12 Dresses in 12 Months: February

So as I said before, I'm challenging myself to make 12 dresses in 12 months. For February, I found a pattern from Joanns that I thought would be fun to try. Similar to January, I found a knit that was two sided which I liked because it was thick enough that I didn't need to mess with a liner. Maybe that will be a March challenge (gulp).

When I got home, I noticed that I had accidentally gotten the 14-22 size instead of the normal range of sizes. Boo! I ended up having to take it in significantly and adjust the length of the hem quite a bit. I'm planning on taking in the sides a bit more in the future so the bodice will be a bit more fitted. Overall, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. It is super comfy which is always a plus! And it has pockets!

Orange Cranberry Breakfast Bread

This picture isn't great...but the recipe sure is!

I made this delicious bread the other day for a family brunch. It had the perfect density, moistness, and sweetness. Mmm! Head over here to get the recipe!

12 Dresses in 12 Months: January

 I've been wanting to challenge myself this year with learning how to sew clothes. And what better way then to make 12 dresses in 12 months!  Here is my January dress. I used this great two way fabric from Joanns. On one side it was stripes and the other was polka dots. I decided to use the stripes for the body of the dress and then used the polka dots for the sleeves. I also added pockets which was a new skill to learn. There are a few things I would change but overall I am very pleased with how it turned out!

Blue and Red Envelope Pillow

My mom mentioned that she had been wanting some new pillows to match her red couch. I found this fabric at Joanns and thought it was oh so pretty! I made two envelope pillow cases and gave them to her for Christmas. Envelope pillows are so handy--now she can easily wash the fabric or even change the fabric up for different seasons if she wants to.  Head over here to the DIY instructions that I wrote up from a past project.

Here is the other side that shows off the envelope style pillow case:

Stenciled Baby Onesies

I don't know why I don't stencil more often. It so fun especially on baby onesies. I used some stencils from Lotta Jansdotter's book but also made a few of my own...like the dinosaur! How cute is that?

Felt Paper Dolls

I absolutely loved paper dolls when I was little but I always ended up breaking off those little tabs on the clothes.  I saw this idea here and instantly saw its perfection: the felt clothes just stick on the bodies...no tabs necessary! I whipped up my own little set and also made a little envelope that she can keep her dolls and clothes in. Pretty adorable, if I do say so myself!

Whale Stuffed Animal

I have two little nieces that I really wanted to make whale stuffed animals for. I saw a couple of different ideas but ended up using this pattern and shrinking it down a bit so they could fit in my suitcase! I think they turned out super cute and can't wait to see my nieces snuggled up with their new whale friends!

Adjustable Kid's Apron

I have a four year old nephew who loves John Deere and also loves to help his mom in the kitchen. So (obviously) I decided to make him a John Deere apron for Christmas. As you can see in the picture, I made the straps and neck piece connected so it can be adjusted as he grows up. I'm so happy with how this turned out and can't wait to see how cute he is with it on!

Felt Tools and Toolbelt

My brother is really good with woodworking and fixing things so I thought it would be pretty cute to make a felt tool set for his son. I was really happy with how these turned out. So much so that I forced all my coworkers to look at pictures of them...

I pretty much used this set as a guide for the tools and just whipped up the belt with trial and error. If anyone is interested in a how-to I can definitely add in some instructions.

Sweet Potato Crusted Quiche

This may be my new favorite recipe. I only begrudgingly shared it with my husband. 

Head over here to find out how to make your own!

A Christmas Envelope Pillow

I made this little Christmas envelope pillow for my aunts and am very pleased with how it turned out. I think it is so cute! Head over here to the DIY instructions that I wrote up from a past project.

A Little Pom Pom Bunny

I made this little bunny for my friend Molly. Isn't it so adorable? 

The original idea came from here.

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas!

Delicious Sugar Cookie Recipe

A friend posted a link about how good these cookies were so I figured I'd better give them a try. And...she was totally right. Delicious! And yes, that is the array of random cookie cutters that I own. A dinosaur, a cow, the state of Michigan, and a flower. Nothing says Christmas like a dinosaur!

