Sometimes you get this...
It's okay though, because it was a perfect night.
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Starred...
1. Molly's Sketchbook: Candy Corn Trick or Treat Bags!, 2. the point, 3. i chose orange, 4. 10.08.10, 5. I Know it's Still Hot But I'm Not Longer Waiting for Autumn, 6. party favor bags, 7. color and shadow, 8. pumpkins galore
This week's favorite links...
- Lots of craftiness...LOVE this...this super cute wrapping...this is a cute way to fill a frame...these cards are inspiring...love this Halloween decor...and I want to make this wreath...oh and how cute is this?
- Loved these images...this bright and cheery room...and need to frame this too
- Need to makes these...and these...and this looks awfully good
This is where the party's at...
It was a busy week...but we have managed to pull together a semblence of Halloween decor just in time for Mac's pumpkin carving party tonight and our annual trick-or-treat party on Sunday...
Spiders and webs (that didn't go on the banisters very well)...
Here are the lanterns and a trick-or-treat banner I made...
This print and a frame of bats...oh and you'll never guess how so much candy corn ended up in those jars...
Looking forward to a weekend full of Halloween!
Etsy sale...
Back in March I came up with idea to make a card a week and list a few kits in my Etsy shop...and here we are almost 30 cards later.
Thank you so much to everyone who has purchased some Well Wishes from me.
I am suspending the series for the next several weeks as I prepare for Christmas tag season...everything in the shop is on sale to help make room.
Ten on Tuesday...
1. I finally changed out my blog banner for something more Halloween-y...
2. I am addicted to mixing together vanilla and peach loose teas to brew pitchers of iced tea.
3. Mac's getting tested tonight for his green belt in karate...fingers crossed.
4. I am in charge of teaching in my theory class tomorrow night...fingers crossed even more.
5. Recent TV watching has meant I found two new favorite songs... "You Got What I Need" by Joshua Radin and "Only You" by Matthew Perryman Jones.
6. I have also officially entered the season where I check every other minute to see if iTunes has put up the Holiday genre.
7. I need new holiday music so I can get in the mood to make Christmas tags...lots and lots of Christmas tags.
8. I am teaching for a third year in a row...probably on November 19th, but I hope to have more details soon.
9. I was able to find cute little gift boxes for this year's kits (last year was envelopes and before that lunch bags) Already starting to fill these...
10. I think this would be a good time to tell you The Box Zone is one of my favorite stores.
What we'll be eating this week...
Busy, busy week around here...so dinner won't be terribly creative.
Monday/Tuesday: Tacos
Wedensday/Thursday: Parmesan Chicken Sticks & pasta
Friday: It's Mac's Carving Party and the menu isn't finalized, but he wants Bacon Wrapped Hot dogs and I'm thinking of making Bolognese Bread Pizza
Saturday: Mac's at his Dad's so Sean and I are going out
Sunday: Our Halloween pizza party...I'll make a salad with homemade Creamy Italian Dressing
Scary and bright...
I figured a title referencing the "merry and bright" of the holidays is fitting considering our Halloween light collection might start to rival Christmas soon. However, since I'm the world's biggest wuss, our house is far from scary.
Here is this year's front porch...
Next week at this time we'll be out on it sipping hot apple cider and giving candy to trick-or-treaters...can't wait.
Starred...
1. collage-floral, 2. our pumpkins, 3. Work In Progress, 4. shop space, 5. wreath, 6. maisons , 7. Holiday with Matthew Mead, 8. My Latest Bright Idea
This week's favorite links...
- Scrapbooking...loved this mini book...and this layout.
- General craftiness...this card with cute hair clips...Mac would love to make this...and this great color combination.
- Houses...love this one...and this room.
- Fall crafts... totally inspired by these and this.
- Food...these soup recipes...this idea...and this applesauce.
Preparations...
Halloween weekend means we'll be hosting two parties...Mac's pumpkin carving with his friends and our annual pizza dinner with neighbors and family before we go trick-or-treating...so we are getting ready for both.
First is invites for the neighbors (nothing like waiting until the last minute)...it has bags of this good stuff. (and cards like this one)
Then yesterday was the annual all you can carry trip...
This weekend we'll be busy decorating...
Ten on Tuesday...
1. The last of our visiting friends were dropped off at the airport this afternoon...I hate saying goodbye and it's way too quiet around here now.
2. In related news the Griffin Hotel has turned into a laundry-mat.
3. I am so very behind on life right now, but this weekend made it totally worth it.
4. For instance I never pressed the "publish" button for this week's meal planning post so here it is on Tuesday...
Didn't share last week since it was pretty boring around here...although I did make fondue this weekend with our friends.
This week looks more promising...
Monday/Tuesday: Pot Roast & Mashed Potatoes
Wednesday/Thursday: Sweet Onion Macaroni & Cheese
Friday: Don't know yet
Saturday: Asparagus and Manchego Cheese Casserole (from here) for the neighborhood breakfast I'm hosting to plan this year's holiday progressive dinner
5. I think I love the gravy more than the pot roast...scary that I could practically eat it like a bowl of soup.
6. The gravy included some fresh apple cider since Sean, Mac and I went to Oak Glen on Sunday while our friends spent the day at Disneyland.
7. Pretty sure the crazy busy-ness and long lines in Oak Glen were worse than Disneyland, but we still got around to everything we wanted...whipping cream caramel apples, apple cider mini donuts...oh and we picked a few apples too. Of course there are photos...
8. That cider is like the nectar of the Gods. FYI the nectar costs a hefty $10 a gallon.
9. I'm eager to take the heftily priced nectar and make these...except I'd use caramel syrup instead of cinnamon because you never can have too much caramel.
10. And now you know I have an unreasonable love for gravy and caramel...but not together.
I could show you 200 of these...
Clearly we had too much fun with the tripod.
Starred...
1. Patchwork Pumpkins, 2. flowers from beerlala, 3. latest pink penguin fabric basket, 4. A Bouquet of Sunshine, 5. happy day, 6. as she wakes up lll..., 7. Sunshine and Waves, 8. the desire to create...
Lots of stuff this week...
- So many great layouts...loved these...these and this one.
- Cute cards too...here and here.
- Loved these fall crafts...this idea for twine...and this wreath.
- More Halloween ideas...already printed this and loved the details here.
- Inspired by this house and this one too.
- Found a new recipe blog to love...look at this cookie...and these brownies and these!
Another edition...
Last February I implored you to make a sewn circle garland...it wasn't something new, but once I tried it I was hooked. So with that in mind here is the next craft I will be obsessed with...
I saw it on a favorite blog last week and had to try it.
Good thing I had the cutest pile of Halloween paper waiting to be made into something.
I cut 3/4" x12" strips and used a brad to help hold it all together.
Can't wait to make more...
Ten on Tuesday...
1. I have the most resourceful blog readers ever...granted I haven't tried the hot needle idea, but I am contemplating the hot glue. Thanks for trying help solve the candy corn debacle of 2010.
2. The winners of the two Girls' Paperie embellishment packets are...
#36 ERIKA P said...funny, I would have given up after about 10 corns. That ribbon is really cute.October 11, 2010 at 04:12 PM
#49 Jana said...Oh, I adore The Girls Paperie!!Use a superfine needle and maybe heat it in a flame of a candle for a bit so it will slide through easier?October 12, 2010 at 07:44 AM
Erika and Jana please e-mail your addresses so I can get the packages in the mail this week.
3. I have successfully crafted something for Halloween. I'll share it on Thursday, but here's a peek...
4. I also used one more of the new Catslife stamps...
5. Have I ever mentioned that the seal stamps fit almost perfectly with Fiskars large and extra-large circle punches? That kind of makes me sound like a salesman, but I thought I'd share since I was super excited when I discovered it a couple of years ago.
6. It is week eight of grad school...by Friday I will be 1/2 way done with my first semester and 1/8 done with the whole darn thing.
