I "Heart" hydrangeas !!!!!

My heart goes pitter patter and my breathing comes in short gasps when I see hydrangeas! They're gorgeous in the summer, but...... come Fall, they're breath taking !!!! I finally clipped these beauties from my hydrangea tree over the weekend. I tied them in 2 bundles and hung them upside down to dry (that's a former pot rack that they're hanging from -- we used it in the kitchen of our old house, but had no place to put it in our new house -- at least not in the kitchen -- so, right now it's being used as a display rack for some of my hankie collection -- compliments of my mother and grandmother). I have a feeling, though, before my hydrangeas are completely dry, they may end up in shreds on the floor -- seems certain family members with 4 paws, a tail and fur coats think those hydrangeas are kitty toys...... anyhow, IF the hydrangeas survive the drying process, I was thinking of making this wreath from the October issue of Country Living Magazine (below the picture, where it has "1->12", click on 12 and you'll see the wreath). (hmmmm...... we'll see!)

Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

(sloppy) Sewing room Friday

While I was wandering around in Blogland, I came upon the "Sewing Room Friday" post on artsy crafty babe's blog. She says she came across it on a blog called Wee Bit Wonky. What it is, gals, is a challenge -- a challenge to show the world your sewing room in all it's glorious messiness when you're in the midst of a project (or 10 ). When the piles of stuff are piled high; when the piles of stuff are being moved from one flat surface to another; when you're searching under the piles of stuff for your fabric scissors, your pin cushion, your cup of tea, or the cat. So..... here's my "think tank/laboratory" on this "Sewing Room Friday" and the project I was working on. (note: in order for me to work on this project, a pile of stuff had to be moved from point "A ", i.e. that table, to point "B" , the ironing board. So now any ironing/pressing cannot happen until the pile of stuff is moved from point "B" to another location -- possibly point "C", my desk, which already has stuff sitting on it. ....AND, I now cannot sit at my desk to get paperwork done UNTIL the pile of stuff is moved from point "C", my desk, to possibly point "D", the floor , where , of course, there already is another pile of stuff waiting to be dealt with (I think those are bills that should be paid -- maybe I better deal with that pile first ?!? )

OK .... so, since we've been challenged to "Sewing Room Friday", I think we should go all out and do "Laundry Room Saturday" (I cheated because that's a picture of only some of the laundry that is waiting just for me in all it's smelly glory.) OH ! and how about "Gross Bathroom Monday"? (ummmmm, nah --- I don't think I'm that brave!)

Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Happy Halloween !

Wellllllll......my little pretties ! You'd better have a happy Halloween, or I'll send the flying monkeys after you ..... and your little dog, too! Ahahahahahahahaha ......

It's time...... time for me to put on my orange and black striped socks, my witchy boots, and my best witchy hat -- and fire up my broom --- I have a Halloween Party to attend here in Blogland (you're invited too !) I'm bringing dead birds in that bird cage for the pot luck dinner, but you don't have to worry about bringing anything, dearie .... just bring yourself .......Ahahahahahahaha.......


Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare, or The Wicked Witch of the West)

Witch's brew & a stitchery too !!!!

OK -- as I was yet again doodling and dawdling and finishing up this latest little drawing, I decided it should have a purpose , a job of some sort, instead of just lying there on a pile of other little drawings on my desk , soon to be covered by cat hair and dust (and the possible hair ball yakked up by one of the 4-legged kids.) Hmmmmm.....but what could it's purpose be???? OH!!! How about a stitchery?!?!?! OK!!! So, I took my little drawing to a copy machine, and enlarged it. Then, I cut out a piece of muslin slightly bigger than an 8 and a half by 11 sheet of paper , and , using my light box and a fine point pigma pen, I transferred the design onto the muslin. THEN, I remembered reading on Leanne's blog that she took a class where the instructor told them to try using colored pencils on fabric. COLORED PENCILS !!!! I LOVE using colored pencils !! That's right up my alley !!!! So, out came my trusty colored pencils and I colored to my heart's content !!! (I probably should have ironed a piece of freezer paper to the back to stabilize it while I colored , but I was having such a good time, I didn't want to stop ... ) If you don't have colored pencils, crayons also work .( check out Monica'scute pumpkin project done with crayons.)

After the coloring was finished, I heat set it with my iron (not sure how colored pencil on fabric would do in the wash, so I thought heat setting it might help keep it from fading away. -- or just don't wash this project ?) Anyhow, as suggested by Natalie of Cinderberry Stitches, I ironed on a piece of light weight fusible pellon interfacing on the back of the stitchery to stabilize it and help hide stray threads. (I just LOVE Natalie's stitcheries and quilts !! She also has a really good tutorial on doing stitcheries -- it's on the upper right corner of her blog page called "let's get started".) For the stitching, I'm using 2 strands of DMC embroidery floss and a backstitch. So, eventually, this stitchery may end up as a little quilted wall hanging of some sort. (and it finally has a job !)

I was hoping to be able to figure out how to post this pattern so any of you who would like to have it could just print it out --- BUT, being computer challenged, and "tech support" having too much homework tonight , plus the fact that I'm realizing I would need a scanner to do this (which I'm putting on my birthday wish list for the "Big Cheese" aka "the husband" ASAP, since there are only about 16 more shopping days until my birthday) -- anyhow, if anybody would like to have this stitchery pattern, just email me your address and I'll be happy to make a copy and send it to you. (I'm thinking it could be done as a stitchery like I'm doing , with or without coloring it in ; or it could be done as applique; or you could just give it to a kid to color as a coloring book page.) Anyway, have fun!

Oh! I almost forgot -- the real "Witch's Brew". I found a recipe for one on Martha's website. (If you scroll down to where it says Holiday recipes, click on Halloween. Keep going through the list, and you'll come to the "Witch's Brew" . -- sorry, I couldn't get that page to "copy and paste" -- maybe Martha put a spell on it ! -- that WITCH !! -- just kidding!)

Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

It was a dark and stormy night ........

(pretend there's spooky music playing in the background...) It was a dark and stormy night. The wind was blowing, the rain was pelting the windows, and the lights were flickering on and off. There was a tree limb outside making a low moaning sound as the wind blew and it caused an eerie shadow on the wall. The kids were watching an unbelievably scary movie (much scarier than the stuff I watched at their age --- remember Dark Shadows? Barnabus was such a creepy wierdo !! but nothing compared to the movies that are out now.) Anyhow, I was thinking of some spooky places that might be fun to visit around Halloween. How about Salem, Mass.? or Sleepy Hollow, NY ? or our haunted little town of Jim Thorpe,Pa? Quite a few places around here claim to be haunted , including The Inn at Jim Thorpe, my husband, Dave's place of business. (He is the manager and one of the owners.) The Asa and Harry Packer Mansions also supposedly have ghostly happenings.

In addition to all the haunted buildings in town, there is a unique (ummmmm..... REALLY different) kind of shop in town. The Mauch Chunk General Emporium (they don't have a website, sorry.) There are two sides to this shop. The one side has all sorts of vintage reproduction ornaments and decorations (that's where I got all of these neat reproduction Halloween cards and decorations .) ..... then, on the other side of the shop there are all sorts of items for sale if you happen to be into Wiccan Witchcraft ---- hmmmmm ---- whatever ......

Anyhow ....... BOO !! (and pretend the scary music is still playing ....)

Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Happy 15th Birthday Evan !!!

Today is my baby's 15th birthday !!! 15 ?!?!!!!!!! How did he get to be 15 so fast?????? I'm still 29 !!!
C'mon Evan, smile for Mommy ..... goofy face made by goofy kid (who is constantly embarrassed by his goofy mom!!!) (... and note goofy birthday hat -- made by brother Matt for their Gimma's birthday about 8 or 10 years ago -- that hat -- which has seen better days -- has become the traditional head wear for which ever family member is celebrating a birthday -- except we did break tradition this past July when my nieces, Maura and Erin made a new birthday crown for their Gimma.

Well, time for me to look in on my sleeping 15 year old baby, give him a kiss, and wonder where the time has gone.....

Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Lazy gal's chicken pot pie .......

I've been craving chicken potpie. I try not to buy the frozen variety (even though they're yummy) -- they have about a zillion calories and grams of fat in them -- RATS !! Anyhow, while at the grocery store, I spotted this "Cooking Light" magazine with the picture of -- gasp -- could it be? a "light" version of my latest comfort food craving? YES !!! (and I just happened to have a bunch of left over chicken already cooked!) So, I trotted up and down the aisles collecting all of the ingredients when I decided that whole scenario was gonna be WAY too much work! So, I thought to myself, how can I cheat on this recipe and it still be "light" and taste OK? Hmmmmmm....... I put back the flour and fat free chicken broth the recipe called for and picked up 2 cans of Campbell's Healthy Request Cream of chicken soup. Then, I put back the potato and sweet potato the recipe called for (didn't feel like peeling and slicing them). I did buy a bag of frozen peas and frozen pearl onions, and fresh carrots and celery (probably should have just gotten a bag of frozen sliced carrots instead of fresh -- oh well, next time!) Oh, and I did use the frozen puff pastry dough (I bought Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry I found in the freezer section next to frozen pie crusts . I never used this stuff before, so it was a learning experience -- I basically just used a rolling pin, then smooshed and pulled at the stuff until it was big enough to cover the top of the chicken mixture.) So, here's my version of "lazy gals' chicken pot pie".

Ingredients:

2 cups (or more, if you like) cooked chicken breast , cut up in bite sized pieces.
2 cans reduced fat cream of chicken soup (I used Campbell's Healthy Request)
1 sheet of frozen puff pastry dough (comes 2 sheets in a box of Pepperidge Farm brand)
2 cups fresh or frozen carrots (sliced)
2 cups celery (sliced)
2 cups frozen pearl onions
2 cups frozen green peas

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Take one sheet of puff pastry dough out of box and defrost (let it sit out on counter -- may take about 20 - 30 minutes for it to defrost). Wash, peel and slice carrots (unless using frozen). Wash and slice celery .(slice into bite sized pieces). Steam carrots, celery, frozen peas and pearl onions in a pot (I use a steamer basket) until just tender. Put all steamed veggies and cut up chicken into an 11x7 inch baking dish. Add the 2 cans of reduced fat chicken soup and stir/combine with veggies and chicken . Place puff pastry on lightly floured surface and roll out to approx 13x9 inch rectangle. Place dough over chicken mixture, pressing to seal at edges of dish. Cut small slits into dough to let steam escape. Place dish on foil lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 - 30 minutes (the original recipe said to bake for 16 minutes, but it took longer for my pastry to get brown.) Anyhow, bake until pastry is browned and filling is bubbly.

makes 8 servings
Wt watchers points = 4 points/serving

OK, the reviews are in -- my panel of distinguished food critics (Kid #1 and Kid #2) have determined that "it's about time we finally have something different for dinner , for a change" --- however, I noticed that they expertly ate AROUND the peas ..... hmmmm....... maybe the peas can be omitted ..... BUT, I like the peas , so the peas STAY !!!

Well, I'm off to clean up the mess in the kitchen (I thought if I let it sit there long enough somebody else might get the inclination to clean it up ------ well, that didn't work ......)

Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)