Million Pillowcase Project!

 Hello, hello! It's been much longer than I intended since I last posted, for which I apologize. As you can see, I've been Busy! But I've had lots of help from my mother in law, Julie. Without her skill, patience, and assistance I would not have been able to make any of the pillowcases, or the two Christmas projects I'm working on for gifts.

 The pillowcases are part of the "Million Pillowcase Project," which aims to donate pillowcases to local charities. Our church does a giving tree for a local charity they support in other ways throughout the year as well. So I was able to find out how many girls and boys would benefit from the giving tree and together Julie and I made one pillowcase for each of them.

 The pastor who works with the charity will deliver them, along with the gifts from the giving tree.

 I am greatly pleased with how well they turned out. I think they are all so neat, each one is unique, and they are all so cute!

If you'd like more information regarding the Million Pillowcase Project, please visit this site: http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/millionpillowcases/faqs/index.html

After Christmas I'll post photos of the other two projects!

Until then, enjoy the holiday cheer, Christmas cookies, and decorations! And as you count your blessings and have your family near, remember the Reason for the Season.

Fall Changes

 As the school year is now in full swing, and my husband and I are both working at different schools, it's become apparent how different our lives will be in our new location. While their are both pros and cons to both locations, we are glad to be close to our families. However, I have been missing good friends and the great students we left behind.

Hopefully as things become more settled in our lives and schedule we can reconnect with friends in the area. There's no replacing old friends, but making new or rekindling previous friendships would be a welcome treat.

 So here's to good friends, great students, and lots of duct tape. May your fall bring many changes, along with much gratitude as beauty, as it has to our lives. The adjustment will continue as we continue to look for housing and settle into our routine.

It's Almost Aug, Already?

Happy Anniversary!

My husband and I spent Saturday in South Dakota at his grandparents' 60th Wedding Anniversary Celebration. It was a nice day of family and celebration. And cake, lots of cake. 

This is a photo of Chris and his cousins, and significant others. The party was held at the community center, which boasts not only green shag carpet on the stage, but also wood paneling. In actuality, it worked well for our gathering. It was also nice that it was local as many of the couple's friends were able to attend.

On Friday I start a new job at BSC in the financial office. I'm very excited about this change, and will be glad for the regular hours, benefits and salary. 

 We are still searching for a place to live. No real perspective places yet. It's been hard to look working all but one weekday a week, and having things to do for my grandparents on my day off. So hopefully we will soon be able to seriously begin looking. Still not sure if we're going to rent or buy. A trip to the bank should help clear that all up and get the ball rolling one way or another.

 Not much else is new here. My parents went to the annual family gathering at my great uncle's lake cabin in MN. I wish I could have joined them, as it is always a lot of fun. My work schedule just didn't coincide with the trip, sadly. I am resolved to make it next year. They made lefse this year even! Maybe krumkakke next year? And of course lots of relaxing, soaking in the lake and sun, and spending quality time with my relatives.

It's hard to believe the school year is almost here already! My husband will be starting training the beginning of Aug for his new teaching job, and school starts the 20th. 

So much to get done in so little time!

Happy Birthday, Ben...and America!

My nephew's "Perry the Platypus" cake, my sister and I made for him. Lemon flavored cake (thank you, Betty Crocker cake mix), with accessories, like the #6, for the birthday boy! He thought it was pretty cool.

 The birthday boy's other auntie thought there should be a pinata at the party, so the dragon arrived to the delight of the kids! This is my cousin's little guy; he is so much fun and full of delight!

 One of the birthday boy's friends, all the way from Dickinson, trying to burst open the pinata.

 My cousin and his wife and two Adorable kids (see the other one above, trying to open the pinata) came for the birthday party, and some fireworks. Here is the sweet little lady.

 The kids all waiting for the fireworks that have parachute men in them.

Little lady and her mom chilling on the deck, watching it all going on.
It was a great day full of good food, company, and a little later fireworks.

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Fourth of July!

Today we're celebrating both America's birthday, and that of my nephew, who is turning 6. Happy Birthday!

Recently I've been to Dickinson to watch "The Taming of the Shrew," I'm in the middle of creating a "Perry the Platypus" birthday cake for my nephew, and continue to search for a job.

 "The Taming of the Shrew," as put on by a brand new theater company in Dickinson, ND was fun to watch. Although it began sprinkling right before intermission, at which time we moved indoors, it was good to see some theater again. 

 The birthday cake will be "Perry the Platypus," from Disney's Phineas and Ferb cartoon. My nephew likes the show and I get a kick out of the platypus and his antics. I'm going to try to make some marshmallow fondant from a recipe I found online. If that fails, it will be good old frosting from the jar. I'll try to get a photo to post once it's completed.

 The other night my husband's best friend came out to my parents place to shoot off fireworks. He bought the good ones, no weeny little fountains, haha. I didn't take any photos, but they were pretty amazing. I've always been enthralled with fireworks, so it was fun to watch. I'm even more excited to get to set some off myself this evening. My husband says I'm a bit of a pyromaniac. Haha, I tell him I'm not enthralled with fire, just making things explode.

 Well, I think the cake should be almost cooled by now, so I better get back to it before I have little kids wanting to help. ;-)

 Have a safe and happy 4th!

~ God Bless America~

In Town

Hello All,
 We are officially in Bismarck, have been for about two weeks now. No internet at our place yet. Definitely have to work on that. I know I'm dependent on the internet, but I realized I can't even look up a number for someplace in the town we used to live, because I tossed the phone books before we moved. Oops!
 Right now my husband is working at Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park as an interpreter. I'm searching for a job that has decent benefits. I'm trying to be patient and not go stir crazy until the right job comes along. We'll hopefully have internet soon, as I have a few places I can access the internet, but of course that means I have to have all my info ready and together and with me to accomplish much. I think I have it all together and then one place will want some document I've never had to send before and I have to make another trip to get my stuff all together and submitted. Oh well. It will all come together sooner or later.
 What else is new...? For his birthday my dad got a 22, and has been cleaning out the gophers in the back yard. My husband has become quite a good shot and it's fun to watch the gophers take cover. If they didn't tear up the yard and eat the garden up, they'd be welcome to stay. However...
 The Fourth of July is coming up, and it's my nephew's birthday too! He always get a heck of a birthday party, and I'm sure this year will be no exception! Birthday cake, a party, presents, and fireworks. Sounds like my type of party, haha.
 Our wedding anniversary is July 3, and we'll be celebrating two years already. The time has really flown by. I'm excited, my husband was able to get the day off, so we'll be able to spend the day together.
 My brother and some of his theater colleagues have started a non-profit theater group in Dickinson, ND. They are performing the end of this month, "The Taming of the Shrew." I hope to get out to see the show, I know how much hard work they have all put into forming not just the show, but also the non-profit. If you think you might know someone in the area who would enjoy outdoor theater, here is the link to the Facebook page with more info: http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/379732015420210/
They are also looking for sponsors in all forms, financial, services, and man power.
 I took some fun photos when I took my nephew out to Fort Abraham Lincoln for "Frontier Army Days." I also have some great photos from the family reunion I chauffeured my grandparents to this weekend. However, my camera is at the condo. So until we have internet, suffice it to say, my camera got some use again. :-)
 I think that is all for now. Hopefully we have internet of some sort soon and then I'll post more photos and info as life moves along.

 

On the Move

Hello,
I can't believe it's been almost a month since I've posted. A lot has happened, including take two DI teams to Globals. We had a great time, saw some great people, and our teams were happy with their performances. We also got to share the experience with a clinical staff member who had never been to Globals. It was a memorable trip!
We also are packing up the house in preparation for our upcoming move to Bismarck this weekend. I know packing is a process. Its one of those things I've never liked, simply because you have to make a bigger mess in order to accomplish anything. I think that is where we're at right now, the mess stage.
Hopefully my husband can get a lot of packing done the next couple days while I'm wrapping things up at work. Thurs we pick my sister up from the train station (I can't wait!) and Fri my in-laws come up with a trailer. Sat we pack the trailer, and Sun we leave for Bismarck.

(Lots of people burn land around here in the Spring. This is the land next to a church. The fire was much larger before I got my camera, but it looked so neat against the church in the background, almost like it was burning inside the building. So I just had to try to get a photo. This was from a moving vehicle, so I'm sorry it's blurry.)

We've been very blessed while living in Eureka and we're very sad to leave all the students at the school. However we're also looking forward to the opportunities awaiting us in ND.

Globals is Almost Here!

