~More Ottobre Sewing~

I did some sewing for my little girl today. This particular pattern was a fun project.

"Dolly" dress, from Ottobre 6/2008:


I made it in size 74, only one size up from the last time I used an Ottobre pattern, but it is still a little big. That's OK though - there is room to grow and it will hopefully last through the winter. I lengthened the dress by 2 inches so it would be a little below knee length.

I sewed a little ribbon tag in the side:


Closer view of the yoke and sleeve:


I'm also working on a diaper cover to go with this dress, and I'm considering sewing a red jacket to match.

A huge plus for me was that I had all the fabric and notions to make this dress. It is always nice to have everything on hand! I bought the fabric for $1.49/yard, and I used just over a yard, so this was an inexpensive dress.

I let my Ottobre subscription lapse. I want to get the most out of the issues I already have, and then in another year or so I'll re-evaluate and see if I want to subscribe again.

Saturday is for Sewing

~Today~

This morning started out wet, and it has been wet all day long. The temperature was actually quite warm, and at one point I thought it wasn't raining so I was going to take a walk. It was raining. :-P I got about half a block down before I turned back around.

The rain and wind is causing all the pretty leaves to come down. I've enjoyed my neighbor's trees so much. They are a nice bright orange and yellow, and even when the sun wasn't out, the color fooled me into thinking it was sunny outside!

This evening we went to the mall, just to get out of the house. So did a lot of people. LOL The mall was crowded, but we still had a nice time walking around and talking.

Well, those are the highlights from my day! :-) Just wanted to pop on and say "hi". Hope you have a nice day!

My neighbor's tree

We get to enjoy the color and we get to rake the leaves too, because the wind blows them in our yard. :-)

~Top Ten: Favorite Childhood Books~

Last night I was thinking about books I enjoyed in my childhood and early teen years. In no particular order, here are my top ten favorite books:

1) Anne of Green Gables (series), L.M. Montgomery

I read the books before I saw the movie. Oh, how I adored Anne Shirley! And then I was thrilled to watch the movie - all my favorite characters brought to life on the screen. Though I still say they missed the mark when it came to casting Rachel. She was supposed to be a little more "fluffy", shall we say.

2) Little House on the Prairie (series), Laura Ingalls Wilder

I wanted to be Laura!

3) The Borrowers (series), Mary Norton

These books certainly spark your imagination. Wonder where all your safety pins and buttons disappear? The Borrowers have them, of course! I recommend all the books in this series, except for the last book. In it, the Borrowers move into a haunted house.

4) Eight Cousins, Louisa May Alcott

This is my favorite book by Louisa May Alcott. I know that Little Women is her best-known novel, but she wrote some excellent books that get passed over, I think. There is also a sequel, called Rose in Bloom.

5) All of a Kind Family (series), Sydney Taylor

I loved these books! So much! The books follow a New York Jewish family through the children's growing up years. When we first meet the family, all the little girls dress alike. I loved that, because my mom dressed my sisters and me in matching clothes too!

6) Mary Poppins (series), P.L. Travers

I debated about listing this series, but it was a series of books I enjoyed. As a child, the books were quite innocent, but rereading them when I was older made me realize that Mary Poppins is more witch than nanny.

7) What Katy Did (series), Susan Coolidge

All about a little girl and an accident that changed her life forever. My sisters and I checked this book out of the library so many times, and found the sequels online, since our library didn't have them.

8) The Boxcar Children, Gertrude Chandler Warner

Four children, recently orphaned, and fearing their grandfather who will now be their guardian, run away. They find an abandoned boxcar and set up house. This book was a model to our play when we were little. My sisters and I were lonely orphans living in a boxcar (the bed of my dad's truck), until, that is, my mom called us in for lunch.

9) Love Comes Softly (series), Janette Oke

Not technically written for children, but I read the first book when I was 8 or 9 years old. I loved anything "old fashioned" and this fit the bill!

10) The Trumpet of the Swan, E.B. White

E.B.White is better known for Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little, but this book was my favorite. It is about a trumpeter swan who cannot trumpet. A sad plight for a trumpeter swan, indeed!

What about you? What are your favorite books from your childhood/early teen years?

Shiny Sink

Dandelion

~WIP Wednesday~

I finished the baby bonnet that I started last week, and decided to make some mitts to go along with it.


These little mitts work up so fast! I just have to knit the I-cord to attach the two, and then they'll be done.


