Pumpkin Carving!

The little devil has his tail and pitchfork. The soul cakes are made, and the jack o' lantern is carved. Now on to our other festivities after the little devil is done napping. Looks like we are in for a very rainy Halloween, luckily we will just be hanging out on the plaza trick or treating then back to Mark's shop to watch all the goblins and ghouls come out to get their treats.

We had a busy morning, the devil's tail still needed to be attached and I wanted to get the jack o' lantern carved and the pumpkin seeds roasted so I wouldn't have to do very much when we get home from trick or treating. I made soul cakes this year because Ciaran can't eat candy yet and I wanted to make sure he got a treat of some kind. I have wanted to make soul cakes since I was a kid and first read about them in an article about the history of Halloween. So I looked up a recipe and got started. I did add some apple to them as a request from Mark(along with peanut butter icing for them). I couldn't get into the peanut butter icing though, it just kind of took over the flavor of the cookie. So we went with plain old powdered sugar and they are just swell!

I look forward to a nice afternoon out and about then home for split pea soup, scary movies, and a beer(or two!) Then it's on to November, man oh man does time go by fast! Happy Halloween everyone!

Diggin' For The Debil!

My newest little snappy wallet. I had to go with the green and black again. I just couldn't resist. My new machine really does a kick butt job with all this leather and suede. I am a very happy camper!

I just finished the Ciaran's little devil costume. He is way too cute in it. Although he swims in it. I decided to make it a little larger so he could wear the pants and hoodie through the winter. Yes! I cheated and I am not afraid to say it!

Anyways, the little devil thing made me think of my little sister and her obsession with the devil when she was little. My little sister is on the quiet side. She keeps to herself for the most part and has done so since she was tiny. I remember in kindergarten watching her in the kindergarten play yard with the group of kids she had convinced to help her dig for the devil in the sandbox. She and the other kindergartners were going to dig the dude up and kick his spiny butt all over town. I just remember when she and the others were asked what they were up to they would reply "We're diggin' for the debil, and when we get him, we are going to beat him up!" While I was busy building my clay creatures, or drawing pictures of "Sky-Dog"( that is a whole other story in itself) in the second grade yard, I would occasionally hear whoops and hollers of joy....er...um...hatred "Let's get him guys! Don't let him go! We are going to beat him up!" It still makes me giggle to this day. So every time I see a picture of a devil, I think of my bad-ass little sister and her four and five year old gang of hooligan's tormenting the devil. I don't think that game would fly in these times, but it is one of my most hilarious and treasured school memories.

Tagged Again:)

Thanks to Elizabeth of Evy Designs you will now know seven more things about me that you may or may not want to know. Hopefully, it will be somewhat entertaining to you.

1. I can pick up items and pinch with my toes. In fact, I prefer to pick things up with my toes, life is just easier that way. It really hurts to get pinched by toes, I have tried it on myself.

2. One of the reasons I left my teaching career was the deep fear of having to wear teddy bear jumpers and holiday themed sweaters.

3. I like my body more after my pregnancy than before. I don't know why, I just do. More boobs and bottom I guess:)

4. I can't stand dipping cookies or other sweets into milk or coffee, but I love dipping bread into soup. I have no idea why, I guess it is because soup is supposed to be chunky but milk and coffee shouldn't be. Oh, my stomach is turning just trying to rationalize it.

5. I love buying shoes but hate wearing them. I spend most of my time barefoot and I like it that way. I guess it is a good thing that I can't afford to buy shoes right now.

6. I have a very big fear of deep water. I have never learned how to swim because I can't get the courage to go into any body of water past my knees, and my first swim instructor threw me into the deep end of the pool at the YMCA and said "you're on your own kid!" What an awesome way to show someone how to swim:P

7. I have been obsessed with turtles and skeletons my entire life. My first turtle was a plastic model named Gamara and my first skeleton was a little glow in the dark skeleton model named Skully. I broke Gamara while playing outside one summer's day and he forever had a rubber band around the middle of him holding his parts together. Skully's demise came shortly after, when I woke up in the middle of the night to find him glowing at me from the closet. I screamed, my parents came in my room and rescued me, and Skully has been missing ever since.

So, there you go, more about me and all that I am. I hope you enjoyed reading! I am not sure when I will tag someone else, but I will, because as much as I like to share these little tidbits about myself, I like to read about other people more:)

The New Kid on The Block

Here is the newest member of our family. My new machine. My old machine is now reclining on the couch ready for her much deserved vacation. I got to play around a bit last night and ended up making two wallets and starting on a third. It is nice to have a machine with a bit of a punch to it. Not that my viking wasn't powerful. I love that machine but she needs a little love to get back to her old self. So now there are two and I love them both! I tried not to get too much of my messy sewing table in the picture. I have a huge pile of patterns and other little pieces of info that need to be filed away somewhere. I hate organizing!

Here is my first wallet from my new machine. I love deep green suede. It is so purty! I wish I had more of it to play with. I got a great idea for an applique with some of it. It will be very inspired by the redwood forest. I hope it turns out as good as it looks in my mind.

So now it is back to finishing the little devil's accessories for Halloween and finishing up a couple of wallets to list in my Etsy and icraft shops. But first!............more coffee! Have a great day all!

Catching up

I feel like I have been out of the loop for a while. Not having a sewing machine and not having full access to the computer over the weekend was really weird. I managed to get a little time in here and there but not like my week days, where I can get everything done that I need to. Now I am playing catch-up. Just like after a vacation I guess. Mmmmmmm, vacation sounds good! I want one now! But, only if it's at a place that has lots of coffee and chocolate, because that is what I need right now.
I did manage to get this little wallet all sewn up. I decided to just go ahead and finish up the seams so I could at least list one thing in my shops this week. I love the color combination. Believe it or not I got it from a fancy bra I saw on one of those fashion shows. Super dark and beautiful brown suede with iridescent lilac and metallic lime green. Fancy, Fancy stuff!!!! Can't wait to try more in this combination. Come soon little sewing machine! I need you!

My newest custom creation with the cutest little currency signs ever. I sure had fun making this one! I hope it's new owner enjoys it just as much:)




The little devil is coming along nicely. The little devil costume that is. Ciaran wants to wear his new little horned hoodie around the house and throws huge fits whenever I tell him no. My sewing machine is once again putting up with me despite it's injury so the sewing is going just fine. I am just praying that it holds out through the rest of the costume sewing. Now Mark wants a devil costume too. I don't think I can take having two devils in the house at the same time. Too darn evil for me:)

The week ahead holds lots of baking( I am trying my hand at soul cakes and yummy pumpkin cookies, hopefully the arrival of a new sewing machine, then lots of sewing, trick or treating and hot apple cider. Maybe even a ghoulish dance with a jack o'lantern. Sounds like spooky good fun to me. I am off to enjoy a scary movie and a cup of coffee while my little devil is napping. Have a great day all!

Gluing the Day Away

So in order to save time for the next few days while I await my other sewing machine I get to glue! I don't mind the gluing part, it is actually really easy to do when Ciaran is up and around. It is just that I want to sew!!!! I want to get all my pieces done for these upcoming shows and to stock up my shop for the holidays. I ate glue by accident the other day, it was horrible. I must have had some on my hands while I was having my snack of peanut butter and apples. Blahh! I don't recommend it.

So today I spend the day gluing various pieces of colorful leather together, cutting out my little devil's devil costume, and watching my tortoise rampage! Their light and heat source for their enclosure burnt out yesterday and in order for them to get a few hours of sunshine, they are free in my living room. Chasing one another and scaring the cats. I came out the shower yesterday morning to find Abner perched on top of a backpack by the door and Imogene trying to dig herself a burrow through one of the kitchen cabinets. Oh well, as long as they are having fun, I am happy.

I think I killed it!

Luckily I finished this and a few other pieces before it happened! I think I killed my sewing machine! Something snapped somewhere and it sounded BAD! My machine still works, but I choose not to injure it more. That along with a sick kiddo, has made for a couple of hellish days. Not only was I bit panicked for my little guy who was pretty darn sick there for a couple of days, but then I began to panic about getting all my work done for the holidays this year. Someone must have been smiling on me because I had just ordered my new heavy duty machine a bit earlier, so now the panic is just a little whisper instead of a big loud growl. Of course, now I am flat broke again but my little boy is feeling better enough to dance around and head-butt me, and I will have a new machine to terrorize while my other machine gets a much deserved vacation and a check-up. All is well in Arcataland:)

So I Can't Move My Head AGAIN!

I don't know how it happened but I woke up with a super stiff neck again. I can't move my head around too much, it hurts all the way down my back. I actually got sleep, we had the bed to ourselves, except for Yui cat, and I went to bed earlier than normal. Maybe I didn't move enough or something. Again, I don't know, all I can say is that I am having to figure out how to drink coffee without moving my head from it's slightly tilted position. Just so you know, it is not working, and I really need a bib.

