Block 1 Finished ~ Block 2 Started

Here's the first set of my finished blocks.
These are all made from Fiona's Flowers of Love BOM pattern that she is so kindly sharing with us all.
I spent a big part of my weekend watching Hallmark movies (Goodnight For Justice, The Gambler, The Girl and the Gunslinger and Lone Rider).
All movies that are set back in time out in the Wild West....my favorites!
As I watched t.v. I was either stitching away or cutting out the new pieces for my next block.
Not so sure on my color and fabric combinations for this block. (That pink block looks awful on here but in person it looks nice.)

I think I may need to go and grab a few more pieces of fabric to add to the red and burgundy blocks.
Can you believe I don't have enough of the right scraps to use for these blocks?
Don't get me wrong, I have plenty of scraps ( and whole pieces) to use, just not in the right color shades that I want to use.
So I forsee another trip to the fabric shop before long. :0)

In other news my printer died on me this weekend.
I tried everything to fix it and nothing has worked.
The only other thing that it could be is a bad print head which I was going to order but can't seem to find it available to buy on HP's website.
I do see some other printheads available for $169.00 though.
No thank you!
I think my whole printer only cost me $150 last year when I bought it. It would be cheaper to just buy a new one.
Bottom line, I really don't understand why we can't buy *American Made* products that WILL stand the test of time.

The only guarantee that we get on purchases now a days is that they will NOT be made in America & they WILL NOT last!

Well that's about all that's new here in my world. We're having a slow Monday. Two of the kids seem to have a stomach bug. My oldest is home from school today with it and Katie is back asleep as I type this. Hope it doesn't last long and I hope it doesn't spread to the rest of us.

My laundry is calling me so I better get off here and get it done.
Have a great Monday!

Winter Hand Scrub - This stuff is great!

Last night I was reading through some of my favorite blogs and I came across a recipe for a hand scrub from Kim over at Life in a Little Red Farmhouse.
I so wanted to try it as my hands get horribly dry and cracked through the winter months. I'm talking so dry that they split open and bleed.
My husband is always telling me that they feel like sandpaper.
My excuse ~ I'm in the kitchen every day doing WORK!
There is never a good time to put lotion on.
I'm constantly in the kitchen preparing meals and would rather not taste lotion in my food.
When I'm not doing that I can usually be found on the computer or working on some sewing.
Again, don't need greasy hands on computer keys or fabrics.
And before you say why not at bedtime....well because I usually take my sewing with me and fall asleep as I stitch.

So this scrub may just be the solution to my dry, cracked hands. I tried Kim's recipe today and then I played around and made up my own concoction.
I put the mixture in a few canning jars and set one right beside the kitchen sink so that it is in sight and I will remember to use it.
So far I've used it twice today and my hands definitely feel softer. It leaves my skin lightly oiled but not so oily that I can't go about my daily tasks of sewing, cooking, computing or whatever else I may be into.

If you'd like to try Kim's Lemon Poppy Seed Scrub then you can find the recipe HERE.

If you want to try my version then here you go.

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Oatmeal Hand Scrub

1 1/2 cups olive oil
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup oatmeal
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon

Mix everything together and place in a storage container.
Take a little dab of this into your hands and scrub gently.
Rinse with warm water and then blot hands dry.

 Note ~*I used quick cooking oatmeal this time but I think the next batch that I make I will try grinding the oatmeal into a fine powder.*

It's super easy to make and I think it feels way better than the store bought scrubs that I have used in the past.

Try it !
Your hands will thank you.

Have a great weekend and stay warm!

I Can Show You Now!

Remember the stitchery that I've been working on?

Well, it's finished and it has been delivered to the intended so I can now show it to you.

Click on picture to enlarge

I found the pattern at Chestnut Junction and the moment I saw it I knew I had to make it for Carmen over at Waxed Out Creative Life.
She's been on an rollercoaster ride this past year with her only son graduating high school and then leaving the nest to join the Army.
She's had lots of wonder and worry as the months have gone by (as any mother would do) and so I thought the words in this prayer were just perfect.


Well, that's all I've got to share with you today.
I'm afraid the winter doldrums have hit and not much is going on in my neck of the woods.
Just more of the same...schooling, housework, sewing, reading and how could I forget, shoveling snow!
Have a great one!

Stitching Away on my Flowers of Love Quilt Blocks!

This is what I've been working on in my free time and I'm loving every minute of it.
It's combines my love of sewing/quilting along with stitching.

I've never appliqued before and I wasn't really sure that I could do it.
But I CAN!
I spent a good bit of time searching the internet for free BOM patterns and finally decided on this one.

