beyond back creek

Repurpose This: Delicious Wallet

Melanie — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 16:36:48 +0000

I was waiting until the pup was definitely, positively, absolutely past the sneaky chewing stage before I replaced this wallet.

It finally stopped working for the purpose for which it was intended…and when a wallet starts losing money, it’s ready for a “Repurpose This” challenge.

So what can you make from a rectangle of golden yellow leather? I’ve been working on a new collection of Angel’s Share jewelry for Ridgely Retreat, so I am obsessed with accessories right now. Get inspired by these creations, and start thinking.

This stunning “Bloom” necklace by Fleur Fatale caught my eye. What a nifty way to use irregular scraps! Bonus: there’s finally a way to showcase a pretty stud earring that’s lost it’s partner.

Do you have a serviceable, but boring, wallet? Jazz it up with some leather strips like this one from Found By Nicki. It’s too attractive to be stuck in a dark purse…consider adding a strap to turn it into a wristlet.

I toyed with the idea of cutting the wallet into strips to use as cuffs for my own glass cabochons. But I just don’t have the space right now to delve into a new material. This beaded cuff from Junk in the Trunk Studio is just what I had in mind.

This bracelet by Febra Rose uses repurposed copper as well as leather. How gorgeous can trash get?

Finally, feast your eyes on these copper and leather earrings by Melissa Lowery. I admit, I do covet them.

Chime in with your creative ideas for repurposing this sad little wallet.

You don’t have to stick with accessories. The sky is the limit!

As always, I’ll be posting this wallet on FreeCycle later on. But if you are in Anne Arundel County and would like to adopt it yourself, just let me know in the Comment section.

Happy Repurposing!

The post Repurpose This: Delicious Wallet appeared first on beyond back creek.

Repurpose This: Wallpaper

Melanie — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 21:16:22 +0000

For the past few weeks, I’ve been a bit stymied in trying to give this wallpaper away. It’s been up on FreeCycle in a few locations, and gotten some interest. I email back and forth to the Freecyclers, and set up a pickup plan. And then…without fail ( well, of course, or I wouldn’t be writing about it now) each one has been a no-show. I’m not sure why the wallpaper has elicited such an unusual response. Perhaps it’s such a visually strong object that it draws people in, people who like it, and think therefore they want it, but don’t really need it. And once faced with car keys, boots, and de-icing the car, are no longer interested in actually acquiring it.

But I’d wish they’d figure that out before we schedule a meeting!

So, with the goal of increasing the perceived value of 3 and 1/2 rolls of premium, vinyl-coated wallpaper, here are some ideas for using it, apart from the perfectly wonderful idea of putting it on the wall.

( this is the wallpaper on offer…very elegant, and with a matte vinyl coating)

Some very simple projects include:
Lining drawers
Matting for artwork
Scrapbook pages
Book covers

Here are some other ways to repurpose wallpaper, which may take a bit more planning, but are quite striking.

From Better Homes and Gardens, decoupage a tabletop. Really pretty! And imagine having a tablescape that links to your wall art or bookshelf….something like this? (also from BHG)

I just think that’s a beautiful way to accent with a bold pattern.

Can you imagine the lovely notes you could write while you were lounging in this BHG-inspired bed…

…and inspired by your repurposed-wallpaper stationery?

(photo courtesy of Singing Mommy )
Too predictable? Okay, how about beautifying the dumpsters in your neighborhood? There may not be enough wallpaper in my offer for an entire bin, but it could certainly provide an eye-catching start. ( Any Community Association rules that specifically disallow that?)

(thanks to CNN for sharing this version of street art)

Jump right in with your ideas, modest or crazy. Let’s create a need for these few rolls of wallpaper, and find a better home for them!

In response to some online coaching tips, this post was written entirely with the WordPress iPad app. There’s quite a bit of a learning curve, including my struggle to center the images, and add captions. Please be patient with this student blogger!

The post Repurpose This: Wallpaper appeared first on beyond back creek.

Urban Animals

Melanie — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 15:18:54 +0000

Although Anne Arundel County is a suburb of both Washington DC and Baltimore, I hardly ever find a reason to visit those cities. I have more than enough to keep me happy and occupied right here in my own little corner of the universe. But sometimes, I am coaxed into their grey landscapes ( in this case, a gift certificate for wood-fired, gluten-free pizza inspired a mini road trip).

