~~~~~"Lavender Dreams!"~~~~~~~

The leaves are gone now but here's a picture of my 'girls'
looking outside when the leaves were still at peak!

~~~~~Can anyone SEE?~~~~~~~

Annie and Wendy with their Boyd's Bear dollie!

I received a surprise in the mail today! My friend, Linda from Royal Touch
sent me a sweet little fairy! She is so dainty and pretty.....
with so much detail in her little fairy clothes! I love her!

Linda posted pics of her fairy terrariums a few months ago and I decided
to take the live plants out of one of mine and make a home for my fairies.
I still need to add some flora and fauna but
my sweet little fairies love their special home.

The two fairies were created by the artist Cheri McAfooes and I treasure them!
If you click on the picture below you can see the detail in these fairies!

***HOLIDAY SALE***

I've been visiting the fabled needle for as long as I've had a blog and I've always wanted to order something from jen! Today she announced a BIG HOLIDAY SALE and I knew it was TIME! I ordered "Beth Goes for a Walk" Greeting cards and "Blackbirds" Notepads from her Etsy shop! Aren't they wonderful! I love "buy one get one FREE" sales anyway!

Thanks Jen! You are SO talented! Happy Holidays!

Sometimes you find a blog that changes your life!

We think about food.....and talk about food...... and love making new recipes so I was THRILLED to find this blog, Mennonite Girls Can Cook and start trying some of their recipes. They use wholesome ingredients and give such good instruction!

I made the Stuffed Breast of Chicken last night and it was delicious. We have some smoked Canadian Bacon that we get from our neighbor Rocky and it added so much flavor! I took pictures but they didn't turn out that good so I am sharing my flowers with you today.

I went to the dentist this morning and walked out with a beautiful carnation! How nice! Thanks to my hygienist, Cathy and Dr. Tomlo......I LOVE to go to the dentist!

I went back........to A Day in the Country!
Penny and I saw so many beautiful things when we had lunch there and I live so close......I went back to look at the Christmas things they are putting out.

I just had to have this little red tree and these cute kids! I don't have any other decorations out yet but I know I can find some trees and other things for this scene. It's fun to get started and buy something new this year!

This poor baby didn't have a proper outfit! lol I made this little dress for her and put her in the arms of my sweet Lloyd Middleton curio doll.











I love dolls and it was fun to do a little sewing for this sweet imp! ( I found her at Goodwill for $1 and she needed a home!)

Before there was.....

there was "knitting for monkeys"........ I got my knitting out today to make a dish cloth and pulled out my trusty "How To" book! I've had this since I was a teenager and it's what I have used to teach myself to knit AND crochet! heehee! When I haven't knitted in awhile, I still need a refresher! (And thanks Jeannie for the tutorial over the phone this afternoon!) I only know the basic stitches but my cloth came out nice! lol I got the pattern here......
"knit nutt" blog!






It really was easy!
Even for ME!!!

"A Day in the Country"

I met Penny at "A Day in the Country" for lunch today!
Her blog is Lavender Hill Studio and she is a Mosaic artist. I've been following her blog and admiring her work and realized that we live in the same town!




Here she is modeling one of my latest creations......an apron!





We talked.....and talked......and talked some more!
We found out we had so much in common!

Thanks for a delightful lunch, Penny!

Let's do it again soon!

The perfect Fall movie...

"You've Got Mail" of course!


We watched it tonight and always love the 'colorized' leaves......bouquets of sharpened pencils, smell of scotch tape and the daisies. I have a bouquet of daisies on my bedside table, just like the one in the movie! AAAhhhhh!!

I got the sweetest email from Adriana! I wrote her and told her how much I was enjoying the new cookbook and she wrote back that she remembered me....."Diane Darling, I could never forget you!"....and some other nice things! What a sweetheart she is!

THANK YOU Adriana! You really made my day!

Enjoy this beautiful weekend everyone! It was cool and windy this morning when I went to a "Bizarre Bazaar" at the Historic 7th Avenue District Depot Plaza. It was set up outside, with live music and even a clown with balloons! I found a pretty embroidered tea towel and a turquoise ring that I couldn't live without. FUN FUN FUN!

I met Adriana Trigiani a few years ago when she had written her first book, "Big Stone Gap".
She was delightful....friendly and full of energy! I have been thrilled to see her write many best selling novels now and this delightful cookbook!

A favorite 'new' cookbook!

I am making Savory Taralli tonight to go with a pot of spaghetti and meatballs. It sounds like the perfect compliment! Here's the recipe....

"Savory Taralli”
“Cooking with My Sisters”
by Adriana Trigiani

1/2 packet yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp salt
1Tbsp fennel seed
4 cups flour

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and allow to bubble
Add the rest of the ingredients, except flour, to the yeast mixture.
Add flour and mix well.

Preheat oven to 350.

Take a piece of dough and roll it between your hands, making a pencil like shape,
4 to 5 inches long. Create a circle by joining the ends together and pinching them closed.

Place on greased cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes, or until lightly brown. Cool.

To find more recipes, visit her "WEBSITE" !

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I voted! Thanks Delaney for the 'button' !!!

I was hoping it would help........

.......well as much as I LOVE to create and as much as I am INSPIRED by beautiful things....I remain a die hard Dallas Cowboy fan! I blame it on raising four sons....and all that entails!

I baked the Sour Cream cookies from the "Cooky Book" but I think they were a little plain.



Maybe they need dipped in chocolate! heehee!

I baked them in time to munch on while watching the Dallas Cowboys get CREAMED! (sour creamed? no pun intended) so I cut some out in the shape of boots! lol

I'm anxious to make the oatmeal cookies next! I love the cooler weather for baking!

This is a precious little doll that is a 'give away' by a sweet lady on this blog!

Check it out! Tonight is the deadline!



http://wolfiesdenandbeyond.blogspot.com/

I was looking through some old cookbooks this morning and here are a few of my favs!


This was my very first cookbook!



When I got married I didn't even know the basics so I needed this! heehee! But I found out that cooking is just being able to follow directions so I actually enjoyed learning over the years and consider myself a "good cooker" now! (a quote from a little boy from long, long ago!)



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~And you can't cook without a 'Cooky Book'!!!~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Happy Halloween~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



************My kids want to wish you a Booooootiful day!************



!!!! Johnny says BOOOOO !!!!

````````````````WELCOME to Dolly Days!````````````````````

I am SO excited to invite my dolly buddies to share in my fun and enjoy my new blog!



I plan to post dolly pics at least once a week and would love everyone's comments!



Make yourself at home........look around.........let me know what you like and HAVE FUN!



I would like to share my love for 'paper dolls' on this first dolly day!


My wonderful friend, Pat made these paper dolls for me and I treasure her friendship AND my sweet little dollies! Thank you girlfriend!

We declared today a 'snow day' and went to the movies this afternoon!



We saw 'The Secret Life of Bees' and it was wonderful!

It is definitely best to have read the book first to develop the characters more fully.
I was so impressed with the book when I read it that I convinced my hubby to read it....
so we both knew the story well, from reading it AND discussing it!

A MUST SEE........can't wait to buy it in DVD to watch it again.....and again!
Perfect casting.....love each and every character!

What a great way to spend a cold and windy afternoon! Back to work now....... ; )



```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

What's missing?

I made this recipe today and it was delicious......but I ADDED 2 ingredients and it came out perfect! A very moist, sweet and delicious cake!

No one GUESSED the two missing ingredients and I just realized I better POST them QUICK! I added 2 EGGS! I don't remember ever making a cake without eggs and with all the ingredients AND 2 eggs......this was a wonderful flavorful cake!

Apple Cake

1/4 cup soft butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups apples, finely chopped

and 2 EGGS!!!

TOPPING:
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp chopped walnuts

In large bowl, combine butter and sugar using electric mixer. Beat in buttermilk.
Add flours, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and apples and mix to combine.
Spread evenly in lightly-greased Bundt pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

What do you think I added to make this cake perfect?

Help is on the WAY!!!


I received the sweetest gift from my cousin, Cindy! A PATTERN!
Just what I needed to keep going!
And of course a little something that she made and one of her handmade cards!
THANK YOU, Cindy! You always give the best gifts!

I guess I was feeling a little shy.....




but today......I WENT PUBLIC!

My blog is now public and I have even started a list of blogs I think are altogether NEATO!!!

It will be fun to blog with all my 'old' friends and make some new ones with shared interests!

Thanks for the help, Lila! You've been my inspiration!

Retro Cafe Art is hosting a really neat giveaway! Thought some of you might like this link!
Check it out! I have enjoyed all of the creative websites I have found lately!
I am learning something new every day!

This is MY favorite new product! I am using 'green products' all through my house but this spray is good for everything! And it has a fresh smell, too!

Use the link in the comments for other favs!

I'll veer off the apron theme today and show another person's talent! SOCKS!
My sweet daughter in law makes socks......lots and lots of socks! And these are my favorites! I bought new shoes and so far these are the only socks that feel comfortable with them......
and that look cute! I love them!



My new Skechers!



For more of her beautiful creations, check out Jeannie's blog!

A new day.......a new design!



I made this one up myself......

which meant it was twice as hard to

make and took 10 times longer! lol

I'm seeing GREEN........another day........another apron! heehee!

An Apron a day........

.......keeps the doldrums away! heehee!



I've had so much fun making aprons this week!

I got the pattern from the delightful blog, "One More Moore".

I found this site when I was parusing "Free Patterns"! What a COOL site!

I'm seeing ruffles......and how can you feel 'blue' wearing ruffles!

Now what do I do? I would love some of your suggestions!



This is vintage fabric and I'm not sure it is strong enough to make a full size quilt
(I would need to LEARN to quilt! heehee!)

So what are some of your ideas? I am anxious to get started!

I washed it all and I will need to press it and then.........???

I went to a sale at Magpie's this weekend and picked up some treasures. They were having an anniversary sale and she had the store decorated for Fall. I wish I had taken pics of the cookies I brought home for hubby ( I just have the napkin for the photo!) There were black cat cookies and lots of cute designs!



I love shopping the clearance area of my favorite stores! I got some cute things and didn't pay a whole lot either! And everything smells so good!

I spent all my creative time today looking at creative blogs! I've found links on a friend's blog and then links on those sites and I've seen some amazing crafts! I am excited!

But necessity is the mother of invention.......and I wanted a creative way to wrap some small gifts this week and came up with 'gift pouches'!

I took a page from a Home Companion magazine....



Folded it, turned it over and taped it along the center, folded the bottom, taped.......
slipped a little necklace in the bag and taped the top.



And why make ONE......when you can make dozens! heehee!

I studied 'dolls' in school!

Do I have an excuse for collecting dolls now? heehee!

This book is "The New Discovering Numbers" Grade 3 copyright 1959! PERFECT!

And one of the pages should help when I am 'convinced' I NEED a new doll!

I collect children's books, too and was thrilled to find this one for sale in the lobby of the library! What a great find! Maybe I should study the math! lol