Cookies and winter Hat

I made some new cookies this week for one of the girls little friends. It was her birthday and she and her sister have been asking their Mom for Strawberries all month, so I made some for her :)

To make the strawberry I used a fairy want cookie cutter and a heart cookie cutter. There is a tutorial here on how to combine cookie cutters to make a new shape of cookie.

This pattern is one I used to make Maggie's Winter Hat. She desperately wanted an adorable dress coat at Macy's for her birthday. She was so cute in it that I wanted it too. but it was expensive enough that I felt it was a bit wasteful when she did not NEED another coat. Well, I found a similar coat at the thrift store for $3, I think it was even the same brand as the coat at Macy's. Then I came home and recycled 2 old sweaters into a hat to match my thrift store find.

The pattern was fine, but Maggie's not a baby anymore so her head was a little big. I had to use the largest size and the smallest seam allowance I could. The sweaters that were reincarnated into the hat were a beige fleece sweater and a pink knit sweater I had tried to felt a few years ago.

The whole thing is cute, inexpensive and warm.

I also found a dress coat for Gwen, but I've been doing so many projects, I think I will wait a month or so before I begin a hat For Gwen.

Alice in wonderland costume

Maggie changed her mind about a hundred times regarding her Halloween costume this year. Anything Gwen suggested to her she said she would like to be. So we sort of made a game out of it. But for a long time she wanted to be a pioneer just like Gwen. But when we went to the store to pick out the fabric for her costume she saw a picture of Alice in Wonderland and told me that she wanted "to be a girl" (She has never seen Alice in Wonderland.) Luckily we already had black shoes, tights, a white apron from an old costume and some black ribbon. So all I had to do was make the dress. I'm hoping that now that she has the costume, she won't change her mind again.

We used New Look Pattern 6448. I didn't have any trouble with it and actually wished I bought nicer fabric so after Halloween I could add some colorful details so she could wear it to church and stuff because it looks cute on her. I will keep this in my pattern box and probably use it again.

I did deviate from the pattern a little on the sleeves. I'm all for an easy Cap sleeve, but Alice obviously has a sleeve with a little more umph. I'll have to do a tutorial on how I did it, but that day is not today.

pioneer girl costume

I have been working on SO MANY projects now that I have a space to do them. Many of them might be 1/2 done, but I love being able to create again! Here is one of them completed. Gwen's Halloween costume. I think I was thinking I'd make her an apron to wear with it, but now I think it doesn't need one.

I used Simplicity pattern # 3725. I didn't find it difficult other than the waistline. It was supposed to come to a point in the center of the skirt, but mine didn't work out. That has happened to me before. I guess I need to read the pattern more closely next time. There is a pattern for a bonnet, the one we are using is store bought.

Some of the other things I've been making:

-A winter bonnet for Maggie to match a dress coat we found for her at the thrift store

-A Mary Engelbreit embroidered quilt top

-A duvet cover to go with the the down comforter Grandma is getting Maggie For Christmas

-An Alice in Wonderland Costume for Maggie (She has never seen the movie, but she thought Alice was cute when we were flipping through the pattern books at the store)

Wish me luck, I got into so many projects because life was getting frustrating. I was feeling like the hamster who looks out of his glass cage while running on his wheel never getting anywhere and I wanted an escape. But now I feel like I've made more frustrations for myself because I've been ignoring the house for a few days and it will take me a while to catch up on housework. So goes my never ending battle to find time to nurture myself.

Spaghetti Sauce Recipe-Attempt #1

I always have a hard time finding spaghetti sauce that I like (I don't like the tomatoes to overpower it and I just want the sauce my mommy made when I was a little girl.) Going organic has limited our choices to pricey and expensive jars regardless of taste. So I went on Amazon and signed up for their subscribe and save program. I'm getting a few things including basic seasonless organic tomato sauce and I'm on a mission to search the web for a sauce recipe to spice it up, because I don't really like the taste of tomatoes, but always enjoy a flavorful spaghetti dinner.

I started with this recipe I found on allrecipies.com I tweeked it a bit and enjoyed it at dinner, but thought it was a bit too hot. So I added another can of the seasonless tomato sauce and saved it in the fridge in an attempt to save the leftovers. And here is my game plan for my next attempt at some sauce. It is my version of the recipe link.

Spaghetti Sauce

3 -8oz. cans tomato sauce

1 bell pepper Pureed or minced

1 TBPS Garlic

1 tsp Onion Powder

1/4 cup Pureed Carrot or 1 carrot Minced

2 beef boulion cubes/ better than Bouillon or some meat depending on what you are serving with the sauce

1 bay leaf (To be removed just before serving)

1 tsp dry thyme

1 tsp dry Oregano

1 tsp dry Basil

1/8 tsp red pepper

1/4 tsp Black pepper

2 tsp sugar

simmer for up to 2 hours and serve or can.

Wish me luck for the next attempt!