Spring Satchel

While doing some much needed spring cleaning in our closet, I came accross one of hubby's carpenter pants.

 They had already had their second life as "hard manual labor attire",  and had also been used while painting the house (evidence found throughout the front side). They could definitely not be worn anymore. At least,  not in public. Still, being the bit thrifty person I can be, I could not bring myself to throw them in the trash. Could I give this old pair a third life?

Introducing: The Spring Satchel from the Carpenter Pants Collection! 

I used part of the pant leg for the front. 

Notice the side seam. I had this pretty black fabric, and added some to the front.

Part of the back side. . . well, for the back. 

The strap was constructed from the other pant leg. The hardest part was finding a piece without paint splatters on it!

Made a  little belt to accessorize . . .

                     
and back in the closet it goes!

Talk about recycling!

Easter Treats

Here are some thrifty Easter Treats:

$1 Easter topiary. It was missing the moss. I found some at Hobby Lobby for 50 % off.

While at Hobby Lobby, I found these little bunnies...

and this cute little bird

The saucer, and "upside down bowl" were 50 cents a piece at the thrift store.

More Spring saucers with the pretty little cup,

and this little bird,

more thrifty finds.

And last, but not least I wanted to make these since last year . . .

Some fabric covered plastic eggs. I can't take credit for this idea though.

Click here for the tutorial. Super quick project!

Enjoy Easter!

April Fool's Spring

Every morning, while littlest girl is eating breakfast, she likes to watch the birds from the kitchen bay window. I have to say that there's something relaxing about watching these little creatures that come around in the Spring and early Summer mornings to partake of the little crab apples. Although there's something definitely wrong with these pictures: 

What's wrong, you ask?

SNOW.

It's a bit mind numbing watching these feathered friends.

I may have to take up a new hobby. Bird-watching, perhaps?!

 And as for the SNOW. . . Go home already!

Pretty Maids

Spring is fast approaching, and I am glad! I am done with winter! I've been enjoying the warmer temperatures. I can handle the late winter snow, as long as it melts by the afternoon hours. However, one draw back to Spring,  is work. Yard work. I don't like yard work. For now, I decided to grow the type of garden that doesn't require green thumb.

I couldn't start without a thrifty frame make-over.

Now in a lovely shade of green.

This little idea was lurking in my brain for quite some time . . . 

These stitched up maids are sure to last all season long!

Mon Petit Patisserie

This past weekend we had a small family gathering at our home, in honor of our oldest daughter. I usually tend to stress about such gatherings. I'm not the party thrower type person and I usually stress over the silliest things. "I have to roll up the deli tray meats..." While hubby laughs at the ridiculously sounding phrase I just said. I was even going to make homemade rolls, and then, I actually thought: "What am I thinking?" When there's a perfectly good warehouse store that sells dinner rolls by the bulk! Although not always the case, I try to simplify things as much as I can. (Yes, hubby may very well argue this point, because although I consider myself as a pretty simple person, I can be quite complex at the same time).
Since I was no longer making homemade rolls, I had time to focus on other important matters: Sweet Treats! I decided I would try a couple of recipes from "Martha's Favorite Cookies".

I wanted to make these for a couple of years now. These are the Lemon Casis Bon Bon Cookies. I didn't have lemons or Casis so I altered the recipe a bit. I used orange peel instead of lemon peel, and used almond extract instead of lemon extract. Instead of the Casis glaze I used orange juice and a drop of red food coloring. The batter is super easy to make. Glazing each individual cookie twice was the most time consuming. But well worth the try.  So I call them, Almond Orange Bon Bon Cookies.

They turned out Bon! Bon!

Next I made these Swiss Meringue Daisies with lemon custard. I piped each daisy petal. I could have made the custard from scratch, but I simplified. I used instant lemon pudding and added half the milk.

Tres facile!

And last, but certainly not least, your typical any boxed brownie mix! Not Martha approved I'm sure, but it's called simplifying! I used a silicone mini brownie pan, and monogrammed them with royal icing. 

I made these a few days ahead, so I could really focus on my daughter's special day. I bought the rolls. My mom, and hubby's mom brought some side dishes, and my sister "rolled' the deli meats and cheese. So I could relax and enjoy Oldest Daughter's Special Day!

 And I did!

I Heart Thee

I call this: The Tree O' Hearts. I made these little hearts out of my stash of fabric scraps.

Hearts in a jar. More fabric hearts I made, along with a strand of wood ones.

Boxed Treats! These were made out of "those" chocolate boxes. I removed the top layer, and painted them.

After we ate the chocolates, of course!

Family of Hearts. Here's my seasonal frame, with my made up quilt block.

Lovely Snowman. One of my Valentine's cross-stitch.

My February Table Runner (and how I ended up with those scraps of fabric I've used for several projects).

This heart tour wouldn't be complete without the hand painted 2 x 4 LOVE Sign.

Hope you enjoyed my Heart Craft Tour!

Mo' Cake

Another month has passed me by! January is one of those months where every weekend there's a birthday party. By the time it gets to our oldest daughter's birthday, I'm birthdayed out! Along with those resolutions of,  I'm going to eat healthier...I'll limit myself to one piece of cake. Quite the opposite for my oldest girl, who "Mo' Cake ", is a phrase she learned quite well very early in life. I wonder from whom she inherited her sweet tooth?
This year we combined my nephew's, and her birthday party. Since we had an hour drive, I didn't dare decorate the cake until we got to my sister's. My daughter hadn't made any requests for a specific cake, she just said "Sursprise me". I have wanted to make cupcakes right in the ice cream cones before, so I finally did!
I made a 8" round cake, and the rest baked right in the cones. Made coolwhip frosting, (I'm not big on the super sweet frosting. I would rather have a plain piece of cake, than one loaded with all that buttercream [just a side note!]) I stuck the cones with a toothpick so they wouldn't wobble. So easy, fast, and so cute!

I thought I'd post the cake I made last year. My daughter had requested a "Littlest Pet Shop" cake. This one, was a little more time consuming. I borrowed a house form pan from a friend. Made two cakes, and made a "Littlest Pet Shop Playhouse".

Obviously, I did not make the pets. The bird and the mouse are held up with toothpicks. But I did make the little sugar flowers!

 I finally attempted the royal icing a couple of months prior. I made some sugar daisies for my littlest girl first birthday. With the left-over icing I spent the rest of the evening playing, and practicing.

I shaped some taffy and placed them in between the two cakes so it looks like a house that opens up.

There you have it! One of a kind birthday cake! Not bad for a complete amateur like me!
 One of these days I'll attempt Fondant.