Happy Hallows

A local farming family put a lot of time and energy into creating Happy Hallows this year.  It really was old fashioned fall fun with a "corn" sandbox, lots of places to climb on hay bales, petting "zoo" with their farm animals, pumpkin sling shot, and don't forget the hayride for the kids to pick out their pumpkins.  I found it heart warming that this family invited people to their farm and took on such a huge endeavor.  I hope they made lots of money and had a great time hosting it.  I know we had fun.

There were so many fun activites but I think the best one was the Pumpkin Sling Shot.  Gene and Greta really got into it!!

Even more bags

Here are some more bags for Ms. Effie's Summer Kitchen.  Now I just need to get them into the mail tomorrow.

I really like the different fabrics in this one.  The bottom is a suede/denim and the lining is fun blue polka dots.

Some more re-usable sandwich bags. There are fabric choices for boys and girls, children and adults.  There are even a few mismatched bags that are made from two different coordinating fabrics.  Those are my favorite.

Gene's cousin Cortnie was here for a visit and we made a purse together.  She had some left over material so I made her a zippered cosmetic bag and a re-usable snack bag.

New Totes and Bags

I haven't been able to sew since July.  My simple old Singer died right before we moved and couldn't be repaired.  I thought I would go big and bought a fancy schmancy Viking that had every stitch available. By the time all the layers are together, this stuff is as durable as leather and as difficult to sew through.  My new fancy schmancy machine said "no can do" when I tried to sew a re-usable sandwich bag.

ARGHHHH!!!!!

I came to my senses and bought a new machine with a giant motor and zero computerized parts.  It sews wonderfully!  Look at what's going to Ms. Effie's Summer Kitchen.

 I love the silvery blue of this tote bag and polka dots are always fun.  These bags hold library books, groceries, or anything you need to carry.  I regularly use mine for groceries and tell the cashiers to fill it to the top.  If I can lift it the bag can hold it.

A new stack of re-usable sandwich bags.  They are the same size of a traditional zip closure sandwich bag and lined with a food safe material.  We use them everyday in the girls' lunch then wipe them out or put them in the wash when they get dirty.  The kids enjoy the patterns and I feel great knowing that we are being kind to the earth.

Art Journal - You're Gonna Miss This

I really liked this prompt for my art journal from A Year In The Life of An Art Journal.  Anything that speaks to me about my family is worth recording.  Looking back and not having regrets as a Mom is a priority for me.  The day to day grind seems to distract me from stopping to take note of the day - the beauty of the earth, the love of my husband, and mostly how quickly the days go by and the girls grow up.  There is a gift in being able to stay at home and take care of my family. 

Oh ya', does the green clock seem odd right in the middle of the page?  I accidentally knocked over my green bottle of ink.  I painted most of the picture with inks.  So, the clock originally began as a big ink spill.

The Prompt:  Memory Lane
The Song:  You're Gonna Miss This - Trace Adkins
Technique:  photo of a road

Frogtober Fest - Fun times at Ft. Leonard Wood.

 You gotta love small town ingenuity.  There is a rock outcropping on the way to downtown Waynesville that is painted like a frog.  There are even frog crossing signs on the highway.  I can only imagine that The Waynesville Frogtober Fest was a "spawn" of the frog rock.  It was a couple of hours well spent enjoying the fall weather, the collection of local booths of odds and ends crafts, and the food stands. 

Gigi loves frog legs.  Gross, I know.  You can see the excitement on her face when she ordered her plate of frog legs.  I heard someone say they taste like a cross between fish and chicken.  I'll take her word for it.

I had to sneak this picture.  I adore this guy for sporting his farmer bibs and feathers.

Gene and I shared a smoked turkey leg.  It was yummy.  Not to worry, I didn't man handle it like Gene.  I picked at it like the dainty lady that I am.

Gigi and her "really Mom, another picture" look.  Beautiful

You don't see a cat walking through a fair on a leash everyday, do ya'?

Here is that same kitty greeting the "Are You My Mama?" Lama.  The cat owner told her cat to sit and stay.  Wow!  I over heard her telling someone that she was told as a joke that she couldn't train her cat to walk on a leash.  She said that six months later she had six or seven cats walking on leashes.  Her secret was "put a leash on a cat and walk in whatever direction it wants to go."  Genius!

Greta is lovin' the day.

Amazing!  A picture of me.  Gosh, I love those two kids.

This pic is for my friend Jamie.  She and one of her girls love owls.  These would be so easy to make.  I wish I could walk next door and make some with her.

The bedroom dilema - to decorate or not to decorate

About once a year I scheme about how I am finally going to decorate  our bedroom.  Gene and I have been married for 18 years and the bedroom is still a miss match collection of stuff.  Oh sure, I get an inspiration and window shop like crazy for a while but I never settle on anything.  We do have a Steve Hanks watercolor print, which I love, that Gene gave me many moons ago. I pull colors from it when I get the itch to re-decorate. 

I think the bedspread is the cornerstone of the bedroom foundation.  I just can't decide what works for both of us.    I am drawn to the white fluffy "clouds", that is what we call our down comforter, and the light blues and greens from our Steve Hanks picture.  I especially love a large geometric floral print.  Gene likes the dark rich colors.  When I think of a bedroom, I think of rest and relaxation and Gene thinks... well, uhhmm how to I say it, of other things. 

I know part of my issue is that I am thrifty.  I only want natural fibers on a polyester budget.  Then I run across pictures like these on a blog (I would totally give the blog credit if I could remember the name)and the desire begins again and then I give up.  So we have the same old down comforter and light green fuzzy blanket, which probably came from Wally World, that we have had for a couple of years. It is comfortable and warm and works for now.