This is a very special sneak peek at some of my Christmas Projects this year. I will post full pictures after the gifts have been given...
Secret Gift #1:
Secret Gift #2:
hmmm...
I hope everyone has a great time celebrating the holidays.
My current Crochet Projects are TOP SECRET works in progress for the holidays... so I figured I'd post on a new crafty obsession of mine!
I started taking some sewing classes at Craftorama on South Congress- this super-friendly, hip, fun shop.
My interest in sewing began when I made handbags a few years ago for Christmas. I wanted to line the bags, but had no idea how. I attempted to whip stitch them by hand, but the result was messy and the construction was shoddy.
Sewing machines seemed ridiculously intimidating to me not to mention prohibitively expensive.
But, recently, when I made my crocheted dress, I realized how great it would be to sew a dress that had crocheted embellishments or was lined. In addition, I've become interested in making more crocheted bags which I would love to line. And I also thought that understanding sewing patterns would help me with designing more crocheted clothing items.
So, I signed up for a beginning sewing class at Craftorama.
It was shockingly easy and a lot of fun. It was almost bizarre to me how fast I could make something. I frequently tease knitters whose projects take longer than my crocheted ones... but this machine sewing thing really beats all. I love it!
I made an adorable little tote bag in cowboy print.
Here is the back and the detail on the button and pocket.
I was able to get a Janome 625 at a HUGE discount. It was used as a floor model at the Maker Faire in Austin and so was "out of the box". Originally, I had been planning on getting the cheaper, base model... but the 625 is one that I can grow into... not to mention with the discount, they were very close in cost.
The Sew and Vac store offers a free session on getting to know your sewing machines and are experts at fixing them. In their new space, they are going to offer lots of sewing classes and will have tons of fabrics.
I was still a little bit intimidated, though, so I decided to take another class at Craftorama to get more comfy with the machine.
I took a wrap skirt class and check this out!
I totally want to make a ton of them. I think it'll be great practice at sewing straighter lines... and not only that, but the skirt is super cute and one size fits most! whoop! whoop!
The varigated yarn is actually Belgian yarn that my Aunt Kathy gave to me. She bought it years and years ago - and like any yarn that's taken care of, it's in excellent condition. Also up for auction...
The cutest lil' boots in Texas!
Adorable Cowboy Baby Booties for a brand new Native Texan ;)
They are soo tiny and cute. I want to make a ton of pairs in every color. These were done in Caron Simply Soft Chocolate and Red Heart Buff yarn. I actually followed a pattern for once... and was impressed with myself for not changing it up too much ;)This year for Thanksgiving, I hosted some friends at my place for an Orphan Thanksgiving. Anyone is invited who is around and doesn't have family around for Thanksgiving and everyone who comes contributes something to the meal.
At first I was worried because most of my friends had plans or things to do. And for awhile, I thought it was going to be just me and my friend Dawn. The response to my orhpan thanksgiving email was mixed - with one person actually thinking I was having real orphans over to my place for dinner. Oops.
As the day grew closer, more and more friends were excited to come and it ended up being 6 of us... which is really the perfect number.
I don't have the pics yet from the dinner... but I do have some pics of the things that I made and wanted to share some recipes and variations that I did.
Tablespoons)... and I also stirred in Garlic Salt into the potatoes. I used a ricer (which is the BEST way to make mashed potatoes quickily and easily - it's amazing). Also, used whole milk... probably about 1/2 a cup. My other addition was Rosemary. I cut some up fresh rosemary and stirred it in at the very end. I used more fresh rosemary to garnish and sprinkled Garlic Salt and Pepper over the top. I made these early and put them into the oven to warm them up just before serving. My apartment smelled amazing from the roasted garlic (pictured at left).Apple Crisp
Apple Crisp is one of my absolute favorite things to make. It's very simple and quick and seems to encompass all things Autumn. There are tons of recipes out there... and I've basically combined several... but also have made it so many times that I don't really follow a recipe. So I'll just write down what I do.
You Need:
2 Large Apples - I normally use Gala or Granny Smith, but those varieties were looking very picked over at the market. So for yesterday's crisp- pictured above, I used 2 HoneyCrisp Apples.
Lots of Cinnamon Sugar. I go through a lot making this recipe, I would get a new bottle of it - or make your own by mixing Ground Cinnamon with Sugar.
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
3/4 Stick of Butter (I use unsalted sweetened butter)
1/2 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup Oatmeal (uncooked)
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract (I actually don't measure this or the spices, so it's an estimation - feel free to use more or less!)
3/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/8 Teaspoon Cloves (optional)
What to Do:
Pre-Heat Oven to 375.
