Goodbye 2011

As I finish off this year, I'll do what all the hip moms are doing, lols. Here are my favorites of 2011.

I like my photo collages, nothing better than remembering the really fine moments that I've had with my little one. I can't say we went to the beach this year, or did really cool museums, but we were together,  and that is all that matters.

While my bogging is slow now, my family has lost a very wonderful person. Though we continue to tear for her, she has filled all of our hearts with so much love. And she will always be loved and remembered.

I hope that everyone has a happy and safe new years.Cheers to the next one being even more fab.

Extra measures

I find myself awake at 3:00 am and think, well if I have to be awake I can catch up on things.

Lately I have discovered that I need to take extra measures against the cat and my precious Christmas tree. I do love them both so, but the cat thinks that the tree is made for climbing. And as she is getting healthy and growing well when she tries to climb a branch or two they bend under her weight. And, mind you, I have no idea how because the wire is very thick! But I also knew that I had two very nice still in the box strings of soft white lights.

 Once, somewhere, I had read that cats do not like the sound of aluminum foil. So we will see how long this lasts.

And hopefully now we will have our nice tree, and a less irritated me. 

I don't think she looks that bugged by it. She is pretty happy on her throne. :)

Getting ready for Thanksgiving

Allot has been happening lately. Lil one was very very sick with a bad viral that we either got while we were out eating or shopping. Today though I got allot done for the first time in two weeks. I did laundry, swept the carpets and watched cartoons. And tonight I made my first successful pie crust and some really terrific dough for rolls.

As you can see it looks great! I had to break down a couple recipes to get what I wanted. And I also made it so that there was only enough for one crust.

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
5 to 8 tablespoons of really cold water

Adding the flour, then the salt, mix with a fork Next add in the shortening and start with around 5 tablespoons of cold water. To get this mixed in properly I know that there are a few different ways to do it and all successful. But even though I have all of those extra tools I used my fork to press the chunks of shortening to the side of the bowl with the flour and did this over and over again till I could tell it was together well.

Put down wax paper on your rolling space and gather your dough in your hands and make it into a ball. Place the ball onto the wax paper and flatten it slightly. Put another piece of wax paper on top and roll to your specified size.

I would love to tell you how I got this in the pie pan and cut the extra off and pressed the sides but I'm afraid you'd roll off your chair with laughter. You'd be better to google it than follow my example. - But once it was pressed down and looking pretty I wrapped it up with saran wrap and put it in the fridge. **Let it settle for two hours or overnight. (Otherwise it will shrink when baking). Not the best I'm sure, but pretty good.

Lol, you can tell I took these on my cell. This dough for rolls was made from the recipe here and if you've made dough before you know when you've got a good or bad mix on how it feels when you make it. This dough is amazing. I can't wait to make it into rolls in the morning! Usually I don't follow instructions for recipes to the T, but I followed this one and I am very happy on how it turned out. I will say that I used two more cups of flour, but all of my bread or roll recipes that I have done I have had to add extra. I think its my house. :)

 I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Our Indian summer

For a couple days this week Pennsylvania had a nice Indian summer going on. My little one was so happy that he was able to wear shorts. We also got to play outside and do more leaf clean up.

He played in the yard while I got to work on a new project. I learned how to do a cable like stitch with crochet.

I found out how to do it from this book I ordered on amazon. I love the ideas it gives me. I have a slight problem with being able to follow patterns. I switch everything around because I don't like to follow the directions down to every stitch. So I started some fingerless gloves with some of what I had learned from reading in the book. I finished them this morning but I don't think that I will be selling them on the etsy. I think they are too chunky. Though the yarn is described as a 4 I think its a 5.

Oh, you read that all the way through? Lol! Yes, my cousin and I have an etsy which I have included a widget to on the right of this page  --> --> --> Take a peek. :)

Reflections on Halloween

Lil one and I really had fun this Halloween. He loved decorating with me outside. We did a full graveyard in the side yard. And he just doesn't get scared by it, he takes it all in fun like I do. So its great. We make fun, and he loved pumpkin head and how I had him peeking out from behind a tree in the woods. I'm just so glad we had a good holiday. :)

I liked it allot. We ended up having quite a bit of loot too. Tee hee. And mumma got to have all the kitkats!

Lil one's pumpkin. 

Mr. Love's Pumpkin.

And the Mumma pumpkin. 

Can you guess where I got the images? lol. 

Happy Wednesday everyone! 

Some bulb planting and a craft area

My little peanut butter^.

Yesterday the landscaping crew came by and did all the yards and then did leaf control!! I've never had this before, the last place didn't do it. But this, they took something to my garden beds and got out all of the leaves! I was incredibly happy. And if I would have known I would have tried to tip them I was so glad that I didn't have to do it when I was planting bulbs.

We had allot of fun planting them and I did cut back one of the neighbors yucca plants because it was in my gardening space. It looked like she was not to happy about it, but I was nice and only cut like nine or ten realllllly long leaves (?) off. All in all, in a little more than two hours we had 4 bags of bulbs planted and I can't wait for spring already for them to pop up.

Another thing happening round here is that I am already getting ready for Christmas. Yay! I pride myself on having all shopping done before Dec 1st and the cards sent the week after Thanksgiving. So that December is just a month to have fun and relax and if I want to pick up something here and there it is out of kindness and not last minute thinking on what could be a gift not well thought through. I bought a swag for the front door, and made sure it was one without lights because I have lights that I want to put on it myself. Also this year, we  bought what is my first time decorating outside with a lit deer. Sometimes I think them tacky but I really like this one. And only one. Lol.

I know I haven't posted in a while, but this girl has been anxiety central. Why, I am not sure. That, combined with a toothache to rival a hurricane. Yhea. But a couple nights ago (like at midnight) I finally conjured up a plan. I have no extra bedroom in this house, and I wanted a desk from Ikea for Christmas because I am tired of having my crafting stuff on two different levels. Up, down, up, down... need a pen, run down, need some card stock, run up. Uuuugh. Well, that has all changed. (taken from where I sit at my laptop)

And I moved my lil ones crafting stuff upstairs too so that when I am working, he can pretend to as well.

Now I feel more organized and more on the ball. Now maybe I can get more done. I like to be organized! It truly makes me happy. :) And because I have all that organized. I have my laptop space cleaned off.

So! Very! Happy! Soon, I'll have a very exciting post indeed about setting up shop! :) Hope everyone is having a fantastic week!!!

The month for pumpkin

October has always been my favorite month. Football gets in full gear, leaves are turning bright vibrant colors, I can wear my hoodies, and enjoy really great food with pumpkin as an ingredient.
Each day of the month there is pumpkin something. If its my coffee or my meal or dessert I love it all.

Stuffed French Toast - Pumpkin n cream cheese - King Arthur recipe for the french toast - my own for the honey wheat bread used 

Pumpkin pancakes - Justin Rasmussen's recipe

Pumpkin & Mascarpone Ravioli (with Illchester on top)

I have been so happy cooking (and soon baking) this month. Nothing brings more warmth into your heart and  good smells into your home than some really terrific food. <3

My son wants to make some muffins next, so soon I will post pictures of those too but I have to feel a little bit better before I am able to do that. - I hope everyone is having a terrific October!