That's how I roll...

Let me start by saying that this post is going to be a little scattered, but it's been a busy couple of weeks and I have a lot to share ;)

Where to start....well...the inspiration would probably be as good a jumping off point as any....here goes...

A couple of weeks ago I was reading the Simply Iowa blog created by my good friend Barb, something she wrote struck such a chord with me I've been thinking about it ever since. She included a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt that I hadn't heard before...."Do one thing every day that scares you."

It really got me thinking about all of the things I just don't do because I doubt my ability. The age-old fear of failing...you know (it's not just me right!?!?) Well, anyways, I decided that I was going to make a point to check a few things off my To-Try list that had been haunting me for awhile.

Of course, being the sugar-fiend that I am, one of the first things that came to mind was making a Pumpkin Roll. This dessert has been taunting me for seriously years. I love eating them but never had the nerve to try making one myself. Just the idea of rolling up a cake made my tummy do a flip-flop. So what better excuse than a Thanksgiving at home to prepare one right?

I was so proud of myself when that first roll was finished....I had to make two more! One with crushed pecans, and the other one...well it was a Banana Cake filled with Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting...yeah...it was good. Why did these things intimidate me so much? I don't know, but I'm so glad I took this task on because now the ideas are really swirling....just think of all the cake-filling combinations!!!!

I actually tackled a few scary tasks on Thanksgiving Day. This was the first Thanksgiving that I prepared the entire meal. I've never made a Turkey because...well... it's just not my job...you know...my Mom or Grandma or whoever was in charge of the bird and we brought a side dish. We were staying home this year to dedicate the 4-day weekend to a Potty Training Bootcamp for my son (I don't think I need to even mention how scary that task is!) Well, since we didn't have a big crowd, and we're not huge turkey-people (gasp!) I opted for the less intimidating option of preparing some Cornish Hens....or Starter Turkeys as I prefer to call them. They turned out great, and it was really fun for each person to have their own, my 2 year old was very impressed.



The meal turned out delicious...we had Pumpkin Roll for dessert....and I kind of felt like I had a Blue Ribbon Day.

The final scary thing I went after this weekend was a little sewing project. Let me just say that I am not, by any means, skilled in the art of sewing. I own a sewing machine that rarely sees the light of day. But for some reason I got it in my head a few weeks ago that I wanted to try to make handmade ornaments for Christmas gifts this year....out of felt....so I figured this would be a relatively simple, starter-type sewing project for someone with absolutely no technical knowledge, but with a sincere wish to make something cute. So far I've made one little mitten ornament. I was encouraged by the fact that it does, in fact, look somewhat like a mitten....and as a starting point I don't think I did half bad.




I must admit, this weekend left me feeling fairly exhausted...the Potty Training alone, ugh...let me tell you! All-in-all I feel like I really accomplished a lot and plan on trying to make a point to do "scary" things more often....cause you know....that's just how I roll these days ;)

How about you? Tried anything you've been wanting to for a long time....or have anything on your list? I'd love to hear ;)

~Audrey