I'm a Lumberjack and I'm OK

Finished a pink-piggy commissioned piece. I think he turned out mighty fine. Hope the buyer likes him. Commissions can be a little nerve-wracking that way. One of the reasons we very rarely do them. I do enjoy a challenge though. Well, this kind of challenge anyway. It's not like I'm busting to go climb Mount Everest or anything like that. I'll stick with piggies.

Speaking of challenges, I wanted to add some brightness to the living room with the addition of a white throw but I couldn't find one I liked that was cheap enough for my very-limited budget, so I thought I'd try to make one. I just bought fleece for the back (half-off) and half-yards of 4 fabrics (also half-off) to supplement my already existing fabric stash. Then I just snipped and stitched and snipped and stitched some more, making it up as I went along, no measuring involved. It came together in a few hours! OK, so I still have to do the actual quilty part, but front and back are all together. It certainly wouldn't win any accolades from real quilters, but I like it just fine. I'll probably finish it this evening, if my thread stash holds out.

And another challenge too (look how brave I am!) was to put up these adorable little shelves. Usually, shelf-putting-up falls into The Mr's domain. I managed to do it though, also without any pesty measuring.

Naturally once the shelves were up they needed something to hold, so I found these bear/dog additions to my Little-Things collection while we were in Walla Walla visiting College Girl.

Also, the boy kid decided maybe he's not too old to go trick-or-treating after all and requested a lumberjack costume. And according to said boy kid, the most important part is the beard. So I surprised myself by managing to make one (with inspiration from I Made You a Beard), and even managed to make an appropriately over-sized axe with some help from Dylan. He did the handle and I made the papier mache axey part. Just gotta add a little paint.

Of course I had to try the beard on for size and stuff. I kinda liked it. Maybe I'll be a lumberjack sometime down the road. (I'd be more of the Monty-Python-variety lumberjack I think.)

What are you gonna be for Halloween?

Today's Table

We're back from our long weekend with College Girl. It was really nice. What a great school! We did more in 3 days than we've done in months. Highlights included lots of music, coffehouse goodness, pumpkin pancakes, thrift and antique shopping, Autumn leaves galore, and an improv troop. Fun, fun, fun!

Now it's back to work  play with cloth and paint and clay.

Today's table isn't too terribly full. I've got to finish two pieces-- a Julie Butterfly and a rather odd commisioned piece. I've never made a pig before.

Here's the (blurry) start of him.

We had a few pigs when I was a kid (real ones), so the shape of them isn't too foreign. Piggy nose, piggy ears, chubby cheeks. . . he's turning out pretty darn sweet (if I do say so myself).

Also looking around cyberspace for some Halloweeny food recipes today trying to put Sunday's menu together. We're having a couple of friends over and handing out candy to trick-or-treaters. I have absolutely no idea how much candy to get. We've never lived somewhere that gets trick-or-treaters before. Still have to make a costume for the boy kid (who still hasn't decided what he wants to be) and carve a Jack-O-Lantern or two.

Only 5 more days til the big night!

What are you doing for Halloween?

Window-Shopping Wednesday (on Friday)

is for owl.

badbird, missymagoo, birdenvy,

OnceAgainSam, BlueTerracotta, katedurkin,

HappyDoodleLand, abigailbrown, matteart.

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We're wandering off to Whitman inWalla Walla Washington this weekend. (I probably should have done a W collection, but I'm set in my backward-alphabetical ways.)

Just bragging on my kid for a minute. . .

The College Girl has been making posters.

Here are some of my favorites.

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We get to go see her this weekend (yay).

She's turning into an awesome grown-up.

It's kinda hard to imagine myself as a grown-up,

let alone having a kid that's one.

Time is weird.

Dem Bones

Here's a little skelly love for you to play with-

Maybe it's an embroidery pattern, or a coloring page, or the start of a Cheater Quilt, painting, collage, or mixed-media meandering. Click, print, and have a little fun.

. . .

Speaking of winners. . .

Lookie what I won!

From the fabulous Heidi Kenney at My Paper Crane.

It's full of gorgeous silliness!

I'm a lucky duck.

And speaking of silliness, I got to spend the better part of today making my sweetest little faux-niece into Ancient Egyptian royalty for Halloween candy-getting. We scoured the fabric store for all things gold and sparkley (those Egyptians liked their bling) and spent the morning happily glueing and sewing and singing Walk Like an Egyptian. Unfortunately, I didn't snap pictures before she went home, so I'll get some on the big day.

And the winners are. . .

Please contact me with your mailing address and choice of skelly.

Thank you all for playing!

Tick Tock. . .

Last day!

I'll pick the winners at midnight.

(Oooooh, sounds so mysterious!)

Field Trip

Today was too sunshiney and crisp to spend inside, and we needed a pumpkin on account of it's already almost halfway through October, so Dylan and I headed to a pumpkin patch just a couple miles from The Cart.

So many pumpkins!

This one looked like a swan. A weird warty swan.

And there was a goat.

And lots of pretty girly stuff.

And giant metal roosters.

And other silly stuff.

Wheee!

PS- This is where we went.

10/10/10

Ten little skeletons

Dancing in line

On the beat

But out of time

Rattling bones

With toothy grins

Cannot sleep

So dance again

Pointy Hats

Which witch is which?

Luna, Stella, Evelyn, Leona,

Adair, Erin, Amelia, Adalyn, and Lia.

I really like naming everybody upon completion. Well some are named when I'm done, others are a little more vocal early on in their creation. I'm telling you, sometimes they pick their own names. Kooky? Maybe. I've got to be a little silly in the head to do what I do all day.

It's October so. . .

. . .we busted out the Halloween decorations today!

Old friends joined pieces we have left from the last show. The big ole sugar skull is actually a leftover from the eldest kid's 16th birthday party (we did a Dia de los Muertos theme). This is the first house we have had with an actual mantle.

It's in a weird place, and the fireplace doesn't really work,

but still  yay  for having a mantle!

And our TV stand (that I painted all pretty when we moved even though we ditched the TV so it became a record-player stand but then that broke) is happy to be of use.

I think it still needs a little something though.

I'm thinking a simple paper BOO banner would do the trick, like so-

I'll wait til the last minute to buy trick-or-treater candy though,

otherwise it'd be gone well before the big night.

Happy October!

3 chances. 3 winners. 3 skellies.

Just leave a comment for a chance to win the skeleton of your choice.

If you spread the word (blog/twitter/facebook/whatever) leave another comment for another chance. If you're a follower, leave another comment for another chance.

We'll randomly pick 3 winners

on Friday, October 15.

Good luck!