Purple Cucumbers Folk Art

10 things warehouse clubs wont tell you

2009-09-20T14:50:00.000-07:00

http://customsites.yahoo.com/financiallyfit/shopping/article?id=10

1. "You paid your dues? Good, now get in line."

More than 100 million Americans now shop in warehouse clubs including BJ's, Costco, or Sam's Club each year. That's 50 million more than in 2002. The attraction? For the annual membership price of $35 to $100, discount hunters can spend their weekends stocking up on 36-roll packages of toilet paper and nuclear-canister-size boxes of detergent. Too bad they also spend plenty of time doing anything but shopping. Michelle Wilkes says she usually waits in lines of no less than 15 minutes on the weekend at her Lake Zurich, Ill., Costco. There are often four to five shoppers ahead of her at the register, she says-and that's despite what Costco CFO Richard Galanti claims is a company-wide checkout policy of "no more than one in line and two behind." What further frustrates Wilkes is that her store never has all its registers open. "I have never seen it fully staffed," she complains. Galanti agrees that "There's nothing worse than having half the 20 registers open. Shame on us."

More from SmartMoney.com

Warehouse Club Face-Off: The Overall Savings

Big-Ticket Items to Buy at Warehouse Clubs

Costco Bride: Battle of Warehouse Weddings

2. "You'll need a hard hat when you shop here."

Heads up: Warehouse clubs are notorious for letting products drop on unsuspecting customers. In 1998, a woman in Cincinnati was hit by five 38-pound containers of kitty litter while shopping in a Sam's Club. She sustained head, neck, and shoulder injuries. And during the summer of 2001, a woman shopping in a Maryland Sam's Club barely avoided serious injury when a sofa fell from a shelf.

Plaintiff attorney Jeffrey Hyman says injuries often occur when unsecured merchandise slips from shelves, either because a store employee stocking an adjacent aisle accidentally pushes it or because another customer is trying to take down an object. Hyman says that despite the accidental nature of the incidents, "If you know you have a problem and you know you have a dangerous condition, you need to fix it." A Sam's Club spokesperson insists: "Our shopping environment is very safe. But when something like that happens, it causes us great concern." The company, he adds, tries "to put in safety rules to prevent anything from happening."

3. "Our credit card will burn your savings away."

Since Sam's Club honors only the Discover card, Mastercard, and debit cards, many shoppers decide to get a Sam's Club personal credit card. But before you sign up, beware: The standard card comes with a 23.15 percent APR, which is about nine percentage points higher than the current average for variable credit cards, according to Bankrate.com.

Worse, once you sign up for the Sam's card, you may find your phone ringing off the hook with eager telemarketers. Unless you opt out by calling a toll-free number or mailing in your request, the privacy policy on Sam's Club's credit card application says your information can be made available to "third parties, who are interested in offering special products or services to you"-precisely the folks you want calling you at dinnertime. A spokesperson for GE Money, which services the Sam's Club card, denies the use of telemarketing for any product cross-selling, saying, "What we have the right to do and what we do are two different things."

4. "Jewelry experts trash our gems."

Survey the landscape at a Costco or BJ's. There are stacks of cornflakes, mountains of mayonnaise jars, and... diamonds. Diamonds? You bet. A jewelry counter is now standard at most club stores. BJ's even offers a diamond appraisal guarantee. The $1,800 band you fell in love with at BJ's, for instance, comes with an appraisal certificate stating that it's valued at $3,730. Not even Tiffany offers that.

BJ's says it has a simple explanation for why it can guarantee the value of its gems despite the discounted price: bulk. A BJ's spokesperson says that because the store purchases jewelry in volume from dealers, it can provide "tremendous savings" to its members without skimping on quality. There's just one problem: Jewelry experts say the stores' appraisal guarantee is sketchy at best. As Edwin Baker, a former executive vice president of the American Society of Appraisers, puts it, "If the clubs consistently sell an item for $1,000, then it's obvious the market value of that item is $1,000, not $1,500." Joyce Jonas, jewelry appraiser on the PBS series Antiques Roadshow, agrees. She calls the guarantees "misleading. You're not dealing in the kinds of goods that could ever be appraised for more than what they're selling it for."

5. "You'll leave when we tell you to."

Ed Fritz and his family had just finished shopping at a warehouse club in northern California. As Fritz got to the store's exit, an employee stopped him and said, "I have to check your receipt." When Fritz declined to show it (he says he wanted to safeguard his credit card number), the employee grabbed his cart and then his arm to prevent him from leaving. Once Fritz freed himself, he headed to the parking lot, followed by six other employees. As one of them took down his license-plate number, Fritz was told never to return to the club. "I said, 'After this treatment, I never want to come back here,'" he recalls.

That may be an extreme example, but as club members have long known, it can often be a hassle just leaving a warehouse store. You'll wait for one of the club's employees to inspect your receipt, a procedure that will usually add several minutes to your outing. Obviously, when you join a club, you agree to follow its rules. But why such scrutiny? Galanti says that at Costco the review helps make sure "the right price is on the right items" and "is a measure of inventory security." While warehouse stores do have the right to check your receipt, Washington, D.C., attorney Donald Temple, who specializes in retail discrimination law, says employees cannot cross-check it with the items in your cart.

6. "We have more animals than a small zoo."

Warehouse stores don't advertise having pet departments. But looking through health-inspection reports, you'd sometimes think they did. Between 2000 and 2002, two Sam's Clubs in Maricopa County, Ariz., were cited for having birds in the rafters and nesting under the bakery display. And in September 2002 the Georgia Department of Agriculture fined a Sam's Club in Atlanta $80,000 when more than a dozen mice were found in the store. They'd been snacking on food and leaving behind their droppings.

A Sam's Club spokesperson assures us that "the problem is taken care of now." Although she can't comment on the Arizona cases, she says, "At all times one of our [top] priorities is to maintain a safe shopping environment for members. If there are birds in the club or rodents, we work as fast and diligently as we can to get them taken care of."

7. "Try our website. It will try your patience."

So you went to the trouble of joining a club store-forked over the annual dues and then endured the long lines-all in the name of saving a few bucks. Well, you could have avoided the crowds and possibly even saved some money by shopping online. Costco's website, for example, features everything from laptops to patio furniture. But unlike shopping at the store, you don't have to be a member to buy items from the site; you're simply charged an extra 5 percent. Which is the better deal? All told, you'd have to buy about $1,000 of merchandise before the nonmember surcharge equaled the cheapest membership fee-and that's without considering the price of gas.

But online shopping comes with its own set of hassles. First, shipping costs could eat up any potential savings. Rachel Caspi of Bethesda, Md., ordered six items from the Costco online pharmacy for a total of $78.10. When she was charged $26.50 for shipping-or 34 percent of the total purchase-she ended up canceling her order. Then there are the logistics of placing orders online. Paul Cohen, a Valley Cottage, N.Y., resident ordered two PCs online from Costco: The first arrived on schedule, the other was MIA. Only after two weeks of repeated calls to Costco's customerservice department-which at one point could not even trace the missing PC-was his order fulfilled.

Costco's Galanti admits that "there will be mistakes made. When we find out there has been a problem, we fix it as best as we can to the customer's satisfaction." Still, he adds, "I've had friends e-mail me saying they ordered something and it never showed up or they had a problem."

8. "That warranty is valid-in Italy perhaps."

Ever hear of the "gray market"? Your club store has. The term refers to merchandise that was designated by the manufacturer for distribution in another country but ends up being sold in the U.S. Club stores are often big buyers of gray-market products, either because the goods are priced cheaply or because the manufacturer will not sell directly to the store.

Unfortunately, the warranties that come with gray products don't have to be honored in the U.S. Bret Diamond found that out when he purchased a Seiko diver's watch at his local Costco. It was $75 less than he had seen it for in other stores, but he had to pay more than $100 to have it repaired when the watch stopped working three and a half years later. His five-year warranty was not valid because the watch was graymarket merchandise. If Diamond had known that, "I never would have bought it," he says.

9. "Your backyard would make a beautiful warehouse."

In addition to the demand of costconscious shoppers, club stores keep blossoming (at a clip of more than 20 new ones per year) because civic leaders see them as a way to encourage development and jump-start the local economy. But opponents of the buildup contend that politicians take shortsighted measures to gain these quick hits. Al Norman, an activist and editor of SprawlBusters.com, says, "Unfortunately, local officials hand over a rezoning without much scrutiny because they think this means jobs and taxes."

