Pom Pom Winner!

CHARLOTTE!

I've sent her an email letting her know she won

these four fat quarters from Quilted Works.

Thanks to all of you for your sweet comments about

my pom pom creations...it was such a fun hop!

Pom Poms Are Shaking + A Giveaway!

Thearica at Pigtales and Quilts is the pom pom queen on this hop

and Madame Samm at Sew We Quilt is helping to shake things up a lot.

Aren't they just the best cheerleaders!

I started playing with these little mini charms a few months ago, but then set them aside
for other little projects that were keeping me, uh....hopping.

Once the Shake Your Pom Poms hop came up, I pulled it from beneath the stacks of stuff 

and decided to make it an Easter (or Spring) quilt with a pom pom tailed bunny.

The bunny and insects are from the Bunnies & More book by Darcy Ashton.

 I appliqued the bunny on the bottom of the quilt and hand embroidered the little insects plus 

some details on the bunny. For some weird reason, no matter how beautifully ironed this quilt

was when I brought it outside to take photos, it wrinkled up like a wadded up tissue.

 I was elbow deep in pom poms when my back took a dive which made it a little harder to
complete this next project the way I envisioned it in my head. It's a sturdy little
diaper changing mat for Monkey Baby to use with a pom pom pillow to
catch his attention while laying on it. 

Really...it looked different and was much more elaborate in my head
while laying there staring at the ceiling fan (that Leslie has me thinking should

be covered in some pretty fancy fabric instead of just plain wood.)

 I layered the mat with rug stuff and batting--it's a little stiff and perfect for throwing on the floor.

 I was lucky to get a decent photo of this, because Bella and Bruster

thought the mat was really meant for them and refused to back away from the pom poms.

It's perfect for Monkey Baby to lay on and entertain us all with his cuteness.

I have a BIG birthday coming up pretty soon and Madame Samm got wind of it (she's

pretty clever, you know) and sent me this Barbie as an early birthday gift. 

She's no ordinary Barbie...she has a

"C" (for Carol, of course) 

on her jacket and she's seems to be quite the Coca Cola fan, which

is so perfect because we collect Coca Cola stuff and she fits right in! 

Plus...SHE'S GORGEOUS!

The only negative thing about her was her pom pom was pretty wimpy so that HAD

to be fixed by making her TWO new red and white pom poms (that coincidentally

were my school colors from high school) that look so much better with that 

sweater, skirt, jacket, saddle shoes, and megaphone.

I just LOVE her!

Oh, and by the way...

I was visiting  Quilted Works  (love that store!) on Saturday
and as usual their wonderful staff (Lori this time) helped me pick out some amazing
fat quarters to share with you for my giveaway. Want to know the best part? 
They offered to GIVE me the fat quarters to give to one of YOU...is that cool or what!

P.S. My little Trickster by Robert Shields isn't included...he's mine, all mine!

SILLY LITTLE RULES TO ENTER MY GIVEAWAY:

1. Leave a short and sweet comment. 
2. This one is important! Make sure I can contact you if you're a no-reply blogger. Typing out your email address like this helps avoid spammers: iblog at aol dot com. If I can't contact you, you can't win. *If you don't get a reply from me, you're a no-reply blogger or something else is screwed-up.
3. I'll mail it anywhere...yes, even to the other side of the world.
4. Giveaway ends at 6 p.m. PST on April 30th. Entries after 6 p.m. PST on April 30th will not be included in the giveaway.

Look who else is shaking and showing off their pom poms today:

April 29

Accio Fabric

Quiltsmiles

Scrapbook-chickadoodle

In The Sewing Basket

life, quilts and a cat too

Debby Kratovil Quilts

Just Let Me Quilt

Meadowbrook

Madame Samm has all the blog hops on

her Pinterest page...HERE!

Thanks for stopping by to visit!

Gotta Love A Birthday Party!

Quilted Works had a birthday party yesterday, so of course 

I had to go because who doesn't love a

PARTY?

(Don't tell them, but I would have gone there anyway--I love their store!)

I picked up some fabric for an upcoming blog hop and when I

was finished paying for that really cool fabric they gave me

this cute little party favor. Do you see the little owl?

How perfect would that be to use in the

It's For The Birds blog hop in May! Too cute!

Pssst....they gave me something else, too, but I can't

show you until tomorrow. Come back for my pom pom day

and see what it is. I loved it and I think you will, too!

Shhhh...it might have something to do with a giveaway.

Pom Pom Pie--Shook Up My Way

It has been so much fun checking out pom pom

creations this week, hasn't it! Well...here's a different kind of pom pom

thingy (my REAL pom poms will be shaking on Monday, April 29th.)

While spending quite a bit of time lying around and being lazy

because of my little back thingy issue, I Googled "pom poms" several

times to just see what would come up. Did you know there is a 

Pom Pom Pie?

I didn't know that!  Recipes appear in quite a few different

shapes, sizes, and ingredients, and range from healthy

to the I-need-comfort-food versions. The I-need-comfort-food

version was on the top of our list since my hubby had spent quite

a lot of energy tending to my every whiny need and this meal

was going to be all about HIM. Of course, I don't follow directions on recipes

any better than I follow them for sewing, so I whipped up my own version of

a Pom Pom Pie and crossed it with a Shepherd's Pie kind of thing.

Since the recommended Pom Pom Potatoes that are suppose to be used

on the top of this pie aren't available near me (and Tater Tots weren't an option),

I went searching for a recipe to make my own Pom Pom Potatoes.

I loved the recipe I found at a cute little blog called

Laura Loving Life (you should check it out.)

She put her Potato Pom Poms on chili

(her recipe is here) and she shows all the steps to making them.

As for me an my non-traditional Pom Pom Pie, I used Cheddar &
Sour Cream chips as the coating for the potato pom poms.

Shepherd Pie Meat Sauce Mix:

2 ½ lbs. ground lean beef or ground turkey

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cups celery, chopped

1 cup carrots, shredded

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1½ tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

3/4 cup regular ketchup

3/4 cup hot ketchup *or mix 3/4 cup ketchup with 3 drops Tabasco

2 cups frozen or fresh green beans, chopped

8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (optional)

Cook ground beef (or ground turkey) and onions until browned.  Add celery, carrots, garlic, salt, pepper, Worcestershire, ketchup, hot ketchup, and green beans.  Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Drain. Put the mixture in a casserole dish, cover with cheese if desired, and top with pom pom potatoes.

Pom Pom Potatoes from Laura at Laura Loving Life

6  potatoes, peeled and chopped in cubes, boiled until tender

2 tbls. onion salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 cup flour

3 eggs, beaten

2 cups potato chips (your choice), crushed

I varied the potato chip type, used an electric mixer to mash the boiled potatoes and mix in the onion salt and pepper. I used a small ice cream scoop to make balls, rolled them in the flour, dipped in the eggs, and rolled them in the crushed chips. I set them on my meat sauce mix (which was covered with cheese) and baked it all at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes until those cute little pom poms were crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. 

Very hearty, not healthy, just comfort food....yum!

April Showers Giveaway Winner is...

Congratulations goes to 

Nati
(from Nati's Little Things)

I've sent her an email to let her know she won this:

Thanks to all of you who left such sweet and kind comments

about my mug rug attempts. I had so much fun making them

and seeing all the amazing ideas that were shared by the other hoppers.

After a short break, there will be more hops coming our way...yay!

I've Been Mug Rugged!

I'd never made a mug rug (gasp) and didn't think I needed one.

Early each morning while I'm still in my pajamas reading blogs, blogs,
and more blogs (and answering a few emails),
my purple polka dot mug holds my tea (with a little cream)
and sits there looking perfectly content on my nightstand (with no mug rug.) .

Not having a mug rug was fine for me and my purple polka dot mug UNTIL
Madame Samm had an idea to have a April Shower's Mug Rug Hop that
let us make whatever inspires us. Now my little purple polka dot mug
looks a little, uh...naked...and a bit lonely without a mug rug.

So...mug rugs had to be made, of course. It took me forever to think
of what to make, but after a couple  few  several  lots of mug purchases 

I finally felt a little more inspired, plus I have some new mugs to drink tea from.

A little applique to match a mug using Comma fabric (I love that fabric!)

Paper piecing and a store-bought crocheted flower was fun, too

Some embroidery from Aneela Hoey's Little Stitches book

Embroidery of the Dowager Countess from Downton Abbey
using brown metallic thread (remind me never to use metallic thread again...ugh)
 and some sparkly jewels in her hat (the pattern is from April Heather Art)

Ruffles and high heels to match a fancy mug because
"EVERY GIRL CAN HAVE GLAMOUR"
...thanks to my hubby for sketching up the shoe.

After making only rectangle mug rugs, I felt compelled to make a different
shaped one...actually someone goaded/challenged me just a little bit to do so.
 Dresden and a donut anyone?

This birdhouse came from Regina Grewe's Spring Awakenings
paper piecing collection. The other patterns in the set are really nice, too.

Thimblemouse and Spouse said a button on a mug rug holds up a cookie.
It works for me on this mug rug...but, where's the cookie?

Finally, my purple polka dot mug needed something to sit on...purple, of course,
so when I saw Duck Tape in purple my brain went into overdrive just thinking of the
fun possibilities of using it. I used fabric on the back and for the bindings,
but the front is made from two different designs of Duck Tape sheets...totally duct tape.

Just a mug with no rug, but I love the attitude!

Thanks for scrolling all the way to here and for visiting my blog today.

April Showers On April 12th

It's raining mug rugs...really, it is!

Erin is the head cheerleader for this hop

and she's got the whole schedule right

HERE 

Today's mug rug hoppers :

FRIDAY, APRIL 12th

Bobbie @ From This to That

Leslie @ Les Quilts

Kristen @ Meadowbrook

Lavonna @ ZellerWear

Lynn @ Thimblemouse & Spouse

Amy @ Sew Incredibly Crazy

Martha @ Living Life

Shawn @ Creative Inspiraciones

Rhonda @ Sunrise at Ravelly's!

Toye @ Quilting Adventures of a Ginger

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MONDAY, APRIL 8
Erin @ Sew at Home Mummy

 Patty @ A Stitch in Time

Jenny @ Squawk That

Stacey @ The Tilted Quilt

Daryl @ Patchouli Moon Studio

Lisa @ The Boon Docks

Julie @ Jolie Maxtin: the project girl

Beluah @ Sowing Stitches

Karen @ Bungalow Bay Quilts

Cyndi @ Stitch, Stitch, Stitch

DeAnna @ Georgia Girl Quilter

TUESDAY, APRIL 9th

Gina @ Sew Much and More

Sharon @ Vroomans Quilts

Theresa @ Bumbleberry Stitches

Jennet @ The Feathered Nest Studio

Patti @ A Yankee in Queen Liz's Court

Gene @ Gene Black - Alabama Artist

Susan @ Susan's Scrappy Domain

Bente @ I Like to Quiltblog

Deb @ Quilting & Other Craft Therapy

Megan @ AnnieOak Designs  

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10th

Hayley @ Mrs. Pickles

Karen @ Sew Much 2 Luv

Mélanie @ Les passions de Cliodana

Cindy @ Quilt Doodle Doodles

Jamie @ Busy Bee Quilts

Judy @ That Other Blog

Regena @ The Distracted Domestic

Amy @ Domesticity and other Ponderous Things

Denise @ My Whittle Adventures

Heather @ a Reformed Heath'n

Marica @ ~Englating~

THURSDAY, APRIL 11th

Kathy @ Kwilty Pleasures

Jill @ Apple Avenue Quilts

Cathy @ Cathy's Chatter

Quilter Kathy @ Kathy's Quilts

Marsha @ Quilter in Motion

Pat @ Life in the Scrapatch

Connie @ Shepody Mountain Crafter

Vickey @ Gingersnaps Quilts

Danielle @ A Geeky Crafty Life

Gwen @ Get More Done...Today

Rachel @ Sew Happily Ever After!

Our Flower Pot Is Full!

As much as we want to let everyone play, there just

isn't anymore room left in the garden. Dang it!

I do have a waiting list going, just in case someone

has an emergency and needs to drop out.

We've got people from all these places just

ready to show their creations in May:

UK

Luxembourg

Netherlands

Norway

USA

Brazil

Belfast

Germany

Sweden

Poland

Canada

Malaysia

Australia

Italy

France

Switzerland

I can't wait to see what blooms from this hop!

If I Weren't Afraid....

....what would I do?

You know (I know YOU do) how you go to one blog that has an

interesting link, so you click. It takes you to another blog that

has a link...and so on, and so on, and so on.

Somehow I ended up HERE with no idea which blogs I was clicking

on or what links were taking me there...just a mindless wander

(that's fun to do sometimes...I love doing it!)

I saw this question on that blog

 that totally caught my attention:

What would you do if you weren't afraid?

I've been afraid of a lot of things in my life:

What people think of me

Flying (big time on this one)

The sound of an ambulance

The dark
Tall, tall buildings
Ski lifts

Failure

Confrontation

Prison movies (I wish Walking Dead would get out of that prison)

Anything less than perfection

Making friends

Crowded elevators

Bridges with water under them
Blog Hops

blah, blah, blah...other stuff

I did get over a fear of blog hops...really, they terrified me!
I worried that I wouldn't get in, then I worried that I would.
I was afraid to show my "oops" stuff (totally over that now) or
thought my stuff wouldn't be good enough.

AFRAID is a scary word...we need to get over it.
Join a BLOG HOP...it helps.

A Charmed Winner Has Been Chosen!

Farm Quilter

CONGRATULATIONS!

An email has been sent to her.

Thanks to all of you who follow me around!

What's Happening? Stuff...Lots Of Stuff

 It's my anniversary, so I'll be doing a little

celebrating today. It's been 41 years... unbelievable!

The Say It With Flowers Blog Hop has had an amazing turnout

 and I'm still working on answering emails...lots of them!

My anniversary is kind of important, so HE wins my time today.

I played with my new "toy" a little this weekend, but

I had four Monkey Boys hanging around so they were

just a little more important than that Light Scoop Deluxe.

This is Monkey Baby without using the Light Scoop Deluxe. 

Notice how dark the wall is behind him. If someone were standing

behind him, their face would have been dark.

I just LOVE his chubby cheeks!

 

This is Monkey Baby with the Light Scoop Deluxe.

The wall is lighter which means that if someone were

standing behind him, their face would have been lit up, too.

 

 This candle was taken without the Light Scoop Deluxe. The colors were 

washed out and there is no depth to the rag rug below it

This is with the Light Scoop Deluxe 

which gave it a little more warmth.

I definitely will use this toy, but I need lots

more practice and time to learn the best way to use it.

Tomorrow is the start of....trumpet sounds here....

It's the last day for my Follower's Giveaway, so if you

want to enter click HERE.