Boo Humbug

I am a bit of a humbug when it comes to Halloween.  To be sure, I always loved the thrill of dressing up and know that my kids are excited to do the same.  Perhaps I'm just a "tired, old, Mom".  Or perhaps I possess a nostalgic longing for days gone past.

When I was little, we scrounged together whatever costume we could muster.  Our biggest excitement was running to the convent, first, to get our giant Slo-Pokes.  Those were the best!  Then, we, the four girlfriends, went traipsing through the neighborhood until one of the dads decided we were out too long and would come driving in a car looking for us.

Now, we encounter Halloween for a month prior to the event!  We have preschool parties and library parties and school parties, trick or treating at the mall, and even at the grocery store.  Last night, there was an event at the grocery store.  Lots of cute little kids collected candy at stations throughout the store.  I just happened to be caught behind the lines at every turn.  I even heard someone say "Have a good holiday."  I never really thought of Halloween as a holiday.

Now, my kids are older and they still want to trick-or-treat!  And I help them develop their costumes (and even sew a Galinda dress) and advise on how you could look like John Lennon and how you better wear tights under that dress if you are going to be an "angel."

Our pumpkins used to be the talk of the neighborhood.  We would carve away, but not cut through the pumpkin to make our designs.  We made silhouettes of the kids, the Cat in the Hat, famous people, you name it.  This year - the kids, who wanted to, carved their own - simple jack-o-lanterns.

So, am I a Halloween Scrooge? Maybe.

Since waking today, I made a scratch pineapple upside down cake, did dishes and laundry, worked for 3 hours, drove downtown to pick up my daughter....(and my husband did a whole lot of extra domestic stuff for me today!)...and now to make the one last healthy meal of the day....

Yours,

Tired Mom

PS.  I added the above photo.  It was a tag team effort with my 13 yo daughter Annie.  She wanted to be Galinda/Glinda from Wicked.  We were going to make scalloped edges, but time got in the way.  It was also a bit difficult to handle 7 yards of fabric, so I did most of the sewing.  She was entirely thrilled with it - because who doesn't want to be a princess?  My 10 yo put his own costume together as a fighter pilot, my 16 yo daughter went as an angel and my 17 yo son went as John Lennon.  They all had a great time!

A Window Seat With a (Golden) View

There IS Hope For Teenage Sons

My son was thrift shopping for his Halloween costume and found this for me.  I told him I'll wear it to every concert - even when he's famous!  (He's a rocker, I'm a knitter.  You may need to click on the picture to get a better view of the detail.)

Do You Really Know What to Do With Those Falling Leaves?

Every year my kids and I collect beautiful fall leaves.  They usually sit in a pile until they dry out and crinkle apart into leaf dust on my table.  Inspired by Martha Stewart, we created these framed Pressed-Leaf Butterflies and hung them in our craft room.  Martha's website also has instructions for a Leaf Decoupage Picture Mat which looks really nice.

We have also gathered acorns over the years.  One year we threw the bag onto the counter and woke up to little worms crawling around!  Gross!  So now we wash the acorns and dry them in a warm oven.  My favorite craft to make with the acorn hats is also inspired by Martha.  (OK, I really like Martha!)  Her Acorn Crafts are beautiful.  Here is our acorn frame.  I think it has a vintage feel.  (A vintage photo would be great in there!)

Every Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, Annie and I make crafts for all the ladies of the family (Grandmas, Aunts and out-of-college-cousins (sometimes)).  One year we made the acorn frames.  We also made the acorn mirror and gave that to one aunt.  The process is simple.  We select a wooden frame from JoAnns, stain it, glue the acorn caps on and decoupage.

If you would like more fall inspiration, please run over to my friend Sarah's blog:  Memories On Clover Lane. She illustrates a simple but fabulous way to preserve leaves for display in a vase or a simple garland.  I hope to try it.  By the way, if you are impressed with Sarah's header, search her blog for a tutorial on how to use Picasa to make such a header.  She also has other tips on how to make photos larger in your blog.  (And yes, she is everything she appears to be - beautiful, creative, fantastic mom, great photographer,....)

Enjoy the fall!

PS, from yesterday's post: This is a shoutout to another blog I write with the owner of Contemporary Cloth.  She is hosting a giveaway for a free yard of fabric.  The giveaway is here.  You can check out my newest apron in Piccadilly fabric here!

Free Fabric!

This is a shoutout to another blog I write with the owner of Contemporary Cloth.  She is hosting a giveaway for a free yard of fabric.  The giveaway is here.  You can check out my newest apron in Piccadilly fabric here!

