Girls Day Out: Searching For Limited Edition Eye Shadow

It is very cold outside today! Yesterday was not much better, weather wise. My best friend and I have been trying to shift our schedules around for a few weeks to finally have a girls day out. It isn't always easy to say "I want to go get coffee, NOW" and have it happen. People have lives, they have responsibilities that require them to be present. However, a girl can only go so long without seeing her best before she begins to crack. My best and I have been best friends since we were thirteen years old. Back when we were teenagers, we practically lived at each others houses. Then, we got distracted by boys, then college came and went, then babies and marriage came along and the ability to hop on ones bicycle for some wholesome girl time became tricky.

In our adult years, we've made it a point to take time for girl days, even if it takes weeks to plan, we work it out. It is so important to have that time when you can talk to someone who understands, doesn't judge and who knows you well enough to give solid advice. I'm very lucky I have really great gal pals who I can go to when I need to be a girl. Yesterday, bestie and I met early in the morning and made a list of all of the places where we wanted to go; then, we set off to begin the crazies. The weather was nuts, one minute it got very dark for the morning hours and then it began to snow so much, it looked like we were inside a shaken snow globe. Then next minute, the snow stopped and the sun was shining. It was also very windy. Both of us had a set plan of where we wanted to go and what we needed and wanted to buy in each store. So, we hopped from one place to the other, stopping at Starbucks when we needed to refuel and back to shopping again. I found this adorable snowman mug (pictured above) at the Dollar Tree. It is similar to a mug I grew up with. I really wanted a snowman mug for this winter, as I've decided to embrace winter and be a jolly as possible.

One item that I really wanted to find was the Limited Edition Wet n' Wild Fall 2014 5-Pan  eye shadow in Melrose At Night and Smoke & Melrose. The eye shadows looked very pretty when I saw them at the stores and after reading various reviews from blogs on Pinterest, I really wanted to get them. However, I couldn't find them anywhere! I went to five different stores trying to find them. I found one display at K-Mart that had a few of the other Limited Edition 5-Pan eye shadow left, but none of the Melrose. It is STILL Fall! Once the stores decide to put out the Christmas displays and the holiday edition makeup, they send back what is left of the Fall products. This is frustrating, but it is just eye shadow. However, I do think this whole "Limited Edition" nonsense is a bunch of poo, especially when some of the 5-pan eye shadows are really unfortunate. Have you seen the one with bright yellow and purple and blue? That gets to stay year round? Really, Wet n' Wild? I digress.

So, the eye shadow was a bust, but I still found other things on my list. The bigger picture of the day was simply spending time with the bestie and laughing at ourselves. I don't think anyone laughs at us more than we do. It is very good for us. The day concluded with more coffee and then we went back to our, respective, homes. I feel so much better about the upcoming holidays and any stress that I had has diminished so, I'm refreshed and recharged for Thanksgiving and preparing for December.

I had also planned on writing about organizing my makeup stash, but that post can happen on another day! If you have a bestie, phone them and give them a "Hello!" Until next time~ Toodahloo!

I Made a Tea Cozy!

A tea cozy was an essential tool in any lady's tea collection. The art of tea making died a slow death in our culture, but it's making a comeback. There is a proper way to make tea and when you go through the right steps for that perfect cup of Earl Grey, the last thing that you want is to let your tea cool too soon. This is why the tea cozy is my new friend. I made this cozy using extra fabric that I had in my fabric stash and I repurposed a thrift store sweater. This was an easy project that I finished in less than one hour. This afternoon I gathered my supplies, turned on the Hallmark Channel to watch a Christmas movie and began snapping photos. Here is how I did this....

1) I stretched the sweater over a teapot and gathered the sweater at the top of the lid. I made a mark, using chalk, and then flattened out the sweater and made a rough mark with chalk to cut out.

2) This is the piece that I cut from the sweater. I then placed the piece on top of my scrap fabric and traced the outline of the shape.

3) This is the piece that I cut from the scrap fabric, wrong side- out.

4) With the right sides facing each other, I sewed the sides and the top of the scrap fabric pieces together.

5) I inserted the scrap fabric piece into the sweater piece. With the wrong sides facing each other, I sewed all along the bottom. The result resembling a hat or a sac.

6) After pulling the scrap piece out from the sweater piece, the scrap piece and the sweater piece are joined at the bottom and are wrong side out. I the sewed the top of the sweater piece, leaving a gap in the middle.

