W.I.P Wednesday - June 9th

I apologize for the lack of photos this week - the last few days have been overcast and rainy - meh.

It's June (yeah, it was last week too, I know), but we are heading into the home stretch of the only other time of year I craft as much in a short time as I do for the winter holidays...

Here they are, couldn't stay still long enough for mom to snap a pic! Taken Mother's day weekend

The "babies" birthdays!

My 2 youngest have very close birth dates, only 5 days difference! So it always seems like a mad dash to get myself out of the winter funk (I nose dive after the holiday madness. I don't craft for a good 3 months!!), and before the lure of summer activities limits craft to 5 minute chucks every other day, if I'm lucky.

The youngest of my two daughters, who's turning 7, is so easy to find things to make for. For her, her doll, for play, just cause it exists... while on the other hand, finding anything for my son (who is turning 4), has been slightly more challenging.

So, "baby" girl is getting a new outfit for her doll. I've shared the sweater with you, but dress and felt shoes are in the works as well. Her doll is 2 1/2 yrs old, and has never had any foot coverings! She'll be excited about this.

Now, my baby boy (he's the youngest - I can still call him baby, right? Shoot, my 80+ yr old grandmother called my dad her baby into his 50s!), totally clueless here. If I had woodworking tools and supplies - no problem. But since we're don't have those here with us, in our already cramped quarters, well... I'm stuck! But the plan is to try make something homemade for their birthday gift, and something store bought to give during their party at the end of the month. (got that covered - THANKS MARGARET!!) Too bad the boy's birthday is in 6 days, I still have over a week for the doll stuff!

Let's not forget getting 2 frozen butter cream transfer images done too sometime before the party - YIKES! In that case, I have the boy cake all sorted out what to do, it's the girl cake I'm clueless on! Figures...

Happy crafting - whatever it is you are working on today! And if you want more inspiration, hope over to Musings From the Fishbowl for a list of other WIPsters blog to check out!

Slight Meltdown

So I know I don't generally get to personal on here with the ins and outs of everyday life, but in my vain attempts to actually blog, but here it goes.

So the other night, those of you who are on my friends list in facebook basically saw me "lose it" over recently trying to get a birthday party organized for my 2 youngest, who's birthdays are this month.

Generally, birthday's don't go well for us.

For starters, my oldest birthday is the end of November, which means we either are really close to the Thanksgiving holiday, or everything and everyone is getting ready for Christmas, or even just the weather is crappy and travel is impossible.

The two youngest I thought would always have it easier, but alas, no. Even with a spring/summer birthdays, we have the end of the school year, start of vacation, father's day, graduations and graduation parties and weddings to contend with. I almost think its worse my oldest, there seems more to fight against.

Add in that the holidays and kids birthdays are just another stinging reminder that my parents are no longer here with us to share the joy of birthdays and holidays and such, and I'm nearly reduced to tears.

and this week, I'm more hormonal then usually (ladies, I think you know what I mean here - BRING ON THE CHOCOLATE!)

So - WHY am I sharing all this on my blog... honestly - I don't know.

But i do know that the next morning, with the sun shining (even though it was only mid-50s - burr), i got most everything figured out. I think.

I still changed the date of the kids birthday party by 1 day, and hope my MIL can make it (she normally works Saturdays - but not always). And she's being just a peach and going to the toy store that is nearly 1 hour away from me to look for gifts i was hoping to get the kids but were out of stock online. (Marg, if you are reading this - *MUAH*)

For the paternal in-law side - we are suppose to all be gathering at my Bother-in_laws for 4th of July weekend, my SIL suggested rather then stress out - just do cake/ice cream/etc while were are there visiting anyways. Ok, no biggie. It's still on the weekend that our friend "Big Daddy" has off from work, so they are attending, and i even got a place to host the party to free, at the local park with a playground right here in town.

Crisis diverted? Slightly... but I am still sad. And the only reason i can think of is is not only now am i stressing about making their cakes (which is not a huge stress yet - i have like 3 weeks), but that I still miss my parents. My mom and 1 daughter shared a birthday, which is also father's day this year. Just the same as the year after my dad died.

*sigh*

With both my parents birthdays being in the summer, and both having died in the summer... i really hate summer.

Can it' be Autumn yet?

Say The Things - Parody of 7 Things by Miley Cyrus

This is a awesome parody music video, and great for all us lonely bloggers out there

Menu Planning Monday - June 7th

Ahh, and another Monday. We are getting into more of a grove now with daddy back to work, and mama back at home. Trying to enjoy the last couple of weeks home alone with the boy, before big sisters are home for the summer (dear Lord help me). Still on a shoe string budget, here's our menu for the week.


Monday: Hot dogs off the BBQ and pasta salad

Tuesday: Elbow pasta (buttered for the youngest, with tomato sauce for the rest)

Wednesday: BLT's

Thursday: Tacos

Friday: Dad's Choice

Saturday: Pizza night (it seems to becoming a theme night for us here)

And since summer vacation is approaching, I'm going to have to start planning out breakfast and lunches better. So, here's my start!

Breakfasts:
Pancakes
PB toast and fruit
Strawberry muffins
cereal

Lunches:
grilled cheese
PB &/or Jelly
mac and cheese
turkey sandwich

As always - take a hop over to I'm and Organizing Junkie for more info on MPM!

ipad... for FREE?!?!?

Oh yeah... i want one, you know you want one too!

Hop over to Mom to Bed by 8 to learn how you can have a shot at winning a free ipad (and the blog owner getting one to review too!)

Hurry over before you forget - contest end July 2nd!

{this moment}

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

For more moments, take a swing over to Soulemama

W.I.P Wednesday: The Prayer Shawl

I am sure of one thing, I will be working on this WIP along side other projects as I can.

"Shawls ... made for centuries universal and embracing, symbolic of an inclusive, unconditionally loving, God. They wrap, enfold, comfort, cover, give solace, mother, hug, shelter and beautify. Those who have received these shawls have been uplifted and affirmed, as if given wings to fly above their troubles..."
Written in 1998 by: Janet Bristow 

the elevated portion of my desk - usually 2 feet high in paperwork

At my church, there is a board in one of rooms right off the sanctuary, with a number of clip art pictures of shawls, which I assume is the number of shawls the church is trying to collect. The pattern in an envelope attached to the board called for some yarn I had a ton of, picking it up on deep clearance when our local walmart last year downsized their craft dept when they moved up to a supercenter, enough for 2 shawls.

So, I'm making it a goal of mine to get these shawls done this summer. One More Mile.

If you are so inclined, feel free to people over to Musings From the Fishbowl for links to other WIPsters blogs.

A History of Memorial Day

I am lucky enough to have grown up in an area of New York that is rich in history. I grew up and graduated from the town know for it being the Birth Place of Woman's Rights (for which i will write about this summer), and my neighboring town over is the Birth Place of Memorial Day. This is the town my mother grew up in, and the history of the start of Memorial Day, I share with you today.


The story of Memorial Day begins in the summer of 1865, when a prominent local druggist, Henry C. Welles, mentioned to some of his friends at a social gathering that while praising the living veterans of the Civil War it would be well to remember the patriotic dead by placing flowers on their graves. Nothing resulted from this suggestion until he advanced the idea again the following spring to General John B. Murray. Murray, a civil war hero and intensely patriotic, supported the idea wholeheartedly and marshalled veterans' support. Plans were developed for a more complete celebration by a local citizens' committee headed by Welles and Murray.

On May 5, 1866, the Village was decorated with flags at half mast, draped with evergreens and mourning black. Veterans, civic societies and residents, led by General Murray, marched to the strains of martial music to the three village cemeteries. There impressive ceremonies were held and soldiers' graves decorated. One year later, on May 5, 1867, the ceremonies were repeated. In 1868, Waterloo joined with other communities in holding their observance on May 30th, in accordance with General Logan's orders. It has been held annually ever since.

Waterloo held the first formal, village wide, annual observance of a day dedicated to honoring the war dead. On March 7, 1966, the State of New York recognized Waterloo by a proclamation signed by Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller. This was followed by recognition from Congress of the United States when the House of Representatives and the Senate unanimously passed House Concurrent Resolution 587 on May 17th and May 19th, 1966 respectively. This reads in part as follows: "Resolved that the Congress of the United States, in recognition of the patriotic tradition set in motion one hundred years ago in the Village of Waterloo, NY, does hereby officially recognize Waterloo, New York as the birthplace of Memorial Day..."

On May 26, 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson, signed a Presidential Proclamation recognizing Waterloo as the Birthplace of Memorial Day.


Today, Waterloo, NY, like many communities, celebrate Memorial Day. There is usually a town wide celebration the last week of May, with reenactments (this year is the Civil War), past Presidents (along with other typical "fair" type things). Waterloo still however commemorates Memorial Day on May 30th, Memorial Day's official date, regardless of what day it falls on that year. Waterloo is also the host to The National Memorial Day Museum.

For all of you you may be reading my blog, I hope you take the time today (May 30th) to thank a veteran for their time in service, as well as pay tribute to our fallen soldiers, who gave the ultimate sacrifice that allow us the freedoms we enjoy today. Remember this day, a solemn day in deed.

history of Memorial Day from this website: Memorial Day History

Menu Planning Monday - Memorial Day and beyond

Welcome! I'm posting this Saturday - as with our busy weekend - not sure I'll get the chance to get back on blogger. It's a holiday and I'm going to take advantage of my grill! We'll be trying 2 new recipes, one the grill and the other baked. And this week my husband goes back to work, after being laid off for almost 18 months! I can just tell, it's going to be a good week!

Memorial Day: Basil Turkey burgers, chicken thighs, hot dogs, corn on the cob, and salad.

Tuesday: Baked Teriyaki chicken and rice

Wednesday: Pasta night

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: Going out!

Saturday: home made pizzas

Sunday: Slow cooker ham, potatoes and green beans

And of course - jump over to I'm an Organizing Junkie for more Menu Planning ideas!

Giveaway - from the blog of This Little Family

Another weekend, another blogging giveaway to share with all of you (however many you are reading this).

Skoy has been generous enough to be sponsoring this give away - enough for 2 winners!

"Skoy cloth is a fabulous, absorbent, biodegradable and natural multi-use cloth. Our re-usable earth friendly cloth is perfect in your kitchen, bathroom, and on most surface areas in your home or office. Skoy cloth can be used in place of your sponge, wash cloth or paper towels."

For more information on Skoy, as well as the full product review that our blogging host was so kind to do and share, head over to This Little Family... and maybe you too can have a shot at winning this great product!

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. inspired by soulemama - pop over to see her moment, as well as the comment section for more shared moments.

W.I.P. Wednesday : Doll sweaters

So I missed out last week, since I finished my first baby doll sweater Tuesday afternoon before the baby doll's mama (aka Lizzy) came home from school. I also quick whipped out a reuseable mop cover for our "swiffer" mop (its not the swiffer brand, just like the wet mop though), and got that done too that evening, so, no actual wip last Wednesday. Here is the finished sweater:


pattern link on Ravelry: Pull-over for 16in Waldorf Dolls


But this Wednesday, I have another doll sweater to share. It's the same pattern at the first, only I learned a lot of things on the first one, I changed for the second. First, since there is no gauge listed, since not every 16" doll is the same, the first sweater was SO HUGE i ended up knitting it longer into more of a dress (that really could use a pair of bloomers, since the hem rolls up). This time, I didn't knit as many rounds to make the top part, hoping to narrow the sweater a bit. And while it worked, I likely could have taken it in a bit more, but this is still better then the first. And while both yarns are 10ply worsted, this yarn is knitting up tighter then the first did, I imagine my next one will be made with sport weight.



I'm hoping to sew some little shorts and make some felt shoes, and warp this all up for doll mama's birthday next month. If I had more time/ambition, I would make them matching sweaters, but I don't see that happening this time! There is always Christmas!

Menu Planning Monday - May 17th

Lots has changed in the last week. Wednesday, J had a job interview, and I lost my job the same day. Now that we're really pinching pennies, meals will be a frugal as possible. BUT, I want to keep moving towards a more healthy trend in eating for the kids... more whole foods, less processed crap. And we'll still be attempting a new recipe once a week (hopefully foods they haven't tried before, or at least eat-out favorite made better at home).

Monday: Breakfast (pancakes, strawberries, eggs, toast... maybe muffins too)

Tuesday: Grilled Cheese and soup

Wednesday: Over to a friends house (with a full day of baking goodies too!)

Thursday: homemade Pasta night

Friday: Mac & Cheese (likely not - i'm just really uninspired right now!)

Saturday: Lunch:
Dinner: Pizza night (still looking for a "new" way to try this Saturday night tradition)

Sunday: Baked Ziti

As always, head over to I'm an Organizing Junkie for more meal planning blog links!

About another Green and Crunchy blog giveaway

Green and Crunchy is sharing the wealth of knowledge, and goodies, again! Today, Stephine from Organicology was a a special guest post today, with a lot of info on "pinkwashing", Race for the Cure and more cancer information. With todays guest posting, the giveaway is for 50 organic skin care samples!

If you would like more info about "pinkwashing" or the giveaway, hop over to Green and Crunchy!

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. inspired by soulemama

*** *** ***

W.I.P Wednesday... err... Friday

It's been awhile since I posted a WIP Wednesday post... that's cause between work, kids school stuff, church, I haven't had much time to even get a WIP going! This week, I have a couple, food and knit.

This past weekend, I decided to try making sushi rolls for the family. They LOVE sushi rolls, and we often buy them from Wegmans (a local/northeastern grocery chain), but man, its EXPENSIVE to buy some prepared rice and veggie rolled in seaweed. So we got the goods, and gave it a try.



They LOVED it! *whew* I see a LOT more of these being made around here...

As far as a knit WIP, we have a certain little girl, who has a upcoming birthday, and a very naked doll. So, a knit doll sweater commenced, only to find out - its HUGE on the doll - so its going to become a sweater dress (hey - it means i dont have to knit pants right away now!)


Hopfully I can get this posted on the correct day next week!! Until then - have fun creating!

Meal Planning.... Thursday?

After a week of hurting my back and ending up with a high fever, it's great to be back and feeling semi-normal... whatever "normal" may be!! So a late start and posting the blog entry, but here is our menu for this week. One of these days I'll post the recipe for my 1-pot chicken and rice dish that we all love, but for this week, our new dish to try for the week is featured with recipe links on Sunday.

Baking: Not so much this week - as i'm planning a big bake day with my friend Joanne next Wednesday (as much coin flipping for which day!), but if i get ambitious, i want to try Strawberry Scones and French Breakfast Muffins.

Monday: Pasta

Tuesday: Chicken and Rice

Wednesday: Sub sandwiches

Thursday: leftovers/fend-for-yourself night

Friday: breaded chicken patty on buns, veggie sticks and fruit

Saturday: lunch: PB&J Blossom sandwiches
dinner: Pizza (the cheap frozen kind - we seem to like them the best!)

Sunday: Coconut chicken wings, vegetable lo mein

And as always, for more meal planning ideas, stop over to I'm an Organized Junkie!

Meal Planning Monday - New month, fresh start

Spring in finally in full swing here (even with the freak snow we had last week), and with it, our eating is starting to shift from heavy, winter meals to lighter fare.

I am also going to try and do some bulk baking for throughout the week... pancakes and such to make breakfast and snack time quick and easy for dad while I'm at work.

Monday: BBQing, Pasta salad

Tuesday: Pasta night

Wednesday: Tacos

Thursday: leftovers/fend-for-yourself night

Friday: homemade vegetable pizzas (personal size, dough recipe)

Saturday: homemade California sushi rolls

For more meal planning ideas, stop over to I'm an Organized Junkie!

From the blog of "Green and Crunchy"... a combo giveaway!

In my own blogging absence, I've been reading many blogs about food, for recipes, etc. What can i say - food interests me (and a tad bit of an unhealthy obsession at times).

My newest blog obsession find, Green and Crunchy, is hosting an excellent giveaway from Xagave. The giveaway is for a 25oz bottle of their organic Agave, as well as a recipe book!

From Xagave's website:

“Xagave is a Premium Blend of Agave Nectar derived from organic Agave Salmiana (White Agave) and organic inulin from Agave Tequilana (Blue Agave). This combination results in the highest quality nectar with the best taste, best Cooking Qualities and the most Health Benefits of any nectar on the market; making our nectar the perfect sweetener for all of your cooking, canning, and baking needs. Your foods will taste better while saving calories and our nectar can be simply exchanged for sugar or honey in any of your favorite recipes (see Sugar Exchange Table). A natural and healthy substitute for sugar, brown sugar and honey makes our nectar perfect for everyday use in coffee, tea and cereal. Avoid “spiking” your blood sugar levels with this naturally low Glycemic Index Food (approximately 30) and feel the difference. Our nectar contains no artificial additives or artificial sweeteners and is processed at very low temperatures that qualify it as a raw food. Organic & Kosher certified, we are 100% confident that you will not only taste but feel the difference.”

So, if you would love a chance at this excellent giveaway, take a jump over to Green and Crunchy for all the details to enter! Contest closes Sunday May 9th at Midnight - so Hurry!

Menu Planning Monday

After spending a week sick, it's nice to get back into a routine, no? So here's my attempt at a easy, simple, quick and healthy menu - as the oldest and dad will be attending Taekwondo classes soon, so our busy schedule just upgraded to hectic!

Monday: Grilled Cheese and veggies w/ dip

Tuesday: Breakfast for dinner

Wednesday: Pasta night (seems to be a Wednesday night thin for us)

Thursday: Weeks leftovers

Friday: Homemade Pizza night (will be using english muffins as the "base")

Saturday Lunch: Taco Turkey Wraps
Saturday Dinner: Finger licking good finger foods

Sunday Dinner: Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Shells


And of course - make sure you head over to I'm an Organizing Junkie for more menu planning inspiration!

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Alas, a WIP Wednesday posting after such a long absence! I do find it so very hard to truly get into crafting after the mad rush of the holiday stuff, but a opportunity presented itself recently for me to make this super quick and easy doll for a sweet girl from Church.

Thankfully, this is not my first time creating this particular doll... let's see our prototype i made for my son about a year ago:




wow.. lopsided face *yikes* but look how happy he is:

please ignore the very messy background - crafting generally leads to cluttered floors.

So, at church i found out one of the little girls from the little kids church class/nursery was having surgery. She is about the most sweetest, adorable 3yr old i know, and having a cyst removed from near her eye, well... i wanted to do something, and a doll just seemed like the right quick thing to knit up for her. It's obviously has pink (her favorite color), and I'm pretty sure she'll like it.

In the doll above for my son, i made some changes, but this doll is straight up from the pattern posted in the book Kids Knit! : Simple Steps to nifty projects. So the face is also in garter stitch (rather then stockinette), and i am using plain yarn for the hair, rather then mohair yarn.


I keep thinking it i had made the doll with blond hair, it would look like a flower in the sun (green pants/stem, pink shirt/petals, and then yellow hair/sun). But alas... we have a burnette doll, which i think will be just a cute when completed!

Thanks for reading - hopefully now my post-holiday crafting slump has subsided, I can get back into a more normal WIP Wednesday posting!

Menu Planning Monday: The post Valentine's day version

It maybe post Valentine's day, but the celebrations are still alive and well here! We have 2 birthdays in the next 2 weeks, but thankfully we have this week off from that, so we'll be keeping the food simple and good for the most part. And remember to visiting I'm an Organizing Junkie to see all the other menu's this week!

Monday: ?? driving home from Watertown (finally, we hope)

Tuesday: Chicken nuggets and fries

Wednesday: Pasta night

Thursday: fend-for-yourself leftovers

Friday: Breakfast

Saturday: Pizza night

Back once again.... Menu Planning Monday

Another week, another menu! Don't forget to go over to I'm an Organizing Junkie to view all the other menu planners for the week! I'm going to try and link any recipes I use, or post them (esp if I adapted them) for all the non-common place items. With Girl Scouts and church Bell Choir, the first half of the week is generally super easy dinners

Sunday: Subs and chips

Monday: Sausage and perogies

Tuesday: Breakfast for dinner night - including eggs, bacon, sausage, etc...

Wednesday: Pasta and salad night

Thursday: Chicken Fajitas

Friday: Pizza Pancakes

Saturday: Slow cooker Orange chicken, rice and broccoli

So much to do, so little time!!

It has been eons since I posted, and I hope anyone reading this is not hoping for a huge update either..

We are currently in Watertown, NY visiting with family for the New Year, esp my sister-in-law who will be deploying soon for the Middle East for 9 months.

I will be updating tomorrow with some pictures, my weekly menu, and even a return finally for WIP Wednesday!

Hoping you all had a happy, healthy and pleasant holiday!

Holiday Ornament giveaway at Frontier Dreams!

For those of you who know (and love) the magazine Living Crafts, may have seen the article about the ornament exchange in the latest edition.

Nicole over at Frontier Dreams has graciously offered one of her knitted fruit baskets as a giveaway - the very same as she made for the exchange! You can get in on this by hoping over to her blog and leaving a comment. The giveaway will be open until 6pm pacific time on December 13th (St Lucia's Day)... so hurry over for your chance to win!

And many thanks to Nicole for this opportunity!

Meal Planning Monday

After a hectic first week back to work - I'm back into a routine and here's my menu for the week! It's light, as we'll be away for the holiday at my sister-in-laws house here in New York. I am listing what I'm making my sister-in-law's after the weekly menu

Monday - 1 pot chicken and rice dish
Tuesday - clean out the fridge left-overs

Wednesday - Saturday - Sister-in-laws

For the 4 days away includes:

Graham cracker crust pudding pie (in chocolate)
A side dish (need to confirm with SIL what my MIL and FIL are bringing first)
Brunch 1 day (breakfast meats, eggs, and either french toast or pancakes)
Making leftover turkey soup (we had a turkey given to us I'm bringing to cook and make into soup)
plus drinks, snacks for us and the kids

Make sure you go over to I'm an Organizing Junkie and catch all the other menu's planned for this big holiday food week!!

Blog Spotlight

Make sure to visit Garden Mama for a lovely reading of an interview she had with Hip Mountain Mama... as well as to see about the lovely giveaway Garden mama has organized from Hip Mountain Mama!

WIP Wednesday: a new knitter in the family!

Well, its wednesday again, and still no pictures (maybe someday I'll post the FOs at least).

Well, last night i started teaching my oldest daughter to knit. She's getting the knit stich itself down - but they are tight stitches... and she is somehow increasing at the ends.. LOL... we'll figure it out - but her attempts at this age are SO much better then mine ever were when my grandmother tried to teach me.

I've also finished making the fingerless gloves for my co-worker, and made another set for my son - he love's them!

Now, it's a debate if i start making a doll for my 6 yr old, or the Bell's gloves for my oldest. Decisions, decisions!!

Meal Planing Monday

So, as you can imagine, I've been a bit slow to catch up with everything since the Car accident... obviously, the blog has been put to the way side during this time. But - in an attempt to get back to reality, Here's my menu for this week!

Monday: BLTs (depending on the person, this could be bacon, lettuce, tomato, or bacon, lettuce and toast - LOL)

Tuesday: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

Wednesday: Pasta night (I wont be home - DH can handle this!)

Thursday: Breakfast for dinner (we keep trying to do this, and never seem to get it done)

Friday: Chicken fingers and french fries

Saturday: Pizza night!

Sunday: Turkey Soup (a HUGE family favorite!)

ANd of course - make sure you head over to I'm an Organizing Junkie for more menu planning inspiration!

WIP Wednesday

Ok - so i didn't think i would want to post... being as I'm camera less for the moment - but alas! I will update this posting with pictures tomorrow.

My current FO (as if i didnt finish it 2 days ago - i'd be my WIP in the posting!) is a pair of fingerless mittens i made for a co-worker.

My current WIP is another pair for my son/ He's hands are much shorted/smaller so i think i'll have this spit out rather quickly.

I also am getting ready to cast on Bella's Mittens to make for my soon-to-be 11 yr old - only I'm not sure if it will be for her birthday next month, or Christmas.

Well, untill i add photos - that's it from me today - look back tomorrow to see pics!!

A week off....

So, no menu this week, and no WIP Wednesday either.

Our family was in a car accident Sunday after picking apples at a local u-pick apple orchard. Thankfully, the only major injury was to me, and it is a small fracture to my right arm.

I'll be back next week, posting for both MPM and WIP Wednesday, as I'll be replacing my camera battery this week!

Another Week.... another menu

But hey - until my camera has a new battery (this week maybe?), its the only thing keeping coming to my blog! So here's to another week! And make sure you check out the list of other MPM bloggers over at I'm an Organized Junkie!



Monday: grilled cheese or "pizza sandwich" (grilled cheese with pizza sauce inside on each slice - yum!)

Tuesday: Chicken and rice, with broccoli

Wednesday: Butternut squash soup, and crunchy bread

Thursday: Breakfast! Spiced pumpkin waffles, fruit and some breakfast "meat"

Friday: TV dinners - after working all week - mama needs a break!

Saturday: Dare i say it - i think a day w/o the kids s- hubby and i will play this day by ear

Sunday: slow cooker stew

Back in the Habit... Meal Planning Monday

So - here it is - Sunday night, and another week looms out ahead of us. So, with that in hand, and knowing that now that school is in full swing, it's back to some regular meal planning! Here's our week ahead:

Monday: Grilled Cheese and Soup

Tuesday: Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken sandwiches, side salad

Wednesday: Pasta with tomato/red sauce, and garlic bread

Thursday: "little bit of everything" night (aka leftover night), homemade apple-pear sauce

Friday: Pizza Night!!

Saturday: Breakfast for dinner

Sunday: Broccoli and cheese stuffed shells

If you too would like to get in on the Meal Planning Monday fun, hop over to I'm an Organizing Junkie for more details!
(the irony is - i wrote my 1 and only other MPM post exactly 1 year ago!!)

Hip Mountain Mama: Natural Art Supply giveaway!

That's right - an excellent blog, and excellent giveaway!

For September, Hip Mountain Mama is running a giveaway for a set of natural art supplies. Can't get much better then that, if you ask me!

I suggest running over to her blog, check it out, it's a blog worth reading, giveaways or not!

WIP: Wednesday

So you may have noticed i haven't been keeping up. While i Have been able to get online - my camera's battery died - and therefore I've been unable to post any pics (or even take any!) for any of my current projects!

I hope i can update soon (even if it's not a wednesday!)... but in the mean time - make sure you check everyone else out who is partaking in WIP Wednesday!

A leave of absance

Well, at least this time i am warning everyone!

I'll be offline starting next week, and likely for 2 weeks after that. Not only will i be starting my new job, but we also are leaving this apartment, and will be crammed into a tiny efficiency for the summer. It will not be ideal, but it will work, and hoping to have lots of weekend camping going on to get out of the tiny space.

We will have phone/internet there though - but it will take time to move over... so i hope I'll be able to update here by WIP Wednesday on the 24th!

WIP Wednesday: Where I've been

So, you may have noticed the last couple of Wednesdays, My lack of posting (basically, since my first WIP Wednesday post!). We've had the fortunate event of visiting family that came from out of state at my in-laws, my brother's wedding, father's day, kindergarten graduation... all in all, no time for crafting.

But here we are back again, today just some yarn and fabric for some items I'm starting for a swap, gnomes and crayon rolls.





I hope to update on my gnomes and rolls next week, but may be offline for a couple of weeks after that, more family visiting, camping....

WIP Wednesday - Joining the crew

OK - so in attempts to revive my blog, I'm going to try what i've seen around called WIP Wednesday. Here's the blurb about it from Musings From the Fishbowl : W.I.P. (Work In Progress) Wednesday is a fun and stress-free opportunity for you to share whatever your crafty little self is working on with the rest of the blogging community. You are invited to showcase a project you’re beginning, working on, or maybe even finished with. There is no skill or talent-level requirement and you can share anything in any medium!

So here is my current WIPs.

This is the doll cardigan pattern that was featured in the winter issue of Living Crafts, by Waldorf Mama. I'm making this for my youngest daughter for her birthday this month (plus a new doll outfit, and fixing her doll's face - the mouth has come undone).

And here is the Jack Skellington I started for my husband as a Father's Day present. He loves the movie The Nightmare Before Christmas so this was a perfect item for him. I also found a pattern to make Zero, Jack's "dog" to go along with Jack. I did make a few changes from the original pattern, and I think for the most part, it's coming out great!

The patterns for these are both on Ravelry for those who are interested.

CSA... for sheep?

Now my title might through you off a bit. But alas - if you have never heard of a CSA - let me start there. CSA (which is short for Consumer Supported Agriculture) is general a farm or such that you buy shares of, that you then receive shares of in terms of produce. This is usually done on a weekly basis, and is a great way to support your local farms and farmers.

Well, now something new i've only recently heard of, that other fribe loving people might enjoy - a CSA where your share is helping to buy/care for sheep, and in return, getting back wool yarn or roving.

If you'd love to read more about 1 such CSA, you can check out THIS BLOG about the Serenity Sheep Farm, located in Montana, USA.

If you are interested in buying a share, or other fiber related items, they also have a Etsy shop.

Apparently I need to find more time to read...

The Big Read reckons that "the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they've printed."

1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
4) Reprint this list in your own LJ so we can try and track down these people who've read 6 and force books upon them ;-)

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte's Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

A little something sweet

Is just what we made today! Andrew and I (well, he watched and ate left over mint chips) made brownie cups today. We saw this on another blog, with a link to the recipe, and today we tried it out. We did leave out the nuts, and used mint chocolate chips in place to semi-sweet. We also baked them in the mini-muffin sized tin, for about 20 minutes. Very yummy indeed! And a nice way to spend a rainy afternoon...
And here is the link to the recipe: Brownie Cups

Autumn...

So, i'm posting this about a week late - so shot me.

We've started to get into Autumn around the house, starting with setting up our (first ever!) nature table. I think this will be a work in progress, as everything starts to shift more and more. We still have many warm days, but the nights are starting to cool.

So, for our first ever Autumn nature table, we have here some foam made crafts (the kids made these at home, we just had to add them in!), our collection of leaves, chestnuts, mama dyed silks, twigs, a crocheted apple and some wooden animal figures!!



Look for more posts as we welcome in the change to Autumn!!

Menu Planning Monday!!

Well, I've always planned my menus, to help streamline shopping, cut costs... but keeping organized - well there's a new idea! So in jumping on the bandwagon, here is my first official blog post for Menu Planning Monday (MPM). If you want more info on this - check out this link! http://orgjunkie.com/menu-plan-monday

Monday - Chicken and rice, stove-top version

Tuesday - Heading out to eat! What a treat!!

Wednesday - Pasta night... 1 dish vegetarian pasta with broccoli, olives tosses with garlic infused olive oil and topped with parmesan cheese

Thursday - Breakfast for dinner (french toast, eggs, breakfast "meat", juice or tea)

Friday - Daddy's Choice... shopping day

For the first time, in a long time...

A new finished object!! I found a crayon roll tutorial in another blog, and decided to make 1 up. I think all my nieces and nephews will be getting these for Christmas!! 1 down - like 12 to go!

Here's the link to the tutorial - for anyone else wanting to try this!

Crayon Roll

Andrew's Waldorf Doll....

So i finally finished Andrew's doll this week, by finally making him some clothing. I originally blogged about making his doll in my Myspace blog... which you can find here:

My First Christmas Project

A Long Overdue Update

So, here is the doll, in all his glory, as well as a picture i took of Elizabeth's nearly finished doll... she needs just hair now.