4 days untill the Big Show

When I have a lot of work to do I need comfort food to get me through. I have been making bread for the past week and I end up eating half a loaf during the day for lunch. I luuuv fresh baked bread and butter! We then finish it off at dinner. My daughter wanted some for her sandwich for lunch so I made 2 loaves today. Depending on what kind of hogs we are tonight, there ought to be enough for tomorrow.


The big show is Saturday but Friday (my birthday) is the day we set up. So I really only have 3 more days of work. So I may as well type some of my time away because that's how I roll.

I did make a new bag today and have 3 more halfway done. This one is called Maid of Honor. Ain't she purdy. I sold quite a few skull bags at last years show, I only had 3 left for this show so I figured I'd better get crackin. Plus they are fun to make so I don't get as burnt out when I'm having fun.

I did a post about the show last month but in case you missed it I'll put the web up again.

http://www.salineshows.com/

If you are local, I'll warn you the show is huge! 249 vendors and last year close to 10,000 people attended. There are shuttle buses to take you from the old Ford Plant. Also it slows down just a bit around lunch time. It's $3 to get in. It's a juried show with a huge wait list to get in. Nice quality items and a great start on the Homemade holiday shopping.

I'd better get back to work. If I don't post for a day or two, it's not because I don't love you.

Quick

Just a quick note, I have a busy day and weekend. I wanted to give a shout out to Felicia from Fluffy Flowers. I ordered one of her softies (I can't say what or include photos in case the certain somebody I am giving it to reads this). Let me just say her stuff is even cuter in person, and she included extra goodies. I LOVE GOODIES! If you want to shop homemade this Christmas, she will not disappoint!

Oh what a night!

I told myself I couldn't turn on the computer until I finished one new bag.

I sold quite a few skull bags last year at the show, so I'm making more.

Halloween Night!

Halloween, when I was a kid, was costumes and trick or treating.

Now for our kids its a party on wheels.

It's a group effort but it's mostly put together by my brother. He's awesome!

Even the dogs get involved.

With the time change delay, it took awhile for the full light effect.

Our wagon was definitely #1 and that 9 year old on the "rich wagon" wasn't even on a wagon at all and was shooting us daggers when she saw ours. Is it wrong of me to have a feeling of glee.

Sixteen of us all pile in but the kids spend most of the night walking from house to house while

we grown ups get to hang out. Works for me!

My Hulk of a man had a great time pulling the wagon with his 54 Ford tractor.

I can't wait for next year. Now I have to get back to work.

Whew

I have been trying to avoid blogland and focus on getting things done. For some weird reason you guys are way more interesting than getting sewing burnout and cleaning my house.

My hubbie turned 39 on Monday and enjoyed all his Hulk treasures.

My daughter made this cutie for him out of polymer clay.

I finished 5 more bags for the show.

And a few more tissue packs.

The big Halloween wagonfest is tonight, they are predicting scattered showers. We do have a roof on the wagon, (photos tomorrow). Lets hope the weatherman is wrong again.

I hope you all have a fun and safe Halloween.

A weekend of JOY!

I want to start by saying I am so happy I could barf my own guts out!

I have so many great things to talk about I'm not sure where to start.

I guess I'll start with Friday.

Friday I checked some of my favorite blogs due to the fact that I rarely get the computer with my family home. I saw that Catherine from Red Shoes was having an open house at her shop from 6-9 that evening, so I only live in the next town over and figured it was a good time to meet her and see her quaint shop.

Let me just say Catherine is as nice in person as she seems on her blog, and her shop! it was so sweet and charming and the items she had for sale were so colorful and fun. I went in each little room at least twice just to be sure I didn't miss anything. If you are ever in Ann Arbor, Michigan, stopping is a must! But if you cant, you can see her shop online.

So early on in my blogging Farmer Julie left some of the sweetest comments and I love comments. She makes these coiled clay vases which are beautiful. Well, Catherine had 2 in her shop one was holding teaspoons for coffee. I instantly recognized them and asked if they were Farmer Julies vases and they were. They look even better in person. Now I need one. Just to let you know Farmer Julie, after my big show in less that two weeks, I am going shopping!

So that was Friday. So yesterday morning we froze our tooshies off in the cold rain watching the last of the soccer games. Got home and had to have soup. There was a message from my Brother (we 3 siblings live on the same road) saying it was wagon decorating time.

Since we are somewhat rural we go trick or treating in a subdivision not far from us. These people in the sub don't have a ton of kids come by so they go all out. Not only with decor but with goodies too. So every year there has been a not so subtle competition with the hay wagons and their decorating to see who is #1.

My 9 year old niece has this friend who told her that her wagon was going to be better than ours because the people whos wagon she was riding on are rich. Can you believe it? Bring it on Missy! We all know that wealth and creativity don't necessarily go hand in hand.

I am going to have to post pictures the day after Halloween but I cant spoil the surprise now. Lets just say we were #1 last year and this year's wagon is even better.

We then went and carved pumpkins at my Mom in laws and had a good time visiting our sweet little, pink and juicy niece. My nephews loved my pumpkin with his googly eyes, his brains sticking out of his head and barfing his own guts out.

So I was still going to wait till Monday to Blog but then the piece De resistance( I'm part French Canadian ya know). I checked my e-mail and Sarah from still life in yarn had a 100th blog drawing and I was one of the winners! I was so excited I had to do a few laps around the yard. She is sending something Knitty my way and I cant wait! I have never received a real knitted something before.

I know I am going to sound like a broken record, but becoming a blogger is one of the best things I've done for myself. Just knowing there are kind, talented women out in the world makes my world a better place. So thank you all but especially Catherine, Julie and Sarah for this weekend.

smooches and squeezes

michelle

Friday

I try to stay focused and get more bags done for the big show coming up, I don't know if I truly have ADD, but I've checked out the symptoms and a lot of them describe me to a T.

It is Friday, homemade pizza night, get the dough started, and we usually have a dessert on Friday, bake a incredible chocolate cake with pudding and Kahlua, sew a little and then I need to check some of my favorite bloggers, sew a little more, hmmmm maybe a shower, iron some fabric, I think I'll go visit the chickens awhile, sew some. So now its 2:30 and I have 3 new bags partially started. I have 45 mins till the bus so I may as well blog about my day and still have no new bags finished today. I only have made one and 15 new tissue packs this week. A whole week!

Our last games of Soccer are tomorrow. Sad, but the kids had a great season and it's great to see how they have developed as athletes over the years.

Were having a pumpkin carving/hubbies B-day party at my Mom in law's this weekend so I don't see any sewing in my near future. 2 weeks till the show, Crikey, get working! Nope keep blogging, I have such important things to write about.

such as.....

This is the view from my bedroom. Its a honeysuckle shrub and we have a lot growing wild on our property. We lucked out and have the prettiest out our window.

In the fall it has these great berries for birds (poison for people). I have had up to 14 bluebirds at one time midwinter enjoying the berries. I also have bird feeders hanging in the branches in the winter. I call it the bird sanctuary.

This little bird hit our window today. I try window clings to keep them away but It doesn't work. Most of the time they fly right away, some die and some need just a little help. I wrapped this one in a towel and started to give it water. By the third water drop it started biting my finger. A good sign. Soon after unwrapping, it flew away. I wanted just one more picture of this little beautiful creature. Oh well.

I sure pray people out in California are getting a warm safe place to recover from their trauma.

Hope the rest of you have a good, safe weekend.

My autograph?

My sister called me on my way to the local thrift shops and asked for my autograph. A couple of months the craft show promoter asked me to do her a favor and answer some Q's for an article. Free promotion, I think its a favor for me. So the article came out today in our local paper. It's exciting to be in there and I am grateful there is a picture of my bags and not me. I think there have been 3 pictures of me in my entire life that came out good.

My first stop was the PTO thrift shop. Nice set up, clean and nice people work there.

I found a vintage sheet, an embroidered pillowcase and some Iron on vinyl in the package. All for $3.71. And a free mightybean.

My hubbie the Hulk collector's birthday is coming up and at Goodwill found the Hulk pillow. $3.

At Value World found the mask and the 2 punchie fists. I also got a men's green turtle neck and women's purple sweatpants (large). I smell a Hulk costume in the making.

We have a local farmer a couple miles away and got these beautiful pumpkins, big too!

All for the cheap price of $10.

Its a sunny Fall day, I got my name in the paper, bargains galore. What more could a gal want?