mish mash of weekend stuff

I tried out one of these journal covers, not sure that I completely followed the directions (what's new?) but I think it turned out well anyway. I didn't really pay attention while I was sewing that the lining fabric was sewed upside down. But I figured that was just fine since it is on the inside. So the fabric on the outside I found at the thrift store, and loved it. I decided to use it for this project because I wasn't actually covering a journal but rather a composition book that I use as my idea book. And, I felt like the print was sort of creatively ispiring. The inside is part of a vintage sheet. I love the pen holder!

At the office I work at we have two Debbies. One we call Little Debbie because she is short and the other Big Debbie because she is tall. I prefer to call Big Debbie, Tall Debbie because she is quite thin and Tall Deb fits her better. Anyways, Little Debbie brought me a huge bag of apples on Thursday from her apple tree! Today I peeled and cut them all up. I put two big ziplocs in the freezer with enough apples for two pies. I'm deciding whether or not I'd like to make apple sauce or apple pie with the other ginormous bag?

Next up today I am going to bake some cookies for Jan's girls night! Ya-hoo! I have a recipe that takes boxed cake mix and makes cookies. So, I'm doing German chocolate and I think I might even frost them! mmmm good.

Tomorrow there is a scrapbooking crop! I'm looking forward to making my Thanksgiving page to put in the frame that I change out. I put out most of my Thanksgiving decorations, but don't really have too many places to put things in this other house so can't use them all. I'm trying to think up what I can make to put a display together on the little shelves above the stove.

Oh yeah, and I also got my swap packages sent out yesterday for the vintage sheets as fabric swap I participated in. I'm not going to post pics yet though until they've gotten them. I didn't think anyone actually read my blog except Jennifer, but apparently for the scrapbook supply swap my partner got a sneak peek! Which is totally fine, but it may have ruined the surprise?

Sweet Sunday

So Sunday ended up being my baking day! I baked 3 apple pies and a batch of peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. See, I HAD to bake 3 pies b/c I had meant to take one into work but you can't just take one into work and not have one for home. And you can't leave hubby out either, right? Therefore, 3 pies. The first two kind of turned out ugly and the third, which I took into work turned out better. I need to really work on the crusts, I'd really like to have them turn out pretty. With the cookies I found that turning the oven down to 350 degrees instead of 375 helped keep some of the chewiness. I personally do not like peanut butter cookies, but hubby said they turned out great!

I also worked on some knitting. No pics of that b/c it is a gift. I am charting my first ever picture onto a cloth. Once I get it made to make sure it actually looks like what I want it to, I will post the pattern. I have to get it done between now and 11:30 tomorrow morning :) Nothing like waiting until the last minute, huh?

So, one of our patients brought in a TON of veggies from his garden today and I am totally inspired to definitely do a garden next year!!! There were green beans, yellow squash, zucchini, cucumbers, carrots, onions, and the BIGGEST cabbage I have ever seen in my entire life! It was seriously bigger than a basketball. I wish I had had my camera with me to share a pic. I am going to make a minestrone soup in the crock pot either tomorrow or Saturday. Most likely tomorrow. And, frankly, how awesome would it be to be able to can up my own veggies??? Oh, I have big plans in my head already! When we first moved here I had dreamed up a pumpkin patch, and thought how cool would it be to be able to have kids/families from church be able to come out and pick a pumpkin and we could even set up hay rides :) But, I was a little naive about how much work to clean out the dirt it is. I'm thinking that with the tractor we could probably set up the rototiller attachment and maybe my gardening dreams will come true. Then, the only other thing is the deer - we will also have to build a fence to keep them OUT! And the bunnies.

Tomorrow night is the Beth Moore simulcast, and I am so jazzed about it! I went to the one here in town last year, and it was great. Naturally, I was already planning to go this years, and come to find out that it is FREE! The church that hosted last year is doing it again this year, but this year they are not charging, just going to pass a donation basket. I think that's great, a lot more ladies will have an opportunity to go.

My to do list for the weekend is this:

1. Simulcast

2. dress alteration for little Debbie

3. bake TONS of zucchini bread and freeze it

4. minestrone soup in crock pot

5. possibly make pickled zucchini and can it

6. KNIT

What's new?

Oh man, I have been neglecting my blog for a little bit - sorry! I just have had too much to do, which is good :) The most fun thing was that I was asked to teach some ladies a card class for the ladies Christmas brunch which was yesterday. It was really not a big to-do but it was super fun. There were like 50 ladies there so I had prepared 100 cards of two different designs. But, only about 15 or so ladies actually did the class. Which is fine because now I have LOTS of multi-purpose cards to use for myself!
Getting ready was a perfect storm of procrastination, getting a cold, and underestimating how long it would take to cut up all the paper, figure out my design and cut out the die cuts. I wanted to be completely organized so that I would not get flustered in front of everyone! I had rented a cricut cartridge from the scrapbook store to use with my cricut machine for the cupcake designed card. Unfortunately, the cartridge I thought would be perfect was not. There was an ice cream cone shape that I thought I could just cut off the pointy part of the cone and voila - cupcake.....but the ice cream scoop part was really round and just looked like an ice cream scoop in a cup. Hmmmm. So I had to improvise. Improvising with 50 cards to make is a little tricky. After a little trial and error I got it figured out, then ran out of my backround cupcake paper. Bah! The paper I had I actually bought when I was over in Medford, which is over an hour away....so I found a diffent cupcake printed paper at the store after work Friday and then ran home to start cutting. Once I had the design it was cake (hee, hee!) and I just cut it all up and put them in little baggies so the ladies could just put everything together. Saturday morning I woke up bright and early and put together the second card design - which was another super easy one.
It was seriously a whirlwind teaching the class. The ladies were a mix of understanding levels - some got it right away and others I really had to walk through. There were quite a few that were apprehensive about even doing it because "they weren't crafty" or whatnot. Another lady, Irene also did a class before mine - she did Christmas cards that were SUPER cute! I'm totally stealing her idea ;) She had brought a bunch of those scissors that cut different edges, which I usually don't use b/c I prefer a straight edge. The ladies had so much fun with them though, and they could really take our designs and make it their own. They were all so thankful to us for showing them how to do the cards! It was great to be able to show someone who didn't think they were crafty or could do it that they COULD! I've never had that type of experience and I can't even articulate how blessed I was to share with them a little of what I feel every time I make something and like the outcome.
Of course, I didn't think to take pictures! I did think ahead and bring my camera, but didn't use it. I have a couple pics of the swaps I did but am waiting until the second swap gets to her before posting, even though I don't think she reads my blog. Oh, I almost forgot! We're doing a cookie exchange at work tomorrow so I am going to bake ginger cookies! Yum.