100 quilts for Christmas!!!

Because I do not have enough projects going right now (said with dripping sarcasm), I have decided to join this quilting cause.  I stumbled across this terrific idea by accident, and you know me....I cannot NOT join a charity event.  SOOOO here is a quick rundown of what is happening: Over on THIS blog they are running 100 quilts for Christmas.  They want people to make and donate 100 quilts to their local community charities and then link the quilts up on their blog.  They will be having giveaways galore and helping out charities in the process.  I am not sure what I will be making, but I will keep you posted.  HERE are all of the details and requirements, plus an explanation of the drawings involved (since I know all you sewers wanna join up too!!!!).  I love giving stuff away and cannot wait to be ONE of the ONE hundred quilts.....I wanna be number 87....just for fun!!!

Switch it…Change it….Rearrange it!!

 

I am still a little backed up from not having my computer for 2 weeks.  So here is a much belated Halloween post.  Since Halloween was on a Sunday, I wanted Emersyn to have a dress that fit the occasion.  SOOO I used something I had on hand and made a Halloween dress.  BUTTTTT I figured Halloween is only one day a year, and I wanted the dress to be usable AFTER Halloween.  SOOO I made THE EXCHANGEABLE DRESS.  Confused???  This is what I did….

I had this black dress that I bought at the thrift store for a dollar.  It was just plain and sad looking, but I bought it thinking it could still have a good life.  SOO I went onto E-bay (saved myself an expensive trip to the craft store) and bought a spool of orange tool, a bunch of velcro, and 2 yards of orange polka dot ribbon and got started.

First, I took my tool (it was 6 inches wide) and folded it down the middle.  Then I turned up my tension to 9, increased my stitch length, and ran a gathering stitch. 

 

I came up with a super long piece of tool that was kinda a mess.

 

I then took my messy tool strip and sewed one half of my velcro (I chose the soft side) and sewed it onto the tool.  I had to keep straightening up the tool as I went so that it was a ruffle and not all bunched up.

I used a zig zag stitch because the tool was shifty and I wanted to make sure and catch it.

 

Ta-da…..look at that crooked row of stiches:)  Good thing it was going on the INSIDE of the dress huh???:0

Then I just sewed the other half of the velcro onto the inside edge of the dress. 

Last but not least, I used black embroidery floss to make loops on either side of the dress to hold the ribbon. I didn’t get a picture of that, but it was pretty easy.  I just threaded my needle with floss and tied a knot in the end. Then I put the thread through where the skirt met up with the top of the dress on the side seam.  Then I left the loop a little bigger than the ribbon so it would not bunch up, put the needle through the same spot and tied another knot on the inside of the dress.  Pretty simple.

Now I can just pull the ribbon out, switch out the orange tool and have a new dress.  ORRR  leave the tool on and find another matching ribbon.  ORRR….well you get the idea.

  I already have big plans for the exchangeable dress for Christmas, Valentines, Saint Patrick’s Day, you name it.  I will keep you posted on the life of this little dress….it still has a lot of life in it:)

Just a little reminder...

I really thought that my day COULD NOT possibly get worse when I woke up this morning to aching sinuses, a pounding headache, and the beginnings of what promised to be a killer cold.  I WAS SOOOOO WRONG!!!  It was not until a while later that I realized that the NEW low point was getting my pants wet.  NOT wetting my pants----that would be awful, but I could just count that off as another pregnancy related mishap.....NO you read it correctly.  I got my pants wet.  My two year old (who had already worn every shred of my sanity down to the wire) came and snuggled with me on the couch....told me I was the best....continued watching her thousanth episode of Calliou (remember me being sick and not feeling the need to entertain)....and then apparently too engrossed in the life of a Canadian four year old proceeds to pee ON THE COUCH.  Just sat right there and peed.  Un-be-freakin-leavable!!!  As if that is not weird enough, she doesn't tell me or even take her eyes from the t.v.  It is not until I realize that I am wet, warm, and uncomfortable that I realized there was a problem.  I ruled out my water breaking and me wetting my own pants and discovered the problem.   PURE LAZINESS.  I asked her if she peed and she said YEP!!!  I asked her why and she said "I was just watching cartoons."  Because that is what people do when they are watching t.v. right.   Thank goodness for leather couches.  GRRRR!!! 
HOWEVER...that also proved to be a false alarm in the low point department.  The REAL low point of my day came much later.  After 3 more potty accidents (one on my kitchen chair cushion) and a rough day all the way around I realized that life COULD in fact go farther down hill.  When I was trying to explain that BIG GIRLS go potty in the toilet and if we continued to pee all over mommy's house we would have to go to the store and get diapers I got hit in the face by yet another false alarm.  Em looked up at me and said "Yep I do need diapers AND we need to buy me some baby bottles too."  Talk about backfiring!!!  So I made a noise that was loud and may or may not have sounded a lot like a very naughty swear word....AND that folks is when the real bottom fell out of my day.  I got the big puppy dog two year old eyes pointed right at me and THEN it happened.  Emersyn said "mom....you just need to be more patient." I sat there with my mouth open and my eyes unblinking thinking....Who the heck taught my kid that word and how does she know how to use it????  Then she hopped off the potty (we still pretend she is gonna use it once in a while) and ran into her room.  And this folks is the moment.....she sat in her rocking chair with her blanket and said....."mommy, sing me a song about Jesus." 
There is nothing like a big plate of humility handed to you by a two year old in pee pants with a water colored face that reminds you of the big picture.  SURE my house has pee on EVERY available surface.  SURE you cannot see my floor through all of the toys and goldfishes on it.  SURE I would rather be sleeping than up 3 times in the night trying to convince my kid that HER bed is just as warm and good as mommy's bed.  BUT along with the thousand low points and the moments of wondering where the closest fire station drop point is to my house, there is always at least ONE hight point.  Today that came as I rocked my dirty child in her rocking chair and sang to her about Jesus.  Tomorrow is another day.....I hope I remember the lesson that He (with a little help from HER) taught me today.

yum yum….ready for Thanksgiving recipe

 

Did anyone think I had fallen off the planet???  Just my computer did.  It has been in the shop for TWO WEEKS----yikes. Anyway…I am back to life and back in this century (how did we survive without computers??). 

Last week I decided to try some of my mom’s old recipes---you know those favorite things we ate growing up???  Well I had lots of them and sadly I did not know how to make ANY of them.  So I got out of my Taco and Spaghetti rut and tried some new things.  Some were successes and some were edible, but either way it was NOT another night of pizza:) 

Any guesses on what I made first????  Yummy delicious Stove Top Casserole.  Am I the only one who believes stuffing is the BEST food around???  I could even do without the turkey if I could have the stuffing!!!  Anyway….I found a few recipes out there, but none that sounded JUST RIGHT!!!  You know…how momma made it:)  So I mixed and matched and made up my own.  Here it is….

Stove Top Casserole

You will need:

• Chicken (3 or 4 large breasts)
• a couple stalks of celery and a couple carrots
• cream of chicken soup—1 regular can
• 1/2 can (from soup) of milk

Pre-heat your oven to 350.

FIRST, start off by boiling your chicken.  You could use a full chicken or leftover chicken or turkey, but I used chicken breast because that is what I have around.  You want enough to fill the bottom of a 9x9 baking dish.  I used the 3 HUGE breasts and it was the perfect amount.  Put your chicken in a large pot to boil with salt and pepper to taste.  Then while your chicken is boiling, cut up some carrots and celery. (I used 3 or four of each, but again---to your liking).  I cut mine into pretty small pieces because I did not want HUGE chunks in my finished casserole. I cannot eat chunks in my jello either---no bueno!!!  ANYWAY….Throw your carrots and celery into the pot to boil with your chicken. 

While boiling your chicken, prepare your stuffing as directed on the box. 

After your chicken is well boiled, shred it.  I use 2 forks and pull in different directions.  Your chicken should just fall into pieces. You could also just cut your chicken into small cubes, but I am a fan of shredded chicken:)  Fill the bottom of your baking dish with the chicken.  Then strain your broth and keep out your vegetables.  Throw the carrots and celery on top of the chicken.  You really could use any vegetable you like here, I think broccoli would be good, or peas.  I liked the carrots and celery because it added some texture and NOT a lot of taste.  Plus, it is nice to know there are a few veggies hiding in ANY meal right???

Next, mix your milk and soup together in a bowl.  When it is well mixed, dump it evenly over the chicken and veggies.  When your stuffing is done, dump it right on top of everything else. 

Bake for about 30 minutes (you want to soup to be bubbling).  Voila.  yummy stuffing goodness!!!! 

This is a great recipe for after Thanksgiving because you already have the turkey cooked and probably have leftover stuffing.  Just throw it together and have a new meal----because you can only eat cold turkey sandwiches for SO many days right:)

  By the way… these pictures were all graciously donated by the internet….my food was not so pretty, nor did it stick around long enough for photos!!!

Problem SOLVED!!!

 
Soooo, when last we spoke I HAD no problem….that I knew of.  I had a cute bunny, cute Minnie ears, and a big smile.  THEN my little Minnie Mouse found her headband and tried it on.  FAILURE!!!!  The bow was too heavy in front and the ears were too big for her.  It just flopped right off.  GRRRR!!!!  BUT THEN I (brilliant gal that I am) FIXED IT!!!!!!  Here is what I did: 
Sorry for the ghetto pictures---it was raining at our house and DARK.  Who knew Winter was coming this morning?? 
ANYWAY…You will need craft foam, black felt, glue gun, velcro, 3 hair clips, and enough fabric or ribbon to make a bow.
HERE is the tutorial that I used to make my first headband (good tutorial, bad result for my kid). 
I used the same ideas, but changed the finished project. 
FIRST… I cut 2 foam circles (not doubled like the first time).  I used a small glass to trace the circle shape. THEN I cut a dumb-bell shape out of felt---the circle needs to be slightly larger than the foam circle. 

Use your handy dandy glue gun to hook the foam to the felt on one end.  THEN fold it over and hook it to the other side of the foam circle.  

Kinda looks like a Halloween Oreo huh.  I WISH!!!  Next, use the glue gun again and put glue along the edge of the orange foam. 

Then, squish the two edges together to cover the orange foam. Glue will squish out and you will probably burn the snot out of your fingers a few times, but it works.  You will also have some glue showing on the outside.  When mine dried I just cut around the edge with scissors to get rid of the leftover glue.

Where you had the rectangle between the circles you should have a small loop.  Fill it with glue from both ends (use plenty of glue).

Then, stick your clip through the loop.  You will need to squish the glue from all angles so that your ears stand up straight. 

Next, time for the bow.  I used THIS tutorial for the smaller bow.  First I made the bow the same size as the bow time instructions.  THEN I made it bigger (I could not help myself).  For the bigger bow I cut my fabric 4’X15’.  I glued the clip to the bottom of the bow---NOT THE BACK. 

I put Emersyn’s hair into pigtails and then clipped the ears right in front of the ponies and clipped the bow in front.  These pictures were of the small bow---I wanted more bow:)  Notice all of the toys all over my floor????  THIS TOOK ME A LONG TIME TO FIGURE OUT---Emersyn was on her own for WAY too long:)

NEXT PROBLEM….my kid doesn’t have too much hair.  The ears worked GREAT, but the bow was flopping forward.  GRRRR!!!!  Not cool after my bow making marathon!!  SOOO I came up with ONE more solution.
   
VELCRO!!!  What cannot be fixed with Velcro??? Marriage problems, and diaper rash….THAT IS IT!!!  Everything else is helped with the magical stuff.  Anywhooo….I put Velcro on the front of the ears and on the back of the bow (this is the cooler bigger bow).

NOW….I can clip on the ears, clip on the bow, AND THEN….Velcro the bow to the ears for stability.  WHEWWW!!  Who knew the ears would be the trickiest part of this darn costume…I should have bought the ugly slutty pirate costume that she found instead!! ;)
BUT…she is just such a darn cute little Minnie!!!!


***check out previous posts for the Minnie Top and Minnie Skirt.