shredded carrots

Finely sliver and chop white onion (optional)

Mix sauce ingredients and pour over vegetables, then stir:

3/4 cup mayo

2 tbs sugar

2 tbs apple cider vinegar

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbs olive oil

Boston Baked Vegetarian Beans

1 package of dry pinto or dry white beans, 1lb

4 cloves of garlic minced

1 medium onion chopped

5 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp dry mustard

5 tbsp molasses

2 tsp sea salt

Soak beans in water overnight, keep covered with water. Drain while preparing the bean pot. In a bean pot, place onion, garlic, sugar,mustard, and salt. Pour beans over the mixture then top with molasses. Cover all of it with water until about an inch higher than mixture. Bake for 6 hours on 300 degrees in the oven. Check after the first hour to make sure it hasn't dried up. After that, leave it alone. No need to stir at all!

I love other people's garbage!

Yes, you read that right...I love other people's garbage. I probably inherited this from my grandfather or at the least learned young....treasures WILL be found in the garbage! Lucky for me, I don't have to dumpster dive or paw through heaps of stinky bags at the landfill to find such treasures. Our neighborhood has one day designated each month for curbside pickup which means all the good stuff is saved for then to be discarded. I have found countless treasures, but the most recent tops them all! Check out this chair pair. I found them without the cushions, looking a little dirty, with the cushion supports falling apart. What I saw though were very easy fixes and potential for two reclaimed chairs in my living room....giving us some much needed extra seating!

First I cleaned them up. Then I replaced the supports with strips of feed sack, making that fix totally free! I measured the bottom seat and found replacement cushions, in a neutral color, online and made the back pillows with removable covers so I can change the look whenever I want. The fix ups cost a lot less than what two brand new chairs would cost and now I have stopped the fighting over the one chair we had before.

Leftover Mexican Medley

Leftover Mexican Medley

Tacos, burritos, quesadillas and the such are a common staple in our house. I can mix up the ingredients easily and everyone always walks away with bellies full & happy. Last week when I made soft tacos, I purposely doubled my rice and meat mixture so I could squeeze another meal out of one night of prep and cooking. Lets just say, it was a total success!

I took the leftovers, mixed them up in a bowl, added 1 cup of frozen corn, 1 can of black beans, and about 1 cup of shredded Mexican cheese.

I pressed this firmly into a deep pie dish (you can use any casserole pan or cake pan), then spread the leftover refried beans on top, and sprinkled more cheese across the top. Bake for about 30 minutes on 350 or until the cheese is starting to brown on top. Serve with scallions on top and a side of sour cream. This was a big hit with the whole family and works great being prepped ahead of time too! Enjoy!

The Ladies

Six ladies have settled in nicely at our home in the city. This family addition has put us further into urban farming than we've ever been before. Until now, we've been slowly changing our ways around the house, trying to teach our children what it means to be self-sufficient and eco-friendly. While it does seem to be the trend these days, we've been adjusting our lifestyle for as long as I can remember. My husband and I are absolutely creatures of habit and comfort. We don't mind new routines, but we certainly like our old ones. So, we do tend to take our time making big changes. Well, "the ladies" (otherwise known as six hens) sort of put us on warp speed for progress in the yard.

Two ameraucanas, two rhode island reds, two barred plymouth rocks

We had been discussing when and how we'd eventually obtain some laying hens so we could stop spending what seemed like a small fortune on organic eggs. When a sudden opportunity arose for us to adopt six laying hens, which were already laying eggs daily, we simply couldn't resist. My dear husband got to work immediately (despite the repeated days of rain) and built our ladies one of the prettiest little coops I've ever seen. We gathered tips and suggestions from experienced hen keepers, researched different coop styles, and eventually came up with this design. The coop provides the girls with two indoor nesting boxes and open air perching all constructed like a fortress to keep out those pesky predators and egg snatchers! In fact, it was built so well, when we accidentally closed it up with a rat inside - it could NOT find a way out until we opened the door in the morning. We learned our lesson and thoroughly check every night before lockup now.

