Queso Recipe

rib sticking queso dip recipe!!!  what is better on a chilly lazy sunday afternoon than some yummy queso dip?  ENJOY!

QUESO:

1 large block of Velveeta---cut into cubes
1 can Campbell's Fiesta Nacho Cheese Soup
1/4 cup milk

dump these ingredients into your crock pot.  start the melting process while preparing the beef mixture.

1 lb hamburger
5-6 fresh Jalapenos
1/2 white onion

chop your onion.  remove the ends from the jalapenos,  remove seeds from inside and chop your jalapenos.  you can leave a few in for added heat.  depends on your taste.    add to hamburger and brown.   (it looks like a lot but trust me, don't skimp on the jalapenos)

put browned hamburger mixture into cheese mixture and "melt".  serve with tortilla chips.  Serves best when fresh.   can also have some sour cream on the side for extra yumminess. 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

CREATE -- wire fabric covered word

grab your pipe cleaners or wire, glue and your scraps.  this is a fun easy project for your creative space.  or you could even make a word for a kids room.  words for laundry rooms, lofts, basements.  again endless possibilities here folks.

i doubled the pipe cleaners and made the word C R E A T E.  doubling them made it a little more sturdy.  all you do is wrap the cleaners around each other. 

cut your scrap pieces around 3/8 inches.  the thinner the easier to work with.  trust me, i found out the hard way.  just a few dabs of glue here and there is all you need. 

see its a pretty good size word too.  this is the wall in my mom cave.  the momma den.  my sewing/crafting room.  its where all the magic happens.  ok not so much lately, but im working on that.

another pinterest project completed!  only about 1000 more pins to go!


linked to:
http://tatertotsandjello.com/2012/11/weekend-wrap-up-party-and-bake-at-350-giveaway.html

http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com/2012/12/sew-darn-crafty-linking-partyweek-94.html

Sister doll and hoop ornament

ive been way out of touch lately.  lifes busy and i cant seem to slow it down.  how is it just a few weeks before christmas?  i mean seriously! 

here is my doll i made for my sister.  i showed you the one she made for me in my previous post. 

she had to have a purse because my sister has a wee bit of a purse obsession.  bags too :)

 they got to be together for thanksgiving.  but she took her home on saturday.  boooo.

here is another project i made last weekend for FNSI.  totally forgot to blog about it.  heck i forgot to link the sign ups.  i suck right now.  (pardon my french)

its a hoop ornament.  im going to hang it in my sewing room or over a mirror in the foyer.  not sure yet.  i found the idea on pinterest and almost copied it to a tee cuz i loved it so much.  its just a hoop, fabric, ric rac and ribbon.  took me under an hour. 

have you all made a lot of things from pinterest?  i can proudly say i have.  ill show you a few other ideas this month.  this is assuming ill blog more than once this month.  ;) ;) ;)

my sister doll

i have a sister.  this makes me blessed. 

a few months ago when my dad was ill, my sister came to town.  she is always here at the drop of a hat.  i know this isnt easy for her, but we are ALL blessed that she doesnt ever hesitate.  this trip was even during a wild summer rain storm we had.  the girl almost didnt get to land---and its only funny because she hates to fly.  im not joking.  on the way to the airport, i told her son (my fav nephew) omg your moms going to be freaking out!!   the roads were flooding and it had been pouring for hours.  but by the grace of god she made it.  shew!  (cuz i really needed her at my side)

over the years she has made me lots of things.  a few years ago we had seen this pattern.  the sister dolls.  we vowed to make each other one.  well, she sent me mine this year for my bday.  ive been slowly working on hers this weekend, but cant show you her finished product just yet. 

she even made her a necklace that says "choose joy".  its become one of our favorite sayings.

every christmas for the past 5 maybe 6 years she has made me a scrapbooked calendar.  it is my MOST cherished gift!  i sit like a kid on xmas eve (usually without her because she lives far away) with this on my lap patiently waiting to see what beautiful pages she has made me.

this was a bag she made me.  it has personalized blocks with words/phrases only she i would remember.  memories of our childhood. 

when she was here (for the 2nd time in a month) we picked up the knack for crocheting.  ive dabbled and so had she, but it was good therapy for our dad.  so we brought him to my house, shopped for loads of yarn and spent the week doing some therapeutic scarf making.  it was good for all 3 of us.  :)

shes coming AGAIN in a few weeks for thanksgiving.  its our annual thing now.  we slave for the family because after all of these years of my mom doing it, we figured it was time to step up and give her a break.  the laughter starts the second she gets here and doesnt end until she flys away. 

 

i love you ging!  see you soon!

your yarn pile is waiting and your sister doll too! 

 



the box

a few years ago i bought this at a big craft show in boulder city, NV.  my sister and i actually rock-paper-scissored for it.  wait, now that i think about it, we both wanted the other one.  obviously i lost. 

anyhoo, ive had this for at least 10 years.  it was never a finished product, just plain wood.  last year, i painted it black.  not what i really wanted, but dealt with it.  the other night, i got a wild hair and re-painted it.  she sits in my craft/sewing room.  holds my favorite quilt books.

Heidi has been trying to take this off of my hands for awhile.  she even had some guy give her an estimate of what he would charge to build it.  sorry Heidi....you cant have it just yet.  (ill put it in my will for ya). 

i did a do-it-yourself chalk paint method.  i used plaster of paris, water and paint.  finished it off with a good coat of wax.  im in LOVE with it again! 

i did a bit of antiquing also.  i had plans to go to hobby lobby and get new nobs, but these look really good with the teal/aqua color!  

after avoiding my craft room for the past few months, im spending the next few days organizing it AGAIN.  i swear its a never ending job.  but with xmas right around the corner, i need to make a few gifts and cant remember where anything is!  if i had a closet in this room, id be in heaven.  but its sort of a den/office.  i even showed my hubby some plans for built-ins to which he looked at me like "your kidding right?!!!?!!".  yeah, we will scrap those.  for now.....

FNSI result

Are you wondering if I'm still here?

Here's what I did fnsi. I finished one scarf and whipped out another. 

My poor fabric must be feeling left out!  I did fondle it but just moved it around and made a mess. 

Crocheting is very relaxing. I'm liking it. Except one thing........

IM HOARDING YARN NOW!!!! 

Happy halloweweeeennnnnn!!! 

Fnsi delay

Heidi and I need to push back this months fnsi by only a week. We are 2 busy girls this month.

Look for sign ups in a few days. See you next Friday.

Fnsi results, winner and some news.

As I said in my previous post I was lucky enough to have my sister here with me for fnsi. We changed things up a bit tho. We crocheted!!!  We are even still doing it days later. Our dad has always crocheted and since he has been a bit under the weather he hadn't done much. But we did get to spend a fabulous day with him trying to learn some techniques. (see pic below of them hard at work on the couch)  It was heavenly.  We both finished a scarf by Sunday. YAY and even started on some granny squares too.

The winner for this months fnsi is:

#12----Kathy at http://kindredquilts.blogspot.com/
she made a very cute pumpkin pin cushion!!!  you know how i LOVE pin cushions!!  NICE JOB!

congrats!!!  your gift will be:  (see the first picture below).
its a 5 FQ pack of fall fabrics and this cute tape measure.  isnt it fun?!!!  please send me an email with your mailing info. 

Don't forget to check Heidi's blog at www.handmadebyheidi.com for her winner.

Lastly the news------ Heidi and I have been co-hosting FNSI for 3 years.  We have made the tough decision to stop doing a monthly giveaway. (boo, hiss, sigh)  BUT We are still going do fnsi each month because we LOVE this event.  it gives us the push to sew.  Once in awhile we will do a surprise giveaway for special occasions.   cuz we love all of you loyal followers!!!

so here are a few pics from my night and weekend. 
see you all next month!!!

