Hippity Hoppity

If you are an avid reader of my blog, then you know I am definitely still a kid at heart...which completely explains why I love the website "Mr. Printables"...it is chock full of fun, free printable downloads for kids! Check out these ADORABLE Bunny Party Favor Bags - aren't they just the cutest...and you can make them in a matter of minutes (seriously) with very few supplies. First of all you need a computer, Internet connection, and a printer...and I am guessing if you are visiting my blog, you have all three...next you need a several pieces of white cardstock or heavy paper (which many of us have on hand). Do you have your paper loaded in the printer, yet?? Okay, so now click on this link for the Bunny Party Favor Bags - you can now easily download and print four (yes, I said FOUR!) different Bunny Bags for FREE! - there is one large and one small pink bunny...one titled "Strippy Jumper" and one titled "Woolly Socks" (which are both small - meaning each fits on one piece of 8.5" x 11" cardstock). Once you have the selection you want printed, you will need scissors, a scoring tool/board (don't fret, a bone-folder or pen cap works great for scoring), a craft knife, and a glue stick...you can find all those things around the house, can't you?? Now, time for the "crafty" part, cut on the solid lines, score on the dashed lines, and use a craft knife to cut the two lines where shown (this is where the ears fit through)...fold on the score lines...and glue where it notes "glue"...that's all there is to it...easy peasy! There is also an stinkin' cute Frog Favor Bag and it has step by step directions and photos of how to put a favor bag together...wouldn't the Frog Favor Bag be fun for a stitching retreat?! The last and final step is to fill your bag(s) with treats...and maybe a little Easter grass or tissue paper. Fun, easy, and affordable...and you can make them for or with children (or a big kid, like me)...and simply precious...

The Iowa State Fair in Photos

The 2012 Iowa State Fair Butter Cow

It was a beautiful August day, as my husband and I headed to the Iowa State Fair for our yearly visit. The Iowa State Fair is the largest event in the state of Iowa and one of the oldest and largest agricultural and industrial expositions in the country - annually attracting more than a million people from all over the world. Of course, there are exhibits and attractions we *have to* see at the fair each year - the butter cow, the big bull, the big boar, the fabric and threads exhibition, the photography, the ugly cakes....and of course, we must have some fair food! There are so many AMAZING things to see each year...even the gardens on the fairgrounds are well maintained. I always enjoy seeing the barnyard animals and livestock (especially the rabbits!)....and the photography and dollhouses....along with the fruit, vegetable, and food ribbon winners. Here is a little photographic journey of our visit (heavy on needlework and quilting)....I'll let the photographs do the talking and add little captions when necessary....click on individual photos for a large look...
(Those of you who use Instagram can see some additional photos I took on my smartphone - username: BRDGIRL)

Blue Ribbon Needlework

Holiday Needlework

Best of Show Fabric and Threads

I love spicy food - the hotter, the better - therefore, I couldn't resist
 taking a photo of the hot pepper entries....

Check out the details on the Victorian house cake...
and the peacock cake was gorgeous!

Ribbon winning slices of cake...

The turtle cake was AMAZING in person....

Ribbon winning candies...

I feel in love with this Mini Lop rabbit - so ADORABLE!

 The  Animal Learning Center has agricultural education exhibits and
 features live births of various species including cows, sows, nanny goats and ewes.
I loved seeing all the newborn animals....

The horses are always wonderful to see - here is one having a bite
 to eat before a showing....

2012 Big Bull (World Super Bull) - 2,646 lbs.

2012 Big Boar - Reggie - 1,335 lbs.

New this year: the "World's Largest Chocolate Moose in Captivity" - weighing 320 pounds...
 standing more the 10 feet high and 118 inches in length. Hundreds of pounds of Dutch
chocolate were applied in layers and hand-carved by Chocolaterie Stam to create the moose...
...as you can see, I needed to be a bit taller to get the entire moose in one photo!

Photography Exhibit

Photography Exhibit

Best of Show  Photography Exhibit

Best of Show Doll House (with a green house!)

