Presents from the Halloween Witch

Hopefully you and yours had a fabulous Halloween.  Ours was fun, but absolutely freezing!  Luckily, the cold windy weather didn't stop the Halloween Witch from making her yearly rounds to our house.

What's that?

You've not heard of the Halloween Witch!

Well then, let me educate you.

The Halloween Witch comes on Halloween night, to those who believe in her, and leave their hard earned Halloween candy from trick or treating for her.  Using her magic, she makes her way undetected into those homes, and takes the candy leaving a small toy in it's place.  I'm not sure of all of the details, but I have heard it told that she has an insatiable sweet tooth, yet sadly, she lacks the magical ability to make candy, so she takes this time of year to stock up.  She is a good witch, at heart, not the scary type, so you don't have to be afraid of her.

If you're new to the workings of the Halloween witch, there are a few very important rules to follow:

1. She only comes to houses of those who believe in her and invite her.  If anyone in the house doesn't want her, she won't come.  If you have one child who wants her to come, and another who is afraid of witches, I suggest you leave the candy of the child who wants her to come in the garage, or car, or on an enclosed porch, shed, etc.  Then she won't come into your home.
2. To invite the witch, all you have to do is leave candy and say out loud "this candy is for the Halloween Witch.  Those words give her authority to come and take the candy.  She has no power to do anything else, unless you break your part of the deal by leaving too little candy, or non candy items.(see below)
3. You must leave at least half of your candy for the witch, more is always better and to be safe, you might just leave it all for her to pick from.
4. Pretzels, chips, toys, fruit, and other non-candy items aren't usually accepted. 
5. Not leaving enough candy, and/or leaving only non-candy items could result in unwanted consequences. She's good at heart, but you don't want to upset her, because she'll play tricks on you, like giving you pimples, or tummy aches when you eat the candy you should have given to her, or other non-harmful but annoying prank type stuff.  I've even heard that she's caused ant infestations in trick or treat bags of those who shorted her on candy.  Keep all this in mind before you think about inviting the Halloween Witch into your home.
6. Since witches never accept or give things for free, she  always leaves a small toy or occasionally a much desired book or other trinket in place of the candy she takes.  That keeps things even Stephen.

  This year, she was very good to my kids, bringing my youngest son a Stretchkin, my daughter a book about sculpting dragons from polymer clay, her latest hobby, and my oldest son a small Lego set.  They were all very happy, and I'm quite happy to have the extra candy gone.  I even snuck our leftovers, from the candy we handed out, into the pile just so she would take it away.

Thank you Halloween Witch!

I must be doing something right.

My five year old just walked in the room, gave me a grin and stuck this sticky note on my hand.  

The penmanship is rough, the "AND" is a bit scrunched, the grammer is off and it's obvious that he ran out of room for "ND".  But to me and my mommy heart, this is perfection.  

If you can't read it, it says

"MOMY AND WILLIAM WAS BEST FRIENDS"

sigh.....I think I'm going to cry.

WHAT WE NEED HERE IS A BIT OF ORGANIZATION!

This is the kids first full, 5 day week of school.  So far it's going well.  I've even caught up on laundry.   But there have been some minor issues.  

For starts, my little guy has decided that 3 straight days of kindergarten is too much.  This morning he proclaimed "I don't want to go to school today."  Oh those dreaded words.   

For my big kids, the "minor issue" is the loss one of the 6th grade teachers.  He is leaving for another job within the school.  Sadly, the news comes just as the big kids had decided he was the "cool  teacher"  because he let them have snacks in class, and apparently, he likes candy.  He was one of the more seasoned teachers, they already have 3 who have never taught at our school before, so it's a bit disappointing.  Still, I'm sure it will work out.  

The note about the change came home yesterday, but it wasn't till this morning that I noticed the second note behind it about a lice outbreak! 

Sigh.....  Guess I'll be doing a head check tonight.  Makes me itch just thinking about it (scratch).

