Ice.

Some say the world will end in fire;

Some say in ice.

 From what I've tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

 To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice.

~Robert Frost

We are covered in ice here in our cold corner of the New Hampshire. Barely any snow... just freezing rain. I'd almost think we were in the Pacific Northwest by the weather we have had this winter.

xoxo~

Abbie

Saying Goodbye...uh. Strike that. Reverse it.

I'll be home soon.  

Well, after over 5 years of blogging I have decided to shut my site down on September 30th. I never thought that so many would visit from so far, as it started as a place to put down my creative thoughts and ideas, then became the venue in which I met many dear friends, most I will never get the opportunity to 'meet' face to face. My blog has seen my eldest daughter evolve from diapers and MANY sleepless nights to being a first grader. I gave birth to my second daughter while blogging.. and built the home my husband and I now live in. My son has gone from a wee child to phasing into a teenager; he'll be 13 in January. With all three in school my mind and focus is shifting to outside the home, and perhaps entering back into the academic life and completing my bachelors degree, something that has been in the works, well, for forever it seems. I will miss my time here, in the quiet of the wide, wide web.

My other sites, that have since been sold, www.thevintagemoth.blogspot.com and www.buttonfloozies.blogspot.com are still up and running, now under the guidance of new, inspiring talent. If anyone is interested in purchasing the domain www.percyandbloom.com or in taking over the site and making it their own, please let me know via email at damseldesigns@hotmail.com by September 29th.

xoxo~

Abbie

There is a farmstand...

The last image is my favorite. I hope you are enjoying summer!

xoxo~

Abbie

Getting my feet wet...

Click on photo to view larger

I have been trying to dip back into creative endeavors.. I really strayed for a while, and although not completely on track I hope to work at it.  It amazes me that when life starts to ripple negatively I dive behind either my sewing machine, my camera or my editing software, or all three as a way to make it through the rougher waters. Hope you and yours are enjoying still waters and sunshine!

Happy summer!

Abbie

How to make a Practical Coupon Organizer. For Free.

Ok, when the new year comes, I always get on a coupon clipping kick. Seriously. I'll spend hours searching, sorting and snipping to save a buck! lol! Why do I do this to myself? No, really.. can anyone help me? Anyhooo...

Here is what I have found.  Envelopes don't work for me. Small accordion files don't work for me. I get the coupons all mixed up and it takes me way too long to find one. Anything where the coupons are stacked on top of each other (such as plastic recipe boxes) don't work for me. So this year, when the urge  to starting snippin' took over I searched. And I searched. I Googled 'coupon organizers', etc.. and found that most sites where others were serious about coupons and saving moneyused a 3 ring binder. They sell their coupon organizing systems for big bucks! Well, that wasn't going to work. What is the use of working so hard to save 50 cents when I was going to blow $20 for their binder??

The thing that worked about their binders is the clear plastic sleeves with different sized pockets to accommodate a variety of coupon sizes. You have to buy a package of plastic sleeves that are sectioned off into multiple pockets for each 8.5 x 11 page and that gets pricey quick. I'm not trying to put them out of business, but my entire purpose was to SAVE money, NOT spend more.

I decided to make my own. I dug a 3 ring binder out of a closet that I wasn't using anymore (I was still using the closet.. not the binder), some clear plastic sheet protectors that I had left over from when I sold collage sheets, cardstock and my sewing machine.Oh, and the coupons! For Pete's sake, don't forget the coupons!

First, slip your white cardstock (or pretty, heavy weight paper if you'd rather) into the page protector. Then mark where you'd like your pockets. The card stock holds the page togther and allows for you to use BOTH sides of the page protector. It is necessary!

Pop it in the sewing machine and sew along the lines. (My stitch lines are a bit wonky, but really, who cares?) What you are doing is creating closed pockets on the page. To 'open' the pockets, use an exacto knife or scissors and cut just BELOW your stitches, as shown below. Or on the side, to have a sideways access to the 'pocket'.

This creates the pockets that the coupons slip into. Another shot for those who need extra help understanding... (the top is already an open pocket).

Do this to BOTH sides!! Got it? You are NOT cutting through the cardstock!! JUST the plastic!!

The possibilities with this coupon organizing system are endless!! You can create four long thin pockets, six square pockets, four larger square pockets, three, eight... whatever you'd like!! You can also cut your slits on the SIDES of the pockets to allow for a sideways entry. Kinda kinky! (We coupon clippers are like that ya know..)  You make what need, you don't have to buy large packages for one or two sheets.

Use page dividers to section off your coupons. Food, drinks, cereals, pet care, cleaners, laundry, etc.. you get the idea. (I hope.) See something on sale at the store? Flip quickly to that section in your binder and you can instantly see all of the coupons you have. Grab the one you are going to use and stuff it in the pocket in front.

The pockets at the front and back of the binder are great for extra tidbits. When you get to the check out, all of your coupons that you are going to use are waiting and ready tucked into the front pocket.

