Saucha

Full of Thanksgiving

2008-11-25T05:02:00.000-08:00

I am so thankful for this sweet little face.

I am so thankful that we are able to send him to such a wonderful preschool.

I am so thankful for all the little friends he has.

I am so thankful for all the wonderful things in my life.

I am so blessed and lucky to have all that I have and I want to work harder each and every day to remember how blessed I am.

A Walk Through My Olivia's Room

2008-11-18T10:57:00.000-08:00

We've lived in our house for 15 months. We've done a few decorating projects here and there. But our first true room redo was on our little Olivia's room.

The youngest of three and the only girl. I had, had to make her room girly. What could be more girl than {Tiffany Box Blue}?!

I brought my box to Lowe's and they were able to match it perfectly! I love her room. Oh to be a young girl again.

Her room is filled with many handmade projects and lots of things she loves.

I love that in Olivia's room even a play cell phone has a place to rest it's head.

Here on a shelf high above is a print done by Elaine Biss. Also, a Tiffany catalog waiting for it's frame.

I love this little corner of her room where she can sit and admire or read books or whatever a little three year old would do on a happily decorated adirondack chair.

Maybe my favorite project of all time are these canvases decorated with fabric and personalized with Miss Olivia's name. Thank Sandi Henderson for the perfect fabric!

A little girl's room wouldn't be complete without a hand painted, personalized headboard. Great bargain headboard from Goodwill for $1.50. Can't we all use a bargain like that this time of year?!

This little girl is also lucky enough to have a talented Boonie {altered Polish for Grandmother} who handmade Olivia a doll for her birthday and even embroidered a special message.

Speaking of embroidery. The Easter Bunny a few years back was busy making personalized tooth fairy pillows for her children. I loved how this one looked until a certain little girl slept with it one night and drooled all over it. Continuing on, I threw together this vintage paper doll collage that reminds me of good times as a little one.

You can't really get the idea from this picture but there is fishing line strung across her room on which colorful butterflies make their way around her room. The shadow's at night when we only have the one little light on are amazing to fall asleep to.

So that's the tour of My Olivia's Room. How about you? What kind of fun things have you done to make your children's a special place for them to make dreams?

More of The Little Black Boxes-Part 3

2008-11-10T06:11:00.000-08:00

See! I'm telling you. There is no shortage of goodies in this bag you get. Still more. Here we go. . . .

Capella's Garden Soap Co. included a Plumeria Bath Bomb Sample. Smells very fresh and I will be using this this week as the kids are off school for THREE days. Count them with me 1, 2, 3!! Another coupon code on the back as well for free shipping.

On to sugar. I may pop this in my mouth as I tubby with my bath bomb. Sweet Lolly Shop included a sampling of one of their Barley Pops. This was in the shape of a Vampire {remember I got the October box}. The Lolly Shop deals in {Delicious Homemade Lollipops & Unique Soaps for All Occasions Birthdays, Weddings, Baby Showers, Stocking Fillers & More}

I love a good key fob. I love them because they are all so pretty. If I were childless and had more time to think of my accessories before I walked out the door I may just have a key fob to match each outfit. Deanne Designs included a beauty. Nice heavy black with an assortment of green stitching. Too cute!

Worn Dress Designs incuded a very whimsical, fun necklace. Also included was a coupon code for a future purchase. The card included in the giveaway described Worn Dress Designs as {unique, mostly one of a kind creations. Specializing in hand drawn jewelry, blank books, and soap. Worn Dress is a one stop shop for all of your needs.} I love that! Who doesn't love ONE STOP.

This is the time of year to start thinking about card giving. Deb's Designs sent along a nice sample of a seasonal card they have to offer. Included was a coupon code for free cards. FREE. {with purchase of course} We all need a little free in our lives these days.

Foxy Monster {Baubles for Babes with Brains} I don't know where to start. So much time and thought and art went into the package from Foxy Monster. There was a pin and quite a few cards included in their package. The cards were postcards, coupon cards, business cards. An assortment. My suggestion is, go check out Foxy Monster and all they have to offer. You won't be disappointed.

Last for today, and in no way to equal least, is Christi Miller who is a mixed media artist and zine publisher. Again you must go and check out her stuff. It's so difficult to put into words and descibe all that was in the package she included. A cute little book entitled "An Art Medley" {A mini sampler of art zines available at material.etsy.com} Really, go look!

The Little Black Boxes Review-Part Deux

2008-11-05T06:36:00.000-08:00

I'm loving pulling all of these great products out of my little black bag and trying lip gloss, sniffing tea, enjoying pretty pictures. I so recommend you head over to Kimberlee Keane's site and order yourself a November Little Black Box.

