You guys are the best!  Seriously.  You had so many great ideas to solve my costume dilemma.  I went with the first one - I think it was Autum's.  I took some off-white curtain lining and ripped six strips that were about 2" by the width (54" or so).  Then I sewed two strips together along the short end so I would end up with three long strips.  About four minutes later, I had a nice long braid.  Easy, fast, free.  Yay!  I whipped up a super simple skirt - one seam, one hem, one elastic casing - and cut an old brown t-shirt of mine into a tunic.  All in all it took less than an hour and Kate's pretty pleased.  I'll try to take a photo of it when the sun comes out.

I've been meaning to share these little trees with you.  I made them as part of Betz White's online holiday workshop awhile back.  I think it was in October.  I can't share details of how they were made, but I will tell you that I find them quite addictive.  I've been searching thrift stores for white and cream wool sweaters because I can just see a whole forest of these lining our sun room mantel or on the black chest in the kitchen.  Bonus is that they would look just as nice all winter long....not super Christmas-y, but festive nonetheless.

Still have my cold.  Still sucks.  Still shopping.  Haven't addressed the cards.  Cookies to bake and aprons to make.  Then wrapping and shipping out of town gifts.  So yeah.  That's what I am doing.  But being back at habit this month has made me realize how much I miss blogging regularly.  And how much I had lost my photo mojo.  So I am going to try....really try....to be in this space a little more often.

And gosh, if it's going to be so cold outside, could it please just snow?

* I love brussels sprouts, but never make them.  Yesterday while grocery shopping, I grabbed a bag.  I trimmed them, cut them in half, tossed with some olive oil and salt and roasted them.  Everyone ate them, but I ate the most.  The leftovers are in the fridge and will be part of my lunch.

* The holidays are stressing me out.  Too much to do and not enough time.  And I am not even making gifts this year.  Except for some aprons.  I forgot about those for a second.  And I do have to make an Innkeeper's costume for Kate's Christmas program on Thursday.  I have a plan and I don't think it will be hard.  Anyone have an idea for a rope-ish belt that isn't really rope?  I'm hoping for something that isn't going to cost me any money or a make me take a trip to the store.

* I still have my cold.  It just sucks.  I wake up feeling horrible despite sleeping pretty well.

* No more camera straps in 2009.  I wish I could have rallied for those of you wanting one, but it just wasn't meant to be.  A brand new package of my sewing labels has gone missing and I have spent a great deal of time looking for them.  Just when I resigned myself to the idea that they had most likely been thrown away, my sister-in-law told me that she saw them over Thanksgiving weekend.  And because I haven't trashed out the sewing room/playroom/guest room since then, I have hope they are hidden somplace in there.  I have offered a reward to my children, but I guess $5 isn't enough motivation for them to look.  Grrr.  So no labels = no camera straps.  That's just the way it is.

* There are so many things that I want to make, but I think I will leave that list for a post of its own.

* I'm making this Cashew Chicken for dinner tonight.  It's a crowd pleaser - fast and easy too.

* I hope Whole Foods gets peonies this year.  I could really use some peonies in December.

* I want it to snow.  Mostly because I love my new boots.

It's close to eight o'clock.  The kids are up in their beds, reading books waiting for me to come up, tuck and kiss, turn out the lights.  Fatty is out to dinner for work.  I'm sitting here thinking about the dozens of things that need doing tonight because I won't be able to do them tomorrow and they have to get done because Wednesday is a very important day.  I'm not motivated and it's stressing me out.

But I did make chocolate chip cookies with the girls.  And ate some of the dough, of course.  I printed something on fabric with a screen and that was F-U-N.  I was scared to try, but I did and it worked like a charm.  Of course, it's a secret I can't share (don't you hate that?), but I think it is going to be good when I am finished.  I will share it then, I swear.  And the nutcrackers and smokers are out and lined up.  The tree is going to happen on Thursday and I am looking forward to that.  I might actually break out the Christmas music tomorrow, it being December and all.

I'm going to go upstairs, cuddle with my girls and then get my work done for the night.  I am going to forget about my horrible shopping experience and keep my fingers crossed that I will be able to find a suitable cocktail dress without a straight skirt by Friday.  I'm going to add paperwhites to my list and think about gingerbread houses.  I'm going to make myself enjoy tomorrow for what it is.  And then on Wednesday, I'll celebrate. 

We don't have internet at the house.  Supposedly it will be fixed sometime tomorrow.  I have my fingers crossed, but I am not holding my breath.  How the woman on the phone could know that my problem will be fixed with a new modem is beyond me.  Like I said, I am not holding my breath.  In the meantime if you are trying to get in touch with me, hold tight.  I'm borrowing wifi once or twice a day to check email and if all goes right, I'll be back in this space on Thursday.

Of course, there is an upside.  I am getting a boatload of sewing done without the computer distracting me.  All good stuff.

Until we're reconnected....

Just popping in to say hi.  It's been a busy week, but some R&R is on the horizon.

Molly convinced me that Tumblr is a good thing.  I agree.  I'm having fun over there - it's like a virtual inspiration board and seeing that I can barely keep the house picked up, the real inspiration board rarely gets attention.  Now I have it at my fingertips and I like that.

