The Squishy Life

Roughing it

2009-07-20T09:29:00.018-05:00

As these beautiful, busy summer days pass, I am shocked to realize how long it has been since I blogged!! The warm weather has pushed us along in our many (outdoor) home improvement projects. I am happy to say that my *new* patio and driveway are soon coming! If the weather cooperates, the patio should be poured on Saturday ☺☺☺ I have been taking plenty of before/in progress/(and soon) after photos to share with you all.

This past weekend was unseasonably cool for this time of year. Matt and I used to go camping often...but we have not been, even ONCE, since the girls were born. So, we decided to take a trip to a sweet little lake/camp ground only about 40 minutes from home. It was a nice opprotunity to get away from the stresses of home for a couple of days.

After we arrived Friday night, it became rather windy. That, combined with the slightly-not-dry-enough firewood, made firemaking a little difficult. Eventually we had enough to make something to eat.

A "cowboy meal", consisting of baked beans and brats over the open fire.

Matt's family has a tradition of making homemade potato chips when they camp. I sliced some thin-skinned potatoes very thinly and deep-fried them over the fire until they were golden brown.

I think I made about 4 or 5 plate-fulls of chips, but they never lasted long at all!

I felt a bit like a Pioneer woman as I heated water over the fire to wash dishes. (Note to self: grab paper plates next time).

I brought some Jiffy Pop along, which the girls refer to as "magic popcorn". Bella tore into it! She didn't eat much for supper that night after all of that popcorn.

Someone had carved a heart into the tree that was right in the middle of our campsite. My husband took it upon himself to Sharpie our initials into it. How romantic ;-)

Little Mr. Tiffin had an amazing time being outside with us (and sleeping in the tent with us). He is always a happy little boy, but this weekend he was just so relaxed. On Saturday evening, we decided to make the 2-mile trek around the lake. He was revved and ready to go!

This photo is sort of an optical illusion. At first, it appears that you are looking up at the sky between the trees. ACTUALLY.... I was looking down a bluff and into the water, where the clouds and blue sky were perfectly reflected by the setting sun.

It was such a nice evening. Many people were still on the lake fishing.

I didn't bring my "good camera" camping, so my picture quality isn't what I would have hoped. But I think this is a nice silhouette of Matt and the girls.

We were up by 6 a.m. on Sunday. Matt started packing up our things as I cooked a campfire breakfast of bacon, sausage, and scrambled eggs. Then we loaded everything up and went home, just in time to get ready for church and back to reality. The girls were asleep in their seats before we were too far down the road. Poor Tiffin! He always gets the headlock, but he doesn't seem to mind.

Rock-star Friends + Getaways

2009-06-04T14:33:00.008-05:00

You, my amazing e-friends, helped to make my birthday wish a reality!! Pygmy marmoset won the vote and is the newest animal in the Berkley menagerie . Doesn't he look dapper? I really love his lapel button ☺

I cannot believe it is June already. Wow, time really flies fast once the weather gets nice. We have had a lot of rain...a LOT.... and so I have been dealing with leaking-issues in my basement for the first time. Consequently, I am in currently taking a quick break from carpet shampooing. So many projects to do, so little time. I feel bad about neglecting the blog last week, but I have a feeling many of you all are in the same situation that I am!

Last week, we decided to do a mini-getaway and go down to St. Louis with the girls. We did Chuck E. Cheese, The Mills mall, and the zoo. The most AMAZING thing was feeding the sting rays, which is a new exhibit called Caribbean Cove. I highly recommend doing this if you never have:

I hope to be back soon to share a really special handmade project I have in the works!

Bowl of comfort

2009-05-22T09:28:00.006-05:00

Hey, thanks for the doll-love! I posted her over on Craftster, and everyone over there was so warm and welcoming to this former "lurker." The pattern is just so versatile... I saw someone alter the head and actually make a horse doll with it! My next doll project will, hopefully, be based on "Coraline." There are some pretty amazing adaptations of her into doll-form on Craftster! I loved the book, and can't wait to see the movie when it comes out on DVD...but not until July!

I am finally starting to feel better and get my energy back, thankfully. Yesterday was spent doing my LEAST favorite thing, which is switching the girls' summer/winter clothes out. Since they are so close in age, I have to decide what won't fit Brianna anymore and what WILL fit Bella. Then there is the putting away of old and new. I am not done yet!

My e-friend, Rebecca, shared a delicious potato soup recipe with me, which she got from her sister. I made this about a week ago on a rainy, yucky day, and it was really good! The girls asked for 2nds and 3rds!

Baked Potato Soup

-5 large baking potatoes, baked

-1/4 cup butter

-1 medium onion, chopped

-1/3 cup flour

-4 cups half-and-half

-3 cups milk

-1 tsp salt

-dash pepper

-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

-8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Peel the baked potatoes and coarsely mash with a fork. Melt butter in soup pot and add onion. Saute until tender. Add flour, stirring until smooth. Stir in potatoes, milks, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat until heated through. Top each serving with shredded cheese and bacon bits. Yield: 12 cups.

(Randi's Notes: I only made a half-batch, like usual, and it was a lot of soup! I decided to mix half of the bacon and cheese directly into the soup, and it was good. If it gets too thick, just add some more milk to thin it out to your liking.)

I made The Amish Cook's Whole Wheat Batter Bread to go along with it. Following my friend Jessica's advice, I increase the amount of honey to 3 Tbsp. It is perfect everytime, and NO kneading involved!

☺☺☺

I hope everyone has a nice, relaxing long weekend! The only planned thing we have is Brianna's dance recital tomorrow afternoon. HOPEFULLY we can get some things done around our house!

Sew me a friend

2009-05-18T12:59:00.004-05:00

Last weekend, Matt and I took a solo-journey to Quincy to run some errands and have a little alone time. I was convinced that I was going to make a Poppet, so I was on a mission to find the specific suede fabric that is called for in the pattern. Wow... apparently, Jo-Ann Fabrics considers anything "suede" to be a fall/seasonal fabric. Finally, I was able to find some in the clearance aisle, and it was the perfect peachy-brown shade of skin...the only caveat was that it had a subtle animal-stripe pattern in it. Due to the price (cheap!) I went ahead and bought it. It could be a practice piece, if nothing else.

I am so glad that I did! I think that print gives it character and makes it look even more skin-like. Although the doll looks hard to make, it was actually very straight-forward...and dare I say... easy! I have been dealing with a nasty head cold and case of the "tireds" this last week. Didn't really feel like doing much. But I had the interest and the energy to work on this doll, and it was so fun!

This is the first time I have used freezer-paper to make an iron-on of a pattern. What a fantastic thing... much less cutting and pinning than usual.

I followed the lead of other Poppet-makers and glued fake lashes (found in the cosmetic area) onto the eyes, as well as a scrap of fabric for the eyelid. These little touches were so easy and gave so much character and personality to the doll!

Another technique, which I would NEVER have done in a million years, was to place a bit of Sculpey clay into the tiny "nose nook" of the unfinished/unstuffed head and baked it in the oven! You just follow the directions (which is 275 degrees for 15 minutes for Sculpey), and then allow to cool. You do this BEFORE adding the eyes, or they would melt, and before stuffing. It really helped poof out such a hard-to-stuff area and give it definition.

I made my Poppet a strapless dress with the dress pattern/tutorial, and I think it looks really good! I added some pearlized snaps in the back to help her get in/out better. The arms/legs are made with buttons inside, and then are jointed onto the body, so that they are fully movable. Luckily, I was able to track down the required doll-making needles to assist in the jointing, as well as the sculpting. The sculpting is what helped give the fingers and toes their definition.

So...while on the subject of sculpting, I decided to follow the directions in making my doll more anatomically correct. Being a nurse, this sort of stuff doesn't faze me, but I did feel a bit peculiar applying the principle's to doll-making ;-) Anyway, I thought I would forewarn you before showing you the following photos, which I originally took to better illustrate her jointedness:

I tried posing her a little, to show the movement of the joints, but it just looked too perverted... sorry! ☺

This is such a great project to become familarized with many different techniques, as I mentioned, that you might never have tried. If you would like to try your hand at one of these fun dolls, check out the Poppet thread on Craftster. Just send pattern-creator, "ghilie" a private message with your email address, and she will email the pattern to you! Also, on this thread there are many links to tutorials on making clothing, jointing, hair wefting, etc. that I found very useful. Next on my list is to make her a proper pair of shoes ☺

The birds in the trees

2009-05-11T22:00:00.007-05:00

Last Friday after lunch, Brianna and I were in the front yard playing with Tiffin. I heard a strange whistle coming from up in the tree. It didn't sound like anything I had ever heard. As I looked up, it swooped over my head and landed in another tree. This is what I saw:

I couldn't believe my eyes! A parrot, flying around here in Iowa??!! I just found out he is an Eastern Rosella, which is a native parrot to Australia. I assume he is a lost pet... he has been sticking around here pretty close since Friday. Anyone that sees him thinks they are hallucinating!

On the morning of my birthday (Sunday), I went outside and found him singing for me:

(Pardon my horrible attempts to "talk" to him).

I really wish we could try to catch him, especially before a hawk does. I may have to take a friend's advice and call the Conservation Agency...not sure if they can do anything to help him or not.

☺☺☺☺☺

After 3 weeks of waiting, I finally received my huge, 8 ft tall tree wall-decal last week. (This was the first wonky transaction I ever had on Etsy... not impressed with the seller on so many levels.)

The wall behind the dining room table before....

Matt, helping me get the first of four parts centered....

And here it is, after 2 days of rubbing/peeling, all done! I added the cardinal decals that I bought from a different seller, and I think it looks good ☺ I am definitely all about the birds in the trees, aren't I?

Ps... Thanks to all of you who took the time to pop over to the Berkley's blog and cast a vote for the adorable pygmy marmoset. Last time I checked, there were 8 votes for him, which is amazing! If you would also like to give him you allegiance, you can vote through Thursday (I think) HERE .

My Birthday Wish...

2009-05-08T10:00:00.008-05:00

(The fabulous Mr. & Mrs. Cardinal prints I gave to Matt for Valentines Day)

This Sunday, something will happen for only the 2nd time that I can remember in my life... my birthday and Mother's Day fall on the same exact day. It is kind of neat in a way, but I also have to share my "special day" with 50 million other people. I suppose at 29, birthdays are getting over-rated anyway ☺

Today, I noticed that one of my favorite Etsy shops, Berkley Illustration , has their ballot-casting going on for a new animal to be drawn in May. Ryan Berkley draws these amazing, lifelike drawings of all kinds of different animals wearing clothes. There is usually a little back story that goes behind each one. They are hilarious and classy, all at the same time. (PLUS, they give amazing service to their customers...I was highly impressed!).

For as long as I have known about these ballot-castings, I have voted for pygmy marmoset. It has been my favorite animal since I saw a little video on Sesame Street featuring them, back when I was just a sprout. I want one for a pet soooo bad, but they are around $3000. I think a full-grown one is about the size of a bird. The babies are just teeny-weeny:

The thing is, try as I might, I cannot get anyone else to give up a vote for the regal little marmoset. As a last ditch effort, I am going to exploit my birthday situation and ask for help for my lovely blog-friends ☺ If you go to THIS LINK and leave a comment voting for the pygmy marmoset, I will love you forever and ever. (Okay, I will love you even if you don't...).

On that note, I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend and Mother's Day. Tonight Matt and I are going to see one of my favorite comedians, who is often on the Bob & Tom Radio Show, Costaki Economopolous. I think it should be a good time, and I am sooo looking forward to it!

Poppet to me!

2009-05-05T22:47:00.006-05:00

I first heard about, and joined, Craftster about a year or so ago. It is an amazing site chock-full to the max with awesome crafty bits of this'n'that related to sewing, knitting/crocheting, and needlework. My intentions are always good, but I just haven't taken the time to sit down and really get involved. I do watch the Craftster blog in my sidebar, and their blog title caught my attention a couple of days ago: Featured Craftalong: The Poppet-along!

What the heck is a Poppet?? Is it some kind of puppet? Since I LOVE puppets and thought it might be some sort of tutorial aiming in that direction, I had to check it out.

Well, apparently this is a Poppet:

(photo borrowed from Craftster.org, posted by the creator of the pattern, "ghilie")

...but so are these:

(photos borrowed from Craftster.org, posted there by the masters behind the sewing machines!)

Poppets tend to look human, but they do have animal-like ears and tails. They sort of remind me of those little people off of "The Littles" cartoon I watched as a kid. Depending on the person making them, and the bounds of their imagination, a Poppet could really turn into anything!

This is a great opportunity for any of us (me included!) who haven't tried making a jointed-doll to give it a go. It really is no wonder that this thread has been active on Craftster since November of 2007!! Check out The Poppet-Along Thread for information how to get the pattern emailed to you ☺

This is one craft that, for once, I am going to make for me to keep. It might be slow-going, but I will document my progress here in the blog. If anyone of my blog-friends decide to join in, too, let me know!

Mushrooming Around

2009-05-03T22:35:00.007-05:00

This past Friday, my husband and parents found their first morel mushrooms of the season. It is always right about now, when the lilac bushes start to bloom, that they start to pop up around dead trees and under "May Apple" plants in the deepest parts of the woods. People in other parts of the country enjoy wild ramps and fiddlehead ferns this time of year... in the MO/IA/IL area, we have morels!

Morel mushrooms are considered a delicacy in even the most high-end restaurants. But during the wet weather and warmer days of mid-Spring, they begin to pop up for the experienced or novice hunter to gather. The more moisture and heat there is, the better the find! They are usually only around for a few weeks every year, so it is almost as much sport as anything to look for them. They often favor the ground around long-dead Elm trees, and they often come back in the same spots, year after year. When you find a large patch, you keep the location secret so you can check it out again next year ☺ Many people will sell their finds to others, sometimes at up to $30/lb...or more! My BIL said yesterday he has heard of them selling at times for $80/lb...unreal.

Last night as my husband was mowing the new grass and I was getting ready to cook supper, I decided to try out my new net-sharing cam and make my first "blog video" to share with you. I hope it can be a bit informational to my net-friends who aren't familar with wild morel mushrooms ☺

Part One: Preparing the mushrooms for cooking.

Part Two: Cooking the mushrooms.

I cannot stress enough that you should NEVER eat anything wild unless you are positively certain of what it is!!!

Membership drive!

2009-04-29T09:46:00.005-05:00

There was a segment on the news a couple of weeks ago about Spam. Although the economy is pretty dismal right now, the workers at the Hormel plant are working overtime, churning out more Spam than ever before. A little research showed that on one day shift, nearly 150, 000 cans were produced!

A high-school classmate of mine posted on FaceBook that he worked a total of nearly 90 hours last week! With all of the layoffs, cut-backs, etc., what company is that busy??? He works in the Armour-Dial plant outside of town...which makes such favorites as vienna sausages.

I have been thinking a lot about this in the last day or so. More and more people are cutting back and really making an effort to feed their families more economically-minded. Spam and vienna sausage-type products are cheap, meat-based replacements for more expensive lunch meats, etc. But you got to admit, they really aren't that good for you in terms of content and ingredients.

Every week, I wait for Tuesday afternoon for the grocery ads to come out. Then I check prices, review my coupons, and stock up. For instance, shredded cheese is 99 cents a bag this week at Hy-Vee... and shredded cheese freezes fantastically! I will probably buy at least 10 bags and throw in the freezer. Imagine all of the homemade pizzas, quesadillas, lasagna, casseroles, etc. that can benefit from a good cheese stash ☺ Being a one-income family, I am working hard and doing my part to feed these guys well!

So... what am I getting at?

My idea is to start a separate, recipe-related blog. I would choose a category, such as "side dishes", each month. Then the members could post recipes related to that category. They could be family recipes, tried-and-true favorites, something you got out of a magazine, etc. Then, throughout the month, we could try the recipes that appealed to us, take photos of our results, and give our family's reaction or rating. The recipes should be family/kid friendly, with practical ingredients. With garden bounties right around the corner, that would be a bonus to incorporate into the recipe suggestions!

At this point, I haven't quite decided on the blog format and the technicalities. First and foremost, I want to see if I have a group of people large enough to make this happen!

So... who's interested?

Strawberry jam

2009-04-26T12:17:00.005-05:00

What a fantastic, Spring-y week this was! I was happy to spend time outside (with dirt on my hands) and inside, with the windows open. Even during the rainy times, it was just peaceful to hear the "tap-tap-tapping" on the windows and roof.

This is the time, most every year, that I make homemade strawberry jam. You can get nice, fat red berries for 99 cents/lb or less at the grocery store quite consistently; the small, homegrown ones are REALLY good, but since you add so much sugar to them to make the jam, I prefer using the large, store-bought ones. They are just easier/faster to clean and prepare.

I started with a 4 lb. box of strawberries, which I cleaned in a sink-full of cold water. Then I simply cut off any bad/white spots and the stems.

I decided to puree them in my new food processor instead of slicing them. If you like a slightly chunky jam, you can slice them or use a pastry cutter to crush them. As they cook, they will break down more.

Mmmm... and nice, smooth strawberry puree! What a time-saver!

I did a little bit of math and adapted the recipe found in my trusty Better Homes cookbook. To my largest stockpot, I added the strawberry puree (which was approx. 7 cups from the cleaned 4 lbs of berries), a 4 lb bag of white sugar, a Tbsp butter, and two 1.75 oz. boxes of Sure-Gel (pectin). Stirring pretty consistently, I brought it to a boil. Let it boil for about 2 minutes, then remove from heat.

(Note: Make sure you use a large enough pot while cooking the jam, and continue to stir often. If you fail to do this, it will probably boil over...I had this happen ONCE and it is a horrible, sticky mess to clean up)

Using a wide-mouth funnel (found with the canning supplies), fill your clean jars up to 1/4 inch of headspace. For jam, I prefer to use half-pint jars, but pints will work in a pinch. Wipe the rim of the jar clean, apply the lid/band. Process in a boiling hot water bath for 5 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. (This is how I do it, following my trusty, 8-year-old cookbook. USDA guidelines for home-canners change, so check their website for the most recent recommendations).

Whenever I can something, I always set the hot, processed jars on dishtowels, then cover with another dishtowel as they cool. (This is how my family did it ☺). There is nothing more exciting than hearing all of the little "pop"s as the jars seal themselves. From all of my berries, I think I made approximately 8 pints-worth of jam. I calculate it cost about $1.11 per pint to make ☺

Hot (digital) dog!

2009-04-18T09:24:00.007-05:00

Etsy is an amazing place, isn't it? You never know what you might find. I was surfing around the internet one day, and came across a site that was spotlighting a really fantastic Etsy shop, Hot Digital Dog . This lady makes absolutely adorable, old-timey-looking portraits of animals. She sells prints, but will also make a custom portrait of your pet!

Later on in the day, I was posting in the forums...and as luck would have it, HotDigitalDog made a reply to one of my posts! What are the odds? We talked a bit, a convo was started, and we started scheming up a plan. She sent me the result via email last night...I think it speaks for itself:

I'm sorry, but it DOES NOT get any cuter than that, so don't even try! My idea was for Tiffin to look like a old-time newsie, and her results were even better than I could have imagined ☺ I have always thought Tiffin looks like one of my favorite Muppet characters, Emmet from the 1977 Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas:

With their similar little brimmed-hats, they could be "Brothers":

Check out HotDigitalDog and be prepared to laugh your butt off at the adorability...hey, it's a word!

☺☺☺

Have a fabulous weekend, everyone!

Beady buddies

2009-04-16T16:29:00.007-05:00

(My little bead-boy from Variation, who just made friend with my post-Easter find from today)

A while back, I stumbled upon a new Etsy shop that I found extremely charming. Though open less than a month at the time, she was pushing 30 sales! I was impressed. Her creations are the type of unique, "why-didn't-I-think-of-that" sort of thing that all of us creators are constantly striving for.

Variation makes little bead-people out of vintage beads and findings. Almost as charming as the people themselves are the PHOTOS on her listings. I can't imagine the time she puts into them. I told her she really needs to start a side-business of selling prints of her images ☺

I LOVE this one in particular! Consequently, she purchased some of my chenille pups, and they seemed to get along very well with her own little bead-friends:

Check out Variation on Etsy and Flickr !

♥♥♥♥♥♥

In other goings-on, my husband is working diligently in painting/staining/varnishing and hanging trim for me. Can you believe that we have lived here for nearly 2 years and I have little to nothing hanging on my walls?? I can't wait for the big unveiling so that I can hang up some lovely artwork from my bloggy-friends Bunzi, Mushy, and Jenny . Can't wait for the unveil? I am sure you can scour their blogs and find the trade-details ☺ For now, I must go make some more "balls in shells" for supper!

Balls in shells

2009-04-13T22:19:00.006-05:00

Brianna loves to sit up on the butcher block and watch me cook. Last week, I decided to make a big deal out of her cooking supper for everyone! Being 4 1/2, she looked at me nervously and said, "I think I'm going to need some help..."

My beloved Taste of Home magazine has changed it's format. Some changes (such as the ad-free magazine going more commercial) were a big difficult to adjust to. However, there are some new gems to be found in it, as well. There is now a section with a recipe targeted towards kids. The most recent issue had a delicious-sounding recipe that seemed like it would be a fun project for Brianna's first dinner-making experience:

Easy Stuffed Shells

*1 package (12 oz) jumbo pasta shells

*1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce

*36 frozen cooked Italian meatballs (1/2 oz. each), thawed

*2 cups (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water.

Place 1/2 cup sauce in a greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish. (We halved the recipe, since we don't need to make that much food!).
Place a meatball in each shell.

Transfer to prepared dish.

Top with remaining sauce and sprinkle with cheese.

Cover and bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 5-10 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Mmm... this recipe was fabulous!! It was a really simple cross between lasagna and ravioli. We ate it with garlic bread and salad. Since we only made half the recipe, we had a fun time counting out half the shells and meatballs. Great job, Brianna! This recipe is definitely a keeper ☺

Sincerest wishes

2009-04-12T18:09:00.002-05:00

(My favorite vintage postcard, circa 1909)

I hope everyone had a lovely, food + family-filled weekend!

Easter blessings

2009-04-08T13:27:00.009-05:00

Back in October, my dishwasher begame very loud while running the wash cycles. I called and found out that our 1 year warranty ran out in April...and with the holidays looming, I decided to put getting it fixed off a while. I mean, it was WORKING (for the most part), and since the warranty was expired, why pay for them to come fix it right away?

So yesterday, after consistent nagging from the husband, I finally got the Sears repairman here. Immediately, he knew what was wrong: the motor/pump was going out of it. The part alone was over $300!! My heart sank. The man told me to hold on a second, he needed to go out to his van to check on something...

"The 700 Club" was on tv, and I sat down on the couch and started to pray. "God, please let there be something...ANYTHING... that he can do to fix it without such an expense. I don't want to pour money into this broken appliance, but we can't afford to go buy a new one, either."

The man came back inside and had news for me. Since our dishwasher is a Kenmore Elite series, the warranty is a bit different. On this specific model, there is a 2 year warranty on the motor/pump only! And we had TWO WEEKS left on the warranty. Isn't God amazing?!

I think sometimes we tend to forget how God works in our lives. Not just at Easter and Christmas, but every single second of every day! I try to remember to thank Him over and over again for everything he has done for me. I hope all of you will, too ☺

♥♥♥

As we prepare for the Easter celebration this weekend (and make our grocery runs), I thought I would share a recipe with you that my sister-in-law made with her kids a few years ago. The results are meringue cookies that are crispy and delicious!

Easter Tomb Cookie Recipe to be made the evening before Easter

1 cup whole pecans

1 tsp vinegar

3 egg whites

pinch salt

1 cup sugar

Ziploc baggie

Wooden spoon

Tape

Bible

*Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (this is important - don’t wait until you are half done with the recipe!)

*Place pecans in baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3

*Let child smell vinegar. Put 1 tsp vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30

*Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave us His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11

*Sprinkle a little salt into child’s hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into a bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus’ followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27

*Add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16

*Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12-15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God’s eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3

*Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60

*Put cookie sheet in oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66

*Go to bed! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus’ followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.Read John 16:20 and 22

*On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice thecracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the firstEaster, Jesus’ followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty! Read Matthew 28:1-9

Bunny Pieces

2009-04-04T15:26:00.014-05:00

The days have been getting away from me. I had hoped to have a whole gaggle of bunny-kids in the shop in time for Easter, and here we are nearly a week until E-day!

I did have enough time to get a handful of sweethearts done, and I hope to get them photographed and listed soon...hopefully by tomorrow! That should give me a couple days worth of sales that I can get them shipped out in time for Easter ♥

Today we took the girls to the big egg hunt in our town. Bella's age group (1-2) was first, of course. She got upset and just plopped down on the ground, crying. The parent's aren't supposed to help, but we were kicking eggs her way and trying to convince her to pick them up and put in her basket. She ended up with 2 pieces of candy and vouchers for TWELVE oatmeal cream pies! LOL

Brianna, on the other hand, really got into the action this year. She was very focused and excitedly picked up so many eggs! She got quite a few little candy bars, plus vouchers for a small can of root bear, 4 cartons of chocolate milk, and two bags of chips. She also had a $1 in an egg, which she bought some gum with and shared with us. What a good little girl ♥

We have so many free promotional pictures (plus a set of professional ones) of the girls with chicks, bunnies, and lambs from this year, I may end up doing a whole post dedicated to that soon!!

Fluffy Bites

2009-03-25T18:49:00.006-05:00

It is amazing how much a little bit of crafting got me so far behind last week. (And no, I have only watched Twilight once!). I find it hard to believe it is already Wednesday, yet there is still so much to be done still. Although it is mood-lifting to see the yard turning green again, I dread going though winter/spring clothes :P

I really want to share with you all an insanely good recipe I tried this week. It comes from my beloved Family Fun magazine (March 09, page 94). This is the first time I have used puff pastry, and....wow. Imagine fancy, flaky, super-flavorful ham + cheese sandwiches.

Argentian Ham and Cheese Empanadas

-2 Tbsp olive oil

-1 medium onion, finely chopped

-2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

-8 oz cooked ham, chopped

-2 Tbsp bread crumbs

-8 oz mild Cheddar or Jarlsberg cheese, shredded

-2 Tbsp sour cream

-1 large egg, lightly beaten

-pinch black pepper

-1 package of empanada wrappers or 2 packages of Pepperidge Farms frozen puff pastry, thawed

-egg wash made from 1 large egg beaten, combined with 1 Tbsp water

In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and parsley and cook until onion is transparent (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat, transfer to medium-sized bowl, and allow to cool.

Add the ham, bread crumbs, cheese (I used Cheddar Jack), sour cream, egg, and pinch of black pepper to the bowl, and mix well.

(To make the empanada wrapper, I cut each sheet of Pepperidge Farm puff pasty dough into 4 equal squares)

Place 2 heaping tablespoons of filling in center of wrapper and lightly moisten the edge with the egg wash. Fold the pastry in half and press the edges firmly to seal. Crimp the edge with a fork dipped in flour and pierce the top with fork to allow steam to escape. Repeat with remaining pastry/filling, then refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 375. Brush the empanadas with the remaining egg wash and bake them on a parchment-lined baking seet on the upper oven rack until golden (About 20-25 minutes). Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Randi's Notes:

-Although I purchased 2 boxes of the puff pastry as called for in the recipe, I decided to only make half the recipe. One box contains 2 sheets of pastry, and I cut each sheet into 4 squares...therefore, half the recipe yielded 8 empanadas. This was enough to feed my husband, myself, and both girls, with 2 1/2 left over, and we were stuffed!
-According to the recipe, these can be frozen and baked later. Simply place the unbaked (and un-egg washed) empanadas on wax paper-lined baking sheets and freeze (then stack in sealable bags/containers in freezer). When you are ready to bake them, just egg wash and pop in the oven, increasing the baking time by 15 minutes.
-Leftover filling is really yummy in omelets or scrambled eggs!!
-There was so much "mmmm-ing" going on at the table, I couldn't hear anything else. -These would be insanely good for a party, especially since you can make them ahead and they look so darn fancy.

Be still, my heart

2009-03-21T00:26:00.002-05:00

Wow...I am such a dork. I just returned from the "Nerd Night Special" release of Twilight on DVD. There were waaaay too many little kids at Walmart, considering it was midnight.

Now the dilemma: I just paid $17 for the single-disc DVD, but I see you can get the special edition 2-disc on Walmart.com for .97 more! I am torn because I don't feel like waiting 2 weeks for "Site to Store" delivery...I want to go watch it NOW. *sigh* Oh well, I own 3 different versions of "Rocky Horror Picture Show", so what's the difference? ☺

Happy (extremely early) Saturday, everyone!!

ps...All of my chenille animals sold within a day of listing! WOOT!!

Pom-pom Head

2009-03-18T15:34:00.003-05:00

*Update* I have listed the Bunny-girl and white dog in my Etsy shop now!

Here is a little "Pom-pom Head" I made yesterday afternoon while watching Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist. This is another technique from the craft book, but I embellished it to make it "squishified."

The body/ears are made from pipe-cleaners, and the head is a handmade pom-pom created from 100% cotton yarn. I think she turned out really cute!

It is my intention to get the dogs and puppies listed either tonight or tomorrow afternoon. I may go ahead and list this bunny, or I might make a handful of them and list next week. I haven't decided ☺

We are off to my parent's new house soon so that my husband can with the finishing touches...I am bringing supper, so I better go check on the apple-crumb pie in the oven!

Jewel-tone Puppies

2009-03-16T14:49:00.004-05:00

My pipe-cleaner spree continues! This particular pattern of dog is my favorite to make, so I sat at my mom's one boring Sunday and cranked these "little puppies" out. I am crazy for these curly chenille stems, which don't really resemble normal pipe-cleaners at all! I think the results is very cute and somewhat vintage-inspired.

Here is a curly black dog (you decide the breed!). I made the collars out of vinyl fabric, and on these particular ones I attached a tiny little bell...so you can hear if he tries to scamper off.

...and here is the white version with a contrasting black collar. I added a little gold grommet for some detail.

Last but not least, I made a litter of multi-colored puppies! Rumor has it that their mother only ate Jelly Belly's while she was expecting... They are somewhat smaller/shorter than the black/white dogs, but they make up for size with personality. Each has a little black collar with coordinating grommet details.

I think that these dogs (or any of the chenille animals) would make great little ornaments, shelf-sitters, or {adult} dollhouse decorations. You could stick them on a piece of dowel to make a floral pik, or just use as a gift package decoration. I have given a few away already, and people LOVE them! I need to work on photos, etc. and then I hope to have them in my etsy shop no later than Wednesday. What do you all think?

Sweet as pie

2009-03-11T13:36:00.008-05:00

On Friday, Brianna and I took a little "Mommy and Me" shopping trip to run multiple errands. On the way out of Burlington, we stopped at this grocery store called "Fareway." Is this a chain or just something local? Anyway, it seems to be a fairly old store, but in a way that was refreshing! The meat counter had actual butchers (about 5 or 6 of them) in aprons and paper hats taking orders. We just don't have that around here anymore. Plus, the strawberries that were on sale had been hand-wrapped in those cute little plastic berry-baskets (as opposed to the pre-weighed clamshells at my usual grocery stores.) I walked out with 20 lbs. of chicken leg-quarters, 3.5 lbs of strawberries, and a dozen eggs....and it all cost me $12!

With the hints of Spring-like weather inspiring me, I decided to make a favorite: strawberry pie! My husband's family's recipe is so super-simple.

First, you will need to bake yourself a single pie crust. Homemade or store-bought, it doesn't really matter. I prefer Martha Stewart's pate brisee recipe because I can whirl it up pretty easily and fast in the food processor. (How do you like my f.p? It was the Christmas present from hubby, and in the special "Martha" color of my kitchen, just for Macy's!) In a pinch, you can also use a graham cracker crust.

For the filling, you combine 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, and 3 Tablespoons cornstarch in a saucepot. I like to make a "slurry" with the cornstarch and a little of the water and then add, which helps to decreased the lumpiness. Cook and stir over medium heat until it becomes clear, thick, and bubbly.

Remove from heat and add 1/4 cup of strawberry jello powder. Allow to cool.
( I believe this is a little bit less than one of the small boxes contains. Most of the time, I have a large box on hand that I measure from for the sole purpose of making pie. I found that you can also subsitute one small box of sugar-free jello in place of the 1/4 cup.)

Add 1 quart of sliced strawberries to the cooled sauce, then pour filling into the cooled, baked crust. Cover and refrigerate until set, then enjoy!

This recipe is always a favorite in our house. We also make a killer raspberry pie by substituting raspberries and raspberry jello! Yum yum... where's the Cool Whip?

Pipe Cleaning

2009-03-06T20:55:00.008-06:00

(A little pipe cleaner teddy bear, which was the companion to the doll I sent to Bunzi in our trade)

I am still tinkering with making my own "light tent" to help take better pictures of some small things. Have any of you ever done this? I am following this tutorial . I played with it this week, and now I have a few photos to show of my addictive, fun new hobby!

This Japanese craft book I purchased on eBay from Hong Kong has some of the coolest ideas in it you have ever seen. The best thing is, it basically teaches you a variety of techniques, and you can really use your imagination to customize and create new animals and other creatures. Since I cannot read Japanese (is there anyone here who can??), I just have to follow the photos/diagrams. Here is a smattering of what I have done:

Mr. Owl (which Brianna swears is an eagle). It is hard to see in the photo, but he (and all of the rest) are very much 3-D and has a tail.

There are actually two different designs for "bear"; this one is supposed to be more of a real bear/animal, while the one I made Bunzi is a toy/teddy.

Brianna was me for a chicken to go with the little Easter chenille chicks that I have, so this is what I did during naptime. Can you say bribe?? He is a little ratty-looking around the feathers, as he has been handled by small hands quite a bit.

Mr. Fox is one that I definitely took some liberties with. In the example, he had a yellow stripe running down his tail! Now, we all know that real foxes have white (or black) tipped tails. As a side note, I had a pet arctic fox as a child from 6th grade until I was in college. I lived in Missouri, not Alaska ☺ I may have to do an all-white version and try to recreate him!

These are my practice ones. I have made about 15 different animals, so far. My favorites are the dogs, which I am getting quite good at. I need to take some photos of them, but I have given them all away! Good thing I stocked up on thousands of pipe cleaners from Hobby Lobby. I have been looking for a low-ticket item for my Etsy shop... do you think these would be something you, personally, would buy? I'd love the input!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Cupcakes by candlelight

2009-03-04T21:40:00.007-06:00

When I go to get Brianna from preschool, I usually arrive about 10 minutes early. It is a great time to flip through a magazine or read a chapter for a few moments. If anyone is a cupcake lover, you better go grab the current issue of Martha Stewart Living before it gets replaced with the newest one! There are some really insanely-good recipes in there (and awesome decorating inspirations). I used up some ripe bananas and made these cupcakes from one of the recipes. They turned out so nice and round, and moist enough that I am not even going to bother with frosting. The candle... well, it was just a nice touch. It is "spring" scented, and lighting it made me a little happier.

I really apologize because I am just feeling super-guilty about all of the things I have been meaning to post and haven't gotten around to doing. Heck, I just now updated my anti-virus software...only 247 days after expiration! I have participated in some fun trades (which you might have read about here and here . I also won a giveaway ! That was really cool and unexpected. I will definitely speak more about those things later. And my Hong Kong eBay purchase? It was a special, rare craft book. So, let's just say I have to make a Hobby Lobby run tomorrow because PIPE CLEANERS are half off this week!! I have piles of little creations that I have been trying to photograph, for your viewing pleasure ☺

Again, I am trying to rearrange my time (and manage it a bit better) to get some stuff done and spend more quality time with the girls, puppy...AND Daddy, too. I have so much to do and so much that I want to do (ie. sew!!) that tends to get shoved to the side. Send me your prayers/good vibes/etc. to help me...because I need all the help I can get!

♥♥♥

Sweet Deal

2009-02-27T13:45:00.003-06:00

If DQ would give me a free "Sweet Deal" meal, I would clean out their ice cream machines (...with my tongue...) for a week. They would be spotless, I promise!

If you would like to participate in this fun little venture on your own blog, check out the details here .

Happy Friday!

Paula's Chicken Cacciatore

2009-02-24T22:21:00.006-06:00

When I didn't think my life could get any nuttier, we go and throw a puppy in the mix! Don't get me wrong, it is a VERY good thing. It has been almost 13 years since Muffin died, and I forgot how nice it is to have a furry, adoring little buddy to cuddle with. Brianna's school, Bella's potty-training, home renovations, and puppy care have me so far behind at home. It is going to take me hours to get this laundry caught up! I wish there were more hours in the day because I have so many pics, etc. to share with you.

On my friend Paula's blog , she posted a really easy and delicious recipe that I would like to share with you all. It is something I had never made before but always intended to. All the ingredients were in my pantry, and it took no time to throw together.

Chicken Cacciatore

3lb chicken pieces

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

salt & pepper, to taste

28oz stewed tomatoes

28 oz tomato sauce

1/4 cup red wine (I substituted beef stock)

1/4 tsp thyme

1 bay leaf

I happened to have 1.5 lbs of chicken thighs in my freezer that needed to be used up, so I only made half a recipe. I seasoned them up with s&p and browned them in a bit of olive oil in my enameled cast iron dutch oven. While the 2nd side was browning, I did go ahead and throw the onion and garlic in so they could carmelize a little bit.

From that point on, you just throw in the rest of the ingredients and let it simmer away! Paula was so right... it smells AMAZING as it cooks.

I served it up they way she suggested, with some roasted potatoes and toasted French bread. I think it would be good on top of rice or noodles, also. There was leftover sauce after we ate all of the chicken, which I saved and tossed with some cooked shell pasta. The girls really loved that for their lunch (and so did I ☺).

Extending our family

2009-02-21T20:44:00.007-06:00

It started with the idea of a single goldfish in a bowl. A $5 investment, really. Then it became a $30 aquarium. I can live with that, too, I suppose. How was I supposed to know that goldfish are really the "gateway pet"?

When we were shopping a week ago on V-Day, we decided to stop in this pet-store to look for that elusive oranda (which, despite my efforts, has already met with that golden toilet bowl in the sky). The next thing I know, we are looking at puppies. They had a tiny little brown yorkie-poo, which brought back memories of my bestest buddy from childhood. I had Muffin from age 2 to 16, and I couldn't imagine life without her. Unfortunately (or maybe FORTUNATELY, in light of the price tag), this puppy was already sold. But the seed was planted.

Matt has been talking about a dog for awhile now. I have to hand it to him, he really did do his research. A yorkie-poo seemed like a good fit for us, so I started searching for a breeder nearby. But, no one seemed to have any puppies.

Matt finally went back to work Tuesday, and called me to tell me about this dog at the home in which he was fixing a furnace. It was a morkie, which is a maltese/yorkie mix, and he thought it was cute/smart/perfect. I remembered seeing a morkie in my searches, and I ended up finding the website again. He was right outside of town! I called the number to ask about him, and they said they had to leave home by 5 pm to bring their daughter in to play basketball. THEN he asked if we would like to puppy-sit while they were at the game. Imagine...we got to test drive the puppy! To make a long story short(er), Mr. Puppy didn't leave our house that night.

(Sorry about the long back-story...now here's some pictures!)

Years ago on our way to Williamsburg to shop, I first noticed the exit sign for a town called "Tiffin." I thought it was a cute sounding name, better suited to a puppy than a town, really. Since this puppy looks so much like my dog Muffin, I decided to go with it. (Besides, the alternative, Carlisle ala "Twilight," seemed much too formal for such a cute creature!)

Every day that goes by and he gets more comfortable with us, his ornery nature starts to shine through. Even with my new lens, it is tough getting a good photo of him... he never stops moving!

The girls love him so much. Brianna will carry him around for hours (or until he finally pees on her ☺). For only weighing 2 lbs (9 weeks old), he sure can hold his own with two rowdy girls. This pic cracks me up because it looks just like me with Muffin, 25 years ago!

Lucky 13

2009-02-17T11:39:00.009-06:00

(Matt's Senior Prom '96... the day before my 16th birthday! God, to be that skinny again...)

Today marks the 13th anniversary of when Matt and I "officially" began dating. We met in January, and when I came home from school on Valentine's Day, there was a rose and a huge Tazmanian Devil balloon waiting for me. I took him to my Valentine's Dance the following Saturday (we lived in two different towns), and we have been inseparable since!

(Here we are today, older and plumper, but still pretty happy ☺)

After 3 weeks off of work with a hurt back, he finally went back today. I plan on making his favorite supper, sweet & sour chicken. Hopefully I can also get the house in decent order, which isn't easy with the minor construction going on in my living/dining rooms. I wonder if he will like his gift...

Something fishy

2009-02-16T16:06:00.007-06:00

A few weeks ago, I told Brianna she could get a goldfish in a bowl. I thought it would be a good first-pet for her. Like always with my husband, things got blown out of proportion, and we ended up with a full-fledged aquarium. Granted, it is only 5 gallons, but it is currently sitting in the middle of my bar.

As a result, "Goldilocks Sunshine" and "Barack Obama" became part of the family. They are actually quite entertaining to watch.

Do any of you parents remember the sometimes snide comments disguised as advice you might have received from strangers when you were a new parent? Well, that is NOTHING compared to when you off-handedly mention to a pet-store employee that you plan to put 3 goldfish in one 5 gal. tank. You would have thought I was planning a diabolical crime! Regardless, I wanted a red-capped oranda as the final member of our aquarium family. So after 2 weeks of tracking, I finally found a healthy-looking one today:

The technical term for the large, bumpy growth on their heads is a "wen", and since it is an oranda, I combined the two and named him "Wren". He is quite a bit smaller than his roommates, but he will grow. The cool thing is, the wen will also continue to grow and look like a big bumpy grapefruit coming out of his head! Am I the only one who thinks this is cool??

Taking photos of fish is hard! For some reason, I found this one amusing...split personality? ☺

A day late!

2009-02-15T20:25:00.002-06:00

(Vintage Valentine card I found at the antique mall last week...her arm is jointed so you can "knead" the dough!)

Happy (late) Valentine's Day, to all of my fantastic blog-reading friends! Darn Blogger...I made this post up and thought I had it set up to automatically post yesterday while I was gone , but it didn't. Actually, it has disappeared altogether. Weird.

Anyway, from the looks of some of your blogs, a happy day was had by many. We left early (minus kids) and retured home late, spending the entire day driving and shopping. I bought $310 worth of clothes/shoes at The Children's Place for $79 and got to eat my favorite blue cheese chop salad at Outback Steakhouse.
♥♥♥
It was a good day.

Sweet Nothings

2009-02-13T16:37:00.013-06:00

Today was the Valentine party at Brianna's preschool. Since Matt is still home with his back (Yes! Another week!), he and Bella went with us. You get 17 four-year-olds, their teachers, parents, and younger siblings in one room full of cupcakes/cookies/candy, and it turns into a madhouse! She had fun, and came home with a big bag of Valentines and goodies.

(In this photo, she is showing me that she chomped the head off of her cute teddy bear ring-pop!)

Yesterday, I received a large box via UPS from ProFlowers.com. That has become my husband's favorite place to order my flowers from. They really do send nice, fresh flowers. I am glad he steered away from roses, and instead gave me a huge bouquet of tulips and iris. The buds were closed tight, but by this morning, they were looking really nice!

Being a sock-monkey enthusiast, I HAD to get this card for him when I saw it at Target the other night. It plays music when you open... somewhat seductive music, I might add. ☺

Tonight, I went and bought a fresh salmon fillet, cut it into steaks, and marinated it in my *special* sauce. I just wing it, mixing together honey, orange juice, fresh grated ginger, minced garlic, and any array of Asian sauces I might have on hand. While the fish is out grilling, I strain the marinade, and bring it to a boil; then, I thicken it with a little cornstarch. It makes a really good sauce for the fish! I have to say, tonight's version was the best one to date. Not a flake was left ☺

Heart in my hand

2009-02-12T09:37:00.008-06:00

Does anyone want a quick Valentines Day handmade project? I saw the link to this free pattern on the Plush You blog last night and I decided to give it a go while watching tv, and I finished it up this morning. You've still got time yet!

As I rifled through my yarn stash, I decided to use this super-vintage, salmony-red yarn. It has almost a white frosty sheen to it, which I had to use the flash to try to pick up in the photo. I found it entertaining to be using yarn as old as me! This is part of the stash from my husband's crafty 90-year old aunt.

Here is how she turned out! Super-cute and chubby. That frosty, glittery-ness really suits this heart. This pattern reminds me strongly of a sweet friend's recent projects.

♥♥♥

Lime Melt-Aways

2009-02-09T22:44:00.008-06:00

There are tons of nice, ripe avacados at the store right now, just begging to be made into guacamole. I caved and made some (YUM!), and had a couple of limes leftover. I decided to make Martha's lime melt-away cookies , and they were a huge hit among the family.

You can make these with lemons or oranges, if you prefer. They are super-simple. The dough has to be rolled into parchment "logs", refrigerated, then sliced. (I suggest you watch the video, because it is always easier for me to see something being done). I make mine a little bit bigger around than they suggest in the recipe, otherwise they are way tiny!

After they cool a little bit, you roll them around in powdered sugar. Mmmm...they are really flaky and really do "melt" on your tongue. If you are a citrus kind of person, give them a try!

If I had $2800...

2009-02-08T22:06:00.003-06:00

...and an agreeable husband, this is what I would buy:

(FYI: It is a pygmy marmoset, the tiniest monkey in the world!)

Isn't she precious? I know she would rather be sitting on my shoulder!

I hope everyone is finishing up a fantastic weekend. As for me, I have a date with David Sedaris right now...

The party's over, kids!

2009-02-07T11:23:00.007-06:00

Thanks to everyone for your well-wishes regarding my recent bout of "under the weather"-ness! Today I am feeling much better ☺

After a week of cleaning, shopping, and then cooking, my party almost came to a grinding halt. I received a call at 1:30 on Super Bowl Sunday telling me that my nephews had to play in a basketball tournament. I couldn't believe they were having grade school basketball games DURING the SuperBowl! That is just crazy-talk.

Happily, they were all able to stop by before having to leave town for the games. In total, there were 14 adults and 9 kids here. For food, I made cream cheese pinwheels, meat/cheese tray, veggies, cheese dip, cheese soup, lots of chips, and sandwich fixings. Plus, I made a big batch of homemade carmel corn, and my mom brought cupcakes. I was really glad that we didn't have a ton of leftovers...I HATE eating leftovers.

☺☺☺

Since this was a "Velveeta Game Day"House Party, I decided to make a big pot of cheese soup. I got this recipe from a co-worker a long time ago, and it tastes much like the famous secret-recipe soup from Quincy's "Kelly's Pub."

Cheese Soup with California Veggies and Penne Pasta

6 cups water

6 chicken bouillion cubes

2 1/2 cups diced potatoes

1 cup diced celery

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 bag California blend veggies

1 can sliced mushrooms

4 oz. penne pasta, cooked

2 lb. block of Velveeta

In a large soup pot, combine water, bouillion cubes, potatoes, celery, and onion. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the California blend veggies and cook until tender. Then, add the cream of chicken soup, mushrooms, cooked pasta, and cubed Velveeta. Cook and stir until Velveeta is completely melted. Season to taste, and serve!

Bob is famous!

2009-02-05T15:32:00.003-06:00

I just got a convo through Etsy from a new website called My Shopping Connection who has featured my little Bob, the baby penguin, in their Indie Spotting section . I thought that was pretty neat, indeed ☺

My sinuses are still bothering me, and I have tried to sleep most of the day away. Hubby goes back to work tomorrow, and I wanted to try to get feeling a bit better before I am home-alone again! Ugh. Dance class tonight, and a friend is having a Mary Kay party. Neither sound very good to me, right now.

Stuffed

2009-02-03T18:24:00.007-06:00

Ugh. I am sick. After trying to deny the swollen throat I began to feel yesterday evening, I relent. Luckily, I think it is just a sinus thing and not the dreaded strep that is supposed to be making it's rounds. I am still in my pj's at 6:30 pm...I suppose I should put on some clean ones, huh?

Last night I was able to make a quick trip into Joann Fabric, and this lovely magazine jumped out at me from the shelf. I just want to go sip my tea, watch "The Biggest Loser", and rifled through it.

It seems that quite a few of the featured softie artists are fellow Etsians, which is super-awesome. I was happy to see a favorite, Annie Oakleaves, was included. This is the first issue of "Stuffed," and cheap-skate me wasn't sure about the $14.99 price tag for a magazine. BUT, I was intrigued and also was able to use my 40% off coupon towards it ☺ A quarterly mag, it is very well put together, like a soft cover craft book. There aren't many patterns in it, which is fine with me. I am enjoying the interviews and photos. After all of this CPSIA junk, I need a little positive inspiration to get me back on the sewing machine. I would highly encourage you to check this unique periodical out!

Okay, off to the couch.

I promise more later (Super Bowl party, Etsy purchases, mysterious eBay purchase, and all the other loose ends).

Comforting

2009-01-27T16:32:00.008-06:00

After staying up late last night getting these babies ready, I was greeted upon waking to a tall pan of cinnamon rolls, eager to be put into a hot oven. Words cannot describe...they are so soft and sweet and SO not on my diet! Don't blame me, though; that sourdough starter was sitting in my fridge, just going to waste ☺

Today there is still quite the blanket of snow, so it is just a really great day for warm, comfort food. After a cinnamon roll-filled breakfast, the only thing that sounded really good was just a steaming bowl of tomato soup and a grilled cheese. Nothing fancy, just Campbell's, but I like to jazz it up with shredded cheese and garlic. A few little crouton boats floating on top would have been great, too. A very happy lunch, indeed ☺

My day has been filled with mundane cleaning tasks, trying to get this place in order before Sunday: clearing off all of the artwork and paper clutter from the fridge, cleaning up the toy room, minimizing the amount of coats hanging on the coat rack, mountains of laundry, etc. The highlight of the day was receiving a very anticipated eBay purchase from Hong Kong! More about that later ☺

House Party, baby!

2009-01-23T18:19:00.008-06:00

As I mentioned a few months back, I have really gotten into the freebie/coupon sites on the net; what a super way to help save some money at the grocery store, plus I get wonderful weekly "surprises" in my mailbox. Yesterday, I received a 3-book set of hardcover children's cookbooks from Jif/Smuckers and Brianna LOVES them. Today I got a bunch of NutraSweet packets. Keep an eye on http://www.freebies4mom.com/ ; Heather does a really great job of making her blog a one-stop shop to guide you to all of the best coupons and free samples ☺

Through Freebies 4 Mom, I learned of a site called House Party. You fill out online applications in order to be considered to host parties in your home centered around different products. Basically, if you are chosen you are sent a box of freebies, etc. to give to your guests. It doesn't cost you anything to sign up...they just expect you to honor your commitment to have a party and try to post some pictures to their website. I have applied for a few parties, and was excited to get chosen to do the Velveeta Game Day party for Super Bowl!! Since I do a Super Bowl party anyway, this is just icing on the cake ☺ I received my huge box of goodies from FedEx today:

The box was FULL of cool stuff!

Here it is, laid out so I could see it all: a 2 lb box of Velveeta, a can of Ro-Tel, a canister of sugar-free Koolaid, three bags of Ritz chips, and a cute little ceramic square serving dish.

How cool are these cups?! I received 25 of these "Etch-It" cups. Apparently, you peel off the label and underneath is a little blackboard that you scratch your name on your cup....no sharing cooties here!

What is a party without guest favors? They sent me 16 of these plastic "Velveeta-keepers" to pass out......along with 16 of these dandy chip-clips. Who couldn't use a few more chip clips? There is also a pile of recipe card booklets with coupons to pass out, as well.

All in all, a nice little start of party-supplies ☺ Check back next week...I will be hurriedly working on cleaning, making decorations, getting food situated, etc.!

Have a terrific weekend, everyone!

Recipe testing, the last chapter

2009-01-21T13:56:00.007-06:00

I ended up doing a total of three recipe-tests for the new cookbook. I would have loved to do more, but having all of these baked goods in the house when you are trying to lose weight is not a good thing! The last recipe was an easy, fast, and delicious one for Pineapple Bread. A super-quick bread that vanished super-fast between my two girls!

The dry ingredients were whisked, and the wet ones were combined. A total of only 7 items went into this bread!

I was surprised at how light and fluffy this batter was, as compared to the much thicker/denser batter of a zucchini or Amish friendship bread.

The batter was poured into a greased loaf pan and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. Although the directions stated to bake for 1 hour 10 minutes, I found it to be completely done at 30-40 minutes... just another reason these recipes are tested!

I had to snap a quick photo before it was all gone! A light, pineapple-y sweet bread with a cinnamon-sugar crust. Perfect for breakfast or snacking ☺

Whew, finally a recipe that didn't give me too many fits. Kevin currently has the first-draft of the book in his hands, and it is scheduled to be released this Fall. I think it will be an amazing book of recipes and stories, which I am looking quite forward to. I will share more with you all when the time comes!

Recipe Testing, part 2

2009-01-16T14:50:00.011-06:00

The next recipe on the list was simply called "Lazy Woman's" Chocolate Cake. Kevin assured me that he didn't think I was lazy, but only found the title to be humorous. Sure, Kevin, I'll bet! Anyway, the recipe is fairly different; unlike most cake recipes, it does NOT call for any eggs. The leavening agents in this particular one are baking soda and vinegar! Definitely a bit out of the ordinary.

Like I mentioned yesterday, the directions for these recipes tend to be pretty vague. I picture these Amish women scribbling the recipe down for a friend on a notepad, short and simple. They inherently seem to know how to mix the ingredients, what size pan to use, how long to bake, etc. However, when publishing a cookbook for the masses, the instructions must be clear, complete, and precise. That is one of the main reasons we are testing them; we also have to make sure they are really delicious and fit for a cookbook!

Although the only directions for this recipe was "Combine all ingredients and bake", I did start out by whisking the dry ingredients together. I made a well in the center for the liquids, then mixed into a batter. Look closely and you can see those bubbles forming from the baking soda/vinegar. Grade school science at it's finest!

The batter was poured into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan and baked. Still bubbling away right before I put it in the oven!

Hot out of the oven, hubby and I were ready for some chocolate cake! I hate to admit we were hasty in our judgement; we did not care for it! Everyone knows how a cake looks straight from the oven, with a bit of a "crust" on top. That crust was a little bit bitter, and the cake itself wasn't too sweet. I covered it in plastic wrap and left it on the countertop overnight.

By the next morning, the cake had a chance to distribute its moisture and mellow out a bit. Wow, was it moist!! Not overly sticky sweet, but a really nice cake for a good spread of frosting. A fast, one-bowl recipe for a decent cake.

ps...I should have mentioned this in my last post, but I cannot post these recipes. The cookbook is a work-in-progress, and I wouldn't want to ruin it. I can assure you, it will be a beautiful book and worth the purchase! Check out the newest book, The Amish Cook at Home, and you will see what I mean!

Recipe Testing, take 1

2009-01-15T09:36:00.010-06:00

Why is it that sometimes, when you think something is going to be easy, it ends up being super-difficult? This recipe that I tested for Kevin and Lovina's newest baking book, called Butterscotch Brownies, seemed like a no-brainer. And, actually, it was... once I got past that first stinking step!

The first thing you do is melt butter in a pan, then add brown sugar. You are supposed to cook it until the brown sugar "melts". I was waiting for it to turn into a carmeley-saucey sort of thing, so I continued to stir...

Eventually, then entire thing seized up and turned into a brown sugar brick; good for making houses, no so good for making brownies.

I scrapped that batch (obviously!) and started over. This time, I only let the butter/b.sugar mixture get to a peanut butter consistency before I allowed it to cool.

The rest of the ingredients were assembled, and the batter was made.

As in many of these Amish recipes, the specific are just not there. Directions may just say "pour into greased pan." Then the question becomes, "What SIZE of pan?". The first batch I made in an 8 x 8 pan (and you can see that only half of that batch has nuts in it...that is intentional ☺). There just didn't seem to be enough batter to cover a 9 x 13 pan. They turned out very good, but a little taller/cakier than a normal brownie.

I take this job very seriously, so I made another batch and spread it into a 9 x 13 pan. The batter is very thick and sticky, and there isn't much of it, but my off-set spatula made short work of this. I was suprised how much that little amount of batter really puffed up! It was decided that 9 x 13 pan is definitely the right one to use.

Nutty, chewy, and not overly sweet...Delish!

Help Neko Case help animals!

2009-01-14T15:39:00.012-06:00

I just saw this link on another blog, and I just had to share it with everyone! For every blog that posts the link to a FREE download of the newest single from Neko Case, "People Got a Lotta Nerve", $5 will be donated to the Best Friends Animal Society!

Download it here.

For more information on how to link YOUR blog to this great cause, read about it here.

Slippery bucks find a home

2009-01-12T14:51:00.005-06:00

I have been trying so hard to spend my remaining Christmas cash (gift from parents) in the last couple of days. A lovely Japanese pose doll slipped through my fingers in the last 5 seconds of an eBay auction yesterday... and then I stayed up through 1 a.m. for a long, tedious Etsy store update that was a total bust.

Everything happens for a reason. I can attest, this is true.

Look what I just nabbed:

Invisible Bandit, original framed paper-doll outfit
(photo credits to The Black Apple)

I couldn't think of a better way to let go of it.

Meet me in the kitchen

2009-01-10T13:22:00.009-06:00

This week, I have enjoyed finishing up this wonderful cookbook by Lovina Eicher and my friend Kevin Williams . Kevin is the long-time editor of "The Amish Cook" syndicated newspaper column, written by Lovina. This book is absolutely fantastic! They centered it around the four seasons, with the recipes/stories/photography relating to seasonally available foods. There are also specialty-type sections about using fresh venison, wild mushrooms, and the like. I highly encourage you to pick up a copy !

Luckily, sales for this newest cookbook installment were so positive that Kevin and Lovina were quickly offered the opportunity to write a baking book. They are on a tight deadline, and each recipe must be tested before being deemed acceptable for the book. I volunteered to be a recipe-tester, which has been a really fun job. I have been taking pictures and notes of the recipes I was assigned, which I will be sharing here in my blog within the next week ☺

Hide the sweets!!

2009-01-08T21:38:00.002-06:00

(A sampling of the treats I made for friends and family: chocolate-dipped marshmallows; cherry-vanilla and pistachio-almond macarons; the BEST frosted sugar cookies; and dipped pretzels molded into trees, santas, and reindeer).

Luckily, the last morsel of Christmas goodies is gone until December. I am retrying last years goal of losing weight...along with 50 million other Americans. I hope I can do it. I have been using my eliptical again and have joined a Yahoo support group of other friends with the same goal in mind.

So, I went and bought a hot air popcorn popper today to make a healthy snack. What could be better?

I turned it into homemade carmel corn.

This is going to be harder than I thought.

Love in each stitch -♥-♥-♥-

2008-12-30T13:16:00.007-06:00

I hope everyone is recovering from a peaceful, cozy Christmas! I am having a hard time getting back into the swing of things. There is a touch of post-holiday letdown, especially as I contemplate my plans for the looming New Year!

I am (FINALLY!) going to share a boat-load of photos of the handmade things that kept me busy in the last several weeks.

This is a little Batman-esque doll that I made for my friend's 3 year old son. She wanted to get him a doll, but her husband wasn't so keen on the idea. I decided to make him a somewhat "manly" one as a compromise.

I used the roly-poly-ish pattern of my penguins and freehanded this little Batboy. I gave him a cape with a "P" for Payton. Fleece made this doll very soft and squishy.

This is the tree frog/toad duo that I crocheted, reminicent of the amphibian pets we had this summer. My girls received these in their stockings. Although the same pattern was used, it is amazing at the size difference of the finished product just by using different yarn/hook. (I may go back and give them better mouths later on...I am not too happy with the plain red felt ones).

I have a few of these little vintagey, plastic baby dolls lying around, and one night I decided to crochet her some clothes. Then I remembered seeing some tiny baby bottle party favors at the dollar store...and it just evolved from there!

The end product is a tiny, pocket-sized baby doll that my 4 year old can play with anywhere! I whipped up a little Moses basket for her as a bed...she is still waiting for her blanket ☺
♥♥♥
I was stumped as to what to get my mom for her birthday... when I had a great idea! However, I wasn't sure how to carry it out since I am not a portrait-type artist. After much deliberation and playing around on my photo program, I am satisfied with the results.

What I did was make a doll of each of my girls, using the Black Apple doll pattern (which can be found on Martha Stewart's website). Since I cannot paint lovely faces like Emily, I ended up ironing on their faces instead!
(Please forgive the horrible/yellowish lighting in these images)

My sweet baby, Isabella. Hair pattern was altered to be more Bella-like.

I used some of my mom's old quilting materials (that she recently destashed to me!) to make all of the clothing. I think it is regifting, in a good way. I also gave them coordinating cozy felt scarves.

Since 4 year old Brianna has longer hair, I added some brown locks to the front, overflowing her scarf.

They would never be confused with a Black Apple original, but my mom loves anything with the girls faces on it. I think they served that purpose ☺

Enough photos for today! I cannot take anymore of Blogger's anti-spacing gremlin attacks!! LOL

The Countdown to Christmas!

2008-12-24T22:54:00.005-06:00

As I sit here, it is now 11:01 pm on Christmas Eve. The countdown is definitely on! I am putting the finishing touches on Christmas while everyone else snores away. I have so many handmade things (gifts and edibles) that I have wanted to share with you in the last couple of days, but lack of time (and then Internet issues) kept me off the computer. Hopefully next week I can start being a better blogstress.

The last thing I did this evening was to bake a very special apple pie for tomorrow's Christmas lunch with my parents and brother. I cut out little trees and reindeer from leftover dough-bits for decoration, and gave the whole thing a good egg-washing and a sprinkle of coarse sugar. It is golden brown and sparkling.

Off to finish Santa's duties before everyone wakes again!

Slippin' & Slidin'

2008-12-19T13:48:00.004-06:00

Whew! Thank goodness this ice storm wasn't as devastating as predicted. We didn't end up getting a generator (they were $1000 and up, with an "all sales final" policy), but the power hasn't had any issues. I am so thankful for the good luck.

Even though the ice can be scary, it is hard to deny how pretty it looks on the tree branches. Especially when the sun is out, it glistens like perfect crystal.

I was surprised to see this foot-long icicle jutting out of the middle of the driveway, all by itself. Then I realized that it must have been attached to the car before it was moved, and just decided to hang out a bit before the sun finally melted its feet out from under it ☺

I hope everyone is having good luck in preparing for the upcoming busy week ahead. I have been putting the hammer down today, finishing up some handmade gifts... one less thing to have to worry about! I will post some pics on Monday to share with you all.

Have a great weekend!

♥☺♥

Ice Storm

2008-12-17T16:33:00.002-06:00

Well, it sounds as though we are in the path of an approaching ice storm that could potentially be devastating. My husband is going to go buy a generator...just in case. I hope we don't have to use it (therefore, can RETURN it!). Please pray that it won't be horrible, and understand if I am away for awhile.

♥♥♥

Christmas Blunder...and lots of baking!

2008-12-12T15:26:00.010-06:00

Wow... can you believe that it is less than 2 weeks until Christmas??!! So many things to accomplish, and the seconds keep ticking by. I still have some hand-made gifts to finish, as well as a very special project for my Mom's birthday (which was Nov 26... whoops!). *Sigh* , to have but 2 or 3 more sets of hands ☺

My husband has recently been sneakily working on something on the computer... whenever I come downstairs, he promptly turns off the monitor. All I knew was that it had something to do with my Christmas present. Well, today I came home from picking up Brianna from preschool and running errands, and UPS was leaving some packages on my back porch:

Could you possibly guess what my present is? Macys.com is in trouble! LOL Regardless, I am quite happy to be getting a food processor! Making pate brisee will be so much easier than in the tiny little quasi-processor that I have now.

Another recipe that my gift will be useful in making is the delicious macarons that Emily has been having so much fun with on her blog. I have become intrigued with them, since I once had a love-affair with meringue cookies, and they seemed a bit similar. So, last week I gave them a go, and they turned out perfectly!

Usually, the cookie batter is made from a mixture of ground almonds, but I decided to follow suit of another blogger and try pistachios instead. They were delish! For the filling, I substituted almond extract for the vanilla. The combo of pistachio and almond tastes exactly like my favorite ice cream. Even my picky FIL (who happens to be a pistachio "nut") thought they were great. I have a bag of the lovely green nuts waiting on my countertop for round 2 ☺

Tomorrow night is Matt's Christmas party, which is always a good time. I bought myself a new dress (and even popped into a boutique today and treated myself to a nice scarf). We will be staying overnight in the hotel that the party is in (his work picks up the tab. WOOT!). My only request is that we go watch Twilight before the party. I have a SERIOUS crush on Edward Cullen. Anyone else?

♥♥♥

Favorite Christmas Shows

2008-12-04T13:30:00.003-06:00

I hope everyone is staying nice and warm. We've had some snowy, slick weather creep upon us. Of course, the 4wd would go out of my SUV (we paid $1200 to get it fixed a couple of months ago!), so while they were replacing the defective part, I was literally sliding around town in my husbands work car, a Ford Escort :P

I am going to divulge a secret to my blog-friends. Even though I became a nurse, that choice was #3 on my list of "favorite careers." #2 was chef (but I chose to stay in my small-town area, so not much a market for that here). And #1 was....a puppeteer! I was obsessed with the Muppets since I was really little. I remember getting up at 6 a.m. when I was 5 or so and watching "The Muppet Show" on TnT with my mom. There was another show, I think it was called "Madame's Place", where the main character was an old, rich woman puppet. The rest of the characters were humans. I have a really good memory!

I really enjoy all things claymation...which explains my love of Gumby and Mr. Bill...so the Bass-Rankin classics like "Rudolph" and "Frosty the Snowman" are definitely childhood favorites when it comes to Christmas-season shows. But the REAL Jim Henson (before his death...and before his company was bastardized by the Disney Company) will always win my heart. Here are my all-time favorites!

From 1977, "Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas" is just a classic. I remember watching it on HBO as a kid during the season. I found it on DVD at Walmart a couple of years ago and was sooo excited. Basically, it is about a poor otter and his mother who both want to get each other a Christmas gift so bad... so they compete in a talent competition to try to win money to do so. It is a great video, and a GREAT example of classic, genius puppetry. Plus the jug-band music is so catchy, I often find myself singing the "Barbeque" song.

"The Christmas Toy" is from 1990, and I it was on one of the network channels when it aired. I was 10 at the time ☺ It is about the toys in the toyroom making room for the new toys from Christmas. There is a really great song called "Old Friends, New Friends". Another classic Henson, in my book.

This movie has been impossible to find. Several years ago, I saw VHS copies of it at Shopko. I kick myself for not buying one then...they have been selling on eBay for upwards of $60 a copy! BUT... on November 4th, it was released on DVD, which I just found out today. Now I can buy it for $8.99!!!

Today was definitely a good day. ☺

Playing with Pipe Cleaners

2008-12-02T09:56:00.000-06:00

♥Shop Updated♥

2008-12-01T13:26:00.005-06:00

(My turkey, cooking in my rotisserie. I LOVE it!)

I hope everyone had a yummy and safe Thanksgiving! We had a nice, long 5-day weekend in our house...which left me scrambling to get a few finished things on Etsy this morning. After all of the picture-taking/editing/resizing, my mind is fried! Check out the shop and take a look ☺

Jumble of stuff... want some ornaments?

2008-11-25T17:00:00.007-06:00

Well, the Bazaar is over. Thank goodness! I worked Saturday night on making this cute igloo cake. It took 2 hours to bake since the mold is around 8 inches thick. As it was sitting on the stove cooling, I went to the bathroom and shut the door to get ready to go out to dinner. WELL... my husband was too busy clipping his toes to realize that 2 year old Bella was pulling the cake onto the floor. Can you say "speechless"? Luckily, I had made this smaller cake, which I frosted with homemade frosting. I made a powdered sugar snowflake on it for pretty.

To keep the plastic wrap from messing up my snowflake, I made a little marshmallow snowman (with a toothpick inside) to hold it up. This little cake had to suffice, as I did not have the time/energy/patience to do another igloo.

The "This and That" tables were very popular, and priced SUPER cheap. I am so excited about this vintage Japanese tree topper I found NEW in package. She has the cheinelle/pipe cleaner arms and coppery metal mesh skirt and wings. How cool is that for $1!

When I dropped off my crafts Saturday morning (the day before the opening), I fell in love with this adorable vintage stocking.

...and they sold it to me for a quarter. WOOT!

I also bought some of those vintage wooden plaques, still in the celophane wrappers, for 10 cents each. I am going to try my hand at painting on them one of these days.

As for the craft table... what a bust! My cute ornaments were hidden amongst a sea of lace-drowned granny crafts. (Do I sound bitter?? I AM!). People were really too busy eating lunch and looking for a bargain. Lesson learned, I suppose...wrong crowd!

I ended up putting $3/set on the ornaments, but I have decided to sell them to my blog-readers and fellow etsians for $2.50/set. There is a lot of work/time in the project, but it was always my intention to make someone else happy with them. Look at the pictures here and convo me if interested in a custom listing. I shipped several sets today for around $2, to give you an idea.

♥♥♥

Hope everyone is having a great mid-holiday-week! My turkey has been in the fridge since Sunday, defrosting, and is bound to be brined starting tomorrow morning. If I don't blog again before then, I hope everyone has a terrific, tasty Thanksgiving!

ps... Sorry about the spacing. Blogger is winning the battle on this issue :-\

Lovely sounds make it all better

2008-11-22T17:21:00.006-06:00

Yesterday, I was listening to the wonderful Bob & Tom Show on the radio while in the car. One of the guests was a girl, whom I thought was rather witty. To tell you the truth, I took for granted that she must be a comedian, since 97% of their guests are. Then...she began to sing. And it was amaaaaaaaaaaaazing. I popped into chez Walmart last night, and was happy to find one of her CDs. They didn't have the newest one called "Be Ok", but this was the one I really wanted. I guess the reason she sounded familiar is a couple of her songs have been in commercials.

This is a good video of one of my favorite songs from the CD. It is so sweet☺

(If the video isn't showing above, here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDua9AOIkAM )

♥♥♥

I hope everyone is having a great Saturday. I will have some pics to share with you from the Bazaar stuff, probably Monday. Check out Laurie's wonderful plug she gave me on my finished Gooble doll on the Gabba Friends site. She is such a sweetie ☺

Cinnamony Cuteness

2008-11-20T13:24:00.010-06:00

This time last week, I started working on some ornaments to donate to the church's bazaar this weekend. I decided to work with cinnamon dough, and it is really fun!

It handles like a thick playdough and it cuts wonderfully! I used my collection of Christmas cutters for the shapes.

You are supposed to let them dry out a bit before baking them. The cinnamon really scents your house...lovely!

All baked, then glittered... just waiting to get the rest of the ribbon attached and the final touches completed.

Prim Gingergirls

Plump Bears

Sparkly Snowmen

Dapper Gingerboys

Shining Stars

Glistening Pines

Nose-diving Deer (thanks to Blogger!)

☺☺☺

What do you think I should sell these for? The larger ones are 3 inches tall, and the smaller counterparts are 1 1/2 inches tall. I plan on selling them in sets of one larger and two smaller. Would you pay $3 for a set? More... less?

What doesn't sell can be returned to me. Do you think these would sell on Etsy... should I put them up as a PIF?

♥♥♥

Off to make a pot of chili to combat this chilly, blustery day!

Happy Thursday, Blog-Buddies

Feeling Blue

2008-11-13T14:54:00.003-06:00

BlueBERRY, that would be. I decided to utilize some of the stash I froze this summer. Doesn't it look tasty? I am taking it to my mom's tonight, where we will be eating pizza while my husband and dad work on wiring there house-in-construction. My aunt will be there visiting, as well. Her name is Kim, but Brianna calls her Kim-ma (as opposed to grandma). It is a name she made up when really little, and we all think it is quite cute.

Hopefully, I can get The Office watched tonight while they are busy. If not, thank God for DVR ☺

Happy Thursday, blog-buds
♥♥♥

A Waddle of Penguins

2008-11-11T14:15:00.013-06:00

Yes, a waddle is the technical term for a group of penguins. In this instance, I might just call them a happy family ☺ I have been playing around with vinyl lately, and the idea of penguins kept coming up in my mind. First, I was inspired by a very adorable t-shirt graphic. Then, Sunnie Fairy and MushroomMeadows both made random comments re: penguins. That was all it took to motivate me ☺

Here is the daddy, whom I call Toppy. He and mommy stand approx 10 inches tall, and are made of heavy duty vinyl fabric, wool and craft felts, and stuffed with polyfil and rice. He has a little felt cap (which is attached).

This is Tippy, the mama penguin. She has a red heart simply embroidered on her tummy, and a little felt bow on her head. She wears a removable crocheted scarf, which looks like it is covered in frost. My friend almost walked out the door with her yesterday!

Lastly, meet Bob, the baby penguin chick. He is different from his parents, as he is made of soft fleece fabric. He is also stuffed with polyfil and rice, and has a spotted felt scarf to keep his little body warm.

These sweet friends will also be in the shop when I get it updated. I wonder if someone will want to welcome one (or all) of them into their home for the holiday season?

♥♥♥

L♥ve Birds

2008-11-07T13:17:00.003-06:00

Aren't they sweet? I am quite proud of my swanish pair. They have been an off-and-on project for a while now, and are almost ready for the shop. (I still need to sew those feet on...LOL) Today is not a great day for pictures, as it is overcast and dreary. We even had a short bout of wet snow! I hope to get some decent pics taken and posted to the shop as soon as possible.

This one is the beautiful, graceful white swan. She is made of high-quality vinyl, wool felt, and a bit of simple embroidery. I weighted their bottoms nicely with rice so that they will stand up well. I guesstimate them to stand at 10-12 inches tall.

This one, which I introduced to you before, is the one I think of as the "Ugly Duckling", before being transformed into the lovely swan. She looks rather coy, don't you think?

I am toying around with the idea of making some baby-size versions of these, but definitely not out of vinyl. I think it add a certain charm and vintage feel to these large ones, but it would just be too hard to work with for a smaller size. Maybe fleece, instead ☺

Have a great weekend! Enjoy the weather if it is nice... or curl up with a book if it isn't.

♥♥♥

A Dose of Cute

2008-11-06T16:49:00.006-06:00

It has been a while since I showed you anything crafty, and I want to share this little guy! I made it with this free pattern on Owlishly . The original pattern calls it a girl, but the finished product reminds me of an elf or a little beard-less gnome. I think I will add a white pom-pom to the tip of the hat!

You will see that my little fellow is squatter than the example on Owlishly. I think I can attribute this to a) I tend to stitch too tightly, and b) my yarn isn't worsted-weight. Anyway, I think I might end up making two more of these (using different size hooks) to have a little trio of multi-sized elfs.

This amazing ornament was found a few days ago in the Christmas stuff at Wal-Mart! It was the only one left, and I had to have it. The bird silhouette goes perfectly with the bird decals in my kitchen. I would like a few more of these and make a cluster. Best part: it is only $2!! Better go check out Wal-Mart. They have some really cool, vintagey ornaments. Can you say acorns and mushrooms?

More SQUISHY cuteness tomorrow...off to dance class with the kiddies ☺

ps...I apologize for the weird spacing and issues with my hyperlinks lately. Is anyone else having this problem with Blogger? The preview looks fine, but it is all wonky on my blog page :P

As American as...

2008-11-04T21:24:00.002-06:00

Mmm...apple pie!

I decided to make some tonight for an after-dinner treat. I use Martha's pate brisee recipe for the crust, which is sooo easy and soft/flaky. I was too lazy to make two crusts, so I did a crumb topping. The girls and I didn't want to wait for it to cool, because we like to put Cool Whip on top and let it melt!

So good, let me tell ya ☺

Lick the bowl clean, she did!

I have been watching the results of the election this evening with the rest of the nation. I have voted a few times before, but I don't even remember for whom! LOL With the changes in the world, and having kids now, this election just seems so much more important.

Or, maybe I am just growing up?

I hope you all got out and voted! It is pretty obvious who is going to win, at this point. Let's all just pray that the new president will lead our country with a genuine servant's heart.

A Spooky Little Drinky-Poo

2008-10-31T13:47:00.007-05:00

Happy Halloween! My completed Black Apple doll (from the kit I bought a few weeks ago) turned out perfectly, I think! She is all set for tonight, with her ghosty fabric and her pumpkin.

I meant to share this with you all yesterday, but I forgot. Sooo...here is the recipe for a nice "adult" Fall beverage. Enjoy!

Apple Pie Drink

1 gallon apple cider

1/2 gallon apple juice

3 -4 cups sugar (I used 4, and it is VERY sweet. If you don't like it so sugary, use 3 or less)

4 or 5 cinnamon sticks

Mix above ingredients in 8 qt pot, and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 15 minutes. Cool down and strain. Mix in 1/5th of Vodka or Everclear. Refrigerate 24 hours (I think 6 hours would suffice if you don't have enough time).

☺This can be served cold or warm. If you want to eliminate the alcohol to make it kid-friendly, I would just mix in an equal amount of water (which would be around 3 cups)☺

My cannibalistic pumpkin from last year!

Fall in line..

2008-10-30T16:24:00.005-05:00

(The spectacular maple outside my kitchen window... try as I might, I couldn't capture the lime greens, oranges, reds, and yellows. It is just too pretty for photos!)

☺☺☺

Wow...I sure have been slacking on my blog-thing, huh? I have been busy with mundane tasks. I am trying to get Brianna's Toodee costume situated, and it is pretty cheesy. I will (reluctantly) show it to you after Halloween tomorrow ☺

Last night was pretty nice, so we decided to go for a bike ride to the local park. I guess we take it for granted, but the view from the park across the river is sooo pretty. Can you see the benches lining this raised area. People love to go sit and watch the water. I have also seen people with guitars, singing softly to themselves. If I was an artist, I would definitely fancy this as an inspirational place!

This is the actual view across the river from one of the surprisingly comfy benches. I am sitting in Iowa, but the trees you see on the other side of the Mississippi are in Illinois. A mile or two up the river, you would be able to look across and see the Mormon Temple in Nauvoo, IL.

Earlier in the summer, someone started carving this dead tree, near the benches, into an eagle. I noticed last night that it is done finally, and it looks pretty cool, huh?

I hope you all have a fantastic and safe Beggar's Night! Being Friday, you are free to party all night ☺

Reduce, Reuse, Re-Tote!

2008-10-25T23:03:00.007-05:00

Happy Saturday, evening! The girls are at my parents tonight, so I have been working on switching the summer/winter clothes out, and I made part of Brianna's Toodee costume (more on that later).

Last week on Inside Edition, there was a segment on free samples, coupons, etc. They interviewed a woman named Heather from http://www.freebies4mom.com/ . You have got to check out this site! She compiles links to great coupons, freebies, etc. that are legit. I printed out $1 coupons for cereal (Honey Nut Cheerios and Kelloggs), and was able to use them, along with my local sales, to get $28 worth of cereal for $3.50!! That was 8 boxes, and we ♥ cereal in this house.

This site is just jam-packed with good stuff, and I found a link tonight for a really cool thing. I just had to share it with you all. We all ♥♥♥ Target, right? Well, I guess they are recycling used Target shopping bags into reusable totes. If you send in 5 used bags by 11/30, you get a coupon for a free tote ! How cool! If you don't want to buy People magazine, you can just send the bags (and your mailing info) to: TerraCycle, 121 New York Ave., Trenton, NJ 08638

And the Winner Is...

2008-10-23T21:25:00.005-05:00

WOOT! We have a winner ☺ All of the entries were put on slips of paper, mixed up in a bowl, and the random number generator told me that the 9th one to be pulled out was the winner... congrats to Sunnie Fairy! Please email me your shipping info to gumby8@hotmail.com . I will get your prize package gathered together and sent out to you ☺ Thanks to all of my blog friends, both new and old, for playing along. Seeing your comments on my blog, and reading your blogs, makes me super-happy!

♥♥♥

Well, by this point you have obviously met my new little friend. I adapted the pattern from one of the old "Workbasket" magazines I spoke of a while back. The original pattern is over 30 years old! Back in the day, people had to draw a graph of 1 inch blocks and recopy the pattern to scale, by hand! I was able to do some mathematics and use my scanner to do the dirty work for me.

The original pattern is supposed to be a duck, but I think it looks more like a swan. I think of her as the original "Ugly Duckling"... she just doesn't fit in with the ducks, but she is just so very beautiful and charming in her own way.

(Sorry about the junky photos...and the fact that the feet are not yet attached...it is getting late and I wanted to get this posted yet today!)

She is made from a heavy-weight black vinyl, with safety eyes and hand sewn/embroidered features. Working with the vinyl was a new experience, but one I thoroughly enjoyed. Although you have to be careful not to poke it too much, it is very easy to cut and obviously doesn't fray. I filled her bottom half with a good measure of rice, so she is weighted quite nicely. She would look sooo great on a bookshelf, desk, etc. She will be ending up in my shop soon, hopefully with a white counterpart.

My goodness, this long day is drawing to a close...and I can hardly believe that tomorrow is Friday again. Off to sleep!

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

Foam and Vinyl

2008-10-22T14:00:00.005-05:00

Another cold, dreary day. Brianna's preschool class is supposed to go to the pumpkin patch tomorrow (and I am a driver/chaperone), but it will be canceled if it is rainy. The chance is 70%, so odds are we won't be going :-(

Sunday evening, I decided to let Brianna make a simple, fun little craft with me. I found this cute foam pilgrim kit at Jo-Ann in the $1 Deals. I would put the hot glue on the pieces, and she would stick them on. Then when we finished, I let her draw on his face. I think she did a pretty good job for a 4 year old!

I am pretty excited about a project I started yesterday afternoon. Working on the pattern was a bit nerve-wracking because I was scared it wouldn't work out right. But a huge sigh of relief....it is awesome ☺ This particular shiny black softie still needs the finishing touches, but she wanted to peek in and say hello:

Can you guess what she is?

Don't worry, you should see the finished product tomorrow afternoon when I let her announce the winner of the Autumn Amigurumi Give-Away!

Tag sale!

2008-10-20T21:13:00.003-05:00

So, I have been tagged by miss Sunnie Fairy! I am going to bend the rules a bit, since some of the people that I would have "tagged" have already been. SO... if you are reading this, I am officially tagging YOU! Yes, you ☺ Here are the rules:

1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog - some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Okay, so now for my factoids:

I actually have a mild case of obsessive-complusive disorder. There is a certain order in which I clean the house, and it is very hard for me to alter what I do (or I lose concentration). Whenever I eat a tv dinner (which isn't too often anymore), I have a specific order in which I have to eat the items. I'm a weirdo, yes ☺

I am board-certified in wound care, which is something I always had a fascination with while in school.

I HATE to drive...especially after dark.

I am 28...and would have mostly white hair if I didn't dye it.

I LOVE to cook and make up new recipes... and chopping vegetables is quite fun to me.

I am a closet-geek... if I had had the chance, I would have sooo gotten into Dungeons & Dragons in my younger years.

My freshman year of college, I went to school with David Broom, who ended up being on MTV's Real World a year later. He was quite friendly and we had to work on a speech project together once.... but when I saw him on tv, he was a total jerk it seemed.

Don't Forget! I will be drawing a winner for the Autumn Contest on Thursday, so every comment through Wednesday will get you an entry ☺☺☺

CRAZY cute craftin'!!!

2008-10-17T12:52:00.005-05:00

Ah, Friday! What a great day of the week ☺ Not sure what we are doing this weekend, but my daughter's school carnival is going on, as well as a free hotdog roast/kids craft and game day at the local park. We went to both last year (they just happen to be on the same day), and it was great fun. BUT we may end up going to Quincy to return stuff/buy stuff at Lowe's for this silly old house. Plus, an old friend is supposed to be in town with her brand new little baby boy. I guess it will just be played by ear ☺

Oh, by the way... I got my FIRST etsy sale on Wednesday night. I am super-happy about that! I hope this great person loves the girl kitty, which was sent off first thing yesterday morning. I have two more kitties made and in need of clothing, still. I really should get on that!

☺☺☺

What a yummy-looking breakfast, huh? I got to tell you, this lady's work is blowing my mind right now. I recently discovered KTBdesigns while searching etsy for amigurumi patterns. Most of the really well-known crochet artists, like Ana Paula (whom I TOTALLY admire), specialize mainly in adorable, kawaii animals/people and the like. On the other hand, KTB designs does inanimate-type objects, like crocheted dishes, pans, food, tools, etc... and does them crazily-good! I like how interactive and imaginative the final product would be with the kids. One way or another, you HAVE to visit her etsy shop.

Also, my multi-talented blog-buddy Jenny S has shared a tutorial on her blog for the most adorable spider wall hanging I have ever seen! How freakin' cute is that? Very.

Hopefully when we make our Lowe's run this weekend, I can go track down some vinyl fabric to do a couple of special projects ☺ AND I need to clean my craft -area, since I can't seem to find anything I need! I always go into the weekend with big plans, but never get anything accomplished. LOL Regardless, it is getting mighty chilly here, so I may just be trying to stay warm.

Have a great weekend everyone!

♥☺♥

To relist... or not?

2008-10-15T20:09:00.007-05:00

Another rainy day here today...and I love it! I finished up a special something for a trade with one of my e-pals (*hush* don't tell her!), and it is particularly squishy and cute. More about that later ;-)

I have had some etsy listings expire in the past month or so, and I am contemplating whether to relist the items or not. It isn't the 20 cent fee, really... just a little frustrating/disappointing to put a lot into making a special something, and it just sits in the shop. I have asked for critiques on the forum, and everyone tells me my prices are good and my stuff is cute, etc. I guess I just got in on etsy at a crappy economical time, as it seems everyone's sales are down.

So many of my blog's readers and dear e-friends are crafty &/or like crafts, so I want your opinions☺

This tiny little felted-wool bunny, along with the chick, were the first two things I listed on etsy. I had intended for them to be on before Easter, but didn't get them finished in time. I had this little guy listed at $10.

I just ♥ this little guy... maybe I should just keep him. He is tiny like the bunny, but his legs and wings are movable. I had him listed at $8.

This is one of my Boo-Boo Baby creations. They are like a pillow doll, but I made them with special velcro pockets in the back to hold tissues, thermometer, ice pack, etc. They each have a matching blanket, as well.

I searched etsy for a similar type of toy/design for my own daughters before I realized I could just make my own!

The faces are painted with fabric paint, since at some time these little guys will need a gentle washing (germs!).

The backside shows the pockets and tissue opening. I had these listed at $16 each.

Sooo... what do you think? Worth relisting? Do I need to change anything, prices, etc.?

I totally value your important input

☺☺☺

Crafty Bits

2008-10-14T12:16:00.005-05:00

Hello! I am just now recovering from the weekend. First of all, Friday night's ribs were quite tasty (and messy!). After the 2 hours in the oven, they looked a bit anemic. Therefore, I decided to send them to the grill-sauna for that last 30 minutes of cooking to perk them up a bit. I bathed them in a good amount of delicious K.C. Masterpiece, and tossed them on over indirect heat. I remember Martha once describing the perfect ribs as having a "beautiful rich mahogany color."

Mmm...now I know what she means!

And for dessert, ooey-gooey carmel apples ♥

On Saturday morning, hubby/FIL/BIL worked on putting the new windows in our living room. While they were doing that, MIL duped me into helping make pies for the church's bazaar. The making wasn't so bad, but I had to take the girls with me. They were good for a while, but then Bella got totally restless and I had to have Daddy come get her and take her home for a nap. We worked almost 5 hours on the pies, and made 40 apple and 20 rhubarb. We didn't finish though! There are still peach, blueberry, and cherry to make.

Of course, the guys didn't think to cover anything in the living room when doing the window stuff. So Sunday was spent on my hands and knees cleaning the plaster-dust off of every square inch of the living room... woodwork, floors, furniture. EVERYTHING! Not a happy girl. But, having the new windows in is a very good thing!

This would be the amigurumi frog I am working on for Bella's stocking. I started his final arm last night as I watch DVR-ed Martha episodes and listened to the wonderful rain through my new window. It was quite relaxing. Once I finish him up and give him a mouth, I can start on the "toad frog" for Brianna. Same pattern, just brown yarn ☺

Does this fellow look familiar to anyone? Over on the Gabba Friends board, I half-jokingly mentioned a petition for a DJ Lance Rock doll (similar to the Pee-Wee Herman doll of my youth), and now there is an actual petition up and running! How cool is that? Parker Jacobs seems down with the idea, it is just getting one of the licensers to pick it up. Still, how can you exclude such an important, pivotal character such as DJ Lance from your merchandise line-up??

Anyway... there was talk of making a Gooble doll, and I am totally up for that challenge! Gooble is sort of a depressed, cameo-character on YGG. I suppose he looks like the albino love-child of Muno and Brobee, and he cries a lot. So yesterday, I went looking for white vinyl to attempt a Gooble. None was found, but I did find some funky white remnant fabric for less than $1. It reminds me of stuff that someone's grandma's pants might be made from. In the long-run it was too thin/stretchy, making the stuffing look too lumpy. He also appears to have huge pectoral muscles, which is just disturbing. Anyway, I think I got the jist of him down. A tweak here and there of the pattern, and a change of the fabric, and I think he should be Christmas-worthy!

☺☺☺

Happy x ☺☺☺ (part 3)

2008-10-10T14:53:00.005-05:00

My mind is in a much better place this past week... possibly due to the face that my MIL hasn't talked to me since Sunday. LOL But seriously, thanks for all of your kind thoughts and prayers. You will never know how much that has really lifted my spirits!

By request, I will share with you a photo of the great dolls I had the inexplicable luck in purchasing during the last Black Apple update. Don't worry, I will not be a "Greedy Gus"... although I would love to have a Sophie someday, I will not be attempting to get another doll for some time. But I am sure I will be tempted at the next update...grrr!

Here they are, taking advantage of the antique chair that I recently recovered the seat. Looking at them makes me so happy. I didn't expect the Sleepy Sam to be sooo much bigger than the little doll!

And I received the VERY special Christmas present that I pre-ordered way back at the beginning of August! Here is Dance Time Brobee, still hiding away in the Toys R Us box. I want to push his button SOOOOOOO bad, but I must not...

I found some Yo Gabba shirts and sweatshirts at Wal-Mart today. Yippee! Those will help in making the girls into their favorite characters (Toodee and Brobee) for Halloween. Speaking of Halloween, two of my favorite soft-sculpting artists sent out emails today of their impending updates! These fine ladies would be Jennifer Murphy and Jenn Docherty . How I covet their cute little works of art! Check them out.

Tonight I will make a rack'o'ribs for the first time ever. Not sure why I haven't made them before, but I received some in a meat parcel I bought...so what the heck! I rubbed them down with a mixture of salt, sugar, paprika, and a little cajun seasoning and steak seasoning. I plan to cook them low and slow in the oven for 2 1/2 hours or so, turning up the heat and putting barbeque sauce on during the last 30 minutes or so. We shall see how they turn out!

Hope everyone has a great weekend! My husband will be working on replacing the living room windows, and I would like to get started on a few crafty ventures!

♥♥♥

ps... Don't forget about the Autumn Amigurumi Giveaway! You have until the 22nd to post comments and add me to your watched blogs to earn more entries!

A Metallic Taste (Happy Things, part 2)

2008-10-07T21:07:00.009-05:00

Lately, the weather has been turning quite fall-ish! We have been working on replacing windows in the house, and now I finally have some that can actually open (as opposed to the ones that are painted shut). What a nice treat to have fresh, cool air circulating around the home. This MIGHT have spurred Brianna's and my recent obsession with popcorn and hot chocolate ☺

I have realized that some of my favorite, most memory-laden objects are in my kitchen. When I was a very small girl, I remember eating popcorn with my grandma from a large, red anodized aluminum bowl. It was THE popcorn bowl. Just the right size, and the metal absorbed just enough heat to make it a very toasty thing to have on your lap. When she passed away last year, that was the thing I wanted most. Now, Brianna immediately gets this bowl from it's place as soon as she hears the popcorn going!

I have a fond memory of my other grandma, who passed away in 2005. When I was probably 8 or so, she had a box of "junk" that she had bought somewhere (garage sale, auction, or the like). She told me she was giving the stuff away. Immediately, I saw this set of little bright, colorful metallic bowls and cups. I made it clear that these were to be mine! Well, everyone who saw these little treasures wanted them, but she laughingly said that I had already spoken for them!

Although mismatched pieces of this set are stung around my parents house, I did buy a beautiful vintage set of these colorful, anodized aluminum glasses with caddy on eBay several years ago.

They are heavenly and frosty on the scorching Summer days! You can buy a non-vintage set of these here .

Since the trend in the last few days has been toward hot chocolate (or in Brianna's case, "cold hot chocolate), I will show you my favorite mug...which also happens to be metal. I bought a set of these from Old Navy when I was in college because I thought they were cute. But now I ♥ them because one of these enameled mugs will hold twice as much hot chocolate as my Fiestaware mugs! Mmmm...try mixing a packet of dark chocolate mix with a packet of milk chocolate with marshmallows. YUM! I enjoyed a nice, big mug as I worked on mending my husband's work jeans today.

☺☺☺

I know I haven't talked much about lately about my crafty ventures. I did get my project finished, with Brianna's help, for Bunzi's Monthly Makings contest...in the nick of time! I have put the amigurumi aside (temporarily) to work on a scarflet. We made a point to finish watching "You Don't Mess with the Zohan" before the debate tonight, and I worked on it then.

Only a few more inches to go, then I will be done! More pictures to follow. (By the way, "Zohan" was highly funny).

ps...I have received a couple of packages this week that have made me VERY HAPPY, indeed. Maybe I will post some photos tomorrow to elaborate on this ☺

Good night!

♥♥♥

Things that Make Me Happy ☺ part 1

2008-10-05T18:27:00.009-05:00

First off, thanks to all of you that let me vent and gave me some feedback/moral support on my little "issue" from last post. Just an update on that scenario... while Monday was bad, Wednesday was even worse. I will spare you the details, but Miss Brianna will not have to suffer the stress of swimming class any longer...at least until she is older and is READY for it. My philosophy is that a birthday gift should not cause you undue stress or anxiety... agreed?

Besides all of the ruckus related to the aforementioned swimming nightmare, the rest of my week was pretty crappy also. I have finally acknowledged and accepted that my (unwanted) return to the working-world will be a coming reality. With the economy, rises in the cost of EVERYTHING, and a dwindling savings account (thanks to our fixer-upper house), it is just going to have to happen. Too bad I can't find an at-home job... but they all seem to be scams. In my field (nursing), the hours tend to be long and unpredictable, which sucks while caring for a family. I have been praying like crazy for guidance, or even a MIRACLE, to help me cope. Any thoughts/prayers from my cyber-buddies would be much appreciated ☺

♥♥♥

So, enough with the depressing, boo-hoo talk! Now that I have that off my chest, I am going to choose to be as happy as I can be. In doing so, I want to share a few things that make me happy:

I love the smell of freshly-chopped herbs, and the crisp sound as my knife glides through them.

Mmmm... and I love sneaking a piece of delicious pepperoni when no one is looking!

Mostly, I ♥ the smell of a fresh-from-the-oven, homemade pizza...and eating it is pretty special, too!

☺☺☺

I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier.... but I moved my favorite Black Apple print into the kitchen, where I can enjoy it all of the time. I know, all of us BA fans say we have a new favorite with each new batch of paintings (myself included). However, this really is my all-time favorite because it moves me sooo much! I think I saw this print on etsy before I ever saw Emily on Martha or knew anything about her. This would be the lovely Terrarium print , and the inscription on it reads:
"If there is no love in the world, we will make a new world & give it heavy walls."

What a wonderful sentiment! I hope God gives me the grace to start living my life this way ☺

Happy (not gloating)!

2008-09-25T21:45:00.002-05:00

Oh my goodness... three words: Black Apple Update. If you know what the means, thank goodness I don't have to explain it! Yes, I sat through the update today. I was less nervous/shaky/excited as compared to the past, since I just decided to let the cards fall where they may.

I got a doll... hooray! I couldn't believe it!! Then I got back to the "shop" screen, and there was the Sleepy Sam I had hoped for, as well. I thought what the heck, the chances of getting checked out with him is slim to none.

But I ended up getting another doll!

Is it a coincidence that these dolls just happen to resemble my husband and myself?

Regardless, I am overjoyed, over-the-moon with happiness... but then I go over to her board and it hurts my heart to see how upset people are that didn't make it through check-out. I feel bad for them since I have been there at every other update... but I can only imagine it makes Emily feel horrid. The excitement and happiness of the frenzy gets bombed by the bad vibes afterwards. Nonetheless, even though I don't "know" her, I am quite proud of the Black Apple chick and her success. Makes me glad to be a 20-something crafty female!

ps... I won't be getting anything else for Christmas!

Roly-Poly Chicken

2008-09-24T21:27:00.004-05:00

When I went to the "Taste of Home Cooking School", they did a type of recipe I haven't done for awhile...a chicken roll-up. They are really easy and good, and I am not sure why I had abandoned them.

Basically, you take a chicken breast and cut it in half down the middle (ie. butterfly it, but cut it all the way through into two pieces). Put it between some plastic wrap and pound each piece out pretty thin. Then put a couple of tablespoons of a filling inside, roll it up, and secure with toothpicks. At the TOH show, they filled with a combo of mozzarella/Italian herbs/diced tomatoes; last night, I did a cheesy-mashed potato filling. Experiment with what you like.

Once rolled, brush them with a bit of oil and roll in seasoned crumbs. At TOH, they used the new McCormick Crusting Blends, and they are phenomenal. These are made with seasoned panko crumbs. BUT... seasoned bread crumbs would work, also.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes on a sprayed baking pan, and there you go! I made garden-fresh lima beans and parmesan-ham dinner rolls to go with it. Quite tasty, if I say so myself ☺

♥♥♥

Autumn Amigurumi Give-Away!

2008-09-23T13:05:00.007-05:00

On the car-ride this past weekend, I fiddled with some amigurumi projects to pass the time. As this little guy unfolded, I decided I wanted to share him with someone... hence, my "Autumn Amigurumi Give-Away"! I think it will be a fun way to hear from my visitors and meet more crafty-mommy-bloggers!

Here's wee little Bailey bear! I made him from this pattern. From ears to toes, he is about 5 inches tall. Bailey has embroidered nose/mouth, little shiny black eyes, and an orange wool-felt scarf. On his chest is a tiny, handmade polymer clay pumpkin. He will gladly keep you company through the Autumn/Halloween/Thanksgiving season! Who knows what else might accompany Bailey to the lucky winner's home ☺

To celebrate the beginning of Fall (my FAVORITE season), my blog visitors can earn entries for the random drawing. Through Oct. 22, you can earn entries in several ways:

♥Earn 1 entry for each comment you leave on my blog through Oct. 22!

♥Earn 2 entries for becoming a follower of my blog (under "Blog Friends" on the left side of screen)!

♥Earn 2 entries for linking to my blog from your blog or website (this could include adding my blog to your blogroll)! Please email me (gumby8@hotmail.com) and let me know so I can give you proper entry-credit.

The more entries, the better your chance☺

Have fun! I can't wait to read your comments and meet more of you!

♥♥♥

Home again, home again, jiggity jig

2008-09-22T20:57:00.006-05:00

(Sitting on Thomas, waiting for our ride to begin!)

The long weekend is officially over! We went up near Des Moines to see my husband's cousin/family and go to the Thomas thing I mentioned before. It was a good, relaxing time, but all of that driving (or, in my case, riding) really wears a body out! As we left our driveway to leave town on Friday morning, I thought to myself how we are always so eager to get started to a destination... but also so glad to pull back into that driveway again when it is over! Nothing like your own home and own BED! So true when we pulled back in yesterday afternoon.

On our way, we stopped in Coralville to shop a bit. We also stopped at the Tanger outlet mall in Williamsburg. I bought a new amigurumi book at Barnes & Noble and a few things at Target. I just wasn't in the mood to sift through racks of clothing for some reason. That night, Hubby's cousin took us to a place called Fuji Steakhouse. I had my first REAL, authentic sushi, and the rest had food off of the hibachi grill. That was entertaining, and the cook hit me in the head and hair with chunks of fried egg THREE times! LOL

The Thomas event was much less stressful than when we went up to the one near Chicago. However, Bella was a crab! We were able to get our pictures taken by Thomas and Sir Toppemhat before we ABSOLUTELY had to get her our of there. However, we were able to buy some time with the petting zoo area. She LOVED it!

Today, on the other hand, has been a mess! Hubby took another day of vacation to work on the horrible "bathroom in progress" mess. I am without shower or toilets (I had to go to the Y just to use the restroom! LOL), but hopefully it will be worth it in the long run. Right? Please??!!

Nighty night!

♥♥♥

ps... Check back tomorrow because I am going to start a little contest! WOOT!

Later, ya'll

2008-09-18T20:42:00.002-05:00

We will be leaving in the a.m. to start an early, long weekend! We are taking the girls to see 'A Day Out with Thomas' again, which we did last year as well. It is fun, and I bought some Thomas scrapbook paper on clearance today at Walmart to make pages ☺ We will be staying with family and hopefully having a great time.

So, a long trip lies ahead... but I have a bag packed with new magazines and amigurumi patterns and yarn. What more do I need??

Have a great weekend and see ya next week

♥♥♥

Copy-Cat Tomato Post

2008-09-17T14:31:00.003-05:00

Everyone, it seems, has been blogging about tomatoes lately. Who can blame them... they are delicious! Sally has been making gorgeous homemade sauces and 58 Cherries has been frying them up green. Well, yesterday I took one of my earliest favorite tomatoey dishes and gave it a bit of a new-fangled twist.

When I was a little kid and went to visit my grandparents (the far-away ones), my aunt would often make 'macaroni & tomatoes.' This consisted of cooked elbow macaroni, home-canned tomatoes, with tons of butter and salt. Mmmmm! I always looked forward to this simple, yummy food. I make mac'n'tom frequently for lunch, but with a pint of grape tomatoes in hand, I decided to give a "Rachael Ray" spin to an old fav.

I dumped the grape tomatoes on a baking sheet and drizzled with olive oil. Then, I sprinkled with kosher salt and a wee bit of pepper, shaking the baking sheet to get them all evenly coated. Then I baked them in a 350 oven until they burst, approx 10-15 minutes or so.

In the meantime, I cooked some whole-grain penne al dente. A simple drain, a quick dump of the roasted tomatoes, and a bit of butter (and a touch of garlic salt)... a really tasty lunch! The tomatoes really do get sweeter ☺

Happy Hump Day to All... better go get out your Fall decor!

♥♥♥

Everything's Coming Up... Mushrooms?

2008-09-16T13:29:00.009-05:00

Ah, 'shrooms! After all of this recent rain, the shady spot in our front yard is like a mushroom pasture. Now that it is drying up a bit, I really should mow the lawn... then only the small ones, close to the ground, will miss the guillotine.

Yesterday, I was mightily cheesed-off at my MIL (whom I have diagnosed with untreated bipolar disorder, but that is another story....) so I decided to whip off a fast amigurumi for some instant gratification and a good measure of happy. Possibly influenced by the carpet of fungi visible from my favorite chair, I chose this easy pattern from Kat Crochet. In no time, I had a finished Morel mushroom ☺ Our area is big on mushroom-hunting, and the effect of the holes in the crochet really look like the grooves in a Morel mushroom. I need to add a cute kawaii-ish face to him yet. [Does anyone know of a free, small GNOME amigurumi pattern, or have a pattern they would be willing to share?? I really want to make some small gnomes to perch on/under the mushroom(s) ]

Then I started thinking...a lot of these cute, vintage finds I keep promising to post about have a central theme: mushrooms! Check out this framed picture I bought for 25 cents. I actually intended to toss the picture and only use the frame, but the whole thing is starting to grow on me now. The frame is a neat vintage plastic faux bois:

Check out these old napkins. I bought the set of 4 for $1, and I think they are really cute. With two little ones, we stick to paper napkins... but maybe I might sew something out of them.

I like the rabbit and mushroom details most.

Lastly, I just found these kitchen towls in a bag I had forgotten about. Although they don't really go with the color scheme, etc. in my kitchen, they are really thick and soft. They will make great drying towels!

Wow, that's a lot of mushrooms! And as much as I like a cute fungi knick-knack, picture, fabric, etc., my favorite thing to do with them is eat them. LOL

Hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful Autumn-like weather!

♥♥♥

Rainy Days & New Friends

2008-09-13T12:44:00.004-05:00

It sure has been raining here a LOT this last couple of weeks! I really am not one to complain... as long as rain isn't accompanied by wind or hail (or leaky basements, for that matter), I quite enjoy it. There is nothing more soothing to me than the pitter-patter of a light rain, or the roar of a heavy down-pour. Rain, in and of itself, makes me quite a happy, motivated person ♥

Overflowing bird baths and huge puddles... I love it all ♥

I finally got around to taking a little something over to my new next-door neighbor. She is about my age and is the dietician at the nearby grocery store. She assisted on stage the other night at the Taste of Home cooking school I attended, but I knew she was quite busy and didn't want to introduce myself to her there. So, I baked up a batch of my famous zucchini bread to take over. I found a cute little Halloween plate at the Dollar Tree to put it on, and an adorable "Welcome to the Neighborhood" paper house printout from the new Martha Stewart Living. So cute! Brianna and I got out the raingear and went next door... and she is sooo nice! Her husband was making their supper (lucky her) and we talked for a little while. I am quite happy to have a potential new "age-appropriate" friend nearby ☺

After we returned home and I was preparing supper, we noticed that the mother-deer that frequents our neighborhood was across the street in the neighbor's yard. Brianna and I watched her through the window, and then were amazed at what she proceeded to do!

She jumped up on her hind legs, "grabbed" the tree and started eating out of the birdfeeder. It was sooo funny! I feel sorry for her because I think her front leg is/has been broken, because she walks funny. But she sure gave me and Bri and good chuckle.

Our Dish Network receiver is on the fritz, so this will likely be a tv-free/DVD-only weekend as we wait for the arrival of a replacement. Last night, I finished up the head of an amigurumi frog I am making Bella for Christmas. I have been inspired to make the girls some handmade gifts by the Spoonflower blog, Sally's Polliwog's Cakewalk blog, and many others. I am really liking the patterns that Sally linked to for the take-along dollhouse and the Molly Monkey. You know, by the time you buy the materials and take the time to make the stuff, it can cost as much as a store-bought thing. BUT it means sooo much more, and could be a future heirloom!

Hope you all have a nice, restful weekend!

♥♥♥

A Lot of Pujols

2008-09-11T20:50:00.000-05:00

I am finally getting around to posting pics from our great (child-free) weekend. Most of Saturday was spent shopping in O'Fallon, St. Peters, and Hazelwood (at the wonderful Mills Mall!). We ate too much for supper at good ol' Longhorn, then crashed in our hotel room. It has actually been "jeans" weather, and rainy much of the time, so swimming in the outdoor pool did not seem like such a good thing.

Sunday we ate breakfast and headed to the stadium. It was "Pujols Bobblehead Day", and we knew the lines would be long. We got there about 1 1/2 hours before the gates opened and were pretty close to the front of the line. People were saying the bobbleheads were pre-selling on ebay for $80 each, but we will be keeping ours! LOL Matt loves them too much.

The Cards won, 3-1... not a lot of scoring, so not an incredibly exciting game. We had good tickets (10 rows behind home-plate), so I got decent pics of Pujols.

There was a special even that day for kids with Down syndrome in the STL area. This is a pic of Pujols standing with a little boy (with Downs) on 1st base, during the National Anthem. The little boy is decked out in a mini-Pujols uniform. I thought it was so sweet! Albert signed his jersey and ball for him ☺

Thank God these seats have backs on them! Last game I went to, it was in the old Busch Stadium on the bleachers. I was 7 or 8 months pregnant, no back rest, and tortured the whole game!

Hubby was just thrilled to be there, and I think he had a very happy 31st b-day. He kept thanking me all day long for doing this.

♥♥♥

Amigurumi & Kawaii Madness!

2008-09-09T12:46:00.003-05:00

Yah! I finished my FIRST amigurumi project!! I am so happy that I am proficient at beginner crochet ☺ I found that I much prefer doing the larger pieces (head, body) as opposed to the smaller ears/arms/legs. I started over on those sooo many times until I sat down and forced myself to learn the "magic ring" technique. I think my bear is pretty cute ♥

Here is Barry grilling up some kebobs for the veggie pals that were my prize for winning mushroommeadows August Monthly Makings contest! Thanks Mushy and Bunzi!! You guys have the cutest stuff and the AWESOMELY cutest packaging, as always ☺

Check out these cute kawaii-ish notebooks and matching folders I found at Target. I am tempted to frame them and put them in the playroom. Go check them out... they are in the school-supply stuff, and on clearance ♥

I am super-excited because I am going to the Taste of Home Cooking School tonight ☺ I went to it once about 7 years ago, and it is fun. It should be a nice retreat with my friends.

♥Happy Tuesday to All♥

Shop is UPDATED! ☺☺☺

2008-09-05T14:25:00.004-05:00

Whew x 2!! My eyes are about ready to fall out from all of this picture editing. I finally got all of my finished stuff in my etsy shop. The one (okay, two) exception is the other set of kittens... I just didn't have time this week to get their clothes made. SO, I guess I will just wait and see what happens with the stuff I did get listed, and go from there ☺

Here is my entry into Bunzi's "Monthly Makings" contest for August (and she can now be found in my shop). Lucky me, I even won the random drawing!! I never win stuff like that. I hope I get some time to enter the September contest. For now, I am a bit sick of sewing. I am actually working on my first amigurumi, and I am sooo excited! Thanks to the little bunny who emailed me the link to a WONDERFUL crochet tutorial. I am really getting the hang of it.

I am going to have to close for now, since I have been sitting here for over 2 hours working on my updating. I will be on a weekend vacation to St. Louis (sans kids!) for my hubby's birthday. He wants to see his Cardinals play. Next week, I hope to share with you all some of the cool vintage stuff I found at garage sales this week! And maybe I will have my first sale under my belt when I return home ☺

Happy Friday to ALL

♥♥♥

Working on ♥ UPDATE ♥!!

2008-09-02T14:14:00.006-05:00

Wowee! I have been working very hard trying to revamp my etsy shop. I made a new banner, which I think is pretty cute and simple. And I am following the wonderful advice I received from the etsy community forum by taking better pictures! I think with my new camera (along with a few props), I am doing a decent job... what do you think? I took/posted all new pictures of the 3 items I currently have in my shop. I also decided to give them a sale price, in celebration of the new additions that are coming ☺ I hope to get everything up and posted by the end of the week. I would appriciate comments about the shop changes so far ♥

Here are a few things that I have been working on that I thought I would share. These things will all be in the shop in this update.

Remember the prototype-hedgie I showed you a while back? Well, here he is! He is a funny, furry little polymer clay pin/brooch. I am tickled to death with the way they turned out!

A hedgie pin riding on my daughter's jean jacket. CUTE!

I am also in love with this felt blue bird that I made over the weekend. I call him "Blue bird with a black eye". Why, you ask?

Apparently, he must have gotten a little too close to the crow's birdseed pile! (Or else, he is related to Popeye). This birdie is a shelf-sitting decoration of a toy, and I like how he can be turned in one direction to be either wide eyed or another direction to be squinty/sleepy. I am sooo tempted to keep him for my kitchen shelf...but I won't ☺

Well, my crafty time for today is up... must go pick up while nappin' is still happenin'. Last thing on my list is to finish the gray kittens' clothes and get their pictures taken for the shop.

Hope everyone had a great LOOONG weekend!

♥♥♥

If 3rd Try Doesn't Work... Send Hubby

2008-08-30T00:01:00.002-05:00

Cute little birdie-guy, isn't he? I thought so, too! I first saw this cute little wood/rubber stamp at Hobby Lobby awhile back. I didn't buy it because EVERYTHING goes on sale at H.L. eventually. So, on two seperate occasions I did take him up to the cash register. I intended to take him home with me both times. But on both occasions, the cashier tried to tell me that the WOODEN stamps were not 50% off that week, just the rest. (And both times, I knew I was right... H.L is a 45 minute drive, and I study that ad before I leave!). Each time, I didn't have the energy to argue, so I just said keep it.

Finally, this week was my chance! Definitely, 100% sure was I that the wooden stamps were on sale! So I get up to the cash register on Wednesday, with my frames, safety eyes, Sculpey clay... and with my little Bella holding the elusive rubber stamp. She had it at the checkout counter. I swear she put it up on the counter... and I would have SWORE I paid for it! But yesterday when I went to get it, it wasn't in my bag...nor was it on my receipt! The slippery little bugger escaped again!

The last laugh is mine... I made hubby stop by H.L. today on his way home and get it for me! Apparently, his grip is much better than mine ☺

♥♥♥

My eyes are literally crossing right now, as I have been wading through my digital pictures for the longest time. Walgreens is having a special through Aug 30 (50 prints for $5, use coupon code GETFIFTY). I was behind with printing my pics, so I ended up ordering 150... beats printing them myself!

I apologize for this long/rambling post. I had the urge to post something before I went to bed, and I feel like my brains are scrambled.

Pumpkin Head & the Vintage Mother-load!

2008-08-27T09:19:00.006-05:00

Getting on this new schedule of getting up early and going outside (to take Bri to school), I have been reminded how balmy and beautiful mornings can be! There is definitely a taste of Autumn in the air, and I love it. It is just warm enough to be comfortable, but a nice breeze reminds you to enjoy it while it is still here...before a foot of snow lies on the ground! With all of the Fall/Halloween decor hitting the stores, I have been inspired to finish a project I started a while back. I am quite pleased with it, and hope to have her (plus the kitties and some other goodies) in my etsy store soon!

Without further ado, I now introduce you to Ms. Pumpkin Head!

She is kind of a big girl, at about 2 feet tall. Her bottom is weighted with rice, and I sewed her some "knees" so that her legs can dangle. I have some cute pumkin fabric to make her an apron from, but I was so happy with the way she turned out, I didn't want to wait to share her!

Ms. Pumpkin Head is made from a variety of techniques, mainly sewed. However, her eyes are needle felted with wool roving, and the other details on her face are embroidered ☺ She will make a wonderful Autumnal friend and decoration for someone!

♥♥♥

As I had mentioned a while back, my husband's 90 year old great-aunt is moving from the family home she has lived in her entire life to an assisted living community. Imagine...100+ years of accumulated treasure! She was quite a crafty lady in her day, mainly crocheting, I believe. So yesterday, I was giving a black garbage bag full of 'stuff' of hers. There was no fabric in it, and I will shamefully admit, I almost chucked the bag. BUT I decided to wade through it... boy, am I glad I did! I hit the mother-load on vintage patterns! You name it... doll books, crocheting books, old Simplicity patterns and embroidery patterns.