First Up!

Sara's Soaps 'n Such included a cute little Lip Bliss Peppermint Twist lip balm in the box this month. My lips are tingling from the peppermint feel. A 10% off your next purchase was even included on the back of the business card.

Liz from Lizzy J Designs {The fashionista of correspondence}{providing fashionistas with Invitations, Social Stationary, Paper Arts, and Gifts} included a simple but beautiful handmade card. You can read her blog here or visit her shop here.

So many goodies in the little purple package from CP Soap. There was a sample bottle of Sweet Pumpkin Clarifying Shampoo, Protein Enriched Conditioner, and So Broke Body Butter. Yummy! Also two small vials of perfume in Tiger and Orange Blossom.

Can you tell I'm loving this?!

I love my books. I keep books that I read and I love bookmarks because they remind me of the books that they have kept my place in. Katherine Quinn of Sleep and her Sisters included two very unique pieces of art. One on a magnet and the other a magnetic book mark. I will cherish that! Go check out her site for more examples of her originals, prints, stationary, and magnets.

Last for today {but certainly not least} are the teas from Blue Raven Tea. Yellow Plum Oolong and Maiden's Mead were the two samples I received. I have yet to drink them but I will tell you they smell amazing. Also included was a coupon for something free! Oooh! I love free!

Etsy Mom Giveaway

2008-11-04T16:39:00.000-08:00

EtsyMom

The Etsymom Street Team is prepping for the holidays by taking the time-honored tradition of gift-giving to another level! Riding the wave of unity, harmony and excitement inspired by the Etsymom Trunk Show in September, our team tossed around a few ideas about our next team event. A little idea of having a giveaway, where Moms would donate an item to be given away each day of November on our blog has morphed into a SUPER GIVEAWAY!! When the call for volunteers went out we had an overwhelming response of over 60 shops willing to donate a $10.00 in value item to this cause. Two winners will be randomly chosen everyday to receive one of over 50 prizes.. Donations will range from an assortment of hand embroidery, vintage finds, hair clippies, baby accessories, paper crafts, earthenware pottery and more. Perfect for gift-giving! There is a little bit of everything, so whether you like trendy, shabby chic, traditional or retro styles, you're sure to find something! Don't miss this ONLINE EXTRAVAGANZA. Visit us here beginning November 1st for giveaway rules and deadlines!

The Little Black Boxes-Part 1

2008-11-04T07:47:00.000-08:00

There were so many great products in the box I got from Kimberlee Keane of The Little Black Boxes that I have to break these blog posts down into parts. All week I will be describing the products and linking to all the great shops and sites.

Look at how full the bag was!

With no further ado*****

Beadbrat Originals included a beautiful pair of stud earrings. The earstuds are Silver filled wire and Czech glass. The earrings were attached to the business card. On the back of the business card was a coupon code for 15% off! All of this was wrapped up in a cute little bag with some orange fill. Very much to the season.

Dreamer's Web {Custom Novelty Soaps & Handmade Party Favors} included a Cucumber Melon Glycerin Soap. The smell is so fresh! A 10% off coupon code was included on the back of the business card.

I am in love with the cute little black and white polka dot zippered pouch that was included from Abba Dabba Bags. Monica Taylor also makes Diaper Bags, Wristlets, Handbags, and Totes.

Love, Laurie makes unique rippers, threaders, pincushions/statuettes and more, both beautiful and useful! A cute little threader that looks like a petit four was included. Looks good enough to eat.

Kiwi Punch Designs packaged up a cute little thank you card that has a beautiful hand sewn look. I will definitely be sending this to a close friend.

2008-11-03T10:01:00.000-08:00

Aren't these some of the cutest trick or treaters you ever saw?!

I seriously only have four pictures from this past Halloween. Between three parties and trick or treating you'd think I'd have more!

It was such a challenge to get everyone dressed and ready and looking perfect every time. By the time I was able to pull out the camera I was exhausted. And that was if I remembered the camera.

Seriously, some moms need mommy helpers. I need an on staff photographer.

On another note, getting the mail on Saturday was exciting! I got my package from Kimberlee Keane at The Little Black Boxes!

I'm going to spend this week going through each and every piece that I got. I'm so excited. The bag was filled with so many great things. I'm going to try and link to everyone. This may help you with your "Handmade Holiday".

Come check it out this week here!

Closing up Shop {SALE}

2008-10-28T11:55:00.001-07:00

Saucha Shop

I'm closing my doors on Etsy. Please go check out my shop and take advantage of the great sale prices.

