I have read two books this summer that are similar in their theme: memoirs of growing up in a planned community in America.

However, the communities probably couldn’t be more different! Levittown, (which are in several states), were post World War II suburban communities that forbid minorities. Co-op City is in Bronx, New York and was planned as a middle class utopia with socialist leanings that highly valued racial, ethnic and cultural diversity.

Both authors give an excellent, realistic, touching and sometimes funny account of growing up in these planned communities.

Author Michael Agovino delivers us directly into the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s to the Bronx in his book, The Bookmaker. Growing up on the 22nd floor, in a housing development that is called home by more than 50,000 people. You find out exactly what it was like to live there- you are hypnotized into the city experience. You learn the positives and negatives and have a truthful look into the lives of a bookmaker’s family.

Levittown, Pennsylvania is the stage for the next memoir. This story is profound in exposing America’s vulnerabilities- ethnocentrism, prejudice and power all wrapped up into one real estate tycoon family. Families line up to get their part of the American dream of home ownership and are faced with the isolation of suburbia. Then it comes to light that African-Americans are truly prevented from living there. It’s erie to think how recently in our history this happened.

Both stories are sure to transport you into another life- probably one that the average person would be familiar with. I recommend both of these books as a little vacation into time and circumstance.

A current photo of a typical home in Levittown, Pennsylvania.


A current photo of buildings in Co-op City, Bronx, New York.

Although quite different, do they not share similar impersonality and bleakness?

“All-Round” Birdhouses circa 1956




I found these plans in an old magazine-style book from American Home. The magazine put out an annual book of How-To’s.

These directions are pretty straight-forward and will show you how to construct the really interesting barrel-like birdhouse, which can be painted or decorated in so many different ways!

The instructions say that the basic design is the same, but can be modified for: “bluebirds, robins, or those tiny talkative wrens”. (Instructions show modifications).

If you’d like a high resolution scanned copy of the original plans, I’d be happy to send them to you with just a small donation to cover the expenses.

Send me a paypal for US $2 plus the following postage:
United States 50 cents
Canada 75 cents
all other locations 1 dollar

to the following paypal address: admin@fuzziebutter.com

And I will send you the plans in the mail via US Postal Service!

This is a great chance to reproduce a vintage birdhouse!

If you would construct one of these for me, please send me a quote and I will send you the plans for free.

There was a time when our moms and grandmas would sew our clothing in order to save money. It was “Home Economics”. I probably grew up at the end of that era.

When I was eight years old and making my First Communion, my mother took me to Mrs. Joyce’s house and I was fitted for the perfect First Communion dress. I felt like a princess as Mrs. Joyce elaborately sewed layers of crinoline and lace and a long, beautiful veil.

Then in elementary school, my grandma sewed a bunch of underpants for me! In one afternoon, grandma sat at her machine, cotton and elastic already on hand, and just sewed me up some underwear!

I vaguely remember my mom sewing me dresses and pantsuits in the 70’s. And as I approached adolescence, my grandma taught me how to make a duvet cover. No pattern- just fabric and a strip of snaps or velcro. Of course, it was called something different. A beautiful Polish word I cannot spell in the English alphabet but it sounds like “pyeh-jinna” cover.

(Pyeh-jinna)s are beautiful homemade Polish feather beds. My grandma made them homemade. We all had one. Filled with feathers that at one time my grandma could get at the butcher, they were a luxury of the past. Warm in winter and cool in summer, falling into your pyeh-jinna made everything okay. I was sleeping on a cloud of love.

I took Home Ec in junior high and we sewed vests. Yah, it was cool to design your own vest and wear it. But I think it was slightly expensive even then. I remember my mom bitching about the cost of corduroy by the yard, the polyester lining and all the notions. Of course- those were lean years for our family.

My aunt being a Home Ec teacher extraordinaire, my Polish genes, my “Grandma Vicky” heredity, I was determined to sew. In the late 80’s my husband bought me my first sewing machine for Christmas. I cried out of happiness! My in-laws clucked at me as I opened it and made sarcastic remarks about why I’d need a sewing machine. (They didn’t believe in my domesticity). But my husband knew what it meant to me. He knew I was a closet-housewife-wanna-be. He understood my roots.

I proceeded to sew stuff. I was not that good. I could not “read” a pattern. I could cut out the pieces and assemble them like a jigsaw puzzle. Well, that’s mostly still true. But I had a great time! Then when my children came along, I sewed baby clothing for them. I loved it- soft cotton “onesies”, little pajamas and jumpers- even hooded bath towels. However, I started realizing it was expensive.

So- have things changed since then? They must have because I know my foremothers were sewing clothing to SAVE money. They sewed because it was cheaper. They sewed to get more for their buck.

I have continued sewing. In fact, this past year I’ve experienced a resurgence of my sewing. I’ve been making three-eyed stuffed monsters, and owls, and purses, etc, etc. But I’m using fabrics that I can get very inexpensively. When JoAnn’s has clearance fabrics you can sometimes get them for an additional 50% off. I’ve purchased fabric for $1/yard or $2/yard! But it’s really fabric that I get because it’s cheap and THEN I figure out what I can do with it.

This summer I was invited to a bridal shower. Yippee! A ladies’ brunch at a pretty banquet center. A reason to play dress up! I wanted to wear a dress. I knew exactly what I wanted. One of those pretty wrap dresses that would hide my weight gain a little. Something in a modern geometric pattern. I’ve seen these dresses in long-sleeve form at Target and JCPenney. They were about $30.

I went to a $1 pattern sale at JoAnne’s. I found a great pattern. It was exactly what I had in mind! The pattern was normally $16.95. Yay pattern sale! What’s more- it looked like almost every fabric in the store was on sale for Memorial Weekend. I saw plenty of the new geometric patterns in draping fabric that would fall and move just right. And- I could have a dress that FIT me. (I’m short and chubby both!) All of those factors aside- I was going to be able to wear a dress to a family function that I had made myself. I would be so proud! This shower is for the daughter of Aunt Home Ec Teacher Extraordinaire and she is always so supportive of me! She’d be so happy for me!

That was the end of the Homemade Dress Romance.

I would need 5 1/4 yards of fabric for the dress. A 14 inch zipper, a couple yards of interfacing and some thread. I quickly scanned the clearance fabric. But I really wanted to go up front and see that perfect fabric I had in mind. I found it! The colors were beautiful- the prints were amazing! Which to choose from? Uh-oh. The price. They were half off alright. But they were still $5-$8 a yard. That’s about $30-$40. Then add the notions- maybe $12.

Now we were talking about $45-$55 for a homemade dress- not to mention my time and trouble of making it! If I had paid full price for the pattern it would have been $62-$72! For a dress that I could have purchased at Target for $30.

I searched the clearance fabric. The $2 fabric was really unsuitable. Out of season- too heavy or completely sheer- just not workable. I moved up through $3, $4 and $5 fabric- all the same. I found a beautiful perfect fabric for $8/yard. The sign said “Half off all clearance fabric”… but I didn’t see the small print that said “Home decor fabric only”.

I think I have given up on it. The shower is only 3 weeks away. I went to TJ MAXX, which is right next door. Large geometric print summer dresses are $19.99-$23.99. I don’t have to spend any time cutting it, or pinning it, or sewing it.

No, they aren’t a wrap dress. Nope- I didn’t “design it myself”. Nope- I’m not really “in love” with them.

Some other people may argue that homemade is better because I would not be supporting poor working conditions overseas, because I would last longer, because I would be proud of it. But these are people that do not understand. For every dollar I spend on fashion, that is one dollar less I can spend on groceries. If I spend an extra $10 on fashion, my kids maybe can’t have Popsicles, or kiwis, or brand name cereals. They don’t get to order a pizza on Friday night.

It’s not that I “choose” to buy cheap big box stuff- it’s that I have to.

Anybody want to buy a cool pattern cheap?

from “The Workbasket and Home Arts Magazine”, Sept 1964

Fried marbles have made a comeback recently and I was lucky enough to stumble upon the original directions for the first time they were a fad sweeping the nation. The pretty results look like sparkling little gazing balls.. sort of resemble an opal, Las Vegas style.

Here are the instructions transcribed from the book:

Ordinary glass marbles may be turned into attractive jewelry by frying! Clear glass marbles in solid colors may be used, or the crystal marble with a colored center known as a “cat’s eye” gives an attractive accent when treated. Perhaps you can talk Junior into lending you a few for experimental purposes. If not, you can buy a ten-cent bag at any toy counter.

Place marbles in a cold, dry skillet and set on burner. Stir marbles constantly as they are being fried. Keep them in pan until they are completely heated through. (About 15-20 minutes).

Pour marbles into pan of ice water. The sudden change in temperature will cause inside of marbles to crackle, while the outside retains ins round shape. The crackled inside will pick up rays of light in bright sparkles. If marbles were not completely heated through, they will crackle only a little. The frying and ice water treatment may be repeated to get a finer crackle. Two treatments are the limit, though, for marbles may break completely after that.

To complete jewelry, each marble must have a bell cap cemented to it. These are available at most hoby shops or from craft companies that sell jewelry making supplies. Spread prongs of cap to conform to curve of marble. Attack with jeweler’s cement. When cement has set, open a jump ring and slip through loop in top of cap. Bend ends of ring back together again. The marble is now ready to be slipped onto a necklace chain to be used as a pendant. If a single marble is used, the larger size is most attractive.

You might prefer using three or five smaller marbles as drops also shown. The method of attaching them to chain differs a bit from pendant type so they will stay in one place and not slide. Close clasp of chain. Locate center jump ring and slip it through opening in bell cap, then slip jump ring through center link of chain. Close jump ring. Attach other marbles in same way, spacing them evening on each side of center marble. Thsi same method may be used in attaching marbles to a charm bracelet chain.

I’ve been working really hard on these owls of my own design. I intended to sell them at my Etsy shop, but my family saw them first. I’ve been busily creating owls for family members, (which you can see below), and then I will be making some to put up for sale.

Today I completed this cute stuffed owl. I didn’t have a pattern, but I started by drawing an owl in my composition notebook. Then, I made a larger drawing of the same owl onto newspaper and used that as a pattern.

I am so happy with it! His belly is cotton. I just fused it with interfacing and quilted it. It was discount fabric from the JoAnn’s going out of business sale. Something like sixty cents a yard. I thought it matched the blue, green and beige fleece I purchased at an earlier JoAnn’s sale.

So, after making the front sort of free-hand, I sewed on the back.

Turned him right side out and stuffed the HELL out of him with ultra plush fiber from poly-fil.

And here he sits! I just think he is sooo cute. I am not sure if I will put him up for sale on Etsy, because he is a creation of my very own design and quite honestly, I have been selling just about NOTHING on Etsy. I’d have to practically give him away and wait two months for the sale.

I’m not sure yet if he’ll be for sale. Until then, he is making me SMILE. Spring is coming!

I finished these really lovely heart and dove earrings today. I made them from the digitized image of a vintage valentine. I cropped and enhanced the image and then, using my most favorite magic of thee shrinky dink- I made these cute little babies!
Click here for more information.

I’ve just been working on a small but powerful collection that is really fulfiling for me. Using my new favorite medium, shrinky dinks, I am creating valentine’s hearts opposite of what is usually marketed this time of year.
These hearts have been broken, then mended. Most show that they have another arrow heading straight for them.
I made these pieces into large sized art pins, for lapels, hats, jackets, etc. and am selling them both at my Etsy store and Artfire studio.

Okay, so maybe this is a little lame but I enjoyed it! Hey- I never professed to being a cool kid!

I was at the card/balloon/party store today. (The kind where you can buy pinatas and tiki gods all year long.) I love that place. AnyWAY, I came across this berry holiday wreath on sale for FIVE BUCKS. Oh yah. Love it when that happens.

So, I purchased these little cardboard hearts that look like the candy necco wafer ones? I just punched holes in them and tied them to the wreath with red yarn. Perhaps someone else has more elaborate ideas? I don’t know- but this is what I came up with.

A six dollar project that took 15 minutes to accomplish. Isn’t that the best kind? hahahah…

My heart warms when I see the buddhist bumper sticker that says, “My religion is kindness”. But how frequently do we really encounter it in day to day life?

Well, I have today and I am really touched by it. My daughter is coming home today on the Greyhound, through a lake effect snow warning, so my mind was filled with caution and fear as I got on the internet to check the weather reports.

I found a message in my inbox that I almost didn’t read. You see, I have a YouTube account, (as some of you know), and having one means that I get a lot of spam messages via YouTube. But this one seemed to stick out as something I should read.

It was a really nice email from a real person, (who I’ll call J). J said that she found my videos on accident. J said they were good. J said that she really liked them! J gave me a short summary of her evaluation and it made me realize that she got it. She received what I was sending out. Nobody has done that before. I didn’t need to explain it. I didn’t need an ‘artist statement’ to make me feel like an artist, to try to make people understand what I was doing. J just GOT IT.

And then, J let me know. She took a moment to actually write me a message and tell me.

What would happen if we all did that today? We would all touch someone and change their day. We would be making a deposit in their bank of self esteem. We would cause them to be gentle with someone today. We would, with our act of kindness, affect the lives positively of several people.

Let’s do it! I’m SERIOUS! Let’s do it. If you are reading this, go to YouTube, Etsy or Artfire. Look through stuff. When you see something you like, send the person a message and let them know. You GET IT.

You see, this is what J did for me today: filled with self doubt, deeply routed in shame, I “disasterized” my daughter’s trip and was on a path of several worrisome hours. But then I read J’s message. I felt validated. I felt good that I made someone happy for a few moments. That was an elixir on the self doubt. That stomped down the disaster thoughts. That released my mind.

Connections like that keep us human.

J, if you actually came to the website and read my blog like I asked you to, please let me know via our conversation on YouTube. I’d like to send you a gift from my Etsy shop. It’s something new I am creating for Valentine’s Day, called Mended Hearts.

Peace.