Quick creative low/no sew costume year

Due to our week away not long ago, my budget was smacked for Halloween costumes. As in NO money. (I had $9 left on a Joann fabric gift card & that is all we spent plus 50 cents at the thrift store.) Broke thanks to the rental being $200 more then what we thought it would be due to the quote (hidden insurance & stuff) given when it was picked up. Normally all of October is spent making costumes for our little ones. This year, I had to do something different. BUT in no way was I going to just slap something together without getting creative. Making costumes is what I find this time of year so much more exciting.

First up, The beautiful raven haired girl whom fell in love with the young local Glass makers son. Unbeknownst to her, an evil witch that lived just outside the village, had a daughter that secretly admired this boy from afar.
One day, as the young boy & this beautiful young girl walked along the deer trails, not far from the witch's cottage, the evil daughter was out gathering wood for the fire. She soon spotted the two lovers amongst the trees. She became enraged when she saw the young boy holding the hand of this dark haired beauty. The jealous outcast girl could see they were smiling at each other and laughing. Then, the young boy stopped walking. He reached into his pocket, bringing out a cloth covered item he held so delicately.
He slipped this beautiful glass heart he made for her, attached only by a thin ribbon. The rays of the sun glitter along the edges, making the red glass shine as though a thousand lightening bugs danced inside. This gift made the girl so happy.

Her smile beaming up to the young boy as he stared deep into her eyes. She hugged him with delight over such an amazing gift.
The evil daughter stomped back to her cottage, intent of ridding herself of this girl. She carefully selected herbs, roots & other magical ingredients for what she hoped would seal the fate of that village girl.
The evil daughter was able to slip unseen to the girls house. Offering her this "special tea" saying it would ensure a lifetime of happiness with the man of her dreams. The girl quickly made the tea for she so deeply wanted to ensure a happy lifetime with her young love. As the last drop fell from her cup, she began to feel odd. Her skin tingled and her hair began to thicken. She fainted from fear. She knew she had been tricked. All she could think of was her one true love.
When she awoke, she found herself in the form of a crow. The glass heart still dangling from her neck. She tried to call out but the only words she could say was the last word she had thought of during the transformation. "Carl". "Carl". And to this day, as the black crow flies amongst the sky, you will hear the young girls cry as she searches for her lost love.
(Get it? Caw caw as in Carl Carl with a twist). I made this story up when I brainstormed Panda's costume. She did laugh at me and say "You totally made that up mom". Yes. Yes I did. Now go put this on...


Her costume was made with a black long sleeve tshirt under a more dressy style sun dress, given to her from a friend who had outgrown it. Same with the boots. The white capri tights were perfect with the color scheme. The only items purchased were the glass heart & black feathers attached with diluted liquid glue to the basic face mask. I paper matched the beak on before the feathers were applied. Finishing it with a yellow paint. I cut an old bed sheet to make the wings, attached them to her shirt with simple hand sewing of 1 stitch & a few knots. A few feathers added for more emphasis on what they are. Took 3 hours total.
My Little man wanted to be Hobo. Why? I truly do not know. But it worked for me and nothing was bought for his outfit. A raid into the closet brought tattered play jeans, daddy's shirt & a bandanna. The stick had somehow founds it way into our house but that's not unusual. You would be amazed at the things I find from my little Nature freaks, bringing tokens of their day in with them. It may well have served as a sword as they climbed the trees, fighting off pirates. Or as a stick to move a lone garter snake out of their path. Between the rocks in pockets of dirty clothes & leaves under pillows, I am not at all surprised to have found that stick in one of my cupboards.
A little bit of brown face paint diluted, for the scruffy dirty face as well as some old eye liner I had.

Now he fits the part of a railroad traveling hobo, sitting here at an abandoned saw mill not far from our home.

And as for frog, she wanted to be the typical Fairy princess. A few flowers left from another project, 50 cent wings from the thrift store and $4 dollars of fabric during the big moonlight madness 60% off sale at Joanns. The tulle is from a different old skirt of hers. I used a jumper dress of hers as a pattern for the outline and had just the straight side seams & shoulder straps to sew. VERY basic. I left the rest unsewn. I attached the leaf bottom with simple straight stitch, cut to fit around her midsection & freehand cut some leave strips to overlay.

