Chicken & Dumplings on a Particularly Domestic Weekend

As a domestic wannabe, I was pretty proud of myself this weekend. OK, so I spent way too many hours online at the Ultimate Blog Party, I did manage to get in some domesticity, however!

I got up early Friday morning and put on some non-frumpy clothes despite the fact that it was a snow day. I even put on shoes and jewelry! Once I was dressed and in Beige Face mode, I donned one of my favorite vintage aprons and got to work. I'm still trying to fight that Turning 40 Soon funk that I've been in, hence the make-up and jewelry on a day off.

Once I was in full domestic mode I picked up around the house and did some light cleaning. I worked on cutting out a pattern for the March Tie One On Challenge. I made Vegan Sloppy Joes for Mark and Chicken & Dumplings for myself! Something I had never tried before and never thought I would be able to do successfully. OH, but I surprised myself 'cause they were yummy!

Saturday...fully dressed, a little more light cleaning, a little more sewing, and more cooking, My meal of choice was pancakes this time! Mmmmm. Nothing better than warm pancakes on a snowy morning. Now I'm going to tell you something embarrassing, but true. Normally I make frozen waffles. This was the first time I've made pancakes. Ever. And they were a mix. And all I had to do was add water. Water. How sad is that? I mean, really.

Now for the Chicken & Dumplings. I know most of ya'll have never eaten my Mamaw's Chicken N' Dumplings, but let me tell you that they are the best on the face of this Earth. Yeah, I know you think your Mamaw's Chicken & Dumplings are better. They're not. These turned out amazingly close to hers!
Easy Chicken and Dumplings

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 (10 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces

1. Place the chicken, butter, soup, and onion in a slow cooker, and fill with enough water to cover.
2. Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High. About 45min.-1 hour before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.

Now, remember this is me, so as luck would have it I was missing ingredients and forgot to add stuff to the recipe. For instance:

• Onion....I simply forgot.
  
• I didn't realize it even called for butter until now.
• I used one can cream of chicken soup(all I had).
• I used chicken broth to replace the second can of soup and instead of the water.
  
• Next time I'll add the water because it had a slight "cream of chicken soup" flavor. Don't get me wrong...it was still delectable!

I'm sure lots of things could be played with in this recipe. For instance, swap out a can of cream of chicken for cream of something else...celery, onion, pigeon, whatever. Add your favorite seasonings. I added salt, pepper and poultry seasonings. You could probably add some veggies in there too. However I've always only had chicken and dumplings in my chicken and dumplings, so I'd NEVER add yucky old vegetables to it.

If you try this, I'd love to hear how it turned out. Unless you actually do use Condensed Cream of Pigeon soup. Keep that to yourself, please.

Ultimate Blog Party OR the "About Me" Post

**This post was originally for the Ultimate Blog Party in 2008, but I think it sums me up pretty well and has links to some of my favorite posts**

I'm a 39 year old gal who is a wife(to Mark) of 20 years, the oldest daughter(translate: bossy)of some pretty fantastic parents and big sister to the most amazing siblings ever. I'm not a mommy, but I DO plan to be the Most Awesome Aunt Ever. Someday.

I work in the KY public school system as a K-5 library media specialist. I love my job for a lot of reasons, but mostly because every day I can count on one or all of these things happening:
1. Someone hugs me for no apparent reason.
2. Someone says "I love you" out of the blue.
3. Someone makes me laugh so hard I nearly pee my pants.

I started this blog as a way to document my adventures in learning to cook. I STILL can't, but I haven't given up completely. Along the way, I've taken up sewing and quilting as well. Honestly, I get a lot more satisfaction from sewing than I do cooking, so the crafty posts have kinda taken over!

Although I tend to be a trifle socially awkward and shy, I try not to take myself too seriously. I am the first to admit that I am dorky and often downright goofy. Hopefully my sense of humor doesn't come across as completely moronic here, but if it does, don't say I didn't warn ya!

I thought it might be fun to list some of my older posts(starting w/the first). You can get an idea of what this silliness that I call my blog is all about.

Now, I don't expect you to read ALL of these. Just pick and choose as you'd like, if you'd like. I'd love to hear from you! If you leave a comment here or on one of these old posts you will have made my day! :)

Here in my little corner of Western KY, you can't have a party without cake and punch. So I made ya'll some...well, not really...in fact if you were to come by the actual house I could only offer you some Cheetos and Dr. Pepper! But don't those cupcakes look yummy? SO Grab a cupcake, some punch, and let's get this party started!

















