Little Girl's Jumper with Hat

     

     This was one of the thriftiest sewing projects ever - not a penny spent - the only thing invested was time. The material was cut from an existing adult-sized jumper that I had made previously and worn perhaps twice. Since the little girl version did not use all of the fabric, there was enough left to also construct a reversible bucket hat. My favorite detail was added to the back - a square on square quilt block of coordinating colors.

     Granddaughter was just a little bits at the time this photo was taken, but I remember how much she loved the outfit! Long outgrown, it is now time to pass it along to another cutie, which is why I simply had to take just a few more pictures.

Tomato Bacon Soup

     When it's less than ten degrees outside, nothing is better for lunch than tomato soup - right? The standard Campbell's variety is beloved for its simplicity and for nostalgic reasons, however, I tried something different today - homemade soup. Maybe homemade is a misnomer here because rather than fresh tomatoes I used canned, but I did saute chopped onions and garlic before incorporating the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. After a twenty minute simmer on the stove top, I added a pinch of paprika, a little salt and pepper, and some evaporated milk (for creaminess), and then ladled into bowls. Served with french bread slices topped with melting cheddar cheese, and garnished with lots of crumbled bacon, this soup was a special tasty treat on a cold dreary day.

I'm Dreaming of a Christmas Quilt

     Searching through bolts of yard goods for a particular color and pattern of homespun proved fruitless at this particular fabric store. However the display of seasonal textiles was astonishing - shelf after shelf of holiday prints from muted primitive shades to classic green, red and whites to flashy, sparkly modern designs - the selection was awesome and absorbing. What really caught my eye, however, was an array of quilts atop the display cases, and in particular, these two which feature split complementary color schemes. I was fascinated by the intricate patterns and quilting but even more so by the red, gray and white palette - oh, how I fancied these and imagined them in a room with comparable colors!

Below are two closer looks at the exquisite craftsmanship.

Matthew aka Yukon Cornelius

     Nephew Matt is a good guy. Really, he is loving, kind, funny, generous, hard-working and cute to boot. He knows how much I love him, therefore he expects a little good-natured ribbing once in awhile. It is nigh on Christmas week and I also love the seasonal television specials, so when Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was telecast last night, I just had to watch it. The animated classic, which first aired in 1964 when I was, ahem, ten years old, is a favorite and I've seen it so many times that I can recite the  lines and sing the soundtrack songs word for word. Anyway, when Yukon Cornelius made his appearance, I immediately thought of Matt. They both sport a similar brick-colored beard and mustache and maintain a comparable masculine bravado. Put a red knit beanie and a green shirt on Matt and the resemblance is uncanny!

A Visit with Santa in 1960

     The Christmas season prompts lots of memories; old photographs can do the same. Combining the two is an extra-special treat and a case in point is this snapshot of myself and two little sisters visiting Santa Claus, probably at a local department store. Taken in 1960, it is notable for baby Peggy's snowsuit, Mary's pink matching coat and hat, and for their very short bangs. I sported longer hair that was probably in braids. I don't remember the visit, but I remember clearly the innocent delight and rapture that precipitated Santa's arrival.

     But back to photographs, imagine my initial astonishment when a friend recently posted the following image on Facebook. It is quite obviously the same Santa, same setting and probably even the same year. Twins, Maureen and Kathleen, were classmates of mine during all eight years of elementary school at St. Dismas Parish. Their mom must have been a fan of short bangs as well! 

Peanut Butter Brownie Bites

     Peanut butter and chocolate are good go-togethers. These rich little brownie bites were served on the birthday of a pb&c fan. He loved the flavor combination and I loved the morsels that topped the peanut butter filling!

Christmasy Clay Pot Tower

     Flower towers are popular for patios and yards during the summer months. I chose to create this holiday tower after the plants in the largest pot died back from cold. That pot was the centerpiece of a garden that I established to  hide the stump of a recently removed tree (see below). The petunias, basil and sweet potato vine were very pretty but zoysia grass crept in over the tree root area pretty quickly, as I had hoped. However, I liked the low wide pot in its place atop the smooth flat stump, so I decided to try a winter theme.

     On my daily walk I gathered pine cones from a neighbor's yard and snipped some berry-laden holly branches from several shrubs that border the parking lot at my office. The evergreen fronds were clipped from a couple of arborvitae that have grown quite large in my own backyard. The only money spent was at the Dollar Tree Store for a package of shiny red ornaments. So on an almost warm Saturday afternoon when I should have been raking leaves, I dug through my collection of pots on a shelf in the garage, picked out two of graduated size and filled them with gravel and potting soil. Assembling was the fun part - first placing the pine cones and solar light, then the holly, the fir branches and finally the ornaments. I love the naturalistic look of my clay pot tower and can't wait for the first snow, which will cover the leaves and brown grass and highlight the holiday colors!