Fair Inspired Goodies

The last few weeks have been so busy! I've been working hard sewing more stuff for the upcoming craft show:

Celebrating a four year old:

 

And doing fun stuff like going to the State Fair! I'm not sure who these strange fair-going kids belong to:

 

You just never know what you'll see at the fair.  Take a look at these prize winning carrots! Really makes me want to bust out some ranch for dipping. (in their defense, this was day 6 of their showing)

 

Here's a funny chicken:

 

And a friendly camel:

Some of the usual crazy fair food offerings:

 

Then this weekend was our little burg's fall festival complete with rides and more nasty fair food. Okay, not all fair food is nasty, some of it's pretty good. Like my favorite Indian Tacos, roasted corn, caramel apples...and this yummy concoction. Two years running it's my son's lunch choice a the state fair. They call it a "Barbecue Parfait." It is layered baked beans, mashed potatoes and pulled pork, drizzled with bbq sauce on top. Looks like a yummy dessert!

So, this last week, we decided to make our own at home. Simple enough! Stuck some pork in the crockpot with bbq sauce, whipped up some potatoes and warmed some beans, then layered it in a glass.  

 

My other fair goody wasn't something we ever ate AT the fair, it was on the way. There is a bakery in an Amish town on the road up to the fair. It was always a tradition for us to stop and get some of their marvelous cinnamon rolls. Well, last year after we got home from the fair, we learned that the bakery was closing :(. No more gooey, nutty doughy rolls to complete our day at the fair. So sad. Then, a few days ago I spotted this recipe and couldn't stop thinking about it. I was craving that doughy cinnamon something. I think my brain automatically expects me to overindulge in some cinnamon roll type treat mid-September. I just had to make it. I did, and it was SO good.

Apple Walnut Pull-apart Bread...this kind of sweet treat is my weakness.

 

So, September is winding down, there is another somebody with a birthday coming up, then October hits with crazy Halloween busy-ness (a kid wants to be spaghetti & meatballs for Halloween....good luck to me making that costume). Then November will be upon us and with it, the Craft Show!! Yikes!! Slow down time!!

Sewing, sewing, sewing

I'm so excited to report that my sister & I have been given a booth at one of the biggest, busiest Christmas craft bazaars in town! It was quite a nerve-wracking summer waiting to hear for sure. We applied in April and were supposed to hear back by June 30. What a joke! June 30th came & went. So did July 30th. So much for sewing the summer away! It was a frustrating wait, but finally just about 2 weeks ago we found out that we will indeed have a booth. That means it's time to kick our rears in gear and get some stuff made!

I decided to first focus on making purses and some roll-up tote bags. I ordered some really pretty fabric last spring, thinking positively and planning ahead for our booth. I was excited to finally use it. So, last weekend I was very productive and completed four purses:

 

And four roll-up tote bags:

 

Doing four at a time assembly line style actually went rather quickly. And I was on such a sewing roll, I went ahead and finished up this chevron mini quilt that has been laying around forever just begging to be assembled & quilted:

 

Just a fun little scrap-buster to display on my "new" quilt rack.

After finishing up the bags up I am so excited to make some more.  I have NO idea how well they'll sell, so it's hard to know how many to make. If I have leftovers I suppose I can try to sell them on etsy, so I'd like to error on the side of making too many.

Here's the fabric for my next batch of bags:

I already have the pieces cut, I just have to squeeze some sewing time into this busy holiday weekend.

A New Season

Not technically fall, but I can smell it in the air. And now that school has started and the weather has cooled somewhat, it really does feel like fall! I'm so ready.

Since we've returned from our vacation, I've had this very strange urge to clean, organize and get rid of stuff. I even cleaned & vacuumed the car. I know, strange. I'm just so tired of the stress of messes. I desperately need a fresh start with this new season.

I've discovered the one of my problems is that I have too many baskets, bins, containers and little doo-dad holders. Because, if you have a container, it WILL get filled. I've been sorting things and going through piles of stuff that I've been ignoring for a long time. And getting rid of the extra containers.  What a wonderful feeling to walk into a room and not see these little piles anymore. And it's getting addictive. I'm looking around excitedly wondering what to clean next.   I'm sure it's a phase that will pass, but while it lasts, I'm rolling with it.  Husband reminded me that I went through something similar last year at this time, but I don't recall...

So, in honor of the upcoming change of seasons, I made this wonderful "Autumn Chopped Salad" that I found on pinterest. We added some cut up turkey cold-cuts on top and it was a very nice main dish salad for dinner yesterday. And it was so pretty too!

Have Toothbrush, Will Travel

We just returned from a nice camping trip to the mountains. We had a wonderful relaxing time. Except for the long drive of course, and some of the usual sibling bickering, but overall lots of fun. My only other two complaints were some overly curious bears (this was at our neighbor's campsite) -

and some very chilly/rainy weather-

I know it seems crazy to complain about that when its still over 100 here and dry as a bone. Wish we could've brought some of that rain home with us!

Anywho, while preparing for our trip, in the midst packing and cooking and cleaning and laundry, I managed to sew this little gem. I saw this idea on pinterest a while back, a roll-up toothbrush 'caddy!' Since it was just a listing on etsy, there was no tutorial or instructions, I just winged it. And I winged it in a matter of minutes. It was so easy!

I bought two regular sized washcloths at the dollar store. I folded one in half and placed it on top of the other with the fold in the center. I sewed around the sides & bottom, then sewed seams to separate the folded cloth into four sections. I also sewed in a piece of elastic. (forgive these gosh-awful pics!)

So, you can slide your toothbrushes & flossers into the slots, then fold the top down.

Then roll it up & loop the elastic around it to hold it closed.

I love that it's an absorbent holder, I always hate just throwing everyone's toothbrush into baggies and I've never met a plastic toothbrush holder I liked. Then, when you're back from your trip, you can just toss it in the wash. Genius!

I love this idea & wish I would've discovered it sooner. It's a keeper!

T-Shirt Makeover

I've got lots of old souvenir t-shirts that I can't seem to get rid of. They each hold special memories of some of my favorite places. But, I just don't wear big boxy t-shirts anymore. Hard to believe I ever did! Can you say 'unflattering?!' So, when I saw this idea on Pinterest I thought it would be perfect to try on one of these old shirts.

Hellooo Pikes Peak! Goodbye ugly t-shirt!

This is so simple. And super quick too. It literally takes less than 15 minutes. If you have that much un-interrupted time, that is. Tis rare for me, but I did on this occasion (nap time, yay!). So, you just cut off the sleeves and cut along the top just under the collar.  Slice off the stitched hem then cut a straight raw edged piece about 1" wide. Fold down & the top edge of the shirt about 1", pin in place then stitch a simple casing. Stretch out your hem piece, cut it in half then thread it through your casing, tie at the shoulders and bam! You've got a new tank top!

I've been wearing mine over my swimsuit when we head to the pool. And evenings at home when it's hot and I have to go out and water. Admittedly it does not have a lot of coverage so my modest 40 year old self does not wear it out & about as a "real" top. But I'm sure others could get a way with it, no problem. And my sister gave me the great idea of taking a larger child's t-shirt and making a dress or nighty for my daughter. I think that would be awesome!