Friday Night sew in signups

I can't believe it's already time again for fnsi. Head on over to Heidi's blog at www.handmadebyheidi.com and put your name on the list.

My home Pc is messed up. I'm blogging via phone and it's annoying. I'm having a rough year I tell ya.

My sister is going to be in town so I'll get a sewing partner this month for fnsi.
Yay!!  Even though it will be nice to have a person to sew with we are dealing w some family medical issues. Not fun! But we are a close family and always there for each other so I know things will be ok.

It's not me....its my dad. But God gives you strength when you feel there isnt any left.
I'm hanging onto that.

Alright enough of the poor me :)

Can't wait to see what you all make!  See you Friday !

It's fall y'all

Autumn is here. Well kind of. In my neck of the woods it means we might cool down to the 90s. I take what I can get!

I made some fall decor this weekend. Courtesy of a pumpkin at michaels, some Martha Stewart craft paint and a dollar store candlestick.


I also wanted to show you a mug rug my sister made me. We have both loved bags since we can remember.  It's too cute to use for a sweaty cup so I hung it up for decor.

I'm still having computer issues uploading photos to my blog. For now my phone will have to do. But why does it put all the pics at the bottom?

Ps I  think fnsi is this Friday.  Heidi and I will have to post the signups tomorrow.

FNSI results and winner

I was soooo excited about this FNSI.  i started sewing thurs night---made a bag.  friday night---made another bag and sat morning made a little project.  thats a crapload of sewing !!! (pardon my french)

I'm having trouble with uploading pics in blogger.  no clue why.  so this post might be naked.

do you know heidi and i have been doing FNSI for 3 years!!! THREEEEE YEARS! WOW. 
today while chitchatting via our cellphones we did a little reconfiguring and decided to make our giveaway day on Mondays. this will give you ALLLL weekend to post your results. 

my winner for this months FNSI is:

#61  SIMONE
she is at http://www.quiltingismydowntime.blogspot.com.au/
shes got some really cute hexies going and hand stitching.  check it out!!!

Simone, you are winning a MAMA SAID SEW charm pack from Moda / Sweetwater.
also a cute small pattern for hotpads. 

Dont forget to hop over to HEIDIS blog and see who her winner is.  GOOD LUCK!

lets hope i can get my pics to load soon.  i want to show you my bags i made!!! they have London fabric and are adorable!

August FNSI sign ups are here!

YAY.  Its time for some FRIDAY NIGHT SEW IN.   Its this friday 8/17/12 !!!



Just a quick reminder of how this works. 

1.  sign up below with your name, state/country and link back to your blog.
2.  blog about your project on friday or saturday.  its the only way to be eligible for the prize.
3.  My co host Heidi and I will each be doing a giveaway and will choose a lucky winner via random.org.
4. the winners will be chosen at some point on sunday.  weve had a few months that we were a bit late.....but this month we will be on top of things.  (fingers crossed). 
5.  lastly, dont forget to check out other peoples projects.  i always get inspiration from all of you.  :)

ok, remember this is a night for you to relax and put aside some sewing/crafting time.  got a project in mind?  im seriously pondering starting a new quilt.  im tossing around ideas.  sadly i do have a few to finish  (DONT WE ALL).  maybe ill pull one of those UFOs out and see what catches my eye.

see you friday!!!  (ps....christmas is coming fast.  might be a good time to start christmas projects---note to self). 

Baby quilt

we have a new baby girl in the family, so i decided to tackle my first baby quilt.  now i get it why so many people make them.  they are simple when they are small!!!  i did the entire thing sunday afternoon/evening. 

it measures 36x36.  i wanted to make a small one for laying the baby on the floor or a stroller quilt.  she lives in North Dakota.....maybe i shouldve put 3-4 layers of batting cuz its so cold there.     LOL!!

 the fabric is LITTLE APPLES by Moda. i adore the aqua / turquoise color so of course i had to use it as my backing.  the binding is a solid kona gray.

 have you seen these binding clips?  HEIDI turned me onto them and i LOVE them!!! 

for a job well done, i treated myself to this.   coffee, ice cream, and chocolate all in one.  now that's some good stuffs!!

