Bunny Love

Soooo, I'm not really sure what to say, other than that I FREAKING LOVE rabbits and this dress I picked up second hand. (Though I spent more than I usual spend at thrift or consignment stores, $15 still isn't too bad considering what it is and the quality of it. Sheer perfection.)

That's it, nothing earth shattering, just a quick peek at one of the bunnies in my life. It's name is Wicket...or Jawa, hard to say. When we got our two little bundles of fluff we could tell them apart, but now, they are indiscernible and the poor Buns are always in a huff at us for mixing their names up. They are a little uppity and proper for rabbits that aren't in the habit of wearing waistcoats and cravats. But then, some people like to put on airs...even bunny people. 

Side note, did you know that in the wild, rabbits tend to stay in packs according to family  (though I don't see how that's possible at the rate they multiply) but apparently they prefer to stay with their siblings, I'm so glad we got two. I originally planned on one, then realized in a moment of sheer genius, if there's only one, then how will anyone else ever get to hold one because I'll have my mitts full. So, out of sheet selflessness, I got two so others could have something to hold whilst I was snuggling the bebe I bought for....The Kidlet. Ha! Only later did I find out about the staying together as a family thing. Whew. So many disasters averted. 

Lovies and Fuzzies,

-K

Ruby Rose Dreams Come True

If you slog your way back through my blog you will find THIS post. It is about a lovely little shop that I found when we first moved to the Central Coast and I was completely smitten by it's charm. 3 years later finds me STILL smitten, that hasn't changed...but what has changed is that this month I am celebrating my one year anniversary as part of the little family that works together to make Ruby Rose what it is. Personally I don't feel qualified to say I make Ruby Rose what it is but my "Boss Mom" seems to think I am and one should never argue with "Boss Mom".

I'm still a busy stay at home mom, that is my first priority and I love it. I am so blessed to not only be able to have such an opportunity in my home but then to be given the chance to take part in helping out at Ruby Rose AROUND my family's needs. I've had wonderful bosses (and some not so wonderful) but I've never had a boss quite like Stephanie Hendry, the Mastermind behind Ruby Rose. She is too good to me! 

It all started when she was looking for someone to help with various creative aspects of the store, displays, clothing, social media, etc. and a mutual friend said, "What about K?" (I'd become quite the regular snooper at her shop.) Stephanie said, "Let's give it a month and see how we fit". It is a year later and I am still enamored every time I walk in that door. 

Well, I just completed my first blog post for Ruby Rose (she has some other lovelies running it on the regular) if you'd like to check it out HERE. It's my little story about how I ended up with an opportunity to be ever so slightly involved in this video and Ezine below. 

Flowers In Her Hair from Plum Jam on Vimeo.

I also help run the shop's Instagram account so feel free to follow that if you'd like (@rubyrose805) to see all the goodies the shop brings in every week. If you don't live in the area, don't worry! Wipe your tears and look HERE for our Etsy store! I know it sounds like shameless self-promotion but it's really more the fact that I STILL fangirl over the place. It never gets old or stale or burdensome. Every week I go in and I still gasp at the things collected, the trinkets found, the books discovered. It's a dream. And I'm so thankful for it.

Lovies and low lights,

-K

PS. I just realized that the chai tea I drank this evening was caffeinated.... I'm in trouble. (O_O) Uh oh.

Good, gathered, and given gifts.

As I continue my assignment to be aware and thus grateful for the many gifts in life that we take for granted, I come to Day 4's challenge of being mindful of gifts that are gathered, given, and good. 

This is a lovely reminder to give thanks and praise for the the beautiful providence of our Creator. 

In the time that has passed since I was a regular blogger we found ourselves moved from our little one bedroom, second story apartment into a four bedroom house with 2 roommates. Is it a challenge to be a family with other people living with us? Yes. But there are the blessings that accompany the challenges...

We have a yard!!!! A glorious, sandy-soiled (which takes a lot of work to supplement and make into growable dirt) crab-grassed covered (which makes it really tough to weed and cultivate and compartmentalize) back yard with room for The Kidlet to run, along with 3 chickens and 2 rabbits and a plethora of plants I've acquired here and there. 

Honestly, being able to now afford a house with a yard would be enough of a trade off for sharing our home with two college-aged friends but there has been other perks too...those being, the two college aged friends living with us. In the year we have lived in this home, we've actually had a total of 5 different people living with us at different times. They didn't all live with us at the same time, though, at one point, there were 3, 18-20 year old boys living with us at the same time...which was pretty much like having a house full of teenagers and it was smelly...and hilarious...and stinky...but fun...and exasperating but ultimately a blessing in the good and the hard stuff.

Anyway, the two friends living with us now are dear to my heart, though, boys being boys, there are moments my face figuratively implodes with just how boyish boys are.  But there has also been incredibly edifying conversations, prayers, dinners, beach days, camping trips, hiking, road trips, etc. We have our differences but we also have our uniting factor...our Father, our Savior, our Helper. To be able to serve one another is an honor. I'm not always grateful for it. Sometimes it's challenging and uncomfortable and exasperating. But the fact remains, serving others is a privilege. 

So here I am...finally getting around to the actual purpose of this post.

Because of our yard, I can grow things. Because of where we live (i.e.: not in a place of 100 degree summers) I have found that I can actually GROW THINGS!!! Not, "plant things and watch them die"....GROW THINGS, GOOD THINGS!

And some of these good things I have gathered and I will be giving them away so they can grow elsewhere. Pictured here is Nasturtium and Plantain. Nasturtium is one of my favorite flowers and can be eaten (though I tried it and was not a fan of the spicy sweetness) if you're in a bind and need some food. Plantain is one of those darling little weeds you see around and don't give much thought to...unless you know of the invaluable treasure it is. Folk lore tells of it's cure for snake bites....INCLUDING COBRA AND RATTLESNAKE!!! It is helpful for asthma and stings and dog bites and cuts and is also an internal insecticide making the skin odorless and tasteless to insects. How beautiful is that??? Precious little plant. I love it so! As a child I had a little book about plants that Cicely Mary Barker did and THIS darling chap was on the cover. He's been a favorite of mine ever since. 

So, life is hard. Love is beautiful. And while I am in the middle of hardness I am still so thankful for good gifts...like the little helper, Plantain. 

