Monday, October 28, 2019

T Stands for Tuesday & Homemade Hot Chocolate & LED Tea Lights

  Hi everyone, It's time again to link up with our T hostess Bleubeard and Elizabeth. We gather together and share a drink related post-just share a photo of what ever you are drinking. Find link in my right hand column.

   It was a slow week here at the lake house. It's feeling more and more like home, allot of the stress with Hubs health is ending-although we are still having a few concerns, I know he is feeling better though-he even threw a line in the water on Sunday.

  Sunday was just glorious here. We were fogged in for several morning hours, but when it lifted we had a beautiful autumn day. Warmed up to the mid 60's f  fisherman to watch, and lots of birds flying over the lake. I have not been able to capture the sea gulls yet. This is the first I have seen them, I don't know if they fly in here now or if it is do to less boats on the water. Hubs spotted a king fisher sitting on the dock roof-but flew off as I was looking for my camera. I will enjoy seeing him again. The eagle pair still sits in that tree that I can see from my kitchen window-I recognize their call now. They show up a couple times a week.
   Geese are flying by too, and we are seeing ducks again. I did capture this little video Sunday with the little birds waking up in their bird house. I hadn't thought of them using it to stay warm.  I had planned on trying to clean it before winter.


    I finally got all the pieces for the two bench seats cut out. I needed to cut out a couple more pieces as I hadn't noticed bad spots in the fabric when I was cutting it out.  I make ties for the 4 corners so that was 16 pieces to cut and press-that is all done. I also decided to embroider fish on the two long sides that show. So I searched online for fish, did a copy and made stencils. I may just add a fish on the two short ends as well.

           This was kinda cool-to me anyway-lol
     Most of my craft room supplies come from garage sale finds. Larry picked up a vintage box years ago of tailor's chalk. So I used a piece for this project--One piece I needed to change the markings-and when I tried to rub it off or wash it-would not come out at all. Figured I wouldn't worry about it as most would be hidden in the seams.
  When I ironed all the pieces-magic the hot iron takes off the markings-you can see on the first photo below. (no chalk lines on the right) I haven't used chalk like this since I sewed clothes growing up at home-so don't remember this happening. Larry says this is more of a wax than a chalk.  Did not build up on my iron though-thought it was cool how the lines disappeared.


All the ties folded and pressed and other pieces



I just have the outline of one fish done-will fill it in as well


  When I was checking out my garden shed at the woods home I found some of my halloween items that I always loved. I found a nice spot for them-we can view them when we open the front door. I even found this pumpkin bag for filling up with leaves-totally forgot about it.



I can't get over my lavender plant is still blooming. I had potted it up from the woods house to bring here and have not put it in the ground as of yet. I may just leave it in this pot
  I also haven't had the chance to dig out most of what is there on that ledge-I want it all out and will replace with my madder roots which I haven't gotten dug up-that will be a spring project I am thinking. (madder is a dye plant)


For my beverage share I made us homemade hot chocolate tonight.

  I usually mix up a healthy version of a dry mix and then mix with a milk and heat-but I found this recipe online for making it fresh-and it turned out soooo delicious that I don't think I will make up the mix this year.

  I used this recipe  Simple and really so rich and delicious. I used half 2% organic milk and 1/2 milked almond milk (from nuts.com) Hershey's special dark cocoa, splenda. vanilla extract.
    I added two gluten free, natural (no chemicals) marshmallows to each cup. This was so rich and delicious you would think it was full of cream and sugar and it was not.


   I guess I am way behind the times but I have just discovered those flickering led tea lights-I never knew about these before. I have also found some online that are wax candles but have led lights in them-so cool and much safer.

     I also have two ceramic sack pumpkin faces that I always had used candles in.  These pieces are really old probably 20 years at least. I had stopped doing that being in the woods for fear of fires.
       I also love putting out sacks with sand on the bottom with lighted candles for Christmas eve and Christmas night-no  more worries about candles with those either. I just ordered the tea lights and the bags-so am very excited with my discovery ha ha.

