artisticneedle

I don't know that I've ever gone this long without a post, time is flying by. I've been buried in work with a few short breaks in between. My brother came to visit at the end of August giving me time to finally stitch and finish my mom's ornament from last Christmas. So it's a little (okay, a lot) late, what's new?


Shepherd's Bush - Glad Tidings

It looks like we're going to having a very colorful fall, if we actually have fall this year. The temperatures have dropped and it feels more like winter. As much as I'm glad to see the heat and humidity gone, I'm not ready for it to be cold yet.



There are times when I don't leave my house for weeks (sometimes months) on end, especially when I'm busy working. The past month or so has been no exception but I finally got out last week to do some much needed shopping. Groceries, finishing supplies, ATM, printer cartridge, you name it, I needed it. I got no further than my first stop at Joanns when I had a kidney stone attack standing right at the cutting counter. Once I caught my breath after the first knife twisting pain, my brain kicked into bargaining mode - what do I "have" to have today, what can I leave until next time, how long until I can't stand the pain? Does anybody else do this?

In my 20's I would've soldiered on and taken care of everything I needed to. In my 30's I would've taken care of most everything. Now that I'm in my 40's it can all wait. I told myself to quit being stupid and to just get back home (or maybe it was because I was with my mom). To my bed, to my meds, to anything that would make me feel better. I'm still recuperating but feeling much better. All this has left me with a burning question though - am I becoming more of a wuss the older I get or am I just getting smarter?

Needless to say I am behind on email, I'm slowly but surely getting caught up. I'm also getting closer to getting all of my PIF's finished, I hope the wait is worth it.

'Til next time - I hope you all are well and warm....

Labels: Blathering, Finishing, Garden, PIF, Stitching

I know I've mentioned organizing my work space far too many times in my posts. With a steady stream of stash and finishing supplies coming through the door it's a necessity, especially when dealing with limited space. Sometimes thinking waaaay outside the box is a good thing. Sometimes not. I thought the shoe organizer shown below was the perfect answer for my out of control fabric stash. Slowly but surely I've worked on ironing, refolding and stacking. With it already 75% full and 50% of my fabric still to do, I've come to the sad conclusion that there's not the slimmest chance it will all fit. Back to the drawing board.

In this economy I find myself trying to be a smarter stash shopper. I don't know about everybody else but shipping charges are a huge consideration. I automatically pass by those shops that charge a flat rate based on the dollar amount spent. Instead of ordering 1 thing, I make lists and try to order as much as possible from 1 source. When possible, I try to stock up during sales. I lucked out with an order from Joanns, all I really needed/wanted was the pinking Olfa cutter and the bone folder. With a coupon for free shipping with a $25 purchase, I added the rest of the items, all on sale, for a grand total of $26.43.


Shots from the garden.....


Comments.....
As always, thanks for taking the time, I really appreciate it. :)

The chenille trim used in the Blackbird Designs comes from The Quilter's Station, lovely ladies to order from.

Games again.....
Up for grabs is Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst - unopened CD and a gift certificate for Azada.

Stitching.....
Sadly, none for now but have 1 for sure and 1 I'm still thinking about exchange coming up along with a looming PIF deadline which surely means I have to find some time somehow or another. Woohoo!

Thanks for visiting!



Oops, before I go, please note that I've changed my email address if you hit the contact me link - I'm still having problems with Yahoo mail.

Labels: Blathering, Garden, Stash

So obviously my "next day" post has taken 2 weeks, life's funny that way sometimes. I have a lot of catching up to do, I apologize in advance for the lengthy post. :)

Hoe Biscornu Exchange from Lynn B.

I received an adorable cupcake biscornu from Lynn. She also included a stitched fob, floss, ribbons and a beautiful handmade card, Lynn is clearly very talented!



I can't show pictures of the biscornu I stitched quite yet, I was late again.....sigh.

Email

Apparently Yahoo Mail is having issues - both incoming and outgoing - I've almost cleared my inbox in the past week (yes Ms. Carol, one went to you). If you've tried to reach me and got an error message or if you've been expecting an email from me and haven't received it - please email me at my swbell.net address. I still have a few emails sitting in my inbox that need a reply, hopefully I'll have those addressed by tomorrow.

Special Friends Award(s)

Carol, Patti and Debs nominated me for an award, I'm truly touched that you all thought of me.