7) With the gap in the middle of the top of the sweater, I was able to pull the sweater piece right side out. I was also able to pull the scrap fabric piece through, as well. I tucked the scrap fabric piece into the sweater, like a pocket. I then created a clean edge on the bottom by folding the excess fabric and sewing along the top of the lip, creating a cleaner edge.

8) For my final step, I used a needle and thread to sew up the gap. I used a hidden slip stitch to make it less obvious. The sweater cozy is done.

The tea cozy also happens to be reversible. I happen to like it this way, but I can change it to fancy the occasion or the season. Like I mentioned earlier, this is essential to your tea arsenal.  Yes, I DOES bring all the boys to the yard!

So, I finished a craft project and there are more to come between now and the rest of the year. Now, Once Upon A Time is on and after that The Walking Dead will be on. I intended to do a facial and document that for tomorrow. However, tomorrow's weather forecast shows a snow storm coming. I've decided to postpone my pamper session until then. Expect a post on that tomorrow! Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Plotting and Scheming

Earlier today, I fully intended to work on a craft project. I got the materials ready and then I took a moment to do a few chores, then I got sidetracked. When I collected myself and decided to crack on, I then had to take a trip to the grocery store. These grocery store trips are never short, they're more like grocery excursions. By the time I returned and put away the groceries, it was early evening. I will work on the project tomorrow and post on that then.
Over the past two days, I've been planning for December. Maybe it's all of the Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel, but I'm excited already. I've spent hours scouring pins on Pinterest, coming up with ideas and pouring through old Martha Stewart magazines and Christmas craft books. Martha Stewart has a wonderful website and a channel on Youtube! I love watching her craft and cooking segments on her Youtube channel, they are so inspiring. I now have a long list of craft projects to work on in December to keep me busy and I think I will post on the blog every day of December! This winter is going to be so much fun! I'm determined to make it so. I will be trying to find creative ways to make life fabulous and I'll be sharing it all with you. With any luck, you'll be inspired to try some of my crafts. The quest for fabulous will spread around and that would be spectacular! Perhaps I should come up with some Thanksgiving themed projects, too. I'll work on that this week. I look forward to this adventure that will bring us into a new year. Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Mentally Preparing For Winter

On November 1st, New England was hit with another Nor'Easter. I knew that the storm was coming, because people couldn't stop talking about the impending horror of snow. The storm didn't reach my area until Sunday, November 2nd. When I awoke that morning to find a light dusting of snow on the ground, I thought that maybe I'd escaped unscathed. However, as the morning progressed the snow flakes went from a flurry, to big fat flakes, to a much heavier snowfall. By the time the evening rolled around, we were without power. Fortunately, the power outage only last for one hour. Sadly, there are still people throughout the state without power.
It was unnerving to find the ground covered with so much snow and to feel such a chill in the air. It is not unusual weather for this time of year, but every time this happens it's a nasty reminder of what is coming. I am still waiting for the weather to change for at least a few sunny days. Since the snowstorm, it has remained overcast and wet. The snow has melted, for the most part, but it is very wet outside. I really want to pull up some sweet potatoes from the garden, but I'm waiting for better weather.
Now that all the Halloween products have been removed from the store shelves the vacancies were filled with all sorts of Christmas ephemera. I have yet to experience Thanksgiving and images of icicles, snow flakes, lights and pretty much enough jolly bits and bobbles to make one drunk are devouring every inch of free space. I'm already starting to feel overwhelmed by it all. Today, I realized that November is here, for real, I cannot live in denial any more. A long winter is approaching and I want to be prepared. So, here are some tips to help you endure the long nights....

1) Clear up the clutter: This is next on my list, it's an important step. Go through one space within one room at a time. Go through that mail and weed out the junk. File away the lovely drawings that were sketched with care by the kids. Find the places where items congregated (for me it's candles) and sort that stuff out. My darkest clutter of shame are my bookshelves, that will be a huge undertaking. This might seem overwhelming, and it's easy to put it off. However, taking care to focus on this one task over the weekend will be so helpful. As the holidays approach, we will be busy crafting, decorating, wrapping presents etc. that it will be easy for bits of funk to clutter up the space. When you're surrounded by clutter, it is hard to relax and stay focused. If you're indoors a lot and work from home, this is especially wearing. Do yourself a favor and clean it up before it takes over.