Grease a square or round baking pan.
Pour cinnamon sugar onto a plate in a thin layer.
Peel and Slice apples. I use an Apple Corer which cuts the apples into 4 slices, then I cut those slices in half.
Roll apples in the cinnamon sugar, lightly coating them.
Place apples into the baking pan. Feel free to layer them evenly. I usually end up with about 2 layers of apples.
In a bowl, mix together the Brown Sugar, Flour, Oats, Spices. Cut in the butter and mix it all together. Pour the mixture over the apples in the pan.
Bake in the oven for about 30 mins... or until the apples are nice and tender (ie, you can easily slide a knife into the apples).
Voila! Yummtastic! I recommend serving warm with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream on top. The vanilla ice cream really brings out and balances the spices.
I made two of these yesterday... one for the dinner and one for a friend who doesn't love baking. Apple Crisps are very quick to make and always are a big hit.
Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie
The above picture is the only one I got of the pumpkin pie that I made... kind of an afterthought!
I love pumpkin pie... and love making it. It's very easy and the smell is always just amazing. I'm a big fan of making pumpkin pie from a real pumpkin... but, this year I didn't have the time. Actually, I wasn't even going to make pumpkin pie this year... but then I saw this Paula Deen Special on the Food Network on Sunday... and her pie recipe inspired me to give it a shot. She used APPLE BUTTER in her pie. I love love love apple butter... so I knew I had to try it.
I made about 30 mini pumpkin pies from the recipe for work on Wednesday. Actually, I did 1/2 of the pies from the Paula Deen recipe and 1/2 from my old recipe. Both went quickly. I made a few changes, though, from that trial run to the pumpkin pie that I made yesterday.
This is the Paula Deen Recipe....
and here's my input :o)
I added a little more brown sugar... and I also added 1/8 teaspoon of Cloves. I love Cloves in pumpkin pie. I used organic canned pumpkin. Also, for my trial run, the apple butter I used was not that great. It was very thin and light - almost like an apple jam. The spices in it were very light. I really recommend using as "authentic" an apple butter as you can, ie as close to homemade as possible. It should be dark in color and very thick. You should be able to smell the AllSpice! The second time, I used Apple Butter that was more authentic. It cost me more, but it was the right consitency and made a HUGE difference.
Anyway - other than that, I followed Paula's recipe... and it was a big hit ;o)
Thanks and hope everyone had a great holiday! I'll Post Part II when I get the pics from my guests!
So we all know that I love to make insanely insinful, uber-decadent desserts. That being said, like to avoid giant swings in my blood sugar...
I finally found a dessert for ME.
Awhile back, my friend Miriam and her son were visiting Austin and we went to Home Slice Pizza. They accidentally brought us the wrong pizza. While we waited for our new one, they brought us a consolation prize - in the form of a small dessert cup with a spoonful of dessert ricotta.
I had never had anything so creamy and delicious. It was like ice cream, but richer - creamer, and fresher. Amazing.
I was at the grocery store and saw ricotta yesterday and thought - hey, I wonder if I could make a healthy version of that thing?
I picked up the part-skim variety of it... and created a tasty treat!
Basically, you take a 1/2 cup of part skim ricotta cheese. Get the good stuff that's nice and smmmmmooth.
Stir in some Vanilla Extract and a packet of splenda.
That's it.
I thought I was really smart- then I googled it this morning and discovered that this is actually a huge Low-Carb/South Beach Diet dessert.
So, I'm not that clever.
But.... it is tried and true... and there are lots of other ideas all over the internets like adding a bit of peanut butter and some chocolate syrup...
or lemon extract! or strawberries! or... chocolate chips!
The dessert has lots of protein and not a lot of sugar... so it doesn't cause big swings in sugar for me...
and it tastes great :)
I thought it was beginning to look more masculine.
So after a few weeks of doing way too much, I decided last weekend that I needed a veg weekend. Just me, my kitties, some yarn, and the Gilmore Girls.
Hello!
The week of my dad's birthday (July 29th), I decided to make him a blanket. I had made him one hurriedly the last time I visited that I was not impressed with. I really wanted to take the time to make him something that I thought would better suit him.
I had skeins and skeins of yarn of various colors that I thought could potenially work well together and I realized that a scrapghan might be both a good stashbuster and something that would look more interesting.
I went through my stash and found mostly cool colors that were more masculine (somehow, I didn't think fuscia fun-fur would float my dad's boat). I ended up with about 14 colors that I thought might work and decided that my Caron One Pounders of Navy would be a good main color.
