4th of JULY ideas

Everytime a diffrent holiday comes around I hear myself saying "oh I LOVE *insert holiday here*, I think it's my FAVORITE!" I just love holidays. I love spending time with my family, I love a day off work, I love all the fond memories I have of holidays growing up. I spent my 4th's as a child swimming in my Aunt's Pool in her backyard, playing with cousins, eating homemade ice cream, and waiting, waiting, waiting for the sun to go down. It seemed that the 4th was a day twice as long as any other day!

Super cute idea to turn mason jars into sippy cups
HERE

Our 4th of July celebrations this year are going to be pretty low key. A lot of my family will be getting together in California (at that same Aunt's house with the big backyard pool) for not only a celebration of independence, but also my Grandma Bee's 95th birthday party! I wish so much that I could be there, but circumstances as they are, we will be hanging out at home with some treats, a slip n slide and a small box of fireworks. (actually sounds pretty nice when I say it like that!) I have to make it special for the kids though! I want them to have the same fond memories of holidays that I have. I searched the blogging community today for some fun and SIMPLE 4th of July surprises for the kids. Here's what I think I'll throw together for them this year.



Red Vines are the perfect treat for watching fireworks. I found this cute idea...

HERE



And I loved how you can change up these wands for other holidays by hanging on to the stick and just switching up the ribbon colors. I found this idea...
HERE

More "Melly and Me"...

Alright, this one has gotta be my favorite! I finished her up last week for my daughter. Another Melly and Me pattern called Bubbles The Unicorn. I'm not sure why, but my daughter doesn't seem to be as in love with her as I am. Maybe she's getting to old :( Probably should have given it to the 4 year old instead. Well... just an excuse to make another one!

On a totally unrelated note... look how pretty my sewing room floor looked today!


I finally broke into my Bliss layer cake. I hope to show you the finished results soon, but with summer in full swing it's hard to stay in doors!

For the boys...

Melly and Me patterns are some of my favorite things to make. Let's see... I've made a mushroom backpack, a moose, a mama bug, and koala couple, a dragon, a chicken and her babies, a unicorn, an elephant, and now a pair of fighting (and snuggling) Ninjas. I hope soon to get my hands on their lastest book, Sewn Toy Tales.Check out Melly and Me's fun blog HERE!

There is also a free Melly and Me Oopsie The Octopus pattern on Moda Bake Shop!

Strawberries

I've noticed a trend in fabric lately that I can't get enough of... Strawberries. I love strawberries! I mean, absolutly crave them, always have, according to my mom and dad. I grew up in Southern California and remember often passing fields like this one around my home...



I don't know if it is because I am much larger than I used to be, but I distinctly remember strawberries being much bigger than they are now. I actually think it is due to my parents stopping at the little stands next to the fields and picking up the freshest, reddest, and largest strawberries California had to offer.

Lately I've been seeing a lot of strawberry prints in fabric. I, of course, have to buy up every bit I see! This new line from Fig Tree is the perfect example. So yummy, so pretty, I'm afraid to open my jelly roll!


Click here to check it out in more detail. Prepare to fall in love though!





You may remember seeing this quilt before. It didn't sell, which I am now grateful for, because it hangs in my sewing room. The little dress I made for C, and though it's not out of strawberry fabric, I think she looks like a little strawberry in it. It doesn't fit her anymore, but I love to have it hanging up where I can still see it.



I found this strawberry pin cusion on Heather Baileys blog. It's an older picture, not sure if she still has patterns, but it looked too sweet not to share with you.



And lastly, my favorite stawberry recipe comes from my mother in law. She is a fantastic cook and I hope she doesn't mind me sharing her Famous French Strawberry Pie recipe. I could seriously eat a whole pie myself!



French Strawberry Pie

2 baked pie shells or graham cracker crusts
6 oz. cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped stiff
2 pounds strawberries, cleaned, hulled and cut up
1 box danish dessert (found in the jello aisle)

Wash, clean, hull and cut up the strawberries. Prepare the danish dessert as directed on the back of the box for pie glaze and set aside to cool. Cream the cream cheese and then add the powdered sugar, cream together. Add vanilla and mix thoroughly. Carefully fold in the whipped cream. Pour the mixture in the two pie shells and spread evenly all around. Top with strawberries and then top with the danish dessert. Cool in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving.

Enjoy! :)

For My Nephew...

So I snapped these pictures really quick as my family was sitting in the car waiting for me to finish up so we could go to my new little nephew's blessing at church. I wanted to give him this quilt that day but I needed to get some pictures for me (and you!) first. Anyway, not my best photography but the quilt turned out adorable, if I do say so myself :) It is so soft with the minkie on the back. I don't like to use batting in my baby quilts if I am using minkie, it makes them too heavy. The pattern is called Coming Soon by Thimble Blossoms and the fabric is a collection of a few diffrent lines, mostly Sunkissed by Sweetwater, some Moda essential dots, and the animal print was out of Central Park by Kate Spain. A cute quilt for an even cuter little boy!

How I Spent My Day...

FriXion pens

Pine Needles blogged about these incredibly cool pens today called FriXion pens. I was trying to get around to blog about them myself, because I think they are that cool. But they beat me to it, so I'll just link instead(that's a lot easier!)





They have a video on their site that shows you how they will disappear with the heat of your iron! You can also purchase some at Pine Needles or through their website. Go check it out HERE.