Best of Show Miniature Room

A blue ribbon winning log cabin doll house...

Garden on the fairgrounds...

Garden on the fairgrounds...

Garden on the fairgrounds...

Garden on the fairgrounds...

Perfect Day To Play

I have spent the last week stitching non-stop, working on my Halloween class design for the New England Stitcher's Retreat. I was so happy when the fabric arrived and I have been completely focused on the project ever since...it is coming along beautifully and I am about 75% done with the stitching and hope to start putting it together later this week. If all goes well, you will be seeing some photos very soon!

This afternoon I took several hours off to have lunch with my dear friends Merry and Kimber - I had made plans with them several weeks ago...and I am so glad I did - I really needed to get out of my stitching chair and take some time away. It felt absolutely marvelous to get out of the house on such a beautiful day and enjoy a leisurely lunch with my BFFs.

I was excited to give them each a special gift I had put together while waiting for my fabric to arrive. I know, they aren't Easter baskets...in all reality, they are collapsible cocktail napkin holders...but I thought they would work perfectly to hold some Easter treats. I used a Terry Atkinson Groovy Girls Club Pattern called Napkin Holder....and it gives you the option of 4 different sizes of collapsible holders: Cocktail (5.5" x 5.5" x 2.5"), Luncheon (7" x 7" x 2.5"), Rectangle (5" x 8.5" x 2.5"), and Sugar/Tea (2.5" x 3.5" x 2"). I chose the cocktail napkin size and I picked out fabric specifically for Merry and Kimber. I was pretty happy with how they turned out, considering this was my first try at this pattern....once all the pieces were cut, they went together rather quickly....and another fun thing - I got to go through my vast button stash to pick buttons for each...and the button ties are colorful hair elastics. After finishing both, I put Easter grass in the base and filled them with special treats...then I foofed them, using GiftGloss and springy green tulle. Didn't they turn out adorable??! I have plenty of the ultra firm single-sided fusible stabilizer - in fact, I have an entire bolt of it - so I see many more of these in my future. The smallest size will be a perfect little collapsible ort container to take with me on my travels...and the larger ones are perfect for gifts and organization. Now that I have made a couple, I'm sure I can adapt the pattern to any size holder I want...it is easy to adjust.

After spending the afternoon with Kimber and Merry, I have a better attitude and feel refreshed and ready to get back to work. My chores for the day are done, so I am headed back to my stitching nest - it will be another late night (early morning)....

A Baking Marathon

Saturday was a full day - I headed over to my mother-in-law's house at 9:00 AM for a twelve hour baking marathon. I sure didn't know what the day had in store when I left the house - I figured I would be over there for a few hours...but it turned into an entire day in the kitchen. My mother-in-law does TONS of baking every year for holiday gifts - she had called me earlier in the week and asked me to join her....when I arrived, she had over ten labor-intensive recipes ready to prepare. She had done some dough making throughout the week, so my first task was to cut over 100 sugar cookies and get them in the oven...it was a giant double batch and I was able to use every Christmas cookie cutter under the sun! While they were cooling, I rolled and shaped 75 candy cane cookies...baked them, then sprinkled the warm cookies with crushed peppermints sticks. I helped with the preparation of several of her famous candies, then it was time to frost and decorate all the sugar cookies - it seemed an endless task - I started out being all clever and decorating each one specially, but by the end of the day, I (admittedly) was just frosting and shaking sprinkles on each one. While I was doing the frosting, she was baking pumpkin bread and banana nut bread. By the time I left, we had made ten different candies, cookies, and breads - double batches of each...and we were both exhausted. After a very full day, we cleaned the kitchen and I packed up two small tins of treats to bring home...it was a lot of work, but very fun to spend the day baking with my mother-in-law. I hope you make time to do some holiday baking with family and/or friends...

To assist with your holiday baking, here is a favorite cookie recipe from my kitchen:

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Star Cookies
1 bag chocolate stars
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Granulated sugar (for rolling dough before baking)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk, and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate star into the center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from baking sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. This recipe makes about 4 dozen "yummy" cookies.