Autumn splendor and 1 sock

Finished one sock!  Love the way it striped, love the yarn.  Now gotta finish that second sock. 

I've been putting out a few decorations for autumn and halloween.  I am trying to embrace the "less is more" and not go over the top with decorations this year.

Here are the last rose of summer.  Amazing how they are so brilliant now after the long, hot, dry summer. 

blog stats

Wow, did you know that I've had over 17,000 hits on my blog!??

Another interesting fact is that a good percent of the viewers are from Russia! 

If you are from Russia, welcome to my blog!  I am thrilled you have visited!  Please leave a comment, if you have time.

Thanks to all of you for visiting my blog.  I often wonder if it is worth the time to post but I hear so much positive feedback from family and friends that I do think it is worth the time.  I enjoy blogging and I enjoy using my blog almost like a journal to keep track of things I am working on, everything from gardening to knitting to quilting to cooking. 

Welcome and thank you for you continued support!

It slices, it dices, it julienne's ....

I recreated Sweet Ankeny Girl's apple and fennel salad today.   I fell in love with it when I was at her house with Awesome Iowa City girl last June for the Iowa Sheep and Wool fest.  I bought a mandolin while at Door County (same group of bandits) and tried it out today. 

I kind of guessed at how to make it.  For my apple salad I sliced 1 granny smith, 1 fennel bulb and tossed with a vinaigrette of 1 squeezed lemon and about 1/8 cup of olive oil with salt and pepper.  It turned out delish!

I found some cute jars at Target.  I was all pumped up to paint them with chalk board paint and red tops.  Well it was a fail.  The chalkboard paint just peeled off.  The red spray paint was pretty but it bubbled so I am not thrilled with the outcome.  Next time I will just find metal paint and hand paint the tops.

 

In the jars I made home-made hot cocoa and home-made pumpkin granola.

 

The hot cocoa recipe is simple, It comes from Round the Twist podcaster.  I  used low fat and low sugar, where ever possible, it turned out creamy and delicious

 

8 quart box of powdered milk
1 lb. container of Nestle Quik
5 oz. powdered coffee creamer
1 cup powdered sugar
Mix everything together in a big bowl. You can sift the ingredients if you want everything to be powder-fine, but it’s not necessary.
To use: Fill a mug 1/2 to 2/3 full of the mix. Add hot water, stir, and enjoy!

 

Everything I made can be found on the Internet and I tweaked a little to fit my tastes.

Here is my granola tweak:

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/09/easy-pumpkin-spiced-granola.html#more
I substituted honey for maple syrup and chia seeds for flaxseed.

Our last high school homecoming

Dear hubby and I took off last Friday.  It was our 21st wedding anniversary and our youngest child's homecoming!  He is a senior so this is our last homecoming!  Dear Hubby surprised me with a bouquet of long stem red roses.  The roses are huge and the fragrance amazing!  He is so sweet to be so loving after 21 years!  I about fell off my chair when they were delivered to my office at work.  We enjoyed a breakfast at a favorite place in Iowa City that makes sweet potato pancakes then took the long way home past the lake and where we could look at the awesome autumn colors.

My beautiful sister and sweet brother-in-law drove out from Des Moines to visit for the day.  It was so much fun to have them here for the parade, dinner and the game.  The weather was perfect. 

Here I am with my beautiful sister. 

The ceremonial "P" was burned while they played a very old Prairie High School ballad.

Sweet daughter caught up with high school friends.

The game was a heart break loss.  I will not go into it here.

The kids stopped by for pictures, everyone looked beautiful.  Dear son had a fun night and went to a bon fire after the dance.  ohhhhh to be 17 again!  We are really enjoying his senior year and sad to participate in a lot of "last" moments. 

Dear son's touchdown catch in Friday night's game

Football season for my senior son has fun.  Here is a quick pass for the kid that lives across the street from us to Dear Son for a TD! 

Crazy life

Our house has been a bit crazy but super fun this Fall. 

This section of the post is called finish it or frog it.  This sweater started with cotton and it is stretching to no end, seriously, what was I thinking?  I think it needs to be frogged.

This sweater is a cable one, love the yarn but I've made a ton of mistakes and kinda starting to really hate working on the pattern soooo I think it is time to rip it out.

 This beauty I love all the way to about the bust, hate hate hate the collar.  Time to frog this completed sweater!?

 Now for the new stuff.  This will become what I hope to be a super cute skirt with tights and tall boots.

 I love these socks, I keep 'em in the car and also ready to go on the plane.

Tons of tomatoes ready now and not enough days to eat them so I am working on roasting, and simmering them, then freezing, I shall see later in the year if they turn out.

I have not had time to spin much at all but I love this fiber, doesn't it look like fall?

Door County Dreamin' take 1

Just spent 3 great days in Door County at my dear Iowa City friend's cabin.  I enjoyed the time with Colorado girl, Ankeny girl, Coralville girl and my friend..

 I flew into Green Bay because I had frequent flyer miles and needed to be home in time to watch dear Son play football on Friday night.  The first stop was Spin in Spurgeon Bay.  I only bought a pair of needles there that I needed for a Noro Yarn skirt.

We had so much fun at the cabin.  Ankeny girl brought some cute glasses for our frozen drinks.

Sweet Iowa City friend made an awesome coffee quilt.

So relaxing to sew and knit at the cabin.

Can you see the loon way out on the water?

Silly picture of me in my PJ's drop spindling on the deck.

Our first stop on the great Wednesday trip of shopping was at Bailey's Yacht Club.  Fun

Funny t-shirt for the sister's.  I think neither are evil.

I found some great beach glass jewelry at an awesome price at Top of the Hill and a really cute top.

We stopped at an art gallery that was beautiful and too rich for my blood.

I made Mexican lasagna for dinner.  I think it was enough for two meals but I wasn't there long enough to confirm.

We saw Gretchen, who taught us drop spindle.

I made one quilt top.

Every meal enjoyed in the great outdoors.

Show me your projects!

The last night from the outside looking in.  sad to leave but very happy to get home in time to see my dear son play football.  Be it ever so humble, there is NO PLACE LIKE HOME!