Wordless Wednesday: River Memories

my favorite Thanksgiving leftover

Friday, Husband and I cooked our family Thanksgiving meal.  We stuck to simple and ended up not even making dessert (gasp.  I'm still surprised at the no dessert thing.)    Husband brined and cooked a turkey and made these FANTASTIC sweet potato rolls that he's been making for about 4 years now.  I made mashed potatoes and green beans with olive oil and garlic and, of course, the canned cranberry sauce (jelled, please.)

We went around the table and said what we were thankful for.  Daughter said, "two big teammates and two little teammates who work together and play together."  I love that she understands that this family is a team who does work together and play together and stick together.

Son was thankful for "HAPPY BIRTHDAY THANKSGIVING."   yes.  :-)

Anyway, to the actual point of the post: my favorite leftover.

a split sweet potato roll with cranberry sauce and turkey.   fantastic.

I told Husband that later this winter we need to pick up a turkey breast and just make a meal out of this Thanksgiving leftover favorite!  It's too good to only have once a year.

75% off Halloween Costumes

If you had to guess the size of these costumes would you guess a children's medium (for 7-8 year olds)?   That's exactly what these are.  And because they were 75% off (only about $4 each) I said, "let's give them a try."   Luckily, the costumes were one piece, so after rolling up the sleeves and the pants legs, you couldn't tell they were made for kids at least one foot taller!

Seriously, both of these kids think Buzz Lightyear (and Jessie, and Woody and the rest of the gang) is/are the bee's knees.

to infinity ...

... and beyond

Scented Rice Packs and Homemade Fabreeze

For years when I've been in need of a heating pad or pack, I've turned to a trusty gym sock filled with rice.  Pop it in the microwave for a couple of minutes and there you have it.  warmth for my back, neck, abdomen, whatever.   Very utilitarian not very pretty.  

enter this pinterest tutorial. plus there's a link for the drawstring bag she made for it, also.  

The best part of this project, all I needed was some lavender essential oils to scent the rice.  I already had everything else.

The flannel I used was leftover from Daughter's Peppa Pig ears, nose and tail. We always have rice in the house.  And I happened to have a white ribbon that would match some scrap fabric that I love.  (seriously, this is part of the walmart grey/yellow/black/white fabric. love)

all my materials (the essential oils have already been added to the rice)

 In one hour, I turned all of that ^ into ...

this.

the rice pack in the bag

It's great.  I love it.  But sadly, after almost a month of everyday use, it only smells like rice.

I also made two mini ones for headaches.  The top on in the zip top bag stays in the freezer and the bottom stays beside the larger bagged one on my night stand.  I didn't scent these two.

I've also made a pack and bag for my mom (as sort of a make up for forgetting her birthday AGAIN) and a bag and a pack for TMDS.

Plus since I had lots of lavender essential oils left over, I've taken a few scented soaks in the tub.  A very rare wonderful treat.

AND I've made ghetto fabreeze. In a spray bottle I mix 1/2 cup of alcohol (I use 91% Isopropyl Alcohol because it evaporates quickly and the smell only lingers for about a minute), 1 cup of water, and 35 drops of essential oils.  (I think next time I will buy a bottle of lavender and either grapefruit or orange for a more fabreeze like smell.  I even wrote the "recipe" in sharpie on the bottle so I wouldn't have to look it up every time.  There are lots of other "recipes" on that pin, but this one is the one I use and love.

Thankful.

Wordless Wednesday: My Skill Builder Sampler blocks so far

Son's first football game

We took the kids to the Alabama Georgia Southern game Saturday.  They (the kids and the husband all had a fantastic time)

funny side note: When we were getting dressed, Daughter wanted to wear her Greg McElroy jersey she got for her first game last year AND her navy Auburn hat.  She wore it the entire car ride and when we were getting out of the car, I suggested she leave the hat in the car so she wouldn't lose it.  It worked.  The Auburn hat stayed in the car and Daughter didn't get heckled for loving red shirts and blue hats.   When Husband was putting on Son's Mark Ingram (who we saw signing autographs) jersey, he screamed, "GET THAT FOOTBALL SHIRT AWAY FROM ME."  He wore a different shirt and his red hat.

walking to the quad

cheering and shaking his shaker with the the band.  

watching the band at Gorgas.

the kids' view.  they loved it.

when we first walked into the stadium, about 30 minutes before the game.

Daughter saying hello to her good friend "Big Owl" and Son meeting "Al the elephant"
She loved it and he was pretty traumatized until we starting walking away and I said, "buddy, that's the Big Al, the elephant you watched on the field."   "... that was him?  I love him, but he scared me."

they cheered, ate popcorn, french fries and drank (gasp) Coke and cheered some more.

luckily the people behind us never showed up so  the kids could stand in their seats.  talking about the game

I'm pretty sure Daughter put a Confundus Charm on Georgia Southern

cheering.
When Alabama had the ball, I taught her "B-A-M-A Bama all the way."
and on defense, she yelled, "PUSH EM' BACK! PUSH EM' BACK! HARDER, HARDER."
she loved it.

