Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! Looks like we've made it to the end of the month already which means it's time to celebrate one of the funnest holidays of the year! I had high hopes for lots of decorating to go on this year but just didn't seem to make it happen  - so here's a sweet little pumpkin I carved a few years back instead:

It isn't quite as impressive as the dozen or so pumpkins my mom likes to carve every year, but he does the trick and since I don't have any carving tools (or the wrist strength to do any pumpkin gutting) I will just keep milking off the carving I did three years ago until I feel motivated to carve again.  I was motivated enough to buy a little plastic pumpkin (oh I know, such hard effort involved) and put one of my succulents in him for some end of the month festiveness! Take a peek:

Hehe! Isn't he a smiley chap? It also involved zero wrist strain, no mess, and can be used from year to year! What a win! I am dressing up in my fox costume today for work and am looking forward to seeing what creative costumes other people have come up with. I tried really hard to convince one of my favourite customers to come to work dressed up since he told me he went as "Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory dressed up as The Doppler Effect" (here's a link to the episode clip if you haven't seen it)! Maybe Matt will humour me and make some nice Doppler Effect noises for me regardless of costume... What are you doing to celebrate Halloween today? Trick or treating with the wee ones? Handing out candy? Dressing up as something spooky? Details please! 

foxy

I finally got around to taking some pictures of the fox costume I freestyle crocheted for Halloween and I am oh so thrilled with how it turned out! Turns out my skills weren't all that rusty and I whipped up something on my first try! Hooray! Take a peek at the fox ear headband I made:

Okay, that picture sort of looks like a sad clown/frog face, but I'm sure you get the point. I think the headband will be nice and cool for my work day and I figure if the ears start slipping I can always throw some bobby pins in there for good measure. I am particularly happy with how the ears turned out too! I did two orange triangles, then sewed on a smaller offwhite triangle for the center of the ear, and sewed on some black bits for the tips. Here's a better front and back view for you:

Next it was tail time! Jim told me to take the tail the same length as my body and since I didn't want it to be too heavy (which would be awkward for wearing all day) I didn't make it too thick. After making a big long orange cone, I topped it with some scallop-y white tail bit that I did loads of increasing and decreasing on to get a little flip at the end. Lastly I just had to make a little hoop to attach it to the belt, stuff it, and tie up the loose ends! Here she is:

Hehe! What a fun craft project that was! I will have to try to get some pictures of this baby in action on Halloween! Yipee! What are you dressing up as for Halloween this year? Do you get lots of trick-or-treat-ers in your parts? 

How does your Hamish grow?

While Fraser was here this past weekend for my cousin's memorial service he was thrilled to see that I didn't manage to kill anything while he was gone!  Fraser was doing such a good job of taking care of the fish and plants this summer that when it was time for him to go away on his practicum he was a little concerned he would return to a house of dead things. Well apparently our fish and plants are okay at dealing with my neglect and, in fact, Hamish (my lovely milking cactus) has even thrived! I hadn't even realized how tall he was getting until Fraser pointed it out so I thought I better share my excitement:

OoOo! What a good boy he's been! Here are some pics from past posts (link and link) so how his wonderful progress! I bought him in May, successfully moved him to the coast in Septmeber and by December he had already outgrown his third shelf height and needed to be moved to the top! 

Looks like it's time to figure out a new home for this pal - but since we're heading into the coastal winter (meaning no sun and loads o' rain), he shouldn't be moved too far from our only source of natural light. Hmm...looks like I've got a few weeks to decide since there is still about a centimetre before he actually hits the ceiling:

Oh my! I am pretty stoked that I haven't killed him off yet, and think I need to only purchase hearty plants like Hamish in the future. How about you? Are you good with house plants? Any suggestions for me? 

My new best friend

So remember how I told you I have been attending health classes at the Arthritis Centre here in Victoria? Well...I have. They're every Wednesday and cover a whole bunch of topics and taught by a collection of nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and social workers.  I am a good 40 years younger than everyone else at the course, but so far it has been very positive and informative! It is so nice to be around peers (er...sort of peers?) that have dealt with similar health problems and makes me (once again) appreciate how awesome it is to live in Canada with our public health care system! Hooray!

