Thursday, August 24, 2017

Thursday - Recipes, Cooking and Baking!


I'm having problems with Google again!  I sent a problem report and if it gets fixed soon I will blog else I will have to wait.....so sorry!
Happy Trails....anyway!
Okay..they fixed it fast and I am back in business!  Thank you Google for your fast problem solving!
I made a typical Fall meal this week but I just couldn't wait!  It is one of my favorite Fall meals and it is from the cookbook and essay book by Robin Mather.  "How I lost my job, buried a marriage and found my way by keeping chickens, foraging, preserving, bartering, and eating locally (all on forty dollars a week)."  I highly recommend this book not only for the beautiful writing and story but for the wonderful recipes which all come with their own unique tale.  The name of the book is The Feast Nearby.................


The recipe is Baked Acorn Squash with Sausage and Maple Syrup.......
This recipe makes 4 servings
"This simple dinner is easy and delicious.  My mother usually served Waldorf Salad with baked squash---the crunchy apple-celery-nut salad was a good companion to the baked squash's silky richness, and it's cool-weather flavors seemed to go well, too.  My father especially loved this dish; I can see him rubbing his hands together in gleeful, greedy anticipation of one of his favorite dinners."
I totally understand her father's feelings about this meal!
***BTW, I did not have the sage sausage...mine was just plain so I added some sage on top***) 


2 acorn squash
1 pound bulk sage pork breakfast sausage
1/2 cup pure maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
Using a very sharp knife, prepare the squash by cutting them in half from stem end to stern.  Scoop out and discard the seeds and fibers.  Turn the squash over; cut a small flat slice from the bottom of each squash half so it will sit squarely in a baking dish.  Place the squash halves in a baking dish large enough to hold them.
Divide the pork sausage into four portions,  Pack the cavity of each squash half with pork sausage.  Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the maple syrup over the pork sausage in each squash half (***I can only ever fit 1 tablespoon of syrup in each squash half***).  Add 1 inch of water to the baking dish around the squash halves.  Cover the dish with aluminum foil.
Bake for 1 hour (***I always have to cook it for 2 hours***), or until the squash is tender when pierced with a knife.  
Serve immediately.

I take the pork sausage out and cut it up on a plate and scrape the squash out of it's skin and mash it and cover it with butter and a little salt! Yummy!  You could also pour a bit of maple syrup on it too!
I too,  make a Waldorf Salad to go with this dish...........I found a recipe by Penny on All Recipes but I changed it some to suit my tastes........... 

Penny stated "This traditional salad is delicious, and you can vary the ingredients to your preference.  Try adding diced, roasted chicken to make this salad a meal!" 

Sam's Waldorf Salad

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 apples cored and diced (I don't peel them but you can)
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup of craisins (dried cranberries)
In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, lemon juice, and salt.  Stir in the apples, celery, pecans, and craisins (dried cranberries).  Chill until ready to serve.

I hope you enjoy this meal if you make it and the book if you buy it!
Happy Trails!!!

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Wednesday Decorating.............

There's been a little change in plans...as always!  The eye doctor called and my glasses were ready!  So, I took off for Mountain Home...again,  as tomorrow the appliance repair guy comes and Friday Grace goes to the groomer.........so you see I had no choice as I could not possibly wait until Monday for my new red glasses!
So this decorating episode will be about decorating my face!  Are you ready?  BTW.....the minute I put them on they were perfect!  No adjustments were even necessary....these glasses were always meant to be mine!  LOVE!!!!
They also came in a snazzy case!  Pink and orange.............
and look at the inside...............too cute!  Gotta love that Kate Spade!  I find that the older I get the more color I need...to spruce myself up............all my natural color is gone!
I also got a new pair of Cocoons which are sunglasses that fit over your regular glasses..........
I've had these before and love them..........I'm not into transitions glasses as I need them darker than that....I just wanted regular sunglasses..............and these are good ones!
And now you see why I would also make a great Ms. Claus with my chubby cheeks....lol!
So today's decorating was about self decorating..........I hope you weren't disappointed!  I promise next Wednesday will be about 'real' home decorating!
Happy Trails!!!






