Beach Vacation, Pictures, Sewing

This past weekend was a family trip to the beach. It was so nice just sitting on the balcony watching the ocean and spending time with family. It's been over a year since I had any type of vacation so it was enjoyed and much needed.

I love taking pictures and carry my camera everywhere. My camera has lots of features but I don't use many because I don't like reading instructions. Since I'm a visual learner I prefer to have someone show me things. Anyway, while relaxing at the beach I experimented a little with some of the features, one being color accent. You choose the color you want it to capture and everything else is black and white. Here is what it looks like.

I took an extra day off work when we got back and spent almost all day sewing. I've been ordering fabric and trying some new ideas with the embroidery and sewing. (Pictures posted soon). Even though I enjoy sewing, there are times when I get lots of ideas that I want to try. The problem is I start several projects trying to do them all at once. I should get more organized with ideas and have a journal or notebook to keep them in for those times when I don't feel very creative.

Special Moments

My daughters are teachers and have the summer off. My oldest lives with me and the middle daughter lives within a few miles. They teach at the same middle school and enjoy spending time together. Yesterday they were at my house and my middle daughter left me these notes. She knew I was having a rough day and wanted to cheer me up. I was very touched and feel so blessed to have such a great family.

These are the notes she left.

I found this one near my sewing machine.

I found this one on my night stand when I went to bed.

This last one I found this morning when I opened my makeup mirror to get ready for work..

I'm looking forward to having everyone over on Father's Day. We will be celebrating my mom's 84th birthday, my daughter's one year anniversary and Father's Day.

Favorite Christmas Gifts

We didn't spend alot on Christmas gifts this year but did have a few presents to give out. One present that my daughter and her friend gave to all of us was a card telling us that a donation was made in our names for clean water to those who don't have that luxury. Here is the website. I thought it was a great idea for a gift and love that they have the servant spirit.

Another favorite gift was a note saying that we would have a girl's day out with lunch and a pedicure on December 28th. My two daughters, two nieces and a friend went to a sushi restaurant for lunch. It was raining and cool so we decided to postpone the pedicures to a warmer day. They know how much I enjoy spending time with them so and knew that spending time with them would be more special than a purchased gift.

After lunch, I took my oldest daughter shopping for her birthday, which is December 26th. She turned 30 this year. Wow. I have a 30 year old daughter!!!

First Day of School

This year my two girls have another first day of school. This time as teachers. Both my daughters will be teaching at the middle school they attended. My oldest will teach math and science and the younger will be a middle school PE teacher and high school track and basketball coach. It will be fun to see them off to school together, especially since it is very close to where I live. Even though they are grown, I enjoy having them close to home.

New Pattern for Boys & Girls

NEW PATTERN - COMING SOON!

I'm working on a new pattern that will be called Betsey/Joey and will be for boys or girls sizes 1 through 4. This one will have a reversible option, different lengths and instructions and ideas to change the look. It will be a pattern that can be used over and over and combined with other patterns for new and different looks. I'm still in the testing stage and getting the details worked out. I've had to make several to find the best and easiest way to sew it together plus I want to have lots of pictures of the different options available.

That's all I'm saying for now but will be posting updates as it progresses. I'm looking forward to offering this pattern and hope I can get it out in the next few weeks.


You may have noticed that I name my patterns and each one so far is named for someone special to me. Here is a little about the inspiration for the names.

Annette Reversible Sundress Pattern -
This was my very first epattern. There was lots of trial and error, corrections and revisions but finally finished product was completed and submitted. The Annette pattern is named after my identical twin sister, Annette, who died 10 years ago. She also enjoyed sewing and other crafty things and I know if she were still alive, we would probably doing these patterns together. I wanted to do something special to honor her. Even though it has been 10 years, she is still missed greatly.

My Twin Sister, Annette and I as Toddlers

Tana Tutu Dress -

Tana was named after my oldest daughter. Her name comes from my grandmother, Antonia Fontana. To the grandchildren, she was known as Momo Tana. Tana was a prissy little girl so I thought naming the tutu dress for her was fitting.

