Warning...I Spy Pictures!!!

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Hi I Spy swappers...remember if you would like to be surprised when you receive your fabrics, do not scroll down any farther. Ahhh...don't do it. I saw the page move a little!!! Back up to the top of the page!!
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For those of you who would like to take a peek now...here they are
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From Angela in Oregon:

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from Mary in California:
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from Annie in New York:

from Rochelle in Tennessee:

from Anne in Australia:

from Elaine:

from Michelle in Florida:

and from Nancy in Georgia:

Thank you so much for sending in your squares. Aren't all these fabrics just wonderful? It would take a lifetime to collect 120 different I Spy fabrics. Thanks for sending the return envelopes with the postage on it too. All your help is going to make the swap so much fun.

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I'll keep you updated when I get another big batch of packages.

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Take care,

~Karen~

Another Post for Terry...

I just received an email from Laurie from A Yankee Quilter. She is doing the most amazing thing for Terry (read the post I did earlier this morning). She is asking everyone to make a 9 1/2" block, send it to Laurie and she will put a quilt together for Terry and her family. She is also having a give away with 2 great prizes as an incentive.
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She is also asking for a donation of a long arm quilter to finish the quilt. Please see Laurie's post here for all the information.
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I know we would all like to help, especially after reading Terry's post that the hospital is over an hour away and she still has to get the kids off to school and be back home before school gets out. My heart breaks for her. This quilt will definitely be a source of comfort to let her know we all care and wish we were there to help.

~Karen~

List of Swappers...

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Thought I would share the final list of I Spy swappers. A few have dropped out, but I will definitely keep them on my list for next time. I have filled all the spaces and I'm waiting to hear from one friend for the last spot. The list consists of the swappers name, state or country and a blog if they have one. If you don't see your blog name, state or country, send me an email and I'll add it to the list if you want to share. After the mail comes today, I will post a picture of the fabrics I have already received. I will put a spoilers alert on the post, so if you want to be surprised when you get your squares in the mail, don't peek at that post. Sue (a fellow swapper) and I thought it would be a good idea to post a picture of the squares as they come in, because those of you who haven't purchased fabric yet, could see what I have already and it may prevent some duplicates. Just remember, if you don't want to see the squares on my next post later today, look for the alert!!
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Swappers:
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1. Paulette.......Canada......Sweet P Quilting and Creations
2. Pokey...........California..Pokeydot Quilting
3. Annette........Utah..........Sunshine Yellow
4. kjquilts.........Texas........Quiet Quilter
5. Sara..............Ohio...........The Quilting Bookworm
6. Sandra.........Australia
7. Anne............Australia
8. Laurie..........Ohio
9. Jenn.............So. Carolina..Life in Bonetown
10. Michelle.......Florida..........Nostalgic Cafe
11. Elaine.................................Miss L's Craft Room
12. Naoko...........Japan...........Bear's Patch
13. Evelyn..........Washington.Use the Loot
14. Kelly.............Ohio..............I Have a Notion
15. Rochelle.......Tennessee....Three Turns to Home
16. Donna...........Texas...........No One Here But Us Monkeys
17. Zlaty.............Pennsylvania...Zlaty Sews
18. Robin............Florida.........Rsisland Crafts
19. Marci............Michigan......Roaming Free 2010
20. Mary.............California.....Needled Mom
21. Mary Grace..New England...Hooked on Needles
22. Lexi...............Wash. DC.....Tea and Crumpets
23. Kim................Holland
24. Char
25. Linda A......Georgia
26. Ky...............Texas...........Sew Many Pieces
27. Nancy.........Georgia
28. Annie..........New York....Annie's Quilting Adventures
29. Di.................New York....Quilting is Blissful
30. Sheila..........Ohio..............Sheila's Quilts Plus
31. Angel...........Washington..Lil' Pieces of Heaven
32. Susan D.
33. Della............Ohio..............The Quilting Asylum
34. Lynda G......Maine...........From My Farmhouse Window
35. Diane...........Florida..........Sewman Maniac Quilter
36. Angela.........Oregon
37. Elizabeth.....Mississippi
38. Sandra.........Ohio...............Sew in Peace
39. Tina.............Rhode Island....Seaside Stitches
40. Me

Ok, that's all of us...wow, I think Ohio wins for the most swappers!!! If I missed anyone or if there is a mistake, please let me know.

