Ginger Cookies

I made these a few weeks ago when I was on a jollification quest to make Fall hang heavily in the air. I'm dialing it down a bit now and moving on to Christmas. I busted out the music last week. Although I'm embarrassed to admit that all I could find was "Garth Brooks & The Magic of Christmas" - don't judge me.
The recipe for these can be found here. I had to share them with friends, lest I make myself sick. Judah was a fan too. But he thought they'd be better with a dash of goldfish.

I'm Back!

Whew! That was a long time with out the computer. I literally ran down the street (with Judah) to catch the FedEx guy the other day after a failed delivery attempt. Oh how I've missed it so!
My mother-in-law bought most of those bibs/burp cloths (yeah!), which means I need to get my bum in gear and sew sew sew! John Jay said yesterday, "So I guess you'll get your Etsy store going some time this summer then, huh?" (Encouraging is not really his specialty). But at this rate, that's about right.
Here are a few pics of our trip to Asheville last weekend.
Now I need to say good-bye to the computer and be productive...boo.

Etsy Store Sneak Peek:

Here are a few things for the store. I'm in crazy sewing mode right now, but this batch might be sold before I ever get to put them in the store. (Not a bad problem to have, I suppose!)

Lovely things you'll be able buy:
•Asymmetrical string necklaces
•Earrings
•Wrist-strap key chains
...stay tuned for more!

Happy (Late) Birthday Siri!

This was for Siri's 1st birthday. I'm ashamed to say it, but it arrived a whole month late! It took me forever to narrow down what to make for her.
Jenn and Siri immediately named her Zu Zu, which suits her perfectly. She is made almost entirely out of my old clothes.
(The body is from my old jeans, her sundress was a shirt of mine, and her doll that she's stringing along was printed on one of my old sweatshirts.)
This was my first doll to make with separate arms and legs. The first take didn't turn out so good, but entertained John Jay and me all night just at the sight of her. (See the last picture with the arm-ear?!) He wanted me to leave her that way, but I thought it my scare Siri. Now that all her limbs are in place, I hope she loves her forever.
Click here for pictures of Siri's big day!



























Ooops...

Russian Tea

Nothing ushers in October better than Russian Tea. My Nana and mom have been making this for years. It was a Fall/Winter staple in our house and I can't wait to see if Judah likes it as much as we do! I might be rushing it a little since it's still in the mid 70's outside. But I just couldn't wait any longer.
I LOVE FALL!









Russian Tea:

- 64 oz. tea
- 64 oz. orange juice
- 24 oz. pineapple juice
- 2 cups sugar (I only use 3/4 c....maybe 1 cup, and it's sweet enough for us)
- about 10-12 whole cloves
- 3 whole cinnamon sticks
- 1 large or 2 small lemons, thinly sliced

• Mix all together in a large pot and stir until sugar is dissolved.
• Bring to simmering over medium heat, then reduce to medium low and continue simmering for 25-30 minutes. (don't let it go too long or it will taste bitter)
• Cool; Store in refrigerator (with spices and lemon)
• Heat to serve.

Monster Hat

More fun with felt. Seriously - this is about to become Feltberry Pie. Sick. That sounds nasty. This was one of my old sweaters. I had seen something like this (ears and all) a few months back on Etsy - which, by the way, we have to ship our computer off at the end of October. So the goal is to have my Etsy shop up and running once they ship our pooter back. I promise I'll post some previews soon. I just had to get all these birthday presents out of the way first! (Siri's is up next!) Anyway, back to the hat. I liked the idea of ears and couldn't pass up the chance to use some felt to make him into a full blown monster. It suits him.