Gone Fishing

My dear and talented friend Gina showed me how to can fish this summer.


We caught King Salmon during our Alaskan cruise in June. And Gina shared her secret technique of canning fish.

Now we need to plan a trip to Sitka with Gina and do all day fishing for a few days.

This is such a treat. Only a couple left for Christmas gifts. Jess got his this weekend.

Merry Christmas and happy fishing!

Procrastinate and Win

It was a fun day creating a Halloween costume this year that tied into the theme of the party, 'come as your hero'.

Here was my clever attempt at a hero.



Hero Sandwich with label and all the fixin's.

Just slip it over you like a sandwich board and you've got the costume.

I think the winning category was 'best originality with the theme' or something like that. Oh, the bar code numbers when converted spelled 'happy halloween'.

Heck, I had fun whipping it up that same day as the party.

Oh how I do procrastinate.

If You Can, Do

I have this need to get things done before I go away on any business trip. This project was making pillows for the living room couches.



I'm a fan of finding what is on sale (love the remnant table) and making something that works. Often times I don't know what it will be until that 'ah ha' moment.

Shipping Time?

Almost ready to send off the first batch of Homemade Christmas.


The empty space needs the pfferneuse cookies.

Cookie making will happen tonight after work.

Oh to have more time..

More Making for Christmas

Tammy taught me how to make pickles this year. Gifts will be 'hot' or 'mild'. Really these pickles are as close to dad's as I have ever tasted.




Eye spy Kelly's eye.

Keeps Me Away

Yet another business trip. While the soy flakes were being delivered, I was in Salt Lake City.





What a beautiful view of downtown and the ice rink from my hotel.

Homemade Christmas

Field of Soy Candles

Yesterday was yet another new project. Tammy and I went for it and made soy candles.

Wicks, wick clips, jars, soy wax flakes, pots, ladle, shot glass, scale, and scents; all new to us. Didn't have anything to guide the wick and clip to attach at bottom of the jar. So, I took and cut plumbing tubing so each wick could be threaded. Odd, but it worked.

Most of the time Mariah played a new computer game 'Diner Dash' and Kelly watched Forest Gump. But when it came time to get organized and apply labels they were our helpers. Even Mariah made a label for her candles.


What fun to try something new and hanging out with loved ones. And we were pretty creative with our scented candle names: Morning Brew (cappuccino), Spittin Seeds (cucumber melon), Flower Power (lilac) and so on.

Can't wait to make more and share with family and friends.

Next project is baking pfferneuse cookies.

Here comes the homemade Christmas gifts...