oh dear, things!

moved it on over

ohdearthings — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 05:09:48 +0000

OH DEAR, THINGS! HAS A NEW WEBSITE LOCATION ON THE INTERNETZES.

WE CAN NOW BE FOUND AT OHDEARTHINGS.COM
SO COME AND SEE US!

friday

ohdearthings — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:02:32 +0000

Hidy everybody! It’s Friday, hoorah! We got up around 6 this morning to go for a fast-paced walk around our town’s frozen lake. It was invigorating, to say the least, and it felt good to stretch our legs after being pinned up in our snowy neighborhood. Hopefully it’s a habit that will catch on and stick with us for a long time. We are starting out easy and just telling ourselves to walk fast for 20 minutes, because that’s so simple and not something you can’t too easily justify not doing! Do you have any exercise routines? My roommate and I used to do a little yogalates, and in between rolling on the floor laughing, we actually started being able to stretch easier. I’d like to pick that up again!

We are sticking to my little planned meals (all one day of it so far) and it’s such a nice feeling. We each had a fried egg this morning with toast and sliced tomatoes, along with coffee and orange juice. I sent Harold off to work with a turkey wrap (don’t tell him, but I put an equal amount of lettuce and turkey – that boy doesn’t like his fresh greens too much) and some little crackers. He didn’t want to take an apple or orange because they are ‘too messy’…. ahem. Any suggestions? For dinner tonight I’m making a veggie lasagna in the crockpot. I’ve made it before and Harold really liked it, so hopefully it’ll turn out fine again! You know it’s a very simple recipe, otherwise I wouldn’t be doing it, so maybe I’ll post the pictures and whatnot later. In a way I’m happy to be forced to learn some crockpot recipes as some staples because it’s really nice to drop something in a big pot at noon, forget about it all day (except for the heavenly smells) and then have it warm and ready to eat by the time your husband gets home!

Another bit of exciting boring grown up news: I paid off one of my student loans a bit ago! I’ve been “phew”ing ever since, real big phews. Being in debt is just not something I enjoy a tiny bit. It’s too stressful. Now I just have one more to go and then we have Harold’s, which is noticeably more than mine, but hey! He is the breadwinner. As long as we’re chipping away at it consistently, I’m happy!

Speaking of happy, spring spring spring. It’s coming! Light-weight dresses, sandals, being warm, smelling fresh things. Because vintage clothing will always have my heart, here are some dandies up for grabs that are making me just itch to romp in a field or drink an iced coffee in a park. And then go home and have everyone out for a potluck and hoedown at our farm.

Why even bother with anybody’s new spring lines? There’s so many good oldies. Then again, you go on ahead and buy your new clothes… leave all these ugly old rags for me! Tehe. So long!

Yours,
Rebecca

thursday

ohdearthings — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:33:08 +0000

Hello, hello! I’ve been out and about all day, and it was the perfect day for bustling around. It was in the mid to high 50s and the sun was all bright and shiny so I drove around with the windows down and had an iced soy latte for breakfast! Went to two thrift stores and the grocery store and by the time I made it back home I had several arms full of groceries and some treats from the thrift stores. Yesterday I sat down and finally planned our every meal for the next week and guess what? It was true! Even without Harold urging me on it only took me about 30 minutes or so to get everything, and it was such a nice feeling knowing that every single thing I was putting in the cart had a goal! And boy, oh boy, it was so nice to not feel like I needed to peruse every single section just in case. The total for three meals a day for the next seven days equalled a little over $100, which breaks down to about $2.40 a meal per person (right? I like words, not numbers)! And that could stretch even more if we eat a little lighter and the leftovers last longer. Imagine the possibilities!

The thrift stores! Well, somebody out there has been donating some goods, that’s all I know. Here is a little snapshot of some of the things:

That coat is going to be hard to part with. I’ve been on a vintage puzzle kick lately… and I lucked out and found a Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood lp as well as the Flying Burrito Brothers! This is funny because those are two albums I’ve been thinking about how I’d like to own and pondering buying them online somewhere. Oh, and a cute little flowery trash can as well as a really old hole puncher to add to my desk supply collection, both of which are equally exciting.

Anyhow, other than that I do believe my body is trying to ward off some really bad allergies or something. The sniffling, watery eyes, achey feelings keep getting stronger and then dissipating off and on, so we’ll see! Hope you had a wonderful Thursday, too.

Yours,
Rebecca

SONGS
(Here’s two I’m listening to right now! Join me!)

Jackson by Lee Hazelwood & Nancy Sinatra
Devil in Disguise by the Flying Burrito Brothers

ps. Thanks for all the words about our oven! At this point we’re equally as annoyed at ourselves for having let it go on so long and our landlord is wintering in a different country so we don’t have a straight line of communication to him. We’ll see! We’re pretty tired of going without!

on the side, with jelly

ohdearthings — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 20:30:28 +0000

Yummy, the cookies turned out delightful! Now I’m only a little sad that we’re sending them away to his office instead of gobbling them up ourselves. Yes, baking soothes my soul apparently because now I’m chipper and chatty. Lookout. Anyhow, I’m thankful for a fancy baking/cooking brother-in-law willing to share his recipe and thankful for a neighbor who is so kind to let me come down and use her oven! The windows are open, music is playing and things are getting done – it is a good day. So shoo bad mood! Also a thank you, Jennifer, for the recipe to have on hand that requires no oven.We always have a big bag of oats around so that is especially helpful! Hopefully I can pull it off!

My neighbor also lent me an Amish cookbook, from which I took a few recipes and scribbled them down! I’m excited to try them out. Here’s my favorite, just in time for the upcoming spring. Dandelion jelly. What? Yes, I said dandelion jelly:

Dandelion Jelly

In early morning before dew dries pick one quart blossoms. Look over for bugs.
Boil in one quart water for three minutes. Drain.

Add:
+ One package sure jell
+ 4 and a half cups sugar
+ One teaspoon lemon or orange extract

Boil three minutes. Pour and seal in sterile jars.

You can try to pretend that isn’t the cutest recipe you’ve ever read, but no one could believe you. Heehee. Have fun today.

wednesday

ohdearthings — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 17:16:33 +0000

Good morning! What’cha up to? I’m Miss Funky McFunkerson today, boo. It’s beautiful outside luckily, and hopefully that’ll whip me into shape. My neighbor has graciously agreed to let me come down and use her oven. I’ll be stealing my brother-in-law’s recipe for (the perfect) chocolate chip cookies and hopefully they’ll turn out well enough so that Harold can take them into work. We’ve been wanting to make something to send in for awhile, but without a working oven it’s tricky to think of anything that anyone would actually want. Any good ideas for non-oven treats to send to an office full of nice and wonderful people?

Anyhow, I’m going to look at pretty pictures to get me giddy.
Le’ssee what we can find:

Ahh… feeling better already.

Yours,
Rebecca

on the side

ohdearthings — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 23:48:25 +0000

Yay! I actually put a few more things up on Etsy. Feel free to scope them out, tell your peeps, etc. And have an amazing rest of your Tuesday! One of the best friends/people I know, a one Miss Tara, has suggested that she and I start taking turns and sending handmade gifts back and forth to each other every month. Can’t wait to see what we come up with! I will surely be chronicling it on here. I hope every one of you is blessed with a miss Tara in your life. Here’s a couple of oldies with Miss Tara and me:

hard to see, but lots of love and good.

She’s home, ya know?
Yours,
Rebecca

tuesday

ohdearthings — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 19:37:03 +0000

Welp, how was yesterday for you? Harold got off work and we went on a quick coffee date! We went to the store and bought some chocolate and came home and ate it until our tummies ached. It was wonderful! While I was moaning on the couch from the overload of sugar he recorded a song on the couch next to me and e-mailed it to me as a gift. Hehe. It was a perfect cover of one of my favorite songs called ‘I’m Tellin’ the Birds, Tellin’ the Bees (How I Love You)’ by Cliff Edwards, and he just picked up the guitar and figured it out within a few minutes. Ridiculous. So yes, my Valentines day was perfect.

Other than a little Valentinesy time yesterday, I was lazy. Oops. I never even got around to taking the photos for Etsy, doh! But I’m being better today, the kitchen is clean, the laundry is going and I just took a shower! Are you a morning or night time shower-er? I go back and forth, but sometimes I have to take one in the morning to wake me up and get me moving, like today! It’s in the 50s outside so I may open up the windows and play the new 20s mix CD from my sister that we got in the mail last night (along with other goodies, thanks!) and try to get after all these side projects that keep staying on the side.

What about you, pal, what’s in the works today?

I’m entirely ready for spring.

Think about it – picking wildflowers and plopping them in a vase!

Our neighbor was talking with us about random things the other day and somehow we wound up on the topic of land. We were discussing people who spend thousands on their yards to have them manicured perfectly, and she was of the opinion (as are we) that that is a waste of not only money but space. Do you have an opinion? If we ever own any scrap of land I’d like to dig up the earth and throw seeds around of all sorts! I’d like to have a vegetable garden, a flower garden, plant some fruit trees and keep some bees (far away)! Also a cow to milk and some chickens to lay eggs. Yes, that sounds just about right. I may even eat brussel sprouts if they came straight from our land!

Yours,
Rebecca

on the side, with lace

ohdearthings — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 18:42:15 +0000

It hit me this morning that I’d really like to learn how to make some handmade lace! Does anyone out there know how to go about doing this? I don’t know about you other ladies, but anytime I see anything lace I swoon a little. Oh, and I’d also like to learn how to sew old fashioned bloomers. Help!

every fair skinned lady needs a proper parasol and big straw hat during the summer!

For the bloomers I suppose I could try to track down some old vintage patterns, eh? Hmm…welp, I could look at lace all day, so ta-ta for now!

monday

ohdearthings — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 16:19:54 +0000

Happy Valentines! Married, engaged, single, cat lady or child – whomever you are I hope you are celebrating today good and proper by eating a fancy piece of chocolate (even if you go buy it for yourself!) and feeling fuzzy inside. We don’t have any chocolate around the house today but maybe Harold will stop off and get some tonight. Other than that my plans are the same as any other day, be a homemaker! And actually get around to taking the pictures of the goods from the weekend to put up on Etsy. We got my roll of film back yesterday so let’s take a look-see at a little handful:

a cute house we happened upon when we were out exploring

from john & joanna's wedding

also from john & joanna's wedding

exploring

a very dapper ladybug

Anyhow, I was sad because a lot of the photos from the wedding came out way too dark so I tried my hand at brightening them just a little (I know, I know – how cheap! But I’m going to blame it on Harold, who is a designer and has taught me that some basic photo shopping isn’t evil) but obviously I’m no professional! Ah well, you get the idea! Our light reader may be messed up a tad, because Harold took some photos on this roll as well that came out kind of funky, and he’s a lot smarter than me with those sorts of things! Que sera, sera.

We recorded our song for our soon-to-be-born niece Amelie Saturday evening! Finally. It came out pretty silly, but it’s full of love so that’s what counts, right? My brother Colby is writing a sort of story with songs for her and suggested we cover ‘Young at Heart‘ because it would go along perfectly for a part of the story. I’ve heard a few of the other songs that will be in the compilation and they are quite the doozies! Can’t wait to hear the final product!

What do you have in store for today? Anything special? Nothing at all? Sometimes that’s best. Either way you go about celebrating today (or not) have a wonderful, wonderful Monday! Skip around with a big fat smile on your face.

Yours,
Rebecca

saturday

ohdearthings — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 20:25:11 +0000

Good afternoon, world! I’m taking a second or two to write at you while Harold is making us turkey burgers! Yum. We woke up early and went to a rummage sale, got a microphone cable at a music shop, went to the library and then drove around exploring before we came home. And it’s only 1pm! Plenty of the day left to get done what needs gettin’ done. We got some real treats at the sale – a few dresses to put on Etsy, a few gifts for friends, a small vintage suitcase and the best part: three ‘new’ old lenses in pristine condition for my Pentax! I tried each of them out today and finished up the roll of film so hopefully by the beginning of next week or so we can see how everything turned out! Anyhow, other than that I think we’re going to gobble up these turkey burgers that are smelling so good already and then we have a song to record for one little unborn Amelie Belle (are you reading this, Colby?)! Maybe while Harold is editing the song and making it sound better I can take photos of the dresses and things for Etsy! Or maybe I’ll just read ‘The Lucky Lawrences‘ ($1 at the library!) snuggled up near Harold. Heehee! It’s convenient having your favorite human being around.

in case you don't follow our tumblr, here's a snapshot from our drive today!

our goodgoodgoodgood friend bac took this of us over christmas. i look like a haggard middle aged woman, but harold looks dapper as usual! yep, he's a-ok.

Oh! And I wanted to share one of my favorite Etsy shops with you. The shop is Jean Jean Vintage and she specializes in vintage jewelry. If you know me at all you know I don’t care a lick about jewelry for the most part, but then when I do find something I like I just really really love it! And pretty much everything she has in her shop makes me drool. See?

You should go drool some yourself! Have a good rest of the weekend!

Yours,
Rebecca