Instagram-y Goodness

I'm crushing pretty hard on my newly found love, Instagram.  Look me up, I'm cwiltex.  It seems like the perfect way to recognize a little (or big) happening in my day that makes me smile.  And it even gives me a way to capture it for sharing and reflecting! 

So, for those of you who don't partake, or even if you do, I thought it might be fun to see all the little happy snips together.

::  Illustration Friday doodle and reminder to myself to remain strong and present.
::  Proof that I finally picked the Sammy painting project back up.
::  Two adorable noses looking back at me and I get all gushy when they love on each other like that.
::  A huge pile of green beans, green and purple, freshly picked from the veggie garden.

::  Katie, upside down, smiling, with her leg up to get a belly scratch.  Can life get any better?  I think not.
::  Working through a multimedia paradise island for Creative Tuesdays.
::  Trying (and liking) a new flavor of hard cider.  Sour cherry is good!
::  A snap from the dogs playing in the baby pool.  Sammy is doing her best 'you don't see me' here.

::  Paradise island is born of fabric, paper, and string!  It's got some great textures.
::  The dogs help with the house work by pre-rinsing the dishing in the dishwasher.
::  Ate the last of the party cake ice cream straight from the container.  Great cool-me-down on a hot day.
::  The first tetris block all pieced and pressed and looking scrumptious!

So much fun!  What do you instagram?

Lend Me Your Votes!!?!

I did it.  I entered my fabric design in the Connecting Threads fabric design contest.  Here is a peak at what was up my sleeve.  It's called "As Happy as a Hippo!"  Wouldn't this make an awesome addition to a quilt? 

Hope you are nodding your head yes.... in order for my designing dream to come true I need your help to vote it to the top five so I can get to round two! 

Here is the link... 

I am on the first page, three four rows down on the right left.  

Thank you so much for your help and can't wait to crank out a few coordinating fabrics for round two!  Then it will be free fabric for all of us!!  Big party style!!

XOXO

Ten More Snaps?

Yes, lazy vacation-bones (a.k.a. me) checking in.

I had a quirky day, but it was nothing that a swim in the lake with Sammy couldn't cure.  So, how about ten more snaps; which is code for I'm too lazy to write an organized post.

I am enjoying working with this pile of blue-gray-whites.  Couldn't resist rolling it up before I started sewing up the top.

This little one was by my side for a lot of the cutting.  And of course as soon as I grab my camera she opens her eyes.  Doh!

At this point, the bricks and sashing were all cut out for the mister's blue quilt.  Couldn't resist one more shot before designing.

Had to decide what colors would go where.  Hard to restrain myself and not do a random selection.  The mister likes order.  So, I had to determine what that order would look like.

Ice cream!!  What would a vacation be without ice cream?  And lookie what I found when I opened the top!!! <3

Ha!  Doesn't Sammy just have the best I'm getting into trouble faces?

I didn't tell you, but she has started teething... lost her two front teeth.  Adorable.  And trouble.. the poor little thing is trying anything to get some relief.  Here she has a frozen cotton rope in tow.

Katie looking out over the garden.  Love those ears!

A moment that they are playing nicely together.  You can sure tell they are really starting to like each other!

What do you think Katie?  Yeah? We can keep Sammy?  She's so smiley!

And lookie, I got a haircut!!  Yes, bangs!!  Totally fab!

If you get a moment... today is also Sugar's (the Golden Retriever) 10th birthday!!  Go over and wish her a wonderful birthday too!  Sing it with me.... Happy Barkday to Sugar and.... many more!!

And this is my totally lame-o attempt at showing what I've got in progress.  I'll do better next week.  Promise!

Creative Tuesday: Ice Cream

It's Creative Tuesday!  Do a little dance with me! 

Oh, how I've missed sitting down to spend time with my pad and color pencils, it was just wonderful to see what came out for the theme over at Mr. Toast's Creative Tuesday's assignment!

This week's theme was Ice Cream! Yippie!!  I sure have had my share of ice cream this summer and must admit it's one of my favorite pleasures.  Now you can see why I had to find a few minutes to play along.  But what to draw?

{I'll let you in on a little secret.}  I have spent my doodling time trying to dream up a fabric design worthy to submit to the Connecting Threads fabric design contest.   I am sure that this creative piece is the result of some of the ideas I have been toying with.

Fun right?  And who couldn't go for an extra extra large twisty cone?

For you font geeks out there... yes, I hand drew hippo font -- it seemed only fitting!

 

Mr. Toast, that was a ton of fun!!  Great theme!  Thank you for the challenge and looking forward to already saying YES! to accepting your next challenge!  

I hope you consider joining in this or the next assignment (really hope you do) and please take a look other artists in the community here.   

 

Now, off with you happy hippo sweets!  Off to the rest of the day with a bounce in your step!

日本のための多くの愛
Much love for Japan

Hot for Blogging

If you are in the Northeast or any other place where it's smokin' hot, then please join me in saying:

"IT'S SOooooOOOOooo HOT!!"

Now that we got that out of the way.  One good thing about the heat is that it's driving me out of the garden, away from outdoor things, and into the house to blog.

Yup, finally time to browse through all the stories I have captured lately and share some.

I can't keep all this happiness to myself.

Can we play a little game?

What's the first thing you think of when I say...

Hot?

How about ice cream?

Ice cream rocks.  And recently I made a homemade ice cream cake for my dear Mr. Happy's birthday.

Here's how you make a football shaped ice cream cake.

