"Easter 2010"

I wanted to wish all my friends and family a very

"Happy Easter" 

A special wish out to my Mom, Easter

was her favorite holiday.... 

"May all your chocolate wishes come true"

I want to win "Bertie"....... really bad!

I want so much to win ....... it's a giveaway and the grand prize... a "Kitchen Aid Mixer named Bertie"!!!

Over at "Mayhem and Moxie" they are having a giveaway and the prizes are really great.... from Birthday party packages.. to this really great "Kitchen Aid Mixer"... and I have done all the steps except this one...

Tell what I would do with this mixer... this is much too easy... "I'd be mixing and baking up a storm" is what I'd be doing...

I'll tell you.. I do have a "Classic Kitchen Aid Mixer".. had it for years but the electrical cord is burnt and I have had it duct taped for a long time... not sure if it's dangerous but I'm still using it !  I so love this mixer and I so want the new one.. really bad!

 
The first thing I'm going to do when I win this baby is buy myself the "Pasta Maker"... I love to make my own!
Ok.. I think I did all the steps... so here I go!   
                          Oh.. one more thing.... thank you for this opportunity and a very "Happy Birthday"!!!

Baby in a Purse... for a special little girl......

Did you ever want to make a special gift for a little girl.. not the usual but something she could carry with her to just about anywhere she went...  I remembered a gift my mom made for me and my sister... 'Baby in a Purse"...

 I used fabric ribbon to crochet this cute little 'draw string bag'.... 

I simply used a single crochet, started from the bottom and just went round and round until I got to the desired size of the bag.....
I then used some scrap flannel that I had in the sewing box, to make the mattress and pillow for the baby....

This is a polly pocket.. it came with little leather (plastic) clothing.. it is all of about 4" tall and fits right into the little bag....

I put the dolls clothing into a little pouch of fabric.. stored under the mattress.... then I put together a blanket and pillow....

For the 'draw tie string' I purchased a shiny, red/gold rope.. ran it through the opening top of the purse and tied off the ends.... it turned out so cute and my little niece will just love it.....

Look at what came in the mail today......

  Yes.... the mail man brought my win today... I entered a giveaway over at

"Twigglebox" and I won a rainbow of colors... the bows are artfully hooked to a

nice clip that will hold on any young girls hair... sorry to say I do not have a

young girl anymore.. my little daughter is now 25... and has three boys...

  I'm happy to say the recipient of these lovely little bows will be my niece JoJo

  who lives in Kuwait.. they will be flying to her next week.... when my sister go's 

home....

   If anyone has a small girl who could use such beautiful bows, for her hair..

please visit  www.cockadoodlekids.com or visit www.twigglebox.com .... they

have such cute things there... 

 http://twigglebox.blogspot.com/

'Thank you Hollie' !!!

For all who love home made bread, but hate the work involved.....

I'm happy to say "I found a simple bread recipe" in this months copy of "Country Living Magazine"..... I made the bread/Rolls yesterday and they we so easy!!
  Get this... "NO kneading and NO punching down".. it rises in the fridge over night!

 Entertainer Trisha Yearwood had an article in this months issue, and showcased her cousin Peggy's bread recipe.. and I wanted to share it with anyone who loves 'fresh home made bread' but hates the work involved...

      This next photo is my bread in the oven......    

The beauty of this foolproof recipe is that the dough rises in the frigde and does not need to be punched down or kneaded. The next day you just scoop the dough into muffin tins and bake.....And Voila- hot rolls in about 20 minutes!
                      

This recipe makes 5 doz mini rolls...

1 pkt (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast

2 cups warm water

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted

1/4 c sugar

1 lg egg

4 cups self rising flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. With an electric mixer combine butter and sugar, then add the egg. Add yeast mixture and combine well.  Gradually stir in flour until smooth... Pour into a greased, airtight 2 qt bowl. Store tightly covered in fridge to rise overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350' f. Grease miniature muffin tins.  Spoon dough into each muffin cup about 3/4 full.  and bake rolls for about 18 to 20 min. or until browned. I added an extra 8 minutes for the one loaf I made...


I filled two muffin tins and one loaf pan for bread....I also brushed the muffins with egg yolk to give the rolls a nice brown top, then put poppy and sesame seeds on top of some....I think for the next batch I might put browned onions on top.. yummmm!

This recipe can be used as needed and store the dough in the fridge for up to three days... so give it a try.. your family will love it!

Molly McGee update......

As of yesterday Molly has hatched chick # 1... and his name is "MAX"..... peeps of baby #2 are being heard today.... go Molly........click on the link below to watch the live stream of this wonderful story.....


http://www.ustream.tv/channel/the-owl-box

Molly the Barn Owl.. watch her live... hatching her eggs!

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/the-owl-box



Click the ^ ^ ^ ^ above link to watch Molly

M

Molly the Barn Owl has been on a live stream for a week now.. thousands have been turning in waiting and watching her sit on her eggs.... McGee, her hubby has been bringing her food.. (yes rats and rabbits) and we have been watching her eat several times a day......
Today,, Sunday the  21st we believe a hatchling is under Molly... tiny tweets are being heard...
Everyone.. log on to the link and spend your Sunday learning about 'Barn Owls".....
So cuteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!

Oh Happy Day!! Winter is OVER!!

I won these beautiful bows!! From Twiggle box......

http://www.twigglebox.com/bows.html

Yes... "I won the rainbow of Bows" from 'Twiggle Box'......

How sweet are these bows... although I do not have a small girl to wear them, I do have my niece JoJo who lives in Kuwait.. she and her mommy will just love them...
Thank you to "Twiggle Box"!!!  

Fly into Spring "Swap"

          I am so excited to be entering my first "Spring Swap".....


Any of you can be in the "Swap"... just look to the right, on my side bar.. and link on over there and join in!

I will be getting word who my "Swap Partner" will be.. I need to get together a box of "Spring goodies".. things I think are the true meaning of "Spring".... how exciting!
Ok... here I go........................To my "Partner in the Swap".... your 'Care package will be on it's way"!! 

All for the love of Shoes... my shoes!!

I might as well admit my faults, right off the bat... "I Love Shoes"... all shapes and styles... I wear ugly sneakers and flip flops and pointy toe and 5" heals.... I can't stop buying shoes....

I thought of getting a 'pedi'for these photos... but I looked, and my 'frenchie' seems to be ok.. so here go's!

this pair of sandals are so cute on... but much too flat for me.. hurts my back!

This shoe is one you will find me in most of the time... "I truly hate shoes on my feet" unless I must have them on... in the house, I wear nothing, but for running errands I will wear a simple pair of flip flops.. not the rubber ones you will find at the beach.. no no!

 

You might find these on my feet for the grocery store... they are so comfee!

Now on to the 'big girl' shoes.... I love strapie shoes for the nights, and also to wear with my good jeans!

Then there are the 'classic shoes'..... my favorite are the simple 'black and red' classic....

I'll have to admit... trying to 'take photos' of my shoes .. on my feet was a bit of a challenge but I so enjoyed doing it... the only one I did not get are my 'garden shoes'... no one wants to see those.. their so dirty and ucky...I did manage to get out today and bought some new 'garden boots'.... take a look!  I can wade in the creek out back in these.....

Now that I've taken all these photos.. I need to get my feet in the soaker and do a pedi for myself.. refinish the frenchie on my toes... maybe clip a bit of nail... hmmmmm  ... I love shoes!!  Pretty, Girlie shoes....

              

March 18th,,, show me your shoe party!

Show me your shoes Party... come on, join in!!

Here are some options of what you can do for the party:

• Create a post about your favorite shoes and model some of them for us.  Show us your shoes in your closet!  (And yes, flip-flops count as shoes.  I LOVE my flip flops and my Payless wedges.  Your shoes do not need to be designer to participate; they just need to be loved.)
• Go shoe shopping.  Try on those dream shoes (Jimmy Choos?) and take pics of yourself doing so.  Yes, the salespeople will give you suspicious second glances, but who cares?  
• Do a post of your inspiration shoe file.  What? You don't have an inspiration shoe file?  Make one up and post about it.

To get us in the shoe mood let's drool over some cuties, shall we?

Vintage Easter Blog Hop... March 28th

No words needed........

Class room, craft aprons.....

The Grandsons need aprons for the many crafts they have been doing in their classroom.... I went on a search for vinyl fabric, and found some that had flannel backing. Thinking this might make it a bit more comfortable and easy to wash with a wet cloth... I bought three colors... Yellow, black and red... 

      I did not use a pattern.. I just cut the shape of an apron.. thinking 2-4 and 6 year old bodies...this you will find is easy after years of being around kids... 
I started thinking of pockets.. to hold pens, scissors, and the many items used by those little hands... so large pockets were in order...
I did not hem the fabric for pockets. I simply folded the fabric in half to have the vinyl inside the pocket.. makes for cleaning a bit easier.. you know,, paint in the pocket...ucky

 The apron needed binding around the entire shape of the garment and I priced bias binding.. no way was I going to pay that much for it so I bought a yard of inexpensive cotton and cut my own... sewed it all together and ironed a fold on one side... it took a bit of extra work but saved me about $15.00 and that put a smile on my face....

 I then stitched the bias binding around the entire apron... making the ties for the back and the loop around the neck of the same fabric.....

Now it was time to think of decorating the front of the apron.. I did not want it to be plain, and did not want them to look too kiddie,, As the boys grow so will the aprons grow with them... so, I thought of simply using the alphabet as a design... the  A-B-C's... I hand designed,, with a pencil the letters,, backwards... hmmmm, that was interesting!  Then I cut them out and used spray glue and fixed them on the pockets....

 You know... these aprons turned out pretty nice and I'm now waiting for the phone call from my daughter and the boys to tell me how they fit...yes, their on the way to Guam as this go's to press.....

                                    "Not bad, not bad at all"