Where Did Autumn Go?

It seems like just yesterday we were looking at the beautiful leaves on the trees.

Then overnight, they all fell off and into our yard.

I had thrown out my back on Friday

and Dave said no to me trying to help clean up the yard on Sunday

even though I was feeling a bit better...

(and I know better, I've got to admit he is just about always right!)

So here are some pictures of the big pile of leaves that he made for Chloe on Sunday.

She isn't walking yet, and was a bit unsure at first...

But as you can see by the smile on her face

(the "ham" face as Dave calls it)...

She loved it!

So for now, the trees are bare.

My garden has gone to its winter rest.

The birds & squirrels are cleaning out the feeders every day.

And I am working on new designs for my new infant apparel line

with my friend Kim from AspenWear.

The website is still being updated - it is getting an overhaul - very time consuming!

We're busy as ever!

Hope everything is well with you all!

Thanks for reading...

Marsha Neal Studio Apparel

I'm so excited to announce that my Marsha Neal Studio Apparel line is officially launched! I've got 4 designs: tree, barnicles, and 2 different line curl type spirals. There are currently about 15 scarf colors and 11 ink colors being tested to see which work best with my designs.

My friend Kim Love of AspenWear is printing these for me, and has some for sale through her Etsy Store. I will be adding some styles on my website shopping cart as soon as we get a bit more organized and pick what color scarves and which inks work out the best.

For now you can find a selection on Kim's Etsy page (AspenWear).

At Reed's Beads in Ambler, PA (Trunk Show Nov 6-8 - RIGHT NOW!!!).

And through my bead show tables at the upcoming shows listed on the right side bar.

Here is a picture of the scarves that are at Reed's Beads. Get there soon to grab yours ($22 each). Sheer Jersey material (like wearing a t-shirt around your neck), 93" long, 16" wide and unfinished edges that tend to curl nicely.

Here is a really cool picture that Kim took of her modeling the grass green scarf with the black tree.

I've got some designs in the works for some infant and toddler apparel with my designs. With a kid like Chloe, I'm so inspired to put her in really cool stuff!

Busy as a Bee (but Really?)

Do you ever have those times where you feel like you are SO busy, but nothing seems to get done? Well, I've been having some of those days recently - like every day since I got back from our short vacation last week.

I think it is because I've got a lot of new stuff in the works and because the rest of my time is spent with Chloe. She is just so much fun. I just can't help it... she is developing such a personality. Dave and I were talking about how much we just want her with us all the time. And that when she isn't here (like when she is napping quietly upstairs) that something is missing. I guess you can say she's got us wrapped around her finger.

I've been spending most of my working time getting pieces glazed for orders and a trunk show next week at Reed's Beads in Ambler, PA.

My new work will be mostly limited edition. I find that if I limit myself, I get more done. With an obsessive personality, things get exponentially out of control with me. New glaze colors, new objects, new shapes - all in the works!

Ohhh, and my friend Kim (Aspenwear) and I are working on some Marsha Neal Studio apparel (scarves for us grown ups and then some cute infant wear). I am hoping to have some of the scarves with me at the trunk show next week. They should also be at my bead show tables soon after.

I'll be posting pictures and notices as things finally come together. Got to get all these little steps done to get to the top of the mountain.

Home Again

Ah, to be home again...

We have just arrived home from our offical first Disney trip with Chloe. We had such a wonderful time with her and our family that were also along.

I know that a lot of people out there aren't thrilled with Disney as a whole, but I have nothing but great memories from vacations going there throughout my childhood. Maybe it's me, and Dave would probably say it is me.... but I get all teary and sentimentally weepy whenever I hear music that reminds me of Disney and walking down Main Street in the Magic Kingdom.

We got some great memories and pictures of the trip, but until we find the camera, Chloe's website will have to wait to be updated. I'm trying to convince Dave that a picture of her and bathtub poo (little brown turds in tub - guess she had to go, and I of course got the camera while Dave tried to keep her from playing with it...) would be really funny to have on her site.

Chloe got her first Disney stuffed animal from Aunt April - a purple heffalump. She loves it and sleeps with it every night and throws it around every day as she plays and talks to it. She also got some cute onesies, sweaters, and a sun hat from the trip and some other goodies...

And after being around so many other children and crowds of people, she has taken to speaking in louder tones. She is quite the outgoing baby. Dave and I are exhausted to say the least. We had such a great time getting away from the regular rigamarole around here and concentrating only on Chloe and being with family - it was the most memorable vacation yet! Now if I could only catch up on sleep to get enough brain function to remember it all. Thank goodness for pictures!

Hope all is well with everyone! Marsha Neal Studio updates will hopefully be arriving in the next week or so! Thanks for reading!!!

Little Brother

I'm so excited for my brother (Nick Yarrusso). He has just had an article about him published in a local paper on his being a stunt bike rider: http://www.sparkweekly.com (also the title of this blog is a link to the actual page.

It's something that I'm always amazed with - especially since he was always getting bumps and bruises and scraped knees & elbows - that he is balanced enough to really be good at what he does.

He even has a website: http://www.gsenick.com

I remember when he was little (we're 7 years apart) we always used to tell him "watch out Nick" " don't hit that wall Nick". And he was always on the go. When he was a toddler, he had this horse attached by springs to a metal frame - called "clip-clop" and he used to bounce on that poor thing so much that he could get it to move all the way across the room just by bouncing momentum. I think there is a picture somewhere of him in mid-bounce with his little bowl cut hair sticking straight up and out in every direction.

Anyway.... just bragging about my little brother...

October 2008 Recipe

Ok, this is a recipe I found in a mom's magazine recently, and I just love it... I've always wanted to learn how to make Falafel, and when I saw this, I tore it out and had to try it. And surprisingly - I cooked and it came out really yummy (surprising because of my cooking skills and impatience with it).

Falafel Directions:
(2) tablespoons of olive oil into skillet for Sauteing (1/2) chopped red onion and (1 Tbsp) minced garlic in the pan (until soft - like 5 minutes).

Drain (2) 15oz cans of Chickpeas and add that with the sauteed onion & garlic into food processor. Add (1) tsp of ground cumin, (1) tsp ground coriander, some chopped cilantro or mint depending on how strong you want it - I would say about 1/4 cup - loose. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pulse in food processor, and add a bit more olive oil to moisturize it a bit more.

*If you want to make Hummus at this point, add water and oil (and lemon juice?) to thin it out. For Falafel though, you want it thicker.

When mixed enough in the food processor, remove the bowl and form the ingredients into balls (should make around 12 - 16) and flatten (think medium size meatballs). Put some more olive oil into sautee pan again and sautee these flattened balls up until they are golden brown (it takes like 5 minutes on each side).

They may fall apart if too dry or too wet for that matter... it is messy - but yummy. I loved eating this with fresh tomatos and cucumbers from the garden (ok - not my garden, but someone's...). Also, I put the falael's on a papertowl after cooking to try to absorb some of the extra oil from cooking...

I also found another mom's magazine that has some great articles if you like this one:
http://wondertime.go.com/life-at-home/article/dips-for-dinner.html

I hope you enjoy! If you have a related recipe, post it as a comment!!! I'll post something new for November when I find another something new to try out...