Epic Dinner Fail pt II

It was edible. Luckily I have made passable Marsala before or this would definitely have doomed the dish for our family.

Epic Dinner Fail

I am trying to make Chicken Marsala. I have made this before. Unfortunately I just added half a cup of red wine vinegar from a fancy bottle instead of adding half a cup Marsala wine in the fridge. The vinegar is in a fancier bottle so I guess that's what fooled me.

Mom suggested turning it into sweet and sour (eww with mashed potatoes and mushrooms) or doubling everything else in the recipe. I tried another cup of stock, then another, finally I have just dumped the rest of the carton in there. Not sure how much was left. Hopefully this will work. It won't be chicken Marsala but maybe it will be edible.

Gussied Up

Gussied Up

Credits:

• And So It Goes Page Kit Plus by Carole Harden
• And So It Goes Again Page Kit Plus by Carole Harden
• Balancing Act Quick Click by Carole Harden

Smile

Smile

Credits:

• Delta Dawn Page Kit by Teresa Loman

Yum! New Go To Breakfast is Found.

I found these on Pinterest

From Dashing Dish

Total and complete yum all around. All three of us loved them so tonight I took a page from Once a Month Mom and froze a batch for us to eat this month.

I did a batch of ten because the Canadian bacon I found had ten slices. For some reason I was thinking I would add stuff to the eggs and put them all in a bowl to measure into my ramekins for microwaving. Big mistake. First - nothing is added to the eggs so this wasn't needed (total brain fart). Second - it made a big mess transferring stuff around. Third - (because it bears repeating) nothing is added to the eggs you dip. Anyway hopefully I will remember next time.

Now that the sandwiches are all in the freezer they can be taken out the night before and nuked or put in Pat's lunch. 30 sec to 1 min to reheat and boom instant, lovely, yummy, pretty healthy breakfast!

It's been awhile since I had an Egg McMuffin from McDonalds so I am not sure how it compares but it reminds me of Eggs Benedict without the sauce. Swiss cheese is a yummy sub for the sauce though so I am not complaining.

These sandwiches are more convenient than a McMuffin or a Benny and they are way more healthy. Total win win win for all.

Play All Day

Play All Day

Credits:

• Play All Day Value Collection by Elizabeth Weaver
• Birthstone: January Value Collection by Elizabeth Weaver

Growing, Growing, Gone

My Baby is Growing to Fast

Layout of the Day on DSP's blog

 

Credits:

• And So It Goes Page Kit Plus by Carole Harden (everything else)
• And So It Goes Again Page Kit Plus by Carole Harden (flowers and black BG)

Week Fourteen: D11

Two colours. Applique. Inset seams. This took all my spare time today. Points aren't getting any better. I can't seem to get that balance between huge mountains and frayed ends. I get one or the other and mushy points. Oh well, I will keep working on it.

D11 Snow Crystal

47, 12, 0. 1225

Knitting and Crochet Blog Week – Day 4 4KCBWDAY4

I love colour all, tints shades and value. I am more drawn to vibrant and jewel tones but love subtle and natural shades as well.

My knitting stash does not reflect my taste yet. I am still a very new knitter so the vast majority of my stash is donated or bought super cheap and reflects someone's elses taste or leftovers no one else wanted. At the store I find myself drawn to multicoloured ombres and gradients more than solids. Bright super saturated colour is my favorite.

Photobombing

Photobomb

In March we traveled to the mall to visit the Easter Bunny. Isabelle, Piper, Mommy, Grandma and Aunt Tracy, who was visiting from Indiana.

We arrived early so Isabelle and Piper danced in the magic lights on the floor in front of the Bunny’s grotto while we waited.
The Easter Bunny arrived dressed in a handsome frock coat and spectacles. Piper ran up to greet the Easter Bunny enthusiastically and while the sight of a giant bunny did not cause Isabelle to run screaming and crying to Mommy he was clearly not to be trusted by persons with any intelligence.
Isabelle was not afraid of the Easter Bunny but there was no way she was going to turn her back on him.