I suppose, I need to be a bit more focused when I look over notes the kids bring home and not just toss them on the counter after reading the first page.  I need to be more organized. (itch) I always need to be more organized.  

In my defense, I've made some progress through summer projects which I'll show off later, but my kitchen counters are still in disarray, a wasteland of papers to be sorted, tangled charging cords, half used notebooks, coupons without a home, and spices that just don't fit in the cabinet.  Missing the "lice notice" is just a tiny sign of a (scratch) much larger problem.

What I really need is a plan to organize my kitchen, maybe even a charging station to corral those pesky cords and devices, and I have to do something about my spice storage/state of my cabinets in general. 

Better get to work......(scratch) 

But first, I think I'm going to wash my hair.  You know, just to be safe and all.

It's August!

and that means......

Time for school!

This year, my two eleven year olds are entering sixth grade, the last year of their elementary school days.

sniffle.... sniffle

How did they get so big?  I can remember changing their diapers and spoon feeding them like it was yesterday, and now my daughter is taller than my mother and growing what seems to be an inch a month.  Gone is the chubby cheeked, plump baby with the firey mop of hair, and in her place stands this beautiful willowy creature with perfect crimson curls cascading down her back.

Her twin brother, on the other hand hasn't quite hit his growth spurt yet, but he has added some height over the summer.  He's also added some muscle and width in the shoulders, so I know it's just a matter of time before I witness his transformation.  I'm in no hurry for that to happen.  Luckily, neither is he.

As if the trauma of watching them grow up  wasn't enough, my little guy is starting kindergarten.   

boo hooo... blubber blubber .....sob...sniffle.

And worst, um..  uh..., I mean best of all he is o.k. with it.  He confidently walked into class his first day, put his belongings in his locker, gave me an all too short hug, and went off to play in the activity center without so much as an ounce of hesitation, or the hint of a backwards glance toward me or his dad.  

I on the other hand, stood there outside the open door, waiting to see if I could catch his eye one last time.  I fought every urge in my mommy heart to rush in, scoop him up, and run off with him escaping to a land where little boys never have to go to school.  His eyes met mine one last time with a grin as if to tell me  "you'll be o.k. mommy."

I gave him a little wave 

and knowing I wasn't needed, 

left. 

Sigh......

Where did the last five years go?

And what on earth am I going to do now?

Adventures in Gardening - Pt. 4 From Grassy Spot to Garden Plot a.k.a "Can you dig it?"

Perfect Grassy Spot - check
 Soil Test - check
Following the Rules for Gardening with Clay - check

For weeks we dug off an on as time and weather permitted.  We took the garden section by section.  Digging the clay, amending the soil, breaking up clods and tossing the worst clay chunks aside.  My little guy had a blast digging into the soil with gloved hands and his tiny little guy sized shovel to mix in the compost and break up the chunks of clay.    

Once a section was prepared it was planted and watered. We made use of the bricks and pavers, left by the previous owner, to create a border and pathways.  In the center, we created a mulched path edged with brick to provide a knee friendly work area.  

Everything was coming together so well, and I thought to myself:
  
"Nice!  But......."  

" if I extend the garden another 4 feet off of the closest paver path, it would look even better and we'd gain 24 ft of planting area."
"Yep, I'm sure I can knock out that last section in an hour or so."

 With Hubby and the kids otherwise engaged, I started digging.  Minutes later, I hit a little snag.

3 coaxial looking cables ran across my newest garden section.  buried at a depth that varied from 1"- 6" beneath the sod.  One end disappeared beneath the fence and into our neighbors yard ominously pointing toward the corner of their house, the other end pointed to a distant utility pole.  

Theory 1:  That's my neighbors cable line.  
(I like them, better safe than sorry.)

I put down my shovel and picked up my phone.  The next few days saw a parade of utility trucks and technicians with their brightly colored spray paint cans.  Each utility marked their lines and a week after the digging had stopped the verdict was official.  

Theory 1 was busted!  

