Custom Bracelets From YOUR Special Buttons!

Now available from Holly&Sage - Custom Button Bracelets!

If you have a lot of buttons (or any) laying around and you like the idea of making jewelry, but you don't have the time (or the creativity or the desire) to make them yourself, send them to me and I will do it for you!

A friend of mine and the proprietor of Back Home, a quaint gift shop in Gold Hill, NC, had a lot of buttons that had been her mother's before she passed away. These were special reminders of her mother and she wanted to put them to use in a special way. Since she loves my button bracelets, she commissioned me to make some bracelets from her mother's buttons. They turned out great!




Aren't these pretty?
 
Thanks to Sandy's encouragement, I am now offering custom button bracelets from your buttons!

These make excellent heirloom gifts for family members: dig out Grandma's old buttons and have some made for aunts, nieces, sisters, cousins, etc. Think Grandma didn't have any buttons? Check that sewing sewing basket - I bet she did!

All you need is a selection of buttons - a 7-inch bracelet usually uses 10 - 12 buttons depending on how big the buttons are.
That's it! I will supply the cord, come up with a pleasing design, and put it all together for you!

See Holly&Sage for all the details.

Packing for Airline Travel

... with three stops.... 

 

You know you have OCD when it takes you 3 days to pack! Seriously, I think I have a problem!

I recently signed up with Dressing Your Truth where I learned what my beauty style is. Not only do you learn the best colors and types of clothing to wear, it is something of a personality assessment. As a Type 2, I discovered that I am very detailed. And, in my case, that causes me to take forever to pack for a trip - especially a 9-day trip in which we will be changing planes 3 times (UGGG! Who chose this itinerary!?!).

I don't want to haul a large carry-on bag from flight to flight that many times (possibly running through the airport to make the connection!) so I am planning to check my bag. But I don't want to get caught spending a night at an unexpected stop somewhere without vital toiletries and at least something to sleep in, if not a change of clothes. Sooooo - I have a rather large purse that I bought specifically for this trip (in a suitable Type 2 muted color!) and I have packed everything in it that I think I might need in a pinch.

Here is what I have in this wonderfully spacious bag:

• my makeup case plus a bottle of moisturizer and my powder which don't fit in the case
• a large t-shirt and extra undies - for sleeping in if my other clothes (ie: my checked bag) is not with me
• a mirror (for putting on aforementioned makeup)
• Emergency 'medical' supplies: contact case and solution, assorted medications such as allergy pills, aspirin, cough drops, etc. (in the red checked bag)
• reading glasses
• my wallet with cash, credit cards, etc.
• my camera
• Rx eyeglasses
• lipstick, lip balm, lip liner, compact with mirror
• hand sanitizer and wet wipes
• my Nook (smaller than a book! - more versatile, too!)
• my phone (not in there now, but will be when I leave) ...should I try to cram my charger in there?
• my passport
• a pen(hmmm - do I need paper, too?)

So, if you are looking for suggestions on what to pack, this should cover it. Did I forget anything? Let me know in the comments!

Now that that is done, I need to stop procrastinating and get back to packing my other bag...

:-)

Ready to Be Your Most Beautiful Self?

My experience with Dressing Your Truth

I have recently discovered a program that helps women learn to accentuate their own natural qualities by taking a realistic look at the hair, skin, and body that they were born with; see their own unique beauty and make the most of it!

That is a tall order! I have spent hours watching videos and reading articles and watched (what feels like) hundreds of before and after photos that have convinced me that this program truly works magic!



It is called Dressing your Truth. You can sign up for the free Learn Your Type e-course here.

I have spent so much time with this fascinating information the last few days that I see it where ever I look. Last night my husband and I were watching a documentary and one of the experts that was being interviewed was such a perfect example of a Type 1 that it was quite distracting to me! I wanted to say, "look at her ears that stick out in such an animated way, and her round face, and her cute upturned mouth!" but, of course, he would have thought I had completely lost my mind, so I didn't mention it. Ha! Ha!

Another place I am seeing "types" is in my jewelry! Here are some examples:

Type 1: Bright, animated beauty; light, airy, circles, fun

Color Pop Earrings

Pastel Button Bracelet

Type 2: Subtle, soft beauty, comfortable, flowing

Aqua Swirl Mommy Necklace

Low Tide Button Bracelet

Type 3: Rich, dynamic beauty; passionate, angular

Square Green Mommy Necklace

Mustard Yellow Marble Bracelet

Type 4: Bold, striking beauty; solid, high contrast, black & white

Geometric Red Cubic Zirc Earrings

Black & White Necklace

Have you discovered what your type is? What are your favorite type-specific accessories?

Let me know what you think of the program!

Banana Mango Smoothie Recipe

This recipe makes a delicious breakfast smoothie, or you can pour it into Popsicle molds and freeze them to make a healthy frozen treat!

 

I have been exploring paleo foods lately in a search for relief from my digestive woes. I came across a recipe similar to this one and tweaked it a little to suit my preferences. This sugar-free, dairy-free treat will fit in with your paleo diet, gluten free diet, real food (traditional; WAPF) diet, or just about any eating plan you follow.

What you will need:

• Mango
• Banana
• Coconut milk
• Lemon juice
• Almond butter
• Egg (optional)

Make it:

• To make 2 servings (warning: it tastes really good - you might want to drink both servings yourself in one sitting!) I used one whole fresh mango and one banana. I cut these up the night before and put them in the freezer because I like my smoothies to be nice and frosty. You can do this or you can leave them unfrozen.
• Combine the mango, banana, about a tablespoon of lemon juice (I didn't measure it - smoothies don't need exact amounts), a blob of almond butter (about 1/4 cup), and a cup or so of full fat coconut milk (I made this the day before, too - Here's how), and the egg if you are using it. 
• Blend until smooth.
• Pour into a glass and enjoy! Share some with someone else, drink it all yourself, or freeze the leftovers for a Popsicle later. Yummy!

