Blogtoberfest!

I joined the Blogtoberfest challenge - the goal of a daily blog, during the month of October.

thanks to Tanya

This week, I received a package from Australia.  What a treat!  I had entered a blog giveaway and received this:

Tanya has a great blog, which has lovely sewing, crocheting, screening and crafty tips and tutorials.  Check her out at http://teeknews.blogspot.com/.  She has a tutorial for the screening and a pattern for this apron on her blog.  Thanks, Tanya.  I'm not sure who will use this apron more, me or my daughter (she said, "oooh, I really like that apron" when I opened the package).

Thinking about the Holidays

Yesterday marked 100 days until Christmas and I started to think about the holidays.  Which gifts do I need to start making?  How will we decorate our home this year?  What supplies will I need so we can craft during the Thanksgiving break?  Will I get my act together so my husband can help me light the outside of our house?  I knew it was time to get started on some holiday projects.
 
I crocheted these for my nieces (soon to turn 4 and 1). 

I'm thinking these will also have some crocheted flowers attached, perhaps lavendar or teal.  I would also like to knit them sweaters to match, but that may be too ambitious (I've only knitted a couple of scarves).  Hmm, more thought needed.

Another project was starting the seeds for Christmas trees.  I have the help of a kit.

 
The seeds and peat moss are soaking now and will get transfered into the fridge for a month-long nap.  I hope we will have sun after that and see a little seedling by the holidays. 

Have you begun your holiday planning?

Moon Festival

Today, I awoke to the brightest and fullest moon of the year.

Although it's listed on our calendar as beginning today, I think the Moon Festival festivities began last night.  If we had not had such a busy weekend, I would have baked mooncakes yesterday with my kids and enjoyed family picnic under this beautiful moon.

This morning, I brought out some of my mooncake molds (they're really for cookies, but I don't bake the large mooncakes)

and "wacked" out some treats for my family. 

Traditionally, these are filled with red bean paste, but I used dried pineapple, coconut flakes and sugar as my filling.

So, what is the Moon Festival?  It is a celebration of the mid-Autumn harvest.  Like Thanksgiving, we gather our family to reflect our gratitude and enjoy the yummy recently harvested crops.  The mooncakes remind us of the folkstory of the Emperor, the Jade Rabbit and Chang'e, the Moon Goddess of Immortality.

I wish you a happy Moon Festival.  Give your loved ones an extra special hug under the moon tonight!

Hello!

Hello, blogging world!  After a year of reading others' blogs, I am excited to dabble in blogging myself. 

I'm a stay-at-home mom of two, who loves to cook and craft.  So, I'm thinking that will be my blogging focus as well.  I hope you enjoy what I have to write and please leave me lots of feedback.