Party is done!

     Good Morning!! I know its been awhile :( I'm gonna start this post with  famous words from Walt Disney...

     My girls birthday party was yesterday, I think that may be the very last party I have at my house LOL I think it was a success and I know they had fun so that's what counted! Everything Minnie had to be!!! I will start off with my applique news :) I have several new designs and 6 new Halloween feltie designs that will be listed this week, and I will have them 50% off the first couple of days after I list them! I was thinking about adding a tutorial on the feltie designs although I have one included in the zipped file when you purchase from me so I haven't decided yet whether or not I'll do that. If anyone wants a tutorial let me know and I will post one!
Now just a few pictures from the party!

      After making these bows my Mom asked why didn't I have an "M" in the middle of the Mouse head......I didn't even think about it but I wish I had...that would have been adorable! It must not have been on my list haha YES I'm one of those types I have a list for everything if I didn't I cant imagine how chaotic everything would be :)

     These shirts I think turned out adorable BUT it wasn't easy trying to convince my 6 year old that the shirt needed to be green instead of pink...she wanted pink (her favorite color) but I knew the Mouse's dress wouldn't show up well on pink and the party theme colors were green & pink soo...she never actually agreed but when I got finished she liked it .

      I wanted to do it all myself...not sure what I was thinking at that moment! Third time ever I have made cake/cupcakes and buttercream icing but it was the very first time I made it and needed more that one color, they were very cute and tasted good too but baking is not my talent not even a little bit, my 3 kids were running around overly excited about the party so that made it much harder BUT I do much better in my sewing room than in the kitchen (my husband is a great cook!) Thank goodness :)

      Not a good pose but the best I could get because I called them in there from playing and they did not want to stop what they were doing (I'm always with a camera too so they get a bit tired of it)

     just more decorations...

    My babies opening their presents :)

     Okay so I don't bore you with all my party pictures I will stop there!

Here are a few of the recipes I used (from Pinterest)


                 I'm not even sure what these are called other than Hershey Kiss treats !

      It really doesn't get any easier than that! So for a fast & cute treat this is the way to go! and then I did the white chocolate covered Marshmallows, almost as easy (they took a few minutes longer (20 min total) but still VERY easy and like I said I'm, not a cook so if I say its easy you should believe it!

Ta Da...so cute and a big hit!

       So I have been very busy lately preparing for the Madison's first day of school, the birthday party and working on new designs so now that I'm one less child at home today and the party is over I have plenty of time to play catch up!! I am off to do some test stitching.
Someone asked me to add a pin it button to my post...after some ((LOTS)) of  research I finally figured out how to add it so there is a pin it button at the bottom of my post!
And so to end the same way I began with another one of Walt's Quotes....I would rather entertain and hope that people learned something than educate people and hope they were entertained.

Inspirational must read!!

This is a guest post on my blog, I don't know her personally but she has an inspirational story (journey she has had) that I think is very touching and I would love to help build awareness and share her message!

 Heather Von St James is a 43-year-old wife and mother. Upon her diagnosis of mesothelioma, she vowed to be a source of hope for other patients who found themselves with the same diagnosis. Now, over 6 years later, her story has been helping people all over the globe. She continues her advocacy and awareness work by blogging, speaking and sharing her message of hope and healing with others. Check out her story at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Blog.

Winning the Battle

One of the most wonderful times in a woman’s life is when she’s expecting a child.  I was blessed with a normal pregnancy and my excitement grew with each little movement and kick. Lily, my darling baby girl, was born vibrantly healthy with a full set of fingers and toes via emergency c-section on August 4, 2005.  My husband, his family, my parents and many dear friends, “my village” as I like to call them, were there throughout my pregnancy and Lily’s birth.  Life seemed perfect with so much to look forward to as each new chapter in this life unfolded.