2) Start Working Out Now: When January arrives, I hear so many people talk about all the things they want to do differently in the new year. It's as though they new things were going to be crazy, so they rode the train and now feel remorseful. Exercise, diet and quitting smoking seem to be everyone's top goals. However, it is really hard to start and succeed. Between Halloween and Easter, so many holidays involve celebrating with feasts. The grocery stores tempt you with special holiday mixes that it's hard to resist the festivity. So, I know that I will be eating all kinds of sugary goodness, because I love cupcakes. I also love being fit. Since I already know that I can't say "NO" to a cupcakes, fudge or mince pies I'm going to have to start exercising now to stay in shape. The benefit of a workout out now is that not only will my metabolism be fueling all of the junk that I eat; I'm also certain that I'll be more discerning when it comes to my dietary choices. Why would I work out for an hour and then eat Hawaiian pizza with marshmallows? Another great advantage to working out, is that, physical fitness helps fight the winter blues, reduces stress and it helps to prevent illness. Not to mention, when everyone else is grumbling about joining the gym in January, you'll be ahead of the game!

3) Find Your Happy Place: When I was in high school, I found the experience to be annoying. I knew that it was a part of life that everyone must endure, but I couldn't wait for it to be over. I was lucky, I had a lot of friends, I was involved in a lot of school activities and I was never bullied. Even though I had it easier than a lot of kids, I still loathed the whole experience. I really felt out of place in high school. I didn't feel like a teenager, I felt like a twenty-something who was forced to relive their teen years. There was a big disconnect between me and my peers. I adored them, but I just thought that being a teenager was totally ridiculous. So, when I would come home from school, sometimes I'd get home before 3pm and other times I didn't get home until 11pm, depending on my activities. When I did manage to get home in the afternoon, I'd get a snack, go to my room and put on music, mostly 80's pop and 70's disco and I would dance like a maniac for at least an hour. This made me happy, it was a great stress reliever. I have recently rediscovered this in the form of the Just Dance video games. I also just put on upbeat music and go crazy (you can get away with this when you give up caring). That is my happy place; yours could be a special place to walk, a reading nook or an indulgent bubble bath. Whatever your happy is, find it and go crazy..It's going to be a long winter. Have you seen "The Shining?" I'm just saying.....

4) "Put Down That Morrissey Record": Hey, if you dig Morrissey, cool, but don't create a cave of funk and never leave until Punxsutawney Phil plays with your emotions, get out and mingle. Schedule coffee dates with the bestie, go see a show, whatever it takes to get yourself out of the house for something other than grabbing survival essentials at the store. If you were into outdoor sports when you were younger (for me it was cross country skiing and snowboarding) try to tap into that, it might be fun.

These are just some morsels of advice that I am giving based entirely on my own experiences. Winter is long, dark and cold, but it doesn't have to be miserable. Prepare ahead of time and embrace the season. I will continue to post crafty blogs and try to keep you perked up with bits of awesome. Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Next dog walk will require a coat!

It's Halloween: 2014!

Happy Halloween, you! Today is one of my favorite days of the year. I just love the theatrics of the holiday. I love being spooky and more importantly, I love the candy! This year, I decided to take it easy on myself and dress of as one of the clones from the show Orphan Black. I chose to dress as the character "Cosima Niehaus;" partly because her costume is easy. I wear glasses and she is a scientist (I majored in Environmental Science). I was going to wear burgundy colored clothing and a skull tank top, but decided to just wear a Hogwarts t-shirt instead. I do have on the crazy cat eyeliner, twisted hair pulled into a pony tail and the glasses. By the time the trick or treaters arrive, I might change from jeans into pajama bottoms. It is going to be very cold out, so pajama pants and a long cardigan will work. I always feel badly for the parents who are walking in the cold; the temperature is supposed to drop to the 40's. At least the holiday is on a Friday, which means the children can sleep in tomorrow and snack on candy all weekend. I know I intend to snack on candy all weekend.
Right now, I'm watching the movie Fright Night (the original 1980s version), later I'll watch Haven and then Rosemary's Baby. It will be a great way to end the holiday. Tomorrow will be the beginning of something new and I'll describe that in more detail, tomorrow. Until then, have a great holiday, have fun and be safe! Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Making A Quilt Pt. 4

I have finally resumed work on the quilt project. When I initially began working on the quilt, it was still summer and I intended to upcycle men's shirts. The last time I had tackled such a project, I was only making a napping blanket. So, when I used the same amount of shirts as before, it shouldn't have been a surprise when the blanket was small. However, I don't want another napping blanket, I want a full size quilt. When I hit this detour, I decided to take a break in order to figure out what I wanted to do next.
A few weeks ago, I added more fabric to the top and the bottom of the quilt, in order to make it longer. Then, I set the quilt aside again to take a break from it. Yesterday, I took more measurements and found that the quilt STILL wasn't long enough. So, I added more fabric to the top and the side to make it the right size.

Now, the quilt looks too large. Tomorrow, I will iron it out, fix some stitches and the cut where ever it needs to be reduced. Clearly, this quilt is going through an awkward phase, but I love it anyway. It will, eventually, turn out right. So, far this whole process has been a bit hilarious, but as long as I have a unique looking and warm quilt for winter, I'll be happy.

In other news, the weather here isn't that great. It has been windy, gloomy, chilly and damp- very damp. Even though it isn't great weather for outdoor adventures, it's great weather for crafting, baking, and scary movie watching. I decided that this year, I would dress up as the character "Cosima Niehaus" from the show Orphan Black. In past years, I've dressed up as scary creatures or characters. However, the children who were trick-or-treating were very young and very scared to take candy from me. More than once, I've made a toddler cry when I was in costume. So, this year, I'll still be in costume, but no tears will be shed. Maybe I will post a quick tutorial on the costume, that day...we'll see. Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Delicious Squash Waffles

Four years ago, I changed my Thanksgiving tradition a bit and began celebrating the holiday at my sisters house. This makes perfect sense. Both of my sisters live very close to each other, but they are 100 miles away from me. They also have children and it is so difficult to travel with children; especially after a long day of feasting. It is much easier for me to travel there to enjoy the holiday and it makes the celebration process a more pleasant experience for my sisters, too. That being said, I don't get a lot of Thanksgiving leftovers. Sure, I bring a plate of miscellaneous pie slices home, but I don't get that yummy squash, cranberry sauce or turkey.

This week I decided to have and early Thanksgiving. After seeing so many tweets from Canadians celebrating their Thanksgiving, I really wanted a feast. We used butternut squash from the garden and it was delicious, but we have so much leftover! This morning, I decided to not let the squash go to waste and made fluffy squash waffles. With spices added to this mix, it has all the warm flavors of Fall. Here is the recipe: 1 egg
                                      5 tablespoons of squash
                                      1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg
                                      1 teaspoon vanilla extract
                                      1 1/3 cup of milk
                                      2 cups of baking mix (Bisquick)

 Directions: In a medium sized bowl, or a 4 cup measuring cup, add one egg. Beat the egg until light in color and fluffy. Add the squash, vanilla and spice and mix until smooth. Add half of the milk and mix, then add the baking mix. Mix all together, adding the remaining milk as you mix, until the batter is thick and smooth. Pour, or ladle, batter onto hot oiled waffle iron and cook according to your waffle setting. Remove and enjoy! This made 5 large waffles.

This was so delicious, especially with a hot cup of black coffee. It's a great way to use up leftovers. If I still had leftover cranberry sauce, I could have folded that into the batter at the very end before pouring onto waffle iron; that would have been fantastic!

In other news, this Nor'easter is crazy, but I'm taking the time to indulge in watching a marathon of "The Forsyte Saga." It's also a great time for cozy crafting. One of these days I need to get on track and post about the quilt constructing- the cold weather is fast approaching! As soon as I complete another craft, I'll be certain to share with you. Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Freaking Myself Out For Halloween

It is now ten, TEN days until Halloween and I"m getting very excited about this! This is the time when my decorations are already up, baking has kicked into high gear, my costume has been chosen and is in development, and I'm watching all sorts of creepy movies. So, some of you might be so busy that you've totally forgotten that Halloween is around the corner. Some of you might has been a huge fan of the spooky holiday since childhood and have lost touch with it. This post is to help those of you catch up with some ideas of what you can do to begin celebrating.

Books Worth Reading:
The Harry Potter Series By J.K. Rowling- Witches, wizards, werewolves and faeries. Spells, enchantments, good fitting evil and He Who Shall Not Be Named....
Wicked By Gregory Maguire- The beginning to the Wicked Witch of the West's story and all the things that happened in Oz before a farm house crash landed there.
Frankenstein By Mary Shelley- Old school science fiction/horror. This story makes you really think about science and how it can go too far, with a tragic outcome.
Dracula By Bram Stoker- Certainly, one haunting tale. This is perfect to read on rainy and stormy October nights.
The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Stories by Edgar Allan Poe- Practically every creepy short story you could read from Poe, truly a masterpiece of fright.
Roald Dahl's Book Of Ghost Stories and Skin by Roald Dahl- Very different from his beloved children's stories. These stories are witty, dry and totally creepy. If you grew up reading his stories, you'll be surprised by these tales.
Spooky New England: Tales Of Hauntings, Strange Happenings, and Other Local Lore Retold By S. E. Schlosser- Classic New England folklore involving ghosts of pirates, weeping ladies, ghost animals and more.
Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark By Alvin Schwartz- I still have this series from my childhood. I discovered this in the fifth grade and the stories have stayed with me. Classic slumber party horror stories. These are just a hoot to read as a grown-up and they still maintain their creep factor.

These are books that I enjoy reading this time of year. Obviously, there are plenty of Steven King stories to read. However, his horror novels terrify me and I can't read them because I'm a big baby. You'd think that a person who loves spooky things would be all up on that, but no thank you. I'll stick to his short stories that don't involve horror.

Movies Worth Watching:
Carrie- This is a classic horror movie based on a Steven King novel. Those high school girls wear worse than bullies, they were horrid. However, I do think they got a little more than they deserved, don't you think?
Nosferatu- For a silent film, this is darn frightening. Put this on at shut out the lights and you'll be surprised at how scary a silent film can be.
Halloween- The first movie of this franchise is incredibly creepy, a guy in the mask that follows you around all the time is very unnerving. Even the theme song to this movie gives me the heebeejeebees!
The Others- Oh gosh, things that go bump in the night and in the day, too! If you grew up in a haunted house, like I did, this movie totally takes on a whole other meaning. Freaky stuff!
The Omen- Made me hate the name "Damien." This movie terrifies me, a cute little boy who isn't such a cutie pie.
The Exorcist- This movie, where do I begin? It is wrong, just wrong and makes split pea soup very unappealing. This movie will spook you.
Rosemary's Baby- Poor Rosemary, her maternal instincts are dead on and everybody is out to make her feel crazy. This is a very scary movie to watch.
Poltergeist- This movie doesn't scare me as much as it did when I was younger. However, it is a tradition for me to watch this film. Some aspects of the movie are scary, while others are overly dramatic.
Carnival Of Souls- Hands down, my favorite "B" movie. This horror classic from the 60's was a DVD that I happened upon at Walmart when they sold $1.00 DVD's I bought it and I adore it. If you can find this online, you should watch this gem, it's really great.

Spooky Kids Movies Worth Watching:
Coraline- Based on Neil Gaiman's story, this is such a great story with adorable animation. I dressed up as Coraline, last year for Halloween. The animation is beautiful and this movie is very moody.
The Nightmare Before Christmas- This movie came out when I was in high school and all of my friends and myself went nuts for this. It's based on a poem by Tim Burton and it is typical Burton style.
Corpse Bride- Again, another animation type movie using puppets and stop motion, this is such a fun movie with great music by Danny Elfman.
Hocus Pocus- You read this right, this is a classic and you know it!
Teen Witch- Because I am a child of the 80's this is sort of a must. The acting isn't great, there is an awkward moment when two suburban teenagers engage a a rap duel. The weird psychic lady from "Poltergeist" is in this too and as creepy as ever. Watch this gem!
The Worst Witch- I watched this dozens of times as a little girl and bought it on DVD years later. Tim Curry plays a warlock in this, it is very adorable and one I'll be watching soon.
Return To Oz- Not intended to be a Halloween type movie, but way scarier than people anticipate it to be. I never saw this when I was little, and I couldn't get my hands on the DVD until a few years ago. This is so scary compared to the musical movie made in 1939. Dorothy was going to get electro shock therapy! Seriously, watch this if you can find it, it is amazing!