I finally figured out what to do with all the pieces of super pliable leather that I have found on my adventures. I love this little purse design and I am definitely going to make some more and hopefully soon!

So we have a new pet. Or, a new pet has us. We have a bouncing baby spider that lives by the computer, and only comes out when the computer is on. I have tried to get a picture but I think the little guy/gal is shy. I think he or she is addicted to the Internet. His or her home is in the table lamp next to the computer. It is really nice to have a little extra company while I am checking on my shops or blogging. We haven't come up with a name yet. We are hoping the little critter will tell us what it wants to be called.

Ouch!

So one of my newer pieces with lots of brilliant color. I love my bright orange leather! It is really really bright and kind takes over though so it needs extra bright and cheery colors to go with it. Fun times! I am getting to like the whole zipper experience too. I like the feeling of little secret compartments.

So I hurt my knee doing a yoga stretch the other day. It is really sore and bothering me. So now my lovely walks downtown have been interrupted, which sucks! I think I am going to attempt a walk with my little knee wrap so I can see if it is still do-able. The trouble is, Ciaran needs exercise, and so do I. There is only so much you can do to entertain yourself in a tiny little apartment, so I at least need to be able to make it down to the school grounds so Ciaran can run around in the afternoons. Ick! I feel like I have been sitting on my butt for years now. I want to be outside in the fresh air, watching my son run around like crazy. Get better soon knee!

Coffee On An Empty Stomach

Never the greatest of ideas, but I sure wish my belly could tolerate it today. I woke up with not much of an appetite but a huge lustful urge for coffee! I love coffee but some days I just crave it like food. Weird! I need the caffeine to keep up with the kid today and make our trip downtown. I am truly out of it. Going to bed late, not sleeping well, and getting up to rescue a screaming toddler may be some of the reason for my zombie like state. Ciaran seems to fair better than me. He is watching a cartoon and screaming "ALL-RIGHT!" at the screen. I wish I could just steal a little bit of that energy. It would help so much! Well, "ALL-RIGHT!" I am off to eat, drink, and glue things. Have a great day:)

I Got Tagged!

Yes, it is my turn to share some random facts about myself, seven to be precise. Thanks to Jewelry Rockstar, you will now all know some random bits about myself that many may or may not know already.

1. When I was five I wanted to be a pig and I cried when my parents laughed about it. Like the time my sister and my parents told me I was adopted and that my real parents were cows from outer space. I was mortified....not about being a cow's offspring, but about being from outer space.

2. I have always loved ghost stories. It started when I was tiny. When I was little, I had and invisible friend named Horace who was a ghost and lived in abandoned amusement park on the hill above my house. Horace used to follow me everywhere......until he got another girlfriend.

3. I have an insane fear of hangovers, probably from my wilder days, I hate the head achy, yuck-tummy, barfilicious feeling and will never have more than two drinks because of it.

4. I love exploring old ghost towns. One of my goals is to get out and see the ones in the far reaches of Northern California and photograph them. I have been to a few but I have never gotten to photograph them.

5. I love old homes, I hope to one day buy one, restore it and live in it until I am very, very old.

6. I had to give up crocheting because I became obsessive about it and couldn't stop causing great pain to my hands and back.

7. I have never seen Bigfoot, although I try each time we are out in the forest. It is another one of my goals, just to see a big ol' footprint or something. Some say that you will smell him before you see him though.

I am sure there is a lot more about me but that should be enough to entertain for a while. Well, I am off to explore ghost towns and hunt for Bigfoot tracks!

I Won, I Won, I Won!

Thanks to Treasures By Tina, I won some lovely note cards from her shop on Friday! I was so excited , I never win anything, so this was a real treat. I picked a set of note cards with dandelions on them. I love them! Thanks Tina! You made my day:) Check out TreasuresbyTina when you get a chance, another wonderful Etsy shop:)
The weekend brought on a new interest in polka dots and more interesting color combinations. I finished this little guy up this weekend and decided against a snap, the button closure was more fitting for this one. I spent the rest of my time planning out a couple new color combinations, the first is a grey-ish blue and deep plum, the second is chocolate brown, iridescent lilac, and lime green. So far so good. The distraction from sick kitty care was good and I feel like I got a lot done. I wish I could post my color combinations to get an opinion but unfortunately the pictures I took did not turn out very well so I will just go with what I have and show off some pictures when the pieces are complete. Hopefully they won't suck.

Humbug is hanging in there! She has regained her appetite and seems to have a little more energy these days. She is beginning to demand lap time again and begs for food constantly, so a sure sign she is feeling better. So we just wait and watch and love her all up, we want her to enjoy her time here.

My Newest Custom Order

The end of the week has brought a successful finish to my latest custom order. It was really fun to put together. I love a challenge and it was quite a challenge sewing a teeny ohm sign onto this little wallet. It turned out beautifully though and I am glad. I hope it's new owner will be happy with it:)

It has been a long and crazy week full of terminally ill kitties, tantruming toddlers, and other shenanigans. Now that it is winding down, I am looking forward to a weekend of pumpkin patch exploring, and festival going. I need to get out of the house, get my mind on other things, and wrap my head around what is really going on here. I need to sort out a new schedule for Ciaran and I, and get cracking on more stuff! I just want to be as efficient as possible, especially with Humbug needing a lot of extra care for the rest of her time here. I am sure it will all work out but I at least want to have a plan, a plan will just make me feel better. It's that safety thing, just having some grasp on what is happening next...........even though what I plan and what actually happens could be two totally different things. Ah the unexpected! Surprises me every time:)

Too Much Hot Sauce!

My mouth is on fire! I just made scrambled eggs and goofed by dumping a ton of hot sauce onto them on accident. I scraped off what I could but MAN! THOSE WERE SOME HOT EGGS! My eyes are even tearing up! OUCH! That was not the most comfortable way in the world to wake-up for the day. I would rather have my double latte but now at least I feel awake:)

So my dear Humbug is back home with us today, she is back to her old cranky self but we know she won't be with us much longer. She is definitely suffering from chronic kidney failure and is at the worst stage of the disease. So all we can do is make her happy and comfortable until it's her time to go.

Those Were The Days

"Here is my heart, don't break it!" I said that to some dumbass in high school that I swore I was madly in love with and gave him this super cute antique crystal heart as a little keepsake. I thought it was all sentimental and cute at the time, now I kick myself because he turned out to be a booger gone bad, and I lost one of my favorite little pieces of jewelry. Bummer. That experience has made me learn to keep my good jewelry to myself, and to not share it with people that don't appreciate it. Big obscene gestures to that mean dude that eventually broke my real heart (I am not sure about what happened to the crystal heart, I imagine he gave it to some other girl , who knows.) ..........................Not that I am bitter or anything:)

I just talked to my mom this morning. She was a little teary and sad. My uncle Dave sent my mom a big box of family photos and my mom had just gone through them. She commented on how cute my sisters and I all were when we were kids and I joked "Yeah? and look what has happened to us!" She laughed but said that it wasn't that we aren't all still cute but that it was something kids had about them naturally. Excitement, amazement, joy, all the things that we don't always show when we are adults. We came to the conclusion that it is a goal to keep some of those feelings about the world within our hearts throughout our lives, to make our time here worth it. Now, I have to say that this is a new goal for me, a few years back my goal was just to survive the day, go home, or go out and buy some shoes to soak up some of my exhaustion and depression. With Ciaran here, I see things a little differently. Not that the world is perfect and beautiful all the time, because it is definitely not, but if you can look past all the crap going on out there, it is a wonderful, mysterious place, full of adventures of your choosing. Yes, it is a choose your own adventure kind of place. That is how my son is seeing the world now, and I don't want me or anyone else to mess that up for him in any way.

We learned yesterday that Humbug is suffering from kidney failure and an infection of some sort. She seems to be feeling a little better, her appetite has improved and she has perked up a bit, but her kidneys don't seem to want to cooperate. We will be keeping her happy and comfortable at home for the meanwhile.

New and Improved

This is my first new and improved travel wallet. I made it a little roomier, and added a couple extra card pockets. I went with this beautiful caramel colored leather because it is so darn smooth and soft! I am having way too much fun with the leaf and vine designs right now. I am trying to expand my horizons, but it is tricky when one thing just appeals so much to my eyeballs. We will see what I come up with next time. I still have a thing for polka dots so that may show up in a few more of these little wallets. Polka dots just make me happy. When I was a kid my sisters and I fought over a little orange dress with magenta polka dots on it. Of course, when it was my turn to wear it, I ended up falling asleep with a piece of gum in my mouth and waking up to all of my hair stuck to the dress and ended up having to be cut out of the dress. It was the end of my long hair and the end of the polka dot dress. It was a sad day. I never napped with gum in my mouth after that. In fact, I don't know why I had gum in the first place. I have always hated chewing gum. I don't know why but it grosses me out. I would rather chew on a stinky sock than chew gum. Blahhh!!!!