All right.  They are all calling my flight.  See you next week.

It's the second to last day of October and it's hot outside.  Like in the mid-70's hot.  Too hot for the second to last day of October.  I can feel the rain coming - I have the headache to prove it.  Or the headache could be from all the candy and lack of water that I have consumed (or not) today.  Probably a combination of the two, truth be told.

Yesterday I had a little luncheon for six friends.  I served butternut squash soup with a spinach salad (pears, pecans, blue cheese, red onion, balsamic vinaigrette).  I set the table with my grandmother's silver and the napkins I pressed last week.  It was delicious and went off with a hitch.  The house was mostly picked up so an hour with the vacuum and duster was all it took to get ready.  It amazed me.  I feel like I have turned a corner, that I can see my life moving forward in a much more mindful and happy way if I can just keep this cleaning thing up.  I'm praying that once the hard work is done, it'll be a matter of maintenance.  Please let it be so.

I've been knitting - two small projects are already completed and one is on the needles.  I want to share those with you, but it's too hot to put wool on my body and then take photos.  When the temperatures dip, I will show and tell.  Cross my heart.

I haven't sewn much - a few single girl squares.  That leaves 17 to sew.  There are some camera straps almost finished, but I want another colorway or two or three before I update the shop for the last time this year.  Mid-November is the goal.  I can't take special requests or email anyone individually when I stock the shop.  I will keep you posted via the blog.  That I can do.

It's supposed to rain tomorrow and I just hope it can hold off or be a sprinkle so the girls can enjoy the holiday.  I have a vampire and a gypsy this year.  The vampire's teeth are already broken and the gypsy has lost her earrings, but they are both dealing with less-than-perfect just fine.  I am so thankful for that.  I tried replacing the vampire fangs, but it's the day before Halloween and, of course, no one has any left.  The fact that my child is being a trooper is a blessing.  Did I mention that I am thankful?

We're going to a concert tonight.  Front row seats, too.  I'm looking forward to a date night and especially seeing this band.  I'm also anticipating an empty morning tomorrow.  I plan on filling it with coffee and my dvr-ed shows from this week.  I might even break out the glitter.  Or some felt.  Or maybe both.  Endless possibilities - I like that.

I have some new shoes.  They make me smile, too.

So there.  That's what has been going on with me.

Here's to a great weekend for all of us.

Hi there.

I've been feeling very quiet lately.  September was all rush-rush, get here and there and then move on to the next thing.  And while it was all fun - two weddings and a family trip for the four of us - it was crazy, so crazy.  All of the sudden, I looked up and it was October.

And now October is half over.  I can't really tell you what I have been doing.  Well, that is not entirely true.  There has been some sewing and some knitting.  Some I have to keep hush-hush for now and the things I can share, I haven't photographed.  So really, I can't share them either.  I spent a good portion of last week in the kitchen concocting soups, baking bread and generally making a mess.  I've done lots of laundry and cleaned the bathrooms, but I can't seem to get it together to have the entire house clean at one time.  That would be so nice - well, nice for the 15 minutes it would actually remain clean.  A girl can dream.

I have a gypsy skirt to sew and bills to pay and more laundry to fold.  At some point, I should probably go for a run, too.  And once I get that all finished and the house somewhat clean and my children to and from their various commitments, I will be back with more words.  Until then, I'm still here.  I'm just being quiet.

A few days ago, I suspected that our tomatoes were suffering from late blight.  I did a little research, but wasn't convinced until I saw the first rotting fruits.  At that point, I knew for sure.  I got up this morning, had a cup of coffee and then went outside to pull my tomato plants.  It was sad - I may have actually cried a little bit.  I harvested all the green tomatoes uneffected by the disease.  The rotting fruits and every part of all seven plants were closed up in large, plastic garbage bags to contain the blight.

The green tomatoes fill two large pyrex bowls and the better part of a shopping bag.  It would be a terrible shame to waste all this food.  I am hoping that some of them will ripen on my windowsills.   We will certainly fry some of them and I hope to find some recipes for pickled green tomatoes (like tomolives) or maybe even a green tomato relish.  If you have any tried and true recipes, would you email me (hillroad at bellsouth dot net) or comment with a link?  I'd appreciate that.

Also, if you are growing tomatoes in your garden this year, take a minute to educate yourself about late blight.  There was a great op-ed piece in the New York Times a couple of weeks ago and this video will show and tell you more.  Many farms and gardens have been effected by late blight this summer  - even Martha Stewart's tomatoes got it.  Left untreated, late blight will spread to other gardens and farms as it is an airborne disease.  Taking care of the problem is being a good and conscientious neighbor.  As much as it hurt me to lose our tomatoes, I know that pulling them was the best thing to do.

We won't be able to plant tomatoes or potatoes (it affects them both) in the same soil for a number of years.  I'm still researching, but I think there is a good chance we can plant some fall crops there now and other vegetables in the spring.  That's the silver lining for me.   That and the fact that I really wanted a third raised bed for next year.  If Fatty wants tomatoes, it looks like I'll get it.