What’s Cluckin’ 21

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Sep 202012
 

Howdy! Wedding countdown is getting scarier, closing in on 1 week!

What you might have missed last week:

Soapy Layne Credit Giveaway

Halloween Table Runner

8 ball type summer squash

Grow Gourmet: Heirloom Summer Squash

Our features from last week:

Source: lifesabundantadventures.blogspot.com via Alecia on Pinterest

Source: kidworldcitizen.org via Alecia on Pinterest

 

Chicken Scratch NY
<div align="center"><a href="http://www.chickenscratchny.com" title="Chicken Scratch NY" target="_blank"><img src="http://chickenscratchny.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Whats-Cluckin-Link-Party-Button-e1347497824397.jpg" alt="Chicken Scratch NY" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
Chicken Scratch NY
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On to the party, here are the rules:

Link up any thing craft, food, garden, farm or photo related.
Please no giveaways or shops
Link up to a single post, not your blog
Pretty please link back with a text link or button!
It doesn’t have to be on the post, just have it somewhere on your blog
Check out at least 2 other entries for everything you enter.
It’s all about the love!
You don’t have to be a follower but I’d love it!
Link up as much as you want



How NECTRESSE™ saved my summer!

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Aug 212012
 
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of NECTRESSE™Sweetener for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

My summertime guilty pleasure just got guiltless!
I love a good sun-ripened tomato. I also love to dip them in…. sugar.
I know! It’s terrible. Beautiful, healthy tomato. Sugar. Not really a great combo. 
I blame my grandmother, when she used to watch my sister and I she would pick tomatoes from her garden and slice them up for us on a plate with a little pile of sugar. There is just something incredibly tasty about a tart tomato and with a fine dusting of sugar. 
I’ll be honest, when I had to option to review NECTRESSE™Sweetener I was skeptical. I’m a whole food/unprocessed food person, so I had some reservations. I looked into in it and found that it is made from the goodness of real fruit – monk fruit extract! It is 100 percent natural and zero calories per serving too. 
I found that I could eat a fairly large tomato with one packet and get the same sweetness from a small pile of sugar. The NECTRESSE™ sweetener melted into the tomato like regular sugar and it tasted just like sugar. I’m super crazy about artificial tastes and nasty after tastes but with NECTRESSE™ there aren’t any! I’ve been using it in my coffee and I can’t tell the difference.
 It might not be the healthiest snack (like, oh I don’t know, a plain tomato) but it’s up there! And seriously, if this is all it takes to get your kids to eat a tomato what are you missing out on? It’s a lot easier to carry around a packet of NECTRESSE™ than a 5 pound bag of sugar. And those packets? Those babies are strong, I threw a few in the wasteland that is my purse and they survived like little armored tanks of sweetness.
Be sure to get a FREE sample of NECTRESSE™Sweetener for yourself, then all you need is a tomato! 
Still not convinced? Check out this video from Lisa Ling:

Visit Sponsor's Site

Confessions of a Holiday Crafter

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Aug 132012
 
Looking back over the last year of my blogging experiences I can see a definite pattern. I blog the most, and the best, around a holiday. It’s also the times when I have the most visits and views (my fellow bloggers know how much it sucks when your readers stop coming).

One of my first blog projects: Giant Lawn Spiderwebs

With the exception of the odd furniture revamp or garden post the majority of my projects have a holiday, or at least season at heart. And as a holiday crafter, this is the dry season.
 From the 4th of July to the beginning of fall is a crafting wasteland.
It sucks.

Wooden Stocking Holders

The rest of my Christmas Projects are listed on my Christmas Page

Even my super-fall-centric wedding is out of place. No one wants to look at mums and falling leaves while they’re laying on the beach.

I’ve got a few major projects in the works:

      • Painting the Master bedroom (almost done)
      • Refinish the 2 dressers and nightstand
      • Curtain rods and Curtains for the bedroom
      • Clean out the pink room (guest room) for the old queen sized mattress
      • Paint and stencil living room wall
      • Finish living room curtains
      • Paint curtain rods 
      • Wedding stuff
      • Wedding stuff
      • Wedding stuff (in my defense the big stuff is handled and I’m decorating with mostly natural items like mums and pumpkins so it’s gotta wait)
      • Fall flower and vegetable gardening
Holiday/Seasonal Stuff
      • Halloween projects!!! (this I’m actually excited about)
      • Fall/Thanksgiving projects
      • Christmas projects/presents (yes, now is the time to start)
Bottom line? Start expecting Halloween projects ASAP

What’s Cluckin 14

 Uncategorized  6 Responses »
Jul 262012
 
I haven’t posted in a whole week! I was doing some ‘behind the scenes’ work on the blog. I got all my Christmas projects lined up fancy-fancy on their own page. And tried and failed to set up a drop down menu bar.
On Sunday I was featured on Roadkill Rescue for my yellow Buffet!

And I spent Monday at Urgent Care…
On the farm front, we had 2 turkeys hatch. I didn’t think either would survive so I never posted pictures. One made it (the one with deformed feet didn’t) and he’ll be getting his twist-tie leg hobbles off soon. He now lives with the three silkie chicks. 
Mamma Duck still has all 14 ducklings. She let them paddle around in the water dish today and it was adorable!
Top link last week was from my blog buddy Veronica. >

She shared here method of cutting up a watermelon (for those of you who don’t see a watermelon as a single serving fruit…)

Our last link was this adorable Owl Cake from Jessica

It’s so cute I want to hang it up on my wall and never let anyone eat it!
Congrats! You are are top of the pecking order (trust me, it’s the best place to be!)

Chicken Scratch NY

On to the party, here are the rules:
Link up any thing craft, food, garden, farm or photo related.
Please no giveaways or shops
Link up to a single post, not your blog
Pretty please link back with a text link or button!
It doesn’t have to be on the post, just have it somewhere on your blog
Check out at least 2 other entries for everything you enter.
It’s all about the love!
You don’t have to be a follower but I’d love it!
Link up as much as you want

Chicken Scratch NY
 
By linking up here you give me permission to use your photos if you’re featured on my blog and to have your post added to my feature pin board. Maybe even on my facebook page and twitter!

New Blog!

 Uncategorized  1 Response »
Jul 022012
 
Today is a good day.

It’s my one year anniversary of being a home owner!
That’s right, we closed on our house on July 1st, 2011

And (because I’m clearly not busy enough) I decided to start a new blog!

I’ll keep this one going but I’ll be moving all the cooking stuff over to

I’m hoping that by keeping things separate I’ll keep my crafty followers happy here and the people that are in it for the food can get their fix over at CBC.

I’ve got one recipe up, I’d love for you to stop over and start following!
I’ll have a grand opening giveaway up by the middle of the week!

Doily Covered Lampshade

 Uncategorized  27 Responses »
May 212012
 
A few weeks ago I was given an old lampshade. I immediately went on pinterest for ideas and I saw this.
[picture removed]
Pinned it here.
Gorgeous right?

I’m pretty sure the first word out of my mouth were “Wow! That’s gorgeous! I’m totally not doing that”
Odd combo right?
I do love it, I’m just not sure where it will fit in my house.

This weekend I had a few… extra hours thanks to one of my parrot deciding he wanted a vacation on Saturday and flying out the door (we got him back Sunday morning!). So thanks to the unexpected free time and a pile of doilies I decided to try my hand at a doily covered lampshade.

I used the free lampshade (gutted it), a pile of 10 cent doilies, upholstery thread, a blunt needle, scissors and a crap-ton of clothes pins.

*This is almost the exact opposite of the way the inspiration tutorial did it. For the record her way was probably easier, but I like the layered look I got with my method*

I started randomly clothes pinning doilies on, starting with the ends and trying to puzzle piece the different shapes together.

I used about 40 clothes pins and 10-ish doilies (I could count, but I don’t want to). I tried to keep some contrast with various patterns and colors near each other.

I started by tying knots around the ‘braces’ and stitching the doiles to the top part of the frame. I worked my way around in sections. It’s a bit tricky to keep the tension right. You want the doilies taught but not squished.

I’ll be honest, this took quite a while. At least 5 hours split over two days. If you aren’t such a perfectionist you should be better off.

I love the final product! I’m still not sure where I’m going to put it though!

Lampshade: Free
Doilies: $1
Lamp: $2

Total cost = $3

Failed Parrot Trap… He decided to land on my head instead

Photobucket

 

What’s Cluckin’ Link Party #1

 Uncategorized  8 Responses »
Apr 262012
 
Here we go!
Starting up my own Linky Party.

Here are the rules:

Each week will have a theme, link up ANY* post that fits the theme, old or new.
The themes will generally be vague but please have some connection!
It can be a craft, photos, a recipe ect.
Don’t make me be the grinch!

*Please no giveaways or shops

Link up to a single post, not your blog

Pretty please link back with a text link or button!
It doesn’t have to be on the post, just have it somewhere on your blog

Check out at least 2 other entries for everything you enter.
It’s all about the love!

You don’t have to be a follower but I’d love it!

Chicken Scratch NY

Simplified Strawberry Pot Planting

 Uncategorized  3 Responses »
Apr 192012
 

I love strawberry pots.
Something about plants tumbling out of a million holes appeals to my love of floral chaos.

I’ve had this pot for years, I bought it on clearance at Joann’s.
It has a subtle shift to light green at the tops of the pockets. Here are some tips for planting these jars:


To plant:
Soak your flowers well, if your plants are root bound break them up.
I’ve been known to rip off the bottom portion of a severely root bound annual
(Don’t do this to taprooted plants!)

Fill the pot with soil up to the bottom of the pockets

Stuff your plants in the holes, one at a time.
From the inside fill in around the plants using your fingers to poke the soil where you need it

Fill up all the pockets this way

You’ll end up with a deep hole in the middle.
Fill it with soil and plant the center.
Leave some room for mulch.
Voila!

So much easier than filling the whole thing with dirt and trying to stuff the plants in…
wait.. I’m the only one who did that?!

Some Book Keeping

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Apr 072012
 
First off, I took the plunge and bought my own domain name.
Now instead of:

www.chickenscratchny.blogspot.com

You can find me at:

Dropped the .blogpot like a bad habit!
Everything should be forwarded so you might not even notice

 
A few more things:

I LOVE it when you guys Pin my stuff!
I’ve seen a few anti-pin zones and I just wanted to let you all know I am Pro-Pin all the way

One more tech-discovery I’ve recently made for my fellow Google reader users (I just can’t the hang of Linky Followers!).

Did you know about the Google Next button?
It’s really easy to install, it goes up in the tool bar (where the Pin It button goes).

It works with your reader.
When you click the Next button it takes you to the next [duh] blog post.
It takes you to the actual blog. This is awesome for a few reasons.

One, the blogger actually gets to see some one is reading her blog

Two, you get the see the blog it’s self, it’s really nice to actually see the blogs!
We work so hard to make them look nice don’t we?
It also helps keep people straight (seriously, 1/2 of the bloggers in this world are named Lisa!)

Three, you get the newest posts first so you get to link up early!

The downfall, it takes a lot longer to get through everything.
I try to read as many blogs as possible this way but I still end up back in the reader when I end up with 500 unread posts after not checking for a day

To add the button:

Go to your google reader page.
Click the settings button (looks like a flower) in the top right corner.
Click on ‘Reader Settings’ in the drop down
Click on the ‘Goodies’ tab
Scroll down little, click and drag where it says to do so and you’re in business!

Crafty Supply Boxes

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Mar 312012
 
This is part one of many. You see, I have a craft room. It’s still a bit of a dream for me.
I. Have. A. Craft. Room.
And it’s a disaster. So bad I can’t bring myself to show you. That’s right. I’ll cheerfully tell you I did laundry next to two tubs of chickens for months but I won’t show you my craft room. It needs organization. Badly. And it needs cheap. I don’t have a real budget or time line. But I’d like to spend as little as possible by using what I have on hand and get it done ASAP so I can focus on my garden planning and outside stuffs. In an earlier post I talked about being a crash organizer. I need baby steps. (Actually I need a miracle) I need to make this so easy for myself that I can’t NOT be organized. 
I started out by sorting some piles of stuff. I figured out what stuff I had a lot of and assigned some photo storage boxes (these are available everywhere and always on sale somewhere) to different categories. I used my Slice and white adhesive vinyl to cut out some fancy shapes and labels. 
The Paint Box:
Just so happens that 8 bottles of paint (Apple Barrel brand, Americana ect.) fit exactly across! See! miracles! I used my finger to smear painted each cap so it matches the contents. Not only does it show the color but also the finish.
Black is gloss and orange is matte. Now I can tell at a glance what I have without digging through a box. AND I hope I can stop buying new paint for every project because I can’t find the one I need. It’s a sad. I was the same way with make up and such for dancing (seriously, ask me how many sets of fake lashes I have).
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