sew melody...

link love...

Today, I'm thankful...

1. OMG, OMG, OMG!!! I am so thankful that Barack Obama will be our next president! I actually feel hopeful for the first time in a long, long time... only 75 days, 4 hours and 11 minutes until Bush is outta there!! (but who's counting???)

2. that there are Republicans like John McCain. I have always liked John McCain... I didn't like the campaign that he ran or a lot of his policies but he is not your average run of the mill politician and he gave the best concession speech ever.

3. that it's pumpkin pie season... I need to make one tonight to get me through the long weekend of crafting.

4. for my chiropractors, who have easily corrected my stupid trigger finger (don't ask) and carpal tunnel problems, not to mention, they keep my kids healthy... Seriously, my 9 year old has only been on antibiotics once and that was for a Lyme's disease scare. 

5. for Janine... C and R's dance teacher at our church who almost singlehandedly writes, directs, and choreographs the most fabulous Christmas plays(about love and acceptance) every year for over 10 years... and she's not even 30 yet!

The kids wanted me to post their Halloween costumes. I had no influence on them this year... Obviously, C was Cleopatra. We bought the headpiece from party city and I made the dress... I just love working with that cheap satin and gold lame, NOT!!! but the rummage sale ric-rac really came in handy for the collar. She loved it and won "most historical" at our library party.  R was a witch... I've never really been into the darker side of Halloween. So, I wasn't too sure about her costume but she loved it. She ended up looking a lot like the wicked witch of the west... which wasn't the initial idea but I wish I would've thought to at least give her a big green nose or something... Her favorite part was the broom which she happily rode around on... Her dress was from a thrifted rag bag... I know it looks pretty nice but the sizing is completely off... Her hat was 99 cents at Target and I "goofed" it up with dollar store spider rings and some tulle... I bought her some really cool black and blue glittery wings thinking that she would like them but they were "too pretty"!

Okay... so just some links to post and then back to sewing...

Amanda, over at my all time favorite blog... Soulemama... has started a new blog/phenomenon... called Mama to Mama... it is fabulous and wonderful and you should really check it out!

I've found a new blog... the Land of Meg.

found via loobylou... very cool... always something thoughtful going on there...

I've been thinking Christmas presents lately even though I've got no money... anyway, have you seen Trunkt? it's like an online art gallery just full of good stuff.... Also worth checking out are velocity and delight... which is just full of stocking stuffers.

... and such cool names too! ...kids these days! 

Well, that's all for now... don't forget about Etsy, when Christmas shopping. I love their shopping guides... I will hopefully be filling my etsy shop after the show next week, so expect an update somewhere around Friday, November 19th... just in time for Christmas. 

PS Sorry for the un-cropped and boring pics. My dad took them because I forgot to take the camera to all 3 of our Halloween parties...

nesting...

Today, I'm thankful for...

1. 3 days of staying home... well, almost... we had one really great brownie meeting thrown in on Monday night and we need to leave for dance in an hour... but it was great, no rushing to get school finished, no eating dinner at 8pm...

2. the gorgeous fall light! pink sunrises and long shadows... it is so beautiful even when it's windy, cold, and rainy there is something about fall.

3. the return of the woodstove... it's so snuggly warm in here!

4. stacks and stacks of library books and cozy corners to read in...

5. remaking the beds with flannel sheets and extra quilts.

Well, as you can see, I'm in full-tilt fall nesting mode. I know... I'm so boring. Let's all bake bread and make apple butter, cover the garden beds, and stay home. It's a good thing. There is so much to do in the fall, not just all the outdoor fall stuff like pumpkin picking and football games and halloween, but there is a lot of indoor stuff too. I've been doing mega cooking. I've made 2 batches of apple butter, chicken broth, and lots of other staples for the freezer. I've also got this craft show coming up and I'm really stressed about it. I (of course) have not been keeping up with my sewing like I should have (can you say PROCRASTINATOR???) and I need to get cracking as it's not my usual kind of show. To begin with, the show is two days, so I need a lot more stock than I usually do. It's also juried and that always freaks me out a little bit (I'm my own worst critic). I need a professional looking booth. My worries go on and on. Anyway, at least there will be some sewing in the future. 

 

I made this little sweater sleeve cozy for my canning jar this week. I've been wanting to do this for some time now. I personally think that wide mouth canning jars with lids are just about the most perfect drinking vessels ever except for the fact that my tea got cold a little too quickly. So, ta da!!!  a canning jar cozy. I'm thinking that my friend, Sue and I should write a book called "101 Things to Do with a Felted Sweater Sleeve". I was a pretty easy project. The sweater was already felted. I cut a circle for the bottom and sewed it to the sleeve, then I just wet felted the sleeve a little more around the jar. Best of all, it works. My tea stays warm. By the way, that's my corner up there in the first pic. Remember when everyone used to do "Corners of my Home" blog days?  Well, that's my corner. My chair, my window, my tea, my books, all right there... Of course, it is the best spot, so everyone is always trying to get in on it... the dog, the cat, the kids, the husband. Lately, I've had to fight for it. 

 Anyway, here's a couple things I'm loving right now...

 A Foothill Home Companion's take on Spool's bird mobile. What a great idea. These birds are so cute and easy and what a great blog, too!

I must be into birds lately (hmmm, maybe it has something to do with the "nesting") because I'm also loving this and this on etsy... Can't wait to do some Etsy Christmas shopping, there is such good stuff there. 

Tomorrow, I'm planning on making this... the pate brisee (pie crust) is already in the fridge.

a new leaf...

 

This is the view of our creek from our front porch.

Today, I'm thankful for...

