A little bit of this

What’s up buttercup?

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged about what I’ve been up to….

actually not a whole lot, but then again, maybe it IS a lot.

Last week I made a birthday cake for my friend and co-worker, Reba.

(Reba is on the far right…taken at War Eagle craft show

a few years ago)

I’m so glad I got a chance to make this cake for her….it was inspired by

this picture on Pinterest,

“click on the picture to go directly to the recipe for

Summer Strawberry Coconut Cake”

or as I like to refer to it…..

“I’m so inadequate in everything I do!”

I mean, look at the cake, and the background..

it’s sooooo beautiful….we’re talking food porn!

It had been sitting in my file called “Let Them Eat Cake”

Doesn’t it look rich and decadent?  Well, it is!

 

The batter has pureed strawberries, and chopped strawberries, and a few

tablespoons of strawberry gelatin powder give it this nice pink color….

oh yeah, and a cup of coconut!

The batter was yummy….I swear, I could eat it by the spoonful!

And then there is the cream cheese frosting….

2 sticks of butter, 1 block of cream cheese and a 32oz package of powdered

sugar and a tsp. of vanilla….Paula Deen, eat your heart out!!!

Now the hardest part about making a new recipe to take to work, especially

if it’s a cake…you don’t get to try it until everyone else does…..it could

be a grand slam, or it could be an epic fail…..

Let’s just say the recipe has gone into my other board on Pinterest,

called “Cook it Again Tam!”, these are recipes that were hits and that I

would definitely make again!  Oh yeah, the strawberries on top….they are

attached to skewers which is keeping the layered cake from shifting or

falling over during transport to work….I thought that up all on my own!

I’ve also still been working on “the quilt”….here it is all sewn together…

I had to drag in an extra table from the garage, so I could start the “basting”

or “pinning” process.  I chose to pin the layers together.

I went to the fabric store and got 3 packages of curved quilting pins….I thought

that would be plenty.

I had to stop and go back and get 3 MORE packages of pins….

that’s a LOT of pinning! Here it is below, with all it’s pins in!

 

I managed to get all of the quilting done yesterday, but I had to go back to

the fabric store and get more pins….I know, I already told you that….when I

was getting the pins, I also grabbed a “walking foot” for my machine…

of course, I had to end up taking that back because it didn’t fit my machine,

so I made another trip to a sewing store and got a part that DID fit….so,

I’m cranking right along and I run out of thread….you guessed it…another

trip! It’s a good thing I live in the middle of town and everything is super

convenient for me!  I don’t think I’d ever be able to live in the country….I’m just

not organized enough!

Today, I’ll be working at making and sewing on binding…..hope I don’t have any extra

trips…..

All white

Well, I must say that it’s no big surprise that Thumper has found

a home….he is such a cute dog and he has an unusual look to him!

He just looks like a bucket full of love!

My new posting for a dog looking for a home is Whitney July

Here is her story:

“This girl was spotted at the side of Highway 60 in south-eastern MO by a State Patrol officer on his way to a meeting in Jeff City. He couldn’t get the dog out of his mind. When he came back 3 days later she was still sitting there. He drove to the grocery store in Eminence bought a bag of food. She was sitting half way up the embankment, she watched him come to her. A hopeful expression but she didn't rise to greet him. When he got to her, he discovered that both of her back legs were broken.
He sat at the side of the road with her for 2 hours not knowing what to do. Someone saw his car and call in an "officer in trouble" request. When the next Trooper came, he said he couldn't leave her and he couldn't take her so he just waited. Between the two of them, they decided to take her to Kennett. There she got help. She went to the vet and had both legs set. Her vet costs were covered by a dedicated community. Whitney is now fine; she can run with the best of them. Very lovely, very gentle - Whitney is an amazing girl! Just 34 pounds, she is has a delicate, graceful build and a beautiful disposition. You can read more about a hound’s disposition below.
Whitney is a July hound, a rare breed that you won't even find out much about on the internet.”

To find out more, just click on her picture.

It’s a good day

for Patches….. he’s found a home!

Of course, who could resist that sweet face!

Here is my newest pick….Thumper….what a cutie pie,

and look at those eyes!

Click on his picture if you want to see him on Petfinder.

Hope you are having a great day….I’m back on the green smoothies

and trying to get in more gym time…..swimsuit season is right around

the corner!!!

Republic Hook-In

Saturday, I attended a Hook-In, in Republic, Missouri.

It had been a while since I had actually sat down to hook, so I thoroughly

enjoyed myself!

Here are pictures of some of the rugs that were in the rug show….

We are lucky to have so many talented rug hookers in our area!!

Sorry for the shadows of my arms on so many of the rugs….oops!

 

The rug below, was my very favorite….the pictures don’t do it justice.

The sky in this rug just sparkles…..

The trees are hooked at different levels to give the rug dimension…

If you look closely at the sky, it has a constellation of a bear….

This was hooked by the talented, Kathy Donaldson.

It’s a daisy

I finished stitching the daisy to the quilt top.

I just couldn’t resist adding at least some wool

to this quilt!

I’m a little nervous about the next step….getting it all

basted and then actually sewing the front to the back.

 

More good news…..after months and months and months,

Shelby Sue has found a home!!!

I think I already have another little dog in mind

who will take her place on my side bar…..

Meet Patches…..

He just looks so sad, and looks like he needs

some lovin’…to read more about him click on his

picture.

I is what I is

I remember the day, when some of my favorite rug hookers

left their rugs behind and turned into quilters…..

I’m not saying I’m going to do that or I’m not going to do that,

but I am enjoying the project I’m currently working on.

It seems to have pulled me out of my creative rut.

Lonnie is my hooking dog, I think Buzzbee

wants to be a quilting dog. While I was ironing

my seams, he took up residency under the ironing

board.

I’ve cut out petals for a wool daisy…they just need

to be stitched down, and then I think I will also

sew vintage buttons to the middle of the flower.

This is the “minky” fabric that is going on the back,

this feels scrumptious, but also led to a sewing

machine breakdown….luckily there is a repair shop

close by and they were able to get me new needles

and a different thread…..I’m back in business!

Making mistakes

"The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything."
– William Connor Magee

I found this quote in my “inbox” this morning, and you know what?

It’s so true! 

I’m sure I’ve made plenty of mistakes while I’ve been making this quilt,

but I decided to just dive in and give it a go.

I did have to rip out two seams along the way,  of course!

That was on the last two strips that I sewed…..I think I was just getting

impatient to have it finished.

In the pictures this looks like it has a lot of reds, but

they are actually oranges.

I know, it’s BRIGHT!!!  There was really no “plan” for

this quilt, I just started cutting pieces that would be

the same width for a row, and then I’d go on to the next

row and make it different.  When I picked out the fabric

with the love birds on it, I had no idea there were birds on it,

I just picked it for the colors, so of course those rows

ended up being quite wide so that none of the birds

had their heads cut off…..I know, I’m sweet that way

Next, I think I’m going to applique a huge wool

flower somewhere on it, then it will be backed in

bright minky fabric…..so snuggly!

Quilt…..me?

I’ve decided to make a quilt…..I’ve officially

lost my mind!