Easiest skirt ever

I made a skirt for Brooke.  If I had ten uninterrupted minutes to sew it, I'd tell you that's how long it took.  Since I have four children, I don't have ten uninterrupted minutes, so it took more like thirty. 

I used this ruffle fabric, and knit elastic.  In a perfect world I would have used purple thread, then my wonky lines wouldn't be so noticeable.  But it's not a perfect world, it's a world where all my thread is in storage and I happened to have this yellow from a sewing project I did for church.  Brooke thought it was cool though, she put it on and said, "I love it!! It's like a Santa belt!"  She's the eternal optimist.  Obviously that seam goes in the back, but whatev. 

And here she is with her best pose.  Future model for sure.  

PS. I have no idea why she felt the need to tuck her shirt in, she's got a style all her own. :)

Ways I Wanna Be Better in 2013

It's a new year and I've been thinking a lot about how I want to be better.  These aren't resolutions, more just areas that I want to look back on in December 2013 and be able to say I've grown.
The time is now.

-Be a better reader of the Word.  Memorize more, study more, meditate more.  True growth will only come if I'm depending more on the Lord to help me.  I want to depend on him and the truths he gives me, not on my own abilities.

-Be a better wife, best friend, communicator, servant, lover, help-mate.  We celebrate 11 years in June and I pray this year will be our best. But with four kids it takes work to make it thrive. 

-Be a better mom.  I want to be more intentional and present in my kids lives.  I want to have more one on one time with them.  I want them to never doubt how much I love them, even in the midst of working through discipline issues.

-Be a better friend.  Take time to pray more for my friends.  Take time to send special notes and gifts to friends to show them how much I cherish their friendship.

-Be better to my body.  I'm still nursing so it's not like it would be too healthy for me to try and drop 20 lbs right now.  But I just want to be more conscious of the choices I'm making and I want to move towards being more active.

-Be a better seamstress.  I've got lots of projects that I'd like to complete for my kiddos and even want to try my hand at making some things for myself.  Most of all I want to learn how to use my serger.

-Be a better photographer.  I've had my camera for almost three years now and although I can get good shots of my kids and family from time to time, I want to get GREAT shots.  I need to read up on rule of thirds, composition, etc.  And I want to learn more about photoshop.

Here's to a year of growth!!

Favorite Valentine's Fonts {and pink chalkboard}

Chalkboard art is EVERYWHERE!!  I thought it'd be fun to have a pink chalkboard background to play around with and maybe use it to make some Valentine's cards.  I used the free background found here, dumped it into photoshop added a layer, changed some opacity and ta-da!

PINK CHALKBOARD

Download yours for free here 

And if you need some inspiration in the font department for your Valentine's cards, here are some that I am loving

1. I Heart Sketches  2. Ellie Bellie  3. I Love What You Do!!

4. Candy Heart  5. Kadee's Love Sentiments 

6. Call Me, Maybe?

What are some of your favorite Valentine's fonts?

Got any cute ideas for cards? 

Blog PSA: I realize this is a "sewing" blog and there hasn't been much of that going on as of late. My life has been consumed with things like: birthing a baby in June, putting our house on the market, potty training the toddler, selling the house, moving from the house, looking for a house (still haven't found one yet) and other things a mom of four does on a daily basis.  I do have high hopes of sewing more this year, and time permitting posting finished projects.  I was GIVEN a serger and I'd really like to learn how to use it.  Sewing is one area of my life that I'd really like to grow in this year.  So stick around!

Linking to: 

Skip to My Lou   Someday Crafts

Grandma Jane's Butterhorns {a recipe}

My Grandma Jane could cook.  One of my favorite things she used to cook was these delicious butterhorns.  We lost her last month, she's with our Savior now.  I will always love making these because they remind me of her.  

Hope you love them as much as I do. 

Grandma Jane's Butterhorns

• 1/2 C. butter-flavored Crisco
• 1 C. scolded milk
• 1/2 C. sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 pkg yeast (dissolved in 1/4-1/2 C water)
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 1/2 C. flour

Heat shortening, milk, sugar till melted.  Do not boil.  Cool till just warm to the touch, add yeast.  Add beaten eggs.  Add salt, then add one cup flour at a time.  Knead and work in a little more flour till dough is sticky not heavy.  Cover and let rise to the top of bowl, about hour and a half, sometimes longer, depends on humidity.

