Summer Vacation Day 34!

As the long weekend draws ever closer, I am supposed to be packing up for going to the trailer at the acreage.  However, I am drawn to finishing up one of my crafts that was supposed to be ready way back for our Summer Vacation Road Trip.

I took a class on making the Professional Tote and chose summer vacation colors (okay maybe Florida vacation colors), but a vacation bag it was to be!

Well, good news, I finally finished it late this evening:

 Front of the bag, with funky colored zipper (all the zippers are that color)!

Side of the bag, with the pretty glass beads that I got for the cinch string!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Step 7 E; Summer Vacation Day 33

Good Late Evening Internet Friends!

Back to work today after a productive day of nothing except for Day 2 of no milk products.  Seriously, it's quite painful for me (emotionally not physically).

I manged to finish (YAY for me), my own version of Block 7 (all steps done) of the Mi Vida Loca quilt that I am working on:

Now off to bed!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Step 7 D; Summer Vacation Day 32!

Good Evening Internet Friends.

After a bike ride with my son this evening I worked some on my Mi Vida Loca Quilt:

It's sort of overwhelming to realize how much musical themed fabric I have squirreled away in my craft room ; )

On an entertaining note, (for lack of a better word) today was Day 1 of my 7 day without milk project to see if I can isolate my allergies.  So far I have learned that Soy Milk is disgusting, Soy Yogurt is down right terrible, and Vegan Cheese is the WORST!!!!  I miss cheese already...

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Step 7 C; Summer Vacation Day 31!

Good Evening Internet Friends.

I am very tired right now, but happy also because I just finished my stretch of seven days!!!

Tomorrow is Day of Random (I have nothing planned as of yet) before going back to day shift.

I sewed the last few of these blocks together when I got home this evening:

Now off to do something else, can't sleep right now, but don't really feel like doing anything either and the house is super quiet because everyone (even the cat) is asleep : }

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Step 7 B; Summer Vacation Day 30!

Good Evening Internet Friends!

I can't believe that summer vacation has come this far already!!

My son and I went to the park for a bit this morning then it was off to work for me.

When I got home after work I sewed the last few rows of these together:

This is Step 7 B of my Musical Fabric Stash Mi Vida Loca quilt.

Now off to bed as I still have one more shift to work of my seven day stretch...

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Zucchini Cake for Summer Vacation Day 29

Good Evening Internet Friends!

Today marked day five of my seven day stretch....almost done.

After dinner, I did some fridge cleaning and found a zucchini.

I decided it was time to make:

I of course LOVE the frosting on this cake!

Zucchini Cake:

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 egg (room temperature)

2 tsps vanilla

- mix above ingredients with electric mixer until creamed

- add:

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder ( I use Bernard Callebaut - it's so yummy)

2 tsps baking soda

- once all ingredients combined fold in:

2 cups shredded zucchini

Bake at 350F in a 9x13 oiled cake pan for 25 minutes.

Frosting:

1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup non hydrogenated margarine

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 

Combine ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Then add:

1 cup Couverture chocolate (I use Lindt couverture chocolate).

Mix until all blended and pour over warm cake.  Enjoy!!!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Pillowcase for Summer Vacation Day 28

Good Evening Internet Friends!

Was not feeling particularly adventurous or creative tonight after I put my son to bed, so I made:

A pillowcase.  

My son had picked it out when we were at the Johnson's Sewing Centre Tent Sale, and since he was so patient and awesome while I looked over and discussed getting my new sewing machine, I could not neglect this.  I will wash it and dry it this evening, so that it can be on his bed when he wakes up tomorrow morning☺

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Work In Progress Wednesday; Step 7 A of My Quilt; Summer Vacation Day 27

Good Evening Internet Friends.  

Since it is Wednesday I decided I would participate in Work In Progress Wednesday over at The Needle and Thread Network.  

Now, before I show you what I have been working on of late, I simply have to show why I had to clean my craft room:

Last week at the Johnson's Sewing Center Tent Sale, I decided that this beauty was too good a sale to pass up!  I did have to wait until I got Step 7 E of Brandy's Mi Vida Loca quilt completed because there were 1000 ish (seriously) pieces of tiny fabric (<2.5") on my sewing desk.

Now that I have finished all five parts of Step 7 on Brandy's quilt, I have cleaned my sewing desk and craft room and started on my own version of this quilt:

My son added the little toy sheep, because he knows how much I love sheep and of course WOOL!!!!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Step 7 E Brandy's Quilt, Summer Vacation Day 26!

Day two of my stretch of seven, I think it will be a really loooooong week ☺

This evening after going to the park with my son and eating ice cream on the back steps, I had some time to play in my craft room!

I managed to finish Step 7 E of the Mi Vida Loca quilt I am working on for my friend Brandy's wedding:

 Now, to start this length step on my own version of this quilt ; )

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Here a chick, there a chick..., Summer Vacation Day 25

Back to work today, and quite tired after the weekend events.  Home late (imagine) from the festivities of K-days.

After dinner, and a quick trip to the park, spent a little time in the craft room.

Decided I would work on one of the projects I picked up at Prickly Pear Quilts.

The kit appeared like it should be a quick project for a night like tonight, but either I am really sleepy or something, because the instructions for assembly made little to NO sense.

Oh, well, I put it together in my own way, and all seams are folded under, top stitched, and that is that!

TAH DAH!  

A quick and easy (once I decided how I would do it) addition to my kitchen!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Step 7 D Brandy's Quilt; Summer Vacation Day 24!

Good Morning Internet Friends!

Took a bit of time this morning to work on Step 7 D of the Mi Vida Loca Quilt that I am making for my friend Brandy's wedding.

Here is as far as I got with these 25 blocks today:

Now, off to enjoy the fun (?) that is K-Days.  My son is still of an age to think that this is "Top Drawer" fun and so off we will pilgrimage to this event.  I plan to take him to the Vegreville Fair this summer because that I think is more likely to be what I am familiar with in regards to summer fairs ☺

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Summer Vacation Day 23

Good Evening Internet Friends!

Today was a rather busy day, but a productive one.  My son and I ran a bunch of errands, did a couple of fun things too and after dinner we made cookies:

We found in the cupboard earlier today a bag of M & M's.  We ate some, and decided the rest should go into cookies.  YUMMY!

This was also the first time that I have really done any baking since I got these:

These are the Kitchen Craft Colourworks 4 piece Measuring Set that I found a few weeks back at Gifts and Gadgets.   I just loved the look and feel of these that I had to get them (and from what I can read they are made in England!).  They are super easy to measure with and I love how comfortable they are to use, and the colors are so PRETTY!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Child's Billfold; Summer Vacation Day 22!

My son is reaching the age where he wants to have some independence with his spending money, however, he is SUPER disorganized.  Really not sure where that comes from.  Yesterday morning I gave him money to purchase popcorn while at summer camp and watched him toss it into his backpack that is filled with everything (one sandal, half a pencil, a crust from a sandwich, an old comic, a spilled box of gum, crayon remnants, assorted sticks, stones, and some sticky goo).  I decided that I would sew him a little zippered pocket in which to keep his library card, gift cards, and extra change.  He thought that was a good idea.

A quick search on the internet gave me a bzillion ways to make one of these, but all seemed super complicated, so I cut 2, 5" pieces of the main fabric (put interfacing on these) and 2, 5" lining pieces and sewed it together with a zippered opening:

It was not until I had sewed it all together and opened it with ease that I realized something was different.  I had opened this packet with the utmost of ease. Since when does that happen?  Then I realized I had sewn the zipper in for a left handed person!!! ☺  Oh well, my son is like me, confused as to which hand to use, so it does not seem to bother him, and in fact he was thrilled with what was made for him!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Step 7 C; Summer Vacation Day 21

Good Evening Internet Friends!

Today was one of my regularly scheduled days off!

I ran a few errands then came home and got busy with chores here.

I managed to get quite a bit of laundry, baking, cleaning and cooking done along with Step 7 C of Brandy's  Mi Vida Loca quilt:

Maybe, just maybe I can get this caught up this coming weekend ☺
Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Work In Progress Wednesday; Summer Vacation Day 20!

Good Evening Internet Friends!

Today I felt better and was awake for long enough between antihistamine doses to close the toe on the first of the socks I am making for my brother:

Here is one completed sock from the Hockey Night in Canada Edmonton Oiler's inspired yarn!  I am pretty pleased with it and so is he!  Even though the team is not what it once was when we were growing up in central Saskatchewan, there is still a sense of pride and nostalgia in these colors ☺  It was our closest hockey team!

Since it is Wednesday I decided it was about time to link up with The Needle and Thread Network.

Now, off to work on the other sock and try to quit singing The Oil's Back in Town.

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Sad Day, Summer Vacation Day 19

Good Evening Internet Friends.

When I woke up this morning my allergic reaction was even worse than yesterday!!! I could barely see out of my left eye and my nasal passages were almost swelled shut!

So, I headed off to the doctor, because this is no longer Benadryl fixable.

Sadly, my doctor and pharmacist think that it is an allergic reaction to the current inhaler for my asthma : (

I am very sad about this because for the first time in my life I think, I have not coughed continuously for the past eight weeks that I have been on this inhaler!  I LOVED this inhaler, but not what it has done to me : (

So, now I sit here, doped up on super strong antihistamines, itching and feeling extra sorry for myself!

The only good thing is that a parcel arrived for me today that made life a little better.

While on vacation somewhere in the middle of Montana, I blurted out that I missed Sock Yarn of the month club!  My husband responded by asking why I was not still subscribed to this?  Good question!  When we got home, I re-subscribed to Sock Yarn Club and here is what came in the mail today:

It is such a pretty yarn with so many different colors happening that I have decided to just do an Openwork Rib for the leg to not distract from the colors!

In between naps from the anti-histamines here is what I have done!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Step 7 B of Brandy's Quilt; Summer Vacation Day 18

Good Evening Internet Friends.

So far this evening, I have only accomplished putting these blocks together:

This is the second step of instructions for Step 7 of the Mi Vida Loca Mystery Quilt I am currently working on for my friend Brandy's wedding.  I am making one for myself as well, but am much further behind on my version.

This will be all the crafting I get done this evening as I have been struggling since yesterday with an allergic reaction to (???? I have no clue what), and it is getting quite annoying!

Will take a Benadryl and toddle off to bed now...

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

What's For Dinner? Summer Vacation Day 17

It was really too hot to do to much of anything today.  My son and I did walk to the spray park this afternoon when we got home, but there was a church group gathering going on there so we had lemonaide on the back steps in the shade before going back in to the comfort of the central air conditioned house.

For dinner I made one of my all time favorite comfort foods:

Dill/Green Onion Fresh Baby Potatoes!!!

These are supper easy to make, but taste awesome:

- boil fresh baby potatoes

- drain water 

- add 1 tablespoon butter

- add chopped handful of green onions and fresh dill

- stir in whipping cream (not low fat...this is not the time to be calorie conscious) to taste

- ENJOY!!!!!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Step 7 A; Summer Vacation Day 16

Today my son and I ventured out to the St. Albert Farmer's Market.

We got fresh baby red potatoes, dill, rhubarb, colored carrots, green onion cakes, some raspberry lemonade concentrate and some mini cupcakes.  

After that we ran a couple of errands before heading back to the trailer on the acreage.  I think that we will have the green onion cakes with a jar of my canned borscht for dinner.

After dinner thanks to the Honda generator I did a little sewing this evening:

I'll try to finish this block when I get back home tomorrow ☺

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Step 6 C; Summer Vacation Day 15

Today was another day of "random".

We got up fairly early (not school or work early) and went out shopping.  My son had some gift cards from his birthday that he added to his collection from end of school gifts, Christmas, and some of last years birthday gift cards!  First we went to Chapters.  He picked out some books to total his gift cards and I subsidized some additional funds towards the book purchases.  I also picked up a quilting and a cupcake magazine for myself.

Next stop was Toys R Us where he picked up all kinds of "boy" treasure.  While there we met a colleague of mine and her two boys so the "mother load" of toys was met with lots of "ohhhh's, and awwwww's.

After that we proceeded on to Johnson's Sewing Centre where I picked up my new toy (everyone tried to make me feel less guilty about this purchase last night).  I have to get the cut pieces on my quilting table sewn together first, then I will set up my new "toy".  Maybe next weekend.....

We met my brother for lunch and then wandered around Spruce Grove for a bit.

By the time we got home, it was time to get ready for dinner and then head out to the acreage for the evening/weekend.

I did sit down while dinner was cooking and put together Step 6 C of my Mi Vida Loca quilt:

Tomorrow is St. Albert Farmer's Market and I hope to get there early for best selection : )

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Step 6 B; Summer Vacation Day 14

I called today my day of "random".

I took my son out to The Dish Bistro for lunch.  Lunch was FABULOUS as usual, but we had to have the brownie dessert because the sticky toffee pudding was still being made : (, will have to go back another day...

Then we did some shopping along 124 Street (I love that street).  We stopped and got cookies at Cookie Love, cheese at Paddy's International Cheese Market, and finally stopped at Johnson's Sewing Center.

Stocked up on a "whack" load of fabrics, notions, and threads etc.  Was very pleased with my purchases. ☺ On the way out I stopped to examine the sewing machine sale, and saw the one I have sort of been looking at as an upgrade to my current machine on a SUPER sale.  Decided to think about it over night, and see how I feel tomorrow.

