Frugal Luxuries: Gift Pantry Labels!!!

Well my kind friends...after many a trial and error we have our Gift Pantry tm labels downloaded! Printing couldn't be much easier: Right click on each group of labels (to enlarge) and print them out!

Label set #1: Click to enlarge and then press "print".

Label set #2: Click to enlarge and then press "print".

Label set #3: Click to enlarge and then press "print".

Label set #4: Click to enlarge and then press "print".

At risk of stating the obvious, the larger labels are for larger jars while the smaller ones...well...you know!!

We used a sepia toned paper to print our labels, but plain paper works nicely too! I don't care to use card stock for this project as it's a bit too stiff and heavy to work with. As you can see, I simply cut out the printed labels using ordinary scissors (Fiscars scissors are among my favorite frugal luxuries!!!) and glued them onto the re~purposed jars and bottles using an ordinary glue stick! Easy as print...cut...and glue!!!

Hope you find these as fun and as useful as we do...and please feel free to share your finished projects when and if you are so inclined...pictures make our day!!!

Warmly,
Tracey and Family
x0x

P.S. Just a little note to say that the labels aren't enlarging as I thought they would. (I had to scan them in as images/photos in order to get them to load.) If you need them larger...one strategy is to copy and paste each label set into a word processor file (such as Word) and adjust the size within there. These labels are a nice size and should work nicely for most projects but just wanted to let you know you had options! :)

Mystery Rejection and Ghosts in the Machine.

Hello my kind friends! I've been trying and trying to download that label~set for the herbal vinegars, flavored oils and soups collections...to no avail! Blogger doesn't seem to want to accept it ...it's quite a mystery! That being said...I wanted to let you know that I have not forgotten...I will endeavor to persevere!

The Spring Gift~Pantry

Working Ahead of Need:
Preparing for the Holidays All Year Round


"Necessity never made a good bargain."
~~Benjamin Franklin

"Most people begin preparing for Christmas and the winter holidays in December, however, as you may have gathered, I prepare all year round. My Gift and Craft Pantries are often bulging by the time winter arrives, which allows me to spend the bulk of my time during the holidays savoring the joy of organizing gift boxes and baskets, baking and putting the finishing touches on the gifts that I make. Why do I do this? So that what I give will impart that unique (now rare) quality of things made by the human hand. The bonus? Implementing this philosophy eases strain on our finances and time...as well as the environment.



My desire to prepare for the holidays often begins with the first sunny day of spring (sometimes sooner) and continues through the sweltering summer months, matures during autumn's golden days, and comes to rest during the season of winter. The only antidote for such a passion is to bring out one of my idea books and record the new concepts that are suggested to me by the garden. In it I organize my thoughts and...while basking in the spring sunshine...assign a theme to my winter holiday (and the family Gift Pantry) for the year."

The excerpt above was taken from: Frugal Luxuries by the Seasons, by Tracey McBride, Published by Bantam Books, NY, NY, 2000.

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I love, love, love to give beautifully practical gifts...

as well as physical tokens of good thoughts.

Thus...the creation...in 2000...of our

Frugal Luxuries Good Thoughts Collection TM :

Good Fortune and Prosperity Soup !!!

Confetti soup mix is composed of dried white, black, and pinto beans, mixed with peas and lentils. It's presented in a re~purposed Tapenade jar (from Trader Joe's).

We're always on the lookout for useful additions to our Gift Pantry whenever we are thrifting and yard~sale~ing. Above is a small, vintage soup tureen that will be especially charming when presented with a jar of our Good Thoughts Soup!

These whimsical, silver~plated spoons will add even more enchantment to our soup~themed gifts!

Remember to gift one to yourself while you are in the creative mode...you deserve it!!!


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Any plans yet for your Gift Pantry this year?


Also...


later this week



I will posting the jar labels for you to download and


more Spring Gift Pantry ideas!


Hope you're all having as much fun as we are!!


Warmly,


Tracey and Family


x0x

Culled Treasures and New Give~Away Reminder!!

Just thought you might enjoy taking a peek at the treasures Rosie and I found last weekend while hunting yard sales! At risk of sounding boastful ;) we paid a mere $5 for ALL of the items above! What blessings. I plan to add the little dessert~size set of plates to our daily dishes. They are the perfect size for serving forth a sandwich or snack. (Plus they're much more frugal, green and pretty than paper plates!)

I'm not quite sure what to do with the larger pieces (they are marked "Bavaria"!)but they were just too pretty to pass up! Any suggestions?

