American Home & Honey by Jessica Dittmer

a “new” project

Jessica — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 21:18:07 +0000

Our latest addition to our fleet of goodies is a 1972 Skylark travel trailer/camper. We purchased this little cutie for $400 in a local Iowa town. We plan to do the fixes that it requires and a bit of redecorating inside but mostly all will stay original (so new curtains and cushion covers but otherwise not much new…I will post as I go while we complete projects. I’m posting a few images of it as it arrived and then as we were cleaning it as well as the interior parts (all needing a good clean). Next post I’ll include a design/decorator plan for the interior. Special note: I own a 1972 Monte Carlo (same year as camper) and the camper will be painted to match my car that is being restored right now. Chevy orange and white.

Reusable Canning Lids!

Jessica — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 19:56:15 +0000

I found this ad while thumbing through two of my new magazine subscriptions I’m enjoying: Hobby Farm Home and Countryside & Small Stock Journal…the ad is for reusable canning lids! For those that can and love to pick up their jars from garage sales and older relatives that no longer perform the craft but don’t enjoy tossing lids and buying new each time…this is the solution!

Check it out…I’ve ordered mine so I’ll be prepared….maybe you should too!

Reusable Canning Lids

And life goes forward…

Jessica — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 19:06:42 +0000

My nephew turns two later this month, on the 27th. My sister had me create his invite. He is obsessed with snowmen and “Frosty” as of late so we went with this for his card which I’d drawn and converted to vector files with coloring so I was ready to use them:

Sad Christmas for us

Jessica — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 04:33:12 +0000

In 2008 I lost my grandmother (my mom’s mom) on Christmas day… this time, my father. While sad and broken-hearted I’m glad I was able to hold each of their hands when the time came to say goodbye. My grandmother’s passing was expected but my dad’s was not and we are trying to recover from the shock and sorrow. My uncle (dad’s brother) who was a year and half older, passed five days before my dad and our family is hurting but we are strong. As I look at this old photo dated 1948 and see three people that are no longer living (uncle, dad and aunt from left to right)but I’m grateful my boys will remember my dad. I will continue to tell stories and share memories with them. He would like that.

Leonard J. “Todd” Stiles Dec. 28, 1946- Dec.25, 2010.

Our Christmas Card 2010

Jessica — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 23:35:36 +0000

This is our card this year, front and back. It is a 5×7 flat card. We had fun shooting a few images for this and the rest was up to me (mom) to do the artwork…so after a late night last week it is done…the finished cards arrived today and now I’m addressing envelopes to send them out. Just waiting on our custom return address stickers and they are off! Thanks for looking and Happy Holidays everyone!

sew crazy!

Jessica — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 03:56:20 +0000

sew….my latest addiction is making hats and diaper covers for photographers like myself who enjoy vintage and creating images of babies and small children. Here are just a few hats I’ve created the past couple days after making my own patterns and a bit of trial and error while doing so:

Pumpkin Bars}

Jessica — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 21:37:19 +0000

This recipe is from my grandma Wells.

Pumpkin Bars

Preheat oven to 350

Mix together:

2 c. flour 2 c. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder 2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt 2 tsp. cinnamon

1 c. veg. oil 4 eggs

1 reg.(the smaller) can pumpkin

Mix the above well in med/lg. bowl and bake in two 9×13 pans for about 25 min.

Once cool, make the frosting:

3 oz. cream cheese 3/4 stick butter or margerine

1 Tbsp. milk 1 tsp. vanilla

1 3/4 c. powdered sugar

Mix the above with hand mixer then spread on cooled bars.

*These bars freeze well.

trick-or-treat bag

Jessica — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 20:27:12 +0000

simple bag using the previous tutorial but made half-size just right for trick-or-treating!

tote bags!

Jessica — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 13:53:30 +0000

found a super-easy tutorial here:

http://www.filminthefridge.com/2008/08/28/to-market-to-market-a-market-bag-tutorial/

here are two I made last evening…yes, they are that quick to make! One utilizes a 3D pinwheel quilting design.

and YES they are REVERSIBLE!!!

Holga Images Lakeside

Jessica — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 22:26:58 +0000

The old trusty Holga 120N camera with a plastic lens and non-focus ability (well, you focus by using your two feet)…and a dial on the lens that says an approx. of feet from camera to subject. One shutter speed and basically one f/stop. LOL! It’s fun though…it’s been a few years since I’ve used one so I’m rusty. This is at the lake a few weeks back. Scans of my negs. Each Holga is unique in the flaws or light leaks it allows, I really like mine and the focus is mainly in the center with the blur and leaks surrounding.