My Favorite Yearly Birthday Gift

 My Favorite Yearly Birthday Gift

The Advent Calendar by Stitch Supple Co.

Happy Birthday to me!

#62

It's The Most Wonderful Time of The Year ...

 It's The Most Wonderful Time of The Year ...

My birth month! hahaha!

#62

Are You Ready to Rumble ...

 Are You Ready to RUMBLE ...

#iceicebaby

I rounded out the Thanksgiving weekend with a great evening with friends at a Knoxville Ice Bears Hockey game. 

My Girl

 My Girl

My girl and I have been sharing one adventure after another the past few months. We've learned how to weave baskets, how to make mosaic lamps, and use a knitting machine to make a hat but a couple of weeks ago we decided that a Sunday morning brunch was the ticket.

My Girl had never been to Chesapeake's, a local eatery that my girl mentioned she had never been to so that is where we went.

Crusty fresh bread, crab stuffed mushrooms, champagne cocktails, and an amazing surf n turf. Topped off with key lime pie and white chocolate macadamia banana pudding.

And time spent with my girl is always the best!

I managed to snag one of the Dunkin Donut's WICKED tins full of munchkins. Munchkins are my girls favorite.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to snag one of the Starbucks bears.

HAHAHAHA!!! I couldn't have said it better myself!

😎😎😎

Adult children are so much fun!

Festival of Tables

 Festival of Tables

What a blessing, I spent a wonderful evening with friends in fellowship at East Maryville Baptist Church.

Me and the ladies

The tables were decorated differently by members of the church and they were all so beautiful and thoughtfully decorated. We were asked to vote on our favorite tablescape and it was so fun walking around looking at all of the tables and talking with everyone.

The gentlemen of the church served us an amazing and delicious dinner ... and I chose carrot cake for dessert. It did not disappoint.

It was a wonderful evening from beginning to end. Sherree Bowen the guest speaker was so uplifting and encouraging. And, I enjoyed seeing and spending time with sweet friends.

It was a powerful evening.

Inspiration and a Super Moon

 Inspiration and a Super Moon

Fall gloriousness continues, thank goodness, it's time to finish up some homemade gifts for the holidays.

I made a few candles earlier in the year and I really enjoyed it. Which has inspired me to make a few for the holidays.

I saw this cute little mug rug on instagram and I'm considering making a few of these.

They are so cute!

Earlier in the month we were blessed with an amazing and truly beautiful Super Moon and somehow this was also very inspiring for me.

Beautiful Fall

 Beautiful Fall

This year I have enjoyed one of the most beautiful Fall seasons in a while.

The weather has been amazing, typical cool evenings and morning with warmer days. The leaves have been so beautiful this year. We've had a long leaf peeping season without much wind, rain, or storms. It really has been spectacular. 

I've worked hard on completing my first ever knitted sweater. I've taken a class on knitting a hat on a knitting machine. I started crocheting my daughter's 2026 Easter basket. I've started a new job and job training. I've had foggy mornings spent having coffee, and just enjoyed the season. I'm thankful for all of it.

Chocolate Milk

 Chocolate Milk

... and Grits in a bowl. There is a place where my sister lives in South Georgia where you can get grits in a cup. You can get your grits with cheese, bacon, sausage, eggs, any combination of those, or just plain grits.

Cheesy sausage and fried egg grits in a bowl with my favorite Nesquik Chocolate milk.

With the weather turning cooler a bowl of grits is a perfect weekend breakfast. This breakfast brings back lots of nice memories along with being comforting and delicious.

 

Leaf Peeper

Leaf Peeper

👀

It's that time of year where the leaves here in Tennessee really put on a beautiful show. I absolutely love this time of year.

These photos are trees in my yard and neighborhood. I took these this morning.

We had rain in the night so I knew I needed to get some photos before all the leaves have fallen.

Makers Gonna Make Make Make

 Makers Gonna Make Make Make

Knitting machine hat making ...

The last Saturday in October my daughter and I took a knitting machine class at our favorite local yarn shop.

The Bees Knits

We had a great time! If you have never been to The Bees Knits you are missing out. The shop is full of beautiful yarns and anything you might need for your projects.

Classes, project ideas, and private lessons should you prefer.

We picked up yarn for our newest project 

The Sophie Shawl by PetiteKnit

Pictured here with our newly machine knitted hats.

All Hallows Eve

 All Hallows Eve

The veil is thin, time to honor our loved ones who have passed, and to carve a pumpkin or two.

I spent an evening earlier in the week at my daughter's home carving pumpkins. We shared dinner and a tasty pumpkin roll dessert, champagne cocktails, and a great time carving our pumpkins.

Here we go ...

Pumpkin guts .... hahahaha!

Pumpkin roll ... tasty dessert

Here they are ...

Carved pumpkins ready for Halloween

Gardening Goals

 Garden Goals

For several years I have been wanting to build my backyard into a gardening haven of vegetables, herbs, and fruits ...

and year after year I fail miserably.

In the coming year, I have decided that I am going to focus on a small doable area. My inspiration comes for this book.

I've been complying the types of vegetables, herbs, and fruits I would like to grow. Along with some garden elements I would like to implement. Then this coming spring it is my thought to establish one garden element at a time. 

Once that garden element is fully established, I will add another ... and so on

Maybe 2026 will be my backyard gardening year!

NEWS

 NEWS

I have a new job and it starts today!

I now work for TK Elevator. I accepted the position of Sales Coordinator - Service.

I will be working again with a few people that I once worked with in the elevator industry. I'm very excited about this new opportunity.

Lunchbox Lady

 Lunchbox Lady

After 4 plus years of taking my lunch to work in a floral insulated Marshall's lunchbox, find I have purchased a brand new lunchbox.

💖

***Note ... I didn't get a picture of the old lunchbox before tossing it in the trash, but after 4 plus years of use you can imagine what it looked like. It has seen much much better days.***

THE NEW LUNCHBOX

I know ... why am I so excited about a new lunchbox?

Well, apparently I get emotionally attached to my lunchboxes. Keep in mind that I had my previous lunchbox for over 4 years.

Nope, this photo is not upside down.

My lunchbox arrived with the manufactures tag attached upside down.

I like it! 

This lunchbox, of course, is an Amazon find.

Joymee Lunch Bag Women Insulated Lunch Box Reusable Leakproof Large Spacious Tote for Women Men Adult with Bottle Holder and Side Pockets for Work Picnic Travel - Navy Blue

Visit the Joymee Store

Side pockets

One for the my insulated coffee cup and one for my water bottle.

Hydrations is so important.

Insulated, large but not too large, sturdy and square.

And Navy Blue!

What's not to love?

Who doesn't love a new lunchbox?

💖

Puzzling

 Puzzling

I enjoy puzzles, and recently I purchased a few things that make puzzling more fun.

Working on puzzles is very relaxing. It relaxes the mind.

I purchased this puzzle board with a thin plastic cover on Amazon.

1500 Pieces Rotating Puzzle Board with 4 Drawers,34.25"x25.2" Portable Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle Table with Lazy Susan Spinning Cover for Adults

Brand: BuilderButler

Prepper

 Prepper

... of sorts

Over the weekend I prepared several 2 quart size crockpot meals to put in my freezer. I enjoy being able to put dinner in my crockpot before I leave for work and come home to a nice hot meal ready to plate.

I'm getting much better about prepping meals in advance. I shudder to think of all of the food I have wasted and/or thrown away because I didn't get around to preparing it before it spoiled.

Waste not Want not