Flatrock Cabin

Friday Night Sew In

2012-02-18T12:16:00.000-05:00

I joined the Friday Night Sew In that took place last night and it was fun. What a great excuse to close the door to my sewing room and get creative! I chose a project to add to my gift box for my nephew's new baby Alison.

Sumo had a wonderful tutorial for this flannel strip rag blanket so I decided to sew one up. I enjoyed picking out the fabric. Because of my love for kitties, I chose the backing and three strips to be done in this adorable flannel with cute cat heads and the word "meow" all over it and of course it had to be very pink! I will definitely join next month's Sew In. Thanks Susie for giving me the idea when you posted about your experience with it last month.

I think my gift box is almost ready to go. Take care. Nancy

Sewing For A Baby and Much Much More!

2012-02-12T21:13:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone and happy Sunday evening! I just want to start out by saying my oldest turned 21 this past week and boy was that more difficult than I care to admit! We took him out to dinner and he ordered a beer with dinner-yikes-is that my baby ordering a beer? He normally chooses Rocky Road brownies from my Mr. Food cookbook but this year he was game to try "Knock You Naked Brownies" as his birthday treat. They were a big hit. That Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond sure knows a thing or two about recipes!

Now onto some really fun sewing. My nephew and his wife recently welcomed their third child to the family and this child is the first little baby girl in my sister's family. Everyone is thrilled to say the least! I spent this weekend sewing up a storm and I had so much fun. I found this adorable and practical pattern on Craftiness is not Optional for a bapron which is a bib/apron. The pattern was great, the instructions easy to follow. I think they turned out pretty great. I backed the bug one with pink tie-die flannel. I backed the pink puppy bapron with brown minky.

I also made four burp cloths from a tutorial I found on Craftaholics Anonymous-super easy and quick to whip up. I used soft flannel for both sides and prewashed all my fabrics. Having had two boys myself, it was fun to use pink in my baby sewing.

I ordered this decorative daisy stitch foot for my machine and I am anxious to try it out.

I watched videos of it being used online before I ordered it. It looks easy and I liked the effects it created. I am such a gadget girl! I will definitely share how it worked when I use it.

I decided to branch out some more in my blogging interactions and I joined a fat quarter swap at Ninth Street Notions. I talked briefly to my swap partner by way of a quick email and she is really nice. This will be fun. I love fat quarters so I am hoping to pick up more ways to use them from this experience. I also signed up for the Friday Night Sew In from Handmade by Heidi. It is this Friday night and I have several choices of projects I want to sew for that. All this and it is Valentine's Day this week which is big doings at my Pre K classroom. Also, next week I have my Winter break so I have a week off. I hope to spend some serious time in my craft room!

I hope you all have a fun and creative week. Take care. Nancy

Snowman Garland and a Ham Casserole

2012-02-05T19:54:00.000-05:00

Happy Super Bowl Sunday! I am not into football, so I am one of the few human beings in the United States not watching the big game. I did, however, finally finish my snowman garland. I have to say, I am not completely sure I am in love with it. I came up with a pattern for a man and a woman with their accessories. Then I wrestled with myself as to whether or not to add the facial features. I was concerned that they would look too "cartoony" with the faces-sometimes faceless is more classic and dignified. I went with the faces, as you can see, and I added the pom pom fringe detail between each snow person. It is growing on me and it adds that certain something to my growing snowman collection.

I wanted to share a comforting ham casserole recipe with you. The homemade biscuits are a flavorful touch. Saute one chopped green pepper, and 1/2 a chopped onion in two tablespoons of butter. After the vegetables are tender, stir in three tablespoons of flour. Gradually add 1 3/4 cup milk. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir until thickened. Whisk in one can of cream of chicken soup. Stir in two cups fully cooked cubed ham. Heat through and turn into a buttered nine inch square baking pan. Bake at 375 for ten minutes uncovered. Meanwhile, make your biscuits. In a bowl, combine one cup flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut in two tablespoons shortening until the mixture forms crumbs. Stir in 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1/3 cup milk and one teaspoon chopped pimentos. Turn onto a floured surface and gently knead a few times. Roll out and cut 6-8 biscuits. Arrange them over ham mixture and continue to bake 18-22 minutes. It is delicious.

I hope you all have a great week. I have been talking to a friend at work about snowshoeing and it sounds like something I would enjoy. Unfortunately, we have no snow. If we ever get snow, I think I will give it a try. If you snowshoe and would like to drop me a line about how you like it(or not), I would love to hear from you. Take care. Nancy

Christmas Presents and Yet Another Snowman

2012-01-29T19:24:00.002-05:00

Happy Sunday everyone. I wanted to share another snowman with you. This came from the same snowman craft themed magazine last week's terracotta pot snowman came from. This one was designed by Pat Olson, which I spotted immediately when I saw it in the magazine. I have painted many of her designs. They are fairly easy and are just adorable. I had some spindles so I adapted it to the size and shape I had. I thought the arms were too long at first, but then I kind of liked the awkward look. I try not to go for cookie cutter perfection but I like to put my own sense of whimsy on the projects I do. I am still working on a snowman garland. Hopefully, I will have a breakthrough on that soon!

I also wanted to tell you about some of my fun and useful Christmas gifts. I got a new camera which I love. It is a Nikon Coolpix. I have found it easy to use right out of the gate. I took the above picture with my old camera to show you the straps I made for my new camera. My old camera still works but it is a Vivitar and takes AA batteries. When I bought it, I had no idea that it would eat through batteries like a house afire and I would soon be battery poor! Anyhow, my new Nikon has a rechargeable battery and I love it. I decided to make a couple of straps to make it feel welcome! I may just make a new case for it because the case it came with is kind of plain and boring. I am thinking of joining a Friday night sew-in sponsored by Crafty Vegas Mom, so that may be a good project for it.

This is another favorite Christmas gift I received. It is a Babycakes pie maker. What a blast! I have made blueberry pies with a homemade butter crust and raspberry pies with the Pillsbury pie crust from the refrigerated section of the grocery store. Both were awesome. I am making apple pies this week. My husband has even gotten in on the act, helping roll out and cut the dough. It really is fun.

The homemade glaze I put on the pies brought them over the top to a-may-zing!

You know how much I LOVE snowmen right? Well, the teacher I work with and I have become very good friends and she knows me pretty well. She gifted me with this beautiful lamp this Christmas. I love it. It sits on my front entry table so everyone can see it when they come in. She took me to a craft shop that she visits several times a year over the summer. They have so many wonderful things that I would love in my home, I found myself secretly glad it was over an hour away, otherwise, I might spend a small fortune there! That is where she purchased this lamp on her next trip there after she took me. It looks wonderful with my ever-growing snowman collection.

We got a little dusting of snow here, but the weather continues to be baffling and completely unseasonal for this time of year. I hope you all have a wonderful week and a healthy and crafty end to this January. Take care. Nancy

A Cute Snowman and Breakfast For Dinner

2012-01-22T19:48:00.000-05:00

Happy Sunday evening everybody. I had a busy but enjoyable weekend. I made this cute snowman for my fireplace hearth out of terra cotta pots. I found this in a magazine years ago and bought the pots, and as with many things, I didn't complete it. By keeping this blog, I am spurred on to finish projects I have stuck in limbo. Anyway, I had my husband spray paint the pots white over at his shop where there is ventilation, unlike my craft room. Then I painted on a face and used homespun to fashion a scarf and hat. I sewed cute whimsical snowflake buttons on the hat and glued on black buttons to look like coal lumps. I really like it. I can't believe originally, I planned on putting this on my front porch. Somehow I don't think it would have survived the winter.

In my continuing joy of having breakfast for dinner, I have to share this yummy recipe for peppers, onions and eggs. It is rustic and filling and has been very well-received here at my house. All you need to do is heat some olive oil in a big skillet and add 2 sliced and chopped red bell peppers and one chopped onion. Cook them until very tender. Add a 14 1/2 oz. can of diced tomatoes with the juice, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until the liquid has slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Make 6 indentations with the back of a spoon and crack an egg into each. Cover and cook over medium heat for about 3 minute until whites are set. This will give you runny yolks, which was my desire. However, I was quite leery of uncooked, jiggly whites and ended up overcooking the eggs and the yolks were solid the first time I made this dish. Believe it or not, it was good anyway! This last time I made it, I got lucky and the eggs were perfect. I made homemade berry muffins and toasted up some bakery sourdough bread. Add some fresh fruit and you have a great dinner.

I wanted to include a picture of my sweet pooch who will be 13 years old this summer. As you can see, she is really gray but she is doing pretty well, all things considered. Our vet told us at her last check-up that her life expectancy is around 12 but because she is in such great condition, she could live to be 14. I hope so. I don't ever want to see her suffer and stick around for us, but we will be devastated when her time comes. My youngest son is her major caretaker and he is so good and patient with her. He is graduating this June and we got her as a 6 week old pup right before he started kindergarten.

I hope you all have a wonderful week. I am working on knitting a scarf to go with a coat I just got so it gives me something to do when I sit down to watch tv. I hope you are able to fit in a project that you enjoy. Take care. Nancy

Snow, Snowmen and Taco Soup

2012-01-16T10:07:00.000-05:00

You know how I was complaining that I wanted snow? Well, we got it with a vengeance Friday! It wasn't so much a blizzard with foot after foot of snow, it was zero visibility, layer of ice under the snow, freezing rain turning to snow weather. What you see is a picture taken from my front porch. I know-not so much quantity-just quick as a flash "here it is with all the trimmings" ! My husband and two sons were out snow blowing and shovelling Friday afternoon and cleaning up decks and shovelling a walkway for our poor dog to relieve herself throughout the weekend. Me-I baked and crafted.

This is a fun snowman I painted for my collection. I love the primitive style. I got the idea from a painting book I have by Karen Lamp. It is "Simple Gatherings and Glad Tidings". If you are a tole painter, you should take a look at this book. There are quite a few ideas for several seasons. She put a hat and stick arms on her snowman. I just went with the scarf. I am thinking it needs a stand, though. It has to lean against the wall because it is quite heavy and tips easily. I will probably just glue a little block of wood behind it to steady it. I am sure hubs has some scraps in his wood shop. I have several other snowman craft ideas in the works. This time of year is all about the snowmen for me! I am looking for a cute snowman garland idea for my mantle. Let me know if you have one or have seen one.

I made a really good taco soup recipe. The flavor is really unique because of the addition of a second seasoning packet. Brown 2 lbs. ground beef in a soup pot. Put the browned beef in a big bowl and drain most of the fat. Add a little olive oil to the fat and sweat out a large onion, a couple of ribs of celery and a couple of peeled carrots-all chopped. Return meat to the pot when the veggies are almost tender. Add a 15oz can of kidney beans, a 14 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes, 1 packet taco seasoning mix, 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch dry dressing mix and 3 cups water. Simmer for about an hour. Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream. The ranch really adds a unique tang to it.

I notified the winner of my scalloped bag giveaway. Thanks to all of you new followers. I hope you all are staying warm and cozy wherever you are. Happy crafting, cooking, and creating! Take care. Nancy

Health-altering Muffin and a Giveaway

2012-01-08T19:03:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! I have taken a little break from blogging but I missed you guys. I want to start out by giving you a recipe that has really worked for me. It is a muffin recipe that lowers cholesterol. Mine went down 20 points just by having one of these for breakfast most mornings! I am not a doctor so I can't make any promises but ask your doctor if it is ok to give this a try if you are battling high cholesterol. I wanted to avoid medicine if possible. I found this recipe in a magazine and made a few changes based on the research I had done. This makes a dozen muffins and I freeze them and take them out day to day as I need them. Combine in one bowl: 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup old-fashioned oats, 1/3 cup sliced almonds, 1 Tablespoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon each cinnamon and salt. In another bowl beat: 2 eggs, 1 cup light vanilla soy milk, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup melted Benecol margarine. Add to dry mixture and fold in 1/2 cup frozen or fresh blueberries. Mix together and divide among 12 paper-lined cupcake cups. Sprinkle with some oats and almonds. Bake 17 minutes at 400 degrees. I couldn't find the sticks of Benecol where I live so I melt 1/2 cup of the tub kind. It works well. The oats, blueberries, soy milk and Benecol are all great weapons in the fight against cholesterol. Let me know if you try them and how they work for you.

You aren't going to believe this, but this picture was taken today of one of my gardens. Yes, everything is sleeping as it should be in January, but do you notice what is missing? I live close to the Canadian border and I can't believe we have no snow. We had a green Christmas which was devastating to me. I lived in Florida for a while when I was a teenager and I hated Christmas without snow. Also, if you remember, I am huge fan of snow days at the school I work at. Well-I am waiting! Many people around me are actually thrilled with the weather, but not me. I look out my kitchen window and it looks like Easter is right around the corner. We are still leaving our windows open a crack at night. I keep thinking we will get hit hard when it does come. I will keep you posted but in the mean time, I have decorated all over my house as I do every January with my huge snowman collection. I usually leave them up until Easter decorations go up. I have some snowmen I want to make. It helps with the let-down that comes after Christmas decorations are packed away.

Last, but definitely not least, I have a giveaway for you. I was so excited that I hit 100 followers. When I started this blog, I had no idea I would meet so many great people. I have enjoyed it so much. So, I made one of those bags I have enjoyed making so much to give to one of you. I also made a snowman pin(can you see him with his earmuffs on?) and I found this adorable sock monkey kit in a clearance bin at a local craft store. I love his bee costume! In order to win these three things, just be a follower and leave a comment saying so. I will keep this giveaway open until next Sunday night.

I hope you all have a great week. I have made a resolution to try to answer more of your comments to my blog because I want you to know I appreciate each and every one! Take care. Nancy

Neck Pillows and Tasty Toasted Cheese

2011-12-12T06:14:00.001-05:00

Good morning and happy Monday! I am scrambling to get finished with handmade gifts, finishing touches, holiday baking and scheduling my last couple of get togethers to exchange gifts. Also, I have to send a gift to California this year now that a dear friend has moved so I have to get that in the mail(note to self!). This is such a wonderful time of year but it is easy to feel a little hectic.

I have pictured above the two neck pillows I made for my co-workers. I love mine so much, I thought they would make awesome and practical gifts. I was able to make these with 2 fat quarters a piece and some matching ribbon and fiberfill. So far I have made four of them, all with quilter's cotton. I wonder if they would be better with home decorator weight fabric. I will have to make one and see. At any rate, they make reading in bed or watching tv on the couch so much more comfortable. The girls loved them.

I also had to share a new take on a classic. I was watching tv and saw a show that featured toasted pimento cheese sandwiches. I had to try them so I headed to the grocery store, trying to remember what was in them. I am only able to tell you what I used. You can play with amounts because I did not follow an exact recipe. I used shredded pepper jack cheese, shredded mild cheddar, a jar of chopped pimento with the juice, a dash of Green Tabasco, a dash of cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and mayo. I mixed it together and toasted it between sliced bakery Italian bread. It was awesome. I served it with tomato soup. I love how gooey it got and it had a little kick. You could always substitute plain jack cheese for the pepper jack to tone it down slightly. It is a keeper for sure. This would be perfect for a Christmas brunch. It really takes grilled cheese and makes it ready for prime time!

I hope everyone has a great week. Today my grade level is throwing a "frost and decorate your own Christmas cookie" party. I hope my co-workers enjoy themselves and remember the days when that was an important part of Christmas. It signalled the beginning of the holiday for me when I was a kid. Take care. Nancy

Gift Swap and a Crazy Good Pizza

2011-12-04T20:25:00.000-05:00

Happy Sunday everyone and can you believe how fast this month of December snuck up on us?! I can't wait to share my gift swap goodies with you. I joined up with the Craftaholics Anonymous gift exchange party again this year and really enjoyed it. I met a great partner named Kim and we chatted back and forth by way of emails and exchanged hand made gifts made with each other specifically in mind. Pictured above is what I made her. Green is her favorite color so I made her a scalloped bag in many fun patterns in green. I also threw in a wooden snowman pin I painted and crafted and two chenille characters, a Santa and a gingerbread man.

In return, I received a beautiful tote bag, made with amazing attention to detail. She even included my cat in it! She put so much thought into it. She said she thought I could use it to take things back and forth to school. That is a perfect idea! I love that she has some hidden pockets in it and the handles are bow ties.

Mickey couldn't wait to see her likeness on the bag! She had to get in the picture. Thanks Kim, I love it.

To finish up tonight, I want to share an amazingly yummy and crazy easy pizza. It is a Reuben pizza. Just take a Boboli or Freschetta pizza crust and top it with a small amount of Thousand Island Dressing. Top with a can of sauerkraut drained and rinsed. Pile on deli corned beef cut in strips. Top with shredded swiss cheese. Bake as the crust package instructs you to and-ta dah-that's it! I served it with more TI dressing and we all loved it. It couldn't have been easier(or tastier).

I hope everyone has a wonderful week. Take time to smell the roses because this month can overtake you and before you know it, you're burnt out before Christmas. Take care of yourselves and happy crafting. Nancy

Let the Gift-Making Begin!

2011-11-27T21:03:00.004-05:00

Hi everyone. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I don't know about you, but I have been busy getting a jump start on my homemade gifts.I love making something that I have thought out with a special person in mind. I finished and mailed out my gift to my Craftaholics Anonymous gift swap partner. I can't wait until she gets it. It was alot of fun getting to know her a little and coming up with some things I hope she likes.

This is the first of the gifts I want to share with you. It is my second sprocket pillow that I have made. I like the colors in this one. It is a gift for my sister Suzie. I hope she likes it. I was really happy with how it turned out. I liked the fabric so much together, I made a scalloped tote bag that I have seen all over blogland with the same combination of fabric.

I got the instructions at See Kate Sew and the directions were easy to follow and I am thrilled with the results. These are addictive. You can't make just one! This bag is for my friend who moved to California. I hope she will like it. She makes beautiful tote bags so I will have to send her the web address so she can make some of these.

I wanted to end this post with something sweet so here is a slice of chocolate fudge pie that I got from Flour Me With Love. I had an extra pie crust and this was an easy and delicious way to use it. Try it and you will be happy you did. It is like fudge and brownies together in a pie! Yum-definitely a hit with the family.

Did you guys notice I have over 100 followers?(101 to be exact!) I think that definitely calls for a giveaway. Be on the lookout for that soon. I have to come up with some great prizes. Thank you to everyone who reads this blog and leaves comments. It means alot to me.

I hope you all are having a pleasant start to your Christmas season. Hubs and my youngest got our outdoor decorations put up this weekend and we will work on the inside ones next weekend. Take care and happy crafting. Nancy

Beadboard Gobblers and Slow Cooker Dinner

2011-11-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

Good Monday morning to everyone. I wanted to share my fun bead board turkeys I made for Thanksgiving decorations this year. These guys were fun and easy to make. What's really nice is my husband was able to cut them out from scraps he had in his wood shop. I got the idea from Leslie's Latest Creations. She didn't give patterns, but they were pretty free form and easy to come up with. I love the rich colors of Fall and have enjoyed decorating my home with them.

I am starting to get really busy making all my Christmas gifts that I planned out. I joined a gift swap on Craftaholics Anonymous and have really enjoyed getting to know my partner. She seems really sweet and I have had a blast coming up with some handmade gifts for her. I am almost done and will have them in the mail this week. After she receives them, I will share them with you. I was in my craft room Saturday night and all day yesterday and accomplished alot. I may have a hard time parting with what I made! After Christmas, I will have to make myself some of these things!

Now that the weather is getting cooler, I am using my slow cooker more and more. I made an easy delicious Swiss Steak in my crock pot and I want to share the recipe with you. Put 2 lbs. boneless beef chuck roast or steak cut into chunks in your slow cooker. Add 1/4 cup of steak sauce(I used our grocery store's own brand of A1). Top with 1 sliced onion and 1 can (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes-undrained. Cover and cook 9-10 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. Thicken before serving with a flour/water slurry. It was easy peasy and so good served over mashed potatoes. The beef I used was inexpensive and usually tough but it was so tender in this dish. Also, the steak sauce gave it a unique tangy flavor. I will definitely be having this again.

I hope everyone has a family-filled Thanksgiving with lots of turkey and the trimmings! Take care. Nancy

Fall Leaves and Yummy Food

2011-11-13T20:51:00.003-05:00

Good evening everyone and I hope you all had a great weekend. I had a pretty good three day weekend. I got to do alot of crafting. Sometimes I think if I had it my way, I wouldn't come out of my craft room! At work, in the teacher's lounge, someone put a big turkey up and suggested we all fill out colored paper feathers with what we are thankful for. People put multiple things on their feathers. I put my husband and sons, my health, my craft room which brings me sanity and my cat Mickey. You knew Mickey would be in there didn't you?

Did you notice my leaf garland in the above picture strung along my mantle? I think I am becoming garland obsessed! I am thinking about what holiday comes next and what bunting/garland I will come up with. I just bought some fall colored felt and found some leaf patterns online. I cut quite a few out and tried to decide what looked good to me as I placed them along the brown double fold bias tape on my ironing board. I decided to glue the smaller leaves onto the long leaves and hang them in twos. I sewed them in place and voila, there you have it. I really like how it turned out. The colors are very fall-like and I like that it is different. I am enjoying fall crafting.

On the food front, I have been in the kitchen. Every year at this time, I get back into cooking and baking heartier dinners and desserts that are a little more substantial than the Summer fare. I made this fantastic beer cheese bread with my bread maker. That thing is really winning my respect! I have really thrown some different ingredients in it, and it has been coming through with tasty bread for me. I followed this recipe. I used a shredded cheese blend and melted some with the beer and tossed the rest with the bread flour. I am not a beer drinker and I am happy to report, the beer taste is not distinguishable. It was very good. I will be toasting some tomorrow.

This, my friends, is an amazing frosted pumpkin blondie. I got the recipe from The Stirring Place. These are beyond good. The only change I made in the recipe was to replace the 1 cup of oil with 1 cup of unsweetened plain applesauce. They were still very moist but much healthier. I love pumpkin recipes this time of the year and I am such a sucker for any dessert with cream cheese icing! The family gobbled these up so this recipe is definitely a keeper.

Thank you Terry, for your recommendation of the Cricut. I discovered that they are doing a demonstration of Cricuts at JoAnn Fabrics on the 26th. I can't wait to see one in action!

I hope everyone has a great week. My anniversary is Friday-22 years. Hubs and I will be doing something special. I just don't know what but we both took the day off! Take care. Nancy

Turkey Pumpkin and Some Belly Warmin' Chili

2011-11-06T13:57:00.000-05:00

Happy Sunday everyone. The weather here in Upstate NY is chilly but sunny. I kind of like that Fall weather. It starts to gently nudge us indoors for movies on a Sunday afternoon, cooking heartier meals, baking yummy desserts, and of course, crafting! I wanted to share this easy and very Thanksgiving project. We usually purchase a bunch of pumpkins in October to decorate with. They replace my potted flowers that edge my front steps to my porch. We usually make sure we have an extra one to turn into a turkey come November. My husband just came up with a basic feather shape and cut six of them out of wood. He drilled a hole in the bottom of them so he could glue in a dowel he had sharpened on one end like a pencil to stick into a pumpkin. They are pretty secure too! I painted them very simply, each a different color and the head brown. I painted eyes and he cut out a beak/waddle piece I sketched for him. I painted that as you see in the picture. I glued that on and coated all my painted pieces with outdoor poly so it could withstand the cold and rain of November(sometimes snow!). Now we use them every year. I know I have seen inserts for pumpkins in catalogs but I think it has so much more character when you make it yourself.

Speaking of heartier meals, I made some creamy chicken chili this past week. It had some kick to it but I believe that is something you could adjust to suit your family's tastes. I start with a good-size package of chicken tenderloins. I chop them into bite-sized pieces. I saute the chicken with a chopped onion and a teaspoon or so of garlic powder in a small amount of canola oil. When the chicken is cooked, add two 15 1/2 oz. cans of rinsed and drained great northern white beans. Also add one can of chicken broth and one can of chopped green chilies(the 4 oz. can). Then add one teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Simmer, uncovered, for half an hour. Take off the heat and add one cup of sour cream and 1/2 cup whipping cream. Serve with shredded cheese. Normally I put sour cream on my chili but I felt that would be overkill with the sour cream already in the recipe but you do what you want-it's your chili! I think I have mentioned that I am not a big fan of hamburger. I fix it for my family because they all love meat loaf and meat balls, but this chili was something that I could enjoy too.

I just had to include a picture of my son in the Sasquatch costume he wore to school for Halloween. He said it was a hit with everyone. Now that you have seen it, can you picture it causing a stir in the hospital parking lot where my older son works?

I have a favor to ask you. My husband is asking for ideas for a gift for me for Christmas. I am thinking about the Silhouette machine or the Cricut. I think there may even be another one out there. I love crafting and I do alot of wood crafts and I LOVE the vinyl lettering for signs. I also sew alot and I love the shapes cut out so neatly and uniformly(is that a word?). Please drop me a line and let me know if you think one is more user-friendly or versatile than the other. I don't want to just get another piece of equipment that will collect dust.

I hope everyone has a great week and is enjoying the beautiful fall colors wherever you are. Take care. Nancy

A Last Peek at Halloween

2011-10-30T16:20:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone. Tomorrow is Halloween. I wanted to show you a little something I made today as well as show you a few of my other decorations. My younger son is a senior in high school this year and he is excited to be able to dress up in a costume in school for the first time since sixth grade. The high school only lets seniors dress up as a perk. He is borrowing his older brother's Sasquatch costume. I won't even tell you the mischief my twenty year old has gotten into with that crazy costume. Let's just say, he didn't realize some elderly patient would be looking out the window into the parking lot of the hospital he has worked at for almost 4 years! Anyway, on to what I made today. My nephew's two children will be coming for trick or treats tomorrow evening. I got them each a Halloween book and some candy. I wanted to put them in something special so I made two fabric goodie bags. Riley's bag is made with what is left of a pack of the Haunted Mansion by Moda. I put her initial on it and used eyelets to close it. This was my first dealing with eyelets and even though I hammered with all my might, they didn't come out perfect. I had an old starter kit but I have seen the pliers. Are they easier?

Isn't that pumpkin guy riding a bike a riot? I got him last year on clearance at Cracker Barrel. My husband thinks he is creepy because he reminds him of that Saw movie.

Tuckers bag has a black candy corn cat fused on it and is tied with ribbon. He is a little over one year old and I didn't want to put anything on his that could be dangerous. I made that Frankenstein wooden pedestal. My husband cut him out of wood and I painted him. Sometimes I put a big bowl of candy on top but I like to elevate that pumpkin light that he is holding up this year. It is in my front hall and the light is too small without the boost from Frankie.

Well I hope everyone has a safe and festive Halloween. I am very anxious to begin working on Thanksgiving projects. It isn't quite as easy to find good project ideas for Thanksgiving, but I am on the hunt and a few have crossed my path. Have a wonderful week and take care. Nancy

All About Halloween

2011-10-23T19:45:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone. Happy Sunday evening. I am finally getting my Halloween spirit flowing-better late than never. Do you remember the bunting I made last week with the Moda Haunted Mansion pack? I had two packs of fabric left so I decided to make a pillow for my front bench. I just sewed them two by two and then joined them into strips and sewed the strips together until it fit a travel pillow form I had. I also used pom pom fringe in Halloween colors. I still have one pack of fabric left. I am thinking what to do with it. It may have to wait until next year. The candy corn pillow couldn't have been easier. I just sewed white, orange and yellow strips of felt together and cut out two candy corn shapes. I used black embroidery floss to blanket stitch around the outside and stuffed with fiberfill. The backdrop are three Halloween tea towels I purchased at TJ Maxx. I use them as a faux throw over the back of my bench. I haven't sewn them together yet because I am not quite sure that is what I want them for. But, for now I think they look cute.

I also wanted to show you place mats I made several years ago. These are from a Simplicity pattern. It is number 8474 which has a bunch of different place mats. I can't tell you how many of these I have made over the years in different holiday and everyday prints. They are easy and turn out great every time. I have given quite a few sets as gifts. The creepy ghost I made in a ceramics class 25 years ago. My boys were a little spooked by him when they were younger but that is the whole point of Halloween right? They still looked forward to seeing him every year on our table because he signalled the beginning of the Halloween season and they looked forward to the costume I would make them every year and trick or treating.

I also wanted to share a decoration I purchased this year.

Isn't he cute? His head is chenille and he had a real branch stem. I am trying to figure out how to make a companion similar to him. He has dowel arms and legs and a burlap "feed sack" body. It may not be this year, but I think I can make him a friend.

Well, I hope everyone has a great week and I hope you are all able to fit in some time to create something in whatever way makes you happy. Take care. Nancy

Halloween Decorating Slowly But Surely

2011-10-16T18:13:00.000-04:00

Happy Sunday everyone! I am slowly getting around to decorating for Halloween. I am not feeling as recovered as I would like so it is slowing the crafting/decorating process a little. From talking to others with this crazy virus, I have a long road still ahead of me with the cough being the last symptom to go. As I mentioned before, my 17 year-old is also hit with this. He went to the movies the other night and coughed all the way through it.

Anyway, I finished my Halloween banner and hung it on my mantle. I kind of winged it, using a big thimble wall-hanging on my craft room wall as a template. I didn't want the traditional triangle. I have made a couple of those. I used the Haunted Mansion pack by Moda I received for Christmas from my husband. Actually, I received three and I have two left.

Maybe I will make a pillow.   I love the different patterns and colors in this pack.

  I also wanted to share an unbelievable recipe. Is it dessert or is it breakfast/brunch? You decide.
This is cherry-cheese French toast. You have to put it together the night before and let it sit in the fridge so allow time for that. Spray a 12x8 casserole dish with non-stick spray. Lay French toast bread slices in the bottom of the casserole. I used 6 slices. You could use Challah or Brioche. Whisk 4 eggs, 1 1/2 cups milk, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract and a pinch of salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat 12 oz. softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract on medium speed. Pour half of milk mixture over bread. Gently spread cream cheese mixture over that. Spread a 21 oz can of cherry pie filling over that. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup sliced almonds. Top with remaining 6 slices of bread. Pour remaining milk mixture over top layer of bread. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours but it is preferred that it be overnight. To bake, sprinkle with a couple of tablespoons sugar and some almonds if you want and bake at 325 uncovered for 45 minutes. Let stand about 15 minutes before serving. I sprinkled it with confectioners sugar. It was a-may-zing! I may have this for Christmas morning although, I would hate to bump my traditional monkey bread down the bench.

We are having blustery Fall weather here in the Northeast. It has been really windy and rainy. The colors are beautiful, however and I do love this time of year. Have a great week and take care.       Nancy

More Halloween

2011-10-10T19:06:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone. I had a slight relapse of my sickness. I think this is viral so it won't respond to antibiotics. My youngest son seems to have it as well but his doctor detected the beginning of an ear infection so he is on an antibiotic and feeling no better than me! When I was a kid, I didn't get to trick or treat very many times because I was frequently sick most of the month of October. I think that is why I love Halloween so much.

I haven't felt up to crafting up a storm as I intended and I don't have all my Halloween decorations up, but I wanted to share this wreath that I made. I got the instructions from the Better Homes and Gardens Halloween book. I try to pick up their holiday themed magazines every season. They have great ideas and patterns for decorations. This wreath was relatively easy. It starts out obviously with a grapevine wreath. My husband cut mask templates out of plywood. I painted them bright colors and finished them with a clear spray coat that had glitter in it. I love the dimension of the blue and purple masks. The nose parts had to be glued at an angle. Then I wired them to the wreath. I even found colored fine gage wire for many of the colors I used. I thought it was fun and different.

I also wanted to share this picture of my favorite purchased decoration. I picked this up at a gift shop recently. I just love it. Every time I walk by it, it makes me smile. I love the primitive vintage decorations. You should have seen Mickey when I brought this home and set it on the mantle. She had to check it out. It is almost as big as her, but she didn't let it intimidate her. I almost got a picture of her sniffing it, but she was too fast for me when I got the camera out. I think she is on to me! I did however, get a picture of her bottom half when she lost one of her toys under the couch.

She didn't see me coming with the camera in hand!

I hope everyone has a great week. Take care. Nancy

Halloween Trio and a Gourmet Pizza

2011-10-02T13:44:00.000-04:00

Happy Sunday everyone. It is my birthday today and I have to say, I am going to be heading out of the "forty-something" status in a few years! I can't believe how fast the time goes each year. I remember when I was eighteen and I thought my age now was old. Ah well, age is only a number(right?).

I am very excited because I made my first Halloween project of the season and I am very happy with them. I say "them" because I made a trio of Halloween characters. I first saw them here. I fell in love with the idea so I bought some bumpy chenille stems and added them to my mental to-do list. What can I say, but-they are addictive! I had a wedding to go to yesterday and I had a hard time putting them down. One idea leads to another and the accessories are just so much fun. I just looked around my craft room and went from there. I am especially proud of the spider Punkinhead is carrying. I made that with some small pom poms I had and some black wire. I have more ideas to make even more characters. The hardest part was finding suitably sized heads for the chenille stem bodies. I searched vintage Halloween images on line and found the ones I used but I believe the website I linked to above gives you a couple to print out and use. I also want to be on the lookout for Halloween postcards and greeting cards for more heads of interest. And of course, I am already thinking about Christmas possibilities. These would be so cute hanging on a Halloween tree. I will bet kids would enjoy making these as well.

I wanted to share with you a very unique but delicious pizza I have been making quite often lately. I got the idea from a local pizzeria that serves this. I tried to come up with a good rendition of it and I think I succeeded. We'll call it Italian Chicken Pizza. First you start with a Boboli(I think I should get royalties from that brand!), then you brush the crust with a garlic infused olive oil. I make my own by heating a couple of cracked garlic cloves in some olive oil on the stove. In this case, I go ahead and add to that olive oil and garlic a sliced bunch of cremeni mushrooms or one large Portabella. I cook the mushrooms on moderate heat until browned. I fish out the garlic and brush some of the garlic olive oil on the crust. I sprinkle shredded mozzarella on top of the oil and then layer the mushrooms, sliced roasted red peppers from a jar, Gorgonzola chunks, and shredded cooked chicken breast meat(usually from a rotisserie chicken). I bake according to the crust directions.

After it comes out of the oven, I drizzle with a balsamic glaze. There are two ways to go with this. First, make it yourself. Take a good quality balsamic vinegar and cook it down to reduce it by half and it becomes thick and syrupy. This takes a bit of time and my guys were so turned off by the smell it gave the house, I had a really hard time convincing them how good the pizza is. I LOVE balsamic glaze, and I have to admit, the smell was nasty. The second way(and my way from now on) is to just buy balsamic glaze. Just be sure it says "glaze", It is yummy with no muss or fuss and no smell! There you have it-a delicious and different pizza that isn't difficult but definitely has a gourmet flair to it.

You know what a cat nut I am. I found this cat chalkboard at a gift shop on a road trip recently and thought it was too expensive. So, I walked away and didn't buy it. Am I the only one that has "I didn't buy it" remorse? I regretted the decision not to buy it and luckily found it on Amazon. I ended up paying the same price I thought was too expensive. Hopefully I learned my lesson. I am not suggesting that I can afford to grab everything I see that I like, but since I quit smoking twelve years ago, I have managed to be able to save decent amounts of my own money, let's call it my allowance. So, if I see something I really love, I should just buy it with my own mad money. Just so you know, I put that theory into play last weekend and came home with a Halloween decoration that makes me smile every time I walk by it. I will show you next time.

Well, my husband is taking me out for dinner and he has made a fabulous dessert for me-what a talented guy! I hope you all have a great week. Take care. Nancy

What a Week!

2011-09-26T07:37:00.002-04:00

What a week it was! I had the flu worse than I have had in years. I came down with it Tuesday night and it was like a lost week. My fever was so high at one point, I think I lost about a day and a half! My husband's birthday was Friday and we didn't get to go away like we planned but we were able to make the trip Sunday. I am on an antibiotic for an Upper Respiratory infection and I am feeling better every day.

I took the opportunity to do some sit-down hand stitching on some scrap coasters for my craft room. I got the idea from that cool felt craft book I got the fox pin out of. They turned out cute and I had everything I needed to make them. I used cd's for the shape. I like a big coaster so that worked out well. I used scraps from my sewing apron I made. I love that fabric with the sewing machines, dress forms and most importantly-cats! How appropriate for a craft room. I used all blue felt but I like the example in the book where they used different colors.

I was feeling up to having pizza night Saturday. I made two kinds. One was just a very simple Sloppy Joe pizza with ground beef browned with a can of Manwich sauce added. Put that mixture on a Boboli crust and top with cheese. Bake according to the crust directions. It was a big hit with the boys. The slice on the right was a garlic mashed potato pizza I saw on Joyful Homemaking. I used caramelized Vidalia onions instead of red ones and I used a pizza blend shredded cheese but it was yummy. It reminded me of pierogies. Very different and very delicious.

I also wanted to show you a fantastic warm drink now that we are heading into Fall. It is a hot malted milk and I got the recipe from Claire Robinson's show on Food Network. You just warm 4 cups of milk with a split and scraped vanilla bean. Add 2/3 cup plain malt powder and 1/4 cup brown sugar. Stir until there are no lumps. Pull out the vanilla bean and serve. I love all those flecks of vanilla flavor. What I like about this is that you can put the leftover drink in the fridge and warm it in the microwave as you would like it. It hit the spot.

I bought the cutest Halloween decoration I have ever seen when my husband and I were away yesterday. I will take a picture and show you next week. Normally, I do all my Halloween decorating the first of October but there is a big family wedding next Saturday and my birthday is Sunday, so I am hoping I can at least start it. I have 2 cute Halloween projects I am working on now and I want to finish them.

Dancing With The Stars has started up again for a new season and you know how obsessed I become with that! It is too soon to pick a favorite, but I will be watching tonight. Have a wonderful week and take care. Nancy

Chair Rehab and Artichoke Recipe

2011-09-18T16:47:00.000-04:00

Happy Sunday everyone! The weather here in Northern NY is sunny and slightly cool. I have been bookmarking all the wonderful Fall/Halloween ideas I am seeing on all of the blogs I follow. You guys are sooo talented. I am in awe!

I am sure you are wondering what that picture is doing at the top of this post. This chair was a hand-me-down a couple of times once removed(if you get my drift). I had no intention of letting it in my house, let alone my sanctuary(craft room). Well, my husband purchased a computer for me just for my craft room so I could blog a little easier. I so appreciated that grand gesture from him, but I had to admit, my beautiful wing back chair that I had been using at my sewing machine, wasn't cutting it as a mobile chair to slide between my sewing machine and the computer. My husband offered to buy me a new office chair on wheels. I thought of the above chair and felt that, while enough money had been spent on the computer, I should be able to do something with that chair. I purchased some heavy duty denim and a can of that awesome Krylon Fusion spray paint in blue. The frame of the chair was metal, but the bottom was heavy duty plastic. The paint can said it adhered to both. I am very happy with the results.

I now have my comfy wing back chair over by my closet so I can knit or do hand sewing and watch the little flat screen tv that is on the wall. Sometimes when I am working on something, my boys or my husband come in and sit in the wing back and chat with me while I am in there. That is nice. I couldn't really have visitors before. Also Mickey comes in and curls up and keeps me company. Now can you see why it is my sanctuary?

I want to share a great Bisquick recipe with you. These Artichoke Squares are wonderful as a hearty snack or as dinner with a bowl of soup. Here is the list of ingredients and the recipe:

heat oven to 375 degrees, spray 15x10 pan with non-stick spray

In a large bowl, stir together to form a dough:

3 cups Bisquick, 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella, 2/3 cup water, 2 Tablespoons canola oil.

Beat 20 strokes and let stand 10 minutes. Press dough in pan and up sides. Bake 9-11 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups mayo, 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, 1 jar(7 oz) roasted red peppers, drained and chopped, 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, and 2 teaspoons garlic powder. Stir in 2-14 oz. cans artichoke hearts drained and chopped. Spread it over the partially baked crust. Pop back in the oven 15 minutes. Set the oven to broil and broil with the pan 6 inches away from the top element until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve. They are so good.

I also wanted to let you know I tried a brioche recipe for my bread machine and it was perfection! I can never find Brioche locally when I need it for a bread pudding or French toast recipe. Well now I can make my own. If you are interested in the recipe, you can get it here. It turned out so buttery and rich, it was awesome. The crust was crepey just like the bakery Brioche I have had in the past. The butter content is not for the weak of heart though, but this is not an everyday "bread with dinner" recipe.

I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead. Hubs is celebrating his birthday this week. He wants to visit a casino/resort nearby. I look forward to the beautiful colors of fall in the landscape as we drive there. I hope everyone can find the time for some creativity this week. I have several projects in the hopper. Take care. Nancy

Bacon Makes Everything Better

2011-09-11T13:42:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone. I wanted to jump right in today with an awesome bacon recipe. This lusciousness pictured above is called bacon biscuit cups. All you need to make these beauties: 6 oz. softened cream cheese, 1 lg. egg, 2 Tablespoon milk, 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese, 1 chopped green onion, a 10 oz. tube refrigerated biscuits, and 8 cooked bacon slices-chopped. Preheat your oven to 375. Beat the cream cheese and egg. Add the milk and beat until smooth. Stir in the Swiss and the green onion. Meanwhile, grease a 12 section muffin tin. Flatten each of the 10 biscuits with your fingers and put one in each muffin tin, pressing them in the bottom and up the sides as much as you can. Divide up the chopped bacon evenly among the 10 cups. Spoon the cream cheese filling over the bacon. Bake for 22 minutes. If you wish(and I did), sprinkle more chopped green onions on top and slightly press them into the tops of the cups. Serve and enjoy! They are amazing.

I also had to show you this adorable pin I made to add to my sister's birthday gift. She and I are true animal lovers and ever since we were children, we have been drawn to whimsical animals as toys and books-you name it. This picture doesn't do it justice but it turned out really cute.

I bought this awesome new felt book and there are a million great ideas in there(well maybe not a million, but alot!). I am going to work on some coasters for my craft room today that are in this book. Also, there is a cute sewing machine cover that I may make for my serger. You should check this book out if you get a chance.

I have been on a Krylon kick lately. I bought that Fusion paint for my plastic Adirondack chair and foot stool. Now, I felt it was time to try the chalkboard spray paint. I don't know what took me so long! I am one of those people who likes to leave reminders and notes all over the place for me and my family. I had a dry-erase board in my craft room. I don't know if it was ever pictured in the background on this blog, but it was not working very well. I purchased it very inexpensively at Walmart. It was for a high school kid's locker and it was a dark royal blue. I thought it would look nice in my blue craft room. The black dry erase marker didn't show up at all on it. It was already screwed to the wall and I wasn't sure how to fix it.

Well, with just a gentle sandpapering for tooth, it was sprayed with the chalkboard paint. Now it is functional. I love that it also retained the magnetic quality it had as a dry-erase board. Now, just like the fusion paint, I am searching for something else to make into a chalkboard! I do have a Halloween project in mind I saw on a very crafty blog-I will show you later.

Our weather here in the Northeast is becoming a little more fall-like. The evenings have been cooler which makes sleeping comfortable. It was wonderful to have my husband remove all the window AC units. I love having the windows open. The house just feels fresher, not so stale.

My thoughts today are going back 10 years, as I am sure many of you are doing the same. I have no words that could adequately express my sorrow for those who lost a loved one that day. I guess I can only continue to hope we see no more such horrific acts. Take care. Nancy

Back To School

2011-09-04T11:28:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone is doing well on this muggy, humid Sunday. It is officially back to school Tuesday for me after a couple of staff development days last week. I had to show my most recent shoe purchase. While I was ordering my younger son's back to school sneakers, it seemed a shame not to take advantage of the buy one get one half off deal at Famous Footwear. So, I just happened to find these adorable Aerosole grey suede booties. You know how I am with my shoes! I have an upcoming family wedding that I plan to wear a fringed slim grey plaid skirt and I can picture these shoes with the outfit.

I am particularly happy with a recent project. I love it when I make something that turns out to be really useful. I found the instructions for these neck pillows here. At first I thought they looked difficult. You can't see it from my picture, but they are three-sided. That slightly intimidated me. But they are really easy. I love how easy they are to position behind your neck with the ribbon handles at the side. I have a herniated disc in my neck and these are awesome! They make reading or watching tv in bed or on the couch so comfortable. I also love that you can choose your fabric to personalize them as a gift. Sew4Home is a great resource for cool ideas and the instructions make the projects doable. Check them out.

I am also quite excited about a recent purchase. I bought this Food Network bread machine from Kohls of all places. I got a good deal on it. I have been wanting to buy a bread machine for some time. When I was first married I had one and loved it, but I sold it. I am thinking we needed the money. That was over 20 years ago and bread machines had just come out and they were over $200. We were a one income family and I probably got a chance to sell it and thought it was the right thing to do. Anyhow, I paid less than $100 for this and I am loving it! It is staying in my possession! I have been making bread like a mad woman. There are so many places to get great bread machine recipes. I remember with my first one, I kind of stuck to the recipe book that came with the machine. Now I have found so many on line, including a brioche recipe I am dying to try. I made a delicious honey wheat bread that was wonderful toasted.

This recipe calls for 3/4 cup milk, 1/3 cup yogurt, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, 2 Tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1 pkg yeast. I substituted sour cream for the yogurt and honey for the sugar. It was fantastic. Now I just have to do some rearranging in my kitchen, because I do not want it left out on my counter. It is quite large.

I hope everyone has a great week ahead. I am still excited about Halloween this year and I have collected many great ideas from all of you. I have been hitting the blog link parties and more and more Fall and Halloween ideas are coming in. Take care. Nancy

Cute Organization and another Yummy Pizza

2011-08-28T12:10:00.001-04:00

Hi all. I have been a busy girl this week, crafting and cooking. I am going to jump right in, showing you what I have been up to. Look at the picture above. I think we all have mugs we don't use. Sometimes, they are gifts; sometimes freebies. My husband got this one at a training class he had to take for his job. I made this one into something useful-an organizational mug caddy.

I used Simplicity 2450. This has many applications. It would work for a student's desk, kitchen counter, or even a bedside table. It would make a nice gift with fabric that matches the recipient's taste. You could use a mug you have or get one from the dollar store. I love versatile yet useful things and I am a sucker for anything that keeps clutter to a minimum because I tend to be a clutter bug!

There are pockets everywhere inside and out that could hold a multitude of things. There are ideas on the pattern for dressing your caddy up with rick rack or using plastic mesh for the pocket. Neat!

Speaking of organization, I ordered this bobbin holder from Amazon and it came a few days ago. Clover makes it and it is easy to load up and takes little space. I like it but I was hoping I could just add levels to it, but I can't find add-ons. I may have to buy another whole set because I have just about filled this one up. Oh well, it beats the box I had them in!

I have to share what just may be my favorite of my homemade easy pizzas. It is a white garlic pizza. My oldest son is totally convinced that a pizza joint a half hour's drive from here has the best white pizza around. I had to do something about that because I felt that was a throw down! I started by cracking a couple of cloves of garlic and tossing them in a small saucepan with about 1/4 cup of olive oil. I simmered it on a very low heat for a short time(about 6-8 minutes). You should be able to smell the garlic. Discard the garlic cloves. Spread some of that garlic infused olive oil on a Freschetta or Boboli crust. Sprinkle with shredded pizza blend cheese or straight mozzarella, whichever you choose. Then I take small spoonfuls of ricotta cheese and dollop them on top of the other shredded cheese. Don't go hog wild with this step. You don't want to overwhelm the pizza with ricotta. Sprinkle your pizza with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste(I go heavy on the pepper). Bake at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. Keep an eye on it. The color of the shredded cheese should be lightly brown like the picture. It is so good. My son agreed it tasted almost as good as his favorite pizzeria. I like it better because it is not swimming in grease! I hope you try it.

I hope everyone has a great week with lots of creativity and crafting thrown in. For those of you affected by Hurricane Irene, you are in my thoughts. Take care. Nancy

The Countdown Begins

2011-08-22T21:25:00.001-04:00

In a little over a week, I will be back to work. I spoke with a friend today whose sister in law is a teacher and made an amusing and very accurate observation about summer vacation. She likened summer vacation to a weekend: June is like Friday night, July is like Saturday, with all day and a night with the next morning to sleep in, and August is like Sunday, moving fast and with Monday to look forward to. How true!

Some of my flowers are still looking good and blooming away. My black-eyed Susans, pictured above, are spreading to a nice thick mass of bright flowers. Gardening has been a bright spot in my summer break. I learned all the names of the flowers I have. This is a whirling butterfly in the back of this picture next to my house. I think the name suits it.

I have alot of projects on the go this week. I have some sewing and some painting I want to do. When the weather gets a little cooler, I will get back to my knitting and crocheting. For some reason, my mind keeps drifting to Halloween projects. I have always loved Halloween but I am surprised it is distracting me this year. I haven't decorated much for that holiday in the last couple of years. When my boys were little, I went all out but now, I just haven't gotten into the spirit. I think I may have some fun with it this year.

I wanted to share a project with you. I forgot to take a before picture and I realize this isn't exactly a 10 on the difficulty meter, but I think this is a vast improvement. I started out with a free vinyl footrest. It was grey and my friend who moved out of state gave it to me. The chair that went with it was cracked. I then purchased a matching chair at a local drugstore for 14 dollars. It was faded peach in color but the style was what I wanted-Adirondack. I purchased a couple of cans of Krylon Fusion for plastic and voila-a matched set.

My husband built me two wooden Adirondack chairs years ago and I painted them white. They are very heavy to move around so they stay put out by our fire pit. This is a nice light weight set to move around where I may want to read a magazine in the afternoon. I can even drag them up on the pool deck. The foot rest makes it a very comfortable set. That fusion spray paint is awesome. I am looking around to see what other plastic thing needs painting!

Now on to something sweet! I made cream cheese blondies today. They are pretty darn good and totally satisfy that sweet craving plus they were super easy too! Ready? Take a yellow cake mix and add 1 cup chopped pecans and 1 egg and 1 stick of melted butter. Mix well and pat in a lightly greased 9x 13 pan. In the same bowl, take one 8 oz. pkg. softened cream cheese, 2 eggs and a 16 0z. pkg. powdered sugar and beat with a hand mixer until smooth. Pour over the crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes. Cool and refrigerate. Cut into bars and enjoy!

I think I will get back to straightening my craft room. My husband installed a regular door on my craft room to replace the bifold door(big improvement at keeping my kitty out when I am using my iron!) and we found some storage for the games that were taking up most of the top shelf of my storage so I have been happily rearranging. I hope everyone has a great week. Take care. Nancy

More Footwear and a Twist on a Classic

2011-08-14T20:18:00.002-04:00

As I try to enjoy my last few weeks of vacation, I have been reading about all the copycat McDonalds icy coffee drinks and I was jealous. I don't drink coffee. Then I remembered that iced chai tea is amazingly refreshing so I ordered some Pacific green chai tea mix from Amazon(I can't find it locally) and it has been my afternoon beverage of choice. That and a good afternoon read make me feel like I really am on vacation. My son is done with his summer job so I can sleep in on days we don't have an annoying appointment! We have a teeth cleaning appointment this week and my son has a hair cut. I used to love teeth cleanings but that was before I had so much tooth sensitivity and my dentist began deciding he wanted to "replace" some of my old fillings. I wonder if my family is secretly putting one of his kids through college!

This week I made some slippers from a pattern. They were a little fussy to sew the soul

on and ease it all in neatly but I think they turned out cute. I got an idea on another blog to put minky in as the lining. How cushy would that be?! Flannel would also be a good lining or even terry cloth for some spa slippers. Now that I have made one pair, I am sure I won't wait too long to make another.

Lately, I have been trying out alot of new recipes. I have been increasingly daring with altering even new recipes and making them my own. So far, my family has been pretty happy with my efforts. I must say, I am very lucky that my husband and younger son are not picky eaters and love a good experiment. My older son is like me-he's a little fussy. I don't eat much meat and he eats very few vegetables. At any rate, I believe this taco chicken mac and cheese I came up with was a winner all the way around. Are you ready? Here we go: Cut up 1 large red bell pepper and a couple of scallions. Cook those on low heat with a little butter and salt and pepper. You just want them soft. Meanwhile cook about 12 ounces of rotini or your favorite pasta. Drain the pasta and make your cheese sauce. In a large saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add 1 tablespoon flour and cook and stir until you feel you have cooked out the raw flour taste. Whisk in 1 1/2 teaspoons of chili powder and a pinch of salt. Add 1 1/4 cups of milk and whisk until smooth and starting to thicken over low heat. Add 2 cups of shredded monteray jack cheese. You can use whatever cheese you want but this was good for us. Stir until thickened. Take off the heat and add the reserved cooked macaroni, the pepper and scallion, and some shredded rotisserie chicken. You can serve it from here but I chose to put it in a greased casserole and crush up tortilla chips on top. I put it in the oven at 350 for about 15 minutes. If you worry that it will dry out in the oven, add a little milk to make it creamier before you put it in the casserole. I was making cornbread to serve with it, and I didn't want the mac and cheese to cool off while we waited for the cornbread to finish. Well, there you have it. It was very good and the leftovers were good too. That is always a plus!

Have a great week everyone. I have some back to school shopping to do along with those errands. Here's hoping my dentist finds nothing to replace! Take care. Nancy

Summer is Flying By

2011-08-07T09:38:00.000-04:00

Good morning everyone and happy Sunday. Now that August is here, this is where the time really flies! I will be back to school soon so I am trying to make the most of my time. First I want to share something that made me VERY happy on Amazon.com. My wishes have been granted. My most favorite craft book is coming out with a sequel! Presenting...in December...

I can't wait! You know how I loved the first book. I hope this one is as great. It looks like it will be.

I wanted to share a project I made last week. I was blog wandering, as I do in my spare time, and came across The Mother Huddle. She made the cutest fabric flip flops. What a genius and easy idea! I had to make them. Being a little more picky than the average person, I couldn't have frayed edges on my fabric so I followed her suggestion to get the sewing machine out. I used a fat quarter, which for some reason I am buying a ton of lately. I split it into 4 strips lengthwise and made tubes, right sides together. I then turned them right side out and continued with her instructions. I made only one knot instead of two. They are so light and comfortable and the sky is the limit.

Now to share a knock-out recipe with you. I made a Bisquick breakfast casserole that was pretty incredible. We had it for dinner one night because I love serving breakfast any time of day. It definitely was hearty enough for dinner. Set the oven to 375 degrees and spray a 13x9 pan with non-stick spray. Put 1/4 cup butter in prepared pan and place it in the oven to melt. Meanwhile, in a bowl, put 2 cups baking mix, 1 cup milk, and 2 eggs. Whisk until there are only tiny lumps. Pour over melted butter in pan. Layer 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese, 3 cups cubed cooked ham, 6 pieces cooked chopped bacon(or more to your taste), and 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese. In a large bowl, mix 1 cup milk, 6 eggs, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard and a dash of ground nutmeg. Pour over the whole casserole. Bake 35-40 minutes and let stand about 10 minutes before serving. It is fantastic. The leftovers were even better the next day. This would be great to bring to a brunch. Enjoy!

I wanted to show you a picture of what I saw when I was watering my garden recently. We have been using the AC alot lately so our house has been closed up tight. When we get a chance, we like to open the windows and let fresh air in so it doesn't feel so stuffy. Mickey heard noises outside and had to take advantage of the windows being opened. I talked to her the whole time I watered the garden. She has never been outside so she acts very cautious but her curiosity gets the best of her!

I hope everyone has a great week ahead. Take advantage of what is left of summer. Take care. Nancy

Kitty Yoga Fabric

2011-07-31T20:38:00.001-04:00

I decided to make pajamas with my kitty yoga fabric. I have had this pattern forever and I finally made something with it! The top and bottom were easy. I think the biggest problem I have with any pattern is finding the pattern pieces I need and folding the rest and getting them back in the pattern envelope! I like the shorts in this pattern. They are the right length without me having to adjust them. Pretty snazola if I do say so myself! I definitely won't be seeing them anywhere else! Oh and the shirt I mentioned that I had to have:

I tend to wear shorts and camisoles to bed year round, but in this neck of the woods, it is nice to have another warmer option come January! I figure I can throw this on with the shorts. I just felt I had to have it after I had purchased the yellow fabric!

I also was very excited to make smores in my oven. I know it is probably not new to many of you, but it was news to me! We have bonfires frequently during the summer. For some reason, we haven't had as many this summer. We were all missing smores. I saw a recipe on a box of square graham

crackers that showed how to make them in your oven. Just lay them out open-faced on a cookie sheet and bake for about 3 minutes at 350degrees. So easy and barely any clean up! My family was pretty happy! We have had them a few times already. I had a few left over last time and my 17 year-old ate them the next day. It is kind of like eating a pinwheel cookie or Mallomars-yum! I can't wait to have them this winter with homemade hot chocolate.

I wanted to apologize for my lack of contacting those of you who have left comments. My computer has been giving me trouble with my email. It is hit-or-miss. I have tried and I often get a message that it wasn't sent because something timed out. When I email my sister, I sometimes have to resend it three times. It is getting annoying. Perhaps a new computer is in my future! But I want to say thanks to everyone who leaves me a comment. I read and enjoy every one of them.

Well, I hope everyone has a great week. Things will start getting a little hectic here as I try to fit all my appointments in before I get back to work and my boys get back to school. My oldest is in his third year of college and my youngest is going into his senior year. Once August 1st is here, the month flies by! Take care. Nancy

Finally a Sprocket!...and yet another pizza

2011-07-24T23:10:00.000-04:00

I finally got around to sewing a sprocket pillow. I had a blast picking the fabrics and it came together quite nicely. I bought some fat quarters that had the colors I wanted and played with how they looked next to each other. It was alot of fun and the instructions from Cluck. Cluck. Sew. were well-written and easy to follow. I would definitely make another one. Right now it is on my screened in porch, but in the winter, it may find a new home on the chair outside the door of my craft room.

Please excuse the messiness of the above plate, but this pizza was so yummy, we almost ate it all before I realized I had not taken a picture! As you know, I love trying new pizza recipes and this one was so easy, it was hard to believe that I hadn't come up with it sooner! I started as I usually do, with a Freschetta crust(or Boboli-whichever you prefer and can find). Then I covered it with shredded mozzarella. I washed and thinly sliced Campari tomatoes and placed them all over the top of the cheese. I then drizzled the tomatoes with sun-dried tomato vinaigrette but I was thinking next time I would maybe use a balsamic dressing. If you beat me to it, let me know how it was! Sprinkle liberally with grated parmesan cheese and bake according to the crust directions. It was particularly delicious. I call it my tomato pizza(very creative on my part!).

Look at this adorable fabric I found. I LOVE cats and cats that are wearing people clothes are my all-time favorite! These cats are doing yoga poses. I was going to make a yoga mat cover but I thought that was too predictable. I have decided on something else. Soon, I can show you. I think it will turn out cute. I have had this pattern for a while and I am finally going to use it. After I decided what I wanted to make, I found a t-shirt in a catalog that had three cats doing yoga and it said "kitty yoga" on it. It was on clearance, so I ordered it. I am such a sucker for a matching set!

I hope everyone has a great week ahead and is enjoying beautiful weather wherever you are. Take care. Nancy

New Shutters

2011-07-15T12:56:00.003-04:00

Last year, before I started my flower garden at the back of my house, I mentioned my talented hubby had promised to make me some shutters. We hadn't decided what style we wanted. He made one of a style he saw on the internet and it wasn't what I had in mind and it was back to the drawing board. As you can see from the picture above, our original shutters were about 20 years old, the vinyl had become brittle and they had been three different colors. We even lost one in a wind storm from the above picture window. When we found it in the woods near our home, it was cracked and not fixable.

This year we noticed a house right across from the school I work at had the perfect shutters for our style and taste. My husband can just look at something and pretty much build it(he is that awesome!). So, he measured our windows and built 26 shutters for our 13 windows. What do you think?

The garden also makes a big difference but I am loving the shutters. The black hinges alone would have cost us several hundred dollars but we bought galvanized metal ones and he spray painted them. Boy did that save us some dollars-you have to figure that for 13 windows, that was 52 hinges! Sometimes it is the hardware that gets you! Here is another picture from the front of our home.

Have a great weekend everyone and take care. Nancy

Accessory for Cart Cover and Some Yummy Copycat Pizza

2011-07-11T08:20:00.000-04:00

First of all, let me start off by saying good morning and happy Monday everyone! I wanted to share my new birdbath for my perennial garden. I am trying to learn the names of all the flowers I have and these(I believe) are coreopsis. I kind of have a sunflower theme in this garden and I was excited to find this birdbath in Cracker Barrel. I water my flowers most evenings and I am surprised at how warm the ice cold well water from my hose becomes by the next morning in this bird bath. I haven't caught birds actually using it, but they do hang around this garden so I am hoping they do.

I was very excited when I came up with putting a bunting I made over the top of the canvas cover I sewed for this cart. In the last few posts, I showed you how faded my first cover became. I was sad because I loved the fabric(Mary Engelbreit) and I had gathered it so it looked so cute originally. I made this outdoor canvas one more tailored and felt it needed a little something something. I am happy with what I came up with. I made it detachable because it will fade, unlike the outdoor canvas so I can sew a new one when it does without replacing the whole thing.

We went to our local Olive Garden several weeks ago and my youngest ordered a pizza. It was good(he let us all sample) but very expensive for what it was. I knew I could recreate it at home and sure enough, I did! I thought mine was even better(tooting my own horn!) and it was super easy. Just buy a crust like Boboli or Freschetta and buy a jar of Alfredo(I got the parmesan garlic Alfredo). I used rotisserie chicken breast meat that I had shredded and shredded cheese blend. Spread some sauce on the crust, top with chicken and cheese. Bake according to crust directions. Warm some of the sauce to serve alongside. Unbelievably good!

I hope everybody has a great start to your week. I have something fantastic to share with you later on in the week(I am so proud of my husband). Take Care. Nancy

Finished Cart Cozy

2011-07-06T16:10:00.000-04:00

Do you remember this? I said I was making a new cover for this cart to replace this very faded but much loved Mary Engelbreit gathered skirt. Well, I decided to use outdoor canvas which I was assured would not fade. I have alot of colors in this back porch(as you saw in my last post) so I went with a bold stripe. The canvas was stiff, so I felt it would be better to go with a tailored look because I didn't think it would gather very well.

So, here it is.

I feel like it is missing something. Maybe it would look nice with some trim around the top. I will have to put some thought into that and get back to you! At any rate, it is not faded and functions well-it hides the stuff I store on the shelves of the cart! I have enough striped canvas fabric left to make some cushions or cover the foot stool seen in the picture below that is presently covered with Mary Engelbreit fabric but is not as faded as the cover was.

I am thinking of making one of those sprocket pillows I have seen around blogland for my porch next.

Enjoy the rest of your week. Take care. Nancy

Triple Chocolate Poundcake

2011-07-04T10:05:00.000-04:00

I know-the words made me swallow hard! Happy 4th of July everyone. I hope you all get a chance to get together with family and friends or do whatever you want to do on this beautiful Monday(you can tell I am on vacation!) I wanted to share this decadent and easy dessert with you. This cake almost qualifies to be on 5 Ingredient Fix with Claire Robinson on the Food Network(I love that show). Let's get started: Preheat your oven to 350 and spray a 9x5 loaf pan with nonstick spray. In a large bowl combine a 16 oz. pound cake mix, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, and 2 eggs. Beat with electric mixer 30 seconds or so. Add 3/4 cup chocolate milk and beat for 3 minutes more. Stir in 1 whole package (12 oz) mini chocolate chips. Pour batter in pan and bake for 65-75 minutes. Cool on rack. Frost as you would like. I made a cream cheese frosting but a purchased can of fluffy white would also be good. It was very good but very rich and it tasted better the next day. It was easier to cut the next day also! Enjoy!

These are pictures of my screened in porch. I spent yesterday cleaning it up so we can use it. In the winter, it becomes a catch-all. It isn't insulated so we use it as a mudroom and a place to put things we don't know what to do with. Come summer, we love it for relaxing and eating our supper.

My husband used our cedar siding on the walls when we went to vinyl siding. I love the rustic, woodsy feeling. We have several seating areas as you can see by the pictures. We also have a dining area and the cupboard next to cute bench(also made from a picture by my talented hubby and painted by me) holds swimsuits and towels for our pool which is pretty much right outside the windows of this porch.

When I furnished this porch several years ago, I mistakenly thought that because there was a roof on this porch and walls, the sun would not fade anything that wasn't directly in the window. WRONG! My cushions are all faded. I may replace them one by one, but I kind of like the cottage feel they have. I wash the cushion covers every spring at the beginning of the season and they are getting more comfortable and lived in. I like that welcoming feeling. What I didn't like was this

This is a cart type table with wheels that was my Mom's. I used velcro to attach a skirt I made with Mary Engelbreit fabric. I loved it at first but it is horribly faded and lost its charm. I purchased some outdoor canvas that the ladies at the fabric store have assured me will not fade. I have decided not to try to gather it because it is stiffer and I think will look better tailored. That is my next project. Fingers crossed-I hope it will look nice on my porch. I will pop back in later in the week and show you a picture of it.

Have a great day and take care. Nancy

Freedom!!

2011-06-27T00:32:00.001-04:00

Well, I am off of work for a couple of months. It feels quite lovely to know I can do some projects, hang by the pool and sleep in. Actually, sleeping in is out of the question. My youngest made the decision to work on the summer cleaning crew at our school, so I will be driving him to work every weekday at 7:00 am. I admire his ambition and it will be good for me to get up and get an early start. My vacation won't get away from me then.

I snapped this picture of my front porch. The flower was a gift from one of my students. Isn't it beautiful? The bench was made by my very talented husband when I showed him a picture of a bench I admired in a magazine. I used to purchase bistro sets for my front porch and the wind wreaked havoc on them. I love this bench and I am quite happy with my new cushions as well. We have a terra cotta(brick red) metal roof and white siding with a khaki painted foundation. I try to get either tan or dark brown furniture or accessories for the exterior of our house. I thought the colors in these cushions really brought a pop to our front porch. Wait until you see the new shutters the talented Mr. Flatrock Cabin is making. They are just what I wanted. I know...I am a lucky gal!

I made another apron this week. This time I made a gardening apron. I used the fat quarter apron instructions from Karen at Sew Many Ways but I made the pockets have more sections and I added a tool loop for my little spade. The instructions for this apron could not be easier or quicker but the finished product is customizable and very personal based on fabric choices. This was the third one I made and they are all different. Thanks Karen! I really am getting into this gardening thing! I purchased another perennial and I have no room for it in my two existing flower beds, so you know what that means....a third flower garden! I am lucky my husband is a good sport! Look at this Calla Lilly, can you see why I couldn't resist?

I want to thank Katie from Katie's Nesting Spot for hosting a giveaway which I was fortunate enough to win. She is such a sweetie and so generous. I won this beautiful Vera Bradley wallet and she sent along a little Vera purse notebook as well. Who doesn't LOVE Vera Bradley? I think it is cute and filled it up and put it right in my purse as soon as I was finished taking this picture!

I have lots of things I want to accomplish this summer and I hope to have time to write more than one post a week most weeks. I think my next priority is to get my sun porch cleaned up and open for relaxing and eating meals out there. I have a rolling cart out there with an extremely faded skirt that needs recovering. Have a great Monday and take care. Nancy

I Am My Father's Daughter

2011-06-19T20:56:00.000-04:00

What you see above is waffles with raspberries on them. The raspberries are unsweetened, tart and slightly perfumey. I have always preferred raspberries to syrup on my waffles or "pannycakes" as my Dad used to call them. He also preferred them that way. My father has been gone almost 22 years. I miss him terribly and think of him every day. I regret the fact that lung cancer took him before he even had the chance to meet the man I married. I hadn't even met my husband yet. My children never knew him. My oldest is named after him. Every year when I plant flowers, I plant marigolds because he always favored them. I think of him when I fish because that was something we always did together. I see him in my boys from time to time and it makes me smile. Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there.

Get ready to chuckle a little-I am still on the One Yard Wonders kick. I made a sewing apron from it and I love it. It is very helpful to have my tools all with me so I don't have to go back and forth. I used the same fabric I used for my table top ironing board with the cats on it. I have enjoyed every project I have made from that book because the instructions are easy to follow. That sounds like a no-brainer but it is surprising the number of patterns that I have followed that were murky and led me to have to rip out seams and do something over. How annoying is that?!

I know I mentioned in the last post how much I am enjoying gardening. I hope you can tell from this picture that I have little sunflower angels that have solar sunflowers that light up. It looks so cool at night. I also have some little solar post lights in both gardens that come on at nightfall. I have enjoyed adding little touches to the gardens that are almost like decorating. I may be looking for another spot to put one of these perennial gardens in. They are addictive!

Every few posts I have to throw in another picture of Mickey. She is my favorite photographic subject now that my boys are old enough to avoid my camera! Doesn't she look comfy? She has chosen our green chair as her most recent "spot" where she can usually be found sprawled out sleeping. If you zoom in on this picture, please ignore the cat hair! We vacuum the chair as much as we have time for. Nobody else sits there so the hair doesn't transfer to people's clothes.

I hope everyone has a great week. I am done with school for the summer Thursday. I have several projects lined up. Take care. Nancy

I never realized...

2011-06-13T06:06:00.005-04:00

I never realized how rewarding gardening could be. I spent the whole day Saturday landscaping with my husband and younger son. They primarily worked on spreading mulch under the revamped pool deck and perennial flower beds. I worked on the flower beds and planted 8 good-sized pots of annual flowers. I have never had much of a green thumb, but the gardens look great. One perennial garden is in its second year, the other in its third. It was such a good feeling when I was done to stand back and look at what had been accomplished-especially by someone who had insisted she couldn't do it!

Another finished project was yet another item from One Yard Wonders. Pictured is my rendition of the scrunchie bag. It turned out so great. I actually will use it as a purse. It is lined and sturdy and closes securely yet it will hold quite a bit. I found the fabric first at JoAnn and fell in love with it and it went from there. I found the ribbon with cherries on it and knew what I wanted to make. Every time I think I will move on from that book, I find another project to make and it pulls me back in! I found a cute sewing/garden apron in there I might make next. Also, there is a baby blanket made with striped fabric you cut to make spliced blocks. Who knows if I will be able to step away from the book and head somewhere else!

I have wanted to continue my walking but I have contracted a very painful plantar fascitis or a bone spur on my heel. I am not sure which it is but wowza does it ever hurt. The timing is not great. After doing a Cancer Walk Thursday at my school with my students and being on my feet all day Saturday, I was a hurting unit. My chiropractor gave me some exercises to do and advised me to take it a little easy for a while. I can't really take it easy but I am doing the exercises and I am limiting my footwear to some with a little support. I may result to wearing my good sneakers all the time but that is the last resort. Fashionable footwear is VERY important to me and I will have a hard time with wearing sneakers with cute capris to work, but it may come to that!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week. Take care. Nancy

It's Beginning to Look Alot Like Summer

2011-06-06T06:32:00.000-04:00

That "summer feel" is finally here. I was beginning to think it wasn't coming this year. I have been working in my flower gardens a little and I only have 13 days of school left before my summer break. I can't wait! My husband and I are starting to take walks after dinner. That is something I need to try to keep up. I am looking forward to fishing and riding our four wheelers down to the river. We bought a brand new canoe to fish out of last year and never put it in the water. Hopefully we can do that this year.

Creatively, I accomplished quite a bit this past week. Once again, One Yard Wonders drew me in and I was sewing from its well-read pages. I LOVE that book! I know you know that about me! I covered my table top ironing board using the method in the book. I made a pattern from my board. My board is oddly shaped. It was given to me by my Mom years ago. I used it alot before I had a craft room. It was easier to set up than the big ironing board. The back of my board is wood and it has feet, not a metal frame like the ones you would purchase these days.

Anyway, I made a casing and used cording and one of those cord stoppers you can purchase in a craft or sewing store. The fabric I used was one I found at JoAnn with two of my favorite things on it-sewing and cats! I love that fabric. I had a good chunk left from the one yard so I am trying to think what else I can do with it.

I also made some amazing cherry chocolate scones with a sour cream topping. You put 2 cups of flour, 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder, and 1/3 cup sugar and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Cut in 5 tablespoon cold butter in cubes until the mixture is crumbs. Stir in 1/4 cup dried cherries and 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips. (I used cherry juice infused dried cranberries because that is all I could find) Stir in 1/2 cup buttermilk(or milk you sour with a capful of white vinegar and let sit) and a splash of almond extract. Turn the dough out onto a floured board and pat into a disc. Slice the disc pizza-style into 12 wedges. Transfer the wedges onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Give the wedges room to expand and puff up. Brush with half and half and sprinkle with raw sugar crystals if desired. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 12-15 minutes. Meanwhile, take 1 cup of sour cream and add a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar and a bit of vanilla. Mix well and serve along side of the warm scones. These are perfect on a lazy Sunday morning. My wedges are never perfect and I like the rustic look of them. Enjoy!

I will leave you with some words on a purchase I made recently. Me being the "gadget queen", I can't resist when I see something like this in a catalog. It is made by Fiskars and it is a 12 in 1 multi tool. The best price I could find was at Amazon where it was under $11. I like the convenience of reaching for one tool that does so much. The measuring tape only goes to 20 something and has to be manually wound back up but I like the versatility of the other tools. I proceeded to immediately lose the mini tweezers down my register grate but hubs says he can get them back for me next time he goes under our house! If you purchase it, be mindful of where the thread cutter is, it has a pretty sharp blade and I provoked a slight cut by openly going after the blade wondering what it was because it is on the outside of the case on the very top!

I hope everyone has a great week. Do something that you love whether it is cooking, gardening, sewing or whatever! Take care. Nancy

The Stress Relief of Crafting

2011-05-30T10:00:00.000-04:00

I don't know about you, but I really notice the difference in myself if I don't get enough time to make things in my craft room! Last week, I really made the time and I could feel myself releasing tension. The week before, I shot in there long enough to sew up a pouch that only took a couple of hours. I felt myself losing patience with little things throughout that week and I couldn't put my finger on why. I think I have figured it out now!

Here is another stress reliever for me: Mickey. We have been having our windows open so, naturally, being nosy, she is always looking out the window. I guess watching the birds and squirrels is tiring work because I found her sound asleep(and snoring) with her paws on the window sill like she couldn't hold herself up any more! She is looking forward(I imagine) to the screened in porch being opened up. She spends alot of time out there. She has never been outside in her life and I worry about her trying to sneak out when someone opens the door so we will have to be vigilant about that.

Speaking about the screened in porch, I made this sunflower pillow cover yesterday. I used fusible web for the applique and sewed over it for extra security. I may get a bigger pillow form to fill it out better. I measured the existing pillow form and allowed myself extra because I tend to take bigger seam allowances. Apparently, this time I didn't so I have a little more room in the pillow form. I also want to make one of those sprocket pillows I have seen in blogland. Those are adorable. That may be next on my list.

I also wanted to share with you an amazing dessert I made this past week: Cherry Cheese Cookie Bars. I used some of a huge bag of sugar cookie mix I bought at Sam's Club. It called for 2 1/2 cups of mix, 1 stick of softened butter and 1 egg. You could probably use your own recipe or that refrigerated sugar cookie dough. I mixed it per the instructions and patted it in an ungreased 9 x 13 pan. Then I mixed a softened 8 oz cream cheese(I used fat free-gotta save where you can!) 1 Tablespoon flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 egg and a splash of vanilla. Beat that with a hand mixer until smooth. Spread over raw cookie dough and bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Cool completely. Top with 2 cans of cherry pie filling. You can mix a little almond extract in with the cherries if you wish. Really Really good. These would be good to bring to a cook out or pot luck.

I also was anxious to tell you that I went way outside my normal familiar crafting to make some jewelry. I had purchased a necklace and bracelet that matched but there were no matching earrings. I love matching sets of jewelry so I debated on what to do. Then I realized that if I bought a different style of bracelet that matched, I could get it very inexpensively-this is costume jewelry at Kohls, not 14carat stuff! So I bought the second bracelet and some inexpensive findings at JoAnn. I tentatively cut the cording on the bracelet and got going. I ended up with a great pair of earrings and a bunch of extra beads if I ever need them. I am officially patting myself on the back for trying something new. It was fun and I got something I really wanted out of it that I couldn't have gotten any other way.

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day with family and friends and whatever else makes you happy. Take care. Nancy

I Am Ready To...Garden

2011-05-23T06:25:00.000-04:00

It has been a really wet and somewhat chilly Spring here in the Northeast. I have a couple of cute little flower gardens that I am trying to maintain and I am surprised that I am anxious to get at them. My older sister has the green thumb in the family. She has a greenhouse and even has started a business from it. I usually can't keep green things alive but, with the help of my mother in law and a friend, I am trying to maintain two little patches of flowers around my house. I bought this Dianthus(I think that is the name of it) about a week ago and I am looking forward to planting it in one of the gardens. I like the wildflower quality of it. We also have to freshen the bark chips and put out the fountain and all the little accessories. Everything looks so nice when it is done. Hubs is in the process of making new shutters for our house. He changed the deck to our pool so everything needs a fresh coat of paint. Also, I have to wash all the pillow covers and dust my screened in back porch so we can start having dinner out there. It makes me tired just thinking about it!

I managed to make a little pouch to put inside the knitting needle pouch I made last week. It holds my needle tips, cable holders, stitch holders, stitch counter and other knitting gadgets. I hate fishing in the bottom of a big bag for little items so this will prevent that. I put three buttons on it for a closure. I love me some organizational helpers!

I also made a good and easy dinner in the crock pot this weekend. It is chicken stroganoff. It sounded more suited to cold weather but it was tasty just the same. Just cut up a couple of packages of chicken tenders-I cut each tender in three pieces after I cut out that annoying tendon or whatever it is. Chop one onion and drain a small can of mushrooms. Stir these together in a crock pot. In a bowl, stir together 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup with garlic(I couldn't find it so I added minced garlic to plain cream of mushroom), 1/3 cup of water and freshly cracked pepper. Pour over chicken mixture in pot. Cook on high 4-5 hours. Stir in 8 oz. sour cream right before serving. I served it over mashed potatoes but if you are a stroganoff purist, go with the noodles. It was very good-comfort food at its best.

I hope everyone is able to get outside and blow the stink of winter off you!(I love that saying) Have a great week and take care. Nancy

Good Eats and a Little Sewing

2011-05-16T06:35:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday everyone! Time is just a whippin' by. I think that the older I get, the faster it goes! This past weekend, my older son and his girlfriend went to her senior prom. Being he graduated high school two years ago, he wasn't keen on attending this event, but he understood it meant alot to her. She looked beautiful, he looked handsome and they had a good time. It poured here all weekend and is predicted to rain pretty much all week. We only had a few days off from the rain and it seemed nice. Our river will swell again and, no doubt, more damage will happen.

I wanted to share a couple of easy recipes with you. On Saturday nights, we usually have a couple of homemade pizzas. This past weekend, I made stuffed crust pizza and Cheeseburger Pie. Both of these recipes are started with refrigerated biscuits/pizza dough products. The pizza couldn't be easier. You just take the tube of pizza dough and unroll it in a 9x13 pan sprayed with cooking spray. Push it a little up the sides and line up string cheese sticks along the edges. Pull the crust down to fully cover the cheese "logs" so now your crust edges are officially stuffed! Fix your pizza any way you wish with sauce, cheese, and toppings. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes or so. It is pretty tasty!

Now I can't comment personally on the cheeseburger pie because I don't care for hamburger(except at Ruby Tuesday-don't ask!) but it was a big hit with the guys. This recipe starts with a 12 oz. can of refrigerated biscuits. Pat 6 biscuits on the bottom and up the sides of a greased pie pan. Cut the remaining 4 biscuits in quarters and set aside. Meanwhile, brown a pound of hamburger. Drain if necessary. Add some onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 1/3 cup ketchup and a couple of squirts of mustard. Stir and heat until bubbling. Spoon beef mixture into pie plate. Arrange 7 American cheese slices on top of beef. Place biscuit quarters, point side down, around the edge. Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes until biscuits are golden. I thought next time I would put a little pile of pickle relish in the middle to serve. Also, you could switch out the cheese for swiss and leave out the mustard and add mushrooms or bacon. This is just a starting off point. That is why I love to cook. I try to make each recipe my own.

Speaking of making things my own, I sewed a big pouch for my knitting needles. A while back, I made a knitting needle holder out of a placemat. It held them all in sling-style and they were constantly falling out. So, I decided to measure up the size I would need for my needles and construct a pouch. I don't think I always go at these projects the right way. I start out with a project in a book and sometimes I end up with nothing like what I started to do! This pouch has a zipper and is lined. It is roomy enough that I am also constructing a smaller pouch to put inside that will hold knitting needle end tips, yarn needles, cable holders and all the little accessories you need when you knit. Stay tuned for that one-I am thinking of using buttons to close that pouch.

I hope everyone has a great week. I am hoping to do some tole painting this week. I have the perfect project to work on. Hopefully, I can give you a peek next Monday. Dancing with the Stars is getting down to the final contestants. Kirstie Alley is still there! I also like the football player Hines. I am anxious to see who wins! I will be tuning in tonight! Take care everyone. Nancy

Another One Yard Wonders Project

2011-05-09T20:03:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday evening! I have had a busy day off. Usually, I post early in the morning before work, but today a fellow crafty friend came for a visit and we went over material and books and talked about all our projects. It was fun and very relaxing. I am glad I took today off after spending most of the weekend at a training class for work.

I first want to share another One Yard Wonders project. I keep finding excellent projects in that book and the instructions are always clear and easy to follow too! I made a set of veggie pot holders and a mitt. I love it when a project forces me to try a new technique or sewing machine foot. I purchased an inexpensive walking foot for my machine and quilted my own fabric for these projects. It worked like a dream! The fabric didn't bunch up at all. That extra feed dog action from the top really keeps everything smooth. It was fun and rewarding. I will definitely do that again. If I want to make another make up bag, I will make my own pre-quilted fabric instead of having to accept what they have in the fabric store. The supply is always limited. I used the insulated batting and they are all very professional in that they really keep the heat out.

I continued on the path of learning more about working with my serger. I made the plain banded pillowcase right off the bat. I rethreaded the serger with white thread very easily. Then all "you know what" broke loose when I tried to make the alternate, harder version. It involved using the gathering foot and it would work on the sample I was practising on but when I switched to the real thing, not at all! So I scrapped that for now-it was 1:30 in the morning so I gave up! I quickly tried the rolled hem and kind of struck out on that. So, I decided to make the purple and pink one a little more feminine with some pre-made lace. Maybe I will get the hang of those other techniques when it is not so late-I was exhausted!

I hope all you moms had a great Mother's Day. I got to have dinner from one of my favorites-Red Lobster. It was yummy! As for my gift-feast your eyes on some awesome reading material.

You know me-never too many books! I get so much inspiration from them.

I also want to thank so many of you for your kind comments on my epi pen cozy. The dimensions of the fabric I used are: 2 pieces of fabric 24" x 5". Put them face to face and stitch leaving a place to turn. Then I folded up 8" to form a pouch. I top-stitched along the sides attaching a ribbon to hold the flap down. I tapered the flap a little and that's it. My epi pen is 6 1/2" high and has a circumference of 3 1/2". If you have any questions, please let me know.

I hope everybody has a great week. Happy creating and take care. Nancy

I Actually Made a Clothing Item...

2011-05-02T06:09:00.000-04:00

Good morning and I hope everyone is having a happy Monday. Where I live, here in the Northeast, we are having serious flooding. My husband and I like to drive our four wheelers to the river not far from my house and fish all summer. My younger son and my husband took a walk yesterday to check it out and he took some pictures so I could see. Where we usually stand is totally under water. The water is particularly dangerous and fast moving right now. It will be several weeks before we can consider fishing.

In keeping with the idea of fishing and summer, I had to fill my prescription of epi pens for the season. They come two to a box and I need to keep one in my purse and one in the four wheeler. So I whipped up a fabric case for the one for my purse. I lined it too. It is nothing too elaborate but it is better than just putting it in my purse by itself. I used fabric with bees on it. I found out I was allergic to bees when I was 26. I went into anaphylactic shock and I don't know what is worse-being afraid of using the epi pen or having that happen again. My husband's cousin is also allergic to bees and has used an epi pen on himself many times. He says it is not too bad but it is something I hope I never have to do.

One thing I am kind of excited about is that I made an article of clothing for myself. I usually make accessories or things for the house. But I have been eyeballing the nightgown in One Yard Wonders(love love love that book!). So I made it.

I shortened it and wear it to bed with satiny shorts. Also, I made it out of a very light weight flannel. It is so soft and very comfortable. I just may make another one! That book has so many wonderful, usable projects in it. If they ever make a sequel to it, I will be the first customer!

I wanted to pop in a picture of my sewing mascot. Every time I get up from my sewing chair, she gets in it and wastes no time making herself right at home. What a character!

I have a particularly busy week at work ahead of me. I have to take a course that runs Friday night and all day Saturday for my job. Needless to say, I am not looking forward to losing a good chunk of my weekend, but I am thinking of starting a painting project so hopefully I will be able to show you that next week. Take care. Nancy

Hope Everyone Had a Nice Easter...

2011-04-25T09:16:00.000-04:00

My 20 year old son and his friend/co-worker volunteered to dress up to hand out candy at the hospital they work at. They visited the Pediatric ward and the Elderly Home. My son(the rabbit) said the costume was very hot but they were glad they did it.

My husband made these donuts(and many more) for our Easter breakfast yesterday. It is Paula Deen's recipe. All you need is a couple of cans of refrigerated biscuits and some peanut oil. We dredged some in cinnamon sugar and frosted some with chocolate icing. They were spectacular! I don't even want to guess how many pounds those put on!

I was busy in my sewing room this past week. I made this bag from a Gooseberry Patch book. I thought the instructions were not very clear. After getting half way through, I realized I had cut the fabric the wrong way. It had never been clear what way to cut it. So, I had to improvise and add a strap to the top. Luckily, I had more fabric. I also decided to put some thin elastic cording as a closure with the fabric covered button at the front. I am pretty happy with how it turned out. There are many more projects in that book I want to make. I will have to read the instructions many more times and make sure I know what they mean before I cut anything!

I mentioned a possible road trip with a stop at my favorite quilt shop. We made the trip Thursday. I purchased these two kits. I spent over $80-that is alot for me to spend on crafting kits! But I have always wanted to learn rug hooking with wool strips and I thought this was my chance to have everything I need to start. As always, Mission Rose has all these examples on the walls and displayed everywhere so you can see what the completed pieces will look like. This kit I bought is so beautiful when it is done, I hope I can do it justice being a novice. If I strike it rich somehow, I am going back and buying one of everything!

I hope everyone has a great week. It is back to work for me tomorrow. Now I am mentally counting down to summer vacation! If anyone out there is a rug hooker(that didn't sound right!) and has any tips for me, I am all ears. Take care. Nancy

Vacation is Here!

2011-04-18T10:20:00.000-04:00

I am enjoying just staying home for my Spring Break! I stayed up until the wee hours last night plotting and planning in my craft room and I have so many projects I want to do, it boggles the mind! Summer vacation will be here before we know it so I will have plenty of time to work on all the things I have roaming around in my brain!

Just a nod to what I said in my last post about Spring weather coming-I spoke too soon! It has been cold and windy and rainy/snowy here but I am not complaining because I really feel for the people who have withstood the destructive and dangerous Spring weather.

The first thing I want to share with you this morning is a kick butt recipe that may sound a little silly but is awesome. It is barbecue chicken pizza with a scoop of cole slaw on top. I came up with this combo a couple of weeks ago and I must admit-it is a genius combo. I start out with a Boboli shell, pizza sauce, barbecue sauce(it has to be Sweet Baby Ray's at my house), shredded Rotisserie chicken, shredded cheese of choice(I use the shredded Mexican blend I get in bulk quantity at Sams-I use this in all my cheese recipes) and shredded cabbage mixed to taste with mayo(I do this early in the day so it will be tastier and moister).

I mix about 1/4 cup of the pizza sauce with a few squirts of the barbecue sauce and put it on the crust. I must say this is not an exact science, I just eyeball it. In the same bowl, I mix some shredded cooked chicken with just the barbecue sauce and put it on the pizza. Next I put shredded cheese to taste(I like alot!) and I put it in the oven for whatever the crust says. All the components are cooked so you are just warming it.

Put a scoop of cole slaw on it when it is warm and there you have it. It is seriously yummy and addictive. I love turning my favorite foods into pizzas. I have quite a few recipes like that. We usually have pizza every Saturday night and I try to make unique ones. Last Saturday, we had this pizza and a white pizza with garlic infused olive oil. I will share that with you next time.

I also did some sewing last week that I want to share. I whipped up a cute little pin cushion jar using a jar from some homemade strawberry jam one of my students had given me for Christmas this past year. I used a scrap of fabric left over from my sewing machine cover. You can never have too many pin cushions- I have them all over my craft room. Plus, I think of Ava and her gift every time I use it!

Now what is this you ask? I made a cat tunnel for Mickey from Amy Butler's book. I used minky instead of fake fur because she goes nuts for the texture of minky. However she hasn't used it as a tunnel yet. She has laid on it and dragged it around by the drawstring but she has yet to use it for its intended purpose. I realize she may never use it.(yes I saw that funny look my husband gave me when I showed this to him!) I am just a crazy cat lady who tries everything to make her happy. Perhaps this phase

will end when I have grandchildren and I can make things for them-not that I am rushing things, my oldest is only 20!

I hope everyone has a great week. My husband mentioned a road trip perhaps Thursday and my favorite quilt shop may be a pit stop. Here's hoping! Happy crafting everybody and take care. Nancy

Beautiful Spring Weather and Some Sewing

2011-04-11T06:12:00.000-04:00

It is early on this Monday morning and it is already 62 degrees! Could it be we are finally putting Winter behind us? I actually enjoy Winter but enough is enough! Let's hope we turned a corner.

When I first saw ruffled aprons in blogland, I was smitten to say the least. Morgan at One More Moore did a tutorial on how to make one. She gives great thorough instructions on her tutorials so I copied it off and planned to make one some day. Well some day finally came! I confess I am not the best gatherer(is that a word?) for making ruffles but I think it turned out cute. I don't know if I mentioned it but my kitchen is all done in veggies-I have quite the collection. I had these veggie fabrics and thought the vibrant colors would look really cool together. I like it. When I was arranging my craft room I found a kit to make a bug jar quilt that I had purchased off from ebay. It has all the "I spy" veggie fabrics instead of bugs so it will look like canning jars with vegetables in them. They are mini sized so it should be quick to make. That may be something I could work on over my vacation-I have three more days to work(not that I am counting!) and I am off for a week and three days total.

I also made this reversible tissue box cover yesterday. The instructions are from Amy Butler and it was easy-I may make a few more! My husband keeps the tissues on his bedside table because my side is always too full with pictures, remotes, hand lotion(you know the stuff). So, for the last ten years or so, he had this large honkin box of tissues with a cardboard cover I covered with wallpaper samples. It never covered the whole box and there was no reason not to down-size the box of tissues. Well, it was time! I change my comforter and curtains and pillows in my bedroom every six months. I have a set for summer, and one for winter. Now I can change the tissue cover too! Isn't it funny how little things can make us giddy?!

I think I finally took a picture of Mickey that doesn't look so stern! She drags her toys all over the house and we frequently wake up and find them in our bed! Shortly after I took this, she zonked out and I snapped this:

Isn't she something? Pets add so much to our lives. I just love her!

I hope everyone has a great week and I hope it is getting warmer and Springy wherever you are. Take care and happy crafting. Nancy

And The Inspiration Continues...

2011-04-04T06:24:00.000-04:00

Over the past week, I had plans-plans to make items from one of my favorite crafty books and even plans to make something from a pattern. Well, I went where my creative daydreams were taking me and that is to blogland to try out more things I have read about from all of you creative and talented people!

For starters, I had fun making this ruffled scarf from MADE. It included a technique I had been dying to try-smocking with elastic thread in the bobbin. What fun! It was easier than I thought it would be. I was able to wind my bobbin with the elastic right on my machine-I didn't have to wind it by hand. I didn't have to mess with the tension on my machine. It just worked perfectly! The most time consuming part was hemming the scarf before I gathered it with the elastic. I didn't like the look my serger made on this fabric, so I hemmed it the old fashioned way. I am wearing the scarf today. It is summery and I would prefer to wear it with a dressy tshirt, but it is chilly and rainy here in the Northeast, so I am wearing it with a crew neck sweater.

Another project I made was a mug rug. I have read about these and they sounded so fun, I had to try one. I found this "house version" on Fashioned By Meg. It was so much fun to think about what fabrics would define me a little so this mug rug would be personalized. I love toile so that was the roof fabric. I used wood look fabric for the actual house so it would be like a cabin. My sewing room shows through the window and the door is my shoe fabric because, as my husband will tell you, I am a shoe girl. And let's be honest, Mickey had to be on there somewhere! She is by the door. I had a blast using my sewing machine's fancy stitches to put yellow tulips under the window. It was a lot of fun. I forgot the chimney though. I had cute measuring tape ribbon all ready for it and I got so carried away with the rest, I forgot.

One last thing I want to show you is this amazing Bloomin' Onion Bread I found on Your Homebased Mom. It is crazy good! I didn't have any green onions, so I put garlic powder in my melted butter that I drizzled on top. Yowza! I had a hard time stopping! Luckily, I had made homemade beef vegetable soup to serve with it so there was some nutrition to counteract the butter, bread and cheese.

I hope everyone has a great week. All three of my guys have a head cold that is hanging on so I hope that will be leaving us soon. I am counting down to my April break from school. I am hoping to get to my favorite quilt shop, Mission Rose, during that vacation. Take care of yourselves and happy crafting. Nancy

Almost April

2011-03-28T07:41:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone and happy Monday. I am just coming off an incredibly awful case of the flu and I am still not 100%. I came down with it last Wednesday and missed Thursday and Friday from school. Just yesterday I was able to be on my feet for more than half an hour at a time! Talk about feeling like being hit by a truck! I missed being able to attend my mother in law's birthday party Saturday night. I was sad to miss it because I genuinely love her to pieces. She has been like a Mom to me since my own Mother's passing 4 years ago. Somehow, I was able to throw together an easy dessert to send with my husband and youngest son(my oldest had to work but stoppped by afterwards) I have been making these cakes for some time and they are easy, versatile and so good. All you have to do is bake your cake mix of choice(this one was strawberry) in a jelly roll pan for 20-25 minutes. Let it cool. prepare either 2 regular size or I large box of instant pudding(this was banana) and set aside. Cut up your cooled cake into small cubes. Put a layer of the cubes in a 9x13 pan or 2 8x8 pans or a trifle bowl. Layer the pudding in there finishing with cake cubes. Take a large container of frosting(this was white) and transfer to a glass bowl or measuring cup. Put in the microwave and heat at 10 second intervals until it is of a glaze consistency. Drizzle over the cake. Refrigerate and that is it! Super easy and my favorite combo is the Boston Cream flavor-yellow cake, vanilla pudding and chocolate frosting. Yum!

Believe it or not, I took advantage of feeling a little better yesterday by sewing. I have had these pot pinchers prepped for some time to sew. I finished them up yesterday. I followed a pattern by Vanilla House Designs and they were not too difficult. I made bias tape again with my bias tape maker. I love that little machine! The sandwich of insulbrite(2 layers) and top and bottom fabric was a little bulky to bind with the bias tape, but I did as I usually do: I hid my mistakes with rik rak! They turned out cute and they actually work. They match a tea cosy I made last summer. Don't they look like little scuff slippers?!! Thanks to hubs for modelling-no those hairy arms aren't mine!!

I wanted to mention a few giveaways I am entering so you can check them out. Moonlit Stitch has an adorable Springy prim giveaway. Rusty Thimble is giving away a Spring chick-very prim and cute. The Primitive Outhouse has a good old fashioned guess how many jelly beans in the jar giveaway-don't miss it, and Cedar Creeks Prims has a cute giveaway of prim eggs and carrots. Everyone of these giveaways is exciting and best of luck to all who are entering.(please excuse the lack of links-I am putting it on my list to learn that whole"link up" blogging thing. I have tried and I don't know if it is me or my blogging format that is resisting but I will get to the bottom of it soon!)

Dancing With the Stars premier last week was great. I was blown away by Kirstie Alley, the Karate Kid guy and the football player. It should be a great season-can't wait for tonight!

I hope everyone has a healthy and happy week. Take care and happy crafting. Nancy

Spring Has Sprung

2011-03-21T06:43:00.000-04:00

Is everyone getting Spring Fever? It sure seems to be on its way here in the Northeast. My husband is deep into March Madness, watching many college basketball games. He has been readying our four wheelers for the fishing trips coming up soon. My 16 year old is learning to drive, courtesy of my husband who has nerves of steel! My 20 year old got his basketball net out and filled the base with water, convinced he was safely past the freezing days of Winter. And me, well I am contemplating how to lose these annoying extra pounds that make shorts season not as fun as it used to be.

I made a wonderful Beer Cheese Dip this past weekend and it was a huge hit.

Soften 2 8oz. pkgs cream cheese. Beat until fairly fluffy. Add 1/3 cup beer(nonalcoholic if you choose) and 1 pkg ranch dressing mix and beat until smooth. Stir in 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese. That's it. Easy right? Just serve with pretzels or raw veggies. Yum-o!

I also continued on the path of getting to know my serger. I made this cute quilted cosmetic case(I may use it for my sewing machine feet instead of the plastic zip-loc bag they are presently in!) I had to cheat a little and use my regular sewing machine to put in the zipper because I didn't realize that I don't have the piping foot for my serger. It didn't come with it and it is required for putting in a zipper. It turned out cute and was really easy. Next project is a pillowcase with or without a ruffled band-I may make both to get the practice. I am enjoying the journey.

Many of you asked about the fabric I used on my sewing machine cover. I purchased it at JoAnn Fabrics and I went back and asked them for the numbers needed to purchase or order the fabric. It is called Vintage Sewing and is 44" and the number is:1040-7427. The girl said you could order it at any JoAnn.

My new Tempurpedic cloud bed arrived and is way firmer than I thought it would be. The support is nice. We wake without any aches and pains, but we desire a little more softness so we are in the process of purchasing a mattress topper to put on it for a little softness then we will have the best of both worlds.

Dancing With The Stars premiers tonight and I am excited. Kirstie Alley is who I am looking forward to see. I hope she sticks around for awhile.

Take care everyone and have a great week. Nancy

Following Tutorials from Blogland

2011-03-14T06:41:00.003-04:00

I hope everyone is having a happy Monday and a great start to the week ahead. I know, I know-happy and Monday in the same sentence seems like an oxymoron. I'm with you on this thought, but I am trying to project a positive light on the start to my week(in hopes it will fly by!)

I made a couple of projects this past week. The first one is one I have almost bought and decided to take a stab at making-a purse organizer. I do like to change purses and find it difficult because I have too much stuff in my purse. Also, my purse was becoming an embarrassment at checkout time in stores. I was constantly digging for things. Here is the before:

I know-crazy!

Here is the after:

I am hoping I can keep this up. So far so good. I think this will be even more effective in one of my slightly bigger purses. I followed a tutorial from Hope Studios. Jennifer used a pretty print for hers while I chose a khaki neutral.

Thanks Jennifer for sharing a great project.

I also made a scarf from Ruffles and Stuff. I decided to use some plaid fleece I had on hand(that matches my camel tan coat) and I think it turned out cute. Using fleece made it slightly more bulky to put buttonholes in so after 8 failed attempts(and some natural frustration), I gave up and put snaps on as the fasteners but I still used the buttons as a decorative touch. What do you think?

I am loving how different it is. I am always knitting my scarves and this is a change-up on my usual. I like shaking things up a bit!

Once again, I am so happy I have discovered all the wonderful blogs I frequent. I have learned so much from so many of them. It has been such an enriching experience.

My husband and I are excited that our new Posturpedic bed will be delivered this week. As we get older, our aches and pains can prevent us from getting a good night's sleep. Because we spend so much of our life sleeping, I felt it was a good investment to get a really good bed. I will let you know if it is as good as they say.

Also, I don't know if anyone else is a fan, but Destination Truth has its season premier this Thursday at 7:00. It is a special live event. I have been a fan since the beginning and I am excited.

I hope everyone has a great week. I hope you can take the time to do something you enjoy. Take care. Nancy

Winter's Last Stand

2011-03-07T08:40:00.000-05:00

Well at least I am assuming it is Winter's last stand here in the Northeast! I woke up this morning to a fabulous 2 hour delay at my school-a nice little gift that allowed me to actually feel like exercising when I could take the time to ease into it. I enjoy the coziness of Winter. My poor husband thinks that may because I am not in charge of the snow removal! He may be right. I think some nice Spring weather should be right around the corner which should boost everyone's spirits around here.

I have been sewing up a storm. There are so many projects I want to do. You know from previous posts how much I LOVE the One Yard Wonders book. Well, there was a sewing machine cover in there I have been wanting to make. I had the perfect fabric for it and this one actually would fit because I paid attention to that minor detail! Here it is in all its one yard wonder glory!

I love the pocket in it. It turned out great and was really easy. I am debating making one for my new serger. The shape is really odd so I may actually have to calculate(oh no) but I may tackle it. I have another yard of this adorable fabric so they would match.

I also made this glasses case. I found a pattern in the Pretty Little Cozies book. I probably didn't need a pattern for this but I love looking through my books for inspiration and the fit is perfect(which it may not have been if I had winged it) I used a chenille scrap for the lining so it would be super soft and I chose this small project to do something I have always wanted to try. I dropped the feed dogs and did some free stitching on the tea pot applique. It was fun. I think I would practice quite a bit before doing a quilt like that but this was a perfect way to introduce myself to that technique. I thought I had a special machine foot for it but I couldn't figure it out so I just went ahead and did it with no foot at all! I don't know why but I am always so proud of myself when I do something different that I have put off forever.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week. Happy crafting and take care.Nancy

Vacation's Over

2011-02-28T06:37:00.000-05:00

Good morning all! I am trying my very best to be cheerful on this Monday morning that finds me back to work after February break. And-to top it off, I have a dentist appointment this afternoon(what silly person made that appointment for today??!!) My youngest got his driver's permit over break(yikes) and the next day, he came down with the dreaded stomach bug. I felt so bad for him. It really wiped him out for several days. I decided to put some highlights in my hair and ended up way too blonde for my liking. Hubs says he loves it and I can't tell if he is just being nice. I ran into two co-workers at the grocery store and they didn't mention my hair at all so I feel that is a sign that it is not a becoming change. Oh well, enough of the blahs and on to the fun stuff!

I was very fortunate to have won a giveaway from Tiff at Folded Gingham. I was beyond thrilled. Hers is one of the first blogs I started following long before I started blogging myself. I felt like I knew her a little bit from reading all this time. Thanks Tiff.

I continued on my journey with my serger and made the second recommended project. I made 2 rice bags for my boys. I changed the thread to coordinate with my fabrics and had a little trouble this time, but I got out the handy cd rom that came with it and found it a little easier to follow than the directions in the book. They turned out pretty well and I enjoyed making them. They were fairly easy and my two guys liked them. My oldest is playing arena football right now so he was using mine all the time and appreciated a more masculine covered one of his own!

I also made a really cute fabric basket. I found the pattern on a sewing calendar I bought this year. A friend of mine had last year's calendar and she mentioned it to me so I looked for one this year. Every three days, there is a cute idea to sew. I used cat fabric(naturally) for my basket and I can keep my knitting in it or my cat's growing number of cat toys!

Speaking of Mickey, here is a picture of her sitting on my dresser among my Disney Haunted Mansion collectibles. For some reason she puts on her stern face when the camera comes out!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week. Take care. Nancy

Oh by the way, I am thinking of purchasing a Tempurpedic Cloud bed-anyone with experience willing to let me know their opinion? Thanks.

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T14:20:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone is having a great Valentine's Day. My little ones at school had their party and exchanged valentine cards. They were all so excited!

I painted a cute night light for my craft room. It looks like a sewing machine doesn't it? (I am my worst critic!) I am really enjoying getting back into painting. I have all kinds of projects lined up. There are so many things I want to make for Spring and Summer, inside and out.

I have an amazing recipe for you. It is called Spaghetti Pie. I know the picture may not be the prettiest, but it really is yummy. First, I saute a chopped onion, chopped green pepper and a can of sliced mushrooms in a tablespoon of olive oil and a pat of butter. At the same time, cook a pound of spaghetti. Drain the spaghetti. In a large bowl, whisk 4 eggs and 1/4 cup of milk. Add the cooked spaghetti and the sauteed vegetables to the eggs and milk. Combine. Fold in 1/2 pound diced Velveeta and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Spoon into a 13 x 9 dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Press down with the back of a spoon. Bake 35 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Cut into squares and serve with warmed Marinara sauce. Even the leftovers are good!

Well, I bought a serger book and decided to follow the path advised by the author. I am starting at the beginning and building my serger skills and knowldge with each project. I started with a project I didn't really want to do, but it was the suggested first project, so I found a place for it.

It really was easy and it was fun to get a feel for the machine. I was surprised at how much thread I went through but I love the neatly finished edges.

This is the book I was telling you about(I know, I know-another book!!)

TaDah!! I made a cord cover. I had some fabric left over from pillow covers I had made so I thought-why not use that? The serger is really pretty cool. I have a question for all you serger users: Should I get an attachment for my vacuum to clean it out after each use or use canned air? I have read both suggestions. The book above said canned air just blows all the fuzz and strings into the mechanisms of the machine and cause trouble but the serger manual says to use that. I saw a cute vacuum attachment for less than $10 that said it was for just this purpose. Please let me know what your experience has taught you.

Have a great week everyone. Happy crafting and take care! Nancy

This Blog is Working!!

2011-02-07T06:32:00.000-05:00

I finished a couple of projects this week, one that has been hanging since 2001! More on that in a minute.

I was able to finish knitting my "fleece yarn" scarf. It turned out so cool. The fleece made a knitted fabric that is dense so I know it will be very warm. It was slightly bulky to work with but definitely worth the effort. I love it. It has a hole knitted into the pattern so it closes itself. The nubby texture makes it really different from any other scarf I have. If I had the patience, I think this technique would make a nice bath mat or rug for in front of the kitchen sink! If you are a knitter, you really should try this.

Now onto the 10 year old project that has been hanging on. I started painting this lamp in 2001. It has four sides to represent each season. I had all but one finished. I don't know if it has been this blog or my new craft room(or both), but I have been able to actually finish my projects. Finishing this reminded me how much I love tole painting. I see much more of it in my future.

I bought a book with simple serger projects to dip my toe in the water of serging. I hope to do one of those this week. My oldest son turns 20 tomorrow so, with that and appointments and work, it will be a busy week. Speaking of my oldest, he snapped this picture of me and my Mickey with his cell phone. Mickey looks like a ghost kitty and frankly, I hate pictures of myself, but I thought I would put it on here. The candlestick lamp in the background was replaced with my new painted one to give you an idea of where I put it.

We had a mini blizzard Saturday night and I am a little disappointed it didn't happen on a school day so we could have had a snowday(ha ha) but I hope wherever you are the weather isn't too difficult and you are all safe and warm. Take care. Nancy

Say Hello To My New Little Friend

2011-01-31T15:22:00.000-05:00

I have always been both fascinated and slightly afraid of sergers. I have always shied away from working with knit fabrics so I thought a serger would be just the thing to take me to that next level where I feared no fabric! Well, anticipating a decent tax refund, I purchased(with my husband's blessing) this perfect starter serger. I told myself that if I couldn't figure out how to thread it, it would go back because how could I use it if I couldn't thread it? Well, it is very user friendly. I will let you know when I construct something with it!

I have been a busy little crafter this past week. I made a pair of long mittens from a tutorial on A Lemon Squeezy Home. They were easy and are so warm. I had fleece left because JoAnns had a good sale on fleece so I decided to try something I saw in one of my books. I cut the fleece into continual strips and made a big ball of "yarn" to knit a scarf with. It was pretty easy but if you try it, be prepared to have a slightly sore arm. I usually don't use my rotary cutter for such a long time and I had to press down pretty hard to go through several layers of fleece. I also had to swiffer my craft room floor because cutting that fleece makes a fuzz that goes everywhere! All in all it was well worth it and I can't wait to see the finished scarf. I will put it on here when I am done with it.

I also wanted to show you my bathroom window treatment. For those of you who saw my old treatment on my last post, I hope you agree that this is better. When a window is in the corner of two walls, it isn't easy to come up with something you like but I am happy with this one.

Everyone stay warm and if the weather forces you indoors-happy crafting! Take care. Nancy

Snowday Monday: No School!!

2011-01-24T19:59:00.000-05:00

I was extremely excited to find that I didn't have to go to work today! We call them snow days but today was technically due to the temperatures being dangerous for anyone to be outside for any length of time. There are many children who have to wait at bus stops or walk to school. It was 25 below zero here today.

This past week I worked on pillowcases-several of them in fact. I made 2 blue satin ones for hubs and me. Then I made his and hers flannel covers for our unique pillows. I made buckwheat hull travel pillows years ago from Martha Stewart's website so I have to make pillowcases for them because they are such a unique size. On the top of the pillow pile are my personal favorite pillows. I LOVE those neckroll shaped pillows that have little beads in them instead of stuffing. They conform to wherever you lay on them-in my case, my neck. I got mine at Bed Bath and Beyond. They are a great addition to your bed pillows. Anyhow, I made special flannel covers for ours. I love the flannel I used for mine. It has the cutest pink rosebuds. I thought the pink gingham check was a nice complement.

I also wanted to show off the newest addition to my craft room. My good friend made me a beautiful memo board for Christmas. She used a beautiful blue toile decorator weight fabric because she knows I am crazy for anything toile. I love French Country(as well as lodge and cottage style decorating).

I have many projects on the go at the moment, but I am especially excited about a new window treatment for my bathroom. Several years ago, we redid our master bath. We painted the walls red and all the trim was left clear pine and I wanted all the accents black wrought iron. I found the perfect fabric at my local JoAnns and made a fabric shower curtain. I had bought every last bit of that fabric. When I went to sew a window treatment for the one small window, I didn't have enough. I made do, but I was never happy with it. Plus, because the window is right next to the closet wall, the curtain rod never even allowed for the valance to cover the moldings on the window. I found out the name of the fabric, discovered it had been discontinued, and searched all this time on ebay and the web to get more. I purchased black star metal swag holders thinking this would be the way to go for that window. Well, I finally was able to purchase several yards of the Daisy Kingdom Liberty and Melon Tossed Patchwork Star fabric. Finally! I am going to leave you with the before picture of the window. Next time, I will have finished the swag and will show you the after. I hope it is all I hope it will be!

I hope everyone stays warm and cozy wherever you are. Take care all! Nancy

It's A New Year!

2011-01-10T13:32:00.013-05:00

Happy Monday everyone and Happy New Year! I couldn't wait to show you the sign my husband made for my new craft room. I had bought him a sign-making kit a while back that involved routing out the letters. I think he did a fantastic job. I love it and I love him for always thinking of me. Thanks honey!

I have made a few more than usual resolutions for 2011 and I hope I can keep at least a few of them! I am always hoping to lose a little weight(or alot)and this year as I have passed my middle forties, I am also striving for making some of my important health numbers better(cholesterol, blood pressure-you know the drill). I am trying not to be so anxious and nervous about everything and let the little things slide. Now, onto the fun resolutions....

I have a silly habit of wanting to collect things, not USE them. I will buy gorgeous dishes and be thrilled I have them and put them away in my hutch and there they will stay. I buy crafting equipment, and never actually use the things. Well, life is too short. It is time I used beautiful things that I love. I took a step in that direction this past weekend. I used two pieces of crafting equipment-one of the things I have had for years and never had it out of the box! It was a blast! I am so glad I finally stopped admiring my stuff from afar!

I made a fabric shoe bag to take my shoes to school. In the winter I spend every morning on the sidewalks at school(which oddly enough are never shoveled) getting my preschoolers off the buses they come in on. Subsequently, I wear boots with serious traction and warmth. They aren't the prettiest but they are highly functional. So, I have brought my shoes in my big tote bag every day like this:

Don't you think this is an improvement? I was proud of myself-I made it without a pattern. I just designed it and figured it out. I used my new "crafting power tools" to make matching bias tape for a drawstring casing. The rotary cutter(pictured above) was temperamental but I got the hang of it after much practicing. The bias tape maker was awesome right from the get go! I will be using that again soon. I even made a little label with my sewing machine.

It feels nice to challenge yourself to do something and follow through with it.

I hope you all have a great week. Happy crafting and take care. Nancy

The Countdown Begins

2010-12-20T13:39:00.008-05:00

Happy Monday everybody and now we are getting down to the wire for last minute Christmas gift crafting! I am sad to report that the afghan I am crocheting for my great-niece Riley for Christmas probably won't be completed in time for Christmas. I put a picture of it on my blog back in the summer with the confidence that it would be completed. I didn't exactly forget about it, but I underestimated how long it would take me. Here is a picture of it now. I have come a long way but not long enough! I will give it to her when I get it finished(which will hopefully be soon) but in the meantime, I made this bunting from One Yard Wonders. I am still loving that book with all its super ideas! The fabric is perfect for her with the cherries and dots all in pinks, red and green. I chose a pink tie-dye fabric for the lettering. I was pleased with how it turned out. I also bought her a cute pocket-sized doll. Having had 2 boys, it is fun to think about gifts for girls.

The teacher who I work with and I exchange gifts at Christmas. Having been to her house, I know she loves the primitive look and she favors cranberry and blue things for her home. I made her this book holder complete with painted Mary Janes and a homespun skirt. My husband cut it out and I painted it. We make a good team! She liked it so it was a success. I knitted my son's girlfriend a scarf but it is already wrapped so I will try to get a picture of her wearing it when she opens it.

I hope everyone is enjoying this holiday season. I am trying to squeeze several gift exchanges with friends in this week now that jury duty is over. Stay stress-free(as much as possible!) and take care. Nancy

Gift Exchange and Exciting Remodel Reveal

2010-12-06T20:51:00.010-05:00

Happy Monday everyone! Can you believe how fast this month is going? I hope I can get everything done. Jury duty is presenting a mild disruption to my progress but after it is over at the end of December, they can't bother me for 8 years!

I joined the gift exchange at Craftaholics Anonymous and it was a great experience. I think I will be doing it for Christmas in July as well! Here is what I made my exchange partner:

The scarf is knit by using a strand of eyelash and a strand of Vanna White yarn. I cast on 16 and just knit each row until I was happy with the length. Right now I am knitting a scarf for my son's girlfriend the same way with different yarn. I will let you see that soon.

The apron is from a pattern and it turned out cute. My partner has two little ones and the fabric has Christmas mice on it. I can picture her wearing it to make Christmas cookies with her girls.

I also wanted to show off pictures of my living room makeover after my husband made the custom built-ins for either side of the fireplace. They are beautiful!

Here is before:

Here is after:

I am so happy with it all. It feels so good to have my house back together!

Everyone have a good week and take care. Nancy

Turkey Pie

2010-11-29T15:47:00.007-05:00

I wanted to pass along a great change-up to use turkey day leftovers. This recipe is so easy and versatile.

To Begin, grease a pie plate and set the oven to 400 degrees. Arrange in the pie plate: 2 cups cut up turkey, 1 cup prepared stuffing in pieces, 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions, 1/2 cup veggies(peas, corn, whatever is left over from your dinner), 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt, and pepper to taste.

Beat 1 cup milk, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup Bisquick until smooth. Pour over everything in pie plate.

Bake until golden for 30-35 minutes.

Cool 5 minutes and serve with hot turkey gravy. Yum! It is a nice change from the usual turkey sandwiches. Have a happy Monday and take care. Nancy

And So the Christmas Holiday Begins...

2010-11-27T10:02:00.009-05:00

Hi everyone. I hope everybody's Thanksgiving was filled with family and fun. I want to start out by thanking Kari from Craftadoodle for sending me this adorable flag. She contacted me and let me know that she drew my name to win one of her creations and let me pick which one. Check out her blog to see what she has been up to. She keeps very busy by making all kinds of cute things. Thanks again Kari.

I have been having fun making things that make my new craft room a little more colorful and functional. I made this pincushion/thread catcher from a pattern. It has been so helpful next to my machine. I am always snipping threads and dragging them with me all over the house because I just lay them off to the side. No longer! The pattern called for doll pellets to give the pin cushion a little weight to sit on the counter top. I couldn't find them locally but a lady that works at my local Jo Ann Fabrics brought in a baggie full of her own stash for me when she overheard me asking if they had them for sale there. Thanks Emily!

Now this sewing machine cover is definitely colorful but I was so disappointed that it is too tight at the bottom. I made it from a pattern and in true "Nancy" fashion, assumed that all machines are the same size and never measured my machine before I started to see if it would fit. But I am keeping it even though it looks a bit wonky when I pull it tightly down. My reasoning for keeping it is that it looks better than the white plastic cover I was using before!

I am going to sign off with a little "up close and personal" Mickey because she is just so darned cute and I couldn't resist! This is for my sister Suzie who is a fellow animal lover and gets it!

Have a wonderful weekend. I will have a fun Thanksgiving leftover recipe for you next time and I sent out my Christmas handmade gift to my exchange partner so I will have pictures of that. Take care. Nancy

What I Have Been Up to and Soup Too!

2010-11-16T18:54:00.011-05:00

Hi everyone. I have been very busy with work, jury duty and the usual stuff we all do, not to mention fighting a sinus infection(again). I wanted to get this recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup to you. It is a keeper for sure! Combine in a big soup pot: 2 cans cream of chicken soup, 2 cans cream of potato soup, 1 14oz can low sodium chicken broth, 2 cups of milk, 1 can of Green Giant mexicorn, small can of chopped green chiles(if desired), and 2 shredded cooked chicken breasts. Cook and stir until it begins to simmer. Add 1 cup Mexican Blend shredded cheese and three flour tortillas cut into thin strips. Stir and serve with extra cheese and dollops of sour cream if desired. It is really, really good. Enjoy!

I wanted to throw in a picture of the swiffer duster covers I made from Sew Much Ado's wonderful tutorials. Family members are requesting them as additions to their Christmas gifts. Cleaning supplies can be fun!

Have a great week everyone and take care. Nancy

A Hot Cocoa Kind of Day

2010-11-11T13:55:00.008-05:00

Happy Veteran's Day everyone. I had today off from school and jury duty so I am just puttering around. I am sure I will find my way into my craft room soon! My morning mug was filled with something a little different today. Normally, I have a cup of tea(actually several!) upon waking. But today, I made Ashlee's homemade hot chocolate recipe from I'm Topsy Turvy. Wow! It is pretty wonderful. My youngest considers himself somewhat of a hot cocoa expert and he loved it. I found cute snowman-shaped marshmallows that are French vanilla flavored. They were perfect with it.

I wanted to show off a picture of the swiffer covers I made from Sew Much Ado's great tutorial. I thought her idea was genius. They work better than the disposable, boughten ones. Now, I will make the hand duster covers that she showed.

Since I found my way to blogging, I can't believe how much I have learned from so many of you. It is such a wonderful experience. I have found recipes and crafts that have made my life and that of my family's better and richer. Thanks everyone! I just hope I can contribute here and there to this wonderful community.

I have a wonderful chicken tortilla soup recipe that was given to me by a good friend. I made it last night and it is beyond good. Hopefully, I will get it on here tomorrow.

I am so excited, I joined my first Christmas handmade gift blog exchange and I am anxiously awaiting the info about who I am making a gift for!

I leave you, as usual, with a picture of my Mickey sleeping on my bed this morning with her little face covered. She has it tough believe me! Have a good day and take care, Nancy

My Giveaway Winner and a Dip Recipe

2010-11-08T16:33:00.012-05:00

Happy Monday all! It was a chilly day here in the Northeast. I am trying to tear myself out of my new craftroom to do housework, but I am not having much luck! My family got fed this weekend, but that and some clean clothes are about all they are gonna get! My part-time morning job at the school is painful on days I would rather be in there creating or just planning what to create next.

I wanted to share a Buffalo Chicken Dip with you. I had this over the weekend and it is wildly popular in my house. Please don't get frustrated with me, but I don't have alot of exact measurements for this. I call it a "dump" recipe because I just eyeball everything. So, let's say I am giving you a base to change this up the way your family would like it. Start with: the breast meat from a rotisserie chicken shredded, wing sauce of your choice and heat level, 8 oz. cream cheese, softened, blue cheese dressing, and 2 c. shredded cheese blend.

Mix the chicken with the wing sauce. Put in the bottom of an ungreased 8x8 baking pan. In the same bowl, I mix the softened cream cheese with the blue cheese dressing. You can add blue cheese crumbles if you wish. Put on top of the chicken layer and spread evenly. Cover with the 2 C. shredded cheese and bake at 350 degrees until bubbly. Usually it takes about half an hour. Serve with tortilla chips or any chips of your choice. It is yummy.

A couple of other notes: I received my giveaway prizes from Brittany at Pretty Handy Girl. Thank you so much. There is a craft book at Amazon I have my eye on(big surprise there!)Thanks for enabling my craft book addiction. The cd holder for my visor is pretty too and all in my favorite color-red!

I worked on a practical project this weekend-swiffer covers. Sew Much Ado has the best tutorials. I found the instructions there and they were easy and they work great. I used purchased chenille instead of socks but these still will save alot of money compared to buying the refills and throwing them out after using them. I have both sizes and the extra large Swiffer's refills are very difficult to find around here.

I realized that I am always talking about my cat Mickey. I am a cat person and she is my baby but I wanted you to meet Billie, my 11 year old chocolate lab. She is such a sweet dog. We all love her very much. I will try to remember to throw in a picture of her too from time to time.

I also wanted to announce the winner of my giveaway. Nancy from Silly Stitching was the winner. Congrats Nancy(I got the package out this morning) and thank you so much to all who entered. Have a great evening. I will be watching Dancing With the Stars(I am such a fan). Take care. Nancy

My First Giveaway

2010-11-01T16:53:00.010-04:00

Hello everyone! I must say that my Monday was made a whole lot brighter when I received an email from Brittany from Pretty Handy Girl this morning. She informed me that I had won her giveaway. Don't you love that kind of news to start your day?!! Thanks Brittany!

I have decided to have my first giveaway. I am a craft book junkie as anyone who knows me can tell you! Just look at my bookshelves in my new craftroom-loaded to the brim with books. So, I chose my favorite apron book by EllynAnne Geisel that has the basic bib apron pattern and I purchased another copy to give away to one of you. But wait, there's more(I love that cheesy infomercial stuff!) I made a quick little apron with pockets from a tutorial from Sew Many Ways to throw in and last, but not least, a bag of chocolate covered peanuts. One of the things I love about aprons are the memories they bring back for me. My mom always had an apron on and in her apron pockets were-you guessed it-chocolate covered peanuts! So here we go with the giveaway rules:1) please leave a comment on this post and make sure there is an email to contact you 2) for an extra entry, become a follower of Flatrock Cabin or remind me that you are 3) for a third entry, put a note about my giveaway on your blog and spread the word and let me know you did. I hope I get to meet alot of new crafters and apron enthusiasts through this giveaway!

Now I want to show you what I have been up to in my new craftroom. I have had this Christmas collar cut out and unsewn for about 6 years! Well, I finally completed it. I started with a pattern for the basic collar but I used Christmas tree appliques from an old book of iron on designs. I think it will look cute with a turtleneck . The possibilities are endless when I consider the other holidays. Maybe I will make one without the appliques and just pick a real pretty fall leaf fabric.

