Good things come to those who...

Those who reach out their hands and grab, of course!  

In Munchkin's case it's excusable since he can't speak yet -- heehee.   

Probably "my bad" for placing them on the window sill within arm's reach.  

At least they're made from whole wheat & oatmeal, right!?  

Isn't life sweet!?

Sweet blueberry goodness.  These were de-li-cious.
Sorry to tease, but I made these and just HAD to share them with you somehow --
even if it had to be through cyberspace.
Hope you're out there enjoying some treat for yourself that's just as wonderful!

Time flies when having fun!

Boy, have I been busy in the past month without even realizing it! But, before I forget, there are new pics in his photo albums!  So what have I been up to exactly? Gardening, Crafting, Sewing, Baking, you name it...Here's the tally!

1. Tag Blankie for a newborn baby in our family (plus a pair of booties I forgot to photograph, sorry)

I love when I ship thing to the recipient because I can finally post it to the blog for all to see it!

2. Pair of house slippers for munchkin.

I love how they crocheted up exactly the same, even though it was a variegated yarn.

3. About 10 onesies I altered into shirts so he can wear them with his cute, colored cloth diapers!

4. Pair of adorable pink slippers for a friend's little one!  The pic doesn't even do them justice -- so cute!

5. About 5 really cute bibs from some old flannel receiving blankets!

Plus, a few simple cloth wipes/burp cloths from extra bib fabric.

The pattern is inspired by the bibs that my sister's best friend makes for her,

but instead of using snaps, I just use a baby diaper pin so it's

tight enough around his neck that food doesn't end up down his shirt!!

6. I even managed to bake an Amish Friendship Bread that was passed along to me at a jewelry party I managed to attend, sans bebe ;-) I only found one taker for the starters though. I hope she likes it! I had them all ready to go in pretty bags and everything :( Oh well!

7.  And I CAN'T forget to mention this Buggy applique set for a friend's daughter who's turning one soon!

I had been planning out this outfit for her for months, hoping to do all the ladybug appliques by hand with a blanket stitch, but really wanted it to hold up in the wash better than handmade, so I machine appliqued all except the jean pocket. I had read lots of tutorials online, and had done appliques where you satin stitch your way around the raw edge, but this was just a simple straight stitch about 1/8 inch into the cutouts, leaving the raw edge exposed. The lady bugs were sourced from a fabric that I found at a goodwill. The little shorts with those cute buttons are definitely my favorite. On the back are 2 ladybugs: one sneaking out the side, and one really big one on the other "cheek!"  I can't wait to see them on her!!

AH, and as far as my garden goes, I chose not to do quite as much as in past years. Not due to money or motivation, but more-so due to time. It takes a lot of time to plant and water all the front beds, deck flowers, and the backyard beds as well. Time I'd rather spend with munchkin! (I only get to garden during munchkin's morning nap due to the afternoon heat.) But the tasks I have chosen to do, have certainly kept me going these past few weeks. Transplanting and uprooting some *mistakes* were at the top of the to-do list. Then, I was able to transplant probably 40 iris and 30 daffadils, some spiderwort, and some spearmint. The clematis vine (below) was in full bloom last week with over 100 blooms on it! Yes, I counted them! The mistake I referred to was approx. 95 gladiolus bulbs that I tried to grow in partial sun, knowing full well they needed full sun. Lesson learned: don't think you know better than the planting instructions!! So, some are still in the ground still and some are in pots, but ALL 95+ are looking for a new home. I may end up posting them on our local freecycle site in the fall.

Pictured behind the clematis is munchkin's new swing (a gift), which he has thoroughly enjoyed swinging in daily! It's in a nicely shaded spot so he's able to swing even in the afternoon heat after he gets sick of playing inside. I hope you enjoy the new pics in his photo albums (linked on the left side of the blog) and have a GREAT week every one! Thanks for reading!

Pumpkin Muffins...a big hit!

So, this past weekend we all gathered at my parent's house and had an

absolute BLAST with my sister's kids!! We had a great Afernoon Tea for the

ladies of the family and one of the activities was making these pumpkin

muffins from a Cottage Living Magazine recipe!!

And they've been the perfect snack for a preggo woman who loves to snack!!

Autumn is in full swing here in North Carolina as well, with cooler

weather, changing leaves, and the Mums are in full bloom.

The "Mum Bug" hit me as well--I haven't gotten to plant them yet,

but I bought them yesterday and will post pics as soon as I plant them!

My generous sisters showered me with maternity clothes and baby gear galore!!!

And seeing the infant carseat in the backseat on the way home and in the baby's room (which

isn't even decorated yet) REALLY made this pregnancy real for usl!

I have my 15 week checkup next Friday--so I'll post a pregnancy update then!!

But I've been feeling just great and don't have any major complaints so I'm not concerned!

Talk to you YA'LL soon, I hope!!

Ingredients:

3/4 c	White flour
1 3/4 c	Whole Wheat flour
1 1/4 tsp	Baking soda
1 1/4 tsp	Cinnamon, ground
1/3 tsp	Ginger, ground
1/3 tsp	Cloves, ground
1/3 tsp, plus more	Salt
1 1/4 c	White sugar
1/2 c	Oil
1 small can	Pumpkin Puree
1 1/2 large	Egg
Some	Confectioner's Sugar, optional
Some	Nuts, chopped

Steps & Notes:

Note: There'll be some batter leftover if you're making the loaf pan, so you could make a second "mini" loaf if you have the mini-loaf pans or you can just make a few extra muffins with it!!

Note: The recipe calls for lots of Whole Wheat flour, but can easily be made out of white flour entirely, if you so choose.

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease & flour an 8x4 loaf pan OR arrange your muffin liners.

Sift/stir together flours, spices & salt.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, oil, and pumpkin. Beat at medium speed until smooth.

Add egg and beat till blended. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet at low speed.

When well blended, pour batter into loaf pan/muffin cups.

Bake at 350F for 1 hour (15-20min for muffins) Toothpick must come out clean from center.

Let cool in loaf pan for 15 min (5 min for muffins). Remove.

Serving, Storage, & Yield:

Serve warm or at room temperature with coffee or tea.

Dust top with some confectioners sugar to serve...looks pretty that way!

Store in a cool place or in refrigerator for up to a week.

Yield: (1 loaf pan 8 slices) OR (16 puffy - 20 flatter muffins)