Pants to Patch

More hand me down clothes that I had to recover. I love these little pants but they had lots of spots, so I covered them up with new spots.

Baby Shower for Bethany

I just wanted to post some pictures because I got to make most of the stuff for the shower, it constitutes as a craft post I suppose. I got this idea from Martha Stewart. I made two, but I forgot to take a picture of both because I gave one to Bethany for the baby's room.
An easy little banner, caught in the air conditioner draft.
Bethany looks great! She is all baby, still so tiny.
I have been wanting to make a fruit bouquet for a long time. Fruit is sooo cheap here, it really needs to be done more often.
Some snacks.
I made this for the baby's room. They are naming her McKenzie.
A blanket I made.
And my contribution to the bitty bootie craze. I actually made these last year, but right before my Mom passed away, so yeah, I totally forgot about them, and found them a few weeks ago.
I hadn't decorated the yet, so I did the flowers last week.

Recipes to Share (some of these things are not good to eat)

I have been needing to post the recipes/directions for some of our projects so here are the ones I used:

Bath Crayons:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/779453/how_to_make_the_best_homemade_bath.html?cat=24

Here is the recipe I used. I didn’t use ivory like they call for because I can’t get it here, so I just took two bars of white soap and grated it with my cheese grater. I also added TONS of food coloring. The crayons come out dark, but show up better in the tub that way. I also put them in the freezer for a few hours in their molds, and let them dry out for a few days on top of the fridge. I feel like they turned out pretty well. They aren't as smooth as a commercial crayon, but they served their purpose of dying the water and turning Eliza's belly blue.


Fingerpaint:
3 Tbs. sugar
1/2 C. sugar
Medium saucepan
2 cups cold water
Muffin tin or small cups
spoon
food coloring
soap flakes of liquid dishwashing detergent

Directions:
Mix sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add cold water and continue stirring until the mixture is thick. Remove from heat. Divide the mixture into the four or five portions, spooning them into the sections of a muffin tin or small cups. Add a drop or two of food coloring and a pinch of soap flakes or a drop of liquid dishwashing detergent to each portion. Use a different color for each cup. Stri and let cool. Store covered in an airtight container.

I have made this a few times now. And I think the trick to make sure it doesn't get too thick is to remove the mixture from heat AS SOON as it starts to thicken. Because it still thickens even after you remove it from heat. My other advice it to keep it in the fridge. One reason is the paint starts to thicken after a few days, if you leave it at room temperature. And if you live here it will start to mold after a few days thanks to the tropical humidity. Once again it isn't QUITE the same consistency as store bought, but I think it makes a good enough substitute, and I also have no other option so...


Mini Brownie Bites
1/3 C. butter
2-1 oz. squares of unsweetened chocolate
3/4 C. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 C. cup flour
1/2 C. mini M&M's

Directions
-Preheat oven to 325 degrees
-Ina saucepan, melt butter or margarine with chocolate over very low heat, stirring constantly witha wooden spoon. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.
- In a bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour and 1/4 cup of the candies. Add chocolate mixture and whisk to blend.
-Using a spoon, fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Using 1/2 of the remaining candies, sprinkle on top of batter in each filled muffin cup.
- Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes. Remove brownies from pan and cool thoroughly.
Makes 24 brownies.
(I actually used chocolate chips instead of M&Ms, except I topped one batch with M&Ms. But I wanted chocolate chips in them instead. Sometimes a candy shell gets in the way of what's really important [chocolate.])

How could I do this to a friend?

I made an apron for Alicia in the states. Will the apron curse continue? Only time will tell. But the other aprons were for friends living in Asia, and were full length. This is a half apron and Alicia lives in the U.S already. So we will have to see. I didn't have a pattern, I kinda looked at an apron I bought from a thrift store last trip and copied it. I think that apron wasn't from a pattern either-haha. The waist ties were sewn on a little funny on the original so I just went with it. But for my first half apron, I think it turned out well. My friend Asia always said how silly half aprons are (especially ones made from white fabric!) Its true, just covering up a small patch from your waist to your knees? They are just for being pretty, and sometimes thats all that matters.

What I've Been Up too...

Not much it seems. I really feel like I could lay down all the time at this point. But I am glad I have things to keep me up. I have been working on some things for a baby shower for Bethany this week. I really like the idea of decorations being gifts, so I am trying to go that way as much as I can. This is my first baby shower I have ever done, so there are lots of things I have always wanted to try that I am squeezing in. This is a little bouquet some of the things are rolled up socks, bibs, and washcloths.


I also made a little skirt for Eliza from a thrift store scarf I have had for forever. I never knew what to do with it, but I think it is well suited for a little fun skirt.
(She insists on wearing skirts at all times, but some are getting way too short!) It only took about 1/2 hr. or so. Very quick.


We have been making lots of pizza around here. It isn't too painful of a process because I do all the dough prep in our bread maker. It is a wonderful tool, and we use it constantly! So pizza making is really just a lot of chopping. We try to make it on a free day so it can be a family activity. I like to do it at home too because it is more healthy and cheap. I usually do a half whole wheat crust and it tastes great. (The whole wheat crust was not well received.)

6 Things About Me

Anne is making me do this one. I assume I should say things that aren't obvious or that people already know, like: "I am a girl, I have freckles." Okay here goes... hmmm..

1. I HATE bacon, unless it is in green beans, but I still won't eat it, just the beans.
2. I am very fascinated by the subject of nutrition. Like what foods do what, what is high in certain vitamins etc.
3. I really must drink everything with a lot of ice and a straw. At home I ALWAYS have a cup of ice water with a straw sitting around somewhere. My most valued possessions is probably my water cooler. If I lived in the states I would have to have one of those fridges with a cold water dispenser. We always have a bag of ice in our freezer too.
4. I hate how chalk feels on my skin. It is really hard for me to play sidewalk chalk with Eliza outside.
5. It is really hard for me to read any fictional books. I don't know why. I stopped watching cartoons at a very young age, maybe there is a connection there. (We just saw WALL-E last week and I had to force myself to sit through it.
6. I would much rather shop at a thrift store than a mall. I try to go to thrift stores as much as possible in the states. Not even for financial reasons, I just love that everything is unique and if I buy it my friend doesn't have it in red (unlike shopping at Target or something, though they have really cool stuff). I try to cram as much thrift store items into my luggage as possible. Almost all the lamps in my house are from american thrift stores, some mirrors, and so much I can't even list it all.

I love this quilt!

beautiful

I love the colors. I doubt I will be close to making something like this anytime soon, but it is perfect as far as quilts go.