tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36891467377111906162024-02-22T08:07:57.825-08:00Fly the Coop CraftsLife and crafting in an almost empty nest. Crochet, Sewing, Quilting, Food, Hiking, Life, Family, Reading and everything else.Sherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221828661770609207noreply@blogger.comBlogger187125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689146737711190616.post-74895725848332724562016-04-29T06:24:00.000-07:002016-04-29T06:26:35.494-07:00Roasted Cauli-Garlic Soup - VEGAN<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggLl0Rr5RT7_fLh3MVpIVMWTXIkCvRNs0Ytd9kEWi2fcEYFbzbGLacCS2RXZ_odKJkHuufTWJgiO9go8zqjLQOTEijK1OXS2VVkJpFOf7u2jEc8FZaQER0H6tMjwRzaIc2Q_dEQvJRaIg/s1600/title.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggLl0Rr5RT7_fLh3MVpIVMWTXIkCvRNs0Ytd9kEWi2fcEYFbzbGLacCS2RXZ_odKJkHuufTWJgiO9go8zqjLQOTEijK1OXS2VVkJpFOf7u2jEc8FZaQER0H6tMjwRzaIc2Q_dEQvJRaIg/s640/title.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It was a bit cold yesterday, and grey and rainy - a cool, wet, spring day. I'm not complaining, everything looked very green and I was a bit chilled so the weather made the perfect excuse for a spring soup.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I had saved a recipe on <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/sherjenks/"><strong><span style="color: red;">pinterest</span></strong></a> that looked interesting so I hunted it down to determine if I had the ingredients required and it looked makeable for a big, warm pot of dinner. </span><a href="http://www.simplyquinoa.com/30-minute-roasted-garlic-cauliflower-chowder/"><span style="color: red; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong>Here is the original pin from the recipe</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> that inspired my version of this soup. I had a bit of a time pulling up the original recipe on mobile as the blog has so many ads and I kept accidentally clicking on them. It made the original recipe on the phone an annoying experience - watch out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What caught my attention when I found the recipe was that the soup called for the addition of hummus - that to me seemed wonderfully odd and I liked it! I have a vegan lasagna recipe that uses garlic hummus mixed with tofu to create the "ricotta cheese" filling and it works really well so I felt good about trying hummus in soup.</span><br />
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Ingredients for Roasted Cauli-Garlic Soup<br />
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<em>(I prefer to use all organic ingredients)</em><br />
1 large onion (white yellow or red)<br />
1 large or 2 small heads of garlic<br />
1 small head of cauliflower<br />
1/2 cup smooth and creamy hummus<br />
1/2 cup quinoa<br />
1/2 cup raw cashews<br />
32-48 oz vegetable broth<br />
1/2 lemon or 1/4t dried lemon peel<br />
1/4 c fresh chopped cilantro<br />
olive oil<br />
salt and pepper<br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Photo directions -- here goes.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYi3hxBcuIoQiQST5yfvQ95s7iFgiep42Ry5MjaLSRwUlyWmLAycpIcqe7ln8nyEFyru2C_42igSjrpFZIlPONPJDHm_FT8ju7L6FwwL82ktg5HsWSYHB_L2czEzzg3IegS3Kc28eOHRw/s1600/IMG_8177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYi3hxBcuIoQiQST5yfvQ95s7iFgiep42Ry5MjaLSRwUlyWmLAycpIcqe7ln8nyEFyru2C_42igSjrpFZIlPONPJDHm_FT8ju7L6FwwL82ktg5HsWSYHB_L2czEzzg3IegS3Kc28eOHRw/s640/IMG_8177.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Set a 1/2 cup (mine was heaping) of raw cashews in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Since I had to set the kettle to boil, I went ahead and enjoyed a cup of tea. I left the cashews soaking about one hour 15 minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Start the quinoa cooking according to package directions. I used tri-color quinoa.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgwHwc6_LAeqhodMfPeid4Rk7K1ppQNld4rnsflGuJxZzFJKMjLYjJ_qnRaS2Qw_k9VxQjx5y8f2v6AFvunkHq4SfWXsOlvoSd6MW2DqLNbPlAYWoYGBD_xXJHRDtrTXqazyA1qEVOwY/s1600/IMG_8179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgwHwc6_LAeqhodMfPeid4Rk7K1ppQNld4rnsflGuJxZzFJKMjLYjJ_qnRaS2Qw_k9VxQjx5y8f2v6AFvunkHq4SfWXsOlvoSd6MW2DqLNbPlAYWoYGBD_xXJHRDtrTXqazyA1qEVOwY/s640/IMG_8179.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Prepare veggies for roasting. I managed to get them all on one pan, lined with baking paper. For the garlic heads I just cut off the very top of each. Drizzle the veggies with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. I roasted the veggies on convection roast at 425F for about 30 mins. The most important thing is that the cauliflower be soft enough to stab a dinner fork into.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkscmN7lMHMITHCllzh6ruMjMx4p_fQkBJVV69o2tDHKYm-Gu24OJuCkBQA9z4achQ8lVTstEB7ZOj1danhEDQdKD_FGjMIcqoRbqkWK2PpdHTUtXGpErRlk7PxXgE04VjtyYsPvICy0/s1600/IMG_8182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkscmN7lMHMITHCllzh6ruMjMx4p_fQkBJVV69o2tDHKYm-Gu24OJuCkBQA9z4achQ8lVTstEB7ZOj1danhEDQdKD_FGjMIcqoRbqkWK2PpdHTUtXGpErRlk7PxXgE04VjtyYsPvICy0/s640/IMG_8182.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I usually turn the veggies half way through the cooking to get them browned on all sides. This was half way.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPa_lPRYlYE0MCNWp8GUd2Za9prCxIWBtQ6aVvipq7iBw85AlQaXlWuGIn5OJUAVbaI8Bz46V8VfGXGspYQEAu12poNIYrcs1yCOcUf73CnKv0c2PfCS5x2QzULezBULCLs0Hc7TfVuLI/s1600/IMG_8184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPa_lPRYlYE0MCNWp8GUd2Za9prCxIWBtQ6aVvipq7iBw85AlQaXlWuGIn5OJUAVbaI8Bz46V8VfGXGspYQEAu12poNIYrcs1yCOcUf73CnKv0c2PfCS5x2QzULezBULCLs0Hc7TfVuLI/s640/IMG_8184.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I pulled asided some of the smaller cauliflower pieces to add back into the soup whole for a bit of bite to the pureed finale.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Into the blend went the big chunks of cauliflower and all of the onions. I also added enough broth to each blender batch so that the blender could do its thing without the mixture being too thick. My broth was room temperature so the batch wasn't very hot. If you are blending hot ingredients and especially pureeing a soup - remember to remove the center section from your blender top so that the steam doesn't make the blending dangerous.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1k9AQi0WHNHyRzMwKEZz_697FW0KQPc2Fom6OluN-8DpockggHIqOBIYhRUVPffUmFxoFJEo6tUEYYI7_SRW9Nj9Fo6uj5yvYv0_vhLY-ksL4p_-GAz6LzCLNeeFvWKtFc2_SDfeqAw/s1600/IMG_8194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1k9AQi0WHNHyRzMwKEZz_697FW0KQPc2Fom6OluN-8DpockggHIqOBIYhRUVPffUmFxoFJEo6tUEYYI7_SRW9Nj9Fo6uj5yvYv0_vhLY-ksL4p_-GAz6LzCLNeeFvWKtFc2_SDfeqAw/s640/IMG_8194.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I ended up using about 1.5 of these containers by the time the soup was done. How much broth you use will depend on how thick you want your final product or how much help your blender needs to smooth and blend your ingredients.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here is the blended cauliflower and onion.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUU2cjMwxfRk34M5rRZi8HKwb4Vuc4-HbUkulJhQHKGJTTx1QwfUbmzQnsEQQM4vuK0QeE97mshAyTRFbFsmjavoerxFUmBAqyVIYrm4ILE6WOIuZjSkUxW7wOvMzpfmBtQnMcwTfUoM8/s1600/IMG_8186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUU2cjMwxfRk34M5rRZi8HKwb4Vuc4-HbUkulJhQHKGJTTx1QwfUbmzQnsEQQM4vuK0QeE97mshAyTRFbFsmjavoerxFUmBAqyVIYrm4ILE6WOIuZjSkUxW7wOvMzpfmBtQnMcwTfUoM8/s640/IMG_8186.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Next, pop the roasted garlic cloves into the blender. Then add a heaping half cup of hummus. The original recipe creator called specifically for Sabra hummus because maybe they sponsor her? But I don't use Sabra since their soybean oil and other ingredients are GMO and I avoid all GMO products.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I think the original recipe called for garlic hummus but I didn't have that - mine was original which is why I used two small heads of roasted garlic in my recipe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It was a bit smoother and thinner and I did add more broth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Next in - the cashews and quinoa! Crazy but awesome - love the inventiveness of this recipe by the original creator.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have a large blender so the entire recipe filled it to the top but it did fit. Add the blended ingredients all at once or in batches to a soup pot. Once in the pot, I added more broth until I had the consistency I was looking for and then added in the reserved pieces of cauliflower.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Taste the soup and season.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I added quite a bit more salt but the soup tasted like it needed a bit of brightening up. I felt like half a lemon squeezed in would have done the trick but I was plum out of lemons. However, on my last trip to Mom's Organic Market, I had picked up some dried lemon peel from their bulk spice section. I used about 1/4 teaspoon, maybe a bit more... I didn't measure. That definitely brightened things up but I thought the soup still needed something herb-y. Cilantro seemed like the right thing. I had frozen some freshly chopped cilantro about a week earlier so I grabbed it from the freezer and dumped in the whole bit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I stirred it in (about 1/4 cup in total). I tasted again, added a bit more salt, thinned the soup a tad bit more and claimed it ready for dinner.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The original recipe calls this soup a chowder. It uses a potato and miso paste. I didn't have either so my recipe differed that way as well. Also - the original doesn't use the roasted onion but since I wasn't going to use Miso paste I thought I needed the added flavor of the onion. This soup didn't say chowder to me, it was more like a nice thick bowl of soup puree. It was delish. Enjoy. Cheers. Sher.</span>Sherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221828661770609207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689146737711190616.post-6848680820539081582016-04-08T10:55:00.000-07:002016-04-08T10:56:53.150-07:00Crushing on Roasted Garbanzos!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hey Folks - Anyone still out there remember me? It's been SEVEN MONTHS since I've posted here. So let's get right to it. Lately I've been obsessed with Roasted Garbanzos. Here's how I make them (photos first then explanation).<br />
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Set oven to 400 degrees F.<br />
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Rinse and drain beans (I used two cans for this batch).<br />
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Drizzle with oil of your choice (I used Olive Oil). I didn't measure...all the beans should be lightly coated but not swimming in oil.<br />
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Add spices of your choice. My favorite combo is Sea Salt, Granulated Garlic and Cayenne. (I've tried tons of other options including curry and Italian herb, etc). I sprinkle on the spices, taste, sprinkle some more, taste... that's my measuring method.<br />
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Toss beans in the oil and spices to coat.<br />
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Dump onto a baking pan. I like to cover mine with parchment paper. Spread out into one layer.<br />
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Set oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pull the pan out and giggle it around or toss them with a utensil so that they roll around a bit. You will see they have lost some of their oily shine and perhaps shrunk a bit which is what you want.<br />
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Add another 15 minutes to the timer. Pull out and check again. They will look smaller, darker and they will feel harder. I don't mind having some really crunchy and others cruchy-ish but if you want them all crunchy, you might need another 5 or ten mins. Try not to let them burn.<br />
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Remove from the oven. Try one... if the flavor is the way you like it, you are done. Often times, I find they need a light dose of one or more spices while they are still warm from the oven. I sprinkle a bit more of whatever is lacking, toss them on the pan and let them cool a bit.<br />
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I pickup the sides of the parchment and form a bit of a funnel shape to pour the beans off into a bowl.<br />
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Now - enjoy their gorgeous roasty color and see if you can keep your hands out of the bowl!<br />
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NOTE: they are beans... and they taste like a snack but they will still do all the things beans do (you know what I'm talking about), so keep that in mind. Delish! Pair with a beverage or a tall glass of water, you'll need it!<br />
