Spoon Frogs

Each Spring I get very excited about each and every new bloom and blossom in my garden. While my garden is small, it never fails to delight me with wonderful flowers and memorable fragrances.

The blooms beg me not to leave them on their stem – so the only thing to do is cut a few and bring them indoors to enjoy every minute.

Sometimes I use one of the many floral frogs in my collection. But one of my favorite ways to display my posies is with a spoon frog.

I simply take three or four pretty spoons that I have found at tag sales and use them to prop the flowers up. You can turn the spoons up for more support or put the stem of the spoon up. It's sweet spring in a dessert cup! The display is elegant, a nice conversation piece, practical and very inexpensive.

I hope you'll try it.

Laundry Tips from Mama - (Print & Post)

“Excess can cause troubles.” – Mama
“Lazy today causes stress tomorrow.” - Mama

(Written to share with my girls.)
Over the years I have come up with short cuts and tips for doing laundry; I wanted to share them with you. As you begin your family you will find what works now that they will be keeping their own home. best for your household and will be able to amend, add or cut out some of the below.

Here are some suggestions:

Minimize Your Clean Clothes
When you inventory your clothing you allow yourself time saving in the laundry department and add time for more valued events. Pack off season clothing in clear plastic tubs or in extra dresser drawers. Donate or give unused current seasonal clothing to same size friends and family or others in need. You know the saying: “If you haven’t worn it in a year…”. As for socks; minimize your socks to only 2 weeks worth including dress socks and athletic socks.

Minimize Your Linens
It’s tempting to have lots of towels and several sets of sheets but this will cause more laundry in the long run. Keep 2 towels per person available (one hanging for use and the other in the linen closet) and only one set of sheets per bed (exception: crib). If you must have 2 sets of sheets per bed try to not get the other sheet out unless there has been an illness or accident and an immediate change is needed. Kitchen towels, dish clothes and bathroom hand towels and washcloths take up very little laundry space and due to the need for a fresh, clean one each day it is nice to have 2 weeks worth in your linen closet.

From Clean to Dirty

Taking off Dirty Clothes
When you take off your dirty clothes it’s a good opportunity to save time when it comes to doing laundry by cuffing your socks together, empty pockets, take underwear out of pants, turn darks inside out (to avoid excessive fading). Take to the laundry room or place in hamper immediately.

If your jeans are not truly dirty and you have only worn them one time there is no sin in folding them nicely and placing them in an “only worn once” pile in your closet. If your pants are dirty whether soiled or with odor; don’t risk it – laundry them.

Dirty Bath Towel
When you are finished with your bath towel (which can easily last 2 days without laundering) take it to the laundry room and lay it over a basket or the washer so it doesn’t get other clothes wet. Get out a fresh towel right away and put it on your bathroom hook so you won’t drip after tomorrow’s shower looking for a towel.

Bed Linens and Bath Rugs & Shower Curtains
Plan each week to do one of the following: Wash all sheets or wash all rugs and bathroom shower curtains. Don’t try to do them both on the same week or you may run out of time and find they will pile up in the laundry room and the old cycle continues; you pull out your emergency linens and use those.

Laundry Room Prep
You laundry room should not be hated. Create a working and efficient room by keeping it well stocked and clean. Always have detergent, bleach, stain remover, grease remover, fabric softener, delicate bags, plastic hangers and laundry baskets (no more than 1 per person) on hand and easy to reach.

Sorting & Loading
The most efficient way to do laundry is to sort as when you have dirtied your laundry. Take your clothes in to the laundry room right away daily and place in the appropriate laundry basket. If this is not possible, or just too much to start out with, you can take a little extra time and sort as you do laundry. When you sort your clothes you can begin to see the priority needed for cleaning; this considering you have followed the recommendations of limiting your clean clothes and linens.

Stain & Grease Removal
For stains, wet the area that has the stain and spray or gently rub the mild stain remover on the area. Let the clothing item sit while the wash tub fills with water. I wouldn’t let the piece of clothing sit long enough for the stain remover to dry on the item.

For removal of greasy work clothes; fill the wash tub with warm water on the rinse cycle and add 1 cup of Pine-sol. Place greasy clothing in washer and let the clothes run through the rinse mixture cycle. Once washer stops wash and rinse the clothing as normal using cold water.

