Thanksgiving and a little silliness

We celebrated Thanksgiving this past Thursday.

The day started out great and ended so-so.

We, the Hug-a-Bugs, the Hubby and myself set off for Thanksgiving breakfast at my parents' house.

It was delightful.

My brother and his family were there and I got to spend some super together time with my nephew. He is 7 and a real joy.

We played some goofy games and had a lot of fun.

Then we came home and I made the dinner.

I don't know nothing about baking no birds.

We had Thanksgiving here 2 years ago, and the turkey took about an hour longer than we expected.

This year, we made a chicken and I thought it was done 15 minutes early, so I rushed all the sides to the table, and then I saw that the chicken was, in fact, not done.

So, back into the oven for the bird.

We ended up eating room-temp sides and then having chicken for dessert.

Oh, well.

We have a lot to be thankful for, not the least of which is spending so much family time in one day.

Actually, the dinner wasn't a complete disaster.

I got on the list to test recipes for Cook's Country Magazine and I tested a carrot cake recipe for the non-chicken dessert.

It turned out really tasty.

The frosting was the best part. Neufchatel, Marshmallow Fluff and a little powdered sugar.

Light, tangy, mmmmm.

I didn't take any pictures on Thanksgiving, but I do have these;

The other day the Hug-a-Bugs got into my sewing stuff and asked if they could build some robots with the sewing machine attachments.

The Elder put this one together, and insisted upon taking her own photos.

I love two things here, first his hair is made of tiny bolts, and he is holding a little wrench.

I hope that you get in some family together-time if you haven't yet this weekend,

Jess.

Cookies

In the December issue of Martha Stewart Living from 1997 there is a very tasty Gingerbread cookie recipe.
I have made these cookies every year since then, and we started cookie production a few days ago.
The dough is pretty easy and it keeps well in the refrigerator.
Martha says that the recipe will make 16 cookies, but it really makes about 70.
I have a tiny cookie cutter addiction, and this is the one time of the year when I pull them all out.
The Elder Hug-a-Bug and I had a counting party and she put them all in categories.
It was difficult to decide whether the foot should go into the people or stuff pile, but the rest were pretty easy.

Then we start cutting out and baking and eating and eating.
Happy Holiday season!
Jess

It's beginning to look...

I have been thinking and doing Christmas all week.
I am in a couple of swaps, and I finished the ornaments for the Freshly Blended/Cake & Pie swap.

They are ready to send out tomorrow or the next day.
Also, the other swap that I am involved in, the one from Sew Liberated, it is suggested that I make a mix CD of Christmas music.
This is a difficult task for me, as I love Christmas music.
I have finally decided on the list, I think.
That swap stuff is almost entirely compiled.
Then, we have to schedule a visit with Santa for pictures.
Whew, I am a little mentally winded, but I am having tons of fun!
Talk to you soon,
Jess

Sad Day

I have just found out that ABC is cancelling 3 of my favorite shows.

I may or may not have mentioned it before, but I am a TV junkie.

I love my stories, and now I have to give up 3! in one season.

When will there be a long-running show with musical interludes and dance numbers?

Is it too much to expect that a knitting detective will be there for me every week for more than 13 episodes?

And you, billionaire bad boys, I think I'll miss you most of all.

Sigh.

I guess I am going to have to start making jam or something to fill up my empty life...

Boo Hoo.

O.K. that is the end of the wallowing.

Maybe next year there will be a show with a billionaire singing knitting detective who can bring stuff back to life.

or maybe not.

Jess

Meet Strawberry

I have finished one model for Treadle.
This is Strawberry.
She is the horse from Simplicity pattern #2763.

She is really little.

But don't tell her that...

distraction du jour

One of the benefits of working at a fabric store or a yarn store is making models.

I really like to make models.



It gives me an opportunity to keep my hands busy and to try new things.



As I was flipping through the new Simplicity catalogue I saw two patterns that I have to make.



First, there is Simplicity 2867.

This is a fun and really inexpensive project.

To make a pair of booties you need a felt square, and two colors of embroidery floss.

I made this one last night while I was watching tv.





My next project is of great interest to the Elder Hug-a-Bug.
She loves to help me stuff and sew up seams.
I just have to choose the fabric.
She has chosen the puppy, and I like the horse.
We may have to make one of each.
I have to venture outside of the stash for this project, as I have realized that most of my fabric comes from the sale bin, and we don't have it at the store anymore.

Time for lunch,
See you soon,
Jess

One Good Loaf

I have joined a group on Flickr that warms my heart and fills my belly.

It is called One Good Loaf and it is a celebration of all things bread-like.

I love to bake, and I love to take pictures, so One Good Loaf is right up my alley.

Sorry for the redux photos, but I wanted to have a post with my latest baking exploits all together.

Go and join.

It's a lot of fun!

Jess

swapping

I am participating in a couple of holiday swaps this year.

I am doing the Freshly (Blended)/Cake & Pie Ornament Swap and I am also doing the Sew Liberated Holiday Traditions Exchange.

Here is a peek at my planning.

Mission: Submission

I brought my One Yard Wonders submission to Crafty Planet yesterday.

I worked up a larger rocket and I added a pocket to use up most of a yard of fabric.

I agonized over the directions, hoping that they would be clear enough for someone who is not me and had never made the rocket.

I asked my mom to test my pattern, and here is what she made, in an afternoon, no less.

This new rocket takes an entire 8 oz bag of stuffing, and it is super fun for tossing around with the kids.

My mom gave me some suggestions for the directions, and I finished tweaking on Sunday night.

It is a huge relief to have this project finished, and in about a year I can see it in a book!

I just want to thank all the little people who helped me come to this moment-

Thanks to my kids for being so cute and needing a toy rocket.

Thanks to my Mom for helping me with the pattern directions.

Thanks to NASA for going to space.

o.k. I went a little overboard on that last one...

Yesterday was my first visit to Crafty Planet at their new location.

Totally worth the drive.

They have a GIANT selection of super cute japanese prints, along with all the other usual suspects, Michael Miller, Alexander Henry, Moda, etc., and yarn to boot!

I like to go there because, even though nothing can replace Treadle as fabric store #1 for me, they have a different inventory than Treadle and it is fun to see different stuff.

Time to bring the Younger to school,

Talk to you all soon,

Jess

Fourth post today

O.K. this is the last one today.

Soulemama has started a new craftivism website.

Mama to Mama.

The first project is Caps to Cap-Haiti.

The upshot of this is that babies born with low birth weight have trouble keeping themselves warm, and that can lead to extremely poor health or worse.

All you need to do to help is make some baby hats and send them to Soulemama.

The info is all on her website.

Go.

I made 5 hats in about an hour including the cutting out.

These are all made from things that the kids have outgrown, but that have wear left.
Mostly these were onsies, the perfect amount of fabric for a hat, and fun patterns.

It is a tiny investment of materials and time, but it can make a huge difference in the lives of new babies and their mamas.

Have a great Monday!

Jess

Ahmama's Whatnots

Hey, me again,

I started an etsy website and I just added some patterns to the nothing that was for sale there.

I am selling my patterns for christmas stockings.

I originally designed these for the Hug-a-Bugs then I decided to write them up as a pattern.

Christmas time is near!

Jess.

miscellany

The Hug-a-Bugs have a game.
The Younger says "Hey, say '(something)' "
The Elder says "(something)"

Yesterday I hear-
Younger: "Say 'You're a Genius' "
Elder: "You're a Genius!"
Younger: "I sure am!"

Today, as he is running away with her toast-
Younger: "Say 'You took my toast! You took my toast!' "
Elder: "You took my toast!"

To the tool report: I discovered a new invaluable tool at our house this morning.
I looked over at the piano and I noticed that about 8 keys were depressed.
My first thought was that something was wrong with the hammers inside the case, but I discovered to my dismay that the Younger had inserted quarters between those keys and they were stuck.
After doing a little freaking out, I pulled out my trusty IKEA Smaka cheese slicer and slid it between the keys. I was able to brace it against the quarters one at a time and drag them free.
I did manage to lose one or two inside the piano, but at least all the keys work now.

One of those days, I guess.

Mitten Fairy

The Yarnery has begun it's annual mitten drive.

Let's all do our part to see that area kids have warm hands this winter season.

On another note, I have finished Eastlake.

I didn't do too much alteration on this one.

I did change the leaf chart slightly and I also made the sleeves a little longer.

I am pretty pleased with it.

Time to pick up the Elder from school,

See you later,

Jess

Hiya

I just updated my list of blog reading on the side over there, and I must draw your attention to Doll.
The dolls that Mimi makes are sublime.
Not only are they beautiful, but they keep coming.
I started reading her blog on Monday and I think that she has finished two or three since then.
Check her out!
Jess

o.k. really dangerous.

So I thought, "if I can make doughnuts from biscuits in a can, what about fresh biscuits?"
Uh oh.
At least I can be sure of their containing no icky chemicals.
I made up some plain biscuit dough, added about a third of an apple cut up small, some cinnamon, nutmeg, and cinnamon sugar for dusting, and we have an altogether too easy afternoon snack.
I think I am going to have to relegate these to once a week, instead of daily.

In other news, it seems that November is feeling November-y.
No longer do we see the 70 degree weather of earlier this week.



This may be the first documented eating of a snowflake for the Younger Hug-a-Bug.

Off to do some serious dish-washing,
Jess.

Danger

I was cruisin' the blogs the other day and I found that one can make doughnuts at home using only a can of biscuits.

I cut the holes out with an old baby bottle (our last vestige of babydom) and after about 20 minutes we had 8 doughnuts and 8 doughnut holes.

I had to draw the line, and we are saving these for later.

Too tasty.

very dangerous.

Jess

Update: Yes indeed, anonymous, these are fried.

Heat up about an inch of oil in a heavy-bottom pan on medium heat until shimmering, but not smoking.

Here the doughnut holes serve a great purpose, you can use them to test the readiness of the oil.

Fry on one side for about 1 1/2 minutes, and then flip and fry for about as long.

Then you transfer the doughnuts to a paper-towel lined cooling rack and sprinkle cinnamon sugar over them.

These are still good when they are cool, but really good when hot and fresh.

A political aside

I have never been truly inspired by the words of a politician, until last night.
I can not remember a time when I didn't hold our leaders in ridicule or disdain.
The time has come for this change.

Nov. 4

Hey everybody!

Time to go and VOTE!!!

I just did!


Jess

Halloween recap

I have been reading on others blogs that there are folks who seriously dislike this holiday.
The prep, the candy-buying, the subsequent candy-hiding.
I did have my negative thoughts last night when the kids were still coming down off the sugar an hour and a half after bedtime, but overall my husband and I had fun and the kids had a ton of fun. This was the Younger Hug-a-Bug's first time going out trick-or-treating. He had a cold last year, and the year before he was asleep.
Here they are, Spiderman and a Princess. I threw together some trick-or-treat bags before they went out,
and they came back completely full.

One thing that I find so delightful about being a mom is remembering my childhood and seeing my kids loving the stuff I loved.
I LOVED Halloween.
It was so fun to walk around the neighborhood, though I often went to my friend's neighborhood, and see everyone's costumes and then the candy orgy afterward, how I loved that!
We toned down the candy aspect this year, only 2 pieces, o.k. 4, that's the last one! alright one more...
As I said, we paid for our indulgence, but what the heck, Halloween only comes once a year and we all brushed our teeth really well.
I hope you all had fun too.
Jess