In His Grip

Three Word Thursday

Filled with joy . . . 

Christmas Stocking Challenge -- Post 2

I am two weeks into this Christmas stocking challenge.  You can read about how and why this challenge started here and here.  I have completed the design.  Big woo hoo's, going on here.  I got to this point last Sunday and have not yet sat down long enough to attempt the heel turning.  I have got to think that it has got to be easier than having all those bobbins hanging off your work.  The gals at Knit Wit will be where I go to get the help that I need.  The actual next step is to slip 18 stitches from both ends and place on a double pointed needle.  Seriously, slip stitches OFF my needles?  What if I drop them and they are not able to be recovered.  This step is freaking me out.  Needless to say, I am just so excited about my accomplishment so far that I just may keep it here.  Nah, just kidding, I will achieve my goal and beat this pattern.

Isn't Santa cute.  I was a bit worried about the tone on tone thing and not being able to see him well enough, but he is smiling through just fine.

I am not real happy with my skills on the tree. Carrying the yarn across the back was a bit of a challenge for me and it pulls a bit in places, but for my first try not too bad.   Hopefully, by my next update I will have tackled the turning of the heel.  

Chewy Chocolate Chip Snickers Cookies

These are the best cookies ever.  While I was looking at Pinterest the other day I found this great cookie recipe.  Beings as chocolate chip cookies are my all time favorite cookies and Snickers are my favorite candy bar, how could I go wrong.  What I like best about Pinterest is that it is all pictures until you want the info.  You just simply click on the picture and it takes you to the website responsible for the "pin".  My clicking took me to Bakers Royale where I found this scrumptious recipe as well as great pictures of step by step instructions.  One thing that was new to me in the recipe is browning butter.  Wow, I love butter anyway, but cook it a bit and it is simply heavenly and you really do taste the difference in the finished product.  Go on over and check out more of Bakers Royale recipes.  Naomi the author of the site rocks when in comes to baking let alone the photos she takes.  This is the picture of her cookies.  

Here is the picture of my cookies.  There is just something about style when it comes to taking food pictures that I just don't have.  Besides, I did not do the optional sprinkling crumbled up Snickers on top of my cookies either.  And who has a dishcloth that is that clean anyway, really?  This site has become a "go-to" when I get the itch to bake something up.  

Christmas Stocking Challenge -- Post 1

The challenge of the Christmas stocking is officially on.  I have been making good progress.  As you can see I have decided to make the stockings that Ryan and Paula have at their house in a tone on tone white.  This choice, although it is turning out awesome, may not have been such a good one for my first attempt at this stocking making thing.  The colors are so close that I really have to pay attention to which bobbin I am using.  But I am sure this will make doing a stocking in the traditional red and green easy pesy, right?  I am not at the point of saying this is easy, it is still quite the challenge and I have not even got to the turning of the heal.

If you look really closely, I am just a couple of rows into the Santa face.  I was not sure how much the white Angora would show up next to the winter white, but am really liking the very subtle contrast. 

This is the Christmas tree and I am using the white Angora as the details in the tree.  

Here is Paula's name.  I kind of cheated here as I used a duplicate stitch after the cuff part of the stocking was completed rather than have all of those bobbins hanging off each letter.  

I will continue to keep you updated as to my progress, but so far so good.  The wonderful gals at the yarn store here in town, Knit Wit, have assured me if I run into a snag they will be happy to help. 

Fireplace Cabinets Before & After

There has been a dream of mine to update and warm up our family room for quite a while now.  I did not want to change out everything as I really like what I have in there, I just wanted to warm the place up a bit.  This past weekend with my Mom's help, oh yeah, she pretty much painted the whole thing, I finally made my change.  Here is the before and after pictures of the transformation.  I am amazed how big a difference a little bit of paint can make.  And literally, I used, or I should say, Mom used only a quart of paint.

This is how the fireplace looked when we moved in.  Now, don't judge me because of all of the clutter, afterall, we had "just" moved in.  With the help of my Dad, my husband and he were able to build the cabinets and shelves just as I had seen them in a model home just a couple of miles away.  I have been very happy with the way the fireplace looked as well as the extra storage, but it was ready for a bit of an update.

Enter, 72 year old Mom who has always been a ball of energy and willing to do just about anything to be helpful around me and my sisters' homes.  Say, "painting project" and she's on it.

