A new month...

November heralds the beginning of the end. We all start to look at our lives, our families and all the things we're grateful for. Its a time for reflection on the past year, on the good and the bad, and even more on the in-between. My life has taken a few unexpected turns since this time last year, and I've decided that I need to take a lot closer look at how it has affected me and how I've handled it. Or maybe NOT handled it. I think I may have stuffed some things in my mental closet so I wouldn't have to face the end results. I know I have been having to force myself to go to church every Sunday, and that doesn't happen to me very often. I love my church and my religion. I love my Savior and I'm very grateful for everything he did for me, so that I might have the opportunity to make my own choices, good or bad. My week is just not the same when I don't go to church, but lately I've had a hard time going. I'm going to have to take a good, long look inside me and find out what the problem is.

My husband's heart attack opened my eyes to something else.... my horrible lifestyle. Maybe not horrible, but not great, that's for sure. I eat too much fried food, too many chips and too many snacks. I snack way too late at night. I stay up too late and I don't get enough hours of sleep. I don't get even a smidgen of the exercise I need, and I spend too much time on the computer (Imagine that!). There is a lot more I could add to the list, but you get the idea.

So, what am I going to do about these things? And how am I going to express my thanks to my Heavenly Father for all the good things in my life? (And there are plenty of them!) I am going to keep a gratitude journal for the month of November. I realize I'm a few days behind, but I'll catch up. I am going to recognize and list and discuss and doodle and glue and rearrange, whatever my little heart needs to do to be able to express my thanks for my life and all the blessings I receive everyday. I am going to focus more on the positive and less on the negative. I will keep you posted (no pun intended) on my progress, and if this works for me, I may do it for the whole year, starting in January. We could make this a regular thing. How does Talk to Me Tuesday sound? I'm going to think about this and maybe we'll start a new feature. But for now....

Spider S'mores

Its time to move on to other things. I know Halloween is over, but I have just one more idea to show you. I found these on the Rhodes Bake-N-Serve weekly recipe email. I thought they were so cute that I just had to make them. They were super easy and my family loved them. Just one little secret....don't use those new HUGE campfire-roasting-size marshmallows. They take so long to melt, that my mixture turned to caramel! So here's the recipe, and if you want more really good recipes and fun things to make, go to rhodesbread.com and check it out. And sign up for the weekly email, while you're at it. You'll love the ideas and recipes.

Spider S'mores

Ingredients

6 Rhodes Warm-N-Serv™ Soft Dinner Rolls
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
marshmallows
1/2 cup coarsely crushed graham crackers
chocolate frosting
chocolate sprinkles
M &M’s
licorice laces cut into 4-inch lengths

Instructions
Bake rolls following instructions on package. Place on rack to cool. When cool, slice off tops and hollow out to make a small bowl. Place butter in a saucepan and melt. Add 40 marshmallows and continue cooking on low until completely melted*. Add graham crackers and combine well. Quickly fill each hollowed out roll with the marshmallow filling while it is warm (over fill just a little). Replace the roll tops. Frost each one with chocolate frosting and cover with chocolate sprinkles. To make the eyes, cut slices off of a marshmallow, using a hot, wet, sharp knife. Add M&M’s to each eye and one for a nose. Make holes with a wooden skewer where legs attach and poke in the licorice pieces.

*Can be melted in the microwave using a large microwave safe bowl. Use 20 second intervals until completely melted and then add your graham cracker crumbs.

We had very colorful spiders. I couldn't find black string licorice, so our
 spiders had red legs. And I ran out of chocolate sprinkles and had to use what
 I had....multicolor!

That's it for today. I have rambled enough. Hope you all had a good Halloween. Here are a few photos of our pumpkin carving adventure. They turned out pretty good.

Kristen looks like she's having fun, doesn't she?

Cameron and Halena dig out the pumpkin guts.

Eeeeeeeeeew! We saved some to plant next year.

Yes, this is me with my arm in the pumpkin.

My son and husband waited until everyone else was done.

The first four done. Left to right: Kristen's evil face, my Frankie, Hally's witch and Cameron's ghostie-ghoulie.

Chuck's really evil face.

Andy has always loved Scooby Doo.

We couldn't get them all in one photo. but this was how they looked on
 Halloween, all lined up on the fence posts, waiting for the trick-or-treaters.