A headband of her sisters holds a lone flower as her crown. Looped on with thread & needle. Voila! Fit for her imaginative play. A wand, made & given to me from a friend, was the accessory she so insisted for her costume.

As for me, I used that old bed sheet to make a hooded cloak & witch hat.I sprayed clear coat krylon (again from another project) onto the finished hat after scrunching it up a bit. This helped harden the fabric & to hold the shape better.

A broom was made from an apple tree branch, stripped of its bark while I watched Frog riding her bike in the yard. The overgrown field just South of us, supplied the straw. All free hand and it came out just fine.


Now to add a ribbon & buckle (made from an antique dresser that was falling apart-I clipped off the handle, using the back plate & pounded holes in it for the ribbon). This will hide the seam of the hats brim to the upper portion. I am using my black bridesmaid dress from my little brothers wedding, as well as a Victorian inspired white top I used in previous photos from my Gypsy tea pictures. Bell sleeves, bunched up bodice peeking from the strapless gown top. PLUS a pair of black combat boots given to me by my much loved Sister in law. Gotta look through the winter clothes bin for some socks. Panda cant find her red & white striped stockings so more creativity is in order.

I hope these inspire you to get creative & not fear a low or no budget for this wonderfully magic holiday. It is the 1 day a year you can dress up however you want (and get away with it).

Happy Halloween!

and as always...

Sweetest dreams,
~Tammie

Our Graveyard & Future Halloween celebrations

I'm a big kid. (Obviously.) Halloween is my most favorite time of year and having children has made it even easier to enjoy as an adult. Panda made me the happiest momma on earth the day she said "Mom, could we have a Halloween party for my birthday from now on (in October)?". She is a 4th of July baby which makes any celebration planning with her friends VERY excruciating. It seems all her friends take turns going on holiday around that time of year.

Beginning in 2011, she will have her first boy/girl party at Halloween time. Where does the graveyard come into all this? Well, it's actually a long story. One that begins with a simple interest in having activities for Panda's party, such as "ghost stories" into an obsession for knowing more....

This is looking from the hill mid cemetery towards the wild life reserve & empty field behind our property:

Can you spot The Captains truck in this picture? Yeah, we live THAT close. With just 75 ft or so of woods between us, meeting the 2 property lines with a chain link fence:

I have found NOTHING in books or online about this particular cemetery. A line or two mentioning the pioneers of our township have been found in surrounding town history books. Tid bits I would jot down. Then...I found I was in some way, writing a book of my own all about those who had been the FIRST settlers of the land I walk upon, the builders who erected many buildings & homes I pass each & every day, whom have been laid to rest beginning over 200 years ago and have no visitors but township maintenance.

So began the big mission. Not only do I feel a sort of caretaker to this graveyard, I have found myself researching, dedicating way too many hours actually, into finding the stories of those laid to rest next door. So far, I have pieced together & corrected time lines/names mentioned in other books. Intricate family tree lines that would make any ones head dizzy with confusion. Stories of their lives, losses & triumphs falling together with small connections.

Example, Mr. David Cook was on the jury for the first ever murder trial of Portage county Ohio. The accused (not Mr. Cook of course),had beat his wife a few days after giving birth while she lay in bed. She sustained a large gash across her rib cage when the accused hit her with a metal shoe horn. She died w/ in 3 weeks. BUT despite the towns people knowing he was a man of bad character, ill temperament & a bit of a drinker, he was acquitted. The defense was able to put doubt in the minds of those such as Mr. Cook that it is possible she died from child birth bed ridden sickness and not from her injuries she sustained when he beat her in a most vicious fashion.

Grave of a young, 15 year old whom I have yet to identify. So many stones that are disappearing. Crumbling away with the beating of the seasons.

So the plan is also a bit of future purpose. Mostly due to so many cemeteries being disrupted & vandalized by those who have never been taught the respect & appreciation of our ancestors.

This particular graveyard is the final resting place to many of the first pioneers who set their home just around the corner from where we live. Joining just 1 other single man who came in 1803 & was the ONLY resident in these parts until 1805!

As part of her party the kids will carve pumpkins. Then, we will walk over to the graveyard with the pumpkins as I tell them a few not so gory as above stories of it's inhabitants( and I have already found a few that are appropriate for 7th graders).How they are a part of our history & how the last person buried was in 1957, 152 years after the first.

I will also tell them as we ascend the long cement steps up into the graveyard, set 10 ft higher then the road, the old lore that as once you reach the top- close your eyes. Count to 3 and turn around to see who is following you. You may just be surprised if our hosts are feeling a bit mischievous.

Once inside, each kid will draw a name from a bowl. (proper behavior will be discussed). They are to FIND that persons grave and leave their pumpkin in reverence for them. On the grave will be a short paragraph of info on their chosen resident that they are welcome to keep. Then we will make way back to the house for food & games. Each year will be different. Stories of different residents will be shared. Different games & such will be played.

I have already begun a site where I am recording all the info found. I wish for others to be able to find all this great history in one location online- for free. After much deep thought I have decided I will attend a Fall meeting of our township Historical society. Not only will I be visiting them this weekend in search of more information/history, I may just end up being the youngest member, trying to preserve the great farming community I call home.

Not to mention, hopefully get a fund raiser going to preserve/install headstones, of those I call neighbor.

Up next, some Halloween How to's

& simple low or no sew last minute costume ideas!

Sweetest Dreams,

~Tammie

work gloves. chain saw & Chimney sweep did what?!

There comes a time when you realize that your favorite pair of work gloves will not make it through one more season. I came to that realization today as we continued clearing the fence line of our property. Between rose/blackberry thorns ripping my clothes, piercing my fingers & leaving marks of dotted red lines on bare flesh, I tried one last effort to save my Pallina's for at least this one last Fall season.

Duct tape was helpful but not the solution. I still felt the sharp pricks and more thinning of leather in my palms. I so do love these gloves. Never before have I found a pair to fit just right & last more then one season. Maybe Santa Baby will bring me a new pair ( as well as that new Nikon D90 Or canon Rebel SLR I have been hinting heavily about). What?! I'm not asking for shiny baubles. Just 2 items that would be put to use every day.

The property line on the East South side has a livestock fence in need of clearing. The fence is surprisingly in good shape. Overgrown brambles & trees have made a horrible mess of the area.

In the below picture, you will only see 1/3 of what I have cleared up.


It was nice to have some help with it today. Between my little brother & his wife plus The Captain helping out, my goal to get halfway through this particular line of fence was accomplished.

I have been playing with the chain saw for 2 days straight. Between a few trees at the old house cut up for firewood, the downed limbs from previous storms here at the Stone Cottage plus a few trees which were badly overgrown. The only way to save the trees around the few bad ones, is to cut the bad down.

We now have 8 pallets full of firewood, stacked 4 1/2 feet high. I still have more to cut up. May end up selling a few cords of wood if I can do it right. Being that cords of seasoned hard wood around here sell about $185 give or take $20. It would help buy that camera I so heavily drop hints for at The Captain. hmm....

Did I forget to share what happened a few weeks back with the chimney sweep? Hmmm. I do believe I did. Well, The guy comes out with his son while Panda & I are away, no one else home.When we do come back home, we discover 2 fire trucks in our front yard, an ambulance in our drive way plus people all over the place. The chimney sweep guy was on the roof not even 5 minutes before he misstepped due to a ladder failure & fell- right down into the crevice between the chimney & roof- It had taken our township fire department 45 minutes from the time they arrived to when they finally had him on the ground:


He had surgery on his ankle last week & wants to be back on our roof mid November. Just happy that he is O.k and all will be well.
In the mean time, we are having fireplace envy due to the Autumn wind carrying the enchanting scent of cold weather fires our way. It's like placing candy on the table, telling a child you can look but not experience the joy of having it. THAT is the painful envy we have. Between the stacked firewood out back to the beautiful Fireplace blatantly staring back at us in the living room. The first fire will make for a rapturous event.