The one where I explain why I started blogging
The one with the nearly burnt fried chicken
The one with Brian Setzer
The one with Elvis' cornbread
The one where I gush about Harry Connick Jr.
The one that gets the most hits
The one where I sew my first apron
The one with the Police
The one where I heart Amy Karol's book
The one where I made a monster
The one in which I make a handbag
The one where I published a cookbook
The 20th Wedding Anniversary one
The Yoga Booty one where I started (but never finished) the Great Exercise DVD Experiment
The one where I made my first quilt
The Bluff City Monster one
The one with more Creepy Cymbal Playing Chimpanzee Freaks...and Weird Al
The one where I make a skirt
The Tom Cruise Crazy one
The one where I kill my iron
The one where a giant snake almost kills me (I exaggerate)
The Getting to Know me One
The one where my butt won't do what it's supposed to
The unusual use for a maxipad one
The Barbie One
The one with the pillsbury biscuit donuts
The one where goat dog attacks Teddy
The one where I finally do the thing I've always wanted to do

No Cable=New Music Find=The High Kings

I'll begin this post by saying that I have absolutely nothing against cable television. I adore cable TV. In fact, if it was possible, I'd marry cable. I could literally sit in front of a TV all day and be completely content watching HGTV, Food Network, Bravo, TLC, TV Land,...you get the idea. And I've done that, believe me. But alas, there hasn't been much TV watching going on since we moved into the new house!

Building a home was expensive and cable wasn't a necessity when we moved in. Nearly two years later, still no cable. We're just too poor destitute frugal cheap to pay for cable or satellite service. So if it doesn't come on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, KET or PBS, I don't get to watch it. Oh how I miss you, Project Runway and What Not to Wear! And sometimes the reception is so bad I don't get to watch the channels that we can get.

I was flipping though the six snowy channels that our rabbit ears pick up the other night when I came across the High Kings concert on PBS and was nearly knocked off the couch. I don't know why I was completely taken in by Irish Folk music, but I was. Perhaps I am in a St. Patrick's Day celebratory mood a bit early. Maybe it got the Irish blood in these veins of mine pumping(my great grandfather was Irish). It could just be my affinity for the movies A Mighty Wind and Far and Away.

Whatever the cause, I am now a High Kings fan. I've got the CD on order and I'm repeatedly watching the youtubes to get my fix. I love the harmonies in their voices, the rhythm in the music and the Irish brogue that is so very evident. The tradition and the storytelling aspect of these songs is very appealing as well.

So, for just this once, I'm glad we don't have cable. You know I'd have been watching a Project Runway marathon and totally missed out on the High Kings.

This song is called The Rocky Road to Dublin. Enjoy!

Taste of Home Cooking School Spring Show

Last night I went with my girlfriends Trish, Sheila & Stacy (along w/ Trish's MIL and dear, sweet Mama) to the Taste of Home Cooking School. I thoroughly enjoyed it...if they're coming to your town, you should check it out!

A chef from Taste of Home prepared a variety of dishes, making them all look incredibly easy and appetizing. In addition to the dishes, she shared cooking tips, stories and a few lame jokes. Lots of prizes were given away throughout the night as well. No, I didn't win anything. Dang it! I wanted, no, needed that cake plate filled with cupcakes!

One of the recipes that was featured is this Taco Meatball Ring. I plan to try it out...doesn't it look tasty? The show draws a huge crowd(I had no idea) and the Fine Arts Center was jam packed. We didn't buy our tickets until we got there so we ended up being Balcony Trash, separated from the rest of the theater. I think that made it more enjoyable...it was fun sitting up and away from the crowd. We were front row, center so we had a nice view of the stage, were able to prop up our feet, giggle, make yum-yum noises and comment(quietly of course) our way through the evening without bothering the people around us. Good Times! And yes, we got a little silly...which is the norm for us, thank goodness. How dull would it be to have friends who weren't at least half as goofy as you are?

New Blog on the Block and Girl Stuff

There is a new blog on the block! My dear friend from the "real world", Southern Belle Mama, has started blogging!

