October 29, 2009

Halloween Is Almost Here and Apples, Apples, Everywhere!

Halloween is almost here! I was busy yesterday working on a cloak or robe for part of the costume for our DGS. Here is a look at what he is going to be: Patawan from Star Wars...
http://www.padawansguide.com/robe.shtml My DD his mom made the rest of the costume... I just happened to have a piece of fleece that was brownish in nature to go for the outer cloak. When she gets some picks of him I will have to post some. Plus of the other little ones. Hope that everyone has a wonderful, fun, and safe time.
I picked more apples the other day.... like 4-5 bushels! Apples, apples, everywhere!!!! Luckily I was able to find a few more people that wanted some. Of all those, I ended up with only one of the tubs I filled. Yeahhhhh.... although my friend Karma is started to check her caller I.D. and probably doesn't want to see me coming to her front door! LoL.... So, if you want apples.... let me know! Mostly if you live in the area! Red Delicious Apples.... they make good pies, apple sauce and work great for drying.

October 26, 2009

Loser Monday

Well here we are again. Loser Monday. Hmmm, I can't complain because although I didn't lose any weight, I did stay the same! From when I lost weight after being sick! So... that is at least a step in the right direction! I hope that all of you that may be working out, trying to loose are doing at least as well. Think ahead if you can about what your going to eat. One thing that I have been doing is eating at least an apple a day! I know, that sounds pretty cheesie! But at least it isn't hurting! And I do love apples, fruit of most any kind makes me happy. And what's Fall without Apples? O.K. this isn't on the "diet list" but it's really good! And it includes apples too!
My SIL made this a few years back up in Jackson Hole when we were up there for Lotoja!

It's For Dipping Apples Into...... Yummy is all I can say!
Take one 8 ounce package of cream cheese and mix with powdered sugar to taste (try about a cup to start.... some people like it sweeter than others!) It works great to use either a food processors or an electric mixer. Mix it up until smooth. Then spread this onto a plate of some sort; as the bottom layer for the dip.
2nd layer is caramel.... try to find the kind at the store that is creamy and nice (or you can use a double boiler and melt some down) Spread this on top of the cream cheese mixture.
3rd layer is some sort of toffee candy bar (it's your choice here.. maybe you have a favorite!)
sprinkle broken up little bits of the candy bar (sometimes you can find this in the baking department of the grocery store) over the top of layer 2.
Next thing you need to do is wash off any type of your favorite apples! And then slice and core them.... we just leave the peels on, but again this is up to you!
Dip away..... it's Awesome!!!! Just remember that it's easy to get carried away eating this.... so be careful! And enjoy this Fall Treat!
Don't forget to find something to do with all your scraps! They tend to grow when placed into a basket, or bin together! Sooooo watch out! Have a fun week! Halloween is coming!

October 24, 2009

No Pictures Again!

So, I called around to a few places the other day to see about getting my camera fixed. They want me to pay more than I bought the camera for to ship it to get it fixed! yeah... I had better check out one more thing to see about the warranty! Cause this is for the birds!
Last night I spent several hours going thru my scrap stash to see what I had to make fabric block letters with. I found all sorts of bright fun fabrics and then this a.m. went to church and traced capital block letters onto fabric.... (thank you Linda C. for the help... she had gotten her's all done and helped me finish mine up!) So, two layers of fabric and 1 layer of scrap batting to sandwich in between and then sew them up and snip like you would for a ragg quilt, wash and dry.... and Wa Laa! Block letters that the grand kids can drag around, practice letters with and pretty much be entertained for a little bit here and there! Plus, I took a bunch of scraps I didn't want and the ladies helped themselves! So, it was a win-win situation! I was able to share and not waste... plus make room in my bins too!
Grandson's birthday celebration today! He is all of 4! Hard to believe that time goes past so fast at times! Since he will be getting more toys from others.... we got him some wonderful books! Curious George and also this darling book called "Where's The Dragon?" it's written by Jason Hook, and illustrated by Richard Hook. You need to see if you can find this book.... (pun intended!) they have all sorts of textures on the pictures etc... Basically the book is about a boy and his grandpa that are out Dragon hunting.... and they are everywhere... just that they blend in... so grandpa can't really see them! Cute book.... wondefully done! What can I say.... not much more than that cause we (DH and I ) are sold on it! Guess that's why we bought it!
Hope you get to do some sewing! I've done all sorts of things this week! I canned 21 quarts of peaches, helped picked about 6-8 bushels of apples, delivered about 4 of them to friends. More apples to pick next week. Picked another bushel of tomato's and need to can up a bushel of them too. Also dry some of the apples. And mail a package to my son! All in a lifes work.... hmmm?
Make sure and check your bobbin thread! You don't want to run out!

October 19, 2009

Talk About Feeling Like What The Cat Dragged In!

I feel like I had my oil drained.... and someone forgot to replenish me with new oil! Ever have that lowwww dowwwn...... feeling? Yep, the flu has stuck. I was claimed as one of the latest victims. So far DH hasn't gotten it.... and hopefully he won't because... well.... he doesn't do "sick" very well poor guy! I got hit Friday a.m. and fortunately I had only had Shredded Wheat and a touch of milk! I started drinking peppermint tea when I started feeling poorly and I really think that that curtailed a lot of misery.... for me at least! DH was at work... and came home to find me a bit worse for wear. But.... well, let's just say it's not a very good diet plan that's for sure.... but on the good point..... It's Loser's Monday..... and I've lost 5-6 pounds! I don't recommend this way to loose it though. I'm still on the weakish side and had to go to the store today to pick up a few things. DH would have done it I'm sure.... but, well I needed to get out.... at least out of the house and into the jeep! Yep, I noticed he used like 1/4 tank of gas I put in on Thursday... geee... I thought it was my new toy! He took it down to the dealership to get this and that taken care of... So, I guess I better share! Plus then last night, he took it to his folks to show his brother.

O.K. although I was sick I did spend some time reading.... If you want some good quilt pattern blocks to check out (a lot of Older ones and some newer renditions) check out this book they have full size pattern blocks in them. Grandma's Best Full Size Quilt Blocks (It's a Better Homes and Gardens book) http://www.amazon.com/Grandmas-Best-Full-Size-Quilt-Blocks/dp/0696235277/ref=pd_sim_b_1
This is what I have been browsing through.... thinking I need to make a sampler quilt maybe. Oh well.... I do have lots of idea's... some day I may get to one or two dozen of them! LoL...
Hope that your Monday is going well... Take time to check out a new pattern or two.... what's the sense of having all this sewing knowledge if a person can't just kick back and enjoy the styles..... don't bleed on your fabric!

