Aunt Nessee's Attic is OPEN ! Happy Hump Day !

Hope you will check out the hand made crafts for sale on my Facebook page at Aunt Nessee's Attic. More items will be posted very soon and I am hoping to start an Etsy site as well. If you see something you like, but it is not in the color of your choice....please contact me. I will be happy to make custom items to order. We accept Pay Pal.

Slán
  Siobhán (Joan) 

Hey Everyone ....Happy to be back!  Has been awhile since I last posted and not sure why life, took over for a bit. Been sewing a lot lately and trying, like everyone else to stay cool during the summer heat. Has been a scorcher here in East Tennessee, but enjoying the last few days, of cool mornings.

I have been making some changes in my personal goals, now that I have more time to spare, in retirement. Two that mesh together nicely are getting healthier with diet and exercise. Started ditching the processed foods from my kitchen, trying to convert my eating habits to the Mediterranean diet. Also with the help and motivation provided by my son, and  introduction to the fit-bit, I have gone from less than 2000 steps per day, to walking at least 22 miles per week. To keep myself motivated, I have challenged myself to support the Military Veterans Project (on FB), in their challenge to defeat suicides, among military veterans and those serving. If you are interested check them out on Facebook at   https://www.facebook.com/MilitaryVeteranProject/?fref=ts .
So results to date = 17 pounds lost & 497,861 steps and counting. If interested you can follow my FB page 22 miles for 22 weeks at https://www.facebook.com/OverOneMillionSteps/.
So I guess this clarifies what has kept me busy. Working on turning my crafting / sewing passion into a business as well.
 So check out the new listings on FB at https://www.facebook.com/AuntNesseesAttic. There are Etsy plans, in the works as well. Love to hear from you with any advice or comments. 

Successful Day !

Not any warmer this afternoon © RJA

Update from this mornings post. Had a lovely day crafting & baking.
1. Homemade Butter made
2. Artisan Bread (to rise over night and bake tomorrow in the cast iron dutch oven
3. Loaves of what my husband calls "Toaster Bread"
4. Packaged and labelled items for Farmer's Market in May
5. Worked on cross stitch finger towel

"Whew" now time for a coffee. Lovinggggg retirement, time to do the things I haven't had time to enjoy in the past. Only one downside so far ......not seeing as much of my grown children and their wives, as I would like.They live 5 hours away and are very busy with their lives, careers, college and working hard. Love U All if you see this ! Not used to the empty nest yet.

BUTTER MAKING
So easy, don't know why I have never done this before. Basically whip - whipping cream till buttermilk separates, then wash to get a buttermilk out.....DONE. I found a great video that goes thru the process if you want to make your own. Check it out   www.alittleinsanity.com  then search for butter making or

https://youtu.be/jmin9PBXP_g

Erica does a great job with her demonstration. Thanks Erica will never buy butter again. Here are the stills from my kitchen.

Ready to make Butter © RJA

Ready to start       Pint of whipping cream, Kitchen Aid Mixer, Ice cold water to wash butter.

Whipping Cream © RJA

Buttermilk has separated and was pored off © RJA

IT'S BUTTER © RJA

Wrapped butter in plastic wrap to form it for mold © RJA

Butter out of mold © RJA

The butter in the mold seems to still need some kinks worked out, but for a first attempt, I am very happy with the end product. Have had this butter mold for years sitting in my china cabinet. My new collectible passion has been fed. Searching antique malls soon !

Hand Knit cloth's packaged and ready for Market. © RJA

Lilac Cross Stitch finger towel in progress © RJA

Got a little crafting done as well, in between letting bread rise and putting in oven. Check back tomorrow for "Bread Show and tell". Have a great evening.

Farmer's Market Time

Spring in East TN © RJA

Beautiful and sunny, but cold morning in East Tennessee....still talking frost in the weather forecast, but thoughts are on Spring planting and Farmer's Markets.(Sorry about the selfie.) LOL Life happens.

Have dabbled with a craft business, for a number of years, but have never really got serious about it, so "2016" is the year. Other things that have been on my calendar and taking up a lot of my time have been put to "bed" so to speak so:

"AUNT NESSEE'S ATTIC:

will be

  "OPEN FOR BUSINESS" 

  officially May 19, 2016 at the

    Marble Spring's Farmer Market

3-6 PM

I know you may not all be in East Tennessee, but if you visit the Smoky Mountains this summer take a side trip to Marble Springs State Historic Site, and learn about the first Governor of Tennessee, John Sevier. http://www.marblesprings.net/ If it happens to be a Thursday, come in the afternoon and pick up some fresh produce, handmade crafts or a vintage treasure for a friend. While in Knox County, a short drive will take you to the Ramsey House, where another famous Tennessean and his family lived from 1779-1820, Colonel Francis Ramsey.http://www.ramseyhouse.org/ If you like outdoor activities we have those as well. http://www.outdoorknoxville.com  One of my favorite haunts, to nature watch or find unusual activities, to fill an afternoon is ijams.org  
Lot's of beautiful State Parks to visit or camp as well. Today is bread baking day so I need to get to work. Hope you will let me know if these trip ideas were helpful !

Junk or Treasure?

As some of you may know I am a Mary Jane FarmGirl.! What does that mean? Well for each of us it is different. It is a state of mind and a belief in things, close to our hearts, that makes me......ME and you....YOU. Does that make sense? Maybe not, but for me it is a group, that shares interests in a vast list of activities. Some of us live in Metropolitan Cities, others live in rural communities, some at the beach and others on working farms. The title FarmGirl is that "State of Mind" I mentioned. We have online groups to exchange, ideas and interests of all kinds. If you want to learn a new skill, craft, or just meet some new friends.....check it out. Here is a link maryjanesfarm.org

So on to the reason for the above post. As a FarmGirl member we have the opportunity to learn new skills, or explore new interests, with suggestions on a way to approach the challenge.  "Merit Badges" ...All those old memories of earning badges as a "Brownie" in Canada. That idea appealed to me.
I have a love of vintage collectibles, live in an old farm house in semi rural TN. I want to learn some new skills, make healthy food for my family, and remove processed foods from my pantry.

When organizing my kitchen on moving to my farmhouse I wanted a storage system that was in keeping with the farmhouse era, and was bug proof. In our old house we did have problems with ants, and other insects. So "Canning Jars" are my solution. Add that to Collecting and there we are, my new passion / hobby.

 "Collecting Ball Mason Jars"

In the past I bought jars at the thrift store for storage, towards this end. Any jar in good shape was fine. Then I got a box, at an auction, of Aqua blue jars with old rubber seals and aluminum screw on lids. Looking at the embossed Logo's on the jars I realized they were not all the same. Off to the Internet I went, and now a new obsession has been born. The more I researched the topic, the more I realized I had to learn. The "Ball Mason Jar Company", has also released in the past year many commemorative canning jar colors, from the past. With the Craft Craze to make all kinds of projects from Mason Jars, I am looking forward to searching garage sales (now Spring is here), Antique malls and Thrift stores for new additions to my collection. I used to see bottles of all kinds for sale at auctions. Coke bottles, milk bottles, medicine bottles etc, and think why would anyone collect old bottles? Now I am hooked and beginning to understand! Don't forget.

One Woman's Junk is Another Woman's Treasure !

Baking area of my Farmhouse Kitchen © RJA

Start of my "Collection"  from 1923-1933 Logo  © RJA

© RJA

1910- 1923 Logo © RJA

Work in progress, but coming together. © RJA

 

 

 

If you have been bitten by the "Fruit Jar Collecting Bug" or have other comments. 

Please leave a note ...would love to hear from you!

Spring Blessings !

Well here we are with Spring weather (70 degrees), birds twittering, and bulbs blooming ! Glad to say good by to those cold February days. Hope the weather is easing into Spring where you live, but if not here is a taste of what's to come. ENJOY !

A Touch of Spring © RJA

Anyone know what kind of tree this is ?  © RJA

Took a road trip yesterday to Cumberland Gap State Park in Kentucky. Beautiful drive...would be a fantastic drive in the fall. Trees aren't budding out yet, but won't be long. After a very windy drive to the top of Cumberland Mountain, we reached Pinnacle Outlook (about 2400 ft) and views of 3 states....Kentucky, Tennessee & Virginia. Well worth the trip !

Pinnacle Outlook KT © RJA

Looking towards TN © RJA

Looking towards VA © RJA

Fern Lake KT © RJA

Knitting History & Project Update !

Well today I am going to take on the challenge of figuring out how to knit a thumb gusset in my finger-less gloves. Knitting these on double pointed needles in the round is a new challenge to my knitting skills. My Mom was a great knitter and made all my Dad's socks, so that is my next challenge to knit a pair of socks, for myself. Thought I would share this link I found today on Merriam Webster, when I went to check out the word for the day. History of knitting words. I found some interesting facts--Do you know the origin of the word Cardigan? If not check it out.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/10-knitting-words/knit

Time to do the Gusset © RJA

Happy Knitting !

Seonag