FNSI, lucys crabshack bag, and the beach

life is good.  time at the beach will do that to ya.  especially when the heat in vegas is at an all time high for the summer.  we left just in time to miss the 117 degree heat.  muahahaha.  planned that JUST right!!  (this post is heavy on iphone pics)

i didnt participate in FNSI last night because i was unpacking THIS.  loads and loads of beach gear.  can i just say that when you live this close to cali, you MUST invest in the gear.  we have a canopy, chairs, coolers, lots of towels, footballs, smashballs, bad mitten, boogie boards.....  the list goes on and on and on.

i did manage to whip up an adorable lucys crabshack bag to take with me on the trip.  the pattern is the charm party tote by quilts illustrated.  most LQS sell the pattern.  but it can also be found here.  its been my absolute favorite bag to make!!   

i did toss in a few squares from sweetwaters reunion line because the color schemes match.  i wanted the bag to be more of the navy colors.   i made big fat handles for the cute factor.

here was my morning coffee view.  heaven.....pure heaven.

our first night we went and watched the sunset.    i LOVE my guys!

one of our days it was cloudy which was a nice relief for a few sunburns.  my boys played a little game of ocean football. 

here is my goodlooking hubby digging us a mote so our beach gear was safe from the incoming tides.  the mans a genius because it worked!

my bag squished with all of our gear, but readily handy for my ipad, movies and books. 

hope you all are having a relaxing summer.  take some time for yourself.  its good for the soul.

Fnsi sign ups and date correction

The date for fnsi is THIS Friday the 13th. Sign ups are on www.handmadebyheidi.com Sorry but I'll be back Friday night. Right now I've got a date with my boys and a beach.

Happy 4th of July--gnome style

Happy Birthday USA!!! 

FNSI winners and gnome update

did everyone have a nice fathers day??  i spent it with my hubby (fabulous daddy to our boys) and my dad (the worlds greatest!).     it was a day in the pool with loads of sun and some yummy bbq!! 

i have picked 2 winners for this month thanks to random.org. 

my first winner is :
#112  Rachel B in Idaho at http://rachelsquilts.blogspot.com/
LOVE your postage stamp!!! 

here is your prize:

A Lucys Crabshack charm pack and my needlebook i made for FNSI.  (i love giving away my projects!)

the second winner is:
#5  Corina - Manitoba CA at http://cwquilts.blogspot.com/
look at those curves!!  beautiful.

here is your prize:

A domestic bliss charm pack and a fun owl pincushion pattern.

CONGRATS to you both!!   all you ladies need to do is send me an email with your mailing address.  hey,  if you live in a cooler climate i think i should hand deliver them.  LOL

its hot here.  summer has arrived.  110 at some point this week.  im not leaving the house until October.  whine whine whine.  can someone atleast send me some rain? a cloud or two? 

remember my GNOME?   he still has residence somewhere in Montana.  here he is hanging out with my goodlooking sister!  I dont think he minds ones bit either.  She went to a farmers market and took him along for the FUN.

ill post some more pics later this week.  they are a HOOT.  she and her friend had wayyy too much fun.  I wonder how much fabric i could send her as a ransom payment?  stay tuned.....

FNSI results

Last night for FNSI i made a needle book.  not much of a night for sewing, but i spent a lot of time hiding in my mom cave and deciding what fabrics to use on a bag im going to make for the beach with Lucys Crabshack.  shew that was a long sentence.  ;)

this needle book cover is from the Lucys line.

i added the piece of ribbon on the right side to hold a roll of embroidery thread. 

i went with some playful bright felt on the inside to match the color scheme of the outside.  nice and summery. 

don't forget to check my blog tomorrow for the WINNERS!  ill be choosing 2.  Heidi is on an adventure to the Minnesota state quilt show this weekend.  hope she is having fun and meeting some new people!