Tables Turned

Well, it's Monday.  Again.  The weekend was crazy busy.  There's laundry to do, dishes to wash, mouths to feed, groceries to be gotten, bills to pay, schedules to coordinate, homework to be done.

So I painted my kitchen table.

I love our table.  It belonged to my great-grandmother and is beautifully worn and old and sturdy.

Buzz's photo bomb

Countless meals have been had here.  My mom did her homework here.  It's the only table Ma Luffin Mayun and the us-es have ever had.  I think the table is Poppins-esque perfect since my bend is to things that wear their years and can stand up to the beating we'll most likely give them.

But then mom sent me a link and suggested I put the same spin on my own table.  I was down with it.

Two words: chalkboard paint.

after the first coat

It took three coats to cover, and only about an hour and a half from start to finish.  After the paint is dry you cover it in chalk and then wipe it off to sort of set and condition the finish.

And voila.  Done.  An hour and a half, $2-worth of a $10 quart of paint, and a $0.68 paintbrush.

this is my sentiment most days

I also painted the top of the chairs.  You know, in case we ever forget where we're supposed to sit or each other's name.

look at my junky counter
no, don't

So there you have it.  Another project done, another everyday, commonplace to-do list ignored.

Take that, Monday.
Now to actually decide on dinner...

Very Pinteresting

Yeah, I know.  But I'm back.

And I am now in love with Pinterest.  I think it might be the real thing this time.

I repinned this image from CassieVivi's board of a frame that had been repurposed into a kind of momentos keeper/bulletin board/work of art.

I've been holding on to the frame of an old, long-ago-broken mirror Ma Luffin Mayun's grandmother, DorothyLee, gave me.  She is so often my benefactress in all things vintage and fabulously worn.  She has quite the same eye for things as I do.  I love that.  I've kept the frame for years occasionally contemplating what to do with it.  Paint?  Decoupage?  Because of the combination of seeing this on Pinterest and Ma Luffin Mayun returning from Asia with a plethora of dear keepsakes, the idea came.

I took some basic wire that I had recently purchased for a jewelry-making project I've undertaken.  Using the wire, a pair of scissors, and about twenty minutes of my evening, I came up with this...

I kind of love it and look forward to watching the collection on it grow.  It's a perfect answer to the question of where to put things that we find special or important, but that don't necessarily lend themselves to having a particular place for storing or displaying.

A beautiful bag that held souvenirs from the journey, some Korean coins,
and the brochure from the english camp with the team members' pictures

I just used basic paperclips to hold everything onto the wire.  I love the idea of clothespins and will most likely play around with different ways of affixing the items to the frame.

A fan from Korea and one of my favorite things: a flower made out of wool from Scotland
sent to me by my KakiBlack

Hanging in the corner of our bedroom.

So there you have it, my rip-off of someone else's idea.  Now go rip something off of somebody else and have fun while you're at it.

And beware of Pinterest . . .

Saturday's New Tradition

Saturday arrived once again, and once again we took our stroll to the Statham Farmer's Market.  This is our fourth week shopping at the market, and for the last two weeks Ma Luffin' Mayun's brother and his wife, Phillip and Becca (and the resident bun-in-the-oven we get to meet in late August) have come along for the venture.

Little Big Man decided to wrestle up
some cowboy boots and a ten-gallon hat
and mosey on down to the market.

Last week, everyone was encouraged to bring their pooches for the "Dog Days of Summer".  Though we opted to leave our two wiley coyotes at home, there were some cutie dogs.  If I remember correctly this one is named "Maggie".

This week there was a wonderful local saxophone quartet playing patriotic music.  Ma Luffin' Mayun is a UGA Redcoat alumnus, so he was all too thrilled to sit and listen.

Becca the patriot in front of the band stand.

Listening to the music

We've tried all kinds of new things throughout the weeks, including honey with the honeycomb.  Truly delicious.  It melts in your mouth like butter and after you've chewed it for a while, you just spit out the wax.

Trying the honeycomb

And here is our haul from last week and this week...

From top center going clockwise: bunch of sage,
two bags of lambsquarters (absolutely one of our new favorites), zucchini,
kale, pesto, crookneck squash, turnips, roma tomatoes, bowl of honeycomb,
bag of lettuce, and our cups of sweet tea
(from the market on 6/25/11)

Fourteen ears of corn
(from the market on 7/2/11)

From the top center going clockwise: kale, heirloom varieties of squash
including Peter Pan squash (shaped like flying saucers), sweet banana peppers,
all-natural lotion bar, handmade castille soap, all-natural skin cream,
honey, tomatoes
(from the market on 7/2/11)

Along with all the veggies we are picking up each week, sticking to our goal of only eating local produce from June through September, I love coming across products like these: handmade soaps, lotions, and creams made with ingredients that are natural and that I can use for myself and the kids (especially Little Big Man with his eczema).  This particular soap made by the Bartons of Sweet Tea is purely olive oil without any added perfumes which is perfect for his skin.  They also made the lotion bar that is absolute divinity.  The skin cream in the jar is made from olive oil, bees wax, water, tea tree oil, and vitamin E by the folks at Blue Sky Honey.  I have used it as facial moisturizer the last two days and love it.