The Secret is in the Sauce Bissell Giveaway

2008-10-26T10:25:00.000-07:00

Go to The Secret is in the Sauce. Go now! You could win a new Bissell Healthy Home Vacuum!

Handmade Holiday

2008-10-23T05:56:00.000-07:00

I have a huge desire this year to have a Handmade Holiday. I love to buy handmade gifts, make handmade gifts, give handmade gifts and get handmade gifts.

I am not the only one.

The Nester is supporting this movement as well. If you're looking for a great list of shops that sell handmade goods, go there.

In the meantime let me tell you about my great {stuff}.

I love to make accessories because I love to wear accessories. I have beaded jewelry, hand stamped silver jewelry, hair accessories and accessories for your home. Everything is handmade by me with love and attention to detail. If you don't see what your looking for, contact me. Chances are I can make it. I love to chat about handmade goods. All your items will come specially packaged and ready for gift giving.

Please join me in making this Holiday season a Handmade Holiday!

Handmade Glitter Skeleton Head

2008-10-23T05:11:00.000-07:00

I ended up finding a plain old skeleton head at WalMart. $4.00 The glitter I got was just a plain craft glitter. The pieces were larger than the glitter from the Martha Stewart line. The difference in price was $5.50. So I went with the less expensive glitter to try to keep the cost down. You could still go with the Martha Stewart glitter and still be under the Pottery Barn price.

In total the project was simple.

Brush some white craft glue on the skeleton head. Make sure you get in all the little crevices. Put the glue covered head in a cardboard box. Begin to sprinkle on the glitter. Shake off the excess. Look for any bald spots and keep reapplying until you have your head covered to your likeness.

Super easy project with a great outcome!

Pumpkin Pictures

2008-10-22T16:33:00.001-07:00

I love fall pictures.

There is something about the bright blue sky and bright orange pumpkins that just makes me smile.

Of course the kiddos in the pictures could have something to do with it also.

Apple Picking

2008-10-22T16:06:00.000-07:00

I highly recommend an apple picking adventure as a great Fall family activity. I have Paulus' Family Orchard to thank!

I have never been apple picking until a few weekends ago. I know! Can you believe it? I've been strawberry picking and to a pumpkin patch as a kid but never apple picking.

We had such a blast!

I live for moments with the kids where I don't have to hear myself saying {Don't do that} or {Why did you do that}. That's why I love the beach with the kids. There aren't really any rules except {Have fun!} Now I can add apple picking to our list.

We chose to pick a half bushel of apples. We paid first and the man handed us a bag.

Our apple orchard had an extra section {of course you pay extra for it} with a corn maze and some great activities. There was a loose corn box {similar to a sand box} a play house and this amazing slide. Both my husband and I want to build this in our yard. I think young and old alike would get a thrill from going to down this slide!

We had three varieties of apples to choose from. We chose to pick all three. As we picked, the kids ate {we did too}. I have never tasted a better apple in my life! And the size of these apples. They were almost as big as grapefruits.

So we are eating apples and baking apples and making sauce and just having a {Gala} old time here in PA for apple picking season.

How about you? Do you have PYO {Pick your own} apple orchards in your area? Share some of your experiences.

Your Makeup Match

2008-10-22T08:51:00.000-07:00

I think this is such an awesome idea I thought I would share it with you. You can go to Instyle and find your perfect celebrity makeup match.

I was a little disappointed to find out they didn't have a celebrity to match me. You choose your skin color, hair color, and eye color. I have medium skin, dark hair, and light eyes. I guess I'm just a freak of nature because there's no celebrity out there that looks like me. LOL The only one I can think of is Courtney Cox but she wasn't listed. The closest celebrity they gave me was Lucy Liu but she has dark eyes.

Let me know if you have better luck.

Halloween Pottery Barn Style

2008-10-20T13:51:00.000-07:00

I always check in on Pottery Barn to see how they dress up the different Holidays. As I flip through the catalog I always think "I bet I could make that myself." I will also bet I could do it for a lot less money.

Take, for example, this glitter skull.

I'm going to check out my local dollar stores and see if I can come up with a skull. I have to think one of them will have one {if they're not already sold out}. How easy would it be to brush on some glue, sprinkle on some glitter, and voila, sparkle skull!

And these votives?

I'm not sure I've seen black votives? I never really looked for any either. I'm guessing I could pick them up at Pier 1 especially this time of year. Again, easy enough to check out the local Michael's for a skull and cross bones stamper or stencil. Sprinkle glitter and fancy votive you now have. All dressed up and ready to haunt.