I had to go back to work when Lily was about a month old.  I wasn’t feeling well but was told that the fatigue and breathlessness was because I had just given birth; a bad case of “baby blues.” However, I felt there was something wrong and contacted my doctor.  After many tests, the diagnosis revealed much more than we expected.

During one of the most joyous times of my life, with a three-and-a half-month-old baby girl, I was slapped with devastating news.  On November 21, 2005, I was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma; a type of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. As it turns out, I came into contact with asbestos when I was just a child, 30 years ago. If that wasn’t bad enough, the doctor gave me 15 months to live unless I began treatment immediately.  I had so much to live for and I couldn’t imagine my loving husband and new baby girl having to go on with out me. I knew I had to do whatever I could to beat this monster and that meant getting the best treatment possible.

We headed to Boston, the home of one of the best mesothelioma doctors in the U.S.  My folks took care of Lily while my husband and I went off to seek his help.  On February 2, 2006, I underwent an extrapleural pneumonectomy, a procedure that removed the affected lung and all its surrounding tissues.  I stayed in the hospital for 18 days. Two months later, I started treatments of radiation and chemotherapy.

Throughout our time in Boston, our village grew. We met other families who were going through the same thing; their support was invaluable. They leaned on us and we leaned on them. Back in South Dakota, my parents gained their own little village. Girls who I used to baby-sit for, now grown with families of their own, offered to watch Lily while my parents worked. Their support means more to me than I can ever express.

Motherhood is a 24-hour joyful and stressful job but I never dreamed I would be battling the curse of mesothelioma at the same time.  It was so hard missing those cherished moments in the first year of Lily’s life. Those precious moments, that my parents shared with me though photos, made me determined to win this battle. My fight paid off, as I’m now cancer-free.

Along with the visions of my beautiful baby girl, it was “my village” of family and friends that gave me the strength to reach for the stars and beat this cancer.  I knew I needed to be here for those who loved and supported me through it all. Life is so precious and cancer is a curse; never give into it.

Diagnosis of Mesothelioma 

 https://mesothelioma.net/mesothelioma-diagnosis/ 

Party planning :)

      I'm glad to say it is still early in the week and I'm running AHEAD of my schedule! Which is a very good thing right now because next month is both my girls birthdays, turning 6 & 3 and I'm one of those crazy people that plan everything out a month or 2 in advance for a party that last maybe 2 hours and then swear that I'll never do that again...until next year :) This year they want a Minnie mouse themed party, it will be a double party (as long as I can get away with doing a 2 in 1 party I will!!) So my next couple of weeks are going to be getting everything together for the party so (and getting my oldest ready for her first day of school) I may not get to many more designs out over the next month. However I will be answering emails so if u need anything I will get back to you! I think July & August will always be very busy for us because of the 2 birthdays and school starting.

     My mom went yard selling the other day and got the girls some really cute clothes....one skirt (childs place) adorable camouflage with appliqued roses on it...she (my 5 yr old) wasn't very thrilled with the skirt...if its not pink and shinny shes not interested so I knew I had to figure out something to do with a shirt to match the skirt so she would wear it because it is sooo cute! So on a pink shirt I added a simple raggedy rose applique, it looks simple but not quit as easy as it looks...you do the guideline stitch first then I took a strip of material I cut very thin (this probably would have been a lot easier done with ric rac or ribbon but I wanted it to match the skirt) after the guide line is stitched I sprayed with adhesive glue over the stitches and carefully laid down the material, then did the last stitch and it's done! Seems simple enough but getting the material laid just perfect over the stitches took a few minutes! I'm going to add this to my website on the free designs if anyone would like to try it! I would love to see any pictures of your work I would love to see how creative you can be with suck a simple design!! (Click on the word free and it will take you to the free designs page).

