I Finally Finished the Rag Dolls!

It is true. After blogging about these rag dolls; I was finally able to put the time into completing the dolls.

The doll on the right will be for me. The doll on the left will be going to the daughter of a family friend. Each Halloween the little girl comes to our house first for treats, even though she lives in a neighboring town. I try to make each gift of treats special. Last year, I made a book that looked like it was an ordinarily hardcover book, but hidden inside the pages was a compartment which hid away a candy stash. This year, I decided to make her a rag doll. The candy stash is going in the dolls trick-or-treating bag. The little girl is at that age where she can still appreciate dolls, but she'll soon be too old for trick-or-treating. So, I wanted this years treat to be memorable.

So this year, I am taking one of my nephews out for Halloween. I am going to take him through the long route that my siblings and I took as kids and he'll get quite a loot of candy that way. I told him to look through my catalogue of Halloween costume patterns and I'd make him which ever costume he chose. I was expecting something macabre, like a zombie or something. Instead, he picked a Renaissance peasant. I asked him if that was what he really wanted and he is certain that is what he wants to be. I feel very lucky, because it is such and easy costume to sew. As luck would have it, I went to the thrift store the other day looking for dresses to turn into a "Wednesday Addams" costume for myself. I thought that it would be easy to find the dress and a shirt to wear under it, especially in a thrift store. Well, I found many black dresses, but none of them were close to what I wanted. However, I went to the fabric section, and I found a big brown curtain, made of heavy fabric, green velour, and a fancy bed skirt with a gold pattern on it. Each bundle was about two yards of fabric; providing enough material for my nephews costume and something to make for myself. It all came to $6.00, which is so cheap for good fabric. So, I am going to make myself a Renaissance princess with the extra fabric. I made a design, and I have to take my measurements today so that I can make a pattern. I'll post the results later on, when the costumes are made.
I am really glad that Halloween is on a Saturday this year, it will enable me to get a lot done during the day. I plan on making some yummy treats, Halloween chili, and watching classic spooky films. I'll update on the progress of the costume assembly. Until then~ Toodaloo

Wednesday Chit Chat

So, today I have not a photo. It has been one of those weeks. I can't believe that Halloween is here in 10 days! I am taking the rest of the week off in order to deal with a few loose ends in life; which is fine, because it has been a slow week this week. I think that I may perhaps finally get the other Halloween rag doll completed. I've been blogging about doing it for a few weeks now, but things keep on coming up. My art work and my crafting is fun to do, when I haven't anything else to do, but this month has been hectic. I must make sure that other, more important, things get done- like laundry, cleaning, and baking.....and work. I have had a few social outings, and that was fun; but I have been called to duty a lot this month. Sometimes, that is just how it is.

I did manage to give Brandy a walk today. It is incredibly warm today; and she had such great fun walking through all of the leaves blanketing the sidewalk. I think that today I'll make "American" Chop Suey for supper. Since I have so little laundry to do, I think I will get some rag doll work done. Then again, I've said that so many times before. I am also planning on making a batch of my spicy hot cocoa mix. I bought cinnamon stick chips from the health food store yesterday. When that stuff is ground up, it tastes like those hot cinnamon heart candies. It is so yummy with the cayenne in the cocoa mix. Hopefully, I'll have some photo for the next blog. Until then. ~Toodaloo

What's Up With Me?!

I have had one of those crazy weeks that sort of have a way of taking a direction all their own. I intended to get a lot of things done last week, but that never happened. So, here is what happened: the Friday before last, I went to visit my sisters as planned. I stayed with one sister and on Saturday, we went apple picking at a local farm/ orchard.

I picked some HUGE Empire Apples, which I turned until some tasty desserts.












