I’m back!

I’m back from my turkey-induced Thanksgiving coma/blogging break!  I hope everyone had a lovely holiday filled with good food, family and friends.

We had a last-minute visit from my mother-in-law over the holiday.  She was able to get a cheap flight and joined us for several days.  My mother-in-law, Mary, is a very talented seamstress, and I was happy to pick her brain for a few days.  The first thing she whipped up was a cute fall dress for Gidget (who else?):

You can’t see it in the photo, but we embroidered her name across the back, too! And there’s a cute little fabric rose on there!

Here they are together:We joked all weekend that I had Mary running a sweat-shop, but she truly was in her element in front of the sewing and embroidery machines!  We had a great time practicing on my new embroidery machine (that she generously gave to me), and I got her to teach me how to make a pillowcase dress.  I know these have been around for a while, and there are tons of tutorials on the web, but sometimes it’s easier for me to learn by actually seeing it made.

Here are the two dresses we whipped up (these are for you, Jess):

I just bought the cheapest fabric I could find at Hobby Lobby and used some ribbon I already had on hand.  I have to make sure they fit my friend’s little girls before I monogram them.

I was able to learn a few tricks on my sewing machine, and use some of the features I didn’t even know it had!  Oh, and we even worked on one of the items on my Crafty To-Do list, the keychain!

Mary also crocheted some dish-cloths for my mom, similar to these. She is one talented lady, I tell ya!  We had a great time!

I’ll be posting to the following parties this week:

   

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So now it’s time to change gears and get ready for Christmas! I haven’t gotten out all of our decorations or tree yet, but I’m sure I’ll get around to it this week.  I also can’t wait to show off the beautiful decorations at my mom’s house.  I’ve got to have everything ready in time for all the upcoming holiday blog parties.  So far here are the ones I know of:

December 4: Kelly’s Korner, Show Us Your Christmas Trees

December 5: Bella Dreams, Holiday Decorating & Craft Party

December 8: Centsational Girl, DIY Ornament Party

December 10: Southern Hospitality, Home for the Holidays

December 11: Hooked on Houses, Holiday House Tours

December 14: The Nester, Christmas Tour

December 18: Kelly’s Korner, Show Us Your Christmas Decorations

And of course there are the weekly parties at the DIY Showoff Blog (don’t forget to enter my giveaway over there) and It’s So Very Cheri.

Have I missed anything?

Etsy Holiday Sale

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at Embellished Bayou
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~~How do you get the discount? Convo me to set-up your listing with the discount applied, or just checkout as usual and I will refund the difference via PayPal. Just make sure to put BOGO4ME in the "notes to seller" section to receive the discount!

**November Special!! In honor of the New Orleans Saints undefeated record, get FREE SHIPPING on any item with a fleur de lis. May not be combined with any other offer.**

A Big Thank You

Thanks to all who participated in the “Go Nuts” party yesterday! All the recipes look so yummy, and I’m sure my waistline will thank you all again later!

I’ll be taking a little blog break until after the Thanksgiving holiday, I hope you all have a wonderful one.  I’ll be back to share my deals from Black Friday/Cyber Monday and of course feature some holiday crafts and decorating ideas throughout the month.

If you get a chance, please visit my Etsy shop this weekend, I’ll be offering a special “12 Days of Christmas” promotion starting on Friday. My personalized items make great gifts and stocking stuffers!

Until then, I’ll leave you with a fun thought on Thanksgiving:

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey be plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!

                                      ~Anonymous

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Party Time: Let’s Go Nuts!

I’m inviting everyone to get nutty with me today by linking up your posts that highlight recipes or crafts featuring nuts!

Down here in the South we love our pecans (pronounced pe-KAHNS, not PEE-cans)! And if you’re lucky enough to have access to a free supply, even better, because they can get expensive if you have to buy them in the stores.

We gathered 2 buckets of pecans last week from our friends’ yard and didn’t even make a dent in all the ones that were there.  It truly was a bumper crop. Then for the not so fun part…..shelling them! We spent about an hour cracking pecans and got about six cups:

Now only 243 more cups to go!  Seriously, that was about half a bucket so we may have gotten in a little over our heads!

The first thing I made with my fresh pecans was banana nut bread.  I love this recipe (I got it from a friend years ago) because the bread turns out so moist and the hint of cinnamon gives it that extra kick.

Banana Nut Bread

1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1 egg

1 cup mashed bananas (3)

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup oil

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix dry ingredients, set aside.  Mix egg, banana, oil and sugar.  Add flour mixture to banana mixture, add nuts.  Pour into loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

I usually make 2 mini loaves and add mini chocolate chips to the second loaf.

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Then the next morning I added chopped pecans and mini chocolate chips to our pancakes.  Yum-o!! What a special treat, it was just like we were at I-HOP!

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The second recipe I’ll share with you is one we enjoy every Thanksgiving and Christmas.  My grandmother always made the sweet potatoes, which traditionally you think of as being topped with marshmallows.  But hers has another kind of sugary-sweet topping, and of course pecans.  Now that she’s gone, I enjoy preparing her recipe every year and recalling those fond memories of her.

Sweet Potato Casserole

6 medium sweet potatoes

1/4-1/2 cup sugar

1/2 stick butter

2 eggs

1/2 cup half and half

cinnamon to taste

pinch of salt

Cook potatoes until tender and mash. Add all other ingredients.  Place in shallow casserole dish.  Add topping and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour.

Topping (I usually double this to get even more goodness!):

1/2 stick butter

2 tbsp. flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Melt butter, stir in flour, sugar and pecans. 

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So there are my contributions! I hope someone else out there will have something to add, whether it be another yummy recipe for a snack, dessert or main dish OR even a craft or decorating idea that involves nuts.  I’ve seen some cute acorn wreaths and felt acorns, so I know there’s some fun ideas out there!

You know the drill….grab the button so everyone else can join in on the fun and link up your specific post, not your whole blog. Oh, and I’ll also be joining Gina at the Shabby Chic Cottage for her surprise recipe party!

Reminder: Go Nuts Party Next Week!

Don’t forget, next Tuesday is the “Go Nuts” Party on my blog.  Grab the button, tell your friends and come back here and link up your favorite recipes or crafts involving nuts!

We picked 2 buckets of pecans today and the smell of Banana Nut Bread is coming from the oven….yummy!  Tomorrow’s breakfast will be chocolate chip pecan pancakes….double yummy!

I’ve seen some great crafts involving nuts, specifically acorns, so if you’ve made an acorn wreath or some other kind of craft, be sure to come back by to show it off.

You CAN Teach an Old Dog New Tricks!

I’m joining in the fun over at Kelly’s Korner again…today we get to show off our pets!  You remember Gidget, right?

She’s featured quite frequently on my blog because, well, we don’t have kids to show off AND she quite possibly is the cutest pug on the planet!  If you want to see more of Gidget on my blog, just type in “pug” or “Gidget” over in that search bar on the left or click on any of her photos.

She makes faces like this:

And poses like this:

She loves her toys:

And she loves to dress up:

Gidget is about 10 years old.  I don’t know exactly how old she is because I got her a year or two after she was born.  I had to take a video of her doing her tricks to share with y’all to show you just how smart she really is.  She just learned a new trick this week….”turn” ….and I am like a proud mama bragging on her child! Ten years old and still learning new tricks!  So here she is in all her smartness:

Isn’t she the smartest, cutest dog ever? She takes after her mom, haha! I can’t wait to see all the other pets, go on over for a visit.

 

Geaux Tigers, Beat Ole Miss!!

What I’m Working On Wednesday

Remember these canvases I picked up for 20 cents each at Goodwill?

They’ve been turned into this:

I’m not through with them yet, I still have go back and add more adhesive to attach the scrapbook paper to the canvases and add a couple layers of modge podge to the top and sides.  For some reason my spray adhesive didn’t work very well on this project and the paper is peeling off.  I’m thinking I’ll also add some rhinestones, too.

What are you working on right now?

Black Friday or Cyber Monday?

The holiday shopping season is about to be in full swing, are you ready?  I personally am not a big Black Friday shopper, although I’ve got my eye on a couple good deals this year.  You won’t find me lining up at the stores at the crack of dawn, though! 