I am going to leave you with a little Mickey. I hope you can see this easily in the picture, but she has a habit of sitting under my dining room table after dinner with her little chin resting on the rungs of a chair. It is like she is just too tired to hold her head up herself! She is priceless!

Please enter my giveaway. I will draw a winner on Sunday. Have a great evening and take care. Nancy

Hello Again!

2010-10-28T20:29:00.010-04:00

Well, I officially have a new craft room. I feel so fortunate and happy to have it! My husband did a fantastic job on everything. Let me give you a tour. First off, do you recognize this piece of furniture? It has taken on a few different roles in my home. It was my dining room hutch for many, many years. When my husband built me a huge built-in hutch after Christmas, I struggled to find a place for it because it has sentimental significance and I couldn't part with it. Well, with a fresh coat of white paint, it has become my fabric hutch and it is perfect! A good friend of mine came over and folded and sorted all my fabric to make it all pleasing to the eye. She did a beautiful job. Thanks Loretta! Next, I want to share my sewing area. I have counter space and I have a very comfy chair. It seems so nice to be able to sew and stop and get dinner without cleaning everything up. I can just leave it and come back to it when I can. What a luxury that is! This is my painting space. I have a great work light(essential for tole painting) and space to work on projects. All my paints are in those drawers alphabetically. I can now be organized.

This is my new and greatly improved closet. If you look back at previous pictures, you won't believe the difference. I know-I have a ton of craft books! It will be nice to be able to find the book I am looking for to make something. I even have a whole row for cookbooks.

Last, but not least, is one of my favorite features. I always wanted one of those ironing boards in the wall cabinets. I am tired of having to have my giant ironing board hauled in from the garage and having it take up half the hallway when I use it. Well-no more of that! My husband built a cabinet for the over-the-door ironing board I bought at Bed Bath and Beyond for $25. The cabinets at Lowes for ironing are almost $300. I think my hubby is a genious! This picture is with the door open. When it is closed, it matches all the other cabinets perfectly.

Well, I am so happy to share this with you. I have already started making things and I have enjoyed every minute in my new room. I have a hard time leaving it when I get in there. I had to buy myself an inexpensive clock so I could keep track of the time! In the next few days, I will start sharing what projects I am working on with you all. I am anxious to start blogging again and I have missed checking in on all of you. I have a giveaway planned for the beginning of next week to celebrate my new room. so please check back.

Happy Halloween everyone and take care. Nancy

Very Special Day

2010-09-27T19:06:00.011-04:00

Today is a very special day to me. This quilt I made one block at a time, one every month represents the accomplishment I am so very proud of. I call this wall hanging my "quitting smoking" quilt and I started making it eleven years ago today. I wanted to commemorate my choice by making a block every month that first year. During the renovation around here, it got removed from the wall where it was hanging for all those years(minus the times I took it down to clean it!) and now I am trying to figure out where to hang it. My father died 22 years ago from lung cancer and my mother passed away 3 years ago from emphysema. I wanted to try to set a good example for my boys. I am not going to say it wasn't difficult and I certainly won't say the 45 pounds that are added to my 5'2" frame aren't extremely annoying, but it was one of my proudest achievements. So, eleven years smoke-free. That's worth celebrating!

Now, onto the update of my craft room and the surrounding changes. Here is my new sitting room right outside my craft room. I love it! The paint color is faint maple and it is so cozy and warm.

We aren't done with our new living room but my hubby is thrilled with his new TV and its placement. There are still many changes to come on either side of that fireplace with the addition of two new built-ins.

Here is my new desk nook. It is still a little messy and needs some straightening but I love that it is NOT the first thing you see when you walk in my door!

And last, but certainly not least, my new craft room is coming along nicely. I am waiting on my husband to build me new cabinets for over my paint table and sewing machine and he is going to build me a cabinet for my new ironing board. If you look back a few postings, it is nice to have room to move around after having very little space in my shoebox craft room!

Well, thanks for coming by to check my progress. I have a list a mile long of things to create when I am up and running. I hope you all have a great week and take care. Nancy

Craft Room Redo and General Mayhem

2010-09-05T23:40:00.010-04:00

First of all, I want to apologize for my lack of posting lately. Crafting anything is out of the question at least for now. But very soon, in my new and improved craft room, I will be a creative madwoman! I can't wait to share all of that with you.

I also want to just let out a great big YIKES! because, the day after tomorrow, I am officially back to work. Once I get back into the swing of things, everything will be fine, but it sounds a little overwhelming right now, as it does every year. I met most of my class at an Open House last week and I must say-what a bunch of cuties. So, I am looking forward to a great school year.

I wanted to share a little of my mayhem, I mean renovation with you. In order to do that, I am going to try to show you where I began. My craft room, which I affectionately called the shoebox, was cramped to say the least. But it was my getaway spot, where I wasn't able to execute much but I planned every project I did.

Well, there it is in all its glory!

These are pictures of my former living room, which pretty much was around my craft room. On the other side of that fake brick is my craft room. and the window was right outside my door.

Well, my husband used the same wall(the one with the brick) and extended it out so my room is a whopping 8x12! My desk will fit in the little nook that new wall makes. It will be so nice not to have my desk(very messy at times) not be the first thing everyone sees when they enter my house.

The window area will be a sitting area which will be a nice place to read or just sit and talk.

I still have the same closet which I will be able to make neater with all the space and storage I will have.

This is the color I chose for my room. It is a beautiful blue called New Day. I am getting a blue counter top for my sewing area. My hubby will make me cupboards to go above the counter top which will be white. I am going to put my old hutch in there for fabric storage. What color should I paint it? White maybe? I love my clear pine ceiling. I will have a wood floor in there too. I am getting so excited.

My husband has been working so hard, but as with any project, there have been setbacks. We have all my craft room furniture as well as the living room furniture all over the house so there is just a minimal walkway through it all. And the Sheetrock dust-don't even get me started! There is no sense in dusting. So, we are in a state of disarray right now which drives both me and hubs crazy! Well, that is the most recent update. Thanks for stopping by, I hope everyone has had a nice weekend and has a great start to your week. Take care. Nancy

Giveaway Goodness

2010-08-31T09:28:00.001-04:00

Stash Manicure is having a fantastic Autumn giveaway. Go check it out!

Quilt Shop Visit

2010-08-29T23:10:00.016-04:00

Last week, my husband and I got away for the night. As part of our excursion, my husband agreed to take me to a wonderful quilt shop. It is the Mission Rose Quiltery in Syracuse, NY. There is so much to love about this place! They have so many rooms with inspirational displays. It makes you want to make one of everything! Just look at these bag displays. I love seeing them made. It is so much better than just seeing a pattern with a picture on the front. They also have lots of yarn and knitting books. Then there are displays with needle punch and felt candle mats. I love cats and collect veggie things for my kitchen and dining room so these displays really caught my eye. The ladies that work there are so friendly and very knowledgeable. You should definitely try to stop at the Mission Rose if you are ever near Syracuse. My husband brought his laptop to play chess or watch a movie while he waited for me(what a nice guy-I am truly a lucky lady!). I totally lost track of time while I was in there. I felt like I had been in there about 20 minutes, but it had been over an hour and a half! Like I said, I am a lucky lady! I ended up buying patterns for a unique apron, pot pinchers, a tote bag and a really cute wristlet bag.

We enjoyed the rest of our getaway. We had lunch at the Olive Garden-I am anxiously awaiting ours to open locally! Then we went to a casino and tried our luck. We aren't seasoned gamblers so I would say we were fairly lucky to come out ahead twenty dollars or so! After that we went to a little lakeside community and spent the night. Neither of us slept very well, so we were very happy to get home the next morning.

When we got home, my husband wasted little time with the demolition of what will be my new and very much improved craft room. My house is filled with sheetrock dust and I can't get to my sewing machine to hem my new pants let alone have fun creating anything, but I am excited about all the space and organization I will have. I have some before and during pictures to share, but that will be later. Please drop me a comment or an email to give any craft storage tidbits you have. I would really appreciate it! Have a great week and take care. Nancy

Getting Ready for School and Exciting News

2010-08-22T18:35:00.013-04:00

I wasn't able to sew or paint (or crochet) anything this week. I was relatively busy with appointments and back to school shopping. My 19 year old was unable to join us, so my 16 year old and I set out. We had to order sneakers for him because they didn't have his size in the style he wanted. I am hoping against all hope that they fit when they arrive in the mail. I don't want to go back there! I did, however, get myself some cute shoes. After all, I am also going back to school. Anyway, you see below most of a morning's worth of shopping with a teenage boy(minus the sneakers of course!) Yesterday, a very good friend came over and was kind enough to help start a perennial garden for me. The picture of the little garden with a fountain is the one by my porch my mother-in-law was kind enough to help me start last fall. I forgot to take a picture while everything was blooming, but it was a great success. Now here is a picture of the area before. Notice the missing shutter-my hubby is making all new shutters for our home. My friend and husband did a fantastic job. This is the same friend, by the way, whose gardens I put on my blog several posts ago. She is a magnificent gardener. And here is the end result. I took this photo in the pouring rain, so it is a little dreary, but I am so thrilled with my new garden. I am so grateful to her(and my husband!). Now for some exciting news.....I am finally getting my craft room! I am doing the happy dance! We have decided to redo our outer living room and my husband is building me a craft room 8ftx12ft. He is doing all the work himself including some built in cabinets for me. I will be including many before and during pictures along the way. I would really appreciate any advice you crafters can give me about what makes your crafting space efficient and cheerful. I have lots of ideas but I love to hear from people who have similar interests as myself. One thing I know, this little girl's new bed is coming in there too! Well, I have a busy week ahead of me. My husband and I are getting away overnight(yay) alone together and I have several more appointments. On our getaway, we are taking a detour to a wonderful quilt shop called Mission Rose so hopefully, I will take some pictures to share and I will have loot to show you! Please comment or email me with any suggestions you feel would make my craft room function well. Have a wonderful Sunday evening and take care. Nancy

"I Did It" Monday

2010-08-16T07:13:00.021-04:00

I am so excited! I have been wanting to sew some pillow shams for my bedroom for quite some time. I had leftover curtain material that I wanted to use and that limitted my design because I only had so much. I wanted something different. Time was ticking away. I change all the elements(curtains, comforter, pillows) twice a year and October first, I will be changing to the fall/winter set. I was thrilled when I came across a tutorial at Sew Much Ado showing some fabulous throw pillows with shirred middles. They were to die for. Now, all I had to do was figure out how to adapt them to sham size. Well, I did it! I feel a boost in sewing confidence. I am a little disappointed I was not able to match the stripes, but I had a small amount of fabric to work with. I had a little helper along the way. I guess I couldn't have done it without her! Here they are with all the other pillows on my bed. I like alot of pillows! I love toile so I was so thrilled to have enough left over from 2 tablecloths I purchased from TJ MAxx years ago to make the gathered middles in these pillows. It ties them in to the throw pillow covers I made last year. What do you think? I am very happy with them. Now on to a recipe I made last night that I thought was really good and kind of unique. They are peanut butter mini muffins. Here is the recipe: Turn your oven on to 350degrees. Lightly grease(or use papers like I did) 36 mini muffin cups. Cream together: 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter, 1/4 cup softened butter, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar. Add: 1 egg. Then add: 3/4 cup buttermilk, 3 Tablespoons oil, and 3/4 teaspoon vanilla. In a separate medium bowl, sift together: 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt . Mix your dry ingredients in with your creamed ones. Divide batter evenly among your muffin cups. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup baking M&Ms. Bake 15-17 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. cool on wire racks. Prepare chocolate glaze: melt 2 1oz. squares semi-sweet chocolate in the microwave per package instructions. Add 1 Tablespoon butter. Stir until melted. When the mixture is smooth, put it into a zip-loc baggie and snip the tip(very small snip). Drizzle over muffins and sprinkle with more mini M&Ms. Enjoy! I hope everyone gets the week off to a good start. Take care. Nancy

New Shoes, New Book and a Taggy

2010-08-13T09:20:00.005-04:00

Happy Friday! Aren't they pretty? Beautiful and inexpensive(I didn't want to say cheap-that would be insulting!) I love houndstooth. Basically I love all checks and plaids but this is classic. And check out the shiny patent toes. I know I have way too many shoes but I had no choice these were coming home with me!

I got this in the mail two days ago. What a cute book. I immediately found myself picking out different projects for friends and family as tie-ons to their Christmas gifts. It looks like the projects are fairly easy and fun to complete and easy to personalize. As with the shoes, I have way too many craft books, but this is a must(do you see a pattern here?!)

I needed a little gift for my nephew so I didn't show up empty-handed at a party this weekend. So, I decided to tackle one of these taggy blankets I have heard so much about. I wouldn't say it was too difficult, just a little time consuming and fussy. I measured out all the ribbon placements and tacked them down both for ease and safety-I don't want these babies not sewn down when the baby pulls and chews on them! Then I put the fabrics face to face and sewed. I chose a plush fleece and Minky. Next time, I think I would choose flannel. Minky is not the easiest fabric I have ever worked with, but I do love how soft it is so it was worth it. When I had sewn around, I must have been a little preoccupied because I left way too small of an opening for turning. I had to get the seam ripper out and the stitches were a little hard to see because of how plush the fleece was. Note to self: when making a taggy leave yourself a large enough opening to turn all those pinned down ribbons comfortably! Finally, I topstitched at the edge of the blanket. It isn't as professional looking as I would like a gift to be, but it is the thought that counts, right?

As I leave you to enjoy your weekend, I wanted to give you some Mickey love. She always looks so stern in these pictures but she really is a sweetheart. Per

haps she heard that the camera adds five pounds and she doesn't like getting her picture taken. I understand that completely! Take care. Nancy

Garden Inspirations and An Easy Recipe

2010-08-11T11:15:00.000-04:00

I am gardening challenged. There-I said it. I have absolutely no houseplants. I seem to forget to water green things. My husband said it is a good thing my boys and the dog and cat can physically let me know when they need something or they too could have been overlooked! Well, I don't know about that, but I admit it is a struggle for me to keep up with plants and flowers. I do have some landscaping outside and that is thanks to my mother in law. She has a wonderful green thumb and she has given me lots of advice and hands-on help when I need it. I have a friend(the same kind soul who taught me to crochet) who could do magazine layouts. Her gardens are that beautiful. The picture above is from her home, as well as these others. I have just scratched the surface with these pictures. Her whole house is landscaped beautifully.

She has agreed to help me plan out a patch on the side of my home that she suggested would look nice with a flower garden. I will submit a "before" picture of that at a future date. I am excited and a little nervous. I am hoping this will be fun and informative for me. I like learning new things. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

I wanted to share a fantastic recipe for refrigerator rolls. It is a great go-to recipe to have rolls at the ready without all the fuss of raising and shaping and rolling them out.

Take a package of yeast and mix it with 2 Tablespoons of warm water in a small bowl. Let it stand 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes, add it to 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 beaten egg, 4 cups self-rising flour, and 2 cups warm water. Mix well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours. When you need rolls, spoon int greased muffin tin and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Keep in fridge for up to 4 days.
I love to make them for breakfast. I mix softened butter with honey and serve it with them. Delish! Have a great day and take care. Nancy

Time Is A Flyin'

2010-08-10T09:51:00.000-04:00

Wow-where is this summer going? I have had a pretty productive and very happy summer. Starting this blog has been a perfect way for me to push myself to finish more projects and that makes me feel great! I made another project from One Yard Wonders. This obi-inspired hot & cold pack was so easy and genius in design. I hope you can see it clearly in the picture-I chose an argyle fabric which makes it difficult to make out how it works. It basically is like a belt with ties and a pocket in the middle that holds a separate pack filled with flaxseeds that can be warmed in the microwave or chilled in the freezer. Put the pack in the envelope and tie it on wherever it is needed. So cool and so functional! One of the things I have enjoyed about my blogging experience is the sharing of ideas by all of you out there. I have been having a blast making recipes and crafts suggested by your posts. From the Kitchen of Bettie Rocker made this Cherry Pecan Bread and I had to try it. It was amazing. I couldn't believe how moist it was. My whole family loved it and it didn't stick around long! I keep seeing beautiful camera straps but I don't have a camera to use them with :( so I was thrilled when I saw a tutorial from A Pretty Cool Life with a little strap for my little beauty. I have many more projects to pick from for my next thing to start. I may switch it up a little and do some painting. I have a lamp to finish that has been waiting in the wings forever! I have a recipe to share with you next time and some pictures of one of the most beautiful gardens I have ever been in. Thanks for taking the time to stop by and take care. Nancy

Two for Tuesday

2010-08-03T22:29:00.000-04:00

It is still hot and muggy up here in the northeast. I feel like I am losing contact with what is happening outside my house! I go to an appointment here and there or a lunch(or breakfast to avoid the afternoon heat) with a friend and that is about it. I stay in my air conditioned house. I don't recall a humid spell like this before- up here anyway. I am anticipating going back to work in September. Now that August is here, time will fly. My youngest will be a junior this year and my oldest is starting his second year of college. My how the time whizzes by. I want to share two projects I completed. I decided to take some of the fabric I won and make a patchwork belt. I used the instructions in the Pretty Little Patchwork book. I have also seen similar belts on blog tutorials. It was fun to pick the fabrics to put together. I got kind of carried away and made my belt a little long but that is ok because I like to sometimes wear it lower on the hips and I can tuck in the extra. I also mentioned I was making something using a tutorial from one of my favorite blogs. Well, I made this super easy and cute apron from a tutorial on Karen's blog Sew Many Ways. This will make a great apron to wear outside to hang out my clothes. I usually stuff my pockets with clothespins so I can just have them with me instead of going back to the container every few minutes. I used fabric I had on hand but there are so many great fat quarters out there, I may make another couple! I am working on a third project right now that I thought was going to be easy, and it is proving to be difficult! I am probably just having a brain cloud in regards to the directions so I will have to seek a little guidance on this one! Hopefully, I will be posting soon with my troubled project finished and perfect. Take care. Nancy