Don't Worry

Live everyday like it will be your last!

 

Fabric Letters

Everyone gets excited when they here a baby is coming! Time for baby showers and fun gifts! My beautiful niece is expecting a little man in June! There was a lovely shower for her last weekend.
When I found out about the shower, I started trying to find something I could do, a gift that hopefully, no one else would think of. Of course, I headed straight for Pinterest! How wouldn't? Sometimes I think of things on my own, but sometimes I need a little nudge!
OMG! There is a ton of things on there! Some of the things, I think I will be working on, so I can have them ready for the next gift I need.
There is one of the projects that really caught my eye!
Alphabet Letters from Sierra at BlueRobbinCottage.com

She had this picture, but I couldn't find the actual way that she did them. So I will share with you, what I did!

First off, I needed to draw out the letters and decide how big they should be.

I first took a piece of regular computer paper and made a grid using a black sharpie, so it would stand out under a second piece of computer paper. With this grid, I could draw out two letters per sheet.

 I used a little piece of double sided tape to hold the two pieces, so they didn't slide while I drew the letters. Using the marker, made it bold and visible through the clean sheet. Once I drew the 2 letters, I removed and got another sheet.

Sorry that the pencil lines are hard to see. I made the thickness of the letters about 1 1/4 inch. These will be the lines that I use to stitch the letters.  After I had them all drawn out, I cut them out. It was a lovely sunny day, and even though the sun was shining, it was a little breezy, but I managed to get them all cut out!

Next can the fun part! Finding the right fabrics to lay out for the letters! I got a little, no, a lot of help with scraps from my sister, Lynette, she is a quilter and was very generous and found a bag of wonderful colors that would be suitable for a little guy! I was very careful to be sure I mixed the letters up, so that when they were all laid out, there wasn't any that were next to each other, that were the same color. Laying out 3-4 letters at a time, laying down the one color of fabric, adding 2 layers of felt and the other color of fabric. I traced the letters using chalk, that way it would be easily removed once the stitching was complete!

I ended up stitching them all with black thread, I wanted them to stand out!

As you can see, I let a little room in between letters. Some areas, only one pass was needed to cut out the letters like between the V and A.

 I used Pinking shears to cut the letters out. These pinking shears are my sisters, also. Looks like it is time to add them to my wish list! They sure did come in handy!

These are my finished letters! Great boy colors and they will be so fun to play with! The great thing about them, is that if they get dirty from, say, spit up or food from little hands, they can be washed! Clean and ready to use again! I stacked them up in order and wrapped them with a ribbon. I then put them in a small diaper bag that could be used to store them, or to use as a little carrying bag, along with a few onsies and books! Baby gifts are so much fun!

Mother's Day Card

Mother's Day is that special day where we get to show our mothers how very important they are to us and how better to show that, than to make the card yourself! I can't tell you the last time I bought a greeting card in the store. I love all the different ways to make cards!
 My sisters and I used to make them years ago, when stamping first became popular. These days, there is so many new tools and gadgets,  and I want them all! Of course, that isn't going to happen, so, I just have to use what I have!
So this Mother's Day, I made cards for my mom and my mother in law. I used a stamp that I have had for many years , Iris. I stamped it on water color paper using Staz-on ink pad.

Once I had the card stamped, I colored it using the Stamping' Up water color pencils and blending pens. This allows you to  have a gentle blend in your colors. 

I then, placed the card on the Cricut cutting mat. Now in order to know where the letters were going to fall, I used a scrap piece of paper the same size as my card, moved the cutting blade part way down the card and cut it. When I was happy with the placement of the letters, I cut them on my card. 

 After removing the card front from the Cricut mat, I used Tom-Bow glue and mounted it to my card stock. I choose a shade of purple that matched as close to the flower color as possible.

 You can see here, that now the word MOM is cut out, I lined up the "O" and filled in the center.

 Now with the positive letters, I placed small pieces of 3M double stick mounting tape to the back side. I want the card to have a little dimension, but not be super obvious!

 I could have left the card like this, and it still would have been loved by both of the mom's!

 This is the end result of the letters, you still see the whole stamp and the beauty of it, but mom is there, blending in! Try this technique on some of the cards you are making.


Put a little homespun and comfort in your projects!

Mom

I am so blessed beyond measure. My mom is 86 years old and still with us. She is beautiful and talented. Everything I know how to do came from watching her! She has set a great example of what a mother should be. She is always there for all of us and would do anything for us. It would be wonderful if we could spend more time together, but they are in Florida and we are in New York. Luckily, we are only a phone call away!
So very blessed to have my mom and to be the mother to four wonderful children and four wonderful daughter and son in laws. Thank you mom for teaching me to be a great mom!
Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's out there!

Happy

Choice to be happy!

Happiness

It is very important to love what you do! I love making people happy and helping when able.

Happy

There are so many times when things happen in your life, that you simply can't change. That is the time to choose to be happy and get through it. Don't dwell on the issue, it only makes it worst!

Peach Cobbler

As I said before, Dutch oven cooking is fun. It does take a little getting used to how to control the heat, but once you have that down, You can make so many things.

One of our favorite things to cook is Peach Cobbler! You can't go wrong with this one! At one of our favorite camping spots, there happens to be an ice-cream truck that comes around, if we get the timing just right, we can have cobbler ready and order up some vanilla ice-cream! Yum yum, who doesn't like warm cobbler and ice cream!

The recipe is simple.

2 15 oz cans peaches with liquid
1 yellow  or white
cake mix
1/2 stick butter, (you can add more butter if you enjoy that!)

Put peaches in the pot, sprinkle with cake mix and add squares of butter to the top. Cover and bake.
The juice will bubble up mix with the topping. Cook for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden!

Don't be afraid to add your favorite toppings! Pecans, caramel sauce, maybe a little brown sugar and oats to make it crispier! Have fun with it!

Courtesy of Grouprecipe.com

Thank you to Group recipes for their recipe, large enough for a crowd!


Don't stop there with your creative combinations! Another one of my favorites is Black Forest cobbler!
For this we use one can of cherry pie filling and a can of canned sour cherries along with a chocolate cake mix! OMG! That is delish!
You could also use cherry with yellow or white cake.

You pick the fruit, if you are using pie filling, be sure to add something that has enough liquid to bubble up through the cake mix. Example: Blueberry pie filling along with a can of blueberries in juice.

While looking through some recipes, I came across some others that look like they would be pretty tasty, we might have to give them a try this summer! Check this one out from Life Should Cost Less!
Wow! That looks great! I have always loved the combination of chocolate and cherries, then to add that Dr. Pepper!

Oh! Comfort!

Red Rose

This beautiful rose is a reminder of the beautiful life of my sister that passed away just over a year ago. I think of her daily and wish to have her here, but know she is in a better place.

Dutch Oven Cooking

There are plenty of camping trips we go on, where is it pretty chilly out side and a fire is always going. What's better to do while camping and sitting around a fire, than to eat! When we camp,  we never go a trip without our Dutch Oven.
We were lucky enough to get the Dutch Oven that was my husbands grandfathers! Very well seasoned! Years of love! Oh, how I wish this dutch oven could talk. I imagine it would have so many stories to tell.

Dutch ovens have been around for hundreds of years, just as you have seen being used in old western movies.
Sometimes seeing them sitting directly on the coals and other times they are hanging on a tripod over the fire.or on a post that swings out away from the fire.

There are many sizes and styles of Dutch ovens. Troop 780 in NC has some great information on picking the perfect one! P.S. These guys have all kinds of knowledge when I comes to Dutch ovens.

There is so many things you can do in the Dutch Oven.

First off, you can roast! That's right, we have roasted turkey breast, chickens, and chuck roast.
Just follow your favorite recipe.

My favorite way is very basic.
I cut onion and carrot to place in the bottom of the dutch oven, season the meat with salt and pepper. For poultry I use sage and thyme, or chuck roast I use ground coriander along with the salt and pepper. Place the meat on top of the vegetable. You can add more vegetables around the meat if desired. The meat always turns out moist and tender.

Here is a great Dutch oven Chicken recipe from The Homestead survival!

Keeping even heat around the pot, is key to using the dutch oven. I found that the Dutch Oven Dude has some great tips for keeping the temperature consistent.

Use this method for boiling potatoes or stew. Add coals to the top for even heat to roast.

Enjoy your dutch oven!

Stop back again and I will fill you in on how you can bake and fry with your dutch oven! 

Ah, comfort! There is nothing like a great home cooked meal over and open fire! 

Life

Plans are always being made in life. Planning vacations, outings, relaxing at home, then something happens! An emergency takes place, sickness of a loved one or yourself, vehicle blows a tire. So many things can happen, that we don't plan for. This is life.

Happiness

Having a lot of money, a big house, fancy car, and many riches will not always make you happy. Make the most of what you have.   Enjoy the little blessings in front of you.                                  

Cast iron and Camping

One of the things that we always look forward to in the summer, is camping in the mountains. I have been camping, pretty much my whole life. Mom and dad used to take the five of us kids to the Adirondack Mountains every summer. 

I can remember having two, very large, heavy, green army tents. To me, they were huge! These tents were straight sided with heavy metal fasteners to close the windows. My parents would set them up with the openings facing each other, then string a tarp in between, as a place to put the “kitchen”! 

Camping gear has really improved over the years. My husband and I started out with a tent when we first got married and we have looped full circle! Tent, pop-up, self contained, back to tent, again to pop-up and now, a hybrid. 

We have used everything from screen rooms to car ports for our Kitchen area. Even with the camper, we still cook and wash dishes the old fashioned way. 

Cast iron and open fire cooking is some of the favorite was of cooking. Cast iron is perfect to use, once it has been well seasoned. 

When you purchase a new cast iron pan or griddle, follow the instructions for seasoning. If you should happen to find a nice gem of a pan at the local thrift store, then follow these steps. 

1. Remove any rust on the pan. Most of the time you can do this with a piece of fine steel wool. Scrub the pan to the raw iron. 
2. Wash the pan with water and mild soap. 
3. Dry the pan thoroughly, immediately with paper towel or a clean dish towel.
4. Cover the pan with a light coating of vegetable oil or shortening. Be sure to not use to much, which would cause the pan to become sticky.
5. Heat the pan in a 350 degree oven for one hour. Put the pan in upside down with a sheet of foil on a shelf under it, to catch any oil that drips. 
6. Let the pan cool,Turn the oven off and let the pan cool, then you can go right back to using it! 

Now, once the pan is ready go us again, you can cook so many things, to clean after cook, scrape out and food left, wash it with a wet, no soap dish cloth and wipe down with more oil before storing. We usually slide ours into a brown paper grocery bag to keep them clean while camping. 

Cast iron comfort recipes will be coming your way!

Waiting for warmer weather

It seems like the weather can't decide what it wants to do. One day it is warm and sunny, the next it is cold and rainy. There is something about every season that I love. There is nothing like a nice spring rain, but it is so much more enjoyable when it is warm outside. We had weather in the 70's last week, this morning, when I went to take our dog, Dollie for a walk, she did her business and wanted back in the house, not her usual half hour walk. Although we don't always like the weather outside, if is all necessary to have it vary. Take the time to enjoy them all.

Chocolate fix

I am one of those that just has to have a little chocolate after dinner! It doesn't have to be a lot, just dark and rich! There is always some form of chocolate in the house, (not counting the Easter sale candy that is stashed away for summer vacation!)
This morning, I decided to make one of the chocolate cookie recipes I came across the other day while looking for healthier recipes.
These Healthy Avocado Chocolate Cookies from the Sprouted Fig, are just that! Dark and rich! They contain NO butter or flour.

The recipe does call for coconut sugar, or honey as a substitute. I had neither, so I used agave nectar. I'm thinking I should have cooked them a little bit longer, they are pretty gooey in the center. But oh so tasty!

Give them a try, you will not regret it!

Flourless-no butter Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Since my husbands surgery, I have spent a lot of time trying to find yummy recipes and ideas to cut back on the calories we consume. I have found many recipes that look absolutely amazing! I want to try them all!
These flourless-no butter, peanut butter-oatmeal-chocolate chip cookie recipe I came across on Pinterest,  from Monique at Ambitious Kitchen are heavenly!

I made mine slightly smaller and got about 36 smaller cookies out of my batch! I will definitely be making them again!

Not quite the lowest calorie cookie out there, but one helped suppress the cravings!


Get the recipe here from Ambitious Kitchen! Thank you, Monique!

Butterflies

So many times, we take for granted the things around us. The beauty that God has put before us. I was lucky one say last summer when I looked  out in the flower bad and saw not one, but two beautiful butterflies! I was blessed to be able to get a few photos of them, as they went on about their busy work. 

Mixed emotions

So many times we go about our life day by day, not thinking to much about it. You try to keep up with your family, job and health. Then one day, you get a scary report from the doctor. This is when things change really fast.