That's what Donald and Sophie Mason believe happened in South San Francisco in the late 1990s. The Masons figured that by virtue of the city's General Plan, a 15-acre plot near their home could be developed only for high-density housing. The city council, though, changed the plan to allow for retail development. The Masons and members of their group, the Concerned Citizens of South San Francisco, say the change was made specifically to lure a Costco to the area. They forced a referendum to approve the changes; to the Masons' disappointment, voters okayed them. The store opened in 2001, and ever since, the traffic near the Masons' home has been, according to Sophie, "an absolute mess."

10. "You'd better like what we like."

Warehouse membership may have its privileges, but it doesn't provide much variety. The most mammoth clubs carry only 4,000 to 7,000 different products, one tenth of what your average supermarket stocks. A BJ's spokesperson admits that what customers see in stores is "an edited selection of top quality. So you might not find 30 laundry detergents, but you're going to find the top laundry detergents."

The thing is, warehouse clubs have mastered how to make their aisles look more varied than they are. "Clubs like to rotate items during the year to keep the shopping trip exciting," says Christie Briggs, a senior research analyst at AMR Research, a business research firm. "This means that an item a member is fond of could be gone the next time they go." That's what got Suzy Neal so annoyed. After a year of buying Wow potato chips at a Sam's in Albany, Ga., Neal one day couldn't find the item. Only after she filed a complaint with PlanetFeedback.com, a Web outfit that acts as a middleman for written consumer complaints, did Sam's restock the chips.

Just enjoting life,hello my darlings

2009-09-10T16:58:00.001-07:00

Hello my darlings, Well I have been on vacation visiting my children and grandchildren then went down to stay with my sister who lives on the beach, So I walked and gathered sea shells. Saw a beautiful rainbow in the clouds and a wonderful sun set from sisters balcony.and one morning a dewy spiderweb caught my eye.
NOW FOR THE BIG NEWS! I an going to be a grandmaw again!I think this one is #10?my daughter Dusty who just had a baby who is now 6 months just fount out she is 15 weeks pregnant!Yep, another one is on the way.Well I an going to see what everyone's doing.
oh and here's a great Halloween blog y'all might enjoy http://theholidayqueen.blogspot.com/
This was my first year without my garden but time was filled with my family.It has been a great summer for me and have had many wounderful days without sickness in the way.

Good morning darlings

2009-05-23T07:35:00.000-07:00

Good morning darlings,I had a great night and having a wonderful morning, Its raining here today but the gardens need it.
I am off to visit in blog land and see what everyone is doing.

2009-04-23T21:25:00.000-07:00

2009-04-10T10:59:00.000-07:00

GIVE A WAY BY COUNTRY PLEASURES AND K.C

2009-04-08T21:47:00.000-07:00

http://countrypleasures.blogspot.com/ http://collagecamp.ning.com/
tHESE 2 LADIES ARE HAVING A GIVE A WAY,GO CHECK IT OUT,TELL HER JESSIE SENT YOU!

High tea, Fireside Tea or Sweet Sixteen Tea, no matter the occasion, this book has everything you need to host a tea party, complete with recipes and lovley photos of fine china. And, I'm giving it away! In honor of my sister's visit next week, a sister who loves tea and thanks to a special friend who gifted me a copy of this book but I had already had one, so I'm keeping the one she gave me since she wrote a little something in it and I love to get books with a note written inside. So, this is how it'll work, are you keeping up with me? Just leave a comment here, and here only, to make it easier for me to count names, and tell me if you've ever had a tea party? Don't panic, if you haven't yet, just tell me what kind of tea party you'd like to host someday? Now, to make the odds even better, post about my giveaway on your blog and I'll add your name twice. Wait, I'm not done yet, if one of your readers leave a note telling me where they came from and you posted about my giveaway, I'll enter your names in three times! Do I have your attention yet? I love hosting giveaways! I'm leaving this open through out my sister's visit and will draw a name from the teapot on the 18th so you have plenty of time to get cracking!

Winter has returned to the Ozarks once again, with 40 for a high today and another night of frost warnings. Now, I know the calendar says it's April but it sure doesn't feel like it and so many plants and trees are blooming. I hope Mother Nature has a plan for this tug of war with the weather? I think I'll make a cup of tea.....Good luck! Posted by Sue@CountryPleasures

777 survivls skill for the comming days

2009-04-08T20:52:00.000-07:00

Bubba,MY MARINE and I were talking about how the economy was getting and how different things could soon be.We thought we would scrabble threw all the wild ideas and leave some real info ,in other words useful advice to keep you alive.with this list you will be able to get threw if/when the economy/depression or any other things that come along.
We ourselvs have bought 2 large outdoor backpacks one for me and one fore Bubba,
in each backpack we put in the following items.
some MRI'S ALONG WITH THINGS LIKE DEVILED HAM,CRACKERS,PEANUT BUTTER. DRIED BEANS,PACKAGES OF INSTANT SOUP,TUNA FISH AND CANNED CHICKEN,GRANOLA BARS. antibotic soap,face mask
SMALL LED FLASH LIGHT WITH EXTRA BATTERY'S
CIGARETTES ,LIGHTERS AND WATER PROOF MATCHES
SWISS ARMY MULTI TOOL AND OUR P38 CAN OPENERS THAT USED TO OPEN SEA RASHIONS
1ST AID KIT AND MED WE TAKE DAILY
DUCK TALE,ROLL OF PLASTIC,12 FOOT HEAVY DUTY ROPE AND 12 FT SMALL ROPE
RAIN PONCHO,GOOD PAIR BOOTS AND EXTRA SOCKS
WINTER HUNTING SUIT SUMMER SET OF CLOTHING,
EXTRA DUTY BLANKY
WATER PURIFICATION TABLETS
TINDER FIRE KIT-THIS CAN BE FAT LIGHTER,OR BALLS OF COTTON DIPPED IN VASELINE IN A PLASTIC BAG,YOU CAN ALSO USE FAT LITER FROM A PINE TREE OR PINE CONES,several fish hooks and fishing gear.
SMALL COOK POT AND A SKILLET 1 LARGE,1 SMALL SPOON,1 CUP
A SMALL BACKPACKING CAMPING STOVE
SLEEPING BAG TOLIET TISSUE SMUSSHED DOWN,YOU CAN ALWAYS USE LEAVES IF NEED BE
LED RADIO AND EXTRA BATTERY'S,hItrloom SEED AND SMALL GARDEN TOOLS
AX AND A COMMANDO SAW
BE SURE TO GET A LARGE FANNY PACK FOR IN THERE YOU CAN ADD YOUR SMALLER ITEMS LIKE SAY,MATCHES BATTERS WATER PURIFICATION PILLS ECT

EACH PERSON CAN CARRIE UP TO 60 POUNDS OF WEIGHT IN A BACKPACK,
WE ARE ALSO STOCKING UP IN A WALK IN CLOSET ON CAN GOODS,BOX GOODS,CHARCOAL,LIGHTER FLUID AND LAMP OIL,SPICES, flour,sugar meal even powdered eggs and survival meats that come in a can,i have also been canning things like butter ANYTHING THAT MY FAMILY EATS,SPICES.SALT,SPICES. we intend to have a 2 year supply of food just in case things go bad ,a depression cause when the shelves in the stores are bare my family will eat,i ROTATE THE FOOD EVERY WEEK AS WE EAT FROM IT
Ans since Bubba is a good olD redneck of course ammo for all the guns.I have also made a special place for my bible and our backpacks go with us everywhere,if we get separated we have a certain place to meet up.and if things get really bad me and Bubba can go out to the country,build a small shelter and survive off the land
GET TO KNOW YOU PLANTS WHERE YOU LIVE,DANDYLOIND AND ACORNS CAN BE MADE INTO FOOD AS WELL AS SNAKE AND SMALL GAME. LEARN WILDCRAFTING AND LOAD UP ON YOUR GUNS ANS AMNO

introducing 2 new artist in the family

2009-04-05T09:46:00.000-07:00

International folk artist Jessie LaVon is PROUD TO PRESENT 2 NEW ARTIST IN THE FAMILY!GRANDSON EVAN 15 MONTHS OLD ON THE LEFT AND GRANDDAUGHTER SARAH TAYLOR 14 MONTHS OLD ON THE RIGHT HAVE CREATED A JOINT ENDEAVOR in painting a abstract piece called Easter's spring meadow ,This piece is created on a poster board in watercolors.
Hello darlings,Can y'all tell I am happier that a tick on a dog?
This is the best part about recovering is watching the grand baby 's.
Have been off visiting and seeing whats going on in blog land.found this site,listing a lot of new places to visit.
http://the-feathered-nest-too.blogspot.com/

grandbabys and dandylions.

2009-03-25T21:14:00.000-07:00

Hi darlings Ime home

2009-03-24T20:10:00.000-07:00

oh what a bueatful day!

2009-03-10T20:02:00.000-07:00

what color is your brain?

2009-03-06T21:57:00.000-08:00

http://www.blogthings.com/whatcolorisyourmindquiz/

Your Mind is Purple

Of all the mind types, yours is the most idealistic.
You tend to think wild, amazing thoughts. Your dreams and fantasies are intense.
Your thoughts are creative, inventive, and without boundaries.

You tend to spend a lot of time thinking of fictional people and places - or a very different life for yourself.

2009-03-06T21:23:00.000-08:00

2009-03-05T22:34:00.000-08:00

going back to hospital

2009-02-25T07:03:00.000-08:00

IT'S A BOY!

2009-02-13T21:31:00.000-08:00

MaMa's handmade Christmas Balls

2009-01-04T06:12:00.000-08:00

My beloved MaMa was a sharecropper on a cotton farm,she played the gituare ,HAND SEWED QUILTS AND IN THE LATE 1960'S SHE STARTED TO DESIGN AND CREATE HAND MADE CHRISTMAS BALLS.Theses are not from any kits and just wonted to share with y'all.

Hello Darlings

2008-10-10T10:23:00.001-07:00

sarah taylor my grandbaby

2008-07-31T02:14:00.001-07:00

the newest member of our family

2008-07-28T21:54:00.000-07:00

Well.here she is our new little foundling!chewing up everything and causing choas but very loved and full of love and enjoyment!

new art and lots of fun

2008-07-26T22:06:00.001-07:00

Hi darlings,heres one of my funny auctions on ebay along with several paintings.I also listed the original bottles off the bottle tree.clearing out stuff for a yard sale this Saturday and hoping to work on some new ideas in a few days. please visit this site for our children and loved ones!
http://everlastingmercy.blogspot.com/2008/07/sharing-love.html

Back Home!

2008-07-24T18:38:00.000-07:00

packed and ready to go

2008-07-19T05:57:00.001-07:00

hello darlings

2008-07-15T19:41:00.001-07:00

here is my new bead tree created by the necies and grandchildren.

Has so much time passed by?I have been spending so much time with my son
So glad to have my son home, home safe and sound.I did get a hanit bottle and some new paintings on eBay today.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=120284002102&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT
We have been enjoying a wonderful summer of family and all being together again. Now again I feel safe that I have my family ,all of us back in our little nest.I didn't relise how often I woke up in the night listing for his key in the door,the sound of his laghture and his silly jokes and pranks. I am off to visit friends in blog land to see what y'all are creating and doing.

hi darlings

2008-04-19T21:17:00.000-07:00

Have just been so busy with the garden,art ,grandchildren,hope to visite y;all in a few days.Heres my Bybba the one in the green t shirt.hoping he will get out of hospital in 5 weeks and back to boot camp to finish.Still having a few bad spells with tiredness,and the nausea but its getting better every week.love y'all all.will hollor at you soon.Oh I have been so excited I forgot to show y'all my new grandbaby Sarah Taylor Pittman!I spend ALL MY TIME WITH HER AND HAVING SUCH FUN!Can't wait till her Daddy gets to meet her,were send tons of photos!

Garden days

2008-02-17T11:13:00.000-08:00

Hi darlings,just wonted to pop in and say hello and try and visit a while.
The grandchildren are comming next Saturday to help me till and plant the garden.
Will get the winners painting and prints out this week,as usually I am way behind after the hospital,just wonted to let ya'll know I haven't forgotten y'all.
Off to visit and see what everyones up to.xxoo Jessie

new art,link to ebay

2008-01-21T13:17:00.000-08:00

http://zneiscrafty.ning.com/profile/jessielavon
NEW LINK FOR Y'ALL DARLING,SPECIALL IF YOU ARE MIXED MEDIUM ARTIST,LOOKS REALLY GOOD.
this one is called MaMa WAITES FOR ME AT HEAVENS GATE.

Hi darlings,I have some new ACEO'S AND PAINTINGS ON EBAY AS WELL AS SOME OF MY DAUGHTERS STUFF!We painted while snuggled in cause of the snow.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=120215551864&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

Snowing in Dixie

2008-01-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

We have snow darlings,With the critters and ants building their nest and beds thicker and higher we may still get some heavy snow later on.Anyway its beautiful. Cat is NOT AT ALL IMPRESSED!GOING TO MAKE HOMEMADE SOUP.
ZNE LINK FOR MIXED MEDIUM ARTIST ... http://chelise.typepad.com/the_zne_scene/

Happy New YEAR DARLINGS!

2008-01-04T15:16:00.000-08:00

Hi Sweetpeas and Darlings,
Well just got back from hospital again.Feeling muych better ,they found a secondary infection in my kidneys,got rid of that and had to have a small surgery on right kidney,but feeling 100% better and do glad to be home.I am really looking forward to having a great 2008!
This week end I have to get ebay and the winners stuff in the mail and strighten the house,THEN I GET TO PLAN MY VEGETABLE GARDEN,althought I will be companion planting I am going to try something different and use barrels to plant in. I have my hairloom seeds ready and waiting for the first of spring.How is everyone doing.Ime off to visit and say hello. OH Yes,I have a big sirprise if all works out,I was interview last year bt a international southern magazine,I may be in there come March or April,will have to wait and see but keeping fingers crossed.xxxooo to all.

Holidays

2007-12-27T14:27:00.000-08:00

2007-12-14T06:58:00.000-08:00

http://www.interweave.com/needle/NWOY/default.asp

The Excellence in Needle Arts Awards—Pincushions, presented by magazine is open to all individuals. Please send us your pincushion creations postmarked no later than March 1, 2008. Entries will be judged by the editors of Magazine, and the juried pieces will be exhibited at The National NeedleArt Association’s (TNNA) June 2008 trade show in Columbus, Ohio. In addition, winning pieces will be pictured in a 2008 issue of PieceWork.

DOWNLOAD THE RULES AND ENTRY FORM

AND, THERE ARE PRIZES!

The National NeedleArts Association (TNNA) is sponsoring the GRAND PRIZE of $500 cash!

And the winner's are

2007-12-13T19:37:00.000-08:00

Hi Darlings,sorry I am so late in posting but I am on my 2ed round of treatments and am a bit slow with things,
I put everyone's name in a hat and had on of my youn'ins draw names
Winner's are
original painting: Kansasrose!
Prints:
Flassie's fil'a
The feathered nest
Kim @Midwest Musings
Diane@Rosa & Josie's
CJ@Sunshine & Shadows
Velvet Brick
See You There.
Y'all email me your addresses and have a great week-end

Christmas folk art painting giveaway

2007-11-18T17:18:00.001-08:00

Will be giving this painting away in a drawing on Dec .10th darlings (my birthday is the 13th so its a gift to y'all from me)along with 7 prints,that will be 8 drawings,1 orginal and 7 prints,so come leave y'alls blog for the drawing,it had some papers from magazine and vintage mica. Got some of my decorating up,will finish up this week.xxoo to all.
JUST A QUICK UPDATE:MY SON JOINED THE MARINES TODAY!I am proud but sad,he joined as a E2 and got the MOS he wonted,At least he wont be going in as a BOOT GRUNT!

Thanksgiving dinner/toddy by the fire pit!

2007-11-16T17:44:00.000-08:00

Here's the menu for anyone wonting to come sit by the fire pit after Thanksgiving Dinner!Were going to start around 3:00 after a great Thanksgiving dinner to have desert and hot toddy's.
Southern warm toddy's made with moonshine,lemon and honey warmed over the fire.
Homemade pecan pie's, pumpkin pie's and cracker pie's.
baked apple's with butter and brown sugar (apple's will be picked the day before)
cranberry saled!
YUM,YUM!
ANYONE IS WELCOME TO ADD THEIR OWN DESERT SO COME GATHER AND ENJOY THE FRIENDSHIP ,LOVE AND COMFORT OF FRIENDS AND FAMILY.
HERE'S THE CRANBERRY SALAD:
MIX UP 1 BAG OF CHOPPED FINE CRANBERRY'S
1 CUP OF SUGAR
1 BOX OF CHERRY JELLO
1 CUP OF CHOPPED PECANS
3 SMALL RED CHOPPED APPLES
MIX UP GOOD AND CHILL A SPELL THEM SERVE.

ANYONE WONTING THE ORIGINAL RECIPE FOR nanny's CRACKER PIE handed down from the civel war just hollor by email.