Loading Clothes
Start the washer and put the appropriate amount of recommended laundry detergent in washer. Place washer settings on the correct load size and water temperature for the amount and type of clothing. Do not over load the washer for the following reasons: 1) Clothing will not get completely clean (hazardous if you are trying to kill bacteria); 2) Clothing can mildew or sour if left too long in washer; 3) You may damage your washer’s balance mechanism.

Delicates
There should be a ‘gentle’ cycle on your washer; if not set your regular wash cycle to a few minutes of wash (usually 6-8 minutes). Place gentle garments in a nylon zip bag. Small delicate items can share a bag although bras should have their own bag so they don’t snag other delicates with their clasps. Always secure bra clasps before washing to avoid tangling, stretching and snagging.

Bleaching
If bleach is necessary follow both your washer’s instructions and the bleach instructions to avoid yellowing and bleach-out spots on fabric. Most often, bleach is added to the last 5 minutes of your wash cycle.

Cloth Baby Diapers
Some prep work may be helpful. Fill a rubber/plastic trashcan or solid hamper with water and 1 ½ cups of bleach; after you have rinsed the cloth diaper out in the toilet, place the soiled diaper in the bleach-water hamper and cover. Once the hamper is full of dirty diapers (or ever other day which ever comes first); pour entire contents into the washer. Place the washer on the rinse cycle and hot water; let the dirty diapers run through the rinse mixture cycle. Once washer stops, wash and rinse the diapers as normal using cold water and your baby detergent. I recommend not adding bleach to the wash cycle but if you must, then you’ll want to rinse diapers twice after the wash cycle to avoid irritation to baby’s skin (bleach and baby made ammonia don’t mix).

Drying Clothing
Line drying is always recommended for the care of your clothing as well as the energy efficiency. Place clothing in the dryer as soon as possible after the wash cycle ends to avoid spoiling or run-on colors. Always check to ensure the dryer filter is clean and empty; the left over lint may be able to cause a fire. Set clothing on the shortest dry time for the amount and weight of clothing necessary; this will save energy. Add a dryer sheet to avoid static. Finish the dry time with a cool down to avoid unnecessary wrinkles. Hang or fold clothing right away to ensure the least amount of wrinkles. Put clothing away immediately. By putting your clothes away immediately you free up room to do more laundry effectively and avoid clean clothes getting mixed up with dirty clothes (this happens a lot with socks) or the overwhelming feeling of too much when you enter your laundry room.

Ahhh Washed and Dried

Hanging Clothing
Hang all shirts facing left; this allows you to view the front of each shirt at a glance.
Hang pants without a crease; this helps avoid shifting creases and helps to eliminate ironing. If you must hang pants with a crease, begin by holding the pants from the bottom cuff to create the crease then fold by laying the pants on the dryer, once you have the crease where and how you like it, simply slide the pant legs through a plastic hanger or clip the pant cuffs with the clips on a pant-hanger.

For sweaters, its best to fold and place on a shelf or in a drawer however, if you must hang this is the best way to avoid stretching or hanger pulls. Place sweater flat on the dryer, fold lengthwise lining up shoulders and arms; fold (long) arms so the hem of the arm is lying on the hem of the sweater, fold sweater down in half, slide hanger through final fold. Another hanging method for sweaters is to place sweater flat on the dryer, fold lengthwise lining up shoulders and arms, place the hanger hook in the underarm of the sweater and wrap the body of the sweater on the one side of the hanger (where a shirt shoulder would hang) and the arms around the other side of the hanger.

Folding Clothes & Linens
Fold clothes with the least amount of folds to avoid excessive wrinkles. For t-shirts grab the shirt at the seam just under the armpit, shake the shirt so it falls straight. Fold the shirt in half horizontal across the chest of the shirt. Front facing down, fold one side of the shirt in so there is only 2-3 inches from the neck to the fold, tuck under the sleeve and do the same to the other side of the shirt, now fold the bottom up. Flip the shirt over and ensure the folds are centered and symmetric; this guarantees a crisp look when you get it out of your drawer for wear.

Small items, like underwear and baby items may be better laid flat. Always fold your bras so the cup is full; invert one cup to the other and fold the sides and straps behind to fill in. This keeps your bra from getting creased and disfigured.

