Reruns Consignment Sale

In October 2019 my husband and I bought a pop up consignment business. Twice a year we set up in a gym and consignors bring items for us to display for sale. The public has 10 days to shop. We then sort it and give what didn’t sell back to the consignors. We just finished our 8th sale. Next spring will start our 5th year in business.

We have learned so much and meet some amazing people who have become our friends and family. It is fulfilling my dream of owning a business. It hasn’t been easy. Some times it is down right exhausting. Especially when it is 100 degrees outside in September. The past month has really put me to the test. Putting all the equipment up, displaying all the items people bring to sell, having to sort it, sell it (which is the easy part), give it back, and then tearing down the equipment is a huge undertaking. None of this would happen with out the help of our children, friends, and volunteers. Like raising a child it takes a village. I am so proud of my village. The people who step up every time to help are the driving force of what makes this business successful.

People bring a wide variety of items like clothing, shoes, purses, wallets, belts, jewelry, baby gear, toys, games, home decor, books, and kitchen accessories. This past sale we had 138 consignors drop off. Each consignor brought at least 40 items. Some brought much more. It is exciting to organize it and see what they drop off displayed for the public to purchase.

We get positive feedback from consignors and customers. Some times not so positive. That is all part of it. We are learning to take it in stride and do the best we can. It seems like with every sale we learn something and tweak a few things to try to make the sale a better experience for everyone involved.

Our goal is to one day have a permanent location and stay open year round. We will see how it goes. If it is meant to be it will happen.

Zucchini Oat Muffin Recipe

Zucchini Oat Muffins

Ingredients:
1 cup Zucchini grated or shredded
2 Eggs
1/2 cup Quick or old fashioned oats
1/2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1/2 cup Brown sugar substitute like Truvia or Swerve (Or Regular Brown Sugar)
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 cup All purpose flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup Unsweetened applesauce

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray the muffin pan with cooking spray.

Grate the zucchini. Use a wire strainer and spoon or cheese cloth to get the extra moisture out of the zucchini.

Mix the eggs, brown sugar substitute, vanilla extract together in a bowl. In a separate bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and oats.

Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a wooden spoon. The mixture will look a little dry. Stir in the grated zucchini. The mixture will moisten back up during this step.

Use a 1/4 measuring cup to scoop out enough mix that it is almost full. Divide it evenly into a muffin pan for 12 muffins.

Bake at 350 degrees for 23-26 minutes.

I have been able to find the brown sugar substitute at Walmart and Publix. You can always order it from Amazon as well. Let me know it you make them.

Black Pepper Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed

2 Tbsps corn starch

2 Tbsps EVOO

2 Tbsps black pepper

1 tsp salt

1/2 tbsp onion powder

2 cups cooked brown rice

1 bag of broccoli florets, frozen

1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup oyster sauce

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1/2 tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp ginger powder

Cook brown rice according to package instructions. Microwave the broccoli florets for 6 minutes.

Mix together the cornstarch, 2 Tbsps of black pepper, and salt in a bowl. Coat the cubed chicken with mixture. Heat the EVOO in a pan over med-high heat. Brown the chicken in batches. About 5-7 minutes.

Mix together chicken broth, vinegar, oyster sauce, minced garlic, onion powder, remaining black pepper, chili powder, and ginger. Pour mixture in pan over chicken. Stir. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes.

Layer the rice, broccoli, and black pepper chicken in a large bowl.

This recipe is 3 personal points for me.

Badge Reels or Bust

A friend of mine works as a nurse at one of the local hospitals. She suggested that I start making badge reels. I had no idea that this was even a thing. I did a little browsing and decided why not give it a try. I started making them back in October and to say that I was busy is an understatement. Between badge reels and Christmas ornaments I was sewing 5 days a week and trying to get our daily needs met. I have mailed them all across the country over the last 6 months.

I have discovered that I rather enjoy making small in the hoop projects that can be stitched out fairly quickly. I also make, burp cloths, decorative hand towels, hand sanitizer holders, lip balm holders, key chains, cord wraps, and bookmarks.

If you have reached this far, thank you.

Happy Sewing and stay safe.

Holly

Being A Stay At Home Mom

It is hard to believe that I haven’t created a blog post in almost two years. Where has the time gone? Up until the beginning of April I was working full time. There was little time for any hobbies or blog posts. Now that I am once again a stay at home mom I am finding there is time for me to concentrate on some of the things I like to do. I might even finish a book this year.

It has taken some time getting used to a slower pace. My job was very busy and stressful. My brain was in high gear for 8 hours a day. Once I made it home I would cook supper and then sit on the couch like a blob until bed time. I was too exhausted to do much of anything. Now I have time to meal plan, work in the yard, clean the house, sew, and even blog. The possibilities are endless. When I started my job Andrew was 3. He just turned 12 in April.

Josh will be a senior for the 2020-2021 school year. I can’t wrap my mind around being old enough to have a 17 and a 25 year old. The boys don’t need me as much now that they are older. I still hear, “What’s for supper?” almost every day. It is one of the most dreaded questions. I would come home and get that instead of, “Hi Mom!” BOYS!

Making food never ends. Having to choose what to make can get tiresome. With my husbands help I came up with a solution for this problem. I made a menu board.

I hot glued some pockets from old jeans that I had cut up for scraps onto a clipboard. I cut cardstock into strips and wrote down all the recipes that we typically eat. I choose 7 for the week. They go in the left pocket. Today’s recipe goes at the top and once it is made I move it to the right pocket. There is a pocket on the back for the leftover recipes that I didn’t pick from. Of course we usually have a left over night so typically it is an 8 day rotation. It has worked out great for me and really takes the stress out of trying to figure out what is for supper. We hardly ever eat out and I know the options are better for us.

Here is a sneak peak of a gift I finished making this morning. I will blog about it in the upcoming weeks. Don’t want to ruin the surprise.

Alabama Quilt

Alabama Applique Quilt

I spent a great many of Monday nights helping a very good friend make this Alabama themed quilt for her daughter’s birthday present. I had to keep it a secret. I was not allowed to share any pictures. This was very hard for me to do. I love to share pictures of the quilts that I make.

There are twenty-four 12 inch crimson squares with white appliqued A’s on them. The squares in the sashing around the blocks are houndstooth fabric as well as the border. I quilted the Alabama themed quilt with my Juki TL98 using a meander free motion quilting pattern. The Alabama quilt is queen sized.

Paci Bib

A friend recently shared a picture with me of a Paci Bib that you can snap a pacifier to so that it doesn’t get lost when the baby spits it out. I went home and modified a bib design that I already had and my version of the Paci Bib was born. She have been selling them at our local flea market for me.

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When God Made Me He Was Just Showing Off Applique Bib

I recently was asked to make a bib and two burp cloths with a design that I have bought from Happy Applique. This is one of my most requested stitch outs. I stitched it out on a towel and sent it to my mother. She loves it.

The bib is handmade. I used a hand towel to stitch the design on and yellow chevron flannel on the back. No layers in between. I used my serger to finish the edge of the bib and velcro for the fastener. It was so quick and easy to make.

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This burp cloth was monogrammed with Applique Corner’s Interlaced Open embroidery font. The perfect baby shower gift for an expecting mom. b-monogrammed-burp-cloth-fabricmom

I’ve Been at the Shoals Flea Market

My friend Angie and I have been setting up a booth on the third weekend of every month at the Muscle Shoals Flea Market. We both crochet, although she has mastered it. I am a beginner for sure. I have been making items with my embroidery machine to sell at the flea market. We have all things baby and some adult items. Hats, sandals, headbands, burp cloths, hang towels, pacifier clips, baby blankets, booties, t-shirts, handmade outfits, barefoot sandals, and jewelry. We are having so much fun and have met some great people.

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Family Memory Quilt

My cousin Brittany contacted me last year and asked if I would be willing to make a quilt for her mother as a Christmas gift. She wanted to put pictures on fabric and make them into a quilt. I embroidered the family name on one of the green squares. IMG_5783It was like taking a trip down memory lane for me. We spent a lot of time with my grandparents and aunts in Ft. Myers. It was nice to see her family pictures and think about the times we spent together when I was growing up. My how quickly time passes by. Even though it was a simple pattern it was by far the most challenging quilt for me. Mostly because of fear. The fear of messing it up or not getting it done in time. It turned out beautifully. I am so thankful that Brittany asked me to make this for her mother.