PROJECT GENESIS 3/1/11

Achieving perfection in anything is difficult.

At times, we can only give it our best shot,

 and hope it counts for enough.

Recycling is grand, but not purchasing items

that need to be recycled is one better, or so I thought.

I know that the safest, most tested water

 comes directly from our taps,

but I'm not always a huge fan of the taste.

Having a fridge filter,which by the way ends 
up in a landfill, or using a pitcher type
 filter is the best alternative

 to not purchasing bottled water, 

even though the plastic is recyclable.

I covered that in another PG... many of our plastic bottles

 sit in landfills in India after being 

shipped using fossil fuels.. OK,

you know the drill and comprehend my guilt... 
because...

Shame on me, I started purchasing these
 to make my cold brew tea.

I justified it by knowing that I would use 

at least 24 empties for emergency water storage.

When I had used those 24, I promptly 
gave a dozen to a client to use for her 

emergency storage, then another 12 to a friend.

Since I cannot always count on knowing someone who

 will accept a dozen, even though EVERYONE should 

have emergency water storage, I had to determine

 if I could continue this luxury, without tremendous guilt.

Put your recycling where your mouth is Suzan.

Last week I was faced with 8 empties.

Guilt rained down like a toxic cloud.

At Target yesterday, perusing the $1.00 section,

  I loaded several sets of little pots into

 my cart to use inside my drawers for organizing,

when the proverbial light bulb arose. 

I already had containers at home if I just

 cut off the bottom of the bottles. WOOT!

only 1 problem..I still had the tops! ARGH!

Shazam! 

Poke a teeny hole in the cap and you have

 a way to slow water outdoor pots while away from home.

Cut the cap part off and you have a shield 

or mini greenhouse for small seedlings!
(Use your imagination, no seedlings here)

Oh, guilt be gone! 

Well, until I accumulate too many again...sigh

Anyone need drawer organizers? Anyone?


This bears repeating from an earlier 
Project Genesis post. If you have 
not viewed The Story of Stuff,
you really should educate yourself and 
those that you love.

Please join us! It truly helps.  

The planet matters. 


Don't know or remember the rules? 
SEE HERE
I reserve the right to edit links if
you do not play nice... : D


Just got a notice from link...seems there is a slow down today

"About the site slowdown today:

I worked hand in hand with my hosting service today and we narrowed down the one and only issue: thumbnail images.

The retrieval and downloading of HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of thumbnail images when your visitors view a Thumbnail Linky on your blogs is causing the overall webserver that hosts Linky Tools to slow down." 

THE SOLUTION:   

The solution is to have JUST the thumbnail images hosted on their own dedicated server. So I just spent all the subscription income to buy a server and have it hooked up to a very fast internet connection.

There will be NO interruption in service when the new thumbnail server goes online, however IT IS GOING TO TAKE 2-3 DAYS TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.  I’m praying there won’t be any website slowdowns in the meantime,  like there were today, but I have no way of knowing or guaranteeing that."
Don't know exactly what this means to our link for
PG but one link has already made it through, 
so keeping fingers crossed.

Project Genesis

Just a gentle reminder that the link will be up

 tomorrow evening for Project Genesis.

Please join us.

I may be tardy in responding to comments and email 

due to a special guest at my home on Tuesday but I will 

pop back up Wednesday.

Meanwhile I am making sachets and my

 studio smells like a lavender field in France.

I love the quality of lavender I have acquired

from a new source.

This group is made from an earthy linen burlap.

available @ A Mare Of A Different Color

Hope everyone has a wonderful week.

We won a Bloggie!

Well, you could knock me down with a feather.  This blog won best Australian or New Zealand blog in the 2011 Bloggies, announced today in Los Angeles.  Thank you all so much for your votes. I appreciate your support very much.  I'd like to congratulate the other blogs in the category for being nominated:
The Design Files
Three Ring Circus
The Frugal Kiwi
Babyology

If you haven't visited these

SHADOW AND LIGHT

  

Shadow and Light

 Focused and Not

Hard and Soft

Easy and Difficult

Divine and Horrid

Musing Over Contradictions Today

In People and Life

Lurking in the Shadows;

 Always a Small Spot of Light

Although at Times I am Shadowed by the Dark,

I Choose the Light

and Find it Everywhere

New additions to A Mare Of A Different Color

all this weekend.

