Turkey Day Shirts

Linking up here.



Turkey Day Cookies

Sooooo, I know, I suck at blogging lately. Honestly, I'm working just as hard as I ever have at projects. I just don't really feel the need to share them as much. It makes me realize that most of my blogging endeavours were fueled by a not-so-little need for validation. You know, the whole "look what I made! See how useful I am!" sort of thing. I'd probably say I should explore this with a therapist if I didn't feel like I was already over it.

Sort of. I mean, I'm not shutting down or anything. I just need to get off my butt and take more pictures (and then upload them, write about them, etc.) Maybe I'm just being lazy.

Anyway, I saw these on Pinterest:



(originally from Poppy Cove)

I wanted to make them for my son's Thanksgiving feast at school tomorrow, but OF COURSE, all candy corn (that I could find anyway) is made in a factory that is contaminated with nuts. We don't personally have a nut problem, but the classroom is nut-free. So I improvised with:

Mike & Ike! And homemade icing and chocolate chips. I originally bought:



But before I started decorating, I noticed it said "Does not harden for stacking" and knew it would be a big messy mess.

So, yeah, mine aren't as cute, but they're a good nut-free alternative!

Linking up here.

Vintage Sheet Row Quilt

I've been on a bender.

On Saturday nights, you can find me on the bad side of town, jonesing for a fix.

Everytime I score, it just makes me want another.

(Yes, I've been watching a lot of Breaking Bad lately)

No, I'm not doing anything illegal, but you could call me a junkie.

I have an addiction...

to vintage sheets!

(source)

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So awesome, right?

And I've been snapping up every one I can find.

You see, my friend is having a baby. A girl! (Is it just me, or is everyone having a girl right now?) And she has some awesome vintage taste. So I started snapping up vintage sheets and thought they'd made a pretty cool quilt for her little one.

Please ignore that awful crease down the center. I've had it done for a week and it's just been sitting folded up in my closet--way to be on top of the blogging!

This is the first thing I've quilted on my new machine and I think I still need to work out a few kinks. The tension was really hard to set. But it worked out.

But I still have a lot of sheets. A LOT. I'm sure there will be more vintage goodness to come!

I'll be linking up here.

Spooky Shirts

Version I found on Zulily: 

 

My version:

I was going to do a jack-o-lantern face on Kiki's, but she picked out the scariest face that the Silhouette store had to offer. I didn't want her to make the other 3-year-olds in her class pee themselves any more than they already do. So we went with her fav, a kitty.

Loving my new embroidery machine!

I'll be linking up here.

Class Windchimes {Teacher Gift}

Things really get busy with 2 kids in school, huh? I'm always amazed by how much we get done by noon now.

Anyway, Finn's teacher's birthday is coming up next month and my neighbor (who also has a boy in Finn's class--YES, it's all my housewife dreams come true!) suggested we make her a windchime.

We went out and bought some metal alphabet stampers. Who knew they're sold at Hobby Lobby and only $12 (even less with 40% coupon)? Then we got some metal washers and stamped each child in the class' name on them. We went back and forth about what to hang them on, but while shopping at Goodwill, we spotted a cute door hanger and that was settled. I upcycled it by cleaning it up a bit and Mod-Podging the teacher's name to the bottom.

I added the teacher's name to it and voila! I think it was just such a great idea and a really cool way to remember the class!



I'll be linking up here!

And I'm entering this into Sew Dang Cute Crafts' Upcycled Linky Contest. Go check it out!

Welcome Fall {Bag Personalization}

Last week was my birthday, and it was fabulous! My dear friend gave me this purse I've been wanting:



And a few days later I was in Hobby Lobby (spending the gift card my mom gave me) and came across this lovely print on clearance:



I mixed the two together...:

And got a fab new personalized purse! I love it and the colors so remind me of fall:

I'll be linking up here.

Pina Colada Rum Cake {Recipe}

I have been sitting on this recipe for a couple of months now (I actually got it from my local liquor store), just waiting for a chance to make a cake--so I finally made it for my birthday last week!

It was amazing.

I'm a chocolate and icing kind of girl, but I didn't miss either of them at all.

***Non-alcholic version instructions (for kids and preggos) are at the bottom of the recipe***

Pina Colada Rum Cake

1 box pineapple cake mix
1 package (4-serving size) coconut pudding mix--I used vanilla on one of the cakes and it was just as yummy!
4 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup pineapple rum
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes

Glaze:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup coconut rum

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt pan, or use Baker's Joy spray. Sprinkle chopped pecans and coconut flakes over the bottom of the pan.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix and pudding mix. Mix in the eggs, water, oil and pineapple rum. Blend well. Pour batter over nuts and coconut flakes in the pan. Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan while you prepare glaze.

To make the glaze, bring butter, water and sugar to a boil over medium heat. Stir constantly for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add in the coconut rum.

Remove cake from pan. Pour half of the glaze into the empty bundt pan and then place the cake back into the pan to absorb the glaze. Poke holes into the bottom of the cake while it is in the pan and pour the rest of the glaze over the bottom. Let the glaze absorb for at least 20 minutes. Remove from pan into serving dish.

***Kid-friendly version****
To make it kid-friendly, simple boil the coconut rum in the glaze instead of adding it in at the end.

Enjoy!



I'll be linking up here!