Designing in Life

Home Again

Well, home again.  The drive to South Jersey was...long.  A 6 1/2 hour drive took 9 hours.  That's what driving on the busiest travel holiday is all about.  We traveled to Woodstown (Elmer), Lancaster and Jersey City.  It was a driving vacation, which is very familiar.  But now we're home and we're ready to forge ahead into projects and Christmas.

Thanks to all those who put us up for the holiday.  I have pictures to share, but they'll have to wait until tomorrow when I finally have all the laundry done and things put away from the trip.

While I was gone, a friend sent me this link to a great pumpkin pie recipe.  I haven't tried it, but it is a no sugar, wheat or dairy recipe, and it looks easy plus pretty delicious. 

More tomorrow!

Almost on Our Way

I will be taking a bit of a break to visit relatives over the holiday.  I was hoping to wake up tomorrow morning with grand daughter Chloe climbing into bed with me.  Sadly, she isn't feeling well, so off to South Jersey and Lancaster Pa I will go, stopping at her house on the way home.

Yesterday was Chloe's 4th birthday (my how time flies) and I made her a special crown for the occasion.

Her birthday party has been postponed, so she'll have this whenever it finally happens.  I found the directions on Homemade by Jill but did modify the pattern.  I used velcro to fasten the back.  I'll have to make one for Phoebe next year!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone.  I'll talk to all of you next week.

...And The Winners Are...

Drum roll please...

Congratulations Samantha and...

Connie!!!

Now I bet the rest of you think you're being kicked off the island, but not so fast.  I have something for all of you.  Anyone I'm seeing over my Thanksgiving driveathon, I will hand deliver something to you.  If everyone else (winners too) will please email your mailing address to: [email protected], I will send you something.

Thanks for your notes, and congratulations Samantha and Connie.  Oh, and please send me a picture of something you've made with the paper.  I'll be sure to post it!

Getting Ready for Thanksgiving

 

This is what I'll be doing this afternoon, baking some rolls for Thanksgiving.  Actually, I'll be baking some "Poor Farm Rolls", which are a rich, somewhat sweeter dinner roll.  Although not on my list of what I've been eating lately, they are a more "traditional" dinner roll.  I've had this recipe a very long time and think I've been making them since the very early 70's.  Since there is no time for trial and error to use spelt flour and xanthum gum, I'm making them as the recipe reads.

Poor Farm Rolls

1 package yeast
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
4-5 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of lukewarm water.  Beat eggs and add melted butter, salt and sugar.  Add yeast mixture and 1 cup of water.  Add flour.

Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 10 minutes.

Tonight is the drawing for the package of designed paper.  Check November 14th blog entry for details.  Pictures and results tomorrow!

Frosty Morning

Pretty frosty out there this morning...

...but it was int he high 50's this afternoon and I planted 50 bulbs.  That's it, I'm done out there for the year...I think!

These candle holders are from Crate and Barrel.  They are reasonably priced and I think they'd look great on my mantle.  What do you think???

Paper Projects

I thought you might like to see just what you can do with printed paper since 2 of you will be getting some in the mail from me very soon.  Here is one of my favorites from Design Sponge.

I bet you have some votive candles tucked away that would fit right in the middle of these sweet lanterns.  They'd look great on your mantle, or window, or on your holiday table!

Here are a few other links for paper projects

http://www.stylemepretty.com/2009/10/14/diy-project-pinwheels/

http://creaturecomforts.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/06/diy-cupcake-toppers-garland-with-repurposed-paper.html

http://rubberstamping.about.com/od/techniquesandtutorials/ss/Box.htm

Don't forget to check November 14th's post for details on a paper give-away!

Working Away

Nick is working away at building the laundry room downstairs.  As of today, this is what he's accomplished:

It might not look like much now, but things are progressing along pretty nicely, and this will be done before Christmas.

While Nick was working away at home, I was working away at work...sort of.

We needed a birthday card quickly so I whipped this one up.  I like taking a little time to get away from catalog work to do something fun.  Oh, and speaking of fun, don't forget to leave a note so that your name gets put into the drawing.  (See the post on November 14th!)

Invasion of the Carrot Turkey

How many of you picked a carrot from your garden that looks like this?

Aside from how that one looks, the carrots have been very tasty.  I grew Burpee Short Round because I have clay soil with some stones. These were a good choice because of their short compact shape. I picked the rest of the Brussel sprouts yesterday, and it looks like there will be more to come if the weather stays mild as predicted.  As much as I complained about my garden this year, here I am still eating what I grew.  Yea, I'm lucky.

Don't forget to look at Saturday's post for the give-away.

Christmas Projects

Have you started any holiday projects yet?  I thought I'd share this one with you.

These mittens are cut from wool flannel doubled over, but any flannel will work.  I hand stitched them and added buttons, bells, rick rack and some fuzzy material.  You can decorate them any way you'd like.  I ran twine through the tops of the mittens (doubling over the flannel gives you space to do this at the top) and they'll hang across my fireplace.  Don't have a fireplace?  You can hang them over a doorway or window.  Here is a Download Mitten for you to use to trace the mittens.

Don't forget to look at yesterday's post for a give-away!

Something For You!

Are you a crafter?  Do you like to make your own cards or gift tags?  How about making your own small boxes for gifts?  Well, I have something for you.

Leave a note on any post from now until Saturday, November 21, and I'll put your name into a drawing. Two of you will receive  three of each of these designs.  They're on 65lb. paper, so you can make cards, or gift tags or small gift boxes (I can send you a link for a template).  Maybe you have some of your own ideas for how to use it – and if you win, I hope you'll send along a picture of how you have used it so I can post a picture.

So, I will post something every day (I promise!) from now until Saturday.  For each post (from today until next Saturday) that you leave a note, I'll add your name to the drawing.

Hope you'll have some fun ideas for the paper!