1. our cozy home... we have 2 homeless families living at our church for the week and while I was cooking for them, I just kept thinking about how lucky we are to have a home that is warm and cozy where we can all be together... even if it is under construction and a mess 90% of the time.

2. the library because I could never afford to buy all the books my kids read.

3. APPLES... dried apples, applesauce, apple pie, apple butter, apple buckle, apple crisp... I love apples! 

5. my husband who did all the dishes while I did all the cooking... it makes things so much easier when you finish cooking and there's already an empty sink. 

Okay- so I know that I cheated and posted that month old post but seriously, I've felt like I'm flying by the seat of my pants for a month and a half now. I'm only now just starting to feel like I'm getting into the groove. We definitely overbooked October with activities... especially when all the kids and I really feel like doing is reading a book curled up in a blanket outside in the fall sunshine. I've been thinking about the blog and I think that I may be expecting too much from myself... so be aware that you may be seeing some future posts that are just pics or just links or even just "today I'm thankful for's". I do have a big craft show coming up, so there will be sewing. Like these and this...

   

Anyway... I just wanted to pass on a couple links for some things that I've been loving lately... Have you checked out?

The cool, free, download-able Obama posters by Christopher David Ryan here...

This new very cool cooperative website, Simple Green Frugal Co-op.

I've been a fan of the Crafty Crow from the beginning but I literally can not start my day with out checking out some of the great ideas over there. My kids(and I) are so thankful for this website... it has brought so many new crafts into our home.

And one more for today... lately I've just been so touched by Blue Yonder. I think she teaches (or reminds) me of something every day. Her boys are so lucky to have her as a mom.

Enjoy!

whirlwind...

* This post was written a month ago... but I'm posting it anyway... Hey, I'm still thankful for all of these things...

Wow... today, I'm thankful for...

1. FALL, my favorite season. Warm days, cool nights, sweaters, and lots of time spent outside!

2. a yummy cup of tea.

3. zinnias and sunflowers, harvesting the last bits of the garden before the first frost sneaks up on us...

4. making something... it's been so long... it was nice to feel creative.

5. a day with no "out of the house" activities planned.

 

OMG... last week was such a whirlwind! For most of the week, I didn't know which way was up... We got home from vacation with tons of laundry(still sadly in progress) because the dryer at the cabin was broken and it poured rain for the last 2.5 days of our week. We started school (we homeschool) and all our new fall activities. We decided to take the kids with us to Philly for J's eye doctor appointment and check out some of the sites but the whole day was pretty much a comedy of errors- (we did peek in Ben Franklin's windows). Every other free moment was filled with school, library bake sale baking, cleaning, sewing gifts for a baby shower, shuttle bussing, etc...

Anyway, at least for today things feel like they've started to even out a little bit. We don't have any outside activities.I had some time to straighten up a bit, the kids actually asked to start school, the house is not clean by any measure, but there is a load of laundry in and a plan for dinner. This homeschool thing is kicking my butte this year! Maybe it's working with both the kids at once... maybe it's working with 2 kids who have completely different learning styles. I'm not exactly sure what it is but man, it's killing me. Maybe it's just that we usually ease our way into starting the school year and this year, we started late and were forced to jump in with both feet after a completely relaxed vacation week. 

Vacation was really nice. Even though the weather was crappy...(thanks, Hanna). Rainbow Lake was a really cool lake. Our cabin was great. How can you not love a screened porch with a fireplace? The kids had their first solo kayak adventures. J caught his biggest fish ever, a walleye and it was one of the best tasting lake fish we've ever eaten. 

 

There was lots of relaxing, reading, eating, fishing, canoeing, kayaking,and swimming. I even saw otters in their natural habitat. We do love the Adirondacks, what an amazing place! We went to The Wild Center which was really cool. The kids were fascinated learning about the glaciers. It was tough to leave. We are spoiled where we live with a creek and woods and lots of room to play and garden but I dream of living on a lake with morning and evening paddles.

the countdown begins...

Today, I'm thankful for...

1. EmergenC, I don't know what I'd do without it. 

2. Aveda foot relief... this stuff works miracles on your feet.

3. Whippoorwills -just before we go to bed and just before we wake up.

4. laptops and wireless.

5. my husband and neighbor who sweated their butts off last night after working all day to finish the grouting in my shower and then sat politely when I came in and told them all the spots that I need them to fix. 

So, this is going to be a quickie post... just wanted to show you the above pic of the blossom from our neighbor's Night Blooming Cereus. When my neighbor (Jen's husband, Eric) came down early on Monday to work on the bathroom, he brought me this. Is that the coolest flower that you've ever seen or what? I love this plant. Jen's is a particularly prolific cereus, she's had several blooms already this summer. I remember this plant from my childhood. My grandmother had one. I'm not totally sure but I don't think it was as prolific as Jen's because I remember once being taken out of bed in my pajamas half asleep and driven to my grandmother's to see it bloom in the middle of the night. The actual plant is an ugly bohemoth that likes to be ignored for 11 months out of the year but for a flower like this... it's worth keeping it around. That flower closed up almost immediately after taking the photo above. The blossoms only last one night and they only smell when they first open. I love the little spidery looking thing... 

In other news... we leave on vacation in 3 days, which explains why I'm thankful for emergenC and Aveda foot relief. I've been running around like and idiot trying to get everyone ready and wearing myself out in the process. Not to mention, my allergies are horrible this year.  I've also been sewing but packed everything I made, mostly skirts and tops for myself. The next 2 days are the busiest, so I doubt that I'll be checking back in before we leave, although I do plan to post from the Adirondacks sometime next week. Soon, I've also got to tell you about this book. I've been baking almost every other day... Amazing stuff... so good and so bad at the same time... if you know what I mean.