The designer is Fiona from DESIGNS BY FEE. I love the look of her "shabby" creations.
The only problem is that I couldn't decide on what fabrics, colors, etc. that I wanted to use.
SO...
I am making three of each block with the hopes of having three separate quilts made by the time they are all done.
Here's a sneak peak:
My favorite~ shades of red

2nd quilt will be done in pinks and greens.

3rd will be more of a country look with burgundy flowers.

I'll post each block as I finish them.
If you'd like to join in on the fun then you can click on Fee's link (capitalized) above. You can find the blocks for download on her right sidebar.
I'm already behind because she actually started this project in September but that's OK....I'll catch up!

Out & About Today

Are all of you staying warm?
When we got up this morning it was -1°.
Now I know that's nothing compared to what all of you in the midwest have been experiencing but for us here it's downright COLD!
Cold and Snowy. We got about 5 inches of snow the other night. It snowed hard for a few hours straight.

Today, we bundled up and ventured out to get our taxes done. Since we were heading that direction I asked hubby if he would stop at Jo-Ann's Fabric so I could get a few pieces of material for my next project.

Ohio Valley Mall in St. Clairsville, Ohio

Needless to say, it's not his favorite place to go but he went willingly. That's what I should have taken a picture of!
Him holding the bolts of fabric as I went back and forth trying to decide what shades of pink I wanted to use.
I do have to say though, he was a good sport!

On our way back home he took me on a country road that I wasn't familiar with.
Of course I had to snap a few pictures.

After we got home and got a bite to eat I decided to take a drive around town with Katie. I had noticed big sheets of ice floating on the Ohio River as we drove to Wheeling this morning so I thought I'd ride down by the river and check it out.

There were a few big pieces out in the middle of the river but not many. Mostly just around the river bank. We got out and walked around a few minutes then made a loop around town and headed back home.
Here's a few pictures taken around town as we headed home.

Old West Virginia State Penitentiary

Grave Creek Mound

Jefferson Avenue - Moundsville's Business Distric

Well that's it.
That's about as exciting as it's gonna get for my weekend.

Now I think I'll spend the rest of the evening working on my newest project. If I get enough done then I'll show you what it is on Monday.
Have a great weekend and stay warm!

Lean Cuisine Codes & some Chit Chat

Are any of you collecting the codes on the Lean Cuisine boxes?
Do you need a few more?

Lean Cuisine is not typically on my grocery list however Kroger's was running a sale on them and I had several coupons so I went ahead and purchased a few of them.
Once I got home I noticed the Lunch Tote giveaway that was advertised on the back of the box.

They are giving away a free insulated lunch bag to anyone who collects 20 codes and enters them on Lean Cuisine's website. I haven't been to their website but their ad says that you can choose from 4 different styles.
Anyways, I have 5 codes from my boxes that I won't be using so if any of you are collecting them and would like a few more then just drop me an email. I will be glad to pass the codes on to the first person that emails me about them.
UPDATE:  Codes no longer available!

On the homefront ~ nothing is new!
I haven't been cooking anything wonderful to share with you or my family. Just the same old stuff!
The mood to cook has been recently replaced with the mood to sit and stitch or work jigsaw puzzles.

All I have left to do is to stitch these last three letters and then I can get it coffee stained and finished.

Then what?
Another stitchery?
Maybe some quilting with one of the free BOM patterns?
Give another go at rug hooking?
Finish the crocheted afghan that I began last winter?

Who knows? 
I guess I'll know when the mood strikes me!

I do know that these long gray days of winter seem to be going on forever.
I always long for the quiet peace that winter brings.   
~The long evenings perfect for getting cozy on the couch while working on a sewing project or watching a movie.
~The cooler temperatures that make baking & cooking so much more enjoyable.
~oh, and I love the SNOW! (which is falling right now)

But, I'm starting to think spring or better yet summer!
The time that we can get back into shorts and t-shirts, swimming and riding bikes, late nights sitting on the porch watching the kids catch fireflies....ahhh, doesn't it sound nice?

So what are your favorite things to do to help pass the time during these long winter months and what do you most look forward to summer for?

Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel Dessert

Here's my diabetic chocolate spin-off of the strawberry pretzel dessert that I shared yesterday.
Actually, it's not totally sugar-free but pretty close.

You know, just because you have diabetes doesn't mean that you can never enjoy dessert again. You just need to improvise a little and know your limits.
Don't go eating the whole thing at once!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel Dessert

1 1/2 cups crushed pretzels
3 tbsp. butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp. Splenda
1 small box sugar free chocolate pudding
1 small box sugar free vanilla pudding
3 1/3 cups milk, divided
2 tsp. peanut butter
8 oz. tub of Cool-Whip (the sugar-free kind)

Place pretzels, butter & Splenda in an 8x8 baking dish.
Mix well and then press into the bottom of the pan.
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 6 minutes.
Let cool completely.

Once crust is cooled begin making your pudding layers.

In a bowl, mix by hand (no electric mixer) the vanilla pudding with 1 and 2/3 cup of milk.
Whisk in the peanut butter.
Fold in half of the container of Cool Whip.
Spread mixture over top of pretzel crust.

Now make your chocolate layer.
Mix by hand, the chocolate pudding and 1 and 2/3 cup of milk.
Fold in the rest of the Cool Whip.
Spread on top of the vanilla pudding layer.
Refrigerate and ENJOY!

You may remember the mousse pudding from THIS post last year.
The only differences are that I used less peanut butter in today's recipe and placed it all on a pretzel crust.
The saltiness of the pretzels goes great with the sweetness of the pudding.

It's getting late so I'm off to bed.
Night!

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert & My New Fridge

This is my #1 favorite dessert!
I don't make it very often though.
For if I did I would eat each and every leftover piece all by myself....It is THAT good.
I forgot to take a picture before everyone dug into it so this is as good as it gets this time around.  Next time I make it I will try to get a better picture.

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

2 2/3 cups crushed pretzels
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
3 tbsp. sugar
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
2 (8 oz.) containers of Cool Whip
1 large box strawberry Jell-O
2 cups boiling water
2 ( 10 oz.) pkg. sliced frozen strawberries (I used 24 oz.)

1st Layer:
Place crushed pretzels in the bottom of a 9X13 pan. Add melted butter and 3 tbsp. sugar. Mix all together and press into bottom of pan.
Bake at 400° for 6 minutes.
Let cool.

2nd Layer:
Mix softened cream cheese and  1 cup sugar together. Fold in 1 container of Cool Whip and spread mixture over top of pretzel crust.

3rd Layer:
In bowl, mix Jell-o and boiling water. Stir until dissolved.
Add frozen strawberries.
Mix and then chill until almost set.
Pour over cheese layer.
If desired, top with 2nd container of Cool Whip and crushed pretzels.
Refrigerate and ENJOY!

Tomorrow I'll share another version of the above recipe that I made for my Dad.
He is a diabetic plus he hates strawberries so his was chocolate, peanut butter and pretzels.
It was super yummy too!
It's that combination of sweet and salty that just hits the spot every time.

Wanna see my new fridge?

It was a frustrating day yesterday as we worked on getting the old fridge out and the new in. We had to take the doors off of the old fridge so that it would fit through the back door.
Once we had it outside we then had to get it down the hill to the front sidewalk.
That is .... A small hill still covered with snow and ice.
How fun!
But not as much fun as it was trying to get the new one up that same hill!

We finally got it in and then had to mess with changing the door hinges around so that it didn't open up towards the wall.

Why do things have to be so complicated?
Why can't we just plug it in and go with it?
Can you tell that patience is not one of my good qualities?

Oh and do you see that empty space above the refrigerator. There was a cabinet there but the refrigerator was too tall so we had to take the cabinet down. We were going to cut the cabinet down a bit and put it back up but I said don't bother.
I'm too short to even reach that cabinet (even standing on a chair) and besides it will give me full access to the top of the refrigerator which is where I like to place my homemade breads & goodies as they rise before I bake them. Now I will be able to fit 2 full size cookie trays up there when needed.
I will have to get my sage green paint back out though so that part of the wall will match the rest of the kitchen. :0(

24 hours later, it's up and running great. I went shopping last night and again this morning so it's shelves are all fully stocked again. Now I'm keeping my fingers crossed that none of our other appliances break.
Anita from Hayestackhayes reminded me that things always happen in threes. Well if that is the case then I should be OK the rest of the year. We've already had to replace the stove, our computer and now the refirgerator.
I'll still keep my fingers and toes crossed though!

Another One Bites the Dust

                                    Old refrigerator on it's way out.
My luck with appliances hasn't been very good lately.
Just before Thanksgiving I had to buy a new stove. I'm not sure how old it was because it came with the house when we bought it but I do know that it was at least 10 years old.

At about the same time that the stove was giving me fits my refrigerator also began acting up. (It's the refrigerator that we bought when we first got married so it's about 17 years old.) 
Everything started freezing. I messed with the temperature controls for a day or two and then it seemed to straighten up. I was hoping it was fixed!
WRONG!
This past week it started freezing up again.
I've messed with the controls, unplugged it , cleaned it and still freezing everything.
I noticed today that my eggs are frozen solid and the shells have cracked open. The only good thing is that since they are frozen there is no mess to clean up.

