Canned Crushed Tomatoes

Vintage WWII canning books I bought from eBay

I found these beautiful vintage canning books from eBay.  All three came together and date from 1939 to1941. It's so neat to see that the big book only cost $.10. Most often the mini pamphlets came free with a purchased item. Maybe with a box of Kerr jars.  Surprisingly these books are in great condition considering their age.  While looking through this piece of history I decided to can something and the only thing that came to mind were the many heirloom tomatoes coming out of my garden.

Heirloom tomatoes from my little garden

Canning is pretty easy.  There are two different ways to "can" food depending on what you want to preserve.  There is the "Hot Water Bath" and the "Pressure Cooker Method".  Jams, jellies, pickles and some types of fruits and vegetables can be canned in a hot water bath which I think is the easiest. These may be Kerr canning books but I grew up with everyone in my family using the Ball canning book and jars.  Both companies follow the same national canning guidelines but they have their own jam and pickle recipes I'm sure. Ball has a great website with canning how-to videos and recipes. 

I followed the directions for canning crushed tomatoes. Very simple. I blanched the tomatoes in boiling water and then dropped them into ice water.  This allows the skin to peel off easily. I then put the peeled tomatoes into a bowl to crush them up.

Using a pastry blender made crushing the tomatoes very easy

Fi1lled my clean jars with the crushed tomatoes and topped them with sea salt

Canning in a hot water bath for the specified amount of time

And the finished product, Canned Crushed Tomatoes

Home canning is so normal to me.  It was a way of life growing up.  We either canned or froze our garden's harvest each year.  Some things are definitely better canned and some are better frozen.  Green beans hold their shape best when canned and butter beans are better frozen. Check out the other things I have canned.

 

Crochet Produce Bag

The Purl Bee offers yet another awesome crochet pattern.  The Mesh Crochet Produce Bag.  It could easily be used as a beach bag as well. It was surprisingly easy given its complicated look.  I think the step by step picture tutorial really helps clarify the pattern. The pattern calls for linen yarn but I just used what I had.

The great thing about this bag is that it is eco friendly.  I know that is a word uttered often today and all crunchiness aside, it is important. The idea is if more and more people use reusable produce and grocery bags then plastic bag companies will make less and less of them in turn preventing more plastic bags from being dumped in ever growing land fills. Ok, off my soapbox.

Just fill your grocery cart up with your fresh produce 9without those plastic bags0 and then when it's time to check out just bag up your produce in these cheap to make, reusable mesh bags.

The Purl Bee tutorial explains how to measure it correctly.

I do want to stress the importance of stretching the bag out well and measuring as you go. I definitely did not stretch it well enough because after filling it with lemons, the bag stretched out quite a bit.  It should measure sixteen inches but mine now measures nineteen inches. I learned my lesson. I have to get it perfect if I want to add them to my etsy store.  Speaking of my etsy store, I want to change the name which means I would have to open an entirely new store.  I have a few names in mind but it is so difficult trying to choose one that fits my personality or the feelings I want to evoke.

~Ciao~

Vintage Red Lips

Oh the famous red lip.  It's synonymous with vintage. Everyone was wearing a red lip in the 40's.  Some reds have a blue base and some have an orange base. You have your pink reds and your brown reds.  The key was that it was RED.  Up until the beginning of this year I hardly wore chap stick let alone red lipstick.  Finding Casey from Casey's Elegant Musings changed it all for me.  My first red lipstick and still one of my favorites is the cheap N.Y.C Retro Red. It's a classic matte red.  I found it at target for under $2. I also bought N.Y.C Ruby which is a dark pink red perfect for wearing with pink and purple outfits. 

Retro Red is a true red.

Revlon Certainly Red is a new favorite that I keep in my purse.

The first couple of times I wore red lipstick it feathered so bad and wore off quickly.  Then I found Bare Escentual's Lip primer.  A pure necessity when it comes to keeping red lipstick in place.  I apply this to my lips first going just slightly over my lip line.

Next I line and fill in my lips with a red lip liner.  I use a cream lip liner by Palladio in Red Rose. Then I apply my red lipstick.  Easy peasy.  No gloss needed for a vintage look.  Matte lip color was very popular.

Beautiful Max Factor Lipstick ad featuring Rita Hayworth
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I bought a tube of this vintage inspired lipstick made by Besame Cosmetics.

"Most describe it as petite,

but this 55mm size gold bullet packaging is reminiscent of the decorative

cases used during the post-war 1940’s when metal was in big demand for the war.

And yes it looks very similar to a bullet. Inspired by several original 1940's containers from my collection this was the first product I designed when I started Besame.
Besame Cosmetics

Vintage Me

Vintage me with my new Rita Hayworth red hair.

Vintage me with my blond hair (that I miss from time to time)

I have always loved vintage ladies, vintage decor, vintage clothes, vintage music and movies and pretty much vintage everything. I used to flip through my families' old black and whites and just stare at every detail.  The curl of the hair, the cut of the dress, the red lips. Oh so classy and timeless.  Around the beginning of this year a few blogs caught my eye. There are ladies living vintage lives in this modern day world.  I mean completely vintage.  The clothes in their closet are either thrifted vintage or vintage inspired.  One vintage lady in particular is Fleur from London. Her blog, Diary of a Vintage Girl, is full of stories about her vintage modeling, vintage gatherings, and tea parties.  She is one of the most authentic looking forties enthusiast I have come across.

Fleur writes for The Chap

Not all of the vintage blogs I follow are just 40's fashion and lifestyle but also the 20's and 30's.  I prefer authentic vintage to the rockabilly style that is popular.

Casey Brown of Casey's Elegant Musings sews most of her wardrobe from vintage sewing patterns.

Wearing History
also makes a lot of their own clothing

The Call of The Jitterbug

Tea With The Vintage Baroness

Gatsby and Me

These are only a few of the many vintage blogs out there.  I'm not sure that I can become completely vintage like these girls but I sure do love incorporating vintage style into my life. I like to think more on the lines of Antropologie.  Mixing vintage and modern with a little hippie or bohemian thrown in.  Keeps things interesting.

Next I will blog about vintage hair and makeup.

Decorative Plates

A dramatic display

One of my favorite things to decorate with are hand painted plates. I hang them with a wire plate hanger which comes in different sizes. They are so fun and easy to change out with the seasons.  I have several different plates that I use for different times of the year.  It's an inexpensive way to experiment with color and styles in my home's interior so I don't get bored. 

I bought 3 beautiful painted plates from Anthropologie last night.  They have so many styles to choose from. I have also bought several of my decorative plates from TJ Maxx Home Goods store which were very inexpensive.  Like $4-$6.  You can't beat that.

I snatched up this adorable bee plate.

These hummingbirds will look great on my wall.

And I couldn't pass up this beautiful strawberry and butterfly plate 

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Of course there were a few plates that I would like to add to my collection at some point.  I can only talk my husband into buying me but so much at Anthro in one day.

Butter1fly plate on my wish list.

Mushroom on my wish list.

Painted Lady on my wish list.

invisible plate hanger

Wire plate hanger.

A conservative display

Love these contrasting colors

Mix and match for an eclectic look.

Fun seasonal display

Crochet edging

I have had this lamp shade for about 5 years now and I'm the type that gets bored with decor fast. That's why I was in college to become an Interior Designer before deciding to become a stay at home mommy. I love all types of styles, time periods, colors, etc. Even though I did not follow through with a design degree I still love interior design so I just can't settle on one look for my home. I am constantly changing things. Lord help me when I get the chance to build and decorate my own home. I better start a binder with inspirations now!

Last night I decided to add a little something to this lamp shade. It needed more color and texture.




I crocheted a scalloped edging in a navy blue and teal and then hot glued it to the bottom of the lamp shade. The edging makes the lamp shade look more complete. At least to me it does. :) Plus it brings together extra colors which I like. Mixing contrasting colors is one of my favorite things to do. Olive green with a pink and a mustard yellow. Very Anthropologie.



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Granny Square Slippers

Granny Square Slippers

 

Granny Square Slippers I crocheted

I was browsing through one of my favorite crafting websites, The Purl Bee and found a tutorial for Granny Square Slippers and just had to make them.  It definitely took some trial and error to put them all together but I made it happen and the next pair should be much easier.  The pattern says it will fit woman's shoe size 7- 9 1/2.  I am a size 8 and feel that they are a little big.  I may need to go down a hook size or just omit the single crochet that is added to each granny square before they are crocheted together.  I haven't figured it out yet but for some reason the slippers in the tutorial have more rounded corners than mine do.  Not that big of a deal but my pointy slippers look more elvish than they are supposed to I'm sure.

Granny Square Slippers from The Purl Bee

 

Granny Squares are so simple to make.  I learned how to crochet a traditional granny square by watching crochet videos by Teresa tjw1963. I love all of her videos.  She makes it so easy to learn crochet.  

Each slipper consist of six granny squares.  I could easily crochet several dozen granny squares in one day and then attach them all in a few hours. I think I may add some to my etsy shop.  We will see.

Tutorial from The Purl Bee

Granny Square Slippers

Bring out the hippie in you and make a pair of Granny Square Slippers!