tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18796567508516678302024-03-05T03:00:28.946-05:00A Handmade TaleAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06092546684539948265noreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879656750851667830.post-65044692638276845632013-01-29T11:40:00.001-05:002013-01-29T11:42:06.020-05:00GIVEAWAY!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6P3M080ge8516Jo6eAs93-9hF4JQ0Ka-sxLuTVqIG5_H6-Q-d-XkKaTqOV2jJ7pqTysV42TuSV1D5NWGC62bpAxyQvvGiRgba1FZZV3fwH3D4DtyIkH5VpP6U1JCbOak3_zGYDe8i2E/s1600/january+giveaway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6P3M080ge8516Jo6eAs93-9hF4JQ0Ka-sxLuTVqIG5_H6-Q-d-XkKaTqOV2jJ7pqTysV42TuSV1D5NWGC62bpAxyQvvGiRgba1FZZV3fwH3D4DtyIkH5VpP6U1JCbOak3_zGYDe8i2E/s400/january+giveaway.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Hi friends! I'm doing a HUGE 4 week long giveaway, and today is the first day!</div>
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To enter to win, just visit my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/evaanddell">Facebook Page</a>, 'like' and comment on the photo (as seen above). Which coin purse would you like to find in your mailbox? Contest closes February 1st. <br />
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Good luck my lovelies! Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06092546684539948265noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879656750851667830.post-1316765308859737522013-01-02T11:10:00.001-05:002013-01-02T11:10:55.098-05:00Playroom RenoHappy New Year!<br />
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Hope you enjoyed the holidays! Can you believe I forgot to photograph all the little projects I made for Christmas gifts? I know! I think I could make a post out of what I have left over (not 'reject gifts', just things I made for Rowan or extras) so perhaps I'll get on that later this week.<br />
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In the mean time....<br />
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I found a home for all of the toys and books little R-man received over the holidays. And I'd like to introduce you to the first part of my PLAYROOM RENO series.<br />
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I have a few rooms that I'd like to transform this year, but instead of doing things in scatterbrain fashion, I'm going to take a civilized approach and concentrate on doing one at a time. And in the most cost-effective manner.<br />
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So, this is what I have to start with. I really liked the idea of bench seating and storage with a pair of Expedit IKEA shelves as seen on <a href="http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.ca/2012/04/playroom-progress-sweet-seating-part-1.html">i heart organizing</a>. I am on the hunt for some funky fabric for the cushion and pillows. Hopefully <a href="http://www.tonicliving.com/">Tonic Living</a> will unveil their new arrivals soon! I also need a home for all those mini hockey sticks and stuffed animals that are not bedtime must-haves.<br />
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I need to paint this table and chairs set (given to me about a year ago already primed) and figure out a storage cabinet for arts and crafts goodies. I'm thinking a small dresser or bedside table should do the trick. I'd also like to add an area to dry/display art work. <br />
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The handyman table was Rowan's big gift on his second birthday (dreamed up by me, but built by his dad) and I'd also like to do a little <a href="http://pinterest.com/ohdeedoh/diy-play-kitchens/">DIY play kitchen</a> too. I'm not entirely sure what to do about that blue and red desk set. I'm going to have to do a bit of research on painting plastic; it may end up in Rowan's room.<br />
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My colour palette will be inspired by this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002FVZBYM/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=teli04-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002FVZBYM">alphabet set from K&Company</a>. You can find it at Michael's if you're not into online shopping. I Mod Podged the cards to some foam core board...not a great idea. It warped and now it looks all funky and weird. And I'm not a fan of the random blocks of scrapbook paper I threw in. <a href="http://www.tealandlime.com/2012/01/animal-alphabet-card-art/">This method</a> from Teal & Lime is much better. I may re-do it :(<br />
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The ceiling is unfinished (thanks, previous homeowners) and not a high priority at the moment. I prettied it up with my bird mobile that use to live over Rowan's crib. It doesn't really work. Since the playroom is in the basement and the only natural light comes through a window in the adjacent spare bedroom, I need some fun art work or other wall treatments.<br />
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I was proud of my post-Christmas organizing until I returned to the main living area in the basement and saw this...<br />
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...trains and trains and trains. Ahhhhhhh crud.Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06092546684539948265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879656750851667830.post-62208088653912928212012-12-10T10:45:00.000-05:002012-12-10T10:46:42.697-05:00Tulle Wreath Tutorial<br />
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I'm sure it happens to everyone on <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a> at some point. Becoming so obsessed with a DIY project or recipe pin that you must try it ASAP.<br />
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When I saw the pin for this tulle wreath:</div>
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that obsession took hold. I was thinking of design ideas for the set of Rowan's Christmas photos and after I saw it, I went out the next day to buy tulle and a foam wreath form. I apologize to the person who originally posted this photo to the 'net. Pinterest wouldn't let me connect to the URL address for fear of a virus or some other nasty consequence. A Google search turned up nothing. I tried. </div>
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To make this wreath you'll need:</div>
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~ 12" styrofoam wreath form. Or <a href="http://www.thepennyparlor.com/2010/09/coffee-filter-wreath.html">check out <span id="goog_102361346"></span>this idea</a><span id="goog_102361347"></span> on how to make a super thrifty form. </div>
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~ 10 m of tulle. Check the prices at the fabric or craft store before you purchase. Sometimes tulle can look similar but have a whopping price difference. I bought mine for $2.50 per meter at Fabricland.</div>
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~ Scraps of white cotton fabric; enough to cover a 2 m length</div>
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~ Sharp scissors</div>
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~ Hot glue gun</div>
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~ 2" wide satin ribbon</div>
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I didn't plan on making a detailed tutorial, so I failed to take photos of each process. Hopefully I don't lose you. Once you start tying the tulle knots, this wreath is a perfect 'movie watching' project. Easy, methodical and doesn't get too messy.</div>
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Cut fabric into 3" wide strips and wrap around the wreath form, gluing at each end. Neatness doesn't matter, but you need to make sure your wreath is evenly covered.</div>
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Cut the tulle into 4" wide strips. I left my tulle folded to make this part go faster. I made my tulle strips 18" long, because I wanted a whispy, whimsical look. </div>
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Tie two tulle strips in a double knot and position at the top of the wreath. </div>
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Some of my strips ended up being a <s>little</s> lot shorter, but whateves. Whimsical, right?</div>
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Scrunch the tulle close together until you've used up all the strips or have run out of room on the wreath. Straighten the knots, trim the tulle to be somewhat even (or very even...it's all about preference) loop a long ribbon around the form and you're done!</div>
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You can fasten the ribbon in a bow as demonstrated in the pink wreath above. I tied my ribbon around the wire on the back of the picture frame.</div>
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Refresh the wreath each year (or each season!) by changing the colour of the ribbon, adding a string of beads, a cluster of fabric flowers...etc, etc.</div>
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I don't buy many Christmas decor items new from a store, but at a recent trip to IKEA I couldn't resist these little candle holders. The glittery tree to the left is just a paper cone smothered in glue, teeny beads, sequins and glitter. Fun project but m-e-s-s-y! </div>
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I might not do another blog post until the new year. If I get my act together and make some stockings (my 'Winter Holidays' pin board is full of ideas!) I might share them. Most of the things I'm making are gifts...so it'll have to wait.</div>
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How did the photo session go?</div>
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Very well! Thanks <a href="http://imagesbykerri.com/">Kerri </a>for being so AWESOME.</div>
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Happy Monday!</div>
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06092546684539948265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879656750851667830.post-79030558310359077532012-12-03T10:51:00.000-05:002012-12-03T12:29:50.875-05:00Take Out Box Advent 'Calendar'Bah haha.<br />
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This blog post is so late it's not even remotely funny. Who writes about an advent calendar on the third day of December? Moi. Lame sauce. To comfort my tardy soul, I should explain that this project comes together lickety split; you can have a new 'calendar' in one evening. Or: <a href="http://pinterest.com/">pin it</a> and save it for next year!<br />
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I decided on November 27th that I needed a new advent calendar. The old one had teeny little pockets that held Lindt truffles perfectly. Chocolate and a two year old with a memory like an elephant? Nuh-uh.<br />
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Besides, I wanted to make this advent about <b>doing</b> things rather than getting treats. <br />
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For this project you will need:<br />
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24 take out boxes (I used 16 oz and 8 oz sizes)<br />
Decorative paper<br />
Cutting tool (like a <a href="http://www.cuttlebug.ca/">Cuttlebug</a> or similar) or pre-cut numbers<br />