This award means "These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these kind writers. When you pass the award along please include these guidelines". I'm supposed to choose 8 friends to share the award with but I honestly find this too difficult to do. I nominate all those that put up with and claim me as a friend! :)

Comment Answers

First, thanks so much for the sweet comments on the SB fob.

Stitching Cat Deb - The organizational cubes came from Michaels in the scrapbooking section. You can configure them however works best for you, that's just one of the things I love about them. Be warned though - by the time I was through I'd put in almost 1,000 screws, tough on the hands!

Craft-i-leigh - I prefer linen in the 32-36-40 count range. It's always hard to change from something you're comfortable with. Waaaaaaaaaay back in the day when I graduated from Aida, I went to Lugana and/or Jobelan before I graduated to linen. As for brands, I prefer Zweigart Belfast when stitching samplers and for smalls I prefer a stiffer linen such as Wichelt, Brussels or Northern Cross.

Rhapsody In Red

The release of the casket has been delayed a bit, we are still trying to find just the right trim.

In the next week, there will be a Rhapsody In Red blog opening. At that time we'll also have a very limited number of finishing kits available.

That's it for now, if you've read this far, thanks for hanging in there! :)

'Til next time.....

Labels: Blathering, Exchanges

Stash


An award from sweet Patti


Patti also tagged me to name 5 addictions - the first four are ongoing long term addictions, the last is new and hopefully short lived. :)

1. Books
2. Organizing
3. Bonne Belle Lip Gloss
4. Udderly Smooth Udder Cream
5. Sweet & Salty Caramel Bugles


News

Quaker Motif Scissor Pocket - I think I've answered all the emails I've received requesting Barbara's email address. If by some chance I've missed you, please email again.

PJ - please add yahoo.com after artisticneedle to reach me.

I've been a little under the weather the past week and am still trying to catch up on email. For those waiting, it's coming soon, promise.

Lastly - a guilty pleasure - when I need a little down time I play the Mystery Case Files hidden object games from Big Fish Games. I have 2 gift certificates for the full version of Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate, if anybody is interested please drop me an email.

Until next time.....

Labels: Barbara Bernard, Blathering, Stash

can somebody please explain why it was 77 degrees in Missouri in November? And why the forecast is the same for the next 3 days? I'm a gal who dislikes summer and looks forward to fall, winter and spring. Last week the temperatures were low enough that the pilot light on the heater was lit, all the fans were cleaned and put away and slippers and gloves were taken out of storage in preparation. No, I'm not crazy (maybe a little but not about this), a medical condition dictates that I wear gloves outside once the temperatures hit the 50's. I even took a picture and had planned a little celebration post that fall was here. I'm not celebrating but here's the picture anyway. :(



Most everybody knows I'm not really a frou-frou type of person. The one exception are my gloves, if I have to wear them then why not go all out? LOL

I just finished putting together my last exchange package of the year. It's a floss tag and for some reason, what should have been the simplest exchange turned out to be the hardest. Maybe it's because I knew it was the last until next year. Anyway, I'll be back with pictures later this week.

I'm on the hunt for 2 Prairie Schooler designs - Christmas Trees #82 and a freebie called S is for Spring. Any help would be most appreciated.

Thanks to you all for the comments on the Halloween Exchange bag! I worried about this one right up until it was finished, I'm glad you like it. Now if the post office would cough it up all would be right in the world. Gwen was out of town and her mail was being held when it arrived at her post office. The delivery confirmation scan shows delivered on the 22nd but she has yet to receive the package.

Joann - I owe you an email, I'm sure it comes as no surprise that I'm behind! I did want to answer your question about the pattern I used - it's from Amy Butler and called Frenchie Bags. I altered it quite a bit and substituted the stitching for what was supposed to be a fabric band. Let me know if you want further info about what I did.

A - I'll email you with details on the fabric, floss and design changes I made on the stitching part.

I'm off to dig a fan back out and am not happy about it!

Labels: Blathering, Exchanges

Just a quick post because the emails are starting to come in asking if I'm okay - I am, just feeling the licks of the whip from over in Thailand. :) I'm racing to finally get Rhapsody In Red 4 finished and as always, I am way behind in replying to emails.

I'll leave you with pictures of the effect the rains have had on the yard and the recent flooding from Ike.

