B o o !

My goodness, how did it get to be the last day of October? I know it was only yesterday I was cramming a cart with school supplies and now the 2nd quarter is beginning. Preschool and Middle School sure do have their differences! I'm keeping up pretty well -- seems like my boys (esp the big one) is desperate for a break so if I blink, it will most likely be the long Thanksgiving weekend!

Lili has stitched and finished Salem 1692 Show Towel not into a towel but a stunning little bag. Oh my, it is wicked cool! Lili's blog is always so lovely and her needlework most inspiring.

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Happy Halloween!

Saturday past

It was time for our annual spooky luncheon @ Nancy's house this week-end and it was a frightful delight! I'm going to show off her beautiful decorations as I always do -- such a memorable, fun time. Nancy fixed chili which was out. of. this. world. Two bowls kinda good!

F R I D A Y

Reading

Added to my list of favorite reads for this year was Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz which I could. not. put. down. so I was curious to see if I'd like her previous books. just as much. The new one is the start of a new series with the second book to come out next year (not soon enough for me!) but I discovered her series, Blue Bloods. I just finished the first one (below) and now have the second and third in the series to occupy my weekend reading time! I'm not one to sit through a vampire move and never read any of Anne Rice books but when the Twilight saga came out, I joined in the craze to see what it was all about and enjoyed them. However, I like de la Cruz's writing much, much better.

Knitting
Still working on the 2nd fingerless mitt and really aim to complete it this weekend because I already want to make another pair!!!

Cooking

Fixed French Chicken in a Pot recipe from the Cooks Illustrated iPhone app last night and it was so moist, so wonderful, oh my gosh - you need to try it!! Had curry couscous with it and my kids thought I had gone nutty because I kept saying over and over and over how yummy it was. They didn't buy it but I was glad - more for me.

Random
*If I haven't already told you, I'm addicted to Pinterest. It's all Paulette's fault. She introduced me to it and I can't stop checking on it. If you haven't yet been on this addicting, wicked cool site then you must BUT beware, set a timer for yourself or hours, days will pass you by while you surf it.

*Surprising your 4yr old after preschool with a happy meal does bring smiles ... and not just to him but a crowd of other little folk who pine for fries instead of turkey sammies. It's Friday -- treats are the way I go. Turkey doesn't make for a good surprise.

*Apparently I bought granola bars that had Nick Jonas' face on them. My oldest son enlightened me on this fact after school today -- not cool for lunch in the middle school at the guys table. oops! Good to know.

Happy Week-end!

tree hugging ... no really!

While out & about today, I noticed something I had never seen before. At closer look, I realized it was a knitted scarf hugging a tree. It wasn't wrapped around the tree as if it was lost and put there for its owner to return and find but rather looked like it had been put there for a purpose. I had to take a picture of it! I inquired about it and turned out it was put there to keep the tree warm. To keep the tree warm. Yes, you read that right. Not that there's anything wrong with that - it's a very nice gesture of someone to do but wow, that was a first to see.

Before leaving, I saw another tree nearby with another wrap! Aren't they cosy looking? Each had a flower or butterfly on it. I felt bad for the bare tree trunks nearby but I don't have time to knit tree cozies for them -- hope they survive the winter :)

Z and I went for our pumpkins today. Pumpkins are so photogenic! Do you think people make cozies for them? Just curious.

1 down, 1 to go!

Over the week-end I finished one of my fingerless mitts and am in love. So cosy! The pattern is nice and simple; one I found on my Lion Brand iPhone App called Warm Wristlets (weird name if you ask me). I adapted the pattern and made them longer at 11" and used a size 7 needle. Very nice and knit up quickly. One more to go!

I probably would have had both finished but Paulette introduced me to (or rather got me addicted to!!!) Pinterest so many hours were spent there this week-end. Wow. What a site ... full of inspiration on all levels. If you aren't yet in the Pinterest vortex ... you need to be. No, really, you do.

Off to make dinner!

Listen up!

24 hours sounds like a long time, really, it does. But a day goes by so fast, doesn't it? We have to sleep; figured that out the hard way and can't give up my sleep so that cuts down these precious 24 hours! So in the time allotted as wakey-time: Mama's taxi is going in circles around town, the washer & dryer are in constant motion, food is put on the table or pulled through a car window, baths are drawn, groceries are brought home and put away, daily school stuff is dealt with ... I can't go on or I'll pass out thinking about it in such detail but I'm sure you can imagine the rest.

So in those golden times when I'm in a queue with other happy-to-be-caffeinated, frenzied moms waiting for choir to end, for the school bell to ring for the day, for the ballgame to finish practice ... that's when I'm either saying 'serenity now' about 100x or catching up on a current pageturner or finishing stitches in a favorite project. Time is so precious and our kids grow up too darn fast so I don't want to miss anything so I'm there, I'm present, and I think that is important. My me-time is important too and while it comes when it can be marked on the calender sometimes, it does come and then I'm refreshed and ready for all this zany mothering full throttle once again.

Knitting is my current therapy. I've wanted a pair of fingerless gloves for quite awhile now as it gets quite chilly in a certain part of the house every winter so they'd come in handy soon enough. I am a big fan of iPhone Apps and there are several wonderful knitting ones. There's a free pattern on the Lion Brand Yarn app which I'm working and loving. It's a basic (translation: my speed) pattern for fingerless gloves. I picked up some soft, yarn from Lion Brand called Fisherman's Wool in color Maple Tweed and well, it's fantastic to the touch.

While knitting, I've recently enjoyed listening to some wonderful Podcasts on reading, cooking, sermons, and of course needlework. A favorite is Fluffy Fibers - if you knit, read, sew, cook, or delight in domestic loveliness, then you'll surely enjoy listening to Isabelle's needlework insights and surely get inspired. I sure do! So be sure to check out iTunes for needlework Podcasts. If I ever could figure out how to create one, I'd do it too. If there's a Podcast you enjoy that you think I would like also, please let me know!

To those who have inquired about Maddy cat, I thank you sweetly! She is doing well; adapting splendidly to having lost her sight in both eyes and seems to be feeling kitty good at present. She takes her medication for the blood pressure every morning as if it's a treat so I know it's helping her greatly. Her follow up to the vet a few weeks ago went well; the vet was happy with how she was responding to the medication already and her blood pressure was down to a good level. Maddy still keeps to one part of the house but meanders around when she feels like it. I miss her meowing, her kitty choir as we called it, but content to know she's comfortable and doing well.


Happy week-end!

w i t c h

Oh my gosh - this is wicked fun to stitch ~ click HERE for the pattern by The Primitive Hare. I added buttons to the sides, used GAST Fisherman's Wharf on linen band, and fancied up a basket with kitchen towels ~ spooky cool!

I don't know what to call this post.

Tonight's dinner might not thrill the boys but the pumpkin bread will!

My favorite music lately is by Ingrid Michaelson ~ this song is gorgeous.

Enjoy your Thursday -- tomorrow will be even better.

Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492 ... and I knit.

Since I think every space in this beautiful state has been discovered and claimed, on this Christopher Columbus holiday, we sought adventure on another level -- you could say we explored. To appease everyone, we hit chuck e cheese, the batting cages, chick fil A, and the yarn shop. Guess which was my pick? :) I had no idea that Martha Stewart now tinkered in yarns but I guess, why not -- she sells everything else. Anyway, the yarn line is very nice but I was most interested in the Mambo yarn; these lines are by Lion Brand. I chose 2 skeins (they aren't very big) of the Cardinal color and came home eager to find a pattern online to work. The free patterns on the Lion Brand site are few for this as I guess it's still rather new but none appealed to me very much. The yarn is so thick - beyond bulky it should be called! It uses size 19 needles and let's just say, it's awkward but fun. I quickly discovered (ah ha!) that a coffee/tea mug mat would be ideal and it is. You could make a larger size for a trivet - the yarn is that solid for any hot pad you want to make. It's a bugger to use, keep that in mind, but try it out!

This week is off to a great start ~ happy sailing!

Saturday night knitting ...

Whilst the little one slept and the bigger ones were being scared at a haunted house last night, I cosied up with Miss Maddy and knit her a little shawl. Maddy went blind in both eyes recently and has kept to one area of the house where all her necessities are which makes perfect sense although we miss her in the rest of the house! The keeping room where she stays now, is the coldest place in the house during winter months to come. We've had a few chilly nights here already and even though today it is a gorgeous 80 degrees, it will get cold again soon enough!

A little shawl for Maddy to keep her kittyself warm was the perfect idea because she seems to love it! The yarn by Lion Brand is called 'quick and cosy' in color, Olive, which is the color of her eyes. I watched a fantastic chick flick last night, Just Go With it, while I knit away and before going to bed, I put the shawl over Maddy and she seemed to be quite content.


Maddy went for her follow-up appt with the vet this week and gladly her blood pressure is already down so the meds don't need to be tweaked; they are working wonderfully for her. She is adapting very well but again, stays where she knows familiar areas. She gets lots of extra kitty attention and love and is comfortable so that's all that we wish for her. She's in no pain and still rules the house like the sweet Queen that she is.

Friday night stitching ...

Are you sitting down? You better sit down. Ok, here it is -- I stitched. I know, I know -- can't believe it myself. Been awhile and even longer since I've finished something. Last night I was surprised with an hour 1/2 to myself so I picked up Paulette's newest pattern (Beans, Beans) and decided to be realistic. No way could I start another project (yea, right) but I wanted to have one of these darling caffeinated girlies in my kitchen so badly that I thought I could certainly stitch one of them. Each coffee-addicted chick in Paulette's pattern rocks but this one was my favorite --

I had an oval frame in the stash and think it's perfect. Thank you, Paulette, for such a clever pattern -- YOU rock ... keep drinking that "magical brew" because it makes us all happy!

the news from here

Stitching

Monique sent me the scariest pattern (from her new line, The Primitive Jewel) this week but also the cutest! If you read my blog, you have read my issues with squirrels and while I used to adore these frolicking little critters, now I loathe them. However, Monique designed a most appropriate design as they most probably do possess witchy magical powers to snatch as much food from the birds as they do. Anyhoo, I heart the pattern ~ it makes up into a necklace, wicked cool.

Reading

Can't put this book down and trying to savor ever page. It goes fast and I hope the author has the next book in the series out quickly.

Eating

Recently discovered a passion for Israeli Couscous. At a church dinner this past weekend, the dinner included pearl Israeli couscous and it was delicious. It had pumpkin seeds and raisins in it - absolutely fabulous. So I fixed this recipe as a side dish last night with grilled chicken and it was wonderful. I will say, you will want to half the salt suggested because it was too salty so next time I'll be sure to cut that way down. Otherwise, excellent flavors together. If you have kids who eat anything, they'll gobble it up but my boys examined their portions and opted to just eat the chicken on the other side of their plates.

Link Love
If you haven't already discovered Floss Box, then check them out ~ fun stitchy stuff!

Pumpkin Spice Coffee is now at Trader Joes ... go hither and fetch ye some! Their website has recipes too!!
Cheerful blog with great ideas.
Another beautiful stitchy blog.
These are on my list to make - don't they look carb-delicious?

This & That
Yesterday I took Z to feed some horses in the area. We took apples and carrots; some horses looked more appreciative than others but it was a fun Fall morning spent with my little man. We went to Chick Fil A for lunch which sweetened the day even more. Don't worry -- we hadn't seen chickens before, just horses.


Have a blessed Wednesday -- Friday is coming.

skillet lasanga

I'm nearly always in the mood for pasta. This recipe is in one of my Pampered Chef cookbooks and also online HERE. I added fresh spinach rather than the fresh parsley and used part skim ricotta cheese where it suggests whole and it was divine. The turkey sausage made is perfect; my favorite lasanga recipe yet!

My mom went to IKEA this week and surprised me with several packs of paper napkins with cross stitch designs (too cute!) and this precious placemat. It's large and makes a great table center. Aren't they the cutest couple?

Trying another new recipe for dinner ... I'll let you know if it turns out to my liking :) Happy Tuesday!

looks like ...

October is here!