You need the following things:

- 2 flavors of ice cream that compliment each other (I used chocolate chip cookie dough and chocolate)

- chocolate graham crackers (I bet you could use oreos or other chocolate cookies instead -- use what you have on hand)

- chocolate chips (if you like, or even nuts  -hahaha, who am I calling nuts!)
- complimentary frosting (in a can or homemade)
- serving plate big enough to accommodate completed cake
- spatula (you know... scraping thingy on a stick)
- willing assistant to help make cake! (bet you can't guess who my assistant was)
- cake pan in any shape (I used a football... oh I bet a palm tree, teddy bear, or even a dolphin would be so adorable!)

- plastic wrap

- ice cream scooper

- freezer shelf empty enough for cake pan filled with ice cream (trust me, people.  Prep the shelf FIRST. Or, your cake will melt while you look for a place to put your frozen pea stash)


Here comes the fun part.  Assembly!  

1. Take your first ice cream flavor out while you do the next step.  This will let it soften so that it can be worked into your shape.

2. Line your cake pan with the plastic wrap.  This is going to make it possible for your final cake to slide out of your mold and on to a serving plate as easy as butter!  Don't be stingy on the lining.  I used two big pieces and overlapped a generous amount.

3. Then begin scooping and mushing the first flavor into the cake pan.  You can use the scooper or spatula (or washed fingers) to mush it into the corners.  Fill the cake pan half way.

4. Crumble the graham crackers (or chocolate cookies and nuts) and sprinkle a generous layer onto the ice cream.  When I do this again I would make the layer at least 1/2 an inch.

5. Cover your progress with plastic wrap and pop it into the freezer for at least 1 hour (should be nice and frozen when you begin creating the next layer).

Here is what mine looked like to this point: (Nom, nom, nom)

6. Put your second flavor out to let is soften.  When it's workable (on a day like today that would be about 30 seconds), pull out your cake and begin to do more of the same. 

Plop, plop the ice cream on the top, top!!

Mush, mush your ice cream with a squish, squish!

Spread, spread your ice cream with your bread, bread... I mean spatula.  (ugg. spatula doesn't rhythm with a whole lot. Hahahaha, spatula, dracula.)

7. Finish with chocolate chip and more crushed graham crackers.

8. Be sure to treat your assistant like gold.  Doesn't hurt to let a piece of graham cracker slip into your assistant's mouth.

9. Cover the cake (not your assistant) with the plastic wrap again.  Put your ah-mazing creation into the freezer overnight.

10.  When you are closer to serving your cake... take a can of frosting (or the homemade kind -- I cheated with a can of milk chocolate) and micro-zap (that's southern for put in microwave for a bit) it until it's runny.  Pull your cake out of the freezer, remove from the mold gently tugging on the plastic wrap and place it on your serving plate. Then immediately dump your runny frosting onto the cake. 

[No pictures available here. Although, I ended up with frosting on my hands, shirt, pants, feet, assistant, table, cake pan -- it's a talent.  Happy to report I didn't end up with any on my camera.]

It's really fun to watch your frosting harden quickly!  I made an absolute mess, but loved every second of it!  Quickly pop your cake back into the freezer.  At this point I am sure your assistant will be in stitches!

11. I did some piping to write on the cake which proved challenging since the frosting was too warm compared to the cold cake.  I need some practice in that area.

12. Next load up the cake with tons of candles to represent all the super years your darling husband has been around.  (tease, tease, poke, poke!)

13. Light all those candles (fire extinguisher on standby) and sing a goofy HAPPY BIRTHDAY and MANY MORE to the most favorite person in your life.  Count your lucky stars that he has an amazing sense of humor and lets you tease him.

I love you Darlin'!  I enjoy every minute we have together and can't imagine sharing this adventure with anyone else.  *kisses*

Now dash off and have some of your own ice cream!! Muah!

What Happy Tastes Like

Football and ice cream = happiness!

It's probably not the first combination that you immediately think of, but picture yourself at an August pre-season game in the 90+ heat and humidity of NY... and ice cream should now enter your thoughts!

Plus, after eating a few spoons I noticed Carvel's tag line, "It's What Happy Tastes Like!" Mr. Happy and I almost at the same time thought that we had to bring you a picture or two of this happy little cup. A big thank you to the cameo of Mr. Happy's hand!!

And, more importantly if you are now curious what happy tastes like ... march out and get yourself some Carvel!

Happy (chocolate-vanilla combo) is pretty darn tasty in my book!!

Ice Cream Cake

Eating cold sweet ice cream cake on a hot summery day = happiness!

I am so craving some today! YUM!

Lighting Candles

Lighting candles on a birthday cake and then belting out Happy Birthday at the top of your lungs = happiness!

I shared a bit of Mr. Happy's birthday last week and we snapped a few pictures of the event. These came out well and really made me smile. Flame has a simple allure (especially in the dark) ... and how fun is it to belt out a song to the one you love? I don't think I sing well by any means, but I love how my singing made Mr. Happy smile anyway!

Best part, after the candles were all blown out... we got to eat ice cream cake! YUM!

Fabric Art

Putting together colorful creations with just fabric, thread and time = happiness!

I'll be the first to admit that I am fabric hoarder. I can't help myself from picking up colorful fabric when I see them (even though I already have bunch). I recently discovered Fabric Postcards. It's more or less a 4x6 quilt you hand make that is mail-legal to send to an address. I just can't get enough of the reaction the postal works have when I go to send one of these babies. Too cool!