HI DARLINGS.new mesages,recipes

2007-11-01T10:12:00.000-07:00

JUST TO SAY A QUICK HELLO,DOING ALRIGHT BUT THE NAUSEA IS GIVING ME FITS,MEDS FIR IT KEEPS ME SLEEPY.I will get about to visiting in a few days to see what y'all are doing,cooking,creating.Maybe we can all get together at Thanksgiving in front of the fire pit with a nice glass of hot spice tea and a warm toddy of lemon,honey and moonshine!thinking of you all and will be back as soon as I feel up to it.
heres a link to my ebay listings darlings.
http://stores.ebay.com/Southern-fok-art
Hi sweetpeas,well just visiting y'all some,almost trew with treatments and meds,only 7 more days!
I have had family over helping me clean house and have decided to do a yard sale/folk art sale/pecan sale in my front yard on Nov 30-Dec 1st.We have a big thing here called Christmas on the River AND FROM NOV 25TH -DEC 2ED THERES LOTS OF FOLKS IN TOWN.
Last year was really good,I had lots of sales,all the pecans sold and most of the art.off to visit y'all awhile.
JUST FOUND THIS ON ALICElANDS AND THOUGHT IT WAS JUST THE CAPTURED ESSACES OF FALL.JUST WONTED TO SHARE IT WITH Y'ALL.

November comes
And November goes,
With the last red berries
And the first white snows.

With night coming early,
And dawn coming late,
And ice in the bucket
And frost by the gate.

The fires burn
And the kettles sing,
And earth sinks to rest
Until next spring.

Pumpkin Bread in a Jar (with variations)

2/3 c shortening
2 2/3 c sugar
4 eggs
2 c canned pumpkin (or 1 of variation items)
2/3 c water
3 1/3 c flour
1/2 t baking powder
2 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1 t ground cloves or nutmeg
1 1/2 t salt
2/3 c nuts

Cream shortening and sugar. Beat eggs, pumpkin, and water. Sift
together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and spices. Add to
pumpkin mixture. Stir in nuts. Pour mixture into greased wide
mouth pint jars filling 1/2 full. Bake at 325 degrees F for 45
minutes. When done, remove 1 jar at a time and wipe sealing edge
with paper towel or very clean cloth and screw cap on tightly.
The heat will vacuum seal the jar and the bread will keep for up
to one year. Makes 8 pints
Variations
2 c shredded apples
2 c shredded carrots
1 bag whole ground fresh cranberries
2 c mashed bananas
2 c fresh peaches
1 3/4 c applesauce plus 1/4 c pineapple
1 3/4 c banana plus 1/4 c orange marmalade

NEW WORK,RAINY DAYS,jerky recipe

2007-10-24T15:22:00.000-07:00

added note:bueatful day,enjoyed the weekend with younin's,we went out back and gathered pecans for my holiday cooking,cold is better ,weather chillie but bueatful,WHAT A GREAT DAY TO BE ALIVE!
hI DARLINGS,HAVE HAD A TERRIABLE COLD AND FEAVER,DID GET SOME NEW THINGS ON EBAY,8 PIECES IN A NEW STYLE,purple*cucumbers ,weather has been cold and rainie and fall seems to be here!All the younin's are home and I am trying to get some homemade beef and deer jerky made.All is well her just a bit tird from the head cold.Am going to visit folks in blog land.later gators.
Oh,heres the jerky recipe
We use beef and venison both b y'all can use any kind ,turkey,rabbit or what ever.
In a big old bowl mix up your marinating.
3 cups whistersire sauce
2 cups soy sauce
sugar to taste,we use brown sugar about 1 cup
katchup ,about 1 cup,
pinch of salt,to taste add hot sauce,garlic and any other spices y'all wont.
Add your meat thats been sliced real thin.
I only make jerky in the cold winter cause we always used MaMa's old drying pans and used the smoke house but last Christmas the younin's bought me a dehiderator .
Anyway mix up your meat and marinating real good and let sat a spell like overnight in referigator ,mix up again then add it to your drying pans or dehiderator.
My machine has 6 trays so I let it dehiderate on there for 6-8 hours.

new hair cut,mud art ,hello darlings,life is about:

2007-10-05T15:18:00.001-07:00

hi darlings,well got a new hair cut,feeling better,still a bit tired,while down at hospital,sister took me to beach,we got to see a turtle next hatching and found a giant sea snail.hoping to get some art out to folks I own some to and working on some mud art.how is everyone doing?going to try and visit some today.

Attitude

There once was a woman who woke up one morning,
looked in the mirror,
and noticed she had only three hairs on her head.

Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today?"
So she did and she had
a
wonderful
day.

The next day she woke up,
looked in the mirror
and saw that she had only two hairs on her head.

"H-M-M," she said,
"I think I'll part my hair down the middle today?"
So she did
and she had
a
grand
day.

The next day she woke up,
looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head.

"Well," she said,
"today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail."
So she did
and she had
a
fun,
fun
day.

The next day she woke up,
looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head.

"YEA!" she exclaimed,
"I don't have to fix my hair today!"

Attitude is everything.

Be kinder than necessary,
for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

Live simply,

Love generously,

Care deeply,

Speak kindly.......

Leave the rest to God

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...

It's about learning to dance in the rain.

summers end

2007-09-19T21:27:00.000-07:00

Hi darlings,been getting the garden laid down for winter,helping to get Aunt Bea moved up here and have worked on some new art,Fixing to go visit y'all.

hi darlings

2007-09-09T21:26:00.000-07:00

have been up to my elbows in family,art,working on the yard and youn'ins.hope to post,chat and visit this comming week,xxoo

nice matters award & every woman

2007-08-23T14:03:00.000-07:00

http://everlastingmercy.blogspot.com/

awarded me with the NICE MATTERS Award. The object is to PAY this award forward to eight other bloggers.
http://a-bird-in-the-hand.blogspot.com/
http://another-cup.blogspot.com/
http://frostingsandsparkles.blogspot.com/
http://valgalart.blogspot.com/
http://peascorner.blogspot.com/
http://backporchmusings.blogspot.com/
http://earthangelstoys.blogspot.com/
http://groggyfroggy.blogspot.com/

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..

enough money within her control to move out
and rent a place of her own, even if she never wants to or needs to...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..
something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams
wants to see her in an hour...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
a youth she's content to leave behind....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..
a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to
retelling it in her old age....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .....
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
one friend who always makes her laugh ... and one who lets her cry...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems,
and a recipe for a meal,
that will make her guests feel honored...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
a feeling of control over her destiny...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to fall in love without losing herselfâ€¦

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to quit a job,
break up with a lover,
and confront a friend without;
ruining the friendship...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that she can't change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips , or the nature of her parents.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that her childhood may not have been perfect...but it's over...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.
whom she can trust,
whom she can't,
and why she shouldn't take it personally...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
where to go...
be it to her best friend's kitchen table...
or a charming inn in the woods...
when her soul needs soothing...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she can and can't accomplish in a day...
a month...and a year...

june bugs in August,Christmas pickles

2007-08-22T18:45:00.000-07:00

Hi Darlings,so much going on with taking care of my father,was at Gulf Shores at my sister's house for a while,I was able to gather some sea shells.
After I got home with Daddy I saw this June Bug and thought of a great painting.
I am off to visit y'all to see whats been going on.
CHRISTMAS PICKLES.
Red ones
Go fetch y'all some cucumbers out of the garden,about 18 big ones.
do your picking early in the morning about sun up so its not so hot outside.
wash,peel and remove seeds ifen you wont to,I do and so did MaMa. cut cucumbers into rings.
mix up in mamas large/huge glass bowl,enamel pan or stone crock.
8 and 1/2 quarts of water and 2 cups of pickling lime
with MaMas wooden spoon mix up real good,let em soke overnight 24 hours and stir several times.
after sokeing overnight for 24 hours
wash and rinse 3 different times real good,then cover with ice water for 3 hours.

in a nother glass bowl mix up
1 tablespoon alum
2 cups water from the spickit
2 cups white vinegar
1 and 1/2 tablespoons red food colouring
10 ounces of red cinammon candies
10 cups white sugar
6 cinnamon sticks
mix up good and drain cucumbers and add to syrup
cover and simmer in a enamel pan for 2 hours.remove pan from wood stove
let sat after simmering for 24 hours then pack in very hot jars and seal.
if the jars dont seal while cooling down then use a waher bath and they will seal.

Green ones
Fetch y'alls 14-big cucumbers,wash,peel and remove seeds.
do the same as the red pickles overnight in lime water
to make y'alls syrup mix up
2 quarts of white vinegar
8 cups sugar
1 tablespoon salt
stir till desolved pore over cucumbers let sat 6 hours
next add some cloves to taste.mama used about1&1/2 to 2 tablespoons
boil cucumbers an syrup for 35 minutes then fill hot jars and seal
on both recipes y'all have to leave about 1/2 inch head space when sealing the jars.

ooxx to you all.

christmas pickles

2007-07-18T20:04:00.000-07:00

coming soon as I finish up the canning, MaMa's red and green Christmas pickles that are so good they will make you wont to dance on a June bugs head!

just dropping by.