Last week we learned about pain management and got to chat about all the different ways to cope with chronic pain.  I have been on and off a whole slew of different medications to help with my rheumatoid/lupus pain over the last four years with not a whole lot of luck.  Most rheumatic drugs have awful side effects and I've come to the point in my treatment where the side effects outweigh the benefits and the medications I am on work mediocrely and don't turn me into a zombie.  I think this may have been my favourite class yet and I came home with a whole handout of techniques to try to help deal with pain! How fun! I was also introduced to my new best friend in pain management - capsaicin cream:

My goodness this stuff is a dream! I read a whole bunch of scientific articles about to learn more about its high claims on helping with muscle, joint, and nerve pain and it is pretty legit.  Who would have thought that one little spicy pepper molecule would be so wonderful?  It has already worked wonders on my knees, wrists, and fingers and has even decreased my fibromyalgia "feels like my thighs and upper arms are permanently sore and bruised" pain! Apparently it only gets better with time too - but it does involve a whole lot of careful hand washing because that stuff is potent. Oh, and don't worry Lindsay, you haven't been replaced by a $22 bottle of cream...I'm just a tad over excited...

One Small Box

I've got a full house this weekend as my entire family is here visiting to attend a memorial service for my late cousin.  I'm not one to sap up the blog, so instead I thought I'd share this  very content and chubby kitty:

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Looks like he's found just the right box - and is somewhat similar to my living room that is currently full of beds and people! Happy Saturday! 

Friday Find: Kitty Wigs

Today's find is brought to us by a lovely email sent to me by Lindsay.  After all, who doesn't need to buy a nice wig for their cat? Check out these beauties:

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With lots of colours and shapes to chose from Kitty Wigs (link) is sure to suit all your feline do needs and if nothing else is very entertaining to check out. I'm not sure if I'm about to shell out $65 plus shipping for one of these yet (especially since I don't have a cat)...but the links are there in case you're in a buying mood! Happy Friday! 

Need more bouncing cats too...

Lately I've been struggling with life.  No matter what I try to do I just can't seem to get enough done in a day and find that something always gets left out. It's almost as though I can only handle a few things on my plate and once I finally get a handle on those I realize how much other stuff I've pushed aside that needs attention! Currently I'm focusing on dealing with chronic illness and not much else. I've been taking a health class at the Arthritis Center here in Victoria and each week I'm introduced to new topics to help me on my journey.  Being healthy is extra important and I figure  if I can get that on track it will be much easier to have everything else fall in line.  That being said I know I can't do it all...but I do like to aim high. 

On another note - check out this website (link). There's nothing like a screen full of bouncing kitties to perk me up out of all sorts of miserable moods. I mean look how cute those cats are in this screen shot:

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Eep! They're even cuter when they're bouncing all over too! Hehe! A little fuzz therapy is always welcome in my books. How about yours?

we could always use more pom poms

You know what I'd love more of in my life? Hours in the day! Since that doesn't seem very practical or likely - pom poms are the answer! Who doesn't love a little happy yarn fluff to brighten up a rainy fall day? Just look how darling these pom pom bookmarks are from Design Mom (link):

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Oh I just can't handle their cuteness! I especially like how they look in a big stack like that (and all the fun colours they chose)! Oh my! Looks like I've got yet another project on my list (and even fewer hours in the day to do it in!) Happy Wednesday! 

Don't Mess with the Guy on a Buffalo-oh

My roommate Jim finds much joy trying to annoy me with his singing. He kept going on and on about "a guy oh a buffalo!" and told me I needed to go to you tube to fully understand. So I did...and this is the result:

Why yes, that is ridiculously silly and catchy. Looks like you've won this round Jim...this round...

Ghostie Decor

While I was busy working away on my Halloween costume (and watching my new favourite show - Downton Abbey), I realized that I didn't get around to scheduling blog posts for the week like I usually do on Sundays. Oh dear! The good news is I did manage to get my costume done (yipee) and since I was in a very festive mood I thought I'd share this adorable ghost garland from Wild Olive (link):

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Isn't it just perfect? I love the simple shapes and (of course) wide set eye smiles! Also, much like all projects I love posting about, it is quick, simple, and I happen to have all the supplies on hand! How perfect! Now to figure out the perfect placement and whip this baby up for myself. What do you think? Do you decorate for Halloween? 

Dressing your cat

I'm not sure if you've popped by pusheen.com lately - but their cat halloween costumes are just lovely. Take a peek at a few:

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Now if only my Halloween costume would as cute and lazy! I've been spending the weekend crocheting away on my fox costume - and boy oh boy are my hands ever sore. I forgot how tense my fingers get from hours of amigurumi! Hopefully I will be able to finish it in time for the 31st but only time will tell. I also really wish I had a cat to dress up in costumes (even if it isn't for halloween). Does that count as pet abuse? I hope not...

Already?

Is it just me or does the xmas stuff seem to come out earlier and earlier each year. Sure Costco had trees out in August, but when I went out grocery shopping this Thursday I discovered that Superstore had all their festiveness on! Trees, decorations, wrapping - the works. Perhaps Canada is trying to take after our neighbours to the south and roll it all out right after Thanksgiving? Isn't it pushing it a bit? There were isles upon isles of holiday cheer vomited all over the right half of the store.  Although I am certainly not prepared to start thinking about the holidays, I was pleasantly surprised by this very lovely ugly xmas sweater inspired tray I spotted:

I am a such sucker for browsing the kitchen section and I tend to have an especially soft spot for trays.  Luckily I am fully stocked on trays at home (which I use all the time for working on crafts on the couch) so this was wasn't necessary but I do enjoy the knit motif.  I've also decided that taking pictures of things I like in stores is a great alternative to buying them. It let's me share and enjoy their cuteness, is remarkably less costly, and ends with me not having a house full of things I never get to use (especially holiday stuff that only comes out for one month of the year). What a plan!

So what do you think? How do you feel about stores putting out holiday merchandise in October? Am I the only one that feels like it's ridiculous? Would you have resisted the $14 knit deer tray?

Friday Find: Lucie Veilleux

Today's find comes to us courtesy of Trisha from Vernellies (link)! She interviewed Lucie Veilleux (link) as part of her "buy handmade" series a few days ago and I loved it so much I wanted to include it as our Friday Find! Just check out how amazing Lucie's jewelry is (and how sweet this collage is from Trisha):

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Oh my! I love the texture, shapes, and juxtaposition Lucie works into her pieces and am especially fond of that amazing acorn pendant in the middle there! Ah! So lovely! So take a moment and check out Lucie's Etsy shop (link), or pop over to Trisha's blog and read the interview (link)! Heck - you can even do both like I did and tell me which piece is your favourite! Happy Friday! 

Some new tags

This summer I made some wooden acorn and mushroom necklaces to add to my table at craft shows.  They were super fun to whip up and I loved mixing up muted paint colours to make them all a little different. Take a peek:

Unfortunately their large size means they would cost an arm and a leg to ship and makes them less than ideal for my Etsy shop (darn that 2cm rule at Canada Post)! I figured since I had quite a few left over from the markets (and don't have any craft sales set up for the fall/winter), I could send some off as part of a consignment package at the Art Gallery!  Looks like it's time to make some packaging for these babies since they'd need a spot to put their barcode and price tag in the shop! Hooray for a new challenge! I decided to raid my packaging supplies and came up with this washi tape/bakers twine/recycled cardstock/url stamp concoction:

Well it certainly seems to do the trick and is quite similar to these tags (link) I made for some polymer clay pendants back in the spring.  I really like how the polka dots play up on the mushroom spots and how the floral on top ties it all in the nature theme of the necklaces! So perhaps I am over-thinking things a smidge, but after all packaging is all about the details.  Here's to hoping the necklaces do well this winter! What do you think of my new tags? Do you dabble in packaging? 

loves me some llama

When I saw this lovely image over on Jen's blog (Red Parka) I just had to post it (link)! I mean - who doesn't love a llama riding in a car in 1957? Just look at that face:

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Yup - I sure do love me some llama. This also gives me the opportunity to point you over to that side bar which links to nine lovely ladies' amazing blogs! I'm lucky enough to have them keeping me company on my homepage and keeping me entertained with witty, crafty, sometimes hilarious posts like Jen's plethora of cool finds. Yup. My sponsors rock. Happy Wednesday (unofficial llama riding in a car day!) Yay!

