Christmas Decorations

I kept the decorations simple this year, but a little goes along way in our mood.

The Christmas songs were a source of inspiration and a cure of my case of the "Ba Humbug".

My youngest strongly requested the tree be placed next to the fireplace this year, instead of in front of our front room window. He wanted to make it easier for Santa to drop off presents.

I love my nativity snow globe. The scene is detailed and beautiful. The larger nativity set wasn't put out this year. Maybe next year.

"Can't forget the real reason for the season," declares the elf.

This is such an awesome, hand painted ornament. I received it last year. The story

behind this is cool. It was hand painted from the inside.

That blows my mind. It would be great if painted from the outside, but the

inside. Wowsers.

Merry Christmas friends and family. I wish you all a wonderful new year.

Ba! Humbug!

I have the case of the Ba! Humbug!

No Christmas decorations have gone up in my house. I usually have the tree fully lit and decorated by now. Each restroom has its mini tree with cute teeny ornaments, tree topper, garland and lights. The entry way has a four foot snowman and our nativity scene is in full glory.

I am going to listen to some Christmas music, maybe that will cure me.

Here's hoping.

Charm Bracelet

This little charm bracelet was made on Black Friday.

The bracelet is for my daughter. She is going through this peace phase.

She has the long straight hair, flip flops, and her recycled rice burlap purse

to complete the relaxed hippy Californian look.

I also made a long necklace for me.....I think. I still don't know if I should keep it or put it up on etsy.

I will take pictures of it and post it later. Hopefully my mind will be made up by then.

Petit Four Pops

I miss my kitchen and realize how much I took it for granted while

I worked from home. Well, this weekend I baked some. I made

Vanilla Almond Petit Four cakes.

Then, I thought, "Hey, these would be great to take to any of the three Christmas Parties I will be attending".

The negative me perched on my right shoulder replied (in thought), "Yeah, but I really don't want to ice so many cakes. Not to mention decorate each one."

To which my positive me rebutted, "You have to take something anyway, and why not do what you're good at."

My negative me, "I work too much and won't have time to make more."

My positive me asserted, "You just made 25 petit fours, dunk them in chocolate, then in nuts. One more batch and your done. Boom. No icing required."

My negative side, "I dooon't geeet tooo haaave anyyyyyy?"

Both sides agreed that three batches would do and that I should put lollipop sticks in them to make them easier to dunk, eat and it just makes them even cuter.

Here they are in the assembly wax paper line.

They can be presented on a pretty plate, or

individually wrapped to make them look more like lollipops.

I hope to make more Petit Four Pops for all occasions.

Sisters Day Out

Three of the five sisters went out a couple weeks ago. It was a relaxing

day out getting petis and manis. I hope we are able to

keep our sister dates. I haven't relaxed like that in very long.

Thanksgiving Report

We enjoyed a bounty of delicious food at my mom's house this year. My hubby still deep fried the turkey per everyone's request. If you haven't tried deep friend turkey, you are missing out on some moist, light, delectable poultry. It is not greasy, just in case you were wondering. Each of us brought something to add to the feast.

The kids were so happy running around my mom's enormous front and back yard. They had the liberty and space to play basketball, soccer, baseball or what ever fancied their whim. My little munchkin never found the need to play with his Nintendo DS.

Us, ladies enjoyed conversation and final preparations as the guys sat outside talking and watching the turkey. We did have a small fire, but not because of oil overflowing from the turkey frier or anything. My hubby accidentally dropped a match he thought was out on my mom's grass. Luckily, my brother-in-law hosed it down quickly.

I was so thankful for all of God's blessings, provisions, faithfulness, answered prayer and all the great food. Aah, good times, good times.

Sewing Project. Guess What it is?

Guess what these three fat quarter fabrics became?

Another Bohemian Burlap Purse. This one is my daughter's.

She was excited to show it off to her friends in her AP Environmental Class.

This one has a few extras. I added pockets to the inside liner for her eye glasses or other stuff, and I added a beaded key ring to the zipper.

My New Fascination with Hats

This one was purchased with the generous discount Anthropology gave me for my birthday this summer. Check out all the wonderful hats ready to warm your head and delight your mood. In my case, it kept the sun out of my eyes during my son's soccer games.

The Pine Ridge hat was added a couple weeks ago. Both are so comfy.

No, seriously, I wear them all day and my head never hurts like it does with a baseball cap. I wonder if I can pull off wearing them to work? I've been pairing the hats with my hand made scarfs. Ya, the scarf comes off by noon since it has been in the 80's in November. I know I shouldn't complain about our beautiful California weather, but I do enjoy the opportunity to layer.

Its Thanksgiving tomorrow, and today my youngest munchkin has been running a fever, having a cough and he threw up earlier. I'm convinced he doesn't have the infamous piggy flu because of his low grade fever. I hope he is better by tomorrow. He hasn't had much of an appetite and I want him to enjoy the Thanksgiving feast. I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving and have a thankful heart.

Red Anthro Jacket Saved

Turns out that white wine gets red wine stains out without bleaching your colored fabrics.

My jacket faded a little, but I think it was because I washed it so many times to keep the stain wet. That was the one good thing I did. Everything I read said to keep the article damp because once the red wine dries, it is impossible to remove.

Yay! My beloved mom gift is saved!

I'm on Vacation

Just wanted to give a quick "hip-hip-horray". I am off for the rest of the week, and get to be home with my three munchkins. Can a 16 and 14 yr. old still be considered munchkins? Maybe, I need to get a new pet name for them. I look forward to blogging as much as possible during my time off.

Ah, I feel better already. Blogging is so cathartic.

Rock the Keys, and how do I get rid of red wine stains?

Last night my hubby and I went to a hilariously intelligent night club called Rock the Keys.  I truly wasn't thrilled about going.  It is a piano duo.  Uh, what?  I thought it was going to be a corny lounge routine.  We went any how.  I can't wait to go back.  The pianist were not only relevant, but they were comic improvisers that made the night truly entertaining and loads of fun.  It's a tough experience to truly explain without ruining it for those that haven't experienced it.  It's like someone telling you what's going to happen in the movie you're watching, or someone telling you the final score of the game you Tvode.  The three pianist/singers/comics/artists rocked the house.  Props to their skill and wit.

What ended the night for us, was getting my anthropology jacket doused with red wine.  It was a total accident and I received napkins and apologies galore.  So, I couldn't be that upset.  But, I knew we had to jet if there was any hope to remove the stains.  Alas, I haven't been able to remove the stain from my red jacket.  Yup, my jacket is red and the stains still show up.  I am at a loss of what to try next without destroying the red dye of the jacket.  

I quickly got on the internet at home and read up on the matter.  One suggestion was to soak it in milk. It soaked all night, but nothing.  Another suggestion was to rub salt on the stain.  I nearly poured the whole container and scrubbed till my hands hurt.  The stain is still there.  I washed it twice in cold water too.    My hubby bought me Spray 'N Wash, but it says it might cause color fading.  The same warning is on Oxyclean and a spot remover called Carbona.  Help!  My jacket was a mommy present.  If any of you know what I can try, please let me know.

Costume Fun

My munchkin wanted to be a gangster this year for Halloween.  I loved his

costume.  It was legit.

He met up with his partner in crime.  Of course, they were Bonnie and Clyde.  Bonnie decided to scrap the dress, and add pink pin stripe pant suit.  Hey, it's a lot easier to make a clean get away in pants.

Teen Wolf appeared before dark.  What's up with that?  Oh, maybe it's because he's really Toddler Wolf and can't stay out past bedtime.  Toddler Wolf really needed to pick that boogie.  

Rachael Ray gadgets and Sandra Lee Meal

A cooking spoon that rests on the edge of a pot? Genius! They are part of Rachael Ray's cooking line. I found these at Ross, oh yeah, plural.
The second one was great for ladling the Mexican hot chocolate I made for desert. The spoons are a heavy duty silicone so they won't burn or melt as they nestle on the edge of the hot pot. That Rachael is so clever.
The Mac 'n' Cheeseburger Pie is from Sandra Lee's, Money Saving Meals recipe book. This meal scored high with all five family members. Needless to say, I will be making this again. I've made many of the meals in the cookbook and continue to have each family member rate the dish from 0-10, 10 being the highest score. This has helped me look back and determine if I will make the dish again...or...not.

Diary of a Reading Kid & Father/Son carpentry project

I had to take a picture of this rare event in my home.  My munchkin reading on a Saturday afternoon instead of playing outside or propped in front of the tube.  No way! The amazing thing is that he finished this book by Sunday afternoon.  What book could be this captivating... to a boy..... well, it's Diary of a Wimpy Kid.   These pictures were taken last weekend.  
Oh, yeah baby!  He got the whole set as a birthday gift from Papa Pablo (grandpa).  That means I can rest assured he will meet his reading goal before his first report card.  Thank you Papa Pablo for making life easier for us.  I'm sure that's why Munchkin got the book set, right? ;)  No, actually, Munchkin got mula$$$ from Papa and he made a wise investment on these fabulous books.  All I know is that I'm happy there are some good books out there for boys to read.  Do you know how many times my son refuses to read a book because, "It's a girl book".  The only problem now, is that he already read three of the four books.  What will I do next?   I know.... I'll see if he's willing to read The Series of Unfortunate Events books.  My older kids loved those.
While my munchkin was reading last weekend, Father and eldest son were busy using their carpentry skills.  I am not a fan of Halloween, but I am a fan of dad and son bonding.  Their mutual goal to make our front yard a cemetery showed how well they work together.  Dad made all the cuts on the miter saw, and son was the architect.  "Pretty good", I said.  Well not good enough it turned out.  The wood was stained this weekend to look old and murky ("Oops" stain from The Home Depot). 
This is what our yard looks like now.  Yup, they also constructed crosses.  Well, at least we have a Christian cemetery in our front yard.  That makes me feel a tad better.

Easy Closet Make Over

Before

After

My son's small closet just wasn't cutting it any more.  He has been growing and we needed to raise the top half of his closet so his shirts would fit properly.  My hubby carefully removed the closet structures (so he could reuse dem).  We patched up the holes left behind with chalking he had in the garage.  I purchased a quart of "Oops Paint" at The Home Depot  years ago for a dollar (yup, one dolla).  It was just enough paint to give the closet two coats.  We had the bottom closet rod with the brackets already installed at the proper height, so we didn't have to touch that at all.

We already had what we needed, and this resulted in no out of pocket expense when we got to work.  

Should any of you not know what "Oops Paint" is, well let me share.  The Home Depot has a section (usually the end caps) where they discount paint that was not color matched to the customers liking.  Some colors could be quite offensive, but if you keep checking back, you could actually find a color you like.  These "oops" color failures are drastically marked down; making painting projects budget friendly.  For example, we painted our daughter's room with "Oops Paint" for only $10 (that was two gallons of Behr Paint).

Hubby's Birthday Weekend

I don't have pictures to share, but our weekend was full of activity and my hubby's birthday. Yipee, he made it another year! He enjoys watching his boys play their respective sports and he got plenty of that..... and some side line coaching. If ya know what I mean? The coaches might not of appreciated that too much. He also went mountain bike riding, and came back proud that he had conquered the terrain. He also heard some somber news about one of his favorite "rides" being destroyed by those horrible fires we had just a month ago. Last, but not least, we ate at V's favorite restaurant, Outback Steak House. I was flattered when he looked at me, and said that my steaks are tastier and next year he wants me to make his steak dinner. Aah, the food network has helped me develop some skills in the kitchen.

Bohemian Burlap Purse Tutorial

You will Need:

Empty rice bag

water proofer shoe spray

3 coordinating fat quarter fabrics

coordinating thread

Fabric to line the inside 

embroidery floss in coordinating color

1.  Spray the burlap rice bag with the water proofer spray.  Follow directions on the bottle.  I put on three coats.  This step is important.  If your bag gets wet, the print won't bleed.

2.  Press your quarter fabrics flat.  Cut 4 inch wide strips from the selvage edge from each quarter fabric.  Stack the 4 inch strips of the three fabrics neatly together.  Measure 4 inches from one end of the strips in and cut.  You will end up with three (3) 4 x4 inch piece (patch) since the strips are stacked together.  Using the same process cut remaining patches to measure 2.75 x4 inches, 1.50x4 inches, and 5x4 inches. Now, arrange the patches in a way that makes you happy.  On the reverse side, number each patch so that you know the order to sew them.

3.  Prepare your sewing machine with the thread.  Sew patch #1 and #2 together with a 1/4 inch seam, and right sides facing each other.  Sew patch #3 onto #2 with right side facing each other and continue until all of your patches are sewn on.  You end up with a long colorful strip in the arrangement that made your happy.

4.  Sew the outer ends of each seam on the right side of the fabric, as shown below.  This will add a decorative stitch and strengthen the strap.  Do this on every seam.  Fold the fabric length wise with right sides facing each other, matching up seams as much as possible.  Sew lengthwise with a 1/4 inch seam and finish off one end. If the patches don't match up perfectly, no worries, it won't show.  Turn it inside out through the opened end.  
5.  Press the strap with the length wise seam sitting in the center of the strap, as shown below.  Also, press the finished end into a point.  Fold the unfinished end into a point as well and hand sew it down without going through to the other side of the fabric.  This will be the underside of your strap.
6.  Sew your straps onto the burlap rice bag.  Sew along the perimeter of the point too (not shown, but the picture below shows the placement of a strap).  Visualize sewing a triangle since the strap ends in a point.  You might also want to zoom in to see the stitches, or you might want to see the original blog (here's the link).

7.  Now cut the fabric that will be the liner twice as wide as your rice bag.  Finish the top the the fabric with a 5/8 inch hem so that it sits just below the zipper, as shown below.  Sew the side and bottom of the liner.  Do not turn the liner inside out, leave it like that and put it in the rice bag.  I put a generous amount of rice in a ziploc bag and placed it inside the liner to keep it down and in place.

8.  With your embroidery floss hand stitch the top of your liner onto the rice bag.  Sew just underneath the zipper.  The embroidery floss will show on the outside of the bag so use evenly spaced and straight stitches.
To see how the final Bohemian Burlap Purse, click here.  I will make another tutorial for the fabric rose.  I want to include pictures along with the directions and I've reached my pix maximum for this blog.

I hope you have fun making this purse.  One of my favorite concepts about this sewing project is that I'm recycling.  I enjoy bringing new life to things that would otherwise be thrown away.  I've recycled curtains, old furniture, jewelry, beads and rice bags into something new and functional, how about you?  I'd love to hear what you've recycled into something new.  

Mac is Back and I'm Wack

Mac has been back for some days now. That genius bar helped out plenty. He came back sober, and a genius. Although, Mac is back, I have been outta wack. Hubby had the flu, then my youngest got it. Just after that, my other son had an allergic reaction to a spider bite that caused his arm to swell larger than Popeye's and Hulk Hogan's. He had pain in his entire arm and it traveled to his shoulder and chest. After several days of antibiotics, ibuprofen, and allergy medicine he began to look and feel normal (relief). I hurt my heel during exercise, but I'm determined to continue. Thank goodness my only girl didn't have any issues to add to the mess. Wow, more excitement than I'd care for in a short amount of time.

The good news is that we're healthy right now. Mac will get hooked up this weekend when I get to it, until then my daughter's computer will do. Ah, yes, and I am adjusting to part-time work outside of the home. This might seem like a weird way to say I got a part-time job, but there is a reason behind it....Promise.

Now sit down and get comfy for a short story.

I can't count the times I've been asked the questions most mothers and women hear, "Do you work or are you a stay home mom?" It seems like an innocent question and I hope it is. But, boy, did that question bug me! It implies that staying home and parenting is not work. Those of us that do it, know it is endless work with no scheduled breaks or lunch hours. Many women can exclaim that it is far more challenging than any job outside of the home. I've spoken with former school teachers, doctors, waitresses, managers, and we are all in agreement that working inside the home is WORK....HARD WORK! A simple question. My responses were never quite satisfying to me...that is until....I spoke with a wise sister, who taught me to say, "I work in the home" with a smile. This response was brilliant. The questioner always seemed to need time to digest the answer. Am I reading too much into a simple question? Maybe? Maybe not? The end.

Wow, lots of rambling! Rambling is fun and very cathartic (sigh, sigh, smile). I salute the working women ! Viva! Yes we can! Yes we do!

Computer on a Tech Get Away

My computer has been giving me signs that it needed a much deserved Tech Get Away to the Genius Bar, at the local Apple store Resort. It is there now. I hope it enjoys the personal attention it is receiving from the geniuses at the resort. Even though it is at at bar of some sort, it better come back sober and ready to work.

My Internet activity will come to a near halt until Mac's vacation is over. For now, my daughter was kind enough to let me use her computer, Mr. PC.

Upon Mac's return, I hope to catch up....slowly... on emails, blogging, and facebooking.

I hope to create a tutorial for the bohemian burlap bag.

Chou!

Three in One Necklace

Yay!  A NEW NECKLACE!  This was inspired by one of the last give away contestants that said she would like to see some turquoise and natural stones.  Here's to you Ms. Shuneshine.  I used three gemstones to make this one necklace.  Genuine turquoise, onyx and obsidian stones are arranged in a simple, timeless design.  Gigi models it with a casual tank and dressier blouse, but....
the unexpected bow in the back is the kicker.  The ribbon allows the length of the necklace to vary from choker to  princess length.  Other than being versatile, it's a fun decoration.  I also made the earring to go along with the 3 in 1 necklace.  I plan on posting the set on Goya Designs tomorrow (Thursday).

Bohemian Burlap Purse

I had so much fun working on this project.  This is what the burlap bag looked like after I removed the rice.
This is how it looks after the rice bag was recycled into a purse.  I love the organic look to it.  I took pictures of the process, so I just might do a tutorial on how to make your own Bohemian Burlap Purse.

(Gigi is also modeling one of my Pendant Puff necklaces)

I decided to use patches of varied lengths to make it funkier. The fabric rose hopefully made it more feminine .  Ah, yes, and it's lined with a soft cotton fabric.  

(Back View) 

Homemade PJs

The Sewing bug bit me and I quickly got the itch to

make myself a summer PJ.

Keep in mind that I'm a newbie.

I used fabric that I purchased 9 yrs. ago. Ya! I know.

I just came up with the simplest design I could. I am 

especially

proud of how the top trim and straps came out.

The criscross back was my honey's idea and he helped 

with the placement of the straps (while I tried it on). I really don't have 

eyes in the back of my head.  Shhh!  Don't tell my little 

one.  This is our secret.  I used pretty ditty's tutorial 

on how to shirr (scrunch up the fabric) on small portion

on the back.  Without  shirring, the back just drooped.  

Noo good.  Now it fits comfortably. Aaw!

Choker Necklace Give Away Winner and Pedant Puffs

The Winner of the Choker Necklace Give Away is......

Shunshinegirl! Congrats! Please email me the

mailing address you would like the necklace to go to.

gollap1973@yahoo.com

A warm thank you to all who played along and entered the contest.

I plan to do another give away when Goya Designs has it's second year anniversary

in February, so stay tuned.

Now, I'd like to introduce something I've been working 

on for almost a year now.  

The pendant puffs are part of a new jewelry series I created with “minimalist pizazz” as my motto. Every pendant puff showcases designer fabric with a shiny, silver plated bail.   The over all design and cotton cord necklace are "minimalist". The magnetic clasp also fit my minimalist motto as it takes minimal effort to put on and take off.  The "pizazz" comes from the texture, colors and print of the fabric... and shiny bail.

Although these pendant puffs were photographed without their cotton cord necklace, they have them now.  The white flower puff comes with a black cord and the funky puff on the right has a pink cord.  Below are more puffs with awesome fabric.

If you would like high quality, designer fabric go to phat fabric.  Ms. Jamie Christina has plenty to choose from.  

I love geometric shapes and this dusty grey with pink and yellow is super

cute.

Are there any bird lovers out there?  If so, this pendant puff will catch your eye.

Goya Designs is currently closed.  My older sister is hosting a traveling jewelry party at work.  However, if you want any of these reserved for you, comment at the end of this blog asap and I will have my sister pull them out.  

I deeply want to talk about the long process of finalizing the pendant puff.  I have been wanting to incorporate the rich texture, colors and prints fabric has to offer into my jewelry for some time (over a year).  I tried many, many methods to incorporate fabric and beads, but alas, none were satisfactory (to me).  Then, I tried sealing the fabric and using resin to give it a wet, shiny look, but again, not to my satisfaction.  In the end, the minimalist approach won.  The fabric needed to showcase it's fibers in a large enough canvas, so I gave it what it needed.  I did learn something in this process.  Patience?  Hopefully some, but I learned that each failure was ruling methods out.  So, failure was a good thing, cuz it meant I was one step closer to success.  Closer to my goal.  

I think many of us are afraid to fail, but as I faintly remember reading some where 

"Failure is an event, not a person".  

Choker Give Away Closed

The choker necklace give away is now closed.  I will announce the winner

on Monday, August 31st. 

thank you all.

Choker Give Away and Enchilada Lasagna

Choker Necklace Give Away

I just wanted to remind those readers that haven't  signed up for the Choker necklace give away that it's not too late.  Here's the link to the original blog give away that explains the easy directions.  This is your last week to enter.

Enchilada Lasagna

from Sandra Lee's Money Saving Meals cookbook

Cooks Review

* Super easy to make.  Directions were a breeze.

* Ingredients were inexpensive, and generic brands lowered my cost further.   Most of the ingredients were on the same isle or neighboring isles.  This made shopping fast and minimized distractions (the sweet lovers know what I mean).  

* Use the Reynolds Non Stick foil.  I bought regular foil and the cheesey top stuck

to the foil. I had to scrape if off and put it back on the casserole.  Sometimes,

it's better to pay a little more to achieve a great outcome.  

* My grocery store didn't have the McCormick Mexican seasoning.   I guessed as

to what might be in it.  I used granulated onion, cumin, sweet smoked paprika, & pepper.  I was gonna add oregano, but I think that's what my hubby didn't like in

the Greek Chicken the night before.

* None of us like ricotta cheese, so I substituted the ricotta with sour cream.

* I also acidentally bought whole black beans instead of refried, so I just mashed dem up with a potato masher and voula "refried beans".

Taste Review

* I won't mention names but here are the individual ratings for this dish.  Just a

reminder that 1=gross..."never again",  and 10=loved it..."keeper".

*  Person Rating

1 9

2 9

3 4

4 10

5 9

This recipe scored much higher.  My daughter's friend came over and ate with us, and she gave it a 10.