Please take a minute! Bloggers around the world will thank you!

Hi friends!

Remember back here when we talked about changing your settings in blogger so you can be contacted?  Ever wonder why you comment on a blog and never get a response?!  Well lately, I've had so many awesome comments on my posts, but I can't respond to many of them.

I came across a great post about this from Amy at Amy's Creative Side.

This is something that I hear echoed from other bloggers as well.  If you leave us a comment, we want to talk to you too!  Take a minute to read either post for the how-to on blogger.

P.S. Pass it on!

Ok, thanks, stepping off my soap box now. :)

I've been busy and I need your help!

Fabric storage was starting to become an issue around here when I had little boxes and containers everywhere, rapidly filling up.  I just thought I'd show you my temporary solution.  These boxes are great because they aren't your typical plastic bin and are pretty inconspicuous.

This one has general quilting fabric, with some minky, and flannels.

This one has all my pre-cuts, soon-to-be WIPs, and collections I'm thinking about cutting into.

That's it!

Next on the list was a new pillow or two for my living room.  I had some super ugly pillows that came with the couch, so I made a few simple pillow covers for a quick transformation.  I still have two left, so I'm debating on a different pattern for the loveseat, or two more of these ones!

Alright, my favorite project of the weekend was this table runner for my Mom on Mother's Day.  This is the front...

And the back.  She's a gardener so I thought this was perfect!  But, here's the problem.  I'm ready to quilt and I need some help deciding how to do it from you quilters out there!  I'm afraid that if I use stippling, it will ruin the look of the panel.  Same goes for grid lines.  But I can't just leave that whole wide space unquilted.  Plus it would look weird on the front!  So what do you think??

Thanks in advance!

I love me some pears.

Bake em', eat em', display em', sew em'.  You name it.

Remember Katie from More Misadventures, my guest blogger from a few weeks ago?  AKA, my bloggy BFF?

Well check out her new post.  I LOVE these, I can't even take it.

Check out the complete post here.

This is one of the first pieces of fabric I fell in love with.  I keep buying it just in case it's discontinued anytime soon! 

How cute is this!?  Check out the tute' at Dangerously Domestic.

One of my favorite Poached Pears recipes from The Food Network!

Cookie Dough Cupcakes and Croquet.

Alright, if there's ever a recipe I give you, ever, this is THE one to try.  (Even more than those tasty enchiladas I made a while back.) 

In fact, they came from the same culinary genius, Annie over at Annie's Eats. Check out the recipe for these tasty treats here.

This weekend was the annual croquet match.  Yes, you heard me.  Croquet.  I live near the US Naval Academy.  For the past 30 years or so, they have a match between the Navy guys from the academy and guys from another local college.  Thousands of people come out and everyone dresses in bloomers and bowties, and sundresses with big fancy hats.  It's an awesome day!

Me being Betty Crocker and all (or I try), I made most of the food.  I usually do all old fashioned foods, but I couldn't pass up the chance to make these little babies.

Chocolate chip cake batter, with a cookie dough filling, and cookie dough icing.  Let me just tell you that EVERYONE loved them.  Three dozen cupcakes were gone in a flash.

And if you need proof- see below.  Hehe, I think I even got a few marriage proposals after they devoured these.

I also made these super yummy lemon cheesecake bars, and orange dream cookies.  I didn't add the recipes but let me know if anyone wants them posted!

Also made a favorite of mine- cucumber sandwiches with a cream cheese, onion, and dill mixture.  Mmmm.

I love any reason to wear fun hats like these!!

Boys from the Navy croquet team.

Seriously, give these cupcakes a try and I promise you they'll quickly become a family favorite.  Let me know if you try them!

Ruffle me up.

I'm really diggin the plaid/flannel looks that were popular over the winter, but I wanted something lighter for the spring.  Plaid + ruffles = awesome.

I showed this to one of my friends the other day, and she said, "Oh...it's cute, I guess.  Just don't wear it out."  HA!  Now she really isn't the ruffle or plaid kind of girl but I hated to tell her I've already been wearing it.  It looks really cute with white pants or white skirt and cute heels!

I happen to love it and that's all that matters.  :)

Each of my ruffles has 2 strips of fabric, roughly 2.5" and 1.75" in width.  Adjust them accordingly to the size you need.  You'll need the length to be almost double your finished size.

Place the strips on top of each other and sew a basting stitch down the middle.  Make sure you don't backstitch at the beginning or end!!

Pull the strings to make the ruffle.

Pin ruffles to shirt and stitch down the middle, securing at the beginning and end.

* I made the ruffle in the middle slightly wider than the two on the ends!

P.S. I got the tee on clearance at NY&Co. for $5, and I think the fabric cost me a whopping $0.75!!

Christmas in April!

Ok, here's a recap.

The pile below was to become my first quilt.  I picked Christmas because if I really screwed it up, I would only have to see it one month out of the year.  Genius, I know.

Fast forward: finished quilt below.

Then I wanted the crinkly goodness so I decided to wash it. (Remember when we talked about pre-washing fabric?)

Last night at 1AM, I pull it out of the dryer and see this.  All over.  I panic, yell, scream, swear, maybe a tear, pout.  Too late on a Tuesday night to do anything about it.

After a great deal of googling last night, I was at Target when they opened this morning.  I'm hoping these will save the day.  I coated the thing in Oxi-Clean, let it sit all day while I was working, and washed with 3 of these color catchers.

TA DA!

There's still a few spots that bled, but it's much better.  Sigh.

And I probably won't pre-wash, still.  I'm that lazy.  I'm just hoping this was a fluke.

Quilting: stitch in the ditch and free motion.

Pattern was Piece of Cake from Thimble Blossoms, 71"x63".  Before I washed it was 69x61.  After washing, it was 66x58.  Hmmm.  At least it's not lopsided?

For my first one, I'm pretty happy with the end result!  I named it Holly Jolly.  Don't make fun of me.  I already know I'm a dork!

My camera is starting to behave.

I'm still figuring out how to use my SLR...

Easter Sunday I went here.

And then went here.

I could never get tired of photographing the White House!

Then we wandered down to the Tidal Basin to see all the Cherry Blossoms.  It's peak season here!

The Washington Monument on the National Mall.

Laying on the ground eating ice cream, looking up at this.

A few days later...historic Annapolis.

Sushi date with my friends!

Natalie is a great model!