Are you Ready for Some Football? ~The Season of Friends, Football, and Good Food

Ready or Not, Here we come!

We kicked off the Football Season with two big Games.

We made a quick weekend trip to Fargo.

The Football fun begins here, in the Tailgating lot.

It’s the perfect place to catch up with college friends,

like these Kappa Delta Sisters.

We made a lot of memories together in the 70s.

Joan and I were roommates and

she was a Bridesmaid in our Wedding.

It was great catching up with her and all the girls.

The atmosphere in the dome was electric.

There were over 18,000 fans, and they were loud.

Our seats were amazing, in the third row.

Right behind the home team.

It felt like we were on the field…a part of the play!

NDSU won their Home Opener.

Just two days before, we attended the Home Opener for NSU,

our home town University where Hubby went to school.

We had fabulous seats here, too. 

We were honored to be invited to watch from the Presidents Suite.

There are outdoor seats, along with places to sit inside,

complete with food and beverages.

Our husbands like to watch the Marching Band, too,

as they were once members, decades ago.

The night capped off with a perfect view

of that beautiful full moon.

A Football Game is not complete without Good Food.

A couple of Notable Mentions…

~Poblano Chicken served over fresh Tortilla Chips,

covered in creamy chorizo Queso.

lettuce, pico de gallo, and cumin lime aioli.

And this Brunch Pizza

~Cheese Sauce

Parmesan Reggiano Hash Browns

Bacon, Scrambled Eggs

Five Cheese Blend

Drizzled with Maple Syrup

It was a good weekend, as both NSU and NDSU

won their Games.

I look forward to doing it all again this week!

Take care,

~Natalie 

Monday Memories ~Counting our Blessings

We celebrate Hubby’s Birthday in August.

After walking around in the barns at the Brown Co Fair,

we were ready for air conditioning, a Birthday beverage, and lunch.

We enjoyed the goats, sheep, pigs, cows, bunnies,

And a variety of big birds…chickens, turkeys, ducks, 

Guinea fowl, and an Emu.

It was a perfect day to have ice cream for dinner.

My summer is not complete until I have had a Turtle Sundae…

Hot Fudge, Hot Caramel, and Chopped Pecans.

Speaking of Treats,

We’ve been enjoying these gifts of

Freshly Roasted Whole Bean Cowboy Coffee,

Gourmet Bear Snack Mix,

a Roasted Coffee Scented Candle

and, almost too pretty to use…

This beautiful set of Jams and Marmalade

created by Meghan Markle, herself, 

along with her Lifestyle Company called As Ever.

It was the one year anniversary of Hubby’s Heart Attack

and quadruple bypass surgery.

We are thankful for the Sanford Cardiac Team here

and at the Heart Hospital in Sioux Falls.

We are so blessed with this group of friends.

We all keep busy with work, travel, house chores & projects,

appointments, aging parents, and grandchildren.

We all gathered for an evening together,

the first time in months.

Savor what’s left of our Summer.

Take care,

~Natalie

Thankful Thursday ~It’s the Little Things that make me Smile

Like these memories.

You might remember it was a year ago that I

stayed with family to help with childcare.

This was Granddaughter’s Summer Birthday gift,

along with the promise to create these little projects together.

The kit contains separate packets with all the materials

needed to complete each project.

The popsicle sticks were already colored,

so no messy painting is involved.

Each packet contained simple instructions with illustrations…

Easy enough for a preschooler to follow with

just a little guidance from this Gigi.

Every preschooler loves stickers!

Getting those feathers to stick was a bit of a challenge!!

These were an exercise in patience and persistence.

Each of the colored pom poms was dipped in glue and carefully placed.

A perfect task for tiny three-year-old fingers.

Naturally, Moose wanted in on the action.

The memories make me smile.

Time spent with grandchildren is time well spent.

Take care,

~Natalie 

Home Again, Home Again ~Back to our Everyday Ordinary Routine

We’ve been home ten days now.

You all know the Re-Entry Routine…

Unpacking, Laundry, and Putting it all Away.

That all takes me a couple of days.

Hubby didn’t waste any time getting back to his lathe.

We’re both building our inventory for the Fall’s Makers Markets.

The hand-turned trees are his best seller, however

 these Wooden Vases have caught the eye of several customers.

The red hue is stunning, isn’t it?!

The Vase is turned from a Cedar fence post,

Which explains the natural crack from top to bottom…

…like the cracks in this weathered rustic fence post.

The tall Cedar Fencepost Vase is looking for a Forever Home.

As you know, when we go on a road trip, Hubby prefers to drive.

And I prefer to ride. The Road Atlas in my lap becomes my work table.

I had plenty of time to complete all the hand stitching for the eyes

and bellies on these Vintage Wool Owls. 

Decorative Pillows all Hand Stitched on a couple of Road Trips.

These Vintage Wool Owls are all created from up-cycled fabrics.

Hubby cut a live edge base for their support.

I saved my favorite for last,

this Boxelder Bowl with the live edge.

It measures ten inches across and is two inches tall.

 I love the grain in the wood, the splashes of red throughout,

and of course, the live edge.

Next? We’re creating Santa’s.

Take care,

~Natalie

Monday Memories ~It’s Been a Week ~Papa and Gigi in charge ~On our Way Home

It’s been a week since we said goodbye to our family,

and these beautiful, lush neighborhoods where our family lives.

The flowering Crape Myrtle Tree thrives in the sunny, 

warm climate of the Southern States.

This is my favorite route for a morning walk…

And it’s even more special with a Grandchild in a stroller!

Part of our time there was to provide childcare

 for grandchildren, while their parents were away for a wedding.

During the week, the kids spent the day at their preschool.

On the weekend, this Papa and Gigi were in charge.

We enjoyed a couple of hours at an indoor Play Park.

The space is divided into age appropriate spaces for the children.

Perhaps you can see our granddaughter right in the middle of the photo,

up there on the second level? She’s wearing a red TShirt.

Her little Brother was with Papa in an area for Babies and Toddlers…

Diaper-wearing Children, only.

This was perfect, as it was way too hot

to go to an Outdoor Playground.

Big Sister is quite helpful when it comes

to entertaining her little Brother.

Also helpful? A little Screen Time…

This worked well when Gigi was getting dinner on the table!

This week night outing was a highlight…

Dinner with the whole family, and watching the kids bowl.

The way home…as you know, we like to find unique places to stop for a break.

We found this “upscale dive bar” in Wentzville, MO.

Naturally, we shared a Burger and sides.

Sometimes the Lunch Special is too pretty to eat!

This was at Crave in Sioux City, IA

In the evening, after checking into our hotel, we find a local hotspot

to have a beverage and share an appetizer.

These Nachos were so tasty.

Thank you for following us along on our travels.

Now, at home, it’s all about our everyday,

ordinary house chores and projects.

Stay tuned to see what’s new from the Wood Shop 

And Sewing Studio.

Take care,

~Natalie