I looked through my books and decided to make the scrapghan in the double wave stitch from 
Donna Kooler's Encylopedia of Crochet (my favorite resource for stitch descriptions). I took her explanation of the stitch and just multiplied it out for the length that I wanted it to be (long enough to cover a full sized bed). After I was about halfway done, I found this awesome pattern by Dot called Scrumptious Scraps Afghan... which is not the same (she has an extra row that I don't have- and hers is horizonatal instead of vertical)... but if you are looking to do something similar, I think her pattern is really cool! Most importantly, she explains how to do the Russian Join... which I sooooooooo wish I had learned before I started this bad boy. I mean, check out these evil demon ends (picture at left). For those of you that don't stitch, all of those ends must be woven into the blanket when you are finished (unless you choose to make fringe). Those ends took me several hours to weave in and it's pretty mindless/tedious work.
To be honest, when I started this, it just looked hideous to me... and I started refering to it as the ugly blanket! (sorry, Dad!). The very beginning, it just looked odd. Didn't quite blend well and I really wasn't sure if I was going to finish it! Though, the ugly blanket and I had good days and bad days. Some days, I looked at it and thought, What was I thinking?
Other days, I lay it out on the bed and just ran my hands over the texture and loved it. So, we had a love/hate relationship. This blanket was also my biggest project to date. I have done blankets before that were equal in size to this one, but this one was the most time intensive. I used a smaller hook (I) and mostly worsted weight yarn. In other blankets that I have made in just a few hours, I used a larger hook and either thicker yarn or multiple strands of worsted weight. Staring at the blanket over a period of a few weeks, there were times when I really questioned myself and the way that it was turning out. I was worried that the Ugly Blanket was getting Uglier instead of coming together.
Here is a picture of the blanket laid out on my bed when I had about 2 feet left to do.
Of course, the completed blanket really came together and it does look good. But I gotta tell you, there were days along the epic journey of the blanket where I almost stopped and started a new one.
But... I'm glad I did it. Beacause it actually looks good finished... and more importantly, my dad loves it.
Here are my cats testing out the nearly complete blanket (just prior to me making a border of 1 row of Single Crochet and 2 rows of double crochet). And yes, this blanket heretoforth will no longer be refered to as the Ugly Blanket ... 
Because the worsted weight yarn was a bit rough (I used a lot of Red Heart yarn from my stash), I washed the blanket with fabric softener and also used 2 dryer sheets. The result is a very snuggly blanket!
My dad received it yesterday and is really happy with it! I guess it's just getting a little cooler in North Carolina, so he's looking forward to wrapping it over his shoulders for evening reading. He said that the stitches were very mathematical (uh, leave to my dad to see the math!) and he was happy to extend the celebration of his birthday a few months ;) .
So yay! Scrapghan Complete! Finished size? Large enough to top a full sized-bed... defintely perfect for my mom and dad to snuggle under while watching a movie. Total time? I think at some point, each color + main color (4 rows) were taking me just over an hour each.
I also just received pics of a hat that I made over a year ago for a friend of mine who was expecting! Here is the post from last June when I made it. Her little girl is now a year old and this hat hasn't fit her since her first week :o)
But, I thought I would share the pic of her wearing it!
Sooo cute!!!
Thanks for reading :o)
I wanted to spread the word about a fundraising website that my friend Marty decided to start for her daughter Casey. Despite a healthy pregnancy, Casey has had a really rough start to her life. She is legally blind, has little hearing, and can't swallow, gag, or blink. Marty used to work with me, but after Casey was born she decided to become a SAHM so that she could make all of Casey's medical appointments, which are multiple every week, and give Casey the around the clock care that she needs. Marty is a good friend of mine and I'm really glad that they set up the new site to tell Casey's story and to help raise money for her care, which is mostly out of pocket. They are selling Casey bracelets (Like the Lance Armstrong ones) for $4 and raising money for specific goals – like a special needs stroller. Of course, keeping Casey in your thoughts and prayers works, too! She's a brave little girl and a figher, but she appreciates support and encouragement :o)
Here is Casey's site
Please feel free to pass along this info and let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks!
This picture shows the actual color:
Here's a fun lil test...
This test measured 4 variables.
First, this test measured if you place a higher value on words or actions. Both have their own advantages. For instance a skilled negotiator and a skilled firefighter both save lives.
Second, this test compared your intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligences. Simply put intrapersonal intelligence means you understand yourself, while interpersonal intelligence means you understand others.
Third, this test measured if you are more book smart or street smart. Book smart people may be more interested in a variety of topics, while street smart people focus on the most relevant information. Smurfette is very street smart, while Poet Smurf is not.
