Dressed in a hospital gown and a bandanna, without jewelry or makeup, she realized how important little everyday adornments are to women, making them feel more attractive, positive, and “normal.”

Ruth wasted no time in launching Ears to You, a non-profit effort with a small, yet meaningful, mission:

to provide earrings to women with cancer.

It may sound insignificant, but Ruth knows firsthand how inspiring a little sparkle can be. She says that a simple pair of earrings has the power to:

• brighten a woman’s day when she needs a little lift

• create a distraction from the IV’s, worries, and fears

• help a woman feel more “normal” and beautiful at a time when she’s adjusting to hair loss

• give encouragement from someone who has been there

Ruth started the Ears to You program at Cleveland Clinic, where she was receiving chemotherapy. With the help of a friend in the jewelry business, she found an inexpensive source for earrings that were cute and fashionable as well as nickel- and lead-free.

The first day her earrings were passed out to patients was the last day of her own chemo treatment.

“What a sweet day that was!” Ruth recalls.

Ears to You is now flourishing at hospitals in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana, where earrings are passed out by nurses or social workers, and each hospital has developed a system that works for its patients. Some women will receive a new pair of earrings at each chemotherapy treatment; others may receive earrings during particularly difficult struggles or at final chemo appointments.

Since 2008, Ears to You has provided over 2,500 pairs of earrings to women undergoing chemotherapy, and Ruth hopes to expand her efforts across the country.

You can help by donating dollars or by contributing earrings to the cause. “Please send NEW earrings that are lead- and nickel-free, of any style, color, or size that you like,” Ruth asks. “They can be handmade or store-bought.”

Crafting earrings for a cause—how fun is that?

Gather up beads and baubles, or try something a little different:

Fashion some fishing-lure earrings, following the instructions in my Glamping book. Or, create positively cheerful pairs with erasers.

Really!

Cute colors and darling designs make erasers fun little “gems,” guaranteed to bring out a smile. Plus, eraser earrings are easy as pie to put together. Make one pair, and you’ll be hooked! The earrings below were made using those disposable parts of a particular type of mechanical pencil (PINK Pentel 0.9) that I use daily. I’ve never known what to do with them before now. I just can’t bring myself to throw these away even though I’ve worn the eraser down to where it doesn’t stick out the top any more.

You’ll Need:

• Collectible erasers (Itasho is a great source for PVC-free erasers in fabulous food shapes)
• French-hook earring wires
• Headpins
• Jewelry wire
• Jewelry pliers

Here’s how you do it: 

1. Select two matching collectible erasers. Push a headpin carefully through each eraser from bottom to top. Go slowly to make sure your headpin is aiming straight up through the top of the eraser.
2. Pull the headpin all the way through the eraser so that the base sits snugly against the bottom of the eraser. You will need approximately 1/4 inch of the pin exposed at the top of the eraser.
3. Using jewelry pliers, bend the exposed pin into a partial loop, hooking it onto the loop of a French-hook earring wire. Once hooked, use pliers to complete the loop in the headpin so that your eraser won’t slip off the earring.
4. Make sure that the eraser hangs so that the front of the eraser is facing forward (you may have to twist the wire to adjust).
5. Your eraser earrings are ready to wear, and you’re ready to make another pair. With so many types of erasers to choose from, your earring design options are unlimited.

If we’re talking the latest fads and runway sensations,

I’m pretty sure I don’t have it …

But a sense of style?

Up for debate, right? (Well, I think I have a sense of style.)

From leather to lace

(and a collection of the cutest aprons in between),

I love dodging the dress code

and indulging in a wardrobe that suits my whims,

whatever that may be (I just spent the last two days sewing clothes for myself).

When it comes to clothing criteria,

there is one that stands the test of time:

wanting what you wear to do no harm, meaning:

• No sweatshop labor
• No harsh chemical pollutants
• No cruelty
• No destructive manufacturing procedures

Of course, no one can put all these standards together all the time in all garments just yet, but I found a fabulous online marketplace that is aiming to come close.

Dubbed a hub of “do-gooder shopping,” Fashioning Change is dedicated to creating shopping experiences that offer fashionable eco-friendly and ethical alternatives to popular name brands.

You Might As Well Live

The problem with common go-to brands, says Fashioning Change founder Adriana Herrara, is that they often

lack transparency in their supply chains and have yet to adopt authentic practices that protect the Earth and human rights.

 

Fashioning Change makes it easy to find better options with “Wear This, Not That,” a web-based app that compares name-brand items with ethical alternatives that are similarly styled and priced, allowing shoppers to quickly weigh the pros and cons. The more you use the Fashioning Change marketplace, the more it tailors results to your individual style and shopping preferences. (Be prepared to answer questions about WHO you aspire to dress like. My choices ranged from Michelle Obama to Jennifer Aniston.)

