It has been awhile since Lucy and I have checked in, but there is a lot to report on the homefront. Lucy is having her first DS! He will be joining our family in October and everyone is excited for his arrival. In other news, Lucy and her husband moved close to me and we have been busy moving them in and working on their cozy little home. What better time than now to hone our blogging skills and get some ideas out on the interwebs. Now that things are lining up, expect to see the sharing of more Appalachia wisdom, ideas, crafts, money saving techniques and discussion about living a self sustaining lifestyle. Every day things happen that make me consider the "what ifs" in our uncertain society. I feel it is important to learn how to take care of yourself and try to pass this along to future generations. I recently made a batch of lye soap. I followed the technique found on Becky's Homestead.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlUM_-7Nr_Y It turned out well and I recommend it. I have also been gathering pallets for various reasons. I have made a few benches and tables (pics to come) and this gift for a young lady who had a baby she named Oliver. This is my first attempt at a craft of this sort, so bear with me. Yes I know my letters got a little crooked! I used two pieces of pallet wood. I painted it white and sanded, grey and sanded then dry brushed that teal color on. Here is what I learned on doing the letters. I printed the word Oliver (in mirror image) on a LASERJET printer. Yes, it needs to be laserjet. Luckily we have one at work, but the printer at our local library is also laserjet and they charge .10 a print. Cut out the text as close as you can to remove excess paper. Paint your board and paper lightly with Mod Podge. (I got this from amazon) Wait for it to dry at least 24 hours then gently use warm water and your fingertips (slowly and gently) to "wipe off" any paper, leaving the words. If you by chance rub a little too hard, fill in with a marker. I am always about the most inexpensive way to do things and this did the trick and looks pretty good. I added hooks from the hardware store and sawtooth hangers to the back. Viola! A unique gift.
Growing up in West Virginia, there were two things to do on a Sunday morning; Church and visit family or go to the flea market. Now I was lucky enough to get to do both because we went to church on Saturday evenings and had all day Sunday to explore the flea market world. As a child, it was a very fun and "cool" experience. I would wonder around with my grandma and grandpa,(occasionally my parents) and we would look at every booth and what it had to offer! And the flea markets had everything to offer you could think of and then some! My grandma and grandpa were very into wood working and other crafts were able to buy wood and wood crafting supplies while I was able to look at all of the toys! My grandma and I would then go from the toys and craft supplies to the used books. It was better than the library! Twenty-five cent Nancy Drew or The Baby-Sitters Club books for me to take home and read! I was in heaven!! It was such a fun experience I decided this past weekend to share it with my own siblings. First we adventured out of the house to go to a local hot dog shop to get chili dogs and then head up the road to Charleston's Capital Flea Market. The two younger brothers and my husband ventured on their own accord to look for vintage style video games and my little brother's latest hobby of trading cards. My sister and I wondered and took in the 70 degree sunshine and looked at the 'junk tables' that the early birds set up. That's the neat thing I've discovered since a child. Going to the flea market as a child meant you had to be up and out the door by 7 a.m. to be there by 8 to get to explore the whole place! Nowadays there's two sections, the early bird tables who set up from about 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Now they have a nicer set up on the insides of them where they're open til about 4 or 5 p.m. just like little boutiques! Now some shops will try relatively hard to keep a good appearance and others are just bursting full of products. Walking down you see the variety of people peering from the shops waiting for you to buy their goods. My favorite shops as I'm older are the ones with handmade products such as The Berry Patch in the Capital Flea Market. This adorable little shop has homemade candles, tarts, rustic/primitive furniture and home decor. It's amazing to see the heart and soul that goes into some of these shops and their products. Buying and selling is something that happens in our every day life, but the beauty of the flea market is your face to face with the creator or supplier, giving it a more personal feel. So the next time you're bored on a Saturday or Sunday why not venture out to a local (or not so local) flea market and check and see what kind of treasures you can find? -----Lucy
