another fun web site

In my week of lounging recovering on the couch I had the opportunity to do A LOT of reading on the internet. And I was pleased to find a ton of blogs with great ideas for sewing, crafting, giveaways and things to do with your kids. One such blog is Make and Takes. Marie is a mom with a new baby and 2 other kids. She has great ideas for kids crafts, snacks and other recipes. I made these grape-sicles yesterday - and Alison thinks eating anything of a stick is cool - so these were a hit!

A great recipe of hers is Rosemary Peasant Bread. I substituted dried oregano since I don't have any rosemary. It is so easy - there's no kneading involved just some rising time. It really does remind me of Macaroni Grill's bread and I can start it on Sunday when I get home from church and still get a nap!!

We made some of these sponge toys and they were so easy it's crazy! And Alison loves playing with them in the bath.

Here are a few more of her posts that I plan on trying out:

Semi-Homemade Donuts

Strawberry Fruit Leather

Muffin Tin Mealtime

Felt Sugar Cookies

Stuffed Fabric eggs

I love how quick and simple all of these ideas are. Thanks, Marie!

Denise's Bag and a Short Little Story

Here is the latest bag installment! This bag is for Denise, who cleaned my teeth. I used Moda's Flutterby by Tula Pink (the background on her blog is the same design I used for the lining, cute!). I love the way it turned out! I also figured out that fusible fleece is WAY easier to use than sew-in. AND I found a couple of tutorials at Sew, Mama, Sew! that really helped me out.

Here are a few other shots so you can see what the bag looks like. Wider (6") at the bottom for all your stuff. Long strap that can be worn messenger style (perfect for wearing under a Baby Bjorn and having your hands free without your bag sliding off your shoulder). 2 roomy pockets for diapers/wipes/wallet/chapstick/stuff you don't want lost at the bottom of the bag.

It's wide enough and tall enough to fit in file folders/papers. And soft sided enough to cram in 2 sweaters, 2 blankets, treats, water,bottle,camera,stuffed bear, and a few other necessities (I know! I had to do this one night when we went to an outdoor concert!). I also like that it is easy to dig around in with a wide opening - great for when you are managing a baby and trying to get your car keys out! Really, quite a versatile bag!

I didn't realize I hadn't written about how I started making these bags. So here' s a short little story.

I discovered Amy Butler's fabrics while browsing a Hancock's of Paducah catalog at my mom's house . I thought to myself, "Have I been living under a rock? Why didn't I know about her before?!" I was so excited to see some fresh designs for fabric. Joann's selection wasn't cutting it for me. So I entered the world of online fabric shopping - which was a little difficult, since you don't get a really good feel for how a big piece is going to look. But I needed a new diaper bag and the Lotus Wallflower in Sky was the perfect pick! I got the fabric and was overwhelmed with how unbelievably awesome it was! The colors, print and quality of the weave was amazing. I'm now officially a fabric snob.

I have a problem though. I love looking at the fabric. I'm afraid to cut it up and mess it up! I ordered it in November and didn't start the bag until April. I didn't have a pattern, but knew sort of what I wanted. Sooooo, I drew out some sketches made up a pattern and a bag was born! I was so happy with how it turned out. It's probably my favorite of anything I've made.

So, I went to the dentist a couple of weeks later and one of the hygienists walked by and said, "Hey! Cute bag!". And then she brought someone else in to show it to them. And then my hygienist starting asking me about it. When they found out I made it, they all wanted to know if I was selling them and that if I wasn't I should and if I would make them one and how much would I charge.

So I left the dentist that day with clean teeth and two orders for bags. It was really fun picking out fabrics for them. They let me surprise them and when I went back the next week to show them the fabric they loved what I picked out. I decided that if I am going to sell these then it needs to be fun for me and worth my while. Because really, I have 2 other things more important to worry about (Alison and Andrew!). One of the things that makes it so fun is working with gorgeous fabrics. So I won't be duplicating any bags. How boring to make 10 bags ALL the same. blech.

So I'm taking orders! The fun is in the details! I'm getting ready to open an Etsy shop too - stay tuned! And I'll probably be selling more than just bags. Really this is all just a way to feed my fabric addiction!