2007-07-11T18:15:00.000-07:00

hi darlings,just dropping by ,have been so busy this week with the police fighting identity thief!
yep some one out there has my info and SS#,the thief has gotten a job,gotten a credit card ect, I have ALWAYS BEEN SO CAREFUL WITH MY INFO!Good news is that when they thief was using the credit card is North Alabama ths cashier new my art and when she tryed to talk to the person about it that person didn't really know about art,so she called the museum I had showed at a few years back,then called the police.when we checked with S.S there was a lot of things that didn't add up. SO THE POLICE FROM Huntsville,Wetumpka and here at home are on it!I did get some things listed on ebay and the garden is comming in,going to walk about blog land and see who's doing what,smiling and chin up,lator gators.xxoo

2007-07-10T20:16:00.000-07:00

I will be doing some canning in about 3 weeks,I can save anyone hairloom seeds like tonatoes.cucumbers,purple bell peppers.okra,corn.squash,purple hull peas ect.so just hollorheres some art I just put on ebay

garden art

2007-07-04T16:03:00.001-07:00

Hi darlings,I found this bueatful garden art in my flowers,such a little creature who can create something so delegant and pretty. I love his web.
hope y'all all had a great 4th. I had freash corn,squash,tomatoes,cucumbers and beans!wish y'all were here to share it all. xxoo

new art,altered usings goodies from swap box

2007-07-01T15:15:00.001-07:00

new piece darlings,had a great time creating and going threw my goodies we swaped.

daisy d's paper

2007-06-26T15:49:00.000-07:00

http://www.daisyds.com

found some great papers here for altered art ,thought y'all might enjoy her stuff.
oh and thanks to all my darlings that sent boxes,I love it all.

need y'alls help darlings

2007-06-21T12:04:00.000-07:00

Thats why I posted to y'all.any ideas will help!
theres some artist on ebay under things like
A4U,ebsq,wwao these artist have groups using theses as key words to search certain artist and it helps there sales on ebay.

I have 5 artist who wont to start a thing on ebay with our own name so that folks can type it in and will look just for our work?any ideas.susgestions?they were wonting a mixture of art,not just altered or folk art,quilters ect ect.anyone wont to do this?xxoo
heres a marketing lady from ebay who helps with boosting your ebay sales



Vila Deuel
eBay Seller OnRamp.
(866) 328-3229 ext.51898
oh I made quick visits to everyone and y'alls art
is GREAT AND DELIGHTFUN SUGAR DARLINGS!


__

moving day!

2007-06-18T11:24:00.000-07:00

Have y'all ever tryed to get 3 teenagers moved?Thats what we have been doing,trying to get me son and his girlfriend moved to Milton Florida them my daughter to Mobile.Its amazing how empty the house is now as I had been yardselling getting washer and dryers for them,The x's wife had been helping,gathering furnuture and things for 2 households!We found some great buyes at $ stores and yard sells.And my family clan has been gathering things like can goods 5 for $1,condemends and spices ect,my sisters inlaws and one of my daughters has each gotten 1 good referigators
It is amazing what a home can gather over the years,from drawings,holiday.mothers day cards, a cow skull from a 3rd grade sicence project,toys from each gereration of younings from Dukes of Hazzerds,E.T,BATMAN,NENJIE TURTLES,CARE BARES,FRAGGLE ROCK(WHICH I LOVED)GOONNIES,LEGOS,TRANSFORMERS,MATCHBOX CARS. ECT. I dont think I missed a year of new toys that came out.
some one said something about empty nest sindrome?After 35 years of mine,his,theires and foster youn'ins I belive I will enjoy the quite,and theres grandyoun'ins comming so....i AM GOING TO TRY AND RESTRIGHTEN THE HOUSE UP THEN GET BACK TO VISTING AND PAINTING.Right now the house is still full of kids cause its going to be 2-3 weeks for their apartments are ready,baby daughter is moving in with one of my other daughters.Their also taking the rabbit,2 cats.2 dogs.3 birds and the ratcoon.all thats going to be left is my dog auggie and the rooster/chickens.later gators.xxoo Jessie

hi darlings

2007-06-14T18:22:00.000-07:00

Hi all my sweetpeas,
Have been so busy with this drought but my garden is looking great.I do orginatic and started last fall working my soil for the garden,adding lime,epson salt for the tomatoes ect then working the soil till it was like powder,then covered the garden with leaves and kept them watered 2-3 times a week so they would break down,then come spring gave it several good tillings.I have home health helping with my father and my son yold me his girl friend is expecting so I am keeping fingers crossed.will try to catch up and visit y'all this week end.love to all xxxxooooo

heres something for y'all altered artist

2007-06-01T18:31:00.000-07:00

THANKS FOR Y'ALLS KIND THOUGHTS/PRAYERS OVER THE GRANDBABY,i AM OUT OF THE FUNK OVER THE LOSS AND BACK.

seen this on tv today,thought y'all altered artist might like it.heres the link.

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_clay/article/0,1789,HGTV_3236_5551481,00.html

Polymer Clay Antiqued Art Canvas

Alisha Fredrickson applies walnut ink over the polymer clay and rubber-stamped border to create her antiqued art canvas.

That's Clever! : Episode HCLVR-343 -- More Projects »

Polymer Clay Antiqued Art Canvas

Next: Step 1

Materials:

gold acrylic glaze
5" x 7" artist canvas
scrapbook papers
vintage sheet music
picture by Raphael (book – The Great Masters)
rubber stamp
gel medium
translucent polymer clay
liquid translucent clay
walnut ink
twill tape
paintbrush
toaster oven
pasta machine
heat gun
heavy-grit sandpaper
white glue

Polymer Clay Antiqued Art Canvas

bubba and amanda get engaged

2007-05-29T09:21:00.002-07:00

Hi darlings,had a great week end with the youn'ins,my son Bubba got engaged and is going to marry my x husbands stepdaughter!x and I are going to be in lawys!were from a small town and the x and I grew up togeather so its a good thing we get along,Her name is Amanda and she is a sweet girl,shes about 5 ' tall and bubba is 6'5".hope y'all had a great holiday.Sounds v
like a southern things!x's stepdaughter marring into my family.it only gets better haha!her father had married my 3er cousin and his cousin married our cousin!Auggie our dog sleeps in the bathtub with all the kids home .off to create art

goodie boxes

2007-05-24T20:36:00.000-07:00

heres some of my treasures I have gotton from she's sewpretty and lila in their swap boxes..a bueatful little bird,chololates,lace,buttons,lots of treasures to enjoy.emborida linnen,a bueatful hand made pin cussion. http://shessewpretty.typepad.com/

http://indigopears.blogspot.com/

our nightly excement at 12 am was the neighbors house burning,she got out saftley!

studio / friendship journal is next!

2007-05-15T20:32:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to get the studio redone,its not finished but heres photoa,new colors are passhion purple,cotton candy pink and jamican blue.I an going to do a journal and the first page will be a letter from me,them I will mail it out to one of y'all who has to write in the journal and answer the questions on the next page,questions like where are you from ect, then mail it to some one else in blog world.and it keeps going to all pages are full and the last person will mail it back to me.what do y'all think.its a great way to make new friends and enjoy old friends. I will get it started after the goodie boxes and all in & out.
hI DARLINGS,WEKLLITS TIME TO SLAP THE DAWG AND SPIT IN THE FIRE AND CATCH UP.WILL DO THAT TOMORROW.HOWS Y'ALL DOING?MISSED YOU EACH XXXOOO

Mothers day

2007-05-12T20:52:00.000-07:00

Climb upon my knee my darling...while I wisper in your ear,tender words of love undying...and the tails you love to hear.though your still a little baby I think you understand... for your angel face is smiling...in a way so very grand...listen while I hum softley songs that make you drift and dream to a land of milk and honey where the streets are real ice cream. snuggle to me and cuddle close....touch my face with kisses sweet... for a loving kiss from you my dear makes my life compleat.

On June 1st 2005 my beloved MaMa died in my arms.I found this scribbled on a piece of paper in her purse,worn and torn and dated 1955 the year I was born.
MaMa was a true gental Southern Lady and a artist.A WOUNDERFUL MOTHER AND A GENTAL SOUL WHO DIED IN CHRIST.
my daughter lost the baby,we are sadden but happy that our little angel has returned home to heaven,God must of had something special planned for her and the family.
Happy Mothers Day to y'all.

