What Next? SAVE THE DATE!

Why Mother's Day of course!  Our big celebration will be First Friday to celebrate the most special lady in our lives.  We have a very fun night planned on May 6th, from 5-9 PM.  Our theme "Mama Drama" and to make it extra special we're hosting a junk prom, so wear your finery and come for the festivities. 

 For this event we've invited guest artist Jessica Flores.  She is designing these special cards just for the occasion, as well as some fabulous gift items from her textile studio.

To check out her talent, go to her web site.  http://jessicaflores.typepad.com/about.html

Also joining us for Friday and Saturday is Unity Gardens for their annual plant sale.  So plan ahead to buy your plants from them and help the cause. Last year they had everything from vegetables and flowers to herbs and shrubs.   If you are not familiar with the Unity Gardens, they plant food for people that don't have access to a garden.  Last count, they had over 34 plots.   For more information about the cause check out their web site:  http://theunitygardens.blogspot.com/ 

HAPPY EASTER

Enjoy the day and all the simple gifts that are all around you.

Happy Earth Day

In celebration of Earth Day we are having another  terrarium making day on Saturday!   You can bring your own container or buy one from us.  The cost to make one is $10.00.  The time to come between 11-2:00.  

Collecting

Who know's why we are attracted to certain things, that start us collecting.  I have so many things that I like, but the best collections are obsure and unusual.  These are just a few I'd like to share.

i've never been to NYC so maybe that's why?

birds nests, owl feathers, & blue eggs.

i like to keep collections in groupings.

light bulbs-they're just so interesting to
me, & look how much they've changed
in the last few years.

keys (get the little things out of the
drawers & into some dishes or containers).

Decorating for Easter at My House

Decorating for the holidays is always fun, especially when you start putting away the winter and exchanging it for spring.  My hard and fast rule is "Always use what you have."  I wander around and look for things that are unique, and colorful.  I started with my closet and pulled out this pashmina.  (A pashmina is a stole/shaw/ wrap/scarf made with cashmere wool).  They make wonderful table scarfs as well.  It ended up looking better on the buffet.  

 Then I pull out the Easter stash and add some other items to the mix.  Like this great antique straw hat.

 Just start layering items of various heights,  and textures.  Sometimes it takes me a few hours, or even days of walking by and adding to.  As you can see from this picture to the next,  I wasn't quite finished, so I just kept playing.

 I pulled out some items from my cabinets that are colorful and evoke a spring/Easter feel like the large pitcher that doubles as a vase and the lettuce dish.  The flowers and all their wildness were the finishing touch that pulled it all together.

The dining room table

The mantel

The Foyer

The planters

The Front Porch

The door

 It's the details, that makes a house a home, and will make your guests feel special.

Rainy Day Fun

These lovely ladies stepped into the shop and it started pouring down rain.  While they waited for their ride.....we played!

 Fun with Furniture...Everyday is a new adventure.  I finally hauled the buffet, mirror and shelf into the shop, so I got to play. (and isn't it a nice reflection of Mona-very unintentional).

 New baby "RUMSPRINGA WEAR"

 in neutral baby gender colors.

"Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you."  

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Customer Satisfaction

I've always had a thing for vintage clothing, and it's so satisfying to have customers that feel the same way and look so marvelous wearing them.  Katy can waltz into the store plop a vintage hat onto her head and look like a million bucks.  Today she tried on the vintage turquoise dress and ended up buying it for her Easter dress.  It looks like it was made for her!

 This is Jamie. Many of you know him as the  Yoga gruru.  We had these vintage boots he's wearing stuffed with flowers and he ended up wearing them home to shovel snow last winter!   Just goes to show you, you never know what you'll find in our shop.

If you have any photo's of items that you bought from Junk evolution that you would like to share, please send them to me at chosmo79@hotmail.com.

Also we wanted to do something special for EARTH DAY, and what would be better than making a mini eco system.  We had so much fun at the last class we wanted to do it again!  No need to register, we'll just have all the supplies awaiting your arrival.

SATURDAY, APRIL 23 FROM 11-2

 

TERRARIUM MAKING

Come in, and bring a container or buy one from us.  We'll have all the supplies and easy to follow instructions.
$10.00 each.

Fox 28 Morning Show

Part 1
http://www.fox28.com/global/video/popup/pop_playerLaunch.asp?vt1=v&clipFormat=flv&clipId1=5742578&at1=Community&h1=Junk%20Evolution%20Part%201&flvUri=&partnerclipid=    
         Linda in the green room at the tv station with our props.

Part 2
http://www.fox28.com/global/video/popup/pop_playerLaunch.asp?vt1=v&clipFormat=flv&clipId1=5742595&at1=Community&h1=Junk%20Evolution%20Part%202&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

Getting to know Hiromi

In a conversation with my father the other day, I told him that we've met so many wonderful people at the shop that I could write a book about them!  Chapter 1  would be this talented woman Hiromi.
We had planned for Hiromi to come in for a Saturday to take orders for her custom made hand bags,  but when we saw the depth of her talents I knew she would be coming back again and again.  We call the days she's with us Wabi Sabi Saturdays.

While planning our first Wabi Sabi Saturday, Hiromi showed me some sketches of purse design options. I was so blown away by the sketches I asked her if she went to school for art, she said yes, but for dance.

This tall, slender, quiet woman started out as a dancer in Japan doing tap, jazz and modern dance.  The company that she worked for didn't have a large budget for costumes so Hiromi would make her own.  She laughed when she told me that she wasn't a very good dancer, but the sewing part led her into a career of teacher and author of books on the subject of making these beautifully detailed bags.  Some of the bags she showed us were made 10 years ago, but the simple styles are timeless and are still very much in fashion.
I know that her husband Tim is an American who speaks fluent Japanese.  So that led to my next question, "How did you two meet?"  Tim is a teacher and lived in Japan teaching English as a second language.  Hiromi's friend was taking classes and she decided that she too would like to learn how to speak English, and the rest is history.  She and Tim married and moved to the US in 2005, they have a 5 year old daughter Nina.

Yesterday was our first day in the shop with Hiromi, but there's still time to place orders in time for Mother's day for bags.  If you don't have something to recycle from a loved one, she has lots of beautiful options available.

Our next Wabi Sabi Saturday is May 21st.  Hiromi will be in the store from 10-3 teaching the art of Furoshiki.  Its kind of like origami but with fabric.  She folds squares of cloth into purses, and gift bags.   The scarfs from vintage kimono's and fabrics.

The detail on this bag is from a vintage kimono sash.  Hiromi cut out the design, appliqued it to the fabric and embroidered the flowers with seed beads.  The picture doesn't begin to do her work justice.

If you would like to check out more of her work go here.

Living Large and Green

Awhile back I commented on how most of us have forgotten (or have never learned) how easy some things are to make.  At the begining of this year, I cut out my biggest weekness-CARBS!  But every once in awhile I will indulge, and if I go there, I want it to be great.!  So today's lesson is on a quick and easy way to make homemade bread, chock full of grains.  It costs pennies on the dollar and has all natural ingredients, not to mention the taste and the wonderful, mouth watering aroma when it comes out of the oven!

Remember these?  Everyone still has one stuffed in the back of a closet.  Dig it out!  I never liked the hard, compact shape of the loaf so I only use it to make quick work of the WORK!  This is a smaller bread maker so I altered the recipe to fit.  Into the pan add:

1 1/4 Cup water

2 TBSP powdered milk (I like buttermilk)

2 TBSP BUTTER

2 TBSP HONEY

1 1/2 TSP SALT

2 1/4 CUPS WHITE FLOUR

1 CUP WHOLE WHEAT

3/4 CUPS CRACKED WHEAT  (or a mix of cornmeal, oats etc)

1 1/2 TSP YEAST

Set your bread machine to the dough setting.  When it's finished, knead the dough on a floured board to your desired shape. Then put it on a greased sheet pan and pop it into a cold oven.  Set the temp at 190 degrees and the timer for 30 minutes.  Don't open the oven door, but turn the temp up to 350 when the timer rings.  Then set the timer for 15 minutes.  When the timer rings, turn off the oven and set the timer for 10 more minutes.  (It keeps baking and saves money).

Now you can open the oven and remove.  Cool and enjoy!

A bit about shopping green...

 I buy in bulk and as local as I can.  Bonneyville Mill is a wonderful local, historic mill, and New Rinkel is bagged in Howe, IN.  I keep my flours in the freezer to keep it from getting "buggy".

 If I eat a sandwich,  I want it to be a tasty, full, and pretty.    We had some left over roast recently,  so I shredded the meat and sauteed 1/2 vandalia onion, 1 sweet red pepper and a handfull of mushrooms.  Cut the loaf in half through the center of the bread, spread it with chipotle skinny cow cheese and pile high with meat and veggies.

 It's ok to indulge every once in awhile, so make it worth it!


Live each season as it passes: breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit and resign yourself to the influences of each.


            Henry David Thoreau

More bags by Hiromi!

Linda and I were graced with some beautiful bags that Hiromi made for us.

This one, as you can see is from an elbow of a sport coat.  Perfect for make-up or whatever,and embellished with embroidery.

 This fabric was a small scrap left over from upholstering this chair.  She turned it into this fabulous french styled purse.  Oh, and I should mention that the insides look just as nice as the outsides, fully lined in pretty fabrics.    For more information please read the post below on Wabi Sabi Saturday.

Wabi Sabi Saturday April 9th

WABI SABI-has been defined variously in English as: tranquil simplicity, austere elegance, unpolished, imperfect, or irregular beauty, rusticity, things in their simplest, most austere, and natural state, a serene, transcendental state of mind.

 Hiromi started out with these...

and turned them into these...

Do you have a favorite textile  in a cedar chest, closet or drawer just waiting for her?  She will be in the shop from 10am until 3pm taking special orders (in time for mother's day).  Give a gift that pulls at the heartstrings this Mother's day...make it special and unique.  She has more samples on display, and many more choices for patterns.    

To check out Hiromi's blog go here.http://harujiondesign.blogspot.com/

A permanent state of transition is man's most noble condition.   

Juan Jimenez

As Promised-New Begingings Photo's

EASTER 

 Vintage /Prom?

 Wedding Bliss

 For your entry way.

 BABY, BABY, OH BABY!

 The Birds and the Bee's

 Special Guest Erin Jones.  From Trash to Treasures childrens items.

Next Saturday is Wabi Sabi Saturday with Hiromi.  More about that fun day later in the week!  Stay tuned.