Fourth, this test measured if you prefer an artistic or functional approach to life. Artistic people may concentrate more on details and ambiance, while functional people focus on if it works. In this case Vanity Smurf would be considered Artistic while Hefty Smurf just wants to lift stuff up.
You are more action driven, more interpersonal, more book smart, and more artistic.
Let's find out why Handy Smurf is the best choice for you!
Handy Smurf is definitely a smurf of action. An unrecognized genius, he can build anything. His trouble lies in his inability to convince others that his inventions are practical. You may not be quite the handysmurf, but you understand the value of hard work. Your high interpersonal intelligence suggests that you know other people well. Handy Smurf loves sharing his inventions with others. There is no doubting that Handy Smurf is very book smart. How else could he invent so many unique things. Unfortunately with his poor street smart skills he probably couldn't sell anything. Like Handy Smurf you appreciate knowing about a diversity of topics. Of course art and beauty is very important to Handy Smurf in his unique inventions. You also seem to appreciate art, creativity and design.
The 16 possible smurf categories are...
Lazy Smurf, Slouchy Smurfling, Hefty Smurf, Papa Smurf, Jokey Smurf, Grouchy Smurf, Sassette Smurfling, Grandpa Smurf, Handy Smurf, Dreamy Smurf, Painter Smurf, Poet Smurf, Baker Smurf, Vanity Smurf, Smurfette, Tailor Smurf
Hey, don't be like Lazy Smurf. If you liked this test, please rate it highly to let others know. Thanks!
| Link: The Smurf Personality Test written by greencowsgomoo on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test |
ok - so get this -
The hot pink ami monkey I made for Miriam and posted yesterday was stolen off her desk!
can you believe it?!?!?
She didn't even have it for a day.
*sending out evil vibes to someone who would actually steal the ami monkey*
Hot Pink Monkey for Miriam
Miriam's birthday was awhile back... so of course, I just recently sent her a birthday present. The pics of the scarf are soon to come... for now, here are some pics of the Hot Pink Monkey I made her.
As usual, no pattern... the eyes are doll eyes and the flower is a Swarovski crystal bead, both from Hobby Lobby.
Enjoy!
So, I was tagged for the first time... by dear Kate, who is proud to be an Okie From Muskogee.
here's my random, somewhat self-indulgent facts...
1. I am also slightly ambidextrous. I write left-handed almost always, but can write easily/legibly right, too. Writing right-handed is easier for me than left on chalkboards and desks at school (most of those desks were right-handed anyway). I draw a lot of the time with my right hand... mostly kick and throw right, but can throw/kick left. I crochet right-handed99.9% of the time... but can crochet left, too... and have taught both.
2. I am the second youngest out of six kids.... and my dad is the youngest of six. I am the only one in my family who does not have curly hair. I'm also the only one that doesn't not excel at math... which makes it even stranger that I'm the one working in finance.
3. I've worked as a children's party performer while moonlighting as a drag queen stage manager. I've also worked at an elevator repair company, shipping warehouse, and dialysis center.
4. I tore 3 ligaments in my ankle at the same time once... and the bone didn't break.
5. I have had 2 out of the 4 strains of mono.
6. I spent most of my Saturdays in high school either at the Cleveland Museum of Art drawing or taking care of my Grandma. I think I watched The Sound of Music and Frank Patterson Tours Ireland about a hundred times with her. And I know both almost verbatim.
7. I used to hate cats. For a long time I just didn't get them and was a 100% dog person. Now I am a faithful servant to two of them.
8. I was born in Santa Monica, Ca and we moved to Cleveland, Oh when I was 3 mos. old. I lived in Cleveland until I was 18, then I ended up living in Los Angeles for 9 years and worked in Santa Monica for 3 of those years.
tagged:
my sister thomas, and other family jewels
the siren (ask me for link, please) :)
bridgid.net
jen messes with texas
karen
Drea
Betht
Amanda
The pictures from the June vacation are trickling in... and now I have some more pictures to share of things crocheted for the lil' guys.
Next up: A Sheep For Atticus
So, I had made Atticus the elephant which he liked. But, he LOVED the dragon hand puppet. love Love LOVED it.
Of course, I had to make him a puppet. I had some fuzzy white yarn that I had packed on accident and it looked like a sheep's wool. Sheep it was!
I thought about Shaun the Sheep in Wallace and Gromit and tried to make him look like my mental image of him.
He turned out kind of poodle like... but here he is anyway giving Mr. Atticus a kiss.
and from the side... you can see hints of his big, long pink tongue:
