Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, one and all!

Who has big exciting plans? We have ballet tickets tonight, so I won't get to engage in any full-on Halloween activities. Unfortunately, my beloved is ill, and I really don't want him to go if he's not feeling up to it. I may need to find someone else to accompany me. We shall see. If I do end up going, I will be wearing this gorgeous dress by Patina, purchased in Atlanta.

Before the ballet, we are going to drop by my dad's house to celebrate my sister's birthday. I made her a ring with a pink S on a purple background, and I'll probably throw in a matching pendant. I also bought the cutest book ever called Doodles that I bought in Atlanta, too. It looks really neat, especially for a young girl with autism who needs to improve her motor skills.

For your viewing pleasure, here's a small treasury of Halloween finds made by my Oklahomies. Click, view, and enjoy!

It's birthday time!

Today is my little sister's 10th birthday. I can't believe it! I was 14 when she was born, a freshman in high school. I remember being so excited to hear about the birth that I called everyone I could think of even though I didn't have very many friends. I came to high school only knowing one other person, so my address book was awfully small until later that year. My dad took my brother -- 2 1/2 at the time -- and me to meet Sarah. I had Jacob hold out his finger so Sarah would grab it. When she did, he got the most disgusted look on his face I'd ever seen him have. He pulled away, and grabbed my leg. I don't think he was excited to have her come home to stay, but he quickly warmed. When she was diagnosed with autism around 6 years old, he became the protective older brother I wanted as a little girl. She still drives him crazy -- especially the more she progresses with speech and age-appropriate behaviors -- but he loves her. We all do. She's the sweetest little girl you could ever meet. She's all smiles and sillies. Ever since my dad's girlfriend moved in, her behavior, speech, and cognitive skills have improved exponentially. She now spends half days in the special-ed class and the other half in the fourth-grade class. She's a little behind her classmates, but I have no doubt she can catch up. I love you, Sarah Bear! Happy birthday!

And for the sake of fairness, here's my brother Jacob, who is 12, and my stepsister/dad's girlfriend's daughter Kaity, who is 13.

Twitterpated

I'm on Twitter now, just like the rest of the flock. I couldn't resist any longer. I'm still trying to figure out the allure, but so far, so good. If you want to follow me (creepy!), I'm lilbrigid over there.

Winter finds

The cold weather is moving in to my hometown, and though it is no friend of mine, it does make me think of the important things in life, like snuggling. Here are some Etsy finds that make me want to get all cuddled up on the couch with a mug of peppermint tea, a pen, or some crafting supplies:

Featured EtsyBlogger

This month's featured EtsyBlogger is the lovely and talented Jen of BabyFriendlyBeads and MamasMagicStudio. Jen is a longtime member of EtsyBloggers and a wonderful supporter of Etsy. Through her blog, she features a different Etsy seller every Friday to showcase the wonderful talent that dominates the shopping venue. She is also a great artist in her own right, making gorgeous nursing jewelry (this is one of my favorites) and whimsical jewelry artist (check out these earrings). She's an inspiration to me as a budding maker of breast-feeding necklaces. She's also a fantastic team member, and we're all lucky to have her. Now go check out her gorgeous goodies!

Royal inspiration

I saw The Duchess last week, and ever since my mind's been swimming with ideas. In the movie, Keira Knightley wears all kinds of gorgeous and outrageous clothing and accessories, much like Kirsten Dunst in Marie Antoinette. (It turns out that the two title characters were friends in real life. Makes perfect sense!) What really struck me were these gorgeous necklaces she wore. Many were dripping with gemstones, but some were made with lush, dainty fabrics sewn together and worn close to the neck. One in particular that caught my eye was made from pink velvet and lace. If you've seen the film, Georgiana wears it early on in her friendship with Bess, when they're in Bath. It ties in a large bow at the back of her neck. I went crazy for her accessories, so last weekend, I made a visit to Joann and bought ribbon: black and red velvet, solid white with flowers, translucent ecru, and cream lace. I also got some little white "pearl" beads to embellish. All I have to do is clear enough space on my craft table to reach my sewing machine. Easier said than done. I'll have pictures as soon as I have a finished project.

Craft fair-o-rama

I just found out I got into the Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar in Oklahoma City Dec. 6, so I thought now would be a good time to do an update on my holiday craft fair schedule. So exciting!

Set in stone
November 22 -- Centennial Middle School Arts & Craft Fair in Broken Arrow, OK. It will be held at Centennial Middle School, 225 E. Omaha (or 51st and 145th East Ave., for you Tulsans), from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. I believe admission is free, and the event benefits the Centennial PTA. I'll be selling with the Tulsa Craft Mafia. Fun!
December 6 -- Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar in Oklahoma City. This one is taking place at the Farmers Public Market, 311 S. Klein Ave., from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is free. I'll be running a booth by myself.
December 6 -- Darnaby Arts & Craft Show in Tulsa/BA. Yes, I'm doing two shows at the same time! I won't actually be present at this event, but some of my jewelry and such will be. Fair enough? Anyway, it's at Union Intermediate High School, 7616 S. Garnett Road, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free, and there will be door prizes! The event is 27 years old and quite large, with over 150 vendors. It benefits the students at Darnaby. Look for the Tulsa Craft Mafia booth.

