My Handmade Holidays

With all my traveling, sewing, soap making and present wrapping, i missed out on participating in much handmade holiday conversation here at Not Dabbling, so my post this week will be a run down of all the projects i worked on this year. Check out An Austin Homestead in the next week or two to [...]

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Spread Cheer Across the Counter

Tired of waiting in lines? Frustrated with the new cashier at your favorite grocery store? Exhausted from filling out rebate paperwork? Don’t forget that you’re not the only person involved in holiday purchases and transactions: on the other side of the counter is a living, breathing human with feelings and frustrations. Remember your customer service [...]

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Adventures in Jelly Making

When I decided to go local and package-free, one of the things I had to do was learn to make sweets, since I have the sweet tooth to end all sweet tooths (sweet teeth?). This has been a less-than-successful effort. While I’m pretty good with cookies, my quick breads never cook all the way through [...]

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REAL Holidays: Making Fabric Napkins

I learned to sew when I was 15 or 16 years old. My mom bought me a machine (the same one I still use) and I had some basic lessons from the store where the machine came from – more to familiarize you with your new machine that actually teaching you how to sew. I [...]

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Handmade Gifts for a REAL Holiday: Making Cards

The holiday season is upon us. One of the gifts I decided to give my nieces this year is cards. At first I thought I would make them each a stack of personalized “monogrammed” cards. Then I realized that they are at a point (8 and 10 years old) where they like projects and new [...]

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Hello from the Pacific Northwest

I’m so excited to have been asked by the wonderful contributors here at Not Dabbling in Normal to be part of this venture. For the past 5ish years I have been living and urban-homesteading in Austin, TX. For the past 2.5 years, my blog An Austin Homestead has been my outlet and journal of my [...]

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Handmade gifts: knitted necklaces

One can give only so many scarves as holiday gifts. One gets tired of knitting scarves over and over again… So this year I’ve created knitted jewelery for the ladies in my life. It’s been a really fun project and I thought I’d share it here with you first. (It will also be available on [...]

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Marriage advice as a Gift…

Last week I talked about homemade gifts for the holiday season.  It just so happens that my oldest son is getting married on New Year’s Eve.  I have wracked my brain for something unique and handmade as a wedding gift. I have already got them a set of their dishes but I want something more [...]

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Handmade Holidays

I have been noticing that with the economy the way it is that there is a push for frugal gifts focusing on homemade.  There are ‘buy handmade’ pledges all over the blogs.  I think this is a worthy goal to be sure. But I have decided that I do not want to buy homemade this [...]

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Bread Challenge Part 2

My favorite whole grain bread recipes and some tips on baking with kids!

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