Keeping It Simple – Narrow Holiday Runner

Do you have unfinished projects from past years?  I do.  I am always inspired at the beginning of the holidays and have lots of ideas.  Then it seems the season always gets hectic and some of the things I start just do not get finished.  So, this year I decided to finish those it... [More]

Keeping It Simple - Bricks and Banners

It's here again.  Already!  Halloween, apple picking, pinecones and colored leaves.  The season's fly by so quickly I can hardly keep up.  We took a trip out to the Old Town main street the other day to pick up our fall and winter spices.  It is an all cobblestone st... [More]

Keeping It Simple - Polka Dot Aprons with Accessories

Lucy's birthday party is coming up in a couple of days.  She wants an apron, and those things you wear on your hands (oven mitts).  My daughter said it should be bright and colorful and wanted to make it herself but there just isn't much time and I was busy getting ready for a rath... [More]

Keeping It Simple - Elegant Wedding Shower Decorations

My best friend's daughter is getting married.  And I was going to give a shower at my home in April.  The colors were ivory and pale gold with touches of red.  It was the nearing the end of March and although there was still plenty of time I had been thinking about how to dec... [More]

Keeping It Simple - Create A Fabric Background and Embroider Some JOY

Have you ever just had an idea that kept calling out to you?  This is one of those projects.  More than a year ago I found this pile of blocks in the clearance section of a local department store.  The packages had been broken open and a couple of the lettered blocks were missing.&nbs... [More]

The Skinny on Small Lettering

  Working with small letters can be frustrating. Chances are that you think your small lettering looks distorted, bunchy or just plain amateurish. The truth is, is probably not your fault. That’s right. Your good technique can only go as far as the data allows. In other words, if the fon... [More]

Keeping It Simple - Storage Cubes Big and Little - Part 1

Organize, organize and organize some more.  I decided to give my sewing room a makeover of sorts.  The goal however, is to repurpose as many items as possible without spending much money.  Well, this could take all year -that is how bad my room is.  But as it comes along I will s... [More]

A Pretty Felt Playhouse -Part 2

Finished!  And with a little time to spare. We decided to just button down the sides instead of sewing them.  It will make removing it from the table and folding it up for storage a little easier.  Kate got to see it during the final fitting since she is doesn't talk much and is t... [More]

Gotta Love a Baked Potato

For several years I have seen and heard about bags made to bake potatoes in the microwave. They are touted to produce fluffy, moist baked potatoes.  So when I had all the cotton stuff out to make the tortilla warmer I decided to make one and see.  Hey, what do you know, it works pretty wel... [More]

What's a Tortilla Warmer?

Sometime ago, I saw an advertisement for tortilla warmers and loved the idea.  They looked fun and useful but the cost was $8.00 - $12.00 each, depending on the size, plus shipping.  "What a great way to use up scraps!" I thought.  So, I tore out the ad and saved it.&nb... [More]

A Quick Gift for Father's Day

At our house we always seem to be slightly behind and end up cramming to get our father's day gifts done the night before that special day.  Sometimes they don't go as planned and we spend a frustrating time figuring out what to do.  This year we decided to change this (maybe the r... [More]

Keeping It Simple - Owls Are In

I know that I have told you about all the babies that are on their way.  And their mother's are now doing the decorating.  Many of our daughter's friends have seen her baby's room and when she asked them what they would like as a shower gift several requested the fram... [More]

Keeping It Simple - Quick Wristlet Just In Time for Spring

Wristlets are great if you have lots of other stuff to haul around (like kids and diaper bags and laptops...) and don't want the extra weight of a purse.  But after a hard winter the ones we have been using look pretty bad so I decided to surprise the girls with new ones this week.  I ... [More]

A Freebie and Tip #4 Alpha Xpress Customizes Words

Some days I cannot find my keys, or my glasses or whatever I really need. Too often, I cannot find a file I need and that presents a lot of problems for me. I am always on a schedule and get frustrated with delays!  This small application is really worth its weight in gold and then some. Check... [More]

Keeping It Simple - A Cute Christmas Stocking

I'm not sure why but I really enjoy making Christmas stockings.  I have made traditional ones, funky ones, country ones and elegant ones depending on who they are for.   We always make a stocking for each new addition to our family.  Some years, with weddings and births, we h... [More]