Handworks Crochet and then Some!

Hope everyone had a fabulous New Years Eve! We had a very nice one... got all dressed up and went to the 5 course dinner event at Chez Liberty... SO GOOD! I even tried a little dish with 'sweetbreads' and had NO ideal what they were... but it was so good after I found out what they were I didn't even care! Now how many people out there know what they are??? Was I alone at not knowing??? Then we Had a bottle of bubbles... And then, I admit, came home at 11 and went to bed! I was asleep before 12!! and it makes me feel like an old fuddy duddy ! haha !! But who cares! I was all dressed up in a dress that took me 3 weeks to make with a crochet bolero that took like a month!I love wearing this dress and rarely have an occasion for it.... besides I had to get up early the next morning... And face things like this...... at our farm to be.... Now this is actually Sunday when my wonderful parents and niece Brittany stopped by to help.. but the day before it was just me and the...

Enjoying one of my favorite presents from Bald Man.. a bolt action .22! Since I've not shot a gun in YEARS this is a perfect gun to start with! Great present!!! Well, we have been really busy this holiday season... not busy cooking, going to parties, shopping, visiting like most people.. but busy packing... having people lined up to work on our land and the double wide... finding people who can build pole barns, chicken coops, rabbit cages... looking for rabbit breeding stock, visiting the lady I want to buy my dairy goats from, researching the best meat chickens... best layers.... reading, reading, reading all about dairy goats and planning our huge garden!!!!! Patiently awaiting seed catalogs in the mail... drawing out garden plots on the property... drawing out plans for the major kitchen remodel (I gotta have a good kitchen!) and so on and so on!!! Christmas Eve we kinda took a break from all that and went to my moms for lunch and to open presents... One of my other favorite pr...

The Bald Man and me... out on the town doing a little celebrating! Nights out in Knoxville will be fewer and farther between... and I'll tell you why in a second... First.... I've been crocheting my little hands to the bone.. but with most of the things I've been crocheting are gifts I can't show till after Christmas... But heres a couple of doilies I've done for myself in between presents... A pineapple doily... I love doilies, they look so elegant and old fashion... I've been sewing some... again just gifts that can't be shown yet.... But in the kitchen today I roasted a big 'Cinderella' pie pumpkin and made this Pumpkin Chutney... turned out yummy!!! I used a recipe found on Putting up with the Turnbills blog.. you can find their site on the side bar of links I have. And Pumpkin pie!!! I love real homemade pumpkin pie!!!! And I have so much pumpkin puree leftover I can foresee pumpkin breads, muffins and cookies,, maybe a soup in the next week!...

This post is long and exactly what the title says... its alittle bit of everything I've had going on the last few weeks... First... my well loved Pfaff Embroidery machine has been getting a workout! $1, $3 and $6 dollar thrift store finds are getting new life! One of my favorite designs is this skull from Urban Boho... added to these two $1 dollar t shirts! I'm really starting to love appliques... Here is a hot pink jacket for $3.. I added a pink camo lining in the hood and a design on the front from the same cd.. And the skull again! This one is a reverse applique though... JEANS!!! How I love them!!!! and I have to say finding thrift store jeans that fit my new size is alot easy than the old size! The first pair I used design CD Glamour Rocks... ripped the old label and added my little RD... I also added alot of AB crystals... I guess they are my dress jeans.. haha! The second pair ... riped the old label again... used the Urban Boho cd again.... You can't see in the p...

I just LOVE the way food looks all preserved in canning jars!!!! Here are a couple of my latest... Dill Pickles and Pickled Banana Peppers...so pretty... Since last post I have now started to take over the 3 big shelf in our pantry.... Few more pretties up close.... Canned Summer Squash (great for squash casseroles!) Pickled Hot Peppers (going to be a present for someone!!) and Anise Pears And I've dried and vacuum bagged about a bushel of apple rings, lots of sweet potatoes and bell peppers! Anyone know what this is???? Its a Cushaw squash!! This huge squash was only $5!! And they are sooooo good!! Many meals can come out of this on squash (it weights ALOT!)... soup, pies, just roasted is really good to! I even canned some Cushaw butter! Anything you can do with sweet potatoes or winter squash you can do with a cushaw! Yep.... Muscadine wine in the making.... also Elderberry wine, Concord wine and an Apple wine. It takes so long though... which is why The Bald Man and I have be...