 Hello All,
 I have been busy with lots of things this Spring, including preparing to take two teams to Destination ImagiNation (DI) Globals Finals 2012! The kids have been excited all along. For awhile all I could think about was all the paperwork and fundraising it was going to take to get them there. But today, DI HQ posted the general performance times for teams, and I got the excitement bug! Also, a former student who was on a DI team might join us. So I'm stoked about that possibility too.
 I already have the pins ready, and a special surprise for the girls, regarding their pins as well. We provide them with towels to keep their pins on. This helps keep them in one place, from getting lost, and from getting scratched up. This year, I did some sewing to make them just a little bit better for them. They are certainly one of a kind, and I think the girls will be impressed and excited to get their pin towels. I don't want to ruin their surprise, but I will say I did some work to make sure they won't their pin backs won't get lost either this year. Which is a common problem.

These are a couple photos from last year. The top photos is from opening ceremonies, which you can watch live on the www.idodi.org website!
This photo is the IA Affiliate Director (AD). The MN AD was unable to join us last year due to illness, and in support of her struggle, all the ADs wore pink feather boas. The kilt is just a bonus, cause he's a great guy!
 Globals is May 23-26th this year. So we'll be on a plane bright and early May 22nd. We'll make lots of new friends and see lots of old friends too-like the Fair Pin Traders (Hi Nina!). I think the girls are excited about the whole trip, but are most excited about pin trading. We've not had any team member we've taken to Globals not fall in love with pin trading. They get to meet lots of creative people, and get neat pins in the process. I think we might need a support group, as some of us are truly addicted.
 Well, that's all for now. I'll have to take photos so you can see my handiwork on the pin towels soon.
I hope Spring is beautiful wherever it finds you!

Good Times Fishing

A couple weeks ago we got together with some friends to "fish." Which meant the two people in the group who have fishing licenses lost neon, cheese flavored, marshmallows into the lake, while the rest of us gave them a hard time about it.

We also had lots of good conversation.

The top photos is the view of the lake the school sits on, from a different dock, of course.

 This is Keely, she's a sweet, gentle, loving dog. Even when she licks me, cause she knows I don't like it. She was vaguely interested in the cheese flavored marshmallows, but only when the lid was on the container. ;-)

My hubby was there, as well as some other friends. We just chilled, caught zero fish, and had a good time together.

More Willa Cather

Since I last posted I have finished reading Willa Cather's "Song of the Lark." I choose to read the book because I had heard from some students it was enjoyable, but also because a girl I once knew is named after the main character, Thea.
 "Song of the Lark," was not anything like what I was expecting. Having read a few book by Cather already, all of which were focused on plains life in the Midwest, it was a change of pace to read about a child growing up in the dessert of the Southwest.

Thea, the main character, was also quite different than what I have come to expect of the heroines in Cather's stories. She is still a strong women, in her own right, but she is also tenuous and somewhat timid in many ways.

 Thea's journey toward becoming a musician plays out before you eyes. I found myself rooting for her from the very start. And along the way I got great insight into her quiet nature and the manner in which she comes down much too hard on herself. While not narrated by Thea or any one character, Thea gives us much insight into her personal struggles with herself and others.
 I think what captured me most were the people around Thea who just knew she was meant for great things, they could see it in her and urged her to follow her dreams and be her best, often giving of themselves to her better herself.
Ultimately I think "Song of the Lark," tells the story of Thea coming to grips with being Thea and then pushing herself above even that to succeed in an industry that was very fickle, while she herself valued talent instead of novelty, an opposition she felt her audience was not entirely in favor of.
 I very much enjoyed "Song of the Lark," though I must admit it was more work to read than I'm used to when I read for enjoyment, as most of Cather's books tend to be. I would recommend "Song of the Lark." It's not a quick read, but it is very intriguing and rewarding.

Duct Tape Flowers

Hello!
I don't have much to report, but I wanted to share something that made my day. I didn't take a photo, but I made a flower for one of our students who accomplished something Big. When all of our DI kids here accomplish this feat I've always made them each a duct tape flower.
 This one was a little late on the delivery, but it's hard to find sunshine-yellow duct tape, so I'm cutting myself some slack. I buckled down and made it last night. I was happy with it after trying a few new things and it was delivered today by my husband, since he has her in class and there's no guarantee I'll see her any given day we don't have DI.
 When one of the other girls came in to see me about something she was very impressed with my flower making skills. She's added it to her list of things to learn to do. (I just might have to teach her!)
 I'm not bragging about my duct tape skills or flower making skills, cause everything's relative, and I didn't think it was anything special in the way of craftsmanship; the heart that goes into these flowers is what makes them special. But that something so simple could inspire someone else, made my day. It may not be a skill that will feed her or put a roof over her head, but it will clearly give her lots of joy.
 So, here's to accomplishing Big things, and to duct tape, and flowers; which are both beautiful, and whose beauty is immensely magnified when combined!

Happy Easter!

 Hello All,
It's been a long while since I've posted and I apologize. My husband and I have been busy, to say the least. Since my last post we took three Destination ImagiNation teams to MT State Competition, where they all competed and qualified to represent MT at Destination ImagiNation Global Finals, which takes place in May, in Knoxville, TN. They are all very proud of themselves, as are my husband and I, as team managers.
Not only that, but the "Disciples of Murphy's Law," team took home a "DaVinci Award," which is the highest honor Destintation ImagiNation gives our, for exceptional creativity.

 The graphics here are the teams' shirt logos, as designed by the talented Mark Kidder (facebook.com/tuez13). Thank you, Mark. The girls say you're amazing, and we agree!

 The team names are on all the logos, and this year we put them each on different colored t-shirts to help us keep track of which team is which, and because they look amazing! The top is on red shirts, the middle on green, and the third on yellow. What sharp looking teams we have! :-)

Oh, I almost forgot! On our way out of town to State DI we saw a woman who either looks EXACTLY like, or truly was, Amy Roloff, from TLC's show, "Little People." What she might have been doing in Eureka, MT, I have no idea. It was kind of exciting to see her in our little town. She's such a neat, inspiring lady!

After State my husband and I made a trip to ND to visit family and friends. It was nice to see everyone and even a little relaxing at times. It was however nice to sleep in our own bed once again. On the way to ND we took Highway 2 and encountered first a blizzard at the only pass we had to take the whole way there, and then road construction around the state line, both of which slowed us down considerably. The way back was ok until we hit a blizzard at the pass in the Bozeman area (around I 94/I 90). There were also blizzard warnings for the entire area west of Butte all the way to ID, spanning MT from top to bottom. Needless to say we spent a night in Bozeman. The next day, you could hardly tell there had been blizzards. There was snow on the mountaintops, and a couple slushy areas on the road, but nothing like the night before. Nothing like Montana in the Spring, I guess.

I got to see a few friends, and I always wish I had taken photos. Magdalena helped me with a sewing project, which I was then able to gift to friends who are expecting babies this Spring/Summer. They both loved the homemade burp cloths! I got to make some for a boy and some for a girl, as Britt is having a girl and Amanda is having a boy. I'm so excited to meet the little ones this summer! We also stopped off in Grand Forks to see my sister and my husband's best friend. We grilled, went shopping, and even watched some wrestling (I was outnumbered on that one, haha. It wasn't so bad though).

Today is Easter already, and I'm not sure how it came up so quickly!

He is Risen; He is Risen Indeed!

I don't have any photos from this year to share with you, as work demands we're back in MT if we want a day of rest before jumping back into the grind of things. So I figured I would share this photo from a couple Easters back. It's my nephew when she still looked more like a toddler than a little boy, with those little sweet little curls. Grandpa is holding a bubble toy for him, and he's just loving it!

 I wish we could have spent Easter with our families in ND, but they sent plenty of goodies with us, and we had lots of fun time together. We might spend some time on the Reservoir today with friends. I'll try to get some photos of that so you can all see how low the Reservoir gets in the Spring. It's hard to believe how full it is come summer after seeing it as low as it is now.

 As we're taking two teams to Globals, we will be very busy all the way through the end of May. It's a lot of work to get them there, but a very rewarding experience, totally worth it. I keep telling my husband, this is the last year I can do this, but then State comes around and teams qualify and we just can't say no to the amazing experience for them. I think that's how Einstein defined crazy, doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results. Ok, so I don't expect different results, I know it's going to be a lot of work. I guess I expect at some point I'll be able to say no to our teams. Not this year!
 Oh, if you have not seen the MT state pins yet, you should check them out on the website. The board worked Really hard this year to come up with something different, but still neat and along the lines of what the kids like: www.mt-di.org.

 Ok, we FINALLY have our second bedroom back, more than a month later, but it is useful once again nonetheless. So I'd better get to moving some of the stuff we had stored in there back in so we can begin living in our house again instead of tripping over all the boxes in the  rest of the house.

