tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19833383420665141422024-03-13T17:41:00.712-07:00Handmade with Care'I'm a curious person by nature and love to create. That means I am willing to try almost anything. Most of the times my endeavors flop. But, every now and then something amazing happens.Caréhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805884496736288338noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983338342066514142.post-89904236997390365522012-02-19T08:29:00.001-08:002012-02-19T08:41:06.718-08:00My First Amigurumi - Angry PearI've always wanted to learn to knit, but never could get it quite right. The piece always looked like I ran it through the garbage disposal after I finished. With my expensive taste in yarn, this is not a good thing, so I decided to give crochet a go. After all, the size of my yarn stash is pretty darn embarrassing when you consider it is just sitting there.<br /><br />Since picking up a hook, I've managed to do a couple of scarfs, one large wrap (that I'll never repeat) and a baby blanket. I decided it was time to branch out a bit and found a course on Craftsy that piqued my interest. (If you haven't been to Craftsy, you must check it out today! There are lots of great patterns and videos available. It's like attending a class but at your own pace and for a fraction of the price.)<br /><br />Anywho . . . I found this course on how to design your own amigurumi. Since I like to sew all the critters for Children's, this was right up my alley. As much as I love doing those, the multi-step process and the hand whip-stitching at the end gets a bit tedious. I figured I'd give it a go.<br /><br />You know what? I'm in love!<br /><br />Below is my very first amigurmui - an Angry Pear. Total crochet time was 3 hours tops, but keep in mine I'm EXTREMELY slow right now. A more experienced hooker could probably knock this out in an hour. Yeah, I can sew faster than that, but I didn't have to drag out my machine, fabric stash, cutting board, rotary cutter, blah blah blah.<br /><br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiRhJJ8UPiPZVhhDptR-Eh7yQQcu852IIkbb-nPK6H6I6loqwpNRp-gbWISCjb5Urzk49Sq3yPeoc5ZOByqLvwjl5l3nC9n80NEqVeyuM3qOhrXPekguMR-8MN26SjdlpDPyYdBAFmRnfr/s1600/AngryPear.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 307px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5710887312612276034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiRhJJ8UPiPZVhhDptR-Eh7yQQcu852IIkbb-nPK6H6I6loqwpNRp-gbWISCjb5Urzk49Sq3yPeoc5ZOByqLvwjl5l3nC9n80NEqVeyuM3qOhrXPekguMR-8MN26SjdlpDPyYdBAFmRnfr/s320/AngryPear.jpg" /></a></p><br /><br /><br />I'd change a couple of things if I make this again (like moving the eyes closer so they touch, and trying to get them more round so they bug out more), but overall I'm satisfied with how DISsatisfied this guy looks.<br /><br />With friendship,<br /><br />Care'Caréhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805884496736288338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983338342066514142.post-34075988947581462942012-02-17T12:21:00.000-08:002012-02-17T12:25:18.715-08:00Jake's Quilt<div>I've been working on a quilt for my oldest for a while now and finally managed to finish it up. It actually went together pretty fast - I just tool REALLY long breaks between cutting, piecing and quilting. I love the way it turned out!</div><div> </div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPBOSTpteRVI1u1rhSvLFuZHOTB9HX21JLaZeWL9VAaeNWZJ9IKrt7AIYTUuCXFuz8gJbX2-1OR4LT0uIfPv99IRR9aWuvIlCAikFl5gENunxDifyjulP-7s0W_r1DAWXVIwh27d1pplPZ/s1600/Jake%2527s+Quilt.jpg"><img style="width: 240px; height: 320px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5710203007156330002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPBOSTpteRVI1u1rhSvLFuZHOTB9HX21JLaZeWL9VAaeNWZJ9IKrt7AIYTUuCXFuz8gJbX2-1OR4LT0uIfPv99IRR9aWuvIlCAikFl5gENunxDifyjulP-7s0W_r1DAWXVIwh27d1pplPZ/s320/Jake%2527s+Quilt.jpg" /></a></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPBOSTpteRVI1u1rhSvLFuZHOTB9HX21JLaZeWL9VAaeNWZJ9IKrt7AIYTUuCXFuz8gJbX2-1OR4LT0uIfPv99IRR9aWuvIlCAikFl5gENunxDifyjulP-7s0W_r1DAWXVIwh27d1pplPZ/s1600/Jake%2527s+Quilt.jpg"><div align="left"> </div></a><p></p><div> Now, time to start work on the next one. I'd like to see if I can actually beat my one-quilt-per-year pace and knock out TWO (or maybe three?) this year!</div><div> </div><div>With friendhsip,</div><div> </div><div>Care'</div>Caréhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805884496736288338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983338342066514142.post-53406095479485813282011-08-19T16:30:00.000-07:002011-08-19T16:34:38.434-07:00Back to SoapingAfter taking a rather extended break from creating new soaps, I decided it was time to get back to it. Besides, all this cooking like Paula Deen is NOT good for my figure. At least with soaping I get to "feel" like I'm baking - without the calories!
<br />
<br />Here is my latest soap. It's made from goat's milk and scented with sweet pea. My husband took one look at it and called it "Celebration." I think it's fun!
<br />
<br />
<br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfB35PfRqeRkSPl8k8jGBFqSaV2NCZPPKt44-qwPOU4IyftopqsCcXqulUPcVCXfDGgRR7CK7ewMsfqfQLxpFB57AO7QEabri79m_Xq6kNOJggAOuQaBFkzc4LzgORIBXcHI4OV7CsWEXF/s1600/CelebrationSweetPea2.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 238px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642714393266312434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfB35PfRqeRkSPl8k8jGBFqSaV2NCZPPKt44-qwPOU4IyftopqsCcXqulUPcVCXfDGgRR7CK7ewMsfqfQLxpFB57AO7QEabri79m_Xq6kNOJggAOuQaBFkzc4LzgORIBXcHI4OV7CsWEXF/s320/CelebrationSweetPea2.jpg" /></a></p>
<br />
<br />
<br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNdmKSpxpW3wOfWyCJdkzsVNAOfYSTsRcE2Y07sqLWYS0ByQ1ASFL_GZ5OQ1BuirdeT5pCzvjZNQmX03S_qmWvwpJ_PEFZcrDy7eaCrgoZ7UJzEAdQDovh6HeTpCO9G1VeYQyJJo3mlrll/s1600/CelebrationSweetPea3.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 184px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642714208445082226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNdmKSpxpW3wOfWyCJdkzsVNAOfYSTsRcE2Y07sqLWYS0ByQ1ASFL_GZ5OQ1BuirdeT5pCzvjZNQmX03S_qmWvwpJ_PEFZcrDy7eaCrgoZ7UJzEAdQDovh6HeTpCO9G1VeYQyJJo3mlrll/s320/CelebrationSweetPea3.jpg" /></a></p>
<br /><div></div>
<br /><div></div>
<br /><div>With friendship,</div>
<br /><div>Care'</div>
<br />Caréhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805884496736288338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983338342066514142.post-88036713650502354562011-01-24T12:45:00.000-08:002011-01-24T12:52:20.395-08:00The Care-Paula Experiment-Dish #9: Sweet Black Cherry Crisp<p align="left">My husband LOVES cherry pie. I personally am not a fan as I find it too sweet. I also tend to like fresh fruit over canned, so when I saw this recipe (<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/sweet-black-cherry-crisp-recipe/index.html">http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/sweet-black-cherry-crisp-recipe/index.html</a>) I knew I had to give it a go.</p><p align="left">Not only was this one of the easiest recipes I've ever made, it tasted wonderful. Hubby loved it and I did too because it wasn't too sweet. We highly recommend!</p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjraP2Skp0d2WVDiTr3xViu4ikECt0B7vwEV_n_8b9mtTp1wE6LJqx2UianzQj0IR-yWU7hbBbjCzBWUUG7xiA9G5Sg0DCQ4d-c_gO2qGah_CSeBY2FW-ivZPfuuvdJYPMB6ayqgnyN26_7/s1600/CherryCrisp2.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565857091475675762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjraP2Skp0d2WVDiTr3xViu4ikECt0B7vwEV_n_8b9mtTp1wE6LJqx2UianzQj0IR-yWU7hbBbjCzBWUUG7xiA9G5Sg0DCQ4d-c_gO2qGah_CSeBY2FW-ivZPfuuvdJYPMB6ayqgnyN26_7/s320/CherryCrisp2.jpg" /></a></p><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPighFLeSri-tY5qNNVYoyxS5xne0iafMSaLiYS4GTWj0JWnVzqlLwU6Pb3xxz3Yd3cakxY2P5oZVfUMpou1OTXqN5kmYTRFUHdXakL8nLj5XtRlp6I5WV3iw2nTAJIRpNiK-JLWCbVf7/s1600/CherryCrisp.