     I think it turned out cute but most importantly, my daughter loves it so WIN :) and of course she had to have a matching bow! Oh and since I mentioned adhesive spray < I had a question from someone the other day about the brand I use so originally I used the Sulky KK2000 which I get from Joanns but recently was at my local sewing shop and saw this 505 spray adhesive, it only cost 12.99 versus the Sulky which is 14.99 but the can is twice as big, a little over 8 oz. and with the Sulky you only get 4 oz so way better deal and I have used it and it works just as good. I don't use spray adhesive a whole lot so it last a long time for me but if you use it often I would definitely check into this 505 way more for your money!  Here's a picture so you can see what the can looks like. This may already be a widely known brand I have no idea its just new to me and I thought I would share since its such a good deal!

      I made this for a friends baby the other day, ( this applique is also listed under the free designs) the party was zebra themed so it matched great! I love the little bloomers they are always fun to do!

     I have been spending time that I do not have on Pinterest :) I love all of the creative ideas!! If anyone has any party ideas (Minnie Mouse) I would love to hear them I'll be preparing for the next month trying to gather ideas and things I can do & make for the party! email me at appliquecrazy@att.net

Delightful

                                                      

                                                                 Happy 4th!!

     Here's a quick recipe, I always fix this for our family reunion which we are missing this year but no reason not to fix this for the family! Just to let you know when I say its easy then its EASY because I'm NOT a cook just never enjoyed being in the kitchen and luckily married a man who does (and is very good at it too) The best part is its no bake (easy) and EVERYONE will love it! You need to prepare it the night before so it can sit in the fridge over night and I'm telling u every time I fix this for a party everyone loves it and the dish will be empty coming home and I said it was easy right?? I have been making this for MANY MANY years and its original name is Cherry Delight but I am adding fresh blueberries to the mix this time for the fourth of July (I have used a can of strawberries and a can of blueberries too) so whatever your preference will work!


So here's the ingredients:   13x9 dish
1 large box of vanilla instant pudding
1 medium size tub of cool whip (in my pic you'll see a large tub if u have a large tub use about half)
1 can of cherries or strawberries, blueberries whatever u would like
1 box of graham cracker (honey or original)
2.5 cups of milk (follow the instructions for the instant pudding for the milk, which is 2.5 cups for a large box)



1.~Fix the instant pudding as directed in a mixing bowl and let sit for 5 minutes. While your waiting line your dish with grahams crackers. Normally I don't go so high on the sides especially if I'm doing this to take somewhere because it just looks better if u don't, but since this is just for the family and they LOVE graham crackers I added more :)

2.~ Next add the cool whip to the mix and mix thoroughly.

3.~ Then add a layer of mixture and then a layer of graham crackers (I usually do one of each)

4.~Then add your topping.

5.~Refrigerate until ready to eat (at least 4 hours to let the crackers soften a little) You can use a can of blueberries and a can of cherries and swirl it over the top that is what I normally do for the fourth and it's really cute. I hope u enjoy!

Date Night

     Okay so the hubby and I had date night last friday night ((no kids)) this is the first time out without the kids in 14 months, YES I said 14 months. Everytime I think about that I really realize how much I deserve a cookie at least for keeping my sanity LOL! I love my children but come on 14 months thats just not healthy for anyone! Anyway my point...it was much needed so now with that little break I should be completely revitalized and able to get things going haha. Normally right now we would be on our family vacation (reunioin) I have gone every year since I was 15 (that would 20 years this year), 18 years with my husband, we just had to much going on this year to go but we are really missing it! On a lighter note we are taking a trip to Destin in August for the weekend so I'm excited about that!! The next 2 months are going to be full, My 5 year old is starting school (first grade) so I have to get her registered and both my girls birthdays are in Augurst too! FUN FUN 
      I was trying to find something I could cook for the kids while the hubby and I were gone Friday night (my mom was watching them) I didn't want her to have to cook too so I found an interesting recipe on Pinterest.  I love Pinterest and anyone who has been on there recently you have probably seen this recipe already...I found this one interesting because I have 3 kids who don't agree on much especially when it comes to food so I didn't want to be out Friday night worrying about whether or not they ate sooooo They had TACO BAKE (not thehealthiest meal but better than just plain junk food so if you have picky eaters like I do they may like this.)

