Rainy Days

For the past several days we have had rain, so much rain that most people didn't even show up for the parade.
And I think most of the parade floats didn't even bother to drive the route because this was the first year there were so few floats to view.Elizabeth didn't want to miss the parade so we went prepared to get wet....and wet we got!
I felt bad for the vendors, poor people, the water was ankle deep right where they normally set up their booths...so not only did they not have very many customers but they had to deal with standing in water.

In spite of our weekend plans being cancelled I am so grateful for the rain; it has been so hot and dry, it feels so good to finally cool off a bit.

My Little Jeannie

Elizabeth had been wanting me to make her an I Dream of Jeannie costume. A recent invitation to a dress-up Birthday Party was a good incentive for me to stop putting it off.

I made the costume with a heavy satin fabric, a sheer lightweight fabric and gold trim. The pink fabric hanging under Elizabeth's chin is suppose to drape over her shoulders but it kept falling forward.

I love the side view, you can tell from this angle just what the costume is. The headpiece is held in place with a piece of elastic that runs under her chin. I used gold trim around the headpiece, the top and bottom of the blouse and the waist area of the pants.

Elizabeth loves her costume and now wears it around the house.

Fiesta Dip

My sister always makes this dip when we visit. It's good for a meal or a snack and the recipe makes enough to feed a crowd.

Begin with Velveeta Cheese, any brand works.
2 Cans refried beans;
1 pound or more seasoned taco meat;

1 jar salsa, homemade or store purchased.

Begin by pouring the salsa into a large pot and adding the Velveeta cheese; be sure to cube the cheese so it will melt faster. Stir to keep from sticking.To the cheese and salsa add the refried beans; stir to blend.

Now add the taco meat and stir to blend once again.

I like to continue heating this on low so the flavors will blend well; or you can put it in a crock pot.

Serve with your favorite taco chips.

This recipe makes a generous amount and perfect for company or a party!

Oh My Goodness

Today I made brownies that are "TO DIE FOR"!

My favorite part, aside from the taste, is how the marshmallows form chewy strings.

Want to know how I made them?
I began with a box mix; cook according to package directions. When fully cooked turn off the oven. Add miniature marshmallows to the top and leave in the oven so the heat will puff up the marshmallows.

While the marshmallows are puffing melt in a pot 1/2 stick margarine and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Next add 2 cups powdered sugar and enough milk to make a smooth icing. Spread over the puffed marshmallows and allow to cool before cutting.

Making A Decision

For the past year I have been thinking about buying doll shoes, at a wholesale price, but wasn't sure if I wanted to invest in a wholesale order because of the money required up front.After our second visit to the American Girl store, and paying way too much for shoes, I decided to take the plunge and placed an order. When I opened my package and surveyed the shoes I knew I had made the right decision.

The little shoes are so cute and will add such a nice touch to future doll outfits!

The Grass is Always Greener

The grass is always greener.....under the tall weeds!
We have been without a working mower since spring. After changing the oil and gas, replacing the spark plug and starter wire our poor mower developed a problem with a screw that holds the air filter on; and the mower isn't worth putting a lot of money into.It seemed to me that if we could find another way to hold the the air filter cartridge in place then the mower might give us another season before something else went out. After a little brain storming this is what we came up with. I stitched some webbing together and placed it over the cartridge and ran it under the gas tank.

I then fastened it in place with some D-rings and it worked like a charm!

It feels so good to have a working mower once again!

A Needle Book

I have been thinking about ideas for the Fall Sewing Class I plan to teach this year. When I teach a sewing class I like to have examples to show the kids.
One idea I have is for a needle book. I had never heard of a needle book until I saw them one day on etsy. Most of the books are made with felt and I chose to make mine with wool felt; it's a lot thicker than acrylic felt.

The inside pages are made with wool fabric.

I made a few mistakes while working on the needle book; one being my stitches show through to the inside covers.

I think next time I will line the inside, after completing the outside design, with cotton fabric to hide all my stitches.

All in all I am very pleased with my needle book. I used my new book Doodle Stitching for ideas while doing the embroidery. In fact, because of my new book I have titled the sewing class Doodle Embroidery!