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Enjoy - Cheers! SherSherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221828661770609207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689146737711190616.post-52346154970496877762015-09-11T18:17:00.005-07:002015-09-11T18:17:57.344-07:00Save Your Photos - September 11th Tribute - preserve your words, thoughts...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC2BuFfzqTovI5FH1e8k49drQWTEudWn-Z9eDN-1TYSZxVUjWAZ23T-RabGMyWeoUP5GI_jZn1En-MKltsqNKIccqHdAIF0U0csBo5ICDNt8HN3Udzw1gObhprxL_5OivVw4X1pBm4tO4/s1600/sypd2015thoughts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC2BuFfzqTovI5FH1e8k49drQWTEudWn-Z9eDN-1TYSZxVUjWAZ23T-RabGMyWeoUP5GI_jZn1En-MKltsqNKIccqHdAIF0U0csBo5ICDNt8HN3Udzw1gObhprxL_5OivVw4X1pBm4tO4/s640/sypd2015thoughts.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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If you don't have a photo but you've written your thoughts, preserve them too! <a href="http://sheryourscraps.blogspot.com/2015/09/save-your-photos-11-of-30-sept-11.html"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Read my personal Sept. 11 memories here.</span></b></a>Sherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221828661770609207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689146737711190616.post-68820968794803447272015-09-09T13:54:00.003-07:002015-09-09T13:54:37.163-07:00Save Your Photos #9 of 30 - don't forget the informational bits!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://sheryourscraps.blogspot.com/2015/09/save-your-photos-9-of-30.html"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioDqP9CVyP2nqZ3wVC9HOxk34FjHUQbCkYcwa3pWOVAwfV9X-n7RGBDVKHxuctNu9sV-xA166_0DrvQUTP4558jFr16XYvPQUzdmS4wgd94qwn_kTa1UuHxBoSzaKxC-fpF1KW-LIMO_8/s640/sypd2015mindseye.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Want to read about how your photos can free up your brain from holding so many details? <a href="http://sheryourscraps.blogspot.com/2015/09/save-your-photos-9-of-30.html"> <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">READ HERE</span></b></a>Sherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221828661770609207noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689146737711190616.post-81343559423661401052015-09-08T19:14:00.001-07:002015-09-08T19:14:11.770-07:00Save Your Photos #8 of 30 - "A Tale of Two Families"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRu7WLrAQRrr7wl2kyt4afbObtpE4YCu-TE_9ao1SgLdkVSzR2BMIpnkfJUFadsjPiLgiWPFevcx3nLvo6wopDg7NmQ59n61Cc1EtySvJPe5Ra8rIb3UosSzQ9B9pJ4gro37InkRoNUms/s1600/sypd2015alcott.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRu7WLrAQRrr7wl2kyt4afbObtpE4YCu-TE_9ao1SgLdkVSzR2BMIpnkfJUFadsjPiLgiWPFevcx3nLvo6wopDg7NmQ59n61Cc1EtySvJPe5Ra8rIb3UosSzQ9B9pJ4gro37InkRoNUms/s640/sypd2015alcott.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://sheryourscraps.blogspot.com/2015/09/save-your-photos-8-of-30.html"><b>Are your photos trash or treasure - read about it over here.</b></a>Sherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221828661770609207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689146737711190616.post-86036962234742279862015-09-07T10:42:00.001-07:002015-09-07T10:43:31.257-07:00Save Your Photos #7 of 30!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.preservationpix.com/"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5Njh-OCra03aLzbIjD_gnQUmP-lzRl0PMDYmAb9CxONqIyQjjjgRhCLLVHIo2_ANnXFfoImaN01yq1V7QftaYUQYApx4nCGH18YYiueE4Q0dBBZfPSzINy2Y0HrrnWlcHC-SGr7wRYk/s640/sypd2015fb.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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In honor of save your photos day - posting over on my other blog. <a href="http://sheryourscraps.blogspot.com/2015/09/sher-your-scraps-7-of-30.html">Read about it here.</a>Sherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221828661770609207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689146737711190616.post-70984938595047149822015-09-07T08:56:00.003-07:002015-09-07T10:43:09.500-07:00Save Your Photos #6 of 30!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.preservationpix.com/"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnplsoktgZaKC1IBSzvpi661Kx0afiOj_kkMLGpSe6MhtxNOcXE9m2GjSFJ0iou7mTPOV1hn6GXMMZMkEm6EyL1dVMnmBmZEKI5Dtv0y2L6erqzYHBCe2_rZVd6re9Id_IY23huq5CK4o/s640/sypd2015cm.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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In honor of Save Your Photos day later this month, my other blog is featuring one post every day to encourage you to preserve your photos - <a href="http://sheryourscraps.blogspot.com/2015/09/save-your-photos-6-of-30.html"><span style="color: #e06666;">read about it here.</span></a>Sherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221828661770609207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689146737711190616.post-23200321650963286572015-09-05T21:17:00.002-07:002015-09-07T10:43:48.805-07:00Save Your Photos #5 of 30!Feature photo...<br />
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<a href="http://www.preservationpix.com/"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivG8a7SlCsmm2sk5Bru6K5JY2DhtNVWz8_yt36yRdDV03CQyfYs6QWF_-QLrsfWgaWQH7WSNWkWTyQk4RXRsGObALrgBoJtGJE6eWP3VicnRgCx9AQ-mVSitnD874R-RuwqZb9sKp9OiA/s640/sypd2015-1800s.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://sheryourscraps.blogspot.com/2015/09/save-your-photos-5-of-30.html">READ ABOUT IT H</a>ERE</span></b>Sherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221828661770609207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689146737711190616.post-73938357802038200912015-09-04T07:57:00.000-07:002015-09-07T10:45:09.720-07:00Save Your Photos #4 of 30<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In honor of Save Your Photos Day at the end of this month, I'll be posting every day of September 2015 with inspiration for organizing your family photo collection. <b><a href="http://sheryourscraps.blogspot.com/2015/09/save-your-photos-4-of-30.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Read today's post here.</span></a></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.preservationpix.com/"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFzTdkYHlljOAqNe_Dhgip3p0zCk2Dl4W0OZqvVrgHQvxHADFRTHRe83jBSQTIxCOmSePU_ZzpJHeRgtxSMNBAn5cy2-aBi4gdhbxS7vCyRyXSWo8m3CH8L7AKUaZndkAUXfY1FA1Tqbg/s640/sypd2015easyworth.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>Sherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221828661770609207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689146737711190616.post-85755214408570877022015-09-03T06:36:00.001-07:002015-09-07T10:46:19.319-07:00Save Your Photos #3 of 30Visit the Sher Your Scraps Blog to read how it's never too late to start organizing your photos! <br />
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<a href="http://sheryourscraps.blogspot.com/2015/09/save-your-photos-3-of-30.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">READ HERE.</span></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYPOiuaDFnoDKmT-TFK8lCoZ67gNWn9Mp-CSSIPfgb3MXYjgMeDyd0fmO0tDJPteNgBVAlYup7hhejTr62hML_yPGQqejcEFSn4bNFJeFbc25gFzk-fLhc77anrWN_exWEa26R8PAjhnI/s1600/sypd2015toolate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYPOiuaDFnoDKmT-TFK8lCoZ67gNWn9Mp-CSSIPfgb3MXYjgMeDyd0fmO0tDJPteNgBVAlYup7hhejTr62hML_yPGQqejcEFSn4bNFJeFbc25gFzk-fLhc77anrWN_exWEa26R8PAjhnI/s640/sypd2015toolate.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Sherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221828661770609207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689146737711190616.post-25195327838678349852015-09-02T19:19:00.000-07:002015-09-02T19:19:18.211-07:00Save Your Photos #2 of 30In honor of Save Your Photos Day - check out post #2 of 30 over on the <a href="http://www.sheryourscraps.blogspot.com/">Sher Your Scraps Blog</a><br />
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<a href="http://sheryourscraps.blogspot.com/2015/09/save-your-photos-day-post-2-of-30.html">READ POST</a>Sherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221828661770609207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689146737711190616.post-82054664830828116392015-09-01T10:25:00.003-07:002015-09-01T10:25:39.319-07:00SAVE YOUR PHOTOS MONTH - September 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxWlB3cQqk1E3cuQpWIzg_pSUpNlWsVO38dtdbFx44hyfEV9NgJj4kyApN_SlCsn07XK0yrGpyTtZPAjSmNs_EyC0oWE_srBuuqfhyphenhyphengOqVkqDBvqC5FTstL_FVyppLHavkIOaTi9l6yo/s1600/saveyourphotos-textwhite.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxWlB3cQqk1E3cuQpWIzg_pSUpNlWsVO38dtdbFx44hyfEV9NgJj4kyApN_SlCsn07XK0yrGpyTtZPAjSmNs_EyC0oWE_srBuuqfhyphenhyphengOqVkqDBvqC5FTstL_FVyppLHavkIOaTi9l6yo/s320/saveyourphotos-textwhite.png" width="249" /></a></div>
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After a long absence here - I'll encourage you to visit my other blog <a href="http://www.sheryourscraps.blogspot.com/">SHER YOUR SCRAPS</a>. I will be posting daily during September with encouragement for you about photos, photo organization, photo preservation and photo management. <span style="font-size: x-large;"> <b><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://sheryourscraps.blogspot.com/2015/09/september-is-save-your-photos-month.html">Here's day one</a>!</span></b></span><b><span style="color: red;"> </span></b><br />
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Enjoy.Sherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221828661770609207noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689146737711190616.post-76123413328115874202015-03-05T06:43:00.000-08:002015-03-05T06:43:28.828-08:00Crochet Basics - the Flat CircleI teach crochet - a lot.<br />
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I've been teaching classes full of new crocheters for about 5 years on a regular basis. I find, that the students who UNDERSTAND crochet rather than just following directions about crochet have a far easier times making patterns and learning new skills.<br />
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One of the basic things that is helpful for crochet students to fully understand is making a flat circle. SO many patterns begin with a flat circle, rugs, hats, baskets, mandalas, etc. etc... Crochet pattern directions are written in all manner of ways - two people might explain the same thing very differently. It's extremely confusing for students who are just learning to follow a pattern. It's very helpful if a student can disregard badly written directions and understand - aha! this person is creating a flat circle... a lot of the poorly worded text can then be avoided and just the very necessary elements can be concentrated on - it's much less frustrating in the long run.<br />
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I've recently written a lot of hat patterns. I want to share the patterns but find it so tiresome to write out all the directions step by repetitive step of starting the hat pattern in a flat circle - sometimes I want to just say - make a flat circle with 8hdcs in the first round until it measures whatever... SO MUCH EASIER! and most confident crocheters will know exactly what I'm telling them to do.<br />
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I really want to teach my students to understand the flat circle so I came up with this basic lesson. Granted - this is NOT what I teach students the first week... we have a whole learning process - but by the time they are ready to tackle a hat, it's time to learn.<br />
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I hope this little write up and explanation might help anyone who has never had an "aha moment" about the flat circle.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvDtX2vB_rEeOUbc6ldJgE3aSF57By5G455clQoxYTPrXe76SvbFcIHQFFYYvmMsJq-0t7dpGT1FXFTNxBqKbv_a9rihlLqfrVW5AFW3I5sUxvrV8HyFLNQrwCXMcIvRW6YCO37srOSKU/s1600/circle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvDtX2vB_rEeOUbc6ldJgE3aSF57By5G455clQoxYTPrXe76SvbFcIHQFFYYvmMsJq-0t7dpGT1FXFTNxBqKbv_a9rihlLqfrVW5AFW3I5sUxvrV8HyFLNQrwCXMcIvRW6YCO37srOSKU/s1600/circle.jpg" height="640" width="494" /></a></div>
<br />Sherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221828661770609207noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689146737711190616.post-50879044878600178342015-02-04T13:00:00.001-08:002015-02-04T13:01:53.435-08:00Cozy Stripe Blanket RevealSo earlier this fall I started a <a href="http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/2014/11/cosy-blanket-cal-part1.html"><strong><span style="color: #cc0000;">Cozy Stripe Crochet Blanket along with Lucy at Attic24</span></strong></a>. I needed another big blanket to use in the living room this winter and this easy blanket was just the ticket.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4gtx1hspzzCT6R-4rkyp77rQYPWZpM7KRZ2Euvqfl2vGrpml2aAA7rHIcvtroiFjRtus_zm3WBckqY5h3bQAtESq4S_lRBA52FkxgL-LnDCoXEvKBIurBjzb38RdFDvb_VbYqfdHbzE/s1600/close+not+done.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4gtx1hspzzCT6R-4rkyp77rQYPWZpM7KRZ2Euvqfl2vGrpml2aAA7rHIcvtroiFjRtus_zm3WBckqY5h3bQAtESq4S_lRBA52FkxgL-LnDCoXEvKBIurBjzb38RdFDvb_VbYqfdHbzE/s1600/close+not+done.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiM5xgNgh-xnoXn9P1JCLtdGqMCcia7vNN-acFEKD-UI4x8Th0Du4zpfnAjIwJqTDP_OuenY_JjBgvSIJCktH505Vr-h3EB26ifJLRzh63sdDLKklejb_oJcWUOu-iNQ4zBCWpe6N5cqw/s1600/finishing+up+cozy+stripe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiM5xgNgh-xnoXn9P1JCLtdGqMCcia7vNN-acFEKD-UI4x8Th0Du4zpfnAjIwJqTDP_OuenY_JjBgvSIJCktH505Vr-h3EB26ifJLRzh63sdDLKklejb_oJcWUOu-iNQ4zBCWpe6N5cqw/s1600/finishing+up+cozy+stripe.jpg" height="640" width="478" /></a></div>
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I didn't take many photos along the way - not sure why. I put the blanket away over the holidays but after the new year I got it back out and started in anew. I finished it up pretty quickly!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwDQN9ko43agryrchPYbgGcciP3kN1Rhp0RnFxI37NsOk37r0O7K5WcMejT-AWSF9X96OscMGBd_o550czk_jC5P1a5W1rkjIADBQjNesp57u54aIZz75OCBhNqOHLE2hEi3sXAsH7fE/s1600/weaving+in+ends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwDQN9ko43agryrchPYbgGcciP3kN1Rhp0RnFxI37NsOk37r0O7K5WcMejT-AWSF9X96OscMGBd_o550czk_jC5P1a5W1rkjIADBQjNesp57u54aIZz75OCBhNqOHLE2hEi3sXAsH7fE/s1600/weaving+in+ends.jpg" height="640" width="478" /></a></div>
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I used whatever acrylic worsted weight I already had - some "I Love this Cotton" and some Knit Picks Brava. I think I used an I sized hook - 6mm probably. I just picked colors as I went along - I think there are about 15 colors in the blanket.<br />