GOODIE BOX SWAP

2007-05-03T19:59:00.000-07:00

DAUGHTER BEEN IN HOSPITAL,WILL GET MY ADDRESS OFF TO Y'ALL TOMORROW DARLINGS!
WHO WONTS TO DO A GOODIE BOX SWAP WITH ME?
HERES HOW,CHECK OUT MY BLOG AND SEE WHAT THINGS I LIKE AND YOU CAN ADD A SIRPRISE.
EACH BOX SWAP BOX SHOULD HAVE 6 ITEMS IN IT.
IN EACH ONE OF MY BOX WILL BE A ACEO ART CARD PLUS ? 5 OTHER ITEMS.
THE FIRST 15 FOLKS WHO LEAVE A COMMENT WILL DO THE SWAP WITH ME THEN LEAVE SOME OF YOUR FAVORIT THINGS ON YOUR BLOG.
IT CAN BE ANYTHING FROM YOUR HOUSE,ART FOUND OBJECTS ECT.
HERES SOME OF MY FAVORITS
RIBBONS
LACE
OLD VINTAGE MOTHER OF PEARL BUTTONS
BEADS
ART
UNUSUALL FLOWES/VEGETABLE SEEDS
A OLD VINTAGE RECIPE FROM A FAMILY MEMBER FROM 1800'S-1950
SOMETHING FROM NATURE LIKE A REAL PRETTY ROCK FOR MY GARDEN
CHOCOLATE CANDY
DO DADS TO CREAT MY ART WITH LIKE FLOWERS ECT
SEA SHELLS
SEQUINS AND SHINNIE SPARKLEY STUFF
PRETTY PAPER TO CREATE ART WITH
FLEE MARKET FINDS.
OLD VINTAGE JEWELRY
AND THE TICKETS THAT SAW AMMITE ONE,DIFFERENT KINDS.
AND ALL AND ANY KIND OF GOODIES IN A BOX!
THE SWAPS WILL BE MAILED OUT ON MAY 14th.
IN A FEW DAYS I WILL BE POSTING PHOTOS OF MY REMODOLED STUDIO.MY NEW COLORS ARE PASSHION PURPLE,COTTON CANDY PINK AND JAMICA BLUE.

favorit five/I GOT TAGGED

2007-05-02T19:47:00.000-07:00

O.K DARLINGS,I GOT TAGGED
TWICE BY PARIE FARMERESS AND CATIEPILLAR.
HERE IS MY FAVORITS AND AS Y'ALL CAN SEE THERES MORE THAN 5,I HAD TO STOP AT 17. BUT THERES ABOUT 10 MORE I WOULD LOVE TO ADD.Y'ALL MAKE ME AS HAPPY AS A TICK ON A DOG WHEN Y'ALL COME SAT A SPELL ON THE FRONT PORCH!.THEY ARE CHOSIN BECAUSE I LOVE THERE STYLE,CREATIVE SPIRIT AND I FEEL THEY ARE TRULY DEAR FRIENDS FROM THE HEART.THESE DARLINGS ARE SOMEONE WHO I ENJOY SITTING ON THE FRONT PORCH AND TALKING WITH AND FEEL THAT WE COULD JUST SIT AND WATCH THE SUN SAT AND NOT HAVE TO SAY A WORD.THER ARE WHAT I ALWAYS CALLED HEART SPIRITS.
PLEASE CHECK OUT THERE BLOGS AND GET TO KNOW THEM AS I HAVE.EACH HAS THEIR OWN STYLE AND CREATIVETY.GREAT FOLKS TO TALK AND VISIT WITH.THERE NOT IN ANY ORDER AS EACH ONE IS VERY SPECIAL.
NOW EACH ONE OF YOU HAVE TO TAG 5 FAVORITS!
1. http://meadowrosewines.blogspot.com/
2. http://a-bird-in-the-hand.blogspot.com/
3.http://valgalart.blogspot.com/
4.http://peascorner.blogspot.com/search?q=
5.http://paigeknudsen.blogspot.com/
6.http://sunshineandshadow-cj.blogspot.com/
7.http://countrypleasures.blogspot.com/
8.http://frostingsandsparkles.blogspot.com/
9.http://groggyfroggy.blogspot.com/
10.http://oldflowers4me.blogspot.com/
11.http://rabbitruncottage.blogspot.com/
12.http://catiepillar.blogspot.com/
13.http://calamitykim.typepad.com/DONT NO HER BUT LOVE HER BLOG!
14.http://earthangelstoys.blogspot.com/DONT KNOW JEN WELL BUT LOVE HER GALLERY AND ARTIST SPECIALL LISA KAUS AND MUD CAKES ARTIST
15.http://bellusanimus.blogspot.com/
16.http://faeriewindow.blogspot.com/
17.http://ivyandlacecottage.blogspot.com/
The photo of the little chair is cause I am willing to swap one of my paintings for one.ANYONE WONT TO SWAP? AND THE WINNER CHOSE SWAMP WITCH FOR HER PAINTING SHE WON!
ANYONE HAVING A SWAP HOLLOR AT ME I LOVE TO DO THEM.
AND HERES A CUP CAKE SWAP

I have so much enjoyed seeing the photos from all of the swaps, and I have sadly missed them all by a day or two *sniffle* The last one I was in was at Christmas, and it was really fun.

So I thought, why not have a Cupcake Swap? Who doesn't love cupcakes! Let's do it, and share the sugary goodness that is the cupcake. There are so many great things out there, especially in the artsy world. Cards, tags, collages, heck, cake mixes, frosting...the possibilities are endless (and yummy looking :D)

If you would like to participate, please Email Me your name and mailing address by next Wednesday, May 9th. I'll email you your partner's info by Friday, May 11th. Please don't spend more than $15

Please have your swap in the mail to your partner by Monday, May 28th. I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with! Posted by FrostingsNSparkles at 9:08 AM
heres some info on my avm if anyone is intrested,

AVMs can occur anywhere in the body however BRAIN AVMs are of special concern because of the damage they cause when they bleed. They are very rare and occur in less than 1% of the general population. AVMs that occur in the coverings of the brain are called DURAL AVMs.

I think I was supposed to tell a bit of something about my self so here goes.

I AM A SHARECROPPERS DAUGHTER WHO LOVES CHILDREN AND ANIMALS

I LOVE ART

I WAS MARRIED AT 16 AND HAD 10 CHILDREN, 9 GIRLS AND 1 BOY,6 OF MY GIRLS DIED WITH THE SAME AVM.

I ADORE GOOD CHOCOLATE AND MOUNTAIN DEWS.

I LOVE MAGONIALS,ROSES,WHISTER,DANDLIONS AND BUTTERCUPS.BLACKBERRYS,COTTON AND HONEYSUCKLE

I PAINT MY FOLK ART STORIES BECAUSE IT IS A WAY TO GET BACK HOME TO THE ONLY MEMORIES I HAVE AFTER THE COMA,ALL THE REST OF MY LIFE BESIDES MY ART WAS RETOLD AND TOUGHT TO ME BY MY MOTHER AND CHILDREN.AND I LOVE LIFE AND EACH NEW DAY.

XXXOOO TO ALL Y'ALL! AND A GREAT BIG SMILE!

AND THE WINNER IS

2007-04-30T06:58:00.002-07:00

Shabbyinthecity brought come delicious corn and some of her bueatful art,What fun we had at the front porch party.watermellon seed contest,fresh blackberrys,cold lemonaid and Mountain dew.Lots of creating going on and a long chatting hen party while shelling peas.So golad to see y'all having a good time.still waiting on more photos tp post.The morning was wounderful as a soft southern gental breeze stirred.I even had the chance to show off my growing garden.AND THE FUDGE LOVE TRUFFKES WERE FANTISTIC!Oh and on May I am going to do a sell of art here on the blog with a chance to win art.I will post the info soon.

VALGALART! Lets start the party darlings!remember to email me your photos at. purple_cucumbers@yahoo.com,y'all drinking lemonaid or tea,your art ,anything you wont

ITS A FRONT PORCH PARTY!

2007-04-17T22:40:00.000-07:00

also,saw this at artistmamas,I am looking for little chairs like this at a good price or swap a painting for,hollor if you have one

heres our flowers for the front porch party,magonilas and roses.

IT'S A FRONT PORCH PARTY!
BE SURE TO SEND ME YOUR PHOTOS OF Y'ALL WITH YOUR LEMONAID,WATERMELLON AND ART.WHAT EVER Y'ALL ARE DOING AT THE FRONT PORCH PARTY ,SEND THEM BY MONDAY NIGHT SO I CAN POST THEM TUESDAY OF ALL OUR FUN.EMAIL THEM TO purple_cucumbers@yahoo.com.didnt wont to give out my other email add so use this one .The watermellon is getting cold,and the chocolate truffles are waiting,snapbeans will be in a bowl ready to shell.see y'all there!I WILL DRAW THE WINNING NAME TOMORROW AND POST IT TUESDAY WITH ALL OUR PHOTOS.

hi darlings,just me.

