Be Kind, Thrift and Rewind

It has been super cold so is a very casual post about bulky retro winter sweaters. It literally was so cold in my apartment even that it was uncomfortable yesterday. So I decided a sweater post was in order. I hope you have been keeping warm where ever you are. I stayed in and did some upcycling plus made some homemade toothpaste.

I bought some of these new many years ago, in the early eighties. The Basco men’s turtleneck which is a caramel brownish color and the black Michael Simon turtleneck were new when I first bought them. Actually the Michael Simon one was a gift from the designer when I was a saleslady. I have kept it all these years since it is incredibly warm and can also be worn as a short dress with tights. As you can see, it also has such a large turtleneck it can be worn as a cowl and hat when necessary. I don’t know if Michael Simon kept making sweaters. They used to fly off the shelves in the early eighties. The Basco one was on the wall on display at the shop I worked at for a while. One day I tried it on and decided to buy it. I always have to wear a non- wool piece of clothing underneath since my skin is allergic to wool. The red and white snow flake sweater is an old J Crew sweater from the early nineties I believe. I bought that when it was new, and I always liked the cheery bright red on a cold winter day. I tend to keep my really good items like this along time. Plus with global warming they haven’t gotten as much wear, unless we get a seriously cold bout of weather.

The Crystal Kobe black sweater with white snowflakes is one of my favorites since it is super warm and comfy. I wear this a lot when it is super cold. The grey Gap sweater underneath is an old Gap sweater. Both of these I bought at thrift shops. The black one I found up in Crested Butte, Colorado one year. That is a very popular area for skiing, so I inherited someone’s nice donation and have been wearing it for years now. My jeans are Levi’s that I found at a thrift shop.

Tomorrow is supposed to be another cold day, so on my walk to the office I am planning on wearing one of these sweaters to keep warm!!

Vintage Valentines Cards and Button Folklore

February 12, 2015

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During the 1860’s a Victorian fad was born that involved collecting a long string of buttons. A woman would begin her button string with a needle and one large button, referred to as a “touch Button”(1), then the smaller glass and colorful buttons that were added were generally given to her by family members, friends, another woman or a suitor (2). The buttons were supposed to be gifts, not bought and it was said that once the woman acquired 1000 buttons for her string she would be doomed to forever being a “spinster.” The stories about this folklore obviously vary since I have a book, Victoria From Heart and Hand that says that the man who gave the woman her 1,000^th buttons was the man she would marry. I believe that the stories surrounding this vary so drastically most likely due to being passed along and changed according to where one lived, etc….The string of buttons was traditionally left out in an open area of the house, so that when visitors came by one could discuss the buttons origins, and stories related to that particular family member who gave the young lady the button, and to encourage friends and suitors to bring more buttons. Other items such as tiny baskets made from fruit pits could be added to the strings, or small charms and amulets. I have attached a photo of a couple of peach pits my grandfather made for me in case you have never seen a carved fruit pit basket. Mine is the tiny one that is dark from years of me wearing it. The fad of the button string continued until about 1900.

I wonder if this is the origin of the saying “stringing a person along.” I mean if they didn’t bring enough buttons and have the right intentions a lady would end up with only a string, or a string that didn’t add up to a beau with long term intentions. It seems there are very few strings that remain today with a thousand buttons. Generally family members have taken them apart to save some of the buttons.

These Valentine’s images are from Flickr. They lead back to their source if you click on them. Flickr is so much fun to browse through.

Well I hope you all have a nice Valentines’ Day. If you are single, like me it is a good excuse to do something nice for yourself. I think I might go to brunch this weekend at some point.

(1) http://www.aboutdecorativestyle.com/articles/victorian_charm_strings.htm

(2) http://www.aboutdecorativestyle.com/articles/victorian_charm_strings.htm

Reducing Packaging – DIY Snacks + Taco Seasoning

February 8, 2015

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This month I have mostly granolas, or snack recipes to share with you that I tried. At the end there will also be a link to make your own taco seasoning that is really yummy. I have been using the taco seasoning recipe for about a year and it is awesome. I have an allergy to peppers so it is helpful to me to make my own and omit that ingredient.

It took me longer to get this post out since I made some of these snacks twice and eat them twice! I totally forgot to take a picture!!! So I made another batch today of a couple of them. They were just so good!

From the blog Trash is for Tossers I learned to pop amaranth, which is slightly tricky. Mainly it seems one has to let the pan get really hot before putting the amaranth into to pop. It does start to pop, much like popcorn. This recipe is delicious!!! I prefer to use rice syrup instead of honey. It worked fine. The apricots were a divine addition. I never have been much of a fan of the flavor of amaranth. It always seems to need spicing up once it is cooked. Popping it really releases a different, nutty flavor that is very good. The link for this recipe is here: http://www.trashisfortossers.com/2013/09/no-bake-energy-bars.html

Trash is for Tossers No Bake Energy Bars

I also made chia seed bars with dates and coconut oil. This recipe is from Wellness Mama’s blog and she has a bunch of good recipes. The chia mix was really good although my dates never got into a paste consistency since I don’t have a food processor. I had a tiny one and it decided to die, so I just hand chopped the dates and mixed them in. It remained a chunky texture but I eat it with a spoon and enjoyed it. I wasn’t really sure about using the nurti- bullet for six dates only, seemed like a small amount. Anyway I found this recipe quite good added to plain oatmeal with a bit of coconut milk. It added a crunchy texture and the dates went well with the oatmeal. I added grated coconut shreds to my chia seed mix. I would listen to Katie of Wellness Mama and “Do not eat these after dinner!” Chia sees can give you energy and that might not be the right time of day for that. The link to this recipe is here: http://wellnessmama.com/5475/chia-seed-energy-bars/

This Coconut Granola recipe is just so good you will be coming back for more and more! The apricots I decided to add also were excellent with this recipe! I used some walnuts and hazelnuts with mine, and that was an awesome choice. I really like this recipe since I like having a grain free granola option. Link provided here: http://wellnessmama.com/9315/coconut-granola/

homemade granola or snacks reduce packaging make your own

Coconut Granola

I also tried Pumpkin Cranberry bars. They were quite tasty if you like pumpkin. I like them with breakfast although next time I think I will cut down on the brown sugar. I really am eager to try this recipe with peaches instead of pumpkin as well. I think that would work with the pumpkin pie spice. For this recipe with oats, I use gluten free oats but regular oats will work if you aren’t going gluten free.

If you live in an area where gluten free foods are rather expensive, like I do, I’d say look into shopping from Vitacost.com for some items. I order my gluten free oats from them and the savings is substantial from what the health foods stores charge around here. I also started my new year off with a nice set of Pyrex glass tupperware so I have a good storage method for snack bars and other foods. Some recipes I store in mason jars.

Making snacks can take quite a bit of time depending on which recipe. I find it helps to prepare a little bit for two or three days in advance if there is nut chopping, amaranth popping, and what have you going on. If you do a bit here and there then eventually you have it to where you know the next time you approach it you can put everything together and stir it up!

I like the syrup or honey mixtures with peanut butter. They remind me of my grandpa Rufus T who loved what he referred to as “crud.” Papa loved “crud” on his bread or crackers. I think Papa T would be smiling to see me mixing up snacks with his beloved “crud.”

I also will share with you a recipe I like for a Gluten Free Grape-Nuts Cereal that I like. I didn’t make this this month but I plan to make it soon. It makes the apartment smell like gingerbread cookies. It is very good and I like it on top of coconut yogurt. This link for this cereal: http://www.food.com/recipe/gluten-free-grape-nuts-cereal-512706. You can see my other post for the recipe for the coconut yogurt: https://www.rewindreduceandrecycle.com/rewinding-reducing-recycling/

I think that is about it for the new snack recipes I tried this month. This taco seasoning is worth mentioning, if you like tacos like me. I tried it one night with Black Angus Beef and that was really delicious. Usually I just use regular beef or turkey meat.Here is the link to the recipe: http://peaceloveandlowcarb.com/2013/09/low-carb-taco-seasoning.html

I hope you enjoyed this post and I have some more recipes in mind to try this month. I will share them with you later!!

Vintage Inspired Pin- Up Gal Compacts

February 1, 2015

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I found these little vintage inspired compact mirrors with pin-up images at a Bargain Land Discount store. They are made by DonnaMaxx Inc., which is a company in Brooklyn. I was surprised to find them there. These are the type of item I thought one would usually see in a place like a Rockabilly shop. Anyway there they were looking quite adorable in their 1940’s style glamour. I snagged a few to give as gifts to friends or family. I tried to find out where they might be available on a website however I did not have any luck in hearing back from DonnaMaxx Inc.

Around the 1890’s it became common for actresses and burlesque dancers to have a business card. These were usually produced with an image to help promote their work. (1) These were often pinned up on a wall.

During the 1940’s demand for pinup art work increased. Calendars of pin-ups became popular and the term “pin-up” became common. Being surrounded by male comrades and war the soldiers treasured the distraction that the cheerful, playful pictures brought to their lives. Often images were painted on the noses of various planes in the Army Air Corps. This became known as “nose art.” I have inserted an example by Freeman Elliott called “Hit the Deck.” These images were considered good luck and the pin-up ladies themselves were considered patriotic.