Oh...

also a quick reminder regarding...

This Month's Book Give~Away !!!

We're giving away a copy of our other volume...

Frugal Luxuries by the Seasons

This month's rules are the same as the last:

Enter by leaving a comment (or comments) on this blog through May 5th!


Each comment counts as another entry and increases your chances to win so say "HI" or leave a link to your own blog, or share an idea or good thought as often as you like. You know your comments are appreciated very much!!!

Warmly,

Tracey and Family

x0x

Pregnant Onions and Re~Purposed Shakers of Salt

Salt of the Earth!!

I'm the reluctant one when it comes to tossing out those pretty but odd~lot salt and pepper shakers. Because of this, I have developed, over the years, numerous ways to re~purpose them! My most recent re~use is as...

Miniature Bulb Vases !

Easy as One... Two... Three

One: I went to my garden and plucked away three tiny onion bulbs from my pregnant onion (really...that's what they are called!).

Two: I dug up three lonely shakers (all were also sans lids...the center one is slightly broken at the top)cleaned them up and filled them with fresh water.

Three: Using size as my key, I set each bulb atop a water filled shaker and set them all on the window sill of my kitchen. Here they will be allowed to develop stronger, fuller roots so that they will thrive once they are transplanted back into the garden. In the meantime, we will enjoy them as they grow.


Beauty and function...a true frugal luxury!!

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So... what do you think???


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P.S. I am linking this to Cindy's "Show and Tell" party at

My Romantic Home!!

More...Magic Mason Jars

"Spring came that year...like magic."

Yet another use for those ...

Magic Mason Jars.


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I'm sure you're already aware that I am a confessed jar~aphile.


What do you do with your recycled jars???


I'd LOVE LOVE LOVE to hear!!!


Please share!!!

Announcing the Raffle Winner...

I printed twelve pages carrying the names of all the people who commented on our blog from 3/17/10 through 4/2/10....

I cut them out into strips...place them into a basket

....swished my hand inside and came up holding this name (below)!

Congratulations to our friend Mary Ellen from


Mary's Meanderings !!!


Her name was randomly chosen as the winner of this month's book Raffle!

The Lovely Luxury of Simple Soaps

"They charmed...with smiles and soap."

~~Lewis Carroll

Here is one of our favorite vintage~inspired soap dishes all dressed up for spring...and nestling the simplest home~made soaps!

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Remarkably Easy~To~Make Gift Soaps.

Note: This project first appeared in our book, Frugal Luxuries, published by Bantam Books, NY, in 1997.

You will need:

• 1 or more bars of inexpensive soap (we like to use Ivory)

Hint: avoid soaps with oils as they will never dry enough to hold their new shape.

• Grater
• Optional: crumbled, dried herbs such as Rosemary (we used it in this project) mint, lavender and the like
• Mixing bowl

To Make:

Grate the bar of soap into the bowl as you would a firm cheese. (If you are making a large batch we've found the shredding attachment on our food processor makes short work of the project.)

Add dried, crumbled herb bits.

Mush the soap shavings up with your hands and shape into little rounds. Be sure to pack the soap so that it is solid. Air bubbles will cause it to crumble once it's dried. If it seems too dry to shape, simply add a few drops of water to soften.

Allow to dry thoroughly (several hours or overnight). It will harden.

Make as many as you would enjoy using or giving. I often make several gift soaps at one time in order to stock our gift pantry. We collect a variety of soap dispensers (new and vintage) to use to display our simple soaps (as in photo above) and/or to give as gifts. (They make a great token gift or included as part of a larger gift basket.)

Note: If you like, you may tint your soaps by adding a small amount of food coloring when you're mixing them! Also, if you're using an unscented soap you may also want to add a drop or two of peppermint oil (or other scent) to your shaved soap...but not too much or it won't dry properly!!

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Quick Reminder!!

There's still time to enter into our "Frugal Luxuries" book give~away!

Just make a comment on any entry after 3/17/10 and your name will be entered into our random drawing! The more comments you make, the more chances there are to win!

We'll announce the winner next week...


and tell you about our new give~away for April!!


A Happy and Blessed Easter to all.


With love and good thoughts from,


Tracey and Family


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P.S. I also wanted to tell you that I am linking up with Cindy from

My Romantic Home

for her
Show and Tell Friday"!

Please stop by Cindy's charming blog to take a look at all the lovely images...and wondrous links she offers us!

http://romantichome.blogspot.com/