The hen house inside their private free-range yard, which connects to the end of the house

Neither one of us have ever taken care of farm animals on a regular basis before. This has been a tremendous learning curve but luckily we live in an information age and I can find answers to my questions at a pace faster than ever. We've had the ladies for more than a month now and I look forward to interacting with them every morning. My children wake up early on their own, just so they can be ready for school early enough to go help with the morning chicken duties. We've also noticed the children want to spend more time outside in the evenings and they argue about who will do which chicken jobs because they want to do them all (except clean the poop).

Nothing tastes better than farm-fresh eggs

Overall, inviting these ladies to our home is turning out to be the best decision ever. Yes they are work. Yes they tie us to the house more. Yes they are loud. Yes the poop stinks. But we LOVE them anyway and those fresh, never refrigerated organic eggs are simply delicious.

Barred Plymouth Rock kicking up dust

Rhode Island Red looking for grubs

Chocolaty Delicious SuperFood Breakfast Smoothie

I've been drinking this for breakfast every day. In fact, I even replaced coffee with this chocolaty delicious breakfast smoothie. I've been feeling great and had to know (exactly) what these ingredients are doing for my body. The recipe began in a simpler fashion, coming from a friend-of-a-friend on Facebook when I was in desperate need of nutritious smoothies after a phase of TMJ. I added the parsley and avocado trying to incorporate more healthy ingredients without compromising the taste too much. I find myself trying to lick the glass clean and feel full for a few hours. Now, let's break it down to what we've got going on here. (I put this collage together for the added visual)

About 3 oz of Freshly Frozen Organic Blueberries According to the World's Healthiest Foods website, new studies show blueberries can be frozen for 3-6 months without damaging the precious antioxidants. Not only do the antioxidants assist the nervous system and brain health, but evidence shows 12 weeks of servings improve memory too! Blueberries also have a low glycemic index (GI) helping to regulate blood sugar levels. If you can't get fresh berries, grab some from the freezer section.

One Frozen Organic Banana According to NaturalNews.com organic bananas are a powerful energy boost. Bananas fight depression, cure hangovers, protect against diabetes, kidney cancer, and osteoporosis. Bananas are high in fiber, vitamin B-6, pectin, and potassium, aiding the digestive system while also stabilizing blood sugar. Peel the banana, break into chunks, and freeze in an airtight container. This is a great way to use up those really ripe bananas you didn't get around to eating.

Handful of Fresh Spinach Doctor Robin Wasserman, a writer for the LiveStrong website, says adding spinach to smoothies increases your intake of carotenoid compounds which self-destruct and prevent prostate cancer cells. Due to other compounds in spinach, you'll also reduce the risk of ovarian, bladder, liver, and lung cancer. Furthermore, the folate, vitamin K, calcium, and magnesium in spinach will aid bone health, blood pressure and heart health!

Tablespoon of Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley A health advocate from the GreenMuze website states "parsley is high in vitamin A, beta-carotene and vitamin C," and a good choice for bone health with vitamin K. The vitamin C is necessary for collagen, acts as an anti-inflammatory, and strengthens the body's immune system. Just one tablespoon is packed with nutrition, but it's best to avoid if you are pregnant.

Almond Milk This is my alternative to dairy because we suspected an allergy in the family and have been trying alternatives. The brand pictured here happens to be my favorite, but you can use whatever you want - even cow's milk. However, almond milk is low in calories (if you're counting) and rich in calcium plus vitamin's A, D, and E. Again, the calcium is great for bones and teeth. Use as much as you need to get a drinking consistency of your liking.

Quarter Piece of Haas Avocado Full of monounsaturated fat and antioxidants, avocado will help reduce inflammation and assist your body in absorbing all those A, D, and E vitamins. According to Oprah's blog, these are key elements in keeping your skin looking great! Avocado also has potassium, something your heart will be thankful for. I suggest blending the avocado in at the very end to avoid creating an extra thick smoothie.

Unsweetened Cocoa Powder Can you believe this ingredient has benefits too?! I have to admit, this is the main ingredient that pulls this smoothie together and almost makes you feel like you're indulging in a chocolate milkshake. I'm sure you've heard about health benefits of dark chocolate. Well, guess what? According to Leslie Beck's Body Science website, those benefits actually come from the cocoa powder. Although cocoa powder comes with added calories and fat, it is full of concentrated antioxidants offering a hefty dose of disease fighting compounds. In fact, the antioxidants are so rich, cocoa beats red wine and green tea in comparison! I use 1 to 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder in my smoothie.

Lastly, if you find you're missing one of the fruits or another ingredient, don't sweat it! Just substitute for the day or leave it out all together. I've used strawberries as a substitute and a half of an avocado before. Kale can be substituted for the spinach. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do. Cheers!

Do It Yourself Recycled Soap Holder

This post is for all the people with children, who frequently get their hands dirty outside in their gardens, and avid campers. Use a recycled mesh bag (mine is from the fresh garlic cloves I purchase at the grocery store), a stretchy hair band, and thick thread. Hand-sew the hair band onto one side of the open mesh bag. If you don't like to sew, just use a large safety pin instead! Stuff a bar of soap inside and hang it at the water spout for quick hand-washing outside. I don't remember where I saw this but it's exactly what I needed for the children!

Sewing with my serger machine

My brilliant husband gave me a serger machine for Christmas. I'm weird about when I read directions and when I don't....when it comes to things like my SLR camera and new sewing machine, I tend to avoid reading those manuals. So, my new machine sat (opened) in it's original box until March because I didn't have a good reason to experiment with it yet. Well, the other day a couple of friends inspired me to get it out and start using it (we're attempting to knock-off the Victoria Secret bathing suit cover-ups). After an evening with my dear friend Shelley, whom I lean on for creative support, I was feeling a bit more confident about my new machine. Yesterday I had an impulsive idea to re-create a favorite skirt from my closet. Before I go any further, I must explain how my serger changes my level of creating. The serger makes these really great stitches which completely remove the need for additional hemming and provides a more finished professional look to clothing. It basically saves me a lot of time and headache when using difficult fabrics! This layered wrap skirt only took me a couple of hours to throw together (and that was without a pattern). I'm thrilled with how it turned out, especially since I used old fabrics from my sewing stash. This new skirt cost me zilch, and it's reversible! My 6-year-old is now anxiously awaiting for me to make her one.

Odd Duck spreads it's wings in a new nest

My crafty pride and joy is the annual Odd Duck Bazaar & Indie Craft Fair. I organize this event with my very-awesome partner Shelley Mitchell from Kitschy Aprons. This year we've provided the Duck a lovely new home in downtown Hollywood at Federal & Monroe Street. On Saturday, March 31st, more than 80 handmade vendors will convene to provide the most peculiar craft show in South Florida.

We've painstakenly hand-selected our participants, striving to offer a diverse selection of goods with a variety of price points. This was no-easy task! Shoppers can expect items ranging from log coasters, robots made from vintage roller skates & tin canisters, steampunk jewelry, dog bedding, children's clothing, original art, paper goods, to victorian puppets. Admission to the show provides several freebies as well. The first 100 paid attendees will receive re-usable tote bags with the hand-printed Odd Duck logo, full of goodies, valued at more than the $5 admission price. The first 500 attendees will receive a copy of our event Zine (a mini-magazine) with craft lessons & coupons. All attendees can bring their own re-usable water bottle to use at the free water refilling station hosted by One Beautiful World. Trash to Treasure is hosting the free craft tent where shoppers can learn how to make custom beads. Live acoustic music will be played by sosos and Bela Kawalec where attendees can sit in the shady courtyard and enjoy a bite to eat from one of our food vendors: Ms Cheezious or Be-Faer Shaved Ice. To top it all off, if you didn't get enough Odd Duck all day, join us at the after party a couple blocks away at Mickey Byrnes Irish Restaurant. All guests will receive two-for-one drinks until 8pm and have the opportunity to mingle with the talent of Odd Duck Bazaar.

