Sewing Classes At Chanhassen Vacuum Sales Center

 

Last night, we hosted a sewing class at our retail vacuum store.  We've recently added sewing machine repair to our business.  My dream is to also start holding fun creative workshops on site. 

 

The class was taught by the Material Girls, http://www.materialgirlsewing.com/classes/classes-at-chanhassen-vacuum-center/

 

It was so fun watching the young eight year old girls come into our store carrying their sewing machine's  What a great idea, starting them so young.

Look at their little hands, just precious. 

Here are some photos.

They finished some aprons and went home wearing mittens they made themselves. 

 

Wonder what they'll be making next week?

 

Peanut Blossom - The Holiday Cookie Recipe

I hope that you all enjoyed a lovely Thanksgiving.  Mine was really nice.  My entire family gets together in a church basement, as our group has grown quite large.  It was really special when we all held hands and before the prayer each person said what they were most thankful for this past year.  Overall, we were most thankful for family and being together. 

Amen to that! 

 

My traditional holiday cookie is Peanut Blossoms.  I only make them twice a year, on Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

  Now some people will just make these cookies using a peanut butter cookie recipe.  It's not the same.

 

Here's my secret recipe and my tips for making them unforgettable!

 

1 3/4 cups Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/2 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1/2 cup Shortening

1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter

1 Egg

2 tablespoons Milk

1 teaspoon Vanilla

48 Chocolate kisses

 

In large bowl mix flour, soda, salt. Add all remaining ingredients, mix at medium speed.  Chill 30 mins. then Roll into 1 inch balls and roll in white sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes

 

My tips:  Don't roll the dough into sugar.

Use Chocolate Kisses with Almonds

Take out of oven before they look done.

 

 

Enjoy the compliments.

 

 

Sewing Feed Bags With The Girls

This weekend was a lot of fun. 

I had my sister's over for a night of crafting.

We had seen these bags

on our Montana trip and thought they would be pretty easy to create ourselves.

 

We found a video on YouTube that was a little different.

My sister, Veronica furnished us with a lot of bags from her work place.

 

I should have done a short tutorial for you here, but you can find many on YouTube.

 

We'll be getting together to make more soon.

Perhaps, it will be daylight and I'll have enough light to get some good photos.  Please excuse my terrible photography.

 

 

 

Creativity Rocks!

Wicked

 

Turning 50 has been great!

My friend Lisa invited me to see the play, Wicked.

It was a birthday present.

I loved this story so much more than The Wizard of Oz.

 

I loved the question this story asked.

Is someone born evil, or does that person become evil because of things in their lives?

Then, the munchkins ask Glinda if it's true? Was she once friends with the wicked witch? 

This is really the opening of the play, and the story continues with the true story of who the wicked witch really is.

 

I adored the witch just as much as the always positive Glinda.

 

This story is about friendship.

 

Call your best friend and go see this show. 

You will love it!

  

Chris Farley Reincarnation

Do you remember Chris Farley from Saturday Night live and of course all the movies he starred in?  He could always make me laugh. My family loved him.

I found this photo today online and had to share.

 

 

Is this for real?

Here's a comparison.  Amazing isn't it?

 

Hope you're having a great week.

 

Abstract Art - A Watercolor - Water Therapy

 

 

Water Therapy - that's what I'll call this one.

It felt like therapy creating it.

Hope you enjoy.

DIY - Owl - Doodling/Painting/Mixed Media Tutorial How To

 I've been noticing a lot of Owls lately.

Have you too?

 

I decided to see if I could make an owl painting of my own.

Here's what I came up with.  It's easy, fun, and I'm guessing you can do it too.

 

Here's how...

 

First step - Sketch a picture of an owl.  I found a cookie jar owl and used it to get ideas from.

 

The next day, I found some of my favorite scrap paper.

Cut it up into shapes, similar to my sketch.

I laid it out on a canvas, and then decoupaged it down.

 

I was going to paint around my owls parts, but decided I'd rather doodle.

No surprise there.  So, I started by outlining.  Then, I doodled.

 

 

For the words, I decided to use. 

"Owl Always Love You."

Not sure

how these things just pop into my head.

 

But, I'm glad that they do.

 

I cut out some more scrapbook paper and used a stamp for

my letters with white paint.

I ended up doing my green background after, but you might want to do it before you

glue your owl down.

 

EZPZ.

 

Let me know what you think, or show me a picture of an owl you create.

I'd really love that.

 

My First Art Retreat with Alisa Burke

So, I was thinking, what would make my 50th birthday extra special?  Something, I would always remember?

 

Then, it came to me.  An art retreat. 

 

I remember the moment, I clicked the button and paid for the retreat.  Whoa, did I just do that?

Yes, I had.

 

The next couple of weeks, I waivered a bit.  But, then I bought my airline ticket, and next my hotel.

 

I was really doing this.  Yippee!

 

Where did I go, you might wonder?  Well, I have been a fan of the talented Alisa Burke http://alisaburke.blogspot.com/ for a couple of years now.  She is one of my very favorite artists, as she inspires me on a weekly basis.  Going to one of her retreats, would be a dream come true.  And, it was!

 

 

I had so much fun...

 

The class was called Graffiti Remix.

 

Alisa taught us about layering paint onto the canvas and then taking that

canvas and making something with it.  In this class, we made clutch bags.

 

I also learned how to use a sewing machine to free stitch my clutch purses.

The stitching becomes another layer to our canvas.

 

This retreat has opened up another way of creating for me. As you all know, I already love painting on canvas - see my post for Doodled Backpack's.

 

http://www.virginiajbailey.blogspot.com/2012/04/ikea-backpack-customized-with-original.html  

 

But now, I have plans to create my own backpacks, purses, etc...

 

Don't you just love learning and trying new things?



Happy Birthday Jade!

 

Fifteen years ago today, I was at the hospital giving birth to my daughter.

 

I'll never forget the moment when they placed Jade in my husbands arms and

he brought her to me.  That feeling of love was so strong, so powerful, it took my breath away.

 

The frantic moments, the pain, just moments before, 

forgotten.  

It was all worth it.

 

I remember kissing her and telling her how much I loved her.

 

It's true.  I really, really do.

 

Jade,

 

I am so proud of you!

 

 



Dutch Baby - From the Pancake House.

Have you ever tasted a Dutch Baby?  It's one of my favorite things to order when I go out for breakfast at the Original Pancake House in Eden Prairie, MN.

I love the taste, and texture of this delicious cross between a pancake and a egg.  Some people will order their Dutch Baby with fruit on top.  I prefer mine plain with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and side of syrup for dipping the corner of each bite.

I first learned about Dutch Babies on this blog called www.abeautifulmess.com   and on this blog post they shared a recipe http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2012/08/dutch-babies.html

So, off I went to find myself a small pan that I could put in the oven.  I have to say making Dutch Babies are really easy and delicious.  But, look at the one from the Pancake House.  It's amazing, right?

Lace For The Face - A Natural Microdermabrasion Cloth

Click Picture For More Information

I'm always on the lookout for new products that will impress me.
Lace For The Face is one of those products.  A few years ago this was a popular product in my eBay store www.ginnyjillb.com.

Recently, one of my customer's wrote to me wondering if I still sold this wonderful Lace For The Face Cloth. 

What is you ask? 
Well it is a special cloth made of Terry Cloth and Lace.
When I first found this new washcloth that was made with lace.  I couldn't wait to try one out.  So of course, I did.
It is everything it claims to be.

The shape is small and easy to use.  Fit in my hand perfectly.  I love the way the lace exfoliates and really deep cleans.  My skin feels soft and silky and all blemishes and blackheads have disappeared. 
All I do is use a dab of my beauty soap and rub in a circular motion on my skin. Then I rinse it off.  It's amazing.   If you want to learn more click the pictures.

Click Picture For More Information

  
   http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=261274213815

Motivational Art #19 Follow Your Passion.

 

 

 

It has been a while since I've posted some motivational art.

I am grateful to one of my readers for motivating me to get busy.

 

I hope you like it.

An Engagement Party

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Last weekend at this time I was just getting home from our trip to Glendive, Montana.  It's where my whole extended family traveled to go to my nephew Daniel and his finance Melissa's engagement party.

What an adventure of fun we all had.

Melissa's family and Dan had arranged for all of us to stay at the Makoshika State Park located in the badlands of Glendive, MT.  Most of us stayed in this really nice large A-frame lodge.

The park is rustic and beautiful.  Everywhere you look is a delight for the eyes.  Winding our way up the mountain to the lodge was a something.  I avoided looking down.  Once we arrived at the top.  My dad gets out of his car and says,  "I think, my brakes just went out."  What?  Sure enough, he had no brakes, and we could see a trail of the oil drippings.  Whoa, we were glad it had happened where it had.  But now, the new dilemma.  How were we going to get a car down the mountain with no brakes?

We didn't have time to think about it.  There was Melissa's family to meet, unpacking and eating to be done.  Unfortunately, my parents still worried about their car.  It is no fun to have car problems.

My dad has been a member of AAA for over 50 years.  He used to buy a AAA card for each of his 7 kids for many years, even after we left home.  I now do this for my own kids.

I called up AAA.  Would they please send a tow truck to the top of the mountain so we could get my dad's car to an automotive shop. "Sure, no problem," they said.  Great, we thought.  Problem solved.  An hour later we received a phone call from AAA.  No trucks available that night.  Could I please call again in the morning?  Rrrrgh.

By the way, I would like to put a plug in for Verizon.  It was the only cell service that worked after we passed through Fargo, ND.  My Virgin Mobil cell phone was worthless for the major portion of my travels.  When my husband called them for me to see if I could get service.  They told him, I would need to find someone with a Verizon phone (a competitor who had service) and maybe they could get my phone to work.  Yeah, right.
My next phone will be Verizon.

Saturday morning, I called AAA.  They called me back.  Turns out no tow trucks will go up the mountain.  Oh, and then the real bummer.  Turns out AAA doesn't help you if you happened to travel onto a gravel road.
A member for 50 years, and when you need them, they can't help you.

After a couple phone calls to one of the local car repair shops, and more run around. We determined that our best shot was going to be taking that car down the mountain ourselves. 

This could spell disaster, obviously.  But what choice did we have? Dan had a large strap that he hooked between his truck and my dad's Buick.  Would it hold?  There unfortunately is only one way to find out.  The first turn seemed to be okay.  Dan's truck held the strap tight.  They moved slow.  When they were out of our sight my mom, brother, and I could not stand not knowing what was happening.  So we hopped into my zippy (name for my new car) and headed down the winding mountain.  We caught up quickly and prayed and held our breaths as we watched them make every twist and turn.

They made it all safe and sound.  Once we got to the bottom we waved them off and turned around and made our way back up the mountain.  We thanked God the whole way.  What a miracle!  Of course, the guys still had to get through town and find a mechanic all without brakes, but the worst was behind us. 

Later this night after the car was all fixed.  Thank you nice mechanic for working late.  We enjoyed a beautiful engagement party, right in our lodge.  How cool it was to be staying right where the party was.  Melissa's family did a beautiful job with decorating the lodge and all the delicious food.

 

Thank you Dan & Melissa (and especially Melissa's family) what a great time we had.

 

Glamping - Is Camping With Style.

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Have you heard about Glamping?  It stands for glamorized camping. 

I woke up this morning excited because in a few short weeks I'm heading to Montana with my whole extended family.  My nephew and his fiancé are having an engagement party.   We're all staying together in a big lodge which will be a lot of fun.

This time of year reminds me of how much I love to camp.  Unfortunately, my husbands doesn't like to camp.  Boo hoo.

Maybe this kind of camping would change his mind.



A girl can dream, right?


I'm thinking my sister's would love to visit one of these glamping resorts.  What do you say girls?



Here are some books I recommend if you would like to learn more about the Glamping Lifestyle, written by MaryJane Butters.  I adore her books.



        

Here are some Glamping Resorts that I am hoping to visit someday.  You might want to check them out too.

http://www.theranchatrockcreek.com/content/all-inclusive-luxury-ranch-vacation-Montana
http://www.pawsup.com/glamping/moonlight-camp.php#.UelxwYwo73g
http://glampinggirl.com/glamping-in-bc/

Banana Bread Muffins

I'm tired of throwing away Bananas that have gone dark and soft.  I tend to stay away from baking Banana bread because for some reason the center of my loaf is always mushy.

Still, what could I do with those Bananas?

I know, Banana muffins!

So easy, and they turned out perfect and delicious.

 

Gather your ingredients.

 

1/2 cup butter or margerine

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

4-5 over-ripe bananas mashed

1 cup walnuts (optional)

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

 

Pour into muffin tins or paper tins

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Check if done by inserting a knife into the center of a muffin.

If it comes out clean, they are done.  If not, bake for another

5 minutes, or until knife comes out clean.

 

Mix all ingredients together.

 

Bake & TaDa!

 

 

I added some chocolate chips to a few of them.

 

 

Add butter if you like and enjoy!



My New Car - A Kia Soul.

This weekend was a lot of fun.  My husband talked to a customer at our store about her Kia Soul car.  She loved her car so much, her husband bought one too.  

My husband was really surprised to see how roomy they are.  So on Saturday, he wanted me to go take one for a test drive.

I didn't expect to love it so much.  But, once I took it for a drive I was sold.
It is so much fun to drive. 

                          Check out my new car. 

My Top Five Things I Love About My Kia Soul.

5.  It's cute little shape.
4.  The bright red color.  It's called Molten Red.
3.  I like that I sit higher up.  I step out of the car, rather than climb out.
2.  Great windows, with less blind spots than our Nissan Altima.

My number one favorite thing. 

1.  It's Hands Free Bluetooth Phone System.

Of course, there is much more to love but these are my favorites.

Ebb & Flow - Beauty in Simplicity - Artistic Doodling

I am drawn to create art that seems to move in random and soothing ways.

This was a sketch I drew one night while listening to some music. 
I love that there is nothing it is trying to be.  It is what it is.

I call it,

 

"Ebb & Flow."

Have You Tried Famous Dave's Burnt Ends?

I probably shouldn't be writing this review.  If my kids read this blog post they'll know that my hubby and I snuck away one afternoon and stopped at the restaurant Famous Dave's to try these new BURNT ENDS, without them. 

Quiet, maybe they won't hear me.

We ordered them to share.  I love brisket, but Dave's brisket is in my opinion the very best brisket I have ever had.  When I saw the commercial for these delicious looking Burnt Ends, I knew I had to try some.

OMG - the best!!!

They look exactly like the photo, Perfect!

Of course, they didn't last long.  Don't wait - if you like brisket, you will love these.

 

Doesn't this look delicious?