THANKSGIVNG

Wow, Thanksgiving already! I can feel the holidays spirit in the air....Every holiday, I decorate our home with decorations my children made throughout the years. While we've shared a bunch with the grandmas and grandpas and other family members, I've kept a few for our family. This is a little something my son made when he was in the first grade. It is a Thankful book that consists of eight construction paper pages, indicating on each page what he is thankful for.  As each page is turned over, it will seem like you are peeling off a layer of the landscape.

I am thankful for.....

The green grass



The good earth

The tall trees

The clear cool ocean



The high mountains

The warm sun



The blue skies and you!

 Here's wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving.

I am always thankful for……

(unknown)

For the wife who says it's hot dogs tonight because she is home with me and not out with someone else,
For the husband who is on the sofa being a couch potato because he is home with me and not out at the bars,
For the teenager who is complaining about doing dishes because it means he is at home, not on the streets,
For the taxes I pay because it means I am employed,
For the mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends,
For the clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough to eat,
For my shadow that watches me work because it means I am out in the sunshine.
For a lawn that needs mowing, windows that needs cleaning, & gutters that needs fixing because it means I have a home.
For all the complaining I hear about the government because it means we have freedom of speech,
For the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking, & I have been blessed with transportation,
For the lady behind me in church who sings off key because it means I can hear,
For the pile of laundry and ironing because it means I have clothes to wear,
For weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means I have been capable of working,
For the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means I am alive,
And finally, for too much e-mails because it means I have friends who are thinking of me

MY CASA BELLA

A blog that I frequent is having a giveaway to celebrate her 100th post......You can find it here.  I found this blog after admiring her work on flickr.  I just love the way how she combines fabric together and create spectacular totes!  When you have a chance go and visit My Casa Bella.  Have a wonderful day!

Simply Style Tote Round 2

Remember my Simply Stylish Tote I made some time ago.  Well, a good friend of mine admired it greatly and actually place my first ever order.  She had a few specific requests so it took some time to shop for that perfect handle and fabric color. 

This was my first time working with store-bought handles.  It was quite a challenge considering my handle tabs were cut a little too short and I just got too lazy to cut longer ones and was determined to make this happen! 

Finally, a few months later, it's done!  I'm calling her my Rita Bag made with cotton canvas, faux suede and natural fiber handles.

Thank you Rita for your order.  I hope you enjoy the bag as much as I enjoyed making it just for you!  You think she'll like it?

Little Details

After making a few things out of Sweetwater's pattern, I seemed to like their easy to follow directions and simple projects that really can be even more special with a few creative twists.  My next project I'd like to share with you is Sweetwater's Little Details bag.  Such a cute bag that don't take much fabric. 

These Little Details are made with canvas and little bit of extra fabric from previous projects.  The linings are the same fabric as the exterior print.  I even gave the crystals from Creative Crystal a try.  Love how they turned out and best of all they were ever so easy to do!



Peace Little Details



Rolling Stones Inspired Little Details



Heart Crystals Little Details



Little Details

It's such an easy project that really can be made a bunch at  time!  Surely this Little Detail is age appropriate for all occasions and definitely all ages! Would you?

CANDY VAN

There's nothing better than to hear the "Ice Cream Van" drive around the neighborhood playing happy tunes on a hot afternoon.  Yep, you know what I'm talking about.

This afternoon as I was working on the computer, I heard the most happiest tune playing in the distance.  Sounded like the tune of  "It's A Small World" and the tune seemed to get closer and louder at the same time.  Then I heard all the excitement outside....."It's the Candy Van!",  "No, it's the Bubble Gum Van!",  "Not, it's the Ice Cream Van!"......We all ran out of the house and look at what we found waiting for all the neighborhood kids.....the cutest little brightest yellow "Candy/Bubble Gum/Ice Cream/Treat (and so on) Van" with every ice cream and sweet treat you can imagine:

Just in time to cool down during a hot Hawaiian afternoon.  Here are the yummy treats before they were gone:



Yummy rainbow snowcone



Layered pop ice cream sprinkles treat

 We all get excited whenever we hear the Ice Cream Van come around.  It's always a pleasant surprise as it shows up unexpected and always at the perfect time.  Apparently we are one of the lucky ones that the van comes thru our street.  Word got out about the van making its way around the neighborhood only to find out there were only a few that knows about it.

Thanks for coming!  Come back again!

Did the "Candy Van" visit your neighborhood lately?

RECIPE REVIEW - PESTO

This week is fall break for most schools in our area and so school kids are home and my refrigerator is working over time!  For lunch my daugher wanted to eat one of her favorite things, pesto....Yummy!  Told her I'd help her make it if she picked the basil and get the rest of the ingredients out....which brings me to today's post.....

This is a picture of a book my mom picked up at a recent garage sale and let me tell you, it contains lots of old-school homey comfort food!
 


Recipe Book Front Cover

 

Inside Front Cover and first page



My recipe library consists of about close to 200 cook books and believe me, every page of those books have been read and  many of them recipies tried and became our family favorite.    I remembered seeing a pesto recipe in this book and thought to put my other pesto recipes on the side and give this one a try.

PESTO SAUCE

Ingredients:  4 garlic cloves, 2 cups fresh basil leaves, 1/4 cup pine nuts, 1/2 cup parmesean cheese and 1/2 cup olive oil

Put all ingredients in a processor except the olive oil

It should look something like this.  With machine running, slowly, add oil through feed tube in a slow, steady stream until mixture is the consistency of thick mayonnaise.

This sauce can be stored in a refrigerator for several weeks.  It is good on soups, salads, pasta or french bread.

 

We tossed our sauce with 1 lb. al dente penne pasta then added some shredded smoked turkey just for the heck of it.



Served it on a romaine lettuce w/a few peices of baguettes, olive oil and balsamic vinegar...

Glad my daughter made the suggestion for pesto!  We all sat around our dining table dipping our little slices of bread and ate our lunch....Yep quality time at the table eating what we all helped to prepare is definitely priceless!

Recipe review, thumbs up!  How can you go wrong with fresh ingredients and great company...

What did you make for lunch?

PRACTICAL BAG

Do you flickr?  Well, I do...it's a place where people showcase photos and there are a bunch of ever-so-talented people that share their pictures and creations in all areas that you can think of.  In one of my "groups", a rainforest catch all bag caught my interest as it is a rather large size and the simple style of it, well, I found it attractive.   Well, that's when my hunt for a copy cat rainforest bag started and found this cute PRACTICAL BAG pattern from Grand Revival  at Emerald City Fabrics on e-bay:

Pattern front

Practical Bag

Used some  left over fabric from another project.  It is another perfect project for the beginner sewer.  I always look for beginner/easy patterns as I consider myself an "advanced beginner" until I can master a few more things w/out struggles (i.e. zippers, etc.).  With just two pattern pieces and  only four fabric pieces total, this baby was cut and finished in record time.  However, there are two things I did outside of the instructions which was was fuse woven interfacing on the exterior fabric to support the weight that the bag will carry as well as add an interior pocket as I find myself in need of pockets in all of my bags.  LOVE this! I'm afraid to use it, I might dirty it (wink)!

Interior pocket of Grand Revival's Practical Bag



Grand Revival Practical Bag

Do you have a favorite PRACTICAL BAG of your own?