Flour counter and divide dough into three or four equal parts, roll out in circle. 

Butter circle and cut in eight or ten pie shaped pieces.  Roll these pieces from large to small end.  Place on cookie sheet, cover and let rise again about an hour. 

Bake in 375 degree oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Spread tops with butter when warm out of the oven. 

A tip: 

-my mom used to always let these rise in a warm, steamy bathroom.  This year I tried putting them in a warm oven, seemed to work fine.  I turned my oven on to lowest setting, let heat up, then turned oven off and place covered dough in oven to rise.  I covered my dough bowl with a moist tea towel. 

PS. Is the term "let rise" or "let raise" correct...I'm no English major.  Either way I figure you know what I mean :)
PSS. You know there is a little green "Print Friendly" button at the bottom of this post under the LinkWithin links. Click on that and it takes you to this nifty page where easily print this recipe, even remove the pics if you want for cleaner printing. Just an FYI. 

Comparison: the poison of parenting

Today a friend on facebook quoted her daughter (younger than Lincoln) using real words, full sentences in fact.  And I let the poison that is Comparison creep in.  All I want in the world is for Lincoln to start speaking.  I long to hear his sweet voice say "love you momma."

We are all guilty of letting this poison in.  Me, sometimes so much so that it consumes me.

Why is my kid in the 10 pt club when others his age are in the 25 pt club?  I wish my baby was sleeping through the night, so and so's is.  Why isn't my toddler saying words when others younger than him talk in sentences? Why are my girl's letters backwards, her friend can sound out and spell words?
And on, and on, and on.  Well I've decided I'm stopping.
God blessed me with my kids, they are "fearfully and wonderfully made."  And I need to cherish them as such, not compare what they are and aren't doing to someone else's kid (or worse still, comparing my kids to each other).  This poison of comparison has two side affects, pride and shame.  I either become prideful because my kid is doing so well compared to others or shameful because my kid isn't measuring up. I want to guard against both in my life, so I'm going to stop comparing.  Yes, I'll be proud of my kids and the little victories they have, but I'll also stop feeling shamed that my kids haven't succeeded where others have.

God has us all on an individual timeline, and this poison made me forget that.

No more. 

no words...

Just this.

Chicken Taquitas {a recipe}

These are SO yummy.  But I might make a small suggestion to not make these when you're husband is gone and you're single-mommin' it with a nursling, a toddler and two rowdy kids.  You might almost lose your sanity.  Not that I know from experience. *ahem*
I mentioned it before when I shared my everyday spaghetti sauce recipe.  We have these for dinner lots, but they'd be great as little appetizers if you used six-inch tortillas.  Reheat in the oven any leftovers to keep tortilla nice and crispy. 

CHICKEN TAQUITAS

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 C. water

1/2 C. minced green onions

1 tsp. minced garlic

3-4 C. Crisco oil

1 C. finely chopped tomatoes 

6 T. chicken broth

2 T. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. chili powder

flour tortillas

Simmer chicken in water in 10-inch skillet, covered for 20-25 minutes.  Remove from water and cool.  Shred with fork.  Saute onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon oil for 1-2 minutes.  Stir in chicken, tomato, broth, flour and spices; simmer 3-5 minutes. 

In a heavy 10-inch skillet, heat about 1-inch of oil.  Dip tortillas quickly into oil to soften; drain on paper towels.  (Confession sometimes I skip this step and just roll tortillas up as normal, it works just fine that way.)  Spoon about 2 tablespoons of mixture down center of each tortilla.  Roll up tortillas tightly.  Secure with wooden toothpicks.  Fry at 375 degrees until golden brown.  Drain on paper towels.  Keep tortillas warm in 350 degree oven.  Remove toothpicks; serve with guacamole or sour cream.  Yield about eight 10" tortillas or a dozen 6" tortillas.