Those of you who have been hanging out here for awhile might recognize my Thankful Checklist placemat. I originally created this for my kids to color and check on Thanksgiving day while the turkey was roasting. I wanted to make sure they really understood why we celebrated the holiday. Sure we tell our kids constantly that they have lots to be thankful for—health, a roof over their heads, food on the table—but there is so much more. Even us adults sometimes need to be reminded how awesome “a cozy blankie” really is.

 

Family Fun magazine included my Thankful checklist placemats in the latest issue.  Click here to print out the first version and here to print out the second. (intended for private use only please.)

Here’s the latest version I created for this Thanksgiving, but perfect for any day of the year. And if you don’t check brussels sprouts that’s okay. I’m more of a french fry girl myself.

A couple of posts back, I alluded to big new of some sort. Well here it is. Last month, I entered a contest that called my name. GGP (General Growth Properties…owner/developers of about 200 shopping malls across the country) were looking for a creative sort to write a daily blog about all things holiday from November 1st until December 31st. I was having one of those days with an extra hour or two (kind of like here) and thought,  “sure, why not?” I went to work on all the submission material they requested and the rest is history. You can read more on the Merrier Shopping blog were I’ll be writing every day until the new year.

You’ll want to check it out as I’ve come up with a binder system to organize the holidays with free printables for gift lists, baking and more. I’ll also have holiday related posts including gift ideas, crafts, recipe exchanges, fabulous giveaways and stress checks to keep the season merry.

Just so you know, I’ll still be posting over here too. Certainly not “daily posting” unless my cloning machine comes back from the repair shop. I have no idea what’s taking them so long.

I do realize that some may view this post and incorrectly assume that I have waaay too much time on my hands because:

1) I made six dozen decorated halloween sugar cookies for kid’s classrooms and family.

2) I photographed and made a photo illustration out of sugar cookies.

3) I sat and wrote a blog post about how I baked, photoshopped, and justified baking and photoshopping sugar cookies.

I assure you this is not a symptom of having too much time. What it is: I am creatively delaying what I really should be doing like scrubbing sinks and attending to grunt business/work type stuff. Don’t tell my husband what goes on here during the day. So glad we have that all cleared up. Now back to “work.”

I think you know where this post is headed. Check out those delicious Granny Smiths. Organic, I might add, to up the health factor. We need the extra health points since the below accomplices happen to be  involved…

…that’s two bags of caramels to be exact. In our defense, those apples are very big.

Yep. All downhill from there. Peanuts, chocolate sprinkles, M & Ms and more melted chocolate to boot. Did I mention organic apples?? Yum. Just another reason to love this season.

I seriously love autumn. If I had my way, these leaves would be red, orange and yellow all year long. Even an extension of the season would be nice. Trade ya for a couple months of winter’s gray skies and bare branches?? Just a thought.

And then there’s the mums. I’m partial to purplish/redish types, but I’m fond of all varieties. These days I have lots of work to get accomplished so making myself pop out the front door every once in awhile (and not just to drive the kid shuttle bus) is high priority. Enjoy this colorful season.

Last week, we hosted our new friend Eline from the Netherlands. If she wasn’t sweet enough to begin with, she brought us me these delicious dutch cookies…karmelstroopwafels. Imagine two thin, crunchy cinnamonish waffles with caramel in the middle along with a cup of coffee. Absolutely wonderful. I’m so thankful that I couldn’t read ‘how many calories’ on the back of the foreign package because if you can’t read it, you can’t count it. And I’m sticking to that theory.

 

My family had a great time showing Eline the sights (especially the food!) around here as this was her first visit to the US. Unfortunately, this week our dear Eline (and those delicious cookies) is/are gone. But we’ve promised that we’ll stay in touch. Now we’re back to our regular school/work routine plus I’ve got some pretty amazing news that I promise to share soon.

…but there’s something about a Mom that cozies up a home. This piece of mixed media art plays off the current week’s prompt (old- fashioned) over at Illustration Friday.

Along with using vintage trim, lace and buttons, I copied my Mom’s recipes onto transparency film. Then I adhered the film to the canvas with a thin coat of matte medium. I added paint and inks to further incorporate the recipes into the piece. One of my very favorite ingredients to instantly age any piece is Jim Holtz Distress Ink in vintage photo. And speaking of old-fashioned life, our dishwasher is finally all better and thus my appreciation for modern conveniences even greater. I can cook and bake once again.

For the past few weeks, my three-year-old helper had not been acting like herself. She was leaving spots, traces of food and not drying things completely. Finally she just quit…refusing to do anything. I called for help immediately. Yesterday, the repairman delivered the news in a harsh way, like a doctor lacking people skills. He gruffly stated, “Her heater is out. I need to order a new one. It won’t be in for at least a week.” I replied in a shocked voice, “Are you kidding me? A week??!” I figured his diagnosis had to be an attempt at some sort of sick humor. Surely he had a part out on his truck that could replace the broken one within the hour. He looked me squarely in the eye and scowled, “No joke maam. I’ll be back in a week.” Then off he went with his toolbox leaving me with her and a sink full of dishes. I heard myself gasp.

At least the day I brought her home, I was feeling protective and opted to purchase the extended warranty plan. Dishwasher health insurance makes bad news slightly more tolerable. I wonder how many times we’ll order pizza this week?

“This very moment is a seed from which the flowers of tomorrow’s happiness grow.”  —Margaret Lindsey

Illustration Friday’s weekly challenge (word=”proverb”) planted these seeds of artistic inspiration featuring ric-rac, fibers, lace and buttons—notions that initially had to be flower inspired.

Don’t forget to keep watering those seeds you plant today…in the proverbial sense like “follow up” and the literal like “Water already!” (the former a note to my garden neglecting self : )

This past weekend, I actually cleaned out and organized my studio. The art, craft, sewing, etc. supplies were getting way out of control. Here’s evidence. I admit I have never knitted, crocheted, spun or weaved or done anything with yarn in the past five ten twenty years. So why does one have mountains of yarn? I think it’s the colors and the textures that get me. I fantasy about knitting mittens…surely some day I will be a mitten knitter. Until then, I forced myself to condense my stash to what could fit in this metal bin. Notice it’s squeezed in pretty tight. That self is one tricky gal. You can only imagine how the rest of the studio clean out went. I will say things are looking better than before. And if you happen to spot me in Michaels or some other craft or sewing store, please order me to drop the basket and go home immediately.