It works! I love it!!

Here are some of the best coupons sites I can find.. do you have any others to add to the list?? Leave them in the comments for others to see too! Thanks!

www.thekrazycouponlady.com

www.coupons.com

www.redplum.com

www.supersaver.com 

www.smartsource.com

www.recyclebank.com

www.riteaid.com  (their video credits are awesome! Thanks Bonnie!)

Keep Clippin'!

xoxo~

Abbie

 (this organizing system can be used for collage artists too.. what a great way to organize your collage bits and pieces and be able to flip right through them? Put them in a binder!)

Wednesday's Chicken ~ Weekly Menu

Monday: Homemade Vegetable Soup with Snowflake Rolls. 

I used chicken broth as a liquid base with the veggies.. mostly from our garden or local produce. Zucchini, summer squash, carrots, celery, onion, peas, corn, and a jar of crushed tomatoes I made a few days ago. Simmer whatever veggies you have on hand and near dinner time, add a dash of cream or whole milk.

Tuesday: Pan Fried Cube Steak, Pan Gravy, Mashed Potatoes and Peas..

this was really good! I love anything with gravy.. Note: the thinner the cube steak, the more tender it is when it's cooked. With a 3 year old and an 81 year old at the table, easy to chew is a must.

Wednesday: Roasted Chicken, Egg noodles with a Tomato Butter Sauce and Green Beans. 

To make the egg noodles just add a pat or two of butter (the real thing) to the cooked noodles, a scoop of stewed tomatoes (again from our garden but canned is fine too) add salt and pepper. Yummy!

Thursday: Homemade Chicken Soup with a Sourdough Boule.

With the 'First Week of School Plague' running through our house right now, chicken soup is a must. Made from the carcass from Wednesday's chicken. I added star noodles.. makes it more fun for the kids. I don't use a recipe, but this one from Tyler is pretty close. I just boil down the leftover chicken skin, bones and all for several hours then strain. Pick out the chicken meat and add to the broth. Add chopped onion, celery, carrots.  It will probably need a good spot of salt and maybe some Poultry Seasoning. Add some noodles and you are good to go.

Friday: Homemade Spaghetti Sauce (from tomatoes from our garden) with Homemade Meatballs. Cucumber salad.

I love Alicia's recipe for Meatballs. Using fresh parsley, shown above on my window sill, is a must! I use this recipe exclusively now and won't ever buy meatballs from the store again. She boils them in the sauce, I roll them into small 1 inch balls and place them on a baking sheet. Bake at 400o for 15 minutes. It allows from some of the fat to drain out instead of going into the sauce.

Saturday: Pork tenderloin with whole grain rice. Not sure of the veggie yet. Depends on what I might be able to pull out of the garden by then.

Sunday: Pizza. (homemade, of course..)

The photos are of my daughter, who, when she saw me photographing the soup, decided that she should have a bite, or two. Before I knew it, it was gone. She didn't even put down her crayon.

xoxo~

Abbie

Carousel Horses

 We went to the fair today. Why are most carousel horses kind of creepy? No, seriously.. sometimes they just mess with my head.. kind of like clowns.  Eeeep.

All I'm saying is that I just wouldn't want one in my home, or my yard. 

~Abbie

Bounty

 

  

  

 

 

 Images from around our home.. tomatoes (beefsteak, heirloom and grape), grasshoppers, spiders, apples, corn, zucchini, and beans. Not in that order.

xoxo~

Abbie

Blackberries

When we cleared our land six years ago to build our home, all along the edge of our woods grew blackberry brambles. Everywhere.  

 They are just now starting to ripen.. and if you look (not too hard), you can find some sweet, juicy berries.

  We still have about a two week wait for the real windfall to happen.

The kids and I eat what we pick right away. The berries don't even make it inside!   

I'm always amazed at the variety of sizes.. we have jumbo goliaths (my name) and teeny weenies.

Nothing can quite match the sweetness of the itty bitty ones, but when you find one the size of your thumb, it's amazing! The large one is the biggest we could find the other day, but we have some almost twice that not quite ripe yet.

Blackberry facts:

 If there is even one red/pink tiny fruit on the berry, it's not quite ripe yet. Don't pick it unless you are looking for a tart, snappy taste.  It won't ripen after being picked. the softer and plump it is, the sweeter the berry.

Each tiny ball is a single, individual fruit with it's own seed. Hence all the seeds when you eat them. Think of them like teeny weenie grape clusters.

They are filled with anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants and are said to help prevent cancer.

You can use them in any recipe calling for berries, like muffins, jams, jellies, tarts, etc...

They make fun ammunition in Berry Wars.. yesterday my children fired them off at each other and smeared them everywhere!

Just thought you'd like to know...

xoxo~

Abbie

How To Be Alone

I had a friend share this on facebook and I thought it was worth sharing here.. just lovely.

xoxo~

Abbie