In other news, no news on Humbug yet. I am hoping we will learn a little more today, but I am not holding my breath. She seems a little more on the perky side today. She was begging for food this morning which has not been the case for a while now. I take that as a good sign for the day. Right now she is spying on me as I write this from between Mark's shoes. I think she is saying "Hurry up and finish writing, I need a lap to curl up in, NOW!" I must obey the queen.

Happy Monday?

Here is the newest of the pouches, I am really enjoying putting them together. I like the snap idea. I think it brings the design together. I am sure I will find something else I would like to change about the design down the road, but for now, I am enjoying my creation. So now I am on to the next one:)

So, I am sitting here with a bit of a knot in my stomach waiting for the vet to call about miss Humbug Beazus. I am pretty sure she is dying but I just need to hear it from her vet before I can just come to terms with it. She is a trooper kitty! She is still up and about, as slow as a snail and quite stiff but up and about, keeping an eye on her Queendom. It is so frustrating to only be able to provide a lap to sit on and some kind words to her. I want to make her comfortable and I can't. So I just work with her next to me, and try not to disturb her, and just try to enjoy our time together.

Something Cool for Etsy Peoples

This blog: ourminietsy is full of wonderful Etsy shops! I am so excited to be a part of it. I even found some shops I hadn't seen before and started making my holiday lists. Thanks to StrawberryAnarchy for putting this together. Another wonderful seller who has set up a wonderful way to get the word about Etsy out there. Yipee! Go check it out if you have a chance you might find something you fall in love with, I know I did:)

Rainy Friday!

I am so glad the kid and I got out for errands yesterday. It has been soaky-sopping wet since we got up this morning and I am just not feeling like being out in it. I have claimed today as "get all the little things done" day. I am cutting out wallets, finishing jewelry, and washing out living room walls. All this as well as playing with the kid and keeping an eye on our sickly old Humbug kitty. She has been suffering from an unknown ailment and we are trying to keep her comfortable and happy until we can get her in to the vet. I sure hope everything is o.k. she has been my little partner in crime for over fourteen years now! I don't know what I would do without her. I love her and I want her to get better, I just have a sinking feeling that she is wandering down that path to kitty heaven. Not immediately but soon. Sad stuff but inevitable. Man, sorry to be such a bring down! I am going to go back to cutting out my stuff now. Have a great weekend all!

The New And Improved Pouch!

So this is the new and improved pouch I have been working on. I decided to make it in the style of a messenger with an extra pocket in the front, and a zipper pocket and three other pockets inside. I love how it turned out. This one is a belated birthday present for a good friend of mine and I really hope she likes it. I put a key chain/clip on this one for a little added bonus and I think that is how I want to go with the rest of them. I think they come in handy. I am going to miss the lime green suede. I am down to the last few pieces now. So sad. Hopefully I will be getting my lovely green and yellow racer's jacket soon so I will have some bright kelly green to work with. That should liven things up a bit. I have decided to make my next pouch in teal and brown. I am adding an iridescent sheen to a piece of aqua suede I have and so far it looks marvelous! I am sure it will make a great pouch.

We had a lovely shopping day yesterday! I bought myself some new mineral make-up from HeavenlyNaturals and Ciaran and I picked out some lovely Halloween decorations. He went with the orange glow in the dark skeleton and I picked out a garland with all sorts of Halloween inspired characters for the inside. Next will be the pumpkin patch! I can't wait! I just have to remember to bring batteries for the camera this time.

Happy October!

Happy October everyone! I thought I would celebrate the start of one of my favorite months with a favorite picture of one of my Jack o' lanterns from a while back. I am sitting here waiting for paint to dry and watching a storm come in. We are supposed to have some rainy-ness over the next few days so it should make for productivity for me. As long as Ciaran can handle it, I am good to go! Hopefully I will have some new items for my shops by the weekend. I have a bunch ready to put together, I just need to get my butt in gear! It has been kind of tricky to balance child care, cleaning, taking care of a sick, elderly kitty, sewing, and soldering. I am managing to get it done somehow.................I have no idea how. I have procrastination in my blood, and I have gotten in trouble with it from time to time. When I started working and went off to school, I fought the procrastination bug and won. With all my time at home lately, it occasionally creeps back in, and if I am lucky enough to notice it early enough, I smack it around and send it packing. So far so good.