Everyone tells me I am like my mother, boy, I hope so.  Look at that flexibility and balance.  That's what I am going for when I am her age.

Sometimes I wish that we did not have to decorate around a TV.  Oh who am I kidding, all the time I wish I did not have to decorate around a TV, but at least they are getting smaller from front to back and can now fit on a shelf.  

I keep walking into my family room and just looking at the fireplace and love, love, loving it.  Thanks, Mom, for your willingness to be my personal assistant and get these projects done for me.  

Now that I have got this project done, I am ready to take fall down and move on into Christmas, yeah!

DIY Sweater Boot Toppers

I am really liking the boot topper leg warmers that I keep seeing around the internet and in the latest Fall fashion magazines.  There have been several out there on Pinterest as well and I think they can make a plain pair of boots into a WOW pair of boots.  A couple of weeks ago I was going through my closet and was getting rid of those things that I have not worn in the past year or have worn way too much and came across two different sweaters that I like but are just too worn out to wear any more and thought that the sleeves would make cute leg warmers.

I started out by cutting off the sleeves just under the arm.  

Then I surgered aroung the raw edge.  If you don't have a surger, I would run a zig-zag stitch along the raw edge.  

Picking out buttons out of my collection, I sewed them to hold the cuff in place.  So very easy and a great way to jazy up some boots.

I made two pair in less than an hour and now I have my newest favorite Fall accessories.  

I am participating in the following link ups:  Between Naps on the Porch, The DIY Showoff,Boogiboard Cottage, Its So Very Cheri, Sew Chatty, Dittle Dattle, Sew Can Do, Keeping It Simple, Skip to My Lou, Coastal Charm, Ladybug Blessings, Today's Creative Blog,Sugar and Dots, My Girlish Whims, The Thrifty Home, Blue Cricket Design, Sew Woodsy, The Tablescaper, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Making the World Cuter,Itsy Bitsy Paper, So Much Ado, One Tough Mother, Sweet Peas and Bumblebees, Handy Man, Crafting Woman, Women Who Do It All, Seven Thrity-three, Someday Crafts, Tea Rose Home. Lil' Luna, Momma Hen Scoop, Sugar and Dots, {Primp}, Sommewhat Simple, Fireflies and Jellybeans, Tales From Bloggeritaville, Gluesticks, Momnivore's Dilemma, Beyond the Picket Fence, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Simply Sweet Home,Truly Lovely, Finding Fabulous, The Shabby Nest, Someday Crafts, Passionately Artistic, Goodbye city, Hello suburbs, Handy Man, Crafty Woman, Make it Great Monday, Vintage Gwen, Sew Country Chick

Three Word Thursday

You anchor me . . .

 

My Christmas Stocking Challenge

These are the Christmas stockings that starting hanging on our mantel 29 years.  Ryan's was made by one of my husband's best friend's mom, Barb.  I remember the box coming in the mail and being so excited that someone would take the time to make such a special stocking for our baby.  We proudly hung it from a shelf in our first home as there was no fireplace.  When Lindsey was born, again I received a box in the mail that contained her stocking as well.  Since the birth of Ryan, Barb had lost her battle with cancer but her sister took up the tradition of making a stocking for our babies and then made one for Anna two years later.   Hanging these stockings have been part of our holiday tradition and one that my kids still look for every Christmas season.  The stockings have Santa on one side and the Christmas tree on the other.  If you look closely at Anna's, Santa has a couple of moth holes that I have been meaning to fix for a couple of years.

Now that we have a new member in our family since Ryan's wedding, I was thinking I needed to make a stocking for Paula too.  I started searching the internet and books for patterns that would be similar or maybe the same one, but no luck, so I contacted, Barb's son to see if by chance they had a copy of the pattern for the famous Christmas stocking.  He said they did and would bring me a copy of it.  

First of all the copy right on the pattern is 1948 and looks very complicated for my self-taught knitting self, but call me crazy, I am going to try.  As I have found in the past with knitting, you just start and work one row at a time and try not to freak out by looking ahead.  

What was really crazy about the pattern was the pages and pages of Barb's hand writen notes that she took on the pattern as well as a page of all of the names of the folks that have been a recipient of one of the precious stockings.  There are 163 names listed as well as the hand drawn graphs of each name.  Wow, I think I really just might be crazy to think that I would even attempt to knit like Barb.  But this is my holiday challenge of the year.  I will keep you updated as to my progress and we will see how this goes.  Today I am headed to my local yarn store, Knit-Wit, to pick up my supplies.   I might not get finished this year, but I am determined to do this.  

Trunk or Treat Celebration

Once again, Indian Creek Community Church, Gardner held our annual Truck or Treat event.  This year we wanted to make a change to have our event the night before Halloween so that we could be in our neighborhoods on Halloween night.  The last couple of years the Indian Creekers' doors have been dark because we were doing Trunk or Treat.  In order to serve our community and be present on Halloween night we decided that October 30th was the night.  We were not sure at the time of the decision to make this change how it would affect the turn out.  Well I am here to tell you that we had more folks this year than ever before.  There were 300 in the first 30 minutes and we served 770 children total.  This number does not include all of the adults that came to escort thier kiddos.  I just counted only trick or treat bags.  At one point, I was not sure that the candy would hold out, but it did and boy doggies was I glad about that.  I was not sure how it would go over if we had to turn people away.  This is one of the most enjoyable events that our church puts on. 

We had to do some coaxing to get Mom to dress up, but I think she makes a great kitty.

You gotta have friends that come out each year to make sure our event is a success.  Thanks guys, if I can't be at the same church at least we can serve together.  

Jeff dressed up as a suburban guy passing out candy at a truck or treat event.  Wow, how original. 

Picture Perfect Interiors -- Giveaway

Brenda Freebern, owner of Picture Perfect Interiors is the very first designer I ever worked for. Twenty one years ago Stitches By Sturman was just starting out and she found my business card in the first model home I had ever done window treatments in.  Being new to the home design industry, I was excited to be working for a "real" designer and one that I would receive repeat business from as well.  She and I have been working together very since.   Right now she is holding a giveaway for this fabulous holiday floral arrangement.  All you have to do for your first entry is go the Picture Perfect Interior Facebook page and "Like" Picture Perfect Interiors.  For an addition entry into the giveaway, you can "share" this post and then go back to Picture Perfect Interiors Facebook and comment letting them know that you have shared the post.  Easy peasy.  Good luck.  You might also want to stop by Picture Perfect at 119th and Blackbob Road in Olathe, Kansas, they have some wonderful holiday items as well as a full service design staff.  

 

Funfetti Sandwich Cookies

Funfetti cookies have become my family's favorite. Not only are they easy to make, all you do is use a Funfetti cake mix, add 1/3 cup of oil, and two eggs, but they are good, good, good.  At first all I did was frost the top and add sprinkles and then I got to thinking if one Funfetti cookie at a time is good, two at a time has got to be fabulous.  The idea of Funfetti sandwich cookies was born.  Since this new inspiration, I make two batches at a time in order to make sandwiches.  I frost the wrong side of one cookie and then place another on top, smooshing slightly so the frosting oozes out and lastly roll in sprinkles.  These are so good and there are Funfetti cakes mixes for every holiday. That means Funfetti cookies all year long, yeah!  

Here are couple of need to know tips.  If you use two cake mixes, you will use all of two cans of frosting.  I put the frosting in an icing bag and use a huge tip making for a much faster frosting process.  You will use a whole jar of sprinkles as well.  You may as well buy two jars because you would hate to run out, at least that what I always do and you can never have too many sprinkles, right?

See, don't these cookies just make you happy whatever the season.  I am already keeping my eyes out for the Christmas Funfetti cake mixes to come out in the grocery stores soon. Yes, I will buy several so if the store nearest you is out, I just may have been there before you :o)

Three Word Thursday

Outside my door . . .

Baby Gifts -- More Hats

This is what has been keeping me busy over the last week. I have once again been making baby gifts and this time it happens to be for a couple of little girls.The light pink hat is for the new baby Reese and the hot pink one is for the big sister.  I learned how to  make these hats last year and you can see the others that I have made here.   Because they have been such a big hit with the little people, I just keep finding reasons to make them and my friends keep having babies.  The pattern that I use can be purchased on esty at RAKJ Patterns.  She has some other great designs as well.  But I have to say the owl is my favorite.

I am participating in the following link ups:  Between Naps on the Porch, The DIY Showoff,Boogiboard Cottage, Its So Very Cheri, Sew Chatty, Dittle Dattle, Sew Can Do, Keeping It Simple, Skip to My Lou, Coastal Charm, Ladybug Blessings, Today's Creative Blog,Sugar and Dots, My Girlish Whims, The Thrifty Home, Blue Cricket Design, Sew Woodsy, The Tablescaper, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Making the World Cuter,Itsy Bitsy Paper, So Much Ado, One Tough Mother, Sweet Peas and Bumblebees, Handy Man, Crafting Woman, Women Who Do It All, Seven Thrity-three, Someday Crafts, Tea Rose Home. Lil' Luna, Momma Hen Scoop, Sugar and Dots, {Primp}, Sommewhat Simple, Fireflies and Jellybeans, Tales From Bloggeritaville, Gluesticks, Momnivore's Dilemma, Beyond the Picket Fence, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Simply Sweet Home,Truly Lovely, Finding Fabulous, The Shabby Nest, Someday Crafts, Passionately Artistic, Goodbye city, Hello suburbs, Handy Man, Crafty Woman

Three Word Thursday

Before and after :o)

Trick or Treat Banner -- Free for the Printing

Here is a Trick or Treat banner that I created for some Halloween events that Indian Creek Community Church will be putting on through out our community on the 31st. The idea is to  "live out" the love of Christ in our neighborhood by having a great trick or treat house that not only passes out candy but is there to greet folks and have a great time.  Each house participating will be giving away a $25 gift card to Amazon.  The house events range from giving out candy along with some kind of raffle for the gift card, to having the TV outside on the driveway so that the Dad's trick or treating can get an update on the game.  Some folks will have their fire pits in the driveway and offer fixings to make s'mores and hot coco.   We wanted to make a banner for folks to download and print that they can hang from the porch, garage, etc.  You can access the file here print and hang the banner in your house.  There are two sizes.  The large size has each candy corn printed on an 8 x10 sheet of card stock and ends up being approximately 100" long with the candy corns 10" high.  

The small size prints two candy corns per page and ends up measuring around 50" with each candy corn 6" high.  

These Halloween events are not so much about the day itself, but giving each of us the opportunity to get to know those we actually live around.  Halloween is the only day of the year that it is expect to ring every doorbell in our neighborhood and people not only smile but give us a treat.  Let's make our houses a welcoming place and one that folks just might want to hang out for a while and get to know each other.  Happy trick or treating!

Participating in: The Thirfty Home, Blue Cricket Design, My Grilish Whims, Sew Much Ado, Sugar and Dots, {Primp}, Passionately Artistic, Someday Crafts, Momma Hens Coop, Seven Thrity Three, Sweetpeas and BumbleBee, Handy Man, Crafty Woman, Somewhat Simple, Fireflies and Jellybeans, Tales from Bloggeritaville, Gluesticks, Monivore's Dilemma, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Simply Sweet Home, Finding Fabulous, Its Fun to Craft, The Shabby Nest

Autumn Wreath

A couple of weeks ago  I went with my daughter Lindsey to a craft night that she and her friends do about once a month.  This time they were making wreaths.  You can read more about how they plan this event over at Just Paint it Pink Lindsey's new and fabulous blog.  I have really come to like this whole burlap look that is out everywhere and again with my fall decorations taking on a more natural look this year I thought that a burlap wreath would be in order.  And yes, if you don't visit my blog often, that is a hot pink front door and you can read more about how that came to be here.

I started with a straw wreath and wrapped it with 1 1/2" strips of burlap overlapping as I went.  You will need to put hot glue every so often to keep the wrap in place.  

I purchased an "S" initial and wrapped it with jute, also hot gluing as I went in keep the jute in place.  

Because I wanted the "S" to be a contrast color and could not find a color that I liked in jute, of course, I decided to paint it.  The color I used was soft black.  This is a super color because it is almost black, but is also almost brown.  Love it!

Using some scraps of silk that I had in my studio I made some twisted flowers and then attached some of the thousands of buttons that are hanging around here too.

Shopping around this fall I found this six inch wide burlap ribbon and purchased a couple of rolls.  I have no idea what I will be doing with it but figured that it would make a perfect bow to top off my burlap wreath.

I am participating in the following link ups:

Between Naps on the Porch, The DIY Showoff,Boogiboard Cottage, Its So Very Cheri, Sew Chatty, Dittle Dattle, Sew Can Do, Keeping It Simple, Skip to My Lou, Coastal Charm, Ladybug Blessings, Today's Creative Blog,Sugar and Dots, My Girlish Whims, The Thrifty Home, Blue Cricket Design, Sew Woodsy, The Tablescaper, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Making the World Cuter,Itsy Bitsy Paper, So Much Ado, One Tough Mother, Sweet Peas and Bumblebees, Handy Man, Crafting Woman, Women Who Do It All, Seven Thrity-three, Someday Crafts, Tea Rose Home. Lil' Luna, Momma Hen Scoop, Sugar and Dots, {Primp}, Sommewhat Simple, Fireflies and Jellybeans, Tales From Bloggeritaville, Gluesticks, Momnivore's Dilemma, Beyond the Picket Fence, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Simply Sweet Home,Truly Lovely, Finding Fabulous, The Shabby Nest, Someday Crafts, Passionately Artistic, Goodbye city, Hello suburbs, Handy Man, Crafty Woman

 

Three Word Thursday

Feeling very blessed . . .

Creme Brulee French Toast

On Monday mornings for years now I have attended a women's bible study.  I look forward to spending time with like minded women in order to grow in our faith together.  Women getting together in the morning would not be any fun unless we shared treats as well as some great coffee.  This week was my turn to bring something to share in the treat department so I decided to bring my Creme Brulee French Toast.  I found this recipe on allrecipes.com some time ago and it has become one of our family favorites.  This is a great recipe that you prepare the night before and then just stick it in the oven in the morning.  Needless to say, this is a recipe that we often have on Christmas morning, or other holidays when little preparation in the morning is what a gal needs.  Several of the gals asked me to post the recipe on my blog so here it is:

Creme Burlee French Toast

1/2 cup butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons corn syrup

French bread slices to fill the bottom of baking dish

5 eggs

1 1/2 cups half & half

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon brandy-based orange liqueur (Grand Marnier)

1/4 teaspoon salt

 

1.  Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Mix in brown sugar and corn syrup, stirring until sugar is dissolved.  Pour into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

2.  Arrange bread in the baking dis in a single layer.  In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, half & half, vanilla, orange brandy and salt.  Pour over the bread.  Cover and chill at least 8 hours or overnight.  

3.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Remove the dish from the refrigerator, and bring to room tempature. 

4.  Bake uncovered 35 to 40 minutes, until puffy and lightly browned.  

 

 

Book Pumpkins

I found a tutorial on line to make pumpkins out of old books.  Creations By Kara has a great step by step instructions on how to make these lovely little beauties.  They really are easy and everyone has old paperbacks hanging around, why not make them into these cute decorations? I found that the fatter the book the fuller the pumpkin.  I used scissors to cut the pumpkin shape but I think that a box cutter would make for more uniform pages and you would less likely make the shape bigger as you go as I actually did on both and then had to do some trimming in the end.  I really like how they turned out and may be making some more soon.  

I am participating in the following link ups:  Between Naps on the Porch, The DIY Showoff,Boogiboard Cottage, Its So Very Cheri, Sew Chatty, Dittle Dattle, Sew Can Do, Keeping It Simple, Skip to My Lou, Coastal Charm, Ladybug Blessings, Today's Creative Blog,Sugar and Dots, My Girlish Whims, The Thrifty Home, Blue Cricket Design, Sew Woodsy, The Tablescaper, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Making the World Cuter, Itsy Bitsy Paper, So Much Ado, One Tough Mother, Sweet Peas and Bumblebees, Handy Man, Crafting Woman, Women Who Do It All, Seven Thrity-three, Someday Crafts, Tea Rose Home. Lil' Luna, Momma Hen Scoop, Sugar and Dots, {Primp}, Sommewhat Simple, Fireflies and Jellybeans, Tales From Bloggeritaville, Gluesticks, Momnivore's Dilemma, Beyond the Picket Fence, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Simply Sweet Home, Truly Lovely, Finding Fabulous, The Shabby Nest

Three Word Thursday

Camping family fun!