Elk Grove Baby Quilt

I love this Elk Grove fabric by Jay-Cyn Designs for Birch Fabrics. It is adorable and the color palate is wonderful. I made this little quilt up for my new nephew. Being pregnant myself, I'm a little late (he's already almost 4 months old!), but hopefully he will love it.

I love the way the appliquéd circles came out. I wasn't sure if I should quilt around them, but I think it was the way to go. It gives the quilt really nice texture.

I used the cheater quilt block fabric from the Elk Grove line for the backing.

Getting Organized

I've been pinning cleaning chore schedules and checklists for a while now. I've tried out a few, but they never really fit because our house is so small. I finally created my own, laminated it, and taped it to the inside of one of my kitchen cupboards.  I use a dry erase crayon (stollen from my almost 2 year old), and check things off as I do them.  It really helps me keep focused while I'm cleaning, and it seems to go faster.

Here is my new chore checklist:

And now I have to actually go do some work...

Chalkboard Mugs and Mug Rugs

 


I had a fun time making up these cute mug rugs out of Cream and Sugar by Ampersand Design Studio for Windham Fabrics. I think they turned out fantastic and I'm a little disappointed that I didn't keep any for myself. I used some thermal Insul-Bright batting. I have heard from friends and family that they work great.

I also took some mugs I found for less than $2 from Crate and Barrel outlet and painted them with porcelain chalkboard paint.  I think the combination turned out great!

And here are some pictures of my one year old trying to climb the cabinets to pull them off the counter!

Quilted Christmas Stockings

I have finished the stockings for David and Little Man. I think they turned out pretty good. I did not manage to finish my own stocking by Christmas, but now I have an entire year to get that done!

I used the Thimble Blossom Merry pattern, with a few alternations to make it go together easier, and hopefully hold up better. For example, I used interfacing in the stocking cuff to give it a thicker feel more similar to the rest of the stocking. Otherwise, it just seemed too flimsy to me.

I was also really excited to use my machine's bar tack stitch for the hook loops. That's one I don't get to use very often!

The BEST Caramels Ever…No, Really. EVER.

I know, it's a bold statement. But really, truly, these are the best. In our family, we pretty much consider Fran's Salted Caramels to be the best out there. They are made here in Seattle and when we took my mother-in-law into their shop by Pike Place she thought we were in a jewelry store.  They are wonderful.

However, my husband is now of the opinion that these are the best caramels he has every had. I have to say, I'm pretty in love with them, too.

It started with a recipe in the Our Best Bites - Mormon Moms in the Kitchen Cookbook. I took their recipe and instead of using 2 cups of light corn syrup I used 1 1/2 cups of light corn syrup and 1/2 cup dark corn syrup. The addition of the dark corn syrup results in a richer flavor.  Add to that some rich bourbon vanilla from Trader Joe's and some lovely pink sea salt and voila!

I dipped half of the caramels in dark chocolate, which I prefer. I think my husband likes the plain caramels better.

I use this large mixing bowl for everything!! Here it is sitting in a pan of water melting chocolate.  Please excuse my messy stove!

Beauty!

Little Man's First Trip to the Tree Farm

We took Little Man to the Tree Farm Thanksgiving Weekend. He absolutely loved it. I had no idea he would be so into it.  He kept trying to wander off into the trees on his own.  As a kid, we always cut down our own tree. This was the first time my husband has ever done something like this and I think that he loved the experience, as well. It was quality family time. Definitely a new tradition for our little family.

The hunt is on.

So happy!

We found it! Unfortunately, I was so excited I didn't take this from another angle, so we have this giant house in the background.  

You'll notice I brought some ground protection along for the husband. He was impressed. It's not my first rodeo.

Mission Accomplished. 

Hexies Are Coming Along

I have my pieces put together. It was a lot of hand sewing, but very enjoyable. It has been a while since I had a sewing project where I could sit on the couch and watch TV with my husband while working.

Back of the basted hexes.

Paper Removed. Now to do some cutting.