7. I seriously have been counting down since the beginning so we've gone from 1/64 done to 1/8 done...too bad the fractions slow down from here.
8. I started looking for my classes next semester and found, "College Student's Characteristics and Cultures" in the Educational Leadership department. I'm allowed to take classes other than Sociology, I just have to get it approved. The advisor told me tonight she wants the syllabus and to speak with the professor. Please keep your fingers crossed for me since I am as excited about taking this class as I was about circular punches and seal stamps...super excited.
9. We have friend's coming to stay with us this weekend...the last time we were all together was 2006...although one will be missing this time we're counting on Skype to have her here in spirit.
10. This week we'll be busy preparing Hotel Griffin...so far we've made a couple of improvements...high density foam mattress toppers and a new soft close toilet seat...exciting stuff right? Well almost as exiting as seal stamps & punches and getting to take an Educational Leadership class.
It seemed like a good idea...
I mentioned last week that we had an ever-growing pile of Halloween ideas. Mac and I tried one from here today. How cute does candy corn garland sound? Stringing them along and draping them in the dining room for Mac's party. And it's a great excuse to buy two big bags of candy corn...
However it seems next to impossible to do. They're not so cute as they break every time you try to carefully put the needle through them...and it's not easy to get the needle through them in the first place. Let's just say Mac and I ate a lot of broken candy corn today and I have this same piece of fishing line with only three candy corn successfully strung. If you have any suggestions I'd love to hear them.
Hopefully this week's other planned Halloween crafts will go better. I'll be using lots of Girls' Paperie for my projects and thought I would share some. I have two little packets of various Toil and Trouble embellishments to share...
Please leave a comment if you need some of this cuteness for your Halloween crafting...the random drawing will be on Tuesday evening.
And don't be surprised if this stuff arrives padded in candy corn...I'll need to use it up somehow.
Starred...
1. Greg Hatton, 2. casa de vera & lucas, 3. El descanso, 4. newlookstudio, 5. selected, 6. a few sprightly..., 7. Lonny Magazine now in print, 8. Untitled
Good stuff was starred in my Google Reader this week...
- So much scrapbooking...loved this...this layout...really love the stamping on this...and these are great too.
- Little books...love all the layers on these...and how cool would be to make this?
- This is a terrific fall color combo.
- A terrific baby shower gift here...and love these Halloween party ideas...oh and there was this great party idea too.
- Would have never thought to do this...and really want to do this.
- Loved these home images...and these before and after ideas.
- And want to eat this.
What I worked on...
I said last week I was going to put away the schoolwork and stamp instead. Well, I did both.
Here's what I've made with the new Catslife Press stamps...
This is the Well Wishes card for the week...
And from my latest Cartwheels post...
I have two more stamps on my desk that have yet to touch an inkpad...that is absolutely happening this weekend.
Ten on Tuesday...
1. Last week face of the sun...this week cool and rainy. This is my kind of week.
2. Yesterday Mac and I managed to convince Sean this was needed...
3. Although we actually didn't need to do much convincing to get Sean to light a fire...which makes me think he was just as excited about it as we were.
4. The downside about the clouds (not there really is one) is poor light when I need to photograph a project so I copied this...it actually worked pretty well...you'll see in a Nice to Greet You installment next week...
5. Some of that ribbon is being cleaned out soon...I think it'll be time for another blog garage sale.
6. I mentioned yesterday that I didn't really have a recipe for the meatball sandwiches we're having for dinner this week, but as I made them last night I took some notes so I could share how I make them.
7. We're embracing all things Halloween around here...Mac's invitations go out tomorrow...
8. Years ago I put "learning how to use digital elements" on a want-to-do list...like New Years or my birthday or something. So glad I've finally done it...maybe there's hope for that permanent weight loss since that's always on those lists too.
9. Because of the party I am embracing all things Halloween like I haven't before...I've even gathered a little library that I "needed" as I've found them over the last several weeks (thank goodness for Costco discounted magazines)...
