After Book Club

The book club is a fait accompli AND the dessert was a success. The mulled wine went over well because it was a very cold, windy day. So now I can relax for another year before I have to host it again. This is a traumatic event for me. I have to clean AND cook.

The book was South of Broad by Pat Conroy and takes place in Charleston, SC so I wanted to make a southern dessert. I found a recipe on the 'net for "Incredibly Easy Mississippi Mud Cake" and that is an understatement. I wish I could give credit to the originator of the recipe but it is not possible.

1 box brownie mix - made according to directions for cake browniesEXCEPT substitute bourbon or whiskey for the water
2 7-oz jars marshmellow creme
1 can deep dark chocolate frosting.

Bake brownies - immediately on removing from oven spread the marshmellow creme over the hot brownies. Melt the frosting in the microwave until liquid (about 45 seconds) and pour over the marshmellow creme. Allow to cool completely before serving.

It can't get any easier than that. If I can do it, anyone can!!! Needless to say, I have had enough sugar for the day (or week).

Tomorrow is back to the sewing studio. I am playing with black and white with a red showing through every once in awhile. I can see what I want but seem to be worrying one part of it. Maybe if I back into it, I can make it work. That works for me when I get writer's block - go around the block and approach it from a different angle.

I still have not been to civilization for my white thread. Actually, I have not been anywhere. It would probably be faster it I ordered it on-line. Meanwhile my wall hanging is hanging on my quilt wall staring at me. One book club member wanted to know if the sewing machine dust protector could be sized to cover her large counter top mixer. Interesting, I think it would work without much resizing at all. They also liked the 'chick and chic' bag with the bright greens and yellow - called it a happy bag.

I am still working on my strip blocks. I've been working them in color groupings and then will see how they fit together or what jumps out at me.

Hugs to all of you who care to read my ramblings as I discover a completely different side of me.

Marie

Prep for Book Club - Major Event at my house

The snow is almost gone and the cool rain today will finish the rest of it. The picture is an igloo/castle that was an icy driveway chopped in sections and then carefully stacked. No, we didn't do it, but the neighbors directly across did and they aren't home to enjoy it, so I thought we would share. The second picture is our backyard on a snowy day through laser enhancing glasses. Kind of a neat but strange view on the world.

The house is clean and ready for book club. The dessert ingredients are assembled waiting for tomorrow morning. The wine is ready for mulling. After book club, I'll share my super easy dessert recipe if it's good. If you don't hear anything about it from me, you can assume Marie was in the kitchen again. (Not always a good thing. After all that's why I have M - she's a great cook AND actually likes it.) I figure if I serve enough mulled wine, they won't remember what we had for dessert. Big T may have to be on stand-by as the designated driver. I almost forgot - I still need to finish the book.

I think I'm ready to dust off my attempt at a young adult novel again. I've probably procrastinated long enough after the last round of edits. I think it needs a major 'start again' effort.

I finished a very simple recycled bluejean pocket 'grab 'n go' bag. Small but cute. I'll post it out on Hummingbird Treasures this afternoon and see what kind of response I'll get.

Oh, I almost forgot - I won $25 in the pool at the Super Bowl Party. I'm still not sure just who won but I'm $25 richer today. Big T keeps telling me the money for the original bet came from his pocket, not mine - he was just being nice putting my name in the little square.

Marie

Water - at last!

Water, beautiful, glorious water. A shower never felt so good. The water was restored around 9:00 pm last night and fully functional this morning when we woke up. I haven't enjoyed a shower like that in a long time. Curious what we have come to take for granted. When you turn the faucet, something is supposed to come out of it (and hopefully, that stuff is clear and sparkly).


The quilt wall is finished - here is a rough photo without any props.






I started and finished a sewing machine dust cover yesterday. It felt good to go from beginning to a finished project in one day. I used pieces of lavendars and purples (my favorite color) to add a little brightness and color to my new home studio. Now the big decision is - do I use it or post it on Etsy (or both??)?

And here is the 'out of white thread' project. It is so close to being finished.

Hugs to all of you who care to read my ramblings as I discover a completely different side of me.

Marie

12 Hours Later . . .

Twelve hours later and still no water. The entire neighborhood is out so we are all suffering equally. Big T did bring in a couple of buckets of snow to melt so we do have the luxury of using the facilities - but no shower I'm afraid. Oh well, at least it didn't happen last weekend during the big snowfall.

So it has been a relatively quiet day with not much going on. I have been busy in my studio most of the day (except for a very long luxurious nap). Why is it that I am always out of white thread? I cannot believe how often I have to stop a project because I am out of white thread. I think the thread gremlins play tricks on me. I swear I just bought some a couple of weeks back. Hmmmmm! I cannot finish my latest wall hanging until I go back to the store. And while I love living in a very small rural community, it means a trip of 30 miles or so one way to get a spool of thread. The love of my life doesn't understand why I can't just use one of those other hundred spools or so.

We are going to a super bowl party tomorrow night. I hope I don't embarass Big T when I ask 'who is playing' and 'which color is which team'. Maybe I should study it just a tiny bit before we go. Although no water tomorrow may mean no party. I can just sit and drink wine and look sportsy all night.

The Dude called after his eye appointment to say he needs glasses. He is an avid reader but surprisingly enough, he doesn't need them for reading but for seeing across the room or board work at school. Maybe this well help the headaches although he inherits the tendancy toward migraines I'm afraid.

Book club meets this week and I still have not started the book. I did get a copy but haven't opened it yet. It's a good thing that I'm a fast reader or I might not make it. The name of our local book club is "The You Don't Have to Read The Book, Book Club". We formed the book club as we all moved into our new development to get to know one another and we became fast friends. The meeting next week is at our house - I guess this means I have to clean. Yuck, that's almost worse than cooking. Maybe I'll serve wine and cheese and crackers. That'll be different from our traditional desserts.

The Little Miss walked into a wall the other day and the Nanny (who believes that something sweet makes everything feel better) rubbed pancake syrup on her little forehead. K said when she came home after work, the house (and baby) smelled like pancakes.

From me to you, lots of hugs and thanks for joining me in my new adventures of learning to be creative and artistic.

Marie

No Water

We woke to 'no water' this morning. Arghhhhhh! At least we have bottled water for coffee and tea - the life essentials. Interesting how life revolves around that morning shower to clear your head and kick-start your day. I think it also interesting that you tend to focus on that which you cannot have, or is not available. Everything I think of this morning has to do with, or requires a steady consistent flow of water.

More later after a head-clearing, hair-taming shower (I hope. . . )

Marie

Pay It Forward - Kreativ Blogger Award

I still can’t believe I was awarded the Kreativ Blogger Award from my dear friend Alyssa at Alygatr’s Everywhere. I am so honored and now I am excited to pass it on those blogs that I enjoy and admire. First let me say that blogging has introduced me to more friends than I ever thought possible – what a beautiful world blogging is!!!

Let’s see the rules of the Kreativ Blogging Award say that I have to tell you seven things about me that you don’t know. Hm-m-m-m-m-m.

1. Big T and I were college sweethearts and have been married for a very, very long time. (A really long time!)
2. I could eat my weight in bar-b-que ribs. The good gooey finger licking kind that gets all over you. Throw in a few French fries and I’ll think I died and went to heaven.
3. I love pineapple pie. (I must be on a food kick.) It was always a special treat on my birthday. (I don’t care for cake.) Last year M made me one for my birthday and when she served it, I asked her where the top crust was. She looked at it and said “I knew I forgot something.”
4. My birthday is my favorite day of the whole year. I know that’s being really selfish of me – but it’s true.
5. One year in a doubles bowling tournament I won the prize for “lowest score”, “highest score” and “most improved player”. It’s the only sports event I ever succeeded at. My trophy took a place of honor on the bookcase for several years. (I was also accused of sandbagging. I just told them they were jealous.)
6. I didn’t start sewing until two years ago. I have always knitted and crocheted but never sewed anything worth showing or keeping. I actually took the “learn to quilt class” as a way to meet friends when we moved to North Carolina. (My knitting is magic it grows and grows. I made a twin afghan for my daughter to take to college. It now fits her queen sized bed.)
7. I do not particularly like to cook. Big T and I do most of the cooking together. That’s the only way he knows he is going to get a real meal. Probably if it were up to me, we would be on a straight cold cereal diet. Even worse than cooking is the dreaded question “what are we having for dinner tonight”?

Ok now you know ALL about me - what else do I have to do? Pass the award on to seven blogs that I follow on a regular basis. My seven awardees are (drumroll please):
Lace Hearts
Boutiqueaholic
Loft Creations
Sugar Spun Quilt
Lazy Gal Quilting
Q is for Quilt
Anieman Designs

Now the final direction to Pay It Forward (if you should wish to do so):

1. Copy/paste the Kreativ Blogger Award picture onto your blog

2. Thank the person who awarded it to you and post a link to her/his blog

3. Write 7 things about yourself we might not know

4. Choose 7 other bloggers to award

5. Link to them

6. Notify your 7 bloggers of their award

Thank you Alyssa. (I think I’ve said that several other times this week.) Please visit her shop on Etsy and enjoy her work – the flowers are exquisite.

The custom diaper bag is finished and on its way to its new owner. I hope she’s as pleased with it as I am. It was going so smoothly until I discovered I put the top bands on upside down. I even had the top stitching done. But I must admit it does seem to work better with all the pattern pieces going in the same direction.

The quilt wall is covered and the batting is securely fastened down just waiting to be hung. He was going to hang it Sunday as planned but other family commitments took priority. Right now it is laying in the middle of the floor in my home studio (aka sewing room). This is the last piece before my room is finished with the make over.

I also finished my would-be table runner turned tote bag string quilt challenge project. (Try saying that 10 times). That will make two entries in the “no strings attached challenge” and 5 finished new projects in 2010. ‘Chick and Chic’ is now posted on Hummingbird Treasures. I am so proud of myself, it is the 28th of January and I haven’t bought any fabric or new machine embroidery patterns yet this year. (The diaper bag doesn’t count because she provided the fabric.)

Daughter M is my model. Isn't she lovely?

From me to you, lots of hugs and thanks for joining me in my new adventures of learning to be creative and artistic.

Marie

My Alygatr Day

Yesterday was the day of OMG surprises all the way around and they almost all had Alygatr’s name on them. First, I opened my valentine swap and found out my blogging buddy was my valentine partner (more about my beautiful gift a little later on); then I found out I had received the Kreativ Blogging Award (again compliments of Alygatr) and as I was reading her blog – OMG there was my Peter Rabbit quilt featured on her Etsy favorites. Last, but not least, Big T bought the quilt wall ‘board’ and screws today. Today should be THE DAY!

From now on days full of surprises around my house will be called “alygatr days”. What fun for an entire day.

Last Thursday I lost all my ‘followers’ on my blog. I was sad as if I had lost my best friends. I kept checking back every once in awhile to see if they had magically reappeared or if they had fallen into the black hole of blogging. Today, you are all back and seemingly in good health. Don’t scare me like that.

Big T and the Dude crashed their big model airplane on its first flight (which went nowhere but down). The smaller but much cheaper plane flew higher and further than they thought it would. The Dude had to chase it across the soccer field with the remote to control(?) it. They spent the last 45 minutes throwing rocks and sticks into a pine tree that had eaten the plane. Persistence paid off and the small plane returned home with them. The large plane has assumed a place of honor in a corner of the garage – future to be determined.



I have the fabric cut for the diaper bag and have memorized the directions. Now I need to let my subconscious put it together in my sleep before I put needle to fabric. Don’t laugh - I save myself a lot of headaches that way. My subconscious makes the mistakes so I don’t have to. Of course, this does tend to cause a few sleepless nights just lying there letting my mind wonder where it may. I need to finish this by the end of this coming week (self-imposed deadline) so I start to work on machine embroidering her reversible bedspread.

Tomorrow will be dedicated to the sharing the Kreativ Blogging Award. I have to think of seven things you would want to know about me. The Dude thinks I should let him write that list. That might be kind of fun but I reserve the right to edit his list.

And now (drum roll please) my gift from Alygatr in the infamous valentine swap. Isn’t it beautiful!! I love it. It is hanging in a place of honor for all to see as soon as they come in. I do not have anything else like it. She is a very talented and creative lady. Please visit her shop on Etsy to see that talent for yourself.

From me to you, lots of hugs and thanks for joining me in my new adventures of learning to be creative and artistic.

Marie