Tuesday, August 22, 2017

A New Schedule for my blog..........

I am a list person, a planner and I like a schedule so to that end I am going to try and schedule each day of the week for a different blog topic but the weeks will be the same.  Here's a little preview.......

Sunday will be the Year of Projects which is all about crafting and handmade
Monday will be Book Date and all related topics
Tuesday will be cleaning and organizing
Wednesday will be decorating
Thursday will be recipes, cooking and baking
Friday will be fun and shopping
Saturday will be outdoors (weather permitting)

What do you think?  Please give me your thoughts on this.  It will help me to be accountable for all those areas so it is a little bit of a motivator for me.  It may not always go according to plan like today;  I had to go to Mountain Home to the foot doctor but my toe is healing well, no more soaking and dressing every day and I don't have to go back unless there's a problem.  Yay!  It took all morning but I was back by 12:30 as storms were expected (nothing yet and it is 2:30!)  I was going to stop at Lowes and get a new garbage can but decided to fore go to miss any storms. 
This post will not include daily chores just special projects and today there won't be much but I did make some progress.........this is a dirty wall in my laundry room..........a really dirty wall as there was an accordion style peg unit that was there and I took it down.  This was not easy as my father had evidently nailed it into the wall with headless nails that took a kitchen knife and a claw foot hammer to get it off the wall.  I forgot to take a before picture and it went out in the garbage today so it is already 'gone'!  Yay!  I'm starting in the laundry room but really it will be the hardest room as I can't move the washer or dryer or the water softener that is in there.  I know what needs to be done but it's 'logistics'! LOL!  There is also a door to the outside in there and a linoleum floor that Annie chewed up when she first arrived here.  Woe is me!  If I had money I would just hire it done but right now it is not the priority.  But I will forge ahead and get it as clean and organized as I can right now.  This was the first step.
I also cleaned my cleaning tote and restocked it with my essentials and rags so it's ready to go.  I do need more spray bottles which I will pick up next time I go to the Dollar Tree.  I make almost all my own cleaning supplies and laundry detergent.  At some point I will publish the recipes for those on my sidebar for those who might be interested.
Some of the resources I have found that I really like for cleaning are:
I would highly recommend you get the book version though and not the Kindle as it is really a reference after you read the book and it is difficult on my tablet to go back and find areas in the book.  Maybe a real Kindle is different but I have an Acer tablet.  I also love Debbie Nobodyneedstoknow videos on You Tube which are excellent for specific cleaning jobs.  Both of these gals have their own cleaning services and if they don't know nobody does! LOL!
I also printed off cleaning checklists from Martha Stewart 
These are really helpful to remind me of what to clean and when.
Another very helpful site was this one
about cleaning top to bottom.  When it comes to organizing I don't think anyone can top this book.......by A Bowl Full of Lemons....a pretty famous blogger............again, I got this on my tablet but I would suggest the hard copy for books like this...........it is excellent!
 That's it for my first post about cleaning and organizing.......I know I didn't get a lot done today but I did do something and it may be baby steps but I call it progress! LOL!
If you have any books, resources or suggestions for me please let me know.  Am I the only one that struggles to keep my house clean and organized?  Any tips would certainly be appreciated!
Happy Trails!


 

 

Monday, August 21, 2017

What are you reading, listening to and or watching?

I am linking to Kathryn over at www.bookdate.blogspot.com

I have finished reading The Hungry Ocean and it was excellent!  I highly recommend it if you like non-fiction that reads better than fiction. 4 or 5 stars!
 So, for my non-fiction I am reading Drunk, Divorced and Covered in Cat Hair.........funny and poignant........this is my second read before I get rid of it............definitely 4 stars
My new fiction is this one and I would do the Amazon review but I am finding some of these reviews tell the whole darn story!  So, I am leaving them out!  I don't even want to read them.....they are truly 'spoilers'!
I am still reading Pioneer Woman magazine......it's very good but I am slow and tired lately at night......she's got some great recipes I want to try though and some involve Dr. Pepper!
As for what I have been listening to?  Daily Hope with Pastor Rick Warren but not nearly enough!
I did watch Pride and Prejudice with Collin Firth as Mr. Darcy...........now I  understand what everyone was talking about!  Excellent!  I watched the most recent episode of Ruby Moss Cottage podcast which I adore!  I also love The Little Tailoress and Stitched in Sweden but I am caught up.  I've listened to some Cubs games and a few pre-season football games on the radio which are great for doing cross stitch. I also started watching Sex in the City which I had never seen before....it's pretty forward so not sure how far I will get but it is the younger generation and they are making me feel pretty old and stodgy! LOL!  I think that's about it for this week.  Next week I will be including new blogs and websites with this post.
What are you reading, listening to and/or watching?
Happy Trails!





Sunday, August 20, 2017

YOP Week #8


How is everyone this week?  We are still in the single digit weeks of YOP and I feel like this might be my best year yet!  I know it's too early to tell but I'm off to a good start!  I have another finish this week!  2 Christmas gifts done!  Using a row marker definitely makes a difference! LOL!  But they both are functional and no money spent!
I also got the heel done on my first ever toe-up socks.  I'm not sure if I care for this method but I will finish this pair and make another pair in order to give it a fair assessment.  I am using Stylecraft Special DK acrylic as Very Pink suggests a DK weight yarn for a first pair.  I understand the German Short Row now although I'm not sure I could transfer it to another pattern that calls for a wrap and turn like the Bird of Happiness pattern I tried.  We'll see.  The shorts rows still leave a 'gap' and more than one compared to my regular sock heel.  I'm almost done and get this......I can do regular knitting without looking now! Can you believe it?  I see so many doing it so I tried and lo and behold.....I was able to do it!  Will wonders never cease?  I amaze myself sometimes!
I picked up some Warm and Natural batting for the I Spy Quilt and also backing material for all 3 quilts..............the baby size batting is just right!
Here's the backing material...............bright yellow with black dots.............perfect!
I was 'out and about' quite a bit this week and next week looks to be the same so I'm not getting a lot done but I manage to work a little bit on projects each evening............Almost done with the bottom half of the Frosted Pumpkin stitchery.
That's all for this week....hopefully by next week I will have the first toe up sock finished and be started on the second one, I'll have the bottom of the pumpkin stitchery done and be working on the top and I will have the first quilt 'sandwich' ready to be quilted or more!  That's my plan anyway...I'm hoping if I write it down here I will feel more committed to making it happen! LOL!
Happy Eclipse tomorrow and Happy Trails all week long!





Saturday, August 19, 2017

Busy but productive week!

I had to go back to Mountain Home Thursday to get fitted for my new glasses and frames.....and I knew exactly what I wanted....RED glasses!!!!  I walked in and was immediately drawn to a pair and even after looking at all the others....the first ones were the ones I chose!  I have never been very excited about glasses but this time was different....I LOVE these glasses and will go back to get them in 7-10 days....I can't wait!
The eye doctor is on the other side of Mountain Home so it is an even longer drive than usual.  I had to stop and get gas on the way and luckily it had stormed in the morning but I had clear sailing there and back.  I was pretty tired when I got home and then yesterday I went to the new Dollar Tree store!
I love that store because everything REALLY IS a dollar!  I got some organizational 'tools' after checking all the Dollar Tree pins on Pinterest.
A magnetic white board for my frig, battery operated votive candles, tiny packs of kleenix, and the toothpaste I use.
 I got a candle lighter and a mesh laundry hamper which people use to put over their plants outside...Rain....this one's for us!  I'm trying it in my back yard! 
 2 packages of removable labels, some votive candles and a regular candle in Black Cherry........I also got a few other items but they are for Christmas so I can't show them here..... 
and then the containers.................I think these will be for my linen closet although I need some bigger ones too...........
these will be for my bookshelf................I actually saw one gal who spray painted these to look like metal and then added metal looking name plates on them......they looked just like the pricey ones in the magazines.......amazing!
and these are for under my sink in the kitchen...........they're stackable..............

I also went shopping for a new dryer but even the really bare bones one is $300 not counting delivery and installation so I might as well fix mine for $400 but I did get the name of a reasonable and qualified local repair person so maybe it won't be quite as bad?  I realized when I had my RA 'flare up' that carrying a basket of wet clothes down the basement stairs was not too safe plus the time I spend could be better spent doing other chores.  It also causes me to have more ironing and an iron isn't cheap to run either plus so many of the clothes are meant to be dried now a days.  So, I made up my mind that I will be repairing the dryer regardless.  Wish me luck on that one! LOL!
I also went to Walmart and got supplies but forgot to get the paint!!!  Duh!  Two days away from home and all my chores were backing up so that is why I haven't blogged or visited!  Today was catch up with everything  around here and I had paperwork to go through and filing so it's 6:00 p.m. and supper time for me....I've fed everyone else!
Tomorrow is YOP, I need to make a nice dinner and enjoy my day of rest as next week is busy too!  Tuesday I go back to the foot doctor in Mountain Home (hopefully for the last time), Friday Grace (the long haired cat) goes to the groomer and Monday is the eclipse! The last total eclipse was in 1979...this will probably be the last time I see it in my lifetime but I won't be seeing it because I don't have any special glasses!  I assumed I could get some at the eye doctor......but no!  They don't have any and never did!  Hello???  An eye doctor doesn't have eye protection for the eclipse?  That is just not right!  Oh well....it's supposed to be cloudy that day anyway but I will watch it on T.V.! LOL!
I hope you had a great week and I will see you back here tomorrow AND I will be leisurely sipping my coffee in the morning and catching up with all of you!
Happy Trails!    










Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Got my 3 priorities done and more!!!

I awoke really early this morning and got the girls out which was great because then it thundered and started raining so at least they got out before the storm!  What a cozy morning to lay in bed with a cup of coffee and write in my journal.
Once I got up and got going though I made come cranberry orange cookies..............I got the recipe from All Recipes and there are several out there.  Very good except I did leave off the powdered sugar frosting as that is too much sugar for me plus extra work! LOL!  They have craisins, pecans , orange juice and orange zest in them.....YUM!  My daughter makes these all the time and everyone always asks her to make them for any 'event' they have at school or church so you know they're good!
 I also got the second coat on the back wall of the old entry closet which is now going to be a vestibule?  Anyway, I took the closet doors off and cut out the carpeting and today I ran out of paint!  But it is moving along after a long hiatus!  There will be a shelf and a small dresser in there I think or else hooks to hang coats and leashes and a tray filled with rocks for boots and shoes.....I haven't quite decided yet.  I still have to put 2 coats on those side walls, paint the shelf and the floor.  The floor is plywood so I will paint it with old fashioned gray porch paint.....anything is better than carpeting!  Yes, they even carpeted the closets and right up to the front door...white carpeting no less!  What?  Were they nuts?  These were my parents and yes, they were a little different from me...okay, they were a lot different from me! LOL!
I also finished the foot of my first toe-up sock......now onto the heel!   Wish me luck!
BTW....I've been eating some Johnsonville 3 Cheese Italian Style Chicken Sausage that is out of this world!  I discovered it at my local grocery store and it is so good!  I had it on a hotdog bun with some mustard and roasted red peppers and it was delish!  30-60 seconds in the microwave with a paper towel over it and it's ready!  I highly recommend!  I also was able to get some delicious sweet corn to go with it.....lucked out on that corn..I think it must have come from Iowa! LOL!
I hope you had a great day  and go ahead and have another one tomorrow!
Happy Trails!






Monday, August 14, 2017

It's Monday Book Date!

I am linking to Kathryn over at www.bookdate.blogspot.com

I have 2 finishes this week.  One I posted about yesterday in my YOP group post as it was a craft book...........this is decorating and sewing and some crafting.  There are several items I may want to make from this book so I am holding onto it for now...............If you like the bohemian, eclectic, cozy, vintage look then you would really like this book................
 Amazon states:
" More than just a "how to" guide, Granny Chic offers inspiration to keen crafters hoping to breathe new life into vintage fabrics and second-hand objects. From handmade notebooks to lace lampshades and pinnies made from tea towels, each of the craft "recipes" brings the granny chic look to life whilst allowing you to give them your own personal twist. This selection of 20 projects includes spruced-up coathangers, a "dingle dangle" door screen, a "patched and pieced" lampshade, and a crocheted tea cosy. In addition to the projects Granny Chic offers advice on the granny chic lifestyle, from befriending your local fabric shop to creating a handmade home. Packed full of ideas it will have you rustling in your vintage fabric to find your inner granny chic crafting soul."

I also finished this fiction children's tale....book #1 of 2 from what I can gather..............this a a series for children from ages 8-18 although I thought it was a bit grim for some of the younger set...........very well written and interesting....I might even read the 2nd book as there are only 2 in the series right now.........I must admit there were times when I couldn't put it down...........
 Amazon states:
"Heather and Picket are extraordinary rabbits with ordinary lives until calamitous events overtake them, spilling them into a cauldron of misadventures. They discover that their own story is bound up in the tumult threatening to overwhelm the wider world. Kings fall and kingdoms totter. Tyrants ascend and terrors threaten. Betrayal beckons, and loyalty is a broken road with peril around every bend.Where will Heather and Picket land? How will they make their stand?"

As for my magazine....still reading this and to be honest I have not picked it up....too tired and too involved in the books! LOL!  But what I've read I have enjoyed.............
For my non-fiction I am still reading this one and thoroughly enjoying!  There was  a section I read the other night about a 'green' hire that had me laughing so hard in bed that my dogs woke up and thought something was wrong! LOL!  It was so funny that I think I will copy it to read whenever I need a good laugh!
  Amazon states:
"The term fisherwoman does not exactly roll trippingly off the tongue, and Linda Greenlaw, the world's only female swordfish boat captain, isn't flattered when people insist on calling her one. "I am a woman. I am a fisherman... I am not a fisherwoman, fisherlady, or fishergirl. If anything else, I am a thirty-seven-year-old tomboy. It's a word I have never outgrown." Greenlaw also happens to be one of the most successful fishermen in the Grand Banks commercial fleet, though until the publication of Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm, "nobody cared." Greenlaw's boat, the Hannah Boden, was the sister ship to the doomed Andrea Gail, which disappeared in the mother of all storms in 1991 and became the focus of Junger's book. The Hungry Ocean, Greenlaw's account of a monthlong swordfishing trip over 1,000 nautical miles out to sea, tells the story of what happens when things go right--proving, in the process, that every successful voyage is a study in narrowly averted disaster.There is the weather, the constant danger of mechanical failure, the perils of controlling five sleep-, women-, and booze-deprived young fishermen in close quarters, not to mention the threat of a bad fishing run: "If we don't catch fish, we don't get paid, period. In short, there is no labor union." Greenlaw's straightforward, uncluttered prose underscores the qualities that make her a good captain, regardless of gender: fairness, physical and mental endurance, obsessive attention to detail. But, ultimately, Greenlaw proves that the love of fishing--in all of its grueling, isolating, suspenseful glory--is a matter of the heart and blood, not the mind. "I knew that the ocean had stories to tell me, all I needed to do was listen." --Svenja Soldovieri"
Linda Greenlaw has written several other books about her life at sea and I think I will be reading those too!

My new pick for a craft book is a book I read when I first started knitting and want to revisit just out of curiosity to see if my view or thoughts changed..............I remember it being a pretty funny book and who can't use a good laugh! She has another book out besides this one. 
 Amazon states:
"If you've ever been dumped, duped, or three minutes from crazy, you'll love Crazy Aunt Purl. Side-splittingly funny and profoundly moving, Drunk, Divorced, and Covered in Cat Hair is the true-life misadventures of Laurie Perry, aka Crazy Aunt Purl, a slightly neurotic, displaced Southerner trying to create a new life after her husband leaves her to 'get his creativity back.' (Whatever that means.) But will she get her groove back in a tiny rented apartment, with a mountain of boxes, visible panty lines, and a slight wine-and-Cheetos problem?"I was a thirty-something woman living alone with four cats. I was probably going to be divorced. I was on the short bus to crazy. I pictured my grandmother making hoop-skirted yarn cozies for the toilet paper. I pictured myself making doilies for furniture that I did not own. I saw my cats wearing knitted hats with lace appliqués. From my vantage point, knitting seemed like 100 percent of some road I did not want to walk down."Yet, surprisingly, it's knitting that saves her and emboldens her to become fully engaged in life again--to discover new friends; to take risks, however scary; and to navigate the ins and outs of the modern dating scene."Dating has changed in a decade. Now there is a higher chance of meeting someone who has an internet porn addiction than someone who has a job. In Los Angeles, your dinner companion might have served time in Pelican Bay or run a meth lab. Or, worst of all, he might spend all night talking about his agent, his craft, and what it means to grow as an actor. Then he'll ask you to read his screenplay."And such is life in this quirky, irreverent memoir, a spin-off of the blog phenomenon, www.crazyauntpurl.com, one of the most successful online diaries in history, exploding to an international fan base of enthusiastic readers. But don't worry, you don't have to knit to love Aunt Purl. You just have to know what it feels like to have loved, to have lost, or to have taken a leap of faith. We've all been there: Pass the wine."

Last but not least.....my new fiction book which I will start tonight...........this is from my printed page personal library of books.............
 Amazon states:
"A #1 New York Times bestseller by Kim Edwards, The Memory Keeper’s Daughter is a brilliantly crafted novel of parallel lives, familial secrets, and the redemptive power of loveKim Edwards’s stunning novel begins on a winter night in 1964 in Lexington, Kentucky, when a blizzard forces Dr. David Henry to deliver his own twins. His son, born first, is perfectly healthy, but the doctor immediately recognizes that his daughter has Down syndrome. Rationalizing it as a need to protect Norah, his wife, he makes a split second decision that will alter all of their lives forever. He asks his nurse, Caroline, to take the baby away to an institution and never to reveal the secret. Instead, she disappears into another city to raise the child herself. So begins this beautifully told story that unfolds over a quarter of a century—in which these two families, ignorant of each other, are yet bound by the fateful decision made that winter night long ago.A family drama, The Memory Keeper’s Daughter explores every mother's silent fear: What would happen if you lost your child and she grew up without you? It is also an astonishing tale of love and how the mysterious ties that hold a family together help us survive the heartache that occurs when long-buried secrets are finally uncovered."

As for what I have been listening to and watching?
Brooklyn Knitfolk knitting and sewing podcast on You Tube
Father Brown mystery series #1 on Netflix
Chicago Cub's games on the radio online
Daily Hope by Pastor Rick Warren podcast

That's it for this week!  What have you been reading, listening to or watching?  Happy Trails!