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 245px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565857085505344658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPighFLeSri-tY5qNNVYoyxS5xne0iafMSaLiYS4GTWj0JWnVzqlLwU6Pb3xxz3Yd3cakxY2P5oZVfUMpou1OTXqN5kmYTRFUHdXakL8nLj5XtRlp6I5WV3iw2nTAJIRpNiK-JLWCbVf7/s320/CherryCrisp.jpg" /></a></p><p align="left">With friendship,</p><p align="left">Care'</p>Caréhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805884496736288338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983338342066514142.post-83703489946218731972011-01-23T10:00:00.000-08:002011-01-23T10:07:29.636-08:00The Care-Paula Experiment-Dish #8: Brussels Sprouts<p align="left">I don't like brussels sprouts. I've even tried them steamed, which usually does great things for veggies. To me, they taste like dirt.</p><p align="left">My husband LOVES them. He goes on and on about how his mom use to make them for him growing up and how he devoured them. </p><p align="left">What kind of weird kid eats brussels sprouts?</p><p align="left">Well, after making this version (<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/melissas-brussels-sprouts-recipe/index.html">http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/melissas-brussels-sprouts-recipe/index.html</a>) my kids are weird too. </p><p align="left">I have always subscribed to the "bacon makes everything better" theory, and am a recent convert to the "butter makes everything better" concept - thanks to Paula. This recipe calls for bacon AND butter. After you drop those little sprouts in butter and bacon, they taste mighty fine.</p><p align="left">Mighty, mighty fine.</p><p align="left">I always have left over veggies when we make them. Not this time. I think I saw hubby's eyes roll in the back of his head one time . .</p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Tyzfh5qu84ONIhV6Lwu2ahTgxMuvx6qNyWpLGm3t0yG3zff4B0P4fQonZg7Q5o4OFMeBijF0lJXT3bbJdDWN5EUcDUEMP6TxoeV1Brq1MQXFH94EQAQ-gUnw5jEUdgSthdMr0o59YJzr/s1600/BrusselSrpouts.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 231px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565443095683158322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Tyzfh5qu84ONIhV6Lwu2ahTgxMuvx6qNyWpLGm3t0yG3zff4B0P4fQonZg7Q5o4OFMeBijF0lJXT3bbJdDWN5EUcDUEMP6TxoeV1Brq1MQXFH94EQAQ-gUnw5jEUdgSthdMr0o59YJzr/s320/BrusselSrpouts.jpg" /></a></p>With friendship,<br /><br />Care'Caréhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805884496736288338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983338342066514142.post-80430425981307210812011-01-22T06:35:00.001-08:002011-01-22T06:41:46.272-08:00The Care-Paula Experiment-Dish #7: Lemon and Garlic Roast ChickenI took a bit of a departure and decided to try out an Ina Garten recipe, something I NEVER would have tried before I started this journey. I will tell you that having never dealt with a full chicken before, there were times I wanted to call it quits and get hubby out of bed to deal with it. But, I managed to survive the experience.<br /><br />The recipe is here: <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/lemon-and-garlic-roast-chicken-recipe/index.html">http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/lemon-and-garlic-roast-chicken-recipe/index.html</a><br /><br />The chicken turned out beautifully and was very moist. The only thing I didn't like was the gravy, so we just left it off. I did learn some important things on this one, such as the need to over-season before cooking. While it was very tasty, I could have been a little more heavy-handed with the salt and pepper.<br /><br />Overall, it was a winner and will be on the menu again. And, I'm over my fear of cooking a full chicken now. Who knows, maybe I'll make the turkey at Thanksgiving this year!<br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimMZ1oaIj4HNESP7ERwZQhJ3mtzKKTqBnyip9UEFBeookarsPoEtQSlmqkXDXJXR_w7X1jjxzl1V-tAxlBdpbByQSQ8s18bS-lwy5qAc1Kxe5Jiwh8ApxVPfoffjIkntwBxvnvKyQZZnEd/s1600/RoastChicken.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 224px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565019420936014210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimMZ1oaIj4HNESP7ERwZQhJ3mtzKKTqBnyip9UEFBeookarsPoEtQSlmqkXDXJXR_w7X1jjxzl1V-tAxlBdpbByQSQ8s18bS-lwy5qAc1Kxe5Jiwh8ApxVPfoffjIkntwBxvnvKyQZZnEd/s320/RoastChicken.jpg" /></a></p><p align="left">With friendship,</p><p align="left">Care'</p>Caréhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805884496736288338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983338342066514142.post-48527859795260029172011-01-21T17:19:00.001-08:002011-01-21T17:28:16.535-08:00The Care-Paula Experiment-Dish #6 - English Toffee<p align="left">Is a simple, one word post of "YUM" sufficient?</p><p align="left">No?</p><p align="left">Okay, a bit more detail then. . . </p><p align="left">SUPER-YUM!</p><p align="left">Not only was this easy to make, it was well worth the wait for it to set up. That was the hardest part - waiting to break off a chunk and devour it. Okay, okay . . . I confess that I did get into it a bit early and left chocolate fingerprints on the counter, but it was so hard to resist.</p><p align="left">You can find the recipe here:</p><p align="left"><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/english-toffee-recipe/index.html">http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/english-toffee-recipe/index.html</a></p>Paula has a few more receipes that call for toffee bits. I plan to use this recipe to make the bits instead of using store-bought.<br /><br />Drool over my pictures . . .<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1LnpaNL8RnYmkp4k_NwqvPKgzEf0QZTWShBQ4Z0FXMZVWs9Z2yga6BD0c2K1RgkheUIU6K5SapbHfCPYU50DOW5XuFBOzsyzzF1WUY-ir7qYZMRgb4CovqSdTAyBFJM65ESLeWpYyB5S/s1600/SAM_0352.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564814703852696066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1LnpaNL8RnYmkp4k_NwqvPKgzEf0QZTWShBQ4Z0FXMZVWs9Z2yga6BD0c2K1RgkheUIU6K5SapbHfCPYU50DOW5XuFBOzsyzzF1WUY-ir7qYZMRgb4CovqSdTAyBFJM65ESLeWpYyB5S/s320/SAM_0352.JPG" /></a></p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4J0D4txXv4NOUycAbX8uxNAa-L0Xia68CVqeGQJGLEduCa8SyCA4n8d3gXnziWdtuhyphenhyphenGk4ndDupQD1ijbZDIl1te4pr-7s8PlDxBhEgSg_wwBU8BUwkb411-7k0P5KZRsO3Yf-3WhoW7/s1600/SAM_0355.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564814709723927410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4J0D4txXv4NOUycAbX8uxNAa-L0Xia68CVqeGQJGLEduCa8SyCA4n8d3gXnziWdtuhyphenhyphenGk4ndDupQD1ijbZDIl1te4pr-7s8PlDxBhEgSg_wwBU8BUwkb411-7k0P5KZRsO3Yf-3WhoW7/s320/SAM_0355.JPG" /></a></p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcXQ4eitCWc6P_9S8ANweoDJ4VbmKw1bmnQ7g78XeK3YJuAlcH4_zeU9TLmZ_tPAx9Qik11HWSdTwnsrW9Eu-OKE63Bhg7PFKnM_M2Tlm_wU3daBjxapCbcfGOvy6wUtFQmchaEEte38vJ/s1600/SAM_0365.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564814712435867890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcXQ4eitCWc6P_9S8ANweoDJ4VbmKw1bmnQ7g78XeK3YJuAlcH4_zeU9TLmZ_tPAx9Qik11HWSdTwnsrW9Eu-OKE63Bhg7PFKnM_M2Tlm_wU3daBjxapCbcfGOvy6wUtFQmchaEEte38vJ/s320/SAM_0365.JPG" /></a></p><div>With friendship,</div><div> </div><div>Care'<br /><br /><br /></div><div></div>Caréhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805884496736288338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983338342066514142.post-76340417815768926072011-01-18T04:39:00.000-08:002011-01-18T04:48:08.958-08:00The Care-Paula Experiment-Dish #5 - Icy Coffee Punch<p align="left">It's a bit of a joke around my house about how I can't stay awake past 9:00. Even on the weekends when I want to stay up later than the kids, I usually fall asleep on the couch. Turn on sports and I'm sure to be sawing logs within 20 minutes. The problem? I like to watch hockey, and I never make it through a game.</p><p align="left">So, when I saw this recipe (<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/icy-coffee-punch-recipe/index.html">http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/icy-coffee-punch-recipe/index.html</a>) while staring at a pot full of coffee that I was going to have to dump down the drain, the light bulb went off. </p><p align="left">It was a snap to make and tasted delicious. I won't be spending $$$ at that unnamed place any longer, as it keeps beautifully in the fridge. I not only enjoyed it that night (and saw the ENTIRE game), I had some left over for my morning commute to work. You can serve it over ice or ice cream depending on your mood. I had it both ways and can recommend both. Enjoy!</p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkA9kC-9AECf-GnzVm26Dm4xED02JLWIvkGDGj69pWEyncbulhqEpX3azgc8ySXegZVdRMKYzV_SliCbQpFrCKLenGYS8czDMpxCkJkNWnPO8qpVTs1-ZsPW47ijkL5-v4u3m2CbMsFcx/s1600/SAM_0344.