New Etsy Items

Hello Everyone!

Just thought I'd drop in to show you what I've been making and what you could be buying.  I have some new items up on Etsy.  I will show you a couple of pictures but you can click on the link on the side bar to see all available items.  Go check it out!

Washer necklace.  Other styles also available.

Fun mouse pad.  Other styles available. 

Too cute vintagey pillow.  Can be made to custom by changing the color. ( The rectangle with the bicycle really is straight.  I was having issues with the wind while taking this picture so it looks all cock-eyed.)

Canoe & Kayak photo taken by me.  There is another of just a canoe listed as well.  These can also be customized by changing background color.

So there is a small portion of what is listed for sale right now on Etsy.  I am hoping to get a few more things on later in the week.  I am also getting ready for a vacation in two weeks so I may not get anything else listed until I get back.  I am not putting my shop on vacation mode but be advised that if you order after the 10th of February, I will not be able to ship until the 24th of February.  If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment with your email address and I'll get back with you. So until next time...

Have a blessed day,

maggie jane

I Heart Faces Photo Challenge-Oh So Silly!

Hello Everyone!

It is time for I Heart Faces photo challenge.  This week's theme is "Oh So Silly!".  I had to spend a little time trying to decide which photo to use.  I finally settled on this one.

I had taken one previously of everyone making funny faces but this one got me.  You know how kids like to make funny faces...well, it just kept going with this little one.  So hop over to I Heart Faces and see everyone else's entries to this week's "Oh So Silly" photo challenge. So until next time...

Have a blessed day,

maggie jane

New Stool & a Sign

Hello Everyone!

Jumping in today to share a couple of projects I recently completed.  The first is a cute little stool that needed a bright face lift. Sorry I don't have a before picture for you.  It was a dirty white that just needed to be brightened.  This little stool goes in my sewing room to sit at my crafting table.  I decided to go with a bright yellow. Here she is.....

Don't ya just love the yellow?

  Next is a project I did for my niece's birthday.  I had seen a similar idea somewhere out there in blogland but didn't have the exact materials they used so I adapted.  Isn't that what crafting and copying borrowing is all about? Anyway, we were given some fence boards by a neighbor.  There wasn't enough to build an actual fence. (That would have been nice. I could use a fence here or there.)  Sorry, I digressed for a moment.  As I was saying, there wasn't enough for a fence so my dear hubby cut them up for me to use for crafts. Yay!
So take a few boards, add some paint, words, pictures, clips, scrapbook paper and what do you have?

This

I don't know if my niece is done having children but I'm taking a wild guess that if she isn't, there will only be one more.  I could be wrong. Stranger things have happened. ;) I wanted to allow for the "next" child so I did three sections and just gave her a few different quotes or sayings about children and motherhood.  That way she could change out every so often. This little project gave me all kinds of fits (in little ways) that I won't go into now.  In the end, it turned out pretty well.  I didn't take progressive pictures because frankly, I was figuring it out along the way.

So there you have my two newest projects.  I've also been working on little flower headbands for my newest great niece. They are coming to visit soon so I wanted to have several to choose from.  The left-overs will probably make it onto Etsy at the end of next month or will go to JBF for their spring sale. That's all for now so until next time...

Have a blessed day,

maggie jane

Another recipe- Belgium Waffles

Hello Everyone!

Today I want to share a recipe with you for Belgium waffles.  This was given to me by a friend several years ago.

Bill's Belgium Waffles
1 3/4 c. flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. veg. oil
2 eggs separated

Mix first 5 ingredients adding just the egg yolks.  Beat egg whites to stiff and fold into batter.  Don't over mix. The batter will be slightly lumpy.
Heat waffle iron and spray with non-stick spray.  Cook until done. Enjoy! These are great with strawberries or blueberries and cool whip.  If you have left-overs, they freeze great.  Just pop them in a toaster oven to reheat.

You can't really see the lumps, but they are there.

Stiffened egg whites.

Egg whites added to batter.  Definitely lumpy now. ;)

Finished waffles

My son's American flag creation.

These are melt in your mouth waffles.  Give them a try and let me know what you think.  So until next time...

Have a blessed day,

maggie jane

Things that make me SMILE!

Hello Everyone!

Today, I am going to give you a list.  While waiting for my daughter at her piano lesson, I decided to make a list of simple pleasures.  Then I decided to name it a list of things that make me smile.  So here it goes.  Just remember, this is not an exhaustive list.  There are so many things that make me smile but these were some of the first and they are in no particular order.  So sit back, read on and I hope some of these make you smile too.

a colorful sunset

children's laughter

Target gift cards

a down comforter

God's love

a letter in the mailbox

having a clean car

a baby's smile

finding unexpected money in a pocket

opening a new jar of peanut butter

a good book

a dinner date with my hubby

a Sonic drink

a shower with plenty of hot water

smell of fresh brewed coffee
making funny face photos with my kids

waking up to a blanket of snow but having a warm fire in the fireplace/woodstove

the color purple

winning a blog giveaway

fresh made lemonade on a hot summer day
having company for dinner

So there you have it, a few of my favorite things. So did you smile along with me?  Do you have a list of things that make you smile?  Do share!  So until next time...

Have a blessed day,

maggie jane

Finally a Recipe- Cream Corn

Hello Everyone!

I am going to share a recipe that is so easy and so yummy.  My aunt gave me this recipe many years ago and I have made it several times of late.

Aunt Nan's Cream Corn
Large bag of frozen corn (around 32 ounces) (I usually use two smaller bags)
1 stick butter
1 package cream cheese (8 oz)
2 T. sugar

Put all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on high for about 2 hours.

This is how is should look when it is heated through and everything is melted.

Now the other day, I had something else in my crock pot so I decided to try it in the microwave.  I used a covered casserole dish and cooked for several minutes. (Sorry, I can't remember how long) Just stop occasionally and stir.  This is so yummy.  It makes a great side dish and if you do it in the crockpot, you don't have a lot of work preparing it.  I have taken this to several potlucks and it is always gone in a flash. One tip, I might add, is to spray your crockpot with non-stick spray before you add your ingredients.  This will make clean up so much faster in the end. I actually do this every time I cook in the crockpot.  It really helps.  Try out this corn and let me know what you think.  So until next time...

Have a blessed day,

maggie jane

Finally Winter

Hello Everyone!

Just dropping in for a quick note to say that winter has finally come to MO. At least to our part of the "Show Me State".  So, that being said, I'm going to "show you" a little of what we woke up to today.

Our dog didn't act to thrilled with the white stuff coming down.

A little disclaimer here.  I didn't check the settings on my camera.  I just went out on the porch and snapped as quickly as I could.  It was brrr! chilly out there.  I'm sure I could have gotten better pictures if I would have taken the time but I just wanted to get a quick shot for the records.  It's funny that we are almost into the middle of January before we have had much winter.  Last week it was close to 70 degrees.  I have a feeling we will have snow into the spring this year.  We'll just have to wait and see. So, did anybody else wake up to snow this morning?  So until next time...

Have a blessed day,

maggie jane

I Heart Faces Photo Challenge-Best Face of 2011

Hello Everyone!

I know I haven't had a lot to share lately but I am trying to get back into the groove.  Today being Monday, is another I heart faces photo challenge. This is a "best of" challenge.  It is so hard to pick just one.  I could have picked a photo of my kids or numerous other "snap shots".  However, I decided to pick one of a photo shoot I did for a friend.  Even those were hard to narrow down to just one.  So here is the one I decided to submit.

I love the colors and her smile; to say nothing of brick walls.  I absolutely love brick walls as a back drop.
So this is my "Best Face of 2011" photo entry to I Heart Faces photo challenge.  Go check out some of the other entries.

End of Year Catch-Up

Hello Everyone!

Yes, it has been a while, but like most of you out there, it has been a busy few weeks.  We went to a wedding the middle of December, on a trip the end of December and had a big New Year's / 18th Birthday party last weekend.  It would take me forever to tell you about it all.  I am going to show just a little bit of what we did or what I made in all that time.

First off is the wedding.  I made my daughter a dress.  Not just any dress, a velvet and taffeta dress.  I swore I would never sew on velvet again. Overall it turned out great but it did give me a few headaches along the way.

Next is the wedding present I made for the couple.

Kind of hard to see the size but it is a simple wall sign with their last initial and est. 2011 for their wedding year.

Over the holiday weekend, we took a trip to TX. for a Christian camp.  We had a great time but I didn't take any pictures there.  We did however, get to see my new great niece at the end of our trip.

Isn't she a doll.  She was only 5 days old here.

We saw her two brothers and 3 cousins as well.  It was fun to be with all those kids and to see my nieces as moms.

This last weekend, we had a New Year's party where everyone had to come dressed in black and white or something that was black and white.  We had quite the assortment of costumes and dress.  There were little cows, an Oreo cookie, a couple of referees, some salt & pepper shakers, a ninja, a domino, a black & white TV, and so many more.  It was fun to see people's ingenuity.  This was also an 18th birthday party for my young friend Cheyenne. (The one whose senior pictures I took and the one who helped me organize my pantry.) It was a great time of laughs, games and food.  For dinner, we all brought an assortment of finger foods.  

Ham, cheese, pickles and olives made up these skewers that I brought.

My daughter put together these "Smiles" out of apples, peanut butter and mini marshmallows.

Cheyenne's mom made this really cool topsy turvy cake. (At least I think that is what it was called.)

Here is a pic of the hubby and me.

We were going to go as a pair of dice but ran out of time and decided it was too much work. We were going to wear shirts like this under the dice since we knew we wouldn't wear the dice the whole night. We just decided to go with this instead.
Here is one of us and the birthday girl.

Like the balloons coming out of the middle of my head. :)

So that is just a quick view of what's been going on here. I don't have any major projects going right now. I need to start working on a baby quilt but I am going to take a bit of time off to get a little ahead in school with my kids.  We are taking a trip to CA next month and so we need to get some extra school done.
Don't forget to check out the Etsy shop.  I listed a few new things a couple of weeks ago and have a few more to list in the next few weeks.  I sold some old wooden spools today so those are gone but you just never know what might show up there for sale. I better sign off for now. So until next time...

Have a blessed day,

maggie jane