What is your favorite smoothie? Leave a comment and let me know!

Book Review: Wheat Belly by William Davis

This book changed my life. In fact, it may have SAVED it.

I had read some negative reviews about it, so I was skeptical about it's value. But I found it to be well written, easy to read, and very informative.

Davis uses a lot of light humor, which makes for an easy and enjoyable read, but he also includes a lot of excellent information. He explains the technical reasoning to support his positions in a way that is not difficult for a lay person to understand.

Wheat Belly argues that many of the health problems facing Americans today can possibly be caused by eating too many grains, and modern wheat in particular. These problems include obesity, heart disease, diabetes, accelerated aging, and of course, celiac disease.

I almost skipped the chapter on Celiac disease thinking, "I don't have that". But I read it anyway. I'm glad I did, because I now realize that I DO have that! That is why I say this book may have saved my life: It is estimated that only 10% of Celiac sufferers realize that they have the disease and if untreated it poses a hugely increased risk of abdominal cancers.

Cancer has been a concern of mine since I can remember. Nearly all of my family members that are no longer living have had cancer (and a couple of the ones that ARE still living...). I have also had a lot of abdominal and digestion-related troubles, so I was eager to "fix" these by giving up wheat and gluten.

The one complaint that I have about Wheat Belly is that it leads you to believe that if you give up wheat (and other gluten-containing grains) all your problems will be solved and your wildest dreams will come true (okay, so that is an exaggeration, but you get the picture). I am finding that this is just not true. Healing your 'gut' takes time, and it may be several months before you actually see dramatic results of your new gluten-free lifestyle.

I have had fewer problems with gas and bloating in the 3 weeks since I stopped eating gluten, but I can't say that it has stopped completely. I also have not lost any of the spare tire around my belly yet. But my DH (dermatitis herpetiformis - an itchy skin condition associated with celiac disease) has cleared up almost completely, and I have hope that my system is working hard to heal itself and repair the intestinal damage inflicted upon it by years of undigestible gluten exposure.

I recommend Wheat Belly to anyone who wants to learn more about the effects that eating grains has on the body. The last portion of the book also contains a sample menu and lot of good grain-free recipes.

Buy Wheat Belly at amazon.com
.

Using Pinterest for your Online Business

I you have a website or online shop you should be using Pinterest. Is is an excellent and easy-to-use promotional tool.  It is a great visual way to get more traffic to your site or shop. (Also a fun way to wile away the hours looking at beautiful photos of places you'd like to travel to or recipes that make your mouth water.)

Add a Pinterest button to your toolbar (so you can "Pin" things quick as a wink!



And now there is Pinerly! 

Pinerly is a new application that makes it easier than ever to use Pinterest. Use it to follow/unfollow pinners, view popular pins, schedule pins, and get statistics to learn how to reach a larger audience. It will help you to optimize your marketing strategies so that you can focus on your content!

More about Pinterest and how and why you should be using it: http://www.inc.com/john-brandon/9-tips-boost-your-business-pinterest.htmlUse this link to sign up for Pinerly: http://www.pinerly.com/i/NabX9

Find me on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/hollynsage/

How to Make Coconut Milk - So Delicious!

I made coconut milk for the first time today and I am so excited about it! I had never tasted truly fresh coconut milk before so I didn't know what I was missing, but - WOW! It is so creamy and smooth.

I followed Jenny's instructions at Nourished Kitchen for making it, and it worked great. It was time-consuming (getting all that coconut out of the shell and peeling the skin off of it), but not hard.* (See my time-saving update below!)

PS - Get free shipping from Tropical Traditions with code 200212free - hurry, it expires midnight EST, Monday, February 20th.


Once you get it out you basically just put it in a blender with some water and blend it up. I was afraid that my blender would have trouble with it (it doesn't do well with ice, for instance), but it shredded it right up quite easily. After I squeezed the liquid out of it, the remaining coconut looked just like what you buy at the store! (Except it didn't have any additives.)

The instructions say to strain it through butter muslin, but I don't have any of that so I used an old (clean!) cotton pillowcase that was getting thin with wear. I cut a large square out of one side of the pillowcase and used it to strain the coconut. It worked perfectly and I felt good about putting something that I thought was 'worn out' to good use!

Jenny says to put the coconut in a dehydrator to use in baked goods, etc. just like any other coconut. I have a dehydrator, but I didn't want to go to the trouble of putting the coconut in it, so I just put it in a plastic container in the freezer. That should be just as good.

After I made it I drank a glass of it before storing it in the frige. It was still warm and indescribably delicious!  Bonus: my hands were really soft from the coconut oil after I finished squeezing the milk out of the coconut.

CHEERS!

*TIME SAVING UPDATE! I just found a product that saves me from having to cut open a coconut and pry the meat out and scrape all the peel off - this is HUGE, believe me! And it actually saves money, too. I was paying from $2 to $4 each for coconuts at the grocery store until I decided to try to find some natural packaged coconut meat without sweetener or additives. I discovered Tropical Traditions Organic Dried Coconut Flakes (it is available shredded, too). 

I ordered a 2.2 lb. bag, and it is a LOT of coconut. It looks to be the equivalent of about 6 coconuts. Since I only paid $8.50 for it (on sale - regular price is $10. - still a good deal), that is like paying less than $1.50 per coconut. PLUS it is organic AND saves a LOT of work! What could be better? :-D


Coconut Chips - 2.2-lb Bag



Order before midnight EST, Monday, February 20th and get free shipping - use code 200212free.