Sleepless in Austin!

We had a huge storm last night. I don't know what time it started but I was awake around 4am and could hear the windows shaking, even over the noise maker we have on! I kept wondering if Kristen would sleep through it like she did the last one. At 4.30am my wondering was over. She came in to our room and then asked if Boo could come in too. She closes the door when she comes in so Boo doesn't do a mad dash and jump on the bed, but I could see his little shadow outside the door, so I got up and let him in too. He settled on the bed pretty quickly, Kristen not so much, and me? well I never went back to sleep after that and finally got up at 5.45am!

The wonderful thing about being a SAHM is I can rest later if I need to. I don't usually nap but I will just sit down and put my feet up on the sofa in between housework if I am that tired, and today I think I'll be that tired!

I took this picture on Saturday evening . . . .

I looked out the back window and could see that the sky was turning a beautiful shade of orange, so I went and grabbed my camera. As we watched it, it got more fiery red,

How often we take for granted the beauty that surrounds us. On the agenda today, laundry, housework, a little sewing (making doggy bones for our 'themed' tree this year) and a little rest I hope. What will your day be filled with? I hope it's a good one!

Are You Counting?

Today it's 88 days til Christmas! Have you noticed the button over on the right, I'm talking about this one . . .

I've been counting down since September 16th when this website opened back up. It's fun checking it every day seeing if there are things I need to do and smiling to myself when I see that I've already done them. You see, this year I am determined to be well ahead of the game, and hopefully this sweet website will help me. I already have my 'Christmas Planner' all made, I have started to address Christmas cards, and I'm planning on some home made gifts (some knitting ones included) for family and friends and neighbors. In between now and Christmas I have Kristen's birthday and Thanksgiving to get through too, so there's lots of planning to do - but I love it. What about you? Have you started to think about Christmas yet?!

I thought I would join in with Susan's Met Monday again today and I can possibly make this a Knock Off Knock Out too (copied the one from Michael's) and link up to Cheri's blog ;-)

Remember this. . . .

that then turned in to this. . . . .

well, now it looks like this. . . . .

I bought 6 garlands of ivy from Michael's last week and wrapped them around each ball. It turned out just as I imagined it, which I'm really pleased about. My inspiration as soon as I saw it at Goodwill was one I had seen at Michael's craft store which was this. . .

They retail for about $50. Mine cost a total of $22 by the time I bought the ivy (the tree was only $7 at Goodwill). It will stay at my door all year round and I can simply change the ribbon on it (which as you can see I added colorful fall ribbon to it) or string pretty lights around it and change the pumpkins out for other seasonal decor. I think it looks great - what do you think?

Now, before I go I MUST mention this wonderful give-away that Susan is holding on her blog today too. I Lurvvvvvv these tassels,

they are created by a a lovely lady named Angela at The Tassel House. I have been very tempted to treat myself to one of these lovely things very soon, but then I saw Susan's give-away and thought I better just wait a few days in case I am the lucky winner! Ha ha, I doubt it will happen but I'm leaving a comment on Susan's blog and blogging about it here, so I stand as good a chance as anyone else to win ;-) You can enter too, just hop over to Susan's blog and leave her a comment.

And with that, I bid you all a wonderfully blessed start to your Monday.

Simple Changes.... a whole new look

For a mere $1.99 I changed this. . . .

in to this. . . .

Wanna see how?

First, I cleared the table.... added a tablecloth and flipped the tablemats over from green to brown!

then I added the candlesticks back, and placed pumpkins (from our garden!) on top of them

next I added my lovely new birdcage in the center and some silk fall leaves (that I took from the tops of my kitchen cabinets where I had just placed them for my fall decor)

What? you want to see a close up of the pretty birdcage (last one in Target for $16, I bought a few weeks ago), oh ok


after that, I added back the plates, flatware and glasses from last weeks tablescape

and then for added affect I placed the new napkins from a few weeks ago, under the plates

not forgetting a few pretty votives too. Now, this tablescape as seen above cost me $0 (I don't count the cost of the new birdcage because I bought that a few weeks ago without thinking of tablescapes). So what cost me $1.99?

New napkin rings, from Goodwill

I bought these this week (a set of 6) with the intention of using them on a tablescape ONCE I painted them black! But I thought I would add them to this table so I could place the yellow napkins back on the plates.

I love how this turned out. I think Imay leave this table set for a week or two until I can invite my inlaws over for dinner (not til next week because they will be out of town this weekend).

Enjoy the rest of the pictures. . . . I'm off to check out all the other lovely Tablescapes at Susan's blog :-)

Playing Catch-up

No 'Outdoor Wednesday' post today, I thought I'd just catch up on a few things instead as I haven't taken any photos outside lately. Well apart from my topiary which I finished, but I'll save that for next Monday so I can show the 'before and after' pics.

I got off track a bit last week because I popped in to Target and bought fresh fruit and a few other things on Wednesday instead of Friday! I spent about $54. Then I called in to my grocery store the next day and spent about $17! I didn't bother going to the store on Friday so I still am under budget but I just hadn't made a proper note of what I spent. I'm determined to get back on track and keep my receipts etc because I want to start putting the 'unspent' amount (remember I'm allowing $100 per week for groceries but trying my best to keep it to $75), hopefully about $25 per week in my savings account. And despite the fact I made a meal plan last week we haven't really stuck to it either. Hubby eats out most days at work and then comes home at 5.30pm not really hungry enough for dinner. He said he'd prefer to eat later! So, I've been having 'Smart Ones' freezer meals (trying to lose a few pounds!) and making Kristen a separate meal too. Not really the best dinner scenario, but we'll do it for now while it works for us. I usually have something in the freezer Jason can have later when he's ready for it.

I'd like to shout out a BIG thank you to Cheri at 'It's So Very Cheri' for featuring me again on her blog this week as one of her favorites in the Knock Off Knock Out party she hosts :-) I can't tell you how big a smile this gave me when she told me. I know I blog for fun (and well, cos my sister loves to read my blog too) but it's always a thrill when new bloggy friends let you know they enjoy your posts.

It's early release day at school today, so I can't play around on here as long as I'd like! I did an exercise dvd this morning, watched the rest of Biggest Loser that I taped last night (did anyone else cry buckets at that!) and now I need to get clearing up the kitchen before I head out to school.

Hope you all are having a wonderful 'Hump Day' so far. Oh, and CONGRATULATIONS to Darylynn on the birth of her second Grandson. Love and Best wishes to 'Mommy Jess' too :-)

Fall Into Reading

Two of my favorite things to do is read and knit. If I'm not reading I'm knitting, and when I'm not knitting... well you can guess what I'll be doing ;-) I didn't do much of either over the summer months but the past few weeks I've picked both up again, with a vengeance! I was so glad when I checked in at Katrina's blog a few weeks ago to see if she would be doing a book challenge this year. It just so happens that 'Fall Into Reading' starts today.

I made a start on my list a few weeks ago when I managed to get quite a few books that I wanted to read from the library. To tell the truth, I've already finished the first book on my list :-) I read The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society and really enjoyed it. It's what I would call an easy read (for me) and I did enjoy the characters, who not only knit but belong to a book club too (as do I).

So, here is the rest of my list so far (I may add to it over the next week or so) in no particular order.



The SweetGum Knit Lit Society by Beth Pattillo - There is a second book out in this series and also a Christmas book coming out soon I think. Not sure if I will add them to my list because they aren't available at my library yet!






Julie and Julia by Julie Powell - I SO wanted to see the movie with Meryl Streep, but when I realized there was of course a book out, I thought I might read that first. I will watch the movie when it comes out on DVD :-)

Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon - I've read nearly all of the Mitford series (I think I might have the last one still to read, hmm, perhaps I should add that to my list too!) and wanted to read the latest on Father Tim.

Shopaholic and Baby by Sophie Kinsella - I've read all the other Shopaholic books and The Domestic Goddess and Can you keep a secret! Enjoyed them all so I've added this one too. Oh, and my library has her latest one Twenties Girl, so I'll be adding that one too ;-)

Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs - I read her first novel 'The Friday Night Knitting Club'. It was just ok, but I thought I'd give 'her' another try! There's also a follow up to her first novel called Knit Two, and a Christmas one called Knit the Season. These two will probably be added to my list at a later date.

For the Holidays:



A Dog Named Christmas by Greg Kincaid - thought I'd browse my library website for some holiday reads. This was the first one I saw. I've never heard of it or the author, but it sounds like it might be a nice read.








Skipping Christmas by John Grisham - I've read this before, (long before the movie came out) and I loved it. I didn't like the movie at all the first time I watched it, but the second time was a little better, not one I'd add to my fav Holiday Movies though. I never understood why they changed the title to Christmas with the Kranks! I think I'll read this again just for the fun of it.



With Kristen :
Kristen and I spend half an hour or so each night reading a story together. She really likes the Bunnicula series. We've read about 4 of them so far and just finished Nighty Nightmare which is in the same series.
We have these books out of the library right now that we hope to get through soon:

Celery Stalks at Midnight by James Howe
Bunnicula meets Edgar Allen Crow by James Howe
The Odorous Adventures of Stinky Dog by James Howe
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl (currently reading)

So there you have it :-) I love browsing Amazon and my library website to see what books I might like. I may add more to my list but not sure if I'll get them all read by December, but that's ok, it's all just for fun.

Happy Fall

Happy first day of Fall to you all :-) We had a thunderstorm last night and this morning it's very dull, grey and raining as I type this. And I LOVE it! A cold front is moving in, it's only going to be 79 today, ha ha. It's currently in the high 60's which means that most of the day will only be in the low 70's probably. It's perfect for the first day of Fall. I have the lamps on around the house and my Yankee 'Harvest' candle burning. I have no plans to go anywhere today - actually I have to stay in to wait for the cable guy to come and check our box.

I'd like to say thank you for all the lovely comments I got on my last post. I will be painting the mirror as a lot of you suggested. That was going to be my next project but I forgot to mention I would be doing it to match the dresser. Not sure though if the mirror will actually follow the dresser in to the dining room. I kind of like a mirror in the hallway so you can give yourself a quick 'once-over' as you head out the door ;-)

Anyway, on to today. I thought I'd share a couple of yummy things with you. and link up to Lisa and Jen's blogs ... the first doesn't actually have a recipe for it.

Last Friday hubby asked if I would make some cupcakes to take to his work picnic the next day. They have what they call a cake walk... it's a game like musical chairs I think, and the winners receive home baked cakes or cookies. I just used a mix for these cakes but wouldn't you know it, the minute I put them in the oven, hubby called to tell me he'd gotten the date wrong. It wasn't the next day but the following Saturday! Well, I froze a dozen cakes for him and I'll get them out this Friday, but the other 12 I had I thought I would practice decorating. Kristen enjoyed giving me a hand, especially when she got to play with this. . . . .

Has anyone ever tried it? Food color spray, all you do is 'spritz' it on your cupcakes and you have instant color. I've seen cakes done this way in the grocery store but didn't realize you could buy the spray until last week when I was looking for the cupcake holders. So, I piped on whipped frosting and Kristen gently sprayed the cakes and then sprinkled green sugar on top. We finished them off with fun jack-o-lantern picks.

I tried this recipe last week, from the Pilsbury website. . .Grand Taco Melts!

You simply make a beef taco mix and sandwich it between a pilsbury biscuit, it's kinda like a hot pocket or a calzone. They were very yummy (but I forgot to take a picture, the one you see is from the Pillsbury site) and you don't need to stop at taco mix, there's also a recipe for Thai Chicken Calzones. This recipe is for members only though so I couldn't link to it. It's free to sign up at Pillsbury.com The newsletter they send you each month has some great recipe ideas too. I love browsing their site, it always looks so yummy.