The question is: can I do both projects for under $38 plus shipping. I'll be shopping around this week to see if it's possible and keep you posted.

Kindergarten Rocks!

2008-10-16T13:08:00.000-07:00

My six year old son just began Kindergarten this past September. Now I know it's not the beginning of the school year but around our house Kindergarten is a big deal. He's the oldest and his brother will be in Kindergarten next year and then his sister the year after that. Kindergarten is the main topic of conversation around here.

To celebrate Kindergarten and all the great things it is providing for my son, I thought I'd look for a few of my favorite Kindergarten finds.

I love, love this Kindergarten Rocks t-shirt from Fun2Wear2. I know my son would love it and I'm wondering if it wouldn't be a nice teachers gift for a younger, fun Kindergarten t-shirt?

So if the t-shirt isn't a great idea for your Kindergarten teacher, how about this clipboard from Slimdgm. I think that's going to be top on my list.

Every Kindergartener adores a good PB&J. I don't know, these are just so fun! Nice work CherryDot!

Now this isn't really a great pattern for a boy's memory book but I know my son would love one of these. He loves saving EVERYTHING from school and loves talking about "remember whens" already. This is from ChicMemories on Etsy

What an ingenious idea! I think this is the cutest gift idea from Aquabeet.

Creating SITStas!

2008-10-14T03:58:00.000-07:00

Today is The Secret is in the Sauce Blogathon! Yaaaay! I'm new there but I'm enjoying myself. I encourage everyone to go and check it out.

I totally love
Todays Creative Blog
Cristin
Tip Junkie
Skip to my Lou
Ronnica

So go and check out my favorites. Make some new SITStas!

Crockpot Applesauce

2008-10-09T04:59:00.000-07:00

I did it! I made the Crockpot Applesauce yesterday. I first read about it at OldRedBarnCo and it sounded so good. I knew it would be a big hit. So what does anyone do when they want to find more out about something? That's right! They Google it! There are a ton of recipes out there so I kind of took a few and combined them to come up with my own rendition.

10 Large Apples Peeled, Cored, and Cut
1/2 Cup water
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar depending on how sweet you like it and the type of apples you use.
Squeese of lemon

Put it all in a crockpot. Give it a stir. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

The kids absolutely adored it! Seriously 10 apples didn't even fill one jar after the kids were done with their afternoon snack!

Do you have any great ideas for things you like to throw into the crockpot?

20 Things to Treasure in Autumn

2008-10-06T12:26:00.000-07:00

I so love this season but most of the time I hate to admit. I'm always so sad to see summer go. I love summer, it's my favorite. But there are so many great things about fall. If it weren't for looming winter fall might be my favorite but shh, don't tell anyone!

1.Warm sunny days with cool nights
2.All the earth tones
3.Smell of pumpkin candles
4.Leaves changing color
5.Johnny Appleseed Day
6.The 5 Little Pumpkin Song
7.Apples, apples, and more apples
8.Pumpkins of any color-love the almost green
9.Warm Apple Cider with a cinnamon stick
10.Crockpot Applesauce
11.Hikes with the family
12.Football
13.Warm pumpkin pancakes
14.Thanksgiving
15.Playing outside after dark in sweatshirts
16.Halloween night
17.Making costumes
18.Hot cocoa
19.Corn Stalks
20.Candy Corn

What about you? What are some of your favorites?

5 Favorite Halloween Finds

2008-09-30T11:34:00.000-07:00

This soap looks so good I could just eat it up! I can imagine taking a shower and cleaning off with a big bar of this. Mmmm. . . . You can buy one for yourself at BubblesUpbyBethieB on etsy

I think my little 3 year old would love Yoga class if I could get her one of these cute Yoga outfits for the fall season. Adorable! Get one for your little one at LemonsandLollis on Etsy

I don't usually get dressed up to take the kids out Trick or Treating but it's always nice to get a little festive. This will do the trick! Hunt one out for yourself at HomeStudio on etsy

Last week I heard a tip about buying a Halloween Scrapbook and putting your Halloween pictures of the kids in it every year. That way you have all your costumes from year to year in one (or two) spots. I loved the idea. I'm going to start with this scrapbook from Tudor Designs on etsy

I know my little girl is an angel most of the time but sometimes it is appropriate for her to be wearing horns. Check these out at ViolentBelle on etsy

Halloween Special

2008-09-25T11:44:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't your little one love to have a special Boo bracelet to wear for the month of October?

I'm running a special!