Circle cutter or punch in 2" and 1.5" sizes<br />
Clear glue<br />
24 items to place in the boxes<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZhoSzWYCzNGVAw26cnOx5usyXHHInUPsnull2H53TZx_Hef_CucnuEjfoQ9gAzQjB9ZyDVrm580Z7tZlWskTyRhm5XgE1s_ZbLtz5-EFtGoDv_WFeHJhhUuXdXbhettpqvgpf1UaDgpw/s1600/advent+calendar+paper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZhoSzWYCzNGVAw26cnOx5usyXHHInUPsnull2H53TZx_Hef_CucnuEjfoQ9gAzQjB9ZyDVrm580Z7tZlWskTyRhm5XgE1s_ZbLtz5-EFtGoDv_WFeHJhhUuXdXbhettpqvgpf1UaDgpw/s1600/advent+calendar+paper.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Cut out 24 x 2" circles and 24 x 1.5" circles out of decorative paper. My paper came from this book of scrapbook paper, available at<a href="http://www.michaels.com/"> Michael's</a>.<br />
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Cut out numbers (if you need to). My crafting took place at 10pm on November 30th (hence the crap photo), I laid my numbers out to make sure I had cut the right amount (late night crafting = increase in errors) before packing my Cuttlebug away. I used the 'Olivia' alphabet and number set.<br />
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Glue the circles and numbers on each box.<br />
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Fill with fun things! I stuffed the boxes with tree ornaments, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChristineElliottDesigns?fref=ts">finger puppets</a>, stickers, muffin liners, cookie cutters, and lots of activity tags.<br />
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The activity tags included:<br />
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Attending the Santa Claus parade<br />
Skating (will be the first time! Exciting for a mom who is an ex-figure skater)<br />
Baking cookies<br />
Baking muffins<br />
Reading Christmas books<br />
Watching Christmas movies<br />
Having hot chocolate<br />
Colouring in Christmas-themed colouring books<br />
Making cards for family and friends<br />
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I had various ideas for displaying these little boxes: hang from a tree, string up like a garland, etc. But ultimately, convenience and ease prevailed and I stuck them on top of a white fabric blanket on the piano. <br />
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Paired with my vintage bottle brush trees, I think they look pretty cute up there.<br />
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Today, Rowan and I have a date with a cookie cutter and cookie dough. Happy Monday!<br />
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06092546684539948265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879656750851667830.post-44931689253070946942012-11-12T15:12:00.000-05:002012-11-12T15:13:23.011-05:00One Hour Coffee CozyI'm not going to take a survey, but I'm willing to put money down that every knitter likes a project that can be done in one sitting. One hour-long TV show, one (or two) cups of coffee or tea. And for Mamas - one nap time.<br />
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These little coffee (or tea...or hot chocolate, or whatever it is you drink in winter) cup cozies are quick, easy <b>and</b> they use up scrap yarn. Plus, they're pretty darn cute.<br />
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This is my second-ever attempt at writing a knitting pattern; so if you try it and end up making a headband...please tell me.<br />
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You will need:<br />
5mm straight knitting needles<br />
Worsted weight yarn<br />
Tapestry or wool needle<br />
Co-ordinating ribbon<br />
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Skill level: Beginner<br />
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Abbreviations:<br />
k - knit<br />
p - purl<br />
yo - yarn over hook<br />
k2tog - knit two stitches together<br />
stockinette stitch - knit the 'right side' and purl the 'wrong side'<br />
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Pattern:<br />
Cast on 30 stitches<br />
Rounds 1 - 5: work ribbed pattern of k1, p1 <br />
Rnd 6: purl, increase 3 stitches evenly across row; 33 stitches<br />
Rnds 7 - 9: knit<br />
Rnds 10 and 12: purl<br />
Rnd 11: knit<br />
Rnd 13: k1, *yo k2tog* repeat * to end.<br />
Rnd 14: purl<br />
Rnd 15 - 22: continue in stockinette stitch<br />
Rnd 23: bind off, leave a long tail (30cm or 12") for sewing the seam.<br />
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When you've cut your long sewing tail, you'll have something that looks like the photo above.<br />
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Fold right sides together and sew seam. Fasten off and weave in tail.<br />
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Weave your ribbon in and out of the little holes made in Round 13. I would suggest sliding the cozy over a cup before knotting the ribbon; you don't want to tie it too tight! <br />
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To prevent the ends of the ribbon from fraying, melt the cut edge ever so slightly with a lighter.<br />
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Now that you're done, what will you do with it? Gift it away? Keep it? Make another? I think a little touch of homemade is on everyone's wish list for Christmas. I would pair this cozy with a coffee shop gift card. And just to be extra cute, ask for an extra cup, slide the cozy on and pop the card inside!Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06092546684539948265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879656750851667830.post-55451212482120648802012-09-18T20:28:00.001-04:002012-10-14T17:59:37.291-04:00Sugared Molasses CookiesIt's not technically autumn yet, but on this dreary, sloppy, wet, cold (am I painting an ample picture?) day, I needed to make molasses cookies.<br />
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Yes, you read that correctly. Autumn = molasses cookies. I'm one of those people who associates certain foods with seasons. Rich, hearty fair like stews, roasts, pumpkin pie (or muffins...or pumpkin anything for that matter) and molasses cookies are definitely fall and winter food. Nonetheless, not I realize not everyone feels this way; I've actually had a debate with someone over when you should eat molasses cookies. <br />
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It doesn't matter when you make them, they're damn good all year long. I'm not sure where the recipe came from. I begged an former co-worker for it (and her name is Autumn, nifty!) who cited 'the internet' as her source.<br />
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Collect the following ingredients:<br />
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3/4 cup butter, softened or shortening<br />
1/3 cup fancy molasses (or black strap for a bolder flavour)<br />
1 cup packed brown sugar<br />
1 egg<br />
2 cups of all purpose flour<br />
1 1/2tsp baking soda<br />
1 tsp grated fresh ginger<br />
1 tsp ground cinnamon<br />
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg<br />
1 cup white sugar <br />
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Crank your oven up to 350'F (180'C). Expect 48 small or 24 large cookies.<br />
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Fresh ginger gives a fabulous flavour to these cookies. My aunt (the Gingerbread Lady....and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Meadow-Lynn-Farms-Judds-Strawberries/206755972687575">Strawberry Lady</a>) swears by fresh ginger, and she makes AH-MAY-ZING gingerbread. I keep my ginger frozen until I need to use it and then grate it with a <a href="http://ca.microplane.com/">microplane</a>. Of course, if you have ground ginger in your cupboard, go ahead and use it in place of the fresh stuff.<br />
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With an electric mixer, beat butter, molasses and brown sugar together. Add the egg and mix well until combined.<br />
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In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir until smooth.<br />
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Add dry ingredients to the molasses mixture and blend slowly, either by hand or with an electric mixer. Don't forget to scrape down the sides!<br />
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The dough should be slightly sticky, but if it's TOO sticky (ie cannot be formed into a ball for the life of it), add a little more flour.<br />
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Pour white sugar into a small bowl. Take a tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball, roll it the sugar and place on an un-greased cookie sheet.<br />
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Press down slightly with the back of a spoon.<br />
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I like to make larger cookies, but for the kiddos, scoop out the dough by the teaspoon to make itty bitty ones. Roll in the sugar and <strong>don't </strong>flatten.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHppyO2Z-sJ74rgPQp_Ei3lNEsbh_suJkhcTneAsLMwa5uGrz2nA4czlyvKWxhHnM-TWI9cQuk8FdVfhV8x0EfbJMdxAfZWFnnXlsflt6AOMcot1c2a1iPmHg5JXpx0-4u6X2H5YiaqZk/s1600/molasses+cookies+cooling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHppyO2Z-sJ74rgPQp_Ei3lNEsbh_suJkhcTneAsLMwa5uGrz2nA4czlyvKWxhHnM-TWI9cQuk8FdVfhV8x0EfbJMdxAfZWFnnXlsflt6AOMcot1c2a1iPmHg5JXpx0-4u6X2H5YiaqZk/s1600/molasses+cookies+cooling.jpg" /></a></div>
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Bake for 8 - 10 minutes. Let cool completely before storing. These cookies store well at room temperature for a few days, or for about 2 weeks in an airtight container in the freezer. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqK1veWDQICODKI7SbJnwV7h0na0lb4iaGDPwWVq4hs6xP5X_-Z0ERRcPHEYFxEYqhYrxp3Nt-F-um_l10JyIhFts96G56Mzdn04XJ4631p1-nlr152ILEx0gEn51dLBRR6d0zgCzxuG4/s1600/molasses+cookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqK1veWDQICODKI7SbJnwV7h0na0lb4iaGDPwWVq4hs6xP5X_-Z0ERRcPHEYFxEYqhYrxp3Nt-F-um_l10JyIhFts96G56Mzdn04XJ4631p1-nlr152ILEx0gEn51dLBRR6d0zgCzxuG4/s1600/molasses+cookies.jpg" /></a></div>
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Enjoy!Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06092546684539948265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879656750851667830.post-22836717550770566202012-08-22T16:21:00.000-04:002012-08-22T16:22:21.646-04:00Happy Birthday [little] Dinosaur!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Rowan turned two yesterday and to celebrate, we had a few family and friends over for a party!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihzXJr71BkFzW0zq2qfPFdu-gTyzxXKdtGwtVv_HIqJfbURa5olqMpS33xlsIvdm-3L5K8BkgKkNHwKwKEQc_HCLqVQVQ-mJk1pMMB33kAVRCRwguPFcG4PBIinyq_kHCcLoHOuOdl3Ik/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage+dinosaur+party.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihzXJr71BkFzW0zq2qfPFdu-gTyzxXKdtGwtVv_HIqJfbURa5olqMpS33xlsIvdm-3L5K8BkgKkNHwKwKEQc_HCLqVQVQ-mJk1pMMB33kAVRCRwguPFcG4PBIinyq_kHCcLoHOuOdl3Ik/s640/PicMonkey+Collage+dinosaur+party.jpg" width="448" yda="true" /></a></div>
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I chose a dinosaur theme because Rowan is in L-O-V-E with them. Here are a few things I put together:</div>
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Dinosaur tracks to the front door.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidS_XJJ_goWjKlnFBfLFRf4Zg-h1Ag6zQI2rfLdK35Hq0vOz3HzjIBGcIijgh74GWwHLllsnoOkUmjanrW1qoqw3Vx2sM7N8_qB-TOnk8p8cXmQLPxxSLI1n7OYwhgYMT84UUqOkotN0Y/s1600/Pinwheels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidS_XJJ_goWjKlnFBfLFRf4Zg-h1Ag6zQI2rfLdK35Hq0vOz3HzjIBGcIijgh74GWwHLllsnoOkUmjanrW1qoqw3Vx2sM7N8_qB-TOnk8p8cXmQLPxxSLI1n7OYwhgYMT84UUqOkotN0Y/s1600/Pinwheels.jpg" yda="true" /></a></div>
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Paper pinwheels. The plastic pinwheel handle is from <a href="http://www.michaels.com/Modern-Festive-Pinwheel-Kit/sb3445,default,pd.html?cgid=products-scrapbooking-marthastewartcrafts-partydecor&start=9">Martha</a> but I changed up the paper to suit my colour scheme.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipO1HVojHYqj89ii6vwrYI47wGYuwSTMKb38gzVob-hoV8UbFKlepDKW4pZivmkNpKO4MDwF8i8vYLJonCeOpbrldGBd_wqIc3psTluhXUv5EhV1SYpoMvD7UAJSY4TWS1QFFFzuFBnaM/s1600/Birthday+banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipO1HVojHYqj89ii6vwrYI47wGYuwSTMKb38gzVob-hoV8UbFKlepDKW4pZivmkNpKO4MDwF8i8vYLJonCeOpbrldGBd_wqIc3psTluhXUv5EhV1SYpoMvD7UAJSY4TWS1QFFFzuFBnaM/s1600/Birthday+banner.jpg" yda="true" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://ahandmadetale.blogspot.ca/2012/08/felt-birthday-banner-tutorial.html">Birthday banner</a> and <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/how-to/tissue-paper-pom-poms-how-to">pom-poms</a>.</div>
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A <a href="http://ahandmadetale.blogspot.ca/2012/02/valentines-day-shirt-for-boys.html">custom birthday shirt</a>, which he refused to put on until right before cake-time. </div>
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Dinosaur nest cupcakes. Really easy to make! After smoothing brown icing (could be chocolate, mine was just a buttercream dyed brown), I piped green icing with a <a href="http://www.wilton.com/technique/Grass">grass tip</a> and 'laid' (teehee) three yogurt covered almonds for eggs. The R-O-W-A-N is paper taped to toothpicks. I used my <a href="http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CEwQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cuttlebug.ca%2F&ei=Bjo1UNqIEMO9yQGKz4GwDg&usg=AFQjCNF6x9HD72bthOF27g_Y0ClrENFHoQ&sig2=kO2yNuvBMqrwLXPvpNSf8w">Cuttlebug</a> and the 'Olivia' alphabet set to cut out the letters.</div>
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The <a href="http://www.wilton.com/idea/Dinosaur">cake</a>! I love that you can rent different shaped pans from Bulk Barn, otherwise I would need a second house for all the pans I'd have to buy!</div>
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For some birthday fun, I kept it simple and only planned one activity. A dinosaur egg hunt! Well, dinosaurs and candy :) Rowan loved his dinosaur 'babies'. He cuddled them as if they were real and gave them kisses.</div>
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A friend of mine gave Rowan a ginormous dinosaur colouring book for his birthday. So a few sheets went up on the wall for an art break before dinner. Between a 1, 2 and 4 yr old, only one line of crayon got on the wall! I'd call that a success.</div>
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Rowan thought our 'Happy Birthday' singing was utterly hilarious.<br />
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Yummy-yum-yum! Happy Birthday, my little dinosaur!</div>
Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06092546684539948265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879656750851667830.post-10009813933838231382012-08-16T22:47:00.000-04:002012-08-16T22:59:12.037-04:00Felt Birthday Banner Tutorial<br />
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A homemade banner has been on my must-make list since Rowan's 1st birthday. He's turning two next week and I got my act together and made him a felt and ribbon banner to fit into his dino-themed party. Yay me!</div>
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To make this retro-style, uber neat banner, you'll need:<br />
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Felt; 7 sheets (8.5 x 11") each of two co-ordinating colours and 4 for lettering. An iron and ironing board, iron-on transfer paper (such as Heat N Bond or Wonder Under), sharp scissors, lettering (I used <a href="http://www.losttype.com/font/?name=airplane">'Airplane'</a> which you can download for free if you type in '0' for the donation amount. It's kind of a jerk move, but I have a hunch that a lot of people do it), 5.5 m of 4cm (6 yds of 1.5 inch) wide ribbon and a pencil. <br />
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Depending on whether you want to sew the pennants on or glue them, you'll also need straight pins and a sewing machine with co-ordinating thread or fabric glue.<br />
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Let's get started!<br />
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Print out your lettering (I used airplane in size 500) and cut them out. I noticed that the 'p', 'd' and 'b' were essentially all the same (just flipped around...it was a "duh, Anne" moment) when I cut them out, so you can save paper if you use this font and just type out one of them. I also cut out a dinosaur (a brontosaurus - I'm becoming reacquainted with dinosaur species) silhouette just for kicks.<br />
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Arrange them on top of the paper side of the transfer paper <strong>reversed</strong> and trace around them with the pencil. </div>
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Cut around a few groups of letters (don't cut <strong>out</strong> the letters yet) and arrange them on top of the felt. Iron according to the transfer paper directions. </div>
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Cut out the letters.</div>
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Cut a large triangle out of the coloured felt, I left about 5cm (2") off the bottom. </div>
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I wanted to do a blue-green-blue-green pattern with the dinosaur on a ivory pennant at the end of 'happy'. To make sure I didn't fudge it up, I layed out all the triangles in the pattern and placed the letters in order.</div>
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Peel off the paper backing and iron letters onto the pennants.</div>
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Be sure to place the letters on the same spot on each pennant. I used the first 'h' to keep me on track.</div>
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The dinosaur's head was a little too tall and would have been run over by the sewing machine. I left it un-ironed until after the banner was sewn. If you're gluing the triangles on, it doesn't matter.</div>
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My banner ended up being H-U-G-E, so I split up the 'happy' and the 'birthday' on seperate lines of ribbon. I decided I wanted the ribbons the same length, so I made up the 'birthday' banner first.</div>
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Place the pennants side-by-side on the ribbon, or over-lap them if you prefer.</div>
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Pin on each end of the triangle. Obviously if you're gluing, you can skip that part.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuXrcmSIJqKD_t7aIPEfwysvOZX7TirkGrYzKYNByeaxGH9Ml9a21k0t55zQ6p5Q19y-UpRmguoRh-Y5BrQcKii8NK342epiuI1zn0ru__PcZgBqexc-rZBZ7RQrtuBaj2on1iHqL0tNw/s1600/felt+banner+sewn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuXrcmSIJqKD_t7aIPEfwysvOZX7TirkGrYzKYNByeaxGH9Ml9a21k0t55zQ6p5Q19y-UpRmguoRh-Y5BrQcKii8NK342epiuI1zn0ru__PcZgBqexc-rZBZ7RQrtuBaj2on1iHqL0tNw/s1600/felt+banner+sewn.jpg" /></a></div>
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Sew with a straight stitch on the top and the bottom of the ribbon. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmfh_FUzVengR2eU_GLWpa7f0LHBy57dHahzygFxRBo9QjbrgXjF2tQIruvJ6-uoA3HK6okmuA1_CjJ3C2RsgeYjfvFfNEmR4hxeYhZu9GxtxlYPVOQoVk4-rAVAKw8PmVPt16uVCFFqw/s1600/felt+dinosaur+head.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmfh_FUzVengR2eU_GLWpa7f0LHBy57dHahzygFxRBo9QjbrgXjF2tQIruvJ6-uoA3HK6okmuA1_CjJ3C2RsgeYjfvFfNEmR4hxeYhZu9GxtxlYPVOQoVk4-rAVAKw8PmVPt16uVCFFqw/s1600/felt+dinosaur+head.jpg" /></a></div>
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Iron the dino head.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJKXp3xFJpNDlYSpyDC7HB7fQWBzVj-R5yeWYUq-FbALYM60oxv3BVWp_jjtZ25_P2fu2aX0Ovmkzxskhg9aNVmcxU_hT2fNOhMmGhBxU5AOSFP0JqmqeUG5c8-1kNCuW5awxnDCjpdtg/s1600/felt+birthday+banner+dinosaur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJKXp3xFJpNDlYSpyDC7HB7fQWBzVj-R5yeWYUq-FbALYM60oxv3BVWp_jjtZ25_P2fu2aX0Ovmkzxskhg9aNVmcxU_hT2fNOhMmGhBxU5AOSFP0JqmqeUG5c8-1kNCuW5awxnDCjpdtg/s1600/felt+birthday+banner+dinosaur.jpg" /></a></div>
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Well done!! Relish your birthday banner success.</div>
Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06092546684539948265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879656750851667830.post-33718239050178340762012-08-13T09:43:00.001-04:002012-08-16T22:58:21.270-04:00"RAWR" is 'Happy Birthday' in DinosaurI'm 8 days away from having a two year old. We're getting ready to P-A-R-T-Y!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsbilj7yiEOA4UU2AZCrQAIy6Yjtly_kwb6pqryDeWlpQHT-BhLCyQZh_wprhd2PKFJFCImsuw22YmZpuyk1jhMNjK-1V4gk2E8DMgd_zgAMfGnuv48WoJtyZmoAyLTkqB0H6QSYSd2ik/s1600/baby+dino+hug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsbilj7yiEOA4UU2AZCrQAIy6Yjtly_kwb6pqryDeWlpQHT-BhLCyQZh_wprhd2PKFJFCImsuw22YmZpuyk1jhMNjK-1V4gk2E8DMgd_zgAMfGnuv48WoJtyZmoAyLTkqB0H6QSYSd2ik/s1600/baby+dino+hug.jpg" /></a></div>
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R-man has evolved into a dino-nut in the past few months. We went to the <a href="http://www.reptilezoo.org/">Indian River Reptile Zoo</a> in July to see their super cool Dinosaurs Live! exhibit. They move....they roar....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXfQMUwpUY9cBRn-geA3VAjztjM4jhfS7yEg78-Brfqi2eZaedtFHdHyblBVKRA-FO5r2Ym3DwL95crFUIM1M0ybFx3aghyatHOZLnE-AZS78DtCzFd-khg7BU-2RJZUwDxsLHN9-lHo/s1600/t+rex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXfQMUwpUY9cBRn-geA3VAjztjM4jhfS7yEg78-Brfqi2eZaedtFHdHyblBVKRA-FO5r2Ym3DwL95crFUIM1M0ybFx3aghyatHOZLnE-AZS78DtCzFd-khg7BU-2RJZUwDxsLHN9-lHo/s640/t+rex.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_b6J70V0bE8USIN6ZDS_VBG534IYPR9GdsK6cOhtnyWeBNnF8FVT8XYaNfp2JB9LqHHeuN1Q5MTSNUy8VCcbwox06HOISeC5k9kVOPzTQBqIA_mpxI7DHSxifSIgMIPw0PDBLQptbVnQ/s1600/t+rex+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_b6J70V0bE8USIN6ZDS_VBG534IYPR9GdsK6cOhtnyWeBNnF8FVT8XYaNfp2JB9LqHHeuN1Q5MTSNUy8VCcbwox06HOISeC5k9kVOPzTQBqIA_mpxI7DHSxifSIgMIPw0PDBLQptbVnQ/s1600/t+rex+3.jpg" /></a></div>
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...they make kids eyes bug out. Rowan sobbed as we walked (I walked, he was carried) around to see all the different kinds of dinosaurs. I was amazed. AMAZED. Of course, I was 10 when <em>Jurassic Park</em> came out and my youngest brother got the whole family caught up in dino-mania.</div>
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If you're on <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a>, you'll know that a LOT of people (I think it's safe to say it's mostly women) use it to plan their wedding...even if they're not engaged......or in a serious realtionship. It's also a damn convenient way to plan a birthday party (or any party for that matter), so today I'm sharing my favourite dino themed pins.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://174.121.10.220/~skeeping/index.php?option=com_easyblog&view=entry&id=212&Itemid=58" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="578" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWAc0sNjfqFnskpCBDk2vjvCgimNbJ-QjiIDQvowupDnjeYfNDscxEBfqphesn1koeHPVeKnyrgMC3JSDjUNrh2ZJ2izzZvVPTXGZqlU-HkZ7YjsXEgsXoDGG6tllZKCd8-gEurqpTgJ0/s640/Dinosaur_Birthday_Party_Homemade_Food.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://174.121.10.220/~skeeping/index.php?option=com_easyblog&view=entry&id=212&Itemid=58">Homemade Dinosaur Party</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://blog.hwtm.com/2012/06/dinosaur-birthday-party/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWqTByvFn1687BH13hhpRqpirmnBfo4zSnlC_VeBFFa5zQCLAEj-21qKZfmKwMXg8M4ECmObEyquSGRoDSQ-QC4d1Ij58yEQaxPGuDsfdbhdgarV0tPDy3cBH4zdgA3Ntjja9rSCwNn-k/s640/dinosaur-birthday-party-dessert-table.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://blog.hwtm.com/2012/06/dinosaur-birthday-party/">'Rawr Your World'</a> </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ok9RxT79cgya3dRl95zHL9KBAfoRMsigidCXgmqeOnj0u5oUyZ2v_tvo3Uvjtq9pOSQ0I6f8jHoEUg9hnpeYyNbNkn1vjq_N9fW8tBygJVtJRFlVvBtKsqjIzYPudc5GXSGJ6ma_UCQ/s1600/dinosaur-birthday-party-cake-tier-angle2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ok9RxT79cgya3dRl95zHL9KBAfoRMsigidCXgmqeOnj0u5oUyZ2v_tvo3Uvjtq9pOSQ0I6f8jHoEUg9hnpeYyNbNkn1vjq_N9fW8tBygJVtJRFlVvBtKsqjIzYPudc5GXSGJ6ma_UCQ/s640/dinosaur-birthday-party-cake-tier-angle2.jpg" width="470" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://blog.thecelebrationshoppe.com/2010/07/06/real-parties-dino-roar/">Dino-Roar!</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8HU6WLvmkLSt1iP60P56L_vR-NSUc5h75XtyGz1UJ9rR9C5BgBVBdu57QdBmssfWqFJQeO1zTVYt_WWEAnS0gXG1qDZCyyi5HG7HBvKT7x2Lif1B1c8t1Zg_fMg9Vp1XursN9NEwBtkI/s1600/isly-dino-brunch-overview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8HU6WLvmkLSt1iP60P56L_vR-NSUc5h75XtyGz1UJ9rR9C5BgBVBdu57QdBmssfWqFJQeO1zTVYt_WWEAnS0gXG1qDZCyyi5HG7HBvKT7x2Lif1B1c8t1Zg_fMg9Vp1XursN9NEwBtkI/s640/isly-dino-brunch-overview.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://melissaesplin.com/2011/04/penelopes-dino-brunch/">Girl's Dinosaur Party</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5AGd7C0fBkLsn3hHYmSspSSnkTsLljy5lYYtY_fZUYXfMI14xxgDofKbBtUPR7HNxrdbRzSbABxIN6uLxKP5p1yhE0gsanmiwyWW4aBFs5zBwxILj26i-PJXPGuzjloRnrlYmeMryTN0/s1600/RAWR_dinosaur-collection-image2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5AGd7C0fBkLsn3hHYmSspSSnkTsLljy5lYYtY_fZUYXfMI14xxgDofKbBtUPR7HNxrdbRzSbABxIN6uLxKP5p1yhE0gsanmiwyWW4aBFs5zBwxILj26i-PJXPGuzjloRnrlYmeMryTN0/s640/RAWR_dinosaur-collection-image2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.creativepartyplace.com/boys/dinosaur-birthday-party/">Dino Banner</a></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyR9zTjGyvM1lNLRNlT5KrsLKFbn-phay_ZTAriIMpu0dd4jh464VOWMOHXyGKfUh4fMT7Qxpj72GGPLiZ65Rxjias05xwlhMktyLuGfUIFKJguVXRUbftPXbEj8Km9rlA88usHvwbeH4/s1600/206391595393954105_DebZWgNZ_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="532" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyR9zTjGyvM1lNLRNlT5KrsLKFbn-phay_ZTAriIMpu0dd4jh464VOWMOHXyGKfUh4fMT7Qxpj72GGPLiZ65Rxjias05xwlhMktyLuGfUIFKJguVXRUbftPXbEj8Km9rlA88usHvwbeH4/s640/206391595393954105_DebZWgNZ_c.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://wantsandwishesdesign.blogspot.ca/2011/04/dinosaur-party-rawr-means-happy.html">Dino Egg Party Favour</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7Hd0yql35Dgl8HHo63bN2-tE4dwH5mvGsODIODSdPOUaBuB78S3evW8W1ItHuIoevx2K493nf4iBpS9wIa9GvMPb94DAYp4HxS9hIfIu_wj3Gsibt4AbDkoRKdXxa1x31t60_rxamcA/s1600/206391595393639408_4nEdmy0C_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7Hd0yql35Dgl8HHo63bN2-tE4dwH5mvGsODIODSdPOUaBuB78S3evW8W1ItHuIoevx2K493nf4iBpS9wIa9GvMPb94DAYp4HxS9hIfIu_wj3Gsibt4AbDkoRKdXxa1x31t60_rxamcA/s640/206391595393639408_4nEdmy0C_c.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.creativepartyplace.com/boys/dinosaur-birthday-party/">T-Rex Tracks</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigAGXRe1O9FJJDDLxrFu0E3k1wunr5fkbGW0kHPI9ZzbnM-Ztx8-R2yPfVyyEckIrTDh3dxfozKbXE15uhTpMSw_d2kywToRx7UQ3e1wUNBdIOLVPwJQipzOzSj-bhk4hz9xrux9Rd0es/s1600/206391595393639355_l9m5FXpE_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="416" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigAGXRe1O9FJJDDLxrFu0E3k1wunr5fkbGW0kHPI9ZzbnM-Ztx8-R2yPfVyyEckIrTDh3dxfozKbXE15uhTpMSw_d2kywToRx7UQ3e1wUNBdIOLVPwJQipzOzSj-bhk4hz9xrux9Rd0es/s640/206391595393639355_l9m5FXpE_c.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.great-birthday-party-ideas.com/dinosaur-party-supplies.html">Stegosaurus Cake</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I'm so pumped for this birthday because Rowan (sort of) knows what's going on. He knows there is cake served at birthday parties and he's cake's biggest fan. I'll be sure to to share all the things I'm preparing for the big day, and how the whole thing goes down! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Now I must leave, someone is begging to feed apples to the horses. If you were to ask Rowan, sometimes they eat cake.</span></div>
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06092546684539948265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879656750851667830.post-85171956845648151422012-06-13T12:17:00.000-04:002012-06-15T09:27:27.655-04:00Whole Wheat Strawberry Muffins<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzX2q7oZYo-5pih-p_JvmyqWn_kqnY86rQm_B2iB34Yhpe2niPvXDpxUu3-tNODZ45FAofaMS1FIpK8OCCRG6PIoDOba_5f4Ab3S1JlXX6-KxhiLGvXpDwmtJngGmeiWcLZ65e3EqkMpA/s1600/fresh+strawberries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" pca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzX2q7oZYo-5pih-p_JvmyqWn_kqnY86rQm_B2iB34Yhpe2niPvXDpxUu3-tNODZ45FAofaMS1FIpK8OCCRG6PIoDOba_5f4Ab3S1JlXX6-KxhiLGvXpDwmtJngGmeiWcLZ65e3EqkMpA/s1600/fresh+strawberries.jpg" /></a></div>
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It's stawberry season! It's strawberry season!!</div>
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This time of year is practically on par with Christmas for me. How wonderfully joyous it is to find loads of fresh, local produce in grocery stores and farmer's markets after a long, dull winter. Salad greens, asparagus, rhubarb and of course, STRAWBERRIES!!</div>
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If you feel like celebrating too, try a batch of these super yummy muffins. Made with whole wheat flour, a little sugar, fresh fruit and a punch of vanilla, these are sure to please the whole family. </div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, sifted</div>
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1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar</div>
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2 tsp baking powder</div>
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1 tsp baking soda</div>
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1/2 tsp salt</div>
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2 eggs</div>
1 1/4 cups buttermilk<br />
1/3 cup vegetable oil<br />
1 Tbsp vanilla extract<br />
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1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced</div>
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A note about the ingredients: If you don't have buttermilk, simply add 1 Tbsp of lemon juice or white vinegar to whatever milk you have on hand (2% or homogenized works best) and let sit for a few minutes.</div>
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Pictured above is my home-made vanilla extract. The stuff in the store is really expensive, and I find this way pretty cost effective! It's really easy to make. Simply place 3 or 4 vanilla pods (cut in half) in an air-tight jar. Pour vodka or white rum over them and let sit in the back of a cool cupboard for 2 - 3 months. I can usually get 4 or 5 batches out of the same pods. Just be sure to wash out the jar inbetween uses!</div>
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I sifted the flour before measuring to prevent heavy, dense muffins. Be sure you do the same! </div>
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When you've sifted most of the flour out, you will be left with a bunch of bran. You can either discard it, or keep sifting a little while longer so the little fine bits of bran are included into your muffins.</div>
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Gather your ingredients, measuring cups and spoons, two bowls, a whisk and a wooden spoon. Preheat the oven to 425'F (220'C). Prepare your 12 cup muffin tin by either greasing each cup or lining with paper.</div>
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Before you measure out the sifted flour - did you know there's a 'proper' way to measure flour? It seems a little anal retentive, until you realize it produces great results. Spoon flour into measuring cup until it's heaping.</div>
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Take the flat edge of a knife and slide it across the cup to smooth out the surface. </div>
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Ta-da!</div>
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I had a teensy bit of flour left over, so back into the the bag it goes!</div>
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Now that you've got your flour, add the remaining dry ingredients - the sugar, baking powder and soda and salt. </div>
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Combine with a wooden spoon so there aren't any lumps and set aside.</div>
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In a separate bowl, lightly whisk eggs. </div>
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Add milk, oil and vanilla and gently whisk to combine. </div>
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Pour egg mixture over dry ingredients. </div>
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Add strawberries.</div>
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The next step is CRITICAL. <strong> Do. Not. Over-mix.</strong> This is the rule for muffins, pancakes, waffles and cakes. Cookies you can pretty much beat the crap out of and they'll end up the same. But not muffins. They're delicate. Use swift, deep strokes to combine the wet/dry ingredients and stop as soon as it's done. If you're mixing for longer than 30 seconds, you've mixed too long. If there are still one or two little pockets of flour, that's not a big deal. Just stop stirring.</div>
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Divide evenly into muffin cups, filling almost to the top. If you're feeling fancy, you could sprinkle a little brown sugar on top.</div>
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Pop them in the oven and reduce the heat to 350'F (175'C). The reason for starting the muffins at a higher temperature is so they'll rise a little more. Fluffy muffins are the best! Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, or whenever a toothpick inserted to the middle of a muffin comes out clean.</div>
