Friendly Napkins

I made these napkins for a friend's birthday. My inspiration is from Purl Bee (see my inspiration and a tutorial here). [Molly makes napkins for Thanksgiving every year (for her big she-bang) - scroll to the middle of the page from the link above to see her past napkins.]

I used a linen look fabric and a chocolate brown fabric (neutral tones). Then I embroidered the first initial of her last name in one corner in chocolate brown.

I would love a bunch of these for myself in the beautiful, vibrant, fall colors that Molly from Purl Bee made. My husband's family is large and we rotate having holidays at each other's houses. If I start now making a few each year, I will have enough by the time it is my turn to have Thanksgiving here again.

I think (even without the embroidery) they would make great hostess or wedding gifts. Maybe even Christmas gifts. You could make a set of 4 or 8 in red this year for a friend and then next year make her a set in green. She could mix and match.

You could make a bunch of these to have on hand for a last minute birthday gift, hostess gift or whatever. [A friend of mine used to buy dish towels from the Dollar Store. She would buy one or two every time she went and kept them on hand as a hostess gift. Even if she just went over for coffee, she would take a dish towel as a hostess gift. She never went anywhere without taking something for the hostess. She kept the dish towels displayed in a basket in her home until she was ready to give them.] You could do the same with these napkins.

"Tote"ally Terrific Teacher

O.k. I have had all kinds of ideas for Anthony's teacher this year, but my timing has been all wrong (at least I've had a plan - I usually have good intentions, but wait until the last minute and don't get anything accomplished).

I had a plan for Teacher Appreciation Week and gave it to her early (didn't have too, but it went so well with the theme - now I still have to come up with something for Teacher Appreciation Week). I had an idea for Christmas (more about that later on in this post), but found out Anthony's teacher's birthday is Saturday of this week. So she will be getting her Christmas present for her birthday instead of Christmas (and now I've got to come up with something for Christmas).

Background info...
The school's mascot is a 'bee' image and has green and gold for their colors. Anyway, it is very hard to find any thing with a bee that is in green and gold, but very easy to find bees with black and gold colors. So that's what I went with.

I made Anthony's teacher a tote bag (you know, for grade books, papers to be graded, etc.). I used a black fabric with a white polka dot. I embroidered her name in a yellow-gold.


I lined the bag with a yellow fabric that has bees on it.


It's not too big, but not too small. I made the handles long enough to go over her shoulder (you know that teachers have enough to carry already) so it might free up her hands. I used a black nylon webbing for the handles (should hold up really well).

Candy Corn Cupcakes

The elementary school had it's annual chili supper/auction/fund raiser this past Friday night (the night I started feeling really bad and found out the next day that I had Strep Throat). Each grade does a "Carnival/Fair" type thing in their cluster. Kindergarten always does a cake walk (it is a hit) and the parents are asked to donate cakes. I did Candy Corn Cupcakes. I used the 'Rainbow Cupcake' idea that I talked about here.

It's hard to tell from the pictures, but the cupcakes are yellow on bottom, orange in the middle and white on top. I topped them with homemade white butter cream icing and some candy corn candies.

Mr. Grumpy Pants

Anthony has been literally begging me to rake up some leaves so he could jump in them. It has been an extremely busy week and there just wasn't time. Sunday, Halloween day, (since I was sick and couldn't do anything else) I asked the older boys to rake up leaves in a big pile. I took some Tylenol and took a shower and then headed outside to take pics.

It was a perfect day for it. It was 72 degrees and there were lots and lots of leaves.

Anthony, for some odd reason was in a horrible mood. He didn't want to participate. He said he did, but when it came right down to it, he would frown and pout and refused to join in - just sitting on the sidelines. He even cried a couple of times (which really isn't like him - I was so praying that he wasn't coming down with strep).








Lee and Champ decided to do something about it and well, you'll have to see for yourself...



I am really proud of Champ. He has wanted a laptop computer for awhile, but it just hasn't been in our budget. So for a couple of years, he saved his money and purchased one. A friend gave me a camera for my computer (I couldn't make it work on my computer and so I gave it to Champ). Champ set his laptop up outside and shot the above video. He's pretty talented.

Falling for you...

Please forgive me, this post is going to be so random and scattered, but I just can't help it.

I love fall. It is my absolute, most favorite time of the year! The leaves, beautiful colors, leaves, the crisp air, leaves, sweater weather, leaves, homemade chili, leaves, pumpkins, leaves, I could go on and on.

Here are a few pictures of the boys having some fall fun! (I think if I were a photographer or had a decent camera these pictures would have been so much better, but I've got the boys on film and that's what counts.)





I have the boys outside right now on an acorn scavenger hunt. Anthony has been bringing in handfuls of acorns for the last week or so. So, I sent them out for a massive acorn search so I can make this...from Made.

She said she used her acorn wreath for several occasions and just spray painted it to match the holiday/season. What a great idea! Until she dropped it and had to trash it. :o(

Well, that started me thinking (I know, kind of scary huh?). What if (starting this year) every fall, I send the boys out to collect acorns for a wreath, we assemble the wreath as a family project and spray paint it (my kids love to paint with spray paint as much as I do) and change the fabric hanger each season/holiday (as another family project). By the end of a year, the wreath will probably have seen it's better days, so the next fall - we can start all over again with an acorn scavenger hunt. (My intentions right now are for this to become a tradition, we'll see.)

I have been busy crafting and sewing, but most of it is for Christmas. I don't think any of the recipients read my blog, but just to be on the safe side - I'm not going to post pictures just yet. I've crafted for my personal gifts, I have done things for friends to give as gifts. It has been so much fun!

Last year for Halloween, I started making a hooded cape. I was going to be Little Red Riding Hood. (I was making the cape reversible, so I could wear it all year.) Guess what?!?! I didn't get it finished on time. Our family's Halloween Party was at my In-Laws and I needed just 1/2 hour more to finish, but my DH doesn't like to be late, so he wouldn't wait for me to finish it. So I didn't go dressed up at all (I had no back up plan.) Well, after Halloween I did finish it and was going to wear it this year. Guess what?!?! I got Strep Throat! Frank took the boys Trunk-or-Treating at church, but I didn't get to go. Maybe next year?

For the past 4 days I have just been holding the couch down.