From wool sweater-to handbag!

From this....

....to this!I couldn't be happier at how this craft project turned out! To think, I can make a trendy handbag from a recycled wool sweater! I washed it I think like 4 times to felt it and viola'! It just needs a button then it's complete, but I'm using it tomorrow anyway :)
(I'm using the inside of the sweater as the outside for my bag)

Apple pie!

Yummo! Is this good Apple pie... See the one that is only half there, that's because I had a slice out of it already, I couldn't wait, I had to try it before anyone else! This is Betty Crocker at her best! I love my cookbook and use it as a spring board a lot of the time :)

Tree of thanks and leaves of gratitude!

This was so much fun doing with Catriona...we carefully found all the branches on the ground that have fallen from our yard trees...

My gratitude leaf said I was thankful for friends and family to love, when Catriona heard me read this she wanted me to write that she was grateful for "family and food" hehe...too cute!

Our fire pit.

It was here that I was telling Catriona that hard work can be fun, especailly when the outcome is enjoying what you worked to accomplish!

I put the pit where the pool was this summer and rolled the stumps that were on another part of the lawn, to the same place...I think I might keep it this way, well at least until next summer when everyone wants another pool to cool off in! :)

She was proud of our hard work :)

Cat's hat

Yay, Catriona has mastered swinging on her own! I was very happy for her as we've been working on it :) The hat, well, we live in an area where there are hunters, so I got her this bright orange hat as a way to protect her sweet head, anyway, I ironed on an orange butterfly applique that I had and it came out adorable! It pretties up a dull hat!

So, who is taking the stick from who anyway?

Best buds :)

Morning blessings...

This is Catriona doing our morning blessing that I started doing through Little Acorn Learning Curriculum with Eileen Straiton... We love it so much, it's a very rich and loving guide. We don't always follow it day for day, but we do what we can right now...

For this new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food, for love and friends.

For everything Thy goodness sends,

We thank thee.

We blow out the candle and begin our day.

More mittens...

Here are the second pair of thumbless mittens... They came out so adorable... I'll be making more soon too and using wool instead of acrylic!

Baby mittens...

Ok, like, are these totally adorable or what?!!! They came out so cute and so soft... My wee 4th cousin will love them...hehe It only took me about an hour or so...(I'm slow, what can I say) :)

Felt board...

I made this felt board for Catriona a few months ago... It's just a piece of cardboard covered in blue felt then I made a bottom piece from green felt and cut little slits all over the top for grass... I found the pieces that she's playing with at a yardsale this summer, that another provider who was leaving the business had... When I get a photo copier, I'm going to copy pictures from books me and Catriona like, then cut around the characters, laminate it, and attach either felt or a small piece of velcro (the rough part) to the back of it... I think that's a great way to reinforce messages in some books...great for the imagination and early language skills as well...

Merry Springs doggie park...

Yesterday we went to Merry Springs dog park in Camden, Maine... We love taking Findlay there about once a week... He really enjoys it too... He knows where we're going when I say "doggie park" lol, it's too funny! Also, once we turn down the gravel road he really starts going nuts! hehe

This is the path to the park...it's such a nice little walk...

Almost there, daddy practices some of Findlay's commands...knowing he'll listen at a moment like this is good, because we really need him to obey while we're here...otherwise...he'll be off! He's such a smart boy though...we're pretty lucky!

This is an apple tree on the path and I just thought it was so pretty with the bird berries all wrapped up and entwined with the apples... I think it makes for an interesting picture :)

Braids...

I decided it was time to start wearing braids again as a way to keep our hair out of our eyes while working on projects...I'm so tired of messy buns...not to mention Catriona's hair is finally long enough for braids (mine too)...braids are great for the winter because it won't leave big bumps under your hat like pony tails will... Look at us, we're a happy hippy pair :)

Spinach and Feta pizza!

YUMMO! Was this good! I made this for supper last night, aint it gorgeous! haha! I know, not everyone likes spinach and feta cheese pizza, but it's my favorite!

It is a Betty Crocker crust, with homemade sauce (one can of Italian flavored diced tomatos, one can of tomato sauce and one can of tomato paste and about a T. of sugar, that's it), I sprinkled on a 2 cup pack of mozzarella cheese, then I added some sliced onion and a huge pile of cleaned spinach, added almost a whole pack of feta, baked for about 22-24 minutes and viola', done! It was to die for MMmmmmmmmmm!

Catriona's mittens!

Yay I finished them! It took me several hours, but they're done and I'm so thrilled that I can do this! It was actually very easy! Cat loves them... Now for that wool ;)This is when she came down this morning and they were finished...she really was pleased with them, which made me very happy...

I'm so happy to have such a crafty husband...he whipped this together for me this morning...it is so handy to have my thread at arms reach and where I can veiw all the colors I have...I'm sure I will not only be adding more, but without a doubt, soon hubby will need to whip together another one for me, hehe :) And there's Cat in the corner peeking in to be in the photo :)

Current projects!

I'm so excited to be crafting right now...I don't know what's got into me, but I have so many ideas rolling around in my head...I think it's just due to wanting quality toys and clothing for my kids and myself and my family and if I can help provide them with that then I'm going to...I'm blessed with that ability so here I go... :)

This is the Waldorf style doll that I'm still in the process of finishing... It's an easy pattern and making the clothes will be fun!

These mittens were going along great, then I noticed something funny with the pattern instructions so I've had to tweak it myself...I would've started a different pattern, but I really liked how this one was turning out, besides the instructions being wrong...surely it was a typo! I've found this with recipe's I've printed out from websites...so nothing but Betty Crocker for me from now on! lol and of course those family recipe's that have been handed down!

Anyway, I've since found a great Lion Brand pattern for mittens for the whole family and I can't wait to whip some up! I've got two pairs of thumbless baby mittens to make today as well, as both my 3rd cousins had and are having thier baby :)

This also isn't the best yarn, but it's what I had on hand and since these are my first pair of mittens I'd rather practice on it than a gorgeous skein of wool! Oh I can't wait for that wool though!

Ok, these are some cute applique's that Catriona picked out today for her wool coat...they are so cute! But I'm not sure where to add them...the pockets? chest? Maybe just on the pockets... I'll post a picture when I've finished...

And finally, these two adorable doll heads came just like this at our local Salvation Army store! How exciting of a find for me and Catriona, and today I got these cute butterfly's to use as wings to make them into fairies! These are for x-mas...so are the dolls and doll clothes...

Catriona's new coat.

This is Catriona's new winter coat, daddy is helping her try it on for us again... It's wool and slate colored, we love it and hope it keeps her toasty warm! We've been having lots of issues centered around cynthetic fibers, so we went with a wool coat for her this year... I have a wool coat also that I purchased last year. They're pretty warm, but having layers underneath is definitley helpful! I can't wait to crochet her first hat, and one for Nicole and Kurtis too...and myself...and hubby too if he'd wear it :) Next is mittens! And longies if I can find a crochet pattern!

It's a 4t, but it fits more like a 5. But that's ok, we wanted her to get a couple years out of it at least, for what we paid for it anyway! Worth every penny though!
I'm not so sure about the "cap" that came with it, it's kind of big too, but she looks cute in anything :) It will soon be replaced by the one I'm making for her...

You know, I think I might even look for something I can embelish it with around the pockets, like some wool flower cut outs, or even an embroidered design? Hmm, I'll keep you posted ;)

My delicious squash soup!

From this...

...to this...

...then this...mmm, mmm, good!

This was very easy to make... First, peel and cube the squash, boil (add water until just above squash level) with one chopped onion and about 4t. of veggie boulion, until tender...add one can of condensed milk, shake some dill weed, garlic powder, cinnamon and salt, in it...then mash it up...you can let it cool and run it through a blender for a really creamy texture...but I couldn't wait and had it like this, yummo!

Bark Rubbings

It's funny how it looks dark in these photos...it was around 4:15, so just before dusk, but it was really a lot brighter out than what it looks, lol.

This was something new for Catriona, she was very concentrated while she worked on her "design", I thought it was beautiful! I did one too because she made it look so fun and interesting :) We'll put hers in her Nature Notebook after we take them down from where they're taped to, up on the hutch...so we can look at them for a few days.

Then she decided to put rabbit to bed :)
Which is also where I'm headed now....uuugh, goodnight, sleep tight, and don't let those bed bugs bite!

Roasted pumpkin seeds

I am sooo tired! I think the last few days are really starting to catch up with me now... Today me and Cat gutted our pumpkins and made roasted pumpkin seeds, YUM! I used the recipe from Little Acorn Learning... www.littleacornlearning.com

This was a great sensory project for Catriona because she loved how all those slippy seeds felt! She had fun, this kept her busy for quite a while...

Then we rinsed them well and got all the stringy bits off, oiled (with olive oil) and salted them and baked them on 400 for about 15 minutes...they were very good! It'll be nice for us to eat more tomorrow with our snack...