Who needs blinds?

After the last couple of years of wanting to buy blinds for our den/office/sewing room/and now school room, never getting around to it, and just putting it off, I remembered that I had this vintage pair of curtains packed away from when we remodeled the living room.  They used to hang at my living room windows.  I have shutters that are supposed to cover my living room windows now.  Somehow my hubby hasn't ever finished that project...

...but, anyway, I was talking about these curtain panels, not the fact that hubby hasn't finished my living room.  That's another story.  You'll thank me for not getting into THAT one!!  I bought these curtains at McMaster and Storm when they still had their brick and mortar store.  Oh do I ever miss that place!  But they need to be with their families more and I totally understand.  Still, I miss the shop.  Anyway, back to the curtains.  I remembed I had them, dug them out, shook out the creases and hung them.  Voila!  No money spent, no waiting for someone to hang blinds, now my windows can be covered when I want them to be.  Except in the living room... but I'm NOT getting into that remember??

View from the back window.  These fun scissors are from Kara and Darcy.  They used them as a prop at the Country Living Fair and I think they originated at Hobby Lobby.  Don't know if they still have them there, but they are a fun decor item.

I decided to detail mine a little:)

And the view from outside.  Feel free to leave comments to Travis hinting that the house needs new siding!

Have you picked up on the fact that I'm wanting some projects around here finished????

I'm kind of in a nesting mood due to some warm fall weather (finally) AND due to the fact that I just helped my best friend move into her brand-new house.  Made me come home ready to clean out, finish up and make this place look like I really want it to.  Unfortunately, I can't do a lot of the stuff that needs done by myself.  So I usually add to the problem of unfinished stuff by starting something new.  I get all gung-ho on a project and start in, then almost immediately I get to a point where I need help from my husband.  It's a vicious cycle, and really I'd have to say it's all my fault things don't get completely finished.  But on the other hand if nothing got started there would be nothing to finish would there??  Maybe don't answer that!  Anyway I wasn't going to get into all that was I?  Don't answer that either!

Oh well, I'm off to reorganize and reshuffle some stuff.  Hubby may wish he'd worked all evening when he sees the mess I've created.

Upload Complete

Today I uploaded the other skirts to my etsy site.  The first 6 here have never been seen on my blog till now:)  the 7th I didn't show the back detail before so I included it here too.  You can view them in store here.  Christmas is coming so keep me in mind if you have someone who would love to get a new, handmade, unique skirt!

www.sewafineseam.etsy.com

http://www.sewafineseam.etsy.com/

Well, today I bit the bullet and started listing my skirts on my Etsy site.  It's brand new, I'm not sure what I'm doing and I'm really hoping to sell some of these!!  I have several more to get listed including several that have never been seen on my blog!  So stay tuned there is some really sweet stuff coming up!  Head on over and check out my 'store' and then come back here and tell me what you think.  Please:)

McMaster & Storm's Studio Sale

I forgot to take my camera to kara's for the Studio Sale but here are some shots of the stuff I brought home.  Being there all day on Friday = lots of stuff in my bags by the time I headed home!  These photos are in sort of random order but I'm too lazy on this rainy Friday to organize them!  I'll post some more soon of what I did with some of the stuff.

Flag for Tonia!  Will be fun to see what you are doing with it:)  If it had been here much longer I may have changed my mind about letting you have it~(kidding, kidding)

You let your kids make a complete mess in your kitchen don't you????

(Click on this picture to enlarge it to see how bad the mess was)

My girls wanted to do the 'corn starch stuff' last week.  So I gave in and let them.  I told Big Sister she would have to clean it all up.  "oh no problem" she assured me!!

Little Sister dripped the stuff all over her, even in her hair:(  She headed straight to the bathtub when she was finished making her mess.

The stuff really is fun to play with.  It was in a 'Martha Stewart Kids' magazine way back when it was published.  I can't remember the exact measurements, but it's something like 1/2 cup of cornstarch to 1/3 cup water.  We just worked with it till it was the consistency we remembered to be right  from the last time we did it before the magazines were all packed away and toted to the basement.  It should be runny when you pick it up, but you can hit it with your fist and it is hard.  Squeeze it in your hand and you get a hard ball.  Crazy, messy, fun:)

They got it everywhere.  And somehow when it came time to clean up Big Sister wasn't quite so sure it was 'no problem'.  I told her now she knew why I was always so reluctant to let them do it.  Next time it will have to be outside on a nice day - like next summer!

One nice thing about clean up it does come off of things easily with warm water.  And it won't ruin their clothes either, it will just make your laundry pile bigger:)

{Apple/Cheese Bars}

I took lunch to Kara's on Friday to help her out a little with her Studio Sale.  These cookie bars were part of the 'menu'.  Kara and Darcy raved over them and Kara asked about 385 times for me to put the recipe on my blog!!  So, Kara, here it is.  Easy to make, yummmy to eat:

Crust:

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup butter, softened

2 eggs, separated

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups all-purpose flour (can use part rolled oats, if desired) (i didn't)

Filling:

4 medium size cooking apples (about 4 cups), grated

1 package (8 ounces) finely grated cheddar cheese

1/4 cup flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping:

Reserved egg whites

1/4 cup cream cheese, softened

1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Make crust by combining sugar, butter, egg yolks, baking powder, salt and flour.  Blend until mixture is crumbly.  Press 1/2 of mixture into bottom of 9x13 pan; reserve remaining half.  Set aside.  Grate apples and cheese together in one bowl (food processor works well for this.) Add sugar, flour and cinnamon; mix well.  Spread apple/cheese filling over crust.  Sprinkle remaining half of crumb mixture over filling.  Make topping by whipping egg whites until peaks form.  Gradually add confectioners' sugar and cream cheese, beating continuously.  Spoon evenly over all layers.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until light golden brown.

Yield: 36 bars

These are absolutely wonderful. You will find it hard to stop at one!  I sent the last 3 with Travis in his lunch this morning and told him to share if he didn't want all 3.  I can't have them around anymore, I've eaten enough!!  The Bible says to flee temptation so I removed that temptation from my house!!

Thank you Morgan!!!

Look what my bloggy friend Morgan Coy sent me!!  I was so excited to see these show up in my inbox:)  Thank you bunches and bunches Morgan!

You should all check out Morgan's blogs.  She is a professional photographer (if you can't tell from the pictures here) and she does a smashing job!  Check her out by clicking here and here, or by clicking on her button that I've added to my side bar.  You won't regret it!

Camping and Hiking at Old Man's Cave