At the farm I saw some rally cute farm critters.
My sister and I also lost track of time playing "Guitar Hero" and I really like to play golf on the Wii. On the following Monday, we enjoyed a girls day out in Freeport. The weather was spectacular that weekend, which was a real blessing considering that earlier in the week it was cold, windy, and rainy.
I didn't get home until Tuesday, then the next day, my friend called me to have a visit at her new house. So, I was very happy to spend the afternoon with her, because we hadn't hung out with each other for a few weeks. By the time I got home, it was really too late to work on my blog or my crafts.
The next day, I finally had the whole day open, that was, until I was called to the school. So, for the first half of the day, I was at school. When I came home, I decided to take advantage of the warm weather. All the other days that week were very cold, and I knew that it would be cold again. So, I made myself a cup of coffee and poured it into my thermal mug and I went to the attic and brought out all of the outdoor Halloween decor. So, I spent the rest of the day making the front yard look spooky for the season- it's a tradition of mine. On Halloween, the trick-or-treater's really get a kick out of the house.
On Friday, I was at school all day and when I came home, I scrambled around, getting the house tidied up so that I could get it clean before my nephew would be dropped off for the weekend. I planned on blogging and working on crafts once he had arrived and settled in. Before I had a chance to pour myself a strong cup of afternoon coffee, the phone rang. My sister called to request my services and babysit her sons. So, I agreed and packed clothing for myself and my nephew and by 8:00 p.m. he and I were at my sisters house eating pizza.
I didn't get back home until 8:00p.m. Saturday night; so, when I got home, I immediately made a stromboli for supper. The next day, I rewarded myself with a morning doing nothing but drinking coffee and watching the Sunday morning marathon of Coronation Street, I must admit, that show is my guilty pleasure. The rest of the day was filled with catching up on laundry and cleaning all of the things that I didn't get a chance to do during my busy week. I even made a pumpkin cheesecake!
Today, I am finally catching up on my blog and my crafts. I am trying to finish up the Halloween rag dolls that I've mentioned before. Once they are completed, I'll post them. So, that is what my week has been like. So, this long post should make up for a week of not posting. Hopefully, things will be less hectic between now and Halloween.~ Toodaloo

Today Was A Spooktacular Day!

Well, it's been a few days since I've posted. Yesterday was my mothers birthday and I was at school; so, I didn't have much to post about. It's been a rather soggy week here, but today was sunny and dry! I began my day with a nutritious bowl of Count Chocula- this is one of my October traditions. Thus began my spooktacular day.

I spent a better part of my day cleaning and doing laundry. However, it's never really boring work, because I fit other (less mundane) things in between. While I was cleaning, I put on a scented wax tart. The one I'm burning for the month is called "trick -or- treat" and it smells sort of like candy corn. I really love the tarts and the pretty tart warmers. This one certainly is not a spooky warmer. I think it was intended to be a Christmas warmer. I got it at a clearance sale when a local store was going out of business. It has a very pretty pearly glaze and it reminds me of the forest, because it has pine needles and pine cones on it. I just think that these warmers warm up the atmosphere of the home just as it warms the tart.

Just before lunch, I put in the DVD The Best of the Kids In the Hall Vol. Two and while watching that on the portable DVD player, I made Chocolate Swirl Zucchini Bread.Watching the show made me feel nostalgic and it still cracks me up, especially the characters "Buddy Cole" and "Chicken Lady." Well, I made the bread with zucchini from our garden and shredded so much of the zucchini that I was able to freeze a quart of it to have on hand for Thanksgiving! While the bread was baking, the smell of the bread filled the entire house with a rich aroma; and it blended nicely with the tart. It was fantastic! I decided to make my hot cocoa to have with the bread.

My cocoa recipe is as follows: 1 tbsp sugar, 1 heaping tbsp cocoa powder, 1 shake of salt, 3 shakes of cayenne powder, 1 1/2 c. milk, and 1 tsp. vanilla. Put all of the ingredients, but the vanilla, in a small saucepan on medium heat, blend with the milk while melting the sugar and cocoa. Heat the cocoa until steaming but don't boil, turn off heat and add vanilla. Top with whipped cream.

So, that has been my spooktacular day. I think I may start a book today. I'll be going to visit my sisters for the weekend tomorrow, and I'm really looking forward to that. Hopefully, the weather will be compliant, because we have a lot of outdoor activities planned. Until next time!

~ Toodaloo

It's Monday! I'm alright with that.

What a great day! The weather was fantastic today. Brandy and I started our day with a nice cup of hot coffee and a brisk morning stroll around the neighborhood. There is something really special about having quiet moments like that with your canine companion. This weekend was filled with excellence. I certainly did my share of laundry, but I also got a nice visit from my sister and my nephews. My mother made a turkey roast and I was planning on making an apple pie. However, Wolf River apples aren't quite ripe as of yet. So, instead, I relied on what I had available in my freezer. I had frozen puff pastry and raspberries from the garden. I went Online and found a recipe that used those ingredients ( among others that I also had available to me) and I ended up making a delicious Brown Butter Raspberry Tart.
So, today I made an awesome turkey pot pie with the leftovers from yesterday. Soon, I will be eating that and consuming it fast enough to catch Coronation Street. I began work on two Halloween rag dolls this weekend and worked some more on them today. I'll work on them little by little and I'll post them later on this week. Other than that, I've been taking it easy. I'm not sure what tomorrow will bring, but I'm certain I'll make myself busy if I'm not at school. Until then~Toodaloo

Has Anybody Seen My Tambourine?

Yesterday, I had a wonderful day off. I crammed in as much as I could get done while I had the house to myself and as long as I wasn't called for work. I began my day with a morning walk with Brandy and we enjoyed the Fall air and foliage. When I got home, I made myself a fresh pot of Pumpkin Spice Coffee. This coffee fueled me throughout my day.

I then started my cleaning and washing loads of laundry. I took a break to go to the local thrift store, where I bought some fall window clings for $0.25, some orange fabric napkins for $2.50, and a cookbook for $1.00! I'm holding on to the window clings for November. The cookbook was a book published in 1979, and it was all recipes that were taken from the backs of boxes, labels, and lids. It had some great recipes in there- I love those sort of finds. The napkins, I turned those into a table runner by sewing them together with a simple straight stitch. The runner is what you see under my haunted house.

After all of that excitement, I decided to bring down some of my Halloween decor. I didn't want to overdo it, because it was only the second day of October. However, I brought down a few candy dishes, a motorized witch, and pumpkin head, and my haunted house. I have a lot of decorations for Halloween. I think that I'll bring out a little at a time the ease into things and then in about a week, I'll decorate the outside.

I made that haunted how two Falls back. It is made entirely out of recycled materials. I used old boxes for the frame, and the siding and trim were made from soda can boxes, the windows were made for old milk jugs, and the ghosts were made from old rags and used dryer sheets. I used sugar water and soaked the sheets and fabric in the water before molding them onto foil forms. Obviously I painted the house, made a stained glass window with window paint, and I added some decorations from pictures cut out of store fliers. It took me a few days to complete.

At the end of the day, I decided to make some gingerbread cookies. So, I put on my apron, put the movie "The Worst Witch" into the DVD player, and I made my cookies. I Used cookie cutters that are shaped like acorns, maple leaves, and oak leaves. The whole house smelled like gingerbread- which made it a perfect October afternoon.

Rainy Rainy Afternoon.

As I walked home from school today, I watched the clouds slowly creep across the sky. Almost as though they were trying to sneak up on us; alas, I spotted them for what they were. Their plan thus thwarted. HaH! I have the next few days off, so I am going to use the free time to clean and prepare for the upcoming Fall holidays. I think that I may bring out some of my Halloween interior decorations; but I'm worried that it still might be a bit too soon for that. At the very least, I can still make some leaf shaped gingerbread cookies. I guess it all depends on how ambitious I get. I know that I am certainly starting a new book this weekend and I'll be visited by my sister and her family. This means that I absolutely must make an apple pie.
I think that on Friday, I may have a chick flick and a facial. Maybe I'll watch "Practical Magic" and make some sort of homemade spa treats. That would be so gosh darn girlie and fun.

I'm sad to say that my favorite blog is going on hiatus. Sigh, after following it for a year and a half. The hostess wants a break, and that is understandable. She's a SAHM who homeschools. It's a bummer though, she does such fantastic posts for the holidays.

Oh well, I'll just try my best to have my own fabulous posts for the holidays for my loyal five viewers.

Until then, stay dry.

I finally Made Another Craft!

Yay! I finally got to make a craft! This is Liberace the bunny. I named him after the pianist because his nose sparkles, so it seemed to fit. I made him out of an old sweater.