I hope you have a Blessed Easter and Spring is treating you well!

Kid Sized Robot Apron, Lucky Little Boy!

Isn't this just the perfect little boy fabric? I decided my nephew should have an apron. Not only does he like to help Nanna in the kitchen both cooking and with the dishwasher, but he also likes to help Grandpa with just about anything, especially messy projects. 

The pockets on this apron look much more like they are supposed to. My pinning skills have much improved since I made the first apron in Dec. Those are much more freestyle.

Here is the finished product. (Don't we have such nice carpet? haha. No one around here that size to model it for me.)
 Wish I could see his face when he opens the package. Guess Nanna will have to take a photo or two for me. I just know he'll use it lots! Maybe he'll even send some cookies to his Auntie. If not, they'll just end up in Grandpa's Tardis cookie jar. ;-)

Spring is Coming!

Spring is just around the corner. It makes me smile just thinking about it! When I was little I had a video called, "Spring Comes to Sesame Street," that I used to love to watch this time of the year. In it Big Bird walks all over Sesame Street looking at all the signs that Spring is coming; the green grass peeking through the snow, the snow and ice melting away and daffodils and violets poking through the dirt. I still think of all that this time of year. Maybe it's why I like daffodils so much in the Spring. Maybe one day I'll a little bit of dirt to plant some in!
 Not much is new here. We're going to have to box some more stuff up, as the contractor has yet to make an appearance. We can walk through our place, but not much else. So instead of focusing on the suffocating feeling our place gives me right now, this weekend I scrapbooked. I worked on my nephew's scrapbook. He's 5 and I've yet to really get started on it, my bad. I also did a Huge chunk of our wedding photos, finally. It felt good to have a good start on it and hopefully I can finish it up in the near future. I also pulled up a digital scrapbook program I've had for awhile and make a cute page for my nephew's book. I might have to play with it more. It's so fun and quick, no messy glue or rearranging everything ten times and hoping I get it all straight. Electronics are great!
 Gotta run for now. I'll try to get some fun photos up next time I post. Things just might start greening up around here soon, so maybe some photos of the area are in order.!

Well it's been quite a ride since I last posted. There's mold in our place, and we lost an entire room of our house, storage and use wise. We're still trying to figure out what that means, though not much it seems to our landlord. Someone came and looked at it, told us to stay out of there. Another guy is supposed to come replace the sections of wall affected and the window. We have not heard from him yet. Oh, the joys of renting! Guess its time for another call to the landlord, or rather the message line that is the only way to get ahold of anyone. I miss the previous landlord. He was reachable, personable, and willing to take care of problems as they arose. Sadly, he moved and sold to a company that owns many rentals around this area. I don't think we would have rented from them had they been the original owners of the place. Nonetheless, I guess I'll have to see what our options are. I'd put up photos, but it just makes me frustrated and they look gross. You'll have to use your imagination.
 On a brighter note, it is March, which means Spring (and my bday) is just around the corner. I'm not sure the weather around her got the message. It snowed the whole day yesterday and left a few inches of powder. It is very pretty. But I'd be alright with it melting in the next couple weeks.
 I read "O Pioneers," by Willa Cather recently. I'm a big fan of Willa Cather. I wouldn't say she's my favorite author, but I love reading about the Nebraska prairie and the people who broke the land. She has such a different style than any other author I've read. The first Cather book I read was "My Antonia." I fell in love with the characters and Cather's writing. I was only about 10 at the time, and the book has always been a tragic romance that could never be, in my mind. "O Pioneers," has similar storylines, but is written a bit differently. It's harder to connect with the characters and the story seems to have only the bare essentials. I enjoyed the book, but it was not what I was expecting. I have a feeling I will like her other works more.
 I'm now reading "One of Ours," by Willa Cather. (I love my Kindle Fire and all the free classic books I have access to now!). I'm not very far into it, but am enjoying it. The characters are more relate-able than those in "O Pioneers." I'll let you know how it is overall, I'm just getting into the thick of the story.

 I uploaded a chunk of our recipes via hand scanner to my computer, in hopes of being able to use them electronically and getting rid of the cupboard full of cookbooks we've acquired. It's a bit of an undertaking, and I'm not very far all things considered.  I thought I'd share a recipe with you that I've uploaded. We make this every once in awhile. It has a little kick and is a nice change from regular chili.
That's all for now. Enjoy!