  I didn't get a real good photo of these as it isn't totally dark quite yet. You can see the led tea lights in couple of them. For now these are sitting on the wood stove-my little night lights for the living room


and I found this cast iron piece too


  That's about if for our halloween-we have never ever had trick or treaters since we always lived so rural. I buy a little fun candy for us is all.  Do you have trick or treaters???

Happy T wishes everyone.

19 comments:

  1. Looks like you have been busy with your bench seat. The embroidered fish are going to be a lovely touch!
    I am going to have to try that hot chocolate recipe.Sounds delicious!
    Happy Tea Day,
    Kate

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  2. I'm blaming Lisca for being late visiting. She made me so hungry with her food, I took time to get something to eat. Of course, after I did that, I promptly fell asleep. I've been so busy lately, I forget to eat AND sleep, and when it hits, it hits.

    It's great that the geese are flying south. Here they stay because people feed them. Why leave when you get fed down by the river, right? NO. But you can't convince people of that.

    Your bench cushions are going to be beautiful. Those fish are going to be the crowning glory, I'm sure.

    I have some ceramic sacks. I had four, but one broke, not like paper, which doesn't break, but isn't exactly weather resistant. I had some of those leaf bags, too. It's been years since those have been popular. Great find, and a good memory for me, too. Your lavender is amazing. Mine only got a couple of blooms this summer, nothing to write home about. I hope it doesn't get as cold there as it does here, because mine doesn't make it outside in winter. Tonight we get another hard freeze, so I was running around earlier to make sure everything is ready for this next round of cold.

    I buy those little LED lights at Dollar Tree. I get two for $1.00 (USD) and they last a long time. There's an on/off switch, too.

    Wow, your hot chocolate looks great. I make my own recipe, too. I've even made my own marshmallows, but won't do that again. Not when I can buy them (grin).

    Thanks for sharing the video of the geese, your Halloween decorations, your lavender, and your hot chocolate with us for T this Tuesday. Yep, it just turned Tuesday, dear.

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  3. Love the Halloween decorations! The video with the birds is fantastic, great that they use it. There's a lot going on down at the lake. Your hot chocolate looks delicious, too. My lavender almost died in summer when it was so hot, but now it's blooming, as are other flowers - crazy! Love the cushions you are sewing, great idea with the fishes. Happy T Day, hugs, Valerie

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  4. Can´t wait for the sea gulls, I love them :-)
    (Hubby as a former hobby-fisherman not so much...)
    Beautiful lake indeed. I got again birdfood that the birds don´t like, they are really like picky kids here!
    Wish I could sew, but I don´t have the talent (and hubby is too lazy - he once "promised" me a dress - never happened).
    This looks really sweet - needs to get much colder here to wake up my sweet tooth ;-)
    Cute "scary bags".
    Once one kid came for trick or trat, once. One kid. Germany is not really into Halloween here, yet. In other cities bigger kids use it as an excuse to vandalize, though.
    Hope you have a great Halleween - and a Happy T-Day!

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  5. Glad to hear your hubby is feeling better. I enjoyed all your Halloween decorations. The battery tealights are real savers. I never used real candles when Ink was around as I was worried he'd try to play or knock the candle off the table. The battery tealights and candles allowed me to enjoy the flickering light without the fear of setting the house on fire. Your hot chocolate sounds like a delicious treat. Happy T Day

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  6. Kathy, I do not have trick and treaters as I live in Greece and there is no halloween celebration here.
    I love the marshmallows in your drink. Great idea. I will try it.
    In Greece there is a fabric pen that we can use it and then disappear the lines with the iron.
    I cannot tell you how LUCKY you are living in the lake house! I am at the office now, very busy, in the capital of Greece, I watched your video and made me RELAX! Thank you, my dear friend. Kisses!!!

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  7. Wow, you have been busy! I love the little fish, so beautifully stitched 😀. Glad your hubby is recovering ok and I bet he enjoyed his fishing, it must be so relaxing for him. Great to see you garden, how amazing your lavender is flowering now too! I'm loving those ceramic pumpkins, such fun and your hot chocolate looks so yummy, I'd love to join you! Happy T Day wishes! Hugs, Jo x

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  8. Wow! That is a lot of work! But it is coming on nicely and I love those fish. That is such a good idea. Well done. Can't wait to see it finished.
    Your halloween decorations are cute. Yes, we have those led candles as well. so much safer than the real thing and they 'flicker' like the real candle would do.
    Yes, children have copied the American tradition of halloween also because the bigger stores sell Halloween items and children's groups have started to have Halloween parties. But I haven's seen any trick or treat being done here. In England they do and as Christians we don't want to participate in Halloween, so we always went away for the night and were always afraid we would get firecrackers through the letterbox. (In England the letterbox is in the front door). I was always very relieved to get back home to see the house hadn't burned down...
    Happy T-Day,
    Hugs,
    Lisca

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  9. Not many Halloween kids in our semi-rural area either. You may be inundated in the lake house.
    I have given up on growing Lavender, something here prevents it. Lol. So very happy Larry is feeling better!

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  10. So pleased to hear your husband is feeling better, I’m not a hot chocolate fan but yours did look delicious.
    You’ve certainly been busy with your sewing, look forward to seeing the finished pieces.
    Happy T Day
    Jan x

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  11. Fantastic video Kathy !! thanks so much for sharing. I loove the fish you sew, it will be a great projet, no doubt.
    Happy T-day ! Your lavender looks beautiful, and those bags are a fantastic idea, like them very much, as the scary house.
    I wish you a v ery nice day, and send big hugss
    Caty

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  12. The fish you are adding to the covers will look great. the outlines look good shapes. It was good the chalk came off under the hot iron as well. Your Halloween pieces look good and the tealights are much safer with batteries.
    The hot chocolate sounds yummy especially on a cooler autumn evening.
    Happy T day wishes Kathy.
    Yvonne xx

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  13. Your nature-watching opportunites are wonderful! Homemade hot chocolate is a cozy thought :) Happy T Tuesday!

    I like your Halloween decorations. We haven't had trick-or-treaters in years even though we're in the city. We do buy candy just for us ;)

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  14. It's so nice to hear that things are finally calming down for you and hubby. I really enjoy your sharing all your impressions of the lake view and wildlife. The video too - that was fun.

    I look forward to seeing the bench seats you're upholstering. It sounds like they will be quite special. The fish are a perfect idea. I remember using tailor's chalk. In fact I still have a piece.

    Discovering things you forgot you had is a bit like Christmas.

    We usually have a few trick or treaters despite living in Mexico, usually about 10.

    Happy Halloween and Happy T-day! Eileen xx

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  15. I'm glad to hear your husband's health continues to improve. I love Kingfisher's but they are very elusive. I think one lives in the woods behind me, because I've heard it's call, but I've never been able to get a photo. (I've gotten ones at other wooded parks.) I like the fish border you're making on the fabric. I love your Halloween decor. (I meant to photograph my indoor decorations, but I haven't had time to do that. I'm still dealing with configuring a new computer, and updating the old one to Windows 10, which I have now learned is full of Microsoft bloatware.)

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  16. Life seems to be going good for you Kathy. It sounds like you are having a wonderful fall so far. And I really like those tea light jack-o-lanterns. They are adorable. Can you believe it is Halloween in a couple of days? And then November. I hope you had a super T day Kathy. hugs-Erika

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  17. We had a frost at our mobile home at the weekend - the birds were back and to to the feeder. We have often seen sparrows coming out of the bird house in Winter as well as nesting in Spring! Well done for the work you've done on the seat cover - the fish are a great idea! Your hot chocolate sounds great but I think I might have a problem getting hold of the ingredients! Last year I bought a couple of led candles that look as though they have a flame! Glad to hear hubby is doing well! Belated Happy T Day! Chrisx

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  18. We only had four trick or treaters; same four from last year. So, we are eating snickers minis. :) You reminded me that we have the orange bad to fill up with leaves, but no trees immediately around here, so no leaves! We live in a fairly new area. Your video was fun; thanks for sharing your view and sounds with us. Sorry, I am late. Have a great week-end!

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