Needless to say the kids and I spent the afternoon at the mall doing some refrigerator shopping.
Do you know how hard it is to find in-stock refrigerators?
I needed something today, not a week from now!

I lucked out when I entered Lowe's.
They have many appliances in-stock and ready to go right then if you want to haul it or they will deliver it free of charge the next day ~ not in a week from now.
So next time I'm in search of an appliance ( and I hope that it's no where in the near future) I will make Lowe's my first stop.

For now we're just using the coolers to keep stuff cold. Tomorrow we'll bring the new refrigerator in and then I'll be off to get some groceries.

Hope you all have a good weekend.
Stay warm!

A Snow Day To Play

It finally snowed!
It's not the first snow that we've had this winter but it's the most snow that we have received yet.
The snow began yesterday around lunchtime.
I took the dogs out and swept the back sidewalk .
Cowboy (the big one) loves to have you sweep or shovel snow at him so he was having fun.
I stopped long enough to pet both of them and give him a minute to rest. He'd go on forever if you let him.
Maggie, his little sidekick in the red sweater, doesn't chase the snow but chases behind Cowboy barking the whole way.

By early evening the snow had tapered off a good bit.
There was enough to have to clean sidewalks so after dinner that is what I did.
I love to be outside after dark on a snowy evening.
Everything sparkles!

This morning we awoke to the sound of my Dad on the tractor plowing the neighborhood sidewalks. The kids and I got dressed and went out to help.
He had it all done so we just sprinkled some salt and then went off to play.

It's evening now and we are all inside doing our own things. Some are playing Xbox while others are watching TV.
I think I may go curl up on the couch with a toasty blanket and work on some sewing.

Stay warm!

Oven Baked Barbeque Beef Brisket

This was my first attempt ever at cooking a beef brisket and it turned out pretty tasty. My intention was to cook it all day in a cooking bag but I didn't have one so I started it out in the oven covered tightly with aluminum foil. Once I made it to the store to buy a bag I then placed it all into the cooking bag and continued cooking.
About a half and hour before dinner I removed it from the oven, let it cool for 15-20 minutes and then shredded it.
Lots of flavor and taste!

Oven Baked BBQ Brisket

2 to 3 lb. fresh beef brisket
3/4 cups water
2 tbsp. dried onion flakes
3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tbsp. chili powder
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 garlic cloves, minced
cinnamon (about 1/4 tsp.)
1 1/2 cups bottled BBQ sauce
Reynold's Cooking Bag


Place cooking bag into a 13X9 baking dish.
Place meat inside bag.
In a small bowl, mix together the water, onion flakes, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, chili powder, bouillon cubes and garlic.
Pour this mixture over the meat.
Lightly sprinkle some cinnamon over top of brisket.
Tie bag closed and place pan in a 325° oven.
Let bake for 5-6 hours.
If it begins to cook dry then reopen the bag and add a bit more water.
Remove from oven and let cool 15-20 minutes.
Shred or slice on a diagonal.
Enjoy!

Are all of you in the south enjoying the snow?
We are anxiously awaiting to see how much we will get. It's supposed to begin here sometime tomorrow so we shall see.

Stay warm!

Snowy Weekend & Winter Warriors

Brrr...it's been a cold weekend here.
The snow has been flying pretty much all weekend but not too much on the ground.
Just enugh to have to get out there and clean the sidewalks.

Hubby with the snowblower

Saturday was spent getting ready for the birthday party but I did manage to sneak a bit of time to go and stitch a bit...or so that was my intention.

Instead of stitching I snuggled up in my bed with my new laptop to search for a new blog background.
Very time consuming!
So I didn't get a bit of stitching done but I do hope to get some done tonight.

While I was laying there in bed I happened to look out the window to see a group men in camouflage marching up the street.

What in the world!

In all there were about 5 groups the size of this one and they were all marching up the street. The last group was being followed by that truck that you see in the picture.
A few hours later and after another round of snow I was out sweeping the sidewalks and noticed these guys marching back down our street.
They spoke to me as they were passing and so I asked them where they had gone to.
Turns out they had gone up to Grandview Park which is up at the top of this hill.

That wears me out just thinking about climbing up that hill. Glad it was them and not me!
**There is a road that they walked up. They didn't just go climb the hillside but it is still a pretty long steady climb UP.**

Well that stitchery is calling my name so I think I'll get off here and get busy on it.
Care to take a guess as to who I'm making it for?
I'll give you a hint!
It's a blogging buddy. ;o)

Stay warm!