This is why I LOVE The Dollar Tree...

Where else can you spend $3.00 on this...

and turn it into this?

 

I wanted a fall door hangy wreath doomajig but after looking in the stores, I didn't want to pay $$$$ for one.  I'm really not that crafty but I thought how hard can it be?  Joann's and Hobby Lobby were selling similar stuff for about $10-$15 total.  Which isn't much, really, but I am WAY frugal or ::coughcheapcough::

So I waltzed into my local Dollar Tree.  I absolutely LOVE this place.  Everything is a buck!!  A BUCK.  It boggles my mind.

Say hello to my little friend...

I received it in the mail Tuesday via Amazon!  I'm so excited about this machine.  It has 70 stitches and came with 10 presser feet and a large quilting table attachment.  There is a lot that this machine can do that I don't know how to yet, but the manual seems to be pretty easy to understand.  I"m not sure what the deal is with the puppy dog photo...I guess you can add your favorite photo in the frame...that's kinda weird but whatever.   I bought refurbished to save money and I was hoping I didn't get suckered by that move.  So far I haven't noticed anything off so YAY for a GREAT deal! 

I had some baby gifts to make and I need to get started on Christmas gifts so I've been sewing all week and here are the results so far:

Taggie Blankie

Baby boy matching flannel bottoms:

So far this machine is great!  It's quiet, it's smooth.  It's electronic...  With so many stitches to choose from I didn't quite know where to begin, but I basically just used my straight stitch and the zig zag.  The machine came with an over-stitch presser foot so I can get a Serger like look for a finished edge.  I LOVE it.  It even has a blind hem stitch presser foot for hemming. 

My next project is Addy's Thanksgiving jumper.  I want to try to add applique and am a little nervous about that.  But the machine is supposed to have a monogramming foot and monogramming stitches so I guess I'll have to learn fast. 

Morning adventures..

I'm always late.  I blame my father.  It MUST be genetic, because I really am responsible. I swear!  So why is it that the morning I am super duper late, my kid decides to be a little diva.  And by diva I mean...

First, she decides that she is NOT going to potty this morning because it's such a CHORE so she proceeds to run around the house in her diaper screaming "NOOOO DON'T WANNA POTTTTTYYYYY!!!!!.  DON'T DO THAT MOMMY!!"  So now I"m chasing a pissed off kid, hoping that she doesn't lose her bladder functions before I can wrestle her on the potty. 

Okay.  Potty is done.  Whew.  I"m already exhausted and have decided that I'm not really a fan of potty training... she can totally wear a diaper until she's five. 

NOW we have to get her dressed.  She's still naked at this point because she doesn't want to wear Dora underwear NOR does she want to wear a pullup.  Greeeeeeaaat..she's perfectly fine going to school without underpants, nice.  So now I have a completely naked toddler taking Addy's Last Stand over getting dressed for school.  FINE.  Let's do this, kid.

So I put on Mickey Mouse to distract her whilst I try to slip (wrestle) a T-shirt over her head.  I'm met with "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOS DON'T WANNNA WEAR DIS!!  WANNA PRINCESS DRESSS!!  NOOOOOSSS!!!!!" *insert smushy face sad cries and ninja arm blocks* 

....and she's off.  She's a pretty fast runner.  So NOW I'm REALLY late and chasing a completely naked toddler around and around and around our living room and kitchen, which I now realize is kinda roomy and could in fact double as an indoor track if I ever needed a good workout on a rainy day.  By this point she's laughing hysterically because isn't this fun??  Mommy chasing Addy is always her favorite game! 

Finally.  I catch the kid.  Plop her on the couch.  Explain to her that this T-Shirt is in fact a beautiful princess T-Shirt and she can even wear the beautiful princess pony tails too.  She seems to accept this.  I'm safe for now. 
But wait...now we actually have to GET IN THE CAR and GO to SCHOOL.  OMG. 

"NOOOOOS DON'T WANNA GO SCHOOL!!!  DON'T WANNA SEE FWENDS!!!  WAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!11!" 

...Aaaaaaaand we are off again.

Really.  How do you explain this to your boss? 



 

Zucchini Lasagna

I made this pasta free lasagna tonight because I'm back on the eat right, eat clean kick so I thought I'd share.  It's actually quite tasty!  I didn't even notice there was no pasta in it!

