This week

Currently Watching Planet Earth – The Complete BBC Series By David Attenborough see related

Here is what I have been up to (craft wise) the past couple of weeks

Crocheting a hat for an aunt.  She gave me a book of crocheted hat patterns and asked for the hat in return.  It was the first time I had done cabling with crochet before, and it ended up being one of my most challenging crochet projects up to that point.

Next up was making crocheted corners and edging on a handkerchief.  This is an oh, so late birthday gift for a dear lady.  It should get to her next weekend.  Now the hat WAS my most challenging project up to that time, but this one has now taken it’s place.

I had told my self that I would not sew anything on my new sewing machine until I had finished the above mentioned projects.  I am happy to say that I stuck to that resolution, but boy howdy, as soon as I had ironed the above handkerchief I pulled out the pattern for the pajamas I wanted to make.  I was able to cut out the pattern, fabric and over cast the edges for one pair that afternoon.  Wednesday when my dad and I went out to get Will’s birthday cake he stopped at Jo-Ann’s so I could restock some of my thread.  I had really underestimated how much I needed.  This afternoon I was able to finish them.  Next time I will need to make some adjustments, they turned out pretty big.  I like my pajama pants oversized, but these I think are waaaay oversized.  I also had to whack almost five inches off the bottom of the legs as they were super long.

Next up are two more pairs of P.J.’s and then some gift sewing.  I am super excited about the gift sewing and hope all goes well with that.

My sister and I have now been quiet

I was tagged…

by my stister.  I don’t think I ever did the last one she tagged me with, so I better do this one,  She might crack my head open with a broom stick if I don’t, hmmm, or should might tie the bathroom door closed on me… or she might…never mind

The Rules:
Link to the person that tagged you
Post the rules on your blog
Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself
Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs
Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

1.  My brain hates to shut up.  Seriously, it starts going at it’s best when I am ready for bed.  It keeps me up for hours sometimes, usually over nothing important.  This past week and a half have been really bad.  Last night was the second night in a row where I fell asleep before midnight and slept soundly once I was asleep so maybe it will be gone for awhile.

2. I st,st,st,st, stutter w,w,w,when I am s,s,s,s,seriously s,s,s,stressed out or t,t,t,ticked off at s,s,s,s,someone.  This was discovered a couple years ago.  If I haven’t shared my Raley’s story with you before, remind me sometime.  I have come to realize that public speaking is not my shtick.

3.  I HATE chickens.  They taste wonderful and the eggs are great, but the birds themselves are super stinky, super dirty and can be down right mean!  We once had two dozen Rhode Island Reds and they were the all time worst!  If you reached your hand into the coop to get an egg they would peck you like a crazy bird.  This last time we bought chickens I requested Buff Orpingtons because they are so calm and usually will leave you alone. I think my hate of chickens came with the first batch of birds we had, there was one that thought it was great to suddenly fly at me and climb my back until it could roost on my shoulder or head.  Aaaack, total nightmare.

4.  I’m not a big fan of beef.  My mom calls Will and I lazy chewers as he is the same way.  We will eat ground beef , but really nothing else.  It takes us ten minutes to chew one little bite of beef, so we prefer to just skip it, maybe just have an extra serving of salad.

5.  When I was little I was so short I would get stuck in my hamper upside down when my mom would ask me to bring her the laundry.  I don’t know how many times I had to call for help, that was before I was brilliant enough to realize that if I tilted my hamper on its side, I could just crawl in and get the clothes out.  Yep, I’m the intelligent one in the family

6.  Hello, my name is Dani and I used to watch Pee-Wee Herman.  Phew, glad I got that off my chest!  I had both the Pee-Wee Herman pull string doll and Cherry the chair.  Have you ever seen Pee-Wee Herman do the toe dance?  If you haven’t, look it up on YouTube, he does it in a biker bar on Pee-Wee’s Grand Adventure wearing some white, platform shoes.  I was able to do this when I was younger bare foot, and as of a couple years ago, I still could.   That’s talent for yah!

Since I hate putting people on the spot I will not push this off on any of you, but if you would like to take a whack at it feel free, let me know in the comments if you do this so I can come over and check it out.

