Baby Bliss

I darkened the door of a yarn shop this weekend and this lovely yarn was a steal. I just had to take the opportunity to begin stocking up on baby sweaters. Having 50 cousins pretty much assures me of an unending supply of babies for whom I can knit lovely things like this -

The pattern can be found in The Baby Knits Book by Debbi Bliss.
Wouldn't a star embroidered on the front be the perfect finishing touch?

To see what others are TATing about, visit Lara at the Lazy Organizer - she just made the cutest hat for her daughter, you must go see it and tell her how adorable it is!

Sweets for the Sweet

As promised: Chocolate Therapy

I like to work with imported Mercken's chocolate since it's so creamy, it costs about $8.10 per batch and I get 4 boxes per batch. It's a yummy splurge. We traditionally make them at Christmas time and for Valentine's Day.

You will need to gather the following:
jelly roll pan, wax paper (cut 4 inches longer than the pan), peppermint oil (not extract), 3 oven safe bowls with 10.5 ounces of chocolate in each one, spatula, sharp paring knife and a yard stick

Set the oven to the lowest setting (100 to 150 degrees) and place the bowls of chocolate inside to melt for about 20 minutes

Remove the first bowl and dab chocolate under each corner of the wax paper to secure it

Like so

Add 7 drops of peppermint oil to the melted chocolate

Then stir

Spoon chocolate onto waxed paper and working quickly, spread in an even layer

Remember, work quickly

As soon as you've spread it, grab each end of the pan and pound repeatedly on the counter top. (I have video of this if anyone wants to see it, it's the therapeutic part of the activity unless you count actually eating the chocolate, but its extremely noisy). This gets the little air bubbles out of the chocolate and smoothes out the layer. Let it set until it loses its shine, then repeat with the middle layer of chocolate. Add 7 drops of flavoring, stir, spoon it out on top of the first layer.

Quickly spread it out (notice in the right hand corner what happens if you push hard or work too slowly - the chocolate layers will blend) and pound, pound, pound!

Green layer has lost its shine and is ready for the final layer

Add 7 drops of peppermint oil and stir until smooth, pour over chocolate and spread smoothly and lightly with a spatula

Layer is spread and ready for pounding - go ahead, pound the tar right out of it.

All pounded out and almost ready for cutting

After marking your pan every 1 1/2 inches on the long sides and 1 3/8 inches along the short sides, use a T-square or yardstick to guide a sharp paring knife as you make your cuts. (You can begin cutting as soon as the chocolate loses its shine).

Admire your lovely straight lines, put on gloves and...

Package in cute little gift boxes

You can also use cookie cutters for a fun mint shape, but you might want to dip them in softened butter for an easier release.

To check out other craft ideas, see Scribbit's Winter Bazaar

Jammie Pants with Ruffles

Edited to add directions for Cocoa's pajama pants method (at the bottom)

I've decided that this is the year of the pants. I have thought that little girl bloomers with ruffles were darling for the longest time. Last week I bought a pattern to sew these red bloomers - except I forgot that my kiddos tend to have short legs and longer torsos, so these ended up being full length pants with ruffles.

After reading Cocoa's post on a having a Homemade Christmas, I wrote and asked her about her favorite pattern for making pajama pants. She let me in on a great method for making some without a pattern. Here's my attempt, I think they turned out great. I just added the ruffle at the bottom, because I couldn't help myself.

I guess I will have to exercise some restraint when I make some for the boys.

The best thing about these pants is that they fit her perfectly - 10 times better than the bloomers made with a pattern.

To see what others are TATing about, visit Lara at The Lazy Organizer
Directions for Pajama Pants Cocoa's Way:
Just use a pair of each child's pants to cut out the patterns for each of their PJ's. It's a lot simpler that way.

Just fold the pants in half (back to back) and cut around it with about an inch extra on the sides and bottom and about 2 inches on the top (for the elastic). That becomes the front pieces.
Then fold the pants front to front, cut around it the same way and create the back pieces. Here's the order to sew the pants:
1. Sew inseams (fronts to backs)
2. Sew the crotch seam next, matching the backs together and the fronts together.
3. Then do the weird little flip so that you sew the side seams together (fronts to backs).
4. Next I do elastic casing - fold top edge 1/4 of an inch then fold again 1 inch down. Sew leaving an opening for the elastic.
5. Hem the bottom of the legs last. (I changed this and sewed the ruffle on before sewing the side seams in step #3).

For the ruffle, I just cut a strip 2 inches wide by about 1 1/2 times the width of the legs, folded it in half, pressed it, sewed a basting stitch along the top, gathered it to fit the pant leg, pinned it, and sewed it on. I ironed the ruffle seam and then topstitched just above it on the right side).

I also topstitched along the top of the waistband and zig-zagged the edges of all the seams. Another big thanks to Cocoa for all her help on this project! If I can sew this - you can too!

Turkey Feather Place Cards and Yummy Centerpiece

In my Aunt Kathy's family, they've had this tradition for years. First, make a regular batch of rice krispie treats, but mold them into the bust of a turkey. We used spice drops for eyes and a wattle.

Next cut feathers out of construction paper or cardstock and write each family member's name on them. Tape a toothpick to the back of the feather. Place the feather on the plate where each person should sit.
Before or after your Thanksgiving Prayer, go around the table and have each family member say something they are especially grateful for and then have them place their feather in the turkey. I think the turkey we'll be poking this year will be covered in more than 30 feathers.