More Felt Feather Earrings

As you probably know by now (unless you're new that is), I am a huge fan of working with wool felt! I pretty much try to work felt into all sorts of different craft projects and a few years ago started making jewelry out of that most wonderful medium in the form of felt feather earrings (oh look! here's the link to the nov 2010 post)! I was certain that their $12 price point, hand stitched loveliness, and fun feathery jewel tones would be a huge hit at craft shows but like many of the items I whip up, customers didn't love them quite as much as I do and they sold mediocrely. I did, however, land one heck of a sweet consignment deal with one of my most favourite shops in Kelowna and these babies sold like hot cakes there! Woo hoo! Well, it's been two full years since I started making them and while I was putting together a package of goodies to ship to the Kamloops Art Gallery (to put in their expanded holiday shop), I thought I'd refresh the stocks with a few new hand crafted wonders! Check out these felty colour combinations:

I had a great time picking which tones would work best together and tried to stick to colour schemes that have been most popular in my crafty history. It could be fall calling to me, but this rust and oxblood pair is particularly pleasing in my books. Here's a close up:

Aren't they fun? I do fear those might blend in a little too well with my red hair, but sometimes some subtle monochromatic tones are just what the doctor ordered! Even though these pairs on on their way to new homes in the interior (or at least to the shelves of the KAG), I am considering making a few more new pairs to put up in my etsy shop! With all the craft shows, daily blog posts, and general stresses/health issues of life I haven't had a ton of spare time to allot to etsy updates but since I couldn't get into any of the winter sales here (darn their year wait lists) I figure I should be able to get a few new items on there.  These earrings are even quite practical to list since shipping won't cost an arm and a leg for them (much unlike pretty much any of my crafts that are thicker than 2cms)!  What do you think? What colour of felt earrings tickle your fancy? 

Gluten Free Carrot Spice Muffin/Cupcakes

Once in a while I feel the urge to do a little baking. This usually ends in disaster (for me) since I really cannot tolerate gluten (at all) and always seem to binge on whatever sweet treats I've decided to bestow upon the world.  Instead of instantly regretting my home cooked efforts, I decided to make a gluten free recipe for a change and it turned out amazingly delicious! Just look at the scrumptiously non-belly-ache-inducing carrot cupcake: 

Just like all great baked goods out there it even seems sort of healthy! I modified a muffin recipe for this batch that doesn't include any butter or oil - but then I threw some cream cheese icing on there...so I figure it has been upgraded from "muffin" to "cupcake" status. Seemed appropriate. Onto the Recipe:

Gluten Free Carrot Cupcakes (makes 24 cupcakes)

- 2 2/3 cup gluten free flour alternative (I find mixing flours works best so I used a mix of mostly quinoa flour with some chickpea and almond flours in there)
- 2 tsps baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- a dash of other fall spices (I used cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger)
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts, almonds, and pecans)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 1/3 cup plain yogurt (I used some Island Farms simply 2% that was lovely)
- 4 1/2 cups grated carrots 

Preheat oven to 350 F. Put muffin cups in muffin tins. Combine flour, b.power, b.soda, salt, and spices in a medium bowl. Stir in raisins and nuts and set aside. Whisk together eggs, sugar, and yogurt in a large bowl. Stir in the enormous amount of grated carrot. Fold the flour mixture into the carrot mash with a spatula. Scoop the batter evenly into the 24 muffin cups and make for ~20-25 minutes. Remove from oven when you can insert a toothpick in the center an it comes out clean (you know, like you do with cake) they are good! Let cool!

Cream Cheese Icing (perfect amount for the 24 cupcakes)

- 1 (8oz) package of cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar

Mix together the cream cheese and butter until uniform and creamy. Slowly stir in the icing sugar (I did 1/4 cup at a time). Then add in the vanilla and you're ready to ice those muffins! I sprinkled a cinnamon and sugar mix on the top when I was done for extra pleasant presentation value. 

Nummers! That's about it - if you have any questions about the cupcakes just let me know and I'd be happy to assist you. Oh and if you make some I'd be willing to help you eat them too...just sayin'...

Wild Olive's Pumpkin Book Band

I'm always a sucker for cute embroidery felt projects from Wild Olive and this book band is no exception (link)! Just look at that smile:

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Adorable! Not to mention how quick, simple, and useful it is! Ah! Such a sweet project! I particularly like how it reminds me of my dear friend Lindsay since she is the only person I can think of that has ever actually used a book band on a regular basis. Of course hers was actually just a headband (duel usage?) but I love the idea of a homemade one! OoOo! I could make one to go on my "one sentence journal" I bought this Janurary (link)! After all I do plan on using that thing for the next four years and am actually managing to stick to writing something every day so that in itself deserves some sort of reward if you ask me! What do you think? Ever used a book band? 

