kiwi bird magnets

as part of my transition back into the crafting world, i recently ordered a bunch of cover button supplies for some fun and easy projects.  a few years ago, i made quite a killing at craft fairs making button  badge ids and magnets. they also made/make great gifts.

as i went through my boxes of fabric, i realized the graphics on my kiwi bird parade fabric were the ideal size to fit over two button sizes.  i decided to start with magnets, as the number of baby announcements keep growing on our fridge ,and i've had to be very strategic with magnet placement.

i'm hoping that i'll find the time to make some more soon, since i expect the fridge to be littered with christmas cards in a month's plus time!

tj's pumpkin

no matter where i have lived, fall has always been my favorite season.  i love the crisp scent of autumn, which i firmly believe i can smell even in the virtually season-less region of socal.   it marks the beginning of the holiday season, and the appearance of bin after bin of numerous squash varieties makes me dizzy with excitement.    

the other day i found myself in trader joe's, on the hunt for their pumpkin icecream.  by the time i made it to the check-out counter, i was clutching a couple cans of pumpkin, pumpkin chai latte mix, and pumpkin icecream.  i give the cashier a lot of credit for not making fun of me.   

promptly after i got home, i was shoving spoonfuls of pumpkin icecream into my mouth, and tried the pumpkin chai latte the following morning.  while i highly recommend tj's pumpkin icecream, i found the pumpkin chai latte mix a huge disappointment.  even overly diluted, we both found the drink coyingly sweet. within two days, i also made pumpkin bars, and bffbf made pumpkin pull apart bread, recipe courtesy of kirbiecravings. and then.. i made a pumpkin pasta bake.

today, bffbf requested that we move on to other seasonal squash for a while.   i guess that's fair. butternut? acorn? kabocha?
do you have a favorite squash?      

getting back into it?

over the last few years, i've noticed that my craft productivity is directly correlated with my stress level.   the more stressed out i am, the less creative i am.  for the first time in months and months, i felt the urge to sew and to complete some pending household projects.   i finally unpacked my serger, plugged in my sewing machine, and sewed a throw pillow for the couch.

it's a strange feeling to do an activity so familiar after such a long stretch a time.  i half expected to completely botch up my very basic project.  but aside from the usual issues with threading my serger, turns out sewing is sort of like riding a bicycle.