October 13, 2009

Canning, Horse Trading, Making Bread, and A Dash of Sewing

I've been busy lately doing all sorts of things. The biggest and best... (well as far as the end factor that is!) is that we've been looking for a "new to me" car! Well not "a car" per say... I don't care for "cars".... I like Jeeps! So, since they decided to make the newer Jeep Grand Cherokee's not to my liking.... we started looking at the Commanders. This is what I call "HORSE TRADING"....... to me, looking for a new (used) vehicle is like buying a horse! Now I've never really bought a horse..... but, maybe you will understand when I paint you this picture!
You go out looking.... some salesperson shows you what he (I can't say that I've ever met a women car salesperson!) wants you to buy! You know, the one that's been on the lot forever!!!!! And then... he may actually ask you what you are interested in! Now mind you, I usually do this with my DH because he wants to find me a vehicle that is safe, clean... and runs well. What can I say.... he loves me! Anyway.... so salesperson and DH start looking at jeeps! He asks what price range we want to be in.... ahem.... and then if he doesn't have something in that area... he trys to get us to look at other types of vehicles! Or says something like.... so I understand that you are looking for something "like" a Commander! What can I say.... after hearing this type of talk from countless..... and I do mean countless..... (cause DH as sweet as he is... likes to look at all of them out there!!!) salespeople..... I counter with..... No! I don't want something "like" a Jeep Commander.... I'm only interested in a Commander! They kind of shake their heads and say sorry, you won't find one for that price! Ahem..... yeah..... he doesn't know me and DH!!!
O.K. a little more description on why I call this "Horse Trading". If you think about it, if you were going to buy a horse from someone, that means that the "horse" has had a previous owner! Which makes you wonder.... why is said previous owner getting rid of said "Horse"? So, you look at it's teeth, check it's hooves, lift the tail, make sure it's lungs are clear, make sure that it hasn't had any broken legs. Oh, and you need to know how old it is! How many trips to the vet... you get the picture right?
This is what DH does.... with each and every jeep he sees.... I'm a bit more patient that one of the sales people I feel we can actually trust (and who seems to not be pushy) will find us something we really want... and for the price we want to pay! DH.... well, he is the worrier of the two of us... so he has to do all the worrying about each and every one of the jeeps we look at!
He keeps looking on line... and calls me down to the computer when ever he finds one that pricewise, color, age etc.... fits the criteria! We looked at one after another, driving to different places in the state of Utah. And low and behold we found one we thought would be good! This on a Friday.... Monday we called back to tell them we were coming back for a second look.... It got sold on Saturday! Starting over again..... So a couple weeks back we had looked at a nice Tannish colored one.... 2006 nice..... but the price was a little bit more than I wanted to pay! So we moved onto look at another one... me patient.... DH ..... not so much! Finally this past Friday I was telling my friend Karma about what type of vehicle we were looking for and that I really didn't need a super plush type vehicle but it is the one we travel to family in etc.... over 900 one way.... so it wouldn't hurt to have it be nice.... So, the more I was describing it to her... the more excited I got and then b/4 I knew it.... I was calling the salesman that had helped us out. Dereck at Specialty Automotives in Centerville, Utah..... ( I'm not getting anything extra from saying this....) anyway... I asked if I could come see it again, he said sure.... and I looked at it! He wanted to know if I wanted to drive it again.... I said No! And said, O.K. this is the one! He said, alright... lets write up some papers! Too funny! He wasn't pushy at all! Nice guy... it was a good thing cause the guy we saw in Logan Utah.... (we won't be saying the name of the place here!) kept calling and calling! And when he called, even though he knew that the jeep was for me.... he asked for my DH. This ticked me off! After he called the 2nd time, I asked why he kept asking for my DH when he knew that it was for me.... He said, "Well, I figure that he is the one that has to decide whether or not to pay for it.... so I thought I should talk to him!"...... LoL.... he sure blew that! Oh well.... guess he didn't earn our business did he!
After I went back with DH with the $$$ the bank gave us (cause we know that the bank is really paying up front for it first!!!) we drove it home..... yeah.... talk about nice.... sorry... guess I'm gloating a bit... it's the nicest I've ever had... and only 3 years old with 37,000 miles on it! Practically new!
Next day... I went to my SIL Tammy's ward to do a demo on making white bread. The room we were in was sooooo cold.... brrrrr just doesn't describe it! I had to heat an oven to help the dough to rise.... cause the room just wasn't making it that's for sure! But eventually it rose enough and we baked it and it turned out pretty good.
I've also been making a cute little item for my friend Karma... for her belated b-day gift. We won't go into how late I am with the gift! LoL.... Anyway, it's a portable ironing mat that has pockets in a separate section. So think of a retangle that is say...... 14 x 26 inches.... (mat) and then from one end of the mat where it attaches.... a clear plastic area w/fabric on the back... it has 3 separate pockets that have zippers to get into them. It rolls up and is tied together with ribbons. If my camera was working I would be glad to show you... but alas... at this time it is not! If I get the camera fixed soon I will post a picture.

