a number of things

Something New!

I have opened an Etsy shop!  Or I should say, WE have opened an Etsy shop.  It is going to be a little spot where Amelia and I (and any of the other kids that get the whim) can offer a few of our crafties and creations.  There will also occasionally be things by my mom and sister.

Right now I only have up a few lots of my vintage rosary and chaplet supplies (I have WAY too much of this stuff!) and Amelia's lavender pillows.  I hope, within the next few days, to upload a few of the little things I am working on.

           

My goal, and challenge, for this Esty shop is to use only what I already have.  Over the years I have accumulated entirely too much in the way of fabrics, notions and other crafty supplies. It's time to use some of it up!

   

Printables & Downloads

Click on the little bowl to the right to be taken to the new "Printables & Downloads" page!  This the place where I hope to (fairly) regularly list fun things such as "extras" for the Tea & Cake book and eventually, downloadable patterns and more! 

I just uploaded a little Advent / Christmas printout with a brand new recipe card, gift idea and tags.  Print one out for yourself and your daughter too! 

Enjoy! 

Time for a New Look

        

Please excuse the dust while I tinker around with the blog a bit. :-)

Thanks!

Sweet Inspiration

    

I baked an apple pie, the other day, for inspiration....

    

      

Inspiration for a little something for a friend's new column.  The above is only some preliminary playing on my part. Cay will have to give me her feedback on fonts, layout etc. The final button may end up looking nothing like this, but that could be a good thing! :-)

        

I truly love the collaborative creative process.  Delicious!

~ P.S.  Have a blessed Thanksgiving Day!

 

Sketchbook: Late Autumn

        

I thought I might start a "sketchbook" category and occasionally post a few doodles from my sketchbooks. 

             

            

Autumn leaves inspired by last weekend's camping trip.

                              

Baked Spaghetti

Well, we are off camping again this weekend, but before we go I wanted to leave you with a recipe that was recently requested by a friend or two. :-)

A big pan of baked spaghetti is my standard feed-n-fill a hungry crowd dish.  My version is so easy it's ridiculous. (Almost feels like I'm cheating!) This is what I fed to the 3 ladies and 13 kids that came to call on Monday.

Alice's Super Simple Baked Spaghetti

~  2 lbs browned and seasoned (Italian style) ground meat (I usually brown a bunch at a time and keep 2 lb packages frozen and ready to use.)

~  About 20 oz uncooked spaghetti (I used plain, organic noodles)

~  2 jars of sauce (You can, of course, use homemade.  I cheated and used 2 jars of Ragu Organic Traditional style.)

~  About 3 cups grated mozzarella cheese (I never really measure, but sometimes I use less and just put it on top.)

While the water is heating and the noodles are cooking, I simmer the meat and the sauce together.  When the noodles are done, I dump them into the meat and sauce mixture.  Next, I spoon about half the spaghetti into a 9 x 13 (might be slightly larger) casserole dish.  Pack it down lightly and sprinkle on half of the grated cheese.  Add the other half of the spaghetti, pack down lightly and top with the rest of the cheese.  Stick it in the oven on 375 for about 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is nice and bubbly.  Serve with grated Parmesan, salad and a nice crusty garlic bread.  Yum!

Have a beautiful weekend!

   

Book Walk Time Again!

Cay, over at the Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks, is hosting another book walk!  The prize this time a copy of Tea & Cake with the Saints, so click on over to Cay's and enter!  Good luck!!

Also, if you love a good book (and who doesn't!), check out Cay's latest gem, Christmas Mosaic! This terrific book "features study guides for 30 Christmas-themed picture books. It includes a booklist of over 200 Christmas titles and 87 of them are annotated. We've also added recipes, craft ideas, essays by some of your favorite Catholic-mother authors, and a little Christmas poetry. A Christmas literature treasury!!"

I just received my copy and I can tell you, this amazing resource will be used for years and years to come.  It is simply wonderful!

   

November Toymaking Fair!

Fe in Australia has the November Beauty of Toymaking Fair up and running!

Check it out!!

And the Winner is....

... number 4 !!!  Congrats to Cath!!  If you will email me your mailing address, I will get your copy of Tea & Cake right out to you!  Thank you everyone, for all your lovely comments!

On another note, I have already discovered an error in the new book.  Yes, I am hopelessly human and on page 92 in the "Molasses and Ginger Cookie" recipe, I completely forgot to mention WHEN to add the molasses.  Well, you add it with the egg in step #3.  If (when) anyone finds any more corrections, PLEASE let me know so that they can be fixed in future reprints. :-)

And don't forget!  Advent is just around the corner, Christmas is near, and the November Beauty of Toymaking Fair is coming right up on the 12th!  Get your submissions in to Fe in good old Australia ASAP!!  We could all use a few more ideas for good quality, handmade gifts.

One more thing!  If anyone would like another shot at a free copy of Tea & Cake, hop on over to Cay Gibson's blog for her next Book Walk!  What a great line-up of books!

 

Thank You!!

Thank you for all the book love!!  Tea & Cake is now out and about and I have gotten so many sweet, kind and thoughtful emails! 

To celebrate the release of the book, I thought I would give a copy away today!  Leave a comment here, at any time today, and tomorrow I will get little Marie to pull a number out of the hat (or more likely, the mixing bowl!).  The commenter with the corresponding number (they will be numbered in the order the come in) will win a copy of Tea & Cake with the Saints! 

Good luck & thanks again!!

   

Family Band

We had a beautiful day last Sunday. It began with breakfast at the home of good friends, and then on to the nearby Omelette Festival for some great music and fun.       

          

L'Angelus is our favorite local group, hands down.  The music is amazing. (The kids have nearly worn out their first CD!)  L'Angelus is the "family band" (and sole income) of the Rees family.  The four oldest children and mom (Linda) make the music while dad (John) works the technical side.  Everyone helps with the four youngest children, including 4 year old twins and a 1 year old toddler. 

         

We have seen them play many times, but it wasn't until recently that we got to spend an afternoon of football tossing and toddler chasing with them at the home of friends.  This amazing, Catholic, homeschooling, family of ten is truly an inspiration.

         

New Clothespin Bag

           

I recently used a bit of my PayPal funds to order a beautiful new clothespin bag just for me!  I ordered it from the lovely little Firefly Farm shop of Debbie Andriulli. I absolutely love it.  The wonderful vintagey red fabric lined with blue gingham is just perfect.... and so well made!

           

I have enjoyed reading Debbie's blog, Homespun Living, for some time now, but this is the first time I have ordered from her.  She has much more than just pin bags in her sweet shop; pincushions, totes, drawstring bags and more! Her hand knitted dishcloths, for instance, would add practical beauty to any kitchen.  Buying other's handcrafted work is such a great idea if you are wanting to give beautiful, usable handmade gifts this year, but do not have the time, skill or inclination to make your own.  Personally, I just like buying something hand sewn by someone else once in a while.  Beautiful!