Diaper clutch

While I don't have any little ones in diapers, I do home day care, and my current child is a darling baby.  Now and then, we take her with us when we run errands.  I've learned that not all places have baby changing tables and not all are clean.  To get around this problem, I made this clutch/changing pad combination. 

It slips right in my tote bag or the diaper bag and has everything I need for diaper changes on the go.  It measures about 12" x 28", counting the pocket, which is where I put her head.   It is currently holding 2 diapers and a package of wipes.  It also has a cloth diaper just because you never know when you will need a spit cloth.  There is also a little toy to use for distraction.  When we are finished, it rolls up into a neat clutch and we go back to our day. I suspect I will get a lot of use from this.

S'mores Pie-Yummy in my tummy!

If you are here looking for the pie recipe, welcome!  I hope this helps!  Please come back and visit me here whenever you get a chance.  I haven't posted a lot, but my Half-years Resolution is to make better use of this space.  Hope to see you soon!

This is a s'mores pie, and it's every bit as good as it sounds.  For those asking for the recipe, you can find it on the Hershey website.  They call it a S'mores Blondie Pie.  But, for convenience, I'll add it here.

S'mores Pie

• 6 (1.55 oz. each) HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Bars 
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1-1/2 cups marshmallow creme
• 
     1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-inch pie plate. Unwrap chocolate bars; break into pieces.
  
     2. Beat butter and sugar until blended in medium bowl. Add egg and vanilla, beat until light and fluffy. Stir in flour, graham cracker crumbs and baking powder; beat until well blended.
  
     3.  Press half of dough onto bottom and up sides of pie plate. Spread marshmallow creme over bottom of crust. The recipe says to sprinkle the remaining pieces evenly over marshmallow creme, but I broke them into the scored segments and placed them close together all over the surface of the marshmallow creme.
• 
     4. Form remaining dough into ball; place on sheet of waxed paper. With fingers, flatten and shape into 9-inch circle. Pick up waxed paper, supporting dough with hands. Flip dough onto pie surface; peel off waxed paper. Pinch edges of dough together and form crust edge.
  
        5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Microwave slices at HIGH (100%) 15 to 20 seconds or until slightly warm and marshmallow starts to melt. Top with ice cream, if desired.

Becky's Hugs

Last summer, my friends lost their beautiful 9 year old daughter in a horrible accident.  You can read more about Becky and Becky's Hugs  here.

Becky's mom, Sandy, has entered a cute picture of Becky in Michaels Picture Perfect Mother's day contest.  She is currently just 175 votes from first place...behind a cat.  I love my cats, but it would mean so much to Sandy on her first Mother's Day after the accident  if her picture was voted as the best.

You can vote once a day between now and May 7.

http://apps.facebook.com/michaels-mothersday/entries/150

Please spread the word and help us honor Becky's memory! 
Thanks tons!!!!

Emergency Project

I bought my granddaughter this really huge poster of the Eclipse (Twilight) gang.  You know how each year, there is at least one gift that you know is going to be perfect, and you are really excited about it?  This was the one for 2010. 

When I started to wrap it Thursday morning, I discovered that the kittens had clawed the plastic and left scratch marks on it.  We jumped in the car and drove 35 miles to the nearest Target to try to replace it, but they didn't have one--naturally.  We ended up getting her an ugly one about half the size of the original.  I was crushed. 

I came home and dug this tote out of my stash, cruised some Twilight websites for ideas, and came up with this design.  She is going to love it!!!

Merry Christmas to My Friends

No matter what you celebrate, I wish you love and joy on this day. You all mean the world to me.

Things I've made

I worked really hard today to finish all of my housework so that I can have tomorrow free to sew.  I still have 3 major things to make and 4 towels to embroider.  For now, I'll show you some things I've made in the past.

I made this cross stitch calendar in 1985.  Before I was finished, I'd made one for my mom, my sister, and my MIL.  It wouldn't be Christmas without it.

I made this back during the 1980's too.  The inside is a straw wreath.  The fabric was gathered and stretched over it.  I haven't used it in a couple of years, although I'm not sure why.

One of my biggest complaint about giving gift cards is finding an interesting way to wrap them.  Last year, I went to the dollar store and bought several stuffed animals.  This one was for my teenage grandson.  Then, I stitched up a little felt billfold for the card and sewed the billfold to the animal.  I had several of these under the tree, and they were really cute.

I'm always looking for new ways to give gift cards, so feel free to share.

Christmas makes me sentimental

I recently made a trip to the next state to visit (and check on-but don't tell him that part!) my elderly bachelor uncle.  While I was there, I tried to take a picture of this family picture.  It has been on my grandmother's wall my entire life--I'm 57, so that's a long time.  It's in an old oval frame with the convex glass.

The handsome man on the left is my grandfather, Hester Jones.  The handsome young man on the right is his best friend, Bill Walker.    Pa and Bill joined and went off to World War I together, and were lucky enough to serve together.   Pa caught influenza and spent time in the hospital in France.  I have letters that he wrote home during that time--a treasure.  Pa survived the flu, came home, married, and raised a family.   Bill never made it home, but he always had a place of honor in my grandparent's house.

When my grandmother died, my uncle gave me the family pictures, which included almost as many of Bill as the family.  I tried for years to find a descendant, although I knew he never married.  I hoped to track down a niece or nephew in that small community, but I was never able to find anyone.  So, my family picture albums include this nice young man.

I had hoped to get a picture that was good enough for me to have a copy made for myself.  I'm afraid that, even if he would permit it, there is no way it would survive being removed from the frame and copied.   This was the best I could do.  I may try to find someone who is a photoshop genius to see what they can do.  In the meantime, I can look at it on my computer.

I also took a picture of this one--my grandfather's parents.  He was a circuit preacher.  He farmed all week, and on Friday night, he saddled up his mule and visited his churches, Monday morning, he went back to his farm.