No one had a clue what these lines were for, or why they were there.  ATT didn't claim them.  Our WOW/Knology/Cable technician said "Yep! They look like cable lines, but they don't feed your house or your neighbors.  The only way to tell is to cut into them, and I'm not comfortable doing that."  He also said that distant utility pole they seem to go to is too far away to provide a strong enough signal for either house if they were connected.

Technician: "Just try to work around it."

Me to myself:  "Seriously?!  That's all you've got? I've been twiddling my thumbs for a week for this?"
(Shaking head thinking about the wasted week when I could have been digging.)

Then it rained and my little hole became a little pool. 
Sigh........ 

While I waited for things to dry out, I worked on some other projects including one involving power tools and wood stain, which I might show you someday.  While working, I  came up with another theory about the cables.

 Theory 2:  Garden Gnomes are stealing cable from the neighbors.

(hmm....  now that I'm typing that something else occurs to me.  Perhaps I need better ventilation for those projects involving wood stain.)

Eventually, the ground dried up and I was able to "work around the cables" to finish the garden plot, put up a trellis, and get the last section planted.

I can't wait to see what it looks like all grown up!

Adventures in Gardening - Pt. 3 Four Rules for Gardening with Clay

Remember this picture from our soil test?

See the mason jar of orange-brown liquid in the back? 

 That's our soil sample mixed with distilled water, shaken and left to sit for about an  hour.  Over a month later it looks about the same.  The soil particles still haven't settled completely.  This is pretty common with clay soils.  

For those of you not experience with the red clay soil found in North Alabama,  it is special stuff.  

• It stains clothing well enough to be used as a dye.  
• Holds on to water and minerals well.
• It's pretty good for making bricks.  
• Slightly purer deposits can also be used to make pottery (granted according to my potter friend Wendy the pots are quite fragile).  

In general, it's pretty useful stuff.  But as gardening goes, it's a pain in the tooshkuss! 

 Many home gardeners around here avoid working with the stuff all together.  Instead, the build raised beds that they fill with truck loads of commercial or home mixed "garden soil."  That can get pricey fast, but if you have money to burn, it's a fine choice.  

We have 3 kids.
 (translation:  we have no money to burn)
We are on a budget, and I'm trying to do this as cheap as possible.  That means, working with what I have and following the rules for gardening with clay.

  Rule #1  Never dig wet!  
Ignore this rule and you'll end up with huge heavy inseparable clods that dry as hard as brick.

Rule #2  Don't dig dry!
If you dig when it is completely dry, the ground is already hard as a brick and if you can manage to get your tools into the ground, you'll have hours of back breaking work ahead of you.   

So when the heck should you dig?
  About 1-4 days after a good soaking rain in the Fall is about right.

You have to find a sweet spot of soil moisture when it's wet enough to dig, but dry enough that the clods can be broken apart by hand or with tools.  The first season you work the soil, expect to spend extra time breaking up clods, and know you will end up with some pieces that won't break up at all and will dry into pebble or rock sized bricks.  These are usually the bits with a higher clay content.  You'll know them because you can knead them in your hands like putty.  I try to pull these out by hand now or later when it's time to plant.  I've also used these "super clay" bits in the past as chinking/mortar in brick borders.

What's that you say?  It's not Fall.  

You're right, it's spring!  So there is an added challenge of trying to time this "sweet spot of soil moisture" in between the frequent torrential downpours, tornado watches, and schizophrenic temperature fluctuations of a North Alabama Spring.  Not an easy task, but not impossible.  
   

Rule #3  Amend! Amend! Amend!
By nature, clay is sticky, prone to compaction and slow to drain.  So slow in fact that this 6" deep hole in the garden, where we started digging and had to stop (more on that later), is still filled with water nearly a day after the rain stopped.

 The fix for all of clay's problems is to add as much organic material, like compost, as you can.  Add more each year, and over time, you'll end up with some pretty awesome stuff.  We bought compost this this year, but are starting a compost pile for next year's garden.