We break ground for the Grape arbor on Monday. I have 7ft tall Locust fence posts to pick up in 1 week (after the coming rain which appears to stick around for most of it). The 30x60 chicken food garden to till up for next Spring's planting & all the other Fall chores to get in before the cold snaps back.
Sweet Dreams,
~Tammie

Our last few days of the road trip Texas & Oklahoma

Day 4 video postcard:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Enbd7xVrUH8



Day 5 Video postcard:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5yG36aRnSU



Be back home soon.
Sweet dreams,
~Tammie (mommy)

While away, The parents will play...

During our trip to Ft. Worth Texas, I decide to make "video postcards" for our children. These are not for the Homesteading video series. Just something for the entertainment of our children. Published here so they can view it while we are away. Making one for every day or two we are away from them. Frog is only 4 so obviously a video is much more fun for her then an email with pictures as well as our older 2 who are 7 & 11 yrs old.
Posting the video here, makes it easier for them to come back & view as often as they like.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRvYy-eOArU

The weather has been perfect & now I must tend to wedding events such as the Friday Bridesmaid Luncheon. I am soooo going to enjoy the 1 hour massage at the spa. I at least shaved as promised to my lil Brother & his bride. After all, I barely have much insulation for winter so come Fall, these legs see a razor even less then they do in the summer. :) The Captain is used to my lack of leg shaving. He also realizes shaving my legs takes much too long when a toddler is pounding on the door screaming "I need a shower too!" so my time is short.
Wonder what the ladies will think when they see these hands during the manicure.... At least I'm not getting a pedicure. As The captain always like to say "The bottoms of your feet stay dirty & rough all year long. When are you going to start wearing shoes?"....Ummm only when it's cold outside.

Wow. This really sounds bad to share my lack of leg shaving & barefoot habits. Ah well. I can at least admit it & laugh. 20 years ago I would have been horrified but as a mom & wife, we all know some things change.


Sweet Dreams,
Tammie (Mommy)

Foraging for Sweet chestnuts & 6 days till ROAD TRIP!

Chasing Ming the Peke one day, during a stubborn jaunt across the road (chasing a stray cat twice her size), Frog & I discovered a Sweet Chestnut tree. Way out behind a house. Not by sight. No. You see, I was chasing that naughty dog not only in my Pajamas but barefoot.
Growing up in the South I am no stranger to Sand spurs. In the North my insatiable desire to be bare foot has not had cause for such concern. Until that day. The day I discovered Sweet Chestnuts. The size of oranges sprawled out a good 50 feet square from the Tree's trunk. Frog, not running as fast as I, was able to step between the little round bombs, avoiding the intense pain they share so freely to those who dare trample them.
Ming had sat by the trunk staring at me. I'm still not sure if she was laughing at me or scared of the howl that emitted from my mouth. Either way, she knew there was to be no more running and waited for me to pick her up.

Today, we spotted another tree. Not hidden behind a house or fence. But an abandoned home just down the road. The Chestnuts have been released from their limbs, ready for harvest. I quickly donned a pair of The Captains work gloves, remembering our last introduction, and began collecting as much nuts as I could. The squirrels have obviously been enjoying their share. Their chirps of danger, or possibly a warning, greeted me as I made my way around the tree. Many of these spiny husks were laying empty as well as lone chestnuts scattered about. I foraged as much as I could before heading back home to meet the kids as they came off the school bus.

I have never had the pleasure of eating a chestnut. Or at least I have no memory of it. The amazing versatility of this nut popped up with hundreds of pages on the internet. This particular site of BBC has over 150 recipes using chestnuts.
I fell in love with this recipe, which is a lovely compliment to candied chestnuts, also known as Marrons Glacés . I will be making the Marrons Glacés (provided by the lovely Not so Nigella),to go in our Holiday gift baskets. Along with the recipe for that chocolaty cream delight I linked above.
"These spiny "cupules" contain 3-7 brownish nuts that are shed during October.
They are widely popular in Turkey, Portugal, France, Hungary, Italy, Croatia, Bosnia and particularly in Corsica where they used by confectioners in puddings, desserts and cakes or are eaten roasted. They can also be turned into a flour or brewed into a beer.

The husk of the seed is very tough and the easiest way to prepare chestnuts is to cut a cross in the tufted end then blanch in boiling water. Once drained the husk will simply peel away. If these are then set aside to dry, they can be ground into sweet chestnut flour which is uses for pasta, breads and cakes.