Ingredients
2 large zucchini cut lengthwise
8 oz part skim mozzarella cheese
2 cup low fat cottage cheese
2 egg white
Ragu light tomato and basil
1 pound of lean turkey, beef, or chicken.  I used Turkey.
garlic, salt, pepper


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut your zucchini lengthwise in 1/4 inch strips so that you have 18 strips total.  This is your pasta.  Season with garlic, salt, pepper, and sprinkle with olive oil then cook in oven for about 15 minutes.
Cook meat and sauce until done
combine cottage cheese, egg whites, and seasoning in separate bowl, set aside.
In a 9x13 pan, spread 1/4 cup of meat sauce on the bottom
Layer with zucchini
Add a layer of cottage cheese mix
Add a layer of meat sauce
Sprinkle with mozzarella
Repeat two more times

cover with foil and bake in oven for 30 minutes.  Remove foil for the last 10 minutes of cooking.
Makes 9 servings

Then you can ruin the whole eat healthy process like I did by adding fattening garlic bread. 

And some pics:

 

Nutritional info:

  1 serving = 190 calories, 7 grams of fat, 10 g carb, 21 g protein





The end. 

Gearing up for Christmas

I can 't even believe September is almost over.  What the hell is happening to this year?!  It's flying by WAY to fast.  I wish I had that awesome stop time ability like on Sabrina the Teenage Witch so I could just do the shit I need to do and not have to rush around like a crazy person! 

So I'm already (a bit late) gearing up for Christmas.  This is the year I finally get to host...I've been dreaming about hosting Christmas since I was a little girl..some girls dream of their wedding..I dream of hosting family Christmas Griswold style.  My grandmother hosted the BEST CHRISTMASES ever known to man and my best memories are from cooking with her and my mom, and preparing to feed a large family.  We had great times and wonderful traditions.

I am so.flipping.excited about this.  BUT this means I have to move my ass on making Christmas gifts!  I"ve made my list, checked it twice...but last time I checked, I don't have any stinkin elves hiding in the closet so it's just me and my sewing machine.

Here is a little sneak peak at what I'm inspired by...

 

Beautiful Vera Wang Wool Nylon...DROOL.  I wonder what this is going to be and who it's going to be for?  

Plaid Christmas taffeta with metallic threading...This is going to be Addy's Christmas dress...I'm inspired by a couple of looks but I'm mainly looking at copying the design this dress from Crazy 8:

The rest is going to be a secret...I do have at least TWO people who read this blog and those two are probably family and thus recipients of my attempts at sewing.  And I never like to give presents away early.  :D 

The hard part about this process is figuring out exactly what I want to make for everyone because I keep changing my mind whenever I come across a new pattern.  NOT to mention I still want to make A's halloween costume and Thanksgiving dress.

Maybe I"m taking on too much and SHOULD in fact hire some elves.

Cheers,

Liz

My Vogue book

So I found these books at half price yesterday during my lunch break.  All day long I was thinking about that Vogue book and couldn't wait to get home to go through it.  I was like a kid anticipating Christmas.  Not only am I a freak about fabric, I'm also a freak about books- especially old books.  Not sure why- the smell maybe?  There is just something about books that bring me comfort and happiness comparable to the buzz you get from a good glass of Pinot.  

I get home, immediately pull out my "new" vintage sewing book and discover that it is a first edition print in PRISTINE condition.  This book has never been used.  It smells so amazing I want to sleep with it.  The pages are perfectly stiff and make that wonderful whoooshing sound when they are turned.  This book has EVERYTHING a person ever wants to know about garment construction.  But now I face a dilema.  I can't obviously pour through this thing and use it as my textbook as originally planned when all I want to do is wrap it in plastic and lock it away....Is it worth anything?  Not really.  But it is to me. 

Off to Ebay where I discover that I can get a used copy for about 2 bucks so I guess I will just have to buy two. 

Cheers,

Liz

The Uniform Skirt...

...is done!

I used THIS tutorial and modified it a bit to create Addy's uniform skirt.  I decided to add shorts underneath so I used this tutorial for the shorts and then combined the two right before I added the elastic waistband.

Let me just say, pleating is hard for me.  I had to take this thing apart and rework the pleats quite a few times until I got it right and even then, after I sewed the side seams, I had to rip them out and rework the pleats...alot of ripping and resewing...but I'm learning!

I'm quite pleased with the end result and am glad I used the elastic waistband because it's very easy to get off and on for quick changes..especially since we are in the midst of potty training hell.

Addy loves her "princess" skirt and enjoyed twirling around the living room in it!  I had to bribe her with a jellybean to get a decent pic.  Whatever works, right?

Have a great day!

-Liz