moxie photo and design

cherry, cherry sunday.

2009-11-08T07:08:00.006-06:00

i have had 2 boxes of cherry gelatin laying on my kitchen counter for about 3 weeks. i have all the supplies pretty much ready to make another batch of tomato jelly like the one shown above. but. i. just. can't. get. it. done.

last weekend i geared up to make the batch. i was ready, really, i was. mentally, and i had allotted the time in my saturday to make jelly (it really has become all about planning and allotting hours and minutes). but see, well, i couldn't find the recipe. i know. (you: what kind of betty crocker wannabe are you?) i have two canning books and i am quite sure it was in there. but it's not. so, i googled it. found one (depression jelly is the name, simple is the game). but by then, well, post office...et cetera...nebraska football. you see where this is going.

so the boxes of cherry gelatin sit, another week.

my point: i think today might be the day.

but i have family and engagement photos to edit too. but the boxes. on. the counter. driving...me...crrr...a...zzzzyyyy.

*update: done.

running together

2009-11-05T06:32:00.006-06:00

the brilliant moon set off in the east. illuminating the highway to home. rising too quickly, moonlighting, the evening shift. or maybe, perhaps, it was the sun, heading back to work, the sun already clocked in for the day.

can't. wait.

2009-11-04T06:38:00.001-06:00

sometimes, when i find vintage goodies to sell, sometimes i just can't wait to list them. this peacock and it's mirror image twin are exactly that sometimes. they aren't listed yet...but i just had to share them! it's driving me cuckoo for cocoa puffs knowing i have photos taken, but not edited and no description typed up yet. both of these birds are about 18" wide. if you like them so much, you want to make them your own, email me. or, wait a week or so and i will have it in my shop.

if you are in seward, nebraska this evening between 5pm - 8pm, stop by Amigo's. our Godparent group will be helping out as a fundraiser for the GP program. you know...we get to serve you your food in exchange for part of the profits going towards this worthy cause.

wha? i wouldn't do anything to your food before i served it to you. promise. pinky promise.

dates.

2009-11-03T06:37:00.003-06:00

i'm selling some pretty 2010 calendars here. go on, check it out...then go ahead and have a bright eyed kind of day.

Junkin' Monday.

2009-11-02T06:33:00.003-06:00

garage sales are really winding down for the season, i only saw one in seward this past weekend. that's ok. i get that way this time of year. time to start heading indoors again to estate auctions and thrift stores. and lucky me, i have et cetera. these two lovely melmac dishes were found...and both had the color of the week stripe across the price tag...meaning...both were half price. making their combined grand total, $.50. and they are in fantastic condition to boot.

and this stack of records? i actually scored these before even stepping foot into the store. they were outside, under the awning, in the free box. i quickly and efficiently flipped through them and took the keepers to my car. that's what i call success, vintage goodies loaded in my car before i even start shopping for vintage goodies.

here's to hoping you have a free goodies kind of day, folks!

head on over to Clara and Marcela's blog to see what junkin' monday is all about!

restin spot.

2009-10-29T07:00:00.001-05:00

"i will sit here because i am the master and you, but a pawn in my little game."

our neighbors cat ("kitty") rules the neighborhood, our backyard...and, brent. and when brent is working in the backyard, kitty can be twice the master with half the work. and so, last weekend, this. brent was winterizing the garden with kitty watching very closely atop the old school desk. then, kitty decided the school desk watch post was clearly not good enough and decided to up the anty a bit. you know...see how his servant would respond. see if there was an uprising....

nope. not out of brent. brent did stay like that far longer than any mere human should, but he did frantically wave his arms to the kitchen window hoping i would see. i did, i freaked, and what any servants wife would do, frantically grab the camera.

kitty desired copious amounts of attention and adoration that day because he stayed very still as i retrieved the camera, clicked a couple from 2 different windows and stayed put as i opened the door to snap a couple more outside. he watched me the whole time, quite comfortable on his perch, chuckling a kingworthy chuckle, mmm-wha-mm-yes-yes as this couple stumbled over themselves to appease him.

k. it's monday.

2009-10-26T06:12:00.000-05:00

k. it's monday. and i have some freelance work (ok, and my real work) to tend to. make it a good one folks.

hot drinks all around

2009-10-23T06:30:00.003-05:00

hot irish mocha
6 cups hot strong brewed coffee
4 (1.25 oz.) envelopes Irish cream instant cocoa mix
2 cups half and half.
in slow cooker, combine all ingredients. mix well. cook on high 1 to 1.5 hours or until very hot. makes 8 servings.

if anyone knows where to find some instant cocoa of the irish cream flava flave, let me know. i looked all over (one store, actually) and couldn't find it. so, for our weekly work tailgate, i will be using mint flavored cocoa. close enough, right? like baking soda vs. baking powder...right? don't answer that.

what are your plans for the weekend?

*about the photo...in the back, the green mixer cover was made by my mother. and it's sweet and made from a vintage green tablecloth. perfect. the hot kettle was purchased at a garage sale last weekend (by brent) and it has never been used. ever. it will be serving hot irish mocha at the tailgate today.

paint, glitter and and tattoos too.