I am using the pattern My Magic Baby Mitts, with the following modifications:
:::knit in the round, rather than flat
:::two inches of ribbing, rather than one and a half
:::closed the end with kitchener stitch, rather than gathering through all the remaining stitches

I'm pleased with how they're turning out.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

The weather is incredible for late October! I hear we're in for colder weather soon, so I took a little walk this afternoon, and enjoyed every minute! Here are some pictures from my walk:

~Hedge fruit~

Kevin and I were at a farmer's market on Saturday, and I spotted a curious green fruit. I stepped in closer for a second look, and saw a sign that proclaimed that these mysterious fruits would keep away spiders and centipedes. Be still my heart! Something natural to keep those nasty creatures out of my house???

I bought four of them, with plans to strategically place them in the basement and attic. I hope these work!

Now, at the farmer's market they were calling these "hedge fruit" but when I looked online, it appears that they are more commonly known as "hedge apples". In fact, there is a whole site dedicated to hedge apples: hedgeapple.com.

From what I've read, it is considered "folk lore" that these repel insects. There have been lab tests done and they don't know how or why they keep insects away. Honestly? I really don't care about the hows or whys! If these work, I may consider growing a hedge apple tree! LOL

Have you gotten the idea that I detest centipedes? My hero, known to the world as "Kevin", knows when to put on his hero cape and come to my rescue. He can tell by my scream and/or tone of voice when I call out his name that he has a centipede to kill! So here's hoping that these truly do work and are more than just folk lore!

~Monday's Daybook: October 26~

Outside My Window...a dark, rainy evening

I am thinking..."dishes, go away!"

I am thankful for...for the food we ate for dinner and the fact that I have a family to do dishes for!

From the kitchen...zucchini ginger stir fry for dinner.

I am wearing...a patterned t-shirt, navy skirt, sweater, and slippers.

I am creating...mitts for my baby, to match the hat I made.

I am going...nowhere tonight!

I am hoping...for a good night's rest.

I am hearing...nothing much! The Baby is down for the night, and we're having a quiet evening.

Around the house...dishes and laundry to be done.

One of my favorite things...cherry cough drops! Wish I didn't need them though!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...pretty quiet week!

For more Daybook entries, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook.

~Sunday~

Psalm 118:28

Thou art my God, and I will praise thee:

thou art my God, I will exalt thee.

~Simple Granola~

This recipe is very versatile. You can add dried fruit, nuts, chocolate chips, or other grains if you desire. I like it plain though!

5-6 cups rolled oats
1 stick butter
3/4 cup brown sugar OR honey

Melt butter. Stir in brown sugar OR honey. Pour mixture over oats, mix well. Spread in a large tray or stainless steel bowl.

Bake at 300* for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

The fewer oats you use, the chunkier the granola will be. I'd take a picture and show you what it looks like...but the batch I made is all gone! :-) It looks like normal granola though, so I'm sure you can picture it in your mind. ;-)

~This is why...~

I don't like to bake:

I got this grand and glorious idea to bake cookies for my neighbors. Not just any cookies but pumpkin cutout cookies beautifully iced with orange icing. Doesn't sound too complicated...

The cookies turned out ok, although they had just a little too much baking soda in them, and I could taste that in the finished cookies. (I followed the recipe.) But I figured a yummy icing would cover that, right?

And for the icing, I used powdered sugar that had been in my cabinet for ages. Ages too long, apparently, because the icing ended up tasting like plastic (the sugar was in a plastic bag).

And the icing, though it looked orange enough in the bowl, was very pale on the cookies. But I pressed ever onward.

And then I tasted them combined. Bleck. What am I trying to do? Get my neighbors to move away or something? LOL So all my hard work is dumped into the trash can.

*sigh*

I think I'll get some chocolate chips next time I go shopping. At least I can make chocolate chip cookies!

~Chit-Chat~

Yesterday was amazingly beautiful! I took advantage of the lovely weather and went for a walk. It felt like spring but smelled like autumn! The leaves are gorgeous now. Here is a tree I saw while on my walk:


At church a friend who reads my blog (Hi!) handed me a teabag. Oh...just the name alone sounded so good! Pumpkin Spice. It was every bit as good as it sounded too! I love Stash teas. They are so flavorful! I enjoyed my cup of tea after finishing a mountain of dishes. It was the perfect treat for a job well done!


Are you using Swagbucks? I love searching via Swagbucks! So far, just by searching alone, I have gotten $20 in Amazon gift cards. I am waiting to spend my Swagbucks gift cards until I have at least $25 so that shipping will be free! There many other things you can choose from as well! Searching through Swagbucks is free and easy! If you haven't signed up yet, you can do so here. I installed the toolbar so that it makes it even easier to remember to use the Swagbucks search. Once you open your account earning Swagbucks is as simple as doing a search.

See this delicious headband? (Image from Briar Claire)


I purchased this and two others from Briar Claire on Sunday and the package was on my doorstep on Wednesday! Since I bought them for a Christmas present for The Baby, I have to wait for her to wear them. Oh, the torture! I did try them on her, and are they ever cute!

Right now, I'm in the process of making dinner. What's for dinner? Brown rice, Garlic Lime Chicken, and salad. I have made this chicken recipe so many times. It is always so flavorful. I cut the cayenne pepper in half, and even that is a little on the spicy side for me, but Kevin really likes the heat!

Hope you have a blessed day! Thanks for taking the time to stop by!!!

~WIP Wednesday~

I thought I'd round up my current WIPs (Works in Progress) and show them to you today!

First up, my sister's afghan. The wedding is in less than 10 weeks. I am maybe half-way finished. I need to step it up a little so that I am not giving her a WIP on her wedding day! ("Here ya go, I'll finish it while you're on your honeymoon." Um, no. I don't think so.)


Rivulet scarf:


Because of the afghan and the dealine to finish that, finishing this quickly is a low priority. I enjoy working on it though! I am perhaps 1/3 of the way finished.

Lastly, a hat for The Baby. I made this exact pattern, in the "baby" size, and she wore it a lot last winter! I am making this one in the "child" size. It fits her very well! All I have left is the I-cord ties (one tie, as you can see, is almost finished).

~Milly-Molly-Mandy~

My mom called me a few weeks ago and told me about a little story book that she thought I would enjoy, called Milly-Molly-Mandy Stories. I checked to see if it was available in my library system, and put a hold on it.

As soon as I opened the book, I knew I had read it before! There is a little map on the inside cover, and I recognized it. I read this book when I was 7 or 8 years old. The funny thing is, I only remember one chapter out of the whole book.

It was a fun little read, and when The Baby is old enough, we'll enjoy it together. I love old children's literature.

Milly-Molly-Mandy is written and illustrated by Joyce Lankester Brisley. She was a children's illustrator, but she also wrote a few books herself. This book was written in 1925. It is a very sweet book. I would guess that this book is about 2nd or 3rd grade level (back in 1925, anyhow). Today's young reader will definitely need someone to help them understand the old-fashioned words, objects, and activities.

Milly-Molly-Mandy is one little girl - her full name is really Millicent Margaret Amanda. But that was too long of a name so it was shortened to Milly-Molly-Mandy. *Smiles* The chapter that I remember? Milly-Molly-Mandy was practicing with a little boy for a race. Since they didn't have a clock out in the field where they were practicing, Milly-Molly-Mandy practiced in the house by the clock counting out seconds till she was able to do so away from the clock. I think this chapter enamored me so much because I tried to do the same (count seconds away from a clock) but I was never able to get it down. :-)

~Monday's Daybook: October 19~

Outside My Window...a cold fall morning

I am thankful for...the fun time we had last night with our church family at our annual bonfire.

I am going...grocery shopping and to the post office.

I am reading...500+ Time-Saving Hints for Every Woman by Emilie Barnes and Blogging for Bliss by Tara Frey.

I am hoping...to get a lot done today! :-)

I am hearing...the hum of the fridge and laptop, The Baby playing.

One of my favorite things...toast and eggs and coffee for breakfast! This is my breakfast almost every single morning.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...mums in my garden:



For more Daybook entries, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook.

~Sunday~

Psalm 47:6

Sing praises to God, sing praises:

sing praises unto our King, sing praises.

~Golden Oats~

This recipe is one that I remember from my childhood. One fond memory is having it as a special treat for supper, when I was six or seven years old, because my dad was going out for dinner with a future employer. I was quite distraught that my dad wasn't going to be eating dinner with us (or maybe I was upset that he was eating dinner out and I wasn't! LOL), so my mom promised me that she'd make golden oats for dinner.

If you don't like the consistency of oatmeal cereal, you will probably like this recipe. The oats separate and are a little chewy. This cereal is not gummy at all. If you don't like the taste of oatmeal itself, well then, you probably won't like it. :-P

1 1/2 cups oats
1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup juice

Combine oats and egg in medium-sized bowl; mix until oats are thoroughly coated. Add oats mixture to butter in 10-inch skillet, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 3 to 5 minutes or until oats are dry, separated and lightly browned. Add juice; continue cooking, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes or until liquid evaporates.

