Fabric Fun

I received a little brown paper package yesterday. I was excited since brown paper packages tied up with string are among my favorite things!
Really I was excited! Who knew getting a package of surprise fabrics would be so much fun?! Inside I found this fabric packet from Sarah. It was beautifully tied together with the cutest tag. Sarah included a note on the tag saying she hoped we could make something with the fabrics she sent if not it could always be used for making a bird's nest. I had to laugh! She's read about Nature Girl!
I could barely contain my curiosity long enough to get a photo. Sarah included many lovely fabrics. I have several favorites. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to make with all the wonderful pieces but there is one large piece that is calling out to be made into an apron! I think that the quilters in my mini quilt trading swap group might be seeing some of these fabric pieces in their mini quilts in the coming months! Sadly, the birds won't be using any of the fabric to line their nests!!!
Thank you Sarah! The package was so wonderful that it took a while for me to realize that my poor partners aren't getting a neatly tied packet in a brown paper package. My apologies to both partners! I jammed all the fabric in a large flat rate box so there will be nothing neat about it when it arrives! Hopefully the amount of fabric makes up for the lack of tidiness and pretty packaging!


I signed Nature Girl up for the Little People On the Road Swap. The swap is still open if anyone is interested in joining. This is a summer swap for kids. You buy or create a softie, take it on vacation with you and take photos. You create a scrapbook with photos then mail the scrapbook and the softie to your partner. I think we'll have to make two of the softie since it will be sad to send it away. Nature Girl is excited about her swap. She can take some of the photos and help with the scrapbook.
She's been experimenting with photo taking again. We had lunch with a friend today and she took these pictures in the restaurant. I also ended up with several close ups of a large zit on my chin and 5 semi blurry pictures of my driver's license. My license photo is terrible so I don't want extra copies of that! When she's not looking I'll be deleting those photos!

June Recipe Box Swap

It's time for the June Recipe Box Swap. This month there wasn't a theme. The task was to post your favorite recipe. Okay that's just too hard! I have so many favorites how can I even begin to choose. I don't know about you but I'm much more likely too try a recipe when I see a picture of the dish. Since I don't regularly take photos of my food that limited my choices. I snapped a few pictures of last night's side dish, Cheesy Thyme Potatoes. These are a favorite around here. Before you start to wonder if I overcooked them let me tell you that these are perfect! Those dark crunchy bits on the sides of the dish are the best part. It's worth scrapping the sides and fighting over the last bits. Trust me!

Cheesy Thyme Potatoes

Ingredients:
Peeled & sliced potatoes
Thyme
Extra sharp cheddar cheese
Butter - approx. 1/2 stick

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425. In a casserole dish layer the ingredients. Place some of your peeled and sliced potatoes in the dish. Cut butter into smaller tabs and add to the top of the potatoes. Sprinkle with extra sharp cheddar cheese and thyme. Continue to layer the ingredients till your dish is filled. Cover and place in oven for one hour or until potatoes are tender. Enjoy!



For a favorite dessert my husband suggested Tuxedo Brownies. This is a Pampered Chef recipe. Instead of strawberries we use fresh red raspberries. They are super yummy! Sorry no picture of these. We haven't made them in a while, but I'm drooling just thinking about them!

Tuxedo Brownie Cups

1 package (19-21 oz) fudge brownie mix (plus ingredients to make mix)
2 squares (1 oz each) white chocolate for baking
2 tablespoons milk
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup thawed, frozen whipped topping
1 pint small strawberries, sliced (or raspberries)
orange zest, mint leaves, melted semi-sweet chocolate for baking (optional - we don't use these)

1. Preheat oven to 325. Spray cups of mini-muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. Prepare brownie mix according to directions for cake-like brownies. Using small scoop, fill each cup 2/3 full. Bake 14 minutes or until edges are set (do not overbake).

2. Remove pan to cooling rack. Immediately press tops of brownie with tart shaper to make indentations. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Loosen edges and gentle remove the brownies from pan. Cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter.

3. Microwave white chocolate and milk, uncovered on high 1 minute; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Combine cream cheese and powdered sugar; mix well. Gradually stir in white chocolate mixture until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.

4. Pipe mixture into cooled brownie cups. Arrange strawberry slices(or raspberries) on top. Garnish as desired. Place in airtight container and refrigerate 1-3 hours before serving.