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And now - here it is all done!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw3Gwtc6tPcg5Xv9i1t9pxAW3cwLuRBFIPwAG0X_kGnzAuxOXNmp_mWISpJ3tnjeb2OXVblU4jWdSTq7Cv6S332totnNsAdpIuXLaAzy2Gvqj24MTeObDwEVFMnRNJwvAqrkXrliqj1UQ/s1600/including+bed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw3Gwtc6tPcg5Xv9i1t9pxAW3cwLuRBFIPwAG0X_kGnzAuxOXNmp_mWISpJ3tnjeb2OXVblU4jWdSTq7Cv6S332totnNsAdpIuXLaAzy2Gvqj24MTeObDwEVFMnRNJwvAqrkXrliqj1UQ/s1600/including+bed.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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For the border, I followed Lucy's example except for the last round. In the last round I made a slightly more fluid edge. I just winged the final row pattern.<br />
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Enjoy! - and by the way - this baby is HUGE. I didn't measure it or count the rows but it is seriously big enough to cover two full grown people.<br />
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Sherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221828661770609207noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689146737711190616.post-41056852178816919052015-02-02T10:15:00.001-08:002015-02-02T10:15:54.398-08:00Tee BasketsFor a while I've wanted to try to make a basket out of tee shirt yarn. One of my crochet friends did also - so we got together last week to give it a try.<br />
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I asked her to pick a pattern that she liked and we'd both follow the same pattern and make a basket. We cut our tee shirts into balls of yarn. <b><span style="color: red;"> </span><a href="http://www.repeatcrafterme.com/2014/03/how-to-make-t-shirt-yarn.html"><span style="color: #990000;">I use these instructions.</span></a></b><b><span style="color: red;"> </span></b> I make my yarn strips about 1" wide and then tug on them which stretches them from a flat piece of tee shirt into a curled piece of tee shirt yarn.<br />
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Once we had our shirts done, we got straight to work. <a href="http://crafts.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-make-a-crochet-basket--cms-21310"><b><span style="color: red;">We used this pattern.</span></b></a> We both failed miserably. I think one of the reasons it didn't work is that we didn't understand when we were crocheting from the outside of the basket towards the inside and when we were going the other way - this made some of the instructions completely backwards... tho. I think it was our mistake and the pattern is probably fine. Our resulting basket didn't have nice straight sides, it was slumped and mis-shapen. I don't know what we did wrong. I'm quite an advanced crocheter but what a mess. I knew I would never use the basket I had made the way it looked - I wish I had taken a photo of it.<br />
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Since the basket was pretty easy to UNmake, I did just that. Then, using what I had learned from the failed basket, I made up my own pattern. Now there are a ton of tee shirt basket crochet patterns floating around. I've been collecting them. <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/sherjenks/crochet-baskets/"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>I have a whole pinterest board called Crochet Baskets </b></span></a>which you might want to check out - there are oodles of designs and patterns, most of them are free. If you make one of the patterns from my pin board, please let me know - I'd love to keep track of what patterns are good.<br />
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The first basket I made that was successful was a bit smaller than what I would have wanted. I made it small in case I had to pull it all out again. So, both to test my new method of making and also to have a bigger basket, I made a second basket. It worked well twice so I consider my pattern to be somewhat successful. The little basket has handles, the bigger one does not - just to try it differently, I left it without handles but I could still go back and add to it to make handles. I didn't write the directions for handles - so take a look at another pattern with handles if you decide to add them.<br />
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Also - please note a few things about tee baskets. First, making one is not relaxing! The big fat yarn, tight stitches and hook combo made my hands very tired. I'd make more, but this type of crochet it like battling with the yarn to get it to the shape you want, not like smooth, happy and carefree stitching. Second, it takes a lot of tee shirts and tee shirt yarn to make a basket. The tee shirt yarn making process requires a lot of cutting fabric, and I have <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-Softouch-Spring-Action-Scissor/dp/B000B7MUEG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1422900322&sr=8-3&keywords=scissor+fiskars&pebp=1422900321466&peasin=B000B7MUEG"><span style="color: red;">THESE FISKARS </span></a></b>scissors to make it easier and still my hands were tired after cutting and creating all the tee shirt yarn.<br />
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Sizes... my bigger basket (the one in the photo tutorial) is about 8 inches in diameter across the bottom and 8 inches high about and it took me 7 large tee shirts to have enough yarn for this size.<br />
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Step 1: Create a flat round circle. <a href="http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/crocheting-a-flat-circle.html"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">If you don't know how to do this, use this method.</span></b></a> I started with 8 stitches in the first round. I also started with a magic ring. It doesn't matter how you do it - just make a flat circle. Remember in the example I refer to above about the flat circle, she is using UK crochet terms so her htr is a US hdc. Make the circle as big as you want the bottom of your basket. Because I was using such a small hook (size M - 9mm) for this size yarn I found I had to increase more than I normally would on my last round in order to keep the circle flat. You can probably use a size N (10mm) hook and it wouldn't be as much as a struggle. I made my circle with all hdcs (half double crochets - American terms). OH... throughout the pattern, you make a round and then join with a slip stitch before starting the next round. If your next round is going to be sc, chain one at the beginning of the round. If your next round is going to be hdc, chain two at the beginning of each new round.<br />
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Step 2: Once your circle is the size you want, make one final round on the circle doing a flsc all the way around and don't increase. When you are making this front loop single crochet, remember that it is the front loop if you are working from the inside of the circle going out... I'm not sure if this makes sense, but it does matter if you are working from the inside of the circle out - or the outside of the circle in. I am working at this point from the inside of the circle outwards.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWwsc5HQH1LLfk6SrpXVJ_MSvjaM7FBmVGoLNZXg6sVU9bxNNZYMu1cRbj-JOED1fQ3BV1PhlQ1e2neHGj2RIkh4oOnrIObOZUaeLf1mnzOLxs47uFbe71bZXD6gupMZHP-eHkVOhkU68/s1600/tee+basket2+flsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWwsc5HQH1LLfk6SrpXVJ_MSvjaM7FBmVGoLNZXg6sVU9bxNNZYMu1cRbj-JOED1fQ3BV1PhlQ1e2neHGj2RIkh4oOnrIObOZUaeLf1mnzOLxs47uFbe71bZXD6gupMZHP-eHkVOhkU68/s1600/tee+basket2+flsc.jpg" height="640" width="610" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">see how my hook is only going under the front loop of the VEE at the top of the stitch.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyxSFIYbeIuxmiRDXWrfJ5YhnbUysDpfbBbU8VWVxlVJViWDOFUWOeTRg4O7msU4tmWrWGfGzH6g9vPTNNqnhB0qf-BOYMdDDMG3GVT7apqPjXccYGV3KXp-ZqcjA5YZAS4rSLhC0zZd4/s1600/tee+basket3+ridge+by+flsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyxSFIYbeIuxmiRDXWrfJ5YhnbUysDpfbBbU8VWVxlVJViWDOFUWOeTRg4O7msU4tmWrWGfGzH6g9vPTNNqnhB0qf-BOYMdDDMG3GVT7apqPjXccYGV3KXp-ZqcjA5YZAS4rSLhC0zZd4/s1600/tee+basket3+ridge+by+flsc.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">if you are doing the flsc correctly, you will see a ridge or line form on the outside of your basket</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCLKw4JXEnATAtHjZQ_0B2IdJPFSR9-sQ2CuQpYkFaoyWOhS14kkYkKqW6zEbrWDi6BylDL8VmT_qKWQAQh1j_EzQs5E0c8sexkMF8iALbMQ87ifPs5JUPYnh4NXpMFeJlFlhcvGq28iI/s1600/tee+basket4+ridge+dish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCLKw4JXEnATAtHjZQ_0B2IdJPFSR9-sQ2CuQpYkFaoyWOhS14kkYkKqW6zEbrWDi6BylDL8VmT_qKWQAQh1j_EzQs5E0c8sexkMF8iALbMQ87ifPs5JUPYnh4NXpMFeJlFlhcvGq28iI/s1600/tee+basket4+ridge+dish.jpg" height="488" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">if you correctly completed your flsc row, your bowl will look a bit like a dish with an edge</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWYYWP_WhcNcVHJDVbY_ZbbqQw-FbyieMHeJgTs7djCrVLzt5tx2hyphenhyphenxutdDhc7DCuwj_Sy0MT7b0OqWu_YnuUxNgKnmzG9eqOkjhloV1cuFi2GLWDOAl6KoGxe8K4I7BAdMMTzdX1lpM/s1600/tee+basket5+bsk+in+bsk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWYYWP_WhcNcVHJDVbY_ZbbqQw-FbyieMHeJgTs7djCrVLzt5tx2hyphenhyphenxutdDhc7DCuwj_Sy0MT7b0OqWu_YnuUxNgKnmzG9eqOkjhloV1cuFi2GLWDOAl6KoGxe8K4I7BAdMMTzdX1lpM/s1600/tee+basket5+bsk+in+bsk.jpg" height="640" width="588" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this is my little basket (the first one I made using my own pattern) sitting inside the bigger second basket bottom</td></tr>
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Step 3: Now, here's where I did something different from the other basket pattern I tried. I worked the rest of the basket working my stitches from the outside of the basket inwards. In other words, I poked my crochet hook into the stitches from the outside of the basket.<br />
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For this first side row, I worked all hdc stitches around the basket, working from the outside in. Work the hdc stitches by going under both loops on the VEE as with any normal stitch. I switched to green yarn because I had run out of grey. You can change colors or change yarns as you need to throughout the pattern.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBaPxVZOHqgE94_kdowmuLDwyS5JPLUWYX6Y6JKo-rim6GRsqMLLhuuk9d8VHpjoPaDcjAQCFvu4NJPRaIjyCbjF8uHcqnrti_U7LJtmZ-tIyBRRXMI4K39OaAQnIZxtRqL4_Pj585FNI/s1600/IMG_4985.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBaPxVZOHqgE94_kdowmuLDwyS5JPLUWYX6Y6JKo-rim6GRsqMLLhuuk9d8VHpjoPaDcjAQCFvu4NJPRaIjyCbjF8uHcqnrti_U7LJtmZ-tIyBRRXMI4K39OaAQnIZxtRqL4_Pj585FNI/s1600/IMG_4985.JPG" height="478" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">here's how it looks after adding a few hdc stitches and working from outside in.</td></tr>
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Step 4: The next round I made using blsc. I used blsc because it makes a little line around the outside of the basket and I liked that textural detail. I'm sure the basket would be fine making all the rounds hdc or alternating between stitches however you prefer the look.<br />
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Continue adding rows and changing colors or yarns as needed until your basket is as tall as you like. You can see the little line around the outside which is the where the blsc shows up.<br />
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I finished my last round as sc. I thought it finished off the basket nicely.<br />
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And - if nothing else, your little crochet baskets will at least be a place you can hold the rest of your tee shirt yarn!<br />
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Enjoy - SherSherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221828661770609207noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689146737711190616.post-51637398378084851082015-01-26T07:24:00.000-08:002015-01-26T07:24:32.779-08:00Around HereAround here it's been quiet but busy -<br />
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I really want to write up the tutorial for a blanket I created "the Rainbow Trellis," but I just haven't gotten to it yet.<br />
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Here are a few snapshots from the past few weeks....<br />
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Had breakfast out (him, chocolate chip pancakes - me, food with much smaller sugar content!) with #4 child before taking him back to college.</div>
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Visit to my friend Madeline (we've known each other since we were in Kindergarten together) in Gettysburg. I haven't seen her for two years! Much too long!<br />
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Madeline owns two houses that are right on the Gettysburg battlefield. The homes are on opposite sides of the field. We left her house just before dusk to take a stroll through the National park. We basically just had to step outside her door and were right on the park's property - so cool.<br />
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The sun was setting just as we left the house and we had the most amazing light show. I only had my iphone camera, but I think you can get the feel of the beautiful scene and gorgeous light as the sun took its plunge behind the horizon.<br />
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After our walk, we drove over to the 200 year old farmhouse that she owns on the other side of the park. She rents it - but it is the cutest little place with it's original floors and timber beams. From the master bedroom with cathedral ceilings, it is possible to sit right between the windows and see both the sunrise in the morning and the sunset at night. Beautiful. It was super cozy.<br />
