Saturday, December 31, 2011

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Blogger's Choice Fat Quarter Bundle Competition

I love, love, love fabric and could spend all day picking out fabulous fabric combos to make totally cool quilts with. When I heard of the Blogger's Choice Fat Quarter Bundle Competition hosted by Quokka Quilts I jumped on board and spent the better part of the day gazing at luscious fabrics to create my fabric Bundle entry. Here it is...


1.Modernology-MO-4802-450,

2. CottonCouture-SC533-MOSS-D-450,

3. HyperrealGarden-HG-8406-450,

4. SpringKaffeFasset-GP70-TEALX-450,

5. Kona-K001-1066-450,

6. IndianSummer-C2614-CREAM-450,

7. Lark-PWAB068-MINERAL-450,

8. GirlsWorldVibe-PWJP058-HONEY-450,

9. PearTree-5553-E-450,

10. PrinceCharming-TP11-AQUA-450,

11. SoSophie-C2703-BLUE-450,

12. HelloBetty-9900-126-450,

13. Whimsy-5601-11-450,

14. DomesticBliss-18074-16-450,

15. Bespoken-BE-7102-450,

16. Fat quarter logo

I followed Maureen's instructions and used Big Huge Labs to create my mosaic. Even if I don't win the awesome prize (half yard cuts of all the fabrics in my mosaic!!) I just might have to create a quilt with these gorgeous fabrics! Take a look at all the other great entries at Quokka Quilts.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Spirit of Love

Photo source: petitevanou

Let the spirit of love gently fill our

hearts and homes.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Christmas Eve-Eve

Today is "Christmas Eve-Eve", as my family refers to the day before Christmas Eve. It is the last day to put the finishing touches on the Holiday.


The wreath has been hung, the tree is decorated, one last batch of cookies are baking, my Holiday Tablerunner is finished and Jack has been accessorized.


Tomorrow we will celebrate with family and on Christmas Day even more family. I am grateful for the slower pace of things this year since the kids are grown and there is not that usual hustle bustle as in years past full of school recitals, toy shopping, Christmas caroling, gingerbread house making, insane marathons of gift wrapping and stressing about getting it all done on time. Everything is done and now we can relax and enjoy the Holiday

For whatever you choose to celebrate, Blessings to one and all this Holiday Season!

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies


'Tis the season for baking cookies, from an old worn out cookbook of my grandmother's. I decided to dig out my grandma's cookbooks and search for the beloved cookie recipe she used to make year after year, Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies. My 18 year old daughter never experienced them as a child, and for that I was sad but prepared to introduce her to these delectable little lemon biscuits from my childhood.

Once I found the cookbook it was not hard to locate the recipe, obviously the most "turned-to" page in the book. I found myself touching the pages with splatters of vanilla, bits of batter, gritty flour and remembering my grandma baking away in our kitchen. How long ago were these traces of her baking left on these pages?

As I carefully looked for the publishing date I came across where my grandma wrote her name in the front of the book and I excitedly showed my daughter as my eyes began to well up with the memories. I quickly recovered myself, not wanting my daughter to see me getting misty (she gets all freaked-out when I get sentimental). We were here to bake some cookies and so we did...

These cookies can either be rolled and cut out with cookie cutters OR rolled into little balls. Once baked and cooled, I frost them with a simple lemon icing (recipe below) and sprinkle a bit of colored sugar on top. The texture of these cookies are very similar to shortbread but very moist from the cream cheese. The icing gives them a burst of tart lemon, my goodness they're heavenly!


My grandma loved to cook and the few cookbooks she owned were well used and very worn. I have even attempted to hold them together with tape but should really invest in having them rebound. Her two-volume "Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking" by Meta Givens was first published in 1947, mine is the 1955 edition. These cookbooks are quite the collectors item I discovered after a little on-line investigating. True cookbooks of the 40'sand 50's, so simple and straightforward.

Volume II features recipes for raccoon, squirrel, woodchuck and turtle, everything you need to know to kill, bleed, eviscerate, remove feathers and fur, clean and prepare for cooking, canning or preserving, it's some good reading, I tell ya!



Lemon Icing
2 c. powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. softened butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
fresh lemon juice

Combine all ingredients together with just enough lemon juice to make a very smooth icing to desired consistency. Sprinkle cookies with colored sugar before icing hardens.

Happy baking!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Wild Weekend!

What a wild weekend I had! The Tag and Art Sale was fabulous and all my crazy sewing was well worth it! I have a bunch of extra items that I just posted in the shop for those of you that missed the event.

Baby and Toddler Bibs
(sets of three)





$10 Hip Pouches

Check out Mama Roux for more gift ideas ready to ship in time for the Holidays!

Friday, December 9, 2011

Tag & Art Sale this weekend!

I was invited to participate in a Tag & Art Sale this weekend, so these past few days I have been sewing my hiney off (although it's not getting any smaller, my hiney, that is). I'm making sure I have lots and lots of affordable gift items to please the masses, fingers crossed!

These Baby Bibs are a new creation for me and I just adore how they turned out. Makes me wish I still had a babe at home...sniff, sniff.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Cool Chick Spotlight: Imelda May

Ok, let me just say this: Imelda May is one captivating dish of quirky cool and striking style. She absolutely rocks her two toned "quiff" and Betty page pin up looks along with her chic retro stylings. Her sultry vocals are accented with smokey growls as she backs herself up with the bodhran and tambourine. The fusion of blues, jazz and rockabilly sets the senses a'tingling. Full of sass and sizzle, I dare ya to sit still while listening to her music.


Oh, and did I mention that she just toured with Jeff Beck...how cool is that?