Well, it certainly wasn't my intention not to blog for a week. I couldn't believe it when I looked at my last post and it was over a week ago that I had written it. Oh well. There hasn't been too much happening this week, other than a lot of work time.
Since those pictures aren't as interesting, here are some of Tater Tot. The second photo made it to Chelsey's favorites in the photo challenge this week. Tater rediscovered her raw hide this morning and is whining with it in her mouth, trying to find a place to put it. She is truly adorable and a great companion.
My cooking during the week was almost non-existent, but I made up for it yesterday by making a stir fry with more produce from the farmer's market. This one features kale, leeks and carrots. I also threw in some tofu, but I cannot get that from the farmer's market.
I worked on some monster-patterned baby booties for a party this week. I cannot wait to see the photos from it. Even though I haven't made a pair in a while, it was amazing how quickly it came back to me and I didn't have to look at the instructions once. It makes me proud, as I am pretty much a beginning sewer.
My scarf exchange partner, Diana, mailed me my scarf and I received it this week. I love the pattern and the colors...should take me into fall very well. It is from Michelle Brusegaard's shop on Etsy. Check it out when you have the chance...there are tons more scarfs, stationary and odds 'n' ends. The photos above are from her shop. I'll take photos of my own...eventually.

I decided that I am going to have a summer sale of items in my shop to make room for new/fall/winter/holiday items. It will be effective in the next couple of hours, so check it out when you have the chance.

What have you been up to this week?

I don't buy rawhides for Tater very often. For one thing, they leave white marks everywhere that she slobbers on them. For another, she will chew them until they are gone, which leaves her digestive system pretty backed up for a day or two. Today I decided to buy her a couple and it was pretty adorable to see her try to bury the "bone" in the couch, floor and closet. She didn't really become interested in chewing it until I started taking photos of her with it. Go figure. I linked up with the Paper Mama's photo challenge for the week--Toys. Enter yourself!
I know that it is not even October yet, but as I plan to make the majority of my gifts for others this year, I have been thinking about Christmas. However, there are some things that I do not know how to make and so I like to "window-shop" while online. I had found the blog the Curious Pug through YB+YB and quickly fell in love as she walked her readers through her crafts, dog and a shop she was soon to open. The online shop opened on Labor Day and is called Happy Sprout Pet Boutique. You can see her ad proudly displayed on the right of my blog under "Affiliates". Click over when you get the chance; you won't be disappointed! My favorite item? This sweater right here:
Look at that happy face!

I finished the scarf for the scarf exchange this week. I can't wait for Diana to get it! I had some felt and burlap and although it had a propensity for itchiness, it turned out well! If you loop the felt part around twice, it will keep you nice and warm without being itchy. I especially enjoyed making the neon touches, which also match her winter coat. I may just make one for myself!

One of my favorite seasons is almost here. Even though it is still in the 70s here, it is a welcome break from the 80s and 90s that we have been experiencing. I look forward to it being in the 50s again and I can snuggle up in different layers.

I have been thinking more about how I wrap items when I ship them and decided that I would buy a few paper punches. Some of them can be quite pricey, but while I was looking at TJMaxx and Marshall's this week, I spotted some for $3.99 each. Can you believe it? Two punches I purchased are for packaging edges in the shape of trees and branches. One of the ones I purchased is this lovely bat silhouette, featured in the shots above. You can purchase sets of 100 from my shop here.

Even though it's Labor Day, I will still be laboring today for half of it. I will go in this afternoon to my day job and try to crank out some paperwork before coming home again. It was nice to have the morning off at least. What are all of you up to today?

A package arrived for me this morning. I had been waiting to purchase an item from Leah Duncan for a long time; so long I almost forgot until she updated her blog with a discount code.  (I love sales!)
This is one of my favorite patterns from her in the form of a tea towel. It is so beautiful and I'm glad it is finally here.
When I got home from work yesterday, I took Tater and walked her over to the Farmer's Market. I still had some veggies left from the last time I went and today I combined a couple ingredients (yukon gold potatoes and rainbow chard) into a curry. The taste was both sweet and savory--my favorite. I also enjoy investing my money locally whenever possible. The Farmer's Market is a great chance to do that.

The weather is actually in the 70s now and I'm starting to think about Fall. Autumn is my favorite season; the crisp air, layered clothing and the holidays. Although I can hardly believe that it is already September, I am glad that it is here. The heat has been too much for me this summer.

Remember the scarf exchange that I signed up for? Well, I wanted to share my inspiration for it.



I am looking forward to sharing the final results with you guys!

And finally, my sleepy morning photo of Tater made it in Chelsey's top 5 this week. Thanks!