I can't say enough about the market and our growing affection for our community as a result.  It is a blessing each week to see familiar faces, to learn the names that go along with them, and to happen upon old friends.

Here are some more shots from our last two weeks at the market...

My first batch of fresh pickles made from our
farmers market harvest

Ma Luffin' Mayun's BLT made with farmers market goodies

Here is a list, certainly not complete, of some of our favorite vendors.  We are proud to be their regular customers...
Lazy B Farm
Blue Sky Honey
Back In Time Farm
Sweet Tea
Bear Creek Farm
JessAnne Heirloom
Double Bridges Farm

Finding Community In Kombucha

For the first time ever our little town has set up a farmers market every Saturday morning from June to September right on main street.  Um, I love it.  From where we live we can make the round trip walk in just under two miles.  For the past two Saturdays we have gotten the kids up early, had a quick breakfast, and made the short jaunt.  It's already so doggone hot in Georgia that 7:30 or 8:00 in the morning is just about the only time that isn't too scorching to walk, so it becomes a perfect time for some exercise, too.

My friends the PostmodernPescatarian and BigMama have both piqued my interest in the 100-Mile diet challenge for some time.  There is so much good stuff that can come out of eating local foods grown on local farms and harvested by local hands.  Even though it may have a trendy edge to it right now, I love this kind of thing because it feels like a throwback to another era; back before anything I ever dreamed of or wanted could come wrapped in cellophane.  Everything old is new again.

When I found out about the farmers market in our town I decided right then that for the time that the market runs - June through September - our family will buy all of our produce from there and not the grocery store.  If it's in season, we buy it.  If it's not, we won't.  Again, we are only two weeks in, but I already love it.  Here is last week's haul:

Going clockwise starting at "noon": zucchini squash in the background,
kombucha in the foreground, kale greens, fresh ground beef, cucumbers,
crookneck squash, lambsquarters greens, devil's food cupcakes,
boiled peanuts, and local raw honey.

 

The lambsquarters is what's in the bag.  It is very comparable to spinach.
I sauteed it with olive oil and mushrooms this week.  Heavenly.

These cupcakes were so unnecessary . . . and so divine!

 

This kombucha was definitely the most "granola" purchase we made,
but we have enjoyed drinking it this week.  It is a "living" food and full
of probiotics.  You can find out more general information about it here.

Today's market was even better than last week's because of the crops that have come in since last Saturday.  Here is what we found today:

Going clockwise starting at "noon": carrots, swiss chard, kombucha,
kale greens, sauerkraut, red and yellow onions, lambsquarters,
lavender bunches, and zucchini & crookneck squash

 

Little Big Man loved picking out his carrots.

Ruth at BackInTime Farm makes a different flavor kombucha each week.
Last week was blueberry ginger, this week it's grape.

All total between last week and this, we have invested into the farmers market about $70.00.  I knew I would love buying these beautiful, flavorful local products.  What I have been most pleasantly surprised by really is the further discovery of our community.  The faces become more familiar each week.  We live and work and raise our kids side by side with each other, but can move so fast that we never notice.  But when you're all meandering around the same local market, making selections, asking questions, learning about produce or products that may be completely new to you or old favorites, it's slow enough to notice.  I know more names today than I did a week ago.  And more people know mine. 

That is the greatest thing we've found at the farmers market.  And that crop is likely to produce all season long.

A few more pictures to close:

starting out on our walk

Brilliant Beauty samples a boiled peanut.  A Georgia gal, indeed.

She'll have one of everything, please.

And Little Big Man's visit last week even made the front page of the
Sunday Athens Banner-Herald.  Have your people call his people and
maybe you can do lunch.

Bouncin' and Behavin'

Since I know all of you are waiting with bated breath for instructions on all-natural, shampoo-free hair care -- or perhaps none of you -- I have this enlightening post for you today.

This information is made possible by a contribution from my dear friend Burnsy. She and I worked together about a decade ago, not realizing then that we were at the precipice of a lifelong friendship. We are usually separated by quite a lot of miles, seeing each other only a handful of times over these years. But the physical distance in no way parallels my affinity and outright love for her.

She's increbibly talented and a consummate professional in her field. Her career requires some atypical things of her hair, so when I found out she had sought out and found a natural, user-friendly, and economical hair care regimen that still left her hair looking good, I was all on it like white on rice.

Here's what she has to say:

Ok, I promised this info to Jessi weeks ago, but better late than never!! This is my current routine, devised from the "Curly Girl" hair care advice and adjusted for my now straight hair (thanks to pregnancy...). **NOTE: This note is not for the faint of heart. Read only if you have a serious bent towards the natural and hippie-esque.**

The thing to know before changing your routine is the cycle of "wash, condition, repeat" that shampoo companies have gotten us into. Simply put:

1. The main ingredient in standard shampoos is Sodium Laureth Sulfate. This is a harsh cleansing agent that essentially strips your hair and scalp not only of dirt and excess oil, but of ALL oils. This disrupts the natural balance of your scalp. (Note: SLS is also the main ingredient of dish soap. Squeaky clean is good for dishes, bad for hair and skin!)
2. In order to restore moisture to squeaky clean hair, you need to condition. Standard conditioners usually include ingredients like Dimethicone, which coats the hair with "moisture" but can only be removed with - you guessed it - Sodium Laureth Sulfate. If you condition with a "-cone" conditioner and don't use a Sulfate shampoo, you get build-up and your hair looks limp and lifeless.
3. A good Sulfate wash strips away the bad -cones, and the cycle starts all over again. No matter how expensive a product is, if it contains sulfates or -cones, you'll get stuck in this cycle.

So, how to break the cycle?? And what in the world can you use to wash your hair??

Let's start with the 2nd question. Basically, here's the rule: Make sure everything you put on your hair is water-soluble.

For WASHING:

Level 1: The most important thing needed for a clean scalp is a good scrub. Use your fingertips under running water to give your scalp a good massage, making sure to cover your whole head and really get under your hair. Rinse with warm water. Most days, that will be enough!

Level 2: If you've been camping, working outside, exercising, etc., you may need a bit more help. Use a pea- to dime-sized dollop of CONDITIONER (see below for which kind) and use that while scrubbing as you would for a "water wash." Rinse well.

Level 3: Every couple of weeks you may need to clarify your hair to give it a boost. For this we turn to our old friends, baking soda and apple cider vinegar!
- Add 1 tsp (ish) of baking soda to your dollop of conditioner and scrub as you would for a Level 2 wash. Rinse completely.
- Rinse your hair again using a mixture of 1 Tbsp ACV per Cup of cool water. This will close the hair folicle and restore the pH. Follow with conditioner.

For CONDITIONING:

Get used to reading labels. A good place to start is the Suave Naturals line of conditioners. A big bottle is usually less than $2, and it's totally water-soluble. I prefer the Aloe & Waterlilly or Tropical Coconut. Organic conditioners are also water-soluble, but more expensive, i.e., Burt's Bees, Alba.

To condition: Take a good palm-full of conditioner and work through your hair, including your scalp. Rinse with COLD water if you can stand it. (I do this but turning my head upside down in the shower; water gets my hair but not my body... mostly.)

That's it!! Cheap, mostly natural hair care.

So, how to get started? The first couple weeks might be serious ponytail or hat time as your natural oils come back, but it will be worth it in the long run to tough it out.

1. First step: one final SLS shampoo to get rid of all the build-up.
2. Then give you hair a good dousing with a non-"cone" conditioner (see above).
3. Rinse with cold water.
4. Carry on your merry way!

You'll have to experiment to find the best balance that works for you! For me, I water wash and condition every other day, codish-wash once a week, and Clarify once a month. That may change when the baby's born, but for now, I've got good shiny hair - for CHEAP!!

As for products, I still use some to control frizz, but that is complete trial and error. Again, just make sure things are water-soluble so they rinse out when you do a water wash. I'm still spending $14/bottle on a good gel, but it now lasts me over a year. When it runs out, I'll explore the cheap drugstore products in this awesome list.

And there you have it. Pretty awesome, huh? You can see her curly hair at the top of the post and her straight hair here.

I have been using this regimen for my own hair for nearly two weeks and I LOVE it. Also, I can tend to struggle with dandruff, but I have had none since starting this. I mean, NONE. Here's my most recent pic since making the switch. It's certainly not one of my better days, but the hair is clean and shiny and not plastered to my head with oil as I was afraid it might be. I say give it a try. You most assuredly don't have anything to lose and may find out you have fabulous, luxurious hair naturally without having to strip out and then add back to it a sundry skunah. (What? Everybody doesn't say "skunah"?)

In parting, I leave you with some amazing photos of Burnsy doing what she does, opera. Yeah. She's kind of a big deal now. But then again, I've always known that.

P.S. ACB, easier to get forgiveness than permission for ganking your pictures? Please forgive me. I'm proud of you.


in the part of Yum-Yum, production of The Mikado, Arizona Opera 2008


far left, in the part of one of the The Nymphs, production of Ariadne auf Naxos, Metropolitan Opera 2010


production of Candide, Wolf Trap Opera Company 2008 (and yes, that is this fella)


production of Le Nozze di Figaro, Opera Grand Rapids 2008 (and that fine-looking gentleman with her, in the immortal words of Beyonce, "put a ring on it" and they were married one year later)


...and the lovely pair preparing for the role of their lifetimes...parenthood.