Rule #4  Keep Out!
Once the soil is amended,  your little tootsies should never touch it again.  When you step on soil, it gets compacted and the plant's roots have a harder time growing.  Clay compacts easily enough without you walking on it, and you can't have strong plants without strong roots.  So incorporate paths to work from into the garden design and stay out of the growing area.

Up Next:  Pt 4 - From Grassy Spot to Garden Plot

Adventures in Gardening - Pt. 2 Soil Test

With the location decided, hubby took on the chore of ripping up the sod to reveal our wonderful (if you want to make bricks) Alabama red clay.  

  While he did the grunt work, I did a soil test. 

PH -on the acid side of neutral.

Nitrogen- non-existant.

Phosphorus- plenty

Potash- good enough

This soil is better than the soil at our old house which in addition to being the same lovely clay was more acidic and had an assortment of construction debris, tree roots, and rocks.

Up Next:  Rules for Gardening with Clay 

Adventures in Gardening - Pt. 1

I mentioned in a previous post that I'd tell you later about my adventures in gardening.  Well, it's later!

We've been in this house nearly a year and a half now, without really changing or adding anything new to the existing landscape.  That whole time, I've been itching to get my hands in some dirt and plant something.  

This year, as Spring was first trying to spring, I felt the overwhelming need to scratch that itch, but how?  
Flowers?  Herbs?  Vegetables? 

Then, it was obvious. We enjoyed the fresh veggies from our fall CSA so much last fall, but at an average of $40 a week, it wasn't cheap.  

"What if we plant our own veggie garden?"  
 At the old house we had an herb garden, and occasionally grew beans and tomatoes there.  But that was for fun, this would be for food.  
"Could we actually do it?"
 "It would so much work and we'd have to invest some money.  But not as much as a full or even half share of our CSA. " 
"It might be fun."

I got the hubby and kids on board, and it was settled.  I just had to pick the spot and make a plan.

This is the spot we chose. It's our only open bit of fence and runs along the ENE edge of our lot.  

The fence prevents the garden from getting the early morning's sun, but somewhere around 10:00, the sun starts peeking over the top.  From then until dusk, the spot is bathed in full unfiltered sunlight. 
   
The ground here has a very slight slope which should help with drainage, and we never use this part of the yard for anything, but it is close enough to our house, water hose, and gardening tools to make it convenient.  It's also easily viewed from the back of the house and driveway so every time we come and go we'll be reminded to tend it. 

Up Next:
Adventures in Gardening Pt. 2 - Soil Test

Birhouse Gourds - also for the birds

Last year, I planted bird house gourds along our only open section of fence, and aside from scattering some wild flower seed, it was the only bit of planting I did.  

Apparently, they liked the location.  They grew beautifully climbing along the fence with such vigor that my neighbor told me her husband thought that we'd planted Kudzu on the fence.  After assuring her that the vines were not Kudzu, but rather Birdhouse gourds, she was relieved.  Not wanting to be a bad neighbor, I would sneak into their yard when they weren't home to coax the vines back on our side, and cut back the pesky bits that didn't want to cooperate.  

By fall,I had about 10 nice sized gourds which I set aside to dry.  My inexperience with the drying process led to a few issues with moldy gourds that had to be tossed, so by Winter, I was down to 6.  The first sunny days of spring, I scrubbed the gourds clean and cut holes in them with a hole saw.   Most fared well, but one broke, giving me a nice opportunity to turn it into a scoop for potting mix.

Next, I painted the gourds with white exterior paint to reflect the hot summer sun so baby birds don't cook. 

On a whim, I decorated 3 of them.  I'm not sure they'll attract any birds, but at least they're nice to look at.

 

This is for the birds!

 Actually it's from the birds.  Barn swallows to be precise.  They have arrived and bring gifts.

Last Spring, we were excited to see that 2 pairs of Barn Swallows built nests under our front porch.  We watched as they came and went marveling at their mid air performances each night as they decimated the local insect population.   When the babies hatched, we were overjoyed to know we'd have a front row seat to watch them grow.   

