every little thing

What I did last week...

Lots of baking.  I only snapped a picture of the rice pudding, but there were also oatmeal cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and 2 loaves of really excellent raisin bread.  It's all gone now, buy the way, and I've gained about 7 pounds.  But it was worth it.  I miss baking.  Don't do it nearly enough as I'd like too.  It's probably a good thing though, since Mike and Max aren't that big on sweets I just end up stuffing my face till it's all gone.  Oh well.  And, I have to add how much I adore this little spice grater (pictured above.)  It was very inexpensive and it came with a few whole nutmegs.  There really is such a lovely difference between freshly grated and the packaged spices, I had no idea!  Sort of an unnecessary kitchen item on some levels, but still...for $4, who cares?  Lovin' it. 

Neeeeeext....

Thrifting in the moonlight, with my favorite boys.  Mike's been getting home from work shockingly early lately, so we still have time to hit the thrift stores as a family before they close at 7pm.  Max found a record.

Ok, who decided that the "random bags of crap" method for pricing was a good idea?!?  This drives me up the wall, because I end up having to buy the whole pack of junk for $5 when I only really wanted 1/3 of its contents.  (I realize, of course, that this is actually a brilliant scheme invented by thrift stores to unload more stuff and make even more $$$ at the same time...but STILL.  Totally bugs me.)  Humph.

This picture has no relevance at all, and I can't even remember why I took it. 

Moving along....

I have learned how to make........

ANIMATED GIFS!!!!  (Oh my, this is so indulgent!  Tee hee!)

Before you run away screaming,  I PROMISE not to abuse my newfound powers and I'll keep the unnecessary giffing to a minimum.  At least I'll try.  It's so fun!  I'm clearly not very good at it yet.  The practice gif above is in preparation for a grand celebration I am scheming for the blog to honor and coincide with the PBS broadcast of the A&E Pride and Prejudice this February!  It's part of their Complete Jane Austin Series that I'm sure many of you have been watching.   I'm (obviously) a huge fan, and I thought it'd be fun to have lots of P&P excitement going on during those three weeks, February 10th, 17th and 24th.  It's the least I can do for a film that has done so much for me (sniff.)  I'm still brainstorming, so if you have any ideas I'd love to hear them!!!

Happy Monday!!!  (and how could it not be, with Mr. Darcy around....*wink!*)

All the cool kids are going....

You won't want to miss it! 

Plantation Christmas

First of all, thank you so much, everyone, for the Birthday wishes!  Indeed, I had a lovely week.  I didn't want it to end, actually!  But now I'm back, and I have lots of fun things to share and emails and orders to catch up on, but first I want to show pictures from my all-time-favorite holiday festival of the year, Plantation Christmas at Chippokes.

The hand-spun wool is always a favorite, and I was delighted to see some recycled-sweater mittens among their new wares.  The felted sweater craze is really going crazy now!

Almost bought a cameo, totally should have.

Oh my.  Love these guys.  Herbs for Healthful Living is one of my favorites (and sorry, but they do not have a website.)    I adore them so intensely due to the fact they they sell......

That's right!  GRAB BAGS!  My ultimate favorite,  and their's are more than generous, too.  Each of mine (I bought four) had at least one small bar of soap, a lip balm and small envelope of bath salts.  And they are just $2.50 a piece!  You gotta love the grab bag.

   

And the plantation house is actually my house.  Awfully nice of me to let them hold the festival on my personal property, don't you think?  *Sigh......

 

The BBQ was good, but the apple dumpling with ice cream was even better.

The land out in Surrey is so dreamy.  I've wanted to live there for ages.  Just minutes away from the Smithfield pork packaging plant!  Where plump, golden hams are shipped out all over the world.  Ahhhh. 

See the cattle out there?

That's better.

Even Krissy found a patch of crocus to graze in.

I'm so happy that we still got to go this year.  It rained buckets on Friday and Saturday, I thought they would cancel the whole thing.  But, Sunday was drier, and windy.  It actually felt of Autumn for a change 'round here.  Perfect festival weather.  Hope you all had a great weekend too!  I'll leave you now with a picture of a man in colonial garb, ladling soup samples.  He seemed really annoyed when I was took this photo of him. 

The blog shows no mercy.

It's a good day...

....when you are on the news, and not because you broke the law.  (Our only crime was being crafty.) Awesome.

Click here to watch the clip and read the story on the 13 News website!

Baby, don't it feel like heaven right now?

Don't it feel like something from a dream?

Did you know?  There's a new documentary about Tom Petty and the Heart breakers, Runnin' Down  Dream.  It's a four hour film all about Petty's life and the band, directed by Peter Bogdanovich.   I had just heard about this film a week ago, and I was glad for that, because waiting too long for the release date would have been torture.  On Tuesday, Kristina and I went to Best Buy right after we dropped Max off at preschool.  We got there a little early, and there was a small line in front of the store, and we got all excited for a minute.  Are these people here for Tom too?  We really aren't the only ones?!  No.  They were there for the new Transformers Movie that also came out the same day.  Nevertheless, it did not damper out mood and were the first ones to get the documentary. 

I'm only about 1/2 way through it now (did I say it was 4 hours long?)  But, good lord, it it so good.  I don't want to finish watching it, I don't want it to end.  Great interviews, lots of "home movie" footage that's so endearing, rare performances.  I'm blow away.  Tom Petty interviews in the most amazing way.  He talks slowly, and seems gracefully humble and just present.  Just right there with you.  He tells his story without ceremony, like it could be your story.  Like, if he told the story of your life, no matter how dull you think it is, he could make it sound amazing.    I realize that Tom Petty may be a hard sell for a crafty, homemaking-type blog, but I gotta put it out there anyway.  What good is a blog if you can't share the things that really move you? 

I'm not rock and roll.  I never will be.  Never could have been. 

But I love a good story.  And that, to me, is what Tom Petty's music is all about.