The Wonders of a Dandelion

1. Pick it, 2. Start to blow, 3. Watch the fluff fly, 4. Pick some more, smile and start again

Today I spent hours sorting through a couple thousand photos searching for photos of Nature Girl for the end of the year class scrapbook we're making. While searching I found some great photos that I had forgotten about. The mosaic above was made with a few of those forgotten photos. I took them in May and thought they would be perfect for a mosaic. This was my first try at using Mosaic Maker. I think these photos of Nature Girl make a cute mosaic.

So this is a tribute to the wonders of a dandelion. Isn't it amazing how a little weed can be such a wonder to someone small? Children love dandelions especially in the fluffy stage. No wonder dandelions spread like crazy! Children all over the world help spread the seeds just like my daughter.

More Fun Mail

Last night Nature Girl went to her Aunt BB's overnight while my husband and I had a date night. Nature Girl was a little mopey about us going on a date out without her. In the end she had a great time spending the night with her aunt & cousins. We also had a fabulous time seeing a movie then going to dinner. It was very nice!
This afternoon I went to pick up Nature Girl. We stayed for lunch and completed two art projects which my nephew requested I bring. He loves to do craft projects! We used some of my fabric scraps to create a tree with a beehive. Nature Girl drew her own bee on her picture. Then we created a bumblebee paper bag puppet.

After the craft projects were done we ran errands. When we got home we had a nice surprise . . . swap mail! My partner Kristie from the Miniature Booty Quilt Swap sent a package for Nature Girl. She was thrilled with the crocheted baby doll sweater set Kristie sent. We immediately dressed her doll in the set. She looks so sweet! Thank you Kristie!!! Nature Girl was so happy, she kept hugging her doll saying "She's a cutie!"



I also got swap mail today! My mini quilt from the Mini Quilt Trading Swap arrived today. My partner Katie did a fabulous job!!! I love the brown polka dot fabric! Funny we both did polka dots on our mini quilts for each other. I did the red polka dot bird for Katie and I got this bit of polka dot fun in return. Thank you Katie!!! I love it!

Nature Girl Gets Mail

I went to the mailbox yesterday and found a package for Nature Girl. I carried the mail back to the house and said "Is there someone named Nature Girl here?" Nature Girl said "Yes, it's me!" See, Nature Girl is more than just a bloggy name! She was so excited to receive a surprise package from Nancy. Nancy read our post about the flamingo fabric and sent Nature Girl some fabric from her stash. Wasn't that sweet?!!!
Nature Girl loves getting mail and was thrilled with her surprises! We talked about what we could make with the fabrics Nancy sent and the flamingo fabric we bought. Nature Girl thinks they would make a good blanket. I'll add that to my crafty to do list(by the way I'm adding new projects as fast as I'm checking them off the list.)
In the meantime she's been happily draping the rainbow fabric piece(pictured here on the right) around her neck. Thank you Nancy!!!! Your kindness is greatly appreciated!

Last Post for a Post a Day in May

It's May 31st and I'm down to my last post for the Post a Day in May hosted by Jenny at All Sorts. It's 10:45 pm and after a busy afternoon I'm too tired to post. So my last post in May is a dud! Sorry about that! I'll post try to post two tomorrow. Nature Girl got a surprise in the mail from Nancy today. I wanted to share pictures her surprise but I'm too tired to do it justice. Have a good night!

New Aprons

Cross another thing off my crafty to do list. I finished this red apron for the Summer Fun Apron Swap. Red is my favorite color so I love this one. I've checked out my partner's blog and I think she likes red too. A few weeks ago I saw a clothespin apron that Tracey had made over at Itching 2 B Stitching. I liked the shape and the idea of the pockets. I wanted to make something a bit bigger so this is what I came up with. I used fabrics I already had for both of my aprons. With the price of gas a trip to the fabric store is costly!

I also made one for the Apron Angels that Lucy is coordinating. Nature Girl didn't want to be left out so she got in on the photo too.

I laid out the aprons to give another view of them. They are 28 inches wide and 20 inches long. Each apron was stitched to create two deep pockets. I made the ties extra long since I like to tie them in the front. Now I need to make one for me. Of course that's not on my crafty to do list, I should be crossing things off not adding them!!!