The Nifty Foodie

A Paw-Fect Life

Happy Together

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This weekend, I drove to my family’s home right outside of New Orleans. I decided since my family has half an acre of land and a happy 10 year old lab eager for some lovin’, that my puppy would probably love an outside play date.

These two had a blast! I couldn’t stop smiling, because they were just so happy! I was surprised their tails didn’t wag right off!

Dog Play Date 8/7/2010

For a 10 year old dog, Dixie still has some energy and even had time to give me a “thank you” smile. šŸ™‚

Dog Play Date 2

At one point, I decided to bring a bag of treats outside, shake it and this was the reaction. FULL SPEED AHEAD! Just look at those ears haha!

Ears in Flight

Of course after a treat/water break, they went back to their fun.

Dog Play Date 3

Then, since Millie is only 9 months old, she ended up spazzing out, aka running in fast circles around the yard. Dixie decided to insteadĀ just take in some sunlight and pose for the camera. šŸ™‚

Relief

It was a great weekend indeed….how was yours?

Something Wonderful..

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This turned out to be a wonderfully, positiveĀ weekend. I decided to just put the funk away, andĀ instead of sulking around watching TV, it was time to embraceĀ a positive attitudeĀ like a long, lost friend. I can’t tell you how great this weekend felt, and how optimistic I am about Monday bringing a better week than the last.

Saturday morning, IĀ decided to just sit in my chair and sew. I opened the blinds, let the sweet sunlight in the room and just relaxed while the machine hummed. Great things were happening: I was sewing my first quilt.

Quilt Sewing

After some sewing therapy, I came to realize thatĀ allĀ 6 of my quilt rows were done.

Happy note: I only ripped one square out, since it was upside down.

I can’t tell you how much more relaxing sewing is now that I’m starting to get the hang of it. Even though this quilt is just a lot of straight lines, I’m very proud to say I’ve improved since sewing project #1.

Quilt Progress

It’s so crazy to see that my first quilt top ever is almost done. This is just amazing to me.

I’m quite intimidated by these pajama pants. After reading the measurements, I’m going to have to add quite a few inches waist/hip wise to these pants, since our society is obsessed with vanity sizing. I’m normally a size 22, but McCall’s size 22 fits a department storeĀ size 16.Ā Totally dumb, right?Ā I bought some muslin to play with adding inches, because I don’t want to ruin my pretty fabric figuring this out. Maybe I can get these done by the end of the month? Hopefully, at least the muslin version.

PJ Pants Pattern

Since we are having company over this weekend, I decided it was best to make the craft room more inviting, and to fold my fabrics in a basket, rather than keep them scattered across the guest bed. Looking at all of these fabrics next to each other is just so deliciously colorful. I love it! I’m feeling less overwhelmed now that my craft/guest room is clean again. Maybe that made the sewing less stressful?

Fabric Basket

Sunday morning, this little girl kept my spirits high. How can you not be happy looking at this face? We did have a long day ahead of us, and her smile kept me going. I love this dog. šŸ™‚

Millie 6/20/10

It was, of course, Father’s Day. My Dad is the guy who buys everything he wants/needs, but as a very money savvy guy, I bought him an Entertainment book and a GC to Wal-Mart. Don’t judge me here Wal-Mart haters. I know I could have bought himĀ a Cabella’s card (he LOVES hunting)Ā or something else, but this is a store I know he will actually spend money at without feeling forced. I remember our weekly Wal-Mart trips…beat the heck out of going to the Mall with Mom! (No offense Mom…you know I hated clothes shopping!)

Father's Day Gift

Here was the main part of my Sunday. My little sister, who is a senior in high school (feeling old right now), played Lady Thiang in “The King and I”Ā for a local production. It was nothing short of spectacular. I wish I had a voice like her!

I ended upĀ taking over 100 pictures of the production, because I found out the videographer that the production hired ended up quitting on them (terrible, right?). I know my sister loves memories of every show she is in, so with my new lens, I went wild on the pictures. Parents of cast members were evenĀ asking myĀ Mom to ask meĀ to get shots of their child, since the point & shoots apparently couldn’t getĀ decent pictures without use of a flash. Before you call me rude, I tried to take pictures only during the lively parts, so no one would hear the shutter click. šŸ™‚ No judging allowed..now these kids have memories!

Oh, and a side note, her costume? My mom sewed them (she had two). She’s amazingly awesomeĀ withĀ a needle. Ā 

Lady Thiang

How did your weekend go?

And there are happy times…

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I’ve been in such a funk lately, but don’t judge me too harshly. I’m living in the Louisiana Summer right now. The afternoons went from pleasantly breezy to horribly disgusting. It’s to the point where my car air conditioner JUST balances out the searing heat, but I never feel cold in my car anymore.

Most of the time, I can’t help to think of all the negatives that summer brings. It takes a good awakening to realize that things are, in fact, amazing.

Millie 5/12/2010

Millie had a 3 inch long coat of fur a week ago (she’s been groomed since). It’s the border collie in the Heinz 57 that she is. She decided to look up at me and just smile in the middle of the summer heat. Sure, she’s probably hot as hell, but she’s still amazingly happy. I love her for that. I need to think like her.

So, I thought of the positives of summer. LSU is out, so traffic is substantially less. The tomatoes are ripening and peppers are finally growing. Snowball stands are open (even though I’m on diet, I will occasionally splurge on my wedding cake snowball). And also, summer parties.