After the bands performed, we considered the day a success and headed out of the stadium.

Both kids declared two time National Championship winner Coach Frank Thomas as their favorite coach statue.
Daughter said if her likeness is ever turned into a statue, this is the pose she wants.

 On the way to the car, we stopped for ice cream.  The last time we went out for ice cream was Mother's Day (or Father's day ... I forget which one) but the kids both wanted the same kind of ice cream they had that time.  and that's what they ordered.

blue (cotton candy) for Daughter

green (mint) for Son

and something almost the size of his head, for Husband.  I think he got a pumpkin something or another.

Saturday night when we said "our favorite parts of the day" both kids said going to the football game.  It was a fun, special day I hope they remember forever.

Saturday Sewing in November and homemade Christmas gifts

Jennifer has challenged her blog readers (which include the Second Saturday Sewers) to make as many homemade/handmade Christmas gifts as we can/want to.  I'd been thinking about what I could make for awhile.  Remember the crocheted blankets I made the kids last Christmas?  They are still favorites.  

But besides my immediate family, we don't really give gifts.  Our extended family (parents, siblings and their families) get homemade goodies.  And that's a great tradition I want to continue.  So this year I decided that instead of the store bought paper throwaway gift bags we gave last year, this year I could SEW reusable gift bags.  This way the recipient can use them again and again for whatever they want long after the treats have been eaten.  Working on those bags was my project this month.  And as usual, it's my most productive sewing day of the month BY FAR.

Jennifer made chili.  (and it was great)
She also made a rice bag as one of her homemade gifts.

Mandy completed a match box cars car carrier as one of her gifts.
WOW.  I love and wish I already had one for Son.  He definitely loves his cars.

Marie completed a reversible tote for a birthday gift.
And I'm modeling one of the reversible totes I made that will be filled with Christmas treats galore.

I also decided that besides the 6 totes I'm making for goodie bags, I'm also making two each for the kids.  They have LOTS of plastic food and love playing lots of games with it.  But have never played grocery store anywhere but McWane.  I asked her about it and Daughter said it's because they don't have a cart, grocery bags or a cash register.  Well, I'm making the bags, My mom found these great metal shopping carts that she's giving the kids ... and the jury is still out on the register.

This makes my total of homemade gifts this year: 10 reversible totes, lots of treats and something I have in mind for Husband.  Due to a car wreck last week and the deductible that has to be paid, I've had to abandon my original idea for his gift. But I have something homemade in mind that I think he'll love.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Goats ... ME!

I feel like Son always gets the short end of the stick when it comes to me talking about the cute/sweet/funny things he does.  He has a big personality but Daughter has a HUGE personality.  I feel like he gets overshadowed a lot.

But just because I'm not talking about it, doesn't mean he's not doing it. 

This is a very short video I shot last night of him "playing the piano" in a window frame.  And, wow, he very much reminds me of Schreoder from the Peanuts.  

In case the audio really is as bad as I think it is, he says: Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Goats ... ME! Thank you, I play the piano."   then he does his thing and at the end says, "Ladies and Gentleman, Boys and Goats ... ME! Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Two Rainbow Plus Birthday Quilts

I have two sisters with November birthdays.  And what a better way to celebrate than with a new quilt?

Back in August I got this fabric.  It was originally intended to be a rainbow plus quilt for Daughter when she upgraded to a twin sized bed.  But when she saw it all laid out, she had one big criticism ... not enough pink.

So, I scrapped the idea to use this fabric for Daughter and quickly thought of two dear sweet friends (who are practically my sisters) who have birthdays in November.  

perfect.

I split the fabric in half and added a few solids from my stash and presto enough for TWO throw sized quilts.  

I was so excited to get started on these.  I put all the rows together at home and then spent most of our September Saturday Sewing day finishing the tops.  Back at home I decided on a solid light blue for the backs, basted, quilted, binded and done.  Over a month before I would actually mail them!  I really was so excited to get these finished.  And I'm really proud of how they came out.  My best quilts yet.

the front of one
it's bound with the solid blue that's in the quilt

the front of the other.
don't get stressed out about those two yellow pluses in the middle being side by side.  It's part of a pattern.  Find the pattern and the anxiety will go away.  at least it did for me.
this one is bound with the blue fabric I used for the wonky log cabin quilts and the place mats. It's a favorite.

the backs.  I took the "easy" way out and quilted beside the ditch to make squares. I like the way it turned out.  

a closeup.  this is the first time I've used my walking foot for such a big project and WOW I can definitely tell a difference.   no bunching.

a closeup of a few of the prints

a special hand embroidered message 

And now that I'm sure they have both been delivered, I can debut them on the blog.

A Fancy Dinner Party

OK, this is by FAR, the cutest kid story I've had to share in a long time.  They blew me away with this one.

The Sunday night that we took the kids trick-or-treating at McWane and Whole Foods (remember the flowers?), Husband and I are in our bedroom watching Desperate Housewives and the kids are playing in Daughter's room.  With fifteen minutes left in the episode, Daughter comes in and asks me to get their vases of flowers off the mantle because they need them for a fancy dinner party.  I say OK and quietly follow her into her room to see what's going on.  

On her Dora table is a white blanket acting as a table cloth, most of their kitchen food and now two vases of fresh flowers.  (melt) I run and tell Husband what they're up to and settle back in to watch the rest of DH.

Two minutes later, Daughter and Son come and invite us to a fancy dinner party.  And seriously, it was an invitation I could not ignore or postpone ... because, really, how often do I get invited to fancy dinner parties? much less ones in my own home?!?

Daugther had turned off her overhead light and turned on the lamp (for mood lighting), had the "table cloth" on the table and the food prepared.  We ooo-ed and ahhh-ed and sat down at our assigned tables.  Before we could start eating, Daughter said we still needed to invite Blue Bear, Baby, Razberry and Baby Elephant (their imaginary friend).  After everyone was assembled, we started "eating."

They were both so pleased with themselves.  

I had some spiced cider in the crock pot for Husband to take to work the next day as a special treat.  So I excused myself, poured 4 mugs and returned with a special "fancy dinner party drink"   We toasted, sipped, toasted, sipped, toasted some more and sipped a little more.  They thought it was fantastic.  

Then Husband had a dessert idea.  He went to the kitchen and came back with a plate of candy corns stuck with tooth picks.  Again with the ooo-s and ahhh-s.  The kids thought that was "very fancy" 

It was such a fun memory to make.  I love how creative both kids are and the fun things they think of to do and play and experience.  It's fun knowing them.

toasting

another toast

I should really get the tripod out more often so we can have actual family photos with everyone in them!

Ruffner Mountain and then some

Sunday, Husband was in the mood for an adventure.  The weather was great and so we decided to go hiking at Ruffner Mountain.  I hadn't been in almost 8 years and loved it then, so I was excited.  And the kids love hiking period.  But first we went to the airport.  Son and Husband watched planes for 45 minutes.  And Son would have loved to stay longer.

watching

Southwest planes are his favorite

Son refused to get any closer to this "cave" because he said there was a lion in there.

off on the trail

Thank you, Osh Kosh B'Gosh outlet for your $9 jeans that are long enough for my daughter to wear

Daughter spent a lot of time tripping because she was staring up at the leaves, trees, sky and clouds.  Finally I told her I'd take a picture she could look at later.  

Son found a tree that looked like an airplane "steering wheel"  So he drove the plane.

"This map says we are lost." We weren't but she sure cracked up two ladies that were taking a break on a nearby bench.

 We ended up hiking about 3 miles and the kids did great.  So great that they asked to go to a park before we went home.  ah, to have their energy.

"take my picture while I slide, please."

notice the pants change.  potty training is not complete.  boo.

Wordless Wednesday: craftiness in a former life

The Game of the Century and how I spent it

Saturday, Husband and I headed to Tuscaloosa for some time without kids ... oh, yea, and to watch this super hyped football game.  And a good time was have by all.  No, that's a lie.  I saw a lot of crying, a lot of drunken celebrating, 3 fights and all around exhibitions of craziness.  But luckily, Husband and I were't the ones doing any of those things.  Husband was just a bit morose.

After lunch at DePalma's.  I was refused wine service because I had an expired driver's license.  seriously. time to renew.

My favorite smack talk of the day

Marr's Spring.  an incredible place on campus Husband took me to.  It was wonderfully quiet and  peaceful.  The campus used to use this spring as a water source.

Husband got down on the ground and propped his feet on the bench and said, "I used to do this a lot when I lived here."

Looking in one of the cisterns, spring water still flows.

My second favorite smack talk of the day

the drum line warming up

THIS is what the stadium looks like when you get there before the 90 minute countdown clock starts!! The student section is almost already full.

Coach.

This is the closest I've ever been to Lee Corso in real life.

This is the part of the night when I put my camera in my pocket, got out my shaker and started watching the game and cheering like a lunatic.  Seriously, I don't think anyone around me knew I was an actual Auburn fan.    Two days later, my throat still hurts a little.

Here's how it would have gone if Alabama would have won: we'd have strolled to the Houndstooth, had a celebratory drink and then walked around for awhile and then started to make our way home in a leisurely fashion.  

Instead, they lost.  Which meant almost running the over a mile to the car and listening to sports radio most of the way home so Husband could hear other fans lamenting the loss.  But, we did stop long enough to get this picture:

Chris Fowler, David Pollack and Urban Meyer after the game.

Bonus, Husband went this great new way home that completely eliminated traffic.  Too bad we didn't stop for coffee on the way.   It was a great day.  Too bad my husband's team lost so it wasn't a great day for him as well.