~Birthday Cake~

Have you ever made yourself a birthday cake? I never have, but I'm considering it this year. I'm vascillating between these two cakes:

Source: rosylittlethings.typepad.com via Tammy on Pinterest

OR

Source: Uploaded by user via Tammy on Pinterest

Which do you think you'd make?

~Pinterest: Failed Projects~

There are lots of awesome ideas on Pinterest. I love trying new things, but sometimes someones great idea for them doesn't work out so well for you. Here are some things that just didn't work out for me:

Source: savvyhousekeeping.com via Tammy on Pinterest

Turn a bar of soap into hand soap. I ended up with liquid my dad would deem "snail snot". LOL I read the comments on the blog post and it looks like the failure rate is pretty high. A lot of people had problems with it, so at least I wasn't the only one!

Source: prudentbaby.com via Tammy on Pinterest

5-minute coffee cake (microwave cake). This was disappointing, the topping was good but the cake part was not appetizing.

Source: mommysavers.wordpress.com via Tammy on Pinterest

Colored ice cubes for a toddler to "chase" in the tub. These melted in seconds, leaving the bathwater a murky brown. I had to drain the tub and start over.

So there you go. ;-) A few things I tried that didn't work out.

~Buttons Memories~

I love buttons. Buttons and swatches of fabric can bring back a flood of memories for me!

I recently went through my button jar to pull out a button for a project. The button was from an outfit my grandma made me for my 11th birthday. Somehow I ended up with three of the buttons in my button jar.

Here's my outfit:


I thought I was sooooo grown up!

When I got this outfit, my grandma lived in Ohio at the time and she flew in the night before my sister was born, which was the day after my birthday. My grandma's luggage got lost so the next day she wore my dad's bathrobe while she waited for her luggage to be found and delivered. She commented that she had my birthday present in her luggage, so my little 11-year-old heart fervently desired for her luggage to be found, and soon. Naturally, I was concerned about my present. The luggage was eventually delivered, and I sat on the bed and opened my gift, with my mom and baby sister right there. My grandma had made me two outfits - two jumpers and two blouses which were mix and match. I loved those outfits so much, and the fact that I could wear either blouse with either jumper! One of the blouses had little square buttons, and I loved those buttons so much. In the picture above you can see them if you click to make the picture larger.

I made my daughter a hair clip to go with her new pink jumper, and sewed the button in the middle:


If my grandma were still alive and in good health, I know she would make my daughter special dresses. But she taught me how to sew, and so I sew for my daughter using the skills she taught me. It was fun to use a button from something my grandma made for me, for my daughter.

~Pink Jumper~

Last Thursday I started another jumper for my daughter, and finished it up by Saturday evening so she could wear it to church on Sunday.

I used McCall's 3737, which I was thinking I had purchased a year or so ago. However, I couldn't find it on McCall's site, and the copyright on the pattern is from 2002. So I most likely bought this pattern to make a jumper for my youngest sister (but never did).



I made view C, size 3.

The fabric is the softest ever baby corduroy. So soft. My mother-in-law sent it to me with the patterns and other sewing things that she sent me from her friend. There was just one yard, and I was so happy I was able to get this jumper out of it. The only thing I had to purchase was a zipper. I also bought some ribbon so I could sew bows on the tucks like the pattern suggests, but I couldn't get the bows tied right and I liked the way the jumper looked with the thrifted turtleneck I found to go with it, so I left it plain.



I would like to make my daughter several dresses, but I think I'll go back to size 2 for those. A jumper can get away with a little growing room but dresses look a little sad if they are too large!

~Green Tea~

I recently read in a magazine that people who drink 8-10 cups of green tea daily get 30% fewer colds and flu than those who do not drink green tea.

So I'm supposed to chug down 10 cups of green tea day in and day out and I still have a 70% chance* of catching someone else's cold?

I want to take something with a better rate of return!

*Maybe someone who has a better handle on statistics could tell me the percentage of chance someone with 30% less chance of catching something would have? Statistic math confuses me. :)

~Pinterest~

Pinterest seems to be all the rage right now. I jumped in and put most of my bookmarks on it. If it ever goes away, I'll have problems finding things, but I guess that's life. ;) You can find my boards here.

