Creative Energy

I have been so inspired these last few days. I've visited so many of my fellow Farm girl blogs and been uplifted and driven by their stories. It makes me want to be accountable for my own quiet little corner of the world.

So bit by bit I am taking going green more seriously. I've started with my Laundry and my Kitchen. In doing so I have earned my first badge with the Farmgirl Sisterhood (yay!!). This weekend I will blow the dust off my embroidery skills and try my hand at embroidering the badge onto a piece of linen. I think eventually as I add to the collection I will put them together on an apron or a quilt. We'll see.

I also started a scrapbook for my fledgling chapter. Any fellow members will be able to help me decorate and add pages to the book to mark achievements or events. Or, heck, it will be an excuse just to make a pretty page! :)

I also made a friendship bracelet in advance of the first Meet n' Greet that I have scheduled for this weekend. I wanted to do a dry run so I could help anyone else with their assembly. If I don't have any interested parties this time around or if everyone is just happy on their own I can sew away on my badge.

Innit perty?! :D  You can make one too if you join me on Saturday!! Nudge nudge!!

Ripples

"Drop a pebble in the water:
just a splash, and it is gone;
But there's half-a-hundred ripples
circling on and on and on,
Spreading, spreading from the center,
flowing on out to the sea.
And there is no way of telling
where the end is going to be..."
~Quote by James W. Foley~

My Sunday was a quiet one but I did manage to sneak a couple of productive things in. I organized my storage containers; keeping only those with matching lids, disposing of the ones that were cracked or damaged, collecting the others to see if anyone on freecycle would be interested.

I started a Green Journal for my house. The first entry was a pledge to use only green cleaners in the home from now on. I was pretty much doing that anyway but I'm going to be more hands on, making my own cleaners to save money while being environmentally conscientious. My second entry was to add the recipe for the Laundry Detergent I made in my second blog post. :)

I finished reading Glamping with Mary Jane. I devoured it in two bedtime sessions. Boy is it ever inspiring! And daunting!! I have to admit I would love to have my own little Glamper. I'll have my own Gypsy Caravan all planned out by the time I can actualize it. In the meantime I'll be more than content with glamping out my tent.

On another note, there are these stalwart hollyhocks blooming away in my front entry. They are a reminder for me that amidst the chaos one can still find beauty.



Blessings,

Helena
 

Shabby Chic

What do you do when you have a ton of cleaning to do? Distract yourself with a long-overdue project! That's what!! I've had two windows in my basement for I don't know how long now. Long enough that I remember the ex-husbands eye roll when I insisted on keeping them (or dragging them home--whichever it was). 

One of the things I wanted to make with them was a pot rack. I saw a picture of it once in a magazine, and then more recently on Pinterest.

I decided today was the day. I toted my little guy with me to the hardware store and picked out the few things I didn't have at home like the chain and a few hooks. I took the skin off my pointer finger trying to change the drill bit but finally got the holes in the frame for the screw hooks.

The end product is just about perfect! I put it above the island in my kitchen where it's out of the way of bobbin' noggin's. Now why would I go to all that trouble if I'm planning on moving so soon, you ask? Answer: I'm taking it with me, sillies!!

Oh and I added a little color from my very overgrown and, bless it, neglected Medicine Garden. There's a little sprig of lavender, beebalm and chamomile drying on the rack!

Going Green Clean

You are looking at an Official Farmgirl! Yay!! I got my email confirmation with my # and all. It inspired me to do all sorts of things but I chose to start close to home. I have been preoccupied with the messy and unorganized state of my nest as I get ready to move. One of the things that I need on hand regardless of where I am is a reliable and cheap supply of Laundry Detergent. I found a lovely recipe here: http://www.thehenpen.org/2011/05/homemade-laundry-detergent.html 

My ingredients

The castille soap after I grated it

The end result; including a neglected teacup from my cupboard that made a perfect scoop!

I can't wait to try it out!

Beginning Stages

Well, to my surprise there wasn't a Farmgirl Sisterhood Chapter in Nova Scotia when I went looking for likeminded ladies. Not that there isn't a bajillion creative goddesses out there but c'mon! Even PEI has two Chapters!! So I decided to take the proverbial bull by the horns and start one here in Halifax. I was tempted to wait because I'm in the middle of a giant life-altering (for me) move and since I'm moving out to the country I was tempted to wait until I was settled there. Pshyeah right. Nah. Too many cool things to do or at least plan while I pack up my house.

So unless the group changes the name at a later date the name of the Chapter is Hedge Herb & Hobbies Halifax in honor of the title of my home which I sanction The Hedge. The rest of the name hints at the variety of creative hijinks I'm sure will ensue. My own specialty includes Herbalism and Wildcrafting Herbs but I dabble in every craft I can get my hands on; Knitting, Rug Hooking, Sewing, Writing, Folklore/Spellcrafting, Decoupage, Scrapbooking . . . you name it I'll try it.

I don't have a farm per se, but I do have the farmgirl spirit which if you are familiar with Mary Jane Butters philosophy, "We are Sisters — a sisterhood of farmgirls. We’re country, we’re city, and every texture and stripe in between. It’s not at all about where we live, but how we live." Check out the website here: http://maryjanesfarm.org/



When I get settled in September I will host the first meeting. Unless I get inundated with interested parties and then we'll have to find a venue to hang. I've already got my first project in mind. But don't worry there's a whole slew of project ideas. Like these ones I've got on the HH&HH Pinterest Board: http://pinterest.com/havran/hedge-herb-hobbies-halifax/

If your interested in sharing your ideas and talents with others, having a laugh or two, and eating delectable treats contact the Chapter through the following website and hopefully I'll see you soon:
http://www.maryjanesfarm.org/Chapters/ContactUs.asp?ChapterID=2411