I made these yesterday....

.... and they are SO GOOD. Pumpkin biscotti. I got the recipe here. I dipped mine in chocolate. Mmmm.... My Inner Martha is full on FALL this week!

Accordion Album Love...

I sort of find it amusing that the items I love the most in my Etsy shop are rarely the ones that sell. What does that say about me? Take this one for example...

This might be my all time favorite accordion album tin. Butterflies. Velvet ric-rack. Acetate galore. Pockets for notes or pictures... I love it! But the listing will expire in a week and it will go homeless, unloved. What's up with that?

Do I just tend to like and make things that are difficult to accurately photograph? Does it really just look that much better in person that I fell in love with it and can't convey what it looks like through pictures? Do people just not know what to do with accordion albums? I guess if this one goes unloved I'll have to fill it with my own pictures (provided I ever find the time!) so people can see what you do with them. And so I can finally be a good mom and carry pictures of my daughter with me!! Someone asked what she looked like this week and all I had was a lousy cell phone picture. I really need to carry pictures of her!

Have I already blogged this?

This is a card Sheila asked me to put together as a fourth for my transparency card class this week. She really wanted me to use the file folder cut on the diagonal as a template and see what I could do with it. It's not my favorite card ever, but I am happy with how it turned out, especially working with someone else's idea, which I usually have a really hard time with. I love the other cards for the class Wednesday, but I don't have any pictures of those, so you'll just have to stop by the store to see them or use your imagination. They're transparency gatefold cards. =D

Bo Bunny Thanksgiving Album!

When I saw this paper from Bo Bunny, I knew EXACTLY what I wanted to do with it. All of the eclectic journaling blocks just called for me to make them into a mini album for Thanksgiving this year! So that I what I did. It doesn't have any pictures or writing in it yet, but I intend to use it to document our holiday this year, whatever we end up doing (it's still a bit up in the air as far as plans go...). I'm very happy with how it turned out! (So much so that I did a Christmas one using the Christmas paper, but I didn't really like how that turned out as much.) Anyway, without further ado, here is my Bo Bunny Thanksgiving Album!!

Of course, I used the Bind-It-All and tied some Michael's ribbon on the coils. I also added some Prima crystal frames (ovals) for a bit of sparkle, but other than that it is just that one sheet of paper!

Believe it or not....

... I've been getting to craft lately. Hooray! I've been too busy to blog it, but not too busy to do it, and you'll just have to trust me on that.

Just today I made a diaper cake (or 90% of it... it still needs a few finishing touches) and invitations to a baby shower (or 90% of them... I still need a little more information before they're finished).

I've been working on mini albums galore. I've got 4 of them done. No pictures inside yet, but they're all ready for them.

I've been working on cards, too. I've got some card classes coming up and I've been making samples for those, as well as working on my own Christmas cards.

It's good to craft. Hopefully I'll be able to post some pictures of stuff sometime soon. I don't make nearly enough time for blogging now that I'm busy again.

Birthday Gifts....

It's birthday season again.

All of Eliana's little friends seem to have been born in the months of October, November, and December. Of course, she wasn't, so I don't usually think about it until the first birthday hits. And that's Zoe's birthday. This year I was determined to have a great gift and have it made (because I am a believer in homemade gifts!) in time for her birthday party. I started plotting and planning and working on it way back in July. Then the project got stalled and I didn't pick it up again until Sunday.... the day OF Zoe's party. Too late. I didn't get it done in time. *sigh* But I did get it done, and I even remembered to take pictures before I wrapped it to give to her! Hopefully she'll like it, but I thought it would be a great gift for a 3 year old. I sort of pictured it being good in the car (since chalk won't stain car seats or melt in the summer heat) but really it would be good anywhere, I think. It's a chalkboard lap desk with a couple storage pockets....

The pictures are bad because I had to crank up the ISO for low light pictures, but you get the idea. I love this fleece material! The pattern just makes me happy with the little frogs on pogo sticks, and I'm a big fan of the bright cheery colors. I have enough supplies (except for the batting) to make another, so I think I will. Maybe it will be another toddler birthday present. Maybe it will be for Ellie. We'll see. But I like how this one turned out, especially for a first draft of the idea in my head. I love it when that happens.

Scarf and Hat....

Well, now that it's been snowing for pretty much two days straight, I guess it's as good a time as any to post the scarf and hat I made while camping this summer. The yarn is SO SOFT (I think it's called "pajama" yarn) and I love the blue, especially paired with the brown coat I wear so much.

