Summer Wind

It's starting to feel a lot like summer around here...and now I have a new summer bag!

I LOVE this bag! It's one of those times when the picture in your head matches the end product exactly. I could not be happier with how this turned out, and I'm thinking about making a couple more and making it into a pattern.

I used 1 charm pack, 1 fat quarter (binding and handles), and 1/2 yd. (lining) and batting remnants to make it. Happy, happy me!

The daisies are starting to bloom as you can see above. Daisies and hydrangeas are two of my favorite flowers and they are both blooming right now. We've really enjoyed our garden this year. We've already had a crop of lettuce, and now we're getting zucchini and beans. Tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots are on the way!

Happy Memorial Day to everyone, and especially to those who have lost service members. We owe a great debt of gratitude and remembrance to those who gave their lives for this wonderful country.

Perky Pincushion

I whipped up this pincushion for a co-worker who had a bad day and was feeling kinda low. I wanted it to look happy and spring-like. I just remembered to snap a picture of it as I was wrapping it up!

I cut out pieces for two, so I'll whip the other one together and have a new pincushion for myself too!

Peas & Carrots

I'm working on a new purse/tote using the Peas & Carrots charm pack I bought. I decided to try and make as much of the purse using as many of the 5 inch squares as possible. Seems to be working pretty well so far!

I'm also hand quilting the outside in a squiggly, freehand kinda style.

Happy Mothers' Day!

I am so thankful to the Lord for the mother He gave me. She has been gone 10 years now, and I have only sweet and wonderful memories of her. She truly was a woman who feared the Lord, and I praise her for the loving, kind, funny, sweet, silly mom and best friend she was to me!

Charming

I've discovered a few new blogs (which I need to add to my blogroll one of these days!) which are delightful. A couple of them are people I'd heard of before, but didn't know they now had blogs. And a couple are new discoveries.

Barbara Brandeburg

Fresh Figs / Fig Tree Quilts

Bunny Tales

The Late Bloomer

That's the greatest thing about this blog-world. You can always find something new and fresh to get your own creativity flowing, and to suit whatever mood you're in...it's a good thing.

The charm packs above are my newest fabric purchases. I'm thinking of purses and totes right now, and I'm feeling patchwork-y and summer-y. So I thought the 5" squares would be a good fit. Hopefully I'll get to working on them before fall!

Cupcake Country

We love cupcakes around here. They're the perfect size and so cheerful! It's hard not to like a cupcake, I find. But I found a new and delicious recipe in the newest edition of Midwest Living.

They are Kansas Sunflower Cupcakes (recipe on page 164). I made them yesterday and my husband raved (actually, he said he thought he heard angels singing, such was his delight!). And it makes a perfect dozen. Not too many.

The only substitution I made was for the wheat germ, because I didn't have any. So I put in some graham cracker crumbs. A definite keeper!

Springtime in Arkansas

A few looks at the color in our yard. Spring in Arkansas means you can almost see it growing. That's especially true for the beans and cucumbers!

Victoria Magazine

Well, here's interesting news....Victoria magazine is planning a comeback. I'll be taking a wait-and-see attitude since there doesn't seem to be any mention of Nancy Lindemeyer or other longtime Victoria editors. Several magazines have tried to duplicate what Victoria had and they always seem to be just shy of the mark, you know what I mean?

But, if it works...woo hoo! Because I love my old Victoria's!

Saturday Morning Breakfast

Pancakes and sausage! I made them last weekend and though I would share the recipe for a great pancake from scratch. I like to make mine about the size of a CD. I can get about 16-18 pancakes from this recipe. I keep them warm in the oven until they're all cooked.

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

dash salt

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups buttermilk (I use the buttermilk powder)

1 tablespoon butter, melted

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, buttermilk and butter. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined (I use a whisk). Heat a griddle to medium high and pour about 1/4 cup of batter onto the griddle. Cook 1 to 2 minutes until bubbles cover the surface and the edges are slightly dry. Flip and cook about 30 seconds or so. Enjoy!

Happy May Day!

A day late!