2007-04-16T21:05:00.000-07:00

A collection of work over the last few months

2007-04-10T18:58:00.000-07:00

well its April 15th,4 am and I am up and fixing to work on the cook book.one nice thing about no husband,children grown, my hours really my own, and after 30 years of raising children and working on a farm,with only the chicken and the dogs to feed and my vegetable garden to tend to,it is nice to have my time for my creating.I am fixing to see about hand writting the recipes in indian ink.later gators,right now I am drinking my Mountain Dew and I am happier that a tick on a dog,off to create

o check out this photos of the family,mamas beads,sequins ect,on the inside is one of mama's rashion books and photos of her,aUNT bEA(YES WE HAVE A REAL aUNT bEA) AND THE FAMILY AFTER HUNTING,AND ONE OF MAMA'S HANDWRITTEN RECIPES.THE BOOK IS GOING TO BE FILLED WITH ART,DRYED FLOWERS,VINTAGE FAMILY RECIPES ,SOME DATING BACK TO THE 1800'S-1990 AND LOTS OF FAMILY VINTAGE GOODIES.iTS GOING TO BE HAND WRITTEN WITH INDIAN INK.i HOPE TO MAKE IT VERY ORGINAL AND DIFFERENT, http://www.parteagoodiesgiveaway.blogspot.com/

Just wonted to share some art:AND CHECK OUT FOLK ART ITEMS FOR SALE AT MY ETSY STORE!

HERES A SWAP ITEM FROM MY SWEET FRIEND ,I HAVE A PACKAGE ON THE WAY TO HER. CHECK OUT HER SITE: http://a-bird-in-the-hand.blogspot.com/,I FELL IN LOVE WITH HER WORK,ORGINAL AND FUN.SHE IS ALSO A SWEET LADY FROM CANADA. I FOUND HER ESTY SHOP AND CREATED ONE FOR MY EYE CANDY GOODIES. BE SURE TO VISIT AND SEE WHATS NEW. I AM STILL WORKING ON MY COOK BOOK DUMMY WILL DO NEW POST IN A FEW DAYS. Since I could not sleep all night at daylight I went and gathered some flowers,ferns to dry for the cookbook. heres a page and part of the cover.

what I have been creating:

A sharecropper's daughter ~ Places Of The Past

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A Southern Folk Artist:My art is in collections and Museums in the U.S.A,Canada and Europe. It has been written up in INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINES LIKE RAW VISION AND SOUTHERN LADY as well as being shown at the Huntsville Museum along with the art of Grand Ma Moses and Norman Rockwell. I have shown at the Atlanta Folk Fest and at Kentuck with International artist like Lisa Cain, Woddy Long, Jimmy Lee Suddeth. On Sept 23,after the death of my beloved Mother who died in my arms, I said good by to a 30 year art career as a folk artist on the art circuit to sell and paint as a Independent folk artist , So come and travel the road back to my childhood days where the late afternoon drifts into long shadows and where I paint the memories of my days gone by. my family canning,making moon shine, the chain gang,working in the fields.email me with orders and questions. be sure to see purple cucumbers who is creating altered art hats and play sets in a tin.Check out my new blog at http://jessielavon.blogspot.com/

SOLD Jessie LaVon 640 x 480 pixels (99 KB) 4 Comments SOLD Baptism in the creek	SOLD Jessie LaVon 640 x 480 pixels (97 KB) 0 Comments SOLD Wash Day	Jessie LaVon 1024 x 768 pixels (201 KB) 0 Comments Coca Cola 5 cents market day
SOLD Jessie LaVon 1024 x 768 pixels (244 KB) 0 Comments SOLD Picking Cotton	Jessie LaVon 640 x 480 pixels (97 KB) 0 Comments Plowing	SOLD Jessie LaVon 1024 x 768 pixels (256 KB) 0 Comments SOLD VooDoo Queen
Jessie LaVon 1024 x 760 pixels (162 KB) 1 Comment catching lighting bugs	Jessie LaVon 640 x 480 pixels (67 KB) 0 Comments my mothers family-share... in the cotton fiels	jessie lavon 1024 x 741 pixels (154 KB) 0 Comments penny candy
jessie lavon Ed 640 x 480 pixels (88 KB) 0 Co tea party	jessie lavon 1024 x 822 pixels (258 KB) 0 Comments lemonaid for sale	jessie lavon E 357 x 527 pixels (57 KB) 0 Comments ACEO outsider black folk art angel
SOLD jessie lavon 1024 x 768 pixels (262 KB) 1 Comment SOLD And the Angels carried my MaMa home outsider art	jessie lavon 1024 x 768 pixels (283 KB) 1 Comment Alabama angels	jessie lavon 1024 x 768 pixels (242 KB) 0 Comments B.B.Q AT NANNY'S HOUSE
JESSIE LAVON 1024 x 768 pixels (243 KB) 0 Comments SELF TAUGHT ARTIST	JESSIE LAVON 1024 x 768 pixels (235 KB) 0 Comments GATHERING OCTOBER PECANS	JESSIE LAVON 1024 x 768 pixels (175 KB) 0 Comments CHURCH QUILT SALE
JESSIE LAVON E 1024 x 761 pixels (186 KB) 0 Comments FRONT PORCH BOOGIE	jessie lavon 1024 x 768 pixels (182 KB) 0 Comments Mama's memories	jessie lavon 1024 x 768 pixels (198 KB) 0 Comments Saturday Afternoon
jessie lavon 1024 x 768 pixels (163 KB) 0 Comments tent revivle	jessie lavon 1024 x 768 pixels (183 KB) 0 Comments swamp witch	jessie lavon 1024 x 768 pixels (272 KB) 0 Comments I went down 2 the crossroads 2 sell my soul
jessie lavon 1024 x 753 pixels (221 KB) 0 Comments Alabama school days	jessie lavon 1024 x 768 pixels (166 KB) 0 Comments blue moon honkeytonk	JESSIE LAVON 1024 x 768 pixels (189 KB) 0 Comments SATURDAY AFTERNOON
jessie lavon 1024 x 760 pixels (196 KB) 0 Comments canning time	jessie lavon 1024 x 760 pixels (210 KB) 0 Comments green county cock fights	jessie lavon 1024 x 760 pixels (191 KB) 0 Comments been cat fishing
jessie lavon 1024 x 760 pixels (201 KB) 0 Comments picking strawberries	purple cucumbers 1024 x 768 pixels (179 KB) 0 Comments primitive/mixed medium /tea party	jessie lavon 1024 x 768 pixels (191 KB) 0 Comments primitive/pi... strawberries
jessie lavon 1024 x 768 pixels (173 KB) 0 Comments primitive/ea... watermelons	jessie lavon 1024 x 768 pixels (184 KB) 0 Comments primitive/fe... chickens	jessie lavon 1024 x 768 pixels (152 KB) 0 Comments primitive/pi... cotton
jessie lavon 1024 x 768 pixels (226 KB) 0 Comments large shelling beans	jessie lavon 1024 x 768 pixels (251 KB) 0 Comments large front porch boogie	purple cucumbers 1024 x 768 pixels (148 KB) 0 Comments play set in a tin paper doll ,bead charm
jessie lavon 1024 x 768 pixels (180 KB) 0 Comments childrens apron	purple cucumbers 576 x 768 pixels (135 KB) 0 Comments altered hat front	purple cucumbers 1024 x 768 pixels (220 KB) 0 Comments altered hat sidr/back
purple cucumbers 240 x 320 pixels (15 KB) 0 Comments altered tin	jessie lavon 576 x 768 pixels (128 KB) 0 Comments dolls,bride & brides maid

happy easter darlings

2007-04-05T12:54:00.000-07:00

Just wonted to tell y'all Happy Easter.I have been busy designing my new cook book and creating the dummy for it.Will hollor at y'all later in a few days.

garden fun faerie chair,my next project

2007-03-28T23:18:00.000-07:00

PLANTING A FAERIE CHAIR

Got mine planted today ,will list photos tomorrow. Heres the fairy garden chair where I planted vintage wild roses beside the chair,spider wort and several others flowers/herbs ect.Also is the photo of my shell frame where I gathered all the shells on the beach over a 7 month period.

Flower Faeries are intriguing to have in the garden. A great way to invite them to move into your own herb garden is to plant an enticing Faerie Chair . Faerie scouts will be able to see this high rise Faerie Garden from a great distance! They will be so delighted that perhaps a whole clan will make their home near this awesome chair garden. You do however, have to make sure that your friends and relatives never try to sit on the chair. Who knows what would happen!!

Begin by finding an old wooden chair. Garage sales are a good source or in my case I remembered some chairs up in the top of the barn. Remove the seat part of the chair. And gather the rest of the needed material.

Chicken wire
Staple gun
Wire cutters
Sphagnum moss
Potting soil
Green sheet moss
Curly branches
Special herb plants for the Faeries

Lady's Mantle: So that the Faeries can shower with the dew drops. ( The dew drops from this perennial keeps away wrinkles . This is very important for someone as old as the Faeries.)
Lavender: The clan likes to have many parties and lavender infused wine is one of their favourites. (Promotes pure knowledge!) Lavender plants are where the Faeries drape their clothes to dry and the lavender scent perfumes the air so there is no stress.
Woolly Lamb's Ear: This is a perennial pet for the Faeries normal animals are just tooooo big!
Thyme: Thyme is a must! The Faeries build their homes under the mounds of thyme.
Rosemary: Rosemary is also good. Good for the memory! A trailing variety looks great trailing down over the side of the chair.
Boxwood: Boxwood can be clipped into a topiary tree and decorated for a special Faerie events, perhaps a wedding. (The small leaf boxwood would be the best!)
Sweet Woodruff: The whirly white blossoms of the sweet woodruff reflect the moon light for late night Faerie dancing.

It is best to find a work area outside to plant the chair. With any luck the Faeries will spot what you are doing and the word will be out already! Cut 2 squares of chicken wire approximately 12" wider than the opening of the chair seat. Staple the chicken wire to the sides and form the excess wire into a pouch. You might want to double the staples to insure the pouch is secure. (In the middle of filming The Gardener's Journal show all my plants started to give way! If this happens never give up . Start over again!) Line the bottom of the chicken wire pouch with wet sphagnum moss until all the mesh part is covered by approximately an 2". Fill in the pouch with a good potting soil amended with compost or well rotted manure, bring the soil up to the level of the top of the seat.
Take the herb plants out of their pots and start planting them in the soil. Remember to keep taller growing plants at the back and the shorter plants such as thyme to the front. Water well and cover the soil around the plants with the green sheet moss. The Faeries will like to hold picnics on the moss and it will help the herbs from becoming too hot on all those sunny days in July! The curly branches should be twisted down a leg of the chair, this will allow the Flower Faerie a way of climbing up to their Faerie Garden. If you have extra branches they can be inserted into the soil at the back in case the Faeries want to build a swing.
I have two Faerie Chairs in the courtyard and they attract a lot of attention. To encourage interest I have placed little mini tea sets on the moss and have given the Faeries their own sign that says "Faerie Garden" that is tied onto the chair rail with bright raffia. The Faeries like all kinds of earthly delights. Add acorns, seashells and bits of gold ribbon but most of all add your imagination and have lots of "Faerie Fun" The Faerie Chair should be watered once a day and in cold temperatures in the winter, given some protection.

Books to read :: Are there Faeries at the bottom of Your Garden? by Betsy Williams; Beyond Betwixt Between by Carla J. Nelson

antiques and altered hats

2007-03-23T00:24:00.000-07:00

here is a quick view of new project. Altered hats and what fun they are to create! of corse the light is not the best and I took them on my work table,will retake photos tomorrow.

heres the daylight photos,better color and project finished.

anyone have in goodied they wont to swap,beads,buttons,ribbons,ect,hollor and we will talk.

i WAS WEARING ONE OF MY ALTERED HATS TODAY IN WALMART AND SOLD IT RIGHT OFF MY HEAD!

and I keep seeing blogs where folks are finding great finds,so here is some things in my house that I use every day,my house is full of stuff that belonged to MaMa,Aunt Bea and Nanny.

The old fan I use in summer,the pie safe is full of vintage antique dishes that I use every day.The enamel ware I use when I cook and the old cotton basket made by Nanny that we used picking cotton I use for a colthes basket.

FRONT PORCH SELL !

2007-03-21T11:34:00.000-07:00

HELLO DARLINGS AND WELCOME TO MY SELL.COME ON OVER AND SAT A SPELL. We will have a tea party and chat while folks are looking.

I will accept pay pal or a money order. Just let me know what you wont and I will remove it TO AWAIT PAYMENT.HAVE FUN AND HAPPY PICKINGS.

altered paperdoll art tin $40 free shipping (thank y'all sold)

2 HANGING STRAWBERRYS,EMBLISHED WITH BEADS AND GLITTER sold/thank y'all

SET $12 +$2.00 SHIPPING

I HAVE SOME BAGS OF SEA SHELL FOR FREE IN ANYONE NEEDS THEM,SOME I GATHERED AT THE BEACH WHILE VISTING MY SISTER AMD SOME WERE GIVEN TO ME.IF Y'ALL NEED THEM HOLLOR.I AM SAVING MOST OF MY GATHERED SEA SHELLS TO MAKE A MIRROW. (thank y'all/taken)

LEMONAID FOR SALE FOLK ART PAINTING.5"X5" $20+$1.50 SHIPPINGsold/thank y'all

PICKING PECANS FOLK ART PAINTING 5"X5" $20 +$1.50 SHIPPING sold/thank y'all

Picking strawberries emblished folk art painting 8"x11" on masonite board $48+$2.00 shipping

sold/thank y'all

PLAY SET IN A TIN,TOP IS EMBLISHED WITH BUTTONS AND GERMAN GLASS GLITTER.INCLUDES A PAPERDOLL,CAT,HOUSE,DOLL AND A BEADED HANGING CHARM. $50 + &3.00 SHIPPING. sold/thank y'all

SEVEN packages of vintage Hairloom seeds handed down from one generation to another.Each year we plant we save seeds for the next year CORN,SUGAR CANE, ONIONS, BANNAN PEPPERS,PURPLE BELL PEPPERS.CUCUMBERS,GIANT PUMPKIN.. $5 + 1.00 shippin

sold/thank y'all

A vintage Christmas angel found object $8+$2.00 shipping swapped for beads/thank y'all

the tea party 8x11 folk art painting $45 + $2.50 shipping

from a artist/collector: sold/thank y'all

front porch sell

2007-03-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

Hi darlings,the sale will start at 2.30 Alabama time.Paintings and folk art along with some found objects.SEE Y'ALL THEN

designing my home & studio

2007-03-16T22:57:00.000-07:00

My dream fireplace!

Since my last child will be leaving home in the fall for collage I have started designing my new retirment house and studio.As children on the cotton farm we bathed in a #3 washtub so I will have a winter bath inside and a summer bath out side.

I am excited that my children have had scolorships to collage and my youngest is thinking of going into art!

Back to getting things ready for the front porch sale here Wensday.

coco-cola 5 cents,dandylyons and daffidols

2007-03-14T10:39:00.000-07:00

Just wonted to share some photos with y'all I took while walking.

Coca-Cola sign, dandylons, daffidols, MARCH IN THE SOUTH AND THERES MISSLETOE STILL ON THE TREE!

strawberries in my garden

2007-03-14T10:35:00.000-07:00

My strawberries in my garden are comming up!Now I know spring/summer are well on the way

The bottle tree & Earth Angels Folk Art

2007-03-12T05:05:00.000-07:00

After being on the International Folk Art circuit for several years I decided to retire from it because it seemed as if I was painting and not enjoying it the way I used to, Then several months ago I found Earth Angels and what a joy and delight to see folk art that was ooak,fun and whimisical. The art so inspired and got my creativite juices flowing.

Threw Earth Angels I have found and discovered Altered Art and it is so wounderful to be creating again and enjoying my art.

I am still doing my folk art paintings but I am thinking of makeing some changes to my style.

I love Jen's artist so stop by and see them,

Her Angels so imspired me that I created a bottle tree next to my newley planted vegetable garden and added a metal pink flamingo to my little flower garden.

Here is a few new photos to share,The bottle tree, my flower garden and one of MaMa's vintage handmade Christmas balls.

Play set in a tin

2007-03-12T01:38:00.000-07:00

Here is my newest creations,Play sets in a tin,The top of the tins are decorated and inside each little treasure box is a paper doll with accessories and a beaded charm. They are created with vintage glass glitter,mica,beads,buttons and lots of other goodies.I have 2 more in the works,one is a mermaid beach theam and the other one is a tea party theam. I am having lots of fun creating while taking a break from painting .The best part is going threw MaMas vintage goodies .Comming soon is MaMa's vintage handmade Christmas balls I wonted to share with y'all.