Makes 4 servings.

I particularly like orange juice, but apple juice works just fine too. I like to add thinly sliced apples - just saute them a few minutes in the butter before adding the oats mixture to the skillet.

Very, very yummy! I had this cereal for breakfast yesterday.

~Fall Decorations~

Yesterday I finally snapped some pictures of my fall decorations. I have been waiting for a sunny day and a clean house, but those two haven't happened together. :-P It has been overcast a lot lately!

I hung a fall garland in the doorway between the living room and dining room. Last time I hung it, I'm pretty sure that I put white lights on it. But I just kept it simple this time.


Two of my teddy bear friends, notice the matching candle and topper (a gift from my husband many years ago):


The coffee table. I've mentioned the doilies in autumns past, but I got them for either 5 or 10 cents each at a yard sale. They are just perfect for fall decorations -- the only time of year I use them.


The dining room table:


This year some of my decorations were quite dilapidated, and I ended up tossing them out. I'll have to hit Hobby Lobby's clearance sales on their fall merchandise and get a few new things for next fall.

~Walking in the Winter~

I do not like to be cold. Not even remotely. I'd far rather be hot than cold! This summer I got a lot of good walks in. The weather was far too cool to be called "summer" but that's what the calendar said! Anyhow...lots of walking.

And then came October. Brrrr...it's cold outside! Too cold to go out for long walks. What to do? I'm not a naturally active person, so I had to really push myself to go for those summer walks, but it got to the point where I really enjoyed them! Now that it is cold (and remember, I don't like to be cold!) I have a hard time wanting to go outside.

I have a small collection of Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds DVDs! I dusted off the cover and popped a one-mile workout in the DVD player. Fantastic! In 20 minutes I could "walk" a mile right in my living room.

This week during I've been getting in a good little workout in the comfort of my own home. I have several different walking DVDs as well as a few other workout DVDs, so I have some variety. If you've seen Leslie Sansone's DVDs, you know that she is a chatter box and has a cheerful attitude to go along with her workouts. It almost feels like a chat with a friend (if you have friends who do all the talking...LOL). If/when I feel the need for more variety, I plan on checking out some different workout DVDs from my library.

What do you do for exercise in the winter?

Image from Walk at Home official site.

~The Gentle Art of Domesticity: Book Review~

When Jane Brocket was writing her book, The Gentle Art of Domesticity, I was quite excited, and could not wait until her book was available. Well, indeed I did wait, because as per my usual style, I waited until the book was available at my local library. Which meant that I needed to wait for the book to be published in the United States (it was originally published in the UK).

I put a hold on the book at the library, and waited. And waited. And waited. Finally I got a notice telling me that the book was in. I checked it out, and brought it home. When I opened it, I was disappointed.

I had expected new and exciting pictures, recipes, and knitting, but instead found the same pictures and material that I had been seeing and reading for several years on Jane's blog yarnstorm. I thumbed through the book several times and then returned it to the library.

Last month I was at the library and spotted The Gentle Art of Domesticity on the shelf. I decided to check it out again. This time, after flipping through and enjoying the photography, I started at the beginning and read. It is true, most of the material was presented in some form or fashion on Jane's blog. But she has since deleted her blog yarnstorm, thus deleting all the knitting, crocheting, baking, beading, and quilting content. So since I knew I couldn't go online and find the same content, it was quite an enjoyable read.

Most of the book is not really how to enjoy one's domestic life. Rather, it is how Jane enjoys her domestic life. It is a fun read. The book lends itself to short reading bursts, which is all I seem to have anyhow.

After reading this book from cover to cover, I have been inspired to knit more, read more, and bring more beauty into my domestic life. Which, I am pretty sure, was Jane's purpose.

Image from Amazon.com

~Goofball~

I just found the blog Obsessively Stitching. Care has so many fun projects on her site--so many beautiful quilts and cute projects for little ones. As soon as I spotted her goofball tutorial I knew it was something The Baby would love!

So I dug through my scraps and ribbons, and put together my very own goofball:


I'm thinking a few more of these, in varying sizes, would be so fun. Maybe I'll even put a jingle bell in one of them! I have plenty of flannel scraps and ribbon!