Television Shows To Give You The Creeps:
Twilight Zone- All kinds of freaky stories to unnerve you.
Alfred Hitchcock Presents- Even more creepy stuff, hosted by Alfred Hitchcock.
The Outer Limits- More bizarre stories that keep you up at night.
Dark Shadows- The tragic soul of Barnabus, mastered brooding long before Edward Cullen.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer- The chosen one, stabs vamps with stakes, but loves them too!
Vampire Diaries- Modern teenagers falling in love with centuries old teenage vampires. Such drama!
Hemlock Grove- For most of season one, you don't know what's going on, creepy as all heck. Season two, totally messed up but fun to watch a great show if you like monsters- which I do!
The Walking Dead- This grew on me, I'm watching new shows as they air and watching older shows on Netflix to catch up. This show sucks you in, it is so well written and acted. The makeup and costumes are amazing. This show, by the way, is terrifying!
Sleepy Hollow- This show is so fun! IT is spooky. It recalls classic early American folklore and it is so great how the writers are able to connect stories with historical events and figures. The actors are very great at what they do, such a charming show.
Haven- I've written about this show before, but again, I love this show. Set in fictitious "Haven" Maine, the "troubles" make life difficult in the otherwise sleepy coastal village.
Supernatural- Two brothers fighting evil for nearly a decade. There are a lot of demons on this show
Harper's Island- I caught this show when it aired on the channel CHiller. This show is terrifying, I can't believe it was on CBS. It was like a slasher movie in 60 minute episodes. Such a twisted story and the ending is crazy. I think you can find this on Netflix (although, I'm not certain of this.)
Witches Of East End- Two generations of witches that just want to live normal lives in a quiet town, but life won't settle down.
The Originals- A spin-off of THe Vampire Diaries, set in New Orleans, lots of scary (and attractive) monsters.

Food Stuff:
-Pretty much anything that involves pumpkin.
-Treats that are shaped like pumpkins, ghosts, or bats.
-Treats that look like zombies
-Treats with candy corns
-Caramel apples
-Caramel corn

This zombie cake I made a few weeks ago. I used a devil's food cake mix with raspberry pie filling in the middle. I also used 1 can store bought chocolate frosting that I mixed with 4 ounces of cream cheese and 23 tablespoons of cocoa powder and I mixed it all together. Then, I bought these gummy eyes in the cake /cookie decorating area at Walmart. It was super easy and a hit with my nephews.

Spooky Music:
 I searched and found all kinds of Halloween classics like "The Time Warp" and "Monster Mash" even scary movie themes all on Spotify and I bet many other music streaming stations have the same thing. Create a great song list, I had a lot of fun creating a Halloween list on Spotify. Also, I know that premium cable has a seasonal music channel on their music channels. They have a few channels to help you get in the spirit of Halloween.

So friends, get creative, pop some popcorn brew some cider punch and get ready for the big day! The internet is an excellent resource for recipes, craft ideas and even has great sights for watching spooky things. Go to the thrift store and gather supplies for a unique costume and have fun!
Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Thirteen Days Until Halloween!

As October inches its way towards Halloween, I am becoming more inspired. The colors outside really are spectacular! Lately, I've been doing a lot of baking (aside from the days that I was far too sick to function) and I've been brainstorming more crafts to tackle.

Tuesday, I baked oatmeal bread. I was craving toast made with fresh oatmeal bread. So, I found a great recipe in one of the kitchen cookbooks and went crazy with the oats and flour!

I wish that you could smell the bread as it was sliced! It was amazing, I encourage you to find your favorite bread recipe and bake yourself some bread. The process of bread making is very relaxing; it takes time and patience. When you're baking bread, you're not multitasking until you swoon. You're focusing on kneading the dough and making certain that it is just right, before you set it aside to rise. Then, you have to wait and hour for it to rise, prepare it for baking and let rise for another hour, and bake it. This all takes a lot of time to not be doing anything else but baking bread. While it bakes, your house is filled with the most comforting aroma. Then, when the time comes to eat the bread, it is such a luxury and you did it yourself!

I also made molasses popcorn, it's delicious. I usually make caramel corn this time of year, but I needed a change. However, next week I'll make caramel corn and I'll share the recipe for the caramel corn, as well as, the molasses popcorn, then.

After my baking spree, I fell ill and did nothing but rest and watch Netflix until I was better. On Friday, I had a surprise girl day out with a friend; which refreshed me. In the morning I was very tired after my ordeal, but feeling better and well enough to go for an adventure with a friend. We shopped, went to a tea house and did what most women do on girls day out- TALK-TALK-TALK. By the time I got home in the afternoon, I was inspired to decorate for Halloween!

