Archives for July 2011

Jul

The BIG 3-0

So today I enter a new world – I’m 30 years old! To be honest, I don’t feel any different about being in my 30’s. I’ve kind of always felt like an “old soul”, so age has always just be a number to me. I never “felt” 21 or 24 or 29 years old, I’ve just always felt like me. I kind of wonder if I will feel the same way when I turn 40, 50, 60, or 70? I guess only time will tell. But I have to say, 30 definitely sounds a bit more grown up, don’t you think?

When I look back at what I’ve done and where I’ve been for the last 30 years, I can honestly say that I am really happy with where I am right now (as self-indulgent as that may sound). I’ve graduated from college, I’ve had a career in banking and real estate, I’ve married the love of my life, I own a home and a car, I’ve started my own business and more importantly I’ve brought two (almost 3) amazing little souls into this world. Not too bad. Of course there are plenty of more goals and ambitions that I have for the next 20, 30, 40 years, but it’s always good to take time to reflect and appreciate life. And though I can admit that I can get caught up in our fast paced society, I am truly grateful for the life that has been bestowed upon me.

So, let’s see, for this birthday, here are 30 things about me (non-crafty/sewing related)………..

1. I was born in Indiana.
2. I’ve lived in Indiana, California, Texas, Ohio and Illinois.
3. I have a bachelors degree in Finance.
4. I have one brother who is a chef in Boulder, CO.
5. I am very sensitive.
6. I love coffee.
7. Shrimp is my favorite food.
8. I love cooking, but don’t love doing the dishes.
9. Fall is my favorite season.
10. Red is my favorite color.
11. I’ve been to Scotland, England, Ireland, Mexico and Canada.
12. I drive a mini-van.
13. I love grocery shopping.
14. I like to start the day by making the bed, though it doesn’t always happen.
15. Having children is more work than I ever thought.
16. I would much prefer french fries over chocolate.
17. I am not very patient (though I’ve gotten a lot better since having kids).
18. I like things done a certain way. Slight control freak.
19. I love wine (only a month and a half until I can indulge again).
20. I don’t mind being pregnant.
21. I love music. I love to sing, dance and listen to it. All different kinds.
22. I’m not really into movies.
23. I like reality TV. I won’t go into what shows because it’s very embarrassing.
24. I don’t like bugs.
25. I always have 101 ideas swirling around in my head.
26. I currently have 6 “to-do” lists going, but I couldn’t tell you where they all are at this moment.
27. I am passionate……..about everything.
28. I love organizing.
29. I very rarely follow a recipe when cooking.
30. I hope the next 30 years bring me as much joy as the first 30.

Ok, so that’s enough about “The Cottage Mama”.

Is there anything you would like to know about me? I always find it so fun to get to know people a little better, so if there’s ever been a question pondering in your head about the woman behind this blog, this is the time to go ahead and ask………I’m an open book!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Jul

Freshcut Quilt { Machine Quilting }

A long time ago, when I first started this blog, I shared a quilt that I had made for my daugther, Savannah’s room before the arrival of her baby sister, Matilda. Well, in looking back and those pictures………let’s just say, they were less than attractive.

So I took some time to take some somewhat better shots of the quilt I made for Miss Savannah Rose. It’s the only really large quilt I’ve ever made (twin sized) and I will be forever proud of it!

I made this quilt out of Heather Bailey’s, “Freshcut” fabric line, which has since gone out of print. I used a fat quarter set and a jelly roll for this twin sized quilt. I cut the fat quarters up into smaller squares and cut the jelly roll strips down as well. In retrospect, had I known more about quilting, a “layer cake” would have been more appropriate and easier to use for the large squares. But live and learn, right?

I pieced together the entire top of the quilt, but then I sent it to a quilt shop to have it machine quilted. If you’ve never had anything machine quilted, it’s a pretty fun thing to do. A lot of local quilt shops or quilters have what’s called a “long-arm” quilting machine and you can pick any pattern you’d like from their designs and have your quilt top quilted.

Generally when you send something to be machine quilted, you will send your finished quilt top, your quilt backing, which should already be pieced together, and sometimes you send your batting. Some shops provide batting that you can purchase and others do not. Also, if you want the shop to do the binding for you, they usually will, but you need to send additional yardage for the binding strips.

I spent so much time piecing together the top that I decided I didn’t want to mess it up by quilting it myself. I also wanted this quilt to be an heirloom piece that Savannah will keep forever. Maybe, just maybe, I will quilt my own large quilt someday, but for now, I like to do the piecing and have the machine do the quilting!

Jul

Winners!

Sorry for the delay in posting these lovely winners, but we have been without power for several days due to some heavy storms. And I must say, it’s been mighty hot for this pregnant mama. But thankfully, we just got power back this morning – woohoo – I definitely have a new appreciation for electricity!

Without further ado, the winner(s) of the Tie Dye Diva Sewing pattern giveaway are:

And the winner of the “Playdate Sew Along” Design Contest is………….

Natalie from Our Old Southern House

Congratulations to all three winners! The Tie Dye Diva** winners will each receive a PDF pattern of their choice and Natalie has won a $50.00 gift certificate to Fairytale Frocks and Lollipops! Please email me at thecottagemama[at]gmail[dot]com with your contact information and we will make sure to get you your prizes as soon as possible.

**Also Tie Dye Diva is offering The Cottage Home blog readers 15% OFF all patterns for the next 24 hours with the coupon code: COTTAGEMAMA. So if you weren’t one of the lucky winners, hurry on over and snatch up one of her adorable patterns!

Click HERE to visit Tie Dye Diva Sewing patterns.

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of The Cottage Home blog, please email Lindsay at thecottagemama[at]gmail[dot]com for rates and more information.

Jul

Mamarazzi by Stacy Wasmuth {Book Review and Giveaway}

I was recently sent a copy of “Mamarazzi – Every Mom’s Guide to Photographing Kids” by Stacy Wasmuth for me to review here on the blog. How adorable is that little girl on the front cover? Seriously, I don’t know if it gets much cuter than that!

I was so excited to get my hands on this book because, though I love to take pictures of my girls, and I do have a nice camera, I don’t exactly know what I’m doing. I hope that’s ok to admit. Yes, I’m outing myself – My name is Lindsay. I have a dSLR camera. And I don’t know exactly how to use it.

But with that being said, I have been working really hard to learn more about photography and how to take good pictures, so this book came at the perfect time! I find so many photography books are way to technical for my liking. I am a visual learner, so I love pictures and examples and many of the books I’ve picked up are just filled to the brim with text. I want to take good pictures of my kids, but I am by no means looking to become a true professional.

Mamarazzi by Stacy Wasmuth was written with a casual, friendly tone and addressed all of the issues I have with photographing children. She covers a wide-range of topics that will interest many moms who just love, love, love taking pictures of their little ones.

Here is what the table of contents looks like so you can see what all the book entails:

This book goes into some detail with how to use your dSLR camera but it also has other great photography tips for those that use basic point-and-shoot cameras as well. I love that the author goes into some detail in regards to photo editing as well because I end up doing a lot of that with the pictures that I take.

She talks about shooting different children of all ages, what to have them wear for photo shoots and how to get those winning smiles out of them without them saying “cheese” (which if you’ve ever photographed kids before, you know that never looks attractive).

Mamarazzi has some of the best eye candy of any photography book I have ever seen. The sample photographs are amazing and there are TONS of them. Besides being very informative, who doesn’t love looking at photographs of adorable babies, cute toddlers, beautiful children and happy families?

Here is some additional information from Amazon.com about Mamarazzi by Stacy Wasmuth:

Calling all mamarazzis! Every camera-toting mom will want this guide!

Moms, if you can’t seem to take enough great photos of the children in your life, this is the book for you. Now you can learn how to photograph children with the style, clarity, color, and beauty you see in professional photographs. This fun guide combines humor with solid know-how to show you how to compose shots, handle cameras from basic compacts to advanced dSLRs, take portraits or candids, create prints that impress, and even work with kids! Packed with beautiful examples and written in a down-to-earth style from one mom to another, this book will help mamarazzis everywhere take better photos.

Moms are one of the fastest-growing segments of the camera-toting demographic, and the blogosphere has a term for them, mamarazzis
Mixes information, inspiration, and fun for women who want to take better photographs of the children in their lives
Explains how to set up a camera and use the controls on basic compacts up to advanced dSLR cameras
Covers shot composition, determining settings, exposing images correctly, the essentials of printing images, how to process for clear and bright color, and more
Includes stunning examples of portraits and candids of children

So today, we are giving away one copy of “Mamarazzi – Every Mom’s Guide to Photographing Kids” by Stacy Wasmuth to one lucky The Cottage Home blog reader.

Here’s how to enter:
Please use a separate comment for each entry (enter all three times or just once….it’s up to you).
1. Tell me who you love to photograph or why you need this book.
2. Become an official follower of The Cottage Home blog.
3. Become a fan of The Cottage Mama on Facebook (click HERE to do so).

Giveaway will be open until Friday, July 15, 2011 at midnight (CST).

Jul

From Grandma with Love……..Cherry Picnic Dresses

I mentioned in my last “From Grandma with Love” post that Grandma Jane had made these adorable Cherry Picnic Dresses for the girls. So here they are – I absolutely love them and they fit perfectly!

I just love coordinating sister looks where they are matching, but not exactly the same. Mom found this fabric at her local Joann Fabric store and thought it just shouted summer picnic and I couldn’t agree more.

Matilda’s dress is so sweet with the pleated top and the button detail across the front. Her dress has three medium sized buttons in the back and has the plaid accent at the bottom. I’ve been kind of into the square neck-line lately and I think the pleated top just makes the dress!

Miss Savannah’s dress couldn’t have been designed more perfectly for her. She is really into collecting things and sticking them in her pockets (you should have seen the mound of rocks she had in her shorts the other day). These pockets are nice and large and are set at just the right height for her little hands. I also love that Savannah’s dress has encased elastic in the back which makes for a very comfortable fit. And my favorite detail of this dress is the piping that has been added in around the bodice edge……mom knows I love that piping!

What’s even more fun right now, is that the girls love to be matching. I know this is not going to last long, so I’m taking full advantage of it for right now. But with them only being 16-months apart they pretty much have the same taste in clothing and both love wearing dresses!

Thanks Grandma Jane, handmade gifts are the best!

We love all the pretty things you’ve been making and sending for the girls!

Jul

Happy Birthday Baby Girl

Happy 2nd Birthday to my baby girl, Matilda Jane!

I guess when you turn two, you’re not really a baby anymore and I’d definitely say this little lady has graduated to toddler status in the last six months. She’s been a little slow growing in the hair department so she still kind of looks my baby. But boy does she have some serious personality coming through. She is a ray of sunshine every day and I can honestly say she is a joy to parent.

There are just a few things that I would like my sweet Matilda Jane to know about what she is like on her 2nd birthday:

1. You have some of the best expressions that make your family smile ear to ear.

2. One of your favorite phrases is “I do it!”.

3. You love and adore your sister, Savannah Rose.

4. You give the best hugs.

5. You make people smile wherever you go.

6. You look adorable with your little pig tails.

7. Your favorite television show is Caillou and your favorite book is Look and See Sesame Street.

8. You sleep with your stuffed Elmo and lamb every night.

9. You love your binkie and your call it “B”.

10. Whenever your sister says something, you say “Me too!”

11. You like to spin around and around until you are so dizzy you almost fall over.

12. You love playing baby dolls.

13. We call you “Missy Boo” – a name that your sister, Savannah, came up with and it has just stuck.

14. You are incredibly snuggly and loved to be cuddled on the couch.

15. You don’t like bugs.

16. Your favorite foods are hot dogs, pretzels, macaroni and cheese, popcorn and all kinds of berries.

17. You like to dance and love showing your mama all your ballet moves.

18. You love your cat, Lily and are always looking for her.

19. You have the sweetest looking face after you wake up from your nap.

20. You light up a room and bring joy into our hearts.

So, again, happy birthday to my baby girl! We are all looking forward to your “Tea for 2” birthday party tomorrow. Thank you for being such a sweet, loving child – you are such a blessing to our lives!

We love you,

Mama, Daddy and Savannah Rose

Jul

Sew Along Design Contest Finalists

Thank you to everyone who entered the “Sew Along Design Contest” through The Cottage Home Flickr Group. There were some very creative entries which made it very hard to choose, but we narrowed it down to the top five. In no particular order, the finalists are……….

Natalie from Our Old Southern House

From Mama Reita

Amber Lou from The Paisley Cupcake

From Jessica

From Stiej

Voting is now open in the left side-bar of the blog underneath the “welcome” section. So vote for your favorite look and the person you want to win the $50 gift certificate to Fairytale Frocks and Lollipops. Voting will be open until Sunday, July 10, 2011 at midnight (CST). Good luck to all the finalists!

Jul

Strawberry Picking and Cinnamon Strawberry Muffin Recipe

Last week it was finally strawberry season here in Illinois! My husband was out of town for the week on a fishing trip with his dad, so the girls and I decided to head to our local strawberry farm to pick some fresh berries.

At the farm they give each child their own small basket and then they give each adult a larger basket. It’s not a fancy place, but it was just the perfect place for this mama and two little ladies.

The girls were very busy picking their berries. Savannah stayed very focused and picked a ton. Matilda, however, eventually decided it was best just to eat all the berries she was picking that way her basket would be empty and she could wear it as a hat.

We ended up with a huge basket of berries. Both the girls started just filling up mama’s basket and we filled it to the brim!

Once we had all our berries picked, it was time to head home and figure out what to do with all these gorgeous little red berries.

Cinnamon Strawberry Muffins

Makes 18-24 muffins

So we had picked all of these berries and I knew we needed to make something with them because, especially with my husband being away, there was no way we were going to eat this whole basket. I thought about strawberry scones and strawberry cake, but settled on strawberry muffins. I added some cinnamon to make these a little different than your average muffin and oh.my.goodness – they are delicious.

If you have any berries lying around, give this recipe a try. It’s heavy on the cinnamon and heavy on the sugar – two of my favorite things. And the tops get super-crunchy and delicious. You’re going to love it!

Ingredients:

1 lb. fresh strawberries, hulled and cut in half
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 sticks butter, melted
1 1/4 cup milk
2 eggs

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Prep your strawberries by taking the tops off and cutting them in half. Some of our berries were pretty tiny so I just left those whole.

Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl, except for the sugar. In a separate bowl, combine all wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and combine. Toss your strawberries with the sugar.

Add strawberry/sugar mixture to the muffin mixture and fold in gently to combine.

Spray two muffin pans with non-stick cooking spray (you could also use muffin liners, if you prefer). Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup and fill each muffin tin just about to the top.

Place in oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the muffins comes out clean.

Allow muffins to cool and then remove from pan. If you do not plan to eat your muffins that day, I suggest freezing them. Strawberries tend to make baked goods kind of soggy if they sit too long.

Place them in a freezer bag and lay them flat in your freezer for the initial freeze. You can pull the muffins out one at a time when you are ready to eat them, microwave for about 45 seconds and they literally taste like you just pulled them out of the oven. This is also a great technique if you have guests coming for a visit and you want to bake prior to their arrival or for a quick breakfast before work or school.

We only have one of these muffins left and looking at this picture is making me think, I need to walk immediately into the kitchen and pull it out of the freezer. YUM!

Jul

From Grandma with Love…..Cowgirl Princess Quilts and Ruffle Pillows

I love my mom. I know I’ve told you all that before, but she really is the best! So thoughtful, kind, understanding, a good listener and I could go on and on, but I know she reads the blog and I don’t want her to get a big head or anything.

She has really been taking a lot of time lately sewing some fun things for my girls and I just had to share her most recent creation with you.

My mom lives in Texas and she said that when she found this Cowgirl Princess fabric she knew she MUST make these quilts for the girls.

Isn’t that fabric just adorable?

Mom made both Savannah and Matilda each a Cowgirl Princess quilt and a matching ruffle pillows. I love the piecing and framing she did around the border of the quilt. It really makes the fun cowgirl princess fabric stand out in the middle.

My mom quilted the center fabric with what she calls her “lasso” technique. She used her free motion quilting foot to make the stitching look like little lassos. She said she thought something was missing when she finished the quilts so she went back around the center panel with this decorative scallop stitch. Genius! I’ve used this same stitch on the edging of dresses, but would never have thought to use it on a quilt.

The pillows are adorable and are perfect size for little toddlers. Because she made the pillowcases smaller, she also made an interior pillow to fit inside each case. My daughter, Matilda, refuses to sleep with any other pillow right now. This is the one she loves.

I love handmade gifts and I love that my mom takes so much time to make fun things for my girls. And honestly, even though my little ladies are young, they really appreciate handmade. They love getting things from Grandma and tell anyone who will listen all about the fun things that have been made for them.

Thanks for the adorable Cowgirl Princess quilts and pillow sets for the girls. They love them and we love you! Yeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaw!!!

PS: Since I took these pictures, we have since received the most adorable cherry picnic dresses from my mom – I can’t wait to share those with you next!

Jul