Time…

Currently Listening The Essential Yo-Yo Ma see related to be quiet

Morning run to Jo-Ann’s

Currently Watching The Complete Thin Man Collection (The Thin Man / After the Thin Man / Another Thin Man / Shadow of the Thin Man / The Thin Man Goes Home / Song of the Thin Man / Alias Nick and Nora) By William Powell, Myrna Loy, Clancy Cooper, Chick York, John Nesbitt see related

I think most of you read my mom’s blog, so if you do, you already know about the fabric I saw at our local Jo-Ann’s and fell in love with.  You’ll also know that I found out last night that it is a designer fabric and was going to be on sale this week!  My mom gave me some of our clothing money to buy four yards, I needed almost three to make some p.j.’s and another one for a gift.

This morning I got up and quickly ran next door to feed our neighbors horses and cats, then ran back home to get dressed and ready to go.  My mom kept giving me a hard time about wanting to be there when the doors opened.  Well I didn’t get there when the doors opened, but I was there soon after.  I made my way into the back of the store where they keep their “quilter’s fabrics” and quickly scanned the wall. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, it wasn’t there!  I scanned some of their displays of fabric as well and could not find it!  I told my mom later that I kept telling myself, “You can not cry over not getting the fabric, you just CAN’T…  But I wants it!!!… Well they don’t have it, so you cannot cry…But I needs it!!!…Tough luck!”  Anyways, I started to slowly scan the fabrics once more and came across a really cute floral that I could use for the gift instead, it also happened to be by the same designer and I began to realize that they seem to carry a large amount of his fabrics.  Woo-hoo!  I took my bolt of fabric to the cutting counter carefully looking to see if maybe the other fabric was behind it from where someone else had bought some, there were only two other bolts and neither one was it.  As the gal cut my fabric I started asking if they would be getting anymore of the fabric in that I had originally come for, as I started describing it for her she walked over to the two bolts behind the counter and pulled a third one out from between them.  It was THE ONE!!!!  I was so excited!  She cut out the four yards for me while telling me about this woman who had come in earlier and told her all about Alexander Henry fabrics.  It seems I am not the only fan.  If I had been there when the doors had opened I probably would have had to have wrestled the other gal for the fabric, and that wouldn’t have been pretty

It is now happily, sitting with the fabric I bought last Friday, I’ll prewash them all tomorrow.

What?

You want to see it?

The yard of floral I bought?

Oh, here it is

What?

You want to see the other one?

The one I actually went in to buy, that one?

The one that almost made me cry when I couldn’t find it, that one?

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooh!

Here IT is

Ain’t it perty?  You BETTER oooo and aaaaaah!

Thanks Dad and Mom!

Chicken, Fettucini and Alfredo Sauce (Oh my!)

Currently Reading Young Men in Spats (Collector’s Wodehouse) By P. G. Wodehouse see related

Warning!  Warning!  Totally fattening dinner ahead Warning! Warning!

This is one of my most favorite dinners, it takes a little bit of time, but is so yummy!  It has cream cheese in it, need I say more?

Start off with some thawed boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  For our family I usually use one less chicken breast then there are people eating it.  So since there will be five of us for dinner tonight, I will be cooking four chicken breasts.

Coat both sides of the chicken breasts with chili powder, do not skimp on this, you want the chicken breast to be red with this seasoning.  Don’t worry about it being too spicy as you will be barbecuing it and the spiciness will disappear (you will be left with a smoky chili powder flavor), also season the chicken with onion salt and pepper.

Now grill them out on the barbecue until cooked through, about 45 minutes turning once half way through.  When done slice into narrow (1/4 inch wide) strips.  I like to do this earlier on in the day and reheat it at dinner time.

Start boiling a large pot of water for your noodles.

Alfredo sauce:

8oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup grated parmesan

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Set the cream cheese in a heavy saucepan over med.low heat, stirring often to keep it from burning.  Once the cream cheese starts to feel soft, stir in all of the other ingredients and turn up the heat to about medium.  Let this cook stirring often.  Do NOT let this come to a boil. You may need to turn down the heat, you just want to keep it hot and keep stirring it so any lumps of cream cheese will  melt.

Meanwhile back at the ranch…

Cook as much fettucini as your family will need.

To serve, place noodles on individual plates, arrange hot chicken slices on top and spoon a generous amount of sauce over each portion.

For our family I normally double the sauce. Enjoy!

BTW, we w