A wintry giveaway in Spring ??

Yes, I know it's Spring and we just got rid of the cold ! But I know some of you super organized creative people like to get a jump start on the holiday sewing .

Leave a comment below .... Tell me how you stay in top of holiday creations . I need some inspiration in this area as I usually inundate myself in December with baking and shopping !

The fabrics below are in honor of my lovely Cardinal that is building it's nest right by my window that I mentioned in my last post .

I will be making some fat quarter packs
with these fabrics for a giveaway . I totally see Mug rugs already !! I will post the winners on Friday May 3 .

Well I'm keeping this post short .. . I am in the car driving to Vermont ( well my husband is driving!) to help our second son move into his summer housing . I am blogging from my phone !!
Wow how far I have come with all this
technology !!!

Have a great weekend
Donna

So I sat on "pins and needles"

....waiting for my new nephew Sebastian to arrive ...I sewed gifts for days, all sorts of blankets and such. Got the the house ready for my brother and his family...so much so I made my self sick and stressed myself into a kidney infection!!!! ( I have done this before). Well all's well that ends well. I perked up after two days and got to enjoy baby Sebastian. Here he is cuddles up with my oldest and below on my lap in our jammies singing songs.

what a sweet boy our Sebastian is, we miss him so much already ;-(

So while I was sewing for Seb I was getting a itching for making a pin cushion, especially after seeing what Amy from Amy Made That! was up too. You have to check out her Petit Ecole pin cushions ...just fabulous. Now, I did not have time to do anything as elaborate as Amy's, but I just had to make one. Has that every happened to you in the middle of 862 projects going on?! ( btw 862 is always my exaggerated go to number).

So I came up with "Pins and Needles"  cause that is exactly what I felt like waiting for my little guest!

One side for your pins and another for your needles ...cause I am always mixing mine together. I just took an 5 inch square and did that "Thangle" thing with it, ( or draw a line on the diagonal  sew a line 1/4 on each side and cut then cut on the middle line) added a fancy button. Quick,simple and it scratched my itch!

Amy also gave me an inspiration for another give away! She has been doing a Christmas project a month so when the holidays get her she will be ready. I wish I had that ambition...maybe I'll start in July ;-)

So here is a hint below..

This is a nest made by one of our resident Cardinals in our Holly bush. This sits right out my window by our computer desk. This is what I get to  look at while posting ...Beautiful isn't it ! I love the dried Hydrangea petal in the nest. 

So the clue ...check back tomorrow and you'll see ...it has to do with Cardinals and winter ...it will make for the best "Holiday" projects. You can get on board with Amy !! Who knows maybe I'll join in!

See you tomorrow,

Donna

We have a winner!!!

So I closed my eyes and ran my mouse in circles and the pointer landed on ......

found and sewn said...

"Love all these seeds! I've just ordered a selection of organic seeds...can't wait to get planting."

Congratulations "found and sewn"!!! Please send me your info so I can get these goodies right out to you !

Just go to my complete blogger profile for my email.

 

Thank you so much for commenting , I wish I had one for all of you!!

Stop by again as I will be having more giveaways coming soon!

Have a wonderful Sunday 

Donna

Give away winner announced tomorrow!

Hi All,

I apologize for the less than creative post , I am writing you from  my bed recovering from a kidney infection . I came down with it the day my new nephew arrived from Utah :-( ..hopefully I am on the road to recovery and can get my hands on the little guy . so far all I am doing is watching him from a far . At least they are staying with me and I can look at him all day !

Check back tomorrow for the winner to my giveaway ...you still have one day to enter!

May peace and love be with you all,
Donna

Are you an Heirloom Gardener ? A give away too!

Have you ever heard of .....

D. Landreth Seed Company

 If you garden and you haven't heard of this amazing company please go to their site. They are a small family company who are doing their best to preserve the integrity of seeds in America and keep this company going. This is the oldest seed house in America ! If you don't garden the art work alone on the packets and catalogs are amazing. I love the names of the seeds too and they come with such interesting stories in the catalog.

This will be my third year planting with seeds from them and I absolutely love them. My favorite so far their Nantes Scarlet Carrots . I plant them in early spring and let them sit all summer.You just keep them right in the ground and all through this fall and winter I was digging up fresh carrots!!

Tell me what grows in your garden , leave a comment and you will be eligible for a packet of the Nantes Scarlet carrots and two fun veggie fat quarters by Mary Lake Thompson LTD. for Robert Kaufman

Come on and grow some carrots with me!

Donna

Quick and easy meatless Friday night dinner

I'm all about quick, easy and delicious these days in the kitchen...especially after a huge food holiday like Easter. Here is a great spring meal. It is one of our favorite go to meals on a Friday night.

Saute leeks and onions until soft in olive oil...add zucchini saute until it begins to soften...then add peas, salt and pepper

 Add pasta ( cooked al dente) of your choice..

 Add Ricotta cheese and mix.

  Mix in some lemon zest..

  Ever since I was a little girl Maggio is my favorite choice for ricotta cheese. I could eat it by the spoonful.

Top with a grating of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese...

Measurements ...I really didnt use any..I just started pulling whatever out of the fridge... Its how I roll!! One tip definitely use more veggies than pasta. If it helps I used 2 leeks 2 zucchini 1 sweet onion 1 half a bag of peas 7 oz of cheese 1 tsp lemon zest 1 pound of small pasta used leftover boxes of ditalini and wagon wheels.

Other news...

I am going to have a giveaway next week ..I'll give you a hint ...I cam across some great fabric finds!

so check back.

Blooms...

they are all starting to come out ...but the best happened inside this week

 Enjoy your weekend!

Donna

A quick and easy crochet pattern

Well Sweet Sebastian is on his way to visit his East coast family next week..I can not wait and I finished the top of his blanket..I actually finished a while ago but Easter preparations got in the way! Take a look and checkout the quick tutorial at the end.

 

I adore these colors!!

 

Here is the tutorial.

So first you chain 8 and join with a slip stitch then Double crochet 16 in the ch 8 loop Fig. 1. Now join together.

fig. 1

Now ch 3 serves as a/first Double crochet (dc) ...now 2 dc in the the dc below this makes first shell (3dc in same stitch). Now Ch 2, skip 1, 3 dc in next stitch around join with slip stitch . fig 2 you should have 8 shells now

fig.2

 Now to make the Granny square round ..Ch 5 (serves as first dc and ch 2), 3 Dc in ch 2 space from previous round (serves as first corner. Ch 2, 3 dc in next Ch 2 space. Now work second corner , Ch 2, 3 Dc in next Ch 2 space , ch 2 3 Dc in same space ch 2  . Repeat around until you get to first corner.  2 Dc in first corner and join to the 3 rd Ch of the beginning chain 5. fig.3   Now your first square is complete.

fig. 3

 Now all you do is keep going from hear on out and make it to the size of your desire! If you like to switch colors do it at the beginning of each square before you make that initial ch 5 . When I reached my desired size I added a border of double crocheting in each stitch . Then I experimented with a new stitch for the border. Anything goes. I will add the border stitch on the next post.

Now the big ? 

Original plan was to back it with a fabric ..Hmmm. I kind of like the drape of it without.

Onto other happenings...guess who showed up in my yard yesterday!

Hello Mr. Blue bird

 And my daughter got a job at a French Bakery ...This is no good!!! ;-)

Cappuccino with Earl Gray macaroon...Delicious

I see a bad(wonderful)habit forming !!

Have a wonderful day !

Donna

Easter Traditons and Recipe

I know I am a bit behind but we got attacked by that Cyber-bug a week and a half ago !!! We are still not up and running at 100% and still  may need a new computer ...and a new car, (I've been car less for a week and I kind of like it!) ...and my daughters mouth surgery ...oh well it never ends but such is life and I will take it happily. 

Ok back on point ..take a peak of the latest happenings..

Blooms in the snowy window the week before Easter

Begonias 

2013 pot holder swap Flickr

Vintage Japanese tea cup

The Egg Artists

My familiy's traditional Easter Ham pie

The hunt begins

She wouldnt pick up the egg that was near the deer droppings..my oldest was a bugger this year when he hid the eggs. 

He found the Golden egg

Ohh My Precious....just like Lord of the Rings

Kissing his egg 

My two oldest, my goddaughter, and my youngest

Look at those faces

Love my Cappucino 

My Easter Ricotta pie 

My vintage English dishware...these are my favorites, got the whole set for $10.

My Vintage Egg dish

The finished eggs, the 5 yr old was in charge

Blooms from my sister


Well it was a wondeful holiday. My little one is just at that perfect age for enjoying the holidays.

As for my pies I believe these were my best yet. The crust were the flakiest they have ever been and the fillings were just perfect. I spent three days baking and these pies were only the tip of the iceberg. I start on HolyThursday and don't stop until Easter. My kids love to watch me, yes WATCH me bake for days . Its all part of their tradition and every year they get more nad more involved. example my oldest putting in his two cents "ughh Mom you ar going to make peanut butter and cocount eggs right?" you just can't say no...can you? Come on have you seen his big brown eyes?!

There were peanut butter, coconut, and buttercream eggs, Italian easter bread and Italian anise cookies as well. Each child has their favorite.

I know the holiday has passed but I am going to include the Ricotta pie recipe as it is very light and is a great dessert in the spring .

Italian Riotta Pie ...or as my family calls it Sweet cheese pie

For the dough ( Pasta Frolla) makes 2- 8 inch tarts/crust
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar ( I used pure cane sugar not white sugar)
pinch of salt
1 3/4 sticks of butter
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
grated zest of 1 lemon

In a food processor
place flour salt sugar pulse
cut butter into small pieces and add
pulse until mix resemble a coarse meal
mix the eggs with vanilla and lemon juice
with the machine running add the egg mixture until it gathers together
take it out and knead it until it no longer sticky and chill for an hour or so

For the filling..makes 2 to 3 pies depending on pie pan size

3 pounds impastata ricotta ( this is a ricotta used for baking but you can still use regular Ricotta)
1 container mascrapone cheese ( either 1 large conatiner or 2 small)
1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar ..according to your liking of sweetness
6 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp fiori di sicilia ( i get mine from King Arthur Flour)
orange or lemon zest
pinch of salt

mix all together in a mixer until well blended
roll the dough into pie pan
fill with the ricotta mixture
bake at 350 degrees Farhenheight for about 50 min or until set

*Fioir di Sicilia is an Italian extract that is basically an orange and vanilla extracts together, may also be called 1,000 blossom water. It is truly amazing

ENJOY!!


Hope you are all starting to enjoy some spring weather and had a wonderful holiday as well!  What are your holiday traditions?


Peace and love to all,
Donna