And gifted me with this little lovely:

A nearly brand new 5.5 quart Le Creuset dutch oven in a lovely appley green. I’m in heaven!
Just in time for the stews and braises that will keep us well fed and warm all through the winter. Time to go scour the cookbooks and head to the grocery store. Anyone have any can’t-miss recipes for me?

And that? And that? I thought so. We’re having chicken tonight and I’m looking forward to the subtle change. Ha.

Dash had his first ever feast of Thanksgiving with us and my parents and he sampled a little of everything. Turkey from a local farm, potatoes, roasted veggies, etc.

Gave a thumbs down for his usual favorite (sweet potato) and a huge, incredibly unexpected thumbs up for a new favorite (brussels sprouts).

That’s right. I said brussels sprouts.

He got a whole one in his mouth before any of us could stop him (we’re not exactly professionals, you know, we do what we can) and instead of spitting it back out or choking to death he calmly chewed it. With his gums. And then he reached into my plate for another. And another.

I tried to tell him that kids don’t like brussels sprouts but he was having none of it. I’m so proud of him. Six sprouts later his hunger was satisfied and we could move on to more important things, like learning to walk. Kid’s amazing. Seriously.

I can hardly stand it! Folks, I’m holed up in the office/studio (still can’t call it a studio as it’s nowhere near finished) listing a bunch of new items in the shop and outside my backyard is being coated with a fluffy layer of brand new, pre-Thanksgiving snow.
I have mixed feelings about this and not a ton of time to explore those feelings. Must finish shop update, relieve Granny/Nana combo of their Dash-duty, and write about a dream of mine in response to this smack-down challenge.

Got to run, but I’ll be back later. And watch out! When I’m done telling you all about my dream, I’m gonna be tagging you.

Want to relive those Saturday morning cartoons? Yeah, me too. But it can be hard to gather your brother (who lives across the country), some cheerios (we’re out), and your favorite Muppet Show TV tray (where did those end up, mom?). Maybe some Smurf memorabilia will do. Yes, yes it will. Hop on over to Memarie Lane and you can win this mug from the HappyDashery.

Just tell Marie about your favorite item from the HappyDashery and you’re in the contest. Get to it!

It’s an honor to be included in Marie’s roundup of Etsy Favorites. I’m the only vintage shop featured so I kind of stand out in the something-for-everyone group of artists. I especially love the wall decals over at Holly’s Shop. The Grunge Chandelier anyone? Love that.

In other HappyDashery news, there’s a big shop update planned for this coming week. Pyrex, books, kitchenwares, paper goods, etc. Good good good stuff! Check in often as things have been moving quickly (thanks to all you big HappyDashery supporters! You’re awesome!)

Have a great weekend everyone.

The days are getting shorter and the wind a little more crisp around these parts. We’re sailing quickly in to Winter. (Was anyone else surprised to realize that Thanksgiving is next week? Wasn’t it September just yesterday?) We’ve been taking a lot of walks, hoping to get lots of outdoor time in before it gets really cold. With promises of snow falling sometime this weekend, it looks like we might be running out of time. You see, I’m not what you’d call lover of winter. It’s just so darned long and cold up here.

But you know what I do love about Winter? Hats. Scarves. Mittens. Slippers. Warmth. And here are some of my recent faves for keeping all the bits warm:

GlitzConcepts Monkey Hat.

Dash looks extremely cute in hats, but he’s not much for keeping them on. I think we might stand a chance with this monkey hat. Hopefully it would take him a while to figure out how to get it off. Super glue anyone?

Adorable Cloche of Red by BoringSidney

Adorable is right! Consider this added to my Christmas list.

Linen Scarf from MyCabinDoor

I’m totally in love with the scarves at MyCabinDoor. And she’s a fellow coastal Mainer!

Kimono Slippers for tiny, stylish feet at Happyexpat