Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

From our house to yours.

From my heart,
Sandy

Checking My List

Light are hung.

Check.

Three more days until Christmas and I have way too many things on my to do list.
I hope your list checking is going better than mine!
From my heart,
Sandy

The Winner Is

Hello and a big thank you to everyone who followed the Moda blog hop.

The winner of the Merry Medley Layer Cake is: Robin from Pennsylvania.

Robin said...

The fabric looks wonderful! I LOVE baklava so I will definitely be trying out that recipe. Thanks! Have a merry Christmas!

Robin - please email me your address so I can send out your prize.

Happy Quilting to all.

From my heart,
Sandy

Gifts Galore Blog Hop Day 5 And My Day

First off my apologies for missing yesterday's blog.
I am so busy at work that I have been doing my posts after hours in the comfort of my easy chair. However, last night our internet was down. We live in a small town so I do not have the luxury of having internet access in a multitude of local coffee shops/cafés.
So you will just have to imagine that I blogged.
Now on with today's blog.

Today is the last day of the Gifts Galore blog hop and also my day to post my block and recipe.
These three Moda designer will also be blogging, Hop on over to their blogs to see what they have to offer.

Basic Grey ~ Jen Williamson

Jan Patek Quilts ~ Jan Patek

American Jane ~ Sandy Klop

I chose the Honey Bee block...my favorite quilt block.
I forgot my recipe book the day that the recipes were due so I just sent Lissa this one as a joke. I sent her my real recipe the next day. Well nobody likes a joke better than Moda Lissa so she printed this one instead.

Click here to download and print.

I would not want you to be cheated out of a recipe so here is my real recipe.

Baklava - one of my favorite sweets.

Ingredients

1 (16 oz.) package phyllo dough

1 pound chopped nuts

1 C. butter

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 C. water

1 C. sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 C. honey

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter the bottoms and side of a 9 X 13 pan.

Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside.

Unroll phyllo dough.

Cut whole stack in half to fit pan.

Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep it from drying out as you work.

Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly.

Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered.

Sprinkle 2-3 Tablespoons of nut mixture on top.

Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go.

The top layer should be about 6-8 sheets deep.

Using a sharp knife cut into 4 long rows, then cut rows into diamond shapes.

Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.

While Baklava is baking.

Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted.

And vanilla and honey.

Simmer for about 20 minutes.

When Baklava is done remove from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it.

Let cool.

Serve in cupcake papers.

And it this would not be a Moda blog hop without a give away.

By now most of you know that I love glasses - the funkier the better.

I have found some pictures of glasses that are even a bit odd for me to wear.

Not your typical Grandma Glasses.

These would be for a crabby day.

To scary - remind me of bug legs.

Fancy schmancy.

Sunglasses or moonglasses?

Maybe if I were an avid deer hunter.
Every evening we have deer stroll though our yard.
What do you suppose the deer would think
if they saw me watching
them while wearing these glasses???

And last but not least this would not be a Moda blog hop without a give away.

Yesterday I received a big Moda box filled with my 2012 Christmas fabric.

Yes, just in time for Christmas!

I have named this line Merry Medley.

You have until Sunday December 12th at 11:00 PM to leave a comment on this post to be eligible to win a Layer Cake of this line. I will post the winner on Tuesday.

If you are a shop owner your Moda rep will be showing you this new line -and many other lines in January. If you are a fabric collector this fabric will be in quilt shops in July.

May you always see clearly.

From my heart,

Sandy

Gifts Galore Blog Hop Day 3

Welcome to day 3 of Gifts Galore Blog Hop.

Today's featured designers are:

Cotton Way ~ Bonnie Olvason

French General ~ Kaari Meng

oliver + s ~ Liesl Gibson

Sweetwater ~ Karla Eisenbach

The Long Thread ~ Ellen Luckett Baker

Be sure to visit their blogs to download the blocks and recipes that they have to offer.

As you well know I have a bit of a shoe fetish.

I came across these interesting/odd shoes.

Two feet on a banana peel.

Do you hate lugging those heavy laundry baskets to the laundromat?

Not to worry - just put your laundry in your shoes and walk on over to the laundromat.

A different kind of a sling back.

Are you coming or going?

You might slip in these slides.

Nothing to say but - cute!

Tune in tomorrow to visit these 5 designers and see the picture of the day.

Thimbleblossoms ~ Camille Roskelley

Kathy Schmitz Studio ~ Kathy Schmitz

Laundry Basket Quilts ~ Edyta Sitar

Kate Spain Designs ~ Kate Spain

Primitive Gatherings ~ Lisa Bonegan

May your shoes make you happy.

From my heart,

Sandy

Gifts Galore Blog Hop Day 2

Welcome to day 2 of Gifts Galore Blog Hop.
Today's featured designers are:

Kansas Troubles ~ Lynne Hagmeier
Fig Tree ~ Joanna Figueroa
Cosmo Cricket ~ Julie Comstock
Summersville ~ Lucie Summers
Paper Pie ~ Liz Scott
Be sure to visit their blogs to download the blocks and recipes that they have to offer.

I don’t know about you but the minute I say "we need to get the tree in the stand" my husband - as did my dad - turns into Mr. Scrooge. Really is it that hard to put a tree in a stand - granted the temperature might be below zero - and carry it in the house - Yes first you have to make a fresh cut. And yes maybe the trunk is a little crocked - but just adjust the ropes on the tree stand - how hard can it be?
I have found a couple of interesting images of trees that do not require any of the above tasks. In other words the dear hubby would love to see these trees in our house.
And you don't have to remember to water them either.


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Cheers!

Easy Reading.

Tune in tomorrow to visit these 5 designers and see the picture of the day.

Cotton Way ~ Bonnie Olvason
French General ~ Kaari Meng
oliver + s ~ Liesl Gibson
Sweetwater ~ Karla Eisenbach
The Long Thread ~ Ellen Luckett Baker

My your tree task be a breeze this year.

From my heart,

Sandy

Gifts Galore Blog Hop

Today is the first day of the ??? hop. It seems this hop does not have a name.
I think we should name it the Gifts Galore Blog Hop.
The hop will be running through December 9th. Several designers will be featured everyday to make this hop a little faster as we know this is a busy time for everyone.
Each designer will be linking you to a card that you will print … Very simple click and print!
On the front of the card will be a recipe and on the back of the card instructions for a quilt block.
You will be able to collect and print them all and have 23 new recipes and 23 new blocks by the end of the hop - our gifts to you. Merry Christmas!

Starting today are …
Minick and Simpson ~ Laurie and Polly
Bunny Hill Designs ~ Anne Sutton
Me and My Sister Designs ~ Barb and Mary
Deb Strains Studio ~ Deb Strain

December 6th visit …
Kansas Troubles ~ Lynne Hagmeier
Fig Tree ~ Joanna Figueroa
Cosmo Cricket ~ Julie Comstock
Summersville ~ Lucie Summers
Paper Pie ~ Liz Scott

December 7th visit …
Cotton Way ~ Bonnie Olvason
French General ~ Kaari Meng
oliver + s ~ Liesl Gibson
Sweetwater ~ Karla Eisenbach
The Long Thread ~ Ellen Luckett Baker

December 8th visit …
Thimbleblossoms ~ Camille Roskelley
Kathy Schmitz Studio ~ Kathy Schmitz
Laundry Basket Quilts ~ Edyta Sitar
Kate Spain Designs ~ Kate Spain
Primitive Gatherings ~ Lisa Bonegan

And the last day December 9th visit …
Basic Grey ~ Jen Williamson
Jan Patek Quilts ~ Jan Patek
American Jane ~ Sandy Klop
Pieces From My Heart ~ Sandy Gervais
Yep this will be my day to blog.

However, as usual, I will post everyday.
For this blog hop I will post a picture everyday that I find interesting, fascinating or just plain odd.

Since the the NBA players and owners have come to an agreement, there will be a basketball season, which made me think of this picture. Last fall Bruce and I took a day off to go leafing. Unfortunately we were too late for the leaves. However, we did come across this unusual basketball court. I'm not sure if this picture falls under interesting or odd. I have titled the picture...

Only in Iowa

Many kids who grew up on a farm had a basketball court in the haymow of the barn.
Like many Iowa farms these days, this farm did not have a barn - so I am guessing they had to improvise.
I imagine that the kids in this family all have stubbed toes. Ouch - remember stubbing you toe as a kid - or an adult - not fun.
And do you suppose they dribble on the grass - if that is possible - or is it strictly a passing game??
Yes only in Iowa will you find a basketball court like this.

Here is hoping you do not stub you toes today, tomorrow - or ever.

Tune in tomorrow to visit these 5 designers and check out the picture of the day.
Kansas Troubles ~ Lynne Hagmeier
Fig Tree ~ Joanna Figueroa
Cosmo Cricket ~ Julie Comstock
Summersville ~ Lucie Summers
Paper Pie ~ Liz Scott

From my heart,
Sandy