I’m very excited to be having my family over next weekend. We’re throwing a huge party, and I’m going all Hostess with the Mostess with party colors/theme. I know it won’t be as pretty as her parties, but I’m hoping it will impress. šŸ™‚

I even found inspiration at Hobby Lobby today. It’s not quite the 4th of July yet, but I can’t help but do some red and (aqua) blue.

Yes, I’m sure you’ve been seeing that color combination everywhere lately. Go ahead, call me a copycat, because I’m going with that color palette. šŸ™‚

Fabric for Bunting

I love hosting parties with the hubs, and seeing everyone have a great time. Parties also make me super excited about my food blog. I enjoy it when I have quite a few fun recipes to blog about. šŸ™‚

So, it’s time for me to get out of this funk. I need to remember that there are some positives to think about and enjoy in this hot, gloomy Summer. However, if I ever forget, I know I’ll have this face to help me remember. šŸ™‚

Millie Smiles

What are some positives that your summer is bringing?

Dog Bandana

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So, the sewing machine and I have maintained a pretty healthy and slow relationship. I try to keep my projects simple, because I really hate putting so much time into a project, only to have a flop.

When I took Millie to the groomers for the first time, I asked for them to put a bandana on her. That bandana was ::gulp:: $7. Seriously…

So I thought, heck, I could TOTALLY sew something like this. The bandana had a slot at the top for the collar to slide in, which is pretty genius.

To not be totally copycat-ish, I added my own twist and made it reversible. Two looks in one! šŸ™‚ And…the cost? Not $7….Free with scrap fabrics!

Bandana

And here’s Millie showing it off.

Side 1 bandanna

Side 2 bandanna

Way cute…and I think I will be making many more bandanas in my future!

Happy Craft Month!

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March is a great month! I get to have my birthday (gotta love birthday freebies haha), Spring starts and I just found out it’s National Craft month! Holler! So, I’m going to write a post about crafty stuff. šŸ™‚

Crafting It Forward

As much as I hate to do this, I promised to craft it forward to 5 readers, and two people never got back to me after I emailed them. šŸ™ So, I’m choosing two people again!

Random.org chose Teale and craftysmurfette!! Congrats ladies! I’ll be emailing you two shortly to get your addresses and some basic information from you two!

Sewing

So, uhm, sewing is pretty fun but HARD. I tried to make a tote bag that was 12×14 and well, ended up with something way smaller because I thought I could cut straight lines with scissors. I realized a little too late that the rotary cutter would be my BFF. Erg..

Check this out. It’s terrible…I’m pretty sure I’m starting over on a new project because I’m impatient. LOL! It was cheap fabric anyway…

IMG_0776

Look at how much I stink..I messed up sewing the bias tape flush to the fabric. Boo…I pinned it too. The light pink stuff is supposed to cover the zigzags on the blue fabric, in case you were like me two months ago and are thinking bias tape what?

IMG_0780

So, I’m moving onto another project. I don’t need another tote bag anyway…psh. Maybe I’ll put yarn in it for knitting projects.

Not craft related, but I think my dog is seriously a ham. She poses like a model for the camera….how can you resist those eyes??

IMG_0810

Some kind of wonderful…

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Three weeks ago, I remember walking into a dog boarding place to pick you up. Boy, did you catch my husband’s eye! Your picture was online, from an adoption agency called Yelp that helps to link great dogs to people who want a pet! Hubs thought you were perfect for us, and me being a dog lover, I was smitten too.

We brought you home, and you slept on my lap the whole car ride. I was sure you had to potty, but I remember the fosters telling us you couldn’t go outside for some reason. We had no puppy pads, so I went out alone really quick to PetSmart while the hubs watched you and held you. Poor thing, you couldn’t wait, so he tried to make you go in the bath tub. You were scared, so he put you down on the floor and you ended up going on the tile floor…no biggie. šŸ™‚

I remember measuring out your Science Diet food (which we have changed out for higher ranked food since then), and watching you eat it faster than an alligator on a slab of meat. Competitive, I thought…I guess you and your siblings fought for food.

I remember afterwards, you started showing a little love for snuggling to my leg. Sigh…I think at that point I was in love.

You were pretty shy at first. I remember how you reacted to meeting my husband’s family. You were a little scared, hid behind me and the hubs, but ultimately showed your playful side. Typically, after 5 minutes of playing, you would put your paws up to be held and would fall asleep in my arms.

You got a little braver. You started to think that my hands were better than any chew toy around…OUCH!! Thankfully, peanut butter and a kong toy lessened that considerably.

I remember them spaying you at the shelter, and then I got to bring you home. You were loopy, and at first, hated the neck pillow that prevented you from playing with the spay incision. After a while, though, you found it to be a comfy pillow and fell asleep on my lap. I love these moments.

It was finally time to bring you to a vet. As I walked in, holding you with my 28934 questions that I had about being a good puppy mom, you started whimpering. You weren’t a fan of this new place, but eventually started getting playful after the nurse was done with the painful stuff (i.e. temperature taking…poor dogs).

One of the cutest things about you lately, is that you like to lay on your belly as I cook. You’re just watching, relaxing and just still learning about my husband and I’s lives. It’s so great!

I also notice that you’re little fears that you had at first are fading away, but at times, when you show some new ones, it’s great that you understand that we’re here for you. We really love you, Millie. šŸ™‚ I can’t wait to write about you more!

Here is Millie at this very moment…sleeping at my feet. šŸ™‚