Life and longing,

-K

(Below is a disclaimer sparked by a large portion of this blog where I wrote about some personal struggles dealing with feelings of isolation and desertion in a lot of friendships...I deleted it, it was too personal and I wasn't comfortable with being that vulnerable the more that I thought about what I'd written. That being said, the below post now has no context...except that it is still true and so I'm going to leave it. So I guess this was my predisclaimer disclaimer. Ha!)
~~~~~~~~~~~

(DISCLAIMER: The Mr. is the best and dearest friend I could ever ask for, his faithfulness in love and friendship is the most beautiful work of God's love that I have ever encountered. And my dear, best friend, Allie, she is a beautiful gem. A sparkling, bright thing that cheers me in my sorrow, that encourages me in Christ, that reminds me of the promise and hope that is to come...I am so grateful for her. She is a gift that keeps on giving...I just wish she didn't live so far away!!!!!!) 

Almost Two Years Absent...

I can't believe it's been that long. On one hand I feel like I need to write something significant and explain my absence...on the other hand, I don't now if there are many people that care, aside from the few loved ones that followed me in the past and encouraged me to take it up again. I have no idea where this is going, which is part of the reason I haven't bothered with all this nonsense and reindeer games for so long. 

I'm going to not over think it. 

So here's the deal, Joy Prouty mentioned doing the 30 Day Challenge of 1000 Gifts for the month of November and I figured, maybe now's the time to dust off the ol' blog and give it a go. 

Yesterday was about taking time to notice the gift of things eaten.

The Kidlet was working on a drawing of a snowy owl nest on the Arctic Tundra and I grabbed some of our chicken eggs to help show him the difference of perspective. ("See, this way, it's an oval, this way it's a circle. If one is in front of the other then it is BLOCKING part of it, so the circle around the edge of the other one is cut off") At which point I realized how much I LOVE our eggs, our lovely little chickens, and the care that goes into producing beautiful, nurtured food. 

Welp, todays challenge is "the gift of things worn". 

(Mind you, most of the challenges are asking for 3's. 3 things eaten. 3 things worn...but I don't do well with quotas, they take me back to days worked in a cubicle and I get really sweaty and filled with panic. So, I'm making it a singular challenge for me, not because I can't find 3 things, I find more, actually, but I'm not going to worry about documenting each thing for social media.)

But back to the "challenge". Gifts worn was going to be an outfit post but then I started working in the kitchen, peeling roots for a nice autumnal soup and I started getting giddy about the colors. Purple/blood beets, goldenrod butternut squash, creamy celery root, orangy carrots, and I started thinking, "Oooo, I have socks the color of these beets! I have a dress that reminds me of a combo of butternut squash and carrots, etc."

So here you have it. I am grateful for things worn, things like COLOR!!! Isn't it a blessing? The world could have been created in black and white and we never would have known the difference. BUT, instead our kind Father made it filled with purple/blood beets that stain my hands and show how chewed up my hands are, goldenrod and orange and green celery stalks and inspired us to make cranberry-colored thigh-high socks and mustard-yellow velvet heels.

(For the record, if we are going to talk about clothes....Long socks are one of my very favoritest pieces of clothing. As a dress-loving-tights-hating-girl they are a treasure to me in the winter months.)

The word is so full of color, I am grateful we can eat it, we can wear it, we can see it...

He gives good gifts. 

-K
PS. The kidlet took these pictures. I'm really rather shocked at the results. I set the ISO and f-stop and such and had to keep reminding him, "don't forget to hold the button down halfway first to focus"....AND the focal point is screwy on our camera too. For some reason it won't budge, it is stuck on middle/bottom (when set horizontally). All that PLUS tired little 5 year old arms and yet he STILL got these shots. My baby boy is definitely not a baby anymore. Freaks me out a bit. 

Sugar and spice and everything nice...

Gluten-free. soy-free, corn-free, sugar cane-free, PIE CRUST

2 cups gluten free flour*

3/4 cup of butter (or half butter half shortening)

1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum (or 2 Tablespoons Arrowroot powder)

1 tsp. salt

1/3 cup COLD water (although sometimes it takes less, today it took a little more)

 Stir dry ingredients then cut in butter, sprinkle in cold water and knead till soft, split into 2 balls and blace between two peices of wax paper and toll to fit 9 inch pie pan. Fill and bake according to whatever kind of pie filling you are using.

*Gluten-free flour mix

3 cups rice flour

1 cup potato starch (STARCH, NOT flour)

1/2 cup tapioca starch OR flour

For my friends baby shower tomorrow I decided to make blueberry

Gluten Free Blueberry Pie Recipe
Pre-heat oven to 425°

The filling:
6 cups blueberries
½ cup honey
¼ cup tapioca flour
½ tsp cinnamon
1Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp butter (optional because I always forget this step)

Mix first five ingredients. Set aside.

I found this ^^^ at Queen of the Meadow but only used the filling recipe as her crust recipe used corn and I am allergic to corn.

I am very excited that got to use my "pie squirrel" for the first time, thought after baking the filling juice that spilled on it's face and was completely invisible before going into the oven.....came out brown and looking like the squirrel had foraged the dessert for tasty treats. Dern rodents! ;-)

other than a messy little fur face I am so happy with how it turned out!

there is something sooo delectable about that color!!!

Dress - UO

Socks - Target?

Shoes - UO 

($7!!! THANKS FOR NOT FITTING INTO THEM, MICHELLE ;-/)

Belt - (cut up an old broken pair of suspenders and put a pin on it that says, "Dorothy", been my favorite belt for years)

In other news, The Mr. who usually TAKES me out shopping for a gift (usually with a set amount of money for birthdays or what have you) decided he really wanted to pick something out himself for my Valentine's gift.  He said he likes me in yellow (I had no idea) and went to Urban Outfitters and thought most of what they have right now wasn't really me (he's right, it's been slim pickin's for my personal style as of late) but then he saw this!!!!!  He had it all wrapped up (as seen in previous post about Valentine's Day) lovely as can be. He even got the right size!!! Man oh man, he's good!

So there you have it. Babyshowers and dresses and squirrels, that was my life today. Hope yours was equally delightful.

Lovies and licorice,

-K

All I want for my birthday is loveliness...

Soooo, not to be hinty or anything, I really don't expect anyone to follow this or actually buy me presents 

(what I really like best for my b'day is a dance party, consisting of 60's french pop and anything else I can happy feet to) this year is one of those years where everyone has a lot going on (including myself) and it's quite likely that nothing will happen for my b'day other than just hanging out with family...

Seriously, I don't need presents, I'm a pretty blessed bunny and I don't have any needs that aren't being met...

that being said, I will now out-pour a wish list long enough (or silly enough) to make your head spin.  Why? Because it's gosh darn fun!!! In no particular order....

#1

I ever so much would love to get my hands on a World Globe Lamp!  Feel free to ogle ebay as much as you like and procure me such loveliness! (and as many of such loveliness as may possibly move you!)

#2

I pretty much adore ANYTHING from The Black Apple but THIS painting in particular

makes my heart go pitter pat!!!  I also love the Terrarium painting and the Oddsfellow's Orphanage postcards (I already have the book!) And the Recipe Cards are pretty skippy too!!! Ooo, and the Nessie Painting (judge all you want, I see Nessie's existence as a viable and real possibility! ;-)) <3<3<3

#3

Pretty Much ANYTHING by Vivetta!!!  Always such loveliness, always impossible to get my grubby little mitts on...but a girl can wish can't she???  

#4 

Pretty much anything by Nadinoo as well. Eyeball candy for DAAAYS!

SEEEEEE what I mean!?!?! Gasp and delights!!!

#5 

any of these lovelies from Asos!!! I do like my little girl dresses! Is it whimsical? Then I probably like it!!!

#6

Anywhere - A Travel Guide

I desperately want to make these part of my belongings...I tried to purchase them this last month as a Valentine's Date/Gift for The Mr. and myself but they were all sold out. I scoured the interwebsicle for it and couldn't find it anywhere, I went to save a pic and link it and found THEY ARE FOR SALE ONCE MORE!!! Take this as a hint from the birthday fairies that these are meant for ME! ;-)

#7

Anthropologie gift card.

Silly, is it? Impersonal you say? NEVER, SAYS I!!! I cannot tell you how much fun and mileage I get out of gift cards! (Forever 21, Urban Outfitters, Target, etc. are also lovely) To be able to go into Anthropologie and find a trinket in the clearance area is ALWAYS fun!!! I can make that gift card last FOR MOOOONTHS! I bide my time till I find something truly worth it, then I acquire said treasure completely free of guilt because not I but YOU got that special thing for ME! <3 Never underestimate the power of gift cards to the right places!

#8

Lula Magazine Subscription, or just a single Lula Magazine....so hard to get one's hands on!!! I own a solitary copy (Issue #8, coincidentally enough) due to a friend's kindness in acquiring one for me several years ago, it STILL brings me delight every time I open it!

So there you have it! I'm sure I'll think of other things later...for instance, practical things that excite me in spite of their practicality...ie: lemon zester (let's be honest, it may be for cooking but "ZESTER" just sounds like food magic!) pickling crock, Le Crueset cookware, tart tins, etc. Things like that make me all twitterpated with glee!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And now,

TO BED WITH ME!!! I'm off to sail in that wooden shoe with Winken, Blinken and Nod! 

Lovies and letterpresses, (OOOO, I'd also like a letterpress!!!)

-K

We OTTER make out...

(we OTTER make out was for The Mr. ;-))

Soooooooooooo, some people are Grinch's about Christmas and some are Grinch's about Valentine's Day...

As most major holidays roll around I find myself giddy with delight, ready to vomit glitter and poop lace all over everyone and everything. 

Fourth of July: AMERICA HISTORY AND FIREWORKS!?!?!!? SHINY THINGS??? CELEBRATING OUR LOVE OF FREEDOM???

SQUEEEEEEEEEEE!

BIRTHDAYS: A REASON TO PARTY WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND CANDLES ON A CAKE!?!?!? SHINY THINGS!!! CELEBRATING OUR LOVE OF A SOMEONE???

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

CHRISTMAS: JESUS' BIRTHDAY AND PRESENTS FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND GLOWING CHRISTMAS TREES?!?!?!? SHINY THINGS!!!!!! CELEBRATING OUR LOVE OF JESUS AND FRIENDS AND FAMILY????

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

EASTER: JESUS RESURRECTION AND DYEING BRIGHTLY COLORED EGGS!?!?!!?? BRIGHT COLORS AND SHINY CUPS OF FOOD COLORING!?!?!?! CELEBRATING OUR LOVE OF JESUS AND HIS SACRIFICE

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

Valentine's Day is no different for me, if I have a reason to remind people that I love them and make them glittered bits of paper and gluten-free, sugar cane-free, soy-free, corn-free delicacies!?!?! SHINY THINGS, TASTY THINGS, AND LOVELY LOVING LOVE!?!?! I LOVE LOVE and LOVE LOVING THINGS! Stars and garters, IT'S THE BEST! Hipsters may loving hating things and being miserable, cynics may scoff, even those that are in loving relationships may poo-poo Valentine's Day under the reasoning, "You should be loving EVERYDAY of the year, not just V-Day", and I heartily agree.....BUT

BUT..............

We should appreciate our best friend everyday but that doesn't mean I'm not going to show up to their birthday party! We should be excited about our freedom everyday, but that doesn't meant I'm not going to enjoy putting up a flag, going to a parade with my lovey-doves and lighting a sparkler with The Kidlet. Traditions are wonderful things that bring joy and connection. Hallmark, and other business may try to capitalize on such things and make some money off of it (which IS annoying and sad at times...on the flip side, at least people have jobs because of it) but WHY OH WHY should we let the things we dislike ruin the things we LOVE!!!  

That being said, I entertained myself THOROUGHLY making glittered animal pun cards, winged hearts, and potato stamp cards (with The Kidlet) and dropped them off to friends and mailed to family as a surprise "Hey, you're the tops and I am so fond of you!" Yes yes, I SHOULD call or text everyone on a regular basis and I'd like to think I am pretty good at doing that with at least my mum and dad, sisters and closest friends...but WHY can't I enjoy one day a year that allows a full grown woman to scamper around, covered in glitter and decked out head-to-toe in red and pink!??! 

So there is my rant of the month. I LOVE LOVE and I hope you do too! I hope your week was lovely and should you be disappointed about what you didn't get from whomever I am so sorry. I used to be in that boat too but I got fed up with being glum and jumped ship!!! I'm now careening about in a leaky little skiff where I craft to my heart's content, and I row in my glitter-waves covered in lace and instead of thinking, "what am I going to get?!?!?!" I think, "WHAT WOULD ____ LOOOOVE!?!?!" I totally forgot about presents when The Mr. handed me a box this last week and was totally taken aback by the lovely yellow lace that greeted me! It was the cherry on top of a lovely day with lovely friends.  I know it stinks to be disappointed, I'm not trying to be preachy, it's just something that has helped me so much with contentedness (something I am always needing work on) but seriously, try to forget about what you might get and just enjoy the giving...sounds overly-simply and sermony but (like all GOOD sermons) it's just the truth and it's truth that sets us free.

Lovies and glittery-lace and love and loveliness,

-K