Today I went to get some groceries, specifically wanting something new and appealing for dinner. I was delighted to discover some pacakges of venison! At Grocery Outlet. Amazing! I bought both medallions and ground, and cooked up the little steaks for dinner with green onions and mushrooms, served with Olive bread and half a butternut squash. Divine! Tomorrow I shall make an amazing venison pasta sauce with pancetta, tomatoes and mushrooms, and serve that with more bread and greens. Mmmmm

I have been enjoying watching all the birds come drink from the water dishes I put out for them, mostly robins, a few blue jays, nuthatches, and one gorgeous Northern flicker! I have to replenish the water about 3 times per day, there are so many birds! Occasionally the squirrels and lizards drink, too.

Not up for making something new today, so I will share this fun little potholder I made from the legs of old socks. EnJoy!

Purple and Pink Potholder

Today I made these two “bowl cozies” from a tutorial I found on YouTube by Darvanalee Designs. They can hold a bowl of hot soup, or go around a bowl in a microwave oven to protect fingers when removing the bowl. Personally I never use a microwave oven, and don’t recommend using them, though I know others find them handy. I like to cook my food the real way! And it only take a few minute to heat a pot of soup for lunch.

I discovered while sewing that it was better to iron the darts open before stitching the top edges together, and on the second one I clipped corners between the points, which delineated the angles better. And although I measured according to the instructions, the bowl I chose does not fit snugly in the cozy, as it’s meant to. Ah, well. Perhaps with two layers of batting instead of one, that would help. EnJoy!

Santa and Candy Cane Bowl Cozy

Santa and Candy Cane Bowl Cozy 2

Candy Cane and Santa Bowl Cozy

Candy Cane and Santa Bowl Cozy 2

Had a good training call with my coach today, as I learn more and more about the Financial GPS that helps people ditch their debt!
I also baked another crustless pumpkin pie, and had my second baked apple with pecans and maple syrup for afternoon snack–with vanilla ice cream, of course! Divine!

This afternoon and evening, I played around with making a couple of fabric bowls, and another one out of paper! They were fun to make, though a bit tedious. They could hold candy, bath soaps, trinkets, or even a hot bowl of soup. The fabric ones are washable; the paper one is just for decoration. EnJoy!

Be Awesome Paper Bowl

Candy Canes Fabric Bowl

Candy Canes Fabric Bowl 2

Another full day today! I spoke with someone at Method Homes – they build modular homes – and got a lot of questions answered about contstruction, cost, green materials, and so forth. I’m gathering information about how I could own my own home, though I’ll need a lot more income first!

This evening I went to a CoCreation Salon, organized and hosted by my friend Susan Davis. The topic of discussion was “Multi-Media Collaboration” and the guest speakers included a husband and wife team who have made loads of short documentary films, and their daughter in law who painted a big mural in one of our local theater buildings–which project also got made into a documentary.

The other two guests were a writer and an artist/graphic designer – both also activists –  who collaborated on a children’s book about an old tree that was ruthlessly cut down by out local utility company, despite protests and people sitting in the tree to prevent its destruction, to no avail. They told how there were 300 trees cut down in one area of town, and that the power company and its lawyers did not listen to the residents. Horrors! We are losing too much oxygen with all the trees that have been and are being cut down here! Very sad indeed.

Anyway. I did not make something new today, so here is a lovely fan purse that I made years ago. EnJoy

Elegance Fan Purse Gilded Lily

Today I took an old, non-functioning printer to Staples and received a $10 reward on my rewards card! However, since I was not able to spend $30 today to be able to use that $10 (always a catch!), I gifted it to a gentleman at the cash register as I was leaving. So glad to have that printer out of my garage, finally!

I also gave a slew of PVC pipes back to a friend who had bought some/given me some years ago to make a booth for my altar at the local annual Altar Show. More stuff moved out! I hung up my extra chairs on the hooks that had held the pipes on the garage wall, giving me easier access to a storage cupboard out there. Progress!

Here is a cute little “burrito pocket” made from a recycled book page. I got this idea from Pam at The Paper Outpost. The pocket can be glued into a journal to hold other things than what I have in here at present. EnJoy!

Violets Burrito Pocket

Violets Burrito Pocket 2

Still no word from the friend who was coming to lunch on Friday! I left another phone message and looked her up on FB; alas, no family members listed that I could contact. Friends, please do NOT rely soley on cell phones! At least if my friend had a landline, I might get her husband on the phone! As it is, I don’t know the contact of any of her family, so unless someone listens to her messages and calls me – if something happened to her – I may never know. 😦

Today I dug through my stash and found a little pad of paper – an off cut from a local print shop; they sell bundles of small pads for a few bucks – and decided to make a cover for it with this sweet paper from the Graphic 45 Portrait of a Lady collection. EnJoy!

Beauty Begins Notebook

Beauty Begins Notebook 2

I found this little tutorial for a folded pocket made from a single sheet of paper, by Pam of The Paper Outpost. I used cardstock instead of plain copier paper, and used some floral stamps with blue ink. No fancy embellishments, though I can add some later if I wish. EnJoy!

Triple Diagonal Pocket

Triple Diagonal Pocket 2

I was expecting a friend for lunch today, only she never showed up, didn’t call or message or reply to my messages. I do hope she is all right!

I roasted up yams, golden potatoes, and a butternut squash for future meals, plus another small pumpkin for pie. Yum! Lunch was home made chicken and vegetable soup, with pots de creme au chocolat for dessert. Mmmmmm!

This evening I did manage to push through my ennui and created another tea bag charm, this one featuring a Christmas cake. I stitched the tea bag to a lovely little doily, so didn’t have to glue to the fabric. EnJoy!

Christmas Tea Bag Charm

A long and more productive day today! I got to see my local chiropractor for an adjustment, then went to get a few groceries. Cut the rest of the meat off the chicken that I roasted the other day, then boiled up the bones and made soup. I also make pots de creme au chocolat again; I’ll serve both tomorrow when a friend comes to lunch. Made a dish with ground lamb for my dinner, too.

Three times I had to I had to rinse and re-fill the saucers of water I put out for birds, squirrels and lizards, as some naughty birds have been soiling the water! Tut tut.

So cooking was my creativity for today. Here is a sweet napkin ring I made from a piece of cardboard tube. EnJoy!

Blue Floral Napkin Ring

Blue Floral Napkin Ring 2

BIG disappointment today! I had a call with one of my potential customers and my coach, expecting to close the sale on the Financial GPS we sell, only to hear that my customer wants to wait until January! Oh, my! That is a long time to wait, especially since I was counting on the sale today! Now I’ll have to hustle even more to bring another sale to close. Sigh.

Again, I was not inspired to create any new art, too distracted. So here is a sweet sachet I made by sewing two heart doilies together with pink and gold ribbons. I put a bit of dry peppermint into the center; it leaks a bit but is still pretty! EnJoy!

Doiley Heart Sachet