I have the house to myself today. I took the day off in order to rest my voice. I was worried that if I went back as soon as my voice was slightly better, I'd just strain it again and make it worse. The nice thing about having the house alone, is that I'm not talking, so my vocal chords may rest. The problem is this- the more I talk the worse it gets. So, I am home today. It feels so odd, like I should be playing the clarinet off key, or giving myself a shampoo mohawk in the shower. The fortunate thing is that as the day has progressed I've felt, physically, yuckier.. darn seasonal allergies; so my decision to stay home was wise.

Rather than watching the daytime television all day, I decided to catch up on laundry and make a craft. I should eat some lunch, I always forget to eat lunch when I'm home. Well, the bunny is going to sit on the highchair until my nephew occupies it. I'm hoping to get some Halloween fabric for another craft later on today. Other than that, today is going to be quiet and restful. ~ Toodaloo.

A Quiet Weekend

So, no image posted for today. I'm still trying to get into the swing of things.. and I am getting better at this. However, I lost my voice this last Friday afternoon. Over the weekend I have been slowly getting it back. I've been drinking lots of liquids and swallowing teaspoons of honey to coat my throat. It has been an interesting process hearing my voice at different stages of healing. On Friday, it began after lunch ( just before I was going to teach an art lesson) and it sounded crackly. By the time I got home I could barely speak at all it was more like a strained whisper. Then, on Saturday when I woke up and bid Merlin a good morning, my voice sounded like a goose trying to speak like a human. I thought it was actually quite funny. By the time I got to the evening, I was sounding like Marge Simpson's sister Patty..."Could I please speak to Marge?........Marge, please." So, this morning, when I got up, I was crackling my voice. It's a bit better now, still gritty sounding. I'm talking as little as possible and I may only go to school for a half day so that I can rest my voice. I'm worried that if I jump back into things before I'm healed that I'll fall back and make my voice bad again. Even then, who knows?

Well, It's a rainy Sunday, so I decided to watch the movie Coraline in 3-D. It was very cute. I really like the rag dolls in the movie, since I make rag dolls. Now, I'm taking it easy and I'm doing laundry. There is something comforting about the warmth of a dryer and the smell of dryer sheets. I think I may make a craft and then read. I might even re-organize my bedroom.. I don't want to get too crazy on a Sunday, but I guess it all depends on what I'm it the mood for. I hope to post some of my crafty stuff soon. Also, I'll be baking again soon too, when my voice is better. I hope you all enjoy what is left of your weekend.

Bratwurst Stew

Today is the official first full day of Fall and I am so excited! The air today was warm for this time of year, but soon the chill will arrive.

The other day, I went on the Internet to find a recipe for Bratwurst Stew. A few years ago, I discovered the wonders of the bratwurst. I have since tried to find multiple uses for it, since I'm still so new to it. I have found a few recipes that are new favorites. In my effort to find the right stew recipe, I found aspects of various recipes that I liked, but not one single thing came to be right. So, I combined my favorite ingredients from other recipes and added a few touches of my own, and it was terrific. I reminded me a lot of an Italian sausage soup I've had once before.

This soup was fantastic on a cold day!

In other news.. the season premier of Being Erica was on last night and I was really surprised by the outcome of last seasons cliff hanger. I just love that show, it reminds me so much of my teen and college years. I do hope to find that show on DVD soon. I know that it is being sold on the CBC shop, so maybe I'll go that route. I'm almost finished with reading "An Old Fashioned Girl" by Louisa May Alcott. It's a sweet story for any reader, but an interesting book for someone who happens to be a fan of L.M. Montgomery's writing. Certain things in the book make me wonder if Montgomery was influenced by Alcott. I'll have to research it and see. For me it's neato, for others it's a boring subject. These sorts of things interest me though.

That is all I have to say for now. I hope to update soon!

It's the Weekend Catch Up!

So, I have been very bad about keeping things posted here. It has been a very exhausting week and so I am catching up today. I hope that my cleaning and organizing today will allow for a relaxing day tomorrow. If I'm successful with getting my chores done today, then tomorrow I can read and do crafts and be refreshed for the week ahead. I think that I'll get into the swing of things and as soon as that happens, I'll be able to post regularly. I really need to devise a schedule which I will adhere to. That way, I can get all the things done that I need to do and still have time for all the extras.
This is the time of year where things are always a little out of sorts; it's the transition of the seasons and the autumnal equinox is approaching and I scurry about getting things ready. October through January is such an active time. So, there should be plenty to blog about then.