Wednesday, October 1, 2014

It’s my most favorite time of the year…

Ahhh, October. My very favorite and my best time of year. It’s cool in the mornings (yaaay!), and it’s chilly at  night (sweaters!), and I can turn the oven on, and Tasha can play outside again:

october 1 blog

Okay, so it’s more likely she can sit outside again. ahem. Kitty’s do as kitty’s will. Anyway, It’s finally Autumn in these here parts, with the long suffering days and nights of stifling heat long behind us. We should only have a few spots of dry heat here and there this month, so here’s hoping and fingers crossed and all that!

September was full of new starts, doing, life, and dreaming of better days to come. I started taking a class, which is going well. I have officially left the community garden that I joined at the start of this summer. After dreaming and planning for vegetable gardens my entire adult life, it seems that the practice is not as satisfying as the dream. But, you know what they say- try everything in life once, the fun things twice! So, I’ve let it go and am refocusing on my herbs and flowers here at the house (which is much more satisfying, truth be told! Snip snip right outside the door and voila! instant yummyness in the kitchen.) It’s also allowed me to get back to my morning walks. With scenes like this to wake up to, I’m definitely not regretting my decision:

october 2 blog

I also worked up the courage to start running a table at the weekly Dungeons and Dragons night at our local gaming store. Such a lot of fun! But it’s really just a disguise for a lot of hard work, planning, rules lawyering, and meeting new people once a week. Oh, and playing with toys a bit, too. Painting figurines, sourcing rule books, gaming mats, rules cheatsheets, tokens, and figuring out how to transport all of the above once a week is a bit of a chore, but I’ve learned a lot over the last few months. And it’s a great cure for my crippling case of shyness, at any rate!

Trying new things is important aspect of life- it keeps you engaged, happy, and active. Keeps the mind agile and your outlook positive, which I believe are very important to a happy, productive life. But there is such a thing as trying to do too much, and it seems it’s time to take a few things off my plate. I want to do so much, but there is only so many hours in the day. Studying for school has taken precedence over my hobbies. Cooking dinner is more important than chores. It’s a give and take. I absolutely love Fall, and start to shift over into Making mode this time of year, but I’ve had to be a lot more selective of what I put on my crafting list. Knitting mittens instead of blankets, sewing napkins instead of another quilt, tote bags instead of purses, that sort of thing. Now that California has passed a Bill to ban plastic grocery bags, I want to make a few of my grocery totes in plain brown linen, something that won’t shout “I’m a homemade bag”, but will be nicer and cheaper than the ready made, over priced things out in the shops. I’ve already made a quick Fall couch throw, and have a new round of cloth napkins in creamy off-white linen planned that will work for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Easy peasy, and fun to do to boot!

So, the start of another new school year, a lovely new brisk Fall, and a new personal schedule. Now, if I can just get my new textbook away from the Faeries- they’re using it as a ping pong table!

 

Monday, August 11, 2014

A Cookbook, a Bag, and a few new Dice…

Summertime is winding down, work is looming on the horizon, and the heat is beginning to take its toll, but the crafting, cooking, planning, and booking is still going strong! Lots to still do today, so lets make this a quick post and do a list, shall we?

minibindercookbook

A new Cookbook Project is in the works this year. I’m still not sure if it’s an every-single-recipe-in-my-repertoire, or a current-favorites kind of collection, but it’s been such a fun thing to pull out to work on throughout the spring and summer! (and the Faeries are just fascinated by the smaller size binder- they think I’m making it for them.)

snootygirlsbag

Oh what a hideous picture, right? Ah, the travesties of phone cameras! This is a messenger bag I made for myself to lugg all my Gaming Gear around with me to conventions and Game Days. It’s the Snooty Girls Bag, and the design still needs some work (gotta work a handle into the flap next time), but I love it and have been dragging it around with me everywhere this summer!

diceparfait

And this happened this year- I finally sorted all my minis (figurines) and dice into a two-sided organizer and discovered that I have a pretty decent collection of both! I also discovered I’m an official Gamer this summer- I bought Dice instead of Jewelry at ComicCon this year! They are the watery blue ones up there, along with the black with gold numbering ones, and the purple ones. (Also, you are an official Gamer when you buy dice so your characters can all have their own colour coded favorites. ahem.)

So it’s off to the kitchen to make up some goodies for the week- meatloaves, oatmeal, spaghetti sauce and a pot of brown rice for quick veggie stir fry lunches. Toodles!

 

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

A magical life in words…

Isn’t it interesting how one little change can refresh your whole outlook on life?

It’s been so long since I’ve felt the need to write a blog post- but I’m back! It’s been a good year. Lot’s of sewing, cooking, crafting, gardening, and, well, living!

Let’s make a list, shall we?

Summer living:

Get outside! We joined our local Community Garden this summer, and I’m soo glad we took the plunge. Early morning planting, watering, and weeding is a lovely way to get some fresh air and sunshine before the heat of the day saps your lifeforce.

Salads, Salads, Salads! No need to turn on the HOT oven, just wash some greens, toss and enjoy. Curried Chicken with grapes and celery; Green Lettuce with apples and cheddar cheese; and Watermelon with Feta are in heavy rotation this month.

Staycation in your own hometown. Do some research and visit places you would visit on vacation- but in your own hometown. Look around you with new eyes, it’s a great way to learn about your city, save some money, and foster that pride of place we hear so much about.

Stay hydrated! Drink more water (carry it with you everywhere you go!), eat more fruits and veggies (apples for snacktime, watermelon for dessert!), slather on the sunscreen, treat yourself to a dip in the pool(or ocean!). This time of year it’s easy to miss those 8 glasses of water a day, get a little too much sun, and end up with parched, pink, blistery skin and frizzy hair. Take care of yourself and take an (iced) Tea break.

Visit your local Public Library- you know that long list of paperbacks you’ve been meaning to pick up? Look for them at the library! It’s free, a great place to make new friends (and hang out with old ones!), connect with your community (look for the community bulletin board- lots of places post in the library), and THE place for finding a good book! Take a stack home to browse through for crafting ideas for the kids, new recipes for summer lunches, decorating the perfect summer retreat in your bathroom, or even find the perfect beach book!

amagicallifeinwords

Tasha staying cool in the garden this summer- gotta keep an eye out for those marauding Faeries mamma!