So, as you can see, I've been working my little duck tail off to bring you an event you won't forget. I hope you'll come out and enjoy the beautiful day with us and celebrate everything odd. The venue is located at 1770 Monroe Street, Hollywood 33020. www.oddduckbazaar.com

Holiday Greeting Cards

Every holiday season (well, almost every) I like to make our family holiday card through my shutterfly photo account. My account is free and the website features are easy to use. They offer nice discounts as well. To help cut costs, we take our own family photos. This year we took advantage of a beatiful state park as our backdrop (we visit several during the cooler months). The trick is to take lots of pictures because you're bound to end up with at least one good one! It's only frustrating when you look back and realize only the first one was worth keeping.

I like receiving custom photo cards from our friends and family. Our social network reaches near and far, so this is my favorite time of year to check the mail. It's especially nice to see how much people have changed and watch kids grow from year to year. From my family to yours, we hope you have a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season! Cheers!

Photo Card

View the entire collection of cards.

Etsy Treasury

An Etsy.com Treasury is "an ever-changing, member-curated shopping gallery." For those of you non-etsian's that means someone like me (an Etsy shop owner) puts together a digital collage of other creations and vintage items found on Etsy. The shop is "ever-changing" because things are always selling! The curator can update the treasury as often as items are sold, which keeps the treasury always up-to-date and full of interesting items.

I personally have a lot of fun putting these treasuries together. I find them to be one more avenue for me to express my thoughts and interests. As a teenager I used to cut images out of magazines and glue them onto poster board, creating personalized collage art for my room. I'd hang these things everywhere - including the ceiling. The collages always had themes - each clipping having some connection to the next. The Etsy Treasury reminds me of the countless hours I spent pawing through magazines as a teen. When I find myself with nothing to do, I'm browsing the pages of Etsy and instantly inspired to start copying links into the little Etsy Treasury boxes. My latest is titled Indian Summer and I think it's my new favorite!

Indie Craft Show THIS Sunday!

If you find yourself with some free time this Sunday you should probably come and check out a new indie show in town. Art: Sunny Side Up is being hosted at the Hilton Hotel in Deerfield Beach, FL, from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. This is not just an indie craft show though - it's also a fundraiser for a local school, plus there will be live music and other great activities! It's only $3 to get in and cheaper if you come with a friend! Use the handy vendor map below to find my booth. Hope to see you there.

Popsicle Stick Village

Earlier this summer I wrote about a project I was working on with my children. We started building stuff with popsicle sticks and invited our friends to have fun with us too. A couple of my mommy friends started building at their homes with their children. At the end of the summer, we all got together with our creations and created a popsicle stick town. First, I have to admit, I had a lot of fun building with my children. We spent hours, on and off during the summer, planning, gluing, waiting, and painting. Although the bulk of the building was done with popsicle sticks, we used a variety of wood (including toothpicks). When it was all done, it was even more fun finally seeing what everyone else created!

Vintage Cockade

My last post was about the vintage ribbon I scored while visiting Maine. I won't be able to use all of the ribbon for this project, but some of it is definitely a perfect fit. For a low fee, I paid for a tutorial on Etsy.com. The tutorial taught me a 1920's-based ribbon work technique. The technique creates a cockade, otherwise known as a ribbon star. The cockade can be used in a variety of places including as a holiday ornament, necklace, or decorative gift wrapping. I plan to use mine as holiday ornaments. I can't wait to decorate my tree with vintage cockades! The ornaments are also 100% Eco-friendly because I salvaged the ribbon and did all the sewing by hand. It didn't take me very long to complete either. I worked on it while relaxing and watching TV. I know this would be a great project for traveling too! It doesn't require many supplies and does not take up very much space. The style possibilities are endless because ribbon comes in all sizes, colors, and patterns. So, what do you think?

Vintage Ribbon

I recently visited my grandmother, and to my pleasant surprise, she was having a garage sale. The first table: full of fabric and ribbons. I snatched up a couple of vintage fabrics and a handful of vintage ribbons. I quickly started brainstorming about what I can do with the vintage ribbon. I've come up with a couple of strong possibilities but I'm still open to other ideas. I'm curious, what would YOU do with vintage ribbon if you had the chance?