10. And speaking of other plans we have coming up soon, on November 13th Sean, Mac and I will be doing the Orange County Walk Now for Autism on our nephew Caleb's team. After years of the camp we volunteered at for adults with metal disabilities we knew many families touched by Autism and now that's the case for our own family too. I thought I'd ask just in case you'd like to contribute, you can donate here. Thank you.
Meatball Sandwiches...
Here's the usual disclaimer: This is my own recipe which means all measurements are estimates. Starting with smaller quantities and adding more as needed is probably your best bet.
Ingredients:
French Rolls
Softened Butter
Garlic Salt
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
One generous pound of ground beef
1/3 of an medium onion; grated
5 garlic cloves; grated
1/2 cup Plain Bread Crumbs
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 to 2 Eggs
Olive Oil
1 small can of Tomato Paste
Sugar
1 1/2 cups of Beef Broth
Beef Better than Bouillon
Place the beef in a large bowl for mixing. Add onion (with liquid from grating since it kind of pulverizes it) and garlic to the ground beef. Add one egg, half the bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese mixing together by hand. Add other egg or dry ingredients as needed to get a properly sticky consistency. Roll small meatballs about the diameter of a silver dollar. You can make these ahead of time or even freeze them if you'd like.
To make the sauce sear the meatballs on all sides in a hot pan lightly coated with olive oil. Once browned remove the meatballs from the pan, they will be added back into the sauce to finish cooking. Add about 3/4 of a cup of the beef broth to the hot pan, scraping up the bits of meat stuck to the bottom. Add the can of tomato paste and add more beef broth if necessary to get the sauce consistency you'd like. To intensify the beef flavor use a small spoonful of Better than Bouillon and a sprinkle sugar to sweeten the sauce if desired. Add the meatballs back into the sauce to finish cooking.
Take the french rolls and carefully split them in half trying to leave them connected at the bottom. Spread with butter and sprinkle with garlic salt to bake in the oven at 350 for 3-4 minutes to get warm and toasty. When rolls are done place meatballs and sauce inside, top with shredded mozzarella and return to the oven for a couple of minutes to melt the cheese.
What we'll be eating this week...
Monday/Tuesday: Meatball Sandwiches...don't really have a recipe
Wednesday: Grilled tri-tip, mashed potatoes and green beans
Thursday: Apricot Chicken and rice
Friday: Fry-day...I'm thinking hot dogs and tater totsI said last week I had no clue what I was making for the weekend...we ended up making Sweet Onion Macaroni and Cheese, Oatmeal Chocolate Caramel Bars and Roasted Cinnamon Pear Bruschetta to take to brunch at a friend's house. It was a good food weekend.
In the swing of things...
Is it bad that I love fake pumpkins? I love the real ones too and look forward to Sean maximizing our purchase of them in the coming weeks (just like last year)
So it's Sunday night which I said I detested about three million times last school year. Thankfully this year has been different. Towards the end of the summer Sean and I analyzed our weekend productivity and developed a schedule that would leave us with a free Sunday afternoon and evening.
Miraculously (knock on wood) it has completely worked. We get everything done and we don't start the week stressed out. We're hoping this will continue for the rest of the school year. Who am I kidding, hopefully the rest of forever. No more stressful Sundays!
Ready & waiting...
Apparently it's World Card Making Day and I didn't get a chance to make a card. So instead I thought I'd take a minute and show you my little storage system for the cards I've already made...
It's actually a photo storage box with dividers to keep "thank you" separate from "I love you"
Thankfully it's pretty full of sentiments waiting to be sent.
Starred...
1. Studio sneak peek, 2. flowers, 3. Posy's sofa, 4. Kitchen /dining, 5. MS Living @ The Home Depot, 6. Inspiration Board 09/2010, 7. 027 Roof Garden, 8. Sunday Steaming
- Loved this mini-book and this make your own notebook tutorial.
- How cool is this? It has me wanting to get out my sewing machine and try it.
- We're making plans for Mac's pumpkin carving party so I loved seeing this and this...oh and this too.
- This post has me wanting to plan an LA food field trip.
- Apple recipes...this one and this one are similar but they both look so good!
