From the Work Basket: June

This was probably the easiest Work Basket project of the year. I was saving it for a month when I was particularly busy. Can't say that was the case this month, but I couldn't tear myself away from Hulu long enough to work on something.

Fortunately this project could be done while watching Dead Like Me. In fact, it only took about 5 minutes. Lazy, much? It is the hooded towel I made way back when, which didn't hold up super great in the wash (my binding needed to be wider. While I was at it, I fixed a button on BT's shorts. A clothing repair twofer!

For the next few months, though, I will need to be more task oriented. I have not one, not two, but three events to plan for! One of my employees is preggo, and we are sending her off in August with a baby animal themed party (hereafter referred to as The Baby Shower) decorated by yours truly at a small (adorable, and only $2 per person) zoo. I will also be making her a quilt. Next is a wedding luncheon for BT's cousin (aka The Luncheon - in between the couple's ceremony and the reception) that I will be decorating. Still working out the details of the decor with the mother-of-the-groom. Then, at the end of September, I will be decorating the dreaded LDS cultural hall - basically a poorly lit basketball court - for a wedding reception (The Reception) for another one of BT's cousins. I am over the moon in love with every detail we have discussed thus far for this event, and am just having the most awesome luck finding decorations for that one at half the cost I estimated. Hopefully I will have my first project for The Reception ready by early next week to show you. Let's just say it started with a huge frame I found at the thrift store for $16, only to turn over and see an Anthropologie price tag for $280!!! Wish me luck!

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Remaining work basket projects (in no particular order):

- Quilt for my mom

- Sandwich wrap

- Carpet bag

- Tunic

- Vest for Hank

- Men's shirt refashion

Completed projects:

January: Baby pants

February: Baby quilt (using BT's baby blanket)

March: Apron repair

April: New bulletin board

May: Skirt

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Recent favorite: Really, the best mood board ever.

Working on: Party prep, of course

Only a week late

Sorry for being such a lame blogger this month. In part I can blame some party planning activities, but mostly it is because I am lazy with a capital L as of late.

So Father's Day. To emphasize how important it was for me to make this day extra special, I have to take you back to last year's Father's Day -- BT's first. I wanted to make sure that day was extra special, too, but everything went horribly awry. I bought us rather pricey tickets for the Angels game, and we also planned to go leave flowers for BT's dad at the cemetery.

On the way to the cemetery, I got sick (BT had the stomach flu earlier that week). I puked on the way, but said I felt much better, and to keep with our plans. BUT, I made the horrible mistake of drinking a Sprite to "calm my stomach" (I am finding that Hank inherited his mother's illogical response to the stomach bug in that we both feel the need to drink a lot, and in doing so make things so much worse).

At the cemetery, all hell broke loose. I'll spare you the details, and rest assured that I moved away from my father-in-law's grave, but I felt like my insides had turned to liquid. So, no baseball game, and BT had to take care of a sick wife on his first Father's Day.

Flash forward to this year. I *had* to do things right this time around. We had breakfast in bed on a decorated tray :: Handprint adorned cards from his little buddy :: Lego Darth Vader cuff links :: A visit to the cemetery that did not involve a puking wife :: Lunch and many beers at The Yard House :: A car show :: Relaxation :: Pictures with his favorite gremmie :: Mexican food.

Oh, and a bag of alternate things to chew on rather than his horrible, nasty dip, because Hank and I want our dada to be around for many years to come - preferably with both halves of his jaw intact.

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Recent favorite: I have a store bought version of this, but would love to make a huge one we can spread out on.

Working on: Work basket project

Everybody Can Can!

So they've found a new way to advertise to us, and it's called House Party.

Tons of brands wanting you to host a party in your own home to garner interest for a new product. Compared to the Tupperware parties of yore, it's a pretty low key sales pitch. The branding is there, but there is no pressure for your guests to buy anything.

Perusing the site, I saw that a canning party to make salsa and pepper jelly was being sponsored by Ball. I knew a lot of my friends were interested in canning, so I signed up. You fill out a questionnaire to be one of thousands to host a party on the same date across the nation. Luckily I was chosen to host!

(My *official* presentation. The flip chart makes me an expert, right?)

Ball sent a ton of great swag - even a full-sized canner! The *new* product they are promoting is the Discovery Kit, which is a little basket you can use in a regular stock pot to can a small quantity of jars. They also sent two copies of the Ball Blue Book of Preserving, shopping bags, coupons, and boxes of pectin to give out.

In addition to these items, I added a chili pepper dishtowel and Have'A corn chips to the bags. I also went around to several Jack-In-The-Box restaurants to get their plain drink holders to use for folks to bring home their jars. The labels I added to the drink holders were provided on the party website that House Party creates for you.

For this party, Ball sent coupons for the jars, but you needed to provide all the produce to make the items, and party food for your guests. Here is the chopping station set up and ready to go.

No need for center pieces when the produce is so pretty!

I was fortunate to find some cutting boards at the dollar store that matched the Ball colors pretty well.

For food, I served (store bought) pepper jelly and chips and salsa, naturally. We also had veggie sticks served in individual cups

(always wanted to do this!), tortilla roll ups, fruit skewers, mini lemon cakes, and Meyer lemonade served in Mason jars.

The Archer Farms water bottles from Target fit with the table scheme nicely. BT made the food labels using a Ball inspired font.

I knew there would be some lag time (ended up being a little more than anticipated), so I made a bin of craft supplies for people that wanted to make labels for their jars.

In fact one of the contests was to name the salsa. The winning name (which ended up being Many Hands Salsa) won one of the canning books.

The Bluebird girls came to the party, and I made craft jars for them as favors.

Since I already have a canner, I gave the one Ball sent away, along with the Discovery Kit and a utensil set. This went to the person who guessed how many beans were in a quart sized Mason jar (1,876, in case you were wondering).

I *think* everybody had a great time, even though it was a lot of work. I had invited a few more people, but truth be told, my house is so small that I think we would have been too crowded if many more had shown up.

Everybody did such a fabulous job chopping all the produce. The issue became lack of space - on the stove, to have multiple big pans going at once to cook, sterilize, and can (I don't have a dishwasher, so I need to keep the jars on the stove as well). Also, without enough space in the kitchen, we couldn't all be there at once to do the actual canning. But, I think everybody left with a little more knowledge about this classic domestic art.

Now I just have to go around and deliver the final product to everybody!

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Favorite of the day: Wouldn't it be fun to go around and cover all the poor cold animal car emblems in the world?

Working on: Relaxin'

Vintage Cowgirl Swap ~ Received

Boy, howdy - did I receive the best gol darn swap package as part of the Vintage Cowgirl Swap, courtesy of sweet Miss Elaine!

I opened the bandanna be-ribboned box to find all this lovely cowgirl gear

A melt-proof chocolate holder designed to take my favorite snack across the hot desert

Some lovely housewares, including a bank, coasters, and a set of keys to the ranch

A potpourri scented hot pad

A cute as can be boot necklace (from a local cowgirl store called Girl of the Golden West) for when I go boot scootin'

and some cute supplies, including stickers, post cards, and shimmery lip gloss.

Thank you, pardner, for a great swap!!

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Favorite of the day: I always like to see ideas for things to buy from ethnic shopping districts.

Working on: Breakfast bars

Summer is here!

Watermelon, and a new 'do

(we don't think it suits him, either...)

Have a good one, friends!