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Before the holidays I started in on this Cozy Stripe blanket along with Lucy at Attic24. It a giant! I used many bright happy colors or acrylic (worsted weight). It's a gift for us, here at home - just a cozy blanket to snuggle beneath during the winter months. As soon as the kids went back to college, I pulled the blanket back out and attempted to finish it. Here it is in progress.<br />
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Living in the suburbs outside of a major US city, you'd be surprised how much wildlife shows up in my yard. Can you see the big hawk in the tree? He comes often. We also get raccoon, foxes, deer, blue jays, cardinals, squirrels, chipmonks, etc.... it's a very well visited yard.<br />
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We've also had a stray cat living on and around our porch since this summer. Until this winter, I basically greeted and petted him and provided him a little bed on the porch chair, but when the temperatures dropped very low, I let him in a few times and I've bought him food. He comes every morning for food, sometimes coming in, sometimes not. He follows us all around the neighborhood when we take the dog for a walk - he's just 10 feet behind. We've named him Milkshake.<br />
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We think he'd like to call our home his own. What does it look like to you?<br />
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We've had some snow off and on. This past weekend we had dinner out with friend and then went back to their hot tub and sat outside in the heated water with snow falling on our heads. The next morning, I forced myself to sleep in and ignore the shoveling that was needed - I'm often the first one up on the block, clearing away the snow from my walks and my elderly neighbor's. The snow was still there when I got up.<br />
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Speaking of snow - the first of the flakes started falling again this morning. It's supposed to continue through tomorrow. Our forecast where I live is currently 12 - 24 inches. It's supposed to be 30 inches a few hours north of us in NY. It looks like all my kids will get snow too - but a more manageable 3-5 inches for most of them. I've got all my shovels lined up on the porch, hubby has the firewood piled high, we've done a little grocery run and there are plenty of indoor projects for when we get stuck inside.<br />
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Until then, I'll walk the dog and enjoy the limited light that comes through the windows between bouts of snowy clouds to light the tulips by the window.<br />
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Oh yeah, and the cozy stripe got it's last row of stitches this morning - a bit of a border left and then I'll do a reveal.<br />
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Keep checking back for the Rainbow Trellis blanket pattern - it just might happen soon!<br />
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<br />Sherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221828661770609207noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689146737711190616.post-82545399744202768322015-01-11T10:25:00.000-08:002015-01-11T10:25:46.045-08:00Sweet and Special Soapies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today a little lesson about how to make a "soapie" - my own invented word.<br />
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To me, a soapie is a little cotton crochet holder for a small bar of soap. It can be used in the shower as a soapy scrubber or alternatively as a drawer sachet. The holder is made from 100% cotton yarn so even if it's used in the shower, it should hold up decently well and can probably be popped in the wash if need be.<br />
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This soapie is made so that the soap can be replaced either when it's been all used up in the shower or it's lost its scent in the drawer. Don't toss the soap that's lost its scent as the unscented soap may no longer work in the sachet, but can still get you clean in the shower.<br />
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I made the holders to fit a box of small square soaps that I purchased at Trader Joe's before the holidays. The soaps came in three neutral colors and were all scented Lemon Verbena. The small giveaway soaps that you find in hotel rooms or B&Bs would also fit in these little holders, maybe not EXACTLY but certainly a good enough fit.<br />
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Three out of the four holders have buttons. I left one without a button in case its owner opted do use it in the shower and didn't like the idea of having a button on their body scrubber.<br />
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Here's how I made them: (I used Knit Picks Dishie yarn and a size H (5mm) hook)<br />
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Step 1: Find a pattern for a small crochet square. I chose <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/43417583882981939/"><span style="color: #cc0000;">THIS PATTERN</span>.</a> You may want to have a wander through my pinterest board <strong><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/sherjenks/crochet-granny-and-squares/"><span style="color: #cc0000;">"Crochet Granny and Squares."</span></a></strong> I selected a pattern that would result in the approximate size square to fit my soaps. The pattern I selected had three rounds and in all cases, I did the first two rounds of my square in the same color and then changed to another color to complete the third round and do the joining.<br />
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Step 2: Make TWO squares from your pattern. They can of course be identical or a mix-matched colors but they should be the exact same size.<br />
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Step 3: Hold the two wrong sides together. Then starting on the upper left side of your sandwiched squares, single crochet around 3 sides. Go through both loops of crochet and through both squares (that's going through a total of 4 loops) Do not cut the yarn. It doesn't matter which corner you start in to join the squares, as long as you go in the direction of the arrows and don't finish off your yarn when you've joined the third side.<br />
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When I joined, I made two sc in the first corner where I started. Then, I made one sc in each side stitch of the final round of my square. When I got to the bottom corners, I made 3sc in each corner. You may need to modify how many stitches you use in your joining based on the pattern you choose for your square.<br />
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Step 4: With the remaining 4th side open, sc across the top of the front square only.<br />
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In the photo above you can see that the soap is inserted into the open 4th side of the squares - the one that's not joined. The arrows indicate where I single crocheted just across that top open edge of the front square.<br />
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Step 5: Continue single crocheting around the corner and then across the top open edge of the back square. If you don't want to add a button loop, just continue around to the corner of the front square. Finish off and weave in all ends of your joining yarn. If you didn't weave in the ends of your squares at an earlier time, you can flip your entire soapie inside out and complete that task.<br />
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Step 6: Optional. If you intend to add one or two button loops to your soapie, you'll want to complete step 5 just a tad differently.<br />
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You can see the buttons that hold closed the top of the soapie in the photo above.<br />
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To create a button loop (or loops) see the diagram below.<br />
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My diagram is not accurate in terms of the number of stitches I show and in the fact that my front square has a bunch more stitches than the back square - the two squares will have the same number of stitches. I just wanted to show how to skip a stitch and instead make 3 chain stitches to form a button loop. Obviously if you need to make more than one button loop, you will need to space out where to make them along your square and then skip a stitch for each loop and add 3 chains above the skipped stitch. Hopefully that is not too confusing. I didn't photograph my process while I made the little soapie so I had to resort to the diagram instead.<br />
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I'm sure you could also insert a round soap into this little pouch. Or, you could make a larger rectangle shape and join two of those together to cover a full sized bar of soap.<br />
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<a href="http://flythecoopcrafts.blogspot.com/2014/01/creative-christmas-2014.html"><strong><span style="color: #cc0000;">Last Christmas I made a bunch of little draw string soap holders for a standard sized bar of soap - you can see my post about those by clicking here.</span></strong></a><br />
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Enjoy - Sher!<br />
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PS. Next up - the Rainbow Trellis blanket (a photo tutorial of a blanket pattern I created - free of course as all the fly the coop crafts blog patterns are!)Sherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221828661770609207noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689146737711190616.post-43689334286721768112015-01-10T12:53:00.000-08:002015-01-10T12:53:08.736-08:00Pin Some Loving HeartsDo you like Valentine's Day?<br />
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I realized last year whilst doing a bit of blog reading that some people really dislike Valentine's Day. Not me. It also happens to be my anniversary (#26 in 2015 to be exact). And on the year I got married Valentines was a Tuesday to boot! Yes, I got married on a Tuesday night. I do not like to do what everyone else does and I don't not like my holidays and celebrations defined by what the rest of the world thinks is the right way to go about it. But I do, bottom line, like Valentine's Day.<br />
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So for me - I love to make Crochet Hearts! And I happen to have a pretty nice collection of heart patterns for crocheters on one of my pinterest boards - aptly named, Crochet Hearts.<br />
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Above in the photo you will find just a snippet of those crochet heart patterns, but you can go to the REAL board and save all your faves on your own pinterest board. If you make any of them, please share them with me - I'd LOVE to see your LOVELY creations that are all about the day of LOVE. Simply click the picture of the board above in this post and it should whip you right over onto my Crochet Hearts Pinterest board.<br />
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Enjoy - and happy hooking. Sher<br />
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PS - while you are over there, take a look at my other crochet boards. They are decently well organized and give me loads of pleasure to scroll through them and pick and choose which ones will be next on my DOING list!Sherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221828661770609207noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689146737711190616.post-48580643383836960442015-01-06T13:34:00.003-08:002015-01-06T13:34:50.846-08:00Roasty ToastyThis post title has nothing to do with the roasty toasty feeling I got when we FINALLY had our first fireplace fire last night (It was 61 degrees F on Christmas eve! so the holidays didn't see a single fire). <br />
I also woke up this morning to the first snowfall of 2015. It was just starting to salt the yard in white when I woke up and it's continued all day tho. with minimal accumulation. <br />
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And, it's quite cold now - truly feels like winter.<br />
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What I actually mean by Roasty Toasty is a bit of kitchen talk here. Do you roast? I mean vegetables?<br />
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To me, roasting veggies is like the cooking secret that makes superb vegetables seem almost too easy. If in doubt - roast it out! I mean, I roast every vegetable I can and when I serve it the reviews are nothing short of rave.<br />
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What do I roast? Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts, Carrots, Onions, Garlic, Broccoli, Zucchini, Eggplant, Squash, Potatoes, Peppers (yes, I know, some of those things are not technically a vegetable). But seriously, there is no better taste than a roasted veggie.<br />
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I am not a big cooked carrot lover but roast me some carrots and I could eat a bushel.<br />
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Don't know how to roast - well here are few tips:<br />
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TIP#1: keep it simple<br />
TIP#2: there aren't many rules and those that there are can be altered<br />
TIP#3: don't be afraid to try<br />
TIP#4: roast different types of veggies separately because some cook at a different speed<br />
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Last night I made roasted carrots, potatoes and onions to accompany our salmon.<br />
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Here's what I do:<br />
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Grab some carrots. I find skinny ones work best.<br />
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Give their tops a chop. I use my kitchen scissors.</div>
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Give them a little bath to free them of any excess earth.<br />
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Add them to a baking pan. I have used cake pans, pie pans, cookie pans, jelly roll pans, etc. I find they do best in metal. I have also started using parchment paper and they work well on the paper which saves a bit on the cleanup as well.<br />
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Drizzle them with oil. I'm sure you can experiment with oils, I tend to use Olive Oil. And they don't need a ton, seriously just a drizzle. <br />
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Give them a bit of flavor. For the carrots I simply ground some pepper and then ground some pink salt.<br />
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Since I also did potato and onion, I'll show you those as well.<br />
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Peel the onion and give it a rough chop. I cut my potatoes randomly and try to keep the sizes similar. I don't bother to peel the potatoes unless the outside is really bad looking or they are a bit older than they should be. And any type of potato does fine - these are organic redskins.<br />
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For the onion, it was just oil and a tad bit of sea salt.<br />
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For the potatoes it was oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme and a little dash of granulated garlic powder.<br />
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(by the way - the potatoes do well with all types of experimental flavors - I love to do them with curry powder or mexi-spices - just add whatever goes nicely with your dinner, I'm sure it will work).<br />
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Then, just pop them in the oven.<br />
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I usually put mine on convection roast but I've also done just the bake setting as well. If I have to cook something other than the veggies at the same time, I adjust to make it all work but for the most part I roast at 425F. I'd say 400F to 450F is all good. I also try to keep the roasted veggies etc on the top rack but when I use convection it really doesn't matter.<br />
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I try to keep like veggies together because potatoes take longer than zucchini for instance and if they are all mixed together, it's harder to pull out the ones that are done. <br />
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Timer? Well, I rarely use one. I just look at them from time to time. I do usually pull them out about 10 minutes in and use a metal spatula to give them a shuffle and flip them over a bit. I'd say around 20 mins is average, a bit less for zuchini, a bit more when it's potatoes. And by the way- the browned and burned bits are super yummy so don't worry about them. They add to the flavor!<br />
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At the end of their cooking time they should look a bit like this. These guys all cooked for about the same time which wasn't much more than 20 mins. And bonus that the salmon took about the same time in the rack below.<br />
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The dinner was DELISH and so easy!<br />
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<br />Sherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221828661770609207noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689146737711190616.post-83409089171059809052015-01-04T11:36:00.000-08:002015-01-04T11:38:32.920-08:00Filled Up Fall Fresh New YearBEWARE! A bit of marathon writing happening here.<br />
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There's something about January 1st that makes things seem fresh, new and possible. The overwhelming past few months make that concept all the more lightening for me.<br />
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There's something about the last three months of a calendar year that seems just too full!<br />
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In the US, I feel like we all live in a blur which begins with September's annual back to school time and ends with New Year's Day. There's so much good stuff in between that you can hardly take it all in. I say specifically in the US because once the summer vacation ends and the schools open again for a new fall year, we jump from one holiday occasion to the next hardly able to breathe in between. At least that's how it is for me. In this post you will find my own personal take on the busyness of the end of the year season - the things I like and the things I don't - the opinions are only my own and I don't hope to make others feel bad if they like things about the season that I don't. Everyone should celebrate as it best fits him or her.<br />
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Once our family vacation to the beach ended in August, it was time to take my kids to college and then the busy craziness began (wait - what? am empty nest is busy and crazy?)<br />
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I love the fall season, the fall weather, the anticipation of winter and snow. It's one of my favorite times of the year. I love the fall colors and the new views out the windows as the leaves thin from the trees and fall to the ground painting my yard in an abundance of colors. <br />
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I love the cooling temperatures and the lowering of the humidity. I love how quickly the clothes dry on the line. I don't love how short the days get, but after a while I get used to it and give in to more time inside. I love it when I can wrap myself up in hand made blankets, planning and making and getting a head-start on gift giving. But it all goes just too fast for me. There are too many good things all trying to race their way into a few months at the end of each year.<br />
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This year, the fall seemed even shorter. Since hubby and I found ourselves in an empty nest this fall for the first time in our lives, we took a vacation sans kids in September. We went to San Francisco and the north western coast of California. I've got tons of lovely photos I haven't even had a chance to peruse and I really want to make a photo album of this vacation time.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3tobur-auKuKdb6rolYaHx1t_TKrCF7o4lFHkoKiGzQrIoXsPrR1ABMLf3aGj1bkhhIrw3zwAdJ8CZT4nhsAuwFHM7Y9xtTDAdcZFSnESHPZ5LaVn-SCELGQTK9APbJKgyiujzs7Kf0/s1600/DSC_0045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3tobur-auKuKdb6rolYaHx1t_TKrCF7o4lFHkoKiGzQrIoXsPrR1ABMLf3aGj1bkhhIrw3zwAdJ8CZT4nhsAuwFHM7Y9xtTDAdcZFSnESHPZ5LaVn-SCELGQTK9APbJKgyiujzs7Kf0/s1600/DSC_0045.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fort Bragg, CA</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZDgAt0-IFnORg3xtInSxO5hA9mCTHw_haUqaR6sSsve3eTa8b6TAa_cNEz6IF6H36iXARyM5IsZconxEJ4LyNX6NH5NnafqTlFhjZ-G2f8jklCbj2jgTM9fqtWVQroCUfhynomajDI0/s1600/china+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZDgAt0-IFnORg3xtInSxO5hA9mCTHw_haUqaR6sSsve3eTa8b6TAa_cNEz6IF6H36iXARyM5IsZconxEJ4LyNX6NH5NnafqTlFhjZ-G2f8jklCbj2jgTM9fqtWVQroCUfhynomajDI0/s1600/china+1.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chinatown, San Francisco</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgJn1bwRsBqwrO8iTy_wE9db3j6MyxB230O4gcis9L2GF2_wbnj-b13n-m1B_CBZQUmZ4Vi4l9sPYtJPRzppM5nzeynTJVFJ6IoIiR0G-657Vdei0NVTCTQAmBqAQvYp2XnF1j5tFr6M0/s1600/cable+in+art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgJn1bwRsBqwrO8iTy_wE9db3j6MyxB230O4gcis9L2GF2_wbnj-b13n-m1B_CBZQUmZ4Vi4l9sPYtJPRzppM5nzeynTJVFJ6IoIiR0G-657Vdei0NVTCTQAmBqAQvYp2XnF1j5tFr6M0/s1600/cable+in+art.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cable Car Museum, San Francisco</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7j1HxTBIqfTZnEE1JMaI6pii-Jn8sMdmrsNGMKVr0bEP9rI7k9yJFgkPGXhaI-uBmUlmL50TSf-n1QBnf0r9CDFzdOqQrlYHx24wx-icLp2ShwkMzu33ZjQ8987LswFMMS4Lv24UPp3k/s1600/big+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7j1HxTBIqfTZnEE1JMaI6pii-Jn8sMdmrsNGMKVr0bEP9rI7k9yJFgkPGXhaI-uBmUlmL50TSf-n1QBnf0r9CDFzdOqQrlYHx24wx-icLp2ShwkMzu33ZjQ8987LswFMMS4Lv24UPp3k/s1600/big+tree.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giant Sequoias, Avenue of the Giants, CA</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6jFSrgOJLgPGUimoM3AojOl63kE-fRNAA0a6A9pJo2PrPxupYhGMFJwHB53Puh90DH7YzfeV0bDScBDQHJ3ouGnJDS3G0zts2HabYwDzrGR5oOvSmySpEbEalDFn2mGjnvJRjlhq9u0/s1600/IMG_4573.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6jFSrgOJLgPGUimoM3AojOl63kE-fRNAA0a6A9pJo2PrPxupYhGMFJwHB53Puh90DH7YzfeV0bDScBDQHJ3ouGnJDS3G0zts2HabYwDzrGR5oOvSmySpEbEalDFn2mGjnvJRjlhq9u0/s1600/IMG_4573.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdSeMI0sXBvYz4jKXIDPqqk9raYmWmDqSXuSk6EkWukg98HfuHZzim4XgVdYuZvECygdl7u7c2baWz0YEsytoUam3p-A83w51OWjaKFxTKkvN-0y7dcNfIENNpLBUvqWTo0ODZ2Ng8g1s/s1600/IMG_4579.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdSeMI0sXBvYz4jKXIDPqqk9raYmWmDqSXuSk6EkWukg98HfuHZzim4XgVdYuZvECygdl7u7c2baWz0YEsytoUam3p-A83w51OWjaKFxTKkvN-0y7dcNfIENNpLBUvqWTo0ODZ2Ng8g1s/s1600/IMG_4579.jpg" height="414" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKlJJaYgsZHRyfMJkxIMVwdayXJnwMIIRLfUGrx_9Rg_xAjkeBXOITafn8HykWfPrqoe61nIjApXEg5SaozUSXuQ8h6L_16QeAiKRjBhaTCWE7SF8spJJHKTLeCAdbs23sAubhriK7jE/s1600/top+of+street.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKlJJaYgsZHRyfMJkxIMVwdayXJnwMIIRLfUGrx_9Rg_xAjkeBXOITafn8HykWfPrqoe61nIjApXEg5SaozUSXuQ8h6L_16QeAiKRjBhaTCWE7SF8spJJHKTLeCAdbs23sAubhriK7jE/s1600/top+of+street.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Super steep street in the city - view from the front of our hotel</td></tr>
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Coming home from California at the beginning of October, we found the neighborhood already totally decked out in Halloween decor. It's a big thing in the US to decorate the outside of one's house for the entire month of October in anticipation of Halloween and trick-or-treaters.<br />
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<a href="http://www.interesting6.com/the-most-extreme-halloween-decorations/"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Here are some extreme cases</span></b></a><br />
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Add to that, I got invited to two Halloween parties so costumes were in order for hubby and me. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_07GC_Vw3286LIMz9uUHefQmEEZfzb2acM7n0iebz8SKBUHA7EMlwCx4w9K7u5Pdgb_prvnIzDg7LRRLgkm7ONZKT_OU0nVW3Zrmy9ugmciF_-W74INx18DRYe2vsOqdyOBVXb08scB0/s1600/IMG_4680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_07GC_Vw3286LIMz9uUHefQmEEZfzb2acM7n0iebz8SKBUHA7EMlwCx4w9K7u5Pdgb_prvnIzDg7LRRLgkm7ONZKT_OU0nVW3Zrmy9ugmciF_-W74INx18DRYe2vsOqdyOBVXb08scB0/s1600/IMG_4680.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bank Robbers for Halloween this year!</td></tr>
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I made a cute little Halloween crochet bunting for one of the party hosts since her birthday is also in October and she's one of my in-home crochet students - That was a fun to do.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLyoJ_5aRFVx9Gsn9ZnPTWmmgnkUaMxHwoXaJZzhGglZyvmHU-qnYqIiDEsFZFgn0aA0b5OAQtk-h3Nn9zxJv_KQxKgAzI5Xu0VKWDoFpj2jUE9fuXtaxJBlt0yTXx0rB7VDnWr0q6ns/s1600/ghost+bunting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLyoJ_5aRFVx9Gsn9ZnPTWmmgnkUaMxHwoXaJZzhGglZyvmHU-qnYqIiDEsFZFgn0aA0b5OAQtk-h3Nn9zxJv_KQxKgAzI5Xu0VKWDoFpj2jUE9fuXtaxJBlt0yTXx0rB7VDnWr0q6ns/s1600/ghost+bunting.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check my Halloween Pinterest board for the sugar skull pattern. The ghosts came from Simply Crochet mag.</td></tr>
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On Halloween night, we put our movable fire pit in the front yard, and sat outside enjoying a few beers whilst handing out candy and chatting with neighboring families. We also decided to dress up in Harry Potter costumes (ones we already had from dressing up to help at my nephew's 8th Harry Potter theme party). I'm surprised at how many of the younger kids identified that we were costumed as Prof. Trelawney and Mad Eye Moody. It seems like some of the younger kids aren't as familiar with the JK Rowling stories as the kids were back in the 90s.<br />
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As soon as Halloween is over, its a rush to get the Halloween decor down and deck the house out in fall themed trimmings to prepare for Thanksgiving. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4gSdaTGbX19z5FOUMtzY6SFi9EcWQtGr9Rp1rxFigXv11XVWnnSAlPC-2Z6QAcfswPzq-b9blbfJA45esTlHinyZwGhMxCpwl1mUNHXmFcOcHj329E1u0VX3i9NYTCkvbAiWHwSrJn9s/s1600/IMG_4688.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4gSdaTGbX19z5FOUMtzY6SFi9EcWQtGr9Rp1rxFigXv11XVWnnSAlPC-2Z6QAcfswPzq-b9blbfJA45esTlHinyZwGhMxCpwl1mUNHXmFcOcHj329E1u0VX3i9NYTCkvbAiWHwSrJn9s/s1600/IMG_4688.jpg" height="640" width="638" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I waited til Halloween day to shop for a pumpkin - the only one left was yellow and I couldn't have loved it more!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJg2r1VFext54shPM1dkIyfQACZz_5lNFljVSclwcsy9qoMLcHbxyx_19yJnQ37yp0giBASzuHUOeGUU7UJdxAij_2obqLiFerWvZLQaLsQghW0hEElBgZ5zKfNMs-s7A2Qe7y7wXGj0/s1600/IMG_4693.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJg2r1VFext54shPM1dkIyfQACZz_5lNFljVSclwcsy9qoMLcHbxyx_19yJnQ37yp0giBASzuHUOeGUU7UJdxAij_2obqLiFerWvZLQaLsQghW0hEElBgZ5zKfNMs-s7A2Qe7y7wXGj0/s1600/IMG_4693.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz23qCMxx66EroMP8BpmFCxi4_ctS_ftkyUk5ehBcLu7L5AuFMGZrgEMjaq88f0rKEQMUHLG8_qG1VmCTb5blAplXp90atlO4_vln5pwPqT3pebOXgqjbhIP1h3l7VuwwzLetyI2iyFX4/s1600/IMG_4694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz23qCMxx66EroMP8BpmFCxi4_ctS_ftkyUk5ehBcLu7L5AuFMGZrgEMjaq88f0rKEQMUHLG8_qG1VmCTb5blAplXp90atlO4_vln5pwPqT3pebOXgqjbhIP1h3l7VuwwzLetyI2iyFX4/s1600/IMG_4694.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These ghosts made from thrifted sheets with sharpie faces have been in my Halloween decor since my kids were little</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSM9FaaBERi2d6YEGs7F8hyTHdfv47dTTglSLn95TKc3xGBKi5NeuUdg7V6Z0YAEy_ZAtpaJQv-oIk0PRZkCENn1Kbgs0Fp64-gQx3rnZbwcpZGyUjE3Mw5wOevdtJ6_IYcX-1f4FeXc4/s1600/IMG_4698.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSM9FaaBERi2d6YEGs7F8hyTHdfv47dTTglSLn95TKc3xGBKi5NeuUdg7V6Z0YAEy_ZAtpaJQv-oIk0PRZkCENn1Kbgs0Fp64-gQx3rnZbwcpZGyUjE3Mw5wOevdtJ6_IYcX-1f4FeXc4/s1600/IMG_4698.jpg" height="640" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Likewise, the egg carton spiders were made by my kids when they were in elementary school.</td></tr>