And before my mother has a heart attack at the beautiful white snowy background, this picture was taken a month or more ago, and that is not snow, but a backdrop. So you can breathe easy, Mom, that we don't have THAT much snow on the ground. Only an inch or so, and I'm sure it will all be melted by the time you arrive in a few weeks. =D

Trick or Treat... Smell My Feet...

I love the Heidi Grace Halloween papers, so when I decided to make invitations to our Halloween party, I knew just which papers I wanted to use! The idea had been floating around in my head for a while, and when I sat down to make these the other night it all just came together. I really like how these turned out, too, and I'm glad I got to use the PaperTrey Ink stamps I bought, since I got them specifically for this (and more of this year's Halloween celebration) purpose. The "bags" are made from craft paper and trimmed with zigzag scissors and the "handles" pull up to reveal the party details! I thought it was clever... =D

Monday's Craft Night...

... Here's what I did. Turns out it takes more time to scrap when you're out of practice, but I'm happy to get to play with my SPS kits again AND get some scrapping in, even if it only one completed layout. Hey! It's completed!!

See what I got in the mail today?!

Yes, goodies from Paper Trey Ink! I know, I know, I'm not buying more craft stuff until I use what I have, but I have plans for these!! I have plans for my halloween party and plans for a baby shower, and I NEEEEED these stamps to complete my plans!! Really, I do. =D

I'm so excited to play with the new stamps! I'm hoping to have time to do that.... oh, maybe this weekend? I hope so!

Tonight's Class....

So tonight I'm teaching another class at the LSS. It's a recipe album using the new Theresa Collins recipe pages. I pretty much love all thing TC, so I am really excited about this one! I made mine a Thanksgiving recipe album so I have all my favorite Thanksgiving recipes in one place. The recipe cards pull out (with the exception of 2 of them in mine - class attendees will be able to do the cards however they want to, so I added a variety of ways to do it in mine for example) and I think it will be a fun keepsake to have all my holiday recipes in an album! If I'm really feeling ambitious come Thanksgiving I'd like to take pictures of some of the dishes and incorporate them somehow. But that will have to wait until later. In the meantime, here's a peek at the album!

Craft Night Tonight!!!

What AM I going to work on???

I'm thinking whatever I do should include one of the Sweet Pea Scraps kits. I'm itching to play with them!!

Happy Birthday to ME!

My birthday was a week ago, but this year I'm having the birthday that keeps on giving, I think! I've been celebrating for weeks now and today I got another birthday gift, this one from my inlaws. I got... A ScorPal!!


I am really very excited about it. In fact, after thanking my mother in law for reading my wishlist, I realized I hadn't even updated my wish list since I had been wanting a scor pal, so I had to then thank her for reading my mind, LOL! Craft night is Monday here at our house, so I'm looking forward to using it then! I'm going to work on stuff for... *gasp* ME! My own crafting!! (I hope)

Hallo-meanie

Some people are Halloweenies, but I am, apparently, a Hallo-meanie. Because, you see, tonight I stole some poor kid's Halloween candy, right out of his goodie bag, and he doesn't even know it yet. Yes, that does mean that I have started making up cute little goodie bags for the little trick-or-treaters that come to our door this year. It also means that I haven't sealed up the bags with their cute little toppers yet, which I should do soon because one poor little kid is now short a box of nerds! I'll have to give that bag to a toddler who is satisfied with Laffy Taffy and tootsie rolls. And I'll have to finish making the bags soon before more of our neighborhood children get gypped!

Martha vs. Maxine

My friend Angie sent me this email today and I figured I'd share it with all of you! =D (I know, really, I don't blog for ages and when I finally get around to blogging THIS is what I give you?! Sorry... ) I thought it was worth a laugh.


And just to let you know which one I am, I just finished loading the dishwasher and one of Ellie's sippy cup lids was particularly stuck. What did I do? Why, I reached for my (cute black and white polkadot) rubber dishwashing gloves, of course! =D

Are you Martha or Maxine?

Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of an ice cream cone to prevent ice cream drips.


Just suck the ice cream out of the bottom of the cone, for Pete's sake! You are probably lying on the couch with your feet up eating it, anyway!



To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.


Buy Hungry Jack mashed potato mix. Keeps in the pantry for up to a year.