It started with the rains in July - a hole about the size of a basketball. The rains in August left this -


Filled it with concrete and had a plan for topsoil and sod next spring until both Gustav and Ike came through and collapsed a portion of it -


This is the park next to the Missouri river after it had already crested. Those are park benches you see in the water -

Labels: Blathering, Garden

I recently discovered that Yahoo considers an email from myself to be spam. I've also discovered that a lot of the replies I send are ending up in other's spam box. If you've sent me an e-mail, please check your spam box, more than likely my reply will be there. :(

My good friend is celebrating a birthday today. Unfortunately she isn't feeling all that well. Big hugs Debs, I hope you feel better soon!



The talented and lovely Carol honored me with another award, thanks Carol, I really appreciate it!


Here are the rules for the Award:

1 Put the logo on your blog;
2 Add a link to the person who awarded you;
3 Nominate at least 7 other blogs;
4 Add links to those blogs on yours;
5 Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.

I had such a hard time picking blogs for the last award that I've decided not to pick this time. Instead, this award is for all my readers, I appreciate you stopping by to read my sporadic posts. Feel free to grab it and pass it on.

More stash arrived today, all fabric. I had a lovely time oohing and aahing but it's dreary so pictures will have to wait for another day.

Til' next time.....

Labels: Blathering

Did Tommy run away?

Labels: Blathering, Garden

It's the little things that make you smile....




or not.....




These are just a few pictures of the flooding behind my home, less than 1/4 mile away.....





Thanks everybody for your e-mails and phone calls of concern, I plan to spend this evening getting caught up on replies. I'll be back soon with exchange pictures.

Thanks for stopping by!

Labels: Blathering, Garden

for all your kind comments on the biscornu I stitched for Becky. :) I've been asked about the design - it's based on a chart from Lois Norford titled Linen & Lace Accessories Box - I believe it's out of print. Some of the original design is still there but I did modify it quite a bit.

The never-ending clean out is still going on - I've added more Moda fabric today including some of the sampler prints, as well as a few other stash items. If you'd like to take a peek, please follow this link: Stash Sale

- OOPS! I just realized the link to the fabric wasn't working - it's been fixed now. -

It's gloomy and raining again, the kind of day that you feel like curling up with a good book. I have long neglected e-mail to answer, finishing to get done and a pinkeep to stitch for the HOE exchange but a rhyme keeps going through my head - Rain, rain, go away..... that's making it very hard to resist!

Labels: Blathering

I've been tagged by Carol to share 7 weird or random facts about myself.

The rules:

Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you

Post the Rules on your blog

Post 7 weird or random facts about yourself on your blog

Tag 7 people and link them

Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged

To be perfectly honest, I'm just weird - period. I know it and accept it as do most people who know me. LOL That said, here are a few of the least weird or random facts about me:

I don't drink coffee, in fact, the smell turns my stomach

I sit on the floor when I'm stitching

I really dislike shopping at the mall

I hate wearing shoes and am barefoot whenever possible

I'm tagging (if they want to play):

• Debs
  
• Sonya
  
• Melissa
  
• Wawanna
  
• Chrissie
  
• Patti
  
• Katrina
  

Ugh, the flu. It ran through my family one by one and despite my telling everybody to stay away, I ended up with it. Almost everybody I talk to has either had it or knows somebody who's had it. It's been a slow recovery but I'm just about feeling human now. I hope you all are well and taking care.....

Being sick(er) forced me to relax in bed with the laptop which allowed time to finally finish a new template. I know it's quite different but I've really had fun putting it together.

I also got a start on the big move of my stitching albums, for the time being they are in the same place as my finishing album. I don't want to change the link in the sidebar with half in one album and half in the other but will once the move is completed.

I thought I'd take a minute to post about one of the latest changes on eBay - the new search page. If like me, you find it user UN-friendly, you can change back to the old search format. Simply scroll to the bottom of any search page, there should be a link to opt out of the new search format. Just my opinion but right now it's too difficult to navigate, especially when you want to search item descriptions in addition to titles.

I'll leave you with a picture of my Christmas cactus - I should quit calling them that. All this crazy weather has postponed the blooming season, they're almost Easter cactus at this point.....


and lastly, my one and only stitching stash addition since my last post. Not sure how I feel about the linen yet but the snowman is very cute.



Til next time.....

Labels: Blathering, Stash

I still have no stitching time so I thought I'd share a few finds that might be of interest.

This little gizmo was recommended by my brother as an answer to my never ending concerns over losing all the pictures and documents on my computer. It holds 2gb of data, plugs right into any open USB port. Microsoft has a free program called SyncToy, very useful to back up or transfer files. Can be found for around $20 on sale in my area, worth any price for peace of mind.



Another never ending concern is getting organized. I found this last week at Hobby Lobby, $19.99 regular price but even better at $12 with the 40% coupon.




Found at Michaels for around $3, the perfect size to make one of those fabulous cross stitch and fabric covered tins. Measures approximately 5" x 3" x 1.5".



Pretty high on my list of lovely surprises are unexpected packages in the mail. Sent by one of my dearest and perhaps the oldest (to clarify, I do not mean she is old age wise) of my internet friends, I can't even remember now exactly when/how we met. Neither here nor there, I spent a considerable amount of time playing with the crystal pins, dupioni, buttons, ribbons and linen. Thank you again.



Completely random and non-stitching related - 7 months ago I decided to switch a couple of prescriptions to Walmart to take advantage of their new generic drug program. One of those precriptions was for Levoxyl - Walmart's generic version is Levothyroxin. Despite an increase in the dosage, I noticed a return of my old symptoms. Knowing that it takes some time for the levels to even out, I decided to stick it out for the entire 6 months. No improvement, in fact, I continued to feel worse. After speaking with both my doctor and the pharmacist, I discovered that not all thyroid replacement medication is equal. The amount of thryoid hormone is the same but each manufacturer uses different binders and that can make a big difference. I'll be switching back to Levoxyl but thought this information might be helpful to anybody else going through the same thing.

Please do not think I am knocking Walmart, that is simply not the case. I think both they and Target have done a great thing with these programs.

As always, thanks for visiting and for the comments, I am so very bad about leaving comments when I visit your blogs but I'm working on it. :)

The rick rack on the SB fob was their brilliant finishing idea, it is included in the kit. It was a little tricky but well worth it.

I truly wish I could take credit for the beaded bookmarks but no, I don't make them. Most of them came from talented eBay sellers.

I think I've blathered long enough, til next time....

Labels: Blathering, Gifts

First, thanks for the birthday wishes and concern, I do appreciate it. :)

I had hoped I would be caught up on e-mail by the time of this post, thought I was in fact, only to find half a dozen e-mails I started in my draft folder. I've been wondering why I hadn't received replies, now I know why. LOL

So back to the e-mail I go after this post, if you've been expecting to hear from me and haven't by tomorrow, please let me know.

No posts from me usually mean no stitching time and that's been the case until this week, I decided to stay up an hour or so later than normal for a couple of nights to complete this fob:




Shepherd's Bush - Glory Fob

One of the latest releases from Shepherd's Bush, I also picked up Wishing Sheep and Life & Liberty. The rest are what I call "big count" kits and I'm not overly fond of them, I don't really know why.

Since I don't have much in the way of stitching to share, I thought I'd share another passion of mine - bookmarks. Sounds silly I know. I read a lot, so much so that for the most part, I can pick up a book I've already read 6 months from now and have forgotten enough about it to read it again and enjoy it just as much the 2nd time round. If I'm not stitching or finishing, it's almost a sure bet I have a book in hand. Here are some of my latest finds:




A funny aside here, I ran across old report cards last week and noticed a C- in reading on a couple. I asked my mom just how that could be, I've been a reader all my life, it really surprised me. The things we forget. :)

Until next time.....

Labels: Blathering, Stitching

Just a quick post to let everyone know I am okay, thanks to those that have e-mailed voicing concern, I know you'll say "what's new" when I tell you life has just been crazy for the past couple of months. :(

No stitching to show so I'll leave you with a scan of some birthday stash from a dear friend and a few other goodies accumulated since my last post.





I'll be back soon, hopefully I'll have caught up on e-mail by then.....

Labels: Blathering

I'm slowly but surely making changes to my photo album and e-mail. There's a storage limit for the photo album that I am constantly battling and e-mail, well, they can't seem to explain why all those e-mails concerning an appendage I don't have make it through but legitimate e-mail doesn't.

The finishing album has been moved to it's own home. The link is over in the right column under the My Links heading. Once the move is complete, I'll be removing it from my main album.

Also under the My Links heading is a link to my website. There's really nothing there other than links but they will always be current.

If you are having problems reaching me at my main e-mail address, please try the one that pops up when you click the contact me link at the bottom of the right hand column.

Still having problems reaching me? There are guestbooks on both albums and my website. Messages left there are seen only by myself.

Thanks for the comments on the fob, it is a lovely design.

Labels: Blathering

I can't sew using a sewing machine. Perhaps it's the machine itself, an old treadle machine that dates about 100 years old that belonged to my grandmother. I've talked about buying a new one but I always seem to find a reason not to. I've finally come to the conclusion that I probably never will. It's simply not something I enjoy, approaching any sewing machine to do more than a basic straight seam fills me with dread and comes close to bringing on a panic attack.

That said, I like challenges and decided I had to make this oragami bag using Blackbird's sampler fabric. I found some vintage black snaps and buttons in my stash that added the perfect finishing touch. While not perfect, I am pretty proud of it.

Labels: Blathering, Other Crafts

isn't a fictional character but is very much alive in Scottsdale, AZ in the form of a postal carrier!

All the stress, drama and trauma of getting the cookie/candy package to my brother on time melted away when I checked the delivery confirmation status online the Thursday before Christmas. I talked to him that afternoon and told him it was at the post office, the online status said a notice had been left. I hear back from him that there wasn't a notice and it was too late to pick it up anyway, he'd do it Friday morning.

Rarely does a phone call that begins with "you'd better sit down" end well. The postal carrier had decided that my brother didn't live at his address - yet personal mail of a financial nature was left the same day. First we were told the packages had been returned; then told they weren't; then told they didn't know where they were. We were told that filling out a change of address form online wasn't good enough and because his is a "rural" post office he needed to come in person to do it (no, it doesn't say that online anywhere - how is the ordinary person supposed to know a rural post office from a non-rural anyway)? We were also told that a delivery confirmation number isn't a "tracking" number even though it reads that way on the official USPS website. The end result, not just my package but all his Christmas packages disappeared and didn't show up until the Thursday after Christmas. Of course the cookies were hard as rocks and the toffee was a melted gooey mess. :(

You can laugh or you can cry becomes my mantra when stuff like this happens. I prefer laughter. After I got over the initial heart failure I teased him unmercifully, telling him he must have been really bad this past year, this was his "lump of coal". We both laughed and I was still laughing Christmas Eve when I decided to sneak a little stitching in. Turned on my stitching lamp, nothing. I wasn't too surprised, I've known it needed replacing. Get another light, settle in, turn the TV on to watch (er, make that listen, I rarely see the screen) to find it's also on the fritz and dies completely a day later. I probably don't need to tell you that I was regretting teasing him so much and felt like this was my lump of coal for doing so. Are you laughing yet? Just wait, there's more!

I hate shopping - I'd rather slam my finger in the door again than go shopping. Especially the day after Christmas. But, how long could I go with no lamp and no TV to stitch by? So off I went, visiting 10 stores in 5 long hours that seemed liked 20. Of course because it was the day after Christmas nobody had much of anything in stock but I came home with both lamp and TV only to find that the picture on the TV was bad. I mean really bad. 2 days later I'm shopping yet again and find another TV and home it comes. If you're counting, I pulled one TV out, put another in, pulled that one back out and put another in. Only to find that this TV has a major malfunction, a green rolling screen keeps popping up, 2 days later it dies and won't stay on. Now I have to pull this one back out and replace it with the 1st new TV (the one with the bad picture). Did I mention that said TV is housed in a large armoire that sits catawampus in the corner? The power strip is on the floor behind it which means every time a TV had to be put in or taken out, I had to crawl through the opening in the back. I have 2 TVs to return tomorrow and am really hoping the 3rd time will be the charm.

All this happened before the New Year so I'm still sticking by my earlier statement that 2007 is going to be a different year. :)

Thanks to all who left comments, I really appreciate hearing from you, thanks for stopping by and listen to me blather on, I hope you've had a good laugh or at the very least, a chuckle. LOL

I forgot to mention a caution about Jingle last time - be very careful with both the red and green silks. The red ran very short and that was with me not stitching the top part of the design.

One last thing, if you haven't been over to Susimac's blog to see her French Heart (one of my favorite SB designs), please go take a peek, it's gorgeous!

Labels: Blathering

I've spent most of this year wondering and complaining about where the time has gone and now that the new year is so close, I find myself wishing it was already here.

When did time speed up? I can remember sitting in school and thinking the clock would never reach 3:30. Or sitting at work and thinking the clock would never reach 5:00. The days just seemed to drag on and on and on. Somewhere, somehow, time reversed itself and I find myself wishing that it would just slow down. A day seems like a minute and more often than not I'm asking myself where did the day, week, month and even the whole year go? Am I the only one who's noticed this?

Another nasty storm hit since my last update, we got off lucky this time, other parts of the state had 12-18" of snow on top of the sleet and ice that fell. Over 500,000 families were without power again, some for over a week.



Things got very hectic after Thanksgiving and I've neglected e-mails, phone calls and most everything trying to meet deadlines. Worked until 3am this past Saturday morning and shipped the last packages that afternoon. All that was left was my Christmas baking, I had grand plans of relaxing the rest of Saturday and baking Sunday and Monday to ship on Tuesday.

My poor brother and sister have been cookie/candy-less all year for one reason or another and there wasn't a chance I was letting them go without for Christmas. Then I find out the post office is saying the last day to ship and have it there by Christmas is Monday. Oh no! Now I have to cram 2 days into one. Kick myself back into high gear but of course, in keeping with my year, anything and everything that could go wrong did.

My brother has been asking, whining, pleading, begging for some English Toffee for oh, probably 4 years now. I was determined to make it this Christmas. I don't really have a recipe for any, so I combed the internet. Oh yeah, did I mention that during these conversations about the toffee he kept throwing in comments about how good See's toffee was? I had my sister bring some when she came last summer so I could try it, we don't have them here.

So, recipe in hand, I fix it, have it poured on the pans but am wondering why in the world it's not setting up. I know my candy thermometer is working correctly and know I cooked it to the right temp. I continue on, melt the chocolate topping, chop the almonds, am half way done sprinkling them and notice an odor. Not one I want to be smelling either, the almonds are stale. Pop one in my mouth and blech, they are staler than stale and of course, I don't have another bag. And wouldn't you know it, this is part of what makes See's toffee so wonderful, according to him anyway. The toffee may not be setting up but the chocolate is doing so rapidly so I race for a spatula to scrape it all off. Finally get every last crumb taken care of, cursing myself for being so diligent about crushing every little piece to smithereens. With no almonds in sight and no, I'm not going back to the store for more, I find some cashews and use them instead. Toffee is still not setting up. I crossed my fingers and moved on to the next batch....

Peanut Butter Balls. That's what my family has always called them but I think they are also known as Buckeyes in some parts of the country. No mess, no fuss there, I've been making these as long as I can remember. Done, I'm taking them to the freezer (yes, they freeze very well and in fact, that's where we store them year round - take a couple out and let sit for 10 minutes or so and they are good to go) when the next drama occurred. To get to the freezer, I have to go from the kitchen through the laundry room to the garage. 2 doors, one opens in, the other out. I know very well that opening the door to the garage quickly will create a draft that makes the other door slam back into it. I'm moving at light speed and that's exactly what happened, with the index finger of my left hand caught in between. About the equivalent of slamming a car door on it. Could I be lucky enough that my finger was pointing the right direction even? Heck no, I won't say anymore.

Later, with things under control again and on some lovely pills, my attention is back on the toffee. Something on the recipe catches my eye. This recipe called for heavy cream instead of water. Only 1/4 cup. I had poured the entire 1/2 pint in and now realize why it's not set. Groaning, I think I just can't make this again, I now have lost time to make up. But it's still so soft I can't even cut it. Decide to throw it in the refrigerator and worry about it later, maybe my brother is going to be doing without yet again. Go back to it later to find it's hard enough to crack into pieces but it's not permanent, the longer it's out, the softer it's getting. Have several people try it, one a die hard "I don't eat sweets" and all proclaimed it was wonderful. We'll see what my brother says but I doubt seriously I will ever make it again, he can just call See's and order some. LOL

Amazingly, the rest of the day and into Monday went without another hitch, or at least, nothing worth mentioning. Didn't get quite as much baked as I wanted but you know, those lovely pills have a way of making it seem like it's just not a big deal.



Toffee

Peanut Butter Balls

Death By Chocolate

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Lemon Coolers

I know some of you are laughing out there, this year has been one drama after another, you're probably wondering what this new year will bring. Well, I'm on strike. No more falls down the stairs (how many was it this year? I can remember 3 times, perhaps it was more), no more slammed fingers, no power outages, no hospital visits or stays, just no more. I would like, and wish for everybody else, just one drama free year, month, week, heck, at this point, I'll even take a day! :)

I'll stop here and be back with other news and stuff in a few days.

Labels: Baking, Blathering