Snowing and Sewing!

Hi everyone! Being snowed in isn't a bad thing at all...lots of time to catch up on many projects that were unfinished, and begin some new ones.

I've been working on Woolies...with hearts.  My good friend Camille gave me the idea to make iPod cases, and I finally got started.  I finished up three of them, along with a drawstring bag that I started a couple of weeks ago.  Heidi and I have been taking breaks to go out in the snow, and I realized that the white backdrop with the natural light might make great pictures for my new items!  So call me crazy (my neighbors probably did), but I put my new items on the snow and shot away!

I really love them.  I'm naming them things like:  Hearts on Fire; Music in my Heart,  There's a Spot in My Heart for You

....hoping to make several more tomorrow...because it looks like I won't be going anywhere..Schools have already been canceled for tomorrow!

Privileged Place

Man with Red Ear - Paul Hartley

Yesterday I had the honor of attending an amazing gallery exhibit of which my sister was one of the artists.  This exhibit was put together after the death of Paul Hartley, a greatly esteemed art professor from East Carolina University.  Paul died on Thanksgiving Day.  His legacy lives on in unbelievable art being produced by his former students, many of which were featured in this show.  Prior to the opening reception, my sister Jane and I went to meet three of her best ECU Art School friends for lunch.  We had an extra seat at our table for six, which was quickly assigned to Paul and his memory.  As I sat and listened to all of these artists talk of their mentor, their teacher and most importantly their cherished friend, I realized that I was the observer of another memorial celebration for Paul.  Tears and laughter interspersed our time together and I felt truly privileged to peek into this space of time in which all of these friends comforted each other through their grief. The show is huge...over 100 former students' work displayed in two galleries which are only a block apart on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh.  I'm so thankful that I was a part of this beautiful day of remembering Paul Hartley.

If you're interested in this exhibit, please go back to the calendar section of this website and look at paintings from Paul's "Looking Back" Show posted there under past exhibits.  If you can go to Raleigh before February 27 and see this Legacy show, you will be so glad that you did.

Dog Days of Winter

Not much is happening around my house these days but enjoying the new dog!  Not felting, not sewing, not cooking, not cleaning...especially not cleaning. Christmas decorations are slllllooooowly but surely getting put away in between all the walks with the dog, playing out in the 20 something degrees with the squeak toys and of course, snuggling on the couch all the other times.

You should see my girl RUN..she looks like a gazelle...she prances and jumps in the air...so happy to be outside expending all that energy.  She runs like the wind..grabs her toy, runs back at lightning speed...and along the way shakes the living daylights out of the toy and even flips around in mid-air some!  It's the cutest thing I've ever witnessed!  (Well...besides everything my daughter ever did when she was a baby, a toddler, an elementary school student, a middle school student...well..maybe not the middle school student....)

Heidi is just plain CUTE. This morning I moved her crate to my bedroom.  I have a door off my bedroom that leads onto this balcony on the upper level of the house.  I decided that since Heidi LOVES to watch squirrels, that she might enjoy seeing the squirrels outside in the trees while in her crate.  I'm pretty sure she loved it.  Looking outside has got to be better than looking at a wall.

I just need this honeymoon period with her.  Hope noone expects a whole bunch of crafty ideas, recipes, or  cool travel postings.  I'm just home with my dog.  And LOVING IT.

Soup's On!

Okay..it is COLD.  We're talkin' 32, 33, 34 degrees for a HIGH for days on end.  I could easily eat soup for lunch and dinner on days like this. (And today I did.)  For the past 2 weeks, while on vacation, I made several pots of soup.  I had friends over for lunch one day and we had soup and grilled pimento cheese sandwiches.  Then I went to my sister's for the weekend and made soup while there.  Tonight I came home from the first day back to work after two wonderful weeks off...and what did I do?  Made soup.  So I thought sharing some soup recipes might be blog-worthy...especially if there are folks like me out there wanting to make something hot and comforting...
I haven't even written down the potato soup recipe....so I'll try to reconstruct in as orderly a fashion as possible:

 Exceptional Tater Soup

2 cans chicken stock
1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup mix
About 10 baby carrots sliced in 1/2 inch chunks
Center stalks of celery with leaves chopped
Salt and Pepper

Bring to boil and cook until carrots are slightly tender.

Add one package of Simply Potatoes Diced Potatoes with Onion.  Simmer for another 20 minutes.

Add about 1/3 teaspoon of coriander, about 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1 small can evaporated milk.  Add about 1/3 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

  I wanted it to be thicker like potato soup is supposed to be...and some of the recipes that I scanned in my "Fix It and Forget It " cookbook used flour as a thickener for the potato soups.  So I used about 2 Tablespoons of flour and whisked it well with a small amount of water to avoid any lumps and added it to the mixture.  It thickened perfectly.  After adding the milk, it's important to only heat the soup through and then eat, and not let it cook or it will curdle.

