*park your art* 2nd saturday 4/10/10

soldered pendants, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

don't forget tomorrow is midtown sacramento's 2nd saturday, and of course me and a lot of other rad vendors will be down at 21st and k st., from 6-10pm. don't miss out, come on down and walk around! bring some cash, too :)

mcmartin reality *park your art*
see you there!

i want to ride my bicycle

cemetary_2, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

today was a treat...although the reason i took the day off from being nanny jen didn't go exactly as planned this morning (family business) and got put off until the middle of next month (it's ok patience is my middle name. not really but it ought to be.), shawn and i still got to spend some quality time together with some solo bike ride action. we went thrift window-shopping (and i found the best .99 vintage sweater ever and a cute faux pyrex sugar dish), had au lac cheapo-lunch special ($4.95, best in town) and then we found ourselves in midtown checking out friends i have been neglecting. sunshine, exercise, friends, thrift scores...what a nice ending to a day that started out iffy. but then do i deserve such good fortune ALL at once? yeah, i think i do.

after that, we got the girls and went to the gluten free specialty store in midtown and grabbed some daiya vegan cheese shreds and some bread and had grilled cheeze sandwiches for dinner. shawn and lucy built a little skate "fun box" to practice ollies. while we were outside i was playing fetch with the dogs, and shawn noticed that delia our border collie mix had something stuck in the roof of her mouth. upon closer inspection we saw she had chewed up a drumstick and part got embedded in the roof between two of her back molars. shawn got it out and we will watch it until it heals up. POOR DOG we have had no idea how long it was there, but from the looks of it, we think a while. with some loving triage she looks like she will heal up great.

ah the fun never ends at our ranch...here's to more bike riding and fun times. and happy friday!

vegan m-n-c baked casserole

vegan mac and cheeze, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

so i ended up making the macaroni and cheeze recipe, as i always do, from the new farm vegetarian cookbook. ours is so old and used so often, we have literally duct-taped the spine and oil splattered pages fall out when we open it. it is a testament to how awesome a basic pantry-staple ingredient using bible of goodness this book is.

as i was preparing to boil the small package of GF elbow macaroni's, i thought it needed something else...some bulking up, in addition to the usual broccoli. then i thought i would try adding a cup of cooked rice to the cooked pasta, and a handful of TVP in the cheeze. not sure what to think of the pasta/rice combo, i turned it over to my official vegan taste-testers: the kids. lucy and lyric had seconds, thirds even and my visiting picky eater jasper ate a small portion. so, the verdict is it is truly a casserole, ma! and it was delicious.shawn came home late after job #2 and had some for dinner and lunch today. so my idea to stretch the pasta dish worked after all!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
macaroni and "cheese" baked casserole
recipe from the new farm vegetarian cookbook:

cook 3 1/2 cups elbow macaroni.

in a saucepan, melt 1/2 cup margarine over low heat. beat in 1/2 cup flour* with a wire whisk and continue to beat over a medium flame until the mixture (called a roux) is smooth and bubbly. whip in 3 1/2 cups boiling water, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, and a pinch of tumeric, beating well to dissolve the roux.

the sauce should cook until it thickens and bubbles. then whip in 1/4 oil and 1 cup nutritional yeast flakes.

mix part of the sauce with the noodles and put in casserole dish, and pour a generous amount of sauce on top. sprinkle top with paprika, and bake for 15 minutes in a 350 degree preheated oven. put in broiler for a few minutes until "cheese" sauce gets stretchy and crisp.

*i used GF flour as a replacement for regular and GF pasta. works perfectly well either way, GF or not. i flash boiled the broccoli at the very last few minutes of boiling the pasta, in the same pot, and i had the rice made and had it to the side to add to the pasta/cheeze mix in the casserole dish. i threw the handful of TVP in with the cheeze mixture as it got smooth and it worked out fine for me. i am all about as few pots and pans to wash during clean up.

enjoy and happy thursday!

friends in cool places

artichokes, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

it's good to have friends who work in cool places, if not high places, such as the sacramento coop . i went along with her last night with to pick up our dog's food, V DOG (vegan dog food, made here in sacramento! awesome-sauce!) for less of the normal sticker shock i fall into every month buying it.  it's great for them, but dang it's pricey!  now for the record,  i have my problems with the coop (the "humane meat" myth, anyone?) but it's kinda all we have as far as coops go.

got a few sundry items and some annies gummy-bunnie snacks for lucy's speech therapy and we are good to go on groceries. tonight i am making the baked mac-n-cheeze recipe from the new farm cookbook since i grabbed some nutritional yeast as well. i should have picked up some hair dye, but i think i will do that this weekend anyway. i have some very serious grays going on. yikes!

on the NFB front, 2nd saturday is this weekend and i am ready with a ton of new earrings, some new crocheted items and a big old smile even if it's cold*. i am happy to do what i do, after all. i had a dream two nights ago with neverfeltbetterbyjen.com...i think i prefer to call it a *vision*. it's going to happen, folks. swearin' it.

(*i was reminded that even though i am totally temperature intolerant and it literally pains me...it will warm up soon enough and the yuba river ought to be slamming this year with all this rain. we are doing some preliminary camping planning and camping at the yuba is up there with ocean camping at the bodega dunes, as well. if all goes well i am thinking big sur, too. ah man i love it over there...it's been far too long since we have driven that way. )

happy weds to you!

having a moment

rushing water, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

...and that moment is telling me that i could use a little bit of *this* stat. if my inner core temp doesn't get a few ticks warmer i don't know what i am going to do. and even though it's not raining on saturday (supposedly) for 2nd saturday, i am scared i am going to sit outside and freeze this old patootie off and get sick because that is about where i am at physically. between my hypothyroid, allergies and stress, the Rx is clear: i could use a sunny get away immediately. calgon? where you at?

april showers

baby blue mums, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

these crazy april showers are bringing some more cute blooms to neverfeltbetterbyjen! i got more colors in of these cute-as-hell mum vintage style post earrings. i should be updating the site later on today with a few new styles i have multiples of, but i am hoping that the weekend's 2nd saturday at mcmartin's *park your art* is a good one and i will list what is left over from there. i am praying the good weather holds out into the weekend--i can't take much more cold outside functions that don't include camping which includes campfires, wine and cuddling. outside craft shows generally have none of those!

sunday is the earthday celebration at south side park in downtown sacramento, and last year it was pretty good. i am hoping for more vegan food vendors ( i know sugar plum vegan will be there!) and more emphasis on veganism in general. if people honestly cared about the planet going vegan would be a no-brainer. why vegan?

go vegan, ya hippies! ;)

easy like a sunday morning

dunking, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

it's only saturday and i am feeling the groove. it's noon and i have already dropped the mr. off at the amtrack to go visit his buddy dave in SF( who is out from OHio) to do some skateboarding. tomorrow they come back via car to do what? more skateboarding ;)

after our goodbyes at the 'track, me and the two girls went grocery shopping at trader joe's where lucy had a mental breakdown over the choice of joe-joe cookies OR the maple cookies (we went with the joes, she wanted the maple) then she lost it when all of a sudden she wanted TWO balloons from the nice man, who told her she can only have one. *sigh*

came home made chocolate chip pancakes and some DAMN FINE new coffee i had not seen there before, diner blend. mmmm just like truck stop coffee but better. you can probably french press leaves and have them come out like velvety heaven in your cup. *having a love affair with my french press, shhh don't tell shawn!)

now i am going to knock out some chores and make the house extra nice for company tomorrow. uncle dave is such a sweetie and usually comes solo but this time his girlfriend is with him and i am excited for them to come with us to vegan brunch tomorrow! no easter baskets here, just a delicious vegan meal with the people we love. i am fairly sure jesus is risen not so we can load up on honey baked hams and waste even more stolen eggs for dyeing. (or consume even MORE candy than we already greedily do in the US.) happy vegan easter!

ca state train museum

train museum 4-2-10, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

our very first trip to this museum. i can't tell you how many times i have walked or driven right by this place in old sacramento. lyric's school had a meet-up there and i had three extra little bodies with me coming along for the experience to sneak in for free so i knew it would be crazy! :) going here reminded me how much i miss OMSI. it's the oregon museum of science and industry and their kids exhibits were second to none. i don't know why sacramento has no kids museums, come to think of it. anyway OMSI was pretty much the bomb for both kids and adults. it was the very first museum we had a membership to :) but getting back to the train museum it was pretty cool with tons of vintage toy trains, actual historic train cars in pristine condition (a couple of which you can walk through like the dining and sleeper cars. the dining car had a beautiful collection of china each line having their own pattern.  i wanted to smash them and make pendants LOL), and a very small 5 and under kids play area. we didn't see the movie offered; i guess i am not *that* into trains to see a short documentary on them at this time. basically the only one who was insane over the trains was little jasper who LOVES trains. and trucks. and airplanes. the girls were a little "mreh" but enjoyed themselves over all. we hit up the candy shop across the street to load up on sugar and headed home for a nap for the little one.

good times, go check it if you haven't already :)

come back blue skies...

flowers, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

we are having not only spring showers, but an unseasonable and unwanted cold snap. i live in a hundred year old plus house and my dining room/family room is shady and dark. brrrrrr! i am hypothyroid and the annoying cold person in the room, and it's oh so cold in here. even lyric thought so today and she is always hot. i even had her feel my hands today, which were icier than usual to let her know i wasn't bluffin'. i am a total failure at being a therMOMeter, because inevitably lucy has too much clothes on and will strip down to her underwear as i sit there and shiver in my sweater.

this has been a long couple weeks for me. i have had little J for sometimes 14 hours a day--everyday. it won't be like this forever, and i love that little guy...but i really could use a babysitter myself LOL!
i feel like i haven't seen my friends since forever. i miss those gals!

this post is basically to remind me that it's going to be alright, i will have time to myself and to craft/solder soon enough. spring really is coming, and my thyroid medication is working. and soon enough shawn and the girls and i will be bombing midtown with me on my cute turquoise bike with my new wicker basket and new rims and them on their bikes all cute. ah, la vita dolce!

little helpers

digging for worms, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

these kids are always grimy; digging in the dirt is generally a regular occurrence around here. give them kid-sized spades, shovels and hoes and an empty garden bed and we got a real dirt farming operation going on! this activity was two-fold. for one they love to make a mess, and i love to let them. but also i had them sort out the soil, digging for gold as it were, to unearth all kinds of treasures like sticks, leaves, worms, beetles, cat poop (!) and seedlings-of-we-don't-know-what. out with the debris of last year and in with some new good soil for gardening. so, when we came inside from this gardening session you could see the fun they had all over their faces...hands...shirts, and pants.

now, of course when the garden is planted there will be no more digging in the dirt but i think i can compromise by picking up a sand and water table for some sensory fun.

my backyard is missing something very important: my hammock. i am having a mean jonze for my MANDATORY hammock time. it can't happen at the moment, since the tree it was anchored on last year had to come down and is now the giving tree stump. so, i am on the hunt for a decent hammock stand that can hold up to the use it will receive. my hammock means a lot to me, it's my 'time-out', my quiet time. and that time is mandatory at the fosnight ranch.

take a bow

teeny chunky bows, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

check out these leeeeeeetle chunky cotton bows i crocheted last night for headbands, pins etc. i am loving the look of 'em. i need more cotton yarn and a trip to my local yarn shop (LYS) is on tap. (something funky (now i don't want to point fingers or lay blame *looking at both the cats AND the dogs*...) happened to a small stash of yarn i had mistakenly left laying around in the back prior to the last clean up. i usually have my yarn in covered bins, but this stash was in a kind of basket and god only knows what happened to it but it was el-funko. i thought 'oh i can just throw these skeins into the washer on gentle'. well, that did not work and what i could salvage from the tangled mess i did. gee golly...i need to go to the yarn store? DARN. lol.)

oh and the earrings and purple card wallet are up on neverfeltbetterbyjen.com. won't you go and check them out? <3

in the bag

perfect for cards, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

yesterday was a good day for catch-up in NFB headquarters, aka my couch. i finished the chunky crocheted card pouch and about 20 pairs of new post earrings. i photographed everything and i just need to list on the site sometime this afternoon. but, seeing as though it's spring break for L3, i will most likely spend my time refereeing between her and little J :) perhaps if the nap gods smile upon me and it's a long one for little J i can bust it all out. i found some more vegan yarns stashed (acrylic and some cute chunky cottons) for more pouches. i make these lined with eco-felt and i found more cute vintage buttons for closure.

it's 9AM and they are begging for popsicles. this can't be a good sign of what's to come LOL.

i hope to get some more crochet time sometime today...it's about all i am good for on this monday. after a full weekend, i stayed up WAY too late last night discussing life with shawn, who i feel like i never see with him working two jobs now. my little moonlighting hunny...he's a good man, charlie brown! we waxed on about plans and dreams. those who love us and those who would love to see us fail. ah sweet life...mi dolce vita. i think i will put on a movie and chill until lunch. everyone looks like a zombie and looks like they need about 5 more hours sleep. and by everyone i mean me! :)

happy monday!

chickens are friends not food

fair oaks, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

we made a small trek out to fair oaks, ca to pay the fair oaks chickens a visit and have lunch at our favorite vegan friendly indian restaurant udupi. their weekend lunch buffet is amazing. things are clearly labeled vegan and we found out that most of the breads/dumplings are GF, making shawn very happy! if you are in the sacramento area you ought to check this place out :)

when we got home i went a little crazy on some huge hedges outside the front porch. it was reminiscent of the rose garden scene of mommy dearest. even though i am not a professional landscaper i must say i did a decent haircut on those bushes. i came in covered in pollen and the migraine ensued. i feel much better this morning after some hot chai and a few excederins lol.

yesterday i received the rest of the supplies i had ordered online and i made some cute vintage inspired post earrings this morning. i love these ones so much i am ordering more and making them available on neverfeltbetter. i hope everyone else loves them as much as i do! i finished up a crocheted card pouch and i am preparing to hand-sew the lining in and affix the button later on today. it feels good to be making things again! <3

sacramento's 1st ALL vegan cafe

sugar plum vegan, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

i got word that the brunch is starting easter sunday, so i thought i would put a shout out to my friend melissa's new spot sugar plum vegan cafe. it's located at between 23rd and 24th on Kst in midtown sacramento.

along with her usual variety of delicious vegan baked goods found around town for over a year, there is a variety of sandwiches, soups, salads, pizzas and nachos. i am very excited for the brunch menu TBA but i bet it's going to be delicious! (waffles, pancakes or biscuits and gravy would float my boat, personally, but don't quote me on the menu quite yet!)

she is using the famed daiya brand vegan cheese and match meats (the chicken on the nachos was delicious). along with the food, you will find fair trade teas and coffees which are amazing--try the raspberry lemonade, it's my daughters fav .

they just opened less than one month ago! the atmosphere is casual, kid friendly and the staff is kind and helpful. please check them out if you are in the area and support your local vegan scene in sacramento!

crafty shot in the ass

everything is coming up....., originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

i am so happy to have some new cute supplies coming in the mail...it's been, uh...too long since i have gotten anything new. some new materials are just what the dr. ordered for a crafty shot in the ass! along with some seriously awesome vintage cabs for post earrings being en route, i picked up some plaster of paris to pour some day of the dead skulls (remember those?) and i unearthed some long lost cotton yarns i squirreled away at some point in time. so cleaning and rearranging my craft area has definitely been a "good thing". time to dust off my crochet hook and make some new lined pouches and coin purses.

i am looking forward to april. in so many ways...oh brother! it's going to be a righteous spring! ;p

viva spring!

saved, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

it's that time of year again: garden time! unfortunately for me my garden is still in it's planning stages. i had a decent veggie garden last year but this year i need it to be better. i have two raised beds that came with the house, but i had zero luck with one of them that is placed in a mostly shady spot. i am reading up on what i can plant there to have better results, such as all the leafy greens etc, saving the more sunny bed for the sun-hog tomatoes :)

just like last year i saved some seedlings from the garden and compost pile that were just too hearty to trash. i just don't know what they are! i am not sure that big one isn't a weed but i think the other three are leftovers from last year's crops (identities yet to be determined lol).

i can't wait to get my hands dirty and get in there and start the actual planting, but like i said first comes "the plan" and getting the supplies i need.

viva spring!

view from my booth

indiesacramento 3/20/10, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

saturday's craft show was a pleasant surprise! the crafting pendulum swung my way and i had a really nice day all around. packing light is key, and i brought my three best sellers which did well again. i love being able to pop up and break down in a flash but still feel like i had a full interesting table.

this next two weeks are all about making more to replenish my table stock and perhaps try out one more item on 2nd saturday craft shows, as a test. one thing that was apparent...the packaging for the soldered pendants was a great idea, as much as i wanted to avoid it. it's a trade off, with the packaging people pass on a paper bag. at least i reused all the little plastic bags i have collected over time. :)

i am having a love/hate relationship with sacramento's craft scene. on the one hand, i am really happy with *park your art* and that 2nd saturday in midtown scene. but something is missing...something is most definitely missing. i will have more thoughts on this missing link in upcoming posts; believe me the wheels are turning! i don't know if i can sit idly by all the while bitching and moaning about what sacramento does not have. i don't want to be part of the problem anymore!

indiesacramento is tomorrow!

indiesac march show, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

indiesacramento.com

hope to see you there! today i am going to make more logo earring cards for more leeeetle vintage post cab earrings ($7 each- such a deal for so much cute) and tweak some of my signage. again there will be a sale bin of winter clearance scarves and scarflettes to make more room for spring and summer styles.

today is supposed to be in the high 70's and so that means one thing: sun tea lol. i made two batches, one peach and one blueberry, both extra strong. :)

vegan chocolate oatmeal treats

chocolate oatmeal treats
Originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter

looking for a no-bake sweet treat for that nagging sweet tooth? and hey, it's got whole oats and peanut butter so it's basically healthy for you too, right? ( lol, that was my sweet tooth talking!) i made these yesterday, and half the batch is gone already!

recipe:
bring 2 cups organic sugar, 1/2 cup soy milk, 1/4 cup cocoa and 1/4 cup earth balance buttery spread to a rolling boil for 1 1/2 minutes.

take off the burner and quickly stir in 1/2 cup organic peanut butter and 3 cups whole (not the quick cooking variety!) oats.

spoon onto a cookie sheet (using parchment paper makes for easy clean up) and cool completely. makes anywhere from 12-18 treats depending on how big or small you make them.

eat. enjoy!

happy spring!!!

bow headband
Originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter

just a few days shy of the real start of spring i thought i would dust off this blog and try to keep it at least SEMI-updated!

there is a lot going on with neverfeltbetterbyjen.com ! first off, i am signed up for the entire season (mar-oct) of 2nd saturday's down at mcmartin realty's *park your art* .

this saturday, march 20th i will be doing one more installment of indiesacramento.com. this time at the california museum in downtown sacramento. admission is free and there are quite a few awesome vendors selling, so please check it out! make a day of it with the kids...i haven't been there so i am excited to see what it's all about. i have a ton of vintage fabric pendants two-fer sale, and a "winter clearance" bin on crocheted scarves and scarflettes.

i have been working on more bird headbands, and some pint cozies (as always made with vintage fabrics and felt!) along with more soldered pendants. i was down for the respiratory count for almost two weeks with bronchitis the last time i tried to solder anything. i have to be really careful about having enough and proper ventilation when i do the soldering--the flux fumes are really nasty. i really love to make a little workspace outside and now the weather is turning lovely i will have more opportunity. breathing is important...and i don't like taking it for granted! :)

i am updating my packaging a bit for earring cards and pendants...my goal is by next month's 2nd saturday to have a new look going on for both packaging and display. i am on the hunt for a new display piece for my pendants--they aren't getting the attention on the table they deserve.

happy spring and i hope to post come great pictures from the indiesacramento show--it's going to be a good time and hope to see you here if you are local!

oh and i want to make sure everyone in sacramento knows about my friends new ALL vegan cafe called sugar plum vegan. it's sacramento's first all vegan cafe/bakery and it just opened this week. it's on kst between 23rd and 24th and the hours vary but generally around 8-8. check the website for details and specials! support your local vegan business and tell them jen from neverfeltbetter sent ya! :) melissa sugar is rad and a force. support her!

*jen