Happy Halloween!

Boo to you!

I've been boo'ed over on Vickie's blog so I'll play along.

And I will boo.....

Marsha

Deb

And... that's all I can think of. Oh well. If you want to play along, copy the card to your blog and boo some of your blogging peeps!

Enjoy your day!

Jen :)

MOOOOOOO!

We live about 15 minutes from the UCONN campus and we took Punkie there on Sunday to see their dairy cows. We usually go up about twice a year to check them out. They always have a few baby calves and if we plan it right, we can see them doing the milking process with the larger cows - we missed it on this trip. The UCONN campus makes ice cream from the milk from their cows and it's delicious! I don't know what else they do with the milk. I'm sure they sell it or something.

Here are a few pictures... every time I see the babies, I want one. Then I turn around and see (and SMELL) the big cows and quickly change my mind! My husband is desperate for a cow. He had a few growing up. I think pigs and goats are enough!

My husband was itching the above calf's chin. I think the baby wanted more!

Loads of big cows eating. I have several more pictures but you get the idea.

Been doing some sewing too now that my new area is all set up. I love walking in there, sewing a bit and walking away. It's great! I'm working on a table runner for my ceramics Christmas party grab bag. Last year we agreed to TRY and stay away from Christmas decoration type grab bag gifts as we all have a ton of decorations. Hopefully we agree on the same thing this year but if we don't, oh well. This is what the grab bag is getting from me.

And here are the blocks that I've gotten done so far.

I did machine applique. I'm sure I did it all wrong but I'm happy with my results. I see plenty of mistakes but I think once this is all quilted, it won't look half bad!

Enjoy your day!

Jen :)

It's SO CUTE!

I just got home from work and the mailman delivered a package. I've been waiting for this and I'm very excited that it came today.

I received the beaded purse from Marsha's halloween costume contest. It is sooo cute and beautifully done. Frannie even created a Halloween card for me. It was packaged so nicely as well. I hated taking the bow off but I did so that I could get to the goods!

Marsha even added some Lindt chocolates and a penny in the bag. I just love it.

Thank you Marsha and Frannie!

Jen :)

Trophy Winner!

Every year the ceramics studio I go to competes in the Pioneer Valley Ceramics Association's (PVCA) ceramics competition. I have been doing ceramics for about 7 years now. My friend Julie has been doing ceramics at the same studio for over 20 years. I wanted to do the craft back in high school but Julie refused to tell me where she was going... but that's a story for another day. LOL. Once we got back in touch as adults, she invited me to join her and I've been going ever since.

My very first piece won a blue ribbon and I've been winning blue ribbons ever since but I've never won a trophy. This year, I entered 5 pieces in the competition. One of them being my glazed pumpkin. I was really hoping I would get high marks for the pumpkin because I just love it and I glazed it really well. I won a first place blue ribbon. Not bad. I was hoping for a high blue ribbon or a trophy but I'll take first place. My ceramics teacher then presents me with a box. In the box is a TROPHY! I won the "Judge's Award" which means regardless of my marks and the ribbon placement the piece did, the judges felt the piece was trophy worthy. I was so excited.

Ready to see my pumpkin??

It's glazed with a special pottery coat glaze - several different coats and then a white cobblestone glaze is put on top before it is fired to get that crackled look. Or as my friend Julie would say - the moldy look.

Here's a pic with my very first trophy...
Amelia and I painted some pumpkins over the weekend as well. She enjoyed it. Here are a couple of pictures.

Enjoy your day!

Jen :)

Goodies!

My "Fall into Fall" blog giveaway prize was delivered yesterday. I love it! And not just because I love the color purple and addicted to bags and totes (wink!). The little tissue packet that was included came at the right time because I have caught a cold. It is getting used for sure! Myra was kind enough to include a small bag for Punkie to use for all her treasures. Amelia loves it! Once she opened it, she immediately went around the house, filling it with her own goodies. AND Myra included some dark chocolate Hershey Kisses (how did she know!). I kept those all to myself! Thanks Myra!!

Here's a picture of the bag...

And of Punkie's little bag...

On my way home from work yesterday, I stopped at Joann Fabrics to do a return and browse because they had a 50% off coupon for 1 regular priced item. I have been wanting to get a smaller iron for when I sew smaller stuff and don't really need my really big Rowenta iron. So I got this...

I haven't tried it yet. Does anyone have this iron? Good? Bad? Indifferent? I got it for $20.00; good deal but if I have to return it because it's not even worth the 20 bucks, then I will. But I love my big Rowenta so I'm assuming I will like this one too. Now all I need is a small pressing board so I don't have to set up my big ironing board and I will be all set!

Here are a couple new pictures of Amelia from over the weekend. We were going to her great-grandmother's 90th birthday party. I just love these jeans! I wish they had jeans like this for me. They have pink embroidery on the cuffs and pink rhinestones on the pockets.

Enjoy your day!

Jen :)

The bat saga continues!

After coming home last night and unloading my car (I bought a chair for my new sewing area), Amelia kept saying to me "Mama. There's a bat up there!". I located my husband who was doing something in the basement and asked him if he told Amelia about our indoor visitor from the night before. He did not. Amelia, again, says to me - now with more urgency... Mama! There's a BAT up there! So I walk to where she's standing and asked her to show me. Sure enough, on the stairs, under Buddy the cat's paw... is another bat. I asked her if she touched it. She told me she didn't but we washed hands anyway and my husband scooped it up and threw it in the outdoor wood boiler we have. It was pretty much dead (or so he tells me).

Again, we put Amelia to bed and I start on my evening chores... ironing some clothes foro myself and Amelia for the next day and pressing some muslin that I need to use this evening. I hear my husband say... SH*T! Not again! There's yet ANOTHER bat in the house. Thankfully he caught it.

He's working tonight. I told him that if I see another bat, I'm calling him to come home and deal with it. I'm not touching it! He also has strict orders to remove the A/C unit from the house. I'm sure that's where the bats are living. I will buy another air conditioner next summer.

I'm tired of hosting "Animal Kingdom" in my house already!

Enjoy your day!
Jen :)