It should be noted that raw sweet chestnuts are rather bland and astringent in taste but once cooked they develop a pleasant sweet and nutty taste that is most appealing. The sweet chestnut is one of the most versatile of the wild foods and is well worth foraging for. Of course, you can always use the shop-bought variety (typically Spanish). "

In a description of the nut, it is mentioned a shampoo can be made from soaking the husks & leaves in water. As well as being a medicinal used for whooping cough.

I hope to inquire of our "across the road" elderly neighbors, that I be permitted to harvest chestnuts of the way out back tree, for more edibles. Of course, as any good neighbor, I would offer to gather a basket full for them as well.

And on a different note, I planted our garden cover crop of winter rye more then a week ago. After 4 straight days of cold rain & dark skies, it has sprouted up. Such pretty burgundy colored sprouts! Being our first cover crop, I am excited to see this crop grow through the winter. It will be nice to see green in the garden despite the icey cold winter temperatures.

Now I must be off to begin my list for our road trip to Fort Worth Texas next week. We leave Wednesday & will not be back for 7 days. And the reason for this trip?

My baby brother Army & new Sister in law Marine are to be Married the 16th!! And guess who gets to play bridesmaid for the first time ever?! Did I mention it's a strapless dress & stiletto heels? Oh yeah. Farm Chick cleans up & is wearing heels!

Sweet Dreams,

~Tammie

Giveaway winners! & I forgot the plates again...

Congratulations to our grand prize winners Small Farm Girl & Dea-Chan!

You have both been contacted & I have received your shipping info!

Everyone who entered the giveaway gets the seed packets from High Mowing seeds company.

Please shoot out an email to me with your shipping address to receive your packets of seed.

There are still 10 packets left, so anyone who did not enter the giveaway, just leave a comment to this post. Up to the first 10 people will receive a packet each of Sugar baby watermelon & baby bam pie pumpkin seeds.

Another giveaway coming soon this month. For that one, you will need to watch our Bread making video, to learn what the prize is & how to enter. 2 winners will be selected.

We will be referencing the workshop held during the Mother Earth News fair, hosted by Deborah from Antiquity Oaks.

While packing for the weekends big event, I forgot the plates & flatware. Too late to go buy any since dinner in the dutch oven was ready. Not too mention, we were wore out from the first day of the event. (see my post about our first morning there, sharing just how hectic our day began).

So we improvised!

White Willow had made "plates" once before while we were camping- we ran out of plates for our last meal during one of our summer trips. Using beer box's & aluminum foil, she made up our plates & saved the day. Our trip together this time, included a quick improvise for eating utensils. Yeah, were that kind of goofy.....

As I always say, life with me seems to bring plenty of adventure. You can call it forgetfulness. I'll stick with my own definition. It makes for better story telling in the future.

Sweetest Dreams,

~Tammie

Pear gift recipe

Every year I try to come up with some great Homemade gift items. So for the holiday season of 2010, I have come up with a strict Straight from the Farm theme. I purchase as little as possible but some things can not be avoided so it is not 100%, but close to it.
The first item in the basket is Wine poached pears. I have had 2 fridge drawers full of these things, waiting for them to get to the right stage of ripening & after a month, they are finally there. I used the recipe from the book "Food for Friends" by Sally Pasley Vargas. She has so many great ideas & recipes in there for gift giving. This one was perfect for using up the pears we were able to reach from our "new to us" 60 foot tall trees.
They look so beautiful in their wine caramelized sauce. To enhance their appearance, I used these great jars from Leifheit. They truly add that dimension of gourmet food presentation and add that extra special look you should strive for in food gifts. The picture does not do justice to their appearance in person. I wish I would have prepared more pears to fill the jars more. There are 6 pear halves in each.

I went with the 2 cup jars, in hindsight, I should have gone with the 1 cup size. That way, I would have had 6 jars filled instead of 3. I highly encourage you to stay away from the everyday canning jars. Add the gourmet look to your basket with these not so ordinary jars. If the recipient is not a canner, I add a little tag that reads" Please return empty jar for next years refill". When purchasing the gourmet jars, do not feel guilt over the tag. Think of it as a way to save them from the landfill. Look at it as being green. Your recipients will not see it as rude.

