one shabby chick

This might be a long one

Isn't it amazing how you can look back over the past year through your pictures (and your blog)?!

I really love the fact that this blog has documented things that I would have totally forgotten otherwise (like how Baby Girl used to call go-gurt soop-mario).

I was thinking while reading everyone's recaps that I hadn't really sewn that many quilts this year but after looking at my pictures I realized I was wrong.

Some were for friends...

and family

my kids....

and I even gave one away.

I joined a quilting bee (and have another one set to start in January)

and used a long-arm quilting machine.

I have worked up quite a stash this year thanks to all the fabric goodness that is out there right now

and 2009 will be a fun time to use some of it up.

I made a call before I left for Costco last night (which was CRAZY) and turns out the theme this year is Mexican (not Japanese - I'm still crying about no tempura).

So I'm making enchiladas and Tres Leches and thought I'd give you the recipe I use. I have a Spanish cookbook so I'm going to translate it as I type. Hopefully it will make sense.

Happy New Year!!

TRES LECHES

Cake:

1 box white cake mix (or yellow is fine too)

(and whatever other ingredients needed to make cake - as listed on box)

MIlk "sauce":

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk

1/2 pint of whipping cream

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup rum (if desired - I never add any to mine)

Sweetened Whipped Cream:

Whipping cream (I never measure - just pour in a good amount)

4 tsp. sugar

Preparation:

Prepare box cake mix according to package directions. After it is done, remove from oven and pierce with a fork all over the top of the cake.

While cake is cooking, prepare sauce. Put all milk sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and stir until mixture is almost to the boiling point (but don't allow it to boil). Remove from heat and pour mixture on top of cake. Allow to cool completely.

Whip whipping cream and sugar together until mixture is thick and then spread on top of cake. Enjoy!!

Soggy

We are still pretty wet here. And I can't remember the last time I left the house :-)

I think it was Christmas Eve - is that right?! I guess so.

I've been madly cleaning and from the sounds of things on other blogs I read, it's a common post-Christmas activity. Yesterday I washed all the curtains, screens and windows - which is great since today looked like this (again):

We have a new solution to keep water out of the living room....nothing like a big piece of wood.

I am officially leaving the house today when Hubby gets home from work. Off to Walmart, Costco and the sewing machine shop - to drop off my baby (not my real baby but you guys know what I mean).

She's having some tension issues and I don't want to sew anything that later is going to fall apart - I talked to the lady on the phone and she said 2-3 weeks! Ughh.

I am going to check out the Brothers and Singers at Walmart since Bela has been really wanting to learn and that way we could both sew at the same time. And I'd have a replacement for a couple weeks. And we could say it was a "school" expense. Good excuses don't you think?!

I did try and start a new project but the tension troubles are resulting in loose stitches. I'm tearing it all out (the free-motion part) during a movie-watching time later.

I have gotten some fun mail lately.

I am going to make the boys some curtains out of this material.

I also talked to our eldest about making him a quilt - poor guy is the only one who doesn't have a "made by mom" quilt.

I ordered some fabrics (blues, greens and blacks) and now I'm looking around at patterns/ideas and am thinking something like this or this.

Hope everyone has a Happy New Year...Hawaii is pretty wild about fireworks (this was last year) but I'm hoping the weather will curb it a little this year.

Tomorrow night we are off to a friend's for some fun times and delicious food...mochiko chicken, tempura, mochi and lots of other goodies.

The aftermath

Christmas was very fun - filled with family, food and Apples to Apples. I am ready for family game night again!

this is what you get when you leave your 2 year old alone with Christmas presents - water everywhere!!

At least they love the kitchen!

Yesterday the cleaning bug bit and I started with junk drawers - don't ask me why?! I was turning into a bit of a grouch and decided I was done for the day.

We turned on Mamma Mia and it was almost done when the electricity went out - on the entire island! Even Obama was in the dark.

It came on around 4:30am this morning but we had a long night with lots of thunder and scared kiddos. This morning I thought it was going to go out again but we were lucky.

I managed to re-arrange a few rooms today and pack up a lot of the Christmas decorations.

I got some fun fabric in the mail and am dying to start sewing again - hopefully soon!

Merry Christmas

Here's a photo of Hubby and I from the cheesy sweater party...

(poor hubby doesn't look his best but I looked ok and that's all that matters - right?!)

We are off to Bethlehem Village (aka our church's Christmas Eve service).

(this is from 2 years ago..we have even more things this year)

We (Hubby, my sister and I) are doing the craft booth and I spent the morning decorating our tent. It's really fun for the kids - lots of activities and then a message by our pastor.

I wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Back in the saddle again

I'm back to sewing again (although I do think the sewing machine is in need of a little tune-up). I finished up my sister-in-law's enormous bag (man, that bag is big) and wrapped it before I took any pictures. I know - bad blogger. Maybe later I'll unwrap it for a little photo shoot.

Speaking of photo shoots, we tried to get one of the kids before our progressive dinner party on Sat. night (which was so fun - all the houses are super close...4 in all and we walked to each one after driving to the first house).

I want to do another one on the beach one of these days but these were good for some memories of Christmas 2008. I never send out Christmas cards - I don't know why - it just always seems like too much effort.

(I like the funny face ones)

Today I sewed up the boys' pajamas...and cut out Bela's. I'll finish them up either tonight or tomorrow.

I also made some toffee this morning which turned out great (thank goodness).

In addition to losing the sewing mojo the other day, I apparently lost the cooking one as well since I managed to severely burn a batch of toffee and overcook a batch of fudge (both had to be thrown away). Today's batch was totally fine and super yummy. 

I boxed up some for a co-worker of Hubby's (they carpool in to work together).

I also made this today.

It's for collecting sea shells (and the sand falls out of the screen). A friend of mine had similar ones for her kids and the screen had ripped so she wanted me to make another one. This is my prototype and is a present for Bela.

I really like the whole idea and am planning on making more. Maybe after Christmas I'll put some in my Etsy shop.

Not sure if I'll post again until after Christmas so hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas surrounded by those they love!

Sewing Mojo

I seem to have misplaced mine. Maybe it all leaked out when I sewed up the cheesy sweaters.

I was attempting to make some pot holders for a hostess present and they just weren't coming out as well as I wanted them to.

You know those days when you feel like your sewing is off...today is one of those days. At least I didn't attempt the Birdie Sling!

So I finished one set that are OK but I'm still debating on whether to give them away or not. I may just hide them in the growing pile of my own potholders.

I decided instead for tonight's party I would just get a bottle of wine or champagne instead. So I whipped up a quick wine bag that was foolproof (as long as it fits!).

While I was photographing the pot holders on my bed I noticed this...

Hmm...a lovely purple crayon. Apparently Harold isn't the only child with a purple crayon (our lovely apron model is to blame for this one).

Guess I'd better get going on my Common Threads quilt so I can replace this quilt with it.

I soooo need to be working on my quilt block for November too. Maybe this weekend.

Oh and did I mention I've joined another virtual quilting bee...I really better get on the ball!

Cheesy goodness

But not of the food variety.

I was wracking my brain for a cheesy sweater idea when I spied two (gasp) Mary Engelbreit pillows that I've had for a few years (and picked them up at Price Busters super cheap - don't worry). They were on their last legs - unraveling and all and would not have made it through another Christmas.

I cut the fronts off the pillows and just sewed them onto the sweaters - easy and fast.

(I used a ball-tip needle)

I picked up the green sparkly number at Walmart on clearance since I really don't have any sweaters (just a few hoodies).

Hubby's isn't as cheesy as mine but I think his is a lot more comfortable.

Here's the fabric for Hope's bag. I'm not sure I'll get to it today as I have to make a hostess present and twice-baked potatoes to take tonight (and it's a grown-up party which is always fun).

This is a little apron (along with a bonnet) I made for my friend's daughter in exchange for a cape for my son. The cape is under our tree...along with a magician's set.

I made one for our little model too - it's going in her stocking.

OK off to mail out some Esty orders (yeah!) and get some potatoes.

Catching up

I'm still working at (slowly) posting things on Etsy...taking pictures and finishing up last little things like pockets on "Little Helper" aprons.

I cut out the Birdie Sling for my sister-in-law and am going to sew it up tomorrow. It's darker colors than I usually use and I am anxious to see how it comes out.

I had to sew up some curtains for my mom (for my brother's room) out of sheets - easy hemming stuff - before he arrives home tomorrow from college.

And I'm working on some hostess gifts for a few parties this weekend.

Tomorrow night we have a "Cheesy Sweater" party and living in Hawaii, we don't own any sweaters. I'm looking around the house at Christmas decorations I can somehow tack on to a sweater but not sure on a plan yet.

I'm thinking about making some fudge and toffee to go along with some potholders or something as a hostess gift for that party.

Sat. night we have a progressive dinner with a group of families - we used to do it when we were all little and they resurrected it again last year. I already have my gifts wrapped up for those hostesses (aprons and tote bags from the craft fair).

Not sure how all those things will end up going as there is another huge rainstorm headed our way.

Maybe I'll end up spending the weekend sewing...I do have a few "want-to-do" things on my list...like this, this and of course the pj's.

New fabric and a sale

I got some new fabric in the mail today - perfect for Christmas Eve pj's for the kids.

And my prize from the giveaway extravaganza - thanks Katy!

I also had my first sale on Etsy...thanks Tanya. I added a little ornament to the package as a prize for my first sale.

I haven't sewn any the past couple days....catching up on laundry and of course lots of time on the computer. It is still overcast but hasn't rained which is so good.

My sister-in-law had requested a bag for her birthday but since I am a lame-o and didn't make it in time I emailed her some patterns (and fabric choices) to choose from and she chose this one. 

I've had the pattern for a while but never got around to trying it out - now I can! I told her I'd wrap it up as her "birthday present that she can open on Christmas".

Not sure if I've mentioned this before but all the adults in my family (there are 9 of us) draw names (on Thanksgiving) so we only have to buy for one person (unless your hubby is not a shopper and then you buy for two people and pretend he bought the ones for his person). It's a lot cheaper - we have a limit and that way everyone gets some nice gifts and we don't have to stress about buying gifts for everyone - except my parents...who have to buy presents for all of us. I think it's a law.

We have my brother and brother-in-law this year so not many handmade options there. I have made my mom and sister a few things even though they aren't technically "on my list".

I am going handmade on hostess gifts and gifts for friends. I actually ordered this pattern for two sewing friends and gave them both a little stack of charm squares and a yard of fabric.

I have a few more sewing items on my to-do list so we'll see if I can get them done before next week.

OK off to Costco now....

Etsy

OK it's official...look over there to the right --->

My Etsy shop is up and running. It did take me forever to load a couple things so I have lots more to load but I think I'm done for today.

I took some pictures this morning of all the totes. I have to add some pockets to some aprons before I list them too. 

All in all, I'm just glad I got going and finally got my feet wet.