Odds & Ends

Wildlife....

Incoming!

The birds go absolutely NUTS when they discover that I've filled their feeder with tasty seeds.

At any given time the platform will be full of birds all vying for the seeds.

And for the rest of the birds (that won't fit on the platform because there's no room) there are plenty of seeds on the ground that have been raked out of the feeder.

I'm amazed that I have more birds here in the desert hitting this one feeder than I had back home in the country where I had several feeders.  Go figure!

And here's Miss LizzieBelle chillin' with her chew stick...

I just love her!

Simplifying...

My quest to simplify our life began while we were still living in our house back home.

Now that we're living in the fifth wheel, my quest to simplify continues even more so.

Space is limited.

Storage space is priceless.

Currently, I'm focusing on simplifying the masses of cleaning agents that I've accumulated and have run out of room to store.

I'm also wanting to steer away from commercially made cleaners laden with tons of chemicals.

My first non-toxic 'green' cleaning product will be a multi-purpose cleaner made of distilled vinegar, grapefruit peels and mint.  You can read more about it HERE.

Don'tcha just love that mason jar?  It's a half-gallon antique blue Ball mason jar.

I found several of them at a shop in an old mining town not too far from here.  I picked up two of them.  Score!

The mixture has been steeping for a couple of weeks.

I'm going to let it steep for another week or two before using.

Projects...

I've posted my latest projects on Facebook but for those of you who aren't in to Facebook I'll fill you in on what's been keeping me out of trouble busy the last several weeks.

First on the list was finishing a baby blanket in time for a friends' baby shower.

Thankfully, I got it done!

Then, I made a couple of produce bags out of tulle and ribbon...

I was pleased with how they turned out and the size worked out well so I will make a few more and soon, no more plastic bags, yay!

(The cashier at Walmart was wondering when they started carrying these bags, ha!) 

I'm currently working on Frilly Knit Scarves made from Red Heart's Sashay yarn.  I had quite a stash of skeins so I'm getting those done and ready to sell online.

After that, I will be starting the same baby blanket as above only in pink.  For who?  I don't know.  I just enjoy making them.  Maybe I'll sell it online.

Creativity...

Speaking of selling items online, I am currently trying to decide whether I want to continue listing my handmade goodies on Etsy OR do I want to create my own retail website.

I like the fact that Etsy is known to the people who like to shop for vintage or handmade items online but I don't like all the fees they charge for listing and selling items.  I know they have expenses too but I'm just looking for ways to cut my costs so that I don't have to charge as much to cover their costs.  Make sense?

I also know that I will have to do some serious marketing for my site if I break ties with Etsy. Another thought to ponder for sure.

Anyway, I'm currently checking out free web-hosting sites and hope to make my decision before too long (seeing as my Etsy shop is currently inactive, yikes!).  I want to start with a free site and see how it goes before spending money on domain names, sites, etc.

Do any of you have any experience, recommendations or advice for me?

I have had several people recommend WordPress but I think that will be down the line as I currently don't want to spend money on a site just yet.

I'd also love to find some local craft fairs to participate in.  Not sure how to go about doing that but it's something to ponder as well.

That's enough odds & ends for now... tata!

Till next time,