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Thanksgiving is a big travel holiday for families and stems around a traditional meal. Typically, that meal includes a turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc etc depending on the variances one's family is accustomed to. In our family it's a bit different and it also includes TWO Thanksgiving meals, one with my side of the family and one with my hubby's. We hosted my husband's family at our house - 19 in all - a big, big crowd! But, we don't have a typical Thanksgiving meal, we have a big Italian meal. That's his family's tradition. We used to make homemade raviolis together early in the day and them eat them later, but some years that's just too much work. This year, I made 5 lasagnas instead of the raviolis (1 vegan, 2 regular, 1 zuchini and 1 zuchini with spinach) and a BIG pot of tomato sauce. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDlGYxWHNFTmT4utZHJDQUXPh_uJOMpihxyZPJSWWjqvp1c2YnBJ4gaB4LaW2bsT01Hl0nNxVjkw3AvCsHkD7uubJwPAy1rEtlSItgia-dWL9nhLllVRyHri69a-Y2h52iaosfNfRFQk/s1600/lasagna+several.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDlGYxWHNFTmT4utZHJDQUXPh_uJOMpihxyZPJSWWjqvp1c2YnBJ4gaB4LaW2bsT01Hl0nNxVjkw3AvCsHkD7uubJwPAy1rEtlSItgia-dWL9nhLllVRyHri69a-Y2h52iaosfNfRFQk/s1600/lasagna+several.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you are in need for an awesome vegan lasagna, I have a great recipe in my pinterst board: Food Etc</td></tr>
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I also made bread and a big harvest salad. It's a long and busy day. The preparation for it all seems to take a lot more time than the celebration itself but it was a good day for all.<br />
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We had three tables, in two separate rooms to fit everyone. I kept the table scapes very simple. We had to use plastic utensils as I didn't even have enough forks to serve the whole crowd.<br />
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The very next day we headed down to my sister's house (1.5hr drive) and had a second family Thanksgiving with my side of the family down there. Although our 2nd meal involves much more of the traditional Thanksgiving fare, we don't have turkey. This 2nd Thanksgiving is totally a vegan meal. Instead of the turkey, my brother-in-law made individual pot pies, I made mushroom gravy and the rest of the meal is pretty standard but just avoids dairy, eggs and meat - and of course, is all organic. People wonder what we eat at a vegan Thanksgiving but honestly, the table is so full I often don't get to sample some things because my plate is too crammed with goodness.<br />
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Heading home from Thanksgiving #2, I felt a cold coming on and I dreaded the idea of losing any days being sick. I rarely get sick and I don't like to give myself too much down time but I did give myself a full day of bed and TV to recuperate.<br />
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The day after Thanksgiving is BLACK FRIDAY - I mean the US goes nuts on this day with shopping and stockpiling and buying - I do not participate. Some stores open on Thanksgiving Day at 6pm - it's crazy. Online sales continue thru the week with Cyber Monday etc. etc... It's a tradition I simply don't care for and it encompasses all the things I don't like about the Christmas holiday. From Thanksgiving on, the newspapers are filled with advert offerings from stores and the TV advertisements are enough to make you nuts. Its usually the time that I sit down to review the gifts I plan to make and see how many I can tick off my list as complete and assure that I have the supplies to make the things not yet finished. I like to sit affront the TV at the end of the night stitching away in front of sappy Hallmark Christmas movies which I find humorously entertaining if overwhelmingly sugary sweet - somewhere between nice and nauseating.<br />
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And of course, in the US, the day after Thanksgiving is ALSO the time when all the fall decor is removed and the inside and outside of ones house are decked out for Christmas. And in the US people go seriously berserk with the outdoor decorating and not just with lights - there are giant blow up Santas and reindeer riding motorcycles and snoopy on top of gingerbread houses. I call them <b><span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdMHzZ4FVEc"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Blow Up Shits - I can't stand them!</span></a> </span></b>The hum of electricity blowing them up every night and then they sit in a crinkled pile on people's lawns during the day. Some peoples yards are so filled with lights and statues that they triple or quadruple their electric bill during the month of December. Again, overdoing the outside lighting is not something I like about Christmas season in the US! When we finally got our tree up this year just over a week before Christmas, my son came in late one night and knocked on the bedroom door asking if we had intended to leave the Christmas tree lying down on the couch in the living room - UM NO!!!! Nothing broke when it fell but what a doozy it was to upright and reset a huge 7foot tree that already had all it's lights and ornaments.<br />
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This year there were only a few weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas so every caroling party, holiday bunco, Christmas Open House, etc all had to take place in a few short weeks. It's all crammed up with hardly a chance to breathe - it does little to make me feel calm. I am not a religious person but rather a spiritual one but I was really glad I didn't also have to add churchy things into the holiday mix. I prefer simplicity and calm at the holidays. I prefer home made instead of store bought I prefer celebrating the season and noting the outdoor changes and enjoying the weather, etc... to hustling and bustling through the stores with the loud Chrismtas music blaring through the speakers. I find Christmas preparations exhausting and I do what I can in my own life to minimalize the craziness yet enjoy the things I like. Someone did a holiday posts about Samhain and Winter Solstace, the pagan celebrations of seasonal change. I was both surprised by how many of the non religious traditions cross paths with religious ones. It was interesting to note some of the age old customs and how they have evolved into our current traditions.<br />
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All in all - the three big events of Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas that occur at the end of October, November and December seem a raging blur of activity and decorating and rushing and planning and cooking and buying etc etc etc... I wish I could stretch it all out for 6 months, not 3. I wish I could spend the time enjoying the posting of my holiday cards instead of speedily sticking stamps on the outsides of envelopes and slowing down many other details. <br />
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I miss doing a lot of holiday baking. So much of the family who visits at Christmas is vegan, I don't really bake much which I miss.<br />
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It probably didn't help that during this busy three months we also re-did a bedroom, experienced two, yes TWO pipe explosion floods in our basement laundry room, dealt with two leaking toilets, hundreds of dollars of plumber visits, installed a clothes dryer for the first time in more than 6 years and more. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tho I've always had a washer, I've not had a dryer. I have really mixed emotions about owning it - but it was rather handy for washing masses of sheets and blankets and table covers after the family had gone, those big things were always a challenge to hang inside the house. And the very expensive new plumbing is just to the left of the washing machine, first a faucet valve and then another valve (that now doesn't exist) a few inches from the faucet both exploded - about 3 weeks apart from one another and flooded our laundry room TWICE! One time it was so bad, insurance had to be called.</td></tr>
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I finished several jobs for clients in my photo organizing businesss, taught two weekly crochet classes and hosted 15 students for a <a href="http://kronum.com/"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Kronum</span></b></a> tournment. Kronum is a sport that 3 of my 4 kids have been playing since 2011. Kronum could fill a whole blog post on its own!<br />
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I'm tired just remembering it all...<br />
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For those of you who wondered what happened to my posting between July and January, you will now understand that many other things simply took over and my blog sat quiet while life flew by.Sherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221828661770609207noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689146737711190616.post-9157596287394523362015-01-01T11:31:00.002-08:002015-01-01T11:31:38.119-08:00Serene Silly Selfie New Year!<div style="text-align: center;">
<img class="CSS_LIGHTBOX_SCALED_IMAGE_IMG" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9VoPew9ngcbb6VTMoCgua3gd1OOzlBwRzXg7gSCGrZLzKWMPV29PEPgkqcSST2AiQy58w7css11EmoRRCTSYIZVceMDirxNLeYlDlhOS3DiyYSLy-zrzGawecyoT2YxF74wvuaaBQ-w05/s640/14.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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Welcome to 2015!</div>
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As the end of 2014 neared, I captured images around the house in the fading sunlight of dusk...</div>
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As I took this goofy selfie after having a pre-party drink and getting ready to head upstairs to dress for New Year's Eve, I thought about the funny little photo shoot my hubby and I did a few days back.</div>
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There is a photo booth at a restaurant we often frequent in Philly - we have several times gone in the photo booth and instead of taking photo booth photos, we take silly selfies with our camera phones! Here is what we took a few days after Christmas when we had a night out in the city.</div>
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I have been making a concerted effort of late (past few years) to not take myself too seriously and in general have more fun in little, insignificant ways.</div>
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Before we headed out to a neighbor's New Year's Eve party, we took another selfie collection. We aren't very good at selfies, we never know where to look at the camera and struggle to hold on to the phone and click the button without dropping it or photographing our hands or something. I guess that shows our age cuz all of my kids take selfies without any struggle.</div>
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We had fun, stayed out past 1am, kept our drinking well in check, woke up super hungry yet without hangovers to keep us sleeping in. We got up early and headed out to a neighborhood breakfast spot and ate a HUGE yummy breakfast which has kept me completely full all the way into this afternoon.</div>
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The first day of 2015 brought with it cold temperatures and loads of bright and happy sunshine.</div>
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See how it poured in the windows this morning?</div>
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So I'm off for now but wishing you a sunny, happy, bright, shiny and maybe a bit silly new year. Here's to 2015! Cheers! Sher</div>
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Sherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221828661770609207noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689146737711190616.post-91304258782815533052014-12-31T06:11:00.001-08:002014-12-31T06:11:28.401-08:00Creatively Christmas 2014While I haven't been blogging...<br />
I HAVE been making.<br />
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Much of my making was Christmas gifts. However, I have a bunch of patterns to share for things I've created and projects I'm in the midst of. So if I keep on blogging you will have that to come...<br />
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Here are some snippets of our Christmas:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7dAwrpZxRV_Ci9aFaKShY6QLpd_xer4DAT145B68hkh5e_5EFx9cXk4RLIzGmmz3l5Ielpa-KjRz6PbOOn7vamCdz15S9MRbcrIu83NAefBpz41k0pgiNpQzIq1JxJJLb4ZAddzM-cuQ/s1600/lighted+house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7dAwrpZxRV_Ci9aFaKShY6QLpd_xer4DAT145B68hkh5e_5EFx9cXk4RLIzGmmz3l5Ielpa-KjRz6PbOOn7vamCdz15S9MRbcrIu83NAefBpz41k0pgiNpQzIq1JxJJLb4ZAddzM-cuQ/s1600/lighted+house.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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One of my favorite moments is on Christmas Eve when most everyone has gone off to bed and only the indoor Christmas lights brighten the room. Under the tree is loaded with gifts. It's very quiet, it's totally serene. I have to stop myself from taking photos to try to make that special time hold still...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirwJYyXMM6skVTR2uo294HXG2msg7fpfj5_tzHs7RBRk7AjzUCxnVuKqP1UCVpYhCO50yodzdiTcAn_R0eadtubYufufMdphcA5o2FjHPQJvLH0ZhMSVq8q-QR-P85fZP5ckxQLmBu8mY/s1600/kids+and+dogs+by+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirwJYyXMM6skVTR2uo294HXG2msg7fpfj5_tzHs7RBRk7AjzUCxnVuKqP1UCVpYhCO50yodzdiTcAn_R0eadtubYufufMdphcA5o2FjHPQJvLH0ZhMSVq8q-QR-P85fZP5ckxQLmBu8mY/s1600/kids+and+dogs+by+tree.jpg" height="392" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1no70XHtJLVtaz3qQIuvxBTLLv6bA4q5clrBlRTo0qKR-JmpuqDz_yrOsu7bchCuXHYTRmW6K4qJQnw6Szyx90LtjkP7pat42vHMifXYxtEToC3DyzPzMShWzWV_YLKFTTNOC6Vz2LzY/s1600/crazies+on+steps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1no70XHtJLVtaz3qQIuvxBTLLv6bA4q5clrBlRTo0qKR-JmpuqDz_yrOsu7bchCuXHYTRmW6K4qJQnw6Szyx90LtjkP7pat42vHMifXYxtEToC3DyzPzMShWzWV_YLKFTTNOC6Vz2LzY/s1600/crazies+on+steps.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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Once the morning arrives and the crazy kids awake (4 of these kids are mine, 2 are my sisters and the one at the top of the steps is my youngest sister who is 20 years my junior - so she is lucky enough to get to be part of the batch of kids yet), the Christmas crazy begins.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjABquOi6JkyBoQ0q8r-bCq0qN243jaRXFfVBe8j_CpYeRUV-5AJb4pFjVnq7jRfci_KkQmsNTiaITQfEw-LdeD4vhPqNJ-h5GwWpjQOSUYCsdAzuRLk0r9npNqh_SH76fHiVSjVQaLjg/s1600/wrap+one.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjABquOi6JkyBoQ0q8r-bCq0qN243jaRXFfVBe8j_CpYeRUV-5AJb4pFjVnq7jRfci_KkQmsNTiaITQfEw-LdeD4vhPqNJ-h5GwWpjQOSUYCsdAzuRLk0r9npNqh_SH76fHiVSjVQaLjg/s1600/wrap+one.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZBhohgEtHJ69XPjCuMsGeCE-HtIzsqjVl12vHQ83BpWM3dnjtg_XdZ60d7w4gLzkAynn73TpBzivN1hyBvoSmuW7_DbRI-KqbpB58_TJsxpGq9JsTvqFQLq2olQENDUr4BJ0K4afY3MY/s1600/wrap+two.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZBhohgEtHJ69XPjCuMsGeCE-HtIzsqjVl12vHQ83BpWM3dnjtg_XdZ60d7w4gLzkAynn73TpBzivN1hyBvoSmuW7_DbRI-KqbpB58_TJsxpGq9JsTvqFQLq2olQENDUr4BJ0K4afY3MY/s1600/wrap+two.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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For the past several years it's been my goal to use all non-traditional wrappings. My attempt is to use no paper wrapping at all. Most of my wrap gets re-used from year to year. In these photos of the wrapped gifts you can see a variety of wrappings: old clothing, sweaters, pant legs, shirts, skirts etc... made into wrap bags and tied with re-usable ribbons. Only the handmade paper gift tags get tossed. Also in the mix is mailing envelopes (you can see one on the far right with a tree drawn on it), handled shopping bags (which are then given as part of the gift), flannel backed and plastic table cloths (which I buy at the dollar store and re-use year after year - works great for bigger gifts), paper grocery bags, the paper and bubblewrap that comes in the shipping boxes from amazon, etc.... Once a gift is open the family returns the clothing bags, ribbons, etc... and I store them in a box to re-use the following year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9RacyAK3T7KQoOH6HC4H32bLzixEzaVlPVGTweN3AOd_P_yiX4ibVTtrBfvODTF0xWm6OuT94k5Izfx7KKyggIs6Vc3rf3TDObrYCZijdX_7N-mWk-gExPFYG6TirEsnX5C47_FWuVOs/s1600/maisie+dolls+in+bed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9RacyAK3T7KQoOH6HC4H32bLzixEzaVlPVGTweN3AOd_P_yiX4ibVTtrBfvODTF0xWm6OuT94k5Izfx7KKyggIs6Vc3rf3TDObrYCZijdX_7N-mWk-gExPFYG6TirEsnX5C47_FWuVOs/s1600/maisie+dolls+in+bed.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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For my little niece Maisie, my husband and I co-created doll beds and bedding. Maisie has three dolls (handed down from her mom, my sister). There is a blond, brunette and red-head doll. My husband fashioned them beds that stack in bunks or come apart as separate.<br />
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We trash pick wood and re-use old furniture quite a bit. My husband probably didn't buy anything new to create these beds - he fashioned them all from the odd bits of wood and molding strips already in his garage.<br />
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Likewise - I did my part to dress the beds. After all, these dollies needed a bit of soft and warm for proper sleeping:<br />
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Each doll bed had entirely handmade bedding (by me).<br />
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An old ikea curtain provided the means to sew hand-tufted mattresses stuffed with leftover couch pillow stuffing. Atop the mattress was a double-sided flat sheet (easy for a toddler to make up the bed). Once the doll was on the sheet she'd need a place to rest her head so I sewed a pillow and a coordinating pillow case (to match the sheet and other bedding). Most of the sheets and pillow cases were made from thrifted vintage sheets. Atop the doll were then a quilt and a blanket. The quilts were all handmade (sewing machine made) by me. Each quilt had a traditional pieced side and a more modern side. Then, each doll received a crocheted blanket. There were three total bedding sets, one each with a pink, orange and green theme. My sewing machine was in the shop for 6 weeks before Christmas and I just barely got it back in time to complete the bed sewing. WHEW!<br />
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I hope Maisie will love the doll items for years to come.<br />
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And then there were the hats. My daughter got 4 (because I like to make hats in front of the TV while watching sappy Hallmark Christmas shows)! The first one is slouchy and kinda Rasta in an acrylic-cotton blend.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mooglyblog.com/all-grown-up-striped-slouch-hat/">Then there was the acrylic-wool blend purple and turquoise slouchy</a>. I should have photographed all the hats before giving them so you could see the actual hat other than just seeing it perched on a head with all the detail missing. <br />
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This one was again, wool acrylic with a very chunky yarn and a pattern I got from <a href="http://www.mooglyblog.com/">Moogly blog</a>. Consequently -<a href="http://www.mooglyblog.com/buffi-crochet-beanie/"> the white hat</a> was my personal favorite and I might make one for myself.<br />
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This final hat was a beret with a pom pom - of course which you cannot see! It's made from 100% Peruvian wool in a double green/blue twist.<br />
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Finally, I winged one final hat - in royal blue with red and white accents in my son's college colors.<br />
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It's an unwritten tradition to wear everything you get on xmas morning - so my son has a bow tie, a football jersey and a crochet hat all together.<br />
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An annual tradition is for each kid to have a crochet college bunting to hang in the dorm room. This one is for the son on the left to hang at his college, Shippensburg, and has two little ships wheels included (I made up that ship wheel pattern and will share it). I also used the <a href="http://www.mooglyblog.com/the-moogly-crochet-alphabet/">capital letters pattern from moogly blog</a>. Do you love that blog? It's one of my favorites!<br />
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Remember what I said about wearing everything you get - take a crazy pj outfit and start adding hats and purses and OH MY!<br />
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In a house full of teenagers and twenty-somethings - this group gift was a HUGE big hit and they cheered for about 5 straight minutes. The gift was a card game called "Cards Against Humanity" which is a very inappropriate version of Apples to Apples. They have been wanting this crazy and very non-PC card game for a while. Yes it got played that night - and I and my hubby joined in. It's very inappropriately funny - but those of you with high morals or young kids would be abashed (I have neither the high morals or the young kids).<br />
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A few years back I suggested that the Christmas dinner meal be a casual one. Since everyone stays at my home for several days before and after Christmas, things are a bit hectic... I figured an easy meal would help with the strain and stress of heavy cooking duties and it does. Here is our Christmas table in which everyone dresses as he or she pleases, pjs are welcome. We have 3 pots of soup (2 vegan since most of the family is vegan, and 1 organic but not vegan). This year we had vegan veggie, vegan creamy broccoli and organic chicken noodle. Typically I also provide a salad and this year it had arugula, baby kale, baby chard, baby romaine, baby spinach, organic tri-color quinoa, heirloom rainbow cherry tomatoes, roasted yam, dried cranberry, homemade sweet and salty pecans and balsamic dressing. Often there is homemade bread but this time we had a few organic store-bought. One whole grain and one with rosemary. A big pitcher or pomegranate iced tea, some alcoholic beverages and the meal was a done deal. I don't have fancy dishes enough for everyone, so each third of the table had their own dishes pattern. <br />
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Around mid-day we had eaten some hearty appetizers: peppered salami and sharp cheese for the non-vegans and all the rest was vegan: hot salsa with chips, bread with spinach artichoke dip, anti-pasta salad with olives, peppers, artichokes and mushrooms, roasted veggies with cauliflower, carrots, onions and zucchini, tapenade with crackers, hummus, salted nuts... and a variety of other things that kept us fully satisfied with simple to serve type food.<br />
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And a big bonus this Christmas for me? I got to sleep in a bedroom and in a bed while the guests were here!!!! Usually I have to give up my bed and my bedroom and I end up sleeping on a couch or a floor (as does my hubby). But this year we re-did the "boys" room that was rather teenage boyish and yucky and turned it into a bedroom that we could offer to a guest. SO I then got to sleep in an actual bed in my own room. And that was Christmas bliss.<br />
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I love to make and to give gifts at Christmas. I don't as much like getting gifts. However, my hubby gave me two bottles of wine, two yummy little boxes of chocolate and two new indoor scarves... all good stuff!<br />
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How was your Christmas? What are your traditions? Do you celebrate another holiday or a different religion? If so, what do you do on Christmas when others are celebrating with lighted trees and holiday wrapping?<br />
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Next up - all the making and creating that's been happening for the past 6 months... to include some new free patterns for you! TA TA and Happy New Year's Eve! SherSherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221828661770609207noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689146737711190616.post-25757987974129325022014-12-29T06:06:00.002-08:002014-12-29T06:06:29.219-08:00And Half the Year Later...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I haven't blogged since July- that's almost half the year.<br />
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The blog sat. From time to time it called my name, got added to my to do list, and thought about in my dreams.<br />
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Do I care if I blog only for me - or do I blog for others or is this whole experience just a public journal interspersed with a personal pattern catalog? Do you want to come along for the ride? Do you miss me - or even notice when I'm gone?<br />
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Should I stay or should I go. Does anyone hear my words, like my posts, know my blog thoughts?<br />
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Would I be missed, would my patterns be lost on little slips of paper and my crafty ideas waft out of my brain without a mention?<br />
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Am I weighed down by my blog or lifted?<br />
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I still don't know.<br />
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I'm not ready to quit- I don't want to create a set of blog rules for myself, but I am not ready to end my blogging authorship.<br />
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Sometimes I write blog posts in my head and they never make it to the keyboard and the world wide web. Sometimes I forget my own blog even exists in my RSS reading list -because it's never bold anymore, begging me to click on it to see my latest updates.<br />
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I read the blogs I follow pretty much every day. I know the writers, the authors, their families - they don't know me at all. I visit their lives, see the scenes inside their houses, follow their patterns, create along side them - day in and day out - but they have no idea who I am, that I'm here - that I follow - that I know them.<br />
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It's a strange world the blogging world. Kind of weird and kind of wonderful.<br />
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So almost 6 months since my last post - I muse. Do I stay absent or do I become present. I don't know. Maybe blogs are just something I read and write and follow so I can justify the time to drink another cup of coffee...<br />
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Fondly, SherSherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221828661770609207noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689146737711190616.post-29555881345890881142014-07-16T07:31:00.003-07:002014-07-16T07:31:32.715-07:00TaDah Moment for Marinke Slump BagI've finished a project. I know, right? Yes, I seem to start a lot of things but not finish them. But not this time. I participated in a <a href="http://winkieflash.nl/2014/07/15/beach-bag-cal-announcing-winner/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+acreativebeing+%28a+creative+being%29">Crochet-A-Long with Wink over at her blog, A Creative Being</a>. Seeing the other people who were participating actual finish their projects really helped. I added my bag photos after the competition date, but I am not a competitor so I would not have entered anyway. I do really love the bag design that won tho. <span style="color: red;"> </span><a href="http://flythecoopcrafts.blogspot.com/2014/06/cal-with-wink-marinke-slump-bag.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">If you missed my introductory post about this bag, you can read it here: </span></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/sherjenks/beach-bag">Here is a link to my bag project on ravelry.</a><br />
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So here is my Marinke Slump Bag.<br />
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Yes - I made this. Can you believe it? To me, it looks so real.<br />
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I love the stitch that looks like knitting - a new stitch for me, easy and will be used again.<br />
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I love the cord I made to weave through as a drawstring. It's made of six strands of bulky acrylic yarn braided together. <br />
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I love that my bag has a lining AND that I created the lining pattern and sewed it up myself. <br />
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I love that the bag has awesome sturdy handles that are the perfect length and that I made them up and sewed them myself as well.<br />
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This was a lot of fun to create. Now I cannot WAIT to use it out in the world.<br />
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Hope you enjoy my creation. Sher<br />
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One more photo before the drawstring was added so you can see the weaving holes. I created those by crocheting around some metal key ring circles.<br />
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<br />Sherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221828661770609207noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689146737711190616.post-39658070536982762802014-07-01T09:36:00.003-07:002014-07-01T09:36:23.643-07:00Binge Watching, Running is Back and Mini Mandala WallHey There. I have three things to talk to you about today.<br />
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1. Binge Watching. Do you do it? I do - and it's my favorite way to watch. I've always hated being married to a TV show - having to run home and watch when a weekly show is broadcast. Now, if you have all the modern TV equipment, you no longer have to do this - you can DVR or TIVO (is that still around?) your show, watch it online, on demand or even on Hulu or Netflix. There are so many ways to watch TV series these days and I'm certainly happy about it.<br />
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I used to almost avoid TV because I didn't want to have to wait a week between episodes, watch ads and be ready to view at one certain time - I'm too impatient.<br />
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But, when I discovered binge watching it was a whole new way for me - and my husband too. It's something we could do together, or on our own, or switch that up even and watch separately when we had the time and together when we were caught up to the same place. It's a way we can enjoy shows we want to watch usually without advertisements and at whatever hour it suits us. A night by the fire with episode after episode going while I sit and crochet - what a nice night in!<br />
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So I have learned to binge watch and I love it. Here are some of the things I've recently watched - let me know if you binge watch any of these and if you have other recommendations:<br />
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Downton Abbey (first 2 seasons were binged watched by hubby and me in only a few nights - after that we were all caught up and had to wait weekly for the next two seasons like everyone else!) - I think I watched this on pbs.org by hooking up my computer to our TV.<br />
<img height="160" src="http://stonehengetours.com/DowntonAbbey1.jpg" width="200" /><br />
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Call the Midwife - watched this on pbs.org on my computer - LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE - and if you do watch it - can you get enough of Chummy? - she is AWESOME!<br />
<img height="150" src="http://www.theblahblahblahger.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/call-the-midwife-21.jpg" width="200" /><br />
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Orphan Black (watched this on recommendation from my MOM no less) - really talented main character as she plays like 8 different roles! Watched this on demand with Verizon Fios through BBC-America<br />
<img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSpyfJeMgMxNPSy49fFwkSYdBvpv9yvR1DBsuvdv5W101GL8mO3" /><br />
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House of Cards (just made it to season 2) - This one is a Netflix original. Really well done. Doesn't say much good about the American government. Wait, is that a surprise? (no comment, I don't like to get political).<br />
<img height="103" src="http://cdn.screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/House-of-Cards-Commentary.jpg" width="200" /><br />
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Orange is the New Black - This one is also a Netflix original. Really gripping - had to watch and watch and watch and got through all of season 1 and 2 in no time!<br />
<img 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" /><br />
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The Paradise - from the BBC. Season 1 came to BBC-America, couldn't get season 2 though I heard that a second season did air in the UK. I loved this series too! I think I heard that a 3rd season would not happen.<br />
<img height="200" src="http://s3.thcdn.com/productimg/0/600/600/28/10844128-1384191425-159360.jpg" width="141" /><br />
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Land Girls - I've watched 3 of these and haven't managed to really love it. It's from BBC. I'm still watching.<br />
<img height="133" src="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/writersroom/landgirls.jpg" width="200" /><br />
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Vikings - this show came thru from the History Channel. I started it one season behind so I got to watch season 1 and 2 almost back to back.<br />
<img height="150" src="http://yuq.me/users/17/852/HqYgtGVjfK.png" width="200" /><br />
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Restoration Home (just starting to watch these on YouTube <a href="http://www.posiegetscozy.com/2014/06/sippy-and-spoon.html">from this recommendatio</a>n) - it comes from the BBC. There are a ton of them to keep me occupied.<br />
<img height="112" src="http://fanart.tv/api/download.php?type=download&image=12372&section=1" width="200" /><br />
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Masters of Sex - watched this week by week on demand. Now waiting for the second season set to air on Showtime Channel in a few weeks.<br />
<img height="200" src="http://d1oi7t5trwfj5d.cloudfront.net/57/11/9bbd2d7246a39a968a7ff4b2d10d/masters-of-sex-poster.jpg" width="147" /><br />
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When all else fails to entertain me, I just put on Sense and Sensibility which I have watched hundreds of times and never tire of! I love the 1995 version directed by Ang Lee. It's a movie not a series and I can almost repeat it line for line. You should hear the groans and comments by my family when they see I am enjoying it ONCE AGAIN.<br />
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<img height="200" src="http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BNzk1MjU3MDQyMl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNjc1OTM2MQ@@._V1_SX214_AL_.jpg" width="133" /><br />
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So there you have it - and oh, can you tell I love British shows? And my fave actors? Liam Neeson, Maggie Smith, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman (did you see him in CBGBs? such an awesome movie about the Punk Rock music scene), Colin Firth - others..., they all seem to be Brits. I'm very predictable.<br />
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2. Running Back - I am back to running. I haven't run since Feb 11th. After 2 years of menopause complications which resulted in a very low blood iron level despite the pound of kale and batch of eggs I eat each week, I finally had to stop running for a while - I just couldn't keep up with my running group and felt I was always on the verge of fainting. I've continued to do strength classes with my running coach 2 times per week for an hour each - I'm pretty strong so I'm better at the weights than the running.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjav3K3dF1oRNriojdnNmaiiCwRD8CLxIurLcvjhlgiGrjCm_C9aZLxb4YRC2poa6zuPD8jp9Pp_TTiq2L399INBP7laKmFpKOhJCyA7pT0eN-SE5jSyXQNs2GvrtPGQ9iIxR119IEZbAY/s1600/sher+july.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjav3K3dF1oRNriojdnNmaiiCwRD8CLxIurLcvjhlgiGrjCm_C9aZLxb4YRC2poa6zuPD8jp9Pp_TTiq2L399INBP7laKmFpKOhJCyA7pT0eN-SE5jSyXQNs2GvrtPGQ9iIxR119IEZbAY/s1600/sher+july.jpg" height="320" width="264" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and July (my dog) at the end of a very hot run!</td></tr>
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But today - I started back up and will run/walk my way to a solid 3 mile run by September. My hope is four runs per week. Week 1 is: Walk 3 mins, Run 3 mins - intervals. Today I complete DAY 1 of WEEK 1. It was hot even at 7am this morning and it is a VERY humid day (I hate humidity) but nonetheless, it felt good. The dog was thrilled to tag along, at least I have willing company on all my runs and she doesn't comment on my speed or my heavy breathing or my technique. A perfect running partner!<br />
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3. I've decided to make myself a mini mandala wall - in Yarndale fashion. I've been loving all the mandala inspiration which is ALL OVER the crochet blog world thanks to <a href="http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/2014/05/mandalas-for-yarndale.html">Lucy at Attic24</a>. My own mandala has made it across the Atlantic and I found it posted on the pinterst board so I know it arrived. I'm excited to have my little piece of crochet lovely hanging there with all the others from around the world. You can find <a href="http://flythecoopcrafts.blogspot.com/2014/06/yarndale-mandala.html">my mandala here in this blog post</a> and also <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/551409548099371497/">here on this pinterest board.</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMnVfYw2_LcjqW9hUQcBU0sYDj7I49WTjV_5s0YCYUbA7Z6u6QtLisHgXIGfyYB8Ip94I_j_i31v3leaooklS8QfJmALFFBikiCJU4XGDhbSeSAr4iGIogyjWhi6cVC8vlHSHGewLd7J0/s1600/outside+mandala.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMnVfYw2_LcjqW9hUQcBU0sYDj7I49WTjV_5s0YCYUbA7Z6u6QtLisHgXIGfyYB8Ip94I_j_i31v3leaooklS8QfJmALFFBikiCJU4XGDhbSeSAr4iGIogyjWhi6cVC8vlHSHGewLd7J0/s1600/outside+mandala.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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Last night I needed to make a mandala - yes NEEDED. So I made this one. I found these wicker plate holders at the thrift store a few months ago for literally pennies, so I bought a few and plan to install a mandala in each of them and hang them on my sewing room wall.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtMj0vP-8hpnekKU1iakCgfjCMnWYveGJAG8vNNzXWC6QjNYEj8PLGBK6Ym7P1Ih084_xEbVAQkU_ZY60vY1-dkew1nHH_-2EieI_lTpgee8RMcQHCQgspAgIdaNleRTbS4Dj3WEQxhWc/s1600/mandala+circle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtMj0vP-8hpnekKU1iakCgfjCMnWYveGJAG8vNNzXWC6QjNYEj8PLGBK6Ym7P1Ih084_xEbVAQkU_ZY60vY1-dkew1nHH_-2EieI_lTpgee8RMcQHCQgspAgIdaNleRTbS4Dj3WEQxhWc/s1600/mandala+circle.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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Do you like it? <a href="http://colorncream.blogspot.nl/2013/01/tutorial-vintage-flower-potholder.html">I used a pattern from the lovely blog: Color N Cream</a> - one of my favorite and probably my hands down fave for color inspiration. Do you follow it - AHHH it's so lovely.<br />
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So that LONG post is all for today - tomorrow I want to share with you the two books I have just recently read. Stay Tuned, TaTa - Sher<br />
<br />Sherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11221828661770609207noreply@blogger.com3