Sorry, I couldn't resist!

Click here and watch me, Cleo, Lily and Belle as elves......

it takes a while to load so be patient. It is really funnier if you have your volume on!

Go forth and laugh,

Tammy

Thanksgiving recap

This is what we woke up to this morning.....our first skiff of snow....just like confectioner's sugar sprinkled over a cake....it's already gone now, but I'm glad I got up early enough to see it.

I also have a few pictures to share from Thanksgiving....here is the hustle and bustle before the big feed. Kenny is getting ice for the drinks, I'm washing up a few pans, my grandma is sitting out her chicken and noodles and my mom could possibly be sampling something :)

This is me before the big feed begins....I'm sure I'm twice that size now :)

Oh yeah, here is the recipe for the cranberry-pineapple jello that you see in the big trifle bowl.

Holiday Salad

3 packets black cherry Jell-O

2 cups boiling water

1 can whole cranberry jell

1-20 oz can crushed pineapple (not drained)

1-1 pound package frozen strawberries (thawed)

Dissolve jello in boiling water

add the cranberry jell and stir until melted

add undrained pineapple and strawberries.

Mix and pour into dish.

I like to sprinkle crushed pecans or walnuts on top of mine!

Here is Cleopatra resting under the china cabinet while everyone eats.....she was such a good girl during the festivities.

And here are pictures from the day after.....over at Patti's house visiting with her dogs Lily and Belle.....Belle would be the one on my head giving me kisses!

Go forth and be creative,
Tammy

All cookin'....no hookin'

All cookin' no hookin'!

Okay, you sure won't hear me say THAT very often!!!

Every year I host Thanksgiving for my family and my husband's family. Everyone brings a dish but there are still soooo many things to cook!



Today was my assembly day.....

So tonight in the fridge I have:

cranberry-pineapple salad (one of my VERY FAVORITE recipes from my Aunt Joanne)

pumpkin-pear bread pudding (this is a new recipe that I'm trying out this year...my husband ADORES bread pudding.....we'll see if it's a keeper or not)

dressing (basic cornbread dressing.....not stuffing.....feel weird about putting stuff inside a raw bird and then eating it....just grosses me out actually.....dressing is on the side)

a smoked turkey AND a ham

glazed pearl onions a la Martha Stewart (why oh why didn't I try another grocery to see if they had these frozen and already peeled......yes, I peeled them all myself....what a pain!)

yummy sweet potato casserole (not MY favorite thing.....actually can't stand it, but as lots of the relatives say....you just HAVE to have icky sweet sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving.....I prefer mine baked or roasted with just a little butter, salt and pepper. This concoction has sugar, brown sugar, pecans....the works of icky sweetness)

I think that's it.

Oh yeah...I cheat and use those rolls from Mrs. Rhodes....gotta get up at 5am to get those crazy things out to thaw and rise!



Yes, ALL of those things have to be baked in the oven tomorrow except the cranberry salad and the pearl onions.....I do have double ovens, but they are from the 50's so they are not large like the ones in a lot of people's homes today......have I mentioned we are having our kitchen remodeled come the first of the year.....YAY!

Wish me luck at being able to keep everything warm until it's time to eat!

Counting my blessings that I am fortunate to be surrounded by friends and family at my home for a bountiful meal.

Go forth and be thankful,

Tammy

What's up?!

So what have I been up to you ask?

Good question.

eating pomegranate pancakes.....

hooking....

knitting....

dyeing wool.....

leaf raking and mowing.....

dog walking.....

grocery shopping.....

cooking....

Can you tell I'm on vacation again?

Lovin' it!

from Allison Strine Designs

Do the things you like

like the things you choose to do

smile and don't look back.

~haiku by Tammy Burks~

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Beautiful day

Today was a beautiful day....warm, sunny, no breeze....just perfect for raking and bagging leaves. I truly enjoyed myself and tried to be "in the moment". That smell and crunchiness of the leaves, the sun on my back...it was wonderful.

I spend a LOT of my time indoors at work and it was just so nice to be outside today.....just one of those "perfect days".

Sunshine on my back

rythmic raking of the leaves

brings me joy and peace.

~Haiku by Tammy Burks~

I really had some things I needed to do.....dye wool, catch up on the laundry, shop for Thanksgiving dinner.......well, I did shop a little but just came home with clementines and pomegranates.....some things are just GOOD this time of year and I don't want to miss out! Can't wait to slice open that pomegranate in the morning and spoon it over some pancakes.....it's pretty much all I can think of!!!

As Scarlett O'Hara says "After all, tomorrow is another day".....I'll shop and do laundry tomorrow. While we're on the subject of Scarlett, I found this video tribute....I love it!

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Your favorite color

What is your favorite color?

Here lately I find that I've been a bit obsessed with these red/orange colors....perhaps it's the season that we are in.

Colors like:

CLEMENTINE

This is one of my favorite treats!!! I love how they are such a snacky orange....that skins just peels right off and NO SEEDS!!! Love them!!!

BRILLIANT MAPLE

The leaves here in Missouri hit their peak last week and now are falling off the trees by the thousands. We are supposed to have warm weather this weekend, so I'm hoping to spend the day outside raking and playing in the sunshine.

Brilliant maple leaf
swirling in a gust of wind
waves goodbye to fall.
~ haiku by Tammy Burks~

BITTERSWEET

Bittersweet is harder and harder to find these days around here. We have a bittersweet vine in our yard, but it doesn't have the "companion" to make it produce berries.....we really need to work on finding it a mate don't you think?

Oranges are such a fun color, but at the same time they are very earthy and organic.

So what does your favorite color say about you?

What Your Favorite Color Orange Says About You:

Joyful --- Enthusiastic --- Optimistic Outgoing --- Accepting --- Confident Loud --- Unruly --- Impulsive

What Does Your Favorite Color Say About You?

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Truly blessed

Designed and hooked by Debe McGuire

Today I'm feeling truly blessed.......

I received two sympathy cards for Truvy....yes, things are getting easier, but I still have a hard time walking Cleopatra with my husband......I was always the one who walked Truvy and when we all walk together I feel especially lonely whether I'm the one walking Cleo or not.

For those of you who sent cards that I received today...thank you from the bottom of my heart for keeping us in your thoughts. You know who you are and I'm so touched that you have reached out to me and my family.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blessed by my friend Patti who has been so wonderful to walk Lily and Belle with Cleo and me every afternoon and the wonderful friends that we've made in her neighborhood. A girl (okay...everyone is a girl to me even if they are a mom!) Jennifer, and her daughter Tatum who is not quite 2 years old but always comes out to the front yard to give the dogs a pet and a hug. Tatum calls Cleo "Chloe" but I think that is very good for an adorable little girl who is not even 2. She is like a total cherub and I hope to have a picture of her with the dogs on here one of these days. She looks a lot like this little cupid.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blessed by Sarah who sent me the nicest note about how much she loved the custom wool that I dyed for her quilt that she is making.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blessed by the girls in my hooking group who really make me smile.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Blessed to have met Debe that hooked the rug at the top of my page...just to hear her wonderful southern voice is a joy unto itself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blessed to have so many of you tuning in to hear what is going on in my life.

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

What's on eBay this Monday night

Tonight I've put my FLIRTY SNOWGIRL pillow on eBay.......if I could be a snowgirl this is how I'd be.....soft fuzzy polka dot hat with a glittery brim on it....oh yeah, don't forget the red lipstick!

To get to the auction just click here.

Last night a few of us got together to hook at Renee's house....yummy stuffed shell pasta, Searsport cole slaw, shrimp dip, cranberry bliss and chocolate martinis.......YUM!!! What's not to love?!!

Here is a little preview of a new piece I started last night.....

