Walking on Sunshine!

Boy did we have a huge thunderstorm last night, the lightning was so bright that everytime it hit, the inside of the house looked like it was afternoon.

I do love sleeping with the sound of rain outside the window though, you hear the soft pitter patter on the rooftop, the branches scraping against the window, the wind blowing, and you're safely snug inside your bed, it's like being in a little cocoon of warmth.

But this morning, it's all gone, the rain has left and instead we have a cloudless blue sky, the sun is shining bright but there is still the *after the rain* smell. You know the one right? Love it!

Since it was cloudy and dreary all day yesterday, I threw a beef stew in one crockpot and a Herb Bread in the other. The scent emanating from both was enough to make me almost say "forget the diet", ALMOST, but I did behave and contain myself. By the time nighttime rolled around, the rain was coming down hard while we sat around the dinner table with a bowl like this:


See that bread slice? Can you believe that it was baked in the crockpot? I had no idea you could do that, I guess I should have known since pretty much anything can be made using your slow cooker, but there's a first time for everything right? I think I'll be baking more soon, and with 3 slow cookers at my disposal I may just turn my house into a small bakery *snort*

Later today I'll post a recipe for Apple Hand Pies, they are so easy to make and the kids pretty much snorted those up in no time LOL



Remember the sewing machine problem? Well I cleaned it up really good oiled it and changed the bobbin and now it works just wonderfully (wait is that a word? I can't even remember), so I sat down yesterday while the kids were quiet. Jasmine was in her bedroom devouring books, she's become quite an avid reader which makes me so happy....and Nicholas was in the living room laying on the couch with his blanket, watching tv.

I cut out all the fabric and within 30 minutes I had made two very easy fabric tote bags, they turned out so well and one has already become my designated library bag. In fact, I took it with us to the library yesterday and got 2 compliments on it. Who knows, maybe I'll make one to give away here or make some to sell. Seems that everyone and their mother has an Etsy shop nowadays LOL Maybe it's my turn?



LOVE them and Jasmine has already asked me for one for two matching ones, one for herself and one to send to her best friend in Idaho. BUT, I also want to make some for my nieces back home, so I guess I'll be busy for a while but considering how extremely easy they are to make, shouldn't take me long.

I also want to start my Advent Calendar from Allsorts. With the kids starting school on Monday I'll have plenty of quiet time to get stuff done around here, so don't be surprised if you start seeing pictures pop up on my blog with crafts and projects galore.

Now what else is going on here??? Oh reading, of course, I'm already reading, I finished the Firstborn Series by Karen Kingsbury and while I loved them, it was sad to read the last book and now it makes me want to jump right into her Sunrise Series which are supposed to be about the Baxter family and also Katy and Dayne. Can't wait.

While at the library yesterday I picked up a few more books:

One Tuesday Morning #1 September 11 Series- Karen Kingsbury
Spell of the Highlander - Karen Marie Moning (yes it's a series but I didn't realize until I picked up the book and started reading it LOL..oh well)
Bright Captivity #1 in the Georgia Trilogy - Eugenia Price

Good books!

For today I'm just cleaning the house, probably making one or two bags and getting all the final things ready for school starting on Monday. It will be a busy morning but then I'm hoping to have some quiet time in the afternoon to visit all the blogs, catch up on email and watch some tv.

Hope you're all having a wonderful friday!