 

On-The-Go Adventurist

And, if you make a purchase from a featured “Wear This, Not That” look, the company will donate one percent to organizations working on human rights issues within the fashion industry.

“We have a large number of amazing brands coming to Fashioning Change wanting to be part of our platform, and we are always seeking the next and best up-and-coming designers out there, but we have really high standards,” product coordinator Kestrel Jenkins told Ecouterre. “Our brands have to meet these five criteria: they must be stylish; must be quality; must protect your health, the Earth, and human rights. If a brand doesn’t meet just one of those criteria, they don’t make the cut.”

The bottom line?

You can have your style,

and start having your conscience, too.

(I got on their website and purchased a black dolman knit top. It was a fun shopping experience. Fix yourself a cup of tea and check it out. I pretended that I was shopping in the future and this is how ALL shopping is done. A fashion-conscious girl can dream, can’t she?)

My blog, www.raisingjane.org (the one you’re on right now) is a little bit more of the fun and frilly that you’ve come to expect from MaryJanesFarm, and is my outlet for conversation in between magazines. And every Friday, I feature a …

Sister who has recently earned a Merit Badge.

If you’re a Facebook or Twitter kind of gal, you’ll find my posts teased on my Twitter account and my Facebook account.

Updates for all things glamorously glampifying for our International Glamping Weekend (June 1 & 2, 2013) can be found at its Facebook fan page.

Facebook and Twitter not your thing? Then, our Pinterest page can keep you up-to-date with recipes, projects, products, and beautiful images captured here at my farm.

And, if smart phones are your thing, I know you’ll be excited to hear about MaryJanesFarm on Instagram. A photo a day keeps the blues away! While I’m waiting to hear back from you, I hope one of these outlets brings you into our fold so that you continue to enjoy all that we have to offer.

OUCH! What a ninnyhammer.

No, I don’t mean the actual hammer …

Yowzer! It really hurts!

Sorry—I’m having trouble staying on track.

Where is that ice pack I put in the freezer?

I might as well tell you (you’ve already guessed):

I “nailed” my thumb instead of the nail I was aiming for,

and that makes ME the

ninnyhammer.

Perhaps you’d prefer

ding-a-ling,

featherhead,

goose,

mooncalf,

(yes, I said mooncalf),

nincompoop,

turkey,

yo-yo …

Take your pick.

Any way you slice it

(hammer it?)

it still hurts.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons; Michael Jastremski

POMEGRANATE CUSTARD
PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 35 MINUTES
MAKES: 8 SERVINGS

1    pomegranate
2    T butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
½   cup flour
¼   t salt
1    cup milk
3    eggs
1    t vanilla
powdered sugar for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Fill a medium bowl with water, and quarter the pomegranate. Seed each section of pomegranate underwater. The seeds will sink to the bottom, and the pulp will float. After all sections have been seeded, skim the pulp from the surface of the water and discard. Drain the seeds in a colander and set aside.
2. Pour butter into a 9” pie plate, and spread it around the bottom and up the sides.
3. In a food processor or blender, combine sugar, flour, salt, milk, eggs and vanilla. Blend until smooth.
4. Pour the mixture into prepared pie plate, and add the pomegranate seeds. Bake for 35 minutes. The custard should be puffed up and golden brown. The center will fall shortly after removing it from the oven.
5. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm.

Gather ingredients. Preheat oven to 375°F.

Fill a medium bowl with water and quarter 1 pomegranate.

Seed each section of pomegranate underwater. The seeds will sink to the bottom, and the pulp will float.

After all sections have been seeded, skim the pulp from the surface of the water and discard. Drain the seeds in a mesh colander and set aside.

Pour 2 T of melted butter into a 9” pie plate.

Spread the butter around the bottom, and up the sides.

Add 1/3 cup of sugar, ½ cup of flour, and ¼ t salt to a food processor or blender.

Pour in 1 cup of milk.

Add 3 eggs.

Add 1 t vanilla.

Blend until mixture is smooth.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pie plate.

Add the pomegranate seeds.

Bake for 35 minutes. The custard should be puffed up and golden brown. The center will fall shortly after removing it from the oven. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm.

Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)

My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Barbara Roberts!

Barbara Roberts (Healthy Eating, #2237) has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning an intermediate level Organic on a Budget badge!

“My eating plan has continued with the gluten-free baking mix from MaryJanesFarm. I have saved quite a bit by using this as a basis for my meals and have been enjoying my efforts.

All of the veggies that I eat now are mostly organic (as much as I can) and many of them are out of my own garden. Therefore I know exactly what is in and on them, and it’s NOT chemicals.

Since I have been able to save some money on my grocery bills by doing this, I am going to indulge in one of my guilty pleasures and buy some more books. I’m like a kid in a candy store when it comes to books and I just love Amazon!

I even have a $10 coupon to use and I’m debating what I am going to get with it. I think it might be a book on gardening.”