{show & tell} some recent projects

I'm sorry about the crappy photos.

You'd think as a photographer, I'd take some pride in setting things up to photograph them.

Really, I'm busy trying to keep kids from popping in the shot or taking the things I'm trying to photograph - or I'm trying to keep them from attacking each other while I'm distracted with the photos - so I just throw the stuff up there, snap and go. 

Anyway - good enough.  These first couple I hung on my kitchen drapes so they look like they're glowing.

Here is the apron set I made my daughter to go with her kitchen set (that isn't here yet - oops.)
She's already been playing with it, so I think she likes it!  I looked at a ton of apron tutorials online, then just decided to make my own idea up and wing it from ones I saw that I liked.  It's a touch big on her, but not bad at all for not trying it on her as I was making it!  I made a little mini potholder, then cut a washcloth in half to make a mini dishtowel to go with it.

I made her this little dress, too.  It's not see through.  That's the drapes shining light through it. 

It's a sweet little knit - love it with knee high boots!

I was getting tired of lugging everyone's clunky reusable water bottles to soccer so I made this water bottle bag... again just winging it.  I'm getting better at winging it and not needing patterns!

Only the kids bottle's are in it right now.  Mine and Justin's go on the other side.  Snacks fit in the middle :)

And finally, here's a diaper bag that I whipped up for little miss.  She's been taking it with her wherever I'll let her so I guess she likes it!  I need to tweak some of the pockets inside and then I may try to do a tutorial and pattern for it so you can make one, too!

Here's the inside.  Her baby's bottle's each have a pocket, the diapers have a pocket, and she put other stuff in the middle.

I made the diapers, too.  They are just flannel and velcro.

So, that's what I've been sewing during naptime - when my husband would argue that I should be doing something more productive.  *snort*  whatever.

Hope your kids have all transitioned back to school well!  Thanks for looking!

xoxo

{etsy love} Cotton Thread Fabrics

I so love this fabric shop.

I'm waiting to recieve these:

This barely covers what I WANT from that shop.  My checkbook dictates this is all I get.

Thank goodness for yard bundles and fat quarter bundles so I can feel like I'm getting more than I am ;)

What a great cause!

I'm doing it!!  How 'bout you?

http://www.conkerrcancer.org/pillowdirections.html

You need this recipe: French Toast Casserole

Uh, yum.

You need:

2-3 tablespoon butter, softened
7ish cups bread cubes

6 eggs
1 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup white sugar (plus 4 tablespoons for top
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350.  While preheating, melt 2-3 Tbsp butter in 9x13 pan in oven.  Remove dish when butter is melted.  Sprinkle bread cubes into dish.  In bowl, beat together eggs, evaporated and regular milk, sugar, salt, vanilla and cinnamon.  Pour over bread cubes.  Lightly toss to coat.

Let sit for about 10 minutes - until the bread absorbs the mixture.

Sprinkle with several tablespoons of sugar and cinnamon, toss it in the oven for about 45 minutes - until the top has browned.  (I've had to leave it in for up to 60 minutes before... just keep an eye on it.)

Serve it with syrup.

Call me and tell me how delicious it is.

*You could also make this with raisin bread.  Whoa, that would be good.

xoxo

Amy

Craft Show.

So...

I'm doing a craft show.  With my cousin in October. 

We thought it would be a fun excuse to make stuff.  And whatever is left I can stock my etsy shop with or something.

Today is being spent reorganizing my supplies.  Would you like to see a pile of my fabric stash strewn (is that a word?) about on the ironing board as it waits to be refolded and placed on a new shelf?

You wouldn't?

Oh.  Well, I'm going to post it anyway.  Ok?

(My new phone's camera doesn't take the best pictures - but it does at least have an 8 mp camera, so it's tolerable!  You need an EVO!)

Whew.  That's not all of it, either!

Hope to start turning all of that into some usable stuff, soon.

This is my new favorite fabric shop.

Cotton Thread Fabrics

I just decided that.

Cooking a whole chicken...

Cooking a whole chicken is a really unpleasant experience.

In our 11 years of marriage, I'm not sure I've ever cooked a whole chicken.  I only buy the tenders or the skinless boneless breasts that are fresh or frozen in the freezer section.

Raw meat of any kind grosses me OUT.  <--- I'm so whiny sometimes.

When there was a sale on whole chickens I bought two and threw them in the freezer - because I knew if nothing else I could throw it in the crockpot, and $3.00 for a chicken was really cheap.

Today was the day to throw one in the crockpot.  Because you  really can't mess something up in the crockpot unless you forget about it for a few days.

I hated every second of preparing it.  I didn't realize there was stuff I would have to pull out of it's insides.  I think it had four livers.  Justin told me to "grow up" - then said he was kidding, but I think he only pretended he was kidding because I gave him the death look.

I will not be able to eat it at dinner tonight, so I hope my family enjoys it.  I will now go back to buying my chicken already cleaned up, pulled apart, and liver-less.

Gathered Clutch

I'm trying to psych myself up to make this:

http://noodleheads.blogspot.com/2010/04/gathered-clutch-tutorial.html

I'm scared of it.  There's a zipper.

Super Duper Easy Summer Picnics.

We like playdates.

I like keeping the kids busy, so if someone calls and says - "wanna meet at the zoo??" - as long as we're not doing something already, it's not unusual to drop everything and go.

I also am not a fan of spending $25 bucks on lunch at the zoo.  That's money I could spend on fabric.  (ha)

So here's what I've been doing - it's worked for impromptu picnics on the driveway on a break from the kiddie pool, on the little picnic table under the new swingset so that they don't even have to skip a beat playing - and those pop-up playdates where I don't want to spend a fortune on crappy food to feed them.

In another life, I sold Pampered Chef.  (I'm the classic jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none)

This little dandy has been in the drawer unused all these years, until this summer:

If you don't have one, go here and grab one... Cut-N-Seal

I've been buying an extra loaf of bread at the grocery store.  Then the next time I make the kids PB&J for lunch, I take an extra 15 minutes and go ahead and make the ENTIRE LOAF into PB&J sandwiches.  Then I use this cut-n-seal to make them into neat little sealed circles, drop five at a time into a ziploc bag and seal.  I take several of those bags of five (my big kid always eats two), stick them in a bigger ziploc to make sure they are nice and airtight - and pop them in the freezer. 

Then, when I need to grab something and go, I grab one of the smaller bags, stick it in my purse (or in a bag and take it outside w/ us).  They defrost pretty quickly, so by the time it's time for lunch, they are ready to go!!  I keep juice boxes in the crisper drawer at all times, so those are easy to grab, too ;)

I'm amazed, but even when thawed the bread is soft.  I haven't frozen any of these more than a month, but they really are the same as the "Uncrustables" you spend a fortune on in the freezer section at the grocery store.

So there ya go :)

nom, nom, nom...

xoxo

Super Delicious Chicken Tortilla Soup.

Super easy.  If you're in a hurry, replace the chicken with a drained can of chicken.

I take 4 or 5 boneless skinless breasts and cook them in the crockpot all day with a splash of vinegar (makes it tender), few chicken boullion cubes, and taco seasoning.  About 6-8 hours later, drain, shred - stick half in a ziploc bag in the freezer (to make this soup even faster on a different day!) and use the other half in this recipe:

1 can corn, drained
1 can chicken broth (or - I use bouillion cubes and water to make broth, usually i'll make 1 1/2 or 2 cups)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can of Rotel (not drained)
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

Whisk the broth and soup together, add everything else.  Season to taste with chili powder, salt, cumin, garlic powder - then eat!  We serve it with sour cream, cheese and tortilla chips.