Fabulous Flea Market Finds!

As promised I am posting pictures of my recent flea market finds!!
I've also been crocheting up a storm and will post pictures of my recent projects next!!

Awesome Picnic Basket for $5!!



Real leather decanter straight from Italy!
...according to the sticker on the bottom :)...



The other side of the decanter.

A living room coffee table!! FINALLY!
I have been searching for the perfect table since I moved and finally found it,
 albeit without glass but that can be remedied!



Fall, Spice and Everything Nice

It is FALL!!! Have I mentioned that I love this time of year?! It ties with Spring for my favorite season. I love making soups/stews, crocheting, wearing multiple layers, watching football,...ahhhhh....and I love the smell of pumpkin anything. Pumpkin candles, pumpkin baking, pumpkin spice.

I have begun my Christmas shopping early. I kid you not! I've always wanted to start shopping early, but have never actually managed to...but this year is different! and I actually might check out some Black Friday sales. I've NEVER shopped the day after Thanksgiving...the crowds, the road rage, the crowds...it's never appealed to me, but my little sister really wants a Kindle this year so I'm going to have to find a good deal!

I also want to make a lot of my presents...I've started on a few headwarmers. This is one I made in about an hour for my friends birthday present. It's not completely finished. I have to sew a button on one end, but the pattern doesn't use much yarn at all and I made this out of a creamy, super soft yarn I've had forever. I got the pattern from the Mixin it up with DaPerfectMix blog. They show a better picture of the headwarmer (on an actual head.) I'd love to adorn it with a flower or something, but my friend just wanted a plain one with no embellishments. I will definitely adorn my next one with a flower or something cute!

1st Headwarmer

I went to an amazing thrift store/flea market a couple weekends ago and all I knew prior to going was that my friends refer to it as 'The Mecca'! It is seriously the largest flea market I have ever seen!! We spent 2 hours shopping and only made it through one quarter of the place.  I will post pictures of my finds in my next post!

In the meantime check out the Vegetable Casserole with Herb Dumplings posted on my Recipe page!

Yarn Yarn Yarn

It is my new fall goal to post more frequently!! I just got a new Android phone and can take pictures of everything...which I have been doing...I just haven't followed through with the 'posting' part. I vow to change that.

I've been crocheting A LOT lately...I want to make all my xmas presents...or at least as many as possible. I just finished a beautiful green circle scarf...I just need to knit the ends together. The yarn was sooo pretty in the store AND it was on sale. Bonus! So I bought 2 skeins of 3 different colors. :)

I also want to make some ear warming headbands this winter and stumbled upon a GREAT BLOG that I immediately fell in love with. She posted her own bobble headband pattern that I'm definitely trying immediately! and she just happens to be having a YARN GIVEAWAY that ends TODAY!!!! I definitely found her on the right day! Check it out!!! You could win this yarn!

Yarn Giveaway!!

 http://fieldwonderful.blogspot.com/2011/09/400-posts-yarn-giveaway.html#comments

I haven't quite gotten around to making a falafel sandwich as I promised in my last post, but I did bake a Vegetable Casserole with Herb Dumplings that was d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s!! I'll post the recipe tomorrow when I have a bit more time (since I am posting while at work...)...but in the meantime, here's a picture to keep you interested:


Vegetable Casserole with Herb Dumplings

Baking....Books...and Life

OMG! It has been waayyy too loonngg since I last wrote!  I just get sidetracked and forget to post...even when I'm on a computer every single day!

Lately, I have had a baking itch. I always think about baking and how I'd love to just whip up a fancy delicious desert that everyone will fall in love with...but never take the time to actually do it. Well, boys and girls, this week I have baked twice!

I baked choc. chip cookies a few days ago and tonight I baked apple cinnamon flax seed muffins. I bought flax seed at the grocery store thinking we could add it to our breakfast shakes, but got home and realized it was flax seed meal...not the ground flax seed I actually needed...so I thought well hell, I'll just bake some muffins. :) and they came out really good!!

The Muffins

O, in case you don't have some eggs in the house you can mix 1 Tbsp of flax seed meal with 2 Tbs of water, let sit for 2 minutes and you have an egg substitute. Worked great!!

I'd really like to try some vegan baking...the muffins I made tonight were almost vegan...but I used milk. I think if I make them again I'll try to use vanilla soy milk...a hint of vanilla would add some depth to the flavor.

I think I'm going to try and make a falafel sandwich next! I'll let you know how it goes!

-Rachel
 

My First She Art Girl

It feels like I haven't posted in forever!

I finished my first She Art Girl!! and I LOVE IT! I've never been an artsy, creative person, but with practice and awesome tutorials I did it! I took a picture of my background without the girl, then took a picture of the finished product:

The words say: She Dreams.

I'm excited to start my next one!

Creativity

The She Art Workshop starts tomorrow!!! I am so EXCITED for this class!! I posted a link in my previous post so check it out!! or here, I'll just post it for you.
http://christytomlinson.typepad.com/christytomlinson/workshops.html 
I have to pick up a couple more supplies, but cannot wait to get my hands dirty.

I have decided to make a commitment to myself and set aside "me" time and actually create something!
Granted I do have downtime, but lately I have gotten tired of the same routine and mundaneness of things. The one creative thing I do is crochet...but after crocheting ALL winter long...I need a break and want to try something new. Enter: She Art Workshop.

I'll definitely be sure to post some pictures of my endeavors...don't be too critical. I'm new to this! :)

-til next time!

Under the Weather

We just had our second snow storm in 2 weeks...although this one was not as big as the last. Only dumped about 2.5 inches of snow this time...just enough to get me stuck in the driveway. :)

I've been a bit under the weather the last couple days...well, more than a bit...Phil has had bronchitis and been pretty sick the last couple weeks and my body held out as long as it could...until it decided to give in and let the germs invade. So I am now sick. Yuck. I hate being sick because even though I'm home from work I have no energy to do anything except sleep.

I'm getting more and more excited for the She Art Workshop. I signed up tonight!! Check out the badge I just added. Now, I just have to gather all my supplies for the class and come up with some creative ideas! I've never really considered myself to be an artistic person, but I think I have it in me.

I've been thinking about something for a long time...so I might as well go ahead and put it down in writing:

I'd like to open my own Etsy store.

I love to crochet so I'm hoping to hone my crocheting skills and add a few more artistic talents to my resume and open a store. I'm giving myself a year deadline....next winter. Wish Me Luck!

-til next time.