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Let sit in the muffin tin for about 10 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack to cool. They're at their best when still warm, but still moist and delicious the next day.</div>
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So delicious in fact, that R-man had TWO for breakfast this morning! </div>
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I didn't have the typcial twinge of guilt with these muffins as I normally do with baked goods. Low sugar, high fibre and lots of fruit. They're perfect!</div>
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If you happen to be lactose intolerent, you most certainly can switch in some soy, almond or rice milk. Just be sure to still add the lemon juice/vinegar. It reacts with the baking soda to give you light, fluffy muffins.</div>
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When strawberry season is over, try these variations:<br />
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<strong>Lemon Blueberry</strong><br />
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Replace the strawberries with fresh or frozen blueberries. Reduce the buttermilk to 1 cup and add 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice. Nix the vanilla in favour of 1 Tbsp of lemon zest.</div>
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<strong>Orange Raspberry</strong></div>
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Replace the strawberries with fresh or frozen raspberries. Reduce the buttermilk to 1 cup and add 1/4 cup of fresh orange juice. Nix the vanilla in favour of 1 Tbsp of orange zest.</div>
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Let me know if you try them! Have a happy Wednesday.Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06092546684539948265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879656750851667830.post-22492580018461052532012-06-09T13:57:00.000-04:002012-06-09T14:05:47.201-04:00Monogrammed Tea Towel Tutorial<br />
I received a virtual kick in the tush last week from a fellow blogger. She didn't think my once-a-month blog posts were sufficient. I have to agree with her. <br />
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I've been busy. I know that's a lame, catch-all excuse. But, it's the honest truth. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/EvaandDell">B-U-S-Y</a>. Yeah, click that link. You'll see that I've completely lost my mind and deluded myself into thinking that someone (or maybe a couple of someones) will actually want to BUY the things my sewing machine spews out. Go ahead and 'like' my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/evaanddell">Facebook page</a> too. Sometimes I give stuff away on there.<br />
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I managed to snag an hour to make up a little personalized gift for a bridal shower I'm attending tomorrow. <br />
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Round up the following:<br />
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Tea Towels<br />
Co-ordinating cotton fabric<br />
Iron-on adhesive (I used Heat 'n Bond)<br />
Letter templates<br />
Iron<br />
Fabric scissors<br />
Tape<br />
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Optional: needle (or sewing machine) and thread<br />
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Print out lettering off of your computer to your desired size. Cut around the letters (don't <b>cut out</b> the letters yet) and tape them to the <b>paper side</b> of the iron-on adhesive. If you are using letters that have a right side, like 'P' or 'K', be sure to tape them down <b>reversed</b>. Otherwise you'll stomp your feet and yell "Aaaahhh! I have backwards letters!"<br />
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Place the adhesive, paper side up, on the <b>wrong side</b> of the co-ordinating cotton fabric. Iron according to package instructions. <br />
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Using the fabric scissors, cut out lettering. Peel the paper backing off. Please excuse the gross, chipped nail polish. See!? No time!<br />
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If your tea towels have come folded, be sure to unfold them and iron out any creases. <br />
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Place lettering at your desired location. I left my tea towel folded in half (length wise) and placed the letters in the middle. <br />
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Iron again according to package instructions. You can either stop here, OR add a little bit of stitching. If you don't own a sewing machine, you may want to add a neat little <a href="http://www.craftstylish.com/item/8312/how-to-five-handy-embroidery-stitches">back st</a><a href="http://www.craftstylish.com/item/8312/how-to-five-handy-embroidery-stitches">itch</a> around the edge of the letters with an embroidery needle and thread.<br />
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I chose to use a sewing machine, since I was short on time. Change your presser foot to a satin stitch foot (clear plastic) and switch up your stitches to a short zig-zag.<br />
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The satin stitch foot allows you to see what you're doing a little better. You'll need to stop and pivot the fabric around tight corners. Be sure the needle is in the fabric before lifting the presser foot! I ended up doing a lot of manual hand-wheel turning around the 'H'.<br />
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Snip threads and you're done!<br />
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Since my tea towels came in a set of four, I thought I'd make up two animal silhouette towels as well. 'H' is a horse riding instructor and 'T' has a beloved pit-bull cross. I was afraid the horse silhouette might come out looking like a donkey...but I think it looks like a horse.<br />
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Sweet beans. I'm a teensy bit peeved about the lines that show through little miss pit-bull. Next time I'll use a darker fabric. Or pattern-less towels. Sew and learn.<br />
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Have a mah-velous weekend!Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06092546684539948265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879656750851667830.post-32771372342200932222012-05-15T10:58:00.000-04:002012-05-15T10:58:43.601-04:001947 Called......they want their dress back.<br />
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Growing up, I only wore dresses for special occasions. So to me, Dress = Fancy Pants.<br />
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Then I became a mum and I discovered that dresses are a great wardrobe staple. Why? Partly because I want to feel fancy sporting a cascade of baby puke and partly because they're probably the easiest outfit to assemble.<br />
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I L-O-V-E this <a href="http://butterick.mccall.com/b5209-products-7476.php?page_id=371">dress pattern</a>. <a href="http://butterick.mccall.com/">Butterick</a> has a great selection of retro dress patterns from the '40s, '50s and '60s. You just have to be sure to measure yourself before buying; sizing has changed over the years. I'm apparently two dress sizes larger according to 1947. Pffftttttt.<br />
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It's not challenging to sew and it's comfortability rating is through the roof. Not to mention it's totally kid proof. The neckline cannot be pulled down to your waist and the skirt is long enough to lessen the chance of bum-exposure. <br />
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It's also quite entertaining. I wish I had photos of Rowan using the skirt to play peek-a-boo with the dogs, because it was pretty adorbs. <br />
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I like my polka dot dress. I think Lily likes too :)Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06092546684539948265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879656750851667830.post-43478873592964284572012-04-23T11:19:00.001-04:002012-04-23T11:35:49.783-04:00Quiet Book: The Felt SafariHey, remember when I said I was working on a quiet book? Well....it's still not done. But my posts about the quiet book get a LOT of traffic (thank you!), so that encouraged me to keep stitching away! <br />
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I have two pages to share <b>with animal templates</b> in the hopes that you won't judge me on my felt-craft laziness.<br />
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Welcome to the jungle. The wee critters finally have a place to call home!<br />
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The monkey swings on an elastic-y 'vine'. It's attached to his bum, not his hand but I'm hoping Rowan won't notice the inaccuracy.<br />
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The lion is stuck on the savannah.<br />
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The viper (yes, not snake...<b>viper) </b>waits in the long grass to ambush his prey. <br />
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The hippo chills out in the pond.<br />
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There's also a shiny mirrored sun just for extra shiny fun.<br />
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Templates for the <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzrmkVftw-NrdF9jNlhwbGtRS2s/edit">hippo and monkey are here.</a> The <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzrmkVftw-NrMVh1VjF2ak4tZEE/edit">viper and lion are here.</a> The files will open in Google Docs. To print, you need to find the little printer icon on the upper left and click it. A new screen should come up with the PDF and just head on over to 'File' under whatever internet browser you're using and select print from the drop-down menu.<br />
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<b>You will need:</b><br />
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felt (one sheet per colour will do)<br />
embroidery thread<br />
embroidery needle<br />
small amount of stuffing<br />
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Now, let's talk about construction. Basically, the rule is <a href="http://www.craftstylish.com/item/8312/how-to-five-handy-embroidery-stitches">embellish</a> first, sew second. This means that any facial features, tails, or decorative stitching should be sewn on <b>before</b> sewing the animal together. Limbs or tongues should be also completed before sewing the body.<br />
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The viper is the easiest animal to construct. Simply embellish the top and sew the two body pieces together, leaving a hole for stuffing. Sew up the hole and knot off the thread!</div>
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Let's make a monkey:</div>
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First, sew the eyes and nose onto the face. It's a good idea to pencil in where you want your facial features to be so they are even. Sew the face onto one of the head pieces and set aside. Sew the feet pads (oatmeal colour) to the main feet. I now realize that I didn't include the feet pads on the pattern sheets, so just cut out an extra set of feet and trim them down. Sew each foot to one of the body pieces and set aside. <br />
