But I get positively giddy when I drive past a gas station these days.  Today, I found gas for $1.88 a gallon! My joy is indescribable.

A few years ago, I got all prophetic and declared we would never see gas fall below $2 again. But look at us now! I have to physically resist the urge to stop at every gas station. I keep wanting to just "top it off," in case prices sky rocket again tomorrow.

I know, I should be shrinking my carbon footprint and using less oil and all of that.  But I just can't imagine shuttling my two children on to a bus to drop the oldest off at school. For one, I imagine we'd accumulate far too many tardy slips.

We are those sort of people, the ones who use our vehicles as a second home/storage facility.  The other day we arrived at school in a panic.  For weeks, there'd been one purple tennis shoe riding around in the back seat, while the other was somewhere in the house.  Yesterday, my daughter grabbed the second tennis shoe from her room, believing its mate was still waiting in the car.  When we arrived at school with one shoe on, the other purple shoe was nowhere to be found. 

Seriously, I have no idea what one does when one shows up for school with only one shoe. On a rainy day, no less.

Fortunately, I found the shoe. It was in the front seat--under the umbrella, my winter coat, the baby's diaper bag and last week's mail.

Still, we were tardy.

I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but I'm a huge fan of handmade gifts. In my world, it means a lot when someone sits down and takes the time to create something for me.

Imagine my excitement when I received this lovely birthday gift today from my friend N!  Wait 'til you see what's inside:

Isn't this the prettiest sewing kit you've ever seen? Where does one find such tiny scissors? And see that little measuring tape folded in there? 

It even has safety pins. I always need safety pins, and I never have them! There's also a page with assorted buttons.

Now I'm feeling quite behind on N's birthday gift. 

It's a good thing I've snapped out of my sewing slump.

That's right. Projects are actually getting completed! I spent last Friday cleaning the office/sewing room, and it has become my sanctuary again.  

I was so inspired by my clean space that I committed to producing some items for the school's Christmas shop.  It's a gift shop filled with donated items (i.e. my criss cross coasters, maybe some totes and boxy little pouches) that children can purchase (for a minimal amount) to give their parents for Christmas.  Parents, of course, are not allowed in, lest it ruin the surprise. 

And we know that coasters are a hot item, despite Mr. Plaid's lukewarm feelings toward them.

I had this remnant left over from an apron I made myself last year.  One of my very first projects ever.  I thought it'd be fun to make a set of coordinated, but not matchy-matching coasters.  I used the Bend the Rules Sewing coaster version.  I backed them in a solid yellow.  Very fun.

 

These, I think, are my favorite. I love the fabrics. In fact, these are scraps left over from a purse I made myself.  The Artsy Clutch, also from BTRS.

I love productivity!

Mr. Plaid got me a serger last week for my birthday! I'm crazy excited about it. I remember reading a couple of articles about all of the wonderful things one can do with a serger, but now that I have it, I'm absolutey stumped.  And I can't find the article, which I think was in an issue of Sew News...

Anyone have any idea where to start? I've got it all set up, just waiting to be used.  I practiced on some scraps, but I'm itching to do something productive.  I'm also waiting on The Complete Serger Handbook to arrive (Amazon prime...should be here any day now!)

But until then, I need projects, people! I'd love your recommendations.

We made our annual trip to Rombach's Pumpkin Patch this weekend, and it was an absolutely beautiful day. I just love fall, with its crisp air and early sunsets. Love it! 

I've been to a couple of other patches around here, and some of them have better attractions for the kids.  But Rombach's is our favorite. Maybe because it's the pumpkin patch where our fall family tradition began some 5 years ago.  Maybe because it is indeed the best patch in the area.  

Last year's crop was awful.  Most of the pumpkins were rotting in the fields. Very disappointing.  This year, the field pumpkins had already been cut from the vines and were just sitting there waiting to be hauled back to the parking lot. The purpose of the precut vines, I think, was probably so the pumpkins didn't rot again this year in the warmish weather.  But, still, it felt a little silly walking out to the fields to "pick" a pumpkin...

The patch really isn't that far from our house, and I'm relatively certain the air composition is 98% identical.  Nonetheless, it somehow feels fresher out there in the middle of all those pumpkins. It feels more like fall. 

Here's the thing: I'm not going to insult your intelligence with ridiculous apologies and excuses about how busy things are with a half-day kindergartner that I shuttle twenty minutes (one way!) to and from school.  Or explanations about how I just don't seem to have any time in my afternoons for blogging. Or lame whatevers about not feeling all that crafty right now.  None of that.

But I'm back, hopefully for good, so I hope there's still someone out there!

Because if you're out there, you're going to want to go buy this:

Isn't this great? It's the perfect tablecloth that I'm always scouring for at thrift stores and garage sales. Nevermind that it matches nothing in my house. You can find it at Pony Party.

Also from Pony Party, and I would buy them right now, if I didn't think Mr. Plaid would object.  But, accomodating as he is, I don't think Mr. Plaid would welcome these birds into our home the way I would.

And I'm thinking of switching out our melamine plates. These are enamel coated tin (or something).  Melamine freaks me out, just a little, given that it contains formaldehyde. Which freaks me out a lot.  The chances of any of that getting into our bodies? Not sure. Because it's not like we're grinding up the plates and putting the melamine into our milk.

I'm a frequent Target shopper.  Too frequent. Creepy frequent.

I stalk the clearance sections. I refuse to buy something at a 30% markdown. If it's meant to be, I know it will still be there for me when it goes to 50 percent.  And chances are, it will be there for me, because I check every other day. Pathetic? Maybe. But there are serious bargains to be had.

Tonight these recipe cards were finally at 75 percent. They were less than $2 a box! A pack of 48 uber-classy recipe cards! It's craziness.  I bought every box they had.  You'll notice they're still going for $7.99 on the website.  

I have big plans for these guys come Christmas. Go. Now. Buy some!

(It just dawned on me this post is going to ruin my Christmas gift plan.  If potential recipients read this post, they're going to find out I'm cheap.)

Incidentally, school supplies, lunch boxes and backpacks were finally marked down to 50% this week. Of course, the cute thermos I'd been stalking was already gone. But see, I'm okay with that. Clearly wasn't meant to be mine. 

Bargain stalking, it's all very zen.