Free Shipping on the Boo Bracelet in my ETSY shop

Goop

2008-09-25T05:52:00.000-07:00

Gweneth Paltrow is launching a new site.

Goop Nourish the Inner Aspect

There isn't much to see on the site now but you can sign up for her newsletter.

She says in the intro that she is working on some recipes and those will be included in the newsletter. Also, "travel notes, fashion buys, and a few other surprises."

I'm interested to see how this website plays out. She seems to be getting some slack for launching the site before there was any content.

Giveaway over at Little Window Shoppe

2008-09-24T04:49:00.000-07:00

Now run! Don't walk! over to Little Window Shoppe!

Emily is offering an awesome giveaway that you won't want to miss. I would so love these makeup brushes.

Martha, Martha, Martha!

2008-09-22T12:01:00.001-07:00

I realized that I never told you what we got as gifts for being in the audience.

Maria Alexandra Vettese and Stephanie Congdon Barnes brought along a copy of their book A Year of Mornings 3191 Miles Apart It's an amazing book of photography. Two friends living across the country from one another take pictures and post them to a common blog for a year. The book is a compilation of those photos. It's amazing to see how the photos were related when the two had never discussed what they would be photographing that day.

Also we received the calendar from Meg from Cute Overload. All things cute and cuddly.

Last but definitely not least we got an HP All in One Wireless Printer. How cool!

After the Martha Stewart Show we were so hungry! Remember I could not eat anything earlier due to excitement.

We ate the Blue Water Grill. How fabulous! The service was great. The food was yummy. The atmosphere was perfect. The restaurant is an old converted bank and we sat up on the balcony. We had a great view of the street and the rest of the restaurant.

We were a little early for our lunch reservation and so we had strolled through the Union Square Market. This is an amazing space stuck right in the middle of the city. It was breathtaking to see flats of wheat grass and fresh chickens, barrels of beautiful flowers and fresh goat cheeses. The market was filled with people strolling and buying. There were people sitting on park benches and laying in the grass enjoying the sunny end of summer day. I so wish that I was within walking distance to a market like this.

I really do know how fortunate I was to take such a wonderful trip. It is something I will remember for the rest of my life. I'm already wishing I could go back to NYC. I have such a fantastic husband who was more than willing to take a day off of his busy schedule to hang out with the kids and get them where they needed to be. I had a super friend who didn't hesitate for a minute to accompany me on this trip. I'm so thankful to both of you for making this happen!

The Martha Experience

2008-09-19T06:47:00.000-07:00

I have to say that this was one of the most exciting things that has ever happened to me. From the moment that I found out I had tickets until, well, it's still exciting! My head is just reeling from thinking of it all and trying to soak up every bit of it and place it into my memory so as never to forget it.

We took the train from Harrisburg to NYC. It was a 3.5 hour train ride but so much fun to sit, look at magazines, chat with friends, and just relax. Just relax. Yeah right! My stomach had butterflies the whole time but I wasn't going to complain. They were good butterflies. Butterflies I would love to have everyday.

When we got to the city we checked into the hotel and took a few minutes to freshen up. We headed out to a place that seems to really represent what the city is. Cafeteria is a 24 hour restaurant that is trendy and stylish.

I had Cobb Salad and of course a Cosmo. Both of which were great! We even got to see Miss Jay from America's Next Top Model walk in. You can see the people walk by on the street from where we were sitting. Just as we were wondering what famous person we would see next Robert Verdi walked by.

My best, best friend from high school met us there. She is a fashion designer in NYC and knows all the best spots. She ended up driving us to the Empire State Building at 12:30 at night. It was awesome. No lines! I didn't go up. I'm too much of a chicken when heights are concerned.

We turned in then because we knew it would be an early morning for us. We had to be in line at Martha by 8:30.

We ended up being in line at 7:30 because we wanted to make sure we would get a spot. Turns out we weren't the only ones to have this idea. We were probably one of the first 15 people in line.This is what we saw when we got out of the cab.

The Martha employees were very friendly and the process was very systematic. They got us in and we were on our way!

Walking up the stairs to go to our seats was so exciting. When you walk out to get to your seats you are literally down on the floor where Martha airs the show. For a moment I thought I had walked out to the wrong place. Then they direct you up to your seats.

Martha looked beautiful. She is so thin and tall! She seemed very focused. I almost thought I was going to cry when she walked out. They have you all rise out of your seats and really give her a warm welcome. The audience was really pumped up to see her.

The guests were all great.

Perez Hilton offered some tips to people who are just starting out blogging.

Matt Armendariz made Alfajores. They looked so yummy. I wish they would have shared with the audience. I was so nervous that morning I couldn't eat a thing before the show! You can check out his recipe on his site.

