Accessory for Cart Cover and Some Yummy Copycat Pizza

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

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

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!!

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

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...

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

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