Pin Cushion Cuteness!

I just made the niftiest little sewing accessories for my mom-in-law and myself!  Hobby Lobby's facebook page recently posted a link to a PDF containing several delightful crafts using canning jars, and I fell in love with a few of them.  This is the first one I tried, but I am SURE there will be more in the future :-)

We had some pretty tiny canning jars (I think officially jelly jars, maybe?) hanging around from the gifts we gave our fathers and grandfathers for Father's Day, so I used those.  (Have I shown that project yet? I ought to. Whoops.  Back on topic...)  I think they would probably work out better using larger jars, but I'm still kinda enamored with the ones I made!

Gather your materials, and if you have jars (like me!!) you should pretty much have everything laying around.  My FAVORITE kind of project!

• Jar(s)
• Fabric... can be pretty scrappy, you only need a bit.
• Glue gun and glue
• Poly-fill... just a small glob will do.

Cut a rough circle a little bit bigger than the flat piece of the lid.  (Anyone know what that's called?)  It doesn't have to be pretty, but make sure you have in the neighborhood of an inch, inch and a half extra fabric all the way around.

Put a sting of hot glue most of the way around the lid.  Unless you're sitting under your in-laws' ceiling fan, in which case this gets a little bit more complicated :-)  And be careful... I yelp a lot when I'm using hot glue.  Or an oven.  But, I digress...

Stick the fabric to the glue!  Yes, the fabric changed between shots.  Sometimes I get so excited about a project, I finish it up and forget to take pictures of the steps!  Bear in mind that the looser you leave the fabric, the more room you'll have for poly-fill, and the poofier your pin cushion will be!  It is kind of hard to remember not to pull it snug and smooth...

You're going to have a little opening, where you should be able to stick your finger between the fabric and the lid.

Yay!  Now stuff a  wad of poly-fill in.  It will hold a little bit more than you probably will expect... but pack it nice and tightly.  A firm cushion will hold pins and needles more securely.

Glue the little gap closed.  Stick the newly-cushy flat thing into the ring.

 Screw the lid on!  Easy as that! 

With a jar this tiny, I'm picturing it as the perfect container for cross-stitch Christmas ornaments.  I can cut my canvas, pop it in, pop in some skeins of embroidery floss and a pattern, have some pre-threaded needles in the cushion, and have my own kit ready to go when I wanna grab a project for a doctor's waiting room or car ride, or whatever!  With a bigger jar, you could store bobbins, spools, pins, chalks, bias tape, zippers, buttons... sky's the limit!  

This would make a darling gift for a sewing enthusiast, or especially a sewing rookie!  Never too early to start on Christmas gifts, you know... :-)

Always,

Katie

It's the Little Things: Road Trip Edition

We have had a weekend of driving, driving, driving.  And some panic, panic, panic.

Hubby got out of open house at school at 8pm on Thursday... I picked him up and we drove 8 hours to Lynchburg, VA for him to take a class.  He went to class for 4 hours yesterday, and 8 today.  So, the little things that have made me smile this week are the little (and not so little) blessings that have made our hectic, stressful weekend a little bit easier.

First... I made snickerdoodles.  A few for us for road food, and a few dozen for a friend I got to hang out with last night while Ethan was in class! So, this picture represents the yummy cookies, and the girl-time :-)

I had a "go bag" of toiletries ready a month ago... travel sizes of everything we were going to need, including a pill sorter of my meds, a vial of insulin and a bunch of pump supplies.  And I left it at home.  Our hotel had a few things on hand, and these little things were such a nice gesture.  I know we MORE than paid for them when we paid for the room, but it was still just... nice.  

Is there anything better at the end of a long car ride than a set of crisp, cool sheets waiting for you?

We also, after phone calls to insurance, CVS, and my doctor's office... and a panic at the pharmacy... managed to get some insulin.  But not just some insulin--a three-month supply.  It's way too early to refill, but the insurance overrode the rule... and we didn't have to pay an exorbitant amount for a single vial.  Since I don't have supplies to refill my pump, I'm letting it run the basal (I had plenty for that, just not to cover any food or highs), and taking all of my boluses by syringe.  Kicking it old skool, yo!

I had to check us out of the hotel while Ethan was still in class... so Charley and I are hanging around Lynchburg in our air-conditioned rental car.  This face always makes me smile :-)

And last, but not least... free Wi-Fi at McDonald's!  That's where I'm writing this--in the parking lot, with the puppy and a big cup of Diet Coke!  And it's a beautiful day (but HOT), and I get to pick up my darling husband in about an hour and a half!

Always,

Katie

Ridiculously Decadent Cupcakes

--or, "I'm not pregnant, so for a few days, I'm eating nothing but chocolate, SWAG bolusing, and blood sugar be danged."

I have been doing quite a bit of woe-is-me indulgent baking and eating this past week... I have a pinterest board of recipes that look sublime, so I baked up one little beauty that I knew would make my husband and me very happy.  I got the recipe from the amazing girls at Six Sister's Stuff.  They are incredible!  I really encourage you to check this blog out--they have a huge linky party every weekend that enables me in my crafty/baking addictions, plus their own posts are always fun!  And they really are six sisters--not like, sorority or sisters-in-Christ--and cute as coordinated buttons. 

Any way... without further ado, Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes.

I totally stole this picture from their blog--I was in too big a hurry to eat these, I forgot to take photos.  Bad, bad blogger.

These are a little bit more work than I usually like to put into my baking-on-a-whim desserts, and the ingredients are a tad expensive and not really standard on hand... at least not in my fridge!  But.  If you have any kind of occasion, or company coming over... these will make a HUGE splash! 

You can follow the link above for the recipe... I really have nothing to add to it, lol.  I followed it exactly.  I was amazed at how easy they were--even the ganache!  And they weren't THAT much work or that time-consuming, but they're not a half-hour batch of cookies, either.

I did have about half of the cream filling left over, and stuck it in the fridge.  I thought I might bake a chocolate bundt cake later, halve it and channel it, then fill the channel in with the rest of the filling.  Like a big, cakey, fabulous Oreo.  Or I may try my hand at a flakey pastry and fill those with it.  Ohhh the decadent possibilities!!!! 

Always,

Katie

The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe... EVER

This year, I got to make my husband's birthday cake, which was pretty special... 

Okay, HE actually made the buttercream icing, because he recently learned how and is still tickled to do it.  So, I am MORE than happy to let him :-) 

I got the recipe here.  I figured, who better to tell me how to make something chocolate than Hershey themselves? It's your basic, no-frills chocolate cake, but... better.

I followed the direction for the three-layer cake, because I have 2 8-inch pans and 1 9-inch.  I figured, either way I was going to have to reserve some batter, dump a layer on a cooling rack, and bake twice anyway.  May as well be three layers :-)  I had Ethan make a double batch of buttercream icing, and spread it on niiiice and thick between all of the layers.  

Among my goofy little quirks (like, an irrational fear of leaving voicemail messages) is that I get all nervous when I have to cut cake.  I don't know why!  So, I used a bit of embroidery floss and pre-scored the top. Then, I decorated each "slice" with a little chocolate swirly thing.  I melted some chocolate chips in a plastic baggie and snipped a corner off... drizzled a funky design on some waxed paper, as well as the script words "Happy Birthday."  I popped 'em in the freezer for an hour, peeled 'em off, and stuck 'em on the cake.  It made a very elegant, but easy cake :-)

I do have one nifty little tip for melting chocolate in a baggie... I use a mug, and tilt all of the chips to one corner.  Then I stick that corner into the mug, leaving the rest of the baggie out, and microwave away.  Of course, that's also the same corner I snip. 

I showed this yesterday, but here's another look--I must say, I'm pretty proud of myself!!

Always,

Katie

Quiet, But Still Around

Sorry I've been so quiet for a while. (Ha!  Nobody's EVER accused me of THAT before!)  I've kept up on all of the blogs I follow, but haven't gotten around to posting myself.  Lots of stuff is going on, and I'll try to post in more detail about most of it later, but... here's a list...

• My husband had a birthday.  I made a cake.  This is a big deal, because cake bought at a certain grocery chain used to be the gold standard by which he and his family measured cake.  (And it WAS amazing--we even used their bakery for our wedding cake.)  But the recipes there have changed, and we've been shopping around for a new bakery.  I think I got the job ;-) 

• The lovely bride I made some jewelry and a bouquet for got married... and I have permission to share pictures!  
• I have been nauseated and exhausted for four days now.  Still too early to POAS, but... we're hopeful.  Funny... if I felt like this at any other stage of our lives, I'd have seen a doctor three days ago.
• I also started two new online graduate classes... one of which just might kick my butt.
• My bff gave me a super-cool jewelry project to work on... a little bit of modernization for a piece of her mother's that she has "adopted" recently :-) Here's a sneak peek at the "before"... you can't see all of the "afters" until Kate has!

• I have committed to having yummy home-cooked meals ready when my husband comes home from work (most of the time).  To that end, I have started freezing meals, and tried one fantastic easy recipe I'll share later.  And, yes, I'm doing pretty well so far.  Of course, it IS only the first full week of school, and I HAVE used Tuna Helper once.

• My  Grammie was recently diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma... I'm a little scared, of course, but my Grammie is tough and has faith that she'll be okay.  With her determination, how can I be anything less than optimistic?  But we WOULD REALLY appreciate prayers for her... the treatment includes chemo, so she has a tough journey ahead. 
• I'm doing another wedding!  This one includes necklaces and earrings (or hair decorations for an un-ear-pierced girl) for a bride, a junior bridesmaid and FIVE bridesmaids!  I am SO excited... especially since the bride is someone I've been getting to know pretty well, and I'm beyond excited about the wedding, marriage, etc... not just my sparkly part. :-)  This will be the kind of family feel-good books are written about!  This is the bridesmaid dress--doesn't she have wonderful taste?

David's Bridal

• I do intend to finish the Proverbs 31 series... eventually.  It will definitely not be the next ten(ish) days or the next blog posts... but eventually. 
• I promised a giveaway when I discovered I'd written my 100th post... haven't forgotten, and it's gonna be cool... just been a bit preoccupied!

Always,

Katie

Birthday Weekend Recap!

I turned 24 on Sunday!  We started celebrating on Saturday night, with my in-laws.  The four of us went to a beautiful, yummy French restaurant nearby and had a delicious dinner.  

I wore this yellow dress, and on a whim, through on my red stretchy belt and red shoes.  I was surprised--it was a LOT of fun to wear!  Not a color combo I'd usually be brave enough to try, but motivates me to try more bold outfits...

Then, I got to open gifts from my precious husband and his loving parents.  Let's just say--I am ridiculously spoiled :-) 

This is the second box of gemstone stud earrings I opened... to go in the new-ish second holes in my ears. :-)  I got amethysts and blue topaz.  Like I said--spoiled! 

I also got a shiny pair of red boxer shorts--in Ethan's size.  WooHoo!

 

And, of course, I got some puppy play in, too!  

Ethan got me a beautiful cake from Sam's, with yummy buttercream icing... mmm...

On Friday, my Aunt Tami called and invited us to come over and see my grandparents who were going to be in town from West Virginia, so we spent Sunday afternoon at her house among wonderful family.  It was so much fun!!  It had been years since I'd been able to see my grandparents for my birthday, so it was definitely a birthday to remember!  And, Aunt Tami has the COOLEST koi pond in her backyard... her fish are like pets!  They all have personalities and stuff... and I spend a long time on my belly on the little bridge, letting them nibble on my fingers and feeding them fish food.  It's the little things ;-)

Annnddd yesterday, I went shopping with one of my gift cards, to JoAnn Fabric.  I got some beading supplies I've never tried before, and some fabric.

Here is what I did with the fabric, in about an hour and a half:

Based on a tutorial I found here!

I also made a few new pieces of jewelry... I'll show you later :-) 

All in all, I can't imagine a better birthday weekend--so much fun, so much love <3

Always,

Katie

Proverbs 31: Day 19: Comfort Food

Day 19. Write about your favorite comfort food (we are women- we ALL have comfort food!)

FOOD is my comfort food!  I love to eat :-)

Macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes are two of my favorite pick-me-ups... mmm carbs.

And of course, sweets.  Especially ice cream!  Plus, if it's something sweet that I've made, I get the double benefit of the stress-relief of baking AND eating something yummy. 

But, most randomly of all... the food I want when I'm sick--even throwing up!--is...

SKYLINE CHILI! 

Believe me, I know.  There was a time several months ago when some of my medicine made me nauseated every day, and I literally lived on this stuff.  Ate it for every meal... lost 10 pounds!  I would get out of the hospital in Oxford (DKA, felt awful even after I was "better") and head straight to the Skyline on High Street.  As savory/spicy as it is... it is the only thing I crave when I'm sick.  As a matter of fact, I just made myself want it so badly by writing about it... that Ethan is going to take me to get some as soon as I publish this post.  Sooo... bye!

Always,

Katie

Proverbs 31: Day 18: Loaded Question!

Day 18. Describe your personality.

SERIOUSLY?!?!   

I'm a bit of a firecracker... I feel and express feelings in BIG ways!  I need organization and structure to be happy and effective, but I am a bit too free-spirited (nice way of putting it...) to stick with an organizational scheme for very long.  I love to laugh and tease, but my humor is a little bit sarcastic and wry.  Very stubborn...  

I don't know!  Does anyone else think this a really tough question?

Always,

Katie

Interview with Diabetic365

Hi friends!  VJ at Diabetic365 interviewed me a couple of nights ago, via Skype.  These are posted to his website... along with some tips, recipes and exercises to try.  Check it out and give him some love!

And please don't laugh at the silly faces, "umm"s, or any of my other dorky quirks ;-)

Always,

Katie

PS: OHMYGOSH, this is my 100th blog post!!  Thanks for being amazing, and watch out for some sort of celebratory giveaway!

Proverbs 31: Day 17: Three Things that Make Me Smile

Day 17. Write about 3 things that make you happy.

1.  Snuggling under layers of comfy covers in bed with Ethan (and Charley across our legs outside the covers).  I love to pile on lots of sheets and blankets and quilts and just hang out, awake or asleep.  Bonus points if it's thunder-storming!   Ahhh...

2.  ROAD TRIPS!  It's a good thing I love road trips, because we've been taking a lot of them, and have a bunch coming up!  Zooming down the interstate, singing along to the radio and laughing and chatting with hubby.  Bliss!

3.  Ice. Cold. Diet Coke.  Ohhh yeahhh... 

Always,

Katie