Nursing Cover

I suffer from i-can-make-that-itis. Have you seen all the cute nursing covers that are out now? What a great way to use some cute fabric and get some privacy all in one! So I studied a few, bought some fabric and whipped a couple of them up yesterday. I wish I'd had one when I got on a plane with Andrew when he was 5 weeks old. Oh well.

Thanks to my friend Cathy who modeled for me with my baby instead of hers (he was taking a nap).

This fabric is from the Bleeker Street collection by Michele D'Amore for Marcus Brothers Textiles.

Mollie's Bag

Yay! Another completed project! I'm feeling pretty good about finishing anything lately - baby boy is requiring so much more time and big sister is being really patient with me. The unexpected appendectomy a week ago certainly threw a wrench in my attempts at productivity too. Oh yeah, and then my iron decided to freak out on me again this morning and melt the interfacing on the bag. Luckily it was a tiny spot and NOT noticeable. And thankfully Rowenta is paying to ship it to them this time to inspect it. I love my iron - I don't like how unreliable it's been so far. But I didn't want this post to turn into a rant about that. I'm reserving final judgement to see what happens . . .

I used Michael Miller's Multi Posey border print and coordinating pods in pink for the lining.

Another Fabric Rush

See that little "win this quilt" button over there on the left? Yep - someone is GIVING THIS AWAY!! I don't understand how they can part with it, but I have entered myself in the drawing and by blogging about it here I get more chances to enter! If you click on the picture it will take you to the blog with the details.

There are lots of blogs out there giving stuff away every day. I figure if I keep commenting I'll win something eventually! but I REALLY want this quilt. I see stuff like this and think to myself, "how come I can't come up with something this great!" I love the juxtapositions of all the different colors and yet somehow it all still goes together. I'm not a risk-taker. I think that's my problem. Maybe I should work on that.

Don't risk letting me know that you lowered my chances of winning by entering too! haha Just kidding. If someone i know wins it, I might just need to "borrow" it for while. . .

Update: Garden and other stuff

My attempts at being productive this summer seem to get stymied at every turn. I haven't been able to sew as much, because, well frankly having a 5 month old a two year old doesn't leave a lot of time for the leisurely things. And I don't have the room to drag everything out all the time. I have been reading a lot of crafting/sewing blogs though. I will have to add them to my sidebar.





The biggest problem though came about 11 pm on Friday night when I went into the operating room to have my appendix taken out. Yep, that's right. The good thing is, at least I'll know I won't ever have appendicitis again! I've been lazing all over the couch this week reading blogs and getting motivated to be more creative, productive, and interactive with my kids. Now, if I could just feel well enough to do it!

So the big lesson of gardening I've learned this summer is that as long as you do a lot of prep work and get some strong plants, you can be incapacitated for a week, and with the rain we've been having, your garden will do just fine. (However I did take this pics last week before I got sick). Maybe I'll hobble out there in a little bit to check on everything. I can see from the window that my Zinnia's are blooming.

My first harvest: cuke, cherry tomato, jalepenos

Cherry tomato plant with a side of dahlias

Zinnia bud - I love the color and it was just a random packet - lucky me! Beets - mmmmmm.

Salute to a Classic

I have decided to come clean about my love of hot dogs. I know, I know, the stories that go on about what is in them, the ordinary-ness of them, the kid-ness of them, they're oh-so-very plain, really. And yet - I can't go to a barbecue and NOT have one!! I love them - I used to be embarrassed by it, but now the hot-dog lover in me is ignoring my inner health nut and I am declaring:

I LOVE HOT DOGS!!

So in honor of BBQ season and my love of them I dedicate this post to the all-American hot dog.

Here is a video from the National Hot Dog Council (what? people get PAID to promote hot dogs?). I am especially pleased to hear them address the proper use (or non-use) of ketchup on a dog. Side-note: I like mine with plain yellow mustard and some sweet relish.

Okay, so there you have it, from the experts. Now, another interesting bit. America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Illustrated are my current favorite recipe destinations. They just did a piece ranking hot dogs with their panel of tasting experts. Read about which dogs are the best HERE.