While searching for parking in DC, I noticed this whimsical sight amidst all the concrete. It was a quick snap with the camera phone, and a clumsy zoom. But the glimpse of the giant stuffed animals seemingly paying rapt attention to an unseen speaker made me smile.

On the second pass round the block, I noticed that the store was empty and dusty. I don’t know why these animals were there in the window, or how long they will wait. Street-art commentary about the state of Congress or randomly aligned pile of toy store overstock?

Whatever the reason, that small detail of soft acrylic fur within a long wall of hard concrete and glass made me feel just a little bit warmer.

(And the pizza was worth the journey.)

This post has been submitted to the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge. Please visit the other entries listed below for more interpretations of “Lost in the Details“.

Trackbacks & Pingbacks

The post Urban Animals appeared first on beyond back creek.

Walk and Wonder

Melanie — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 13:06:01 +0000

The pup and I often make the most fascinating discoveries during our nature walks.

This find prompted a flurry of olfactory investigation.

I’m glad my shy girl wasn’t startled by the beady glare.
And warmed by someone’s random act of silliness.

The post Walk and Wonder appeared first on beyond back creek.

“Forward” With The White Hamon Sweet

Melanie — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 13:19:06 +0000

Did you know that there are two kinds of sweet potatoes? Here, in the Mid-Atlantic area, we are accustomed to the orange sweet. But there is another variety, for years considered more adaptable to our climate. The white sweet potato lacks its cousin’s beta-carotene hue. But for those of us lucky enough to taste this heirloom, the white sweet is a favorite for its rich flavor and creamy texture.

For unknown reasons, the white sweet fell out of popularity. Finding one now takes a bit of persistence. But the search is worth the effort. The white sweet potato that you will hold in you hand will have been grown from slips from the best of the previous year’s harvest. Those potatoes will have been sprouted off the potatoes from the year before that. Each year takes the sweet potato farther back in time. Each sweet potato that you touch has been touched by hundreds of generations of families. And each sweet potato that you cultivate will continue forward into time, as long as there are hands willing to keep it safe.

Here at the No Acre Homestead, we were lucky to have four White Hamon Sweets as part of our winter CSA box. They had been handed down as slips, for generations, by families in Pennsylvania.

We ate one.

It was good.

We ate two more.

Then I immediately set up the last White Hamon to grow. I didn’t want to risk forfeiting our chance to take part in preserving this treasure for the future.

Starting a white sweet potato is ridiculously easy (like most things, once you know the guidelines, I’ve found). Skewer the potato with 3 or 4 evenly-spaced toothpicks. Balance it in a wide-mouth jar, pointy side down. That is the root side. The rounder end it the stem end, and you still may see a scar where the white sweet was once connected to the vine. New plants, called ‘slips’ will grow from here.

Fill the jar almost to the top with water. The less chemicals, the better, in both the water and the potato. Then place it in a sunny window. Or as in our case, here in the north-facing Homestead, give it the best daylight you can manage. This actually works. Can you see in the picture above, in the middle of the jar, a faint horizontal line? That is the new root growing, after just one day in the jar.

Life really wants to continue.

From this point on, I’m sharing photos from Food Skills for Self-Sufficiency. I have not advanced my sweet potato to the photogenic stage quite yet.

This is what the white sweet potato will look like in a few weeks. The gorgeous foliage is entirely edible. And, yes, it’s the same sweet potato vine that you see in hanging baskets all summer. (photo courtesy of Skills for Self-Sufficiency)

Just keep the water topped off, and be gentle in handling the mother plant. When the slips are about 5 or 6 inches long, they will easily break off. That’s when you can plant them, about 18 inches apart into loose soil, if your garden is ready. Or into pots until the time is right. Perhaps you’d just prefer to keep them in containers? A secret weapon for front-yard gardeners, sweet potato vines are gorgeous in their own right. The same potato can be used to sprout again, if you would like more plants.

How awesome is that?

This wheelbarrow-full came from the slips from just one sweet potato. One of these will be the mother for the next year’s harvest. (photo courtesy of Skills for Self-Sufficiency)

For more interpretations of the Weekly Photo Challenge, take a peek at these blogs:

The post “Forward” With The White Hamon Sweet appeared first on beyond back creek.

Repurpose This: Glass Quart Jars

Melanie — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:53:20 +0000

Our farm co-op no longer has the room to take back glass quart jars, among other packaging materials. Right now, I’m using all the egg cartons I can get my hands on for seed starting, so that’s no problem. I use the veggie boxes to package items for consignment. The straight-sided jars go into the studio for storage. But these small-mouthed quart jars with shoulders are piling up. I have a zillion ideas for repurposing them, but I am really trying to pare down supplies here. So here’s some pictures to get you inspired. And if you have any more thoughts, fire away! As always, they are available for local pickup, through this blog or through the Anne Arundel Freecycle boards.

I was trying to stay away from plain-old storage ideas. But this photo from Roadkill Rescue is so enticing. A bit of etching cream and some time is all it takes to create some customized bottles.

Slow Your Home has a mini-tutorial on turning old jars into hanging candle holders. Gorgeous!

This idea from Indulgy is a repurposing trifecta! Jars, candleholders, and lids all find a new purpose as canisters on pedestals. I’m so impressed!

Over on Etsy, ARTful Salvage creates birdfeeders from glass jars, dishes, and assorted hardware. They’re quite elaborate. Luckily, they’re for sale, as well as for inspiration.

And finally, Rikki Hibbert uses her jars as a really unique way to display photos. Check out her site for details.

Ahhh, if only I had the room and the time, I would try all of these ideas! If you try any of them, please share your results. I’d love to see them.

The post Repurpose This: Glass Quart Jars appeared first on beyond back creek.

Somewhat Weekly Recipe: Capsaicin Balm

Melanie — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 20:11:52 +0000

I am always trying to learn more about natural approaches to wellness. I enjoy the connection to the environment as well as the sense of accomplishment when I concoct a solution to an ailment in my own kitchen or garden. Lately, I’ve been dealing with some irksome pain, and trying to moderate my use of those harsh oral pharmaceuticals with all of their troubling side effects. I’ve learned that there are so many options available for topical pain relief. Arnica, aloe, menthol, eucalyptus, and willow bark, for example, are all wonderful additions to the herbal medicine chest, and very helpful. Last week, however, my doctor recommended trying a capsaicin rub for persistent neurological pain. Our discussion jogged a distant memory about neurotransmitter function, the role of the mysteriously-named Substance P in pain sensation, and the unusual effects of capsaicin on the sensory system.

A bowl of seriously hot peppers. These dried on the plant in the garden, and I picked them just before using. (photo courtesy of Back Creek Design)

In a nutshell, Substance P delivers the message to your central nervous system that you are in pain. Capsaicin, the active ingredient in hot peppers, blocks Substance P from being made. No messenger…no message delivered. The cause of the pain is not affected, just the feeling. So capsaicin acts as an analgesic, without the nasty side effects of a lot of the prescription drugs that are recommended for chronic pain. Capsaicin balms and rubs are available over-the-counter. But some have ingredients to which I am sensitive. And all of them are darn expensive.

Thank goodness I have a kitchen!

I used some tiny hot peppers and regular grapeseed oil to begin. (photo courtesy of Back Creek Design)

I didn’t bother to trim the peppers, because I planned on straining the extract. I just put them in a small saucepan, covered with the grapeseed oil, and snipped around with some scissors to increase exposure of seeds and ribs. I brought the whole thing to a simmer, and then turned down and left for a day with the lid on. (photo courtesy of Back Creek Design)

I was so excited by the aroma and color on the next morning that I forgot to take a picture. But I did pour the whole thing into a mesh strainer to catch the spent peppers. The extract could certainly be used at this point as a muscle rub (isn’t that easy?) but I know I tend to get a little clumsy when I am in pain. Oil would guarantee a mess, and probably some unintended discomfort if I splashed it anyplace sensitive. So I took another step.

Because I wanted to firm up the extract, I added 2 Tbl vegetable wax (the pellets in the photo) and a dollop of vegetable glycerin to maintain pliability (photo courtesy of Back Creek Design)

This was stirred until it was completely melted. The color is just amazing. (photo courtesy of Back Creek Design)

Then, because I wanted to make sure that the balm was really, really powerful, I decided to add a few aggressive shakes of cayenne powder to the mix. I brought the pot to a simmer again, to make sure all the essential oils of the cayenne were released. Then I cooled just slightly to handle.

My super-duper straining apparatus. I wanted to make sure any cayenne particles were removed. So I used my jelly funnel and a muslin bag (real cheesecloth would work, too) The jar is the final vessel for the rub. (photo courtesy of Back Creek Design)

I had to work somewhat quickly, because the vegetable wax hardens as it cools. I’m sure there’s another use for the lees and the muslim bag, but, encrusted as it all was with spicy wax, I just tossed them into the compost.

The final product. Homemade capsaicin balm, no artificial ingredients and costing just pennies. It looks and smells delicious, is food-grade, and feels great on sore muscles. (photo courtesy of Back Creek Design)

I haven’t used enough of the homemade capsaicin balm to know if it will help me stay off some of the pharmeceuticals. But I can tell you that it definitely feels warm and wonderful directly on sore muscles!

Do you have any home remedies that you rely on? Feel free to share your recipes!

The post Somewhat Weekly Recipe: Capsaicin Balm appeared first on beyond back creek.

Repurpose This: Working TV

Melanie — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 10:09:15 +0000

This television set was actually our own, here at the No Acre Homestead. But a while back, Mike got his heart set on one of those giant, fancy flat-screens. I thought that we could actually make use of two TVs, but we really don’t have the room. So here is a working TV, cable and HD-ready, with an actual remote. Free to a good home, if anyone bothers to watch a not-flat-screen TV anymore.

The TV available today is silver, not black. And a Panasonic, not Magnavox. And it’s not as furry. But other than that, it’s pretty much the same.

Yeah. I didn’t think so.

I figure, in a larger, child-oriented home, a second TV could be used in a family room as a dedicated game system or DVD player. I bet, with an HDMI cable (see how much I’ve been learning about these things since I started blogging?) you could make a permanent spot for watching videos through your mobile device. (Right? I think I’ve got that right.) Or use it as a dedicated monitor for your home security system.

How about a TV just for the dog to watch while the humans are out doing their human activities?

Want more pet-related ideas? These involve taking the guts out of the unit. (Guts…that’s a tech-y term.) If you do this, please dispose of the innards carefully. There may be some sketchy ingredients inside electronics.

Gutted and painted, this TV makes a groovy pad for a cool cat. (photo courtesy of Fresh Home)

This old floor unit is full of retro charm. It’s a simple job to turn it into a crate for a small pooch. (photo courtesy of Manteresting)

I’ve read the instructions, and believe it or not, it doesn’t look too tricky to make and aquarium out of an old TV set. (photo courtesy of Aquahobby)

So, if you are nearby and want to pick up this television, just drop me a line. And keep your eyes out on the Anne Arundel County Freecycle boards, too.

The post Repurpose This: Working TV appeared first on beyond back creek.

Even Farther, But Getting Closer

Melanie — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 20:16:50 +0000

Did you see the column two days ago where I promised I would be right back? Well, that didn’t happen as planned. Nothing interesting happened in the interval, but life has a way of making petty demands just when you get on a productive roll, doesn’t it?

I was interrupted during my last post by the urgent needs of the pup. How could I resist? She makes me smile.

So two days later, I am even farther from “…Far From Normal”, the post prompted by the WordPress Challenge. That seems to be the running motif here, so everything is working just fine.

I am nominating bloggers that take a generally sunny outlook on the mundane. Thanks for making the ordinary…beautiful.

To pick up the thread of the dropped post, here are my nominations for the Beautiful Blog Award. ( I would love to nominate Terry1954, but since she nominated me, that might smack of corruption. And we are very sensitive to that here near the nation’s Capital). What I looked for in the nominees was an overall theme of finding the beautiful moments that are so easy to miss during the overall mundane rhythm of the day’s requirements. Just like the Challenge prompted, these bloggers may have “ordinary lives”, but they consistently find ways of writing about them that makes them interesting.

Transplanted Tater :I love the delight you described in touring a library.
Kami’s Beautiful Morning: I feel the whoosh of the air as you ride your beloved bicycle.
High, High, Higher :I laugh out loud at your description of trying to celebrate Chinese New Year.
A Side of Writing: I catch your giddy excitement at having the day off.
Simple Cherishes: I share your enthusiasm for discovering a new artist.
Trash Backwards: I am inspired by your devotion to re-purposing, and your ‘name your trash’ app.

I’m not sure if all these wonderful writers accept popular choice awards. There is some debate that awards promote favoritism, are tools for increasing readership, and are not serious critiques. To those charges, I agree. Personally, I don’t think any of those things are bad, and I truly get excited when I get approval from other bloggers. But I know that different blogs are set up with different purposes, and an award logo may not be in keeping with the message. To all current and future nominees, please feel free to acknowledge, display, or ignore the awards as you see fit. But please accept the spirit in which the nomination is given.

I have been inspired, delighted, and educated by your perspective.

The post Even Farther, But Getting Closer appeared first on beyond back creek.

Close to the Dirt, Far From Normal

Melanie — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 14:55:48 +0000

Confession ( or rather, Stating the Obvious): I’ve been lax about finishing that pesky “About” page. I haven’t yet organized my blog roll. And there are a couple of reader awards that I was delighted to receive, but less enthusiastic about writing the acceptance notes. I intended to participate in at least one WordPress writing challenge per week, and haven’t been consistent.

If the rest of the things on my To Do List received such blatant prompting as the ones I’ve been getting for my blogging, I would be a super-achiever, with a spotless home, flourishing seedlings, and a productive studio. Also, my abdominal muscles would ripple as I accomplished all these things with grace and serenity.

Truly, I do not always arrange the day’s harvest in such an artistic manner.

But the universe today, via the WordPress elves, has asked me to share Six unusual things about myself. Acceptance of the Beautiful Blogger Award requires sharing Seven unusual things about myself. I’m not going to wait for the postman to request Eight items before handing over the mail. I get the message.

The No-Acre Homestead is firmly planted in middle suburbia. On 1/10 of an acre, we have our house, driveway, walkway, two sheds, deck, and patio. And in the spaces in between, we grow as much of our own produce as we can. Year-round, and camouflaged to conform to the community covenants.

The pride of the Homestead is our compost. We add all of our kitchen scraps. Even the dairy and meat. The rule of thumb is to keep those last items out, but we have a secret ally in composting. To our delight, last year we welcomed our first visit of the Black Soldier Fly. Their young, the less-attractively-named Compost Maggot, will eat Anything. I never thought I would love a maggot. But now I think to save some fat or fish heads for them when I am cooking, much the same way I save special tidbits for our other pets.

Do not look away! There is a hidden beauty in this pile of kitchen waste. Compost maggots!

My favorite scent is clean, rich soil. In fact, that’s the smell of true compost, and the reason that we have been able to have such a huge pile of “garbage” piled between neighboring townhouses. Healthy compost smells good. I don’t think our neighbors even realize that our kitchen waste is piled just a few feet from their deck.

I’m a total convert to raised bed planting. Container gardening works for our tiny nooks and crannies, but the raised beds, made of recycled plastic and filled with our homemade compost, are almost magically productive. I’ve been able to harvest herbs and greens all winter, with pathetically little effort on my part. In fact, by all rights, that parsley should have smothered under the ice-covered plastic sheeting. Due to health issues, I never got around to making cold frames, so things just piled up.

Raised beds and good compost create a productive garden in a tiny space.

Health issues aside, no matter how rough I feel, I always wear lipgloss. Even if i am still wearing the sweatshirt I slept in, that spot of color goes on. No matter how busy I am, the lipstick gets reapplied. No matter how dirty I get in the garden, my lips look glamorous. Is that the artist in me, seeking to create a spot of beauty? Or am I channelling my Grandma, who “dressed for work” in a 1950s era department store every day of her life, despite changing styles and her retirement many decades earlier?

As I look out the window just now, I am happy to see the garbage truck come by. And the recycling truck. Every week, I am again grateful for them. I’ve lived in rural areas where I had to haul my own trash ( although some neighbors stored it, or burned it). I’ve lived in cities where the negotiations to dispose of trash were convoluted and expensive. So it may be a bit strange that trash trucks make me happy, but I’ve got my reasons. You’d think that after a couple of decades of living in this County that I’d be over the whole curbside waste perk, but it still delights me.

So there you have it, folks. Another little smidgen of sharing on my part. Eventually, I’ll have enough to write that “About” page without too much effort. And of course, I’ll be wearing gloss on my lips, and have dirt on my hands.

Award process: step 1,share 7 things about myself. Check. Step 2, post the Award image. Check. Step 3, nominate more blogs…check back later on today! The pup needs her walk Right Now!

The post Close to the Dirt, Far From Normal appeared first on beyond back creek.