Happy Happy Sunday

It's a gorgeous morning so far...hard to believe that several hundred miles from here Hurricane Irene has been spreading her destruction through the night.

Been busy this week...finally getting the last of the little stuff put away in the new place, the 2 older kids started school and I've been getting little bits & pieces of time to start working on some more projects. One was an EPIC FAIL!!! I bought some peaches at the local farm on wheels and was very excited about trying a peach cobbler in the crock pot. I made the mistake of wanting to cook it overnight since 11:00 pm is when I get all my great inspiration. Unfortunately, I didn't wake up until it was burnt!! I even took a pic but I won't sadden you...my heart was crushed over the loss of that fresh peach, cinnamon-y goodness =(

Also did a little sewing this week...made a cute crayon roll!! Thank you Chocolate on my Cranium for your awesome tutorial!! That was very simple & I thought it came out pretty darn adorable. Going to tweak it a bit and roll some out for Christmas gifts to sell at the shop! Also made another dress out of a cute vintage pillowcase. Has some awesome orangey & turquoise to it!!

The crayon rolls can be made in any fabric/theme!! This particular one holds 16 regular sized crayons but that can be customized too! As you can see with the dress, the little diva did not feel like being photographed and made me show her the picture after I took it to be sure her face wasn't in the shot! I added the embellishments after I had her try it on.

Crazy Nana & Papa Jay are coming to visit today so I get to pick the kids up early!! Lots to do til then (like make Nanner Puddin...mmmm....).

Two (Ok...3) Ingredients! And Delicious Too!!!

So I've been absolutely craving something that reminded me of fall and have been browsing various blogs for new ideas for the change of season. I came across a blog called The Big Red Kitchen that screamed READ ME!!! Especially since I saw one of her posts was titled Two Ingredient Pumpkin Cake with Apple Cider Glaze...Holy Autumn Batman!! Apple cider brings back amazing childhood memories of trips to the old orchard, picking pumpkins & seeing how cider was made. Definitely a must try for me...

So...I got out my yellow cake mix and my can of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix) and started researching variations on the recipe on other blogs. Everyone warned that the batter would be extremely thick. Some suggested adding milk but one of course caught my eye...they added apple cider to thin it out a bit! That was the one for me! Got out my stand mixer and went to work. Started with just the 2 ingredients but slowly added in the cider, little bit at a time. All told I was happy with the consistency after adding about a quarter cup.

Plopped the batter in a lined muffin tin, baked about 18 of them at 350 for approximately 18 minutes and enjoyed the aroma! Figured I would have time to glaze them this morning when I got up but of course no...can't have spare time on the first day of school!! Figured I should sample one to see if they just had to have the glaze before bringing them into the shop and the moist & yummy goodness was just fine without for today. Definitely a must for next time though!

Oh yes...if you do choose to do the glaze...all you need is 1 cup confectioner's sugar, 2 T apple cider and 1/2 t pumpkin pie spice. Combine the ingredients, drizzle over the cake (cupcakes, muffins, whatevs!) and let it set before covering.

Ah...Bliss Returns

Several months ago I tried my hand at soap making and really enjoyed it. It was fun to see what blends of essential oils I could use. The shop then began to consume all of my time so I let my supplies sit in the corner. Well...last week my friend and fellow shop owner Valerie mentioned she was running low on the soaps she carries and hadn't heard from the girl who had done some for her in the past. Hello? Opportunity knocking...I love it when I can do things I truly enjoy AND make enough money to actually pay for doing it!

So, last night I cleared off the counters and got to work. I recently taught a kids' soap ball making class at Val's shop and had picked up some Lime Oil. This stuff smells good!! And very invigorating...even the kids loved it! By the end of my play time I had 2 different soaps...a basic oatmeal bar made with a shea butter base (so moisturizing!!) and a rose lime blend in the same base. Yep...it even had rose petals throughout the bar! So fun! And did I mention...all natural?? I will be dropping 3 of each off to Plain & Practical this evening when I close my shop and hope that she likes them. Would love the opportunity to play some more!
PS...Want some?? I ship =) or stop by Val's place!

And Away We Gooooo....

Welcome!!

Thanks for stopping by!! I'm looking forward to sharing my adventures with you as I go dumpster diving for awesome treasures, prepare fun & tasty new treats in the kitchen (I promise...it won't be right after I dumpster dive and I will sanitize my hands first) and navigate my way through this chaotic life as a business owner and single mom to my 2 girls and a boy, whom I affectionately call my "heathens".