Things that make my stomach grOwl!






Hope you scream over these Halloween Cake Pops. (Frankensteins, spiders and werewolves, oh my!) These spooky sweets are sure to get you in the spirit.
Found over at Bakerella's


Click on over to Bakerella's for some sweet inspiration and fun baking ideas



Pssst! My Secret ~ I Love scraps!
Scrap A Long Giveaway

You know who else loves scraps? Jodi at Pleasant Home! She loves them so much, that she is hosting a blog scrap-a-long. Jodi is dedicating her posts right now to SCRAPS! There are some fun ideas over there, plus some great new blogs to visit.

I'm scrappin' along too!


Wanna know something else about me?
I am a totally addicted to string quilts. SO, I make baby quilts for sweet little babies who are born in the USA while their daddies are deployed. I donate them to an organization called MOM4RMarines and also to Soldier's Angels.

I love 'em so much that I also have this blog totally dedicated to the making string quilts for donations. I invited a bunch of other wonderful quilting ladies to join me in this challenge. In January it will be one year old. We all post our progress and pictures.

It's a String Thing Challenge

I have a great tutorial here on how I use small phone book pages as my foundation.

Here is one of my favorites


Why is it so darned hard to use them up?
Why do they just keep multiplying?


You need to go HERE to win my shabby scraps. Leave a comment. Winner will be picked the night before Halloween. Ohhhhh!!! AHHHHHH!!


Shabby Scrap Give-Away


Okay, so like I made a ton of shabby quilt kits for my store and have lots of these great shabby scraps leftover. I am having a give-away for all you shabby cottage quilters.


These scraps are all from Moda collections; such as Seaside Rose, Hannah Bella, Sentimental Journey, Secret Garden, and Paris Flea Market.


Over ONE pound of goodies ....yes!!!

To sweeten the give-away, I am also including this shabby "Cotton Way" Quilt Pattern too!!
The give-away ends Saturday 10/30/10. So leave a comment before midnight Saturday Eastern Time. I'll pick a winner and post it Monday morning. Good luck to all you fabulous quilters and fabric lovers.

Leave a comment and make SURE that you leave me a way to contact you. Only those comments with working emails can win.

Feel free to grab my button and pass it on.

AccuQuilt Cut Fabric Swap


* Hexies *

I am participaing in SewCalGal's Accuquilt Fabric Swap. In this swap I will cut your fabric with my hexagon die. I will give you a nice selection of 100 (one hundred) 2" W x 1 3/4" H cream tone on tone/neutrals to use as background fabric.
In exchange for these two options:

1. I am making a Grandmother's flower garden with a shabby pastel look to it. Using all Moda fabrics. I need some more variety in my colors. Take a peek here. I am willing to trade for Allspice Tapestry, Roman Holiday, Withering Heights, etc. Or any of those soft shabby Moda collections.

OR

2. *In exchange for one-hundred 2 1/2 inch squares of Flea Market Fancy*


Or I can create a nice selection of your own fabric if you want to send them to me for cutting. In exchange for some OH maybe Flea Market Fancy! Or some Glorious Kaffe Fassett scraps. Come on you got 'em. Use 'em! We'll work out the trade details by email. Oh how fun!

I am also looking to trade for some sweet bright Baby Boy Pastels out of this die cut
If you are interested in swapping, please click on my profile and send me an email. Tell your friends too! The more the merrier.





October is National Cookie Month!


Here is your chance to win a fun 2 1/2 inch charm square set of 40 using the AccuQuilt Go Cutting System ~ Free with any purchase.

Just "Find the Cookie" logo in one of our categories in our store and add "I am a Winner" in the comments section and tell us where you found it.

It's that easy.
Limited to 3 winners


Need some inspiration?
Fun Fabric Fortune Cookie Tutorial can be found here



National Sewing Month Contest

A tiny bit of history.

The observance of National Sewing Month began in 1982 with a proclamation from President Ronald Reagan declaring September as National Sewing Month “In recognition of the importance of home sewing to our Nation.”

Okay, well I was a bit young to appreciate this guy back then. A single girl living in Southern California. I was nowhere near a sewing machine. But thanks guy! Of course, now sewing is a different story. It's really up there with one of the most important things in my world these days. A day without my machine, is like a day without sunshine.

Here's the 2010 National Sewing Month “Accessorize Your Life” Contest


Sew up your best accessory idea for National Sewing Month and you could be a lucky winner in the Accessorize Your Life contest.

STEP 1: Start by picking an Accessory category

Fashion/Garments
Personal Items
Home Dec (including kitchens & outdoor)
Sewing Room
Travel
Pets
Office/Work
Auto

STEP 2: Create an accessory that would be used for convenience, attractiveness or safety

You can create your own design or use any project or pattern.
Your project must include fabric, thread and at least one notion or trim.
Some portion of the project must have been sewn using a sewing machine.
Any additional techniques, embellishments or design touches are your own choice.

STEP 3: Guidelines
Really? Okay I'll follow the guidelines.

Click here for the rules and prizes

I am going to re-purpose some cafe curtains. Watch for my finished project.

Suggestions

* Kindle Cover (free pattern here)
* iPad Cover
* Wristlet
* Dog Collar/Matching Leash (free pattern here)

Even my best friend "Tuesday" is jumping in on the National Sewing Month Bandwagon




Yuck Caterpillers

Oh some time around 1:30 this afternoon

Don't look if caterpillars gross you out.

What are all these little pellets on the sidewalk between my house and my neighbor? I wondered. They are gross. When it rains, yuck, it's even more gross!! It is making my sidewalk a prime target for some serious power washing this fall.

Oooo! I looked up and saw branches of an oak tree covered and being munched by these.




I hate the mess, but I was treated to hundreds of butterflies around in my front planter.






For some reason they didn't like these hot peppers!

So should I make a Very Hungry Caterpiller quilt? Naw!
But you can here

ADDENDUM TO BLOG POST 9:30 PM

Took my darling youngest daughter out to dinner tonight. To Yummy Noodles Cafe!!
She filled me in on all of her newest sorority happenings, classes and events out and about in town near her college. She mentioned that she is going to be doing a Press Preview for some new exhibits that will be happening this year at the North Carolina Museum of Art. She interned there this summer and loved it.

"Mom" she said "Did you ever hear of an artist called Eric Carle? The museum is going to be doing an exhibit on him."

North Carolina Museum of Art

OMG, Dear daughter, I just did a blog post about this Hungry Caterpillar guy this morning. You, daughter dear, need to check out my blog. Don't you remember me reading that story to you until I couldn't see straight?
Oh yeah right, you fell asleep.

Pumpkin-Swirl Brownies

Oh my kitchen smells delightful this morning. I got up super early this morning, checked my email and was treated to this delicious oooey gooey cookie recipe.



Chocolate and pumpkin make a frightfully gooey pair in these creamy pumpkin-swirl brownies.


(recipe from MarthaStewart.com: Cookie of the Day)


8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups solid-pack pumpkin
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts or other nuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan or dish. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; butter lining.

Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, cayenne, and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Put sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat until fluffy and well combined, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in flour mixture.

Divide batter between two medium bowls (about 2 cups per bowl). Stir chocolate mixture into one bowl. In other bowl, stir in pumpkin, oil, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Transfer half of chocolate batter to prepared pan smoothing top with a rubber spatula. Top with half of pumpkin batter. Repeat to make one more chocolate layer and one more pumpkin layer. Work quickly so batters don't set.

With a small spatula or a table knife, gently swirl the two batters to create a marbled effect. Sprinkle with nuts.

Bake until set, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 16 squares.

It's cooling on the counter right now. I've never had a cookie with cayenne pepper in it. How about you?

I just might eat all 16 squares :)



I'm Going Green, What?

Well not really. I just love this color lately. I can't get enough green.

Running to Joann's this morning for a piece of white batting for a donation quilt I am making, I scored these great pattern and file organizers.

Clearance Sign! I had to look. Wow! I love 'em!

For .97 cents for a pack of three file folders and the boxes @ .97 cents each too. I bought all of them.

I remember when I first saw this matching stuff last month. You know, when parents go way overboard in the back to college buying spree/rush that was a few weeks ago. I was too cheap to buy them then. My daughter didn't need them. I did. Why does Joann's have back to school and dorm stuff anyway?