The Blushing Bird

My Latest Crazy Adventure.....

2011-01-01T17:43:00.001-08:00

This week, January 2nd-9th, I will be busy with my latest crazy adventure. For my more conservative friends and family, don't worry about me. It doesn't hurt, that much......

Toxic Toothpaste

2010-12-17T17:22:00.000-08:00

Have you ever read the label on a toothpaste tube? Ever wonder what all those ingredients are? Lara Berch runs an interesting blog about the state of our Earth called Down With Basics. She has an interesting article on toothpaste from Scott Baker. Here is a short excerpt.

"The 5 Hidden Dangers In Toothpaste
By: Scott Baker
A Must Read if You Have Children
Would you allow your family to brush their teeth with engine degreaser or rat poison? The fact is, they probably are and you don’t even know it. See http://toothpastewarning.here.ws/ for specific list.
Dental hygiene products that you and your children use every day may contain toxins that have been linked to cancer, blindness, and even death. Have you checked out the ingredients in your toothpaste or mouthwash lately?" For the rest of the article, click here.

Is Shampoo Safe?

2010-12-17T17:16:00.001-08:00

I took a major brand shampoo out of my cupboard, I still have a few left, and read the ingredients. Some of the ingredients I am familiar with like water, glycerine.......and......um......well, that's it apparently.

The other ingredients? Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Dimethiconol, Cocamide MEA, Glycerin, silk powder, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Cocamidoprpyl Betaine, Gragrance, PEG-5 Cocamide, Carbomer, Amodimethicone, Guar Hydroxyprpyltrimonium Chloride, Ammonium Chloride, TEA Dodecylbenzenesulfonate, Tetrasodium EDTA, DMDM Hydantoin, C11-15 Pareth-&, Laureth-9, PEG-45m, Trideceth-12, PPG-9, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Titanium Dioxide.

Here is what Deidre Imus says about some of these ingredients in her book, The Essential Green You:

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate- Research suggests, skin irritant, carcinogenic, neurotoxic, developmentally toxic effects. It may also release a carcinogen known as 1,4-dioxane. Found in shampoos, conditioners, bar soaps, body washes, facial cleansers, liquid hand soaps, acne treatments, hair dyes, mascara, shaving products etc....

Fragrance- The FDA lets personal care companies classify their fragrance formulas as "trade secrets". Most fragrances contain highly volatile allergens that are a recognized cause of asthma and skin rashes in children and adults. Many contain dibutyl phthalates which have been identified as potential hormone disruptors in animal studies.

Cocamide DEA- The National Library of Medicine has found moderate evidence that DEA is toxic to the human immune system and irritating to skin, while the EPA classifies it as a "known human respiratory toxicant". Once your skin absorbs it, DEA is also prone to forming compounds called nitrosmaines, which have been shown to cause cancer in lab animals.

It pays to do your research and a healthy dose of skepticism my be good for your health.

Putting By Carrots

2010-12-17T17:05:00.000-08:00

I am a bit late on harvesting the carrots. I just didn't make time to harvest them earlier. It's one of the benefits of gardening with root vegetables and many winter veges, you can harvest them when you need them or when it's convenient to you. There are fewer pests in the winter to ruin your veges so I tend to just water them like I do the rest of my 'plants' and 'go to the garden to fetch dinner' as needed.

Carrots are easy to grow, just make sure to dig and turn the soil about 6-8 inches so the roots can grow freely. They are somewhat forgiving if you forget to water them for a while. Carrots are very nutritous and are easy to cook.

This food is very low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Folate, Pantothenic Acid, Iron, Potassium and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin K and Manganese.

You can 'Put By' carrots by canning, dehydrating or freezing. I don't have a pressure canner so I decided to freeze mine. I washed and sliced the carrots into discs, laid out carrots in a single layer on a cookie sheet, placed in chest freezer. This way each carrot was frozen individually and they won't freeze into one, solid block. I can then store in two freezer jars and 'shake out' what I need for recipes. It's very convenint to do it this way.

In this part of Texas, we can grow carrots year round. In fact, I have some new seeds in the ground now. I hope you decide to grow carrots too!

Plant A Row For The Hungry

2010-12-17T17:02:00.000-08:00

Territorial Seed Company was giving away free carrot seeds for gardeners that would plant extra in order to help feed people in need. The instructions were simple, plant these free seeds in extra space in your garden and donate the veges to a food bank, soup kitchen or a neighbor in need. I finally harvested this vege bed and donated it to a neighbor two houses down from me. They are recent immigrants from Africa that are challenged as they are making a life here in the U.S. I harvested the veges, put them in a paper bag along with herbs, greens and lemon grass from my garden and placed them on the front porch. Anonymous is more my style. This act is a vintage concept of community that was pervasive in earlier days and was also a key concept in the book Radical Homemaker by Shannon Hayes.

I enjoyed this book tremendously. Thanks Julie for recommending this book!!

Creative Spaces

2010-02-06T08:48:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite crafting space. I have a few others, sewing, knitting, cooking (I consider cooking a craft). In this colorful room, I am movitivated to make something everytime I clear off the table. The vibrant colors in there are like a piping hot cup of creative coffee, energizing me and motivating me to create a one-of-a-kind piece. I really like color, this room shows it:)

I finished the Kittyville hat from Debbie Stoller's SNB

2010-01-01T06:38:00.001-08:00

I finally finished the Kittyville Hat from Kitty Schmidt that i knit from Debbie Stoller's SNB book.

I first saw this hat actually on a fellow girl scout in our troop. When I asked mom where she got this hat she said ' I knit it from this book'. I had the same book and started to knit this hat. It's pretty easy, very much an intermediate hat. I want to knit more, especially from Malabrigo Yarn. This color is Ravelry Red
The cold weather has inspired me to start knitting again. It's been a while, a casualty of having so many hobbies. Oh well, what can i do?

Team Etsy Austin Goodness**

2009-12-09T17:13:00.000-08:00

Retrodition is an uber cool purse and fashion Etsy shoppe based in Austin. This purse I purchased for my 18 year old niece, 'Happy Birthday KW!' I loved the purse pattern and the fabric used, plus yellow is my favorite color. I found this purse on Etsy while searching for bags and purses and 'TeamEtsyAustin' in the search line.

Research And Details

2009-12-06T06:51:00.000-08:00

Just trying to decide what type of printer or paper to use can be daunting when making prints. Some artist will print out of house, some print in house. I tried printing on thick art paper because I love the texture but it didn't absorb the ink from my printer evenly. I tried different photo paper and decided matte photo paper is the best. To learn more about printing art, there is a great thread by Junk Yard Sam on Etsy.

Blushing Bird number two

2009-12-03T19:54:00.000-08:00

This purty bird is a Rose Breasted Grosbeak. It is common in the Eastern US and Southeastern Canada. I love the white-black-red contrast. In this painting he is savenging for a last-minute meal before the storm comes in.

Interruptions

2009-12-02T08:45:00.000-08:00

There's so much to do when you first open an Etsy shop any distractions can be welcoming. It's like a mandated break from the long to-do list. Thanks Moonlite!

Blushing Bird Number One!

2009-11-26T21:23:00.000-08:00

This 'White Breasted Nuthatch' is the first of the Blushing Flock.

I'm On Etsy!

2009-11-26T21:19:00.000-08:00

I just started an Etsy site, hence the need for this blog. To see what I have been up to the past few years you can check out TinasCraftiness.Blogspot.Com. My husband has been on Etsy for a couple of years now and loves it! The Etsy bug didn't quited hit me until recently. My hubbys site it Craftiness.Etsy.Com where he sells unique gift items that he makes on his lathe (a fast spinning doo-hickey that allows him to chisel in the round).

I think simple and easily reproducible avatars are the way to go. What do you think?

I am trying to figure out this banner thing. I will try re-sizing in gimp tomorrow. Any suggestions?