Today

Just a preview. By the end of the night these stacks will be a gift for a little boy who will soon be born!

Is it Christmas Yet?

 Normally, I would not show off a future Christmas present, but I just cant help it. I finished this lap quilt this weekend and just had to share! Its bright, cheery and festive. The fabric is the Flurry by Kate Spain for Moda and the quilt was made with a layer cake. Very simple design, very happy I purchased the fabric during a Christmas in July Sale! Saved so much! total quilt cost me around $45 to make! Which is very good!

 The person this is for loves snowflakes, so I choose the red snowflake print for the back!

 I used a solid green for the binding and I really like how it worked out. Oh and I finally put my tag on before I made my quilt sandwich! Proud of myself for remembering. Anyway, I am happy with it and had to share!

Lewie would also like to point out that he was a good dog and watched from the couch instead of laying on the quilt while I made it!

Love A Lamp

One day about a month ago i stumbled upon this blog post...

http://hodgepodge-babselou.blogspot.com/2010/01/midas-touch-another-thrift-lamp.html

ever since that day I have wanted to fill some of the empty space on my end tables with a old lamp that look brand new.

A lamp that when I looked at it, it would instantly make me smile. A lamp that instantly make me smile can not be found at ikea, or at target. However, those store do tend to try hard with there low prices and sometime creative colors.

Anyway, I was in Spokane and on a random little trip to find a boutique fabric store, which was of course closed, Trish and I ran in to a little funky store where i found this lamp...

Pretty huh? OK its down right dated and ugly. But look at its cool shape!!! Never mind that odd extra tall lampshade, that can be replaced! After all, look at this price!

The lamp functioned well, and even came with a light bulb! The shape of it reminds me of a genie lamp.

The lamp even had a button so I don't have to reach up in to the shade to turn it on! Another plus!

OK so this is what I did to make it pretty....

I first had to find a new lamp shade. The first one I tried was to small, but this one I think worked great with the proportions.

Next, I taped up the eclectic part and took the lamp outside and found a semi sunny spot without weeds to place the lamp on

.

Next I shook up the spray paint! and......

 

Sprayed about 2 coats quickly! Totally loving the color!

After it dried I put the lamp shade on and put the lamp in its new home!

The purple looks a lot darker dried, but still more purple than these pictures make it appeared.

I debated adding a little silver trim to the lamp shade but I am glad I didn't. I like the simplicity of it. It keeps your eye on the shape of the lamp.

The glossy paint came out perfect!

And now my lamp lives happily in its new home!

 Cost of this project:

Lamp: $5

Lamp shade at target size large: $14.97

Purple Glass Spray paint (found at home depot) 3.98

Total for my new one of a kind lamp: $23.95

UNDER $25 FOR A COOL LAMP!  

BEFORE                                              AFTER

I just love this lamp!

grumpy side of the morning

Do you ever wake up start your day and just feel stranded in the grump funk. that was me this morning, Nothing could have made me in a better mood, not my poodles, not my husband, not even starbucks (realizing this I didnt stop and stuck to office coffee). I really dont have a reason to be such a grump, but i am..So i an effort to cheer myself up and get out of the grumpy side of the morning and on to the happy side of the morning I am going to make a list of  little things that make me smile....

1. my voicemail light not being on when i get in to work
2. string cheese
3. old houses that are kept up and charming
4. "down in the muddy muddy, children of the lord" part of the rise and shine song
5. someecards.com
6. conversations with little kids
7. playing tag
8. getting my hair washed at the salon
9. winning words with friends
10. driving a golf cart
11. key lime pie martini on a hot day
12. when people find poodle things for me
13. hearing songs by the Steve miller band in unexpected places like the grocery store
14. fabric with amazing prints
15. sunrise that makes my mountain look pink
16. ferry rides
17. curly hair compliments
18. my g.love Pandora station
19.finishing projects
20. wine with friends

ok...now i think i am coming out of my funk...here is a morning recipe that would also help u get out of a funk...yummm

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/quiche/detail.aspx

It freezes great! and will make your tummy smile! I think i am gonna make a few tonight..yummm

New Wife Cooking

So your married now and well your husband needs to eat a little less subway and a little more at home with you. Now we both know and agree it is not 1940 but there is still something inside that might happen every week or once a month when we feel we should cook dinner.. How are you gonna pull this off...a birdy told me you are a nacho expert. Well not really a birdy but facebook did. So I am here to rescue you! well kind of,  Here are 3 recipes that are so easy. You could copy them down and tape them inside your cupboard for an easy peasy yummy dinner...


the first homemade pesto..


What you need:
a blender or food processor
2 cups fresh basil
1hand full of walnuts or pin nuts (walnuts are cheaper)
some garlic
olive oil
whole wheat noodles
Parmesan cheese


First - wash the basil
second - cut out the stem parts of the leaves.
third - boil water for noodles
fourth - put basil and a table spoon size splash of olive oil in the blender
fifth - blend basil and add olive oil till you get the consistency you would like. It will be very pasty at first.
sixth - add noodles to water
seventh - blend in your handful of nuts and a little bit garlic
eight - strain noodles when they are done
ninth - serve up noodles with some of your yummy sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan


yummmm!


Next we have a cold stormy day meal that does take a little time but it is SOOOO worth the effort! These are homeade noodles my favorite thing ever. I like them best made in to a simple chicken noodle soup.


what you need:
Rolling pin
pizza cutter
large pot
2 cups flour - white or wheat or you can do a mixture
2 Eggs beaten
2 table spoons of oil
5 tablespoons of water
1/2 table spoon of salt
some chicken broth - i usually buy the sodium free kind in a huge can. You need a least two huge cans


I a huge bowl combine the flour and salt. Than mix in the water, oil and beaten eggs. Stir for a while until dough can be formed in to a ball. Wrap dough in plastic and let it sit at room temperature for an hour. Now go for a run, vacuum, look at etsy, or dogs that need homes. Whatever. After your hour is up get out a huge pot and dump your broth in to it and set it on high so it can get to a boil. While your waiting for that to boil flour your counter and roll out your dough hafe the ball at a time. Little tip, you can freeze your rolling pin because the dough wont stick to cold as bad, and also flour it as you go. When it is thinned out use your pizza cutter and cut long noodles as wide or thin as your would like. Than set aside on a towel and do the other half. Usually my broth is ready about this time and since I am impatient I usually start dropping them in. So turn your broth down a little so it is not at a high boil but a lower one and drop the noodles in to the pot stirring occasionally. After all the noodles are in occasionally stir. Than after a while check on them, feel free to turn it down a little and put a lid on them. They will cook right up for a yummy dinner.


ps. you could also bake a few chicken breasts and chop them up and mix them in to the soup...yummmm


on my third memorized menu item is even simpler. you only need 3 things


a cup
orange juice
champagne


first - get out the cup - wine glass, keg cup, flute, whatever..
second - pour champagne into glass about 3/4 of the way
third - pour in a splash of orange juice
fourth - drink
fifth - smile


Now i hope this inspired you to go put on an apron and cook up some yummies..if not here are so go to websites for you...


http://www.smittenkitten.com/
http://www.allrecipies.com/
http://www.bakerella.com/

A reusable snack bag

2011 maybe the year of of my sewing addiction.

I consistently look for ideas, new projects and techniques. It has started to expand past quilts as I test my skills out on other little projects I find. I was stuck this past week on what to get/make my mom for her birthday when and idea of a reusable snack bag to take to work. Honestly the idea started with a lunch sack, but my mom usually goes home for lunch but I figured she would love to have a bag for fruit or nuts, or what ever else she takes with her to work. So I started searching google. (if you haven't heard of google i highly recommend it) and I found TONS of lunch bag type designs from the blogging world of stay-at-home moms. So i combined a few different ideas and came up with this gift for my mommy.

These are the fabrics I went with. The fruit pattern is a quilting cotton and the mustard is actually duck cloth. It is very sturdy and forms well. I figured it a smart choice because I want my bag to stand up and hold shape. :)

Next I cut out the front and the back. I only did two panels. Cutting the two layers together so they would line up perfectly. To get the rounded closure flap I traced with my disappearing fabric ink pen one of my fiesta bowls. It was just the perfect roundness.

Before I sewed the two fabrics together I put on my tag and the velcro for the closure.

 Than I sewed the two layers of each section together at 1/4 seams.

the second one!

Next thing I did was put in guide lines for the folds. I did this on the sides, and bottom. It created 2 by 2 squares in the corner bottoms that I used as my guides to flatten the bottom of my bag.

After that I sewed the two side together and made the the cuts and seems to flatten the bottom. ( I should have taken a pic of the step. It was super easy and worked great)

So here is my bag all together. The duck cloth is really working to keep it formed and in the shape I was going for.

After looking at it for a few minutes I decided to make some trimmings to give it a finished look. Luckily I had this olive green strip of a jelly roll left over from another project. I made a bias tape similar to how I i finish a quilt. First I ironed the edges to meet in the middle..

Than I ironed it in half. This way it naturally fits over the the raw edges. After it was ironed, and cooled (always so hot on the fingers as I make those strips) I sewed on the trim to give it a finished look. This ended up being the trickiest part of the whole bag. But it worked!

and here it is!

Looks pretty good I think. I just love the fabric and the trim does give it a more finished look Also loving that poodle tag! Now I am off to the store to fill it with goodies before I give it to her!

Meet Clark

Clark was found at the Tacoma Pierce Country Humane Society yesterday online via a coworker who was just looking around. Jason and I have been randomly talking about getting another dog for sometime now and just figured if one came up we would give it a home. Well one came up.

 Clark was a stray. Had been at the shelter for 10 days already and was in need of a loving home. He is a purebred poodle approx 4, and the exact same size as Lewie. When I first saw the picture I couldn't help but think he looked like Lewie's long lost brother. I didn't hesitate to call the shelter or Jason. Got the ok's from both and went on my way with my filled out application to see if Clark would be a great fit for our family. Turn out he was!

Instantly warming up to me and wanting cuddles the little guy just couldn't be left in the shelter any longer! So he got to come home. Great in the car, we went to petco and he got his own leash and collar. He will be wearing teal from now on since Lewie loves to wear blue.

We did the recommended introduction on natural territory out in the back field. There was never any growls, barks or hesitations on Lewie's part or either dogs part for that matter. Which, to be honest shocked me. After a while of hanging out in the back yard both dogs came in the house, and since than there have been no problems. It seems Lewie is welcoming Clark to the family perfectly.

 So far Clark is quieter than Lewie. He is more calm, and he doesn't like noisy toys. He loves to be close to people, and is so good on a leash! It seems too that he is house broken. He goes right away when we have gone on walks.  He does however need a real poodle hair cut. His top hair is out of control. He was fixed at the shelter so we have to wait for the wound from that to heal before he can go get his hair do. When that happens I am sure they will look like twins. :) I just couldn't be happier with how the adjustment is going.

Let the Adventures of Lewie and Clark begin....