ROSES THAT NEVER FADE

I am now threatening to start gluing

 wool roses to my bare trees.

We have not had a bad winter at all, not compared

 to most of you, but Spring better hurry!

see more at A Mare Of A Different Color

Being cooped up inside means 

I keep felting wool and turning out roses,

which will soon overrun the house.

 I am so ready to hit the yard

and get some of these guys growing again.

All of you with snow predicted this week,

must be ready to move south or west by now.

Linking up with Kathleen for White Wednesday

 at Faded Charm,

and my first time doubling up

 with Debra at Capers of Vintage Vixens 

for Bloggers Bodega.

Suzan

Project Genesis is coming up fast

March 1st. Mark your calendar, all you

guys who (oops) forgot last time.

I will be doing the link the morning before

because the first of March is 

a busy day around here. 

WOOT!

UPDATE: A MARE OF A DIFFERENT COLOR

My shop is up and running, 

though still experiencing some kinks.

There always seems to be a learning curve.

All products are labeled by category 

for easy retrieval on the side bar.

Every new item will have a thumbnail pic 

at the top right of my sidebar under

 Come See What Is New,

 until the newest items are listed.

Ordering and payment is easy,

and I am happy to answer all questions.

Link on that photo of my Mom top right
 to visit, and please leave me a howdy-do! 

This week:

Wool Roses, Heart Sachets Of Linen Burlap,

and bringing back an all time best seller 

Baby Bears.

 Bears of the softest flannels, wools and homespuns; 

perfect for the grip of chubby baby hands.

Watch for arrivals under:

COME SEE WHAT IS NEW

******

What I am craving now:

Jill Schwarts Jewelry

Available here at Maynard Greenhouse

Is it too early to ask Santa?

Santa, I've been good,

must I wait? 

Apples and Birdies

Joining Chania's photo challenge today.

Please go visit - hurry : D 

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{{    }}   {{    }}  {{    }}   {{    }}   {{   }}     {{   }}        {{   }}  TWEET ?
  ^ ^         ^ ^         ^ ^        ^^         ^ ^        ^ ^          ^ ^
                                                                                      

Me.....always heading in a different direction.

Beth and I have been playing birdie tag.

Have a fabulous weekend all.

Suzan

On my mind ...

This is a Friday photo feature that anyone with a blog can join. It opens the door to us sharing our lives through these photos and gives us all a new way to discover each other, and maybe form new friendships. Your photo should show something at home that you're thinking about TODAY. If you're in another country you should join in when you read this, even if it's still Thursday.
To take part,

A Mare Of A Different Color

Trying something a little new;

A Mare Of A Different Color if you will.

the new shop of oldgreymare, please come visit.

We'll see how it goes, slowly but surely wins the race,

and I have been racing a lot these days, so slow is better.

Feel free to email with any comments or questions.

WOOT!

and since they are all white

I am linking up to 

White Wednesday

please go visit all the girls

Suzan

Dear Everyone

Thank you for your encouraging comments yesterday.  I appreciate them all very much.  It is very heartening to know that something I enjoy so much is helping you live the life you've chosen.  We are all part of a big family, you know, a family that, I think, is growing every week.
Most of you know I'm writing a book based on my blog and I'm in the final stages of the writing.  My deadline is 1

Days of our lives

When I started blogging I felt like a bit of an outcast.  Many of the people who were blogging about simplifying then had a political agenda wrapped around peak oil or climate change and almost no one was blogging about simplifying their homes.  But I kept plodding along, developing my style and just writing about our transformed lives.  I didn't expect too many people would notice what we were

Beneficial insects and flowers

When you're an organic gardener, it pays you to work in with the natural ecosystem in your backyard.  Try to stay away from sprays, because even the organic options sometimes kill beneficial insects and have withholding periods. There will be times when you'll have to use a commercial organic spray, bait or powder, but make sure it's the last option. I don't think that every recommended organic

The pantry is making a comeback!

