Thursday Thoughts ~The Days Seem Long ~The Weeks Go Fast

Every Day is the same, but my routine feels safe.

For that I am Thankful.

Hubby has mastered the art of preparing our Weekend Brunch...

Perfect Over Easy Egg on Toast, Hash Browns, and Bacon.

And it is now Peak Season for many types of Fresh Fruit.

These Cherries are juicy and delicious.

None of us know if our communities

will host a Winter Arts Festival, so

I have been busy taking photos and listing

our creations in my Tins and Treasures Etsy Shop. 

This week we enjoyed one of our Go-To meals...

Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta.

It also involves mushrooms, red pepper, and green onions.

It fast and easy to prepare and so very tasty.

Hubby enjoys spending time in his wood shop after

a day at the office working with Unemployment.

This is just one of his hand turned bottle openers that is available

for purchase. It would be the perfect stocking stuffer

for your favorite bartender.

Remember if you are a local friend, you can contact me

to make arrangements and we can bypass the Shipping Charges on Etsy.

Stay Safe and Well.

Take care,

~Natalie

Quarantine Questions ~Is Pizza Friday a Thing? ~Are You All Participating? ~What Pizza is Your Favorite? ~Do you Prepare Homemade, Take and Bake, or Order Delivery?

Hubby and I have been staying close to home

since I returned from Massachusetts...which is 10 weeks now.

We go out only for essential errands like groceries,

prescriptions, and to mail packages of masks at the usps.

Hubby worked from home for most of that time,

taking care of the very essential work they do

at the DOL regarding Unemployment.

For me, every day is pretty much the same,

however we do look forward to seeing what we can create

for Pizza Friday. Last night, an Italian Sausage Supreme.

This is what was under that layer of cheese:

Italian Sausage

Caramelized Onions & Red Peppers

Mushrooms & Black Olives

It was delicious!

Last week... Chicken Bacon Ranch.

The addition of green onions added

a little pop of color and just the right texture.

Before that, Turkey Pepperoni and Veggies,

Shrimp Alfredo,

And Chicken Cordon Blue...

Another favorite of ours.

Pepperoni, Mushrooms, Green Onion, and Red Pepper.

We prefer a Thin and Crispy Crust, so I have been experimenting

with a variety of pizza dough recipes. One thing is constant...

I like to add Italian Seasoning in with the flour.

Since I really have nothing but time on my hands,

I like to prepare Homemade Pizza. However, when we order,

It is usually from Dominos. This is my favorite...

from the Build Your Own Menu,

Chicken, Spinach, and Roasted Red Peppers.

This was pretty tasty, too.

From the Dempsey’s Take and Bake Menu...

The Mrs. Brady, it was their Pizza of the Week,

A delightful combination of flavors.

Now it’s your turn to tell me about your favorite pizza toppings!

Stay safe and well.

Take Care,

~Natalie

What’cha Workin’ on Wednesday ~My Report ~Quarantine Question ~Do You Still Need a Mask? #flattenthecurve #slowthespread

Do you recognize our handsome neighbor boys?

Their mom asked if I made child-size masks.

I did not hesitate to seek out a pattern

and appropriate print fabrics.

A lucky find at Hobby Lobby was this

Dinosaur Print Fabric

for our Dinosaur loving Grandson.

None of these boys go out and about very often,

however, it is good to be prepared

in the event that they do.

Remember this photo? I created my first masks on March 29th.

Since then, I have made a batch or two nearly every day.

Every morning, we make coffee,

send messages to family and friends,

and watch the news while we cut and press.

The kitchen counter is just the right height for

cutting, pressing, and pinning.

Stitching is done in the Sewing Studio.

Blue tends to be the most popular color, and elastic

that goes behind the ears is the most popular style.

However, I am still using both patterns.

This is the one with elastic that goes around the back of the head...

much easier on your ears, especially if you

wear your mask for an extended length of time. 

Back in March, I decided I wanted to make masks

for family and friends at no charge.

But, I have accepted donations so I can purchase

more Mask Making Supplies.

In addition to some very generous cash donations,

I have received print fabrics and elastic,

A variety of Baked Goods.

Tasty looking Canned Goods,

And plants for our Outdoor Living Space.

Lizzie, our Helper Cat, provides excellent support...

well, most of the time, anyway!

Stay safe and well.

Take care,

~Natalie

What’cha Workin’ on Wednesday ~My Mask Making Report ~Who Else Needs One?

This is a challenging time.

When going out and about, the CDC recommends

that you should wear a Fabric Face Mask.

Crafters across the country have put

their other projects aside to create masks

for their family, their friends, and their community.

The following was on my Newsfeed yesterday...

 I couldn’t agree more with these thoughts.

It’s why we all keep cutting, and stitching,

and folding, and  pressing.

I feel like I am doing something worthwhile, 

when I am helpless about everything that is going on around us.

I’ve been making the two different styles,

as some folks like elastic around their ears,

and some prefer the longer elastic around the back of their head.

Helper Cat provides good support.

Over the weekend we had requests for about two dozen masks.

So we stepped up our production...

We filled those orders and have about 30 more in our inventory.

Please let me know if you still need a mask.

I am not charging for them,

as my objective was to just create protection

for our family and friends.

I have received some very generous donations

of crafting supplies, delicious baked goods,

and cash for our elastic fund.

Thank you, everyone.

Stay safe and well.

~Natalie

Santa Claus is Coming to Town ~Countdown to Winterfest ~Two Days #WinterfestAberdeen

It wouldn’t be a Winter Arts Festival without Santa.

We designed a couple of new patterns this year.

Ho..Ho..Ho..

Like the snowmen in the previous post,

Hubby and I collaborated to create this project.

Again, some of the work is done

out in the wood shop,

and some in the sewing studio.

Santa’s tree is created from a cinnamon stick,

adorned with homespun and twine.

All ready for the big weekend.

See you there!

Take care,

~Natalie

Wednesday’s Work ~Winterfest Preparations ~Here’s my Report

Turkey Tails. Remember last week

they were taking a bath in the Vanilla Coffee Stain.

A Big Finish for the Burlap Stockings...I did the hand-stitching

in the car on last weekend’s trip to the Bison Game.

I can’t wait to show you what is happening in here!

Stocking hats...Get it?!

Do you like this fabric

for these Snowman Scarves?

These week’s highlight was a package from Japan.

These coffee candies are the best!

I hope our daughter stocks up before they move stateside!

I am so looking forward to giving my feet this spa treatment.

Since I have shed my walking boot and the wraptor,

these feet are in need of some pampering!

And the best...artwork to hang on our refrigerator!

We are thankful that all of that snow melted

and we are enjoying some beautiful autumn weather...

...however, cleaning up the twigs and leaves keeps Hubby busy.

He cleans them up one day, and the next day we go outside

and the yard is covered again!

Do you all have a quick, go-to meal when you are busy?

For us, it is this Shrimp Pasta dish.

I know that looks like grass clippings on the top,

but it is chives from what is left of our herb garden.

Have a Thoughtful and Thankful Thursday.

Take care,

~Natalie

 p.s. Remember that for now, this is now my new motto.