The Christmas Aftermath

So, Christmas has, officially come and gone. The morning of Christmas began with me waking up at 4:30 a.m. and deciding to wash the dishes from the night before instead of channel surfing. So, I got up and tidied up, fed the critters, and made a pot of coffee to induce waking of others. It was almost like a coffee commercial. Speaking of which, I was very sad to not see "Peter" come home early in the morning and waking his parents with coffee. Instead they showed a more modern version of a similar scenario... it was not the same. Yes.... I fear change.

So, Santa got me a lot, and I mean a LOT of chocolate. I got some really nice gifts and fun things to play with. The chocolate, however is a duty. I have milk chocolate, dark chocolate, truffles, boxed chocolates, Milk Duds, chocolate covered raisins, the dark chocolate orange the you must smash, chocolate mint candies, and a few other chocolate confections. Myfamily knows the way to my heart. I'll now have something to treat myself to while I watch my guys... Steven & Chris.. their show is coming back with new episodes soon too! Steven & Chris and a mug of latte is my "Calgon Moment" of the day. Without which I'd be the mom "Lois" from "Malcomb In The Middle" combined with the character "Betty Warren" from the movie "Mona Lisa Smile." Which translates to frustrated and uptight.

Well, the day after Christmas is always a little sad for me. I miss the excitement and the warm fuzzies the holiday brings. On the bright side, I still have a Christmas celebration (weather permitting) with my sisters and their families to celebrate and I have fun new toys to play with.

Tomorrow, I hope to post more and look forward to things to come. Until then~ Toodaloo!

It's Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Wow, it's Christmas Eve already! I had to take a break from blogging for the month, because I wasn't feeling very creative. Usually, I enjoy making things and then posting about them. However, this month has been so hectic, that when I do have computer time, all I really want to do is play games. Just within this post, I had a goof happen and the frustration rose to such a level that I wanted to stop all together.

I did make a gingerbread house last week. I made my own pattern.

My little helper made one too. This one was made from a kit. Everytime we walk into the dining room, it smells like gingerbread!

Last night, I made a mint chocolate cream pie. Today, I am making gigantic cranberry- walnut cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning. I'm also making mini corn dog muffins, curry chicken nuggets, stuffed mushrooms, mulled cider, sticky chicken wings, crudites, and I'm warming up some frozen potstickers!

Needless to say, the appetizer spread will be a feast. Throught the day, I'll be watching comedy Christmas special's on BBC America. I'll also watch the Dr. Who Christmas special. So, today will be busy, but great fun! I hope that you all have a stress free and joyful Christmas!~Toodaloo!

It's Snowing!

Oh, how I wish my camera batteries were charged! Those rechargable batteries do not hold their charge for long. I have not posted for a while because life has been so busy and I haven't really been working on many projects to post about.

Winter is finally (unofficially) here! I have my interior decorations up. Last weekend I decorated the front porch. It's so nice to look down my street and see the neighbors houses lit up! I made gingerbread scones the other day and I have at last begun listening to Christmas music.

We'll be getting the tree this weekend and I'll be making my annual gingerbread house this weekend. This year, I am making my gingerbread house in the shape of an old hotel that once existed in my town. My nephew is making a train depot that was near the hotel and the train to go with it.

Today, however will consist of chores, tutoring, and crafting. I think I'll sneak in a little indulgence with a bubble bath in the claw foot and a facial. It's been a draining week and I am going to pamper myself a little. As soon as my camera has juice I'll post some pictures and discuss the final episode of the season of Being Erica. Until then~ Toodaloo!

So's Your Face!

"So's Your Face" that is my comeback for anything these days. It's right up there with "That's what she said...." I say it not out of anger or malice; rather, I say it to amuse myself. Generally, when life gets busy, I have to humor myself. Otherwise, I become disgruntled and I take out my frustrations in things that aren't really there. I think that the people around me feel that I am upset with then, but I'm not at all. I'm just frustrated with nothing in particular. More so, I'm high strung because I'm one of those "Type A's" who set ridiculously high standards and work for myself. When tasks aren't completed, I take it out on myself. So, saying "So's your face" is a means of letting off steam in small increments, thus preventing a blow up.

Thanksgiving will be here soon and I have been busy trying to get ready. The next few days will be busy ones, but that is all part of the tradition. I will be baking pies, and breads, making chocolate truffles and cranberry sauce and cleaning like a Roomba. However, I'll ease the work with a marathon of House playing on the kitchen DVD player, and that will keep me in high spirits. Also, at some point I will give myself a manicure.

Last week, my best best and I had a badly needed girl day. We ate food, had girl talk and dyed some hair. She was moving into her new home this weekend and will be hosting a big family Thanksgiving dinner in her new home. So, we both needed to have a break and recoup before this week. This allows us to become clear headed and really appreciate our bounty of blessings.

I was reading the history of the first Thanksgiving and the relationships between the pilgrims (separatist's) and the Wampanoag people. It is really interesting and humbling to learn what those people experienced and what they had to endure on new land. It also says a lot about generosity and good will toward man. It is such an interesting subject to study.

Well, I hope to be making pilgrim hats today for my nephews and a table cloth for the "kiddie table." Today, I'll also watch The Wizard of Oz. Tomorrow, we'll watch Return to Oz and then Wednesday, we're watching Tinman- it's sort of a new Thanksgiving week tradition.
I am looking forward to see my sisters and their families on Thursday, as well as the tradition of watching the parade on tv. I think my favorite part is seeing The Rockettes dance. What is your favorite parade participant? What is your favorite Thanksgiving tradition? Well, I'll post again after things are less busy. Laundry beckons, until then~ Toodaloo!