My sister recently moved into a new home - a cute little two bedroom cottage that is about 60 or 70 years old.  There are many things to love about her house but one of them is the larder.  It's set off the old kitchen where the original fuel stove still sits.  We don't build houses with larders now and few people have cellars but the good news is that the pantry is making a comeback.  It's one

On my mind ...

This is a Friday photo feature that anyone with a blog can join. It opens the door to us sharing our lives through these photos and gives us all a new way to discover each other, and maybe form new friendships. Your photo should show something at home that you're thinking about TODAY. If you're in another country you should join in when you read this, even if it's still Thursday.
To take part,

YA GOT TO HAVE FRIENDS

I  call and email my friends this morning  and say "Talk me down from the ledge.... it's getting crazy here" and within minutes .....my peeps, my posse, my pals, came back at me full throttle.

I'll do more than talk you off. I'll keep you off! I can help the whole weekend..... no problem!!!!!!

*

HOLY CRAP!!
How wonderful, exciting and awful. Of course I will do anything I can!

*

Holy S***!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
   ok don't panic....it will be fine.

 *

AWESOME!!!
 please don't jump! this is all very exciting!
 i am proud of you, dahling

*

 If you need me close to crunch time I 

can help you early in the day

*

We all know you can do this..You're a beautiful woman.

***

Women are at their absolute best when they share their love with others, be it family, friends, or the world.

Adored this book - HILARIOUS

Page 27
GWG'S

Girls Without Girlfriends

Don't have your back, in fact, watch your back.

I would type an excerpt but I lent it out 

and it never made it's way home.

I have so many wonderful, talented, 

intelligent women that support and love me, 

warts and all, and tonight I am grateful and humbled,

as I consider what my life would be like without them.

I love you guys!

I've got your back.

They'll have to come through me first!

Next time you are in a bookstore, skim a chapter,

maybe " Sacred Love Wand or Snake in the Grass?"

Bet you snort out loud and embarrass yourself.

Make sure you have not ingested too many fluids. :D

z

 

Are you growing food this year?

We're starting to think about this year's vegetable garden.  We usually do our main planting in March and although I thought we might be able to bring that forward a bit because of the rising prices of vegetables after the floods, it looks like it will be March after all.  We're both busy with other things that are important and can't be put off.  So March it is.  Still that's only a couple of

The economic crisis - has it changed you?

We knew it would last for a long time but this economic crisis is dragging on longer than I expected it to.  There is no doubt there have been dire consequences for many people.  Homes and jobs have been lost and more than a few lives and businesses destroyed.  I hope genuine recovery is possible for all those who suffered.
At the beginning, when we were being warned to tighten our belts, I knew

Preparing for a disaster you know will happen

I had an email from Theresa last week, she writes:

"Recently our family came upon some tough times when I woke up one morning with MS and needed immediate medical help. I'm only 30, otherwise healthy, and a stay-at-farm mother to a not quite 2 year old with a very supportive husband but no other family or even neighbors near by. 
While I am getting a little stronger each day and am hopeful that

With A Little Help From Friends

 Yesterday was not a complete loss, I 

kept myself busy making dozens of hearts.

Heart Strings by the Dozen

An Enormous Shout Out Thank you to JILL

I'll be making these forever. <3

This is only the beginning of these also.

A dozen cookies tags.

Lovely <3  CHANIA taught me how,

and these will be a favorite from now on.

Now I need to learn to make marmalade.

Blog Buds are the Bomb!

and because I love her beyond measure,

my daughter's laughter captured just so...

Lovely and cold Darling Daughter

Please visit all the other White Wednesdays

(got it in early, busy tonight and tomorrow)

hosted by adorable Kathleen

at Faded Charm

Suzan