Baby Brother

Baby brother on drums ... Louisiana Jazz Trio, Lafayette. Enjoy! 

Matlock!

Why hasn't anyone ever sampled this for a rap song? This jams ... hard. I kind of want to have it play on loop while I get ready every morning ... like when Cinderella's birds and mice help her get ready for her horrible daily life. I'm not oppressed like Cindy, so I guess Matlock will do, I only need something that makes me feel like a champ ... this is it.  Not only is it indubitably catchy [+10 for indubitably, right?] but it is a genuinely Southern trademark. Andy Griffith practicing law in Georgia in a big powder-blue suit? It's like seersucker, sweet tea, fried chicken and white guilt rolled into one! Who never watched Matlock at their grandparents house ... LIAR!! Stop denying it, you love it.

There are few things that can motivate a person like me [crazy] to do their taxes, work out, make and ship little Zombees and properly document said errands on the internet all in one day ... the Matlock theme is one of them. So, listen up, jam out, and get some shit done this weekend!

I love that it really starts to get funky when the black guy shoes up. Awesome. I had such a crush on him when I was a kid. That guy and Panthro ... I think I see a pattern! I think I'm going to start doing an "Inspirational Video of the Week" thing. It will be great, because it won't be awful stuff like "MattyBRaps" [how awful is that kid!?] but hilarious and relate-able stuff like ... jamming to Matlock for your common don't-wanna-get-out-of-bed blues that I seem to get every 72 hours. Yes?

Tallstrunt Tea

I was in the kitchen makin' some pigs in a blanket for Brandon's "poker night" [what a wife, eh?] when Lucas asked me if I'd ever had pine straw tea. Um ... huh? He read about making tea from pine staw in a pioneer cookbook! We have pine trees all around, so we decided to give it a try. After a little research, of course. Apparently there are incorrect ways to do this, but I think I got it just right on the first try, luckily. [before I get started, sorry about my QVC nails ... I give myself a manicure on Fridays and so I haven't painted over them yet! I usually don't wear them so blindingly white!]

The Swedish call this "tallstrunt" tea and it is made with the "ripe" green straw found still on the tree. The cookbook said to just throw it in with some water and boil it down, but I'm pretty sure that when you do that, you're "boiling down" the nutritional value as well. Ancient Romans used pine needle oil to treat a number of ailments including muscle aches and the scent of pine has been an aromatherapy favorite since ancient times as well. Pine straw is packed with vitamins C and A! These are both really important vitamins that we often find ourself scrounging around for in any form. The purest form is always my favorite, so this is definitely going to be a new favorite for me!

You'll need about this much pine straw ... 

... slice off the ends and cut the needles in half ... 

 ... if you place your needles in a glass jar [other than a Pyrex] make sure you use a metal spoon to absorb some of the heat so your jar won't break! [thanks, YouTube]

... pour hot [not boiling] water over the needles and steep for about 10 minutes ...

 ... use a strainer if you don't want needles in your teeth!

... this is how you know you're getting the good stuff! Before and after ... 

... for sweetness, add a drop of honey into your mug, or drop an orange slice like we did. It really is delicious without it, I just enjoy citrus flavors in any tea I drink ...

If you're a hot tea drinker, you will absolutely love this. It is smooth and delicious and really versatile! Getting a ton of vitamin C and A while using the aroma to de-stress is the perfect combination. If you're just warming up to drinking tea [pun intended] you could definitely start with this pine needle tea! Cheers! ♥

Yummy Flowers! ♥

Brandon and I shared a bittersweet anniversary on April Fools Day this week. Brandon lost a dear family member on the same day. As well as dealing with his grief, Brandon wanted to celebrate our anniversary with a little gift. I am so lucky to have him! He likes to celebrate our dating anniversary because we think its pretty fitting that we went on our first date on April Fool's Day. I seems like forever ago!

So sweet and yummy! ♥

New Zombees! ♥

I have so many new, bright and fun scents! I'm loving Pineapple Burlescapade and Sweet St. Charles the best, I think. I'm planning a Friday the 13th Candles & Cocktails party for May. I'm really excited! I'm not sure if it will be in Shreveport or Alexandria, yet. It really just depends on who shows the most interest.

I'm also gearing up for the Maker's Fair here in Shreveport. Tell everyone! I participated last October, it was so much fun. Live music, food and crafts for sale of many varieties. The great thing about the Maker's Fair is that to have a book ... you have to MAKE your items. It isn't commercialized crap. I bought a lot of art and some jewelry, too. My Zombees did really well, too. The date is April 30th and it takes place downtown. You can find more information at make.texasave.org.

 I'll definitely be giving free Zombee Kisses to anyone who makes a ZC purchase! I've made some little hearts, too. [above] I just realized I haven't really given a description of the new Zombees, so here is a list of my newest scents ...

Sweet St. Charles - powerful, bright and citrus-y! This is a really strong scent that is great for the Spring and Summer. It is mostly lime scented, but I've added a few extra oils to sweeten it up! I've made this one a bright, Springtime green.

Pineapple Burlescapade - [best name ever, my sister thought of it!] super-duper sweet! This scent is really fruity, pineapple, cherry, a little vanilla and some lemon & lime. Kind of smells like a summer cocktail! It is bright orange, too which is so fun.

Charme de Lune -I know I will keep this one around all year 'round. "Moon Spell" smells like patchouli and geranium. I'm not a big lover of patchouli by itself, but I like the base it provides for smoky, sexy scents. This one is a winner! This one comes in a gorgeous navy blue color.

Betty Bleu - I love, love this one. Oddly enough, it is a blueberry scent and I still love it. I'm not a huge blueberry fan [unless in muffin or pancake form!] but when I added some sugar and vanilla scents to it, it smells just like blueberry cobbler! Ah! This one is also dark blue.