Originally from Mississippi, Belle has been transplanted here in Western Kentucky...the sorta-southern state, I like to call it. This girl is a TRUE Southern Belle...clever, funny, and charming with a hint of Julia Sugarbaker sass tossed in for good measure! And she's absolutely gorgeous(though she'd never admit to being such). I think you'll enjoy her take on family, life, love, and lipstick. Yes, lipstick.

Head on over to Southern Belle Mama's place. Tell her Kellie sent ya!

In one of her first posts, Belle talks about getting ready for the day and how we should take a bit more pride in ourselves. Now some of it is tongue in cheek(she's witty like that), but I took the following to heart: "please learn to care about the reflection that looks back at you each morning. God has given you a new day to look and feel beautiful"...

Now, I don't know that I've ever mentioned this but I love LOVE make-up, hair, and fashion ooh and I enjoy the occasional high heel. You know, girl stuff. I had a serious Benefit habit a couple years ago and Sephora makes me giddy. In fact, I recently cried a little bit when I ran out of the Sephora blush my sister got me for my birthday. But other than that blush, I'd kinda given up on enjoying getting made up and looking like a girl who likes to look like a girl.

It's not like I haven't put forth ANY effort, but not to the level that I once did. I mean I still wouldn't go out of the house w/o mascara. yikes. And I don't think I've let myself go, but I have kind of gotten into a rut. As of late my routine has been:

Slap on some tinted moisturizer or powder, some beige(yawn) eyeshadow, mascara, my luscious Sephora blush(see not completely given up) and apply one swipe of neutral lipstick in the morning and be done for the day.

My hair goes into a ponytail more days than it doesn't. But sometimes a ponytail is OK, right?

Now you won't usually catch me in sweats, and I'd never wear them to work, but I haven't worn a skirt in weeks. I've gained a few pounds since the Fat Smash aka "beans and rice diet" ended and now I'm too self conscious to wear one. Which is sad 'cause I absolutely love skirts, adore them. They're swishy and swirly and they make me feel all feminine, like Marylin. Only chubby. With wrinkles. And gray hairs.

Do you see that? Did you see what I just did? I get into this vicious cycle of putting myself down. I want to be pretty and girly and then I think of all the things that need improvement and think. "Well crap. What's the use?". So I continue to do the Beige Face and the ponytail and the comfortable(though not frumpy) pants and shoes. Chuck Taylors whenever possible.

I've never been entirely comfortable with myself but lately, it's gotten worse. I think a lot of my problem is this milestone birthday that is coming up. I will be honest and tell you that turning 40 is starting to seriously freak me out. I don't know why, but it is. Seriously. But we'll save that for another post.

Anyway reading Belle's post I realized that yeah, the reflection looking back at me needs a little TLC. Do I really want to face this new day that God has given me with Beige Face? No! And yeah, I NEED to lose weight but I'm still not to the proportions of the mother from What's Eating Gilbert Grape so I need to get over myself for the moment. And HELLO? Miss Clairol can help me wash that gray right out of my hair!

So what did I do once I reached these realizations? I marched (OK, I drove) myself to WalMart and spent one hour and 70 bucks on makeup and Crest Whitestrips. Most fun I've had shopping in weeks!

Thank you Southern Belle Mama, for putting the thought out there. I will spend a little more time on myself from here on out! Cause I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and dog-gone it, people like me!

Tomorrow I might even bust out a skirt!

Getting to Know Me

Found this thingy (for lack of a better description) when I was wasting time goofing off doing important online research one night. I think it's one of those things where random descriptions pop up regardless of the name...but still some of it was creepily accurate. You'll note that I have added my two cents throughout.
What Kellie Means You are a seeker of knowledge, and you have learned many things in your life.

You are also a keeper of knowledge - meaning you don't spill secrets or spread gossip. I don't tell secrets but I am guilty of partaking in gossip every once in a while. I apologize.

People sometimes think you're snobby or aloof, (in high school & in beauty school I was accused of being stuck up but I was painfully shy) but you're just too deep in thought to pay attention to them. I'm probably just daydreaming or being my normal socially awkward self.

You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. HARD. Your easy going attitude brings people together.

At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. a little? But for the important things, you pull it together. OK, that's true.

You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. oh yeah, right. that's me alright, chill. Chilly like Willy. pppphhhtttt!

You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily. OK, they're wrong 'cause I kinda do get worked up easily.

Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. I am happy, I'll give them that. BUT I seriously doubt people go around thinking to themselves, "I wonder what her secret to life is? She's just sooooo darn well adjusted!"

You tend to be pretty tightly wound. Mmmm Hmmmm. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing.

You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long. So true, how DO they know?

You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start. uh huh.

So, go find out what your name means...and then come back and tell me! http://www.blogthings.com/whatsyournameshiddenmeaningquiz/
I'll bet something on my list will pop up on yours!

I've recently been asked by a couple of my bloggy friends to do the "random things" meme, so I'll replay my post from the Summer.

Eight random & not so fascinating facts about me that you may or may not know...

1. I am seriously and I do mean seriously creeped out by monkeys. ESPECIALLY chimpanzees. ooooh...I have full body shivers from thinking about how much they creep me out.
2. I really dig Rockabilly and vintage clothing and style and am jealous of girls who can pull off that look. If I were 15 years younger and fifty pounds thinner, I'd totally wear it.
3. I like raisins but I don't like anything that has raisins in it.
4. I LOVE showtunes, Broadway, and movie musicals. Secretly, I dream of starring in a Broadway musical despite my overwhelming lack of singing, dancing and acting skills.
5. I used to sell vintage clothing on ebay and made tons of money! Once I made enough to pay cash to install a patio on our old house.
6. I like doing laundry. That doesn't mean I don't get waaaaaay behind, however.
7. If do-overs were possible, I'd go to an artsy-fartsy school and study photography or fashion design instead of becoming a librarian.
8. In real life, I'm even more of a doofus than I appear to be on this blog.

You're not supposed to call it Derby Pie

If I could only have one dessert for the rest of my life, it would be Kentucky Derby Pie. It's like a little slice of Heaven on Earth, ya'll! 'Specially when it's still warm and you add a scoop of ice cream!

This pie was created in Kentucky over 40 years ago for the Prospect Inn in Melrose Kentucky. The family who created this deliciousness trademarked the name "Derby-Pie". So if you use my recipe, call it Kentucky Pie or Chocolate Nut Pie or Heavenly Deliciousness in a Pie Tin. Just don't call it Derby Pie...wouldn't want to cause a lawsuit! You can read more about the authentic Derby Pie here.

Various versions of the recipe can be found all over the Bluegrass. The one at Patti's 1880's Settlement is one of my favorites(next to the original, of course).

Mom & me, enjoying the "Chocolate Pecan Pie" at Patti's.

This summer, I put together a cookbook and asked my friends and family to share recipes. Knowing how much I love this stuff, my dear friend Stacy came through for me with this recipe called "KENTUCKY PIE".

½ cup sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup flour
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 frozen 9-inch pie shell

Combine sugar, brown sugar and flour in bowl; mix well. Add eggs,
butter and vanilla; mix well. Fold in walnuts and chocolate chips. Pour
into frozen pie shell. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Serve warm with
whipped cream. Yield: 8 servings.

This recipe calls for walnuts, but I used pecans instead. Sadly, I was out of both ice cream and whipped cream but somehow I found the inner strength to go ahead and eat it! Yummmmy!

Now if you are the lazy type when it comes to pie baking or you just want to try out the real deal, you can have an authentic Derby Pie delivered right to your door at A Taste of Kentucky.

Another Apron Post

I finished my apron for the Sassy Apron Swap. Some of you may remember that I posted two fabric choices a while back for this project. I didn't use either...she says sheepishly. I completely changed my mind and chose different fabrics and a different style than I had originally planned. I decided on a patchwork-y apron idea that I've been playing with for my Etsy shop(I will have one someday). I went a bit more pastel, added a floral and then threw a funky fat quarter into the mix. I think it turned out quite nicely. I just hope like heck that my swap partner likes it! I like that my new found love of quilting goes right along with making aprons!
Bought this pair of dish towels at our local antique mall recently for a mere four dollars. They were huge and I thought "hmmm...I think there might be an apron in here somewhere!" I I didn't really have a pattern that was the right size, so I drew a couple of little apron sketches and then tried my hand at drawing out a pattern. You can see where I toyed with the bottom a lot, but I decided the KISS principal would be best. And this was what I ended up with. Yeah, I can see that it's a bit too small for me and yes, the neckline is all wonky, but it DOES look sorta like my original drawing, so I'm excited! I saw it in my head and actually produced it! Yay! Next time around, and there will be a next time, I will change up the shape of the neckline and I won't underestimate my...ahem...rotundness.

And finally. Yesterday afternoon we made a stop at our local antique store. I picked up this fantastic vintage 1940's apron for just 10 bucks!
I love the how the red trim doesn't quite go with the bright pink paisley print, but still works. Last time I stopped there I picked up two adorable half aprons one pink, one green. OK, every time I go in that place I buy either a tablecloth or an apron, and sometimes both. I need to just stop going in there. But doggone it, I drive by there at least three times a week...it's hard not to stop! And the post office is right across the street. It's like a conspiracy, ya'll!

The Return of Indy

Mark and I just got in from the movie The Spiderwick Cronicles. Good movie.

During the previews prior to Spiderwick, I was thrilled to finally see the trailer for THIS film:
The Indiana Jones films are easily among my favorites and this one looks fantastic! See for yourself here.

Forget sewing. Tomorrow, I'm watching the original(for the zillionth time)!

More Barenaked Ladies!

I'm working on my Sassy Apron Swap apron(almost finished) and an apron made from vintage dish towels. I'll share pics when I'm finished. While I work away, here's something for you to enjoy...

Looking back through my blog, I've noticed that I have posted a lot of youtube videos lately. Not one to stop the momentum, here's a couple more!

Once again, my favorite band. THIS TIME, you see the actual Ladies and not sock puppets! Barenaked Ladies have been my favorite band since hearing the song Jane back in the mid 90's. I'd heard and loved the song, but didn't really know who sang it. On discovering that my brother had the CD Rock Spectacle(which included Jane) and making a copy getting my own copy I immediately became a fan of the band. I couldn't begin to count the number of times I've listened to that CD. Rock Spectacle is still one of my favorite CD's and is currently in the disk changer in my car. I've since acquired every CD BNL has released, except for the most current, Barenaked Ladies are Men. Not to be confused with Barenaked Ladies are Me.

Yes, there is sense of humor in a lot of what they do(which I love), but it's more than that. These guys are amazing musicians who write amazing lyrics.

Their tour for Everything to Everyone stopped in Lexington a few years back. It was one of the most fun concerts I've attended. Let me tell ya, the Ladies do not disappoint when it comes to the live show! One Week performed Bluegrass style was just one of the many highlights of the night...how could they perform in Kentucky and NOT do a Bluegrass number? This clip is from a telethon of some sort, so that live concert energy isn't there...but you get the idea...

And here is a song from Barenaked Ladies are Me called Beautiful. Great song. And check it out...Ed and Steve are in a bathroom with just a guitar and still manage to sound fantastic!


Hopefully, I'll get some sewing and maybe even a little cooking done this weekend and maybe my next few posts will be project filled! Until then, enjoy the music!

Later, Ya'll!

Mail Goodies

Feb. Fat Quarter Swap from Lilypadsis
Originally uploaded by Kellie C.

Received this package in the mail today from the Flickr Fat Quarter Swap!

This is a fun Flickr swap that goes on each and every month. Basically, you are assigned a parter for whom you purchase three fat quarters and a little gift of some sort. It's a fun way to add to your FQ stash with fabrics you might not normally pick up.

I've received some really cute stuff...like this package from Lilypadsis

and this one

and this one

and this one

And here's the last package I mailed out. I loved this floral feedsack repro fabric so much I bought two yards of it in yellow/purple.

If you'd like to join in, I'm sure the March swap sign ups will begin soon!(I like that you can sign up each month...or opt out any time) Head over to the Flickr Fat Quarter Fabric Swap page and sign up, why don'tcha!

My Sassy Apron Has Arrived

I'm participating in the Sassy Apron Swap over at Lucy's place. And earlier in the week I received MY sassy apron. She's a beauty, isn't she? Once again, I 'd like to thank Carrie Sue for sending me this lovely apron.
And getta load of the adorable pocket!I fully intend to get MY apron made and sent out to my swap partner by week's end. Promise!

Somehow, being gone for nearly five days caused the house to get in a mess. So, much of today was spent getting it back in order. I'll tell ya, cleaning house was much more fun today than it has been in a while thanks to the apron and these gals. Head to the web site and take a listen to snippets of some of their songs. Great stuff! And these gals, too. LOVE them.

I am not cut out for roughing it.

STILL no power at home. It's been five days now, ya'll! My poor kitties are freezing their furry little behinds off. We do check on them daily, though.

Thursday night we got the bright idea to try and stay at home with a kerosene heater for warmth. We left the comfort of my parent's home and got back to our house around 7p.m., fumbled through the dark trying to locate flashlights and get candles lit so we could crank up the heater. Once the heater was running and after a dinner of Oreos and Coke(when all the food in the fridge is ruined, whatcha gonna do BUT eat Oreos?) we thought we would be in for a cozy night at home. Standing near the heater, it was heavenly, the warmest, snuggliest air was circulating around us. However, once we moved three feet away from it our teeth instantly began to chatter. Still, we figured it would eventually heat our bedroom to a nice sleeping temperature and we could turn it off, sleep under a mountain of blankets and be only mildly uncomfortable during the night. After a while, you just want to be home, you know. Well, we made it till about 10:30. Despite the heater and the mountain of blankets, our house was like an igloo. We called my mother-in-law and spent the rest of the night at her house. I have once again realized that I am not the "roughing it" type. We will not be attempting to stay at home until the electricity is back on and we have some heat! Looks like it could be Monday before we are able.

Today I have my Block of the Month meeting. I had planned on working on it this week and then, whoops, no electricity= no sewing. Mind you, I had a MONTH to get it done, but I wait till the last minute for everything. This means I was up till 1:00a.m. this morning finishing my block. Mom has a nice new Singer sewing machine and is far more skilled at sewing than I, so it worked out well that I had to get it done here. She helped me get it squared up and looking good. Thanks Mom! Initially, I wasn't thrilled with the fabric selection I chose for my kits, but now that I have one block done, I think I'm going to like it! This is called Chain Link and I'll find out today what the next block will be.
My apron arrived from the Sassy Apron Swap! It is lovely! I will be showing it off, so stay tuned!

Yesterday afternoon, Mom and I headed out to JoAnn's and I added to my already overrun fabric stash with some fun fabrics for aprons to go into my still empty Etsy shop. Chickens and cherries and dishes, Oh my!


****12:30p.m. update**** We have electricity back! Woo Hoo!

A Valentine's Day Sentiment for the Easily Amused

One of my favorite songs by my favorite band...performed by sock puppets.


** storm update**still no power back at the house...looks like another day hanging out with the folks.

Ice, Ice Baby

We've had a nice little ice storm here in Western Kentucky. No electricity for two days now in our area and no sign of it being restored any time soon. I spent the most. boring. day. ever. yesterday in my house with no heat & no electricity. I thought I'd accomplish some cleaning, cutting out of patterns, but it was sooooo cold in our house that all I managed to do was curl up in the bed and couch with a book. Not SO bad, I guess. We spent the night with my Mother-In-Law last night. Today & tonight will be spent at my folks house while Mark's at work. I've snapped a few pics of the ice here at Mom & Dad's.

SAS and an Owl Pillow

The deadline for mailing the apron to my partner in the Sassy Apron Swap is March 1, so I gotta get going on this! I found this adorable ladybug fabric and thought it might be cute for the Spring theme. I have enough of these fabrics to make a full apron.I also picked up this lovely pink and yellow floral at the quilt shop this afternoon. It's a little "Springier" in my opionion, but I only bought enough for a half apron. So there's my dilemma. Cute aqua and pink full apron OR cute yellow and pink somewhat Springier half apron? My swap partner did not list a color or full/half apron preference. So your thoughts might help me solve this little dilemma! What do ya'll think?

I've tried out the sewing machine Mark got me for Christmas. My first project was this little owl pillow that I made last night using this pattern. I have to tell you, it sews like a dream! So smooth and quiet. The sewing machine didn't jump around on the table once! My old one had a tendency to do that!

Farewell Old Friend...

The quilt top that I started at my quilting class in Nov. is finally complete. WooHoo! I will save the quilting of it till this summer. For my first stab at a quilt that used blocks rather than wide fabric strips, I'm pretty proud of it. I could NOT get Sasha to budge for the photo, so please don't mind the cat!I was waiting to finish this quilt before getting the sewing machine that I got for Christmas out of the box. I was afraid the seams would be off and somehow mess up my quilt if I switched sewing machines in the middle. Now that it's done I managed to get my new sewing machine out of the box and set up yesterday.

So now I shall bid a fond farewell to my old Brother sewing machine. We've had our ups and downs, but it was a good run! Don't worry, it didn't go too far...just to the closet for now!I thought this would be an appropriate time to post the last few projects I made on the old machine.

First up, these two aprons. I was trying to come up with a design that I could use for aprons in the Etsy shop. There are a lot of plain cafe style aprons out there, so I thought a patchwork style might be fun. (these may well be out there tool, I just haven't seen them) Anyhow, I like the way they turned out with the various blocks of fabric, but I made a complete mess out of both waistbands and have not attempted to straighten them up or make another apron since. But, I DID learn to do a French seam in order to finish the backs of these neatly! Oooh La La!

French Seam!

I also made these "Lalka Lawenda"(Little Lavender Dolls) and sent them off to Poland for Jackie to give out at her girls night events. They are scented w/lavender and small enough in size to freshen up a drawer, car, backpack, closet, gymbag, etc. Some of these may also go into my still empty Etsy shop.I've also had a ton of fun making these robot themed Valentine cards on the sewing machine. I know they kinda look like a five year old drew them but I like that! Now I want to make a stuffed robot of some sort! OK, that last one is an owl, not a robot. Perhaps a robot owl is in order?

I call this one Untitled

A Boy & His Dog Walking the K-9Whoo Loves You?Yep, I've enjoyed that sewing machine immensely.

Wicked Good

I couldn't stand it...went out and bought a new iron yesterday morning so I could start working on my quilt again.

While I work away in the sewing room, I usually listen to music. Lately I've been listening to 1.fm's 70's station. But tonight I listened to a couple Broadway soundtracks(one of my favorite musical genres). In addition to Sweeny Todd, I listened to Wicked for the first time in a long time. SUCH a great soundtrack. It's the story of Glinda and Elphaba, the two Witches of Oz, based on the book by Gregory Maguire. Not my favorite book, but based on the soundtrack and the clips that I've seen, the show must be phenomenal! Here's one of my favorite songs, Popular, from Wicked. Performed by Kristen Chenoweth. Enjoy



And here's Idina Menzel performing Defying Gravity on Letterman.


Man, I wish I could see this show live!

I killed my iron

SO I think sewing karma hates me this week. I've tried to make two aprons since the Valentine's apron that I'm giving away was finished. Both have been a complete pain. For some reason I have completely forgotten how or else completely lost the ability to apply a waistband. Both aprons are a mess. Rather then wrestle with them another minute or start on a new apron, I decided to work on my quilt. I started it in November, after all.

So, I get everything out, plug up the iron and crank it up to high. I managed to iron one fat quarter and then...nothin'. Kaput. No steam, no heat, no nothin'. Now that iron had been used a lot. I iron my clothing regularly BUT since taking up sewing I've used it more in the last 8 months than in all the years I've owned it. I am guilty of leaving it on for hours at a time and for almost always having it on the highest setting possible. I cannot deny that I am responsible for the iron's demise. OK, so it was a cheapo iron and I've owned it for several years; that doesn't change the fact that I've gone and killed it. ...and now how am I supposed to get any sewing done? *huge sigh* That certain spring has left my step. My head is hanging low in shame over the deed I have done. I cannot make eye contact with the other small appliances in my home.

I didn't mean to do it, honest.

The Winner IS...

Mo!

You can find Mo over at Unmainstream Mom. Congrats, Mo. I hope you like your apron!

You may have noticed that the list of Blogs I Dig is getting longer. I will admit that I am probably the only blogger on the planet who doesn't subscribe to a feed. I went and signed up for one once and even added some blogs. Do I remember which one? No. Would I be able to remember my password? Probably not. I'm a doofus like that.

This week I've been going through a lot of the comments that were left in the giveaway post and have happened upon some blogs that I really enjoyed and/or want to take a closer look at. I've also been going through my enormous list of bookmarks and checking out some of those blogs. Now, I'm putting them all together under my Blogs I Dig list. It's just easier for me to keep up with them here. I have this weird daily habit of looking at my own blog regardless of whether or not I post(like something is going to change and me not know about it!). Now, instead of digging through bookmarks and trying to backtrack through comments on old posts, I'll know right where everyone is!