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563505540529425874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkA9kC-9AECf-GnzVm26Dm4xED02JLWIvkGDGj69pWEyncbulhqEpX3azgc8ySXegZVdRMKYzV_SliCbQpFrCKLenGYS8czDMpxCkJkNWnPO8qpVTs1-ZsPW47ijkL5-v4u3m2CbMsFcx/s320/SAM_0344.JPG" /></a></p><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgp2IZ57L2SMM3QX7Y2mh2iUby8BD97Nph7c1hm0WsZCl9Ydn5_JsPmj5GaV3hv7Vknu_11krLZkhlt11nQnFVPkbV3_8EVOdn-7Mgz876trq42lXWLWqBe5we_qL78KBZkcqVwVARClVN/s1600/SAM_0343.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563505523813469474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgp2IZ57L2SMM3QX7Y2mh2iUby8BD97Nph7c1hm0WsZCl9Ydn5_JsPmj5GaV3hv7Vknu_11krLZkhlt11nQnFVPkbV3_8EVOdn-7Mgz876trq42lXWLWqBe5we_qL78KBZkcqVwVARClVN/s320/SAM_0343.JPG" /></a></p>With friendship,<br /><br />Care'Caréhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805884496736288338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983338342066514142.post-65382174467659183812011-01-17T04:45:00.000-08:002011-01-18T04:39:53.438-08:00The Care-Paula Experiment-Dish #4 - Cajun Fried OkraIn the spirit of full disclosure, I totally cheated on this one. I love fried okra. It's one of the few veggies I can get the 12YO to eat. But raw okra freaks me out. Some people freak on chicken gibblets; others on eggs. For me, the sliminess of raw okra is just <em>nasty</em>.<br /><br />So, when I found Paula's recipe, (<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/cajun-fried-okra-recipe/index.html">http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/cajun-fried-okra-recipe/index.html</a>) I almost passed it by. I purchase the ready-to-fry stuff in the frozen section and it tastes great. Why mess with one of the few things I could make already?<br /><br />Then it dawned on me. Maybe I could just season the stuff that was ready to fry? Then, I could punch up the flavor without all the hassle? Besides, the worst that could happen is that it turn out inedible and I have to toss it. (We're use to that around here).<br /><br />I gave it a whirl and it turned out just fine. The kick of the cajun seasoning was great. Normally we plow through a package of frozen okra with a little bit left over. This time there was none left. I even saw the 12YO smile a bit.<br /><br />With friendship,<br /><br />Care'Caréhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805884496736288338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983338342066514142.post-82367398763497889052011-01-16T06:11:00.000-08:002011-01-16T06:21:49.446-08:00The Care-Paula Experiment-Dish 3: Chocolate Creme Brulee<p align="left">Yeah, I know what you're thinking . . . trying to make creme <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">brulee</span> when I'm this new to cooking is a bit ambitious. I agree. And, if I hadn't watched Paula make it on TV I would have just passed it right by in the cookbook. But she made it look so easy. It was! </p><p align="left">As a bonus, we got to use the the blow torch for an activity not related to home repair, but that's another story.</p><p align="left">The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">recipe</span> is here:</p><p align="left"><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/chocolate-creme-brulee-recipe4/index.html">http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/chocolate-creme-brulee-recipe4/index.html</a></p><p align="left">It certainly is a rich dessert, but it tasted great. I served it with sliced banana on top. I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">definitely</span> will make this again in the future - especially if we have company. (Look at me actually thinking of cooking for <em>company</em>!)</p><p align="left">I did learn some tips while doing this that I'll pass along:</p><p align="left">1. The chocolate flavored <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">liqueur</span> can be substituted for chocolate extract. I had trouble finding both on short notice so I left them out and substituted water. I think it was missing that little bit of punch, so I would not do that again.</p><p align="left">2. Less is more when it comes to putting sugar on top for the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">caramelizing</span> process. I was a bit heavy-handed on my first attempt.</p><p align="left">Here's a pic. Enjoy!</p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMCyPM_DbOvoNT3GDoKPYQ1VnJm2jqI_IgWMie8pNLer1F0tYLQ5S4QGxDVHmPgHozGSo3BoQGgzTXjWJbiuNEycR275jYTcHp9CGShOYKztLtcfauz92pAY0s58KoEBc0Fb8_Ex7f794/s1600/SAM_0325.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562786779970766914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMCyPM_DbOvoNT3GDoKPYQ1VnJm2jqI_IgWMie8pNLer1F0tYLQ5S4QGxDVHmPgHozGSo3BoQGgzTXjWJbiuNEycR275jYTcHp9CGShOYKztLtcfauz92pAY0s58KoEBc0Fb8_Ex7f794/s320/SAM_0325.JPG" /></a></p>With friendship,<br /><br />Care'Caréhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805884496736288338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983338342066514142.post-8726165101453220532011-01-09T11:46:00.000-08:002011-01-09T11:50:56.802-08:00The Care-Paula Experiment - Recipe #2: Crispy Fries with Mayo DipGrowing up I remember Mom always trying to recreate french fries. Don't get me wrong . . what she made tasted great. But, it was never quite as crunchy on the outside as what you could find at the local restaurant.<br /><br />Well, after watching an espisode with Paula, I now know the secret! You have to fry those bad boys multiple times! (Yes, you can say "duh" if you want. I can take it!)<br /><br />Here is Paula's recipe:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/crispy-french-fries-with-mayonnaise-dip-recipe/index.html">http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/crispy-french-fries-with-mayonnaise-dip-recipe/index.html</a><br /><br />I ended up using sweet potatoes and they were great. We even made the mayo dip and that is a new favorite in our household.<br /><br />With friendship,<br /><br />Care'Caréhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805884496736288338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983338342066514142.post-50259807863464583352011-01-07T17:48:00.000-08:002011-01-07T18:00:23.706-08:00The Care-Paula Experiment: Dish 1: Croque Madame CasseroleMy first Paula dish is <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Croque</span> Madame Casserole. I watched Paula and Michael make it this past weekend on the Food Network, and I immediately developed a craving. You can find the recipe here: <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/croque-madame-casserole-recipe/index.html">http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/croque-madame-casserole-recipe/index.html</a><br /><br />I will admit this recipe was a bit <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">adventurous</span> for me . . . the concepts of cooking a sauce and frying an egg (no, I have never fried an egg before) were new, but I was determined to give it a try. I spent a good portion of my day last Saturday trying to hunt down Gruyere cheese. (I found it at Kroger.) I then had to go back out for the ham yesterday because the 3YO ate what I had already bought. I finally had all the ingredients together yesterday, so I gave it a go.<br /><br />I was honestly surprised at how easy it was to do. The hardest part was frying the egg, and I could still use some practice there, but with enough cheese on top no one seemed to notice. And the taste? AMAZING! It was my-eyes-rolled-in-the-back-of-my-head good!<br /><br />I was a little worried that my 12YO would not eat it, but he inhaled it and went back for seconds. He is the king of picky eaters, by the way. I failed to get a picture of the finished product as the boys were eating it before I even had a chance to sit down. I'll work harder to get pictures in the future.<br /><br />Give this one a try. You'll love it!<br /><br />With friendship,<br /><br />Care'Caréhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805884496736288338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983338342066514142.post-75853388183560968242011-01-07T17:37:00.000-08:002011-01-07T17:46:38.068-08:00The Care-Paula ExperimentLast weekend I finally had an opportunity to watch the movie <em>Julie and Julia</em>. Yes, I know that move came out in 2009 and it's now 2010. My inability to stay current with movies is a very long story best saved for another day. Anyway, that movie really inspired me to try and finally learn to cook.<br /><br />I grew up with a Mom and Dad and multiple grandparents that could cook. And I mean REALLY REALLY cook. I was exposed to amazing food my whole life. When I got married, I gained a mother-in-law and a husband that can also REALLY REALLY cook. My sister can also REALLY REALLY cook.<br /><br />Alas, I cannot.<br /><br />Yes, I can make desserts and there are a few dishes I can do, but the ability to just walk in the kitchen, look in the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">pantry</span> and throw something delicious together completely alludes me. If it weren't for my husband, the kids would be very tired of chicken and rice by now.<br /><br />So, while watching the movie I got to thinking . . . could I do the same thing?<br /><br />Right after the movie I caught one of Paula <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Deen's</span> shows and the idea was <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">cemented</span>. I decided that I would learn to cook using Paula's recipes and watching her shows. Last week I started the journey.<br /><br />Stay tuned for my trials and tribulations as I attempt to add new recipes to my <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">arsenal</span>. No more chicken and rice!<br /><br />With friendship,<br /><br />Care'Caréhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805884496736288338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983338342066514142.post-5091777491570606092011-01-06T16:22:00.000-08:002011-01-06T16:51:43.673-08:00Cake Balls!<div><div>While browsing the internet I came across this site:</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhydhZXo_hUHeKDNgEyyP5iY_QJKC9N_0r0qiPs1764SUwVMdyOdSNnW77PXe10enmGWym6q7FznC2BbUQ-4AlhxXOwNBZ2jgcgXIhB7U-tJ5fZX36bcl-7lJgLc4jnxLhh9T64ySV6dShL/s1600/TreeCakeBalls2.jpg"></a> </div><div></div><div><a href="http://www.bakerella.com/">http://www.bakerella.com/</a></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>I was intrigued . . mesmerized . .excited . .</div><div> </div><div></div><div>I am in constant pursit of making those wonderful little desserts. I LIVE for the Food Network challenges where they make the cakes and sugar sculptures. I have tried many times to create these masterpieces and failed. Miserably.</div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>Yet, here was something that looked attainable. There was enough science to the process of making cake balls, but still room for creativity.</div><div><br />Could I do it? Dare I try?</div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>Well, this past holiday season I did give it a go. In all I made about 20 dozen cake balls and they were all a HIT. For Christmas I asked for Angie's book. It is awesome and a great deal. I highly recommend it.</div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/bakerella-20/detail/0811876373">http://astore.amazon.com/bakerella-20/detail/0811876373</a></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>Here are some pics of my creations. I am anxious to try more!</div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>Oh, and they taste GREAT too . . .</div><div> </div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz998bJXD1CrOH5rGKYKdvGbYjujAef27LXYVqheh3V-9PwLluSIdtWxQfP54rSu9oAZFrdSgZnusDSm3_NhD3ewalfTkVoeHTzGLhwoX9hrduLRB2eSBzZo6uVBE2vWCN-5ozDd965Wyx/s1600/CakeBalls.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559238903036532946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz998bJXD1CrOH5rGKYKdvGbYjujAef27LXYVqheh3V-9PwLluSIdtWxQfP54rSu9oAZFrdSgZnusDSm3_NhD3ewalfTkVoeHTzGLhwoX9hrduLRB2eSBzZo6uVBE2vWCN-5ozDd965Wyx/s320/CakeBalls.jpg" /></a></p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSvn6LVfg4Bu_YPGyyzuGRKW4u4ax-07185slFN62OtoP_HqsRNG8hKLLTeVtpFqgaXaWckCwaBl8_tRI8-GG9RAwZ7V_uHy_rHo8XejNoKYu2mLMeToTQBLwXY-SYndaRHcgt29f9W2N/s1600/TreeCakeBalls1.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 171px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559238907627288018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSvn6LVfg4Bu_YPGyyzuGRKW4u4ax-07185slFN62OtoP_HqsRNG8hKLLTeVtpFqgaXaWckCwaBl8_tRI8-GG9RAwZ7V_uHy_rHo8XejNoKYu2mLMeToTQBLwXY-SYndaRHcgt29f9W2N/s320/TreeCakeBalls1.jpg" /></a></p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhydhZXo_hUHeKDNgEyyP5iY_QJKC9N_0r0qiPs1764SUwVMdyOdSNnW77PXe10enmGWym6q7FznC2BbUQ-4AlhxXOwNBZ2jgcgXIhB7U-tJ5fZX36bcl-7lJgLc4jnxLhh9T64ySV6dShL/s1600/TreeCakeBalls2.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 272px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559238913541605938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhydhZXo_hUHeKDNgEyyP5iY_QJKC9N_0r0qiPs1764SUwVMdyOdSNnW77PXe10enmGWym6q7FznC2BbUQ-4AlhxXOwNBZ2jgcgXIhB7U-tJ5fZX36bcl-7lJgLc4jnxLhh9T64ySV6dShL/s320/TreeCakeBalls2.jpg" /></a></p><p align="left">The ones on the top are chocolate cake inside with chocolate icing, and the trees are red velvet cake with cream cheese icing. I also made a batch with butter cake and butter icing dipped in milk chocolate. I don't have a picture of those because they were gobble up too fast.</p><p align="left">You have to give these a try. </p><p align="left">With friendship,</p><p align="left">Care'</p><p align="center"> </p></div>Caréhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805884496736288338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983338342066514142.post-54372206489503209142010-11-24T14:24:00.000-08:002010-11-24T14:29:24.913-08:00My Sister's Quilt - Update<p align="left">Here it is - the top of the quilt all laid out. I wanted to get an idea of layout and placement so I could ensure there was a good balance of color. After fiddling around a bit (and playing with the pattern) this is what I came up with. Now all Ineed to do is join everything together.</p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioM1MCy8zHwxNlY8SV82S3dO_g9yBu0BbiK_kaiuVtL_9afALTblTiaBMEpCkeRh8uEDFNe7G4xTUK7tmqSVR7ezCWt9b9B0NDKJTtfeXDKO32xZhpgULECe78qMSfoHDUyyxWzCn_q9_B/s1600/P1040396.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543246109182684802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioM1MCy8zHwxNlY8SV82S3dO_g9yBu0BbiK_kaiuVtL_9afALTblTiaBMEpCkeRh8uEDFNe7G4xTUK7tmqSVR7ezCWt9b9B0NDKJTtfeXDKO32xZhpgULECe78qMSfoHDUyyxWzCn_q9_B/s320/P1040396.JPG" /></a></p><p align="left">Hopefully I can work on it this weekend. Lately it has been tough to put 10 minutes together. LOL! I had hoped to have it done by Christmas, but at this pace it may be a first anniversary gift.</p><p align="left">With friendship,</p><p align="left">Care'</p>Caréhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805884496736288338noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983338342066514142.post-71859499790914325782010-10-23T09:53:00.002-07:002010-10-23T10:07:29.036-07:00My Sister's Quilt #2<div><div><div><div><div>I guess it's time to do a little update on the progress of my sister's wedding quilt. Despite the lag between posts, I have been quite busy. The front squares are completely ready and I'm working on the back squares now. For the front, I took the fans that my grandmother hand-quilted and set them into an unbleached muslin fabric. I chose the muslin because there was so much variety in the fan colors that I didn't want to take away from them. That, and the fact that the unbleached quality makes it appear older is very appealing.<br /><br />After insetting each fan quarter into the muslin piece, I then went back and embroidered along the seams. I originally planned to do different color thread with different patterns, but ultimately decided that off-white would compliment the quilt best. Also, by keeping the embroidery simple, I think it helps unify the quilt. While doing the embroidery I quilted each fan to a piece of batting.<br /><br />Next step is to do the back the same way - cut, assemble, quilt & emboider. Then, I can start joining the pieces!<br /><br />My goal is to have this done by Christmas. Wish me luck! </div><div> </div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYA6U_8ArG_4SnZ0jUv5R3sWoUr61IbdPMn2YKM4uwqOEcBPYyjE3Ti025EgWiqFI4dnCXvA-PnxqSArtp_Wg8lItJfnC89gFumYUrAx8-G1GgO3gQGLZVA3i16-VPZffDkSLfTAwiFznl/s1600/FanQuilt1.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 258px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531288645163794274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYA6U_8ArG_4SnZ0jUv5R3sWoUr61IbdPMn2YKM4uwqOEcBPYyjE3Ti025EgWiqFI4dnCXvA-PnxqSArtp_Wg8lItJfnC89gFumYUrAx8-G1GgO3gQGLZVA3i16-VPZffDkSLfTAwiFznl/s320/FanQuilt1.jpg" /></a></p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLN6lHUBE8lTG_ApA9TesO1zqLZcazeriA44GIkTpgmVnwzLOOsgZUMDM-ifPJCS4N-lEKQKZPLaqRcU-pIgo5xCuhAQNXbEOKXEW41WNtd9eP-zECDUbcUwFJHzvlH_MxZl5h3cjxuIN/s1600/FanQuilt4.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 301px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531288617286457458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLN6lHUBE8lTG_ApA9TesO1zqLZcazeriA44GIkTpgmVnwzLOOsgZUMDM-ifPJCS4N-lEKQKZPLaqRcU-pIgo5xCuhAQNXbEOKXEW41WNtd9eP-zECDUbcUwFJHzvlH_MxZl5h3cjxuIN/s320/FanQuilt4.jpg" /></a></p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhurp5RjbNC0JyPUpHtEObPtARRStJ_DHdgniUpRy2xsuGvDWHQOwevOWBnHdVEoKUY1V3thlzL8S2aj5D1xYWR1FVYCIUzqzibG-uEw4hJafmix6Jdbo2TlDpidLa2TJ3Gggzz6FP5OeW5/s1600/FanQuilt3.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531288621957496338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhurp5RjbNC0JyPUpHtEObPtARRStJ_DHdgniUpRy2xsuGvDWHQOwevOWBnHdVEoKUY1V3thlzL8S2aj5D1xYWR1FVYCIUzqzibG-uEw4hJafmix6Jdbo2TlDpidLa2TJ3Gggzz6FP5OeW5/s320/FanQuilt3.jpg" /></a></p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIqi74zEVLfsxStcWwTRLqzbU2gMW6G5IzQVl0cANnf0FmtNsAY9gt4yF_5mV12KER6ARKuZRtabBuArhjaYpK0Xy-mqXPZLBABRNLuDyesWEmwCv_P79vbN9d8i3LlLQD1HlXt5RtVbJ5/s1600/FanQuilt2.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531288633516167586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIqi74zEVLfsxStcWwTRLqzbU2gMW6G5IzQVl0cANnf0FmtNsAY9gt4yF_5mV12KER6ARKuZRtabBuArhjaYpK0Xy-mqXPZLBABRNLuDyesWEmwCv_P79vbN9d8i3LlLQD1HlXt5RtVbJ5/s320/FanQuilt2.jpg" /></a></p><div><br /></div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZePiG9BW4jeoHqmpmMTSggFQioBkDbax6LAZHWolJWVNTE9vn4zxgqZ3XkrP5vhgMuqT56-hS5iD6fhZ6T_uprrMFG3jDQQ3G_pxsaiDiPXjpFMrFdm0Lxmt7ggQE2hwOFo0kWLdOs_h/s1600/FanQuilt5.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 186px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531288608380259426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZePiG9BW4jeoHqmpmMTSggFQioBkDbax6LAZHWolJWVNTE9vn4zxgqZ3XkrP5vhgMuqT56-hS5iD6fhZ6T_uprrMFG3jDQQ3G_pxsaiDiPXjpFMrFdm0Lxmt7ggQE2hwOFo0kWLdOs_h/s320/FanQuilt5.jpg" /></a></p><div>With friendship,<br /><br />Care'</div></div></div></div></div>Caréhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805884496736288338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983338342066514142.post-72016496973316737022010-10-09T09:38:00.001-07:002010-10-09T10:09:45.270-07:00Mummy CakeI'll be the first to admit that I'm no Martha Stewart. I'll also be the first to admit that cooking is not my forte. Yet, for some strange reason I am constantly compelled to try and recreate those fabulous cake designs I see in Better Homes & Garden or on those Food Network Challenge shows. I even scoff at those cake disasters on the Cake Wrecks website (<a href="http://cakewrecks.com/">http://cakewrecks.com/</a>). I can do BETTER! MMMUUUUHAHAHAHAHA!<br /><br />I have no cooking skills. None. Nada. Zip. I can burn ice.<br /><br />I also know that when it comes to cake decorating, I'm all thumbs. Heck, even someone with all thumbs could do better.<br /><br />But alas, something pushes me to try. Some glimmer of hope shines periodically in the core of my soul that tells me "this time will be different!"<br /><br />I know it will turn out bad. Really. Really. Bad. Yet, I still pull out the cake pans and mixer.<br /><br />This month's inspiration was the mummy cupcakes found on the Better Homes & Garden website: <a href="http://www.bhg.com/holidays/halloween/recipes/17-frightfully-good-halloween-cupcakes/">http://www.bhg.com/holidays/halloween/recipes/17-frightfully-good-halloween-cupcakes/</a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh14WaF3LkRgID0PvyCZQyYvVl_vVP5cIzqZZIdQS39HaJKgX1sSIYGPujokzmXkHBcbOC_9UwUQ9oyZU2WavfPNWS5C_lHpaDeggKxGfN3ltaoVcEEZrqf7SfTpA20o9i9hR1J6Zbxpaik/s1600/MummyCupcakes.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 300px; HEIGHT: 250px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526089205056686418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh14WaF3LkRgID0PvyCZQyYvVl_vVP5cIzqZZIdQS39HaJKgX1sSIYGPujokzmXkHBcbOC_9UwUQ9oyZU2WavfPNWS5C_lHpaDeggKxGfN3ltaoVcEEZrqf7SfTpA20o9i9hR1J6Zbxpaik/s320/MummyCupcakes.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Adorable, aren't they? They look easy enough. Chocolate cake mix, white frosting and some eyes. EASY-PEASY! <p> </p><p>The trip to the panty revealed no chocolate cake mix. Fine, I'll make my own. Two hours later I was armed with a chocolate cake recipe that I found here: <a href="http://www.momswhothink.com/cake-recipes/chocolate-cake-recipe.html">http://www.momswhothink.com/cake-recipes/chocolate-cake-recipe.html</a>. Fabulous recipe. Takes great! It's definately a keeper.</p><p> </p><p>I put together the batter and realized I did not have cupcake liners. No worries, I'll just make a three-tiered cake instead. This, my friends, is when I should have awoken Vince.</p><p> </p><p>With cake in the oven I set off to get the frosting. Darn. No white frosting. We have chocolate and milk chocolate and some strange yellow stuff left over from last month's Sponge Bob cake, but no white. Off to search the internet for a buttercream frosting recipe! I found this one - also wonderful. It's so good you'll want to slap someone.</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://savorysweetlife.com/2010/03/buttercream-frosting/">http://savorysweetlife.com/2010/03/buttercream-frosting/</a></p><p> </p><p>I really liked how she explained how to swap out flavors and change the texture. Tips I knew that my new-found-made-from-scratch-cake-decorating-diva-company-extrodinare could benefit from.</p><p> </p><p>Yes, you SHOULD be laughing at me by now. At this point my 3-year-old had toddled in and said, "Oh No! Mommy cooking!"</p><p> </p><p>But, I was not to be discouraged.</p><p> </p><p>The cakes came together well. They were a little difficult to get out of the pan, but I knew that putting them in the freezer for 5 minutes would solve that. Just a little tip I learned from soap making.</p><p> </p><p>The tiers came out a little more rounded on the top than I had hoped, so I got out my trusty knife to try and even them out. Again, should have awoken the V-Man at this point.</p><p> </p><p>I got my first layer on the plate, then proceeded to frost. </p><p> </p><p>Hmmm. the frosting was separating and starting to run down the sides. After double-checking the recipe I realized at this point that I had used too much butter. </p><p> </p><p>After allowing the cake to sit a few moments, I kind of liked how the oozing was looking. I mean, I was going for a mummy cake after all. Maybe it would be more scary than cute, but I was on the right track.</p><p> </p><p>I added the next layers. Cool, oozing effect all around. But, I knew the top needed to be a bit more stiff. That's when I remembered I could add more powdered sugar to the recipe to get a stiffer recipe.</p><p> </p><p>Darn, out of powdered sugar. Regular sugar will work, right? (Vince is still sleeping at this point, blissfully unaware of what I'm doing to his kitchen).</p><p> </p><p>I added more sugar to get a better consistency. Still a little runny, but good enough for my now scary cake. And it still tasted good and now had a cool crunchy effect!</p><p> </p><p>TA DA! Here's the finished pic:</p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0nfcXc069XClACaFOks-tDPR5av7Xb5S5proYKTcOWeu_8EIxeXzGMRKB67Ir8b90Gb6PeK4unJXgKC6Q8AcA6Lv4iVAnY3X5gxbrrh4FsscT0TTOOFOScgT1cqGE6re98bAGwIOIaah0/s1600/MummyCake2.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526086846735701154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0nfcXc069XClACaFOks-tDPR5av7Xb5S5proYKTcOWeu_8EIxeXzGMRKB67Ir8b90Gb6PeK4unJXgKC6Q8AcA6Lv4iVAnY3X5gxbrrh4FsscT0TTOOFOScgT1cqGE6re98bAGwIOIaah0/s320/MummyCake2.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-_At97-DED836jYy9yLshyphenhyphenKXNHLswAibrliOHLzYyJW4p1IeY-i9pytEjhsjUjhkk6ksHJELWZwwsHibNsEXMwSfhJcISu3v72AHAoreDgFK-gmzXt4aalo52mcWJGNnYKLDiXxjuspR/s1600/MummyCake1.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526086844457076402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-_At97-DED836jYy9yLshyphenhyphenKXNHLswAibrliOHLzYyJW4p1IeY-i9pytEjhsjUjhkk6ksHJELWZwwsHibNsEXMwSfhJcISu3v72AHAoreDgFK-gmzXt4aalo52mcWJGNnYKLDiXxjuspR/s320/MummyCake1.jpg" /></a><br /><br />I even managed to make some eyes with the frosting.<br /><br />Okay, okay. I KNOW it looks terrible. I know it deserves to be featured in a "don't let this happen to you article." I know this.<br /><br />But, it tastes amazing. And, since I didn't show the kids what I was trying to make, they are<br />none the wiser.<br /><br />With friendship,<br /><br />Care'Caréhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805884496736288338noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983338342066514142.post-74428941391375132642010-09-26T10:33:00.001-07:002010-09-26T10:36:43.599-07:00The Pics are InI thought it would be a good idea to put up a pic of my sis wearning the bead-woven bracelet I made for her. I think it looked beautiful with her dress. I also made the veil. That was a very last minute thing, but it turned out great and looked beautiful on her. Now I can add "veil-making" to my bag of tricks.<br /><br />This is a pic of Jen dancing with our Dad. This was taken in her backyard. I tell you, sitting on her back deck watching the sun go down every night would be hard to get used to - NOT! I think I may have fallen in love with Seattle.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBoACeNQhDBid8uJkhvpSrE-Eip0gXXdAzAJHcQmXFqIrdifXj2IpmytQ36Ng8QS0TS5VNY7kY2ozPkexuUfiuf38mmcHliwJOKdD6KM2BcyjYpV4aEssaFWLIzXEIY5CMkT35Kx6u5Vg/s1600/JenWedding.bmp"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521276854874775138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBoACeNQhDBid8uJkhvpSrE-Eip0gXXdAzAJHcQmXFqIrdifXj2IpmytQ36Ng8QS0TS5VNY7kY2ozPkexuUfiuf38mmcHliwJOKdD6KM2BcyjYpV4aEssaFWLIzXEIY5CMkT35Kx6u5Vg/s320/JenWedding.bmp" /></a><br /><br />With friendship,<br /><br />Care'Caréhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805884496736288338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983338342066514142.post-91514398660090035922010-08-01T15:22:00.001-07:002010-08-01T15:29:04.000-07:00Wedding Soap<p align="left">My little sister is getting married next month. As part of my gift to her, I made 20 bars of handmade soap that she can give as gits and keep for herself. She picked lavender and lemongrass for the scents since that is popular in Seattle, and she selected goat's milk as the base. This is one luxurious soap!</p><p align="left">I decided to wrap the soaps in a double cigar-band and included their names & wedding date. I was even able to match the font from the wedding invitation.</p><p align="left">The package of soap smelled really good - the postal worker kept sniffing the box. I hope Jen loves it as much as I do.</p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKDp7vKtL4iejAj-IolMR1RwHe39s3tFF29RmU9rcq6n3RFlPjm1hvZm50QqNoS0pL6V2EI50prW-Ejm_mfEEZOzGoIlS1yrFaU9IjkpGbMhxj4beED4-JzQ1YP_SirP8uAKSZGxXIpOtQ/s1600/JensSOap3.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500571152176645810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKDp7vKtL4iejAj-IolMR1RwHe39s3tFF29RmU9rcq6n3RFlPjm1hvZm50QqNoS0pL6V2EI50prW-Ejm_mfEEZOzGoIlS1yrFaU9IjkpGbMhxj4beED4-JzQ1YP_SirP8uAKSZGxXIpOtQ/s320/JensSOap3.jpg" /></a></p><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGYZMLBTxmPVOUjKVxxILbyYyV3F_oa76YuYZwXnY2TefjuccMmzoxihiXpbQbc6fbJ2Uxu4D8kz_hGtFvc6Vfe19q2vWXRkNheBs_ZuIVAszmdTf8Lfuu51z4C6trBpo1wq6eW9GfnSf/s1600/JensSoap2.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 119px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500571146758554770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGYZMLBTxmPVOUjKVxxILbyYyV3F_oa76YuYZwXnY2TefjuccMmzoxihiXpbQbc6fbJ2Uxu4D8kz_hGtFvc6Vfe19q2vWXRkNheBs_ZuIVAszmdTf8Lfuu51z4C6trBpo1wq6eW9GfnSf/s320/JensSoap2.jpg" /></a></p><br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZXRUUYECdHhpzApJ0nuO4KLGeIqWAvQgIX12-O24JbRscH6s64pZEJUmk8pFQgiaIWMqeo-q4EZiNR0M9V6ESYi_XhMLFs6VQNADfajRk76qgYW6_MBwgDRTIn54l3yPgMis4NCij1FQ-/s1600/JensSoap1.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500571142445783202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZXRUUYECdHhpzApJ0nuO4KLGeIqWAvQgIX12-O24JbRscH6s64pZEJUmk8pFQgiaIWMqeo-q4EZiNR0M9V6ESYi_XhMLFs6VQNADfajRk76qgYW6_MBwgDRTIn54l3yPgMis4NCij1FQ-/s320/JensSoap1.jpg" /></a></p><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6qooeG88UIpC4M-63RZsIGf9n4aci5y6Dk9XUewibtIGN91idvlugUgnka0sod2rRcpi7AS189LiLCJhrt5rLSJGFDWVXbR8KcBQgtGhizetPE1QjG2A0kgcQcCUiROLfwVZLZhWv38gx/s1600/JenSoap4.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 258px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500571136233526178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6qooeG88UIpC4M-63RZsIGf9n4aci5y6Dk9XUewibtIGN91idvlugUgnka0sod2rRcpi7AS189LiLCJhrt5rLSJGFDWVXbR8KcBQgtGhizetPE1QjG2A0kgcQcCUiROLfwVZLZhWv38gx/s320/JenSoap4.jpg" /></a></p>With friendship,<br /><br />Care'Caréhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805884496736288338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983338342066514142.post-25127632969960939022010-07-30T17:36:00.000-07:002010-07-30T17:45:10.925-07:00Hand Embroidered Tea Towels - A Reminder of MamawAs far back as I can remember, my Mamaw use to hand embroider tea towels and pillow cases. She had a cedar hope chest in her guest bedroom that was overflowing with set after set of tea towels and pillow cases that were ready for the next wedding, housewarming or Christmas gift. She was very fast and sewing these, and I'm sure this was in her top two pasttimes (the other being baking).<br /><br />When she passed, I inherited most of her sewing stuff. When I finally gathered the courage to go back through everything I had, I found several sets that she had already prepared for embroidery. This set in particular was set off to the side, and I found the thread she had planned to use - even down to the pre-threaded needle. The colors? Blue, mustard yellow, green and red - my sister's house colors. Since my sister also loves muslin, how much more perfect could it be?<br /><br />I wish I could be in Seattle when Jen opens her box and sees these at the bottom. I know she will love them and she will smile with a fond memory of Mamaw.<br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnrsfngvEUYB8BNnkdG95VKUJW8aWVnQRgQ1_xNwOlp7FUEoXxLJFP7EB8nldzbW-JI9VZhm39rTRA4hqWU76a9E9mg9GX97lbF7YpwitVD2FX48hhiltyk3anIaqL0EmU-e1ujgNWKl0G/s1600/TeaTowels1.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 151px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499863225149109778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnrsfngvEUYB8BNnkdG95VKUJW8aWVnQRgQ1_xNwOlp7FUEoXxLJFP7EB8nldzbW-JI9VZhm39rTRA4hqWU76a9E9mg9GX97lbF7YpwitVD2FX48hhiltyk3anIaqL0EmU-e1ujgNWKl0G/s320/TeaTowels1.jpg" /></a></p><div><div> </div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLDvGLbeirRrTNZ0zuqWUrq5yH1rxZZu-98k2YfEeibsE5znxWycK_zJucQ1aP5d4MPu0gQ5c7fOxhJWisnLA1SkqCGjOvI6u-8uAtdEm9Nl5-hSm2s7naf7u47-5JmralSV9J2Yv2ioM5/s1600/TeaTowels2.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499863226823433186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLDvGLbeirRrTNZ0zuqWUrq5yH1rxZZu-98k2YfEeibsE5znxWycK_zJucQ1aP5d4MPu0gQ5c7fOxhJWisnLA1SkqCGjOvI6u-8uAtdEm9Nl5-hSm2s7naf7u47-5JmralSV9J2Yv2ioM5/s320/TeaTowels2.jpg" /></a></p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTgRrWtDnJhQBJMuNmcDsbtvfHZ-Iku53G6qD_rlKccKvkP83-WYa6ac4wwrgrgfgJDbgFUfYdkG0tPwTE90ufxAXQi3A_2qQBPzcMVSdUigpoKq92bjqreGh-SpPSrQrF09_H7TrtNcv/s1600/TeaTowels4.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 280px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499863243107824690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTgRrWtDnJhQBJMuNmcDsbtvfHZ-Iku53G6qD_rlKccKvkP83-WYa6ac4wwrgrgfgJDbgFUfYdkG0tPwTE90ufxAXQi3A_2qQBPzcMVSdUigpoKq92bjqreGh-SpPSrQrF09_H7TrtNcv/s320/TeaTowels4.jpg" /></a></p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxr6LbpZCo4JIm43mtpm1MJToHSaJD0YWJBSGc4eGEFK85JVYYvZETPpM6RdDdx56bI1xPzjwmsMRWHIGQuZZWYFniK5OZ6MTXXco-UQ85gzzjE1-HuhO8iTj5Jtg8tPJIlgWhfP44NbPN/s1600/TeaTowels3.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499863234489129570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxr6LbpZCo4JIm43mtpm1MJToHSaJD0YWJBSGc4eGEFK85JVYYvZETPpM6RdDdx56bI1xPzjwmsMRWHIGQuZZWYFniK5OZ6MTXXco-UQ85gzzjE1-HuhO8iTj5Jtg8tPJIlgWhfP44NbPN/s320/TeaTowels3.jpg" /></a></p><div>With friendship,</div><div> </div><div>Care'</div></div>Caréhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805884496736288338noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983338342066514142.post-54900185041298189372010-07-23T04:23:00.000-07:002010-07-23T04:30:56.479-07:00Mini Quilt - A Little Crazy<em>Originally posted in 2006 on my old Quilt Journey blog, which is now retired.</em><br /><br />I've always wanted to learn how to crazy quilt, so I decided to take the plunge.<br /><br />BACKGROUND<br />I've always loved crazy quilts - even the ones that were done with traditional fabrics. I had always imagined how cool they would look with some of the crazy fabrics I like so much. My first attempt at the process was a joke. I couldn't figure out how to do it! That was about a year ago and I never tried again.<br /><br />A few months back I caught a Martha Pullen episode on PBS where she demonstrated how to crazy quilt. AH HA! Now I knew the trick! I immediately began the search for fabrics on which to try my newfound skill. I found a few sources on ebay that sold fabric scraps and purchased about 5 pounds worth. (My hubby just scratched his head when the packages arrived).<br /><br />I decided that I wanted to do something for fall, so I picked out some beautiful silks from my stash. Following the instructions that Martha provided, I was off and running.<br /><br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoTS73y7OXP6hObSRBKXhsqmiMhWpO7ybgtHJEQizTywEJAigQVvK6BgKX28jBdeklM-PIg2fB1QhTD423JaIAk0W1qHW_6YzPHCmeRlkEk9tbbG-y635aRO9RDEHi-GnEBZFeqww5wuY0/s1600/th_P1000513.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 160px; HEIGHT: 120px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497061346051776786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoTS73y7OXP6hObSRBKXhsqmiMhWpO7ybgtHJEQizTywEJAigQVvK6BgKX28jBdeklM-PIg2fB1QhTD423JaIAk0W1qHW_6YzPHCmeRlkEk9tbbG-y635aRO9RDEHi-GnEBZFeqww5wuY0/s320/th_P1000513.jpg" /></a></p><br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaB5IzhGWibnB3zg_jeen2Z6v8JKH2HOvQdFSKrloU8k1NomWVJ43Ppjt8I5lrmB5Ms8s72f8kReULnV54cHp3bS4P4jiIzcZSEfflPaxM7gWyGES65txlNxclTUKB7W9PusNM34XuSrn0/s1600/th_P1000512.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 160px; HEIGHT: 120px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497061336719898610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaB5IzhGWibnB3zg_jeen2Z6v8JKH2HOvQdFSKrloU8k1NomWVJ43Ppjt8I5lrmB5Ms8s72f8kReULnV54cHp3bS4P4jiIzcZSEfflPaxM7gWyGES65txlNxclTUKB7W9PusNM34XuSrn0/s320/th_P1000512.jpg" /></a></p><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-2UjPQXxQswgpdF_niPEM3AXjKTjM7taYs6lGsNgQ5eWZu1-fh7-KLX0wFZ9A5Dq8av27_3Q7eX1JKu0LZUnW8NQGi5qusjzgmkF_QYlatKz7nJG99ey0rUpyA1C76UKFDCjslAX4hEqR/s1600/th_P1000510.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 173px; HEIGHT: 153px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497061333614912210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-2UjPQXxQswgpdF_niPEM3AXjKTjM7taYs6lGsNgQ5eWZu1-fh7-KLX0wFZ9A5Dq8av27_3Q7eX1JKu0LZUnW8NQGi5qusjzgmkF_QYlatKz7nJG99ey0rUpyA1C76UKFDCjslAX4hEqR/s320/th_P1000510.jpg" /></a></p><p align="left"></p><br />TECHNIQUES<br />I pieced the two quilts using the traditional crazy quilt method. Once the piecing was done, I used poly and rayon threads to add decorative stitches. (Next time I plan to use some pearl crown in the bobbin, but I was being somewhat conservative for my first time.) I'm not sure I'm done with these two pieces - I think they may want to become my new fall bag . . .<br /><br />With friendship,<br /><br />Care'Caréhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805884496736288338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983338342066514142.post-66903467768528255352010-07-21T03:59:00.001-07:002010-07-21T04:07:55.917-07:00Mini Quilt: SquaresLike most quilters, I cannot bear to part with fabric, no matter how small the scrap. So, instead of tossing out those scraps I cut them up into two-inch squares and place them in a big bin. I've done this for years and now have quite a collection.<br /><br />BACKGROUND:<br /><br />I found this fabric a while back and fell in love. (Can you relate?) I had no plans for it at the time, so it hung around for a while. I ultimately ended up making a pair of pants from it and cut the leftovers into squares. I decided to play with the squares a bit and see what happened. I have to say I was surprised. When the stripes all go the same way, I see more brown. Whey they are alternated, I see more pink.<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJPXveY8y17JpwZNBx8vog8lyHUJ1Srq-OoZ_mQqraD_LS5E5zqW2JKgxKaSgQvQjlHSOyb1zC4UCfATqJMbXT5uRNTvFv0vje53_n5scTj4JXS61z6jQG1HhxVLI_gC5CHK3gh_mqmZ6o/s1600/th_P1000509.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 160px; HEIGHT: 120px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496312683403498338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJPXveY8y17JpwZNBx8vog8lyHUJ1Srq-OoZ_mQqraD_LS5E5zqW2JKgxKaSgQvQjlHSOyb1zC4UCfATqJMbXT5uRNTvFv0vje53_n5scTj4JXS61z6jQG1HhxVLI_gC5CHK3gh_mqmZ6o/s320/th_P1000509.jpg" /></a></p><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4Gg8lCMsEsVoShyphenhyphenZM-ynwHlepDy5yPCkar85oqgyVo4NCJcjOVenHSzGdD9XeRfzBlT4jCzT6Tr6q3lUWavjB6IiPluhkgB7YYimRW2X6kfzHgoKx7VLyiEQKv1Y0tF_oPiwmKkytbx0/s1600/th_P1000508.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 159px; HEIGHT: 152px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496312673374005298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4Gg8lCMsEsVoShyphenhyphenZM-ynwHlepDy5yPCkar85oqgyVo4NCJcjOVenHSzGdD9XeRfzBlT4jCzT6Tr6q3lUWavjB6IiPluhkgB7YYimRW2X6kfzHgoKx7VLyiEQKv1Y0tF_oPiwmKkytbx0/s320/th_P1000508.jpg" /></a></p>TECHNIQUES:<br /><br />Nothing too mysterious on this one. I started with the two-inch squares, turned every-other-one 90 degrees and sewed them together. I was going to do some quilting, but ultimately decided against it. I have a tendency to quilt my pieces to death, so leaving this one simple is a bit of a challenge for me (we'll see how long I last before I attack).<br /><br />With friendship,<br /><br />Care'Caréhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805884496736288338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983338342066514142.post-9682015127986546572010-07-20T05:06:00.000-07:002010-07-21T03:50:09.969-07:00My Sister's CuffOne of my favorite things to do is beadweaving. When my sister announced her engagement, I was dying to make her a cuff. I've been wanting to do a piece with pearls for a very long time, so I was excited when she told me to give it a go. My mom has a broach that belonged to my grandmother. It is gold with tiny ivory pearls throughout. I thought it would be perfect to incorporate that "something old" with "something new." Here are the pictures of my progress so far.<br /><br /><div align="center"><br /></div><div><div align="center">This is the broach from my grandmother. I added the big pearl in the middle. I also left the pin on the back so that Jen can remove it later, if desired. It is secured to the bracelet, but can be removed with a few snips.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmwEqs5QGVhV8HsJlq2JHEv-pWKYSTk4gqTS9O77Gl2mQf9Sr3wUCIHgkvtNLk8gpBr_Plw2Zlgjt4tgVW-0_1_7Cpo2W41oE47sCv1hPGGqsyMp2hLknKT_ib4Dc4Mgy-q5KV5GtGbCT_/s1600/JenBraceletCenter.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495959337604123986" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmwEqs5QGVhV8HsJlq2JHEv-pWKYSTk4gqTS9O77Gl2mQf9Sr3wUCIHgkvtNLk8gpBr_Plw2Zlgjt4tgVW-0_1_7Cpo2W41oE47sCv1hPGGqsyMp2hLknKT_ib4Dc4Mgy-q5KV5GtGbCT_/s320/JenBraceletCenter.jpg" /></a></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center">You probably noticed above that the left and right side don't match. I got the right side done but then stopped and wondered if the left side looked better. What do you think?</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center">Here is the left side - no extra pearls.</div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_Ujyv3_8Wh0ZiWRIdBZUY3yOqNXfzOjcFZNs7qNFe4LTh83W6ngqEU67Gqi5cHXpnn0OX9Tw02h2h3VECWH0r3mnx8-uYR1NTTxuzr4Yg48ATxKmYbwmWB4Yg5tplLBXgZqZEaYbvRbw/s1600/JenBraceletPlainCloseUp.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495959634310647650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_Ujyv3_8Wh0ZiWRIdBZUY3yOqNXfzOjcFZNs7qNFe4LTh83W6ngqEU67Gqi5cHXpnn0OX9Tw02h2h3VECWH0r3mnx8-uYR1NTTxuzr4Yg48ATxKmYbwmWB4Yg5tplLBXgZqZEaYbvRbw/s320/JenBraceletPlainCloseUp.jpg" /></a></p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKFULdJMO0pXKzcLOoMuhfcwRUVTEjy9LbTLG10Grk1UEbcOD6nuaPb26Yf134igzwnFcSuwpfJUo_Oc1FWGFeWlTR0ZFGk5SpGnxTZC_VqLy-jwwIKbXB_ZMsOitmt6s-T0KrtymQHX-/s1600/JenBraceletPlain.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495959633961892210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKFULdJMO0pXKzcLOoMuhfcwRUVTEjy9LbTLG10Grk1UEbcOD6nuaPb26Yf134igzwnFcSuwpfJUo_Oc1FWGFeWlTR0ZFGk5SpGnxTZC_VqLy-jwwIKbXB_ZMsOitmt6s-T0KrtymQHX-/s320/JenBraceletPlain.jpg" /></a></p><p align="center">Here is the right side with the extra pearls. I am truly torn!</p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGSymNN3Y3ID3c3v_7OO8zsCYe-B_X02b7wjNwWoLCxRWLoDn5hlv1QvkuxQOmCOb4weIrmSyP1aGpQ6mFFeKDs4iZZz927ntab8bIlqSlQjBd01-6fIEOpIOiEZ45x0Bc1rDfTJtkP5_s/s1600/JenBraceletDecoCloseup.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495959354537504162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGSymNN3Y3ID3c3v_7OO8zsCYe-B_X02b7wjNwWoLCxRWLoDn5hlv1QvkuxQOmCOb4weIrmSyP1aGpQ6mFFeKDs4iZZz927ntab8bIlqSlQjBd01-6fIEOpIOiEZ45x0Bc1rDfTJtkP5_s/s320/JenBraceletDecoCloseup.jpg" /></a></p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijmMDiYdi-n2lRUoCaW0iHlsgGeUr1ZZFxAOif14XoHGkl1P07lrNTZDjv8vE6IRdotLIrz2wmqH017jqbsvg_PLCP25SAsI7l25gy973JUfPBbK2N-e8FJ_zHJg8_9MSWIX-_W7WKwjxJ/s1600/JenBraceletDeco.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495959353521473138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijmMDiYdi-n2lRUoCaW0iHlsgGeUr1ZZFxAOif14XoHGkl1P07lrNTZDjv8vE6IRdotLIrz2wmqH017jqbsvg_PLCP25SAsI7l25gy973JUfPBbK2N-e8FJ_zHJg8_9MSWIX-_W7WKwjxJ/s320/JenBraceletDeco.jpg" /></a></p><p align="center">Here is a side view showing what both sides look like with the broach.</p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBF7cCq0gBQSxwdvLY_ilZqvE-a4GYFP-a4aaf2K-qNvuAk5uiZTHFYw6PdlqdBRxDksHDFZuneKeOaKsaFBcf1rEGo-vs_e0E4CJt2Li_Wp7ehEz0Vv5XkBle0g6oJgQro9iqEX3stb0/s1600/JenBraceletSide.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 110px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495959642401776546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBF7cCq0gBQSxwdvLY_ilZqvE-a4GYFP-a4aaf2K-qNvuAk5uiZTHFYw6PdlqdBRxDksHDFZuneKeOaKsaFBcf1rEGo-vs_e0E4CJt2Li_Wp7ehEz0Vv5XkBle0g6oJgQro9iqEX3stb0/s320/JenBraceletSide.jpg" /></a></p><p align="center">And here is the clasp. It is simple with three pearls that are hooked into three loops. Sorry for the first pic being so blurry!</p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Z2gmwj5g5iFPNoP8BcajPVb8N-DdYGRCicLrfON7tykqUSPNBncleNKrSbcAPI2e7fuBSCPvxB05Th6lLl5yTjp1FpkruF6SFwIl0pFV2Z4XtQzMSX0-7dIq7dNl9iU4PYZuHt6VE8Ey/s1600/JenBraceletClaspBall.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 254px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495959343250116866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Z2gmwj5g5iFPNoP8BcajPVb8N-DdYGRCicLrfON7tykqUSPNBncleNKrSbcAPI2e7fuBSCPvxB05Th6lLl5yTjp1FpkruF6SFwIl0pFV2Z4XtQzMSX0-7dIq7dNl9iU4PYZuHt6VE8Ey/s320/JenBraceletClaspBall.jpg" /></a></p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjug7sn_c4LxeQ-sfMnYrc03x88FqlkEZ7BiXOORmHHmITXbsR7QF2W6v-Lb3wXO_6Nbg-W-1p1Y2cKjDxZkg-QRRsVa6-Bsut42LAJbn0sak5Ub9hbINOY8EYYNiQx4x5kTLeBTLG1QFxE/s1600/JenBraceletClaspHook.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 213px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495959348594617762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjug7sn_c4LxeQ-sfMnYrc03x88FqlkEZ7BiXOORmHHmITXbsR7QF2W6v-Lb3wXO_6Nbg-W-1p1Y2cKjDxZkg-QRRsVa6-Bsut42LAJbn0sak5Ub9hbINOY8EYYNiQx4x5kTLeBTLG1QFxE/s320/JenBraceletClaspHook.jpg" /></a></p><div>So, which side do you prefer? The more simple side or the side with the extra pearls?</div><div></div><div>With friendship,</div><div><br />Care'<br /></div></div>Caréhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805884496736288338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983338342066514142.post-27109923728303423002010-07-19T07:02:00.000-07:002010-07-19T07:43:06.084-07:00My Sister's Quilt<p align="left">In the last month or so I've been working on a quilt for my sister. It will be a wedding gift . . most likely a LATE wedding gift. My sister really appreciates vintage items and loves anything handmade. If you can tie it to some sort of historical or family significance, even better.</p>When she approached me about making her a quilt I immediately remembered a dusty box stored in the top of my closet that had not been opened in several years. I inherited that box when our grandmother passed several years back. I had not opened it in years becausing doing so brought on a flood of tears. I knew that box contained a stack of hand-stitched blocks our grandmother had diligently worked on for years.<br /><br />I mustered up the courage to open the box and I was delighted to find enough blocks to make at least three queen-sized quilts. I took pictures of the various blocks and send them to my sister. She selected the fans.<br /><br />In total there are 125 fans, and it looks like I'll need most of them to make a queen-sized quilt. Due to wide size variations in the hand-piecing, I had to cut all of them down to 6.5 x 6.5 squares (they were originally scaled to be 7.5 x 7.5). It broke my heart to do so, but then I realized my grandmother would much rather see them cut and put to good use than sitting in a dusty old box hidden from view.<br /><br />Here are the pictures of the original fans. They are all different - I have not found two that are exactly the same. I'll share more pictures as my work progresses.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimyazpsDT6i_2m56dHFxZT8bYjIbYd9_7v5xtALXSvCzHf2dM1Pexkxys8SCqV4fxXBgVWauPBXs9QxnZKlIsPKgQVl88yEpJ3gK31s9DBK-9T3OobhBnDu34tNHk4AGw38Dhe7TuoBL3w/s1600/P1040093.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495626306927576786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimyazpsDT6i_2m56dHFxZT8bYjIbYd9_7v5xtALXSvCzHf2dM1Pexkxys8SCqV4fxXBgVWauPBXs9QxnZKlIsPKgQVl88yEpJ3gK31s9DBK-9T3OobhBnDu34tNHk4AGw38Dhe7TuoBL3w/s320/P1040093.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpBhbHgWPF2azYX74VuGlxkTs2fkn3738ViVUrd2ViIWkuHg6M7U7uXSFsENncEc6LpJeV3L7dbjr0xuGUOMa67weMhzHkeSnQkjvVsQBpgvmJhyi8lBcDSluINAVgzoHybGjIy9LNtvkC/s1600/P1040094.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495626579191791138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpBhbHgWPF2azYX74VuGlxkTs2fkn3738ViVUrd2ViIWkuHg6M7U7uXSFsENncEc6LpJeV3L7dbjr0xuGUOMa67weMhzHkeSnQkjvVsQBpgvmJhyi8lBcDSluINAVgzoHybGjIy9LNtvkC/s320/P1040094.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />With friendship,<br /><br />Care'Caréhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805884496736288338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983338342066514142.post-55655228859463568692010-07-16T04:15:00.001-07:002010-07-16T04:20:14.483-07:00Inspiration: Jill2DayI have always had a love of fashion design and even had a period where I was designing children's clothing and selling them on ebay. I still dream of someday designing clothing for women. In particular, I would love to design clothing for plus-sized women since everything seems to be designed for the older generation. (Hey - hellooooooo . . . just because we're plus-sized doesn't mean we want to dress like grandma!)<br /><br />Recently I've spent some time noodling on what I would design if I could sew a sleeve in properly, and I came across Jill2Day on Etsy (<a href="http://jill2day.etsy.com/">http://jill2day.etsy.com</a>). I love her eye for color, how she designs so the clothing will be flattering, how she upcycles and, most of all, how her clothing reminds me of quilting. You simply must check out her shop. She even offers stacks of fabrics that you can then have designed in your own custom piece. How cool is that?<br /><br />Jill, hon, you really got to write a book or tutorial or SOMETHING. I'm dying to buy one . . .<br /><br />With friendship,<br /><br />Care'Caréhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805884496736288338noreply@blogger.com0