turkey feathers

Bake at your own risk...

I've been perusing a few blogs and relating to lazy food exploits.  Here's my latest one.  After dinner yesterday, I tossed random ingredients (whatever I found in the cupboard) haphazardly onto a baking sheet and 20 minutes later declared...dessert!  It wasn't half-bad either.  Here's the recipe: 1 package cinnamon graham crackers (8?) crushed fine in food processor with a hunk of butter (3T?) Pour out onto a small non-stick cookie sheet (13 x 9 x 1), spread evenly to cover the bottom of the pan.  Sprinkle over the top; 2 handfuls each of chocolate chips, sliced almonds, and rice krispies.  Pour a 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk evenly over the whole thing, and bake 15 minutes at 350 until lightly browned.  Cut into bars.  Hint:  There's less guilt involved if everything is organic.

Sew Berry Sweet

We joined one of our homeschool groups for ice skating yesterday.  The girls haven't been for awhile but they got right back out there and had a great time.  I wish we had an ice-rink closer, it's about a 2-hour round trip over and back and by the time I got home I was so sleepy I dozed off in my chair before dinner!  Good grief.  Being an "older" mom has it's drawbacks sometimes.  I'm wide awake now though after a good night's sleep and a late breakfast, and even found something pretty for you to take a gander at.  Grace stitched these strawberry sachets a while ago, but I never got around to sharing them. They seemed like the perfect counterpoint on this gray winter's day while dreaming of spring.  I know these aren't exactly breaking-news, cloth-food has been out there awhile, but the book (Sew Pretty Homestyle by Tone Finnanger) that inspired these, is an absolute treasure trove of crafty loveliness.  I got my hands on a copy last fall, but the holidays hit and I didn't get around to doing any of the projects myself.  After looking through this today I'm inspired all over again and apparently I'm not alone.  More to see here on this collective blog of shared creations. 

Fairy Dust

I spent a good part of last week downloading lots of great dance music thanks to your suggestions.  So much good stuff!  It's been fun discovering new artists and getting reacquainted with older songs that I'd forgotten about.  Dancing does seem to help lift the February funk that looms large this time of year, so I'm turning up the volume and cutting loose.  Or "cutting the rug" as Mom used to say.  (She did a fierce foxtrot in her day!)  We went to a dessert party on Saturday for a fellow homeschooler who turned 18.  No rock-and-roll, but there was a little folk music, performed by a couple of the guests who played guitar and sang.  All very lovely and sweet while we sampled an assortment of cakes, cookies, pies, and ice-cream that everyone made and brought.  An all-out sugar fest.  It hasn't been all fun and games here though.  There was some serious housekeeping that needed to get done.  Nothing like a little sunshine to illuminate all the cobwebs and dust bunnies.  So while managing that, and a lot more, my blog's been gathering a little cyberdust.  It's a balancing act sometimes, I tell ya.  No happy medium. I  could use a little fairy with a magic wand to wave around whenever I need a little order in my life.  (Fairies can be found here, if you need one too.) 

Shuffling Along

More Redwork and another dish towel!  I love this cute design.  It reminds me of an old fashioned Valentine; also works for all-around kitchen cuteness too.  It's part of the new free-with-purchase transfer sheet for March that I just added to the PatternBee website.  I always have fun putting these bonus patterns together.  They're usually a combination of vintage designs with a few of my own sprinkled in.  Nice to dig through the odds and ends and find little treasures like this.  I'm also happy to let you know that the very first set of Bonus Designs for 2007 are available now for all of you who've been asking and waiting for them.  You have the option of purchasing the whole package or just the ones you want or missed.  They come with a pretty envelope too whether you buy only one or more.  I'm still working on getting more new (old) patterns finished.  They trickle in through the mail and I've had a stack of them sitting on my table for quite awhile and finally got around to a few of them this weekend.  So, they'll be popping up in New Additions soon, and in the mailboxes of some of those who shared their patterns for make-overs.    

On another note:  to everyone who stopped by and left a comment and a song--Thank You!  It made my day!  I recognized most of the songs mentioned, others I can't wait to check out.  Most of my morning has been spent reading them and following links to your blogs; totally lost all track of time.  It's so easy to fall down the rabbit hole isn't it?  Just got completely absorbed in your stories, pictures, crafts, cooking, decorating projects, and other fun stuff.  There's so much crafty goodness out there, makes my head spin.  I really need to get moving here now though, so without further a-do...love saying that...the Super Shuffler Spinning Bonnet (our own personal random numbers generator) has chosen a winner for the little pink bunny doll quilt!  Congratulations tinker!  (I'll be in touch!)

Dancing with Myself

The sky was all ablaze this morning as the sun came up.  It was so pretty.  I thought I'd brave the elements and go out and take a few pictures, however the birds swarmed me, all chirpy and expectant.  It seems I'd neglected the feeders this week with all that's been going on, so I put my camera down and went to fill them, skidding perilously on the half-frozen deck nearly killing myself.  Needless to say, by the time I'd finished pouring bird seed the sunrise had lost it's fire and I was freezing.  So, unfortunately only this one rather pitiful snapshot was taken.  But, I do have other pretties hot off the ironing board to share.  Like another bonnet!  Can you tell I'm having fun with these?  This one's made from pre-cut jelly-roll strips sewn to a (cotton-batting) foundation piece, just like the XOX tote bag.  I lined this one with the same double-sided flannel I'm always raving about, and added store-bought crochet lace to trim it.  It's such a cozy little topper, like a tiny quilt for the noggin.  Using Miss T to model for me again.  She's quite toasty under the pink-bunny doll quilt too.  I've still got a few of these mini-quilts left and might get around to putting them back in the shop sometime, but I'm feeling generous today so this one's up for grabs.  Just leave a comment and/or share your favorite dance song and I'll toss your name in the bonnet and pick one on Monday.  Everyone around here knows I'm a dancing fool, it's also my favorite way to exercise.  One of the *coolest mom's* I know shared this song in a recent post mentioning how she embarrassed her daughter by dancing.  In contrast, my tween and teen girls jump up and join me when I start acting up!  I've been rocking them since they were babes in arms so it just seems natural to them I guess.  And thanks Toni, I'm totally adding Blue to my playlist!  The next time we all get together we need to trade some of our tricky dance moves!

Happy Chewing Gum

It's Valentine's Day and I've got some calorie-free sweetness to show you this time.  Just a few little things to brighten your day the way you brighten mine when you stop by to say hello.  I'm still making surprise visits to your blogs when time permits, and as always, am so inspired by all I see and read.  I love this crafty community!  You guys have the biggest hearts too.  Speaking of hearts, if you're my age you may remember having these kinds of Valentines when you were growing up in the fifties.  These cute images are actually printed on fabric though.  I couldn't resist them.  Especially the colorful vintage flowers & polka dots prints.  And of course, the charming, lost in translation messages!  I  don't have a clue what I'm going to do with this yet, except that it will definitely be something fun. I ordered it last year from ReproDepot.  It's called, Doll Doll by Atsuko Matsuyama printed by YUWA.  They carry a lot of neat Japanese fabrics now, and they sell out fast.  I looked for this and didn't see it available any more, unless I missed it, but no worries because there's always more cuteness up around the bend.  More pix of this fabric here.  Have a L-O-V-E-L-Y Day! xo

Sweet Cakes

Grace made cupcakes yesterday for Valentine's Day, but this one's for Calamity Kim. She's having a *virtual party* to celebrate her birthday today and she's invited everyone to post sweeties here to help make it special.  I was drooling looking at all those treats!  I'm sending her another sweet surprise too.   (no peeking Kim!)

Conversation Hearts

Usually what we love to do is where our talents lie. ~Zen and the Art of Needlecraft~ Sanda Detrixhe

  I'm busy stitching up a storm right now---more Redwork and other news soon.  I made these sachet hearts last year and forgot to share them!

Ain't She Sweet

For a few months now I've been incrementally working on updating my website and I'm so happy it's all finally done.   The changes are subtle ones, but it was a monumental task for me nonetheless.  I was still fiddling with it this morning, fixing links and finding pages that got missed.  That's what I get for playing Scrabulous at the same time.  Among other things.  So if you see anything weird happening on the site, or if you are having trouble with pages or links or buttons please let me know and I'll fix it.  In between all that, I finished another bonnet.  Think I'll save this one for baby granddaughter #2, due this spring.  I want to make more though.  I've had requests for the bonnets and the pattern so I'm thinking on that.  This double-sided cotton flannel is so soft and heavier than the usual stuff.  I adore working with it.  The embroidery design is actually a pillowcase pattern from the 1900's.  I was quite happy to discover that it fit perfectly.  Any linear design will work it seems.  Lining fabric is Flower Sugar by Lecien, purchased from an online fabric shop too long ago for me to remember where, and may not be available anymore.  Thanks for the slipper-love btw, they seem to represent my life in the slow lane now---living in my slippers as I do.  Maybe I should hang them from my car mirror or something. 

Having a Scrabulous Time!

Over the weekend I did a little experimenting with baby/doll bonnets using the pre-cut squares and strips, but nothing to show yet.  Mostly, I just wasted a lot of time and blame this!  I think I'm addicted now.  The girls and their friends signed up too and it was so fun. (woot!)  Anyone else wanna challenge? (pm me 2 pl) That's chat-code for contact me by private email to play.  See? I'm picking up things from the "youngsters".  Probably not for the better though!  (hee hee)  These tiny slippers were another fun and pointless activity that made me happy too.  Made from the wool blanket scraps instead of paper, glitter and glue.  Used this pattern, compliments of my sweet friend Calamity Kim, whose fabulous blog is one of the *brightest* in the blogasphere.  Not only is she highly creative, funny, and entertaining, but she also writes from the heart.  A glittery generous heart.  I always admire her candor.  This post in particular, is especially poignant and touching, and I found myself nodding my head and relating to a lot of what she discussed regarding blog-love.  Particularly the crazy part!  We all have those moments, I guess.  And this one---you'll need to grab a hankie, I guarantee she'll have you laughing and crying at the same time.  (She's stepping out for awhile to take care of family matters back home and I'm sure could use a few virtual hugs.)