Happy Holidays

 I've been dreaming of a white Hawaiian Christmas. It's been too long since I've kept up with the blog. There just doesn't seem to be enough time for everything in our lives right now. Happy Belated Hanukkah, Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to you all.

Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Samantha's fave!!)

7-9 minutes per pan. One batch makes about 36 cookies. Bake at 400 degrees.

Preheat oven. Combine & whisk the following ingredients in bowl #1:
2.5 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Bowl #2:
1 cup room temp margarine (or 1/2 c margarine & 1/2 cup Crisco)
1 1/2 cup firm packed brown sugar
Cream by mixer, add bowl #1 ingredients, combine.

Add:
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 pkg chocolate chips
1/2 cup nuts (optional)

Drop by melon baller on a lightly greased pan. Silpat or freezer paper would also work.
Enjoy! This recipe has been in my family for years, it's not something I developed & would certainly give credit if I knew where it originated from.

RSVP B&W Block Request

It's that time of year again...

RSVP is in search of black and white 12.5 inch (12" finished) blocks in your choice of patterns. This first block is one of the free patterns I recently featured on FREE {quilt} BLOCK FRIDAY on Twitter. It's a Craftsy free project & it's a fun one! Check it out here: Craftsy.com. If you'd like to catch the free patterns of the week, be sure to follow retrogirl02 on twitter.

RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) is in need of blocks for charity quilts and the annual quilt raffle. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Please feel free to contact me for more info at heatherL 02 (zero two) at yahoo dot com or check out some of the previous RSVP posts on this blog here. You'll find links to free patterns, information about the organization and see previous reader donations, too. 

Happy Piecing,

Heather =)

Summer Sweets

A new stack of 30s prints for the stash "Aunt Grace in a Pickle" has inspired me 

to do some sewing room re-arranging.

One of these days I might even be able to use them in a quilt...but not until I dig my current projects out and get sewing!

The strawberries have just about finished blooming. We had about 10 pounds of fruit just from the side garden so far. DH has been enjoying his nutritious strawberries in pie form. Personally, I think they're best straight from the garden.

Best Wishes,

Heather

Return to Normalcy

 I've always felt at home in the kitchen and have to say, 

the past couple of years trying to decode the mysteries of 

gluten-free flours and additives has been so frustrating, I quit trying. 

Until now.

Enter life-changing (GLUTEN-FREE) banana bread.

A return to normalcy. 

Just baking like it used to be. 

Simple & comforting.

Delicious!

*psst!* let's keep this between us----I didn't tell the family it was GF----and they had no idea!

I'm picking up a few more Betty Crocker Gluten Free Cake Mixes 

to whip up some more loaves for the freezer. 

You never know when unexpected guests will pop by. 

If you have any gluten-free recipes that work for your family, please feel free to link or email me at heatherl02 (L zero two) at yahoo dot com

Best Wishes,

Heather

PS-------these would make GREAT teacher's gifts, don't you think?

Disclosure: The information and prize pack have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Sunshine, Blooms & Bookmarks

We've been busy playing outside, enjoying the fantastic weather 
all week long. 

Now that the ♥ white violets ♥ are popping up, 
I'm oh so thrilled about gardening. 

We've been watering the strawberry patch, 

thanks to a bunch of new blooms.
Almost all the tulips are out, the hostas are just beginning to open
& the creeping phlox is blooming.

A brief afternoon in the sewing room with munchkin today 

produced 4 bookmarks---a special request. 

Now that we have the hang of it, 

she'll be whipping up a few more this week.

*Thankfully, mom's fabric stash is always available.*

Hopefully, I'll have a bit of time to sneak into the sewing room
and catch up on some 

much needed RSVP black & white blocks soon.

Piece.

Heather

A Little Sunshine Does the Trick

The sun has been out & temperatures are mild.

AHHHH. Spring is really here to stay.

My favorite white violets (with purple throats) are up---I must 

have been so excited, I forgot to snap a pic!!

Have a wonderful week in the sunshine!

Heather

Erica's Does it AGAIN

This just in....
Erica's Anniversary Sale is going on AGAIN!!

20% off Regularly priced fabric Sale 
+ Free US Shipping & 
1/2 Price INTERNATIONAL Shipping 
on orders $39 or more (excluding tax)
at ericas.com!!! 
It's good through 4/30/13 (11:59 EST), so get your shop on! 

Be sure to check the Old Fashioned Section of fabric 
if you like 1930s reproduction prints. 

Manatee Love

The highlight of the recent family vacation (according

to one munchkin) HAD to be the trip to Bradenton, Florida

to see THE manatee, Snooty.

These gentle giants became a bit of an obsession with our middle child, 

thanks to a library book checked out last year. 

Visiting a 'famous' manatee at the South Florida Museum's 

Parker Aquarium was a dream come true. 

We watched him eat (and eat and eat) romaine lettuce, 

kale, sweet potatoes, broccoli & carrots. 

Snooty was born in captivity & has been raised by humans.

The other 2 manatees pictured are part of the Manatee Rehabilitation Network

rescue program. They'll be returned to the wild next winter.

Room for {Pattern} Improvement

Here's an oldie but a goodie.

After completing the first block, 

I decided a few changes were in order...

• thinner sashing
• a neutral background fabric rather than the solid, lighter shade of the print fabrics
• making the center darker than surrounding fabrics so it stands out
• possibly adding a different (coordinated) sashing print between each block set

What do you think?

Spring is in the Air

 After some much needed rain this past week, 

the daffodils are in bloom & many other perennials 

are beginning to pop up. 

It's too nice to stay inside...maybe I'll get some sewing done 

at the local quilt club tomorrow evening. 

That would be a nice first outing for the featherweight!

Best Wishes, 

Heather

A FWQAL Block

OK, so I flipped through the Farmer's Wife Book this afternoon,

thinking I'd better get some fabrics ready to go for another block

someday---When the 

Century of Progress Block caught my eye. 

I was explaining fussy cutting to munchkin & I thought why not show you 

instead of trying to explain it...

 we also talked about adjusting patterns so the pieces in the center 

were combined to make the corners of the inner square larger, 

decreasing bulk in the center. 

You can do THAT? 

Oh, yes, you can!

Piece.

Heather

Vacation Spot Surprise

                                     Mr. Fabulous is one smart cookie.

Before heading out to the beach our very first day away, he drove us straight to a little quilt shop & watched the munchkins for me while I took a quick look around. Of course, I found a few goodies including these Aunt Grace 30s reproductions.

THAT'S the way to a quilter's heart, isn't it? Surprise Fabric Shopping!!

 I found a couple black and whites for
RSVP blocks, some red just because & some blue with white polka dots possibly for the Farmer's Wife Quilt....we shall see....but I rarely say no to polka dots.

PIECE, Love & Fabric Shopping!

Heather

A Few Days at the Beach

Spring break sunshine made beachcombers out of us at a barrier island. 

We played in the sand, found seashells and relaxed, just enjoying each other's company.

We picked up several bags of shells and a little sand, too. I found a few gorgeous shells that were occupied, so we gently returned them to the sea. 

For now, I've placed the seashells in glass vases...

until we find some containers with lids that I can seal.
I love sand at the beach but not so much in the carpet.
LOL

I hope you're able to take some time to enjoy life with your loved ones.

Happy Easter from our family to yours.

Heather