Crocheting and callings....

I LOVE crocheting. I remember learning how to crochet in my Merry Miss A & B classes when I was young, taught by Mrs. Hale from Groveland, and her daughter Mary Ann Hale, Mary Ann was handicapped, she couldn't walk and had crutches to get around with her legs that wouldn't work, but oh how she could crochet, and she even had a car that she'd drive around in that she could use her hands to run the gas and things... I remember being impressed with that when I was 12. But I'm soooo grateful for those ladies that taught me those things. I LOVE being able to crochet in the evenings and making things for people. :) I also took a Knitting and Crocheting class in Junior high, because back in the day they didn't have computer classes or things like that for your elective classes at school.. I took that and cooking classes... SOOOOOO glad I did.
But back to what I've been making....  Last spring I made this head band for Chantel Gardner...

along with a more wintry one that I forgot to take a picture of.... It was brown with a brown flower, more like the ear warmers people are wearing these days...
I have a friend at work whose daughter was pregnant with a little boy that had that problem where their insides are on the outside in the womb... I catered her baby shower and promised to make some hats and things for photos of the baby... my friend likes to take photos for people and she's getting good at it...                                So first off I made this little 'elf' hat.....

 Then she wanted a Mickey Mouse costume for Halloween...

Here is Baby 'Mickey' all ready for Halloween!! Isn't he adorable? His name is Kashton..

                          He's such a teeny little guy, and had to have a couple of surgeries, but he's doing well...

I had fun making that one...

Then I made some baby Ugg boots for another lady I work with to give to her Grand baby..

I now have 3 more orders for baby Ugg boots to make.. :)

Next, Rae had asked me to make a "Dino" hat for Kash.....

you've seen the cute pics of sleeping babies with hats on ? well that's what Rae wanted to do with that one...

but he doesn't like to wear it (that's why the pic is blurry, he was wiggly)... isn't he cute? He's starting to get  little fat wrinkles....

Now I'm trying out a pattern for little "man" slippers to go with his Christmas pajama's, and next I'll make my 3 pairs of baby Ugg boots, and I found a little girls ear warmer pattern that has a felt flower that I plan to give to Paisley (I work with her mom and did the 'hello kitty' cake for her)... life is busy but good!

I also got another calling, I teach Relief Society, and I'm the ward kitchen specialist, which means I teach on the 3rd Sunday of the month, and I go to kitchen specialist meetings, but right now we have a break till after Christmas. And I help with Relief Society get togethers with food. Today I'm making my Sausage Tortellini Soup for "50" people to go with the soup bar we are having at the Ward Christmas Party.

But I also got another calling as a coordinator for the Community Dinner Table. The Community Dinner Table is an organization of a bunch of different Religions in Blackfoot, it was started with the Methodist church, and different religious organizations have joined in. Every Tuesday from the end of October through March they provide a hot meal and companionship for those in the community who need it. I was overwhelmed at the calling but after accepting and being set apart, I feel better about it. Especially since I found out our Stake is only in charge of 2 meals during the year (at first I thought I needed to be there every Tuesday to help). We only help on the Tuesday we're in charge, the other organizations are responsible for getting help from their church to be there for the evening they're in charge. I am one of  2 new coordinators and we work with the ladies that did it last year so they can show us how. Next year, me and the other lady will be in charge and have 2 new people to train. It's quite the experience! We had our first meal on Oct. 30 and served Taco Soup, cornbread, carrot and celery sticks w/ ranch dressing for dipping, and orange sherbet for dessert. I am rather humbled at the people that started the whole thing and how organized they are and how many people in the community there are that help. I am also humbled by the people that come to eat.... some are poor, some are elderly and need the companionship, some just come for the company. We fed 297 for the first meal. We are in charge again on Jan. 8th. I"m surprised at how fast our turn came up again. I'm still overwhelmed at the responsibility of it all and hope I can fill the great ladies' shoes who are in charge this year... I know with prayer, and knowing it's a good cause that I'll be able to do it. I feel so blessed to live in the community that I do, and how it seems all religions are there for 1 cause.... to serve each other and care for each other. Isn't that what life is all about??

Cakes and cookies ........

I  am so grateful to the many friends and family that have had me make cakes for them. I LOVE the practice it gives me and I have sooooo much fun making them. Sometimes I get overwhelmed when asked to do a lot so I've cut back a little, but I really do have fun making them. Each cake is a creation that I become quite attached to till it leaves the house, I know, I'm silly. I just hope that they have helped make the person's birthday just a bit more special that I have made them for. I used to make my kids birthday cakes every year, and had so much fun doing so, but as they grow older they don't want them so fancy. I think I posted Kella's Tinkerbell cake that I did in May, so here are some pics of the ones I've made since then....
                               Cupcakes for a Snake River Graduation party...

                                          a "Hello Kitty" cake for Paisley...........

A "Harley" cake for Max.....

I catered a Baby shower for a friend that I work with, it was for her daughter...

I made a baby carriage out of fruit.

                             cupcakes with baby feet made from gumpaste...

And the pregnant belly cake I made... although the foot looked more like a hand...

At the same time as the baby shower, my brother Kim turned 60....

                                 I couldn't pass up the chance to make him a tombstone cake......
                            ( I would have  done a more detailed job if I would have had the time...)

 next, I did a "messy room" cake for Kelton....

                                   this one was way fun to make!

At my "Kitchen Specialist" meeting one month we learned to ice cookies fancy with lots of details..

This was my first try at those.... they were yummy!

Then I  tried making autumn leaves for a refreshment after a service project night with the relief society, (I also make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies to go with them YUM)

I did a 'Spiderman" cake for Chantell Katseanes' little boy...

and a horse head for her niece that LOVES horses...

                 and my "Olivia the Pig" cake for Brynlee... this was a fun cake to make too...

Then one night while Sarah was here at fair time, we made Jack Skeleton and pumpkin sugar cookies...

      At the end of October I made a Gerbera Daisy cake for Linzee....

                                                                it was a fun one to make.
then it was time for the Halloween party at work..

Here are my Butterfinger eyeballs....

                                              and brain cupcakes ....
                                             We had a Zombie party....

At the first of November I made Koye a Monster Truck cake....

    and at the end of November a "Strawberry Shortcake " cake for his little sister...

   I was happy with the way my strawberries turned out... this one was a fun cake to make!

and that has been my year in cakes..... well at least this last 6 months. I have a cake at the end of December to make for Chantel's other little boy which will be fun. But other than that that's all.
Don't you think it would be fun to have a little Old Fashioned Bakery and have cookies and cupcakes for sale and do special cakes on the side??? I do. Any one need a cake?