Deb from Smitten Kitchen talked about her most popular recipe, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake. You can also find that on her site.

I wish they would have done more with Eddie Ross. His site is so awesome. I love the Before and After section where he take a piece of furniture he picked up at a thrift shop or flea market and turns it into something so beautiful. I love to do that although I think I have a lot to learn from him! He showed how you can take vintage buttons and postcards and turn them into great little items around your house. He's also a contestant on Top Design on Bravo.

Margaret Roach's blog is A Way to Garden. She showed her site and talked about her frog boys. She also talked about some her top visited posts. One of which was a post in which she asked people to comment on their biggest garden "no no's". Colored mulch was mentioned! Hope they weren't talking about the black stuff! That's what we have.

There were other segments to the show but I think this post is long enough. I gave you my favorite parts. Again, such an awesome experience.

Such an experience to see Martha

2008-09-18T04:51:00.000-07:00

Attending the Martha Stewart Show was definitely an experience of a lifetime. I am even more in awe of Martha than I ever was before. I am waiting on pictures to post my full experience.

Tip from Martha

2008-09-11T13:20:00.000-07:00

I've had a clogged drain in my bathroom that's been annoying me. I pulled out all the yucky gunky stuff and tried this trip from Martha. Worked great!

DIY Drain Cleaners
From:
Healthy Home 2008

DIY
Pour 1/2 cup baking soda, followed by 1/2 cup white vinegar, down drain, and cover with a plug or rag. The mixture will work to break down any fats into salt and harmless gas. Flush with boiling water.

Tips
To prevent clogs, make sure your drain has a screen that keeps out solids. In the kitchen, never pour fat down the drain. In the bathroom, brush hair before getting into the shower. And go easy on soaps, shampoos, and especially conditioners and products that contain oils.

Love Today

2008-09-10T04:55:00.000-07:00

Did anyone happen to watch the show on CW last night, Priveleged. Cute, smart, witty girl as the main character.

They started off the show with "Love Today" by Mika. My favorite!

Go check out my shop for more "Love Today" products!

Please help me decide

2008-09-08T07:24:00.000-07:00

What should I wear to the Martha Show!? The ticket says "Dress to Impress".

I have some ideas. Any top I would pair with dressier dark jeans. Let me know which ones you like.

My Martha Stewart Show Promotion

2008-09-07T13:02:00.000-07:00

In celebration of my getting tickets to the Martha Stewart Show I'm offering a half off sale over at my Etsy shop.

Come in and buy a pair of Pony Os and get a second pair at half off until 9/17.

Friday Night Dinner Fried Green Tomatoes Oh and Pizza

2008-09-06T04:50:00.000-07:00

So all in all I think the Fried Green Tomatoes were a success. I loved them! It was the first time I had eaten them so I have nothing to compare mine to.

I only fried up one tomato. I wasn't sure how they would be received. My pickiest eater (well, aside from Hubster) was surprisingly interested in them. He really loved the sauce and ended up cleaning the dip bowl with his pizza.
They were tasty. The right amount of salt with the right amount of crunch. I would add a little more spice to the recipe the next time. I think the recipe called for seafood seasoning. I used Old Bay. Half of a teaspoon. I would use more next time for a little zing.
I think these would be great paired with crab cakes and some corn on the cob. A bounty of summer dinner.
I would make the dipping sauce again too. We love fried zucchini cookies in this house and I think this dipping sauce would go well with those too. I normally serve a horseradish sauce with the zucchini and that might be interesting to try with the FGT.
I would call it a success and keep these in mind for next summer when I have an over abundance of tomatoes both ripe and green.

Fried Green Tomatoes

2008-09-05T11:03:00.001-07:00

Fried Green Tomatoes will be part of dinner tonight. I'm following a recipe from . . . .who else? Martha of course!

Fried Green Tomatoes

Prep: 20 minutesTotal: 20 minutes

Ingredients
Serves 4
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons seafood seasoning
2 medium green tomatoes (both ends sliced off), each cut crosswise into 4 slices
1/2 cup vegetable oil, such as safflower
Directions
In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, lemon juice, and hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper, and set sauce aside.
Place flour, eggs, and cornmeal each in a separate bowl, and season each with 1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning.
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. Working with a few slices at a time, dip tomatoes in flour, then eggs, and finally cornmeal.
In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium. Working in two batches, fry tomatoes until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side; transfer to baking sheet, and sprinkle with salt. Serve immediately with sauce.