Here is the recipe along with items I used in place of ones marked with a * .
Pears in red wine sauce *a water-bath canning recipe*
2 cups sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 bottles (750ml) of red wine * I used King fish California Merlot-on sale $6 each
6 lbs Bartlett pears (or other firm pears) Peeled & halved, remove seed pith area with a spoon or melon baller.
2 Vanilla beans * I used 2 tablespoons Williams Sonoma Vanilla bean paste
1/2 teaspoon Black peppercorns
8 Bay leaves

~Mix the lemon juice & sugar in heavy bottom large pan/stock pot. (The acid of the lemon helps keep the sugar from crystallizing).Stir with a wooden spoon over medium heat until liquefies & amber in color-*I have a gas range, so I put it on low heat since it seems to be hotter then electric settings.
Turn off heat and stir briefly to cool slightly.
Now stand back a little w/ wooden spoon handy to gently pop any uprising bubbles, pour in 2 cups of red wine slowly, a little at a time. remember , you are adding a cool liquid to very hot "caramelized" solid. It may splatter & bubble, which can cause burns. be sure to stir this together. If any sugar clumps appear, just turn the heat back on & stir to dissolve as much as possible.
Drop the peeled,halved & cored pears into the wine sauce.
Return to a boil on medium low heat, then reduce heat & let simmer 10 minutes or until tender, able to pierce easily with knife.
With slotted spoon, remove pears and place in colander which is sitting over a bowl(for catching any draining liquid). Add your vanilla bean seed (scraped from pods) or your Vanilla seed paste.
Add the peppercorns & bay leaves plus any liquid from the draining pears.
Bring to vigorous boil & boil briskly for 15-20 minutes until syrupy & reduced to 4 1/2 cups liquid.
I use a spoon with strainer to remove the peppercorns & bay leaves. Or you can strain through a mesh cloth into a bowl since you do not want these in your canning jars.
When pears are cool enough to handle, place into clean pint size jars, with flat sides down or arranged in upright fashion for an even more attractive display. Fill jars 3/4 full of pears.
Reheat the syrup if necessary, pour the hot liquid over your pears (be sure to use canning funnel if you have one, to keep rims clean). Leave 1/2 inch head space.
Gently agitate or use skewer to remove any air bubbles. Seal & process in a water bath canner for 25 minutes. Store away from light in cool place for up to 1 year.

I was in mid process of this recipe when I could not find my wine bottle opener anywhere. (that is normal in my house. I am sure they grew legs and ended up in someones kitchen play area).
I had to get those bottles opened since the sugar/lemon was at the point of caramelizing. A handy skill I read of online came to mind and I put it to use.

So, if you do not have a wine bottle opener handy or just want to try this because.....well it's just cool and impressive. Check out the short (very informal) video of my opening a corked wine bottle with a shoe. Just think, should you ever be out somewhere and want to impress a lady or man with some mad skill, this will surely bring bonus points.
Excuse my voice & appearance. I still have the stuffy nose and have been putting in the garden cover crop of Winter rye and other outdoor Fall cleaning.

My over excitement & surprise show how dorky I can be while hanging out with Panda in the kitchen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJqQyIeXP-c
After all, kitchen skills are becoming a lost art with our youth and making it fun keeps them interested.

Do not forget to enter the seed & Mother Earth Goodies giveaway! Get your comment in before October 4,2010!

Stay tuned for the next parts of the Straight from the farm Gift basket ideas. We will be making Pear honey to can, Some herb dry rub for roast chicken & also share how you can make an easy herb pot out of clay for storing that dry rub. Followed by how to pit fire the clay creation in your own backyard-no special material needed...other then the stone clay which I will share where you can find it locally along with fire wood and some brick.

Sweet dreams,
~Tammie

Disclaimer: I am in no way liable, nor are any affiliates for ANY outcome, injuries, mental duress or other affliction from your attempting any of the above. Please use common sense and be responsible with all actions/outcomes. Feel free, of course, to make me responsible for the delight it will bring with positive success & any bonus points.