Apple Pie

     I am a fall and winter enthusiast. I love spring, but there is just something special when the leaves start turning, and the weather turns. However, here in Florida there doesn't seem to be any relief from the 90 degree days. So in order to make it feel more like fall, and to fool myself into believing that I can pull out my boots and sweaters soon, I made an apple pie. At least it smells like fall.

      It took me three different grocery trips to find the right apple though. I guess living in Virginia has spoiled me for more than just beautiful crisp fall days. I am also used to beautiful crisp apples. Right around this time of year at home bags of hand picked apples magic start appearing at the house. I never even thought about buying store-bought apple in September. And store-bought apples just don't compare. But at 8 o'clock last night, the husbandman found me the nicest store-bought apples I had ever seen. Yes, they were rather over-priced, and no we probably shouldn't have splurged.

      But when the results are this nice, maybe buying splurging on organic apples isn't such a bad thing. I used The Farm Chicks' recipe for both the pie and the crust. I don't know why they are rated so poorly on Country Living, I have never had any problems with the recipes, or any of The Farm Chicks' recipes.

      I didn't let it cook quite long enough, and so it has a little more juice than I would like, but there still isn't anything like a fresh apple pie to start of the fall season right!

      What food do you associate with fall? Or is that just me?

Baby Kimono

     The other day the husbandman pointed out that I hadn't posted my latest project. In all honesty, I wasn't sure if I was going to post it at all, its not very "me". But it is one of the husbandman's favorites, so here it is, just for you.

     Yes, those are Florida State colors. I really wanted to keep using the butter yellow that I mentioned in my last post. It really is lovely. And when I saw that I had maroon, (I've just been informed that it is really garnet, sorry) I decided to go for and see if I couldn't pull if off and support the husbandman's team. (I'm a Virginia Tech fan myself, and yes, this causes occasional conflict, but we won last time and that's all that matters)

     The pattern is from on of my favorite books, Weekend Sewing, (which I reviewed here.) This is one of the best sewing books I have ever used, and still wildly recommend it. This pattern came together in a little over an hour, and would have been done much sooner if I had not insisted on using french seams. (I hate exposed seams) I would not recommend using french seams on this pattern though, although all the seams are straight lines, it makes the shoulder seams a little wonky.

     I'm super excited to show you my next project though, and will post pictures as soon as I finish it. I found maroon suede in my hope chest, and have gone to town with it! But then, who can resist suede?

Blue Bird

     When I was sorting through the fabric in my hope chest I found this wonderful butter yellow cotton, that I knew I just had to use. Not only is it light weight and soft as anything, it is also gender neutral! (I'm going at little crazy with not knowing as my crafting time creeps by.)

     I wasn't entirely sure what to make with it though, so I put it aside for a few days to think bout it. I was cleaning out the bookmarks on my computer (they tend to go a little crazy if I don't prune them) I re-found this project.

Photo From Spool Sewing

     And I knew exactly what to do with my yellow fabric! Spool Sewing has a wonderful tutorial to make this bird mobile, and I thought that even if I don't use the birds for a Mobile (though I probably will) they would make cute decorations, and even fun toys for an older baby.

  

     This is my version. This honestly only took me about fifteen minutes, and it only took me that long because I didn't red the directions, and I'm really, really bad at turning things right-side-out with ripping through the seam. I have found that a small zig-zag stitch does help with that though, if anyone else in the same boat.


     I still can't get the head exactly right, but I am working on it, and I will post more pictures as I increase and grow my flock. I would really recommend this project if you only get a few minutes o work at a time, once you get the hang of it, I'm sure you can churn these out in no time. I think this would also be great weighted with a little rice or beans. Or as it just occurred to me, they may also work great as a booboo buddy if made out of flannel and filled with rice or birdseed and then put in the freezer or slightly warmed in the microwave. What do you think?

Hope Chest

     I wanted to show you one of my greatest treasures today. As a wedding present, my dad made me a hope chest. I, being the odd one that I am, have wanted one for a long, long time. I expected a skillfully made cedar box. I got a treasure chest, far beyond my wildest expectations.

     See how amazing it is? I used to creep out to my dad's wood shop, and peek in it, but even seeing it being created was nothing at all like seeing it finished. I love this flourish in particular, because it reminds me of a similar flourish above my parent's old bed. It just makes me feel safe and happy whenever I see it.

     
     The details alone make it stunning, the chest in it's entirety make it an heirloom. It even has a secret to go with it (but I can't tell here, or else it wouldn't be much of a secret!)

     One of my favorite things about is that it is lined with cedar, which is not only very practical at keeping out bugs and such, but it makes anything that is kept in it smell heavenly! I don't think it will come as much of a surprise to anyone that this is where I keep my fabric. Not only does it keep everything neat, organized, and smelling wonderful, it allows me to set a limit of how much fabric I horde keep. Right now it is almost full, so I am limiting myself to what I already have for my next several projects.

     Do you have a special gift that will last generations? Or one that is not only a gift, but a act of love?

Little Wife, Little Mother

      I think it might be easier to show you my announcement, rather than telling you, so here you go, our life changing (for the husbandman and I at least) announcement:

  

    I'm 14 weeks along, and still very much on cloud nine. But we got to see the baby today, and it is suddenly so much more real to the both of us. To be able to see him (or her, we don't know yet) move and respond to pressure and bounce, and even "wave" was honestly one of the best moments of my live.