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Using the second body piece, sew the tail on. If you're going to be adding something to attach the animal to the quiet book, now is a good time to add that. Sew the body: lay your body pieces on top of each other, wrong sides together, and starting at the 'neck' sew around the entire body and end at the other side of the neck. Knot off the thread. Leave the top open and lightly stuff the body. Set aside. Grab the to head pieces and starting at the 'chin' and sew up around the ears and head leaving the bottom open. Do not knot off yet! Lightly stuff the head. Sandwich the head around the body and finish sewing. Knot it and you now have a monkey! As Rowan would say: "Eeee Eeee!"<br />
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I didn't add the velcro to the lion until after he was finished. Thus, the messiness. Do as I say, not as I do.</div>
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Construction for the other animals is pretty much the same. For the tail on the lion and hippo, I threaded two long pieces of embroidery thread through the felt and divided them up evenly into three strands. Braid your desired length and knot off.</div>
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A note about the hippo arms: they aren't stuffed and are sew together first before inserted and sewn to the body.</div>
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I had a lot of fun designing and sewing these little creatures, and I hope you enjoy making them. I don't mind if you use the pattern for your own children or to give as gifts, but please don't rip me off and sell them. That's so not cool. If you're dying to sell them, shoot me an email about purchasing a license.<br />
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Sew on, my friends.<br />
<br />Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06092546684539948265noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879656750851667830.post-50617410927393708512012-04-18T13:10:00.001-04:002012-04-18T13:38:33.554-04:00'Antique' Ottoman Tray<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGnSd3L4HgqDuZKIH3e7jkcX4-5OK7rCOmu0DRRTYhyZ2-VP_9g3F7Qwo09znATONwyHF6YL2mgcxhegv9m2TCo-Y0O6jDBme9aPRSO6wz-SxMyeQeG-CMbECda85rvbI4EWanyVN2X68/s1600/antique+tray+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGnSd3L4HgqDuZKIH3e7jkcX4-5OK7rCOmu0DRRTYhyZ2-VP_9g3F7Qwo09znATONwyHF6YL2mgcxhegv9m2TCo-Y0O6jDBme9aPRSO6wz-SxMyeQeG-CMbECda85rvbI4EWanyVN2X68/s1600/antique+tray+2.jpg" /></a></div>
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After trading my over-sized, glass topped coffee table in for an ottoman, I gained living room seating and more space for Rowan to play. In turn, I lost a place to put stuff. Like coffee. And coffee deserves a good place to sit.<br />
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I saw this dynamite wood serving tray at a thrift store. I loved the colour of green and simple design. The flowers just screamed "PAINT ME!!"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsaXaQcaVQ85P8M4Id9w5rrDBWAC1ozwkbvWHvGuJP7R-LPQ4sOE-lNILmOa3pb5UhyY-vCsrFKPwb4ppvCmX-lHnWWrrS1jnpDQbHNj-ooBKel4ZiJ2snRYWKzhouyr73sdZzGvmlWQ/s1600/ottoman+tray2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsaXaQcaVQ85P8M4Id9w5rrDBWAC1ozwkbvWHvGuJP7R-LPQ4sOE-lNILmOa3pb5UhyY-vCsrFKPwb4ppvCmX-lHnWWrrS1jnpDQbHNj-ooBKel4ZiJ2snRYWKzhouyr73sdZzGvmlWQ/s1600/ottoman+tray2.jpg" /></a></div>
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So I did. One coat of spray paint in 'antique white'. If you're looking for a cleaner finish instead of my 'antiquing' method, you'll want to sand the entire tray before painting. I'm looking for imperfections, so I skipped that step.<br />
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Sand with a fine grit sandpaper.<br />
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Another coat of spray paint. <br />
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Another round of sanding. <br />
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The last sanding I really dug into the paint, so I had a lot of dust. I made sure that the tray was completely dust-free with a paint brush before I coated it with spray-on Mod Podge. The Mod Podge acts as a sealant, you don't want to skip it!<br />
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My happy accident. A little heavy on the first coat of Mod Podge and you'll get bubbles from the paint. I liked it, so I went with it. I lightly sanded over the crackles after the first coat had dried and sprayed on a second coat.<br />
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I'm very pleased with how it turned out! Since I already had the spray paint and the Mod Podge, this project only cost me $6.00. Love me some cheap DIY!<br />
<br />Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06092546684539948265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879656750851667830.post-43774460771127939962012-04-12T09:59:00.000-04:002012-04-12T09:59:56.700-04:00Little Vintage Sundress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Inspired by a dress I spotted in a 1950s nursery rhyme book.<br />
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This sweet little dress has a dropped waist and a ruched front panel.<br />
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Roomy enough to do fun new things...like walk! Once again, fabric is from <a href="http://www.tonicliving.com/productsDetails.asp?categoryid=98&productid=1065&currentpage=1&onsale=0">Tonic Living</a>.<br />
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Perfect for summer!<br />
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Dresses and pattern will be available for purchase soon. Yay!Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06092546684539948265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879656750851667830.post-8415865349814593522012-04-09T15:01:00.001-04:002012-04-12T11:52:32.189-04:00Felt Finger Puppets and Carry BagKnowing that my niece would undoubtably receive (and have access to) a hoard of edible goodies this past Easter weekend, I opted for a gift that contained few little things made out of felt.<br />
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The delightful little finger puppets are made by <a href="http://www.christineelliottdesigns.com/">Christine Elliott</a>. I saw her table at the <a href="http://www.mamasandchicks.com/">Mamas and Chicks</a> show at the end of March and obviously they were just too cute to pass up. She does beautiful monogramed pillows, be sure to check out <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/christineelliott?ref=em">her Etsy shop</a>!<br />
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I thought the wee critters could use a little home.<br />
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So I made up a little felt bag. I'm feeling lazy today (chocolate comma), so a tutorial will arrive later. <br />
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And in case you were wondering, the puppets were a big hit. I overheard Brianna pleading to take them to bed so she could put on a play :)Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06092546684539948265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879656750851667830.post-14724984185678961792012-04-05T10:22:00.000-04:002012-04-05T10:22:24.274-04:00This Post Features KittensI thought I'd post an outrageously adorable photo of the R-man and some kittens while I wait for my iron to heat up. Did you know they are the official alternative Easter animal when bunnies, chicks and lambs are unavailable?<br />
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That might be a lie. At four weeks old, they're pretty darn precious. Rowan has his keester parked on the floor of my dad's workshop and is getting an 'are-you-a-kitten-slayer' inspection from Mama Cat. He passed. <br />
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And yes, he's also wearing a new <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/62495882/urban-unisex-hoodie-pattern-and-tutorial">Urban Hoodie</a>. Considering the pattern goes up to size 5T, you'll be seeing a lot of them!<br />
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This weekend's goal is to <b>not</b> go into a chocolate induced comma. Success is unlikely.<br />
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Happy Easter!Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06092546684539948265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879656750851667830.post-7092682599224029672012-04-03T10:53:00.001-04:002012-04-03T11:10:26.075-04:00Amy Butler's Weekender Travel Bag - A ReviewRecently, I turned 29. My last year as a 'twenty-something'. Before all of my 30 and over readers begin an unanimous eye-roll, I will assure you this is not one of<b> those </b>posts. I'm actually looking forward to turning 30. Really, really.<br />
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Being on the cusp of 30 means I have a few things to consider. I think of myself more as a grown-up now <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>(I'm really hoping those of you who know me well won't giggle at that comment)</b></span> and while I'm very comfortable in my own skin, I'm thinking I need to put a little distance between <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">1</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">9 year old me</span> and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">29 year old me</span>. There are a few things that I desire to improve and/or change. <br />
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Or remove. <br />
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For instance, a few years ago, I thought: "When I turn 30, I'm going to take out my industrial ear piercing."<br />
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I've had this piercing for ten years. The first time I saw it, I was 17 and sitting in a tattoo and piercing studio in Berlin, waiting for my exchange student's sister to get hers. I thought it was uber cool. But is it cool at 30? Now that I'm here (or...almost here), I think so. I'll post-pone removal for another decade.<br />
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One thing I chose not to delay was my overnight/weekend clothing-and-assorted-essentials vessel. Up until a few days ago, this is what I was using:<br />
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Yeah. For shame. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Simpsons_characters">Ralph Wiggum</a> applique really isn't doing me any favours. I can only imagine what Stacey and Clinton of <a href="http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/what-not-to-wear">What Not To Wear</a> would say. Probably something along the lines of, "What are you, 19?!?"<br />
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Please enter <a href="http://www.amybutlerdesign.com/products/patterns_display.php?id=22">Amy Butler's Weekender Bag</a>. And I need to make a correction: it's not a 'bag' it's <b>luggage</b>.<br />
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This was my first <a href="http://www.amybutlerdesign.com/mainmenu.php">Amy Butler</a> pattern, (of course I picked the biggest bag she has!) so I was excited to see how she does her packaging, pattern, and instructions. Of course they are all polished and professional - very impressive!! I've read posts on other blogs about how much she loves to use interfacing. I thought it was a humorous comment. Then I read the list of materials. <br />
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Amy Butler loves her interfacing. Thick, stiff, interfacing.<br />
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That didn't discourage me! I'm incredibly stubborn and I had been coveting this bag for a long while. The super cheery fabric is from <a href="http://www.tonicliving.com/">Tonic Living</a>. I used <a href="https://www.tonicliving.com/productsdetails.asp?productid=2026">Tempo, Mambo</a> for the outer bag and <a href="https://www.tonicliving.com/productsDetails.asp?categoryid=15&productid=2030&currentpage=1&onsale=0">Joy, Fiesta</a> for the lining and piping.<br />
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The sewing process was....interesting. I should have suspected something while reading the instructions. The first line (even before the materials are listed) goes like this: <i>"This bag gets cumbersome when stitching some of the heavier seams. Be persistent. The finished bag will be worth it. Have fun!</i>" Even Amy Butler thinks this bag is a real bitch to sew. That's not daunting <b>at all</b>.<br />
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To sum up the entire process: I was frustrated but determined to finish. Just like the instructions said I would be. The interfacing was challenging to work with and I may have dropped a few f-bombs when the piping kept shifting on me. After breaking three needles within 5 minutes (nine...*NINE* heavy duty needles in total for the whole project), spilling coffee on one of the side panels, stabbing myself repeatedly with pins, and burning my finger with the iron; I decided that since I wasn't quitting, I needed to find the humor in it. <br />
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It definitely helped to vent to a friend. She certainly saw the humor in it. Thanks, Kennedy :)<br />
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Hopefully this won't intimidate you. In all sincerity, I do love the bag. Just as Amy said I would. I mean...it fits an 'In Style' magazine in the side pocket! What's not to love?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM1o3HBm7bBNhmn5aONsa1sYLW8sQi4zyNh7jOGB2dui-bG0lloK9L6Q51HoVZZPkP-O_5e2ujy4nshb3duErz7f0sZkha2PYXERZ_nCUL2cc0yfctxcYGO_-OjAU-uFvGqUtgwanNKAE/s1600/annec5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM1o3HBm7bBNhmn5aONsa1sYLW8sQi4zyNh7jOGB2dui-bG0lloK9L6Q51HoVZZPkP-O_5e2ujy4nshb3duErz7f0sZkha2PYXERZ_nCUL2cc0yfctxcYGO_-OjAU-uFvGqUtgwanNKAE/s1600/annec5.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks to Kennedy for the photos!</td></tr>
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If I make another one, I would add a pocket or two on the inside and maybe skip the end pockets. I wish I had read <a href="http://girlsinthegarden.blogspot.ca/2012/01/amy-butlers-weekender-bag-tips-hints.html">this post</a> before starting to sew, though. Some great tips and modifications can be found there. <br />
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Proceed with confidence, coffee (but not too close to your workspace!) and a sense of humor.<br />
<br />Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06092546684539948265noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879656750851667830.post-63357199092661919732012-03-26T12:33:00.001-04:002012-03-26T12:38:33.328-04:00Sunshine in the MailPinterest <a href="http://katherinemaries.com/blog/archives/8969">told me to mail sunshine</a>.<br />
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Considering March is typically one of the gloomier months in Canada, I thought it'd be a great idea for my friend's birthday. </div>
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A few other gals and I gathered up some yellow things. </div>
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Yummy treats.</div>
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Cheerful muffin cup liners, streamers and bubbles. </div>
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Lip gloss and nail polish.</div>
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Squirrels? Haha. I saw these salt and pepper shakers at an antique store and I just couldn't stop giggling. Their names are 'Sammy' and 'Samantha'.</div>
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I also had Rowan colour a spring-like photo. Except he went rogue and used blue instead of yellow and orange.</div>
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All bundled up and ready to go to Calgary! Although we've been having a very warm and sunny March, Jenn co-incidentally waited to open the parcel on a cloudy day. Yessssssssssss!Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06092546684539948265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879656750851667830.post-56648639049687976992012-02-24T08:00:00.000-05:002012-02-24T08:00:18.942-05:00Birthday Cards From Wee Ones<a href="http://inkadinkado.eksuccessbrands.com/Product/Friendly+Advice.aspx#"></a>Happy Friday!<br />
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The last time I was at my parent's place, I <b>actually</b> remembered to photograph the card I made for my Dad's birthday. Which was in September. Ha!<br />
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Nothing better than an inky (and slightly smudge-y) high-five from a grandson. But what do you expect from a fidgety 1 year old? Frankly, I think I was a little insane to ink up his hand!<br />
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Initially I was thinking of incorporating the 'high five' into the message. But I couldn't come up with anything that wasn't complete lame-sauce. So I used <span id="goog_552449059"></span><span id="goog_552449060"></span><a href="http://inkadinkado.eksuccessbrands.com/Product/Friendly+Advice.aspx#">one of the stamps from this set</a> to make it more 'from Rowan'. Making it more adorable by default.<br />
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Have a great weekend!Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06092546684539948265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879656750851667830.post-44486367478502676872012-02-23T11:20:00.000-05:002013-02-14T15:47:02.605-05:00Baby Shower FavouritesDo you like to walk on the wild side and avoid baby shower registries?<br />
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Me too. However, even if you have your heart set on buying your daughter/sister/friend/co-worker a Bumbo, you can always add a little homemade gift. The following are my all-time favs.<br />
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<b>(1) </b> <b>Burp Cloths</b><br />
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Make a set of these (four is a good start!) for the Mama-to-be and she'll thank you forever. Honestly! I had a stack for Rowan and I made several for friends. We all L.O.V.E. them. Find the free pattern and tutorial <a href="http://homemadebyjill.blogspot.com/2008/01/burp-cloth-tutorial.html">here</a>.<br />
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Why are they awesome? They're easy to make. If you're new to sewing, this is a great project. There's more cutting involved than sewing!<br />
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They're multipurpose. Here's my list of uses:<br />
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<li>catching baby spew (well, that's a given)</li>
<li>to protect bed linens while nursing laying down</li>
<li>emergency nursing cover</li>
<li>emergency car seat protector (because mega diaper messes <b>always</b> happen when you're less than 5 minutes from home)</li>
<li>public washroom change table pillow (when folded in half)</li>
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They're also very absorbent thanks to the layer of cotton quilt batting in the middle of the flannel. Needless to say, if you only have a little time to make a little something for the new little someone...this should be it!<br />
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<b>(2) </b><b>Wipes Clutch</b><br />
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I'm not going to go on and on about them again. There was <a href="http://ahandmadetale.blogspot.com/2011/03/wipes-clutch.html">already a post about that</a>. A great no-sew gift that's sure to be a diaper bag favourite.<br />
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<b>(3)</b> <b>Owl Toy</b><br />
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They're crinkly, they're squishy, they're soft. They're a.dor.a.ble! And yes, they've <a href="http://ahandmadetale.blogspot.com/2011/05/crinkly-owl-taggies.html">already been posted</a>. Great for when baby is around 6 months old. Made with felt, flannel, cuddle fabric, grosgrain and satin ribbon for a super-sensory experience.<br />
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Happy fabric shopping!Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06092546684539948265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879656750851667830.post-61687682002724182862012-02-21T11:48:00.004-05:002012-02-21T11:53:46.375-05:00Flower and Dot Cuddle Blanket<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I saw this absolutely adorable baby boy blanket tutorial on<a href="http://pinterest.com/"> Pinterest</a> a little while ago. <br />
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<a href="http://thismamamakesstuff.com/hes-all-boy-baby-blanket-tutorial/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifVpUrT3u-heCWFra53dmLPnrv4GGvnpMXdVvQ8A61sqC8Qc9f-UzTcW4WG2GGGEjMlQySZG_tYv-vgL0RZhrUTj6kCjqGv_KS-9L-EJnfy_ZokGbnH13eoPcT2gRIFQ1-oqMiXmfOGyg/s1600/baby-boy-blanket-tutorial-300x235.jpg" /></a></div>
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Super duper cute, right? I'll admit that I was tempted to make one for Rowan. The only thing that stopped me was the fact that he didn't need <b>another</b> blanket. Thank goodness for the arrival of my niece! I changed things up a little to make it more....flowery and polka dotty :)<br />
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Instead of flannel shirts (which is a fantabulous design element), I used flannel fabric in three corresponding colours; about half a meter of each. You'll also need one meter of cuddle or minky fabric and cotton quilt batting. I used Warm and Natural in the Baby/Crib size, which is 115 x 150 cm (45" x 60") and needed to be trimmed down a bit.<br />
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The top of the quilt is done in a <a href="http://www.u-createcrafts.com/2011/10/baby-rag-quilt-tutorial.html">striped rag.</a> It's not a full-out rag quilt; just one layer of flannel was sewn (wrong sides together!) with a 1.5 cm (1/2 inch) seam allowance.<br />
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The flannel was sewn to the cotton batting down the middle of several stripes. I laid the blanket top on the cuddle fabric with <b>wrong sides together</b> and cut the cuddle fabric 6cm (2") wider and longer than the blanket top. To round the corners, I used this uber sophisticated device called a <b>bowl</b>. <br />
