PINK CHICKS

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

   

Christmas Gifts - Quilts for the Girls

I made Selene and Solana quilts for Christmas this year.  I let them each pick out their favorite fabrics and then put together each quilt.

This one is Selene's.   She informed me one day that her new favorite colors were blue and purple.   Huh?  This is my little girl who wouldn't wear anything other than pink.  "Oh, but don't worry Mommy she says, I still like  pink too."  Phew!  That's a relief! LOL!!

The quilt is approximately 56" x 56".  It is made of 36 10" squares.  I backed it in lavendar fabric with white polka dots.  The same fabric was used for the binding.

Solana's quilt fabric came mostly from the scrap box.  It is also 56" x 56" and is made up of 3" strips of fabric.  I had to add the white insets to make it big enough.  It is backed with some cute fabric that I bought ages ago along with a piece of pink I had left over from another project. 

 

I loved making each of these quilts and they came together relatively easily.   I need to bite the bullet this year and learn to free motion quilt.   Next  I need to work on something for Ella. 

My Baby Girl LOVES Me!!

      

At two years old, Ella is a lot of fun.  She is talking non-stop these days.  We love it!  She is full of all sorts of information and observations.  We were in the car the other day on the way to do some shopping when the following little conversation occurred.

Ella:  Mommy

Me:   Yes Ella

Ella:  I love you Mommy!

Me:  I love you too Ella!  (I'm grinning ear to ear at this time)

Ella:  Daddy (He is grinning too)

Daddy:  Yes Ella

Ella:  I love Mommy!

Daddy's smile faded a bit as he realized his baby girl said she loved Mommy and not him like he thought she was going to.  After the initial surprise of realizing what she said, we just started laughing and laughing.  I love having kids, they are full of surprises!

Spring Fling RR Quilt Received

 

I received this little beauty in the mail ago and promptly hung it on the wall in my kitchen. I apologize for taking so long to post about it, I have been buried under the Christmas rush. Let me begin by simply saying, I LOVE IT! I was quite happy to see that my favorite quilters had a hand in making this quilt. It makes it even more special. The colors are PERFECT! I like how each person added a nice border that added to Kathy's center block without overwhelming it. And last, but not least, the quilting is beautiful as well. The hearts in the quilt design added just the right touch.

 

The center block was made by Kathy, the first border by Lucy, the second border by Susan and the quilting was done by Kate. Thank you ladies for a special gift!! I will think of you all and smile as I admire it while enjoying dinner with my family.

 

 

Here is a look at the quilt that I quilted and then sent off to Sharon in Canada.  I hope she liked it. 

 

A BIG THANK YOU to Margaret for hosting another successful round of the Spring Fling Round Robin quilt exchange.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!  I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas.  We sure did!  Just spending time with family and talking about old times and remembering those who have gone on before us.   I love thinking of Christmases past in Louisiana when I was little.  There's nothing like a nice sunny Christmas morning to go along with lighted palm trees and fireworks on Christmas night.   The only thing missing, was my sister Laquette and her family.   She couldn't make it up for Christmas this year and we missed her terribly!

Now is the time of year where I begin reflecting on the past year and thinking about how to make the coming year better for me and my family.  Hmmmm...

Well, I am off to workout at the Y and then head on over to Weight Watchers.  Wish me luck!

Mommy and Me Apron Swap Update

  One of the latest swaps I was apart of was the "Mommy and Me" swap hosted by Shawnee.   I was paired up with Sunny, so I was able to make an apron for her and each one of her handsome boys.  Sunny said her favorite color was spring green, so I hunted through my pile of greens and pieced together an apron for her.  Sunny is very creative, so I thought she would like this style of apron. 

 

Ella is modeling the aprons I made for the boys.  This is the first time I made aprons for toddlers.

 

       The boys like airplanes and trains.

 

I made each of the aprons reversible.  Denim was the common factor for each of the aprons.

  

   

Here are the girls wearing the aprons Sunny made.  They are soooo beautiful.  I love the pinks and how she made each one different and special for each of us.   Sunny was also kind enough to along some yummy recipes and cute fall cookie cutters.

     Mine is in the center.

And last but certainly NOT least Ella's.  Thanks for sharing your sewing talents with us Sunny! 

Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes

 

It has been really cold these days and there's nothing better on a cold and snowy day than some yummy potatoes and ham.  Today I tried a new recipe for creamy au gratin potatoes.  I found a recipe on allrecipes.com and used it as inspiration for my own recipe.  My husband and the girls really enjoyed this dish.  It was perfect with a green salad and some crusty French bread. 

Ingredients:

8 russet potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch slices

1 onion, minced

salt and pepper to taste

4 1/2 T butter

1/4 c all-purpose flour

3 c milk

2 1/4 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Optional:  diced ham or crumbled bacon to your taste

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Butter a casserole dish.

2.  Parboil the potatoes for a few minutes until just slightly tender.  This will cut down on the cooking time.  Do not over boil or you will have mushy potatoes when they come out of the oven.

3. Layer 1/2 the potatoes, bacon or ham, and onions, then the other 1/2 of the potatoes.

4. In a medium-size saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.  Mix in the flour and salt, stir constantly for one minute.  Next stir in milk.  Stir this mixture constantly until it thickens.  Once it has thickened stir in cheese and continue stirring until melted.  Pour cheese over potatoes and place in preheated oven.

5.  Bake potatoes for 30-40 minutes or until dish is hot and bubbly and the potatoes are tender.

6.  Sprinkle more cheese and bacon or ham on top if you like before eating. 

7.  Enjoy!

Christmas Meme

Joanne of the Simple Wife put out an open invitation to participate in this Christmas Meme.  Since I haven't done one of these, I thought I would.  Why don't you all join in the fun as well. I'd love to read your answers!

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Tea or Hot Chocolate.

2.Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Santa brings one present to each child.

3. Colored lights on house/tree or white?
White.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No, but I should!

5.When do you put your decorations up?
During the week after Thanksgiving.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Honey ham.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?
Leaving the northern snow and cold behind to travel to Louisiana to visit my grandparents .  I loved how warm it was, hanging lights on palm  trees, setting off fireworks, and most of all the hustle and bustle  of all of our family in the house.

8.When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I don't remember. But my Mom told me that my Dad was my Santa for life, and that soothed any wounds I might have had.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
No.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
The big one like a magazine tree. The small ones with ornaments. (There are five in the house at last count.)

11. Snow. Love it or dread it?
Love it. Don't love to shovel five inches at 6 a.m. when Toben's out of town.

12. Can you ice skate?
Oh yeah. Backwards too.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
Handmade baby dolls.

14. What is the most important thing about the holidays to you? 

Jesus. 

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
Almond crescent cookies.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? 

Listening to Robert Benson's The Night of the Child by the light of the tree on Christmas Eve. All by myself usually.

17. What tops your Christmas tree?
A pretty paper star made by Selene.  She is becoming quite the artist.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?
Giving!

19. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Hark the Harold Angels Sing sang by Mahalia Jackson.

20. Candy Canes. Yum or Yuck?
Yum!  I especially like the new non-traditional flavors they have come out with like blue-raspberry.

21. What do you want for Christmas?
Family unity and a bit of snow.

22. Do you attend an annual Christmas party?
Yes.  My girlfriends and I have been getting together for over 15 years to eat, drink and be merry while exchanging cookies and gifts.

23. Do you dress up for Christmas Eve or wear PJ's?
Dress up for church.

24. Do you own a Santa hat?

Yes.

25. Who do you normally spend Christmas with?

 

Family.

Forty-Two

 

Here I am in all my forty-two glorious years!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!! 

Thanks to my wonderful stylist Gina for giving me a new "do" for my birthday.  I love you!! :)

Where is your 2 year old????

 

 

Mine was busy giving herself a makeover while Mommy was sewing.  ROFLOL!!