A Cottage Style Powder Room

The makeover done to part of our bathroom was done in two days but less than 48 hours. Just one more wall remains to be done. Cliff did all the work...with my supervision...The new design opened up this small space. The second part of this remodeling will include the shower section which also has another sink area.

Sunday Easy Does It Dinner

One of the easiest side dishes I find is baked potatoes, cottage fries, oven baked fries....they go by any of these names. We also called them Papas at my house. Papas - is the spanish word.

I must say that using the Bar Pan stone from Pampered Chef makes all the difference in cooking these. The red things you see in the picture is a roasted red pepper which I cooked by itself whole while the potatoes were cooking.

Lets call these:
Chili and Cumin Oven Fries

Scrub well your potatoes and do not peel. Cut them in any shape you like but not too thin.

In a small bowl combine 1 tsp each of cumin powder and chili powder. Add some salt and pepper. You may use more of these spices depending on the amount of potatoes. You can also substitute and use curry powder instead of the cumin. Coat the potatoes well with the spices. Spray your pan with Pam. Drizzle olive oil on the potatoes. Cook them in a 450 degree oven until they get brown and sizzle.

Our dinner plate tonight also included fresh corn from Walmart and baked tilapia.
The corn was only 25 cents an ear and it was super sweet.

I did not mind cooking this meal....doing the dishes was as always a chore. Probably took longer to clean up everything...

Good night...It's late and I'm tired from all this writing.

Bathroom Makeover at our House

This is the cabinet which held the sink.

After more than twenty years our bathroom/powder room is getting a makeover. Cliff is doing all the hard work as in most of his home projects.

This cabinet will be replaced by a pedestal sink which will help create the illusion of more space in our tiny powder room.

The waine scotting will line the bottom section of the walls.

Cliff work on the floor. We had some extras of the floor so we were able to use that.
The floor is still in good shape.

The shiny chair height new toilet

The Pedestal Sink is a nice touch in the cottage style powder room.

Baby Cardinal Visitor

This cute little cardinal bird showed up just outside our kitchen's window at work. He found a place to rest from his flying lessons. Papa bird kept a close eye and called out. Later on in the afternoon he came back and I was able to take this picture.

We have seen a larger number of birds around our library since the addition of the bird feeder. It really is a treat to see more of them.

He has not grown a tail yet! but look at those big feet.

Getting ready an Etsy Order

One of the fun things about preparing an order is deciding what extra little thing I will add as a thank you. I sometimes include mini cards. The small tags were made from a discarded library book. The only left thing to do in this order is to sew the flower to the pink newsboy hat.

This summer hat sports a wide brim which will protect baby's eyes. It will fit a baby from 3 months to 6 months. The twill ribbon can be adjusted for a perfect fit. The white flower is detachable.

Summer Reading at the Mint Hill Library

The summer reading theme at the Mecklenburg County libraries is Be Creative at your Library.
All the children that sign up write their names on mini palettes which are all added to the bigger one. It's quite a sight. By now there's even more names added.

This picture came out a little blurry. I'm wearing one of the Summer reading t-shirts. Linda and the rest of the children's staff continue to add names to this wall. I will take another picture as the summer progresses.

Debbie and Linda

Our Tropicanna

This very large bloom belongs to our Tropicanna. It loves this new location in our garden due to getting at least 4 hours of sunlight. The bugs haven't bothered it yet. I'm not crazy about the common Cannas but this one I do like because of the striped leaves. The word canna finds its origin in the celtic word cane or reed.

Close Up of the Tropicanna bloom

Summer Delights

The blackberries I got at the Providence Produce market in Mint Hill have been the best this year. I took advantage of the special last week, buy one get one free. We have added them to pancakes, oatmeal and to ice cream...Delicious. They keep well refrigerated. Rinse them well before eating. Blackberries don't just taste good but they are beneficial due to the fact that they contain good quantities of phenolic acids which are antioxidant compounds and they are considered an anti carcinogenic agent. They are also rich in vitamins A and C. Too bad they have a short season. They are also very expensive when not in season.

Cliff celebrated his 26th year as a father--four as Papa
We enjoyed a delicious dinner of Broiled Cod, Chili & Cumin Oven Potatoes & some of our own yellow squash.

The Making of an Oval Cocoon

The oval shape cocoon begins with a basic oval shape. I like to use thick yarn such as Wool Ease Thick and Quick. The hook I'm using for this thick yarn is large, larger than my size K. This white hook was left at the library and I have yet to find the exact size.

To keep oval flat, I add increases at the four corners.

Cocoon has been completed.

This cocoon is a photography prop suitable for a newborn baby up to 2 weeks old.

Sunday at the Stowe Botanical Garden

We took advantage of this beautiful day and drove to Belmont after church to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden. The garden had grown since our last visit 3 years ago or so. The highlight of this beautiful place is the Conservatory. This is where they have grown and display beautiful orchids. This picture was taken at the entrance.

This orchid is amazing, isn't it?

If you'd like to see more pictures taken at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden look here.

During this short trip, finished working on the adult size newsboy cap. This cap was worked with Cascade wool and it will keep your head warm. I haven't decided if I'll add a crochet flower or button accent. Wish my daughter was here, so she could model it for me. I was reluctant posting this picture.

This afternoon, I worked some on the clippies I odered from Button Zone. The tutorial I ordered from her was good. I could not get my hot glue gun to work. Liquid Stitch glue worked well, just a little slow completing the process. Toothpicks were helpful keeping the clippies open while the glue dried. The last picture illustrates how you have to hold the clippie in the hollow part until the glue finally sticks.
Worked some on the crochet flowers I use to embellish my hats. I'm thinking of using the bigger roses to put on those headbands or hats with a clippie on the back so it can be removed. All these were made with the wonderful yarn I Love this Cotton which I purchase at Hobby Lobby.

I have an Etsy Store

This afternoon I worked on a customer's order (Laura) which will be ready to ship on Monday.

This newsboy caps are a lot of fun to make and feature a fabric circle outlined using the button hole stitch. This lovely fabric was purchased from an Etsy seller Fabricpalooza.

The fabric circle with a button adds whimsy to the crochet flowers I sew on the side front of the cap.

The completed two tone cap will make the two year old who will wear it look simply adorable.

Making flowers to embellish my hats provides very quick crafting gratification. To create a uniquely finished flower cute buttons and colorful fabric are carefully chosen. The FabThaiShop is also a favorite destination. The polka dot buttons add a lot of charm to my flower creations.

This very good quality size 20 thread made my sewing a dream. The thickness is just right and it's available at one of my favorite stores for yarn Hobby Lobby.

These cute tags were cut from a discarded library children's book. The fabric is from FabricPalooza.

The price was just right and these polka dot buttons came all the way from Thailand. My order took just a little bit longer. I'm just like a little kid when I first received my orders and I love the extra surprises and gifts that most sellers include.

This very elegant beanie will be listed soon. The bow can be detached. It's crochet in double crochet using Vanna's choice easy care acrylic. The yarn color is eggplant tone, simply adding to the elegance. The ribbon is tied in a knot and will help provide a better fit on the little heads.





The clippie attached to the bow adds
flexibility and allows the removal from the cap.