It was going to be great!

Then it got real!

The poop started piling up.  I'm not talking about little piles either.  You could wash a good cup sized pile of the stuff off the porch in the morning, and by evening, it would magically return only bigger and smellier.  

In addition to copious amounts of poop, the new brood also turned the moms and dads into dive bombing lunatics, which was a big problem since these little kamikazes built right above the front door to our house.  As they saw it, people on the porch was a declaration of war, and they would defend their newly claimed territory at all costs.

Not wanting to disturb this "miracle of life" (no matter how annoying it had become) and legally unable to do so since these guys are protected around here, we surrendered.  

We used the back door and braved hosing off the porch only enough to keep the health department at bay.

After the babies flew away for good, we removed the nests and didn't give it another thought.  Until the warmer weather brought the familiar song of barn swallows back to the front porch. 

This year, we are initiating a two pronged passive aggressive attack.

1. Make the old site less attractive.

2. Provide an alternative site nearby.

From what I've read, we should really wash the old mud off and spray the area with a light food safe oil, but we haven't gotten to it yet. 

My oldest son and I build this nesting box over the weekend using this plan. We also build a second, but haven't put it up yet, and may try this plan as well. The new "nesting box" is just a few yards from the old one, but hangs over the garden side of the porch so piles of poop won't be a nuisance.   If they accept the new site, we may still have to fend off kamikaze attacks, but it'll be an improvement.  If they don't accept it, perhaps another species will move in.  

Only time will tell.

It's Spring, It's Spring! What a wonderful thing!

I am loving the warmer temperatures and sprinkling of sunny days we've been having.  

**Present morning excluded of course since we're having thunderstorms and general yuckiness.**

I've been outside more and at my computer less, so I've blogged zip in the last month.  But that doesn't mean I've been idle.  On the contrary, I've done plenty.

We inherited a fabulously landscaped yard from the previous owners of this house.  

The front of the house has Lireope lining the path, with Azaleas and Lilac to brighten things in the Spring, plus Lilies and other perennials for summer color.  A prolific Clematis climbs the porch railing putting on a show all season with Knock-Out-Roses and Barberry bushes in supporting roles.  There is also a mature Japanese Maple, a Crepe Myrtle, and countless Nandina.  

In the back, more Crepe Myrtles dance along the fence with enormous, as in could swallow a man and his horse whole, stands of Pampas grass as their partners.   We also have garden Phlox, Hostas, Jackson vine, Jasmine vines, a Dogwood, Birch, several Forsythia and Butterfly Bushes, lots of Lantana and my favorite, a Winter flowering Cherry tree.  

There are many more plants and trees out there that I could name, but I think you get the point.  

It's gorgeous and most of the year it's maintenance free, aside from cutting the grass.  

But in late winter/early spring everything needs attention and lots of it, and this year, being the glutton for punishment that I am, I've decided to add a veggie plot into the mix.  

I'll share that adventure later, but for now, I'm going to enjoy taking a break on this rainy yucky day knowing that soon my gardens will be literally bursting with the fruits and flowers of our hard work and my neglected blog (which I have not forgotten).

SNOW DAY: THE MUSICAL - #snOMG

I couldn't have sung it better myself.  This nails our last 3 snow days.

http://www.youtube.com/user/VisitTheGreenroom?feature=watch

BTW, I just checked out some of their other videos and they are hilarious.  Do not miss them.

Alabama Snowday

We just got our first snow of the year here in Northern Alabama.  Until now, we've had flurries, even a dusting, but no accumulation.

We got a whole inch of the white stuff.  School was cancelled and the town pretty much shut down.  Gotta love these southern "snowstorms".

So what do the kids want to do with their snowday?

1.  Introduce our cat Snow to her first snow.

Unfortunately for the kids, Snow wasn't interested. 

Once the door was opened, the sight of snow scared the beggezus out of Snow who clawed her way from my daughter's arms over her shoulder and made an insane and somewhat spastic dash up the stairs to hide.

