You've Been Duped- Victoria Secret

I woke up this morning to my husband whispering in my ear. "Honey can I treat you to breakfast this morning". Before I could fully comprehend what he was saying I grumbled, "No"!

Fortunately I came to my senses, and said "That would be great" then rolled out of bed.

I had motivation other than a free meal. I was armed with my 25% off coupon for lingerie at Freddie's. I fell in love with Victoria Secrets Body Invisible Lace Bra some time ago. Besides the fact that Victoria Secret rarely had my size bra, they are expensive. I like to replace my bras ever six months or so and it really adds up. Actually becomes a burden if you ask me. (Please, trust me that even though you may be tempted by the Vitoria Secret bra you will not in fact look like the model after your purchase.)

Victoria Secret Body Invisible Lace $48.00

Vanity Fair Body Shine Flora $15.00

(on sale with a coupon)

There is a chance that you good look like this cute model though, but it has noting to do with the bra.

Vanity Fair has a nice variety of bras but the Body Shine Flora is by far the best bra I have tried.

• This bra has the nice wide sewn fabric straps (not elastic).


• By far the most supportive bra


• Does not stretch out (I hate that)


• Full coverage that looks great under clothes


• Comes in cute colors

You can get these bras at any where, Freddie's, J.C. Penny or Kohl's. Just by them on sale and preferable with a coupon. You won't be disappointed.

Oil Cleansing Method

http://www.theoilcleansingmethod.com/

I found this interesting way people are washing there face while browsing some of the crunchy blogs I visit. I new right away I wanted to give this method a try. I read the whole article and thought it seems perfectly logical, except for the positive affirmation part. In the back of my mind I new I would skip that part.

I read all the reviews and must say people are crazy. Use a little common sense people. If the recipe calls for 10, 20 or 30% why are you surprised you are having problems using a 50% solution. With that in mind I did my own research. Here is where it get interesting.

Dry Skin: (that's me) Try a blend of 10% Caster Oil to 90% Sunflower Oil Did you read that? Caster Oil? Who has Caster Oil just sitting around any more? I googled Caster Oil. I mean, is it even safe to use. I have seen those old movies and anyone who is force to down some when they are sick is real unhappy about it. Let me say that I don't think a person should ever ingest Caster Oil ever. It is poisonous!

The befits of applying it externally though are another story. Do a quick google search for the history of Castor Oil and you will also be amazed at the power of the Caster Oil. Besides relieving all sorts of aliments like warts, skin tags, wrinkles, stretch marks, bursitis, ringworm, athletes foot, age spots and maybe relieving symptoms of Aids. I found this hysterical actually. Thanks Wiki

In Fascist Italy under the regime of Benito Mussolini, castor oil was one of the tools of the blackshirts.^[46][47][48] Political dissidents were force-fed large quantities of castor oil by Fascist squads. This technique was said to have been originated by Gabriele D'Annunzio. Victims of this treatment did sometimes die, as the dehydrating effects of the oil-induced diarrhea often complicated the recovery from the nightstick beating they also received along with the castor oil; however even those victims who survived had to bear the humiliation of the laxative effects resulting from excessive consumption of the oil.^[49]

It is said Mussolini's power was backed by "the bludgeon and castor oil". In lesser quantities, castor oil was also used as an instrument of intimidation, for example, to discourage civilians or soldiers who would call in sick either in the factory or in the military. Since its healing properties were widely exaggerated, abuse could be easily masked under pretense of a doctor's prescription. It took decades after Mussolini's death before the myth of castor oil as a panacea for a wide range of diseases and medical conditions was totally demystified, as it was also widely administered to pregnant women, elderly or mentally-ill patients in hospitals in the false belief it had no negative side effects.

P.S. I use EVOO. Sunflower oil is no were to be found at my one stop shopping center. I did find Castor Oil though. It is the the laxative isle. I guess people still ingest this at times. Yuk!

Project Finished!

I really took this Slow Sewing thing to heart. When Destry asked me if he could store my craft table and I was not even close to being finished yet. I new I needed to start Fast Sewing. I kicked it in gear and finished things up in a jiffy.

I don't think it matters how slow you sew. My projects did not turn out as well as I could have hoped. The linings just don't lay rite. I will do things different next time. (If there is a next time). I did enjoy my sewing time though and think that is the point.

I am super proud that I learned how to install a kick a** magnetic snap and my hand made adjustable purse strap. I have to give credit to You SEW, Girl! blog http://nicolemdesign.blogspot.com/ that I follow for the inspiration to tackle this challenging project. Her bags are awesome.

How cool is it that I used the table runner fabric from our wedding to line these bags. A great way to create usable mementos for us girls.

I can't wait to give my mom her hand bag when I see her in April. Which one should I giver her?


Marie will have to wait until July for hers. Which one should I give her?


Should I fill them with samples of homemade beauty supplies and cleaning products?


Next sewing project.....Framed clutches for the girls! Yikes, I am a little scared about this one. I guess that means there will be a next time. Lol

Wish me luck!

Cooking School- Butternut Squash Fries

Have you seen me?

Anything with the word squash in it is a challenge to get excited about. When I started reading how excited Hungry Girl gets when it comes to anything Butternut Squash I just thought I had to give it a try. So I sneaked one into the grocery cart one week and we ate it mixed with some other roasted veggies for dinner one evening. I loved it.

Imagine my surprise when Destry actually bought another one. So, when I saw that Weight Watchers recipes of the week was Spicy Butternut Fries I new we had to try it. This recipe is a winner. Give it a try.

Butternut Squash is very versatile. Try using it make hash browns or a yummy soup.

Butternut Squash Fries

3 spays of olive oil cooking spray

1 lb Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded, long "neck" cut into sixteen 3/4- inch-thick sticks

1 tsp table salt, or to taste

1/2 tsp chili powder, or to taste

Preheat oven to 450 F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Arrange squash fries on prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and chili powder, liberally coat with cooking spray.

Roast, turning once, until desired crispness, about 14 to 18 minutes. Yields 4 fries per serving.

Obsessed- The Hive

It was love at first sight. Just one click on my Etsy.com bookmark and what was presented to me was the best Handpicked Items display ever. I call items in this style The Hive. I am sure that my choice of honeycomb print fabric for the lining of my handmade purse was a subliminal response to this new trend.

The Hive- Love it or Not?

http://www.joeldewberry.com/GinsengIndex.html

Found: Fred Meyer

http://www.etsy.com/shop/CADIjewelry

http://www.etsy.com/shop/biodidactic

http://www.etsy.com/shop/modernSCRAPYARD

Love it or Hate it?

Cooking School- Jerk Chili w/ fried Okra

Have you checked it out yet? Julia's blog, http://www.blogger.com/juliascreativemind This blog is seriously inspirational.

Now, Julia has asked her dad and I to try her famously delicious Jerk Chili with fried Okra recipe before but we never seemed to get around to it. She even offered to come over and make us chili dinner, that is how much she loves this recipe. Not until her recent blog post titled "Dinner Time!! Please Try This" did I feel a craving deep inside for Jerk Chili with fried Okra.


I don't even know what Okra is and could not locate fresh Okra at the grocery store. The produce man guided us to the frozen vegetable isle and assured us it is a very popular item. That being said Destry hates Okra. He remembers this clearly from childhood and even though Julia assured us that when fried in peanut oil Okra tasted just like french fries this has done nothing to sway him.


To quote him "I hate Okra" or "I new this was not going to turn out, slimy" or "How's the Okra?" and "Not my favorite." Being the good sport that he is, he gladly made this recipe for us. See the title of this post? I fully intended of making this for him all the while taking great blog worthy photos while practicing my cooking skills.


Then he said "Do you want me to make it? I said YES! and ran from the kitchen. I am bad like that.


Final Review: Great flavor, A little spicy but that can be adjusted, Way better than canned chili, Super easy (it looked that way from the living room anyways). I don't hate Okra


Note: Okra frying on the stove next to the chili in the Le Creuset dutch oven (super thrift store find by the way)

Jerk Turkey Chili w/ Fried Okra

http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=2128

Cooking School- The Amber

Did you watch Fringe recently, Episode 6B? The one where Walter breaks out the old formula for "amber" so he can encase the entire block to stop the breach in to our world from becoming a vortex. It was tense for a moment when he prompted Broyles to flip the switch on the amber machine and Peter and Olivia had not made it safely out of the apartment complex yet.

It reminded me of a tense moment on the back porch recently. I am no whiz in the kitchen, yet I can whip up a batch of homemade laundry soap like no other. I really like making it also. It doesn't take long and has been tested to work great.

I used a Fels Naptha bar this time as opposed to my favorite Kirk's Castile original formula laundry bar soap. The fact that Fels Naptha is yellow seemed to the only obvious difference at first. I always double the ingredients for my laundry soap. It creates a thicker formula that is more gelled and not as egg flower soupy as the directions described. Then we just use half the recommended measure and it works great.

I poured my warm melted soapy mix into my little white buck and added the recommended amount of water and instantly new something was different. This mixture jelled immediately. I was stirring a concoction that was like wet cement. A usual batch may not fully gel for one to two days. As this bucket sat and cooled on the table I checked on it. I carefully opened the lid and tapped with with my finger. That is rite, I tapped it and a substance like Jell-O responded. That is when I rushed it to the back porch where it belonged. This amber mixture was either going to encase the back porch along with all of it's contents or is was not.

I eagerly check on my bucket of amber the next day to find it still where I placed it. I could not help to peak around the corner when Destry decided to use it to start a load. I watched him as he muscled a scoop of amber out of the bucket a plopped into the wash machine. Then in a second thought reached into the machine and broke the chunk of amber up with his hands just to make sure it dissolved all the way.

Here is the recipe for Homemade Laundry Soap; http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm