February 2010 Archives

Using this pattern you can sew yourself a stylish fold-up shopping bag that will easily fit into your purse when not in use.  

Since you will be choosing the material you make it from you can be sure that it 

will be something that will match your style. These are also wonderful to make as gifts for your stylish friends and family.


Make several for yourself so you will always have one handy!

The best part is that shoe clips are surprisingly easy and inexpensive to make. Shoe clips were once the norm for fashionable but frugal Victorians that would have several different types for various occasions. 

You might have seen shoe clips at vintage dress shops where the small jeweled ones are often mistaken for earrings.

For most people their  first exposure to shoe clips often happens when they are involved with a wedding were they are used as an inexpensive way to dress up a pair of shoes or to bring uniformity to a group of bridesmaids shoes that are not exactly the same.

A few years back I had been watching my daughter trying to learn how to snowboard  and thought, "The blue of her coat looks so great against the sky, I should grab my camera and take a photo". But as you can see instead of just thinking about it, I did it. 

When the majority of households had to grow and butcher their own food a frugal homemaker was not about to waste any of it. There would be an endless soup pot boiling on the back of the stove where every food scrap would end up and cook books had recipes that would explain how to use every bit of meat and dairy.  

But times and tastes have changed, most women are not home all day to keep an eye on that soup pot. It has become common for people to throw food out. We are not talking about food that is spoiled or past its due date, we are talking about good quality food. The ends of bread because we don't like the texture, mashed potatoes from the night before or the bit of hard-to-reach jam that's left in the jar all gets tossed. 

Food is expensive and it makes sense to use every bit of what you paid for. Here are some ideas of how you can do that.

A garage sale seems to be the easiest way to do it but will you actually make any money from the time and effort that you put into it? 

While garage sale can be a great way to make some extra cash there are several other ways of selling off your stuff and making more money that you thought you could.

My winter coats and jackets get well used and by this time of the season can start to look shabby and dirty if I don't take care of them. Take a look at your own outerwear and see if you have to do a mid season clean up on them. It is usually the collars, cuffs and areas around the pockets and button holes that can get quite soiled. You might find that you can just have to do a spot cleaning to make everything look fresh and new again but in my case with my ski jacket it had to go into the wash. 

  

It can give your kitchen or dining room a mini make over in a matter of seconds.  

It doesn't matter if your table top is made of barn board or 18th century solid cherry, a thick rich white damask cloth will give a classic look to both while a cheery red check table cloth will make it feel happy and casual. 

It doesn't take a lot of money to get a good quality table clothes that will last you years and with a selection of table clothes you can brighten up your every day meals and have a different look for every holiday and celebration. 

But what do you need to look for in a table cloth and where can you find the best deals?

While thank you letters were once considered the social norm for anyone who had the smallest amount of manners now many people think that a quick thanks over the shoulder seems to be sufficient. 

With the ease and convenience of e-mail it is simple to send out a thank you but there are times that you really should send a written note.  

Every one likes to be thank, whether it is for a gift or a action and it only takes a few minutes to do it. With a few tips and tricks you will be sending out thank you notes with grace and confidence and make people remember you as someone who has style.