Saturday Earrings

Remember that post I did a while back about those ultra simple earrings that were totally my kind of project (link)? Well unlike the majority of craft projects that make it to my "to do" list and then I never actually manage to get around to - I did this one! Yay! I even photographed it and put together my own little three step DIY for you! Hooray! Let's go!

Like most crafters out there, you probably already have some of these materials. I only had the pliers, but after a quick stop to Victoria's best bead shop (which is Bead World in Market Square as far as I'm concerned) I was ready to go! I did spend a good five minutes drooling over all the seed bead colours though...but otherwise it was a pretty quick and painless process! Onto the second step...

Okay, I may have compressed the making process into one giant step - but it is just so easy! Make sure you don't bend that end piece of the wire too sharply or it will be hard fitting that part in your ear when it comes to the third step...

Yay! As it happens I am quite the overachiever (or easily addicted crafter if you will) and threw in an optional fourth step!

Hooray! Wasn't that fun? I now have a million pairs of these (seriously...you should see the ones I didn't photograph) and have already given a few away! I figure they are the perfect Saturday project because (yup, list time):

1) it gives you an excuse to go shopping (for supplies)
2) they are ridiculously easy
3) you can finish them up in a matter of minutes and feel like you've been productive! 

Yeah! The perfect start to a weekend! Happy Saturday! Let me know how the earring making goes...

Friday Find: Fair Store

Guess what!? It's fall! With the cooler weather headed our way this time of year (well...for those of us in the upper Northern Hemisphere anyways), it's time to bring out the layers and bring on the scarves! I happen to be a huge scarf endorser and am particularly fond of a "doesn't confuse me with ends and tying" circle scarf! Yay! Since Victoria has finally decided to embrace fall (it has been summer more or less here all month), I thought I'd share the etsy shop Fair Store (link) that is full to the brim with this perfect fall staple! Here's my personal fave:

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Ah! I figure it would make a perfect bird watching scarf! Well, it might actually be a bit bold for stealthy nature watching - but it is great for bird endorsing right? Birds (and teal) not your thing? Not to worry. There are ten whole pages of scarves to browse. What are your feelings on circle scarves? Any favourites? 

DIY Car Fresheners

I, much like most people (especially women) out there, like things to smell pleasant.  Unfortunately with all the challenges living life throws at you, things often do not smell so lovely and I enjoy doing what little things I can to make the air more enjoyable to be in.  That being said - I am equally disgusted by strong perfume and overpowering air fresheners so I guess I should clarify my original statement and say that I like things to smell subtly pleasant. Yes. That's better.

About two years ago my subtle home scenting obsession came to life when my sister and I were out together at the mall. The Body Shop was having one of their "buy a whole bunch and save tons" sales they tend to have and Leslie suggested we smell all their aromatherapy bottles. Well they were amazing and such a bargain (oh and throw in some sisterly peer pressure) so I bought  a handful and was hooked. I've since progressed from a votive system to a fancy aromatherapy diffuser and am head over heels for the amazing (and local!) essential oil blends from Escents (link)! Hooray! And after that dreaded maple bacon marathon Fraser and Jim went on I must say I am enjoying coming home to a subtly fresh and pretty smelling home all the more these days. 

Well - when I saw this neat post over at Crating a Green World for a DIY wool felt car air freshener (link) I just had to spill the beans about my subtle scent obsession so you could fully understand my excitement for this craft! Take a peek:

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Oh it is just perfect! I mean what's not to love? It's ridiculously simple (and speedy), it involves my most favourite craft medium (felt), and leaves you with a nice (subtle) smelling car! OoOo! Heck you could even throw a little embroidered wide set eye smiley face on there and make it all the better! Now the tough decision...what shape should I make to hang with our car pal Beauregard (link)? What do you think? How do you feel about air freshening? 

Homemade Foxy Halloween

Isn't Lindsay just the best for keeping your company while I was off sick? I think so! Now that I'm back (and still a wee bit woozy) I thought I'd start off my posting with what crafty adventures I've been dreaming up! First on the list - Halloween! It's October now and since I bombed on the costume front last year, I figure I need to pull something off for work this time around. I waffled around with a few options and after a nice process of elimination (and look in my closet) I've decided to be a fox this year! Not just any fox either - an amigurumi one! Time to get some orange yarn and my 5mm crochet hook out to make myself some handcrafted foxy ears and tail.  I'm confident with that my free styling hook skills are good enough that I don't need a pattern - but I certainly enjoyed gaining a little inspiration from some crafty foxes on etsy:

(1, 2, 3, 4, and 5)

Aren't they fun? I love different things about each of the listings I showed above so I figure I can meld them into some sort of yarn fox concoction that will suit my costume needs! I'm going to skip out on any plans for a full toque hat and figure a nice hair band with fox ears will mix into my already red/orange hair quite nicely. Then I've just got to figure out some makeshift tail that I can pin on and I'm golden! Oh, throw in some tights, and orange dress and red cardigan from my closet and voila! Halloween is taken care of! Any thoughts? 

Quilts! Oh My!

Quilts are like a hug from grandma on an autumn evening. 

In the fall I always have the urge to make a quilt of my very own. (oops, lost the link for this one.)

Then I think a cover like this would be lovely (it is a tutorial).

Then I come back to reality and find a quilt that is just the right size!

Hooray for one day crafts!  Hooray for Kate getting back to work tomorrow! Right Kate?

Happy Thanksgiving, Eh.

My weekend has been spent emerssed in family, and food. 
Equally important to traditional turkey fixings is having GF alternatives.
Yesterday's bread saved me from stuffing disaster. 

These cookies, from Gluten Free On A Shoe String were perfect with pie filling and whip cream!

These were surprisingly easy.  They had a hint of chocolate but in a sophisticated way.
I may have made an icream sadwich out of these and it was wanderful. 

This was my 'pie' and let me tell you, I ate the whole thing.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Fresh Bread

There is something about melting butter over oven fresh bread.  It makes me feel safe...errrr I don't have a problem with emotional eating... 

Nom nom nom.

Bread for All!

I am Gluten Free.  I am so used to it that I don't even know how to eat otherwise.  It is rarely a problem.  Until this week.  I ran out of bread.  And flour.  The next day I had a safety training session where "lunch would be provided".  I work at a mine where 1 out of 5 people are women.  So lunch was man food.  Breaded chicken, lasagna, and buns (not to mention muffins for snack).  I would fall apart if I ate that.  I did have a bread mix that I made (in a panic, at 9pm).  My sandwich the next day was awful and reminded me how important good bread is to a GF carb lover. 

I have been meaning to share this recipe with Kate for a good year.  If Kate wants to know about it, there must be more people who long for a hot grilled cheese sandwich that won't make their insides angry.  I am still making modifications to the recipe.  Don't be frightened by all the flours.  I'm super lazy and don't find the process to be too much.   

The recipe, in full is from Saveur, but below is an over view (Purple are my changes). 

1 1/4 cups (170 g) brown rice flour, plus 1 tbsp. for dusting
1 cup (113 g) sorghum flour
1 cup (115 g) tapioca starch (my package said 'tapioca starch flour')
2/3 cup plus 1 tbsp. (85 g) whey powder
2 tbsp. (30 g) sugar
1 1/2 tbsp. (12 g) xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp. (9 g) salt
1 packet (7 g) active dry yeast- sub 1tbsp(ish) Gluten Free yeast-it's cheaper.
2 large eggs (100 g), at room temperature- haha, these are always right from the fridge.
1/4 cup canola oil (85 g), plus more for greasing the pan- I actually do this and the rice bran coating.
1 1/4 cups (284 g) to 1 1/2 cups (340 g) seltzer, at room temperature- I have been known to sub in a ginger ale/water mixture as San Pellegrino isn't typically in my cupboard- it's also cheaper.
1 tsp. rice bran, plus more for coating the pan

The next time I plan on adding apple sauce as I think it could use a little somthin' somthin'.
I also scooped a shower cap from the last hotel I was at and use it as a reusable cover while the bread proofs. 

I'm hoping to make a couple loafs today, so check back to see how they turn out!