This has been a Winter Bazaar post. Check out Scribbit's place for more Winter Bazaar craft ideas.

Easy Centerpiece

Here's an easy Thanksgiving centerpiece. Purchase a solid (8-10)grapevine ball from your local crafts store, as well as silk fall leaves, mini pumpkins, acorns,and raffia. Hot glue with reckless abandon (but not reckless enough to burn yourself)!

You could also use your own real leaves and nuts. Just realize that your lovely creation will need doctoring up for next year if you do.


Check out Scribbit's site for more Winter Bazaar ideas and Rocks in my Dryer for more Works for me Wednesday posts.

A few of my previous WFMW posts:
Paint like a pro
Organizing bags
Secret to beautiful wood floors
Sunday Jar
Family Fun
Math is fun
Behavior incentives
Road trips w/kids
Job charts
Kids' snacks

Apron Tradition

Edited to add: another apron site and a favorite apron blog.

When it's our turn for Thanksgiving at my mom's house, the moms and grandkids all get together and bake pies. The girls learn how to make pie crusts and then fill the pies with their choice of fruit or spiced pumpkin. The moms are there to help them mix the pie crust dough and fit it into the pie tin.

And we do it in our matching Mom and daughter (or in my case, son) aprons. Last year she made these for us. We had two fabric choices - vintage or modern.

I think she just drew the pattern out. The back of the yellow apron is lined with fabric that is the same as the pocket fabric. I just love them.

For my son's apron we used leftover fabric from Kelley's quilt. My favorite part about his apron is that the neck is actually a very soft cotton elastic (the kind that go into boxers). That way it can stretch over his head and will basically fit him until he can't tie the straps any more or refuses because, "What if someone sees me in this?"

If you don't happen to have a sew-y mom like mine, you can always shop at places like

Heavenly Hostess
Amelia's Aprons
Itz Sew Lucy
Aprons for you
and find the perfect matching aprons for your budget. To see other posts related to Fall and Thanksgiving, visit Michelle at Scribbit and see her Winter Bazaar.

Dem Bones, dem bones

Are you up to your eyeballs in Hallween crafts yet?

Here's another quickie, and all you need are qtips, glue, and black construction paper.


Assemble them like the picture, you need the qtips that have a paper middle. I don't think the ones with the plastic centers will work.


Click on the picture to enlarge it and see what we did. A fast, fun project - although not exactly anatomically/physiologically correct.

Click for a fun, tasty (not to mention easy) Halloween dessert. Or to see other Works for me Wednesday posts visit Rocks in my Dryer.

Dig your own grave...

Here's a fun, edible Halloween project. You will need:
A box of ice cream (preferably the old block style)
Oreo-type cookies, crushed
Milano cookies
Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Ziploc sandwich baggie

Cut the block of ice cream in half lengthwise and then cut it into 1 1/2 inch slabs. Lay them each on a plate.

Cover each slab with the Oreo 'dirt' and place in the freezer.
Melt 1/4 cup of chocolate chips in the microwave (30 seconds at a time & stir) until smooth. Spoon it into the baggie and barely snip off one of the corners.
Squeeze out the chocolate on the Milano cookie 'tombstones' - we chose to write R.I.P.
Pull them out of the freezer, and push the cookies down into the grave at one end (like in the picture). Dig in!

These are very yummy! Check out more Halloween ideas at Scribbit's Winter Bazaar and another easy halloween craft.

Paper Ghosts

One of our family traditions comes from my childhood. My mom has always been creative, and I love that about her. Our house had something no one else's did when it came time for Halloween - Ghosts in the windows.

Some of them were genuinely spooky looking and some were more friendly - basically, the older we got, the scarier they got. She would draw, and then cut out a ghostly shape on white butcher paper (get this from your local school or copy store) and then cut out circles or ovals for their eyes. There were various sizes and they would appear to be peeking out from the sides of the windows or from the window sill. My mom put some in nearly every window; it was great, spooky fun.

Pictures to follow - we have some ghost surgery to perform. If you laminate them, you can store them rolled up in a poster mailing tube ready for next year's haunting.

Check out the other Halloween ideas up at Scribbit's Winter Bazaar
and the other Works for me Wednesday tips at Rocks in My Dryer

Spooky candy houses

Edited to add: Don't forget to enter this drawing (ends Thursday at midnight) for a free set of organizing bags from the Lazy Organizer.

As part of Scribbit's Winter Bazaar , I'm posting one of our (Aunt's) Halloween/Christmas traditions with a twist. Be sure to stop by for other fun Halloween ideas.

1) Take sturdy cardboard, line it with foil - shiny side up

2) Get out your glue gun and assemble graham crackers into a house shape (7 squares needed- 4 for sides, 2 for roof, one cut diagonally for the attic sides. My aunt usually uses burnt sugar and assembles it over an empty milk carton. Hot glue is just as easy - no one ever eats the cracker part anyway

3) Make your royal icing and use knives, ziploc bags with the corner snipped, or fancy cake decorating tools to spread it on your haunted house

4) Use any kind of Halloween/Fall themed candy and have fun decorating

5) Display for an evening or just eat it right away.

What Halloween/Fall traditions do you enjoy?