Monday, December 31, 2012

McCalls 5505

 
Remember my friend Mary Kay?
 
She finished her very first (EVER) sewing project.
 
 
She sewed this adorable little apron for her daughter-in-law for Christmas.
Isn't it cute?
 
Am I a great teacher, or what?
Just kidding...
She was a much better student than I was a teacher.
She even embroidered Kelly's name on it and serged her seams.
I am so proud of her; it came out perfect.
 
I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year!
See ya in 2013!

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Everything is coming down...

 
from stocking hangers...
 
 
to tree ornaments...
 
 
to snowflakes...
 
 
to the jolly ol' man himself.
 
 
It's is all boxed up and packed away till next year.
 
When do you start packing up your Christmas decorations?
Before or after the New Year? 


Friday, December 28, 2012

Friday's favorites

 
 
After Christmas sale - Bath & Body Works.
 
75% off!
 
I picked up a few of my favorite anti-bacterial foaming soaps.
 
For the kitchen...
 
 
...and the bath.
 
 
Besides the 75% off sale, I had a $10 off coupon.
I made out like a bandit!
 


Thursday, December 27, 2012

Teacher gifts


 Christmas gifts for my daughter's teachers - 5 of them.

Again, I was in such a hurry to deliver these - I forgot to take photos.
  I snapped this photo with my phone, in the car, on the way to school.
 
 
 I embroidered a wreath and their names on fingertip towels, wrapped the towel around a yummy Christmas soap from Bath and Body Works and added a Michael's gift card.
 
How cheap thrifty am I?
I didn't even need to purchase name tags!
 

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

A few Christmas gifts

 
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and looking forward to a happy New Year.
 
Now that Christmas is over, I thought I would share a few Christmas gifts I embroidered.
 
Unfortunately, I was in such a hurry to mail some of my packages, I only remembered to take photos of a few of them.
 
Matching towels for Oakleigh and Brantley's bathroom.
 

I liked the font so well on these towels, I decided to add Oakleigh's name to a RTW dress.
 
Oakleigh's dress before.
 

 
After
 
 
Whatcha think?


Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Never stop dreaming...

 

Wishing everyone peace, love and joy this Christmas - and always.


Monday, December 24, 2012

~ A little more Christmas ~


A few months ago Mr. Fisherman built me a few "old" tool boxes.
 
After seeing all the wooden boxes around the internet decorated for Christmas, I thought I would change one of mine up a bit and add a little Christmas to it.



I LOVE my "old" tool boxes.

 
I think he did a great job making them look old and worn, don't you?


Linking today to:
http://romantichome.blogspot.com/
http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/


Sunday, December 23, 2012

Brantley's Christmas stocking and a family of gingers

 
I finished sewing Brantley's stocking just in time for Santa.
 
 
Isn't this little applique gingerbread girl the cutest?
 
 
I purchase her and the gingerbread house applique from Planet Appplique.
I have purchased and stitched out several designs from Planet Applique and they always stitch out beautiful.

 
Now, all the stockings are hung and ready for Santa.
 
 Unless or until I have more grandbabies - this family of gingers is complete.
 
 
Brantley, Mommy, Daddy and Oakleigh.

Friday, December 21, 2012

Friday's Favorites - Christmas Gag Gift


~ Embroidered toilet paper ~
 
 
Yes...
It's really toilet paper.
 


                                                                  
Linking today to:






Thursday, December 20, 2012

Brrrrrr...


Tomorrow is officially the first day of winter.

 Time to bundle up and stay warm!


Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Got a sweet tooth?

 
This will definitely take care of it!

 
Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
bag of mini pretzels
12-oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
sea salt
Perheat oven to 400 degrees

1. Wrap a baking sheet with tin foil.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. As it melts, cover the baking sheet in an single even layer of mini pretzels. 
3. Once the butter is melted, add the sugar and stir to incorporate. Allow the sugar and butter to softly simmer and bubble, but don’t let it boil; adjust the heat accordingly. Stir occasionally. The browning process should take about three minutes from when it starts to bubble.
4. Once the sugar and butter have caramelized, drizzle the mixture evenly over the pretzels on the baking sheet. The caramel hardens pretty quickly so it’s important to pour it as evenly as possible from the start. If you end up with any clumps, just use a spatula to spread the caramel as best you can.  Bake the pretzel-caramel mixture in the oven for 5-7 minutes.
5. In the meantime, melt your semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave. Heat for 30 seconds at a time and stir until all the chocolate chips are completely melted.
6. When your pretzels are done take them out of the oven and drizzle the chocolate over the pretzel-caramel mixture. Again, should you get any clumps, just use your spatula to spread the chocolate evenly.
7. Sprinkle sea salt evenly over the bark. Place it in the fridge to cool and harden for about an hour.
 
Enjoy!

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Embellished Tees for the kids

 

I purchased the motorcycle design from Embroidery Library and the Paris Pretty Bella design from Planet Applique.
 
Now, look closer....
 

I added a little sparkle to her crown using my BeJeweler - CRYSTAL FIRE I blogged about here.
 
Debbie commented on that post saying she has not been able to find the BeJeweler - CRYSTAL FIRE.
I purchased my BeJeweler - CRYSTAL FIRE several years ago from Nancy's Notions.
I see Nancy's Notions no longer carries the CRYSTAL FIRE, so I did a search online and found it here for $14.95.
 
Go ahead....
add a little bling to your next project - the girls will love it!
 


Friday, December 14, 2012

Friday's Favorites


 
What girl doesn't LOVE a little sparkle?
 
Do you ever sew something and think it needs "something else", but you can't quite come up with that little extra "something" you need?
 
Why not add a little sparkle?
My favorite way to add that extra "something" is...
 
 
The BeJeweler - CRYSTAL FIRE
 
 
The crystals have heat activated adhesive on the back making them easy to apply.
I have used this applicator MANY times and have never had a crystal fall off.
My only suggestion would be to wash and dry (yes, in the dryer) wrong side out.
 
I will be posting a few gifts using my BeJeweler - CRYSTAL FIRE soon.
Hope you'll be back....



Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Team spirit!

 
Did anyone notice on yesterdays post the following comment?
 
AnonymousAnonymous said...
"I knew I should have hidden that BRITTLE before leaving for work.!!!! I counted the pieces before leaving............... just so you know!!!!"
 
I am sure by now you have figured out Anonymous is -  AKA Mr. Fisherman.
 
Not only did I NOT eat ALL the peanut brittle, but I boxed some up to ship to Arkansas with these Razorback shirts I embroidered for my nephews.

 
 
 
Hope they like them!



Monday, December 10, 2012

Breakfast of champions



~ Mr. Fisherman's homemade peanut brittle ~
 

Yum...


 

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Do you decorate your powder room for the holidays?


The decor in my home is mostly neutral or white (slipcovers, painted furniture, kitchen cabinets etc.) for a reason.
When you have a neutral background it makes it easy to change things up on a whim - new pillows, dishtowels, curtains or in this case...
the shower curtain.
 
My bath normally looks like this.
 

 Because my shower curtain is white, all I needed to do was add a little color.
 
 
In the past I used buttonholes for the hooks.
I found using grommets rather than buttonholes makes it much quicker and easier to whip this valance up in less than an hour.
 
 
Need help with those grommets?
Check out this post.
 


Friday, December 7, 2012

Friday's favorites

 
My mother was always big on traditions.

My favorite Christmas tradition as a child was
hot chocolate served with tiny marshmallows in these sweet little mugs.
 
One side was Santa.
 

The other side was Mrs. Claus.
 


Every year on Christmas Eve my siblings and I would dress in our jammies as my mother made us mugs of hot chocolate and tiny marshmallows. While sipping from our mugs we each were allowed to pick one gift from under the tree to open Christmas Eve.
 Then it was off to bed...
waiting to hear...
"Happy Christmas to all, and all a good-night!"



 
Linking today to:

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Happy Birthday Stephanie!

 
I took my niece to lunch today for her birthday.
Even though I was buying lunch, I just couldn't go empty handed.
 I stitched up a quick little dishtowel and added a yummy red velvet cupcake from a local bakery.
 
 
 
Isn't nature wonderful....
 
 
 
Linking today to:




Monday, December 3, 2012

Taking a sewing break...


... to do a little decorating.



 
If you remember we spent Christmas last year in North Carolina with our Grandbaby.
On the way home we stopped at a Cracker Barrel to eat and I found these cute
 little tea cups on sale.
 I could not wait to get them on my tree this year along with my adorable little cardinals.

 
~ It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas ~

 
 



Friday, November 30, 2012

~ Friday's Favorites ~

 
 
Pillows, ruffles and covered buttons.
 
 
 

 

~ Just a few of my favorite things ~


Thursday, November 29, 2012

Brantley's advent calendar


I have been working on Brantley's advent calendar for weeks now...


... it's finally finished!



I used this beautiful poinsettia fabric for the bias and letters, but for some reason the colors do not photograph well.
 It truly is a beautiful piece of fabric.


I have made all three of my grandbabies one.

Oakleigh's calendar is similar to Brantley's.



Kember, being our only boy, I made a bit different.




I am not sure which takes the longest...


sewing these advent calendars or wrapping all the gifts to go in them!



Linking today to:
http://diyshowoff.com/
http://www.bystephanielynn.com/
http://thecreativeitchboutique.blogspot.com/
 


Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Oakleigh's hope chest

 
As we are approaching Christmas 2012 I realized I never posted Oakleigh's Christmas gift handmade by her Papa J (aka Mr. Fisherman)
 from Christmas 2011.
 
 
The pictures don't do it justice - it is absolutely beautiful.
 
 
Not many little girls (now days) can say their Grandpa built them a hope chest that can be pass down many generations to come.
 
~ A true labor of love ~