Why is it that when you stay up late on the weekends, and you reeaally want to sleep in the next morning...you can't? There you lay, wide awake, before the alarm would usually go off during the week. And then when it's time to get up and go to work during the week, it seems almost impossible to make yourself get out of bed in the morning. That was the case for me this morning. Again. Just like it is every weekend. And I can guarantee I will hit the snooze at least 4 times tomorrow morning. Up & at 'em! That's what my Mom would always say when she'd try to get me up for school (my getting-out-of-bed-in-the-morning problem goes way back...she used to say I'd sleep through world war 3.) Since I was awake, I thought I'd get a start on my day. So I made French Breakfast Puffs for breakfast. Thank you Pioneer Woman, they are delightful (trying not to drop cinnamon & sugar on the keyboard.)
Then onto the mess of websites that has been slowly growing on the computer all week (there's just so many good things to look at!)
I came across a pretty neat project via hula seventy...52 strangers. What a beautiful project. I don't think I could walk up to a stranger and ask if I could take their picture, all up close & personal. Maybe one for the back burner.
I've had my eye on Elsie Blaha's custom journals for quite some time, just never wanting to dig through pictures to choose the ones I would love love love to see on my cover. But I will. Sometime. Looks like she does an excellent job, and I can always use another journal to fill with lists.
aily drop cap has been floating around the interweb for some time now, and really I'm just putting it in here because I wanted to test it out. Pretty neat, eh?
Made Ali's mac & cheese the other night...delish! I think the leftovers were even better, after it had time to sit and get happy for a while.
I totally have a thing for Christmas stockings. I see all kinds, all over the place, and I want to make them. Of course, I don't, because I would have quite the collection of stockings, and displaying might be an issue. And I would probably require that they are all filled Christmas morning...and Cory probably wouldn't like that very much. I love the idea of using old sweaters, although I would choose to do mine a little differently...good inspiration.
And for some more holiday crafts I wish I had time for...
This morning (when I woke up so early) I looked outside and saw snow on the low hills around us, now the sun is beginning to peek out, but I'm still loving this rainy picture today.
We're off to the Festival of Trees (why they have it before Thanksgiving, I do not know - but I'm not missing it!). And then to see Ped, a 7 foot long bronze foot...some new art down at a park that I've been wanting to go visit. (In other words, avoiding watching the Seahawks get creamed.) Happy Sunday to you!
I know it may be a tad bit early for some, but if you need a little holiday inspiration...head on over to Martha's Christmas workshop. So many cuuute things! Also, check out the craft-of-the day. Makes me want to decorate (but not for a few more weeks) and make all kinds of pretty things.
where I can sit in front of the computer while Cory sleeps in and waste the entire morning away looking at foodie blogs. I usually end up with tons of cookie & cupcake recipes for some reason :)
The other day, I did get my flag picture. *Note to self: take mondo flag pictures on a windier day, and bring your wide angle lens.
And I'm close to finishing my yarn wrapped wreath & felted acorn project. Wrapping the yarn was a lot longer process than I was anticipating, I think it took about 2 & a half hours the other night, but I'm super pleased with the outcome. I have a blue birdie that will make it's nest somewhere on the wreath, with the acorns around it, and a pretty velvety type bow at the top (that I have yet to find). Even thought it doesn't make for very decent photographs, I love that winter sun that streams through the windows in the morning.
Well, Cory's up now, and he just delivered my morning jug of coffee. I'm going to sip this down, then get to work on my Sunday chores, then I'll probably bake something.
Destination, Grand Coulee Dam. That's where we went on our Sunday drive the other weekend. I didn't mean to leave you hanging for so long, I'm not quite sure where the past week and a half went. I had intentions of posting about our adventure last Monday or Tuesday, but obviously that didn't happen. We got in the truck and drove drove drove, up and over Badger Mountain (looking back over the Wenatchee Valley). hmm, strange road. We arrived at Dry Falls and munched our lunch. This golf ball sized grape is the biggest grape I've ever seen, took 3 bites to get it down! Then we explored Dry Falls a little.
That is a place you could easily spend the whole day exploring, but we had places to go! More driving driving driving...to Grand Coulee Dam.
A view from the backside. 11,975,521 cubic yards of cement = largest concrete dam in N. America I'd like to see the lazer light show they do at night sometime. I love how the whole big place is built into the rock.
I squealed with delight when I found acorns all over the ground... I gathered as many acorn caps as Cory would let me...they will be used for a project I've been wanting to make lately (more on that later). The moon was out and oh so pretty as the sun was setting on our way back home. It was the perfect Sunday. A few more pictures from our adventure found here, and this is the ground we covered, we made a big figure-8:
I have the day off from work today, in honor of our country's veterans. There is a monster of a flag flying on the pole at Banner Bank, which I plan of taking a picture of. Every time I drive by it, I think about how I want a picture. Today I'm making it my priority. Another thing on my lengthy list of things to accomplish today (besides making a cheesecake, I really have a taste for cheesecake - random) includes making a pretty yarn wreath using this tutorial, and acorns that I've been felting using those caps I scored at the dam. (click images for sources)
Also needing to come up with a design for our Christmas cards sometime soon, so I can get crafting. Have you seen the USPS stamp set for 2009? Love that happy reindeer. Now that Halloween has passed, the holiday season is upon us, and I have a feeling the weeks are going to fly by. Also on the list is to start compiling a wish list (I like lists!), gathering gifts, decide on a wrapping paper scheme (because I like all the gifts to look like a coordinated collection under the tree - don't ask). And then little Betty Baker appears in the kitchen. I love holiday cookies :)
On the baking topic...I don't know how I ran across these adorable cookie monster cupcakes, but I thought I'd share. I love the ones with the broken cookie crumbs. Once I found the first set, I had to look for more...love that Elmo!
Did you know what Sunset magazine had a blog, Home By Sunset (it only makes sense, everyone else is doing it). Did you also know that Amy Butler has some pretty new bath towels, available at bedbathandbeyond.com for $14.
They don't really go with my bathroom scheme, but they sure are pretty. I love all of her patterns...makes me want to sew.
I really like this "to do" list idea (...another list!) Age minus a year = number of things to do before your next birthday. Since I'm already just about half way to my next one already, I can make my list half as long, or get a move on...or just wait until my next birthday cycle so I can have the full year to work on crossing off items on my list (plus that will give me time to work on making my list, right?)
Hey, U2 is coming to Seattle June 20th...tickets go on sale Monday. Am I a little excited? I think so! Oh, and the CMA's are on tonight. Out of all the award shows, I think that one is my favorite.
Speaking of shows to get excited about...I wish I had a ticket to the PNB Director's choice. Looks amazing, here's a peek:
and another, and another, if you are interested. If that's not inspiration for my class tonight, I don't know what is.
And a little story about a tragic event that happened last night... Cory wins. I had close to a bajillion windows & tabs open on the computer, the collection has been growing for a while now. He has been telling me for days (or maybe closer to a week or two, or more?) that the computer needs to be restarted. Yeah, yeah...I'll work on it. With some of my time after work yesterday I was honestly working on bookmarking the sites I wanted to revisit, saving images that were inspiring to me, I had this blog post started about a few things I wanted to share with you... Overnight the computer restarted itself. Website overload. I use Mozilla, and I can usually "restore previous session" when I reopen the browser, and all my sites magically pop back onto the screen (and then it takes 5 minutes for all of them to load), then onto my regularly scheduled habits. Not this morning. Nothing. They were all gone. He wins. Then I remembered what he had told me the other night as he was reminding me about restarting the stupid thing, "Oh Michelle, you will never reach the end of the internet." Errrr! Oh well, I guess I have to be over it, it was kind of my fault and I knew it would happen eventually (...but I had such good looking recipes just waiting to be printed and tried!) I guess, if that's the worst thing that happens today, then things aren't that bad.
I'm off to take my picture of that monster flag, and for items for cheesecake and my yarn wreath. Happy Veteran's Day. Thank you, to all the brave men & women that have served, are serving, and will serve our country.
Hello, November! I'm so glad you are off to such a nice start!
Today was a gorgeous day, of course there was stuff to do around the house, but we decided to go for a drive instead. We packed a lunch, left around 11:00, drove about 250 miles, and returned home just after 6:00. Thanks to daylight savings time, that extra hour was nice this morning, but I'm really not a fan of darkness before 5:00. I have some editing to do with our >180 pictures from our little adventure, but here's a hint of our destination...
A treat from Cory...jack-o-lantern toast before work this morning. Cory carving...we got a new keyhole saw at Lowe's last night. We grew it in our one-pumpkin-patch. My jack-o-lantern wanted to dress up as an owl this year. Happy Halloween! We'll be handing out candy to kiddos that come to the door, eating cupcakes, and watching the poor Cougs play Notre Dame on national TV while listening to it on the local radio station for their commentary, and then game 3 of the World Series.
Found a new website full of random photos from Flickr photostreams. Subscribe to feed? Yes please!!
I think I might not carve a jack-o-lantern this year, but put a mask on my pumpkin instead. Thinking about an owl, with inspiration from Martha: & The Long Thread: & JoAnn: I'm loving this newspaper leaf garland...so pretty.
An idea to keep in the back of my mind because I love the simplicity & know where I can find a few walnuts...
I'm thinking about taking up embroidery. Finding the time would be the hardest, so maybe not. But you can seriously make the prettiest things out of floss.
This calendar project is very very cool. Check out the video of the making. I kind of want to photograph my own set of letters & numbers.
That's it for tonight. I just finished frosting some Halloween treats, bedtime now. Yay for Friday!!
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aily drop cap has been floating around the interweb for some time now, and really I'm just putting it in here because I wanted to test it out. Pretty neat, eh?