Have a good day and remember....to succeed, we must first believe that we can.

Decorating for Halloween

How do you like the new look? I decided it was time for an overhaul. I needed something bright and upbeat. I love everything red, white and blue, but finding backgrounds is hard. I don't want just any run-of-the-mill background. It has to be something that speaks to me. I know, sounds kind of half-baked, but that's me....the half-baked gramma! Anyway, I really like this design and the swirlies make me want to take action, so its all good.

I have been reading the series over on Funky Junk Interiors about improving your blog, and I am finding it totally useful. She's calling it 31 days from blog to biz and so far, I have used something from almost all of them. If you want to partake of her wisdom, go to her blog and check it out. So far I have taken off the word verification, turned off the comment mediation, put my signature on the blog post page, linked my email to my profile, and a few other things I can't even remember right now. Oh, yeah! and how to put the link within icons at the bottom of each post! How cool is that?

Well, we hung our pumpkins and made some alien spiders to go with them. They are just handmade pom-poms with smaller commercial pom-poms for eyes with googly eyes glued to them, and long pieces of yarn for the legs. They turned out pretty cute. I kind of goofed when we made the pom-poms and we made them too long and not full enough, so they are kind of floppy-mop things, but that actually just made them cuter!

Any child will have a blast making these, both the pumpkins and spiders, but the spiders most of all. I put the biggest googly eyes I had on mine and we all love her! She was hanging from the pull-chain on the fan, but her legs kept brushing my son's head when he walked through the living room, so he moved her. Isn't he funny?

So, this is just a short post, but I will be back soon.  And in case you didn't know it, the pursuit of truth will set you free, even if you never find it!  'Night, Gramma G.

Mopey Monday

Today is a mopey Monday. My husband left Friday for Nevada (which is why the Friday Friends wound up on Saturday), my daughter-in-law and grandkids are all at school, and my son is at work. I should be enjoying the peace and quiet, but its just a little too quiet.

I saw this cute paper pumpkin on firstpalette.com and I liked it so much that I decided to make some with my granddaughter. We used different papers for ours and they turned out pretty cute. We used green curly ribbon to make the little vine tendrils and we're going to hang them on the front porch.

Its also the time of year for hot chocolate making! Every year I buy the stuff to make my own hot chocolate mix. Its one of our family traditions.

I don't buy fancy brands but I do like to use Nesquik for most of my chocolate mix because it has a lot more cocoa in it than the generic. I also use a lot more creamer than most people do. Here's my recipe:

Gramma G's Hot Chocolate

1 large and 1 small non-fat instant dry milk
1 really big powdered creamer
1 large Nesquik and 1 small generic chocolate milk mix
1 2lb. bag powdered sugar

Open 2 garbage bags (make sure they are NOT the odor killer kind) and put one inside the other. Dump all the ingredients into the bags and twist the top, trapping air inside. Now shake and tumble until well mixed. Trapping air inside the bag gives the mix room to move as you move the bag. When well-mixed, put into storage containers. It makes a lot...enough that I only have to make it twice every winter, and we are a family of six, plus I usually give some as gifts. Use 1/4 cup mix for a 8oz. mug of hot chocolate. Add marshmallows or whipped cream. YUM!!!

This big glass canister holds a little more than half of the mix.....

...and this largest Tupperware canister holds the rest!

So, okay, maybe today won't be so bad. I have the house to myself, I have plenty of hot chocolate, and I have my computer to communicate with all of you. Actually, it sounds pretty good, now I think of it. Think I'll go boil some water. While I wait, here's a thought for you. Living on earth is expensive, but it comes with a free trip around the sun every year! See ya later, Gramma G.

Friday Friends!

Friday Friends! are Saturday Friends this week. But I've got some really good links for you today. I've been doing some reading and searching and found some new-to-me sites that I really like, starting with Blue Cricket Designs. Rebecca Dulgarian does a super job and has some really cute ideas for Halloween that you need to look at, but I'm going another route. The post I really like and wanted you to see is a post called "How to break into the blogging world." I found the information to be very useful, and she has a sense of humor that comes out in her writing. Stop by and read this post and then check out the rest of her site. It's super! http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/2010/03/how-to-break-into-blogging-world.html .