When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead and there won't be any white mess on the outside of the cake.


Go to the bakery! Heck, they'll even decorate it for you!


If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a peeled potato and it will absorb the excess salt for an instant 'fix-me-up.'


If you over-salt a dish while you are cooking, that's too bad. Please recite with me the real woman's motto: 'I made it, you will eat it and I don't care how bad it tastes!'



Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.


Celery? Never heard of it!



Brush some beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.


The Mrs. Smith frozen pie directions do not include brushing egg whites over the crust, so I don't.



Cure for headaches: take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.


Take a lime, mix it with tequila, chill and drink! All your pains go away!


If you have a problem opening jars, try using latex dish washing gloves. They give a non-slip grip that makes opening jars easy.


Go ask that very cute neighbor if he can open it for you.



Don't throw out all that leftover wine. Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.


Leftover wine??????????? HELLO!!!!!!!

So there you have it. Which are you? Martha or Maxine?

*GASP* Can it be?!

Really? Is it true? Did I REALLY miss the first episode of MARTHA this season? I suppose it shouldn't surprise me, given that I haven't been able to make MARTHA a regular part of my day for quite a few months now, but there was a time when that would have been unheard of. I've had "September 15" in my head as the season premiere for quite a while now, but somehow it still managed to come and go without my notice. I am sort of saddened by it, and yet I know that it can't be TOO important to me, or I wouldn't have missed it in the first place.

So... I am left pondering the things that have changed and where I am in my life now that I am not receiving daily inspiration from MARTHA. I suppose I will get along somehow, as I have been, but still, it comes as a shock to me.

Now to see if I can watch it online. I really hope I can, too, because I do enjoy it even if 11am is no longer the most convenient time for me. Perhaps she will become my evening crafting buddy as I watch her on the web.

The big picture

Leif got me a wide angle lens for my birthday on the 21st (I know, I know... I'm playing with my birthday present before my birthday, but who can resist?). For some reason I just love that I can stand in a room and take a picture of the WHOLE room in one shot! It makes me giddy.

So.... for the first time ever, here is a FULL picture of my craft room! You can see some of the new arrangement, including the "new" cabinet (that is really about 7 years old and has just been moving with us, unassembled, since we bought it at Ikea in Chicago, back when we lived in Iowa. We finally got it put together!) that forms a nice barrier between the craft room and the rest of the utility room. It's also the place I'm storing my Mary Kay inventory and my Etsy inventory! It's so nice to have a place for these things that Ellie isn't getting into!! You can also see a little more of the larger room, with its peiced-together carpet and exercise equipment. What you can't see behind the camera is a utility sink, and our laundry area. Off to the side just in front of the door you can see in the picture is the storage closet housing my wrapping station! So there you have it... the craft room / utility room tour.

Wrapping Station

Here it is... my little wrapping station in all its glory!

From Ellie and Robert

Just a tiny space under the stairs, but it's perfect for what I need! I love it!

Apron Love...

So the other day I was making fresh raspberry cobbler in the kitchen and I realized I never did post a picture of the awesome apron Dana sent me! In fact, I've pretty much neglected to post any of the great things people have sent me in the last few months, though I'm making an effort to catch up on that. So... Here it is! My new apron! I LOVE it! And if you can't tell from my words just how excited I am about my new apron, let me show you...

It looks like this on one side, and the other side has an olive green and cream design. I wear the other side out most often, but for some reason (probably to match my white shirt) I was wearing this side out on the night we remembered to take pictures. And it can tie in the front or the back, and I do either, depending on the mood I'm in.

As I said before, I love my apron. I wear it frequently and I'm so glad that fall is here so I can start baking up a storm and wearing it all the time!! =D Thank you, Dana! Thank you! Thank you!

Let Her Eat Cake!

This is the layout I did of Eliana's first birthday. You know, the one I made the day before her second birthday just because I couldn't stand the thought of not having it done by the time she turned two? Yeah. The pictures aren't that great because I was tired last night when I was taking the pictures and I didn't want to mess with a decent setup, but it at least gives an idea of what the layout and mini album (which is actually mounted onto the layout) look like. And despite the fact that I didn't print these photos for a year because I was so disappointed in how they turned out, I really like the page and how the whole thing ended up. It's shiny. =D Oh, and it doesn't look nearly as busy in real life, because there are layers and textur to set everything apart. It looks REALLY busy in the picture, but trust me - it looks good in real life!