The brrrrr cold can't still the warm heart.

It wasn't only the temperature that was cold in White Bear Lake today at the Winterfest Craft and Art sale - so were my sales. This was the second event that I have participated in as a vendor and, while my product-line was well-received with people saying they "liked it," there just weren't enough of them coming through the door. Fortunately I covered my costs, but that's about it. So, what did I learn.... no matter how much you prepare, things can happen that are beyond your control.... today it was the sub-zero weather.

But I sure had a good time thanks to my all-day conversations with my daughter, Molly and her cousins Courtney and Katie. Oh the stories we told. My next and last show for the year will be in celebration of the winter solstice, Dec. 21 in Richfield. This one will be a celebration of the light, the new year and the promise of a new adventure in fabric.

My ugly bowl contest contender

If I use a new soup recipe only to be disappointed with the taste, I usually figure if I add some more salt, it will be OK. Nope! Maybe some ketchup- that improves everything. NOPE. Being one who does not throw away food (it's leftovers to the last crumb for me), I'll then put the stuff into containers and hide it in the back of the freezer to deal with at a later date. Well, the bowl posted above followed that scenario. The image in a magazine looked like a really good idea. But once I started creating it, I knew it wasn't going to work out. Not wanting to give up on it, I tried adding an embellishment (the decorating equivalent to ketchup). NOPE, NOPE, NOPE. Ugly, ugly, ugly. If there's ever an ugly fabric-coiled bowl contest, I definitely have a contender.

Leftover magic

These two to three inch disks, made from fabric and cord leftover from projects,

really tempt your creativity. Sam and Giddy had a great time decorating them, making them into ornaments or brooches. There's a lucky teacher out there or aunty who will be the recipient of these treasures. Sam opted for the "skull" and, with the hot glue gun, attached pearls and crystals. Two even looks like a lollypop.

My pie plate holders sold out at the recent Salem Covenant Church Arts and Crafts sale. I am now taking custom orders for Christmas. What a great present that you can personalize. Think of the welcome you will receive when you arrive at a holiday party with a pie in hand, a plate of cookies or an appetizer held in this hand-crafted item? Or, write up or print out your favorite pie or hors d' oeuvres recipe and include it with this plate holder. A great gift. Suggestion: If you would like to personalize it even more, I can create it from fabric of, let's say, an old apron which you have sentimental ties, or even a shirt..... as long as the fabric is 100 percent cotton it will work. I put a light coating on the inside of the fabric to protect it, making it easier to spot clean. I make the plates in traditional Christmas colors: however, you can pick your own color scheme. Just give me a photo.

My favorite holiday cookie recipe -Starlight Mint Surprises

My mom still makes these for Christmas. She says it is getting harder,however, to find the mint/chocolate wafers that the recipe calls for. Got any ideas where to find them? Starlight Mint Surprise

Sift together 3 cups of four, 1 tsp. soda, 1/2 tsp. salt. In a separate bowl, cream together 1 cup of butter (could use 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup shortening or margarine. Add 1 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar and blend together. Then blend in 2 eggs; 2 Tbls. water and 1 tsp. vanilla. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Chill the dough. After chilled, take about one tablespoon of dough, and encase a chocolate mint wafer inside the dough. Form into a ball and place on a greased sheet. Press a walnut half into the top of the ball. Bake at 375 degrees for about 10-12 minutes. Recipe makes about 4 1/2 dozen.

Someday I may even wear a belt

Too fat, too stupid. I pounded the messages into my head for more than half a century. I'd say my self-image stank and stunk! I've been working hard to rid my mind of these negative thoughts for well over five years, now. The hard, cleansing road began with some professional help, a depression diagnosis and then a prescription. The tremendous support I receive from my husband was/is vital to my new outlook. But the dang body image thing continues to plague me. When did I quit caring about how I look? Had to have been somewhere between my divorce at age 46 and the reality of dealing with this aging thing. During this 20 year span, I was working on getting my head together, but letting the exterior go to pot! I gained even more weight - ended up with type two diabetes.

My style (if I ever had one) was lost! I've never been much of a shopper, so I would usually stick to one store- it was Chicos, but their style changed along with mine. I found myself drawn to - Oh God, dare I say - Christopher Banks and the elastic bands and non-tailored shirts and tops. The bigger the better. That led to where I'd just go to my closet and pick anything to wear - anything. Black became my go-to "everything" color. No matching needed- just black! The StarTribune article got it right, my clothes were tooooooo big. What the writer didn't say, and wouldn't know, is those clothes hide my frustration and guilt over my inability to make exercise part of my regime and take better care of myself physically. You'd think being a type 2 diabetic would be enough of an incentive. About two weeks before seeing the StarTribune Facebook post seeking an older professional for a makeover, I realized I had to do something - but I needed a role model to help me define my style - a style that would reflect my new outlook on life and my desire to remain a vibrant member of the workforce. I searched the Internet and came up with Dame Judy Dench! I love her look, I love her attitude - and she is aging gracefully. And who wouldn't want to be James Bond's boss? I printed off her photo, and it hangs in a place where I can view it daily. So thank you, Carly Gatzlaff, for helping me find my own style - in my own closet- and the courage to wear color, boots, makeup and clothes that are a bit more form-fitting. My outside is on its way to reflecting my new improved outlook on myself and life in general. I am a work in progress- inside and out. Who knows, one day I may even wear a belt!

We've met the Trojan Horse.

Note: I wrote this for the White Bear Press on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001 You’re diligent about locking your doors, both the car and your house. You wear your seatbelt; eat the recommended servings of food and vegetables and exercise religiously. Why? Because there’s a little voice inside that tells you, “if you do these things, all will be well.” You walk through the security gates at the airport, assured that anyone carrying a weapon will be detected. You sit in your living room, turn on the news and feel some comfort in knowing that the political and religious strife depicted on the screen is happening far removed from your backyard. You feel safe. Then came Tuesday, Sept. 11. As symbols of American might - New York’s World Trade Towers and a wing of the Pentagon go up in smoke, our collective American psyche is forever shaken. How could this happen? We are in America. We are the superpower; we have the might and we are invincible. Didn’t the video-game-like Gulf War some 10 years ago prove that? How our arrogance has made us vulnerable. We are a nation of people who believe in technology. We’ve spent billions on intelligence systems to keep us secure. We have satellites that track movements on the ground from afar. And it all failed. Up until Sept. 11, everything felt so routine, so normal. But on Tuesday morning, another entity entered the scene and now everything is out of whack .... It’s called the world. And this reality is, at times, ugly. It really doesn’t matter who masterminded this catastrophe. Knowing won’t bring back the thousands who have died. Knowing won’t change the world events that will unfold as a result of this attack. Knowing won’t bring back our sense of well-being. Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, was the day Americans met the Trojan Horse.