What is a Halloween house without some gravestones, zombies and cobwebs? With the countdown to Halloween officially on, I am very excited to get into the spirit of the holiday! I hope that next week, my schedule will return to normal and I will be back to blogging regularly. I will do my best to stay healthy and to keep creating. Tomorrow will be spent waiting for the 125th episode of Heartland, this is huge and very exciting! Also, I'll be anticipating a new episode of The Walking Dead. I hope I can convince myself to spend the day focusing on working on my quilt. I hit an obstacle in the middle of do the patches and set it aside until I could figure out a solution. Now, I think I know what I can do to proceed with the project and when I do I'll share with you! Until next time~ Toodahloo!

ps. This post kind of got away from me, I know. I'm just really excited about Halloween... and I really like bread!

I Look Like Wednesday Addams

Such a lovely Fall photo, is it not? Just a few days ago, I was frolicking in my sister's back yard, having a jolly time. Then, I returned home and everything seemed to fall back into place. I cleaned up, watched Heartland (what is going on there?) and then I watched the premiere of The Walking Dead. It was a perfect way to end the weekend. The next day, I settled back into my norm, I went on an adventure with Fred. That afternoon I made molasses popcorn. Then next day, I baked oatmeal bread. Everything seemed fine, although I did take a longer than usual nap in the middle of the day, felt exhausted Tuesday and went to bed uncharacteristically early.
Then, Wednesday morning arrived with a punch in the gut and the worst headache I've experienced in a very long time. I managed to take a Tylenol and get myself a mug of coffee, but I could barely touch my coffee. Then, things went from bad to worse. I spent the rest of the day in bed, not eating dealing with a terrible headache that wouldn't budge and trying to sleep off whatever was bugging me. Fred stayed dutifully by my side.
I did some internet research and found tips on how to beat a stomach bug. I tried everything: avoiding heavy food, taking small sips, drinking ginger tea, drinking peppermint tea, drinking 7Up. Nothing was really working. I knew I had to ride it out. However, that isn't very fun. This morning, I managed to get myself up and I smeared Vapor Rub all along my forehead. This really helped my headache go away. I'd doubt that this is a recommended use for Vapor Rub, but I really just wanted the pain to stop. I went back to sleep and slept the worst of it off. I think having the headache ease up helped.
Then, I put on Netflix and watched Hart of Dixie and Witches Of East End. It was during this time that I managed to successfully consume a stack of Saltines, boy did those taste like a delicacy!
I turned on Steven & Chris and discovered that Chris was flying solo that episode, because Steven was home with the flu! Steven was probably also eating Saltines, snuggling with his pooch (Maxine) and watching Netflix, because what else is there to do in these circumstances?
Needless to say, I have been sporting serious bags under my eyes, I am very pale (enough to make a Cullen blush), and my uniform has been loungewear. I do hope to be back to my normal self soon and will be crafty and all around creative as usual. I will post about the things I made before I fell ill, soon. Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Enjoying The Outdoors

I've been away, spending time with family for the past week. Fred and I took a walk today and here is another shot from our walk. It's amazing how quickly things can change in a week. So many leaves are on the ground now. However, the sun was shining today and it has been a beautiful week, weather wise.

Meet Marshall.

Last Spring, my sister's cat had to be put down. He was 17 years old and very ill. She and her husband got him and his brother, as kittens, when they were still in college. It was sad to see him go, he was a respected member of the family. Her children grew up with him and it was very sad for them to lose a beloved friend. As time passed, their hearts mended and they were able to get two new kittens. They got a boy and a girl, Marshall and Pepsi.

Pepsi (left) and Marshall (right)

Whenever I visit my sister, I love spending time in the woods behind her home. I love the smell of the woods, the sounds and the textures. It is the most peaceful place to be, This time of year is my favorite time to go into the woods; because there aren't any bugs to annoy me,  I can go there to relax.

Fred really enjoys walking in the woods with me. My nephew decided to join us for a silly adventure into the woods.

Here is a Pinterest inspired sign that I made for my nephews a few years ago. I made it one time when I was visiting and my nephews were away at school. I surprised them with the sign, placing it at a fork in the walking path. Surprisingly, it's still up and it even survived a hurricane!

Now, I am home and catching up on things that needed to be done. When I got home yesterday, I had to unpack and tidy up after the mess I left behind when I left before. I managed to get a lot done before watching the premiere of The Walking Dead. I had no idea what to have for a snack during the premiere; had I planned ahead of time I would have made gross cupcakes. Instead, I improvised with hot cocoa and pumpkin spice Milano cookies. Today, I intend to make a treat and do a little holiday decorating. I'll be sure to post about that soon. Until next time~ Toodahloo!