So Much; So Good....

The Weekend started here..
Rain, rain, rain.
But a warm car, grand company and Sugar and Cream yarn to work with.
And a car, that Hubby wisely picked out based on if the dashboard would accomodate my legs on a long trip. He even told the car salesperson that he needed to make sure that his wife would be comfortable in the co pilot seat by putting her feet on the dash. The salesperson, unwisely said, 'you let her do that?' To wit, Hubby said, she can do whatever she wants, bucko, this is my car.....Good Hubby.....

This was the weekend that we were to meet up with Most Interesting Loving Friends. We decided to meet half way from their location, our past home. We have shared nearly 25 years and needed time together to catch up and enjoy each other's affable company. What a good time. What pleasant entertainment we are!
It always helps to stay at a Bed and Breakfast out in the country and with plenty of stories to go with as well!
The house photo is the grand old lady with quite a story.
The Pumpkin Patch story, with a Martha Stewart commendation, is a blog unto it's own. Pretty amazing. Wait till you see.


After leaving Most Interesting and Loving Friends, we headed northerly to visit Baby Girl and her Hubby in Lafayette.
Another amazing visit with a blog unto it's own.
Suffice to say that Baby Girl's Hubby prepared us the most wonderful breakfast one half hour before lunch time!
Ah! Rest and relaxation on a long weekend!

And no visit to Lafayette would be complete without a visit to First Class Clutter, BG's fave store.
I took in the three bags I had promised her and she promptly placed them in the window pictured here. Can you see them amongst the most pleasing clutter??
Picking up a hefty supply of vintage buttons rounded out the visit there.
On to an Aveda Spa visit then lunch/supper at an Irish pub..
Off to make a short check in visit with Eldest Son and Lovely Wife...
Wow.
A blessed weekend from start to finish.
Can't wait to share it with all of you....

Bags and a Bonus!

The promised sauce recipe!
The Too Many Tomatoes Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

3 lbs of tomatoes, chopped
1 onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small can tomato paste
2 paste cans of water
3 leaves of fresh basil, chopped finely
1 tbls oregano
3 leaves of fresh parsley
1 tbls italian seasoning
3 tbls sugar
3 tbls kosher salt
1 tsp course ground pepper
1 oz can tomato sauce
1 tbl olive oil
1 tsp butter

Heat the oil and butter and add chopped onions and garlic till onions are clear. Add the chopped tomatoes slowly (puree if you have a food mill but I like the chunkiness of the fresh tomatoes) and add spices. Stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer about an hour. Yum.

For last night's dinner, I added low calorie meatballs:

1/2 lb. Italian sausage
1 lb. ground chicken
1 egg
1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
2 leaves of fresh parsley, finely chopped

Mix all with your hands and form into balls about an inch and a half in diameter. Place on a pie plate in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour....



And the newest bags completed!

The wonderfully HUGE Birdie Sling from Amy Butler! The fabric from Craft Town in Salem Indiana, a wonderful store with ever so friendly, helpful staff......

My turn, my turn!! A bag for myself!

Used fabric from First Class Clutter and an embellishment, courtesy of the attic in my home in Moline, many years ago....The purse is comfy and easy to get into and is lined with an amazing silk from Jan at FCC as well.....

Ah, sweet indulgence....

Catch up

Baby Girl has a friend in Lafayette that owns a wonderful shop called, First Class Clutter. It's an amazing display of everything wonderful from the past. It's a small shop with each nook and cranny filled to the brim. My kind of clutter. Last winter I found a fab piece of fabric in one of the corners of her shop. Beautiful stuff. I waited for just the right opportunity and pattern to make it up, and, of course, Amy Butler provided...The Madison Bag looked wonderful with the fabric. I packaged the purse and shipped it off to Baby Girl's friend. I visited her yesterday and she had many thanks for the bag AND another donation to the cause; MORE fabric for more bags! Lurking in another vintage container, was GRAND buttons! Be still my heart....My thoughts could not turn off last night what with making plans for the new fabric to be made into bags, totes and purses for the First Class Clutter store! One particular fabric calls to me and maybe want to stay with me.... A dangerous habit to get into! After looking at it, you're thinking so too, aren't you??!

Lily came over today as well. More on that later, but suffice to say, WE completed a nifty little shoulder bag for her first day of first grade on Monday! It's incomplete stage is pictured above....

Another order for a hobo bag came in last week and it's makings is the other photo..

Off to work on that one now.....

Yay!