Go visit your fellow swappers and become followers of their blogs...they are wonderful. I love all the inspiration out there.

See you soon with some pictures,

~Karen~

Prayers Needed for a Friend...

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I know some of you have already sent prayers over to Terry from Terry's Treasures, but for those of you who haven't heard, her husband had an accident with a bulldozer and his right leg had to be amputated below the knee. Please stop by her blog, leave her a message and keep her husband and her family in your prayers.
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~Karen~

Tool Time Tuesday...Dust Ruffle Into Dorm Curtains

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Necessity is the mother of invention (something Plato said). What this means is...if you really need something, you will find a way to do it. Well, Courtney "really" needed matching curtains in her dorm room. The problem is it's a flat metal window on a flat cement block wall. No way to hang a curtain rod or even use a tension rod.
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Hmmm, what do we have left after spending 8 gazillion dollars on school tuition and all the matching "necessities" for her room? How about a 68 cent yard stick from Home Depot and the bed skirt from the bed in a bag that matches her zebra comforter.
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We didn't use the bed skirt, so I cut the decorative part off the white fabric that goes under the mattress. I cut 2 long pieces and one shorter piece.
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Here is a picture of the yard stick, which is easy to cut to the size you need, because it's already a ruler...just cut on the lines!!

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I hemmed the sides that I ripped of the white part and then staple gunned them to the yard stick. I spaced it out with a little gather and again used the marking on the ruler to make it even.
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Here's a close up of the left...if you were doing this for yourself, you could use wider fabric for more gathers...I just used the width of the bed skirt fabric.

and one of the right...

This is the piece I had remaining for the valence. I sewed 2 lines of a gathering stitch across the top and gathered it up to fit the yard stick.

I centered it over the 2 side panels, folded over about 1 inch to the back and stapled it in place on the yard stick. This is the final product and all I needed to do was put a little sticky Velcro on the back of the yard stick and stick it to the cement block wall above the window.

This is a picture of the back side.

Here is the close up...

The last picture of it installed on her window should have been here, but I forgot to take a picture. So I called her a few days later and told her to take a picture and email it to me. "Oh, mom, I forgot to tell you...we not allowed to have anything on our windows. I had to take it down". WHAT!!! my 68 cent window treatment not allowed. Didn't they see that the trim matched the zebra comforter and the pink pillow sham?

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Here's the moral to this story...I'm so thankful I only spent 68 cents, because now it's rolled up and shoved under her bed some where.
spaceI did get a Tool Time out of this though, because I'm thinking of other places we could use this application, not just a dorm. How about in an apartment where you can't nail in the walls. What if you wanted little curtains on a garage window or door. This would also work great on the little windows in the sheds people have in their back yards. If you have a metal door and want a little privacy, you could use heavy duty magnets instead of Velcro to attach the curtain to the door.
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I'll keep thinking and don't forget to share your ideas in the comments too, because I know you are all thinking outside the box now!!!
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Have a great Tuesday everyone,

~Karen~

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ps...I'm catching up on all my replies, so don't think I forgot you. It's just that the I Spy fabric for the swap is starting to come in and there is a lot of organizing involved. I'm off on Wednesday, so I'll try to catch up then.
spaceI Spy Swappers... I know I owe you a list of all the swapper names, but I have to do it Wednesday. My sister was working on our computer all day Sunday and Monday to prevent it from crashing. We had hardly any memory left and it was super slow. I think it's fine now thanks to her, but I'm behind in the post that I owe you.

Recycling Candles...

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I have completely pulled the whole basement apart and the garage (our basement walks out to the garage) My sewing room is in half of the basement and there is stuff everywhere. The garage is finished and there is a light at the end of the tunnel (although faint) for my sewing room.
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So since there is no sewing going on right now, I thought I would share with you something I put together earlier.
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I love candles and Yankee candles are wonderful. I usually receive the big jars as gifts from my sister. They are $25.00 and I hate spending that much money on a candle. I normally buy the votives or the little tarts.
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My family and I love all scents of fall: cinnamon, pumpkins, apples and all the scents of Christmas too.


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However, I hate when this happens...look at all that wasted wax. The picture doesn't show it well, but it is thick on all sides and on the bottom.
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and this...

and this...the wick burns out and won't relight before the whole candle is used up.

So here's what I do. Place jar in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. Then take a pointy knife and break up all the wax in the jar. Be careful not to hurt yourself or press too hard that you'll break the jar. If frozen or chilled it should pop right out.

Chopped up the pieces so they will fit out of the top of the jar.

Now, you will need a tart burner, which is the kind where you place a votive inside and melt the tarts on top.

Place your broken pieces on the top of your votive burner. Not too much at first until you see how it melts. You don't want it to over flow. Maybe put it on a tray at first.

Now, you are good to go again with the heavenly scents of fall.

Just take the extra pieces, store in a sealed bag and label the scent.

Have a great Sunday everyone and I'll be back with an update for all my I Spy swappers. I'm starting to get packages in..woo hoo!!!. I also have a final list of swappers as of yesterday.

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Talk to you soon,

~Karen~

Hello To All "No Replies"...

This is a quick tutorial for all my wonderful commenters who may have a blogging account, but there isn't an email address attached for replies.

One such blogger is SewLindAnn...First off I want to thank you for all your wonderful comments you have left on my blog...I really appreciate it. I am writing you here, hoping you will read this. You have left me comments and a question about the "I Spy Swap", but I can't reply back. Your blogger profile is set to "No Reply", which means there is no email communication allowed back to you.
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I have felt so badly each time you (or anyone who has a "No Reply") have left a message. I really do try to answer all the questions that come in and I love your idea about the vintage suit case and my trash Tool Time!!!
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Here's a quick way for anyone to check to see if you can receive email back through your blog comments.

• first, go to your blogger dashboard
• near your picture or logo on the left, click "Edit Profile"
• go to the first section labeled "Privacy"
• in this section, the third line down should say "Show Email Address"
• make sure there IS a Check Mark in the "Show Email Address"
• if you don't have an email address listed, you can fill it in in the "Identity" section
• The MOST IMPORTANT part when you finish, is to go to the bottom of the page and click "Save Profile" on the bottom left side. If you do not click save it won't work.

That should do it. If you want to leave me a comment on this post, I will check to see if everything is ok. If it doesn't work, I'll meet you back here in another post!!
If anyone out there isn't receiving emails back from comments they leave, just take a peek at your "Edit Profile" section just to make sure.
Have a great day everyone and hope to reply back to you soon,
~Karen~

Tool Time Tuesday...Recyled Trash For Organizing!!

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I know Tool Time originated in the hardware store, but I've moved to the trash again. It actually starts in the grocery store, so keep your minds open when you're food shopping too.
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These few items below look like we aren't healthy eaters. We do eat our veggies, but hubby has a sweet tooth. He works out daily and has the lowest cholesterol levels ever, so he loves his cake or cookie at night. I, however, am a different story. If you read one of my posts yesterday, I mentioned that I had a bad day of eating Saturday. I love chips and salty things, but I had myself a few Pecan Sandies this weekend (by the way, I found out today why I ate junk food like there was no tomorrow. I guess eating like that once a month isn't too bad. It's a little more than you need to know about me, but we're all friends here right? Am I the only one?) Ok, I digress...sorry about that...
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This is the plastic liner of a package of cookies.
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This is the organized tray for sewing hexagons. Great to keep right next to your comfy chair. Also great for hand sewing or embroidery. Will hold all your threads, embroidery floss and scissors.
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This is the box the mini cupcakes come in.
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Hubby and Kelsie said they were delicious.

I think these are delicious.

This tray snaps closed, so it's great for traveling to a friends house to sew, when taking a class or going to a retreat. The large cupcake or muffin trays are great for hexies too.

This next one is a drink container from one of those quick stop stores. The domed top has a big hole on the top for the straw.

Take your favorite skein of yarn and knitting needles. These are some things I found of my mom's. I don't know much about knitting, I just picked those needles, because they matched the cup and purple was her favorite color.

Look how cute this is. Great to keep the yarn clean and easy to carry any where...especially in the car in the cup holder.

See the yarn...it pulls out of the hole in the top. I thought of my friend Dawn when I did this one. Go visit her and tell her I said hi, she creates such amazing things. I really need to learn how to knit or crochet.