Martha and the Beef Brisket

2008-09-05T10:34:00.000-07:00

In honor of heading out to the Martha Stewart Show in 15 days I'm going to be trying to do everything "Martha" style and blogging about it. I'm going to start off with making a Beef Brisket this weekend and following one of Martha's recipes. Here it is.

Coffee-Glazed Oven Brisket

A coffee-based barbecue sauce makes oven-braised brisket even more moist and flavorful. Serve it with your favorite mashed potatoes.

Prep: 10 minutesTotal: 3 hours 15 minutes
Ingredients
Serves 6
3 pounds beef brisket (thin first-cut)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup freshly brewed black coffee
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup chili sauce
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Season beef brisket with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven over high heat, warm oil. Add brisket, fat side down, and cook until well browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove from heat.
In a small bowl, combine coffee, ketchup, chili sauce, honey, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and soy sauce. Pour over brisket.
Cover; bake, flipping halfway through, until meat shreds easily with a fork, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Remove from oven; slice on the bias against the grain. Transfer remaining sauce from Dutch oven to a gravy boat, and serve with brisket.

Martha is calling all bloggers!

2008-09-05T08:50:00.000-07:00

Are you part of a group that would like to attend "The Martha Stewart Show"? If so, we want to hear from you. Please complete this short survey, which will help us learn more about you and your group. We may even invite your group to attend one of our fun, special-theme shows!
"The Martha Stewart Show" Season 4
MARTHA is now accepting ticket requests for our new season!Calling All Bloggers!Do you blog about your wedding plans, your favorite TV show, your new baby, fashion, celebrities, etc.?Then we have a show just for you! Coming up, an entire audience on "The Martha Stewart Show" will be filledwith bloggers. If you're interested in attending this fun and unique show, request ticketson our ticket-request page. Be sure to tell us what you and your guests blog about -- the more information the better!
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Guess who got tickets? Yours truly! I will be traveling up to the city on the 16th and spend the day on the 17th. Hope I'll be seeing you there!

New Piece!

2008-08-25T13:00:00.000-07:00

A new piece I absolutely "Love"!

Preppy Girl Collection

2008-07-24T07:11:00.000-07:00

I guess I'm a preppy girl at heart. I'm drawn to pink and green. I love argyle and knee skirts and pleated skirts. I don't get much of a chance to wear them anymore. Not really conducive to chasing around three kiddos on the playground. : P

So a few of the things I've created lately are to tap into my Preppy Girl inner self.

Hand Painted Silhouette

2008-07-21T09:16:00.000-07:00

I have just listed these in my etsy shop!

You can also email me at sauchashop@gmail.com to request a custom made silhouette of your loved one.

The Beach

2008-07-21T08:18:00.001-07:00

We're so lucky to have visited Ocean City, Maryland this past weekend! What a wonderful trip. The kids loved the waves and I loved, loved watching them have so much fun. It was nice to get away and just "be" with them and Hubster. Hope you're able to do the same this summer!

Healthy YOU

2008-06-24T13:53:00.000-07:00

I wanted to introduce my new line of jewelry

Healthy YOU

These bracelets are made from gemstones that are said to hold healing powers. They were inspired by my own need to remember there are many ways to solve problems. I find these bracelets uplifting and contemplative. They allow me to be aware of my issues at all times while trying to lift myself of these issues.

Currently I have bracelets for fertility,weight management, patience, depression, self confidence, and energy. I hope to add many more as time goes on.

Go check them out in my shop

http://www.saucha.etsy.com/

Have a great day!

Stars and Stripes Forever

2008-06-12T06:56:00.001-07:00

For everyone out there who gets so excited for Fourth of July (I'm one of them), I have a treat for you!

I have just listed the cutest little "Stars and Stripes" Scrabble Tile Necklace in my etsy shop.

http://www.saucha.etsy.com/

Go check out the shop and get one for yourself or your little one. They're great because they can fit any size from child to adult with the adjustable necklace.

Also, stayed tuned for the new line I'm developing **Healthy You bracelets!

Sex in the City

2008-06-04T05:10:00.001-07:00

I went to see Sex in the City last night with a friend. I thought it was fantastic! There were points in the movie where I either felt I was holding my breath or couldn't catch my breath. I laughed so hard at some points. At times my eyes did tear but I never did actually cry. That's a sign of a great movie; one in which you laugh and cry.

I highly recommend going to see this movie. Even if you never watched the show, it is still a great story!

New Shop Items

2008-05-29T05:05:00.001-07:00

I just listed two new items today in my Etsy shop.

