The Mint Needle

Here's a little something to keep you warm in the cold weather season:) I call this "The Power Tea" because that's exactly what it is when we start to feel run down. This is how I make it: 2 cups water 1 heaping Tablespoon of raw honey a handful of cranberries 4 thin slices of ginger root 1 slice of lemon Now, at first, you're probably thinking..."geez, that's a lot of ingredients for just two cups," but I promise, it's tastes delicious. Besides, if it's too strong for your liking, you can always dilute it with more water. Place all ingredients in the water and bring it to a boil. Stay close by because as soon as it's ready, it will boil over. When it does, remove it from the heat and cover to let it steep for 5 minutes. That's it!  Ginger is very spicy & alone with honey, makes a great tea. Cranberries are packed with Vitamin C and antioxidants, so buy as much as you can now, and stick them in t...

Ya know what? A coffee cup can used for more things than coffee. How 'bout using for the perfect circle size for a little scalloped bunting? Now I know that for some of you, it's too earlier to break out the Christmas cheer, but I couldn't help myself! There was just something about that vintage Santa Claus fabric that kept smiling at me each time I worked a different project! Anyways... here's how simple it was to make! Gather some color coordinated fabric, a washable marker, double folded bias tape, & your favorite coffee cup! On the wrong side of the fabric, trace some circles using your coffee cup. I did two a time by folding my fabric in half, tracing, pinning, then cutting. Take those perfect circles to the chopping block one more time. I love these handy little grids. I took off 1 inch to create my flat side. Sew them together. Now...this part is not a must, but it does make for nicer, 'smoother' half scallops...

I've done the unthinkable... the one thing I promised myself I wouldn't do..... I stitched mommy and me tops! Yikes... What has happened to me?  I know, I know. Those of you that know me will be laughing hysterically as I am the farthest thing from believing children and mothers should dress the same, but can you blame me? Look how cute the tops are. It all started when a shopping trip ended in purchasing a top I wanted to re-create. Long story short, it didn't happen. And I think it's okay. I wouldn't have had enough fabric to make a 'mini me' one. To make the pattern, I grabbed the new top I purchased and placed it on the blank side of a wrapping paper roll. (I always by cheap wrapping paper just for this purpose.) After I traced around it, I folded the pattern in half and then cut the side that appeared the 'cleanest' with drawing lines. That way my t-shirt was balanced. For the front, I used the same pattern piece again, ...

Hoping everyone has a fun, safe, & super sweet Halloween! Here's to welcoming November:)

Hello friends! Remember my last little post where I said "french seams = infinity scarves"? Well, ta-da! Here you have it! The fool-proof way to create your own one of kind scarves that have a flawless finish. Let's start by asking.... What is a french seam? A french seam is a seam with raw edges enclosed so that nothing that can fray is visible or loose.  Once you try it, everything you make will have a french seam. I promise. For this project, you will need a piece of fabric, something light weight of a cotton blend. Cut it 20 inches wide by 54 inches long. (If you prefer a really loose scarf, length should be increased to 60 inches or longer.) Start by finishing the "length" sides with a simple a tight stitch. Fold in a tiny portion of fabric and sew.  Fold it over again and stitch another straight line right on top of the one you just did.  (This keeps the fray edge inside.) Next, you will start your french seam. Fold...

Hey busy moms! I bet you you look at those crafty websites and think, "ya, only if I had time." Right? Well I promise you, this is one of the quickest knitting projects out there!  All I did was make a row of 40 stitches and continued, keeping the knit side with the knit, & the purl side with the purl.  Once I had my desired length, I folded it in half to make my "width". By using a crochet hook, I was able to gather the ends and make a cowl. How simple was that? This is a pretty fool proof method if you don't have the circular knitting needles available! I added two pearled buttons with a needle and sewing thread. I love the way this looks so much that I opted to start a little late night project of my own. This gorgeous grayish blue was just too pretty to pass up. (Except with this one, I'm going to do a little striped design by randomly doing knit & purl stitches together.) On another note.......

Growing up, Autumn was always known for one thing ~ food preserving. Though it means so much more to me now, I can't shake the memories of canned veggies & pickled salads lining our pantry & fridge in every which direction. So tasty each time, I've decided to leave the canning to my mom & go a different preserving route. Dehydrating!  (Some of you may remember  this  post from last year.) I thought it would be a great idea to add our quince fruit into the apple mix! But...I'm not planning on eating it dried right away. Instead...we'll be steeping it for some delicious, Vitamin C packed tea. Quince is wonderful for so many reasons. Mainly used for digestive disorders like stomach pain & diarrhea, did you know that the tea can also treat a cough? It carries huge anti-viral properties and it's loaded with fiber. Quince juice is even good for those suffering from anemia and asthma.  Using any dried fruits for tea rem...