Something new...

but first...


(Jasper with his darling pink nose being his cutie-pie self)

And now...

Several days ago an idea popped into my head. No idea where it came from but I knew I had to act immediately to put it in motion. These are my latest creations.... beaded crocheted necklaces and bracelets! They go together in minutes(about 15 total) and are super easy. I make them big enough to slip over the head so I don't have to put in a hook or closure but I plan to make some chokers too.



(pics taken with Amy's camera phone and not edited at all- sorry so blurry and washed out)




So far I've made 20 necklaces and 2 bracelets out of white, teal, red and black threads but plan to add a rainbow multi, marigold, and pink(among other colors) this weekend. My mom is going to send me a few handfuls of beads since I can't find what I'm looking for at our local Hobby Lobby or Michael's. They used to carry tubes that were color-themed but varied in shape and size. Now all I can find is assorted(very muted) colors in the tubes. Luckily I had a pretty decent stash to plow through because these them!

In other news...

I've been sick for over a week with a NASTY sore throat and sinus problems. Ugh! It is better today but definitely not gone. Last night Sparkle and Tallulah slept on either side of me, I think they knew I didn't feel good.

I've got to put my beans on to soak tonight! Homesick Texan's Ranch Style Beans are on my mind, been wanting to make them for a week now but haven't felt like it.

Tomorrow is supposed to be icky and rainy so it will be perfect weather for beading and bean eating. Mark has another 5K race. He won his age group last weekend and was 14th over all out of 200+. His friend, who is running because of Mark's encouragement, won his age group too(30somethings) and was 3rd over all!!! Hopefully they'll do well this time out too.

If I feel well enough we'll texture the walls on Sunday. I'm SO ready to paint!!!
If I feel up to it we'll texture the dining room walls on Sunday. I hope I do because I'm S

A recipe and a crochet pattern....

Some call it dinner and some call it supper. I've always used both words for the same meal but this time its definitely a supper kind of night.

Here is (sort of) what I'm cooking tonight. I've got it simmering on the stove now and its not even noon! It may end up being lunch as well, it smells soooo good!

Of course I made changes, I always do. Since I'm not a big fan of cooked carrots, I left them out along with the tomato sauce. Because we love spicy, I added a big handful of chopped cilantro, cayenne pepper, chipotle pepper, oregano, chili powder, a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, and beef broth(better than boullion paste). Also, I only put in two celery stalks, added an extra potato, used a whole red pepper, and subbed a can of salt free diced tomatoes for the whole tomato. My 5 quart stock pot is about 3/4 full so I'll have some to freeze for this weekend too. It is so nice to find recipes like these that can be customized to individual tastes. Woman's Day cookbook has one similar that uses mint for flavoring and it is awesome!

This is our second meatless meal in a row. Last night I had no clue what we would be eating until about 45 minutes before we actually ate. Colcannon was on my mind all day but I didn't have cabbage and my kale had already turned yellow. Sigh. Anyway, I did have some other veggies so I threw them all in the skillet with olive oil and boiled some rotini pasta. Here's the deal:

1 red pepper, chopped
7-8 large brown mushrooms, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4-5 garlic cloves
1 cup frozen chopped spinach
red pepper flakes to taste

Cook in olive oil til tender, serve over noodles with lots of parmesan cheese! YUM!!

Amy accidentally messed up their camera and my computer is in need of doctoring so I can't post any pictures! Its driving me crazy because I'm making the CUTEST little 6-petal crochet flowers. I'll share the pattern with you though. Now this is something I came up with all on my own so YMMV(your mileage may vary). I used I Love this Cotton from Hobby Lobby(similar to Peaches and Cream but softer) with a size I(9 or 5.5mm) hook.

I don't know how to write out a pattern in crochet language so bear with me!

Chain 3. Make 12 double crochet stitches in the first chain loop(chain will count as 13th). Join with a slip stitch in the top of the ch 3(this is the tricky part for me because I can't really tell which one I'm sl in so make sure there are 12 loops around the outside of the circle including the the sl st). Chain 5, skipping next stitch, slip stitch in next stitch. Repeat 5 times from ch 5, ending sl st will be in the back of the starting sl st. If for "some reason" you come to the last flower petal and have two stitches to skip before the final sl st, chain 6 instead of 5 and do the sl st in the normal place. This has happened to me on a few of them(see above) but isn't devastating. Fasten off. These are super cute and super fast! I've made about 20 in a really nice taupe novelty yarn that has a gold thread, slubby things and "foof", hopefully they will be a scarf or part of a scarf, I can't decide how to use them. Maybe I can get Mark to take a picture or two with his phone.

ICE

Sarah and Amy have had fun playing with ice this past week. Since we've had such whack-a-do freezing temps they've discovered things that would otherwise remain a mystery. Such as hammers frozen in ice filled buckets...



And frozen swimming pools...



Yesterday I told them about an artist I know named Margaret Oomen lives up north and has fun freezing objects in bowls and such to make beautiful, but temporary, art. We were going to go online and look but got busy doing other things. This morning when I took Sparkle out for her doggy time...




(Sparkle IS in this picture! Hint, she's in the round)

I saw the bowl and remembered Sarah telling me she had put some leaves and berries in it to freeze. I popped the ice out of the bowl and hung it on the fence so I could run get the camera. When I got back it had fallen and broke into 2 pieces but all was not lost...

Christmasy Stuff...

But first a product plug!! My bloggy pal Autumn posted about a lip balm challenge over at Great Cakes Soapworks and I was chosen to test out one of her lip butters!! We opted for the Coconut Mango flavor and it is fantastic! It stays on forever, doesn't melt and slide off, it tastes great, doesn't make your throat dry(I can't be the only one to experience this with lip balm can I?), it smells SCRUMPTIOUS, and feels like silk! I plan to order an assortment of the yummy flavors she's got available(Vanilla Latte, Orange Creamsicle, Cinnamon Bun, Limeade,...) for stocking stuffers.
I think I'll even get one of the Lava Lip Gloss rollers because I would LOVE to be 13 again!

Now, onto the weekend...

Mark told me to wear shoes I could clomp around the woods in so I put on my Vasque hiking boots for the first time. They are a bit stiff but otherwise very warm and sturdy, LOVE them!



We drove over the river and through the woods to Danville Farms. We've been getting our trees from them for several years now and are never disappointed.



As luck would have it, I forgot to take the camera on our tree search but here is the shaking and binding station.



While Mark and Ryan were doing this...



Sarah and I warmed up by the fire.



Then it was time to go.






I managed to get the lights on and the girls put a few ornaments on late last night.


(its about 10 feet tall)



Before I forget, I got crafty last week and made some cone trees!! I don't know why I decided to do these, can't recall where I'd seen them. I figured out a pattern, found some online to look at and went for it! They turned out pretty cute, in my opinion! Hopefully the craft bug will continue to bite me, I have some ideas...






In other news....

Sarah rudely interrupted my "meeting Lisa Whelchel" dream with her barfing this morning. Mark and I have the queasies so it looks like the stomach bug is paying us a visit. Hopefully it will be short-lived and mild. I'd much rather have the crafty bug than the oogie bug. Sigh.

front yard this morning...

We are having a lazy day today. I'm hosting our milk co-op this month so we have a cooler full of milk in the front yard. It was so nice this morning that I dragged out the camera and let a few kitties out. Here's what came of it.













In other news...

Ryan is having a Halloween party Saturday night. We aren't sure how many to expect. His pool party was attended by 40 kids!!

Check this out, its GRUESOME but looks delicious too!! This would be FUN for his party but we're going with pizza since they are teens. Much easier!

The Suds...

but first, a blast from the past! Halloween 2004...



If you know Spongebob you know about the suds. It is his version of being sick. I'm pretty sure I caught Ryan's version of the suds when he COUGHED ON ME a few days ago. Sigh. How rude. So, there's that. And there's this:

My completely made up outta my butt string beanie!! Amy's is blue and Sarah got a mulberry one. Mine is a 70s avocado gold-green.


And there is also this:

I planted something and it is still living! Yay me!!


In other news...

Ryan is having a Halloween party this Saturday night. We have no idea how many kids will be here. His pool party had 40. I'm hoping for somewhat less, like maybe half of that.

Amy is working at a Trunk or Treat thing Wednesday night, she'll be handing out candy and she's also suffering from the suds.

I'm going to rest as much as I can before these events. Wish us luck!!

pumpkin carving...

We went old school as far as our tools were concerned. Instead of fancy-schmancy cutting kits we used steak knives and a spoon to carve our beautiful white pumpkins. It was really fun and I think they turned out great!!















Our neighbor down the street has also caught the spirit. I LOVE her decorations!

Happy Fall Yall...

Today we are going to carve apples* to dry for Halloween! We did these several years ago and they were soooo creepy. I hope it isn't too humid this time around. They tend to mold if its too moist. We might start the process in the oven on low heat. I plan on taking pics soon.

We are finished with the living room carpet removal and have even got the tack boards up!! We have the hallway and the girls' room to go. Most of the furniture is back into place but not exactly where I want it. Now we have to choose a color for the floor paint. Mark and I are leaning toward red but not a maroon red. We'd like something bold but not garish. Right now we're thinking about taking up the linoleum in the entry hall and kitchen/dining/utility rooms. At least those rooms have less furniture!

Because of the mess I still don't have my computer up. The plug we have to use for the power strip will NOT stay plugged in. I think we need a new outlet box. There is really only one place my computer can go so it may be a while before I'm back and able to share easily. The girls computer is very quirky even without the shift and comma keys messing up. I don't like using it. Hopefully soooooon sooooon.

Today I'm headed back to our dairy because the runner this week is down with the flu(I'm assuming; her whole family has been stricken). I love driving out there but today is dreary and damp; not nearly as pretty as a sunny day would be. Oh well at least it isn't 90 like tomorrow is supposed to be.(the comma key isn't working either so ignore the semi-colons).

I have 8 specific tasks to complete in my bedroom today. Including moving some stuff out to make room for our china hutch. One of the glass sides got knocked out years ago(before it was ours) and the cats love getting inside to wreak havoc. In our room I can put the open side up against a wall to keep my pretties safer.

It is also church night which means running to pick up Ryan's girlfriend before dropping them off at their youth thing(held at an old movie theater inside our town's mall) and then taking the girls to their activities at a different church. I'm going to find out about signing them up to eat at the church before their stuff starts. They feed the workers and anyone else who needs a meal. The activities start at 6pm which doesn't leave most of us with a decent chance of feeding kids before they have to be there. I think its $5 a meal paid in advance. Anyway they'd be fed and I wouldn't have to worry about it. What we're doing now isn't working; Ryan doesn't get out of his thing til 9 and we have to take the g/f home. Its 9:45 before we eat sometimes. Heck I may sign myself up to eat with the girls too!


*for some bizarre reason I can't use my shift key to put in a link here. This is the website for the shrunken apple heads: http://the-artful-crafter.blogspot.com/2009/09/how-to-make-ghoulish-shrunken-heads.html

Ready for Fall....

Colors burst in wild explosions
Fiery, flaming shades of fall
All in accord with my pounding heart
Behold the autumn-weaver
In bronze and yellow dying
Colors unfold into dreams
In hordes of a thousand and one
The bleeding
Unwearing their masks to the last notes of summer
Their flutes and horns in nightly swarming
Colors burst within
Spare me those unending fires
Bestowed upon the flaming shades of fall.
-Dark Tranquility, With the Flaming Shades of Fall

But I remember more dearly autumn afternoons in bottoms that lay intensely silent under old great trees - C. S. Lewis

I am SO ready for the Autumn season! And really, really ready for the rain to stop already. Please? I think we're on day 8 of rain or something like that. Possibly up to 10 inches or more so far. I now realize that what I love is a good, dramatic, thunderstorm rather than incessant dripping, dripping rain.

Fall sports some of my favorite colors, the temperature is more agreeable, and there is just something about the angle of sunlight that seems more beautiful than other times of the year.



(on the side of the house)


(looking out to our front yard)


(sunset from our driveway)


(over the pool fence)

Anyway...



We lost our sweet Puppy-girl a few days ago, unexpectedly but not. She would have been 15 years old on October 7th and had declined in health over the summer. We are sad to see her go but glad she won't suffer through another unkind winter.

I have a felty crafty thing going on but can't share pictures yet because the camera is with the kids in North Carolina. Its based on this cuteness from turkey feathers(in my blogroll) but will be a banner(and a necklace) instead of a mobile. I made Mark go collect leaves for me last weekend while we were watching football so I'd have something to keep me occupied in between touchdowns. If I can figure out how, I will share the patterns here.

We are collecting the kids this weekend in Birmingham. I can't wait to get them home so we can get back into a routine. Sarah has missed 3 weeks of AWANAs so she'll have lots to work on. Amy and Ryan are anxious to see their friends again. And, I'm ready to have some noise in the house during the day! It has been too quiet here.

Look-ee what we made!!

I totally forgot to bring the camera to the park for how-to pictures but oh well. Many thanks to all who participated(and brought stuff to share), it wouldn't have happened except for y'all! We had a great time making these and I hope they survive!

Here's the results...



(Sarah's terrarium)


(Mark and Molly's Buddha terrarium, the moss and plants will grow, they're about the size of a dime now)


(Amy's terrarium)


(new family member, Pickles Turtle rescued from the middle of a brush pile many many yards from water, slightly bigger than a quarter)

What a Weekend!!!....

(click to biggify any pictures you want to see better)



What a wonderful way to celebrate the Summer Solstice(aka First Day of Summer)* and Father's Day!! We had a wild and crazy time of it which included laughing to the point of nearly being sick numerous times, including when Mark jumped overboard to rescue his favorite lure! The depth finder said the water was 2-feet deep. He hopped out, never felt the bottom and came up sputtering! Amy had just put her feet over the front of the boat and we saw the ripples in the sandy bottom. Apparently there was a huge abrupt drop-off just a few feet out. At least he got cooled off.

It was a terrific 30 hours!! Everything worked, we didn't forget anything, our meals were simple and delicious, and everyone got to go in the boat at least twice. Nobody got hurt, well not anything major. I jammed a toe at the swimming area and Sarah scraped her foot on a rock but the pain was soon forgotten. Other than still feeling like I'm on the boat and being exhausted from lack of sleep(it was 93 freaking degrees at 10pm!!!) we are recovered. Mark even unloaded the gear and started laundry within an hour of being home.



We almost didn't go. Friday I had to go buy some camping groceries and when I got in the Jeep the a/c wasn't working. At all. Neither was the radio. Or the power locks and windows. We were sure we'd put the Jeep in the shop Saturday morning. Thankfully, something clicked in it and everything worked Saturday morning so we hurriedly loaded all the gear and headed out. I'm oh so glad we did, and so are these folks...











Luck was on our side and we managed to get the same exact campsite as we had last year. It is important that we settle near the bathrooms. The girls walk to them alone(together) and I would rather be within earshot. This site is one of the bigger and flatter sites they have. Some of the others we checked out on our loop walks were configured in such a way that the tents were in a weird location or the concrete table pad was a foot step-off all the way around. Everyone can't wait to go again, though we'll likely find a different state park.





Creature comforts in the form of air mattresses, lots of ice, junk foods, craft supplies and electronic devices(ipods and cell phones) kept us sane in the heat. I had big plans to locate driftwood and lake stones for an art project but remembered too late that those things weren't easily found at Lake Bob Sandlin but at Atlanta State Park so I had to crochet instead. I made two babushkas(kerchiefs) making up the pattern as I went. The yarn is I Love This Cotton from Hobby Lobby and its true, I LOVE it!





Dinner Saturday night was super easy. I had boiled a box of elbow noodles(the kind with extra fiber-yum), grilled 9 bone/skinless chicken breasts on Friday afternoon, chopped them, and put it all in the fridge. When we got ready to eat, I warmed up some bottled alfredo sauce on the camp stove with a can of drained diced tomatoes, spices and some of the chicken. I added the noodles and about 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and we had a feast!! Mark mistakenly grabbed a container of greens leftover from our Wednesday night's meal when he filled the coolers so we had salad as a bonus! I brought two packages of sandwich buns so I split them and toasted over the flame. Camp cooking is SO fun if you prepare well. Because the menfolk wanted to fish early Sunday morning I didn't bring breakfast stuff. Instead we had chocolate covered donuts, Doritos, and Zone bars.





We had glow stick bracelets for our Solstice Celebration. The kids hung them from cracks in the bark on the trees all around our campsite, even made a face. I thought they were pretty creative. We left them up all night.











*Now, before anyone has a freak out about the Solstice. Every person in the world experiences the the Solstices even if they don't know it. We all experience the lengthening days of Spring and the short days of Winter and the shortest and longest days of the year because that is the science of our world which I happen to believe was put into place by our Creator. Celebrating is not the same as Worship and reveling in the summer is not the same as revering my Lord God. Not that I have to defend myself but I'd rather not go through another round of rumors about my religious beliefs.