Friday the Thirteenth!

Wow! It's been a crazy busy week. There is so much going on, that taking time on the computer isn't easy. I have been so busy at school this week and I'm tired. Walking to the school and home each day is over a mile of walking, up hill. Sometimes, I walk to and from twice! That combined with general wear and tear of taking care of kiddo and teaching other peoples kiddo's, makes me tired. I'm trying to not push myself too much with this flu going around. I want to be well rested.

Well, I am continually thinking of ways in which I can decorate for the Thanksgiving Season. I am posting more photos of things that I've done thus far. The other day, my mother got me the complete and unabridged works of Jane Austen all in one volume! That combined with three L.M. Montgomery books I've recently acquired ( but haven't yet read) should keep me relaxed for the next few months.

Yesterday was one of those, as Anne Shirley would put it, "Jonah Day" sort of days. I was exhausted, so I treated myself to the November/ December issue of Victoria magazine and some eggnog flavored and peppermint mocha flavored creamer. The eggnog creamer was fantastic! It was just what I needed yesterday. I started looking at my magazine, and it had some great stuff in it for Christmas, but I couldn't really savor it...dinner beckoned.

Tomorrow should be an eventful day. I am starting my day by hanging out will some Civil War reenactors and then, my sister is coming over with her sons for me to babysit. I think we'll watch The Polar Express and have some seriously hot cocoa with marshmallows. Yowzers McGee! I'm tired. I think I'll sleep until 7:30 a.m. tomorrow! Until then! ~ Toodaloo!

Friday Is Here!

Friday is here, and at last, I may relax. The other day, I was going to post, but my camera batteries ran out of energy. So, the problem has been solved and I can now post. I made this wreath, the other day, out of a grapevine ring, a fall leaf garland, fake flowers, pine cones and fake fruit. I really like it on the front door, it feels so welcoming. I even made some apple crisp that day too.

In my free time this week, I've been making decorations and putting them on display as I go. It makes the house feel so cozy, especially when I am melting the "Be Thankful" tart in my tart warmer- Wow, does that smell awesome! I made a new discovery this past week- I bought the movie Persuasion on DVD. If you are a fan of Jane Austen books and/or a fan of the movies based on her books, this is a find! It has all of the classic elements of Austen stories and it just makes you feel happy and so girly!

I went to the thrift store this week and I bought a fun vase that looks similar to a cookie jar my mom has. It is very retro looking, it looks like it was made in the 1970's.

I also got these Pilgrim figurines.

I'll show more of my decorating projects in my next blog. I have designated Saturday as "craft day" for myself and my nephew. I have no idea what we'll make, but it should be interesting.

It snowed all day and through the night yesterday. I was surprised when I glanced out the window this morning and saw that it actually accumulated enough to blanket the ground! Walking to school today, the tree branches were dusted with snow cover and it was very pretty to see. That is one of the perks to walking; the beauty of the neighborhood, that would otherwise be missed by riding to school. The streets were slick though, there was a lot of ice on the pavement.

At recess, the kids were making snowmen, the first of the season, and they were rolling the body segments onto the cedar chips that are spread over the ground. These giant snowballs, with cedar chips coating them, reminded me of cheese balls coated in almond slivers. By tomorrow, the snow should be mostly melted away. However, there is plenty of time left before Thanksgiving to have more snow. Until next time~ Toodaloo!

November Is Here!

Once again, this week proved to be a hectic one. It seems as though when I want to have a productive week, other things come up. My week was, however, punctuated with fun things like coffee with friends, and the ever delightful "girl days" with my best best. In preparation for Halloween, my nephew and I made these delicious chocolate cupcakes. They are filled with green tinted tapioca pudding. We topped them with orange flavored frosting that was the color of mercury and bedazzled with Halloween jimmies. The tapioca pudding has a fun texture for creepy cupcakes. All of the parts of the treat- cupcake, pudding, and frosting were made from scratch!

Halloween day was a mess! I had so much to do. I had to sew my costume, which took way longer than I wanted, and I had to make Halloween chili in the slow cooker. I also had to carve a pumpkin and make toasted pumpkin seeds. I toasted mine for about twenty minutes and then coated them with a spicy/sugary, butter mixture and toasted them for about another twenty minutes. They were so yummy, and I had a hard time not eating them.

We went trick-or-treating on all of the streets nearby and we came home to Halloween chili. It was a perfect October evening to end October for the year. The night air was warm, with a gentle, yet gusty wind blowing. The moon was big and bright hiding behind dark clouds, and other parts of the neighborhood smelled like campfire, with people burning fires in their fire pits. It was a truly whimsical night. After we feasted on chili, we had cupcakes and gingerbread tea and watched "Nosferatu."

So, today was the annual Halloween aftermath- letdown. After any big holiday, I feel a little bummed. All the exciting celebrating and feasting builds up and then there's the holiday, then it's done so quickly. I eased my disappointment by clearing away all of the Halloween decorations outside and inside the house and I started decorating for Thanksgiving! Soon, I'll post all about that. You see, there is always something wonderful to look forward to! ~ Toodaloo

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