My hunny has some heart issues that the cardiologist has been watching for a couple years. A few weeks ago, he was told it was time to stop watching and fix the problem.

We called the children together, which was one of the hardest things to do, to let them know that he would need open heart surgery to replace his aortic valve and part of the aorta. Emotions run crazy and the worst always goes through your mind.

Last Monday, he went in for an angiogram, to make sure there were no other blockages. All good there. He was then admitted and underwent surgery on Tuesday morning. I was lucky enough to have all my children that live in the area, there with me waiting. Our daughter was just a phone call away.
Surgery took 3 1/2 hours. This was the longest 3 1/2 hours of my life.  We were able to go in to see him after in CVICU, about an hour later. I have never seen so many tubes and wires! He was very pale and fully sedated. Every few hours, we could go see him. His color improved with each visit. The hardest thing was to go home, get rest, knowing that he was still there. I just wanted to touch him.
I was able to call and speak to his nurse to get updates through the night. Thankfully, every time, it was a good report.
By the time I arrived at the hospital at 9:00 a.m., when visiting hours started, he was awake and sitting in a chair. He had had breakfast and was beginning his recovery journey. After countless instructions, I was taking him home on Sunday afternoon, 5 days after surgery!
I'm glad to have him home and to be taking care of him.

 Now it is time to change the life style. Healthy eating, more exercise and no smoking!
I have spent many hours, researching healthy life style tips. Of course the first place I went to, was
The American Heart Association. I started with there Tips for Eating Healthy. 

We are thankful to God for guiding the doctor and his team, and for the continued strength and recovery.

Going natural...GREY

I’ve been coloring my hair for about the last 15 years, give or take. Over the last 3-4years, I have been going lighter, because the grey growing out was less noticeable! 

I’ve asked friends and family, what they thinks and I’ve gotten a few mixed responses! Everything from “that’s a great idea” to, “your to young to be grey”.

I’ve decided to take the plunge, with a lot of convincing from my girls, to grow it out and go grey. Time to embrace my 50’s with what the good Lord has given me! 

I can’t tell you how many times I have gone to the store and looked at the hair dyes or look in the mirror and think, “does it make me look old?” 

I’ve done some research to see what would make it easier transition.  

Here  and here are a couple articles I found. 

4 months without coloring. 

My choice it to just let it grow! Having curly hair, does help a little. 

Burlap wine bags

They isn't anything I enjoy more than helping people. A very dear friend and her family have a Luau every year to help raise money for Pancreatic Cancer. Donations came from all over town and are put into silent  or Chinese auction. My hunny and I love to help out and donate. This year, I made many sets of handmade cards and put them into a basket with a couple bottles of wine and some fancy pens.

I had to make something to cover the bottles, to make them look pretty. I just happen to have a roll of burlap laying around and since the wire basket is burlap lined, I thought that would work out fine. 

I cut a strip that was 32 inches long. (The roll is 5 1/2 inches wide.)

I stitched the raw ends to keep them from fraying. 

Then I folded the piece in half and stitched down both sides. Bag done!

Now to dress it up. I took a strip of canvas fabric about 1 1/2 inches wide and 14 inches long.

 I did a gathering stitch. 

Gathered it to form a flower shape. 

I left the edges raw to give it an unfinished look. 

Using a hot glue gun, I sealed the center and covered it with a circle of faux leather and a button, 

Attaching it to a braid of twine. Then tied it abound the bottle. 

Basket complete! Quick and easy!

Put a little homespun n comfort in your day!

Oreo Cup Cakes

The first time I made these, Oreo cup cakes, it was of my granddaughters 16th birthday. They were such a hit, I have been asked to make them several times since. I wish I could find the pictures I took when I made them, I guess I need to make them again, just to snap a shot. 

Thank you Recipe snobs for sharing this one. 

Get the recipe here and try it for yourselves, they are sure to be a hit! 

A little about me

Hello, I’m Kelley, a wife, mother and grandmother, (better known as Meema to my grand babies.) This is my take on crafting, repurposing, yummy foods and photography! There are recipes and projects I have made and many things I want to try. Tips from my everyday life and tips from others! Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Grab a cup of coffee and let me tell you a little bit about myself.

After marrying the man of my dreams our family started to grow.

I was lucky enough to be a stay at home mom while our four children were young. Crafting and baking were my release! Now, for the moment, I am again home, taking care of the house and my hubby. Once again, crafting and baking , along with photography, allow me to express who I am.