First Fruits

We have ripe tomatoes!!

Bathroom Toilet

My teenager pointed out that I haven't posted a picture of my new toilet...isn't it stylish?  I was going to use the old one, but after an hour (well...maybe it wasn't that long) of scrubbing I appealed to the dear husband for a new one.  He jumped in the truck (literally) and came home with this.  He had been asking since January if I wanted to replace the old one.  My new bathroom is beautiful.  I was a little concerned about the green, but with the cabinet and toilet I am loving it.  I can't completely reveal the whole room yet...it might take until July when my sister returns for another visit and brings a mirror.  But we've come from here: 

The toilet is in the same place as before.

Little Sassy Skirt

 While my twin sister was here she appliqued t-shirts for the little girls to match skirts that were ready to sew.  I finally finished the one skirt in time for church yesterday...hopefully the other will be finished before the day is out.  (Why is there wheat growing in my wild flower patch?)  Here are a couple more pictures.

Pillowcase Dresses

Yesterday evening I hosted a Girl's Night Out to make pillowcase dresses to donate to a school/orphanage in Guatemala.  It was great fun and the dresses are adorable.  We used a combination of instructions - I like deeper armholes than these  pillowcase_dress_how_to  so the top edge can be turned down without sewing on a facing.   Here are a few things I learned and some I'm thankful that the Lord had prompted me to do. 

Fabric Covered Napkin Rings

We were excited to find out some friends would be in town and had time for dinner on Monday.   It was a perfect opportunity for a little crafting fun using items on hand.  A larger piece of this fabric was used for the border on a pillowcase dress last Friday. For some reason we always seem to have an abundance of empty toilet paper tubes.  Our fabric scraps were 1" x 18";  it would have been easier for the children if they had been longer.  Here are complete instructions:  With or Without Nap Fabric Napkin Rings

Cherry Chocolate Pie Recipe

Cherry Chocolate Pie

I've had this recipe posted on my refrigerator for a few months and finally made it last week while my sister and bil were in town.  I made two thinking one would not be enough for the 8 people eating it - a little went a long way.  It was very sweet.  I think it would be yummy with strawberry glaze pie in the middle rather than cherry pie filling.

Strawberry Glaze Pie

This is one of my favorite recipes, from summer, during childhood (probably my FAVORITE).  Strawberry season is earlier here in TN, it is now one of my favorite spring recipes.

The children were helping with the Cool Whip...I prefer real whipped cream, slightly sweetened...but when you're working with a time limit, it is awesome with Cool Whip.

Here's the recipe.

Dance Teacher Thank You Cards

I saw this dance-teacher-thank-you-tags on Thursday and had to copy it.   While the big children were rehearsing for their choir concert yesterday I cut, taped and was finished just it time to put up the ballerina's hair in time for her recital.

I thought it was a creative way to "wrap" an iTunes giftcard.  The dds didn't quite get the "Thank You for teaching me how to get my groove on."  The teachers did.

Spring Dresses

Here's a picture of the spring dresses.  I'm amazed the lengths are the same...didn't plan it that way at all. 

Laundry Tub Skirt

 One of my Mother's Day requests was time to sew...so while the oldest dd cleaned up the kitchen after lunch (dh had bought crab cakes) I made the skirt for my laundry tub/counter.  I am thrilled to have a sink in my laundry room.  The skirt is velcroed to the frame the dh built.

Happy Mother's Day

Here are a few pictures from our home today.  Strawberry shortcake for breakfast...yum! 

Happy Birthday with a Rose Cake

 

We now have a teenager at our house.  I'm excited about how the cake turned out.  It was quick and easy. It does have an abundance of icing.   Had we not had some leftover icing from Easter I would have used yellow....in honor of the Queen's outfit & hat, but since purple is a "royal" color and one of the dd's favorite colors it worked out splendidly.

A Finished Project

I finally finished the binding on the quilt I inheritied over five years ago.  Now, that a new month is here, I need to look at my UFO projects and see what I'm to be finishing this month.  I am hoping to have the laundry room and the bathroom projects completed.