{What Ice Cream?}

He plays innocent pretty well, huh?

Had me fooled… for a second, anyway.

{Tutorial: Lovie Repair}

Meet Lambie. She’s the well-loved Lovie of one MissPrincessZ. She carries Lambie around by her ear, twirls her ear and rubs it on her nose while sucking her thumb. As you can see below, she was in need of some repair – the lining of her poor little ear has been twirled/sucked/rubbed away. I admit that I left her like this for quite some time, hoping that MissZ would be okay with it. We have a backup Lambie, but I really wanted to save her for the moment when Lambie is lost/damaged beyond repair. One night MissZ woke crying saying that Lambie was very sad and broken and needed a “BooBooBaid” (translate: BandAid). I soothed her back to sleep telling her that we’d make a BooBooBaid for her in the morning – and you can bet that she popped up in our bed as soon as the sun was shining asking to fix her Lambie.

So – I got to work. This method works no matter the size of repair, and you can use it wherever fabric is missing. The key to this method is to have enough fabric for the repair to have a fold, and that there be a little fabric you are able to fold on the edge that your repair piece will touch.

First, I let her pick the BooBooBaid, and she jumped up and down when she saw this fabric in the box. MissZ is ALL ABOUT the polka dots. (As an aside, sorry about the picture quality, I had to use my cellphone at the time).

Lay out your area to be repaired and trace around it. Be sure to give yourself generous 1/4 to 1/2 inch seam allowances. I used a pencil here. Note that if your area has curves, cutting a bit on the bias will help you work the fabric around the curves. After you’ve traced it out, carefully cut out the piece and audition it to make sure you like the finished look.

Now it’s time to gather your supplies. You’ll need a hot iron, needle and thread, and your patient. I would suggest that for this part that you keep your child’s temperament in mind. My little one was not happy to see Mommy poking her baby, but once I explained that it didn’t hurt her and let her sit next to me and hold Lambie’s hand the whole time, she was okay.

Next take your repair piece and iron under your seam allowance. Really set the fold, as it’ll help you get the stitching in cleanly and easier.

Using a ladder stitch (or blind stitch), stitch the pieces together. The key to the ladder stitch it to take small bites of fabric on one side ON THE FOLD and to do the exact same is the SAME place on the other side. When you pull the stitch tight, it will bring the two folds together and the stitch will disappear.

Work all the way around, and VIOLA! One happy Lambie!

And one happy kiddo!

I hope this helps you out, and please feel free to drop me a line if you have an questions.

{Chicago Craft Social}

This past Friday I attended the 2nd Chicago Craft Social.  I can’t tell you how excited I was to find a group of people who wanted to gather to celebrate crafting in all its forms.  Knitting, stamping, stitching, folding paper airplanes, scrapbooking, glass etching… the list just keeps going.  It was nice to be in a space that was just for us – nobody staring at you like you are an alien or some weirdo trying to channel their inner old person.

After arriving, I walked around the tables that had been set up for different crafts.  Each table had a craft leader to help you learn said craft.  One table caught my eye right away.  The table place card simple said “DINNER NAPKINS” and was being led by the super sweet and even more super talented Erin.  She provided us with fancy napkins, clear stamps, StazOn inkpads and her expertise.  After choosing our stamps (which she designed!!!!!!!), we got to stamping.  I chose to make napkins for our formal table, something to celebrate our new home.  I’m not finished with these yet, either.  As you can see in the picture below, Erin also showed how to embellish the stamped product with some simple embroidery.  She’s a great teacher, as most of the ladies that sat down at the table had never stitched before -  and in time they were working lazy daisies, french knots and simple backstitching.  I  am working some simple little details, and will have a finished product to show off in a couple of days.

 

I met some great ladies.  Erin, Amy, Jess, Chelsea (fresh from South Africa!), Charisse, and Cindy.  Truth be told, I was a nervous blob of goo.  It’s really weird:  when I am faced with meeting new people, I either become a silent-hide in the corner lump, or I get super jittery and turn into a babbling blob of goo.  This evening I was jittery – but I am fairly certain I didn’t do or say anything stupid!  Either way, I hope I didn’t scare off the locals!  Over on the right I have started a blogroll called Local Talent, and as I meet more locals I will add them there.  I hope to be able to keep in contact with there great ladies.

The only thing that would have made the night better would have been wine, better lighting and more crafts!  I think next time I’ll bring some snacks for the snack table too.  Something savory, as there was lots and lots of sweets, but I was craving real food for once!

{How do you choose?}

 

We bought a house that is WHITE… everywhere.  It’s about 5 years old, but still that icky sprayed on flat, gritty ultra white.  I can’t figure out how to get the color swatches off of the paint sites – but here’s a list of the colors we’ve chosen:

Summer Pudding

Belgian Chocolate

Belgian Waffle

Cocoa Rose

Apple Basket

Swiss Almond

Morning Fog

Crescent Moon

Summer Sandcastle

Buttercup

Quicksilver

 

hmmm… the names catch me as much as the colors!

{Summer Days!}

{Aqua Goodness!}

"Giveaway at Apron Girls sponsored by great cookware and beautiful desks!"

 

I know, another giveaway post – but honestly, if you can get something for free – just for typing a few words, why not, right?

I love baking – and I love the retro aqua-ness of these dishes.  Just think of all the retro casseroles I could whip up and make myself think that my kids would eat it.  They won’t.  They’ll throw it on the floor, but I can dream they will.

Go enter if you want!

{Red Velvet Cupcakes v0.01}

After having an AMAZING red velvet cupcake at the Taste of Chicago, I made it my mission to come up with my own recipe and perfect it.  A signature recipe of sorts. 

This is my first attempt – and while it’s good, I’m not ready to post the recipe.  It needs a bit of tweaking yet, it’s good – just not right.  I need **good** cocoa to make it perfect, and I used Swan’s Down to get that perfect fine crumb – but I think it was TOO fine- it does need to hold up the frosting, after all.   I also want to get gel food coloring, as the liquid stuff is just…well… ick.

What is right is the cream cheese frosting.  Luscious, creamy, tangy, perfect.  It’d be perfect to make for a carrot cake, or even cinnamon rolls. 

 

What’s that?  You’d like the recipe?   It’s nothing special, but is super yummy!  Well, okay, you pulled my leg.

 

CBear’s Cream Cheese Frosting

2 sticks (8oz) UNSALTED butter, at room temperature

1.5 packages (12oz) cream cheese, at room temperature

1 box (1lb) Confectioners’ Sugar

1tsp vanilla extract

 

Mix the butter and cream cheese together well.  Slowly mix in the powdered sugar.  After well combined, add the vanilla. 

 

 

That’s it.  You’re done.  I leave my cheese and butter out overnight to make sure it’s really easy to mix.  We also use CORN FREE powdered sugar, and make our own vanilla extract (bottle, GOOD Vodka, vanilla beans, allow to sit for a month or two, yum.  refill vodka as needed).

 

If you try it, drop me a line and let me know what you think!

{I love a good snuggle!}

It really doesn't matter if it's hot or cold.  I love to snuggle under blankies, especially on the couch next to Xiris while we are watching crap on TV.   But you’ll never catch me under one of those stupid Snuggie things.  Ewww.   And did you know they are making them for your lapdog now too?!  Seriously, they are. 

 

Anyway.

The super talented and funny girls known as the LONG LADIES are giving away a quilt that they made with some really pretty and super girly-girl fabrics. 

 

I want this quilt because it’s so cute and pink and girly!

 

 

 

 

 

(And because it’ll make Xiris cringe!)

 

I’d tell you to go over there and enter the giveaway, but that would lower my chances!  :)