I think Pinterest blurs the lines between what is ok to post on your personal blog and what isn't. For instance, I wouldn't normally post pictures from other people's blogs on my blog, but Pinterest somehow makes it ok to do. Hmmm. I saw a blog post with an extremely simple craft project on it and the blogger specified which pictures her readers could and couldn't pin on Pinterest. Normally, I am a rule follower extraordinaire, but that just brought out the imp in me and I so wanted to pin the pictures she said not to. I didn't, but I sure wanted to. LOL

So anyhow, Pinterest has been fun. I've found a lot of interesting things and I try not to waste too much time on it! Since being on Pinterest I've tried out the following recipes (click on the links for the original blog posts/recipes):

Chewy cookies...they sure are nice and chewy! One tray got left in the oven a little too long and the cookies were still chewy. The secret ingredient? a little bit of corn starch!

Source: kelseysappleaday.blogspot.com via Tammy on Pinterest

Lasagna Soup - this was awesome!

Source: afarmgirlsdabbles.com via Tammy on Pinterest

Hash browns for the freezer - these are good! I'd do it again if I ever remember...LOL You bake potates and then shred them, so they don't turn brown in the freezer. When you make them they taste like fried baked potatoes, a little different flavor and texture than your regular hash browns.

Source: heavenlyhomemakers.com via Tammy on Pinterest

Healthy breakfast cookies:

Source: heavenlyhomemakers.com via Tammy on Pinterest

It's far easier to find ooey-gooey dessert recipes on Pinterest, but I try not to pin too many of those because my aim is to make healthier food. :)

~Fall Jumper~

On Saturday I made this jumper:


So my daughter could wear it on Sunday. For a seamstress, it's a nice problem to have when your daughter doesn't have many clothes for the season! It means that what I make is necessary and will get lots of wear!

Recognize the flannel? :-) I still have about 2 yards remaining, but I'll probably save it for another year!

I ♥ the pockets! They have elastic at the top, so cute! I purchased the pattern on sale for $1.50 a few weeks ago, and had all the fabric and notions for this jumper. I know I said this before, but I just love it when I have all the materials and notions for a project! :) My mother-in-law gave me the denim a few years back, and it has certainly come in handy for quite a few projects. I only have about 1/3 of a yard left now.

I used McCall's M6154, view B (shown on the left), size 3.

(image above from McCall's site)

Size 2 fits just right/is getting snug, so I moved to size 3. However, 3 seems to be a little big, but I don't want to drop down to size 2 because I want the clothes I make to last all winter.

~Flannel Jammies~

With cool weather here, warm jammies are a necessity! And since my daughter is potty trained now, the zip-up pajamas just don't work very well any longer. I used some flannel I've had forever, in fact my mom got it when I was a teenager to make a flannel jumper for herself. It's my guess that she's glad now that that jumper never happened. ;-) Anyhow, for some reason I've always regarded this flannel as too good to use for pajamas, because it was originally intended for outerwear. But I really needed something warm for my daughter so I decided to use it!



I used Butterick B4910, view B. I made size 3 but had to shorten the legs by 5" and the arms by about 3". But I needed the torso width and length, so it worked out. I decided to try my best to get the plaid to match up, but not to fret over it. So it did take a little extra time, and I'm pleased that the plaid matches as well as it does. Flannel shifts around and the plaid was wonky in places.

I love it when I have all the materials on hand for a project. I had every thing I needed to sew these pajamas! Pattern, fabric, and all notions!

~Weather~

Our weather turned suddenly and now we're in full-blown fall. The calendar may not say "fall" yet but our weather certainly does!

And so I've been making soup. So far in the week and a half that it has been cool, I've made three pots of soup. White Chili, Lasagna Soup, and Chicken Noodle Soup. I jokingly told my husband that I was going to start a blog called "365 Days of Soup". Soup is not Kevin's favorite meal (thus the teasing), but he really enjoyed the lasagna soup!

Today I had to turn the heater on for the first time. I was going to tough it out but when I got up it was 65 degrees in the house and 20 minutes later it was 64. The downward trend convinced me to turn it on.

So far today I've had two cups of coffee and two cups of tea. I do love tea! :) I always drink way more tea in the colder months.

Well, we had a nice summer! I'm sorry to see it go, and I'm trying to embrace fall! Our summer was very busy, and full of blessings from our wonderful Lord. We had some hardships also, but God proved faithful through those as well.

May your fall be full of blessings! Have a wonderful day! :)

~Thank you, and a winner!~

Thank you for all the kind comments on my bloggy birthday/anniversary post. :) Everyone who posted (including those past the "cut off" date) were entered in the contest.

And...

The winner is Sara1977! Please send me an email with your address and soon this will be on its way to you:


A reversible market bag and notebook with stitched cover!

~Tie-Top Beanie~

I've done a few projects with knits, and there's no turning back now! Knits are not hard or scary!

My latest knit project, a tie-top beanie hat (free pattern link):


For my little nephew (due at the end of this month). But here it is on a dolly:


It matches one of the gowns I made. :-)

~Six Year Bloggy Birthday!~

Six years ago today, I started my blog! I couldn't come up with a blog title, so my husband said, "What about Tammy's Times?" And thus it has been all these years! *Smiles*

When I first started blogging, the only digital camera I had was a digital video recorder which also took still pictures. They weren't very high quality:



My other option was to take pictures with film, get it developed and then scan the picture in. Or, I could scan the object, as I did here:



My blogging content and style have changed over the years, just as I have changed. I got a digital camera, then another one, so the pictures now are higher-quality. But not professional, like some bloggers. I haven't been offered a book deal, but I don't think I would want one either! (And what would I write that would fill a book?) Blogging for me has been a little hobby on the side, nothing that I ever desire to turn into a business. Blogging has been something I've enjoyed very much, and I'm so glad that when I talked about starting a blog my husband said, "Go for it!"

And now, my dear readers, I have a little something for you. Well, ONE of you, that is! It's a surprise! If you'd like to play along, just leave me a comment, making sure that there is a way to reach you if I draw your name! It's a small way to thank you for hanging out with me here in my "corner of the web"! I'll draw the winner on the 6th!

~Green Beans~

We have pole beans planted in our garden this year. At first we thought they weren't going to produce much, but as the summer has progressed, they keep producing more and more. I've been canning them, in quart jars since I've run out of pints.

Yesterday morning I took my coffee out on the front porch with my beans that needed snapping.



Only I cut the ends with a pair of kitchen scissors. I can't be the first genius to think of this...(heh, heh) but it sure works so much faster than a knife!



There. Coffee finished and beans all cut and ready to can. And it was relaxing to sit with my feet in the sun, with my daughter nearby coloring with her sidewalk chalk.

~Canning streak~

Well. I did it. I broke my streak for this summer.

My 147th jar of canned goods did not seal.

We'll enjoy my un-canned grean beans for dinner tonight. :D

~Hmmmm~

I keep seeing something on crafting blogs and crafty sites that just really bothers me.

Maybe I'm silly. Or maybe I'm too "honest". Maybe I'm an old fuddy-duddy.

But why is it ok to walk into a store and walk out with craft project materials, without paying for anything?

Do you know what I'm talking about?

Paint chips.

Source: daintysquid.blogspot.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Source: readymade.com via Cathey on Pinterest

Source: modernparentsmessykids.com via Laura on Pinterest

And more...

The pictures above are more than, "I was painting the kitchen and couldn't decide on which color to paint so I have a lot of paint chips. I think I'll make something with the extra paint chips I have."

So. Do tell me. Am I being silly? Do you think it's ok to take paint chips for whatever the project might be?

~The last day of...August?~

Wow...this summer has flown by! I can't believe that tomorrow we'll turn the calendar page to September.

I've been up to my ears in tomatoes. We've heard that this year hasn't been a good year for tomatoes. While our tomatoes did get hit with blight, the tomato plants kept on producing and our 15 plants have produced so many tomatoes that I've been canning constantly for the last few weeks! I'll have to do a separate canning post in the near future. This summer (so far!) I've put up over 130 jars of produce.

After all my canning, I was desperate for jars and was so thankful to find someone on Craigslist that was selling some. I was second in line for them, but the first person never showed up so I got a call from the lady who was selling them. When she called I dropped everything and got there as fast as I could!

Now that September is nearly here, I'm looking forward to finishing up our summer activities and jumping into fall!

~Baby Gift #3~

My sister was given her baby shower last Saturday, and thankfully my package arrived at her mother-in-law's in time for her to open my present at the shower. She told me when she opened the card, she said, "Who's Tammy?" LOL

For this present, I was sneaky, oh-so-sneaky! She is having a BOY and so I sent my brother-in-law a message, asking him to send me some of his t-shirts. He sent me three of his t-shirts.

And this is what I came up with:


Three little baby gowns.

I didn't know the signficance of any of the shirts, but the one on the left is the t-shirt my brother-in-law was wearing when he proposed to my sister. Cue the "awwws": awwwwwwwwwww. LOL (It has my dad's company logo on the left shoulder, which I covered for the sake of privacy. My sister was also working at that company at the time.)

I used this pattern. The sleeves seemed a bit wide and long when compared to baby gowns I had from my daughter. So I shortened them and made them a little narrower. I used a special knit stitch to attach the binding (instructions for binding not included with this pattern/tutorial). Can I just say that I love my new machine? I do. A lot! It has so many nice stitch options! My old machine would have just sucked the knit fabric right into the throat plate.

Knit stitch I used for the binding:


My brother-in-law wears small/medium size shirts so I had to get some extra t-shirts to make the sleeves and contrasting binding. I went to a thrift store when they had their $1 clothes day. I happened to have thread that matched all three of these (six colors of thread) and all the elastic I needed.

And then, because I'm such an awesome aunt, this little outfit too:


Oh, yes, I do. ;) I saw the shirt at Meijer and I just couldn't resist. The pants they had to "match" didn't go at all, so I went to the fabric store and found fabric that matched perfectly! I used Rae's baby pants pattern. I added a cuff that can be turned up:


or down if more length is needed:


I am so happy that I got to make these little things for my coming nephew!

~Blueberries~

My daughter and I went blueberry picking recently. I picked a gorgeous day, with a slight wind and warm weather (not hot). Couldn't have picked a better day for blueberry picking, though we were picking at the tail end of the season, so the blueberry bushes were a little thin.

But still, I brought home enough blueberries to put 6 quarts in the freezer, to eat fresh, and to make blueberry focaccia with. Yum.

This week I checked out Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey from our library. It's a delightful story about Little Sal and her mother picking blueberries. Bears are involved, but no one gets hurt. ;) The first few pages reminded me so much of our recent blueberry picking excursion!


My Little Sal had her own bucket.


And ate all her blueberries out of her bucket.


Then noticed that Mommy had a lot of blueberries in her bucket, and it was so much easier to just grab handfuls of blueberries out of Mommy's bucket!


But Mommy pointed to the blueberry bushes and told Little Sal to eat her own blueberries, as Mommy was picking blueberries to put up for next winter!

From there the stories do not parallel, after all, I kept my Little Sal with me, and we didn't come across any bears!

~Baby Gift~

Kevin's half-sister had her baby {a boy!}, and this is the gift we are giving:


Sophie the Giraffe and two hand-made burp cloths. We picked Sophie, because it is a nice, all-natural teether. We got one when our daughter was little and she still plays with her (though she never really used her as a teether).



Both burp cloths are the same. One side has cozy flannel, and the other side is a soft knit. This project is my foray into knits. :D {Note: 100% cotton shrinks a lot, so buy extra yardage!} I whipped these up this afternoon. It was a fun little project!



So now I have a niece and a nephew! One of my sisters is due with a boy and the other one isn't finding out until birth. I've started some projects for the little boy, and will wait to sew my gifts for my other sister until I find out if it's a "he" or a "she".

~Patterns~

A dear friend of my mother-in-law's passed away, and her daughter asked if I'd like some of the patterns and fabric. I got the box from my mother-in-law today. It was interesting to see the patterns, because so many of them were ones that I was familiar with.

It was funny to see all the Daisy Kingdom patterns. For many years, my grandma made us a dress for our birthday each year. For several years it was a given that it would be a dress made with a Daisy Kingdom pattern (I neatly escaped the Daisy Kingdom dresses, I don't think they came in teen sizes! LOL).

Not a problem for 1994. But when the dress got passed down, as it happens in a family with 8 girls, the girls having to wear the dresses in 2004 shed a few tears. And finally my mom conceded that perhaps they didn't have to wear the Daisy Kingdom dresses any longer.

I remember my mom making this dress for my younger sister. The pattern is marked 1983, so that's probably when my mom made it.


She did the embroidery too, I just remember loving the cute little birds. The dress was blue like the pattern as well.


I got this dress, view B for my 14th birthday, from my Grandma.


Bunnies, lots of bunnies. The 1990's were full of bunnies for my mom. I don't know how many she made but she made a lot. Big ones, little ones, medium ones. For herself, for gifts, for gifts for us.


I decided I wanted mice rather than bunnies. I started a pair of mice, which never got finished.


My Grandma had a pattern similar to this one, and made my sister 5 play dresses for her 5th birthday.


One of my sisters had a dress like this:


And at least one, if not more, of my sisters had a dress like this:


Not quite the same pattern:


But my dad's mom made me an outfit very similar: