Yay for Monday!

Mondays just might be my new favorite day of the week! tomorrow marks my return to playing hockey on a (i hope) weekly basis! there's a women's drop-in at 9pm - i was going to play last week, but the rink closed early due to the extreme cold. kind of funny, really - too cold for indoor hockey! when's the last time that's happened, i wonder?

we came through the deep freeze just fine. the button on my drivers' side door handle froze solid for four days (i had to reach over from the passenger side to open it), but the Jeep suffered no other ill effects.

on Saturday, i picked up my freshly cleaned and repaired (new bulb, new spring, and new cord insulation) sewing machine from the craft store:

back in April, i picked it up at a garage sale for $10. it worked fine, and came with a carrying case top, the original owners' manual, and all its original parts. it's from the early to mid 1970s and, except for its expanded stitch selection, is the exact same model as my mom's (and hers is still going strong)!

i'm pretty much giddy with excitement!!! the possibilities and projects are endless. ENDLESS! or, they will be, as soon as i learn to thread and use it. (ENDLESSSSS!)

the valentines are coming along nicely. some of the first round are off-center, but that just adds to the homemade charm (right?). i'm dying to post pictures, but some of you will be on the receiving end of these, so for now, a picture of the raw materials will have to do:

mmmmmmmmmmmm. i love candy-colored things!

i've come to realize that i'm happiest when i get an hour or so of creative time every day: trying new recipes, playing with yarn, cutting fabric, you name it! of course it won't always be possible (tomorrow, for example), but on the whole, getting some sort of creative time is pretty vital to my health and well-being. and there's certainly not going to be a project shortage, no ma'am - in addition to the previously posted works in progress (WIPs) and Fun With Sewing ideas, i'm going to give cheesemaking a whirl. I KNOW. the local dairy here makes great milk, rennet tablets just came in the mail, and i've been itching to try a 30-Minute Mozzarella recipe. E says maybe we can make a caprese plate for our Super Bowl party!

last night, E expressed a desire for pudding, and this recipe from Rachael Ray's magazine sprang to mind. i tried it a few years ago when i was living in Wenatchee, and was really happy to find it online! it's a double-chocolate pudding, using both cocoa powder and chopped chocolate, and it's GOOD. especially if you use Special Dark cocoa powder and dark chocolate chips (we don't keep bar chocolate on hand). way better for you, too, because you're controlling the ingredients. no Mystery Chemical Pudding in this house!

that's all for tonight - time to get some sleep. Happy Monday!