I think that I've not forgotten anything that I did..it turned out really really yummy.

My other favorite soup recipe that I've made several times lately is from my All-New Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook (2006 Oxmoor House).  It's easy and delicious and I usually have most of the ingredients handy.

Tomato-Basil Bisque

2 (10 3/4 oz.) cans tomato soup
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Cook first 5 ingredients in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, 6-8 minutes, or until thoroughly  heated.  Yield: 7 cups

If you are like me and never buy buttermilk unless you need it for a recipe, you can make a substitution with regular milk with either white vinegar or lemon juice added...1 tablespoon per cup of milk...let stand 5 minutes.  I've made this recipe both ways - with real buttermilk and with my "homemade" buttermilk.  It tasted great both times.

So..there you have it...two of my best soups from the past few weeks....enjoy and stay warm!

Enjoying the After-Christmas "Glow"

I love the days just after Christmas....lazy days when I don't have to work and I get to piddle around the house.  I've been spending lots of time with my new doggie and all my friends predicted that I'd make her an Exceptional Woolies' sweater as soon as I had time.  Tonight I had time.  I went through all the felted sweaters to find a great look for Heidi.  I decided on a sweet beige cardigan sweater with a yoke in creams and browns.  Perfect for my brown, white and black little pooch.  The neckline fit perfectly over her head and I spent some time cutting and then doing "fittings" while she sat on my bed.

I put the button placket on top so that a button can be left open to accomodate her leash.
I made a band that fits underneath her tummy that buttons on one side with a big Mother-of-Pearl button...very stylish!
















The sweater reminds me of 1960's high school student...with the flipped up hair with a headband and a little circle pin of course!  Heidi loves it and we took our inaugural walk to try it out.  She looked cute and warm and I'm pretty sure she was stepping a little higher...so proud of her new duds. Just in time for the POLAR VORTEX (yes, I just heard that on the weather!!!)  that is coming in the next week! BRRRRRRRRR.

Christmas was VERY merry!

Wow....what a whirlwind couple of weeks...Christmas came and went and I am EXHAUSTED.  My Christmas present to myself is the gift that keeps on giving...a new doggie!!!!
Heidi is her name and she is a Basenji /terrier mix...a rescue dog and the sweetest little thing
 EVER.  My 15 year old cat Bob died in October...and he was very "dog-like"...he came to the door when I came home; he followed me everywhere; and we talked and talked to each other!  I have really missed his companionship.  Heidi is a snugglebug and will certainly help fill that void at our house!

Christmas has been fun - a whirlwind of activity with family and friends...and DOGS...Heidi got to meet 4 of her six big canine cousins yesterday.  She will meet two more in a few days.  One thing is for sure....our family sure loves a dawg.  Dog friends bring constant movement and noise, going  inside and outside and chaos and joy all at the same time...never a dull moment!

I have been a slacker about blogging...don't know how in the world my favorite bloggers find time to do this every single day.  I am making a new year's resolution to blog weekly, on the same day of the week in 2010!
Time to get the leash and take a walk!  Hope your Christmas was as happy and blessed as mine!  Happy happy New Year, everyone!  Woof.

Good Grief

I cannot believe that it has been 2 weeks since I took time to blog.  What can say, other than TOO MUCH GOING ON....getting Woolies orders done, getting my final exam given and finishing grading for the class I was teaching this semester, trying to catch up around the house after being sick, decorating for Christmas, getting gifts ready, more orders, delivering orders, working my "real job" with lots of deadlines before the holidays.....the list goes on and on. Everyone I know is running around like chickens..pre-holiday crazies.

Ok...the narcissus bulbs that I worried wouldn't grow...well......it  looks like a greenhouse around here!  The paperwhite narcissus blooms are beautiful, although the smell of them has allowed them to be moved to the dining room behind closed doors.  Wow.  They are STRONG...and I lived with them in the den for a while, and today decided they needed to get away from my sensitive allergy ridden nose.  I can still enjoy them on a less regular basis, plus I have french doors to the dining room and can peer in anytime I want...sniff free.  They have been a real joy for someone like me who doesn't have much luck with plants.  Instant gratification...I love it!

Last Sunday was spent finishing up gifts for all my friends at work.  I made small trees similar to my big Christmas tree wine covers, and sewed buttons on for ornament and then attached the tree to a fleece throw.  I had quite an assembly line going for several nights...the throws turned out really cute and all my friends loved them (we exchanged our Christmas gifts this past week!)

  Sara Beth comes home for her holiday break this Tuesday!  I can't WAIT!  We'll be putting up our tree in the den ....and my house will be complete for Christmas...fully decorated and fully inhabited!  I love holidays!  We're gonna make up for our H1N1 filled Thanksgiving...and do lots of cooking , shopping, visiting with friends and family...all those things that we missed out on a few weeks ago!