21
Dec

Handmade Christmas Gifts

Ok, there's still time!  We have four full days until Christmas, so if you don't have all your Christmas shopping done - why not go handmade?  Handmade gifts are a wonderful way to show people how much you care about them.  I love handmade because as I am working on a gift, I am constantly thinking about the person I am creating for, imagining how they will enjoy the gift and often reflecting on my relationship with the person.While there is nothing wrong with purchasing a gift, by all means, I have purchased some gifts this holiday season, but if you have the … continue reading

20
Dec

Prime Rib

My Mom, Allen, and brother (Ben) were visiting this past weekend to celebrate an early Christmas.  As my Mom says, "Christmas is not about the day, it's about the season."  And yes, this has already been a magnificent holiday season for us and there still is lots more fun yet to come!  We had a wonderful time during my family's visit - we ate, drank, and had lots of laughs.  For our "Christmas" day dinner we decided to make my Mom's recipe for Prime Rib.Many people find prime rib to be an intimidating dish to prepare; however, my Mom's recipe is fool-proof and is … continue reading

18
Dec

He Makes Me……..

.............want to be a better person.Now that I am a mother, it is so important for myself and my husband to set a good example for our two little girls.  They may be small, but our oldest picks up on EVERYTHING.  She does the things I do, she says the things I say, she dances the way I dance........so I mean everything.As I go about my day to day life I quite often end up in certain situations where there ends up being two paths: the high-road or the low-road.  It would be so easy to take the low road sometimes, but I find myself saying......."What would my … continue reading

16
Dec

Fabric Covered Button Magnet Tutorial

Recently I have been accumulating large bags of fabric scraps since I have been sewing my little heart out over the last several months.  Some of the fabric is just gorgeous, but what to do with the little scraps?  So I decided, what better way to enjoy the fabric that I love so dearly then to make fabric covered button magnets and have these little gems on my fridge year-round.I've seen these for sale on etsy.com, so I thought I would give it a go at making my own.  There are many tutorials out there on the web for making these, but I thought I would show you how … continue reading

11
Dec

Classic Sugar Cookies

Today I baked Christmas sugar cookies with my two girls.  Well, mostly with my older daughter, Savannah.  Matilda (my 5-month old) sat in her boppy chair and watched us - she was there for moral support.I wasn't quite sure how this was going to go.  I liked the idea of doing something Christmasy with Savannah, but when I say she is my older daughter......she's not that much older at only 21-months.  Anyway, I thought we would give it a whirl - if things started to go south, I would just abort the mission - no harm done.I made the sugar cookie dough while the girls … continue reading

11
Dec

Fleece Fish Tutorial

My daughter loves fish - she particularly loves "Dorothy" (that's Elmo's fish......for those of you that don't know).  I haven't seen too many plush fish on the market, so I decided that I would make her a giant stuffed fish for Christmas. This fish is made entirely from fleece.  A lot of this project involves free-hand drawing.  It is very easy (beginning sewing) - it just takes some patience due to all the fish scales that you will be sewing on the body (but that's what makes it cool!).  Remember, the raw-edges of fleece doesn't fray, so that's why this is … continue reading

10
Dec

Three Things

"I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights." -Maya Angelou This is one of my favorite quotes.  So simple, yet so true.  There are so many people in this world that get upset over such little things in life.  And I often wonder, are those that sweat the small stuff truly happy?  If one is able to let themselves get so frustrated, angry and upset over little things, perhaps there are bigger issues at hand that are manifesting themselves in small day … continue reading

8
Dec

Cloth Baby Doll Diaper Tutorial

I have had several requests for a cloth baby doll diaper tutorial.  These were the diapers that I recently made for my daughter's friend Ava's 2nd birthday.  So ask, and ye shall receive!!The diapers were incredibly simple to make, so if you are just a beginner sewer, go ahead and give these a whirl - you will definitely be able to handle this project.  If you have a little girl (or boy) in your life, these would make a perfect Christmas gift!! I used the cloth diaper template from Skip to my Lou (www.skiptomylou.org ), but then just did things a little … continue reading

5
Dec

Baby Doll Kit

Today was my daughter Savannah's friend Ava's 2nd birthday party and we had such a great time!  It just so happens that the playgroup we attend is pretty much dominated by boys, so it's really nice for Savannah to have a girlfriend here and there. Savannah has known Ava since she was 4 weeks old and Ava was about 4 months old, so pretty much 95% of her life :-).  Ava is such a sweet girl.  She is tiny, petite, a little on the shy side, beautiful and very smart.  I'm so happy that Savannah has Ava as one of her first "girlfriends".I was trying to decided what to … continue reading

3
Dec

Garlic Shrimp Scampi

I LOVE shrimp - I mean love, love, love shrimp.  It is my most favorite food in the world.  If there is a shrimp item on a dinner menu, 9 times out of 10 that is what I will order when we are out.  However, ordering shrimp in a restaurant can be a bit pricey at times so when I find shrimp on sale at my grocery store, I always try to snatch it up.About a week ago I made this delicious shrimp scampi for my husband and I for dinner.  Now I know it was good because my husband said it about 3 times and coming from him that means my recipe was a hit!!  The shrimp were … continue reading