Another T-Shirt Quilt

Here is a t-shirt quilt that will be auctioned off for the benefit of a local Catholic elementary school.  My dear friends belong to this parish and put together a "Mommy & Me" basket with some of my Etsy items (aprons, headbands and bandana bands.)  I hope to get a picture to share.  I also made a quilt using t-shirts and sweatshirts and old uniforms.  They did not have a wide variety of shirts available, so I used some plain squares.  To jazz it up a bit, I used a celestial fabric for the sashing.  It captures the blue, gold and black of the quilt squares.  The quilt has a fuzzy fleece backing - perfect for a young girl or boy to snuggle under.

I have made all but one of my nieces and nephews a quilt when they graduated from high school.  It makes a nice memory gift, but also a practical item they can take to college.  I have made a number of custom quilts for friends and family and I've contemplated adding a custom quilt to my Etsy shop.  We'll see.  Right now I enjoy making them because each one is unique and the recipients are usually thrilled to receive them.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Here's a giveaway for a free yard of fabric!l

When Life Throws You Broken Bones, What Do You Do?

Knit Squares!

Sometimes, when I am starting a knitting project, I have to sit down and carefully follow directions or plan out the correct sizes.  Other times, I reach a point in a project that requires careful thinking.  At times like these, my knitting projects can stall.  Thanks goodness for dishcloths - and friends who love them!  My friend recently celebrated a birthday and she truly prefers knitted or crocheted dishcloths.  So this was a perfect gift to make - and perfectly mindless knitting for me.

I introduced Grandma's Favorite Dishcloth Pattern to my knitting club last year and, for many, it was the first time they completed a pattern.  With that success under their belt many have ventured on to other projects.  It was just the thing to get the young ladies moving.

Check out this giveaway at Cleveland Handmade!

Scrabble Tiles and Practical Matters

We are a very pragmatic household. We are also a bit fussy when it comes to our tastes in food and drink. Although we live near the wonderful natural resource, Lake Erie, which gives us an abundance of drinking water straight from the tap, my family prefers chilled water. To top it off, half of my family prefers lemon water. So what's a pragmatist like myself to do to prevent various children from sticking their noses into all the pitchers?

Make scrabble charms!  Seeing so many wonderful items made from Scrabble tiles on Etsy, I scooped up a box at a garage sale, sure that I'd find a use for them.  So, now, we can distinguish our W ater,

from our L emon water, and even our K ool Aid and O range J uice!

(The "O" tile broke during construction, but my husband glued it!)

Contest Winner!

Thank you all for participating in my first giveaway. Watch this video to see if you are the winner! Annie created the video. I am also throwing in new wine opener. I hope you enjoy your prize! (I will email you to get your shipping address.)



I am really enjoying meeting my new blog friends!

I Finally Got Accepted On Craftgawker!

I am trying to improve my photo skills but it's not easy with a Kodak Easyshare.  But I am learning.  After numerous rejections, my headband made it onto Craftgawker.  I am just amazed at all the fantastic photos - works of art in their own right.

Giveaway is still on - here!

The Trouble With Boys

I have two knitting friends who meet semi-regularly at Panera to share knitting and life.  Often, discussion revolves around our boys.  I am convinced my boys caused this!  (I am 46.)  OK, maybe it's the cinnamon crunch bagels...

Giveaway is here.

Repurposed Sweater

I found a fantastic Irish sweater at the thrift shop that was nearly identical to the one I bought my husband 20 years ago.  His had seen tons of wear (mostly on me!) so I exchanged the "new" one for the old.  I thought I would felt the sweater and make a tote.  After one round of felting, the sweater had shrunk, but was still in need of additional felting.  Set aside in the laundry room, my son grabbed it and tried it on.  The purse can wait.  I am going to enjoy a season of seeing my son in this sweater.

PS, my giveaway is here

What Do You Like to Make with a Half Yard of Fabric and a Giveaway!

These are some of the totes that I made for the Cystic Fibrosis Cleveland Wine Opener - a fantastic event for a wonderful cause.  This year, in addition to the wine and food tastings, music and silent auction, there will be a marketplace.  The wine totes will be among the various items for sale.

Each tote is handcrafted using a sturdy home dec fabric and lined with a coordinating or contrasting fabric.

Use this handy tote to carry your bottle of wine home from the grocery store or to a social gathering rather than in the crook of your arm.


I am sponsoring a giveaway of one wine tote.  Follow my blog for a chance to enter.  Current followers will be entered also.  I will pick a winner on October 10th.  Winners can select any wine tote that is available from my Etsy shop.  (I will have one in reserve in the unlikely event that I sell out.)  Thanks for visiting!

Mother Daughter Sewing - Part Two

A mother/daughter coordinated set of aprons.  One set donated to the auction, along with headbands and bandana bands.  Another set available on my Etsy shop.