Scarf for my Daughter

I finally have an update on the scarf I was working on for my daughter for Christmas. From my blog on September 18, 2014, I had shared a scarf pattern I had found in the magazine Knit Simple.

It was a pattern that called for some special yarn that had flowers sewn into the yarn.

I decided to to use the pattern for the scarf using some fun chunky cream colored yarn

and then make my own knit flowers. Each flower was made from five separately knit petals, stitched together.

To the flowers, I added three little crystals in the center to add a little "bling".

Lastly, I stitched the knit flowers onto the scarf.

I can't wait for my daughter to see her scarf. She is going to love it!!

"I was knitting before knitting was cool."  -Unknown

Birthday Morning Personal Egg Dish

It is my oldest son's 18th Birthday tomorrow. If I was home in the morning, I would make him a huge breakfast to start off his day. Since I can't be home, a pesky thing called a job gets in the way, I decided to pre-make a special birthday breakfast for him.

I started by spraying a large muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.

Next, I sprinkled a little monterey jack and sharp cheddar cheese in the bottom of each cup. To the cheese I added chopped Canadian bacon.

Then I took these glorious eggs I got at the Minneapolis Farmer's Market, whisked them with a little milk and poured them over the meat and cheese.

I put them in a 350 degree oven for about a half an hour.....until the eggs were set.

I gently used a knife to loosen it and put it on a plate. 

I'll keep them in the refrigerator overnight and they can be heated in the microwave for a quick breakfast. I also bought his favorite.....muffins from Panera to go along with the eggs. Even though I won't be here in the morning, I can still be a part of that special birthday morning breakfast!

"One should not attend even the end of the world without a good breakfast."  -Robert A. Heinlein

Fun at the Junk Bonanza

I had a great day today with my friend Wendy. We went to the Junk Bonanza at Canterbury Downs in Shakopee, MN. www.junkbonanza.com It's a combination of junk, treasures and repurposed items. It's held in the spring and in the fall each year at Canterbury Downs. I LOVE going!

Even though I didn't find what I was looking for - something to hang by my front door in place of a wreath - I found other things to buy. I'm now partially done Christmas shopping and of course I found something for myself.

First of all, this is what I bought for myself. It's something repurposed. Do you know what it is?

It's a bracelet made out of part of an old baseball.

These are the gifts I found. A scarf from repurposed knit and polyester fabric.

A necklace made from a word cut from an old book.

A gift tag made from recycled pieces of fabric.

This great bag made from an old feed bag. It can be worn over the shoulder, across the body or as a fanny pack.

It can also be folded in half and snapped to make it an even smaller bag.

I noticed that all of the vendors had purchased this bag too!!

Can't wait to go again in the spring!

"To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk."  -Thomas A. Edison

Tea Shop

I have a co-worker who is having a birthday on Friday. She has also had a rough last few weeks so I wanted to get her a birthday/I'm there for you little gift. We all have our vices that relax us or make us feel better. My co-worker's is tea.

I wanted to get her a gift having to do with tea but being a coffee drinker, I know nothing about tea. I am related to someone however who is very well versed in all things tea. My niece is actually so picky about her tea that she orders it directly from England. I told her I needed the next best thing to tea from abroad and she suggested I visit Teavana.

Teavana is owned by Starbucks but has its own independent shops. Since I work so close to the Mall of America, and there is a Teavana there, I thought I'd take a quick trip over lunch to see if I could find a gift of tea for my co-worker.

The clerk at Teavana was very helpful. She asked price point first and then gave many suggestions within that price range. I decided on loose black tea that is the store favorite.

With my purchase, I received a nice tin for the tea with a label that included the name of the tea and how to prepare it.

It's a canister that can be brought back to the store to refilled each time a new supply is needed. Again, I was really impressed by the customer service. Most times when I'm asked for a price point, that is where they start and then they go up dramatically from there. This clerk stayed completely within my price point.....tax included!  Here is a link to the Teavana website for those of you who don't live near one:  www.teavana.com  I can't wait to give my gift away!!

"The most trying hours in life are between four o'clock and the evening meal. A cup of tea at this time adds a lot of comfort and happiness."  -Royal S. Copeland

Displaying Pictures

This was supposed to be the subject for my blog last night but it turned out to be a little bigger project than I had expected. It required measuring and leveling and four hands!

My daughter wanted to hang pictures on her wall from a ribbon with some cute clothespins she had decorated.  She used washi tape and puffy stickers.

Attaching the ribbon to the wall was a bit problematic. I had thought we could use drawer pulls but that required lots of modification. My 15 year old son was with me at Home Depot and he suggested coat hooks.

They were perfect.  With a little bit of elbow grease I attached them to the wall, making sure to measure the distance between them and the distance from the ceiling - to make sure they were at the same height.

We tied sparkly tulle to each hook and attached the pictures with the clips my daughter made.

Now she has another place to showcase some fun pictures of herself and her friends.

"Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose."  -From the television show The Wonder Years

Just a Quote

This is something I've been trying to teach my children - my sons and my daughter.  I think it pertains to anyone no matter what sex you are. It's something I repeat to myself every day.

A Grandma's Gift

One of my dear knitting friends shared her latest projects with me. It was an obnoxiously bright tiny little sweater she was making for her granddaughter. I didn't quite now what to say.....this is a woman who usually knits with the softest, most beautiful yarn. For this sweater however, she was using inexpensive, bright, primary colored yarn. 

She saw the uncertainty in my face and laughed out loud. She went on to explain that she had gotten a book by Debbie Macomber about a grandma who makes a sweater for her grandson. 

The sweater was garishly colored and the grandson was less than thrilled with this gift. He tried to get rid of the sweater in all kinds of ways. Then, his grandma was coming for a visit and hoped to see him in his sweater. When he sees his grandma, she explains the special gift within the sweater. It's a sweet story about love. The pattern for the sweater is included in the book. My friend is making the sweater for her granddaughter and is including the book. A very special gift indeed.

"Grandma, I know you've loved me since I was born but I've loved you my whole life."  -Unknown

Great Baked Green Beans!

We had the best green beans tonight for supper. My mom has mentioned many times how simple and delicious baking beans can be. Tonight I'd thought I'd give them a try.

First I washed and patted dry my beans.

Then I drizzled them with olive oil.

Next, I spread them out on a parchment lined baking sheet.

I sliced a red pepper and part of an onion and sprinkled them over the beans.

I also had some delicious bacon from the Farmer's Market that I sliced and put on top.

I placed the baking sheet in a 425 degree oven for about 15 minutes - until the bacon became crisp and the vegetables started to get soft.

They were the best green beans we have ever eaten!! Everyone loved them!! This will be the way I make them every time!!

"Go vegetable heavy. Reverse the psychology of your plate by making meat the side dish and vegetables the main course."  -Bobby Flay

Needlework Resource

While at work today, I was listening to the radio and the hosts were answering questions from the listeners about where to shop for certain items. Usually I have my headphones on just for white noise and so I'm only half listening. Today, however, my ears perked up when someone called in and asked about a fiber art store - specifically a place for cross-stitch, embroidery and specialty fabrics. The hosts were perplexed. They could only come up with a couple of knitting stores. Leave it to the other listeners though to come up with an answer.

Quite a number of people called in and suggested Stitchville, USA located in Minnetonka, MN, close to Ridgedale. After looking at their website, it's a place I can't wait to visit! Here's a link so you can check it out for yourself:  www.stitchville.com I think it will be a fun place to take my daughter to - to introduce her to another handicraft. It's so fun to share needle art with her!

"The only place where needlework comes before housework is the dictionary."  -Mary Kurtz

Cute Bird Feeder

My daughter and I went to a little art fair at our neighborhood art center - Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts. There were many booths of all different kinds of art - jewelry, paintings, photographer, clothing, and pottery. They also had entertainment - singers, jugglers, poetry readings and all sorts of other multi-cultural performers. The Art Center is in a park with a rushing stream and the sun was shining....it was a beautiful day to be outside.

We did end up purchasing a little gift for ourselves, or really for the birds in our neighborhood.

It's called EggNormous and it is a cute way to feed the birds.

It was made by Jule Rentz and this is just one of many shapes she sells. She had a heart, a star, and apple, a small egg within a grapevine wreath and then this large egg. I would love to have a tree full of them. They aren't that expensive - around $20 - so at least I may get a couple more! (They are made from solid seed and are squirrel resistant.)

My daughter helped me hang it in a tree in our front yard as soon as we got home.

We've been enjoying watching the birds enjoying themselves all afternoon!

"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song."  -Maya Angelou