New Projects

I have been looking for some baskets with lids to hold my x-stitch projects that I am currently working on and I finally found some :)

The bottom basket is bigger and holds the extra cases of floss and projects.

The smaller top basket holds the project I am currently working on.

It keeps it tidy looking and clean.

It is also really easy to grab and move to where ever I want to work on it, upstairs or downstairs.

There are a few couples in our church who are expecting babies this spring and I realized that if I want to make them something I had better get busy.

So I temporarily put aside the pillowcases I was working on and will be starting on a bib.

I am customizing the picture abit.

By taking the bottom picture but leaving off the skunk in the cart.

And adding on the bottle cart and making it two bottles instead of one.

The colors are so nice I can't wait to see it completed.

It has been warming up here and has me thinking towards gardening.

I have very few seeds left over from last year so I need to put in an order for more seeds.

I have such a hard time narrowing down the flowers I want.

Really, I'd love to try them all.

And of course, the choices of vegetables for the garden.

I have wanted to put in a flower cutting garden for many years and I think this is the year I am going to do it.

This book gives me a sample and I'm ordering the flowers they suggest.

I can't wait to get the seeds planted and see how it turns out.

Besides, how can you go wrong with flowers? :)



Pink Swirl Cake

I usually make a lot of raspberry jelly and this is a quick little cake that helps use up those leftover jars from the previous year.

Jelly Swirl Cake

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup milk

1/3 cup red jelly

1 Tbsp water

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease a 9-inch square cake pan. 

Sprinkle bottom with nuts.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.

Cream butter.  Beat in sugar.  Blend in, beating until light and fluffy eggs and vanilla.

Add sifted dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with milk.

Melt together and swirl on batter jelly and water.

(try to keep the jelly away from the edges of the pan)

Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched.

(just a note:  don't touch the jelly - it is extremely hot)

Enjoy!!

I am joining Lisa at "Sweet as Sugar Cookies" for Sweets for a Saturday

And Lisa at "Blessed with Grace" for Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Creating Cards for Valentine's Day

This year I decided to make some cards for Valentine's Day.

I started off with a few heart buttons and some red and white paper.

I drew a heart on the white paper (which has hearts on it)

and arranged the buttons around and glued them on.

 

And added some buttons to the corners.

I added some hearts and edged the paper on the inside using my "heartbeat" scissors.

And added a verse.

I made two cards.  One for my parents and one for my daughter.

Then I decided to do one for my son.  No reds for him.

Although I did sneak in a little pink ;)

I then added some "postage stamps" and gold trim.

 

Nothing too mushy for him.

Again on the inside I added the verse and some more "postage stamps".

I added some gold trim to the edges.

I used the same idea for hubby but he likes red.

Although I did use a deeper red than on the first button cards.

And a similar inside as my sons card, again I gold trimmed the edges.

Valentine's Day cards are done.

Now onto birthday and anniversary cards.

I am joining Ciny at "My Romantic Home" for Show and Tell Friday

And Lori at "be different act normal" for Show and Tell Saturday



Hearts for Home

Today I am joining in with Gae from Cherished Hearts at Home . She has a weekly post called Hearts for Home which is open for others to link up with and share some thoughts on home-centred ways. She encourages us to think of 4-6 things to commit to each week to make homelife special and to bless us as keepers at home.

My daughter made it home safe and they had fairly good roads.  There was a storm warning but the storm didn't come until late Sunday night and they were home before it came.  She loved the college and is planning on sending in her application this week.
This week I need to:-

1.  Hubby has a cold so I need to make sure he gets the extra attention and nutrition to get over it quickly.

2.  Get photos and transcripts and finance forms ready for the college application.

3.  Finish up the Valentine's Day projects.

4.  I've started a new x-stitch project and I would like to have it done by the end of February so I need to make sure I get some work done on it.

5.  Do some extra bleaching and cleaning to keep those cold germs away from the rest of us.

6.  Keep the week low key so we can all get some rest.

~Home, the spot of earth supremely blest,

A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest~

(Maricar Macalincag)

Dresser Top Transformed

This is what I have been waking up to every morning :(

One of my goals for this past week was to get the bedroom tidied up.

It seems to be the place to drop all those odds 'n ends

and it's time they are put away.

I pulled out a runner that my mom x-stitched for me.

I thought it complemented the pillowcases I stitched.

Then I put back on the vintage lamp. 

The picture complements the romance theme I'm trying to go for.

I found this at Winners on clearance and it was just what I had been looking for.

I love the silver bottom.

These potpourri balls were also on clearance at Winners as well.

I love the colors.

So I figured I'd put the two together.

I added a few books of poems and love quotes.

And one of hubby's favorite pictures taken on our wedding day.

And a potpourri burner behind the books.

(another present from my parents)

And a heart shaped tealight holder which I bought at the Dollar Store.

Now, when I wake up in the morning...

This will be what I see.

A much better way to start the day :)

I will be joining Susan at "Between Naps on the Porch" for Metamorphosis Monday

-and-

Marty at "A Stroll Through Life" for Tabletop Tuesday

And Gina at "The Shabby Chic Cottage" for Transformation Thursdays