2009-10-22T07:14:00.002-05:00

33 little white gourds. 9 kids. ok, 10 with brent. paint brushes. thick, old paint. ribbon. google eyes. and glitter. oh, the glitter.

and staples. they love staples. they're hardcore, those staples. so definite. they might even love staples more than glitter. what can white and warty little gourds be turned into? frankenstein. lady bugs. glitter covered ornament looking things. light bulb. hot air balloons. random bugs. faces. bert, from sesame street for one. and grenades. two handfuls of grenades.

and then, their hands started to become the art itself. and tattoos began to appear.

and entire sleeves of paint tattoos. and more smiles and poses. it was a grand night.

a nice way to spend a rainy evening.

happy day, folks.

some things.

2009-10-20T06:30:00.003-05:00

just a few things for today.

1)kiddos, we have a winner. oh how i wish i could send out this to each of the commenter's. le sigh...it can not be done. so, the random winner chooser chose ms. caroline from bonjour.mon.coeur. congrats! ms. caroline, the package is ready. its packed. very packed. to the very seams...tape was needed for extra support. that packed. email me your address so i can send this very packed pay if forward box.

2)silhouettes were a common theme at the auction this weekend. 6 silhouette pieces were secured and are now in our basement, and i love {really, love} them all. i think i will be keeping one of them. that's ok, right?

3)i really, really like our new office at work. really. like. i really liked my job before, now i really like the place i go to like my job.

4)my vintage shop...it hit 600 sales over the weekend. six hundred. thank you viewers and buyers and fans of moxiethrift.

interior decorator

2009-10-18T14:04:00.005-05:00

folks, we have an interior decorator amongst us. look at the vintage print named metropolis by bay found, bid on and purchased ($1) at an auction yesterday. mr. interior decorator showed me this art leaning on end amongst the beds and dressers and couches and noted how good it would look above the couch where the sad and melancholy print was. it was time for the melancholy prairie girl and farm to homestead somewhere else. enter, mr. i. d. and his vision. a vibrant city and bridge scene with yellows and browns in some light and greens and oranges in another.

can i get a yaw for color, and a yaw for my interior decorator.

"yaw"
"yaw"

(a couple more hours to enter this giveaway.)

other plans

2009-10-16T07:29:00.001-05:00

we didn't have to be into work til 9am today. *heel click*...so i thought i would write a grand ol post this morning. well, as it happens...i started wiping down the sink...then i thought, well, if i wipe it down, i might as well clean it...and since the sink is clean, i might as well clean the toilet....

so, i have a clean bathroom, but a so-so post. at least the picture is cool, right?
good friday to you.

2009-10-15T18:12:00.001-05:00

just

2009-10-14T06:45:00.001-05:00

some pretty pictures of dove this morning.

these were taken at my parents farm. so that makes it even better, right?

and....hypothetically, if say, you dehydrated some bananas and they are now stuck to the trays of your dehydrator because you didn't spray the trays with non stick spray...hypothetically, of course...how would you go about getting them off the trays before you go stark raving mad and either break the trays or chuck the whole idea and wash them off. remember, this is all hypothetical.

have a good one, folks.

to: you

2009-10-12T06:47:00.002-05:00

so i had this idea a while ago. kinda sorta a pay if forward sort of dealio. and here's the scoop. {please read to the end....that's where the 'portant stuff is}

i am in the process of filling this box full of stuff. vintage stuff. my art stuff. bits of stuff. this, that and the other stuff....you know, stuff. and the box is almost full. and i need someone to send it to. enter, you.

enter by leaving a comment on this post. comment with an 'enter me' or 'pick me' or a story or witty comment or lyrics to a song....it makes me no difference, just something to let me know you left your mark. {make sure i am able to contact you if you happen to be the winner}.

i will pick a winner sunday, oct. 18. and contact you sunday or monday, get your address and send the box o goodies to you. great stuff!

buuuut. it doesn't end there.
by entering, you are taking this pledge:
i __________, promise in good faith, to pass on some love of my own. i will get a small flat rate box from the post office and fill it with my own goodies and pass it along to someone in my own giveaway/contest/whathaveyou. and i will ask them to pass their love on as well, and so on and so on. i will also come back to this post and let leah know when i am doing this so she can follow along.

go now, enter and then go ahead and tell your friends. you have a week, enter once, twice, thrice, however many times your heart desires.

temporary green

2009-10-10T07:54:00.006-05:00

i heard it. i went outside to take pictures this morning, and i heard it. the quiet that only a white blanket allows. the stark and hollow sound of winter.

leaves still on the trees are taking heed. most actually, are still green. some lingering as they commit to their demise. and others, quickly surrender. all covering the ground with a temporary green.

tomato verde, and picklin' too.

2009-10-09T06:37:00.004-05:00

i mentioned the work brent did in the garden last week. we wanted to make sure we (meaning he) plucked all the green tomatoes before the frost came hard. we have been discussing pickling green tomatoes for the last couple weeks. i kinda like working with green tomatoes, they are quite firm so my (old, dull) knives can cut quite nicely. and this vintage melon baller did a superb job getting the tops out.

(i also liked the fact that the recipe called for quartering the tomatoes) slice, slice...and done.

we decided to open a can of olive and throw some in each jar. mmmm. pickled olives.

thanks mom and mom in law for the supply of jars. the more i can, the more i really like the look of canning jars. the words on them. and, well, the idea of planning. planning now for meals or snacks or gifts down the road. i like to plan. and i plan to continue to can.

and there you have it. a couple hours of work, and a handful of sealed pickled cornucopia of veggies. (and the orangy looking things....habenaros...yes.)

i used this recipe. super easy. and the heat from the liquid is what seals them. no water bath need...and all of um sealed. all.

perfect description

2009-10-08T06:30:00.003-05:00

how about this mosaic for your thursday? it's about too much for me to handle, really. this is saturday afternoon. this is how it is in my head. this collection. right here. i love it. i plain am lovin every minute of it.

and i can't take credit for this warm brownie. brittni over at paper n stitch put this collection together. every item shown along with a lot of other very cool handmade and vintage items are for sale over yonder. again with the lovin every minute of it.

i've never met a number pattern i didn't like.
and this would feed my alphabet love.
i dream of letterpress art. and birds.
and all that canning, these would be uncanny.

ok, so this could go on for days. just go ahead and go peruse yo'self, you know you want to.

and then..then...go get your read on at her blog.
go ahead...tell her leah sent you.

aaand, you're welcome.

to bed, i say.

2009-10-06T20:48:00.005-05:00

our bountiful garden took its final bow of 2009 late last week. brent went to work friday evening gleaning all vegetables that could be consumed as is, in a couple days or weeks, frozen, or pickled and sealed. yes, he did. he carried in a box full of green tomatoes, 5 squash, a couple peppers and cucumber.

and then. it was done.

but then brent mowed. and dumped each and every bag of leaves and grass on our newly emptied stage. for this is the time to slowly start again. we will make the countless trips out there to dump our banana peels and apple cores and tomato skins. for this is when the compost pile does its best work. gently tucked under the frost...and soon...the snow...our leaves and grass clippings and carrot tips and grape stems -and all the nutrients they hold - will stew and ferment and decompose into next years garden.

(and it gives me a place to put the peels and cores and skins and tips and stems without stinkin up the garbage can or disposal...but that's just an added bonus.)

b & p

2009-10-04T18:28:00.008-05:00

lookie there. *b & p thrift buyers were out and about today. at an auction in western. western what? western, nebraska. from western to our living room....and soon, my shop.

good stuff.

*brent and pat

shootin.

2009-10-02T12:05:00.007-05:00

this is my brother adam.
this is my brother adam on a four wheeler.
this is my brother adam on a four wheeler going to turn on an irrigation system.
this is my brother adam on a four wheeler going to turn on an irrigation system while being photographed by his sister.

this was taken a month or so ago. the beans there on the right? they are probably combined, or close to it, by now. hey...i'm right on top of my photos.

what are your plans for the weekend? i am shootin for the moon with this to do list...but hey, i just gotta have a heftly list...what if i made a short list and got it all done? then what?!

1) (partly done) a pile of various papers on the kitchen table must be tended to.
2) (done) email replies to: janet, mike b, amy, doug, carmen...
3) can salsa, or for petes sake, at the very least cut up all ingredients & freeze.
4) make jelly. maybe.
5) write a real true live letter to kim.
6) (done) apples. peel some of um.
7) cln dwnstrs bthrm shower (this is my moms code for clean downstairs bathroom)
8) um, cobwebs?
9) hot.soapy.water. all kitchen countertops
10) finish etsy descriptions that were started
11) (done) family photos, edit
12) GP retreat, photos to cd's
13) (done) new moxiethrift shop banner
14) edit photos for future blogs
15) cards. make some. make lots.
16) (done) baptism photos to R.
17) (done) edit etsy item photos

and that's just for tonight.
i kid.

mr. hornsby

2009-09-30T05:39:00.006-05:00

a lot can be solved/resolved/settled/put to rest/figured out/let go when i listen to bruce hornsby in my mothers sewing room. on a recent trip home, i found myself alone in the house for a short while. i automatically reverted back to the familiar actions. hold breath. sit in the sewing chair. bottom drawer. find mr. hornsby. push play. darn near can't wait for it....ah, there we go. The Way It Is first. always first. patience. it's good. and gets better every time. but then. then Mandolin Rain. sweet, sweet Mandolin Rain. i'm confident that a lot of the worldly issues could be solved in my mothers sewing room. mr. hornsby and the piano and mandolin too. i'm quite sure she wouldn't mind.

me myself and i.

2009-09-24T06:42:00.001-05:00

emmy/golden globe pose.

nerd with a camera pose.

happy girl pose. *heel click*

the start.

2009-09-21T06:27:00.001-05:00

it's not really a great way to start a week...being utterly worn out to the point of mishedmashed sentences and sludge-style walking, but it seems to have happened all the same. it's ok. it's in the books and we're all better because of it, i believe. see you in a couple.

delighted.

2009-09-17T07:14:00.000-05:00

it's thursday and i'm delighted.
have a good one folks.