Every year I tell myself I’m just going to do all my Christmas shopping online, but it never fails I have to run out for a few last-minute gifts.  I usually get at least 50% of my Christmas shopping done online, though.  I missed Cyber Monday last year, but maybe I’ll have a chance to check out some of the special sales this year.   

If you’re interested in shopping the sales on Black Friday, be sure and check out this site for a great list of all the ads before they hit the newspaper, so you can prepare your shopping route in advance!

Either way you shop, there are great opportunities on savings on much more than just Christmas gifts. 

For instance, JCPenney will be offering their Classic Bath Towel for $2.99, which is a dollar cheaper than their current sale price of $3.98 (regular price of $7.99).  However, it’s easy to get caught up the excitement of a sale, so make sure you’re getting a good deal that’s worth the trip before you buy.

So what’s your shopping strategy?  Do you line up in the wee hours in front of Wal-Mart or stay in your pj’s in front of your computer? What do you head for first?  Electronics? Toys? Clothing? Share your thoughts in the comments and answer the poll at the top left.

Am I Nuts?? You Decide.

While lying in bed the other night, my mind started to wander, as it often does.  I started thinking about none other than pecans.  Specifically, how I need to get over to our friends’ house and pick a bucket of pecans from their yard.  They had a “bumper crop” this year.  You see, down South, pecans are a very popular nut, and they can get quite expensive when you buy them in the grocery store.  So I’d rather pick my own for free and get hubby’s help shelling them (shhhhh, he doesn’t know that yet).

So of course, that led to me thinking about how I could turn my pecan picking into a blog post….which led to me thinking about all the yummy treats we make with pecans….which got me thinking about which recipes I wanted to share.  And then I thought, “Why should I be the only one doing the sharing?”  So, yep, you guessed it, I am going to have a linky party specifically for nuts!

Mark your calendars for next

Tuesday, November 24th

and come join in the fun.  You can link up a post featuring your favorite recipe that incorporate nuts….it can be an entree, a snack, a dessert, whatever!  This time of year we’re all looking for yummy things to try for the holidays.  Don’t have a recipe?  Maybe you have a fall craft or decorating project that incorporates nuts, like acorns, that you can share. Maybe you’re just a nutty person and want to show us just how nutty you really are!! At any rate, be back here next Tuesday for some good old-fashioned nutty fun!

TuTu Cute Birthday Gift

I have to share the gift I made for the birthday girl! All the party tips I’ve been showing you were for my best friend’s little girl who turned one and her big sister who turned four. 

I mastered my embroidery machine just in time to embroider a cute onesie and I also made a tu-tu to match. 

Now I’ve seen sets like this retail for $50 or more, and I made mine for a fraction of the cost! I used 4 yards of tulle (2 of purple and 2 of yellow), elastic, and some yellow ribbon I already had.  You would want to use more tulle if you were making one for a little girl instead of a baby.  There are many blogs and videos on YouTube that tell you how to make a tu-tu.  The one I used can be found here, and the directions for satin wrapping the waistband can be found here. Samster Mommy also has a great tu-tu tutorial with some pointers I wish I had used when making mine.

Here are some close-ups of the onesie, I think my machine did a great job!  After hours of frustration it came out nearly perfectly!  If you don’t have access to an embroidery machine, you could use fabric paint for the same effect.

I embellished the onesie with some hotfix Swarovski crystal rhinestones from Artbeads.com to give it some extra flair.

Speaking of Artbeads.com, I’d like to share a special coupon code with my blog readers.  Enter code

SCF10P-ARTBEADS-0424

through 12/31/09 for 10% off your purchase.  Remember, they offer FREE shipping in the U.S., and right now they are having a special sale on select Swarovski products, including some of the hotfix rhinestones, so it’s a great time to stock up for future projects! 

So, I had some tulle scraps leftover and being the thrifty crafter that I am I had to put them to good use for what else……..                                    a tu-tu for Gidget!

Haha, is she cute or what??  Can  you tell she loves getting dressed up?  It also fits around her neck for a fancy party collar.

Oh, I kill myself!!
I’ll be linking up with Finding Fabulous for Frugalicious Friday.

This will probably also be my featured post for some other linky parties next week.

                        
Have a great weekend everyone!

Geaux Tigers, Beat LA Tech!