Saturday, October 28, 2006

Pumpkin Largesse

Our pumpkin haulI received a request to see a photo of our haul of pumpkins from our multiple visits to the pumpkin patch. So, here you go Carol, a glimpse of our pumpkin largesse.

Yes, strictly speaking there are more than just pumpkins in that pile. The pumpkin merchants were selling squash of many types and referring to them all as different kinds of pumpkins. For the entertainment value perhaps. More likely to make the children demand more produce for the holiday.

In addition to the usual orange varieties, we chose the nearly red 'Cinderella Pumpkin', the white 'ghost pumpkin', striped 'tiger pumpkin' and crooked 'bent pumpkin'. You may recognize acorn, sweet dumpling, butternut and carnival squash. Some yams were added to the pile for good measure.

a baby brag bookHere is a baby brag book that I have been working on. It is made from cardstock tags measuring 4"x6" and decorated with patterned scrapbook papers, stickers and ribbons. The booklet is held together with a clip ring that has ribbons tied to it, so the recipient can make more tags to add to it if she wishes.

I made this mini scrapbook as a gift to accompany the yellow baby layette that I recently finished.

It was a lot of fun to make. I plan on making more of these.

simple cupcakes with sprinklesI made simple cupcakes for our upcoming neighborhood Halloween party. You know, easy stuff; cake mix, frosting in a tub, packaged sprinkles.

Never try to make just one batch of any baked good and send it off somewhere else, your family members will stage a revolt or a mutiny or somesuch.

So, of course, I made a second batch for the family. I have made the cupcakes even more 'special' by using different types of sprinkles. The party cakes only use one kind of sprinkles, and are therefore inferior. It has nothing to do with running out of sprinkles for our home cakes, going to the store and finding out they had run out of the kind I had used previously and having to choose another type, oh no. It is so that the 3-year-old can taste his cupcakes with different flavored sprinkles. Oh yes, I'm sticking with that story, you bet.

Monday, October 16, 2006

Pumpkins and Dresses

pumpkins and gourdsIt is time for our annual trip to the pumpkin patch.

Actually, I think we will be making a few trips this year. The pre-schooler is now old enough to enjoy the entertainments offered by the pumpkin purveyors and he wants to go back again and again. I have a feeling we will have more pumpkins in the house than we'll know what to do with.

I have continued to work on the red cardigan. I've completed the knitting and about one half of the sewing up. Lately I have been too distracted to finish it. Instead I have been working on my prayer shawl. It is simple and repetitive and does not require concentration, and it is something that I can pick up and put down easily while in waiting rooms.

simple sundressesI finally have a photo to show you of the simple sundresses I made this summer for my friend's wedding. They were cool and comfortable for her to wear in the Las Vegas heat.

I apologize for their wrinkled condition. The photo was obtained stealthily by her mother and myself. The dresses were hurriedly pulled out of a moving box, laid on the floor for this photo, repacked and out the door again and into the truck.

I hope that I will get a better photo to post at a later date.