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.

I Made Cookies!

So, I'm still catching up my posts. I am at the bottom of the computer chain, and I sometimes miss my opportunity to post. Friday is cookie day and I made Ginger Spice Cookies. I put raisins in them, and my secret ginger enhancer- black pepper. They are super yummy and I will be enjoying some with a cup of coffee at 4:00 when I sit down to watch Ghost Whisperer.
I'm very excited because Season One of the show Being Erica will be coming out soon and I hope to get it so that my sisters can watch it with me when I go to visit them in October.
Today was a great day! The weather is lovely and the leaves are starting to turn. It is such a fantastic walk to school. Also, I'm starting to resume crafting. Soon, I'll be working on some more rag dolls. I will certainly post them when I do make them. I have also been inspired to do a series of paintings and I really look forward to doing that. All in all I'm happy that it's nearly Fall.

I Made Berets!

So, it's been a few days since I could post. When I get home in the afternoon, I try to tidy up, deal with my messes, let Brandy out, put on some lounge pants, make coffee, and do a load of laundry. I try to get this all accomplished in nearly 40 minutes so that I can sit down and watch re-runs of the show "Ghost Whisperer" at 4:00.

The other day, I made two lovely berets. The crisp air is creeping in and I want to be warm and stylish. I found directions online on how to make berets and I made one from an old wool sweater that shrunk in the dryer and the other I made from an old skirt which I no longer deemed to have a suitable hemline for my age.

I wore the black one the other day, because it was a cold and foggy morning, and I felt like such a girl. It was great!

Since it's Saturday, I may curl up and watch Anne of Avonlea. I call it by that title because that was what it was called when I was a little girl. I love the costumes in the trilogy.

How are you spending your Saturday evening?

Oh My, Pie!

Today was one of those days, where I'd intended to read, work on a craft, have a facial.. the girlie things that I love. However, it became one of those days where you start one task, which leads to another, and so on. So, my day began with laundry. I made a new batch of homemade detergent (because I can), then did towels and bed linens. Then, I decided to attempt washing my quilt. This needs to be done by hand and hung, carefully, to dry so that the fibers don't get worn or the stitches stretched. Well, it took too darn long to dry, so I had to throw it in the dryer with a tennis ball. Well, I just took a peek at my quilt and some of the red bled. Oh well, my quilt still rocks.

Then, I made a chicken pot pie because the roasted chicken left over from Sunday needed to be used. I topped my crust with acorn shaped crust cutouts. Then, I had to run to the store and get some sensible shoes to wear for school. Now, I have to make my bed, make a lunch for tomorrow, get things ready for tomorrow and settle down for another episode of "Being Erica."

Maybe, I can have a facial while I watch the show.

I'm a Lucky Girl

Yesterday was such a busy day for me; so I decided to enjoy this Labor Day by remembering to soak in the things that life that really matter. Brandy is my sidekick. We are very fortunate to have nice weather to enjoy a leisurely walk together.

Each time we take a walk, we try to stop and enjoy the nature which surrounds us. These walks together are about relaxing and taking the time to smell the roses, the telephone poles, and the tree trunks.

I think I'll make some crafts today and maybe do a little reading. More importantly, today I am acknowledging my blessings.

That's So Corny!

The caramel corn was a success. However, the treat is not the best thing to have sitting on the kitchen table. It sits there, ever so delicious, and it's difficult to stop eating. I had to tell myself "NO!" many times last night, because I felt so drawn to it. I'd reach to grab a few pieces and catch myself just in time.

Welcome to New England Comfort!

So, here it is! I've been flirting with the idea of doing this for a while now, and I've decided it might be fun. The blog will showcase my many adventures in baking, crafting, and other domestic miscellany. Since I am new to this, it is a work in progress. However, I hope that I'll get it right and that you'll have fun with it too.

It is Labor Day weekend, which for many of us marks the unofficial end of summer. I will bid this passing summer adieu by making caramel corn and watching House Season 5 on DVD.