~Monday's Daybook: October 12~

Outside My Window...a damp, cold morning.

I am thinking...about the fun time we had with Kevin's family this weekend.

I am thankful for...my salvation.

From the kitchen...a few leftovers from our "Thanksgiving" meal. I think we'll have turkey soup for dinner tonight!

I am going...to the grocery store and the bank.

I am almost finished reading...The Gentle Art of Domesticity.

I am hoping...we have a few more nice days this fall. The forecast doesn't look promising though.

I am hearing...the heater run, The Baby playing, and the hum of the computer...just a quiet morning here!

Around the house...my "To Do" list includes laundry and straightening my home.

One of my favorite things...pumpkin pie for breakfast - which is exactly what I had yesterday!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...my week doesn't look too busy, just the normal living stuff.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...flowers floating in a fountain.


For more Daybook entries, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook.

~Sunday~

Philippians 4:4

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

Cactus Flower

~Hot pads~

I'm excited to share my latest sewing project with you! I followed You Go Girl!'s tutorial for the binding here. It was a little different than my normal method, and I liked the way it turned out.

My mom's kitchen is decorated with red and chickens. I didn't find fabric with chickens, but I think these prints will coordinate well with her kitchen. Each hot pad is the same - striped on one side, floral print on the other side.



One of my sisters is getting married in December. I wasn't able to attend her bridal shower, but I still wanted to give her a gift! I went to Target and picked out some towels that match her kitchen decor. Then I went to the fabric store and found fabric that matches the towels. I think the towels and hot pads match quite well!





I bought 1/4 yard of each print for front and back, and 1/8 yard for the binding (each binding strip is 2 inches wide). If I would have purchased 1/4 yard of the binding fabric, I would have had enough fabric for 4 hot pads out of each combination.

Is it just me, or is it really hard to find coordinating fabrics? I searched for an hour in a fairly large fabric store to find these two combinations.

I delayed in sharing these on my blog until my sister and mom received them. :-) I am hoping they enjoy them. I know I'm enjoying the one I made for myself (pictured here on my photo blog).

~Dinner tonight~

As I mentioned earlier this week, we have family in town this weekend! Tonight I used an old favorite for dinner: Everyday Cassoulet. I've previously blogged this recipe, but here it is again:

Cassoulet is a French bean and meat stew.

1 pound Polish or smoked sausage, diagonaly cut into 1-inch pieces (I used beef sausage)
1 can (15 to 16 oz) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 to 16 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 to 16 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
3 medium carrots, thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)
2 small onions, thinly sliced and separated into rings
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup beef broth
2 TBS packed brown sugar
2 TBS chopped fresh or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves

1. Heat oven to 375*.
2. Mix all ingredients in ungreased 3-quart casserole. Cover and bake 50-60 minutes or until mixture is hot and bubbly and carrots are tender.

Tonight I served it with rice and a side salad. After dinner we enjoyed Easy Swedish Apple Pie and ice cream. Yummy. Tomorrow we're having our Thanksgiving dinner, complete with turkey. {And I'm SO glad I decided to blog about our food because just as I typed the word turkey, I remembered that the turkey needs to defrost!}

Have a great day!

~Some Etsy Finds~

I just thought I'd share a few things I've recently seen on Etsy. Please note, I'm just drooling over these items, I haven't actually purchased them. :-) The link for each item is above the picture.

Mae Doll Pattern


I was searching for a PDF doll pattern and found this. The seller also has some other cute doll patterns as well, including ones suited for smaller babies.

Gold Branch Earrings


One thing I like in particular about this seller is that most of her ear wires are either gold or silver. I have tried to wear earrings that are for "sensitive" ears but my ears end up getting infected. This seller has a lot of bold, beautiful earrings!

Perfect Pearl Ring


I really would love to wear this ring! It is something out of my normal style range, but it would be a fun accessory!

It is so fun to look on Etsy! A way to find new shops is to look in the showcase for the day. That is how I found the ring, I believe. Another way is to watch the newly listed items as they pop up. That is how I found the leaf earrings!

~Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes~

I mentioned a week or so ago that I was making bread, using the method outlined in the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.

If you aren't familiar with this book, here's the description in a nutshell: you mix together flour, salt, yeast, and water. The result is a wet dough that you do not knead. It all goes in the fridge, and as you need bread, you take out enough for a loaf, prepare the dough (without kneading), and bake it. It's a little more complicated than that, but I did say, "in a nutshell". ;-)

The first loaf turned out ok. I didn't bake it long enough, so I stuck it back in the oven. Also, I don't have all the proper kitchen tools the book calls for, so when I went to transfer my loaf of bread to the stone in the oven, my loaf rolled and slid off, plopping top side down. So needless to say it wasn't the most beautiful loaf of bread I've ever seen.

