sew!

In case you haven't heard... this month is National Sewing Month. Sew, I've decided to join this sew along (happening this week), and then I'm doing this KCWC, next week. Sew, get signed up and sew along with me. Try something new!

hunger games

If you haven't... just do... Read it! Then come back and tell me what you thought.

birthday gifts

Remember this post last year? Well, it's her birthday again. So here's this years gifts...

Felt hair clips.

This is a headband. I don't think you can tell, but it has velcro dots on the backside of it that keep it from sliding off the head, (common problem of headband wearers).

And lastly, a zippered pouch with some candy to share... or not. I don't know if you can tell, but the inside linning fabric is covered with clear vinyl, that way the candy won't get the inside of the bag yucky... just in case.

Happy Birthday Abby!

new Emma?

I'm not sure how I have missed seeing this version of Emma, but it's SO good. Love it! Maybe it's new? Anyway, if you haven't seen it, go here to watch it. I've only made it through the first episode, but of course can't wait to see the rest. BBC I love you!

lynette's bracelet

When we were in Corpus for Thanksgiving I bought some pretty green beads for a bracelet for Lynette. It took me a while to get it put together, but I think it turned out really pretty. So, hope you love it Lynette, and sorry it took me so long!

"great" idea

Our insurance has this "great" thing they've been doing for a couple of years. Every two months there are two wellness challenges... one is an exercise challenge, and one is a nutrition challenge. If you keep these challenges 80% of the time, then you can get $25 back/two months, (in the end, $150, per person). So, the idea is that you do these 6 challenges throughout the year, and then at the beginning of the next year, you get a refund check... "great" idea.

The challenges for Jan and Feb are, exercise for at least 30 minutes/5 days a week - easy peasy. And the nutrition challenge is to replace soft drinks and sweets with water and fruit, every day. Yep, you got it... EVERY DAY! That's the hard one for this chica. Of course I only have to do this 80%, which means I can miss 10 days total in a 2 month period... seems easy you say? Try it.

Anyway, here we are at the beginning of Feb, and I've got 4 days left. I know one will go around Valentines day... it's a must to make sugar cookies, after all. So 3 days left, which leaves me wondering... should I specifically place them, or just leave them floating and use them as necessary? Why does Feb feel like the longest month?

Needless to say, I can't wait for Feb to end.

Finley

My sister-in-law Tori and husband Clark just had a baby girl, Finley. (Well, when I say just, I mean in December.) Anyway, thankfully they live in a cold place so that I have an excuse to make a newborn hat. I LOVE making hats! They're so fast and easy and fun. Every time I make one I'm reminded of this, and I always think, "I really should make more of these." (I still haven't made one for myself yet, or any of my kids, come to think of it, I need to.) So, here is the hat I sent to Finley. Hope she likes pink. Can't wait to meet her this summer, and hold and cuddle her. I LOVE babies!


Hat with big pink flower!
I also sent this great wipes/diaper pouch. I made one for myself months ago, and I really love it. It really is one of my favorite things. It's handy at church to just grab it and go, instead of taking the whole diaper bag just to change a diaper. I hope she loves her's as much as I love mine.

thoughtful sadie

Sadie came home from school on Friday with a list of 7 girls from her class, and a color next to their names. She then preceeded to inform me that these girls all wanted bracelets, and so that we could remember who needed which color, she wrote that down too. I asked her if all these girls had come asking her to make them bracelets, or if she had solicited this service. She explained that MOST of them had asked her. (I'm guessing the other part of "most", she just didn't want to feel left out, so she went to them to find out what color of bracelet they wanted.)

2 blue

1 clear

4 pink

What a thoughtful daughter!

teacher Christmas gifts

About a month ago I learned how to make bracelets - real ones, on wire. So, after the girls saw a few bracelets that I made for myself, they wanted in on the fun. For the next few "mommy nights", that's all Sadie and Phebe wanted to do. It was easy then, to decide that that's what we would do for their teachers for Christmas. So, Isaac got in on the fun too. Each child chose the color for their teacher...

Clear for Sadie's teacher, Mrs. Carter

Green for Phebe's teacher, Mrs. Guist. (This took a little persuasive talking into, since originally Phebe was sure that she should make a blue, red, pink and possibly purple thrown in for good measure. I'm glad we finally settled on green.)

Blue for Isaac's teacher, Ms. Brown.

With Christmas over I need another reason to continue making bracelets... hmm, maybe birthdays?

pb cookies

Last night I made some peanut butter cookies for the kids to take to school in their lunhces. Reminds me of my school days, homemade cookies for dessert and after school snacks. It's such a yummy recipe, thought I'd share...

Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Beat well:
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter
3 Tbls milk
1 Tbls vanilla

1 egg
Add agg till just blended.

Combine and add on low speed till just blended:
1 3/4 cup sifted flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Scoop cookie dough into mini muffin cups, filling about 3/4ths full. Bake for 7-8 minutes. Don't over-bake. When out of the oven, press a peanut butter cup into each cookie. Let cool at least 2 minutes in pan, and then remove to a wire rack to cool the rest of the way.
Enjoy!

felt pirate maps

Last Monday night I was in charge of the activity for FHE. Lots of times we skip that whole part in the FHE process, or we do something fun on a Saturday or Friday night when we'll have more time (and patience). But luckily we had something left at our house that belongs to a very talented and creative friend of mine. I'm actually not sure how it ended up at our house, but I'm sure glad it did. Years ago she had made a pirate map for her kids, from felt. I had noticed it a couple of times when at her house, and had thought that sometime that would be really fun to do with my kids, but had forgotten about it, until now. So we each got a piece of light blue felt for the water, and then proceeded to create our maps. The kids really had fun, and they did most of the cutting of felt, which isn't that easy. Shawn actually ran interference with Silas, while I worked on my own map, and did the gluing of the kids' maps. Here are the results.

Here's Isaac's map. I don't know if you can tell, but his pirate ship in the top left corner has some skeletons on it, and then he has another ship, (that one may have been a ghost ship?), and of course a Kraken to guard the gold that is sitting on the island.

Sadie's... her Kraken looks kind of like a red Octopus, but who says Kraken's don't look different to every sailor? She also added a cave with sparkling jewels, and of course a pom-pom tree on her island, next to her treasure chest. (We still need to get some glitter glue to really spruce up those treasures.

Phebe's is also sporting a Kracken. Isaac was trying to tell her that it looked kind of like a Lobster, her also wondered why it's in the middle of the ocean... but that's the beauty of being able to create your own. She also put a rock with glittering pink stones, or maybe they're diamonds?

And here's mine. While you're admiring this, remember to imagine some sparkling gold glitter coming out of the treasure chest, that's why it's open and unhinged... the gold will fill it in. It looks a lot like my friend's original map... although I would have to say that her items are better spaced.

So, if you're looking for a great FHE activity, pull out your felt and go to it.

back...

I'm back! It's been a really long time. I have no excuses except LIFE and LAZINESS, or lack of desire to blog. So, moving on...

When my sister Lynette and husband, Anthony moved to Corpus Christi last summer, she got a job at The Quilt Cottage, a cute little shop with REALLY cute quilting fabric. Needless to say, I was a bit jealous of the discount Lynette would receive, and just the plain fun of working with all that fabric. But I was really excited when she called me one day and asked me to try out a bag pattern for the owner of the quilt shop. When finished, the owner would display the bag, so others could touch, feel and really see what the bag would end up looking like. Of course I said yes! So she mailed me the supplies and pattern, I made the bag (which was not a bag I would ever carry around, but it was fun to make just the same), and mailed it back. (Sorry, no picture). So, for Thanksgiving we went to Corpus, and Lynette and I got two more bag patterns and fabric. We weresupposed to sew up these bags during their visit for Christmas/New Years. But, due to complications with Lynette's pregnancy, they didn't make it, so that left me to make the two bags.

The patterns are by Pink Sand Beach Designs:

This is the Manhattan Handbag #102. It's fun with all the different fabrics. This turned out really bright and would be a fun one to carry for Spring, I think. It's a lot bigger than I thought it would be. It has two pockets inside, and a magnetic snap closure. It feels pretty sturdy, even though it's made with quilter's cotton and not a home decor fabric. If I were to make this for me, I think I'd interface the handles better. The pattern was easy to follow, with step by step instructions and pictures. Oh, it would be nice if the pictures were in color, but they're still really helpful.

And here's the second one: the Tahoe Tote #109. This was a great pattern too. The 3 different fabrics on the outside of the bag is really fun, and it's also fairly sturdy. This bag has a flap closure, with a magnetic snap closure too. It would also be a really fun bag to carry around.

So, off in the mail tomorrow. Thanks for letting me try out these patterns, Lynette. I'm bummed that you can't work at The Cottage (hey, that would be a good horror film title), anymore... but maybe you can mention to the owner that I'd still love to sew up bags for her!