Sheets and blankets are best folded corner to corner horizontal first then vertical the rest of the folds until it is a manageable size; once small enough finish with a horizontal fold. For fitted sheets do the same type folding but always place one corner into the other corner until flat then corner to corner placing boxed sides towards the inside of all folds. A demonstration may be in order.

Baby blankets and burp towels should be folded so it can be easily opened by one hand with a quick whipping motion. This way when you need one of these items you won’t have to put the baby down to access use.

Hopefully, these tips will help get you out of the laundry room and enjoying life quicker!

With Love,

Mama

When the Dust Settles

Since April 30th, I have been transitioning to life outside my brick-n-mortar Red Books & Chairs. The final days were literally packed with activity including a final 80% reduction sale, organizing non-profit charity pick ups, coordinating trash pick up (funny how much stuff a junker accumulates with a 'project' in mind), endless vacuuming and an overall dusting of the permanent fixtures.

A final turn of the key, a turn about like a guard at Buckingham Palace, no glance back; no taunt to my fragile emotional state. Off I traveled to the next page which came quick.

Everything has happened so fast with not a moment to ponder so with that, not a minute to miss.

The past couple of weeks have been spent painting, organizing and last night...setting up internet with the help of my techno daughter and a friend (yes, both from the technology generation!). So, now I look forward to digging in to start my home studio and produce hand mades to my heart's content.

Still no sadness for the finale of my B&M. I haven't been back to see the empty building standing, waiting for someone with a dream to fill it with the spirit of God's gifts. I look forward to seeing who gets the dust stirring again in that old historic building!

25% Off!

Last Saturday, I worked at the store until midnight. I was pulling all my displays apart; putting like items in areas around the store. I put all shutters up front, lamps on the stair case, dishes on the front display, linens on the vintage bed, etc.

If you’ve been to my store you know that I like to display rather than warehouse items so while this rearranging is probably helpful to those looking for something specific, it’s awkward for me to look at. The store is no longer like walking through my favorite magazine.

So after I left last Saturday I was happy with my progress knowing that the next day I would be having a private sale for business owners only. I got to the store around 11:30 Sunday morning with anticipation. I had the best helpers (Ginger, Phyllis, Tiffany, Marla & my Elizabeth) on hand to help. The sale was from 1:00 – 5:00 pm and would you believe there were a couple of people waiting at the door when I opened? This was a very hopeful site!

By 2:30 the ‘crowd’ was gone and for the next two and a half hours I piddled around the store and read my newest Romantic Homes.

Wednesday I opened the door with a 25% off sale and was flooded! Many regular customers came in to get some goodies and give sweet hugs. So now, until March 30th you too can get 25% off everything in the store (except fixtures/displays marked).

My life pages are turning slowly from one to another and I have to admit, it turns with some sorrow. I am, however, keeping a little list of things I want to do after the new page begins the next chapter. Here are some examples:
Sleep in on Saturdays
Walk around the square and C-Street visiting all the stores (their open hours are the same as mine at RB&C so I haven’t been able to visit)
Write, write, write (including more blogging)
Sew, sew, sew (& put on Etsy)

Visit my mom in Arkansas

Babysit my grandbaby more
See more of my family
The list will continue to grow I’m sure.

I hope to see you soon!

Turn the Page

Opening day @ RB&C

What if you took each opportunity, walked through every open door, accepted every gift, entertained risks, relied on faith? Would you have disappointments, failures, losses or finales? Yes. But if you are true in your intent, don’t manipulate others and rely on God’s direction it will be worth it with blessings to boot.

Red Books & Chairs has been a life long dream since I was a little child. I would clip pictures from magazines and make drawings of what I hoped it would be like. The passion for a vintage cottage store has always been with me and in 2006 it became a reality – a dream come true.

The financial risk, the unending tick of the watch, the unexpected business details, the friendships built are all bi-products of plunging into a dream.

When a person has even one single day to live their dream it is a memory never forgotten. Now, two and a half years after Red Books & Chairs opened it is time to turn the page to another adventure. Although nearly every adventure is not without grim & glee, the experience and memories make each new page of life worth exploring.

Many of you have become dear friends and I will certainly miss seeing you each month on your visits to C-Street, but have no fear! I will be active on-line and at local shows. If you receive my monthly e-newsletter you will still be notified when I am out in the public showcasing my new creations. And of course you know you can find me each 1st Friday right here shopping my favorite stores on C-Street!

