I Feel Like Sharing a Little Bit Today

This photo is for Heather & all the rest of you who live in places where trees like this don't exist. This is what we see these days when we look out our front windows. We are on the second floor so we get a beautiful view of the tops of the trees.


My best snuggler this morning: a blond haired, scraped nose, 1-1/2 year old wearing just a diaper. See those teeth? I just LOVE baby teeth. Working on that one item on my list. Pulling out my camera more often to snap photos of the girls.

And I Am Now 29 Years Old

Amy nudged me to join in on her list exercise & I honestly wasn't gonna do it. I'm no good at making lists to begin with & I'm certainly no good at completing things especially when I am given such a long time frame. but darn it, as I was vacuuming that day, I couldn't stop thinking about what would be on my list. So here I am, on my birthday, making such a list. Heaven help me to actually do all these things. As Miss Doobleh-vay says: "These lists are meant to be realistic and in the spirit of being good to yrself." I feel that this is a good thing. It can help me to be happier & a better person.

29 things to do before I turn 30:

1. Make cinnamon rolls
2. Take a family hike
3. Visit Amish country
4. Make a dress for Sadie
5. Make a dress for Claire
6. Write 4 love letters to my husband
7. Take photos of my children daily
8. Be a better friend
9. Be a better sister
10. Spend more time doing...less time on the computer
11. Organize the craft room/office
12. Buy myself a new pair of slippers
13. Find a local charity & do some service
14. Eat less meat
15. Host a party
16. Make a piece of clothing for myself
17. Bake bread
18. Learn to sew a zipper in
19. Play with my kids more
20. Grow some tomatoes
21. Get to 500 sales in my etsy shop
22. Go camping
23. Catch a lightning bug
24. Organize & donate some of the kids' toys
25. Make a mix cd
26. Go to a baseball or basketball game
27. Pay off one credit card bill
28. Send more 'happy mail' to friends & family
29. Love more

Taking Some Time Off

It's been 5 days since my last post & 5 days since I last took a photo with my camera. I've been going through some emotional stuff lately. I'm worn out & tired. So instead of leaving you hanging, I'm going to officially take a break.

I may pop in to show you my kids' Halloween costumes, if I ever get them made.

Take care!

Thinking of Giving

So, I'm feeling a little more grounded, a little less overwhelmed & a little excited about the upcoming giving season. I've received the names of family members that we are exchanging gifts with this Christmas & I've pretty much nailed down what I will be giving them. Of course I want to make all the gifts & I will try my darndest to do just that.

(vintage linen scarf & vintage patchwork coaster set will be added to the shop later today)

I am sticking with my handmade pledge from last year. This year more than ever with the economy going to crap, I think it's more important to support the crafters & artists out there that are working their tails off. The items that I am unable to produce myself, I will be purchasing from other etsy sellers.

I have, have, have to plug my super cool sister's shop. Just Be Jewelry is absolutely perfect for gift giving because you are able to customize items. Remember my super cool necklace? It doesn't get more perfect than that. If you have something special in mind, just send Amber & Jen a convo & they can make it happen!

Dylan also has a really, really good new mix up for this month. It has a great energy & is just perfect for listening to in the background while you are easing into these colder, busy months ahead. Go download & enjoy. If you like it, be sure to give him some props by leaving a comment on his blog.

Stress & Lasagna

I opened up the blinds on my front windows today to see that the leaves on the big tree out front had almost completely changed color. I love fall, but I couldn't help but be super stressed at this sight. Immediately a list of to-do's came to mind. I need to:

* pack up all the kids' summer clothes
* make sure they are have warm clothes for fall & winter...which means I need to shop.
* make their pajamas for the colder months
* start working on Christmas gifts
* get my shop ready for holiday shopping

I do love doing all of these things, so why am I stressed out of my mind? I will take it day by day & maybe I'll just have to drop a few things off my list along the way.

I made this lasagna from Everyday Food Magazine on Saturday night. I left out the prosciutto (Dylan will be bummed when he reads that). My family loved it. I was worried about their reaction because of the amount of spinach, but they really enjoyed it. Whoever invented oven ready lasagna noodles is a genius.

Scarves

I've listed a few scarves in the shop. I really, really love both of these scarves. The patchwork one was really fun to put together. Sorta like a mini quilt. It's great to be able to use smaller pieces of fabric & complete a project with them. This one in particular is backed in fleece & it is super soft & snuggly. I'm happy with the gray against the blue & white & the little pop of linen makes me smile. I plan to make a smaller one for Sadie & may make some kiddo ones for the shop as well. We'll see what the demand is.



The orange plaid fringe scarf is another that I love with all my heart. It is really comfy. I made one for myself & plan on wearing it all through fall. This fabric was a super lucky thrift store find!!

3 Good Recipes

Yes, I am still working on answering all of the reader questions that were asked oh.....over a month ago. As promised, I will get to them all!! I have been a little busy with custom orders, which is good. It's always good to have work to do, right? Anyway...

Stacy asked: What are three of your favorite really quick family meals? Recipes or tips would also be appreciated!


Cuban Black-Bean Stew with Rice
I just tried this one last week & loved it. It comes from Everyday Food magazine. It's a quick, easy, hearty vegetarian meal. My kids loved it too.

Quick Fettuccine Cacciatore
We went through a spurt where I made this like once a week. It's really quick & very tasty.

8 oz. fettuccine, uncooked
2 tsp. oil
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 c. green pepper strips
1 c. sliced mushrooms
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 c. Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
1 c. shredded Italian mozzarella/parmesan cheese blend
1/2 c. chopped fresh basil leaves

Cook pasta as directed on package.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir until no longer pink. Add peppers and mushrooms; cook 3 min., stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes and dressing. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 min. or until chicken is cooked through.

Drain pasta. Toss with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and basil.

Makes 4 servings, 2 cups each.


Broccoli Cheese Soup
I call this Caitlin's Broccoli Soup. It is a really fast soup & it is seriously SO good. Replace chicken broth with vegetable broth for another vegetarian meal. My family loves this one. So good with a green salad on the side.

Enjoy! Let me know if you try any of these. :)

WIP

I'm currently working on a custom order for 63 feet of flag garland for a local business. The garland is going to be used to decorate a fund raising dinner.


63 feet of garland = 98 flags!

Quilty Update & Etsy Finds

I added a couple quilts to the shop today (one is a mini). Go check them out.

Also, my vintage map wooden blocks made it into the Etsy daily finds article today!

Oops

I think I mentioned a shop update today. Turns out, I'm not ready. Life got in the way. I'm oh so close to finishing that blue & brown quilt & I have a few other items in the works, so watch for updates this week. Thanks!

(The cupcake is from Sadie's birthday)

Quilting Itch

I'm really enjoying quilting these days. I'm working on a few basic patchwork block quilts for the shop update. I'm aiming for Tuesday of next week. Are you excited? Combining the fabrics has been the most exciting to me lately & I keep having lots of fun, new ideas come to mind as I go along. Hopefully, I'll be able to make some larger quilts soon. Oh! Be on the lookout for a few mini quilts with this update as well. The little ones have got me all worked up too! :)

Fall Is Here

Isn't it the greatest? Winter is not my best bud & summer isn't always the best for this easily irritable when hot girl, but fall....fall is the greatest. I pulled out a favorite shirt to wear yesterday. One with longer sleeves. I'm sporting a different hair style this year & I really liked my big waves with this gingham shirt.

On a side note...once in junior high school some jerk of a kid told me that I look like Kermit the Frog. It hurt my feelings obviously because I still remember it to this day. Anyway, I think the above photo caught me looking quite a bit like that green little frog. It's my thin lips. Ha ha.

Really though, what I wanted to tell you about today is that I am working towards a shop update with some new handmade items. Maybe sometime next week. I'm loving the routine that we've established now that Sadie is in school. Those few hours in the afternoon while she's away & Claire is napping really give me a chance to get a lot more done. I have a few scarves, quilts & purses in mind. Now I just need to get to work.

Sadie Turns 4

Every year on her birthday, I can't help but think back to the day she was born. Does that ever go away? Anyway, it's amazing how fast they grow. We sure love this little girl & we had a fun day with her today.


We took cupcakes to school for her to share with her class. She came home with a birthday crown & told me that she was the birthday queen at school today.


Grandma's package was waiting for her when she got home. Inside was the Barbie Island Princess dress up gown. She put it on immediately & wore it the rest of the day.


Luckily she was really happy with the new cash register that we got her. And here's a shot of Claire eating cake.


Happy Birthday Sadie!!

Your Message Here

Earlier I linked to the Your Message Here project by something's hiding in here. Well, it looks like my sentiment appeared in the window today!! Anybody else out there Willy Wonka fans?

Also, heads up...Just Be Jewelry is giving away a necklace over at petit elefant. It's one of my favorites from their shop. Go check it out!

Happy Friday

Check out some of my favorite posts from around blogland this week & have a great weekend!


One to make you laugh: chewbacca: just a few observations
One to make you cry: she wouldn't have missed it
One that's just plain cool: your message here

Where Are the Good Enchiladas?

I need some help. The missionaries are coming over for dinner this Sunday. I like to ask them what their favorite dinner is & they usually try to be polite & say "oh, anything is great". But I truly want to know what their favorite dinner is so I can make it for them. Well, last month one of the elders told me he really loves roast. So roast it was & he enjoyed it. I could tell. :) This time I worked it out of the other elder that he really likes enchiladas. Now here's my problem. I haven't really mastered enchiladas yet, but I'd like to feed that hard working young man what he wants this Sunday. Do any of you guys have a super good recipe? Can you point me in the right direction? Thanks!

Sewing Related Questions

Michelle asked, Where and how did you learn to sew?

I got my sewing machine as a Christmas gift from my in-laws in 2001 & I've taught myself everything I know. When I first set up my machine it took me about an hour to figure out how to wind the bobbin & thread the machine. Seriously! I can't even remember the first thing I tried to sew. Notice I said "tried". There were a lot of projects started & never finished in the beginning because they weren't turning out how I wanted them too & I'd give up, or I'd get to a certain point & be too afraid to continue on. I made baby blankets for my nephews when they were born & I made some curtains for our bedroom. One hung a little lower than the other. Ha ha!

Where do you get all your crafting ideas from?

I spend a lot of time looking around at what other crafters are doing. I follow a lot of crafting blogs & I absolutely love flickr. You can check out my favorite groups here. I never try to exactly copy what somebody else has done, but I think all that looking sometimes triggers new ideas for me.

Inspiration a lot of times comes from outside influences as well. I took a lot from this Target holiday bag for my doily mobile. :)


Alexandra asked, Which sewing books are your favourites and why?

Bend the Rules Sewing by Amy Karol: This book has a lot of really cool projects, but she also shares a lot of helpful information for sewing as well & explains it in such a wonderful way. As if you were sitting on the couch with a friend & they were telling you why it's important to change your sewing machine needle out after every couple projects.

Simple Sewing by Lotta Jansdotter: I just love Lotta. She is so stylish. Her projects are very modern & cool. I love seeing modern & cool handmade items. It makes me feel like what I'm doing is not so "homey" but can also be hip & cool.

Sock & Glove by Miyako Kanamori: This book is adorable. I still haven't made anything out of it, but I am planning to make some of these cutie cute softies for the girls this Christmas. Beautifully photographed & simply laid out. It's a neat book.

misspotts asked, I have a sewing machine brand new and in the box I just don't know how to use it or set it up. Can u tell me how to get started. Like what should I purchase to start sewing. I love the grocery bag holder and short aprons u make. Are those easy and can u point me towards the directions?

I would suggest starting with small projects that you can finish quickly. For me, there is nothing like the satisfaction & the feeling of accomplishment that comes from finishing a project. It doesn't even matter how small it is. Read through your owner's manual. You really just have to go at it! If you are able to take classes at a local fabric store I would suggest doing that as well. Just stick with it & keep trying. You will feel more confident in no time. I honestly still feel like I am a beginner at sewing. There is so much more I still need to learn. Just this week I learned to do a quilt binding. I've been scared to try & you know what...it wasn't hard at all!!


The short apron pattern is from the Bend the Rules Sewing book & the grocery bag tutorial can be found here.

Grace asked, Is there another kind of craft you would like to learn in the future (pottery, weaving, painting...etc)?

I would love to be able to knit. I have tried a few times, but haven't done it consistently enough to get a real feel for it.

Do you still scrapbook?

No. I don't scrapbook anymore. I really jumped into sewing & blogging & haven't felt the urge to want to scrapbook in a long time.

How do you find time to be crafty? I think it's awesome how so many moms are out there helping earn income through sewing and crafting. Y'all are an inspiration!

I do most of my sewing at night once my girls have gone to bed. I do work a little during the day as well, but it's usually just 10 minutes here & there. During the day I pull fabrics together, cut & iron. I usually don't get my sewing machine out until the girls are asleep. It's too hard to focus on them & they usually want to climb all over me while I'm at the machine.

Drawings From The 3 Year Old

Me: "Sadie, who is this?"
Sadie: "That's a giant!"


Me: "And who is this?"
Sadie: "That's a girl with words."
Me: "What is she saying?"
Sadie: "I don't know."


I particularly love those little red cheeks on the giant & this word bubble is something I haven't seen her draw before, but I think it's totally cool!

Auction Winner

Thanks so much for all your bids. The winner of the quilt is Mak. Please make your payment directly to the Nielson Family Fund here & then e-mail me your receipt at sparklepowercandace@gmail.com & I will get that snuggly quilt off in the mail right away!


We are enjoying our Labor Day weekend with Dylan's parents in town. We went & checked out some historic tall ships yesterday & there is more fun in store for the next few days. Hope you are enjoying your weekend.

Silent Auction

Welcome, welcome to my silent auction for Nie Nie Day. Up for grabs is a funky, cool, vintage patchwork quilt handmade by me.


This is a baby/toddler size quilt or a lap quilt which measures 37" by 42". Also works well as a play mat or a stroller quilt.


Made from vintage sheeting & pillowcase linens in lots of fun colors. Machine quilted with a cotton batting in the center.


Backed in a blue vintage floral print.




I have read the beautiful & charming Stephanie Nielson's blog daily for the last year or so. I miss her. Please be generous in your bidding today to help raise money for her family's recovery. I have started the bidding in the comment section. Please make your bids in the comments & check back to see what the current high bid is. The auction will remain open until Sunday at Midnight EST. Please bid in full dollar amounts. No pennies or quarters, etc.

Once the winning bidder is identified, they'll send money directly to the Stephanie & Christian Paypal fund and I will ship the quilt directly to them. Thanks & good luck!

Also, be sure to check out a room somewhere where a la la love you poster & a set of vintage map blocks are being auctioned off as well.

Amber & Jen have a really super cool tagua nut necklace up for auction over at Just Be custom jewelry!

Design Mom has a full list of all blogs participating with silent auctions.