Sunday, August 13, 2017

YOP Week #7

Howdy folks!  Another YOP week and I am happy to report...I am on a roll!  Not sure how long this will last but I am thrilled to say the least!
I have another finish!   A gift hat is done....YAY! 
 I made the mistake of not using a marker thinking that I could tell by the starting cast on tail where the next round started...........NOT!  But this hat is mistake proof....there are mistakes as you can see the pattern change but it doesn't really matter...this is the hat pattern for me! LOL!
and not only that but I have started on another one...............this time I am using a marker....duh!
Erin mentioned this hat pattern in her post last week and thank you, Erin!  It is the Man Hat by Haven Leavitt and it is a free pattern on Ravelry.  I used size 8 U.S. circular 16 inch cable needles and then size 8 DPNs at the crown of the hat.  The yarn is no longer made, I don't think, unless they changed the name to Hometown U.S.A.?  It is Lionbrand Chunky U.S.A. that I got years ago in a scarf kit.  The recipients are knit worthy but not wool worthy as they would wash and dry it without hesitation! LOL!  This is acrylic and totally machine washable and dryable.  The skein had 155 yards and there was plenty for this hat.  It calls for a long tail cast on and they're not kidding......make it very long as the bulky yarn takes up more yardage.  The author of this pattern calls it a 'no-fail' hat and she is exactly right!
 I also finished a 'flimsy'.  A 'flimsy', in case you didn't know, is a finished quilt top that has not yet been quilted.  I am making 3 I Spy quilts for the grands for Christmas and this is the first 'flimsy' finished.  I'm not sure if I will make the other 2 flimsies first or go ahead and finish this one completely.
  I got the idea when a friend of mine was selling I Spy quilt kits in her shop Daisy Patchwork
I don't think she has them anymore but you could ask as she does custom orders, I think, but right now she and her husband Chris are in France refurbishing an old farmhouse.  She is on my sidebar called "Brambling in Brittany".   I love her fabrics that she carries and her free-form quilting style.  She's also on Ravelry as Daisypatchwork.  They are 5 " squares that were pre-cut (charm pack) and I sewed it 8 squares by 8 squares.  I want to get some soft fleece to use for the backing and also print out the rules of the game I Spy to include with the quilts. 
I also worked on my cross stitch a  bit...........finished  up the pumpkin except for some tiny bits which I will put in later and started on the bottom area.............
I also finished a book on Granny Chic which is decorating and  sewing............boho style if you like that which I do to a certain extent..............there's a couple projects in there I would like to try after Ms. Claus's workshop shuts down for the season! LOL!
Oh, I almost forgot....I ordered this PDF pattern which was like $16.00 and you don't get all the sizes but I did get from 5 to 12 childrens which is what I need.  The only problem is when I went to print it off it was 69 pages!!!!  Holy Cow Batman!  It seems a bit pricey since I already paid $16.00 and I still have to tape it together...I hope it's worth it!  Have any of you used their patterns before?  I think they're pretty well known/liked but I could be wrong.  Now comes the hard part......getting the parents to measure the grands for me....they keep forgetting............I should have started in the Spring! LOL!  Of course, they're all busy trying to get everyone ready for school which starts next week in Iowa and one had a 3 day garage sale and the other was attending the Iowa State Fair .....one of the best in the nation and we can't forget all the sweet corn festivals up there and I am missing it all!  Hopefully, I will get back there soon.
I plan on making these pj's in flannel.  Who doesn't love flannel pajamas in the Wintertime?
That's it for this weeks Year of Projects.  I will be working on these projects today along with a painting project...my entryway............I need to finish........I am behind on my Index Card a Day art project but I did do a couple this week.....this one was Day #3 and the prompt was  'vintage' and so I did a self-portrait! LOL!  Pretty accurate too, I might say!
Day #4 was 'lavender'.........it's fun and does get your creative neuron's firing whether the creativity flows through your fingers or not is not the issue.....it is for your total enjoyment and remember...practice makes perfect.....I wonder if I will be improved by Day #61?  We shall see or not! LOL!
Have a great week everyone and if you would like to see more YOPer's projects just visit this link
Happy Trails!!!!