    My youngest loves anything that resembles spaghetti, my middle child loves lasagna and my other one...well she likes any kind of chips (she would have them everyday if allowed) so when I saw this I new it was worth giving it a try!

    It is a casserole topped with Doritos which just thrilled my kids because we don't get junk food often here so when its served for dinner you better belive they were all game!


The ingredients:
1 lb hamburger meat
1 pack of taco seasoning
1 can of cresent rolls
1 can of tomatoe sauce
8oz. of sour cream
1 cup of shredded cheese
Doritos

1. Cook hamberger meat and drain

2. Add taco seasoning, tomato sauce (to the meat), Simmer...




3. In a 13x9 baking dish roll out the cresent rolls

4. Layer hamburger mixture, sour cream and then cheese.



5. Crush about 3/4 of a bag of Doritos and put them on top. You can see the picture above I put them in a large ziploc bag to crush because I didnt want any large pieces because of my little ones.

Bake at 350 for 30 min.





     It actually looks pretty good, and I was told that the kids loved it so YAY! If you like these ingredients its definetly worth the try, its easy & quick! And a nice treat for your kids and Momma serving Doritos for supper is unbeliveable you will be the hero for the night! I know this was way off subject from appliqueing I guess this is why I added the "& a little extra to the title of this blog a little while back! I just wanted to share :)

      I have been working on designs all last week and this week, all very random :) a few by request which gave me ideas for some of the others that I did...Next I would like to do some back to school designs, I know my daughter will have some ideas, this will be her first year in public school (fiurst grade) so she is excited but of course I'm nervous but ready! :)

Here's pictures of the new designs, I just got them listed on the website today! Let me know if you have any request, any ideas or anything you would like to have a tutorial about and if I can help I will! I would love to hear your comments or thoughts! Have a good week! :) ~Always Smile & Happy stitching or cooking LOL :) Click here for the link to these designs.

Summer Designs

     This is going to be short, I have a minute while the kiddos are engaged in playdough (I use to HATE playdough because of the mess but now ...it will entertain them for long periods of time so we LOVE it ! I just listed a few new designs! Finally test stitched a few of the felties I have been promising so I got them listed too! Two of the designs are just a dollar and I added a free design too! Last week when I finished one of the last designs that I was working on, (latelty I test stitch on shirts for my kids so I'm not just wasting material and my daughter informed me that Miles (her bubba) was getting left out. She was right they have loads of shirts compared to him so the last couple of weeks my focus has been on boy designs and it has been a challenge!Mission accomplised (all beacuse of a trip to the Dollar Tree)!! I now have a few more boy designs and now he has a few more shirts :)!

   I went to the Dollar Tree the other day and found these little boy short (12-18months) yes they are made cheap but I thought they were cute and for a dollar they would do just fine, my son is so rough on his clothes & so messy sometimes I can change him 3 times in a day so I thought these would be cute and perfect for the summer.

     Once I got home and laid these out I thought this will be easy enough I can make the matching designs so he'll have some outfits! I have some garanimal shirts that I got last year from walmart on sale for $2.00 each. (they have pockets but they are very easy to remove, just use a seam ripper or scissors and cute the threads from the inside of the shirt, once the pocket is removed I spray with water and iron and there is no evidence that there was a pocket there!)

   So the shorts were a dollar each and the shirts 2.00 each and I got to test stitch my new designs so for $12.00 I got 4 outfits and all my test stitching done, I think I got a good deal!

    They turned out really cute! My little boy is so rough on clothes we'll have to see if these shorts hold up through the summer LOL My girls clothes I could have resold as new they never got dirty or anything even their shoes, now my 5 year old is starting to get rougher on shoes but my little boys stuff when he outgrows it, its not even in good enough shape to give away! Click here for the link to these designs.