Momo Tana

Karen Capri Pants and Halter Top -

Karen is named after my twin sister's daughter. Karen and Tana were born 6 weeks apart but have very different personalities.

Karen & Tana

Betsey/Joey

This new pattern is named after my two younger children. Betsey is a coach and loves sports and since the pattern will be for boys also, I decided to use both their names.

Betsey

Joey In the future, I will have a pattern named Emily, my twin sister's other daughter. After that, I'll see what names and people inspire me for future patterns.

Emily

VFW Bingo

Last night was a night out with mom and dad. I met them at the VFW hall to play bingo. I didn't get a chance to see them this past weekend so decided bingo would be a chance for me to visit. My mom and dad are very involved with community and are always helping out for events. My dad is the Quarter Master for his VFW post and responsible for keeping things running with the bingo, military funerals, renting of the hall and whatever else they need done. He is also in charge of giving out commodoties once a month. My mom is always volunteering to help with local church functions, fairs and other events in the community. I believe that because they stay active in many things, it keeps them young.

Here is my mom in the kitchen serving concessions before bingo started.

Here is my dad selling the bingo cards. He, along with some of the other VFW members, also help check the winners cards.

Alot of the regulars have bags with ink bottles to mark the cards. Mom set me up with what I needed and showed me which color cards to play at what time. There is the baby bingo, black out and bonanza to name a few.

My mom is 82 years old and my dad is 76 years old. They are a source of inspiration and joy in my life. I hope and pray I can be as active and giving when I reach their age.

Making Christmas Treats

Here are some pictures of our day making Christmas treats. My two daughters, my daughter's friend and I made lots of treats that we divided between trays and tins for delivery in the next couple of days. Bosses, neighbors, co-workers and friends will be recipients of the goodies.

Peanut butter fudge and pralines were the first on the list and take the longest. I made 6 batches of fudge and 2 batches of pralines in the morning before the rest arrived to help.




This is some of the pretzel rods we dipped. Besides the rods, we also dipped a smaller version called twists. We used both white and chocolate almond bark for the dipping.


Sunny added some red and green sprinkles before they dried for a festive touch.


Oreo cookie balls is another treat that has become a favorite in the past few years. I don't remember where we tried them but were hooked from the first bite. They are very simple to make and make a great addition to holiday treats. The recipe is:
1 bag of regular oreos
1 package of cream cheese
white almond bark or white chocolate

Crumble or chop up the bag of oreos. Add the cream cheese and mix well. Make balls out of the mixture. (For best results but the tray of balls in the refrigerator for awhile before dipping). Dip in white chocolate or white almond bark.

We added sprinkes to some for a little variety. This year we tried something new and made some of the balls out of vanilla cookies for a friend who is allergic to chocolate. My son's favorie is devil's food cake, crumbled and mixed with icing, dipped in chocolate. After all, what wouldn't taste good dipped in chocolate?

Here is my daughter chopping the oreos.



My oldest daughter wanted sugar cookies to decorate with icing. She cut them out of Christmas cookie cutters I had but when they baked the shapes didn't hold very well so she ended up making round ones. There are always those items that don't quite measure up and end up as treats for "at home use only".


As you can see, we had a huge mess. We all felt sticky and a little sick from all the tasting we did during the process.


My daughter had an idea to make three different size balls to put on top of each other to make snowmen. Although the concept was good, we were lacking in our presentation. Since we weren't going to use them on the trays, we decided to have a little fun decorating. Here are two of our snowman creations. These snowmen ended up in the "at home use only" pile.


The day turned out to be alot of fun. This kind of day spent with family is what I enjoy most about the holidays. We've only done this for a couple of years but may become a favorite tradition.

Busy Week

The past few days have been very busy. Saturday, my daughter Betsey, graduated from college. After attending the graduation ceremony, we had a family get together at my house. Here are a couple of pictures, one of Betsey with her 92 year old grandmother at the family party and Betsey and Sunny before the graduation ceremony. I am so very proud of Betsey and her accomplishments.





After that, I attended my work Christmas Party. Sunday I finished up my Christmas shopping and Monday attended the jewelry show with my niece. To top off the day, I bought a set of dishes for my home at Tanger Outlet. Evidently, all of the Mikasa stores in the US are closing as of December 31st and everything in the store is 40% off on top of the already discounted outlet price. It was a great deal. Here is what they look like.




I've been trying to do a little sewing also. After the holidays, I plan to start sewing for my Etsy shop and a possible booth in the Spring. I've been buying some very cute fabric that I want to make some Annette Reversible Sundresses out of and some totes. Some of the totes have already been given as gifts and I've sold a couple more as a result of the gift. I plan to make a line of "Mommy and Me" totes that will include a large one for the mom and a smaller replica for the daughter. Here is a preview of one set I finished last night.

Handcrafter's Holiday Blog Meme

Sew Mama Sew is having a Handcrafter's Holiday Blog Meme. We answer questions and link back to the Sew Mama Sew blog.

Here is mine.

GIFTS
Do you have a favorite gift that you love to give?
I love giving gifts of all kinds but especially ones I've made myself.

If you’re making gifts this year, what are you making?
I've made clothing for two little girl's on my list, 3 dresses for a needy family, lots of totes and will be making peanut butter fudge, pralines and other edible goodies.

Here (LSU Outfits), here (totes) and here (dresses for a needy family) are links to other blog posts with pictures of my handmade gifts and here is one of the peanut butter fudge.


Do you have any good stories about handcrafted gifts you’ve given or received?
A couple of years ago, I made a cookbook of my twin sister and my favorite recipes. I added pictures and stories of our lives together from birth to adulthood. It was a special project because my twin sister passed away ten years ago. I printed about 25 and gave them to her daughters, my mom, my children and close friends of hers. Everyone loved them and now I have all those recipes I use alot handy along with memories and pictures as I use the book.


Do you make and sell things that would make fantastic gifts?
I recently started a shop on Etsy. I am in the process of learning how internet selling works but have listed several clothing items as well as Christmas stockings. I'm hoping to have a couple of totes to sell also. I also sell epatterns on YouCanMakeThis.com that would make a great gift for someone who is learning to sew.

TRADITIONS
What is your favorite family holiday tradition?
I make seafood gumbo on Christmas Eve and family and a few special friends come to enjoy. We have a great time talking about past memories, enjoying the food and company.

Have you started any new traditions with your family that you didn’t practice growing up?
The gumbo on Christmas Eve is something I started the last few years.

What do you love most about the holiday season?
Spending time with family and friends, cooking and baking.


What do you like least about the holiday season?
Sometimes I get so busy, I don't take time to enjoy every minute and remember that it is the birth of Jesus we are celebrating. Also, not having my sister here to share the holidays with.

Anyone close to your heart that you’ll be missing this year?
My identical twin sister, Annette. It's hard to believe it's been 10 years. I still miss her terribly.

What is your favorite holiday food?
Sweet potato casserole with the pecan and brown sugar topping. YUM

Do you have a great recipe to share?

Sweet Potato Casserole

4 large sweet potatoes or 3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs, well beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk
Boil sweet potatoes ntil tender in a heavy saucepan; drain off excess water. Mash potatoes with a fork. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and milk in a mixing bowl and mix well. Add mashed sweet potatoes, mixing well. Pour into lightly greased 13 X 9 X 2 baking dish.

Topping:
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans

In a small saucepan, melt butter. Remove from heat and add sugar, flour and pecans. Mix well. Sprinkle mixture over casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Totes for Christmas

My oldest daughter and I had a marathon gift making weekend. Friday afternoon we shopped for fabric, came home and cut out about 14 totes. We started sewing after cutting but were tired from the long day so decided to start again Saturday. We helped my middle daughter with the APIL event Saturday morning which was a huge success. Even though it only lasted a couple of hours, we were pretty tired but determined to get some sewing done. My oldest daughter started sewing while I pinned, ironed and got the pieces ready. It worked out great and we managed to get about 5 of hers made before she had to leave for work. After she left, I started sewing again and made 8 more before I quit for the night. Most of the ones we made are for gifts but I am making a few extra to put in my Etsy shop.

I spent another 1/2 hour or so cleaning up my mess. When I sew, I have stuff spread out everywhere. I really enjoyed the two days sewing with my daughter and feel relieved that most of my handmade Christmas gifts are done.

Winter Wonderland APIL Event Sat Dec 1st

SNOW IN ST. AMANT THIS SATURDAY

There will be an APIL event this Saturday, December 1st at 10AM. It's a Winter Wonderland event for children with a snow machine

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing everyone a very joyful and blessed day.

Track Team Honored at Southeastern University Football Game

Yesterday I attended the last home game for the Southeastern University Lions. My daughter, Betsey, and some of her track teammates were honored at halftime for their accomplishments. Some because they qualified to compete in the Regional Track and Field Meet and Betsey and her teammate, Curtis, who were the only two on the track team to compete at the NCAA National Championships is Sacramento, CA. In addition to the halftime honors, we got a chance to watch Brian Babin play the last home game for the season. We have been knowing Brian's family for many years and I really enjoyed the chance to see him play. To top it all off, it was my first time attending a college football game, someone I worked with gave us great tickets on the 40 yard line and allowed us to park at his house which was less than a block from the football field, the weather was pleasantly cool and I got to spend time with my daughter, Betsey, her friend, Sunny, and some of Betsey's teammates. All in all, it turned out to be a very enjoyable day.

Southeastern Track and Field Regional and National Qualifiers

Brian Babin #10, Quarterback - Southeastern Lions

Christmas Gift Idea/Cookbook and Memories

My twin sister and I always enjoyed cooking and had our favorite recipes we made over and over. Like many who have a collection of recipes, ours were in books, on pieces of paper, on index cards, etc. A couple of years ago, I decided to make a simple recipe book that would put our favorite recipes in one location. Anyway, that is how it started. Since my twin sister had passed away 8 years before and her husband 5 years later, this would also be a special gift for their two daughters. The idea began to grow and I decided to include pictures and stories. I searched through boxes of old pictures, picking my favorites and scanning them to my computer. I began gathering the recipes and jotting down stories. The process of putting it all together was very time consuming and brought out many emotions, some happy and some sad. I got our children and my parents involved to help with the stories and to help me decide what to include. I enjoyed the project tremendously and was very pleased with the result. I ended up printing about 25 copies and gave them as Christmas gifts to each of my children, my parents, close friends and family of my sister and brother in law and a few others who requested a copy. Everyone loved the idea and enjoyed making the journey through the book. I have my copy displayed in my kitchen and use the recipes from it often.

Here is a sample of some of the pages.

This is the cover with one of my favorite pictures of two of us. These dresses were made for us by my grandmother. On the collar is a pin with the first initial of our names that we wore throughout most of our school years. It was the only way the teachers could tell us apart. The next few pictures are samples of some of the pages. I put a picture and story on the left side of each page and a recipe on the right.Trying to figure out how to arrange it so that I could print on both sides of the paper was a bit of a challenge. Also, I wanted to start with us as infants and progress through the ages.

I also included an introduction, table of contents and a few personal messages at the end - to their girls, my children and my mom. I also added a couple of blank pages and a couple of lined pages with lines to add other recipes.

For anyone who has lost a loved one, this is a great way to document some of the stories, share favorite pictures and remember them in a special way.

APIL Event This Saturday - November 10th

We have another APIL event this weekend from 10 - 11:30AM at St. Amant Park. It will involve hockey and crafts. Ascension Parish Inclusive League is a non-competitive, all inclusive sports program for children between the ages of 4 and 13 of ALL abilities. If you are interested or know someone interested in more information, call the Ascension Parish Recreation Department at (225) 621-9661. Volunteers are also needed. The volunteers have as much fun as the children and leave with such a great feeling.

Here are pictures from our last event.

Halloween Ninja Costume

These are some pictures of my "adopted" grandchild in the Ninja costume I made for her. I used a robe pattern for the top and a simple elastic waist pants pattern for the bottoms. With some of the extra fabric I cut rectangle strip for the headband.

As you can see, she really got into the character for the pictures.