Halloween Art - A Product Recommendation

No - I'm not getting paid for this endorsement! But, I do SERIOUSLY love this product!

Belle has some new "pens." [Thanks, Nana & TT!] We aren't really sure what to call them because they draw and color like nothing else. The color is so rich, so smooth, so vibrant, so...

Anyway, save your pennies and make sure some of these are in your little one's stocking (oops...wrong month)!

You can find them at most mass market and craft stores or here.

And look at what they can do! Belle has a seriously light touch so most of the time she ends up with super pale drawings...not with these! We have a stack of about 30 different drawings on the counter because she loved drawing with them so much. I didn't think anyone else would want to try to decipher the subjects of the entire stack (ok - grandparents excluded), so just the October themed ones made the cut...hope the subtitles are helpful:)

Pirate Dinosaur (see...he has a tail!)

Witch on a Broom

Pumpkins and Ghosts

Soup's On!

Nothing says fall like the return of the soup pot to its cozy home on my stovetop! Here are two of my favorite soup "recipes." You'll quickly discover that I don't actually follow recipes, refuse to measure, and never replicate the same pot of soup in exactly the same way...EVER! But, I think you will easily be able to recreate these much loved pots of yummy deliciousness:) Just trust your gut and season till it tastes good!

Chicken Noodle Soup:

In a large stock pot, saute onion, garlic, carrots, and celery seasoned with S&P. Add previously cooked chicken whacked into bite-size pieces (I usually use leftovers from roasted chicken, but you can easily grill up a breast to use if you'd like). Saute briefly. Add low-sodium chicken broth/stock and water. Season with dried thyme, minced rosemary, a bay leaf and more S&P if you desire. Bring to a rapid boil. Add wide egg noodles. Simmer 15 minutes.

Beef and Barley Soup (my fave!):

Cut stew beef chunks into bite-size pieces. Season with S&P. Heat a tiny bit of olive oil in a large stock pot, add beef and sear on all sides. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic and saute until soft. Add a couple of good glugs of balsamic vinegar and worcestershire sauce. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add a carton of low-sodium beef broth, a large can of tomato puree, and a can of water. Season with a bay leaf, minced rosemary, a sprinkling of Splenda (or sugar), and more S&P if you desire. Bring to a boil. Stir in approx. 1 cup of pearl barley (NOT THE QUICK COOKING KIND!). Simmer 30-45 minutes, stirring regularly. Once the barley starts to release starch, the soup will thicken (YUM!), but it will also start to stick to the bottom of the pan and burn, so be sure you stir every few minutes.

MMMMMmmmmmm.....

Making Do Monday - FREE PATTERN - Cozy Hat

I make hats...it's good for my marriage!

???

Yep, that's right. It's better than counseling, because it prevents us from needing couseling.

???

Ok - maybe I should explain.

I'm a control freak. Especially when it comes to driving. My husband is a terrific driver. He's safe; he's responsible; he's reliable; he's aware...you know, all those things you are supposed to be when you are behind the wheel. HOWEVER, the rest of the world...not so much! It seems that lane lines have become optional, speed limits are mere suggestions, and common courtesy is out-dated. Glance in any window on the interstate and you can pretty much guarantee that the driver is talking on the phone, texting, or checking their email. I think my life is shortened by one year every time I am on a highway!

So how does this relate to hats???

I make them. In the car. While my husband drives.

I can happily crochet, still carry on a conversation, and never have the opportunity to glance up and see the swerving vehicles, drifting tractor trailers, and teeny-tiny little lanes through the construction zones. I used to try to read, but every time I wanted to talk to my husband I looked up...not good! I tried just talking about really riveting things, but then I could still see everything that is going on...not good! I've occassionally tried to sew, but bumps result in finger pricks, then my eyes wander, and well...you get the picture.

Then one day I brought some yarn along on a trip, and before I knew it we were there. I hadn't gasped, gripped the mercy bar, or hissed, "They're stopping!" at my husband even one time. He was smiling; I was smiling; We were happy! It was a minor miracle!

So now...I make hats.

And in honor of the month of October and the return of cool weather I'm sharing my SUPER-SIMPLE Cozy Hat pattern. This pattern is easily adjustable from newborn to adult. You will need basic crochet knowledge, but I mean BASIC. And if you've never crocheted, but still want a hat...let me know. I have LOTS of them. One for every ride I've taken in the last 6 months:) Did I mention that we recently purchased some land in the mountains??? It's only going to get WORSE!

And how, might you ask, is this a Making Do Monday project? Well, each one of these takes about half a skein of yarn (even less for the newborn hat), so it's a great way to use up bits and pieces of yarn that are left over from other projects.

Cozy Hat Pattern:

You will need - 1 skein of medium weight yarn (a 4 or 5 weight will work), crochet hook (H)

Size - Pattern is written for an adult. Stitch count changes are in parentheses for 0-6 months, 6-12 months, and 2-6 years respectively.

Row 1: Chain 24(13, 16, 21).

Row 2: Skip chain stitch and single crochet in BACK LOOPS of each stitch, 23 (12, 15, 20) stitches in all. Chain 1.

Rows 3+: Repeat Row 2 until piece measures approximately 20 (13, 15, 18) inches (. BE SURE TO STITCH AN EVEN NUMBER OF ROWS!

Last Row: Fold hat right sides together and match up end rows. Skip chain stitch and single crochet in each pair of stitches (pass hook through loops of both ends of piece with each stitch). 23 (13, 15, 18) stitches.

Tie off. Clip yarn leaving long tail (25+" long).

Weave tail around circumference of hat. Pull tightly to gather top of hat. Tie off and clip strings. Turn hat right side out and fold up edge if desired.

DONE!

The Inmate Pinafore:)

On a mission to find fabrics for our newly decorated family room, I found this gorgeous yumminess at Ikea.

I had 2 yards of each in my cart in an instant. I love the heavy canvas-like feel of the fabric for fall. It seems more substantial and therefore warmer. Even though it is often still in the 80's for most of the month of October here, it still seems important that our Halloween clothes be warm. So I just knew this would be perfect for October/Halloween outfits, but I wasn't totally sure what I would do with it.

I scrolled through all of my new patterns (oh, there are so many that I can't wait to share!) and decided a sweet little pinafore would be perfect for Bee. Short sleeves, long sleeves, no sleeves underneath...just right for the up and down temps we often have at this time of year in NC.

I used this pattern from...you guessed, it Heidi and Finn. I omitted the pocket because I didn't want it to interfere with the fantastic bird print. It's totally reversible...if Bee wants to dress up as a sweet little white collar criminal:)

Scary Skull Skirt

A while back I made a mountain of skirts for Belle. I had the worst trouble keeping this one secret! Luv it, luv it, luv it:)

Find the how-to details here Basic Skirt Tutorial.

Halloween Crayons - An Oldie But a Goodie

I have a thing about old crayons...I don't like them. Once the papers get soiled, the tips are worn flat, and pieces start to break off, I just can't use them. Wasteful...I know, but I have come up with a three-part solution:

1. Ignore - just choose not to see the broken, dirty, used up crayons in the box...use all the ones that still look pretty.

2. Retire - Once they can no longer be ignored, hide them away. I keep a bag of old crayons in the bottom drawer of our art supply cabinet. They just hang out waiting for their chance to be reclaimed, given a face lift, made new again.

3. Recreate - Turn those old dirty stubs into fabulous, new, designer crayons.


I bought this mold at our local craft store. It was about $10, but we will be able to use it for baking as well as crafting, so it was worth the splurge. You could probably get these in the after holiday sales if you're smarter than me, but I couldn't wait that long:)

Belle and I spent a rainy afternoon peeling and breaking those old crayons. We sorted them by colors and dropped them into the mold. I wasn't so sure about the blue cat, but she insisted and she was right...non-traditional, but pretty fantastic!

Pop the pan into the oven on 200 degrees. Be sure to turn on your oven light so your little one/s can watch them ooze! Pull them out when they are 99% melted. If you let them become totally liquidy then the pigment and wax will separate some and you will end up with a colorless wax layer on the back of each crayon. I let ours go too long, we have colorless wax, it's not a big deal except that only the front side of the crayon colors well, so it can be a little frustrating for small hands. Oh well!

This project has been around a while...nothing new here, but cute and fun none the less! Enjoy:)

IT'S OCTOBER!!!!

I love fall and the month of October in particular!

I'm a jeans and boots kind of gal, so those first cool nights of fall make me giddy. I'm the one pulling out sweaters when it's still 80+ degrees, because fall just isn't long enough in the South. And the PUMPKINS!!! Need I say more? I mean, what's not to love about a chubby, orange, gourd with a lop-sided grin and crooked eyes! Come on, you know the mere thought of it is making you smile:)

So in honor of my favorite month of the year, I'm going to be sharing as many fall-themed projects, recipes, and inspirations as possible. I'd love to tell you that I will have something new for you every day, but let's be realistic...have you met my children??? Anyway, I'll do my best and have a ton of fun along the way.

Have any great fall projects of your own??? Link them to this post...I'm always looking for new ideas!