Thursday, October 30, 2008

Right now....


  1. Baby shower decorations being made, including my very first diaper cake! Photos to come.
  2. Laundry being done BEFORE it threatens to turn into an avalanche!
  3. Pictures being admired. Monkey & Bean rock!
  4. Cat being laughed at for refusing to move from the floor register in our bedroom. It's not that cold, is it?
  5. Plans being made for a busy Halloween/Day of the Dead/Fall kind of weekend.
Happy Thursday!

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Sometimes you just can't think of a good title.


(I never made my second graders title their pieces of writing unless they wanted to. Sometimes, we talked about how a title could help your audience know what was coming, but sometimes, it was okay to leave it off. I'm hoping that I haven't inspired a rash of {untitled} poetry when they hit adolescence.) I managed to take this picture from the car at a stoplight - I was amazed at the way the sun was going through the tree, practically in a perfect circle. I felt like Monkey.


Last weekend, my husband Lindsey's sister Ashley married Kevin. It was a very pretty wedding. This is Lindsey, Ashley, and Lindsey at the reception. (Why Lindsey has a sister named Lindsey could be an entirely separate post. Or novel.) We had a great time, mostly since Ashley & sister Lindsey's stepfather is a stitch and a half.

This lovely gal (Caroline, for the uninitiated) is on a two-week trip through Vietnam. I am more than slightly jealous (though only of the trip, not of the shots she had to get before she went), and know that she is learning, seeing, & doing amazing things.

Things here are mundane, which is lovely. I'm going to become very well reacquainted with my cube over the next few months, so I promise I'll be a better blogger. :) Heck, maybe I'll even make something.

Happy Saturday.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Soup-er.

I am not one to wantonly endorse products. Therefore, if I am telling you to go spend your hard-earned dinero on anything other than what's on sale, there must be a reason. I know you're also thinking, "V8? As a soup?" Be not afraid - this soup rocks. It's pricey, but I had a coupon, so I went for it, and it is totally worth every scrumptious penny. It has actual squash in it! And herbs! And flavor! And it's not stocked full of nasty artificial substances. Amazing! I also recommend it because it's a full serving of vegetables, and the one carton is perfect serving-size-wise for two people.

Pumpkin soup entered my life the year I lived in France, and hasn't ever left. It's on my top ten best things about fall for sure, and it allowed me to branch out into other squashes. I don't go near yellow squash, and ratatouille makes me sick to my stomach, but squashy soups are wonderful. It's a weird paradox, I'll grant you.

Try. It. You. Will. Like. It. See? I'm hypnotizing you!!!

Monday, October 13, 2008

Finally.

It's fall. It feels wonderful outside, though if the temperature were to lose another 10 degrees, I'd probably love it even more. We invested in a few more window screens this year, so my adoration of open windows can continue. I used up a fair number of soup coupons at the grocery store yesterday, so now my customary grilled-cheese-and-soup-for-dinner-three-nights-a-week tradition can continue. We also managed to just about finish putting up the Halloween decorations. I haven't made much (yet) this year, but I did add a few things to the mantle. I'm sure you'll be able to spot them (haha), but if not, I added a detail picture so that you can admire the kitty cat with a candy corn nose.She came from a fabulous little primitives store north of the city - Mother Dearest's favorite. (As did the Owl sign at the top of the page - man, we love that place.)
The pumpkin outside the door actually came from Waycross! I was driving back to the hotel and spotted it, so I had to go back the next day for it. I'm pretty sure it's from some sort of heirloom seed, because it's a much paler orange than anything you'd find in the stores. Mr. Pumpkin is decorative for now, but he will be cooked and eaten later. There is pumpkin soup in my future! In addition, somewhere we found a pumpkin-pepper-cheese souffle recipe that needs to be tested.
Although I missed out on/didn't sign up for any Halloween swaps this year, I did succumb to the pull of ApronThriftGirl's Red & Aqua swap. My newest swappy partner is Shawna, who writes at Farm Girl Living. In related swap news, my partner from last year's Halloween swap, the fabulous Heidi, has a new blog address, so be sure to stop by her new home! Lovely Heather at the Speckled Egg has added some images of the tag book we put together for her store's birthday - oh my goodness, it's amazing.

One last thing - my sweet cousin Bethie has new pictures up of Baby Brooklyn. She is darling, and though I maintain that she still looks like my uncle (Beth's dad), she is definitely starting to resemble her older brother Aiden. If you just need more cute baby in your life, you should stop by.

Happy Monday!

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Yow.

It's October 11th, and I haven't posted at all this month??

Methinks she has been traveling too much!!!

Fortunately, last week was the END of that. Thanks to the state's budget crisis, my work travel has been almost entirely curtailed. I have two nights away week after next, and then I shall be H-O-M-E 99% of the time. Phew. We made a big grocery run today, and it's starting to feel like I actually live here again! Amazing!

:) Happy weekend!