Second Sunday Post.

I found this exciting and interesting idea at Craft Passion...

I thought it would be a fun tutorial to share with everyone.
I believe these would make fun Easter Gifts for your loved ones,
friends, co-workers, and etc.....
You could even try to put a little handle on them.
That way you could hang them on those famous Easter Trees.
I can see them filled full with fun colored eggs
and Chocolate treats ;)
All you would have to do is change the fabric to a fun Easter Print :)
What a great way to sew for your family and friends.
So run on by Craft Passion's blog and
check out some of her other fun ideas :)
Here is another link at the Stitching Room.... tutorial
for this little treat holder :)

If you liked this idea ..
you will love this one from the Magic Bean :)


Isn't this crafting apron awesome..
run over to the Magic Bean and down load the instructional PDF today :)
While your at it look at some of her other awesome creations.

I am alive :)

Hello my sweet blogging friends and swappers. I have to apologize.. I have been very ill for the last couple of weeks. I know you were expecting your blocks in group #4 to be sent out. They were sorted and ready to go, then I started feeling awful. I am embarrassed to say they have not been sent. I was down in the bed most of the week before last. This week there were a lot of doctor appointments and I was barely dragging into work. I am currently on 4 new meds so hopefully I will be feeling much better soon. I do feel a tad better today. I will...... I promise ... get group #4's blocks out in the mail this Monday. I am so sorry the mailing of the blocks have been delayed. Once again several of you are signed up in more than one group. If you are in more than one.. I will hold your group #4 blocks and send them altogether. Ladies I am so sorry for this delay in your promised blocks.
Like I said I hope in the next month or so I will be back to my normal..
mean self ;)

How to Make and Ship Cupcakes in Mason Jars

I came across the very fun and exciting way to ship out your wonderful cupcakes to those that do not live near. Run over to Cake Spy.com and check out this exciting way to ship those tasty creations :) I am always amazed at women and how clever they are! Who would have thought to do this.. not ME!

Original post by Bean Town Baker

Heres what made me cry today!!!

Happy Birthday Auntie! ....and....to a dear, dear sister who cared, carted us around, made us clothes, taught us how to cook and dance and introduced us to Classic Rock! Happy Birthday, thanks for the love and the memories!

This little note was from the baby sister ;) I love her dearly :)

Speaking of Birthdays :)

Pitty say's ........

" Stop by on Monday the 22nd of Feb to wish
Mommie a Happy Birthday :) "

Grandma Peachy's Birthday Celebration!!

Grandma Peachy has a star named after her!!! She will be remembered always.

Here is my Sweet Sweet Grandma Peachy on the day of her 100 year old Birthday! Isn't she beautiful??Here is the Table of fine refreshments that the care facility provided to help Celebrate Granny's Birthday the day before her official Birthday. The facility put on this nice party for the staff and residents.. to help Grandma Peachy Celebrate such a momentous occasion.Bubba could not make the trip with me for Granny's Birthday, he sent these lovely flowers.
This photo was taken of Granny in the blue room.. the day of the 100 year event ;)
This is my sister AJ Documenting the days events!!
Here I am to document the happenings of the day!!

Pitty quietly sits waiting at our gate....to get on the plane to come home.. we had a wonderful and happy time spending the week with Grandma Peachy for her Birthday :) It was a once in a life time event.. we are so happy we could go!!

Ok ladies here is what I have decided to do. Since there are so many of you that don't mind waiting we are going to wait. I don't know about you. I for one would like to have 12 different blocks from 12 different people. So to keep everyone that has voiced an option excited and happy.... I will do the following :)
I am going to move Jenna Z and Robin L to group #4 that will complete that group and I will sort and send that group out on Monday :) It has been indicated that the others are wanting to stay in their groups and have me get replacements for the swap. I am very excited and happy all of you were willing to do this ;) There has been a lot of wonderful volunteers wanting to play along and make another set of wonderful fun blocks. I even had wonderful women that were not in the swap the first time, want to help out :) I will be sending all of you an email as soon as I post this blog entry :)

My swappers are the best!!!!!
Yeah... you go girlfriends!!!
You always there to bail out the
SWAP MOMMIE ;0)
I THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF
MY TEN TIMES TOO SMALL LITTLE HEART!!!


******************
I have all the spots filled by you amazing ladies ;)
Thanks

Tuesdays dose of Cute :)

I found these very cute and adorable cookies on Gourmet Mom on-the-go. Aren't they fun and exciting? If you want to make some of these fun and yummy looking cookies. Gourmet Mom has a full tutorial on how to make them.. just click on the link. While your there check out some of her other fun and creative ideas.

Penguin Oreos
Ingredients:
Chocolate sandwich cookies (I used double stuff oreos)
Dark Chocolate candy melts (found in craft stores or at Wal-Mart)
White candy melts
Orange Candy melts (or you can use pieces of gumdrops, starburst, or other orange candies)
Wax Paper
2 ziploc quart freezer bags

Chocolate Covered Rice Krispy Treats

From the Kitchen of The Hungry Mouse
Run over to her blog to get the full tutorial and recipe :)

Ingredients:

1 10.5-oz. bag mini-marshmallows
2 Tbls. butter
a splash of vanilla extract (maybe 1 tsp. or so)
4 cups Rice Krispie cereal
spray oil
2 cups chocolate chips

For a ridiculously decadent dessert, top a chocolate-covered Rice Krispie treat with a scoop or two of rich vanilla ice cream and (gasp!) more chocolate sauce.

** Up-DATED***Where did the week go??

Wow I can hardly believe its been a week since I last posted!! Well all I can say its been a busy week here on the Oleo Ranch. I had to go purchase a reconditioned wash machine.. because mine went out right before I went to CA for Grandma Peachy's Birthday. I should have done that on the last days off .. but I was sort of waiting on the snow to melt and the yard to dry out a bit. You would squish up to your ankles in the mud around here. I almost made it until the soil dried a bit..... But oh no the silly horses ran out of hay and I had to have some brought in... My yard and barn yard look like someone turned it into a dirt track.

The ruts are about 8 inches deep. I am so up set. I will have to either have dirt hauled in or have my brother bring over his little Bob cat and do some leveling work. It's so bad ..... if you wanted to get a riding mower over the ruts you couldn't. They are just too deep. Its that bad. Maybe I will have to take a photo tomorrow and post it here on this entry.

I did do one fun thing this week....I figured out my owl block for the block swap on Pins. I also sat down and designed a new sewing tote that I want to make for my self. It will be awesome!! So awesome I am going to try and make a pattern as I go along ;)Speaking of Pins there is an Annie Doll Challenge up there right now in the Fun with Annies Group. If your not a member and want to play along.. run over and join in on the fun. We would love to have you ;)

Ok now for the good part of the post. I went to the discount fabric shop and purchased some fabric scraps. I love getting those.. you purchase them by the pound. These are left over bits from the quilting classes. Some of the bits are just shy of a fat qt but most of them are strips and tri-angles. I find they are perfect for working on those patch work items ;) This way you get a lot of different fabrics for those small projects that you need only and inch or two piece. NO one wants to cut up a yard of fabric or a ft qt for that small amount.
Here is a photo of all my bits that I purchased. I even purchased one of those shoe holders to put them. I posted a great way to store your scraps a while back and it was using this method of storage ;)

Ok now here is the really really good part of the post.

Raise your hand how many of you have purchased one of these for your Quilting rulers???
This is known as a Gypsy Gripper.. cost about $19.95.These are very nice ;)



Well being the frugal shopper that I am... I decide not to purchase this sweet gripper.. it's just a tad out of my budget. Instead of purchasing a Gypsy Gripper..... I was standing in the isle at Wal-mart ... what did I happen to spy...

This
I said to myself I wonder if this would work for a handle for my ruler???
So I purchased one and low and behold...
here it is...

It works perfect.... and it only cost me a small sum of $2.73. Now that's a bargain that anyone of us could afford. It was a tad tricky getting it on the ruler. I don't know you might have to have some man help.... It was very difficult.... you had to moisten the suction cups :) Other than that it was easy peasy. If you spent the total cost of the nice Gypsy Gripper on these...you could have one of these grippers for each of your rules :)

What are snowy days good for????

I awoke early today and thought I would watch some more of my quilting shows, because I have 6 months worth I have not watched on Tivo. I need to free up some more space for other important programs like more quilting shows :)
Well instead of what I was going to do.. I sat down at the computer and wrote everyone a quick note asking about the outstanding quilt blocks. After that was completed.... I started myself a Hamburger mystery dish. The mystery part of the dish is where you use up some of those bags of frozen veggies that are now getting close to the expire date. Of course its more like goulash with the pasta. Well it turned out pretty good ;) For being a big Mystery.
After that dish was completed.... I started cooking a big arm roast that I purchased yesterday at the grocers. I also purchased a large shank ham that I divided up into 4 separate bags. They will be just the right size for me to have ham and green beans, ham and beans, ham and potatoes and of course ham and cabbage :)
While I was doing all of that cooking... I cleaned out the fridge and the freezer. Tell me how many of those freezer packs does one really need in their freezer at one time. Me I had about 12 of them.. go figure. Do you think I was keeping them around for a heat wave in the middle of winter??? Trash was taken out from that and then I started on the cupboards. I don't know about you but I found things in there that was way older than two years. OUT it went.. I think the best thing to do is start a fresh. I started pitching hot chocolate mixes, jelly, spices, canned tuna, cereal, old bottles of salad dressing.. you name it and I probably pitched. I pitched open bags of chips, cookies, crackers, and so forth. If I have not eaten it by now its not getting eaten. so out it went. I have two more cupboards to go through. I ran out of steam in this old body. I still have trouble standing more than an hour without having to sit for a while.
So there you have it ladies.. I am on the road to getting some of my life changes going.. so far:
I cook all the time for myself...
I started cleaning out the kitchen cupboards
I have started throwing away things that are just laying around.
Exp old magazines, old dog toys that have been chewed on, stacks of old letters.. actually those are shredded.. these are some of the things I have been doing.
I told my dad I wanted him to help me this spring throw out my old couch. It is leather and has a few holes in it from wear.. so its going to get pitched.
I have set down and made this huge list and so far I am doing the things slowly but surely. I have a long way to go.. but I know I will get there eventually :)
Well ladies its Ta Ta for now :)

Monday Morning Blues

Some people woke up to the Monday Morning Blues... not me I woke up to the
most beautiful sight.

This snow has just the right moister content to make a perfect snowman!!! I just love it when there is a blanket of snow on the ground. Although it will not last long. The temps are warm and it is already melting away. I hear it outside drip drip drip. Oh well at least it's pretty for now... everything is so quiet..not a sound when you step outside. You have to catch everything just at the right time to be able to get the snow still on the branches of trees, rails, wires and so forth. I got out just in time to see it!! :) What a gorgeous day. Too bad there are no little ones here to make me a snowman!!! I sure miss my youth.. that is one thing I always did .. I made a snowman.. or two or three.. it could be up to 10. Everywhere I went I made a snowman ;) I wanted everyone to have a smile on their face!!
I have to tell a short story.. the first year I moved into the Oleo Ranch we had a huge winter snow. Thank goodness it was on one of my days off... so I could enjoy it like today. It was a Sat Morning and I had to go North to my brothers.. so there I was driving down the road... and what did I spy... all lined up all along my street were little snowmen. They each had the traditional 3 snow balls for the bodies, and branches for the arms. They were no more than a foot tall. Roughly a foot between each one of them.... I know who made these fun and whimsical snowmen... we only had one family with children at that time. Two boys and one girl. They had to have stayed outside making snowmen half the morning. It was so cute.. I took a photo .. but right now I can't find it.. but if and when I do I will post it to show you. It really was a cute thing to see. On Martha's I love it very much scale... I would give those little snowmen a 10 :)
Enjoy you warm weather people,
we have snow and will get more today and tonight ;)

*************************************
It's almost 2:30pm here and the snow is almost melted..
it started raining. Oh well it was pretty while it lasted..
now its a squishy mud mess outside!!!

DID YOU KNOW THAT BOOK TWO IS OUT!!

I have been spoiled!! I didn't even know this was out yet!! I received a copy of the wonderful Apron*ology book 2 from my dear friend Nadine... I have to tell you it has some fantastic eye candy in it. If you haven't seen it.. You should at least make it a point to go to your local fabric shop to take a long drooling glance at it. Don't forget to take one of your vintage hankies, if you don't use it to wipe off your drool.. you can add it to one of your awesome new creative aprons :) I know I am going to in-corporate some of the awesome embellishments into some of my aprons. I am of a like mind like Nadine.. this new book is so much better than book 1, Book 1 was awesome too but Apron*ology 2 ...... its over the top Fabulous!!!
Speaking of AWESOME if you have not heard the Susan Boyle Cd you better it's really really great!! I am sure you will enjoy it as much as I am. Susan has done some old favorites and some show tunes... a great combination in this album. A very relaxing mix of songs. Susan might not have the length of time in the business.. as a lot of singers .. but she has a voice that matches or exceeds them! Awesome album!! The arrangements almost brings tears to your eyes .. the music and the voice it's so beautiful....Now run out and listen to it you will see what I am talking about :)

Chocolate time again :)

Recipe from: Lovin' From the Oven
Please run by and look at Lovin' from the oven's awesome website.
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 king-sized milk chocolate bars (e.g. Hershey’s)
• 1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
   
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.
   
3. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick. Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff (most easily achieved by flattening the dough into small shingles and laying them together).
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Makes 16 cookie bars.

Color IS GOOD!

Yesterday I went to the doctor for my yearly physical...
My blood pressure was high,
My cholesterol was high,
I'd gained some weight
and I didn't feel so hot.
My doctor said eating right doesn't have to be complicated
and it would solve my physical problems.

He said just think in colors - - fill your plate
with bright colors -- greens, yellows, reds, etc.

I went right home and ate and entire bowl of .....


And sure enough, I felt better immediately.
I never knew that eating right could be so easy.

Have a Beautiful Colorful Day!!

When you get right down to it, it's all about the
CHOCOLATE!!

LOL and what about those Yankees????

I guess if you want a torrent of comments.. one should always talk about babies, politics, and the in-justices of society.... I am a coward.....I really shy away from religion! The main reason for that is there are so many different ones and they believe so many different things. Like one doesn't believe in dancing.. then one doesn't believe in eating beef on Friday.. then one doesn't eat pork and so on and so on....... so to save from hurting feelings... I really try to stay neutral in that territory :) I think that is a very wise decision on my part. As for yesterdays vomiting of words... for all of you who sided with me on my views of yesterdays mishaps thank you and for those of you that some how disagreed... thank you too :) Its always fun to see how people feel about the subjects and ramblings that I post here on APP's. I loved reading all of your wonderful and funny remarks. Sometimes I feel we really don't use our blogs to their full potential. We.. or should I say... sometimes I hold back... but mostly I find I want to share the fun times and the handmade crafts.. One's that I have created and those items that have been create for me ;) So my blog is really all about fun.. but sometimes you just gotta let it all hang out... Life is not always Happy Days... but most days it really is about the Fonz, we want to look cool and say I meant to do that ;) So ladies lets dust off those poodle skirts and throw that pink cashmere sweat around your neck and do the be bop a loo la ;O)

I know I have happy feet today :O)

I got chocolate in the mail :)

Ps notebook computer doesn't like the outlook program.. so I can't send response emails, for your wonderful comments... sorry. I did enjoy reading everyone of them and thank you ;)

I'm Having a Fit!!

Mucha muchhhhh grunch gurnch...brick a brack... mmm pstsssss >>> APP cussing!! Kermit is in the shop again. I could never get my external hard drive to load up. The computer guy says bring it back in.... He tells me your external drive is bad... I tell him its less than 4 months old its not bad because it was on the Dell before he worked on it.. and it loaded up ok on my notebook right before I brought it here to you. So he takes it over to his Notebook and it loads up lickity split for him... He then says its the C drive and its not recognizing the external drive code... well I said fix it!!! His reply was I have to contact Dell and get some sort of code to make the external hard drive recognize Kermit... I said do it !!! I want my computer back....So now its going to be gone another week. I spent over an hour getting my notebook back on line..... it took the cable company 30 mins to get the notebook to recognize the Ip address. Agggggggg APP has more grey hair after today's adventures!

What is it with people when it comes to doing a job??? They are either lazy and don't want to work or just don't give a darn!!! What is it anyway?????

Here let me explain what I mean... my doctor call the Pharmacy for a new med for me to take and the Prescription insurance co.. decline to fill the meds... how in the world is an insurance company as smart about my health as my doctor, that has cared for me the last 16 years.

My Doctor knows what is wrong with me not the 6 different insurance companies I have had in those 16 plus years.

Ok so I am worked up a tad about that.. we need to take that power back from those insurance companies and put it back in the hands of our doctors.. I am going to make it my goal to heckle those insurance people until change comes about.. NOW don't get me even started on that new Health Care Reform that your stupid President is trying to shove down our throats.. ok enough said about that.. as I don't want to hurt any ones feels with my own thwarted feelings toward this countries President.... or I should say puppet for congress. I was standing on line waiting to pay for my one prescription was was granted to be filled today. I always stand there reading the rag magazines.. and low and behold on the front of one of them is the in bold type Michelle Obama is tired of the drunken weekend parties at the White House... I don't know about you but if that is happening... we need to out that guy for sure.. That is a disgrace to our country acting that way... boot the dude!!! And the faster the better!!!