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Get yer straight pins! You'll need a whole whack of these for the next step: edge folding.<br />
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Fold the cuddle fabric in towards the blanket top 2.5cm (1").<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMeVUP-PVYoAqRt5bf1Ag6ZKAIeJ92GvZhSj8xDfWnHc4hRoLe_XRlWRFmTZnt4VfRe6Ri9wQl-1ymHORILIj4mLUK20TlRUCOnsiF-vMokRXI1Sqyrws37qBYT6dJUtmMlgPo9umDC0Q/s1600/cuddle+blanket+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMeVUP-PVYoAqRt5bf1Ag6ZKAIeJ92GvZhSj8xDfWnHc4hRoLe_XRlWRFmTZnt4VfRe6Ri9wQl-1ymHORILIj4mLUK20TlRUCOnsiF-vMokRXI1Sqyrws37qBYT6dJUtmMlgPo9umDC0Q/s1600/cuddle+blanket+4.jpg" /></a></div>
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Fold again the same amount so that the cuddle fabric is overlapping the edge of the blanket top. Pin all the straight edges this way.<br />
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The rounded corners can be tricky to do neatly, but I figured out a method that works well for me. If you have a different way, then bugger off and do whatever it is you do so well :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlTCMW5diHLymkwmmw78VGetHLoPCNGSVvm702ydLJMLfg39I9PIJ0t-4ZKIUeN-Va-WZI7UlOUCX7QPQIIUooUIkFmL1zEmv8DsPbL9tVLnbWHhvvdlRrCuXPCUaBFH17BmcdmrGcurk/s1600/cuddle+blanket+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlTCMW5diHLymkwmmw78VGetHLoPCNGSVvm702ydLJMLfg39I9PIJ0t-4ZKIUeN-Va-WZI7UlOUCX7QPQIIUooUIkFmL1zEmv8DsPbL9tVLnbWHhvvdlRrCuXPCUaBFH17BmcdmrGcurk/s1600/cuddle+blanket+5.jpg" /></a></div>
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Find the center of the rounded edge. It doesn't have to be exact...just guesstimate. Fold (as per the straight edges) and pin.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLzE_CJ8tu2rwgRvTx5RvNQKFbTC8yu1mnoMDRRRQKZhpxRwr_PPvRvY0BkStLZ-1Xj8r6tkiY0dqIYaFgoH6JcRc7BQXvLI302o8qPWjzZODhf01KxnxuZmRW6LAh-5x-A-l6q2Tt3Q/s1600/cuddle+blanket+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLzE_CJ8tu2rwgRvTx5RvNQKFbTC8yu1mnoMDRRRQKZhpxRwr_PPvRvY0BkStLZ-1Xj8r6tkiY0dqIYaFgoH6JcRc7BQXvLI302o8qPWjzZODhf01KxnxuZmRW6LAh-5x-A-l6q2Tt3Q/s1600/cuddle+blanket+6.jpg" /></a> The diagram above is either going to tick you off or help you. I hope it's the latter. The center fold that you just did is number 1. Move to either the right or left side (number 2) of the center. Fold the fabric (as per the straight edges) and make a little tuck towards the center and pin. Complete another tuck (number 3) and pin. Do the opposite side in the same way, making sure to tuck towards the center. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7TurK1WxjKB3Gw5nuqxr19pu0OQhFX8fN8Vi0PBhlWOWJsdTSUtNlhax5D_IFIL9zIbxJsMD-qph6yIHGlrFqZrlgQq-molkqIRXTbIBzXprardZIoDSdnkdFIUJSOLECALgRQJuKEwI/s1600/cuddle+blanket+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7TurK1WxjKB3Gw5nuqxr19pu0OQhFX8fN8Vi0PBhlWOWJsdTSUtNlhax5D_IFIL9zIbxJsMD-qph6yIHGlrFqZrlgQq-molkqIRXTbIBzXprardZIoDSdnkdFIUJSOLECALgRQJuKEwI/s1600/cuddle+blanket+7.jpg" /></a> Repeat on all three remaining corners and you should have something that looks like this!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPXaUZB2vnxUSUtexU9nFZqXkJN7cU-e3SVsekr23dt-uhizJ10nYj2C2bIr-o26-UgukxQxtHcMy9nq19pHuKD3UhwpycJW5XvDciwfN1yDJghqlqwvSmF8f2rRCiw3xE1VxfcCWNzs/s1600/cuddle+blanket+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPXaUZB2vnxUSUtexU9nFZqXkJN7cU-e3SVsekr23dt-uhizJ10nYj2C2bIr-o26-UgukxQxtHcMy9nq19pHuKD3UhwpycJW5XvDciwfN1yDJghqlqwvSmF8f2rRCiw3xE1VxfcCWNzs/s1600/cuddle+blanket+8.jpg" /></a></div>
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The last step is to sew around the cuddle fabric edge (see the <a href="http://thismamamakesstuff.com/hes-all-boy-baby-blanket-tutorial/">'He's All Boy' blanket tutorial </a>for this). While sewing, be sure you're catching the fabric itself and not just the fluffy bits. </div>
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All done! </div>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06092546684539948265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879656750851667830.post-74230279102204390492012-02-16T08:31:00.000-05:002012-02-16T08:31:48.307-05:00Sweet Baby GMy niece Gillian arrived last week! Her parents opted not to find out the gender (which I'm in favour of....personally), so I decided to wait until the little darling arrived before I got to work on baby gifts. The next few posts will be covering all the goodies I managed to throw together in a few days.<br />
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Starting with another onesie dress and matching headband. These dresses are so simple and quick to make. <a href="http://barefootinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2009/06/onesie-dress-tutorial.html">Find the tutorial here</a>.<br />
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Because I was in a hurray, I didn't take step-by-step photos of how to make these matching rolled fabric flowers. Fear not, it won't be the last time I make them!<br />
<a href="http://mysparkle.blogspot.com/2010/02/how-to-rolled-flowers.html"></a><br />
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Sweet baby Gillian. It's easy to forget how tiny they are...<br />
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...and how easy they are to photograph!<br />
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Have a great Thursday.Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06092546684539948265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879656750851667830.post-45893336737559297362012-02-10T16:09:00.003-05:002012-04-17T21:44:48.600-04:00Valentine's Day Shirt - for boys!Elephant Shoe.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3B9Ts8ElbHZlkl8Sn7B7QB0n2y2wm7_VYn7-KZfNWuD3LnVywb7q1P1a_oOa7CyyG1aCgyxA0OklsMDcICHtKN8fvnHTH9mpGy0coyseyS40NXLiRmmDhUoETM4LuL-KyIM-xHOnjgQ/s1600/elephant+shoe+t-shirt+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3B9Ts8ElbHZlkl8Sn7B7QB0n2y2wm7_VYn7-KZfNWuD3LnVywb7q1P1a_oOa7CyyG1aCgyxA0OklsMDcICHtKN8fvnHTH9mpGy0coyseyS40NXLiRmmDhUoETM4LuL-KyIM-xHOnjgQ/s1600/elephant+shoe+t-shirt+1.jpg" /></a></div>
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Do you know that one? Mouth the words in front of a mirror.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSpbFebJu7-fN0gLnjXTjQHOFGGHk-Zs4km3EXyXcF-oC8TujQKDC8jxHdsMhHXZ4OJRLxv94C34gBheOMeSANQ6vZ8sEQmfocps3eCyO-TkYzs6E-a8BLUVChEaFXG90Yi5ffOPOok8/s1600/elephant+shoe+t-shirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSpbFebJu7-fN0gLnjXTjQHOFGGHk-Zs4km3EXyXcF-oC8TujQKDC8jxHdsMhHXZ4OJRLxv94C34gBheOMeSANQ6vZ8sEQmfocps3eCyO-TkYzs6E-a8BLUVChEaFXG90Yi5ffOPOok8/s1600/elephant+shoe+t-shirt.jpg" /></a></div>
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'I love you'. Saying 'olive juice' works too...but I much prefer elephants.<br />
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The fabric was given to me by a friend, who found it at <a href="http://www.tonicliving.com/index.asp">Tonic Living.</a> But alas, it's no longer available. The heart is stuck on there with iron-on applique adhesive and secured with some zig-zag stitching. You don't <b>have</b> to do the stitching part, but it does help the applique last longer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEeLcd5jErhyphenhyphenpQjtD2msw4mgZSwPCSeJtbEGQKEalD8H9J5Pgh97fCaJilaPMfLMGtEK8slWQ3p95ouYtFPR1Tg6reyHh-RbM2nS5dKTtqe8TzJg6M4MjnC_YKb4Ea9qyHLNjPD1NZhhs/s1600/elephant+shoe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEeLcd5jErhyphenhyphenpQjtD2msw4mgZSwPCSeJtbEGQKEalD8H9J5Pgh97fCaJilaPMfLMGtEK8slWQ3p95ouYtFPR1Tg6reyHh-RbM2nS5dKTtqe8TzJg6M4MjnC_YKb4Ea9qyHLNjPD1NZhhs/s1600/elephant+shoe.jpg" /></a></div>
The lettering is also ironed on with printable transfer paper; it's found at most craft stores. If you try out the transfer paper, make sure your lettering or picture is a mirror image before printing!<br />
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Would you like to make your own 'elephant shoe' shirt? Just save the image above and pop it into Microsoft Word....or whatever application you like to print your stuff from. Yeah....it's brown. Okay, so if you <b>don't </b>want brown (but who doesn't like brown!?), here's what you can do: Upload the photo into <a href="http://www.picmonkey.com/">PicMonkey</a>, click on the 'Effects' tab on the left. It looks like a little science-y beaker (correct term is erienmeyer flask, if you are offended by my previous description). S<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #08087b; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">croll down to the 'Tint' option. You can make it any colour! Save it, print it, transfer it (please, please, please follow the directions!) and you're done.</span></span><br />
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Rowan has recently become obsessed with the vacuum cleaner (yes, now less enchanted with the broom), he especially likes the extension hose. It doubles as a hobby horse on occasion.</div>
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Have a great weekend!Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06092546684539948265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879656750851667830.post-68012319227739918792012-01-31T11:09:00.000-05:002012-01-31T11:09:48.909-05:00Homemade MarshmallowsHave you ever eaten a marshmallow and wondered: "how the heck to they make these things?"<br />
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Have you ever heard about someone making marshmallows and wondered: "why the heck would you <b>make </b>marshmallows when you can <b>buy</b> them?"<br />
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Well, the answer to question one can be found<a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/355781/candy-cane-marshmallows"> here</a>. Yes. They're not just marshmallows...they're <b>candy cane</b> marshmallows. However, if you're not a fan of peppermint, just omit the flavouring and food colouring.<br />
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The answer to question two....because it's really cool!! And pretty easy. Be sure to read the entire method a few times over. You need to get the timing right - which is why there aren't any photos of the process. I was focusing on not screwing up...sorry. You have to whip the crap out of the marshmallow goo for 10 minutes, so electric beaters (or better yet, a stand mixer) are a must. You'll also notice my marbling didn't turn out quite as nice as Martha's (does it ever?), but they still tasted great!<br />
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Since these marshmallows don't have any icky preservatives, they should be eaten quickly.<br />
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Or if you don't want to eat them all yourself, why not package them up...<br />
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...and pair them with some<a href="http://dyingforchocolate.blogspot.com/2010/12/cocoa-in-jar.html"> jars of hot cocoa mix </a>to give away! I gave my marshmallows and hot cocoa away as Christmas gifts, but there's no reason why you couldn't do them up all lovey-dovey-like for Valentine's Day.<br />
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Have a terrific Tuesday.Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06092546684539948265noreply@blogger.com0