As Halloween Approaches...

Hat-a-licious
Two weeks ago I had finished a pumpkin hat for a coworkers' daughter who has a penchant for wearing elasticized shorts on her head. This is due to a lack of hats. She is a hat lover in the earliest phase. A godsend to me, as any hat I've ever made for a child has been ripped off just as quick as it was put on. It's not just because she is old enough. My nephew of the same age still goes hatless. It's because she chooses to. She's a doll and everyone loves her! My dear, I will make you anything you want! She's a fan of over-the-ear styling.
Julian
My girlfriends & I went up to Julian, CA this weekend. They are known for their apples and hospitality. It was refreshingly crisp and quite chilly at night. Just as the daffodil bulb needs a chill to sprout next spring, I needed it to feel like Fall had begun. We had a tasty dinner at Romano's, a small Italian restaurant. We were lucky to have made it in right as the shops were closing and got the last non-reserved table. It was by the door, so dinner was a little drafty. We went back to our hotel room and enjoyed Kir Royales with chocolate. The next day we finished stopping by the little shops and antique stores and bought some apples and apple cider before heading back. Two years ago, So Cal had horrible fires raging, including Julian. It was good to see that it was spared.

Inspiration for Completion
We made a commitment to get together once a month and do crafting or project completion. It's especially enjoyable to do it with friends. One will be doing photo sorting, another organizing, and perhaps all-- starting a T-shirt quilt so that all of the sentimental ones are no longer laying around taking up drawer space. It looks like scrapping wasn't a popular option. It really is a chore to get everything together and then drag it to another location.