So now after everything... I forgot to tell you that I've been doing some Fall canning also... well, at least some fruit drying! I dried a 1/2 bushel of pears last week and if I do say so myself... they taste wonderful! Nothing like pears.... I need to finish up the rest and do the peaches I have also. Before we go get apples from my in-laws... tomatoes from the garden still need to be canned... and then we picked apples from our tree's too! Not enough hours in the day for everything ... guess that's why I end up doing things at night too!
Later ladies.... enjoy your week!
Today is my oldest childs B-day! Happy Birthday Ben! 32! WoW! Love Ya! MoM

October 1, 2009

Here I Go Again

So, are you tired of me yet? I just had to post once again because I went to visit Allie from Allies in stitches (http://alliesinstitches.blogspot.com/ ) . You should see what a wonderful quilt she was gifted! Oh, and beautiful lace too! Go to her blog and read about where she got both and how the person who gave her the lace gave it to her because she felt that Allie would use it! I know... your thinking again, again with the stories! Yes, and if you don't want to read this... well there are some great blogs out there to read! I was just going to say that it reminded me of a gal that I used to iron for. Yes, iron... you know when you take all the wrinkles out of clothing etc... I did that for $$$ tedious work for sure... but you can listen to music, watch T.V. and stay home with the kids. That was my purpose in life.... the kids not the t.v. or music!!! LoL... I loved staying home because I got to watch my kids grow up and not miss every new step of their lives!
Alright, back to the gal! I started sewing for this gal... her name was Stephanie! Her dad owned a car dealership (so she came from mega $$$) (this was in the 80's-90's) And when she decided to get married (the 2ND time) she wanted a "real wedding" because first time around they had eloped. So, she asked me if I could sew her a wedding dress? Ahhhhh, NO! At that point in my life I had never sewn a wedding dress b/4! And she wanted it done in a little less than a month! No way! Never! I figured that just wouldn't give me enough time. Figure 4 kids, DH and sewing a wedding dress! Plus still ironing for lots of people! Wasn't gonna happen! Well, the subject was dropped and I went on with the ironing! Meanwhile, Stephanie flew to California to get a dress she had seen in Brides magazine. Yep, the dress (the only one they had of the one she wanted!) was 2 sizes too big for her! She called and asked me if I could alter it for her?!? I said I would look at it and see. I ended up altering it and then she said that she would be loosing at least 15 pounds b/4 the wedding.... would I alter it again after she had her bridal pictures taken? Being a mom of 4 kids I guess I was a bit surprised that she thought that she could loose 15 #'s in like 2 weeks time! I told her sure. And my DH promptly called our insurance agent to make sure the dress (over $800) was insured if anything were to happen with it in our house! Oh, and then he forbade our kids to even step foot into our bedroom while the dress was in the house too! Too funny.... thinking back! I altered it the second time... it was what they call a ballerina type dress but to me it was more like a Mortisha Adams dress.... (white though!) where it hugged the body down to say the knees and then goes out into a train! Lots of beads, lace etc.... I made good money that's for sure.... well over at least half the price of the dress! I was truly glad when it was all over! Your by now wondering.... what has this got to do with the lace and quilt you first started to talk about? Yeah I know.... I'm getting to that. After Stephanie and her DH and daughter..... oh, I made the daughters dress for the wedding too! Almost forgot that! When they set up housekeeping... I was enlisted to help with all the sewing for the bedroom makeover! I sewed 2 big beautiful round table clothes for side tables... bed pillows.... where I had to cut into Batten burg lace (that hurt!... all I could think about was the person who made the lace!) to make the pillow covers. Also she had me cut up more beautiful Batten burg lace to make a dust ruffle to go around her beautiful 4 poster bed! I did get to see the room after things were put together! I mean, I had to go to her house to set up the dust ruffle for her. Anyway.... it's funny what things will take you back in your thoughts! So... that's just another memory or some of the things I've done in my sewing, ironing business.