Uncle Tom: Holiday Crafts, Part Deux

My Uncle Tom got crafty this Easter (not unlike Christmas). Here is a picture of the canning jars he repurposed to make lovely candy gifts for all of us. Note that this one has a cat sucker on it-- not surprising, given my love for my kitties.

What Would You Do?

If you had this really cool empty can, what would you make out of it? I'm thinking of a pencil holder, but that seems so very predictable. Isn't it great? I don't even like canned peaches, but the "Dainty-Pak" label totally won me over.

And, just for the complete cuteness of it, a photo of my two cats sleeping on my office chair. FYI, I sat perched on the edge of the chair working at the computer for about 30 minutes so as not to disturb the cuteness. Finally my husband came in and moved the cats, muttering something about my carpel tunnel syndrome as he did so.

Loving...

I am loving the idea of this book, The Prairie Girl's Guide to Life: How to Sew a Sampler Quilt and 49 Other Pioneer Projects for the Modern Girl by Jennifer Worick. Here's a short blurb:

Here's your chance to travel back in time, step into our remarkable foremothers' boots, and recreate wonderful homespun handicrafts and activities. Rich stories of frontier women weave their way through the guide coupling with a range of the projects that made up the daily life of these pioneers. Peek into the past, and bring a little bit back into your future.

I think it's the 3rd grade-Laura Ingalls Wilder-lover in me that finds the idea of Prairie-related crafting so appealing. I've always wanted to make a braided rug and/or embroider my pillowcases, after all. And making a batch of bread-and-butter pickles sounds awfully tasty. Let me know if you've read/crafted from this book.

Strawberry Picking in the Summertime

Going out to the countryside to pick fruits and vegetables is something of a tradition in my family. It's a tradition that seems to divide itself by gender in terms of enjoyment level. While my mom, sister and I are always game to pick whatever is in season, my father and brother (and now my husband too) are usually far less enthusiastic about the adventure. But this past weekend my mom and I dragged my husband to Murphy Orchards in Newfane, NY to pick strawberries and rhubarb.



You may be thinking, "Nice, but what does this have to do with crafting?" Behold the canning handiwork (which I consider a craft):



In addition to pick-your-own vegetables and fruits, Murphy's Orchards also has homemade jams and jellies for sale in very cute little jars. And one of the neatest parts of this place is that the original owners of the farm, the McClews, were abolitionists and are believed to have been members of the Underground Railroad. In the barn you can see the trapdoor entrance to a concealed chamber where people escaping from slavery hid until they could travel on to safety in Canada.

There's also a tea room where you can sit and sample some of the aforementioned jams and jellies, along with whatever desserts have been made from the in-season fruits. And while you're there, you can check out a hard copy of the book Mothers and Daughters, which features Carol Murphy and her daughter Alixandra Matalavage.