There will always be a bookmark in my life at the pages of Red Books & Chairs.

Keep checking my blog as I detail how the closing of RB&C progresses through April.

Hope to see you soon!
Jennifer

Box of Sunshine

I have many, many things and people in my life that make me happy. Like you, I have blessings to list. There are moments, however, I feel like I am going to sufficate, implode, snap or yell. Do you have those moments?

While working for a mission (homeless, transitional & emergency need) a few years ago I became very stressed, frustrated and felt helpless at times. I learned a lot about human nature, God's grace and compassion but still, those moments crept in.

My eldest daughter, Stephenie made me a 'Box of Sunshine'. She instructed me to pull a little note out any time I felt stressed. Some days I pulled 2 or 3 out of the box.

Now, owning my own business I have different 'moments' and often run to my Box of Sunshine for relief. I find that I am calmer after reading one of the notes because I know how much love went in to making the box of notes and because the colors just make me smile.

I'm so grateful for this little box and for those that take time to say or write little things to just send a little sunshine.

Farquhar Road

My wonderful friend, Melinda Lantz was working in South Africa when she made her driver pull over so she could snap these photos. Fun, huh? I hope this gives my sister-in-law (who has been working on lineage for years) some new 'avenues' to pursue in the family tree search!

Hanging With My Girl

One of my all time favorite people to hang out with is my 11 month old granddaughter. Every single day she accomplishes something new. Last week she waved at me, kissed me when I asked for a kiss and clapped when I sang "Patty Cake". Yesterday she did the motion (in her own way) for 'roll 'em up & roll 'em up" - the next verse in "P'Cake". I can't wait to see what today holds!

Flea Marketing in Branson, MO

A couple of weeks ago, my junkin' friend, Sue and I headed for Branson to do a little treasure hunting. I knew just the place to go; Mrs. Cadwell's Downtown Flea Market. Not only is this the oldest flea market in Branson - it is also my very favorite.

Down the steep hills of old Branson on Hwy 76 (also known as 76 Country Blvd) you will find many eclectic shops including the one just next door to Mrs. C's called Main Street Flea Market. If you are not familiar with the Ozarks; this is what it looks like when you build on one of the 'mountains'. You definitely get a workout walking up and down the street!

Just inside the entrance, I spied these neat railroad date nails. They were $1.50 each. I didn't buy any but I thought they were neat.

Something I did buy was this shoe box packed full of all colors of chenille pieces. The seller had $8 for the entire box and then ran a 50% off any purchase from her booth. What a find!

I love digging in the linen bins you find in just about every other booth in a Branson flea market. Many hand embroidered items, quilt pieces, tea towels...you name it. I was delighted to find this hand appliqued and embroidered pillow case. The fabric is the softest cotton pink comes in!

I don't know if you can read the price or not, but I nabbed this lovely up for $2.50. Another great find was this Belle of the Ball tray. I didn't purchase it but held it & admired it for a lengthy time. I had to snap a photo for prosperity.

If you love quilts, Branson is the place to go. You will find vintage and antique quilts by the droves. Some are in excellent condition, some are gently worn and others are sold for crafts. Regardless of the condition, you can see the love and tenderness taken in each stitch. Here are photos of a few that were hanging outside just one booth. The prices range from $30 to $80.

One thing is for sure when shopping in Branson; you'll see the finest and the quirkiest! Here are a couple photos of booths. Digging is half the fun because the sellers pack the booth tight! I have a couple of favorite booths that I totally dismantle to hunt for goodies. (Yeah, I put stuff back...with a little displaying & merchandising to boot!)

Aren't these dishes yummy? This is in one of only a couple retro booth's at Mrs. C's.

I did purchase these three pottery finds. I brought the little pink one to RB&C but had to keep the others for my personal collection.

I bought a wonderful pink plastic case full of buttons, a vinyl snap front case in the most wonderful teal, a couple of vintage framed pictures, an antique oval frame with Miss About Town's photograph, a magazine rack, a blanket, a table cloth and some other goodies and paid $28. What a haul! I had a wonderful time. The best part of the whole trip was meeting my mom for lunch. She lives in Arkansas about an hour and a half from Branson. So, after a great lunch, some snuggling, then flea marketing; Sue and I headed for Star Buck's and hit Hwy 65 for the 40 minute drive home....oh, wait, we stopped in Ozark for more flea marketing! I'll blog about some of my other finds soon!