After dinner I did a bit of sewing on my Step 6 B for my Mi Vida Loca quilt since I have not quilted for the past two weeks, but alas could not concentrate much as thinking about new machine......

So, this is as much as I got done:

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Happy 10th Birthday, Summer Vacation Day 13!

Today is my son's 10th Birthday!  I cannot believe that my baby is 10 years old!!!

As you may know from reading my blog my son is a HUGE fan of Phineas and Ferb, hence, the reason we  are counting every day of summer vacation this year!

On the show the children's pet is Perrry the Platypus and my son decided that for his actual birthday party he wanted a Perry the Platypus theme.  

I searched everywhere while we were on vacation for Perry the Platypus themed party items, and other than drinking cups, I found NOTHING!!!

So, I made do:

Here's my version of Perry the Platypus cupcakes.  I found a Blue Velvet Cake Mix from which to make the cupcakes, and then iced them to try to look like Perry the Platypus.  My son thought I did a "Top Drawer" job, and I think I did pretty well myself!

While I was icing the cupcakes he painted an unfinished market pail that we had in the house in party appropriate colors and we put a liner in the pail and served the chip snacks from the pail:

Happy 10th Birthday Little Buddy!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Alberta Bound; Summer Vacation Day 12

This morning we left Montana headed for home.  It is about an 8 hour drive, so I knit of course:

Worked on this Oilers inspired sock for my brother and according to the measurements that he has provided me I managed to get the foot section done on the ride home.  Of course a nap was involved in part of the time ; )

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Summer Vacation Day 11

This morning we left the Helena National Forest on our journey home. We stopped in Great Falls to run some a last few errands, and are camping in Shelby tonight before heading back into Alberta early tomorrow morning.

The drive was one I have made several times, so not much new to see, so I knit most of the way today.

Here is the progress I made on my acrylic sock:

At this rate, might even be able to finish this by the time I get home !!!!☺

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Summer Vacation Day 10

Yesterday the lady at Prickly Pear Quilts told us about a boat tour we should go on.  So, today we went on the Gates of The Mountains boat tour.  The views are spectacular and my camera just cannot do justice to the views, but here is one of the photos I took:

This evening while out on our walk I took a picture of this weed (at least that is what I think it is) just because it is pretty:

Afterwards,  sitting by the camp fire I worked on my acrylic socks:

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Summer Vacation Day 9

Today was one of those leisure days it is nice to have on vacation.  We slept late, went out for brunch and then did some shopping which included the local quilt store!!!  Got some wonderful treasures there that I will share when I get home.
I did finish the toes on my socks around the campfire this evening:

Here is one of the many spectacular views from the campground:

Hope this inspires your own creativity. ..
Kathy

Happy Fourth of July Summer Vacation Day 8

Today we left Thompson Falls starting our journey back home.  We traveled as far as the Helena National Forest  and decided that was a good place to camp for a couple of days.   Right at the top of the continental divide!  You can literally see everything from here☺
After dinner we went to East Helena for the fireworks:

 

The Paper Pumpkin kit for the month of June is my craft for today.  As you likely know I  have a love hate relationship with this product.  Some months the kits are great and others I really don't know what they were thinking when the kits were created.  This month's kit again is one that I am confused about.  Although the kit is fun, there was only one choice of paper that seems to have an Independence Day feel to it.  Now, don't get me wrong, my grandfather was from there, but I was not given an option of a Canadian kit, only this one. Since I was present in the United States today I did use this kit for making a treat bag for my son, however, what would I have done with it had I not been here?????

 

I found some appropriate colored licorice and put in one of the kit bags for my son and he thought it was "Top Drawer".
Hope this inspires your own creativity. ..

Kathy

Summer Vacation Day 7

Today was another quiet day at the campground.  Husband and son went fishing and I knit, napped and took the dog for a couple walks:

A very relaxing day...

Kathy

Summer Vacation Day 6

Today we did not do anything too exciting.   My husband and son spent the day fishing in the back country.  I chose not to go because I knew there would be creatures back there that I would not want to see and I was right they told me.  I stayed at the camper trailer with the dog and did some knitting,  took a nap and ate ice cream treats.  Here is my knitting so far:

 Here is a picture of the fishermen closer to the campsite where I will walk with reasonable confidence that there are no creatures:

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Happy Canada Day from the USA Summer Vacation Day 5

Today we celebrated Canada Day by going to Silverwood.  It's a water/amusement park in Idaho reasonably close to where we are camping.  I got the admission tickets at Costco on the weekend (I love that place; seriously).   It was a great way to spend a warm summer day.  Super tired now....

Have a great Canada Day wherever you are! ☺

Kathy