oh happy day!

A nice relaxing day around here. I just worked on some new Christmas animals...(I really want to have a Christmas update before baby arrives!) and puttered around the kitchen.  Our neighbor,  in a rather neighborly fashion, brought us a bag of apples from his orchard, so I decided to bake an apple crisp. Why would I cook unnecessary things the day before Thanksgiving, you may ask. Well, because we are actually going somewhere else this year! I've hosted the past couple of years, and am in no physical condition to spend all day on my feet in the kitchen this year. I only have to bake a pumpkin pie tomorrow morning! Woo-hoo!  What will I do all morning??

I also made this little yarn wreath ala Katie Runnels! She has a tutorial in CraftStylish magazine! While this in no way compares to the lovely, perfect wreaths she creates, it was alot of fun to make and I can see these being very addictive! If you haven't seen her gorgeous work, go check it out! Her wreaths are so vintagey and perfect, with such great color combinations. I have yet to decide where I am going to hang it, so, yes, it is just lying on a table right now.

 

Here is one with belly in the shot. oops!

 

chocolate fix

This is an amazing little thing...chocolate cake in a cup that you cook in the microwave. The whole thing takes about 5 mins, and when one is desperate for chocolate cake, you can't beat that. It actually worked and was pretty good. I think I would up the chocolate factor by drizzling something on it after it is done...chub chub. recipe here

foraging is fun!

We had a nice little adventure yesterday, again at Pop-pop's farm, foraging for winter greens to decorate with. The woods around our house are strangely lacking in evergreen trees, and I decided I better get out to to the farm with the pruning shears and start clipping before I can barely walk. (3 1/2 more weeks to go!...hopefully not longer) It was so cold but invigorating to tromp around the fields, and we came back home for some hot cocoa to warm us up.  A nice way welcome the holiday season!

I just got back from a busy day of running around for Dr. appointments, and other pregnancy related things. An unexpected trip to have baby's heart checked out left me in a bit of a tizzy, but all is well. Oh, I just can't wait until she is here, safe and sound, and we can all snuggle up by the Christmas tree!!

I'm sure by now, you have all seen this magazine, "Where Women Create", but oh, it is filled with such inspiring spaces! Really, it makes me feel pretty sad about my pathetic little work area in the living room.  I suppose we will just call it "cozy" !! Anyway, this magazine will leave you inspired. There are tons of little interesting items and details to look at in each studio.

 

The house smelled so yummy today! The chilly weather inspired me to try a slow-cooking beef recipe from the Tasha Tudor cookbook. It took almost 5 hours in a 250 degree oven, as opposed to a woodstove or open fire, as suggested in the recipe.  If  I had a woodstove or giant fireplace, believe me, I would have cooked it on there, I was feeling so like a colonial New England housewife.  Needless to say, it smelled better than it tasted. But it was still a good thing to have roasting away on a cold Autumn day.

I have a list that is a mile long of things I want to get accomplished before baby arrives.  I have been spending my days slowly plugging away, washing baby clothes and linens, cleaning the nursery, organizing other areas of the house that have been bugging me. I really want to have everything in order, since I know chaos will rule when she gets here! Oh, and there are so many things I want to make!! But I am seeming to get wrapped up in the household tasks instead.
I have a zillion thrifted wool sweaters that have been in the attic, for, oh, years, which I started  to felt today for some projects I have in mind. I would like to try to make as many Christmas gifts as possible this year, so I really better stop making lists and talking about it all, and just get busy. The holidays always sneak up on me, every year! And then I swear to myself, that next year, I'll get started early! Ha!

Oh, take a look at this great work by Tammy Smith of Homemade Circus.  I am so smitten with it; I want it all!! I noticed it on Katie Runnel's blog (she always posts about such fantastic artists! )

Well, I am off to scrounge up some chocolate before dragging my big pregnant bod off to bed (yes...it's not even 9:00!!) 

big girl room!

We've been busy around here getting ready for baby. One big step was transitioning Clara from the nursery to her new big girl room and bed! She did an amazing job adjusting to such a big change. She slept through the night on her first night in her new twin bed, and is now on night 5 with no problems! She hasn't even shown any interest in her old room. I'm so proud! Here are some carefully edited pics of the new room, since it is already very messy! It's amazing how quickly a toddler can trash a room.