Felt Valentine Pin

This little Valentine pin is just right for your blouse, as a package trim or to pin on a pillow. It measures approximately 2.5" x 3.5". Below are my supplies and instructions. A friend told me one time that my perfectionism gets in the way of my creativity. I remembered that when making this little guy; you'll notice the quirks & character in the uneven stitches and placement. She was right, what only took about 30 minutes to make could have taken me hours if I had been concerned with it being perfect. The end result is still cute!

Supplies:
felt scraps

embroidery thread

scissors (fabric, paper, nippers)

needle

straight pins (just a couple will do)

small safety pin

template board (I use cereal boxes for templates)
pen (I used a Sharpie)

chalk or marking for felt

Draw your pattern on the back of the cereal box. I used a fat Sharpie so I could see it well. I highlighted the pieces in pink so you could see them better. I didn't know there would be a game on the inside!

Assemble your pattern and supplies. Trace the pattern onto your felt using a soft writing tool or chalk. Cut out your pieces. Now, you are ready to begin!

I blanket-stitched around one heart (front). You can use any stitch you like. I sewed little dots in fun colors on the front. You could also sew beads, sequence, or dingle balls on. Set this piece aside for a bit.

Grab the other heart and sew the little safety pin on it.

Sew a border around the scalloped edged heart. I just did a straight stitch. Take the back piece that you put the safety pin on and sew it to the back of the scalloped edged heart. I used a black thread so it would show nicely on the front side.

I simply sewed the front heart right down the middle so it would have some dimension. And there you go! A felt Valentine pin.

Behind C-Street

In 1870, Springfield was excited about the arrival of the railroad from St. Louis. Springfield would finally be connected to the rest of the country. The railroad depot became the centerpiece of activity on the new Commercial Street. C-Street became a street vibrant with the railroad.

Today, if you step out back any business on the north side of C-Street you will automatically be on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe property. The property line ends at our back doors. This photo is the back door of RB&C. Most back doors are docks from the old days when the train would unload meat, horse care items, feed, furniture, tobacco and sundries.

In the early 1980's, I worked for Mr. Rosen and his son, Mark at Busy Bee Department Store. We used the dock and dock elevator for all deliveries, (the elevator had a hand pulley). We would hoist cases and cases of Levi's 501 jeans up to the 3rd foor for processing and tagging. Busy Bee (established in 1971) was known as the farmer's store because of the Levi's and Dungeree's farmer's wore.

There are at least eight active tracks just outside my back door. The trains work off an electric system and can start and stop without an engine. Many times you will hear the trains hook up with a loud crash. I have become accustom to the sound but am reminded how alarming it is when a customer asks, "What was THAT?"

Today, there is a train of boulders only feet from my back door. It's quite amazing site! Trains are much bigger than I thought they were.

This is the tail end of the boulder train. The back yard of C-Street is just as interesting with as much character as the front. By law, there is no trespassing to the train yard but to business owners the Railroad has been kind enough to let us park our vehicles in the gravel. I wanted to share what others may never have the chance to see. If you are ever in the area, you can walk across the the tracks via the historic Jefferson Avenue Footbridge. A glorious site lit up at night!

Hidden Treasures - Little Surprises!

Throughout my home, I have little treasures and surprises hidden here & there. This photo is of a bird house my dad and I made together (actually, he did nearly every part of of the bird house and I tailgated). The rest of the stack is a pile of vintage jewelry boxes. Inside are lots of wonderful buttons laying on a bed of amber velvet.

This little tin medicine cabinet hangs in my powder room. When you turn the right side wooden knob a little mechanical slide allows the doors to open. Inside is delightful.

In this photo you can see my chunky little pitcher, a collapsible tin cup, little Miss Beauty and a wonderful pink box.

The second shelf has just as many goodies. I love this kitten, it reminds me of the same molded plaster kitten my sister, Shelly painted grey when we were kids. She had a grey cat named Mitten. Aren't these little baskets wonderful? And, just as you suspected, there is a treasure inside the little present box. When you come and visit my home, feel free to look inside!
I hope this has inspired you to tuck treasures & surprises around your home!