Next up is Becky at Infarrantly Creative. Now hers is an awesome site! I love recycling old furniture and other stuff and her Roadkill Rescue section is full of great re-dos. She is the mother of 2 small children and we all know how time consuming kids are, but she seems to find the time to share with us her great projects. I chose not a furniture project to share with you, but a recycling project that anyone can do. Here is the link for the tutorial for making a handy bag holder for you car or tote bag or beach bag, or wherever you might need one. So cute!

Find find it here: http://www.infarrantlycreative.net/2011/08/wipes-container-reuse-and-a-giveaway.html .

Here's another DIY'n fool. :)  Her name is Jaime and she has three children and a love for crafty things. She has some ideas that need to be checked out and here's one of them. I love love love these adorable treat bags, and she says they will hold 3 bags of candy! She made smaller ones for birthday party giveaway bags, too. Such a good mommy...

Check out her blog and all the great ideas at:  http://thatsmyletter.blogspot.com/2011/09/t-is-for-treat.html .

Now, before I forget, I finally finished my other pumpkin, the one with the book pages, and here it is.

Here's the front.

This is the back.

I put little eyeballs on the exclamation point.

And here are the two together.

 The book I used is kind of a funny thing. I found an old copy of the The Stand by Stephen King and I thought it was totally fitting. And...as I was tearing out pages, I found a page that told all about the printing, you know, the font and font size, type of paper, etc. And guess what? It was printed on archival paper!  My pumpkin will last forever! :) I gave it a light wash of orange to add just a little color and I really like the way it turned out. Now I just wish I had a mantel or coffee table to sit them on, but they look OK on the floor by the side of the TV, so it's all good.

I hope you are all getting in the spirit of Halloween (pun intended) and making some cool projects. Let me know if you are. I would love to have some guest posts. Until next time, think about this......Happiness comes through doors you don't even know you left open. Have a good one, Gramma G.

Home again

Before the surgery. Don't you just love
the leg wear? I just couldn't pass it up

Well, my husband's surgery went well and we're home again. They took out a the left side of his thyroid and a node the size of a golf ball! He is really sore inside and out, but he's doing okay. While he was in surgery and while he was sleeping afterwards, I worked on a pumpkin project to share with you. I had already sewn them at home and just did the main part of the project at the hospital. I finished them after we got home again.

Sewing up all the tubes.

This year they are made from two pairs of little girls' leggings. I forgot to take a picture before I cut them up, but they were really cute. The one pair had a little piece of black trim with little pumpkin buttons on it at the bottom outside of the leg. A little rusching on the sides of the trim. Really darling, and I decided to use that as a decorative element on the pumpkins. You'll see it later.

I have made these pumpkins every year for about 15 years now, usually from plain orange T-shirt ribbing, but ribbing is getting harder and harder to find, so now I use whatever is close at hand. And I like the fact that I'm recycling, too!

So, if you are using leggings, the side seams are already sewn. Just cut the legs into lengths that are about 3 inches taller than you want your pumpkins to be. Or if you want smaller pumpkins, like the baby ones, you can cut off the seam and cut them to the size you want. I like to make some tall and thin and some short and fat. All different sizes. You really can't go too wrong. Sew up your seams if you need to.

The bottom of the legs on the little pair with the black trim and pumpkin buttons.
One pumpkin will be taller and one shorter.

Next, take a large needle with heavy button and carpet thread and sew a running stitch around one end of the tube. Pull the ends of the thread up really tight, making sure that the edges of the fabric are not tucked down inside. Wrap the thread around the gathering a few times and tie a good square knot. Cut your threads long. This makes them less likely to come untied. If you use the bottom of the legs, like I did for the ones with the trim, you just run your needle through the hem. Go in on one side of the seam and out on the other side. Pull the threads up tight and tie and good tight square knot.

Turn the tube right side out and stuff it full but soft.  After you stuff it, pull up the top and scrunch it in and wrap the thread around it 2 or 3 times and tie it tight. Cut the threads even with the top of the fabric. This makes them long enough to glue into the stem so they don't show and don't come untied.

All tied up and ready to go. Sorry its a little blurry. I was using my phone camera, which takes
really good pictures if you can stand still. :)

Making pumpkins at the hospital while hubby sleeps.

Next, you need to decide if you are making plain pumpkins or if you are giving them faces. The faces are soft-sculptured. You need a fairly long, large needle and heavy thread. Following the diagram below, put the needle down through the top of the pumpkin and out at the outside end of an eyebrow, leaving a 2" or 3" tail sticking out the top. Pinch what will be the eyebrow and stitch under it back and forth to the edge of the nose. Stitch an exaggerated nose shape and then stitch the other eyebrow. Go back up to the top and out by the stem. Pull the thread up after each eyebrow and the nose so it draws the fabric up to form the features. You make the nose exaggerated so that when you pull it up it isn't too small. Stick yhourniddle into the pumpkin and "grab" a little stuffing and pull it into the nose. Now take your needle back into the pumpkin and out at the edge of the mouth. Make a running stitch down and around and back up, making an oversize mouth shape, then back out the top. Pull the thread up to form the upper lip. You can go back and stitch a lower lip in the same way you did the eyebrows, but I don't think its necessary on the pumpkins. It kind of gives them a cute face without it. Tie the two ends together at the top in a good square knot and clip the threads the length of the top.

Make a pretty good-sized pinch for the eyebrows.

Be sure to exaggerate the mouth.

When you have the face all finished and tied off, its time to cover the stem. You can do this with felt, raffia or jute, as you can see in the following pics. I'll bet you could use torn fabric strips, too. Anyway, cover the stem, being sure to catch and cover all your thread ends. Cut some leaves from felt or fabric and glue them at the base of the stem, glue on some eyes, and there you have it! A cute little pumpkin! I have also made them life-size when I could find the ribbing. They look really cute sitting around the house with their little faces smiling at everyone. 

All different sizes and types. Aren't they cute? The one in the front left is the legging leg bottom, trim and buttons and all.

If you don't want faces on them, take a piece of jute about 2 ft. long and wrap one end around the stem (before covering) and then wrap it down around the pumpkin and back up to the stem. Pull it tight and wrap around the stem again. Repeat this two more times until the pumpkin is divided into six parts, The last time, after you wrap around the stem, tie the two ends together in a square knot and cut the ends off even with the top, then finish the pumpkin the same way.

Well, I think my recycled leggings turned out pretty cute. I hope you will make some of your own out of whatever you can find. And don't be shy......make lots! Give them away! Put one on top of a loaf of pumpkin bread and take it to your neighbors. Just have fun.

I got this little thing in an email from a friend the other day, and it goes like this: Women are angels, and when someone breaks our wing we simply continue to fly...usually on a broomstick. We're flexible like that. Until tomorrow, Gramma G.

It's Friday Friends! again.

Well, its time again for Friday Friends! I have missed the whole week of posting and I haven't accomplished much, either. Although I did get my first pumpkin done. Here is my version of the pumpkin from Make and Takes. I wanted to make this one a little bit sophisticated, so I used all black and white papers, then used fabric paint to paint the spider web and stick the spider on the pumpkin. I have a bigger pumpkin that I plan to do with old book pages, as soon as I get an old book. I live about twenty miles away from the thrift stores, so I don't get there every day.

A close-up of the spider web and spider.

The white pumpkin is the one I'm going to do with book pages, although I like its plainness next to the fancy one.

Hope you like it. Now here's the first Friend for this Friday. Eighteen25 is written by three sisters from Las Vegas named Jamie, Jodie and Jennifer. They have 11 kids between the three of them, so their crafting and blogging probably keeps them sane! Have a look at their blog here: http://eighteen25.blogspot.com/ . They have a lot of guest posters and you'll see what great ideas they have. One I really liked were these cute little spiders from guest poster Rebecca over at Simple As That. Aren't these the cutest spiders you ever saw? And they're so easy to make! Try one out.

Next comes Five to Nine, written by three co-workers and friends, who work hard from 9 to 5 and probably even harder from 5 to 9. They have some really cute ideas and some terrific insights into parenting. Hop on over to http://www.blog529.com/ and check them out! I love these little Frankenstein pops and this cute little cupcake stand. They are way cute!

Last, but not least, is Flip Chick Designs. She has an absolutely darling blog site! And these gumball necklaces are so cute, they just beg to be shared with everyone. She gave a birthday party in pink, yellow and green, and I wish it had been for me. She coordinated everything and there was lots of goodies, including gumball necklace favors. Go over and check her out at  http://flipchickdesigns.blogspot.com/ .

Well, that's it for this Friday Friends! I hope you will check out these three blogs and leave a comment for them to let them know you liked what you saw.