Thursday, September 29, 2011

I'm excited about Fall!

      The weather here is very warm, but cooler temps are just around the corner. We've already had a little taste of fall and then it warmed up again. I've been working on several projects again, this time more crafty. I've also been visiting thrift stores and yard sales recently. I've scored quite a few things for a dollar or less and will show you pics of the projects when finished. I finally finished the pillowcase dress for Winterlynn! I'm working on a banner and will post it when finished. I hope you are having a crafty fall! Leave me a comment and let me know what you're working on this week.


Amber, Layla's Mom, painted these letters. Now all she needs to do is add ribbon.



The dress before the adjustment and embellishment.

The dress after. My first pillowcase dress and fabric flower. 
Layla and Winterlynn. They were at my house yesterday.





















Thursday, September 22, 2011

Would you like to see what I've been doing?

      I just don't take the time to blog when I am in the middle of many projects. Don't think I don't want to, though!
Door before.

Pepper Jelly in the making.

Quacker's first eggs!

13 jars of pepper jelly.


Door after, just love that color!

Delicious scalloped potatoes.

Curlz  letters, tracing and cutting out.

Finally downloaded and printed out the right size.
Door before.
Door with primer.


Saturday, September 17, 2011

A little like fall!



      The temps. are a little less harsh lately and there's a crispness in the air during the evening and early mornings. I love it! Last year, the temps were up to 100 everyday in Sept. so I am really enjoying the weather this year. It was even cloudy a couple of days, but today was beautiful and sunny, and quite hot in the sun.
Dogwood tree changing leaves.
The leaves in the back are a lighter green.

The leaves on the mountain haven't changed yet.




      I got to work on the little dress yesterday. I made my own bias tape and you can tell it too! But, it's under the arm so maybe it won't show that much.

     Here are some items I got at yard sales today. The weather makes for 
better junkin!


Look at this beautiful jar of homemade brown sugar!
      

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

More scuppernong jelly.... and pear preserves!

      I was so fortunate to go to my sister's; and I hadn't gotten all of the scuppernongs! So, I picked the rest of them. They turned out almost as good as the other batch. There is a slight difference in Sure-jel and the Ball pectin I used in the other batch. The pear tree had been shaken, so I picked up a five gallon bucket of pears. I made four jars of very dark, almost burnt preserves. Hubby said they tasted good, though. I won't be making any more of these again. Pears are very hard to cut. I found an easier way to peel them using my potato peeler.
      
      It's nice to have these tasks behind me so I can move on to other things I've been wanting to do, like sewing. I still haven't finished the pillowcase dress I started the other week, so maybe tomorrow I'll get to work on it. Oh yeah, I want to make pepper jelly, too. Maybe tomorrow will be the day for that as well. I miss blogging too, so hopefully I'll be doing more of that. Thanks for reading and have a nice night or day!




A mix of green and bronze colored scuppernongs. They are considered the white grape.

I only used a few pears off the top.

Loving my "new" Zo!

Looks like dejavou!


Whole wheat oat and raisin bread.

The very dark pear preserves.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Scuppernong Jelly

A five gallon bucket half full of scuppernongs.





      I am so glad I went to my Sister's and picked scuppernongs!!! They turned out delicious! I love muscadine jelly, but this scuppernong jelly is giving it a run for the money! I just didn't know how good it was. Doesn't take much to make this Southern girl happy!






Scuppernongs washed and ready to go.

The juice and jars heating.

Can you believe all this sugar went into the jelly? 
WM was out of surejel, but I like the way this turned out.

Twenty-one jars of jelly and five jars of pear preserves.
       I love doing this sort of thing! I just wished I could get more scuppernongs. Tomorrow or the next day, I hope to be making pepper jelly with the bell and jalepenos growing in my garden. I've got to get more jars and pectin first.


      A fun picture of hubby reading to son.




Winterlynn and her Mommy.

He's such a ham!

Saturday, September 3, 2011

September and hot weather!


      I was remembering last year, how the temps. got up to a hundred every day in September! I think this month could be the same if it weren't for the tropical depression that is heading this way. The weather has been so hard on the country this year. I pray that the Midwest will get rain soon, that some of this rain will somehow divert itself to them. We are dry, but with humidity, if that makes any sense. 
Looks like blood but it is transmission fluid.
      We were going camping this weekend, but changed our minds since our son needed his dad's assistance with changing a water pump on his Jeep. I'm glad we stayed, because as usual, it would have been too difficult for son to do it without his dad.
      I've been real busy this past month with numerous projects going on. I took a couple sewing classes that really helped me. I won't be gong back for awhile because I need to practice what I've learned.
Size two ruffle pants. The instructor helped me make.
      I'm also making a pillowcase dress out of an actual pillowcase. And, I'm re-doing a dress that I made for Yasmine last year for her first birthday to give it to her little sister, Layla.

Layla, but not the dress I made.
      Here is the dress I made: 

Lighting is not so good but  I think you can make it out. It's the Oliver and S. Popover dress.
      Her is the pillowcase dress I'm working on:
Actual pillowcase purchased at WM.
Winterlynn! Today.


Scores at sister's yard sale. On the look out for a lid for the crockpot.

Another score from the yard sale. Went in the guest bathroom to hold toilet paper.

Pears awaiting to be make into pear preserves, but they are rotting suddenly.

Showing off her hairbow. I am going to make some of these, too.

Not a happy camper modeling her tutu that I made.