Celebrity Chef Craigery:

check out this feature on my brother, Chef Craig! the local greenville, sc, entertainment paper is doing features on the kitchens of chefs. i even got a shout out for my awesome wire mixer that he stole from me years ago to put in his kitchen :)

congrats to my (in)famous brother! (he's so famous, he's IN-famous!)

Our little pun-kin:

over my birthday weekend we went to celebrate with my family in north alabama. we had a blast at my dad's pirate-themed company picnic (where i ate too much funnel cake!). since we were really trying to cram as much fun into one day as possible, we went to the pumpkin patch, too! this is not like the little church pumpkin patches around memphis...this was where pumpkins REALLY come from! there was old farm equipment turned into slides, containers full of dried corn for kiddos to play in, large trailors full of fresh-picked cotton to jump in, a hay ride where you could pick out your pumpkin and cut it off the vine and so much other fun stuff...too much to list here! this may be our new fall tradition :)

enjoy the pictures of our little pun-kin and happy fall, y'all!!!

Feeling Crafty:

i don't know if this is true for anyone else, i often get some strange looks from my hubby when i share these kinds of things, but whenever i am walking closely with God - you know in true fellowship and obedience - i have this overwhelming urge to create something. i can't really explain it except that it must be because He is the ultimate creator and has filled this world with so many beautiful sights, sounds, smells and tastes (oh and textures...just to round out all the senses!) and desiring to know Him more fans this little creative spark in me.

thanks to the sweet ladies at our church, i have learned a new skill (one of my very few that i claim to have) as they have tought me, and other young ladies in the church, how to crochet. the main goal is to help with making hats for the people our church serves with the homeless ministry, but along with that has come wonderful friendships, encouragement, and times of fellowship! isn't that fun how that happens!

i have made a few hats for the ministry since we started, each one getting a little more creative as i get more comfortable, i've made a prayer shawl and a few hats for bible study friends' daughters. i have not yet made anything for me or my family, but i have lots of ideas.

here are the few crafty sparks i have in me right now:

these are from anthropologie, but surely i could find a similar crochet pattern somewhere and make these before i could save up enough to buy them! well, maybe not the scarf...that looks time consuming, but addictively fun :)

and i really want to make sutton a hat with a skull and crossbones on it - not trying to be goth or anything, it's just because we like pirates (or more specifically talking like them) around our house! the only pattern i've found for a skull and crossbones applique looks a little too smiley. i may try just sewing a felt cut-out onto it...hmm...

and i think he really would be adorable in a brim hat like this one. if i can't find a pattern cute enough maybe i can get some "coaching" from the more experienced crocheters and whip up our own creation!

and unrelated to crochet...thanks to AM, for sending me this wonderful blog full of all kinds of fun for mom and kids that i will never have the time to do :) seriously i love it and am dying to make a picture like this!

P.S. oh, and in other day-in-the-life-of-carie's-new-hair news...i wore it curly to work for the first time yesterday to lots of praise. it's kinda this crazy retro funness that makes me feel like i could be straight out of the 20's with flapper dress and all! i'll try to share a picture soon :)