Little Pink Hankie

Why carry around a paper tissue when you can have a pretty little hankie instead.

 Used some leftover fabric from a dress I made and crocheted a delicate edging.

How cute will this look in my purse!

Details:

fabric cut 7 1/ x 7 1/4

1/8 inch rolled hem

number 10 crochet thread and US 7 hook

Using an awl or tapestry needle, poke holes along hem every 5/8 inch.

Attach thread in corner hole,  sc, *chain 3, sc, chain 7, sc, chain 3, sc all in same corner hole,*    **chain 7, sc, chain 3, sc in next hole**  (repeat ** until you reach next corner hole and then repeat *).  Continue around hankie until you meet up with first sc.  slip stitch into first sc.

Diana

Potholders and Cookies---They Go Together Right?

Here is a cute way to package a treat!

I made a potholder from some bright and cheerful fabrics.  Then I tucked a few homemade cookies inside.  I love cookies but I really love new and pretty kitchen items like potholders and towels.  The ones I use are so old and ugly and *gasp* store bought!  Maybe I can pull out some of the pretty ones I have made and then tucked away "for when company comes".  Life is too short to not have pretty thing around you everyday!

Diana

  

Copycat Panera Chocolate Cookies

Pinterest Recipe Test Alert

ThePinningMama Copycat Panera Chocolate Chip Cookies sounded so good I had to give them a try.   They looked big, soft and thick with loads of chocolate.  What's not to love?   

 So I got my ingredients together and baked up a batch, well actually four cookies cuz I'm on a diet and the last thing I need in the house is a cookie jar full of giant cookies.....The rest are frozen in my freezer. 

 They are frozen as individual cookies so you can pop one (or more) in the oven ANYTIME YOU NEED ONE.  

 I thought they would spread a bit more though.  Hmmmm.  So the one little tip I would offer is to let them thaw just a little before you bake them so you can flatten them down a bit.  Looks prettier and not so biscuit like.  Oh, and I added a bit more chocolate chips, both regular and chunks.  Since I have never had a Panera CC cookie I can't speak as to how close these come to the original.  But as far as I am concerned these cookies are delicious. 

Diana   

Chocolate Covered Cherries

Every year at Christmas time I can't wait for the Cordial Cherries to appear on the store shelves.  LOVE THEM

I think they taste so good because they are only available a few short months out of the year.  I have tried to make them before but I could never get the centers to liquefy.  Even after a couple of weeks thay sill were solid inside.  Delicious but solid.  I didn't give up and I finally learned the secret---invertase!

 But before we go there, what do you think of the cute little birdcage I packaged the chocolates in?

Adorable, right?

 OK back to the candy.....I found a great recipe here.   It listed invertase as an ingredient.  Wow, never heard of that before.  I googled it and found out it was what made the centers turn to liquid, was available on line and best of all was cheap.

 So a few clicks and two days later I had the invertase enzyme in my hot little hands and was ready to go.

The recipe was easy, and a lot of fun to make.  I have checked the candy every day and by the second day I had significant liquid.  Did I mention how I tested them.  You better believe I ate them!  I mean, I had to, right?  So now I can have these yummy treat all year long.  Yippee!

Diana

Very Sweet Bibs

Can you believe I have never made a bib before?  Been sewing my whole life but this simple project has never been on my to do list......until my husband asked me to make some for a coworker's new baby in China.  Normally I would make a quilt for the occasion but it is soooo hot in China right now he thought a quilt would go unused.  So some bibs it was.

 I had a lot of much fun making these.  I got the pattern online here.

 I used fabric instead of terry cloth on the back.

 Machine appliqued "shabby" style.  That means I left raw edges......kind of like "country" style potatoes means I don't take the time to peel them.

A little ric rac and some snaps were all the notions needed to complete these adorable bibs.  And in a few days these will be on there way to China and a sweet little baby girl.

Diana

Kitchenaid Vinyl Decals-Make Your Own!

I have been eyeing some cute Kitchenaid vinyls for quite a while now.  I needed to wait until my dear husband changed the grease (icky job, let me tell you) before I put some on.  Because I have a silhouette there was no question that I would make mine own.....After seeing this cute one (which you can buy if you don't have a cutting machine, or just don't want to go to the trouble of making a file yourself) I got to work.

 Easy peasy.

 Looks so cute.

Turns my plan Jane mixer into a sweet little thing.  And I can change it out for something else later on!  Love a simple project to brighten a cloudy day!

Diana

Chocolate Covered Jelly Sticks

Third attempt the charm!  At least when it comes to this yummy candy.

While these aren't exactly like the delicious candy you can buy at the store. they come pretty close.

I tried two other recipes. neither of which worked very well.  One came out two runny and the other was so chewy it was inedible.  Both were a lot of work too.  Big disappointment.  Finally I went with the easiest recipe that appeared here on Utube.  It worked and took no time at all.  I used raspberry jello cuz that's my favorite.  I poured the liquid into a silicone mold for water bottle ice cubes.

 Well. the gummy part took no time at all but dipping them in chocolate. not so easy.  Those little buggers were slippery and floppy.  What a mess.  But once they were covered in chocolate I drizzled a little more chocolate on top to make it look deliberate.  Ta-da!  Fancy looking candies! 

What would I do differently......add a little raspberry flavoring to increase the intensity of the raspberry jello!!!!  I had also made some gummies in a heart mold and I wouldn't do that again.  Too difficult to hold on to for dipping in chocolate.  Kept falling off the dipping fork and back into the chocolate.  Over and over again til I just gave up and grabbed them out with my hands.  Chocolate everywhere.  EVERYWHERE!  And the finished product?  Not pretty enough to appear on the blog so you got to take my work for it.  Stick with the sticks.

Diana