Happy Fall!

Good morning all!
Today is the first day of Fall! Yeah! My favorite time of year. There are so many delicious foods for Fall:

1.  CANDY CORN
     This year Brach's has candy corn with chocolate covered peanuts; sweet and salty - always a great
     combination!
2.  Taffy Apples! Need I say more?
3.  Halloween Oreos.
4.  CANDY CORN Oreos (which I haven't found yet!)
5.  CANDY CORN (I know I already listed this)
6.  Pumpkin Spice Latte's from Starbucks!
7.  Pumpkin Smear from Einstein's Bagels
8.  Halloween Peeps!

It's a culinary delight! (Also bad for a diabetic!!!)

Anyway, we had a wonderful weekend last week with my dear friends Mandy and Thomas. What great time! It was so wonderful to finally see them both! We went to Milwaukee and had a great meal at Mader's Restaurant. It's a very famous German restaurant that's been there since the early 1900's. I had wiener schnitzel (sp?) with noodles and the best sauerkraut I've ever tasted...sorry Mom...it was fabulous. That could be my new favorite restaurant. Then we walked around the River Walk and looked at the area. It was such a great weekend weather wise too! We stopped at Gregory's apartment and sat for a while chatting. Then Mandy and I realized our dream of sitting at Starbuck's with our Pumpkin Spice Latte's! What a great, great time! I was very sad to seem them go but know they will be back and maybe I can go to Germany some day! Mandy gave me a beautiful charm holder necklace with a very pretty shamrock charm, a collectors set of new Euros made in her town and some delicious candy! (Of course my eyes are closed in the picture below!)

As you may know, we bought a new car on Labor Day. (Doing our part to keep the economy going!)
We took the new car for it's first ride to Milwaukee with Mandy and Thomas and it performed very well. This was the first time Gregory saw the car and he really liked it. We told him he can't drive it....: ) I'm still nervous about driving it. We took it to get Ziebarted so good-bye new car smell. : (

When my sister Kathy came for her visit she brought me an adorable candy corn gift. I fell in love with it immediately. As everyone knows, I LOVE candy corn stuff and can't wait until I get my candy corn Oreos!!!!! I'm going to try to get some today as a trip to Target is in order! Here is the candy corn gift Kathy gave me as well as the one my dear niece Debbie gave me last year. I love both!

This is the decoration Debbie gave me last year.













This is what Kathy gave me this year.









I also have some other Halloween decorations that I've started to put out. This is the wreath I have on the front door now. I think I may have gotten down on the farm one year but I can't remember. It's cute no matter where I got it. I didn't put much decorations out last year as I really wasn't in the mood but this year life is good and a Halloween celebration is in order.

I may even put my candy corn table together this year! If I do, I'll post a picture. You will not believe this table!

I don't know how I became so enamored with candy corn but I just can't get enough!







I also have some candy corn in individual bags I'm taking to work for a candy corn basket I'll keep on my desk.

Not sure why it's this orientation but you can tell what it is. Each bag has about 10 pieces of candy corn and they are sealed. I can't stand people touching the candy so I buy it like this!

I'm excited for tomorrow because I got two movies from the library that I plan to watch; The Green Mile and Something Borrowed. The boys will be at the Bears game and, if I can figure out how to get the DVD in the DVD player, I'll have a great time! I've been reading up a storm lately. I have so much time on the train back and for to work as well as during lunch. My library is so wonderful and they have every book I could want including new ones. I just put my name on the waiting list and get the book or movie when it becomes available. I can even get books for Kindle at the library. Think of all the money I'm saving - I can save enough to go to Germany!

Well, it's lunch and then off to Target to see if I can get the Candy Corn Oreos. Enjoy the weekend and stay tuned to my website to see if I got the Oreos!! Keep you fingers crossed!

It's A Candy Corn Blog!

Hello to all my faithful followers! (Both Juanita and Mandy!)  : }
Hope everyone is well and ready for Halloween! I know I am! As soon as September comes around, I'm ready for my favorite holiday! I LOVE candy corn! Here are a few things I've made that are "candy corn" related:



Fan and Feather Baby Blanket
(Doesn't it look like candy corn?)

Candy Corn Door Hanger



Candy Corn Jar



(Still can't figure out how to start typing again after putting pictures on blog!)

It's Been A Long Time!!!

Can't explain why I haven't posted. Suffice it to say I really had nothing to say!

I've been reading up a storm lately and really enjoying all the books I've read. I just finished a great book by Jude Devereaux; Lavender Morning. I really enjoyed it and got the second book of the series; Days of Gold. It's so wonderful going to the library and getting as many books as I want. I'm like a kid in the candy story. I think I've read 1 1/2 books every week for the last two months. I do miss reading on my Kindle but the library books are free! I've also been getting movies from the library. The last one I got was 21 Jump Street. I laughed and really enjoyed it.

I haven't been watching too much of the Olympics. Mostly just the gymnastics. I really enjoy seeing the ladies do their routines. I actually prefer the winter Olympics with the ice skating, ice dancing, etc. As I said, I have been reading a lot and doing some knitting. We knitters at Woolly Lamb are doing a charity knitting project. It's a scarf and a hat for a Debbie Macomber charity. We'll knit them and Brigitte will mail them off. I'm 2/3 done with the scarf and plan to finish it this week and work on the hat over the weekend.

Yesterday, I went to a quilting class at Quilter's Destination in Arlington Heights. We made the top of a Halloween table runner (right.) It was a very intense class but I got the whole thing done and it looks great! Gregory is holding it for me. It's hard to see it but I was too lazy to clean off the dining room table and lay it out.


You get the idea. I am so in love with quilting. I should say I'm in love with making quilt tops; quilting them once they're complete, not so much. It's not that I don't like doing it, it's just that I don't have the artistic talent to do a fun pattern. I think I need a new sewing machine with different stitches....sorry Tom! : )  I hope to get this one and the other top I finished (left) before Halloween.

Looking very forward to the upcoming visit of my dear friends from Germany; Mandy and Thomas. We have never met but are the best of friends! I can't wait to see them and give them both a big hug! I think they will have so much fun in Chicago!
Well, I guess that's it for now. I need to get to knitting on the scarf for a bit. It's already 8:00 now - can't believe how fast the time goes when you're at home!

Has It Really Been 11 Days?

Hello all,
I can't believe I haven't posted on this blog in 11 days. Either I'm very busy or very lazy...you can judge!

I have been busy knitting, ready, and sewing lately. I finally finished the last panel for the kitchen windows. I must say they are lovely and make me smile every time I see them! Here is the last panel in the chicken/rooster pattern to complement to other window panel:

This is the newest panel over the sink.

This is a close-up of the pattern.

This is a reminder of the first panel.
 The other one complements the inserts - clever, aren't I!




This is the turquoise Maggie Shawl I'm working on now. I counted up all the projects I have to complete and it totalled 20! I couldn't believe I have 20 WIPs (works in progress) including the above mentioned shawl. Maybe I should complete some? I guess it's just a case of start-i-tis as The Yarn Harlot says.

I just finished a great but sad book by Danielle Steel. It's His Bright Light and is about her second child, Nick. He is a very troubled child and the story tells about his tragic life and how much she tried to help him. He does commit suicide and it's very sad but worth a read.

Well, it's off to work I go once again. I'm glad I had a moment to blog a bit. 







The Heat Wave is Almost Over!

Today is another hot, hot day but there's hope; we may have a "cool" day tomorrow with 85 degrees! Yeah, we'll be able to breath again outside! Let's hope this is the end of the hot weather.


Outside of apron.

We had a great Fourth of July! I worked on my apron and have it almost all finished. I have a bit of hand sewing and then I just need to top stitch it. I have to check with my quilting friend Eunice for the best way to do that. It's a reversible apron with, of course, chickens and roosters! I have to match my curtains don't I? I actually still need to do another panel for the window over the sink. Maybe I'll get that done tomorrow. Here is the apron, outside and inside.



Reverse side of apron.

Now all I need to do is cook! These may make nice Christmas gifts! : ) They aren't too difficult to make.

Ro's American Flag Sheet Cookie.



Here are some pictures from our Fourth of July cookout at Ro's house. Luckily we were able to stay in the house and stay cool and well fed! There was so much good food we couldn't eat it all! Ro made a delicious American Flag cookie sheet and it tasted as good as it looks! Here is a picture of her proudly holding it up for the camera. It was so nice to be with our knitting friends, their spouses, and Ro's family. We watched fireworks and laughed and had a great time.






Little Bianca.

We even had our Knit Shop Doggie, Bianca with us. She loves to lay on Daddy's legs and cool her belly. She is Daddy's girl for sure and very much loved. She is a wonderful little girl. We heard Daddy bought her a little doggie stroller so they can take walks. She also loves to play at the doggie park. Could she be any cuter?  She is a very lucky dog because Mommy and Daddy rescued her from a very tough life. I think she may feel like she died and went to heaven living with Liz and Tony!

Don't you love her posing for the camera?

Unfortunately with the good times, come the bad times. One of our dear knitting friends just lost her sister unexpectedly. It was a shock to her and is very difficult to understand why something like this can happen. We are all there for her and pray for her and her family.

We are also praying for another knitting friend's husband. He is in the hospital but not sure what's wrong. When it rains, it pours.

Let's hope tomorrow is a better day for everyone.

Happy Fourth of July!

It's a real hot one today! I can't believe how hot it's been these past few weeks. Today it's supposed to be 99 degrees! We're going to Ro's house for a bar b que and luckily it's later in the evening. It will be fun anyway as we always have fun when the group gets together. My DH and DS (Gregory) went to Lucky Grill this morning for breakfast. Nice time and good eats. I'm going to sew my apron today and will post a pic when I finish it. Have a great Holiday and stay safe!

Monday, Monday

I had a great weekend but wasn't as productive as I was last weekend. I really pushed myself last week and got a lot done. This weekend we went to bring Gregory back home on Saturday so that took up most of the day but I was happy to do it. I was proud of him because he's taken such good care of the apartment. It was very clean and neat! He even ate almost all his food so there's nothing sitting around for the next month.

Today I had a goal to finish the baby hat I have been working on. For such a tiny hat, it was a monster to do! It's done...

Baby hat all done!

Now I'm working on the socks. I can't wait to get one completed and post the picture. Now I just need a sweet baby girl to give this to! I also want to start another one but in a blue/brown color.

I was able to at least cut out the pattern for my apron today. I quickly realized how much I forgot about cutting patterns out when I started. Everything did come back to me gradually and I remembered that I didn't really like sewing! I do like quilting because it's much different from cutting out patterns, etc. Not sure why I feel that way?  Oh well. Good thing it's just a small apron. I still need to make the other curtains for my kitchen but just didn't have time today.

Of course, I did a lot of laundry and ironing today. I found several nice cool outfits hanging on my "extra closet" in the basement. I totally forgot about them and it was like I went shopping and found some nice summer clothes. It's going to be a very hot week so I'm glad I found some new clothes.

Well, back to work tomorrow! It's hard to believe that the dreaded monthly report has once again reared it's ugly head! Oh well, I own it now and have great help. At least we have a day off this week.

I'm also looking forward to going to see Magic Mike with the knitting ladies this week. It seems like a great chick flick! Gregory refused to go to see it with me! (Wonder why?) Then we're having a bar-b-que on Wednesday!

Have a great week!