There was a decent-size stack of these "The Workbasket" magazines, dating from 1962 to the 80's. I can't wait until I get the time to read them! Flipping through them, I found several cute patterns for toys...which is obviously what I enjoy making ☺

Here is an example of a cute toy duck pattern. Obviously, this was in the time before photocopies and printers... they give you a chart at the bottom of the paper, and you have to redraw an enlarged pattern yourself on special "blocked" paper. I remember doing something similar to that in jr high art class!

Here are some animals from a crochet book. My goal really is to learn to crochet SOON! (Bunzi sent me the link of some good tutorials, plus there are some how-to books in this vintage stash.. and if all else fails, I will ask my mom!). There was also an entire set of photocopied instructions to make crocheted, anthropomorphic veggie potholders (celery, onion, carrots, cabbage, etc. etc. etc.). And I believe I also saw a pattern for crocheted hamburgers, hotdogs, and pieces of cake!

Have a great "hump" day!

♥♥♥

It's Monday again

2008-08-25T17:25:00.012-05:00

(Bella, with her Brobee toys!)

Whew! I am back after a nutty weekend. On Friday evening, we ended up having a picnic supper in the front yard for 2 year old Bella's actual bday. She was too busy watching the neighbors play with their RC car that she didn't eat much. Saturday's party went great, and the girls had a wonderful time and received a bunch of cute presents (including YGG!). My friend April gave my older daughter a CuttlebugKids thing that cuts out shapes from paper. I am going to help her use it to make some thank you cards, hopefully tonight. I want to teach her to do things like "thank yous" at an early age. It is just a good thing to do when people are kind enough to give you a gift, don't you think?

The evening of the party, we ended up going to a small, nearby town to their Watermelon Festival. The girls rode a couple of rides, then we came home. It sure is hard to get a good pic of a moving carousel!

♥♥♥

Today, Brianna started her first day of preschool. It was a blast for her!! In the 3 hours she was there, Bella and I holed up in the toy room... she played and watched Spongebob, while I embroidered the features on 3 more gray kitten dolls. Then at naptime, I worked on sewing them together. These dolls are causing me tons of grief today... not cooperating like I had hoped! Maybe by tomorrow, I will be at a point where I can ask my crafty readers for some ADVICE!

(On the frontside, they are cute... but flip 'em over, and they look like zombies!)

Lastly, check out this FREE YGG Muno amigurumi pattern!! It is the same lady who sells the YGG patterns on etsy... they are so realistic!Free Muno Amigurumi Pattern

PS: PLEASE take my poll this week on the lefthand side of the page. The question is something that has been bugging me for awhile, and I want to know the general consensus on this issue! Thanks ☺

Oh, I need to learn crochet!!

2008-08-22T13:46:00.006-05:00

Quick break in the midst of party-central... I have to say the coolest thing in the world is getting snail-mail! I think that is one of the best parts of buying things from etsy, looking forward to getting a nice package. And buying from a community of really creative people, even the packaging is often a treat!

What a nice surprise to get my little amigurumi set I ordered from MushroomMeadows today! ♥Thanks for the little surprise ♥ Now I am more determined than ever to learn crochet! I first found them after Bunzi commented on my blog, and they have the beginnings of a really cute etsy shop! I am super-curious, though, how Bunzi and MushroomMeadows are connected... are you sisters, roommates, friends, etc.? Maybe I just need to go through the archives of your blogs and figure it out for myself☺

Just a note to them...you should start drawing little doodles and sell them in your shop! The hand-drawn tag was sooo perfect and cute and just made my day ☺

Alright... enough chit-chat! I better commence to cleaning while the napping is still good.

♥♥♥

One down, two to go!

2008-08-21T22:49:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was Brianna's 4th bday! I think she had a good day. She received lots of phone calls wishing her a happy birthday, and she got to have her water balloon fight with daddy that she asked for! We went to Pizza Hut for supper, and she just LOVES "dippin bread". After 4 days in a row of going to Walmart at 5 am, they finally got all of the toys out this morning. No Gabba, though :-( Oh well, I am sure we will find them in time for Christmas!

My baby turns 2 tomorrow! Half of the cupcakes have been reserved for her special day. Not sure what to do, since she can't tell us what she wants. BUT... if it is warm and not rainy (like today), maybe I will let them play in the sprinklers. She LOVES that!

I will be spending a deal of time tomorrow getting food ready for the big, joint-party on Saturday. I am making a big pot of the BEST sloppy joes, and another big pot of green beans with bacon and potatoes right from the garden! That way, I can stick these things in crockpots first thing Sat morning, and not have to worry about it. Other than that, there will be hotdogs, chips, Chinese coleslaw, and meat/cheese/veggies. Just inviting our parents and brothers/sisters/nieces/nephews, we end up with around 30+ people. Even a "small" family get-together turns into a big event!

Lots of cleaning (and re-cleaning) have gone on this week, so not a lot of time for craftiness. I did complete my entry into Bunny Creates' "Monthly Makings" contest.

It was fun, and I am loving the finished result! I will wait to post any pics of my entry, so that I don't spoil anything she has planned for her site ☺

This little guy is a prototype of an idea I had after looking at some vintage doo-dads on ebay. Does he look like a hedgehog? I hope so, because that was the intent! LOL Anyway, I whipped him up fairly quickly today, and have changes in mind for the future project in which I plan to use him in!

Good-night, and if I don't post again until after the party... well, just have a good weekend!

♥♥♥

Okay, you got me started!

2008-08-19T20:42:00.004-05:00

(My Christmas present to myself... "cuz there's a party in my tummy!")

First off, I want to thank you for your kind comments on the last post. If ever there was a day that warm-fuzzies were needed, it was definitely today! Up at 4:50 am again, and still empty toy shelves at Walmart... then I got the kids ready for pictures, only to have Bella nab a dark brown eyeliner and color all over her legs and bits of her WHITE outfit. It got even better after that, but I will not bore you with the details. So... thanks for the 'pick me up'. ♥♥♥

I am so HAPPY about all of the YGG love! I will admit, I didn't know any of those bands in the pre-YGG time... but I am now totally in love with all the songs from the show. I cannot wait for some kind of season 1 soundtrack. Tomorrow is Bri's bday, and I think the show actually premiered on her bday last year. I was sad that there were no YGG toys out in time for Christmas, so I ended up making them some from fleece and felt:

Funny thing, I submitted this photo to the Nick Jr. YGG photo gallery, and to my knowledge it was never used. Guess they didn't want me giving other crafty-mamas any ideas ;-)

Here is a clock I made for the playroom using a unfinished wooden plate and a clock mechanism (both from Hobby Lobby), the clock template from Nick Jr website, and some cutout letters from my friend's Cricut. Notice the tiny Brobee on the second hand. I ♥ Brobee.

So, thanks for letting me indulge in my YGG obsession with you all! Here's to a better day tomorrow, and some luck in the toy dept at 5 a.m.

This song has been in my head the last two days

Time to smell the flowers

2008-08-18T21:46:00.008-05:00

(Some lovely, fragrant flowers that sprung out of my yard this past week... does anyone know what they are called?)

Well, I am back after a tiring weekend. The class reunion was pretty fun and it was good to see 99% of the people there (that 1% of a person acted childish and petty, but I am so beyond that!). My BFF April and her husband and my husband and I rode to the cocktail party on what I refer to as the "phat hoggz". The guys thought they were hot stuff, let me tell ya!

Matt and I on his Harley

April and I on "Reunion Day" (she is wearing higher heels, dang it!)

This is officially "Birthday Week" in this house. Brianna turns 4 on Wed, Bella turns 2 on Friday, and the joint party is on Saturday. It is like a week-long celebration every year! The cake for the party is Wall-E, who the girls are obsessed with right now. I ordered some cupcakes to eat on their actual b-days, as well. SO... basically, an entire week of cake-eating. And to top off the cleaning, planning, cooking, etc., I have been getting up at 4:50 am to go to Walmart to see if the Yo Gabba Gabba toys are on the shelf yet. Walmart is revamping the toy dept for the upcoming Christmas season, and they told me they have pallets-full of new toys they haven't put out yet. They restock during the night hours, and I have to go super-early so I can get home before Matt has to leave for work. *SIGH* And top it off with pictures tomorrow.... I hope I can wrangle them by myself!

Mmmm... tacos!

2008-08-15T15:09:00.005-05:00

Tomorrow is my class reunion (10 years!) and I will probably be busy the majority of the weekend. SO... I thought I would share with you a really easy and tasty recipe, perfect for having friends over. A lot of the "mom 'n' pop" diners around here sell homemade fried soft tacos, and they are always a hit. Not sure if it is a regional thing. Does anyone else enjoy these type of tacos? They look hard to make, but they are super-duper easy! Recipe courtesy of my SIL, who gave it to me during my bridal shower recipe drive :-)

Homemade Soft Tacos

4 cups flour

2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

2 Tbsp shortening

1 1/2 cups warm water

Combine flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Cut in shortening with a knife or pastry blender into in small pieces. Knead in warm water. Once a dough has formed, cover and let sit for 10 minutes.

Prepare your favorite seasoned taco meat. (For a whole recipe, you will need about 2 lbs of meat. For our family of 2 adults/2 kids, I usually halve the recipe and use 1 lb of taco meat, and there is plenty for all!).

Roll pieces of the dough into circles approx. 5-6 inches in diameter (or whatever size you want, really). Heap some of the taco meat down the center of the dough circle. Moisten the edges of the dough, fold in half over the meat, and seal. The tines of a fork or your fingers work well for this.

Gently transfer to a pan hot vegetable oil, and fry on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.... then enjoy! Gently pry the taco open where you sealed it shut, and stuff in cheese, veggies, sauce, etc!

♥

I went out to Wal-Mart today for a quick second, and accidentally found that they had put these adorable mini-frames on clearance! I have always loved the oval ones, but never bought any. So, at $1 I bought all 7 of them. I think they would make a cute little cluster of family photos, or they would be nice to frame an embroidered or felted do-dad. Even though super tiny, they have the little "leg" to sit on a table, or the flappy thing to hang them on the wall.

These little fancy silver, scrolly frames were also $1... I picked up a couple for a nerdy purpose.

More about that later ☺

Have a GREAT weekend, everyone!

♥♥♥

Ps to Nikki...I hope you mean you got the bear print you wanted!

Tweet Lil' Birdies

2008-08-14T14:03:00.004-05:00

Again, I am going to indulge myself by talking about the loverly artform that is wall decals. How freakin easy are they (very!), and you have an instant effect. Although I ♥ the decals from the company UpperCase Living, there are several etsy people selling their own, similar creations for a LOT cheaper. And I am all about supporting the etsians, whenever possible.

Here are some pics of the dark-brown birdies that I purchased from enoughsaid on etsy. I scattered them around soffet about my kitchen cabinets, to make them look like they are standing in the leaf garland I have up there.

(Ps... avert your eyes from the naked window. We just put in a new window, and hubby hasn't got the trim around it yet... therefore, the beautiful curtains I made are sitting in the pantry, impatiently waiting to be rehung)

Bloggin'... in general

2008-08-13T22:19:00.003-05:00

Wow... it is getting so late already, and I just finished making a late-night grocery store run, ALONE. I had to get Brianna's school supplies for preschool... the only thing on the list actually for her was a folder. The rest of the stuff (crap) is for the classroom, like tissues, hand soap, paper towels, and construction paper. (We are paying good money for school, so not sure why we also have to supply the basic needs...) Also, this Sat is my 10 year class reunion, so I had to get some fixin's to make some food for the carry-in lunch at the park. It is family style, but there is cocktail hour at the country club that night...the kids will be at grandma's!

This world of blogging is so much fun, and I love reading other people's thoughts and making new e-friends. Being a stay-home mom, sometimes I feel a bit isolated... the blogosphere really makes me feel connected. It is fun to take pictures, talk about things, and have people read and comment on them. I guess what is bringing this up today is what happened over at The Black Apple blog today (and a few other times, from what I gather). For those of you who don't know, the blogstress Emily just moved cross-country, and shortly after reaching her destination her beloved cat became very ill. After vet visits/emergency surgery, he is recovering but she is left with a hefty bill. When I read the blog this am, I was pleasantly surprised to see that she is running a 2 day sale, in effort to increase sales/raise money to help with all of the vet bills. Finally, a very good excuse to purchase a few prints I have been coveting for as long as I can remember! BUT... of course, a few people had to make some nasty posts on her blog, saying she was tacky and taking advantage of people by using her cat's illness as reason to boost sales, basic bashing and name-calling. I suppose that is the down-side to the blogworld, and the anonymity of the Internet allows some people to say some pretty nasty things to and about people that they really don't know. I have been lucky enough, that so far every single comment I have received has been kind, encouraging, and thoughtful.

A big good-night hug to all of the great blog-readers and bloggers out there... keep it real!

♥♥♥

Cute Kitty-Boy and Pixelated PopArt

2008-08-12T15:25:00.008-05:00

Okay, I couldn't help but show off my finished gray kitty from last post. I finished him yesterday, and made his outfit today. I did embellish it a bit from the pattern, with the little pocket and pearl-snap buttons for his suspenders... I am totally lovin' him ♥! I have surprised myself, because he nearly looks store-bought. Now I have to crank out his twin sister (and hopefully several sets of the pair) and get them in my shop during this anticipated revamp.

So soft and huggable!

Apparently, he is a manx kitty, because the pattern does not call for a tail. Don't you love the overalls?

My cat (who lives at my parent's house) Coaly... after my daughter decorated him with Mardi gras beads. He is the same deep, smokey gray that I love!

Okay, this is going to make for a long, picture-filled blog, but as promised, I will show off the Perler projects I just completed! I have always passed by these beads at the hobby stores because I thought they were a "kiddie kraft". THEN... I happened to see the awesome projects that are being done with them to make replicas of Nintendo characters. They are perfect to achieve that pixelated look! Check out Lost Mittens etsy shop, and you will see what I mean! www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=35630 It was her creations, which I first saw on craftster.org, that made me say WHOA!

My first Mario, in the magical shoe

One I am working on now, but ran out of black, tan, etc. beads!

Word of Advice!: It you want to try doing these pics, I would highly suggest you go to ebay and buy the colors in bulk per color. I have found out the hard way that buying the mixed beads from Hobby Lobby, Walmart, etc. is a huge pain in the but because:

A) You have to sort through a big wad of multicolored beads to find what you want

B) There just aren't enough of one color to do much of a project!

Happy Crafting, everyone!

♥♥♥

New camera... and crafty stuffs

2008-08-11T14:41:00.003-05:00

Finally... my ☼new☼ camera is now in hand and in use! I finally got to put it to work over the weekend, and I am sooo happy! I am not a photographer, by any means, but it takes such good pics. I am hoping it will be the key to getting me my first etsy sale! My goal is to make up a bunch of stuff and update the shop top to bottom for the fall!

I could have never taken a photo like this with my old camera!

My husband's 90-year-old great aunt is getting ready to move to assisted living, and they are cleaning out her house. My MIL brought me a load of vintage crafty-stuff! A lot of it went into the garbage (polyester or macrame, anyone), but I found a few shreds of goodies. The above pic is of a couple of scraps of adorable vintage fabric. I hope they find more stuff like this!

A few weeks ago, I found a ziplock baggie of vintage toy patterns at a garage sale. There was an adorable, and pretty easy, pattern for these "kitten twins" in there. Being such an old pattern, it called for terry cloth to be used. Thank goodness we have such an array of fabrics we can use today! I found this really pretty gray micro-velvety stuff on clearance at Jo-Ann, and it is perfect! I haven't stuffed him/her yet, or made the clothes yet, but here it is so far. Hand-embroidering all of the features is probably the most time consuming part of it. Maybe you will see these guys in my shop soon!

I have so much to show you all, and so little time! I received more wall decals in the mail today, so I need to go get them up before hubby gets home... it's a surprise!

Hint about next post... two words... PERLER BEADS!!

♥♥♥

Too dang hot!

2008-08-05T15:20:00.003-05:00

Last night, I let the girls play in the sprinkler for the first time. I am not sure why I hadn't thought of it sooner, but with grandparents here in town that have a pool...well, that's usually what we do. Anyway, they had an absolute BLAST! It was a definite scorcher, and even at about 7 pm, those sprinkles of flying water felt super-nice.

It was so hot that my camera, straight out of the lovely 72 degree air-conditioned home, wouldn't stop fogging up. Oh well. Guess what the DH was doing while we were messing outside? He was ordering my NEW camera!! I hope to have it by this weekend, when I take Brianna to a b-day party in Quincy. She will see most of her daycare friends for the first time in over a year. I wonder if she will remember them?

Backtracking to a blog-entry from a couple of days ago... here is my new little birdie, which I received today. I think he looks adorable over one of the many doorways into my kitchen. I am afraid I am now going to turn my house into a sticker-book, of sorts, with all of these loverly decals that I am now obsessing over!