Ok so then I went to the post office and the lady was giving me a hard time about debit or credit with my bank card... of course I told her credit... she would not take it because the card was not signed... she smartly said.... its a federal law to sign those cards and we don't have to take them. I told her that other places take it all the time without a signature.. she then in a very flippant tone said WHAT EVER!! I went ... WHAT EVER MS RUDENESS!!!! Nasty thing then walked away and I wasn't even finished with my business there..... Well!!!! We pay them high postage prices to be treated that way??? So I left there and went to another Post Office and boy did I give them an ear full about that other post office... the second one I went to is my local one and they were shocked I was treated like that... Between you and me and the fence post I hope they say something about the treatment I received. Its too bad they don't get a commission on their sales.. because I spent over 70 dollars on postage today!! To think I got treated like that paying that much money too!!!

Only good thing about today is I was able to get my windshield wipers fixed and I had lunch with Daddy O ... I love spending time with him :) He can be such a grouch sometimes... but today was a great day :)

The rest of the day was uneventful.. thank goodness :)

RETARDED GRANDPARENTS

I received this as an email,,, It was so funny ...
I just had to share it with you. 　

(this was actually reported by a teacher)

After Christmas, a teacher asked her young pupils how they spent their holiday away from school.
One child wrote the following:
We always used to spend the holidays with Grandma and Grandpa.
They used to live in a big brick house but Grandpa got retarded and they moved to Arizona .
Now they live in a tin box and have rocks painted green to look like grass.
They ride around on their bicycles and wear name tags because they I don't
know who they are anymore.
They go to a building called a wreck center, but they must have got it fixed because it is all okay now,
they do exercises there, but they don't do them very well.
There is a swimming pool too, but they all jump up and down in it with hats on.
At their gate, there is a doll house with a little old man sitting in it.
He watches all day so nobody can escape.
Sometimes they sneak out, and go cruising in their golf carts.
Nobody there cooks, they just eat out.
And, they eat the same thing every night --- early birds.
Some of the people can't get out past the man in the doll house.
The ones who do get out, bring food back to the wrecked center for pot luck.
My Grandma says that Grandpa worked all his life to earn his retardment and says I should work hard so I can be retarded someday too..
When I earn my retardment, I want to be the man in the doll house.
Then I will let people out, so they can visit their grandchildren. 　

.... PRICELESS

I hope this puts a smile on your face today :) It sure did mine ;) LOL

A great Day for Sewing

I was in chat last nite on Pins and Needles when I told Ms T and Jindi it was going to be a day of sewing. Yes ladies it was a day of sewing. I accomplished so much... in fact I got more sewing done than I thought I would. I started and completed both sets of 9's for the Holly Jolly themed block swap. I put the finishing touches on one set of blocks. Tomorrow the only thing left on both sets is put 3 penguins on backs then I am totally done with the Holly Jolly Block Swap. Well at least the sewing part :) Those three blocks should go very fast. I expect about an hour total :)

After that I need to figure out what sort of owl I want to use on my Owl block swap. I was thinking about doing raw edge applique with straight stitches. I think the edges frayed would look more like feathers when they raveled out. Now I just have to figure out the design of the owl. The designing is always the fun part for me.... the scheming and dreaming of what they will look like ;) I can hardly believe it. I have already received one set of owl blocks, one set is on the way.. and one of the Holly Jolly swappers asked if they could send the owls along with their Holly Jolly blocks. Its amazing the swap is not quite closed and the blocks are already starting to come in. Wow... Owls must be good subject matter when it comes to making things ;)
There is still lots of snow on the ground here in Ta Town. Tomorrow is going to be another fun day of sewing for me. I do want to get some more of my quilting shows dubbed off for my library of reference material tomorrow. One can never have enough instruction when it comes to sewing and quilting. I hope everyone had a great weekend. Until next time... happy stitching and no ripping ;)
Oh by the way I have three openings left for one group of 12 on pins for the owl blocks swap. Are you interested?? Send me and email if you want to play along ;)
Thanks M