Vintage Find: Ball Blue Mason Jar

I'm obsessed with most things vintage and antique... I really do love almost anything with a history.  I have been searching for Ball blue mason jars lately and when my fiance found this one, I was pretty  excited...    

According to this website, the jar is from 1910-1923, I think?....  I'll have to do more research on dates and such later to be sure, since there's a lot more to mason jar history than I expected.... nerd alert.

PICTURE TIME!

DIY: Easy Circle Garland Tutorial

With my wedding coming up in April, I've been planning and testing out so many DIY decoration projects.  This was a little test run I did to make sure my idea of sewing the circle garland together (instead of gluing/taping) would work.. . and it did!  So easy and inexpensive and would be so great at any party. 

Enjoy!

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What you will need:

- Sewing machine

- Scissors

- Paper (the number of sheets is up to you)

- Matching thread

- Pencil

- Several objects with circular shaped bottoms of varying sizes (jars, canned food, etc)

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Step 1: Trace the bottoms of your circular shaped objects onto the paper

Step 2: Cut out the circles you traced  Tip: I found it was easiest to stack pieces of paper on top of each other while I cut, that way I'd be cutting out multiple circles at once (stacked paper shown in the 3rd photo).

Step 3: Keep cutting, cutting, cutting...  There's no set number on how many circles to cut out, it just depends on how long of a garland you want to make.  I definitely cut out way more than pictured below...

Step 4: Make sure you have your sewing machine set to a long stitch length (I set mine on 4).. A short stitch length could cause the paper to tear as you sew it.

Step 5: Pass your first paper circle under the presser foot, making sure to sew a straight line....

Step 6: Once the circle has come out from under the presser foot, continue letting your machine sew while gently pulling the paper circle out the back of your machine (3rd picture below).  This thread will be what sews your whole garland together..

Step 7: Once you feel that there is enough spacing for your next circle, go ahead and pass the next paper circle through the machine...  It's up to you how much spacing you want between each circle on your garland.  Personally, I varied the spacing and also alternated circle sizes to mix it up a little.  Keep repeating this over and over and over over over over over (you get the idea) until you run out of circles.

Step 8: After you sew through your last circle, continue to let the machine sew, to create a string for tying at the end of the garland.

Step 9: Cut the end thread to detach the garland and you're done!  So easy....  Now go hang it up somewhere!

Baking Success!

I am not the best cook (or baker) and this recipe was so easy and delicious!  My future husband was impressed...

Blueberry Crisp  (A Martha Stewart recipe)

Ingredients

• For the filling
• 6 cups (3 pints) blueberries
  1/2 cup sugar
  1 tablespoon cornstarch
  1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
•  
• For the topping
3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup rolled oats (or chopped nuts, such as almonds) 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened 1/3 cup sugar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°. Make the filling: Mix blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt in a bowl. Transfer to an 8-inch square baking dish.

Make the topping: Stir together flour, oats, baking powder, and salt. Cream butter and sugar in a mixer until pale and fluffy. Stir dry ingredients into butter. Using your hands, squeeze topping pieces together into clumps.

Sprinkle topping evenly over filling. Bake until bubbling in center and brown on top, about 1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool for 30 minutes before serving.

Tiny Envelopes!

Why yes, I did spend part of my weekend making tiny envelopes...

Gardening and such...

I'm not going to lie, I do NOT have a green thumb.  Most seeds that I plant do not grow, or die shortly after sprouting.  Most already grown plants end up dying after I buy them.  Nevertheless, my fiance and I decided to spend our Saturday making a vegetable garden in the backyard and planting flowering bulbs in the front.    I have to say, I don't miss living in the city.  Having a real yard and a back porch to sit on is pretty awesome.

Peppers and tomatoes...

Poppy Anemone.. one of my favorites!

The packages of bulbs we planted in the front yard...

A cute little bunch of flowers that already exist in our front yard, although I have no idea what they are!

A little flower arrangement I put together using the flowers we already have growing in the yard (thanks to my fiance who planted them a long time ago)