The grotto was chock full of eggs to throw, pretty flowers to pick and great things to play with but the bunny himself was suspect and must be kept in sight at all times. Despite the best efforts of three professionals, Mommy, Grandma and Aunt Tracy Isabelle would not sit or stand still anywhere in the grotto with the bunny behind her.

All morning Piper sat patiently and pleasantly while photo after photo was taken of Isabelle's back or Isabelle shaped streaks running through the frame. Finally the photographer managed to get a shot of Isabelle running past the camera.

Thus after hours of effort we have a beautiful photo of what appears to be Isabelle photobombing Piper's portrait with the Easter Bunny.

Credits:

• Birthday Good Times Page Kit by Erica Belton
• More Birthday Good Times Page Kit by Erica Belton
• Birthday Good Times Back Pack by Erica Belton

Knitting and Crochet Blog Week – Day 3 4KCBWDAY3

Infographics.

Going to let this one speak for itself. Pretty much applies to anything.

This is how I came to learn to knit.

Week Fourteen: Advanced

This week's tough block is D10. Lots of little pieces and tiny sections. The block is slightly wonky but not as wonky as the scan. The scan is unacceptably wonky but the block is acceptable.

D10 Battlefield

46, 12, 0. 1208

Playground

Playground

Credits:

• Beautiful Day 2 Page Kit Plus by Meryl Bartho
• Cracked & Creased No1. Overlay by Meryl Bartho

Learning to Knit: Day ???

Whimsical

I have two projects "on the needles" right now. Whimsical hat from Hattitude and Shadow Cable baby blanket a free pattern from Bernat.

The hats are for Kaytie and her soon to be born baby Hazel. I will make the hat pink to blue for the baby and blue to pink for Kaytie. The hats are so cute I will also make one for Isabelle and I may make them for the rest of the girls.

I love the baby blanket but it's a big project and slow going. Turning out beautifully so I am very happy with it. Isabelle loves it she  calls the yarn pretty and soft and squooshie.

Baby Blanket

I have so many things I want to make. My ravelry queue is almost as long as my Netflix queue. It is hard to decide what to make first. Especially when I am finding new and exciting thing everyday to add to the list. I keep telling myself "you really need to prioritize your time and resources". I am really firm and direct and I always respect my opinion and have good intentions but then I find something else to inspire me. A book, a magazine, a pattern, another person's project, beautiful yarn. The list is going to be endless for the rest of my life.

Knitting and Crochet Blog Week – Day 2 4KCBWDAY2

Today's topic:

Your task today is to either think of or research a project that embodies that house/animal. It could be a knitting or crochet pattern – either of the animal itself or something that makes you think of the qualities of that house. Alternatively it could be a type or colour of yarn, or a single button. Whatever you choose, decide upon a project and blog about how and why it relates to your house/creature. You do not have to make this project! It is simply an exercise in blogging about how you come to decide upon what projects to make. Try and blog about the journey which inspiration and investigating patterns, yarns, stitches, (etc) can often guide you through. You may wish to make a collage or 'mood board' to present several ideas, or even sketch out your own design.
 

When I am not actively doing something I am planning something. When I am doing something which requires little thought I am planning something. I often wonder if I craft to see if my plans work out rather than to have the items I have created. I am definitely a process person.

Coming up with a project for the House of Bee is very easy. I have two points of inspiration. My Mother and my daughter. My MIL often calls Isabelle Izzy B. And thus many items from her and the people she knows incorporate bees. Especially the hand made items.

My Mother has become fascinated with bees in recent years. Specifically Emperor Bees or Napoleonic Bees. So while any happy busy little bee will do for a project for Isabelle my Mother requires a very specific style of bee. Google Napoleon Bee and you will get some cool images. My favorites were here and here

Coincidentally I recently checked out this book at the library.

Even a beginner knitter like me should be able to graph a Napoleon Bee onto one of these balls. It would make a great gift for Mom.

Colour will be a problem though. If I could find some natural looking golden or mustardy yellows and a light burlap type colour or maybe cream and yellow? Ugh I don't know. No way I could do yellow and black no matter how subtle.

 In fact I might be better off making them from something else because Mom doesn't even really put up a Christmas tree any more. Maybe something she could hang all year? Like a beaded thing or maybe polymer clay. I still want to make a ball not a flat project. Mom likes eggs maybe an egg shape.

This is going to require more thought.

Week Fourteen: D6

Very easy block. Very inappropriate name. I wonder if Jane was prone to sarcasm.

D6 Challenge

45, 12, 0, 1166

Week Fourteen: Preparation

Week Fourteen

Week thirteen was a break week and even though I am not taking it all my prepared stuff has this week and future weeks based on thirteen not being used. Tiny bit confusing so just leave it be.

This week there is one very easy block, one two colour block, one appliqued, one triangle, and one advanced block. Good mix.


The blocks are D6, D10, D11, D8, D9, RS11






44, 12, 0, 1157

Burn Off

Burn Off

Credits:

• Whatever the Weather Mega Kit by DSP Designers
• Bokeh & Sparkles Stamp Set by Elizabeth Weaver

Knitting and Crochet Blog Week – Day 1 4KCBWDAY1

Even though this is not a knitting blog and I am a few days late I've decided to participate in Eskimimi's fourth annual Knitting & Crochet Blog Week. I want to blog with more purpose and am hoping this will help me.

Day one is all about defining yourself as a knitter using the Harry Potter house sorting method. While I find a part of myself in each of the four houses I think it is fairly obvious that I am a bee.

House of Bee

The House of Bee: Bees are busy and industrious, but can flit from one interesting project to the next as bright and shiny things capture their interest.

I flit everyday and am constantly distracted by new projects but I am pretty good about finishing my projects (or at least completing  them to my idea of finished)

I am very industrious. As a Domestic Manager I have a lot to do everyday but I still try to find time to fit in a scrapbook page, a quilt block, and some knitting. My page is usually done in the early morning while Isabelle is eating and doing her thing. She likes to be independent first thing in the morning but this usually ends around 10am and then its time for playing with, reading with, or helping Mommy. The quilt block is usually done during nap time. Knitting is done in the evenings while watching TV with the hubster. If my beloved Mother in Law takes Isabelle in the morning or afternoon and I am able to use the time for myself I usually sneak in another page or block depending on how I feel.

House of Manatee

That said the reason I like to knit is because I love to make warm snugly useful things. How Manatee is that? To me knitting is all about comfort and warmth. Yes I know I know there is plenty of beauty and neato stuff too but if you look at my ravelry queue and finished objects you'll see that the majority is practical and warm. Such a shame I live in Texas and can only use that stuff two days a year.

The House of Manatee: Manatees are gentle, calm and cuddly. Relaxed and unflashy they represent the comfort and soft side of knitting and crochet.



House of Monkey

Why did I learn to knit in the first place? After all I needed another craft like I needed another hole in the head. It's because I am also a Monkey.

The House of Monkey: Intelligent and with a fun loving side, Monkeys like to be challenged with every project presenting them with something new and interesting.

That is me. I see someone else doing something and I am all about figuring out how to do it myself and almost every project I take on involves learning a new skill.

Last is the Peacock.

House of Peacock

The House of Peacock: Peacocks take something good and make it brilliant. Buttons, embellishments and a bit of sparkle prove that perfection lies in the details – like a Peacock's Tail.

I do not see a Peacock in my knitting. All to often I find a row of garter in a sea of stockinette and actually consider leaving it alone. OK I confess I have left a single row of garter in a sea of stockinette in two sweaters and a poncho. Obviously I do not sweat the details in my knitting. I do in my quilting and especially my scrapbooking so I conclude peacocks are more experienced in the craft and thus less distracted by new and shiny techniques. Unlike me they aren't struggling to just follow the pattern so they can easily spot and deal with mistakes in their own work and in the pattern.

However I am a huge peacock while scrapbooking. I would still consider myself mostly a bee while scrapbooking but peacock is closing the gap. I am believe I am 45% peacock while scrapbooking. Less than 10% while knitting. 30- 40% while quilting.

The House of Bee is definitely where I belong but I can see myself in any of the houses. I don't know how that hat does it at Hogwarts.

Smell the Flowers

Smell the Flowers

Credits:

• Time For Pretty Value Collection by Teresa Loman

The Park

The Park

Credits:

• Bramble Preserves Page Kit by Erica Belton

Growing So Fast

Growing So Fast

Credits:

• Remember When Page Kit Plus by Lora Speiser

Week Twelve: Finished PS

Forgot to add my Dear Jane Blocks are now 22% done!

Week Twelve: Finished

Finally this bad patch is over. I finished all the week twelve block on the 18th. Approximately a month behind schedule. In my defence I was very very sick but only for about a week. I really have no excuse for the other week I basically just kind of gave up for a bit.

I'm back on track now and I should be able to catch up with the original schedule. I'm not going to worry if I don't though because this is a year long project and I will get there when I get there.







44, 12, 0, 1157

Week Twelve: RS8

I think I should have reverse appliqued this block and RS8 as that technique would have made it easier to keep the shapes in line on the background properly.

RS8 Love Forever

44, 12, 0, 1157

Week Twelve: TR8

All applique all the time. Points are improving but still need work.

TR8 Brigadoon

44, 11, 0, 1152

Week Twelve: RS4

Fun block I like the wrapped up look.

RS4 Dutch Apron

44, 10, 0, 1146

Week Twelve: E5

I love this block it combines piecing and applique.

E5 Rising Sun

44, 9, 0, 1131

Week Twelve: D13

This block was so easy it doesn't reall deserve it's own entry.

D12 Field of Dreams

43, 9, 0, 1114

Week Twelve: C7

Stupid hard block. Lots of teeny tiny pieces and little sections to be put together.

C7 Megan's Mountain Laurel

42, 9, 0, 1109

Week Twelve: Preparation

Week Twelve

This is the week where everything went wrong. The printer broke and then I got severely sick. Really took the heart out of me and half of this week's blocks sat unfinished for almost a month.

Rather fitting that this is mostly a blue week. Week twelve has one stupid hard block one stupid easy block two applique and three triangles. C7, D13, E5, RS4, TR8, RS8.





41, 9, 0, 1065





Week Eleven: Finished

This was a very challenging block. Tons of inset seams and some very small pieces. I pieced the entire block except the tiny square in the center. Machine kept munching the square so to save the surrounding pieces I decided to applique the center patch. Worth the effort and definitely a favorite.

D2 Mouse in a Mirror

With this block week eleven is finished. Challenging week. Gorgeous blocks.




41, 9, 0, 1065

Week Eleven: D1

Simple paper piecing with some super skinny pieces (less than 1/4 inch).

Alison's Guiding Light

40, 9, 0, 1036

Week Eleven: C11

I must confess. I did this block with applique not curved piecing. The pieces are so small the just kept getting munched in my machine. Even using my long tweezers of a stiletto didn't help. I gave up when the fabric became so damaged it needed to bereplaced. So the print areas are squares and the background areas are appliqued.

With my (still) poor applique skills this would have been a much better looking block if I could have pieced it. But on the bright side I have passed the 1k patches milestone on the quilt!









39, 9, 0, 1014

Week Eleven: C13

Two colours used in this block.

Lakota Sioux

38, 9, 0, 994

Week Eleven: C10

Lots of little pieces but not difficult.

C10 Patriot's Lantern

37, 9, 0, 969

Booties

Booties

Credits:

• Life is Good Value Collection by Lauren Bavin

Week 11: Preparation



Week Eleven

This is not an easy week. Two advanced blocks, two rare two colour blocks, inset seams, curved piecing and some teeny weenie pieces.