You can check it out at

http://www.saucha.etsy.com/

Time Flies

2008-05-28T10:50:00.001-07:00

Boy how it flies when you are having fun!

I have been a busy girl. I have been a creative girl.

I have done a lot to develop The Saucha Shop lately. I've given my etsy shop a makeover and I've given my blog a makeover.

All while I have been giving myself a makeover. I have been working really hard to get my body back in shape and in turn, my life back in shape.

I wanted to embody more of what I want my Saucha Shop to represent. You can check that all out here

I will be adding a lot more items to my shop in the coming weeks. Now that school is out I'm hoping to be able to get a lot more creative and computer work done.

Going Forward

2007-11-13T06:53:00.001-08:00

I swear, I have started like 5 blogs. I don't know, maybe that's common. You start to speak about a topic and then you find something else you would rather speak about and so you get a whole new screen name. Is that normal? Maybe so.

Anyway, I have been playing around with trying to find a blog title that would embrace my fickleness. Somewhere I can write about my kids, my battle with diet and exercise, my interest in growing a business from home, my perfect husband and how he leaves his dirty socks by the bed EVERY night, our struggles and successes with our finances, my thoughts on where our family is spiritually.

I am thinking I found it. Saucha Girl seems to me to really encompass what I strive for daily. Purity. To just be real. To be clean. To feel content.

I have a couple of ideas of what path I would like my life to travel down. I really would like to make our household run "greener". I want the kids to know the importance of saving the environment we live in. I also want to carry that through to our food; attempting to get our family to eat more whole foods and really find out which foods are beneficial to buy organically. I want to be healthier myself, for myself and my family. I want us to be content spiritually.

So from now forward I will be giving more thought to these topics and others and really trying to blog about them here.

Ebay listings

2007-10-10T12:07:00.000-07:00

Two more listings for today. I made the mistake yesterday of listing them for one day only. Someone in Australia sure got a bargain! My mistake.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110179524596&_trksid=p3907.m32&_trkparms=tab%3DSelling

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110179525090&_trksid=p3907.m32&_trkparms=tab%3DSelling

Ebay Listing

2007-10-09T08:43:00.000-07:00

I have created a listing today with my Harvest time Fabric covered button bracelet.

Check it out here.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=110179033699&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=001

Promotion

2007-10-09T05:09:00.001-07:00

I am still offering the promotion in my etsy store.

www.saucha.etsy.com

Visit and be one of the first ten to place an order and receive four free fabric covered button magnets.

There are still eight sets left!

Ipod Cozy

2007-09-11T11:25:00.000-07:00

A fun project for the weekend. It took me three tries to get it just the way I wanted it. I am happy with how it turned out. I have the prototypes to two of my favorite people and the last one is up in the shop.

Check it out!

www.saucha.etsy.com

New at the shop

2007-08-27T15:19:00.001-07:00

Here are some items that I just posted in my Etsy shop today.

Getting ready for fall!

Soup's on

2007-08-24T05:37:00.000-07:00

We were busy yesterday. With what, I can't really say. The day just seemed to fly by.

We didn't get started until late because the fog would not roll out. The kids were content to hang out and play and build and watch PBS while I posted on Etsy and listed a new piece of jewelry.

Check out my shop at http://www.saucha.etsy.com/

We also made Crab Soup from a loved recipe of Matt's Aunt.

Last week the local grocery store had a sale on crabs. $12 a dozen! We had to get some! They were small but we sat and picked them and ended up with about a pound and a half of meat. That's pretty good considering the pound containers sell for like $40. We paid $24 for a pound and a half. Good deal.

In the soup we used a lot of Old Bay

Don't you love the stuff?~!

Me

2007-08-23T06:04:00.000-07:00

I am just a crazy, 30 something, stay at mom to three little ones. I spend my days playing on the playground, doing science projects, wiping bums and all the other fun things that come with having a 5, 3, and 2 year old. I love it!

When they have gone to bed, I have a desire to make things. That feeling started long ago when I was young and wanted a Cabbage Patch Kid so bad. I decided I needed to make one from my parent's unmatched socks.

Saucha means purity and so much more. Purity, clean, order, health, balance

It is our attempt as humans to feel ourselves as clean and clear.

So in naming myself and my blog Saucha Girl, it is my attempt to create order in my life. To make my life feel as though it is clean and balanced.

I love to make things and have recently found a real love of making jewelry and pairing it with the fabrics that I love.

In order to financially support my love, I have created my Etsy shop. www.saucha.etsy.com

Etsy is a wonderful site where many wonderful artists have gathered from around the world to offer their art for sale to you.