Crockpot Vegetarian Lasagna

I really love my crock-pot. It makes cooking so easy. I saw this recipe here and figured I would give it a try. I liked it so much that I've now made it three more times in roughly a month. Mmm...maybe I'll make up a batch right now...

Here is what you need:

24 oz. jar tomato pasta sauce
9 long lasagna noodles, uncooked
2 1/2 cups chopped veggies
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
15 oz. container Ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
1 egg

Here is what you need to do:

1. In a medium bowl, mix 1 1/4 cup shredded cheese, egg, and ricotta cheese. Reserve 1/4 cup of shredded cheese for the very top.

2. Saute veggies with olive oil and minced garlic for about 3-5 minutes. Add one jar pasta sauce with the veggies. Take off heat.

3. Spread about a fourth of the veggie sauce mixture on the bottom of crock-pot. Add a layer of the uncooked lasagna noodles, breaking them apart to fit if needed. Spoon on 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture. Layer more sauce, another layer of noodles, the remainder of the ricotta cheese mixture, more sauce, more noodles, and the last of the sauce. Top with the remaining shredded cheese.

4. Cook on LOW 4-5 hours or on HIGH 2-3 hours.

Enjoy!

Bob Marley Finger Puppet

As I've mentioned before, I really love making finger puppets. They are just so adorable. I usually stick to making animals or vegetables but recently I've been delving into making puppets based on people. I have a coworker who loves Bob Marley so I decided to try and make her a little Bob Marley puppet! Turned out pretty great, if I do say so myself!

Carmelized Pear Steel Oats

Let me just say that this recipe is amazing. I don't know why I don't caramelize fruit more often.

Here is what you need:

3/4 cup steel cut oats, dry

1.5 cups water

1.5 tbsp olive oil

2-3 tbsp brown sugar

2 pears (peeled and chopped)

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Here is what you need to do:

1. For the oats: Bring 1.5 cups water to a boil in a saucepan. Once boiling add a pinch of salt then your oats. Swirl to coat then cover and turn heat to low. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the oats are tender.
2. For the pears: Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Once bubbling, add brown sugar and stir. Then immediately add in pears, cinnamon, and vinegar and stir to coat. Cover the pears and cook for 10 or so minutes. Once tender, remove the lid for several more minutes then remove from heat.
3. Divide oats between two bowls and top with equal servings of pears. 

Enjoy!

Christmas Wish List Under $50

I thought I'd share with you what is on my Christmas list this year!

1. Perk of Art Bag 2. Ain't Dutch Shirt 3. Abound With Beauty Top 4. Winsor & Newton Cotmon Water Colors 5. Muk Luks Slippers 6. Glitter Bomb: Poems

Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles

 I saw this recipe a couple weeks ago and was so intrigued. I am not actually the biggest fan of spicy food but I thought the chocolate and cayenne combination could be pretty tasty. And it was! The heat of the cayenne was just the perfect amount to give it a complex flavor. 

Here is what you need:

1 2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp almond milk

For the topping:
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Here is what you need to do:
 
1. First off, preheat the oven to 350.

2. In a large bowl, mix flour, cocoa, cayenne, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk oil, maple syrup, sugar, vanilla and milk. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wets and mix thoroughly until the batter is stiff.

3. Using the palm of your hands, roll about 3 tbsp worth of batter into a small ball. Press the ball into the sugar-cinnamon topping until slightly flattened. On a parchment lined cookie sheet, place each cookie about 2 inches apart.

4. Bake for about 12 minutes.

Enjoy!

Men's Kitchen Apron

Awhile back, my brother asked me if I would make him a woodworking apron and also a kitchen apron. I love making things for people so I was super happy that he asked me! I shared the woodworking apron here and thought I'd share the kitchen apron today. 

I found this kitchen appliance fabric and then used some maroon fabric that I already had in my giant fabric stash. I made a pattern up by using a brown paper bag, my willing-to-be-a-model husband, and an apron that I had made previously.  I doubled up the fabric so it is sturdy and I even added in a little pocket. It came together nicely and I'm really happy with how it turned out!

Here is a close up: