out of the kitchen (for a little while)

though i've made oatmeal pumpkin cookies, cinnamon rolls, and a chocolate cake since october, i haven't been as busy in the kitchen as i normally am, due to the rather restrictive diet i am on. but, the silver lining to the loss of culinary endeavor has been the increased appetite for non-food projects. the world has suddenly gotten a lot bigger (ha! that sounds funny, like a chef who just realized the world doesn't revolve around food!) and, i am AMAZED at how much i accomplished this past few months! i've had a blast, and am so thankful to the Lord for keeping my mind busy and my hands fruitful.

new pillows: they're reversible, the two different sides showing here. amy butler fabric, of course, leftover from my quilt (see below). :)

these i recovered from some old summer pillows that were looking shabby. they're also reversible, the opposite sides showing on the couch in the pics below. i wanted fall and winter-ish pillows to accent the solid red. it gives the room a needed softness and whimsy.

baby "what-not" cloths. used for burping, changing, cuddling, whatever really. i made a few for some friends earlier this year, and got my mom into helping me make some more. i love the cheery, vintage fabric! but getting it sewn to the soft, knobby blue backing was a trick! but thanks to my mom's tenacious pinning, we got through several sets in no time. i plan to sell some "what-nots" to some local gift shops.

wreath. i didn't make this. but i did get it at cost plus for a screamin' deal! and it really jollys up the front door.

my brand labels for my new "business". :) i'm not super serious (yet) about this crafting business, but thought i'd start with local shops and etsy, and see how i like it. i think i'll be dabbling in "what-nots" and other baby items for now. i might expand the inventory later.

my quilt! i finally got this together! made from scraps and fat quarters of amy butler and heather bailey fabrics. i followed amy butler's Lotus "brick path" quilt pattern for the front, and then constructed my own pieced backing. i'm waiting for my mum to get her quilting machine up and running to finish it off in a wide meander.

backside

top

just finished reading this. first read it in adolescence. loved it even more this time. i'll be devouring the rest of the series before long.

extremely fingerless gloves. these were fun to knit, but difficult since i didn't know what i was doing and didn't have a pattern. got really frustrated trying to figure out the thumb hole, and then my MIL came to the rescue and showed me how to overcome, and we spent the evening making fingerless gloves in front of the fire while our guys played with iphones and laptops. i'm not savvy yet with knitting. i just ordered a fingerless glove pattern for crochet on etsy, recommended by bethany hicks (thanks, bethany!). i hope it might be easier and faster.

went to our montly ladies' gig at our church and made soy candles. interesting process. this one smells like frankincense (sp?).

currently reading and loving.

my grainless cinnamon rolls, recipe by my nutritionist pat adams. they were delicious (remember, my dessert palette has been tried and necessarily expanded these days!), and joe surely wasn't daunted by them. :)