To OR and Back in 72 Hours

My husband and I had the opportunity to travel to OR for the wedding of a close friend we had not seen in four years. It was a looooonnnng drive, about 11 hours each way, before figuring in food, rest, and gassing up pit stops. So we spent about 24 hours in the car, of the three day trip.
My husband was given the honor of being a groomsmen, so we attended the rehearsal dinner Friday and then spent more time than not at the church Saturday. This left me lots of time to read, play games on my Kindle, and otherwise entertain myself before the ceremony began.
The ceremony was sweet (and short). The bride looked lovely. The groom looked very sharp (he is in the Air Force so he wore his Blues). The attendants all looked great, and the littlest attendants were very cute. The reception was nice, and then the bride and groom were off.
My husband and I spent the rest of the getting some much needed rest. Travel always wears a person out it seems. Then Sunday we got up early and made the long drive back to MT.
Here are some of the best photos of our trip.

 This is neat iron statue in Ritzville, WA. There was also a frontier man, but I was too cold to take a photo of both.

 There was a very long stretch where the GPS kept telling us to go straight.

 My wonderful husband, who drove the ENTIRE way there and back.

 My husband and I waiting for the ceremony to begin.

 The colors were purple and green. (The cake was tasty.)

 The pretty broach on the bride's dress.

 The newlyweds cutting the cake!

 The ring bearer, what a cutie!

 The groom giving a toast.

 The beautiful sunrise as we drove through Portland on the way back.

We drove through some clouds and fog, and this was a tree farm along the way. It was a little creepy.

Gnocchi Mushroom Alfredo

Gnocchi Alfredo

2 lb Gnocchi (Recipe calls for frozen, but we use dry packaged)

3 Tbsp Butter, Divided

1 Tbsp plus 1 ½ all purpose flour

1 ½ C. Milk

½ C. grated Parmesan Cheese

Dash Ground Nutmeg

½ lb sliced baby Portobello mushrooms

Minced fresh Parsely, optional

Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt 1 Tbsp butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; Cook and stir 1-2 minutes, or until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat; stir in cheese and nutmeg until blended. Keep warm. (I like the homemade sauce, but my husband much prefers the Alfredo sauce from a jar bought at the store. Both taste good, so use whichever you wish.)

Drain gnocchi. In a large heavy skillet, cook remaining butter over medium heat until golden brown (do not burn). Add mushroom s and gnocchi. Cook and stir 4-5 minutes or until gnocchi are slightly browned and mushrooms are tender.

Serve with sauce. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired.

This recipe has me wanting more Every time I make it! It's so simple and easy, I can't believe it tastes so good! I like it so much I just might have to try my hand at homemade gnocchi.

Enjoy!

Kate

P.S.I found this recipe in the Taste of Home Aug 2009 issue.

Over the Holidays Crafts

It's always fun to see friends and family light up with delight after the wrapping is torn away, when gifting for any  reason and I think it means just a little more when the gift is handmade. On my end, it's a welcome change from the busy hustle and bustle of the stores, especially at Christmastime.

Here are a few of the things I made over the holidays.

 

This paper flower wreath was a gift for a friend. We both liked the look so much, but didn't want to pay what the stores wanted. I found the tutorial online at Under the Table and Dreaming and added the ribbon to jazz it up a little. I was unable to find a wreath form at a reasonable cost so I ended up choosing plastic piping from the local hardware store.

 

Such cute little birds! I have a friend who has a thing for birds, and these were so cute I just couldn't resist making her a couple!  You can find the how to at Skip to My Lou. They were fairly simple, even given my very limited hand sewing experience.

 This owl is cute as a button! He was a gift for my 5 year old nephew. He immediately gave him a squeeze upon opening the wrapping paper. So it seems he's a "hoot." The pattern was off the internet, but the directions were in another language, not very helpful. It was a little bit of a miracle that he came together okay. :-)

 These last two photos are Christmas garlands I made for my sisters and a friend. They were just a little something special to get them in the Christmas mood. I found the idea on several blogs, and I took the best the suggestions and combined them to meet my needs. I cut the shapes from felt, after tracing from cookie cutters. Then I sewed them together on the machine.I didn't like how bare they looked, sort of unconnected, so I added the rickrack, which I think was the perfect finishing touch!