 

Making blocks C10, C13, C11, D1, D2, and D4. Well not D4 I did that last week as a swap block. D4 is now orange not red and in slot D3 on the quilt.

There are very few two coloured blocks in the Dear Jane quilt. Some I decided to make one colour but I felt D2 needed the extra colour. It's an advanced block and the extra colour helps spoint out the dificult bits in the block. Without the orange it blends together. C13 also needed the extra colour. The green really makes those cornerstones pop.






36, 9, 0, 932

Week Ten: Finished

This one went a bit wrong coming together but not enough to redo it.

BR2 Leigh's Woods

I have now finished 17% of the blocks in my Dear Jane quilt.






36, 9, 0, 932

Week Ten: TR9

TR9 Needle's Point

This one was a bit tricky. Easy paper piecing and the middle diamond is reverse applique. My best reverse applique to date!



36, 8, 0, 901

Week Ten: C8

Very pretty block. All paper piecing.

C8 Hani's Crown

36, 7, 0, 891

Week Ten: C5

This is the block which caused a minor breakdown or a major tantrum depending on how charitable you are feeling towards me.

Oops

As you can see I made a four square block instead of a pinwheel block and didn't notice until I was trimming and pressing the "finished" block. What a maroon. eh Doc?

C5 Eye if the Cyclone

Huge difference between this and the first block. I really don't know where my head is sometimes.

This is a very neat block. Love the design. I am very fond of curves and pinwheels so this is definitely a favorite. That wonkiness in the top right quad is from the scanner the block lays nice and flat in person.





35, 7, 0, 870

Week Ten: Blog Catch Up

Wow I hadn't realized just how far behind I had gotten on the blog. A whole week longer than I am behind in the project. Ouch.

Plus Miss Thing finally fell asleep and I am afraid to use the scanner for fear she will wake up. I'm working on it but this is going to take longer than I hoped. So nothing new unfortunately.

Progress Report

Project Dear Jane:
Yes I am behind. But! Last night I completed the final block for week twelve so I am finally making progress. The new printer works great and I am no longer sick so I shouldn't have any more issues. The timetable is very doable I just have to do it. Throughout today (and probably tomorrow) I will be scanning and posting all the blocks I haven't put on the blog yet.

Project Learning to Knit:
Yes I am still learning to knit. A baby is on the way in the family and I am working on a couple hats and possibly some booties. I am still plugging away at Isabelle's blanket and I will get back to my Fearless Knitting as soon as I finish the baby things for Hazel (who is due to arrive in June). I would also like to start on some Christmas Balls I saw in a super cool book but not until I finish Isabelle's blanket.

Project Scrapbook:
Obviously as a member of DSP's DET I am making pages almost everyday. I promise to start posting them here as well. I have been good about posting them on Pinterest.

March

March 2013

Credits:

• My Sweet Girl Mega Kit by DSP Designers
• GoGo March Quick Click by Suzanne C. Walker

Winter

Winter

 

Credits:

• What If Page Kit by Elizabeth Weaver

No Touch MY Peanbudder



No Touch MY Peanbudder

 Credits:

• What If Page Kit by Elizabeth Weaver

Fingers

Fingers

Credits:

April 2013 DSP Club Digital:

• Be Such Page Kit by Elizabeth Weaver
• Key Lime Pie Backgrounds by Tina Chambers

Isabelle

Isabelle

 Layout of the day on DSP's blog

 

Credits:

• And So It Goes Again Page Kit Plus by Carole Harden

 

I grabbed a couple more flowers from these kits:

• Simply Irresistable Page Kit by Carole Harden from January 2010 DSP Club Digital by DSP Designers
• My Bliss Page Kit by Carole Harden January 2011 DSP Club Digital by DSP Designers

Cute

Cute

Credits:

• Birthday Good Times Page Kit by Erica Belton
• More Birthday Good Times Page Kit by Erica Belton
• Birthday Good Times Back Pack by Erica Belton
• Laying Low Quick Click by Erica Belton from July 2009 Club Digital by DSP Designers