The Understudy Is Back (just for the weekend)

Surprise!  The blog is late today.  Kate is sick.  I'm not sure what is ailing her this time as she is the scientific one.  I do know that it usually involves swollen joints, extreme dizziness, and angry insides. 

I'm Lindsay, its nice to meet you.  I'm Kate's friend that lives in Kamloops and fills in from time to time.  I think we should pretend we are already acquainted and talk a little fashion.  Sound good?

Kate has been buying lots of dresses lately.    We both are huge fans of letting our tummies be free to expand.  I love leggings, in particular the ones from Costco (they actually have a bum in them and go right to my waist)!  Lately I have needed a little change to my legging routine  and was browsing through my sister Catherine's pins for inspiration. 

So lets have a look at Catherine's Pins!

It is Navy and Black.  I have never bought navy because I'm worried about clashing.  But how casually comfy is this dress with rolled up sleeves and low boots. 

Link

How cute is this dress?  The colour is tricky.  I'm not sure it would do our favourite red head's skin tone much good.  But the button top, cinched in waist, and flared skirt is almost worth paying shipping to Canada.

Link

Kate and I love dresses and leggings.  What is your favourite outfit or items of clothing you own?

Eep! Sick day! Be back tomorrow (i hope)!

my new mug

Since Fraser is off on his practicum for a few months I decided I needed to buy myself a present to help cheer up all my time alone! Nothing perks up quiet time quite like a cup of tea (and retail therapy) - so I got myself a new tea mug:

Oh it may look a bit plain from that picture, but wait until you see the surprise inside the mug!:

Ahahaha! Why hello little octopus! It isn't quite as charming and handmade as the creature cups I posted about last Friday (link), but just like Alison commented last week - I could pick this one up from the bookstore down the road and skip out on the pricey shipping! Woo woo! Just check out that charming packaging too:

 

Nothing like a few tentacles and an exclamation mark to seal the deal! Mind you, I'm not sure this is a perfect substitute for months without Fraser but it seems to be a pretty sweet temporary fix! Now what to buy next when this wears off....

Dancing Candy Corn!

After yesterday's knit candy corn discussion (link), I just can't seem to get it out of my head! All I feel like doing is mass binging on boatloads of sweet bulk candy corn! Since that is sure to give me one heck of a tummy ache (and really isn't very lady like), I have instead decided to share eternal love for my favourite seasonal candy by creating my very first animated image! Take a peek:

Hoho! Why hello little dancing candy corn! How charming you are! It also appears that you have stolen all my good dance moves! Looks like next time I'm craving a mid afternoon M.C Hammer kitchen dance party I know who I will be calling! Hooray! 

Knit Candy Corn!

Guess what!? October is rolling along and that only means one thing: my most favourite seasonal candy is coming out! Woo candy corn! Now, if I only I could knit...

(source)

...then I would totally make three of these! Aren't they awesome? Nothing says fall quite like some wooly yellow, orange, and white! I love all the projects over at The Purl Bee (link), but these hold an extra special spot in my heart (or at least in my sweet tooth?). They'd be extra fun with some little smiles and feets on them and would really look top notch hanging out on my shelf in the living room. Perhaps I will try a crochet cousin of these babies if I find some extra time one of these days. If not - I am certainly enjoying this image of them and maybe if one of you make them I can vicariously craft with you too! Hooray! What do you think? What's your favourite seasonal candy? 

A scientific culture-y october!

Happy October! Looks like we're in for another month of crafty fun here on the blog - as well as another free printable calendar (link)! This month my glassware decided to be extra festive and dressed up in spooky costumes for you:

you can download me here!

Hooray! So it's really more cute than spooky...but that sort of suits my style so I rolled with it. I am really loving how this month's calendar turned out and I am really getting a hang of all the awesome features in the My Memories digital scrapbook software! Hopefully you enjoy this month's freebie as much as I do and print out your own version and make a little stand for it (using this tutorial I made here!)! Yay! 

As for goings on around here - it is going to be the start of two lonely months while Fraser is off in Kamloops doing his practicum (boo) but I am hoping it will give me extra time for crafty productivity! I'm also starting taking rheumatoid health classes on Wednesdays down at the Arthritis Centre and I can't wait! Heck, maybe I'll even get a haircut for the first time in 11 months! Oh what excitement! What are your plans for October?