Not willing to give up on the idea of introductions, my daughter settled for introducing Willow, our smaller and more docile cat, to the great white wonder.  She was hesitant, but didn't fight.

2.  Build a snowman. 

This fellow is a whopping 8 inches tall.

3.  Build his big brother.

4. Have a snow ball fight.

This was more of a dodge snowball fight since the kids had trouble making snowballs with the dry snow.  Of course Dad is a pro at these things and was having fun bombarding the troops.

5.  Drink hot cocoa with one giant marshmallow.

It amazes me that they make marshmallows even bigger than this.

If You Want to Organize Your Closet....

...You're going to have to paint it first.

Looks like cold weather or rain is in the forecast for the next while, so Freddie's cabinet restoration is going on the back burner til the weather improves. 

Since it isn't nice enough to be outside, I'm stuck in the house as I have been for most of the winter.  It's is forcing me to deal with all the little things inside that drive me crazy.  

Things like our closet under the stairs.  

Harry Potter would be mortified.

This is the spot where we keep our games, extra blankets and tuck things out of site when we are in a hurry to clean up.  It really should look worse, but because it has been so cold, the kids have taken all the blankets out.  

I wonder if I'm the only one whose children insist on wearing a blanket as they shuffle around the house in the morning, even though they own perfectly good robes, then shed said blankets as they head off to school always about 5 steps from the back door. 

But I digress.  
So my hideous closet is causing me grief.  And this is where it turns into a "If You Take a Mouse to School" kind of project.

It goes something like this:

If you decide to clean out your closet, you're going to need to take everything out first.

Once everything is out, your going to see how bad the flat builder beige paint looks.   (flat paint=person with no kids used to live here)

When you see how bad the flat builder beige paint looks, your going to need to repaint it.

So you'll go to the garage to find some left over paint you can use.

While you're in the garage, you'll notice how messy it is, so messy in fact that you can't find your paint or the paint roller.

So you'll straighten things up a bit. While your straightening, you'll find the paint, and a roller, but realize you have no roller cover.

So you'll have to go the hardware store to get some.

While your at the hardware store, you'll look for more coat hooks to put in the closet, but they'll be to expensive, so you'll think about using knobs and decide you can find cuter ones at the craft store.

So, you'll go the craft store on the other side of town.

As you look through  craft store you'll find the perfect knobs, but they won't be the right color, so you'll go look at paint.  

While your looking at paint, you'll see some that's pink.

The pink paint will remind you Valentine's is coming up soon.

Remembering Valentine's will make you want to do something fun with the kids.

To do something fun with the kids, you'll need some craft supplies.

As you look through the crafts supplies, you'll notice the plastic storage bins in the next aisle.

Seeing the plastic storage bins will remind you that you want to organize the closet.

And if you want to organize the closet, your going to have to paint it first.

Custom Cherry Sewing Box

Do you remember when I posted pictures from the 2013 Southland Flywheelers Fall Event where I demonstrated apple head dolls?  I included pictures of some of the other demonstrations including the work of my friend Master Cabinet Maker Chris Lang, with special attention to a sewing box he was working on.

Well as I mentioned /gloated in that post, that sewing box was for me.  It was to be the bartered payment for making his adorable daughter a set of civil war era clothing.  When I posted about it before, it wasn't finished yet, and looked like this:

Well, I stopped by to see Chris and his family, the other day, and look what he had sitting under his Christmas tree waiting for me:

Isn't it gorgeous!  

Do you see those hand cut dove tail joints.  I am so lucky to have friends this talented.  This lovely cherry sewing box was custom made for me entirely by hand, so it is one of a kind.  

The beautiful design on top, is marquetry.  It's not your run of the mill mass produced laser cut or painted on image.  Nope!  Each petal, stem, and leaf was painstakingly cut by hand from thin veneers of mahogany and holly wood.  Then shading was added in a process called sand shading where the individual pieces were partially dipped into hot sand.  The sand being hot enough to scorch or "shade" the wood creating the look of shadows.  Finally the pieces were assembled and glued into place.  

As if this example isn't testament enough, let me take a moment to brag about Mr. Lang.  He trained in Williamsburg, VA. 

As in Historic Williamsburg, VA! 

He's been on TV, appearing on the Woodwright's Shop  to demonstrate what else, but marquetry.  (season 9 episode 13 entitled - "Marquetry: Painting with Wood" if your curious.   You can view a clip of it and see a much younger Chris in action here).  

He's worked as a curator, taught woodworking, demonstrated at more events than I can name, he's been a stay at home dad, and still does custom work, appraisals, lectures and restoration projects.  Calling him talented is like calling a navy seal team somewhat trained, so to have something made by him specifically for me is beyond awesome!  I definitely got the better end of the barter, but don't tell him I said so.

Back to the box.  Inside is a tray to hold my bits and bobs.  Chris let me custom design the layout of the tray to fit my existing tools and kept the dividers removable as I requested.  

Underneath is plenty of room for storage.  

He also turned a darning egg for me as a bonus.

Plus there is an  insert piece which goes in the top.  He left it unfinished so I can cover it to my liking.   So cool!

 I have a tiny sewing kit I DIY'd, from a cheap craft store box, many years ago with a similar insert.  covered in embroidered linen.  

My old sewing kit doesn't begin to compare to my new sewing box.  I like that the old can fit inside the new with room to spare.

In the future, I plan on covering the inside in velvet or silk.  I'll also line the tray and cover the top insert possibly adding loops to hold more frequently used or easily lost tools.  I also want to make a fancy pin cushion to go with it.  Of course, I'll be sure to post my progress and may even include a few tutorials.

Now if I could just decide on a fabric.......

Happy New Year!!

Whew!  The holidays are over!  It's a new year, and the flu is slowly but surely working it's way out of our house.  Soon the kids will be back in school.  I'll be putting away Christmas decorations,  catching up on all those household tasks that fell by the wayside while we were sick, and once again trying to make sense out of the chaos that is life with 3 kids.

But before I do that, I want to take a moment and share three of the cool Christmas gifts that I got which I'm sure will offer some inspiration for this year's blog adventures. 

I have dubbed this sweet vintage Singer Model 66 "Freddie Mae" in honor of it's previous owner.  It was given to me by her grandson who happens to be my brother-in-law, because he and his wife "knew I just had to have it".  Manufactured in 1927, she's seen better days, is missing a couple of parts, and the finish on her head is bad enough that she is in danger of loosing her decals, but her insides are pristine.  I know with some TLC I can get her humming again, and plan a complete cleaning and restoration.  I'll be posting a series of entries chronicling her rebirth in the year to come.

It is a well know fact among my close friends, that I have recently become enamored by all things Korean.  To be specific, South Korean.   

Curse you K-Drama on Crunchy Roll! 

Although I'm not going to make it to visit South Korea anytime soon, that won't stop me from learning more about the culture, the language, and food.  This book, should be a nice start.  I vow to conquer the Asian market with its difficult to read labels and learn how to cook some authentic dishes from South Korea this year, and I'll be sharing my recipes with you if they are any good.

 BTW, I also got a really cool tiffin, so I see some Indian recipes in the future as well.

Isn't this pretty?  Very Zen. 

This miniature Marimo Moss Aquarium is another super cool Christmas gift I got, and I love it!  The glass ball is only about 3 inches wide, but that is real living moss in there.  It came from Midnight Blossoms with everything you see minus water all boxed securely.  Add water and a tiny bit of creative vision and now it's a living work of art. 

 I don't think you'll be seeing much in the way of future entries about the moss aquarium, but it's living in my master bath which like our Master bedroom is still beige.  I don't like beige.  Such a pretty thing in an ugly room can't last, so I suspect there will be a Master Suite makeover in the coming year with lots of blog worthy projects.

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