Ok, ladies, take a trip through the bakery aisle. These little plastic containers come in so many different sizes. Remember think outside the "box". The best part though, is eating your way through the "box".
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Have a great Tuesday.

~Karen~

Yummy Recipes...Apple Chocolate Chip Cake

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Fall is just around the corner...and that means apples around here. If you have 2-3 apples, some chocolate chips and your basic pantry staples...you are good to go for this recipe.
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Apple Chocolate Chip Cake

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• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 3/4 (three quarters of a cup) oil (I use vegetable oil)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar (white granulated)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 (half a cup) chocolate chips
• 3 cups sliced apples (2 large apples or 3 small apples, peeled)

Directions:

• In a small bowl: mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; set aside
• In large bowl: whisk oil, eggs, vanilla, sugar and chocolate chips
• With wooden spoon, add flour mixture to wet mixture. It will be very thick!
• Fold in sliced apples.
• Spoon into greased bundt pan.
• Bake at 325* for 1 hour.

Enjoy!! The only extra tid bit of info I have is...I tried frosting this cake in different ways. I've tried traditional frosting, chocolate ganache, icing, glaze etc, but my family just likes it plain. Try it plain first, then you decide.

This next recipe is fast and easy and great for parties.
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Smores On A Stick!

This is all you need for this treat: chocolate chips, graham cracker crumbs, marshmallows and skewers.

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Melt chocolate chips in the microwave. I used 50% power for a minute or so.

Skewer the marshmallow.

Dip in melted chocolate.

Then roll in graham cracker crumbs.

Refrigerate to harden chocolate, then enjoy the chilly version of the melted smores.

If you like the melty kind of smores without the campfire...I make these all summer for the girls and all their friends.

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Oven Smores

On a cookie sheet, place desired number of graham cracker squares. On each cracker, place a square of a Hershey's chocolate bar and then a marshmallow (on it flat side). Bake in a 350* oven for about 5-8 minutes or until the marshmallow starts to puff. Keep an eye on them all the time. When they look puffy enough, remove from oven and place another square of graham cracker on each one. Push down slightly until you see the marshmallow ooze a little.

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I know not the best directions with words like puffy and ooze and no pictures either, but give it a try anyway...they are fast, yummy and no marshmallows bursting into flames over the open campfire.

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Hope you can try some of these recipes,

~Karen~

Last Days of Summer...

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Here in the northern hemisphere the last day of summer is September 21st, which is tomorrow. I won't lie to you...I'm not a big fan of summer. Oh, I like it, but fall is my favorite. I love the colors, the cool temperatures, wearing just a sweater, apples, hot cider...you get the picture. Well, last weekend fall came early in our house.
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Out with the sea shelled mirror, the antique fishing basket and the green plant. To make that mirror, I just took an old mirror, a boat load of shells and a lot of hot glue. See that basket that the plant is in...well, I want a sea grassy look, but couldn't find one, so that's an old lamp shade I turned upside down.

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and now autumn has arrived!
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I bought this little stitchery at a flea market for $3.00. Thought it was cute for this time of year.
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Here's a little hutch that I change out for the seasons. Crisp white for summer.

To burnt oranges for fall. Still not sure about this look. I might try the plates I usually put in there. I buy plates for different seasons on sale. My husband bought me this service for 8 of this burnt orange, plus platters and a 3 pieces canister set all for less than $10.00. It was on sale at JC Penney for 90% off. He saw it all on his own and knew he had to get it. He said "it looked like me". I love him to pieces...

Here is another sign that fall and winter are coming. This little chipmunk was cuter in person.

Look at her in this pipe with a mouth full of acorns. Looks like me this weekend with all the junk I ate. (long story which I already told to the I Spy swappers in a letter, but the short story is... hubby and kids not home, I didn't cook, ate cookies, chips and dip and mac and cheese all day Saturday) Not pretty.

I visited my sister-in-law today to see her 2 new kittens. I made her a Chocolate Chip Apple Cake. I'll post the recipe in a different post tonight. I also have 2 quick smore recipes too. Ok, Kelly (sisterhood of the junk food) if you are reading this, I just baked the goodies...I was very good, I just had one piece of cake when I was visiting her. I couldn't let her eat alone...wink, wink!
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Enjoy the last days of summer,

~Karen~