thoughts on peanut butter

 

I made peanut butter today. So what's so special about that, I hear you say. Well, nothing really except that it's given me something to ponder and I want to share my thoughts with you.

I used to make peanut butter fairly regularly when our brood were younger. I haven't made any for about 10 years or so for various reasons.

Stuy loves peanut butter. I like it too, however I've also read a little about mould contaminants or aflatoxins in past years which made me a little dubious whether peanuts were all that safe to eat, not to mention the omega 6 to omega 3 ratio. So all in all, I prefer to use almond or cashew butter......but I do also like to keep The Best Man happy ;o)

Anyway, my thoughts today were more along the lines of plastic waste. Here's the thing - I bought 3kg of peanut butter nuts from our wholesaler. (I have hosted a small buyers group for about 19 years now and we buy most of our dry goods from them). We buy nuts, seeds, flours, dried fruit and more but they all come in plastic bags. Yes there's one plastic bag for every 3-4kg lot I purchase. I do reuse them if I need to divide the 3kg up and the ladies in the group send me back most of their empty bags to also reuse.

But it got me wondering today if I'm making any difference to the amount of waste I produce. I bought 3kg of nuts and used my Champion Juicer to make an equivalent amount of peanut butter. I used recycled jars that I scrounged from my daughter. All well and good but I have still used and must still eventually dispose of, The Plastic Bag!

So my thoughts are - by buying in bulk I save myself money, which is important to me; buying in bulk means I do bring home plastic bags, which is something I strive to not do - thats important to me too. Whereas if I buy a jar of peanut butter every week or so I'm bringing home a recyclable glass jar but spending more dollars...and I have to remember to actually buy it!! I like having bulk food in the house (didn't need to stockpile for Covid since I was stocked!) but I don't like the plastic that comes with it, even though I eventually send it off to the soft plastic recycling bin in Woolies.

It's a conundrum. And a First World problem, I know.

What do you think? What would you do? I'd love some different perspectives :o)

a bit of this and that

It's been a funny kind of week. After my last post, I just couldn't seem to find my groove and wandered a bit - literally and mentally. I'm putting it down to the lack of sleep and the wild dream, although I have slept a bit better since. It's a kind of unsettled feeling, as if I'm in limbo and not sure of where to head. Is my love affair with solitude coming to an end? Part of me screams 'Not Yet Please' while another part whispers 'Yes it's time to look outside again'.

But 'outside' is not the same anymore and I unsure how to navigate this new world. So I'll just stay home a little longer and try for a return to the contentment I felt during the last few months. I wonder if we are all a little at a loss about how to move into this new way of life? Surely I'm not alone in my bewilderment?

I started last week with a little watercolour sketch of some backyard roses my oldest granddaughter brought me. There aren't many flowers to be had at this time of year here, so these were much appreciated. I'm a bit of a dabbler in many types of arty pursuits but there's something simple and childlike in watercolours and I always feel soothed after an hour of splashing pretty colours on paper! 

It's getting very frosty in the morning's and way too chilly at night...which means it's hottie time!! I made this one out of an old blanket for my daughter last year and borrowed it to trace the pattern. So far that's all I've done and my own water bottle is still wrapped in an old jumper. I have hopes of actually being motivated to make one for me in the next few days. Or so. 

Then later in the week I gathered some op-shopped fabrics (and an old sweatshirt of mine) to cobble together some pyjama's for the two granddaughters. Ugh, I couldn't find right sized patterns so had to make do and add length and minus width - which I really dislike doing. Simple, straightforward and quick is my motto! I managed with minimal gnashing of teeth and they happily went home with a pyjama bottom each - the tops will get done another day. I hope ;o)

 I also started to shorten a shirt that Stuy had brought back from India a few years ago. He's hardly worn it and since I'm not a fan of the long length, I suggested I cut it off to make a tucked in shirt. I got as far as unpicking the pockets and then folded it neatly back onto the to-do pile. Like I said, not much motivation this week.

 This thrifted skirt did actually get a complete makeover!! Yay! I like my skirts above the knee and wear them with tights, so I'm always excited when I see one at the op-shop that fits and just needs a trim! This one is nice and swirly and I'm sorry now that I haven't got a photo of me wearing it. Oh well, you'll have to use your Minds Eye!

And I feel I need to mention that yes, I do all my cutting out on the floor. No tables here that are big enough to use for cutting since the only one we have has the sewing machine and my art stuff on it. Anyway, I tell myself that all the crawling around on the floor (but not the swearing) is good for my swerves! Although the swearing helps!!

Which brings me to today. After a gnarly start, my day just seemed to get worse until I finally just gave up and sat down to paint. And then I got inspired....and made a delicious dinner....and then more inspiration for this blog post! Amazing what a bit of art can do!!

Thankyou so much to all who commented on my sleepless night. As Regula said 'It's comforting to know that there are women all over the world not being able to sleep on occasion'. I agree. Women just like you and me. I hope you all have a wonderful sleep tonight - or a beautiful day!!

Thanks for stopping by xx

really junky journals

Sometimes I feel a little snowed under with responsibilities, to do lists and other peoples needs and desires. My days are often a whirl of car trips to ballet or homeschool meetings or airport pickups for various family members. Then theres meals, washing to dry before the fire due to the wet weather, visits from daughters, babies and boyfriends and a huge plethora of other random happenings that occur when theres a large family living in close proximity.
Lately, I've also been trying to create more hand made repurposed books for a market stall I'm aiming to have in spring as well as some classes for journal making and SoulCollage®. Although I'm a licensed SoulCollage® facilitator, having trained in Melbourne last year, I've yet to be brave enough to give a class. With little quiet time to get my thoughts sorted enough to plan them out, all of these things have taken a backseat and I've been struggling just to get basic household jobs done……like feeding everyone a healthy meal on time or changing their sheets.

For me, creating something is almost as necessary as breathing. When I don't have the time to think, plan and move forward on my myriad ideas and dreams, I tend to fall in a very messy heap, so I've learned to go with my strong creative drive and just Do It! With a very stressful and busy week behind me last week, and nothing achieved on all the items that I had planned to do, I just needed to create SOMETHING!! Something that would lull my logical left brain into a state of somnolence, yet feed my creative right brain with hearty, arty fodder! These messy junk journals were just right!    

I had started these about 6 months ago but they were put aside while life moved along at its usual fast pace. The green one was created first, from something I saw online, probably someones blog. I tend to do that, just see something and think I can make that, and then try it! So I made the green one and almost finished it back then but really wanted to know how to Make Them Properly! Last weekend, after following a rabbit trail, I found Mary Ann Moss from Dispatch from LA blog and her Remains of the Day Journal class. She is the funniest thing and writes hilariously as well as sketches beautifully. And oh yes, she rounded off my attempts very nicely and the lovely pink journal came into being! 

Both of them are made almost entirely from random bits of leftovers. There are quite a few heavy weight, brown shopping bags in there and a lovely scrunchy bag that came all the way from Bolivia with organic quinoa! Theres old book pages, pages from an old music book, an antiques magazine and an old poetry book. An out of date atlas, some pages from Frankie magazine and lots of lovely envelopes with windows to peep through, as well as offcuts from the repurposed books I make. The covers are VitaBrits boxes for stiffness and some of the many, many thrifted fabrics, fabric offcuts and doilies that I have in my stash! My sewing machine was put to a different use, sewing up paper scraps and it was certainly lovely to be quite haphazard about placement and hanging threads! 

Some embellishments with my hand carved stamps, a new to me bookbinding technique, a length of fabric for a closure and they were done. One each to my two oldest girls. Which means of course that I now must create two more for the younger two…..and then theres a daughter in law or two…..and a few friends…..and what about me???

Yes, all the frenzied creating was just what I needed. My tiny loft bedroom/studio is now covered with lots of threads and snippety bits of fabric and paper but my heart is satisfied. All the other items on my to do list are still there too. Waiting. And thats ok. They can wait a little longer. My busy brain had a little rest and my spirit has been replenished. For now.


I've joined in with Nicole at Frontier Dreams today. She has a great link up to all sorts of creative crafting called Keep Calm Craft On….which I thought was rather apt for my post today!!

And I've also shared this with Linda at Natural Suburbia on her Creative Friday post. She has some of the cutest knitting patterns over there too - do have a look!

how to make seed packets from old book pages

Very early this month, our home eduction group held a Garden Swap. The idea is that everyone brings along something either from the garden or pertaining to the garden - you receive a token for every item you bring and in return you can take one item per token. As you can imagine there were a lot of different goodies to swap with……loads of potted plants of course and seedlings, fresh seeds and abundant vegetables from autumn harvests, jams, baked goods, garden magazines, big bags of seaweed and manure, even some kombucha starters. I brought home a few bags of the afore mentioned seaweed, some potted herbs, big bags of onions and two different jams, chosen by my children! To swap, I took along rhubarb, coriander seedlings and some fresh dill and chive seeds.

I may have mentioned that I have a tendency to do things at the last minute and the seed packets were no exception!! I realised very late (well, ok the day before but thats pretty last minute!) that I needed to put the seeds into small packets. Naturally I wanted something pretty but fairly quick to whip up and I came up with the idea of using old book pages which I have a lot of and a simple sketch to tizzy them up! The end result was a bunch of quirky little seed packs that looked cute as well as repurposing something that was no longer used.

In case you want to make some too, here are some step by step pictures which are mostly self explanatory. If I knew how, I'd add a link to a pdf doc with the pattern for you, but I've googled and it all seems a bit complicated for this time of night, so you'll have to make up your own. Its not hard!

I used a book that I picked up for free. Its written in Dutch so I can't read it but the cover will make another journal and the pages will get used up in all sorts of ways!  

It didn't take long to draw up a very simplistic dill seed head and then with just a teeny bit of watercolour they were transformed into a unique seed packet!

I put one heaped teaspoon of seed into each one and wrote the amount in small lettering on the back of the pack. They were stuck together with a glue stick.

While the paints were out, other artistic folk came along and had a painting spree too! 

I also made some coloured packets for chive seeds although I didn't like the end result as much but they did the job. A friend has a chive problem in her garden. Can you believe it? She has them popping up everywhere and they just keep self seeding, so we lopped all their lovely heads and I spent a few hours winnowing the seeds from the husks. 

By the time I'd huffed and puffed and blown all the husks out of the bowls, I was beginning to have some idea of how the wolf felt!! 

And just for fun, here are two creations made of pumpkins! There was a competition for best pumpkin sculpture and these were the two entries. I also wanted to take some photos of all the goodness that was there for swapping but I forgot and then it was all gone!! You'll have to take my word for it!!

Let me know if you think you may make your own seed packs. I think its something useful and arty all in one, and that suits me just fine!

how i made my own planner

At the beginning of every year I have big plans. And always, the biggest plan of them all is to be a better planner! And with that in mind I've been reading books and blogs, writing up lists and pretty planner pages as well as dreaming up all the projects that I can possibly fit into one busy year! I've only been using a daily planner for the last 5 or so years - before that life just went with the flow - but I've become rather attached to having one and seeing things set down on paper rather than rattling around in my head!
For the last two years I've made my own and Ive been quite happy with them……but I do like a change and I feel I'm going to be busier than ever this year with extra activities and study as well as keeping track of children's work and play! So I've expanded and reworked and I think I've come up with one I will like.

Here are the previous years versions - I repurposed pretty Country Style and Vogue Cooking magazine covers (truly, there are often the most gorgeous pics on there as well as cool words!) and I printed the pages from Leonie Dawsons Create your Amazing Life Planner. As you can see, it has hour times, the Most Important Tasks for the day and a space for some words of wisdom to ponder over. And it was good. But I wanted more!

Can you see what I mean about pretty pages and good words? In Full Bloom and Celebrate Spring - just what I like to think about! (Excuse the two lousy pics - wrong time of day!)

So, on January 1st, I started trawling through Pinterest for some ideas, preferably with free printables. There are lots but I soon realised that there aren't any that are really me - colourful, A4 size (I have lavish sized writing!) and with  categories that are just suited to my life. Whats a girl to do? Well, me? I just make my own!!! I did model mine loosely on the pages found on this site and have also used some of them as is for now but the ones I use every day I wanted brighter and slightly different. 

I simply drew up a master copy using a thick black texta for the lines of the boxes. Then, after finding a couple of nice colour schemes, I traced those lines onto fresh papers which gave me 5 different looks. Yes, it took a while to rule all the smaller lines into each box but I was on a mission. You can see a plain sheet at the top of this post. 

Then came the fun part - words, colours and washi tape! With not too much effort, I had five personalised, pretty planner pages to use as master copies. I like the different categories although I have found that I run out of room in the 'to-do' section and have extra room in the 'time block' section. Hmm, maybe some more tweaking….!

I also drew up a Goals for the Year page which Ive not done before, having only used a vision board, so I'm hoping this works just as well or even better! Notice the wishful thinking about Christmas gifts? I've never yet finished Christmas gifts until December 24th but I am an eternal optimist!!

Theres a page for each month (not pictured) one for each week with three goals broken down into smaller actions and I've also printed out a ready to go page to use for the weekends when the schedule is a little lighter (and have I mentioned that I like a change?)

There are five sections separated by art works from my children, complete with homemade tabs. Yes, it all looks very official with 'menu' and 'blog' tabs but …ahem….those sections are still empty although I do have grand plans….!!

The cover is from a large children's board book and I've bound it all together using the same rings that I use on my Etsy journals. I'm not sure yet how much I like using these rings as opposed to the sort that come in a ring binder and open with one 'snap' as I want to change the pages daily so I can always see the complete weeks actions as well as the current day and thats a bit tiresome undoing all three separately. The rings work really well for my journal where I may just want to add more pages now and again but not move any around. For this planner, I'm considering how to deconstruct an old ring binder and reconstruct it with a completely different cover style. Will keep you posted. 

 So there it is - my very personalised planner! I did have a lot of fun creating it - although I used quite a few brain cells working it out to my satisfaction - and so far I'm finding it good. My only dilemma is that I'm using a lot of paper and I'm not sure how to fix that. The pages are all only printed on one side -  although I do use the other side to jot down thoughts and random writings that spring to mind every so often and I will possibly use it next year as an art journal by gluing pages together and slapping on paint with joyful abandon!! Any other ideas?

 Oh and if you have a chance to borrow this book, do so! Its fascinating. Although geared towards executives and office workers, it has some amazing tips and techniques and a whole new way of being organised. Highly recommended.

Do you have any planner ideas that I may like to implement? Any books that I may need to read? I'd love to hear from you!

a teeny confession

I have a confession to make. No, no its nothing really sinister, such as perhaps, a former life as a can-can dancer (which I have been, ahem) or a clanking family skeleton hiding from the light of day (which I'm not aware of). Nothing like that. Really. None the less, this secret that I try to keep from friends and family (less successfully from family, I might add!) is an ever growing dilemma…..and its threatening to become a chronic illness. 

Come closer. Im going to whisper to you now, ok?

I'm a hoarder.   

Right. So you didn't hear me? I'll say it louder then - I'M A HOARDER! Yes, yes I am indeed! There, I feel better now having got that off my chest! So, are you still my friend? 

But hang on, let me explain. I'm not as bad as those poor people from that TV show which I can't remember the name of right now - you know, the one with the nice Greek psychologist who says,  "Theres a little hoarder inside all of us". I only hoard most things useful stuff and I sometimes mostly use it. For example, look at that photo above. I collate an order for bulk whole foods every two months, and there, see what comes wrapped around the shampoo bottles? Long lengths of paper towels. Ooh, can't throw that away because I have the perfect use for it and anyway, what a waste - lets repurpose that. 

And then there are the toilet rolls and the longer cardboard rolls from inside waxed lunch wrap….and the odd bottle top (just the occasional one, I do not have boxes of them stashed under my bed, just for the sake of keeping them, alright?) They both make great circles when dipped in paint and applied to journal pages. Old paint chips come in handy for adding a pop of colour and the thicker type of junk mail make great paint palettes. Bubble wrap for making pattern, gyprocking tape for added texture, used gift wrap, old paper dress patterns, styrofoam trays, old credit cards for spreading paint and the list goes on…..

Then theres the lovely array of mini mags that come inside the slightly more useful magazines I buy or pick up second hand. Some of them are small and cute and have nice thick pages and, if I don't cut out the nice images, I use them to make a quick, small journal……its far easier to paint over an image or bit of writing thats already there on a piece of junk mail, than it is to face a blank white page in an expensive journal! It matters not if I make a mess!

Heres an example of a mini mag journal. I think it was from a furniture shop called Domayne? Not sure, but I do like it a whole lot better now!

How about old book pages? One of my children made one of those secret cavity books out of a very fat Australian Trotting Stud manual and I couldn't bear to just throw out all that lovely printed paper. So now, it comes in handy to do quick sketches or to paste as backgrounds for journal pages. Once again, it doesn't matter if I muck up a drawing - its only junk paper! Yep, lets repurpose that too!

Lately we have been eating a lot of Vita Brits for breakfast (yeah I know, but the kids actually like them) and now I have a lot of Vita Brits packets. They are nice and sturdy and since I've been adding them to my collection of other nice sturdy cardboard packets and have quite a large amount, I decided I'd use them for painting and playing. A coat of gesso and then whatever paint or paper takes my fancy and another 'masterpiece' is born!!!

What about those little bits of 'junk' that pass through our lives? Make art!!!! This one was for a Journal52 prompt, 'Recycled Art' and I used words from newspapers and magazines, old stamps, some of the many business envelopes I hoard collect and other bits of ephemera. I think it needs something else done to it but my mantra is "It doesn't have to be perfect and it only has to please me" so for now I'm pleased with it.

Now that I have bared my soul to the world (huh, wishful thinking!) I wonder if you can relate?