Possibilities (applying or still gathering information)
November 15 -- Holiday Rock’n’Roll Garage Sale in Oklahoma City. CD Warehouse, 905 N. Broadway, is the venue, and the hours are noon to 8 p.m. Admission is free for shoppers. The event will also feature a canned food drive for the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. Bands from around the state will perform.
Throughout December -- Exhibit/sales at The Collective in Tulsa. They approached the Tulsa Craft Mafia about doing a show throughout the month, but I don't know what will come of it. I'll keep everyone posted. The venue is an awesome coffee house/bar/lunch destination that opened recently across from TU at 3148 E. 11th St.
December 7(?) November 30 -- All Souls Craft Fair in Tulsa. This is my home church, and last year the event was held the first Sunday in December from 9 a.m. to noon, so I assume it will be the same this year. (EDIT: I just got an email about it -- talk about Serendipity! The correct date is reflected now.) I definitely plan to be there again if it's happening again. The church is at 2952 S. Peoria Ave.

I hope you can come see me at some point during the holiday season. I'd love to provide the handiwork behind at least one of your holiday gifts!

Holiday yummies!

I've been hearing this rumor that the holidays are approaching. I'm never the person who starts planning gifts and such in October (and hardly in November either, but don't tell!), no matter how much I enjoy shopping for and wrapping them. I'm sure that'll change when I procreate, but for the moment, I'm trying to hold onto fall as long as I can until it slips into Winter. It makes me cold just thinking about it!

Holidays -- Thanksgiving, Chanukah, and Christmas -- are an interesting time for vegetarians. I love to spend the day with the family, but mealtime is always a challenge. Ham, turkey, stuffing/dressing, candied yams, most casseroles, and gravy are all off-limits to us crazy herbivores. I generally stick with mashed potatoes (as long as they're made without chicken broth), rolls, and pumpkin pie. The past couple of years, though, I've been contributing heavily to my family's meal to ensure I have stuff to eat. This year, I hope to make a nut loaf. Here's a recipe that sounds tasty:

2 large onions, finely chopped
1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups grated carrots
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
5 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup unsalted sunflower kernels
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups soft whole wheat bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS
In a nonstick skillet, saute onions, mushrooms and green pepper in butter until tender. In a bowl, combine the mushroom mixture, carrots, celery, eggs, walnut, sunflower kernels, salt, basil, oregano and pepper. Stir in bread crumbs.

Coat a 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray, then line with waxed paper. Transfer vegetable mixture to a prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F Let stand for 10 min before slicing.

The dessert I'll probably make this year is my super-awesome Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies (click link for recipe as posted in my blog this summer). I love anything pumpkin yearround but especially as the leaves start to turn.

What are your favorite holiday foods?

Frankie says relax.

It's time for my first week-long vacation in almost three years. Hurray! We're heading to Atlanta tomorrow to enjoy the interesting sites and meet up with some family.

Travel is my ultimate relaxation technique. Even when I wear myself out on vacation, I come home feeling refreshed and ready to get going again. Worn out we will probably be at the end with all the sight-seeing and walking we intend to do and the fun we intend to have. We will explore history, nature, art, and culinary treats, just to name a few.

All this said, I'll be out of pocket until October 19. I hope everyone else can find a way to kick back, relax, and enjoy things, wherever you are.

Win a leash and collar set!

Hi there, fellow dog lovers! Mimi Green is giving away a leash and collar set over on her blog. All you have to do is comment to win. Go check out her latest entry for details.

I heart this ring

My poor camera battery has been dead a long time now, and unfortunately I cannot find the charger. It doesn't help that my apartment is a total mess. I'm thinking of just buckling down and buying a new one, but that would be the third one I've owned. I bought this camera in March. Goodness gracious.

Anyway, I did manage to finagle a moment with the not-so-great work camera so I could show you something I made last night. Behold:

Isn't is cute? It was supposed to be for the craft fair season, but this one is mine! It's a clear, flat-backed marble with a handcut paper heart on a paper background glued to the back. The whole thing is then glued to a ring blank. I started out with solid colors, but I'm slowly working on cute shapes. I have a fish and a flower at home, too. Expect a mustache as soon as I can make one small enough.

When I first started these a few days back, I did not properly take to heart the glue's warning that it may adhere to skin. Boy does it! I almost couldn't separate my index finger and thumb on Sunday. That was really scary. I probably should get latex gloves, but I'm living dangerously.