This was my second loaf:


Again, not the most beautiful loaf of bread I've ever seen! :-P

Since I cut the recipe in half I had enough dough for two loaves of bread. This bread is good. I think that given enough practice and the right kitchen tools, I could make some awesome bread.

But. All that white flour...I try to use whole grains - I've even switched to whole grain pasta. And. I could eat a loaf or two of this bread daily. So. I think I'll chalk this up to a fun experiment.

~Couponing update~

I thought I'd do a little update on my continuing experience with coupons. In this post, I shared how I organized my coupons. So far it is still working very well, and even though I have read about different methods of coupon organization, I plan on keeping this method for now.

Besides getting coupons from the weekly Sunday paper, I also print coupons when I see a coupon I know I'll use. I try not to print coupons that I won't use, because it is a waste of paper and ink!

Since we don't eat a lot of prepared foods, my greatest savings is still on sales. I do try to combine coupons and sales whenever I can, and I take my coupon box into the store with me so that I can use coupons on unadvertised sales. I am still dedicated to not bringing home junk food. Free or cheap junk food is still junk food! :-) I love to find coupons for wholesome foods. They aren't as sparse as it seems when first starting out!

Overall, I am spending less on groceries than I was in my pre-coupon days. I am still shopping at only one store. Every once in a while I will hit Target or Walgreens if there are some great sales. If I need a lot of staples, I'll visit Aldi as well. But most weeks I just go to Meijer. Meijer's prices vary store by store, and ours seems to be on the lower side.

Another thing I have done is to slowly stock up on items as they go on sale. I have a lot of whole grain pasta in my cupboard, as well as spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, and mayonnaise. I don't have a lot of room, so I have to be careful not to overdo it.

I am pleased with my couponing efforts. It has been a blessing to our family for me to be able to save money each week at the grocery store!

~Monday's Daybook: October 6~

Outside My Window...a sunny, cool day.

I am thinking...of everything I need to do over the next few days!

I am thankful for...this coming weekend, anticipated time with family we haven't seen for a while!

From the kitchen...hmmmm, I need to go grocery shopping today. I'm not sure what we'll have for dinner yet.

I am creating...gifts for upcoming events!

I am going...to Starbucks to test their new VIA line. Of course, grocery shopping too!

I am still reading...The Gentle Art of Domesticity.

I am hoping...to find good deals at the grocery store!

I am hearing...Songtime Volume 1 by CBH Ministries.

Around the house...the heater is on, laundry is waiting to be folded, and lotsa chores to do!

One of my favorite things...Chocolate Hazelnut tea by Stash Teas.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...get ready for our family coming, ladies' Bible study, and some serious crocheting on my ripple afghan.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Toys, scattered every which way over the living room. I *love* it!

For more Daybook entries, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Late night sewing

~Sunday~

Proverbs 3:5,6

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

~Today~

Today was a drizzly day. It rained off and on all day long. It was a perfect day for staying in, which is what we did!

I took the opportunity to work on a sewing project this afternoon. I'll be sharing the results with you soon. It is a project that I'm happy with!

This evening I so wanted to get pizza instead of making dinner! It just seemed like the perfect day for pizza, you know? But I would have had to cut into next week's grocery budget to get the pizza, and I already had everything I needed for dinner. So I made dinner like a good girl. :D And since we had company last night, I planned ahead that tonight's dinner would be our leftovers for Sunday afternoon. So it is really a good thing that I stuck to my menu plan!

Next week we're having a little family get-together with Kevin's side of the family. I'm really excited about seeing everyone (my MIL, SIL and BIL)! We're planning a Thanksgiving dinner. I love Thanksgiving food. It is so good. You cook all morning and then you have leftovers for four days. It's great! And to top it all off my brother is coming for Thanksgiving this year so I'll be making two Thanksgiving dinners this year. You should see my brother's sandwiches from Thanksgiving leftovers! Everything (and I do mean EVERYTHING) gets piled between bread and eaten with great relish! Think Dagwood-style sandwiches and you're pretty close!

Well, that's about it! I hope you all had a great day, and blessings on the Lord's Day tomorrow!

All ready to sew

My projects cut out and ready to go!