.....and here is a picture of Cleopatra with her walking buddies, Lily and Belle. Lily is the smallest blonde (Yorki-Chon) and Belle is the black and white girl (Shih Tzu-Chon).....I wish I had a video of them giving Cleopatra kisses....it is absolutely a hoot!!!
Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Creative co-workers

I'm so fortunate to be surrounded by creative people!

My co-worker and eBay store partner, Renee, taught one of our co-workers to hook about a year or so ago and she took to it like a duck to water. She was wanting to make a rug for her sister, but her sister is not into primitive or country decorating so she found a modern painting on the internet and turned it into a rug.

Isn't this just the coolest?!
This was hooked by Joni Hudgings of Fair Grove, Missouri using scraps of hand-dyed wools from myself and Renee.

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Thanksgiving crafts

make this wreath here



I don't know if I've said on here just how much I love Thanksgiving. It really is the perfect holiday....no buying....no stress....just some cooking and sitting around with family and friends being thankful.






That being said, I kind of have a thing for turkeys.






The other day while perusing the net I found this knitted turkey dishcloth that I've started knitting with the help of my friend Patti.
Patti has shown me how to do continental knitting and I must say that it is sooooo wonderful!!
I wish I was one of those psycho knitters who could knit up one for everyone who was going to be at Thanksgiving with me, but I know that is not going to happen....perhaps I could possibly make 2....one for me and then maybe have a drawing for one of my guests....that would be kind of fun!!


If you want the free instructions for this project click here.

I'm also working on another knitted project using left-over wool worms from my hooking....I REALLY hope to have it finished this weekend and have pictures to share with you.

Don't worry....I haven't stopped hooking....I have new pictures that I will share with you tomorrow!

Go forth and be creative,
Tammy

New Look & New Items

Yes, I know.... I have a new look here at the old blog!

Just thought I needed to make my page look a little more fall-ish and also help celebrate the colors of Thanksgiving.

I've even changed my banner to feature a close-up of my vintage turkey rug that I hooked a few years back.

This week on eBay I'm selling off a few of my smaller pieces to make room for all of my new creations....hey, a girl can't keep EVERYTHING!

Okay...exception (fabulous shoes)!

Not to mention there is the much anticipated kitchen remodeling project that I'm squirreling away my pennies for!!

I hooked both of these rugs a few years ago and they have brought me much joy, but now it is time to release them to bring joy to someone else....that is the great thing about eBay!

If you are interested in them just click on the picture and it will take you right to the auction.

Also, Here is one of those eBay widgets with things that I think are pretty neato!

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Monday night auctions

I'm going to try and get in the habit of listing new items for my eBay store on Monday nights.

Take a look and see what is ending this evening.

This tombstone shaped kitty cat rug....perfect for a chair.....

Also this vintage kitten sewing/jewelry box.

My theme for the items I'm listing tonight will be Christmas....yes, I know it will be here before we know it!

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

That "extra" hour

"Quarter after Twelve" from Eggman Studios

That "extra" hour......what are you going to do with it?

It's "Only Time" so do something beautiful with it.

Stuff with a twist

For some reason....maybe it's the crisp fall air or the fact that it gets dark earlier or maybe it's because I've been on vacation from work.....not sure.....okay, I digress.

I feel like dabbling......

hooking a bit,

knitting a bit,

drawing a bit,

sewing a bit,

cooking a bit,

decorating a bit.

I picked up a book last night at the bookstore on altered art....no, not the paper kind that I've seen so much of and love, but taking bits and pieces of different things and repurposing them.

Things that end up like this espresso family from Cat Bishop

or this Sieve Doll from Suzanna Scott at SushiPot Art Objects

And get a load of this Watch Dog from the Junkyard GypsyWhat makes me drawn to these things? I have no idea....they are odd and weird and just make you say "hmmmmmm"

I guess that's what I like....the hmmmmmmm part. It just makes me look at things around me differently and I like that new awareness.

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy