Ellie Inspired

Well, that cold really kicked me flat on my back this weekend!!  I'm so sorry for the late post today.  My sweet husband offered to take me out to eat after church today so I wouldn't have to cook and I started falling asleep in the booth!  My oldest son's starting to come down with it too so the whole family spent the afternoon sleeping.  Well, except Aaron....after all it IS hunting weekend!

I did get a few pictures taken of Beautiful Dreamer tonight (after it was dark!  So, I might have to try again tomorrow outside). 

But, oh, I just LOVE this gown and robe set!  It is made out of the softest Austrian cashmere flannel from Fine Stitchery with loads of Swiss embroidered beaded lace, entredeaux, lace insertions and edgings with pink silk ribbons.

These pictures are REALLY poor quality!  Anyone able to tell me how to make a light tent for better pictures indoors?  These pictures at least have a dreamy quality to them.

So, now for the winner of my THREE new patterns and a satin rose purse in your choice of color!

IS

Congratulations Gina!!!  Can you email me your address?  I will email you the patterns this week as I list them in my shop.  And, I just need to know what color to make the purse in!!

Robbin Anthony Barr also wins a copy of "Fairy Doll" because she was the first person to answer a question correctly on my Facebook page!!  Email me too, Robbin, so I have your email address.

Congratulations Ladies!!!

Loving Father, help us to remember the birth of Jesus,

that we may share in the song of the angel,

the gladess of the shepherds

and the wisdom of the wisemen.

Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world.

Let kindess come with every gift and good desires with every greeting.

Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings

and teach us to be merry with clean hearts.

May the Christmas morning make us happy to be your children

and the Christmas evening bring us to our beds

with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven,

for Jesus' sake.  Amen.

"You loved me before the creation of the world."  John 17:24

Well, today's theme was "Sweet Endings" because it is our final day and the day I showed you my nightgown/robe set.  So, here is a super-easy but very delicious and eye-catching dessert you can make for holiday dinners.

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup pecan, toasted and finely chopped

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

6 tablespoons butter, melted

FILLING:

4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

3 teaspoons Spice Islands®, All Natural, No Corn Syrup Added, Pure Vanilla Extract

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup (6 ounces) miniature semisweet chocolate chips

TOPPING:

2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream

1/4 cup sugar Assorted candies

Directions

Place an ungreased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan. In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs, pecans and brown sugar; stir in butter. Press onto bottom and 1-1/2 in. up the sides of prepared pan. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 5 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into crust. Place in a larger baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan. Bake at 325° for 1-1/2 hours or until center is just set and top appears dull. In a small bowl, combine sour cream and sugar until smooth; spoon over hot cheesecake and spread to cover. Bake for 5 minutes longer or until topping is just set. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. Garnish with candies. Yield: 16 servings.

And this one is LIGHT so you won't have to feel guilty about indulging.

Ingredients

23 whole chocolate graham crackers

3 cups cold fat-free milk

2 packages (3.3 to 3.4 ounces each) instant white chocolate or vanilla pudding mix

1/2 teaspoon mint or peppermint extract

3 to 4 drops green food coloring, optional

1 carton (8 ounces) frozen reduced-fat whipped topping, thawed

CHOCOLATE FROSTING:

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons baking cocoa

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fat-free milk

1 teaspoon Spice Islands®, All Natural, No Corn Syrup Added, Pure Vanilla Extract

1 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions

Coat a 13-in. x 9-in. dish with cooking spray. Break five whole graham crackers in half; line the bottom of pan with three half crackers and six whole crackers. In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Whisk in extract and food coloring if desired. Fold in whipped topping. Spread half over graham crackers. Top with a another layer of three half and six whole crackers. Top with remaining pudding mixture and graham crackers (save remaining half cracker for another use). Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. For frosting, melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in cocoa and milk until blended. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread over dessert. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Yield: 15 servings.

Both recipes come from my very favorite cookbook/magazine:  Taste of Home.  If you click on their name, you will be able to search for many more delicious holiday recipes.

Well, I was planning on doing a very cool headband tutorial with beautiful pearls.  But, it ended up being so super-duper easy that a tutorial would be a joke.  Here are the steps....buy a satin covered headband in white at Hobby Lobby or JoAnn's.  Buy a spool of pearls on a string (comes in MANY sizes at Joann's and very inexpensive) and hot-glue them (with a low-temp glue gun and glue stitcks so you don't melt the pearls) on the headband.  It should look like this:

Or, you can just click on the picture and buy it too!  LOL

So here are a few tutorials you will find MUCH more interesting:

What a great gift, huh??  I hope the girls in my family aren't reading today...because this may be something I make for them this year!

Love this Super-Organizer for toys, crayons, DVD's, etc especially if you have to travel anywhere for the holidays.  Well, I guess you may not need it if you're NOT traveling....Okay, I can tell I am still a little out-of-it tonight!  LOL

Just click on the two pictures above to be taken to the free tutorials!

This week has been so much fun for me and I have been really blessed by everyone's comments and visiting my site!  I hope that I have given you some inspiration for holiday decorating, baking, or sewing and that you will use the tutorials and recipes provided. 

As a final gift to you, I created some fun little gift tags tonight.  Click here to download them and use them for gift-giving this Christmas.  The picture above are my favorite two but there are eight total.  Enjoy!

I hope you won't feel I'm a slacker but this week of Christmas Week, I've been sick and my body finally got the best of me last night and I slept way longer than I wanted to.  I had to go buy some materials to finish a tutorial and then went to lunch with my mom.  While eating, I was able to relax and really just enjoy being with my mom.  So, I hope you'll forgive me but the things I'd had planned for today are going to be shown tomorrow instead.

Spending some alone time with my mom today was so nice and got me thinking of many memories so today I would just love it if you had some special memories with your mother or grandmother or aunt, etc around Christmas time to share with us.  I will start with one...

This is a picture of my mom and my great grandmother and me baking.  I don't know if this was around Christmastime or not but it probably was since I think I see cookie cutters on my bread board.  I can tell you completely without bias that my mom is the best cook in the world.    I have lots of memories of her teaching my sister and I how to bake pies, make homemade bread, and Norwegian treats for Christmas.  She used to make great big dinners for the farmers at noon-time during harvest and sold her kringla in town at a local restaurant.  She will be so embarrassed about my bragging!    But I have to tell you all this so that you know how special my mom is and my memories of baking with her.  She is the most hard-working and giving person I know.  She taught us to always have an extra tin of fudge or container of cookies ready for whoever might stop unexpectedly and to give sacrificially to others with your time or talents.

My favorite memories are the simple ones.  She would comb my sister's and my long hair and pin up into pincurls at night while we watched the old Christmas classic movies.  She always had some handwork in her hand and we did too, as we got older.  Sometimes we strung long garlands of popcorn and cranberries and put on the evergreens outside for the birds and many of our gifts were things she had made for us.  I remember doll clothes and nightgowns and slippers she made us and matching dresses for my sister and me.

Sometimes, like all mamas, I get so tired but the memory of how hard my mom always worked and how she always put us kids first, encourages me to make the most of the time with my kids.  One of my greatest fears is that I will have wasted a second of my time with my kids and they will be grown and it will be too late to claim those years back.  I hope that I am cultivating the same relationships with my children as she did with us and that they will have the same great memories of their childhood and how I was there for them.

So, let's just grab the box of kleenex and let all those special memories flow of the special women God has placed in our lives who encourage us to be the best mom, wife, or woman possible.  Share your stories in your comments below if you would like!  I love to hear about them.

Cynthia sent me a picture today of the capelet from my "Fairy Doll" pattern that she completed to go with her beautiful red dress that I showed you yesterday.  Isn't it just so elegant?  It looks like her daughter is feeling like a very special young lady in it too.  Spectacular job, as always, Cynthia!  Thanks for sharing the pictures with us.

I do have some tutorials and pretty pictures to show you today so you have something to take away with you!

 A friend of mine brought this awesome website to my attention and I can't wait to share it with you.  It's called The Decorated Cookie.  She has a shop you can purchase cookie kits but she also has a blog where she shows you how to make the most fun and creative things.  She even has a thing called a Christmas Cookie Roundup where she shows you how to make eight different kinds of Christmas cookies.  Go visit her!  I plan to spend a few hours myself on her blog next week.

My partner-in-crime....errr, blogging, this week, Lisa has a couple of gorgeous smocked Christmas outfits to show you today.  Thanks Lisa for inspiring this week!

Sew4Home shows how to make cute little ornaments out of your scraps of fabric and felt.  Her free tutorial is here.

You can make beautiful acrylic coasters for hostess gifts with this free tutorial:

Use your leftover ribbons to make a gorgeous Christmas wreath!  Tutorial found here.

Thanks for a fun week and I'll wrap up tomorrow instead!  Remember today is the last day to win a set of my patterns and a custom-made rose purse.  Or, if we gain 25 new followers (SHARE with others! )  then,  I'll give away an additional set with a beaded pearl headband.

Did you about give up on me today?  Sorry!  Friday's are my long days of watching kids so I didn't get a chance to get to this until now.  We are winding down Christmas Week and it has been a lot of fun for me and I appreciate so much your kind comments each day.

Today is the day that I reveal my THREE NEW CHRISTMAS PATTERNS!  You've gotten little sneak peeks of them throughout the week but not really any of the details.  PRE-ORDERS START TODAY!  So here we go with more Christmas sewing inspiration than you thought was possible to pack into one post!

We're going to start with "Beautiful Dreamer" since that pattern encompasses both size ranges (1-12).; I've shown you a few examples of this nightgown/robe set and here are a few more:

The cover is missing the front picture still because that is something we are shooting sometime today.  My brother drew the sweet little sleepy deer. I just love it and thought it matches the sweet innocence of this pattern so well.  Tomorrow I will show you the cover picture and my example.  It is just dripping with swiss embroidered laces and super soft Austrian cashmere flannel from Fine Stitchery.

I can't wait to show you all my tester's gorgeous renditions of this pattern:

Julie made this darling one for her daughter out of a large red gingham flannel.  Doesn't she look so cozy there by the fireplace?

Meridith made the one below and I asked her if it was all right if I shared her story with you.  It brought tears to my eyes and made the nightgown even more special as I looked at it.

I have to share with you my sewing experience. I thought I had a large piece of

white fabric in my stash that I planned to use. When I pulled it out, I realized that it

was a full size sheet that my grandmother gave me before she moved to an assisted living

a few years ago. I am sure I planned to sew with it because we do not have a full size

bed in our house. It has been sitting for several years, but when I pulled it out, it

smelled just like her home. It was so soft from lots of washing.

As I sewed the gown together I kept thinking about holidays at her house when I was Sammy's age.

She lived in a beautiful grey Victorian home on hill. Since we were not in the same town, it was a

special treat to get to see her and all our other family. I remember anxiously waiting

for the next round of aunts, uncles and cousins to walk through the door. I didn't have

cousins my age, so I usually would spend time sitting at her piano trying to pick out

Silent Night or one of the other songs from a piano book (I am sure my parents really

loved that - ha!). My granddad loved the soft red and white peppermint stick candy, so I

knew that I had to add some red to this nightgown for him. It was such a joy to sit and

think of those Christmases at my grandparent's house while I sewed up a gown for Sammy to

wear this holiday season.

Thanks Meridith for letting me share your story.  Are you crying now too?

Sylvia made both the robe and nightgown and did the pintuck detail on the front bodice and opted to use ribbon in the casings of the sleeves instead of elastic.  The nightgown is made out of 100% cotton and the robe is made out of fleece.  Sylvia, you really went above and beyond with all the details that tie so beautifully together in this one.  Love the heart embroidery and material and trims.  Gorgeous ensemble!

Isn't the robe just so gorgeous?  Even heart buttons!  I'm telling you - this girl is good!  Every little girl should be so lucky to someday have a beautiful set like this.

Dixie Lee made this sweet yellow one with beautiful lace detail on the front bodice.  And isn't her model just so cute?  No need to bribe that one with M&M's for a picture.  Not that I do that or anything...

And now for the fancy dresses:

"Fairy Doll" is a fully smocked dress with an attached petticoat and a capelet with optional madeira hem.  It ties in the back with a sash and is available in sizes 1-5.

Debbie was a first time tester for me and did a gorgeous job with this pattern.  She made this dress out of red velveteen with white smocking on top.  A perfect holiday dress!

Cynthia also chose red but made the view with the overskirt and dress smocked together.  I love the sparkle of that organza and the addition of the white lace.  She chose to do her smocking in red and used sparkle beads in her smocking.  Another perfect holiday dress!

And I wanted to show you mine again for my sister's benefit.  You see, she did the smocking and my job was the beads.  Well, because of time constraints, I only did half the beading and then told her I'd photo-shop in the rest.  Well, I forgot!  I didn't want anyone to think her smocking was second-rate because she really did a wonderful job with it!  Ha!

"Nonie's Girl" is a formal dress written for "It's a Girl Thing" collection.  This one was written for a very special girl whose grandmother loves to sew for her and asked me to design this dress.  The pattern is named after Nonie, my friend and her grandmother.  I can't wait to see Zoe in her special dress this Christmas!

Cynthia made her version of this pattern out of ivory and gold shantung with the attached petticoat.  Positively elegant on your daughter, Cynthia!  And your pleating around the waist looks spectacular!  So, this means your daughter has not just one but TWO beautiful Christmas dresses!  Does she know how lucky she is to have you?    I'm certainly lucky to have you testing for me!

I showed you this one last week but I'll show you one picture to remind you of the silk or satin roses that can be made with this pattern since it is today's tutorial.

Today, please use the comments or linky to tell me YOUR favorite meal to make for family dinners!

Today's recipes are two easy dishes you can make for a main meal when company's coming.  They can both be made the night before and just stick them in the oven right before dinner.

I call today an "Ode to Jackie" because my sister in law is the one who gave our family both of these recipes and they've become a regular staple at family gatherings.  In fact one of my brother-in-laws is wondering if we know how to make anything else!

The first one is Mostaccoli.  You can stop right before baking it and place it in the refrigerator overnight if you wish.  Just bake it a teensy bit longer if it is cold from the fridge until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.  So good with a nice tossed salad and crunch french bread.

Mostaccioli

1 lb. box of mostaccioli or penne noodles

2 jars of spaghetti sauce (26 oz. each)

1 lb. ground beef

1 c. of shredded cheddar cheese

4 c. mozzarella cheese

1 can of cheddar cheese soup (10 oz. size)

Salt, pepper, garlic, and Italian seasoning to taste

1.  Cook and drain pasta.

2.  Brown ground beefwith chopped onion and drain.

3.  Mix cooked noodles, browned ground beef, spaghetti sauce, cheddar cheese soup, salt,

     pepper, garlic and Italian seasoning in a bowl. 

4.  Mix in 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.

5.  Spray a 9x13 pan with Pam.  Pour in mixture. 

6.  Top with mozzarella cheese (sprinkle with a little more cheddar cheese to make it look    

     pretty). 

7.  Bake for about 45 minutes to an hour at 350 degrees (uncovered).

A great side dish is Carrot Bake.  It goes so well with chicken or turkey.  Very quick to make also!

Carrot Bake

1 bag baby carrots (boiled and cut into pieces)...can be halved

½ c. butter

6 ounces Velveeta cheese

Topping:         ½ stick butter

                        ½ sleeve of saltine crackers,  broken into small  pieces

Boil carrots and chop.  Put in square pan or 11x7 small rectangularpan.  Melt butter and Velveeta.  Pour over carrots.

For topping:  Melt butter in a saucepan.  Pour broken saltines into pan to brown them.  Sprinkle browned crackers over top of carrots.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. 

What is your favorite meal to make for family dinners?  Upload them to my Flickr account or share in your comments.

In my Nonie's Girl pattern, I give instructions on making satin roses to place on the bolero jacket.  I made a similar rose this morning to cover a purse with.  I'm going to share the tutorial on how to make that rose and ways to use them that look very pretty for holiday dress-up.

Cut a strip 2 1/2 inches wide by 22" long for a medium size rose.  I am using lawn for this example which will be lighter and fluffier than a satin one.  Another option is to use a very lightweight material such as chiffon, batiste, or organdy for light and airy roses.  Yeah...uh, and I didn't take time to iron!

Fold in half, wrong sides together and stitch down the long, open edge.  I used black thread here so you could see it better.

Turn right side out.  DO NOT PRESS!  I know, it's kiling you!  But you don't want creased petals - you want fluffy, open ones.

On one end, tie a loose knot near the edge.

Pull it so that it forms a triangular shape but not too tight that it becomes a hard knot.

Loosely wrap around the rosebud.

At the center, twist the fabric one time.  This helps the petals to have some shape.  Continue to wrap around the rosebud, twisting for each petal.

Remember that a rose has some irregular petals - they are not all exactly uniform.  Your rose will look more realistic if you vary your petals too.

You will need to start stitching the bottom of your rose to keep it all together.  They can be stitched to that tail that you started with or to each other.  Again, I used black thread so that it could be seen better.

Here is the finished rose ready to be hand-stitched onto the purse.

You can use these to decorate a sweater or a jacket or cover the entire front of a purse.  Below are pictures to give you an idea on how to use them.  Each of the picture is a link to where  you can purchase these things as well.

Put it on a headband:

Or make teeny-tiny ones and use on a beautiful bow:

Or on a dress like this one from Hannah Kate:

I wrote the purse pattern so that you can make your own fancy schmancy purse.  You can download the purse pattern here.  

"Ready for Christmas," she said with a sigh

As she gave a last touch to the gifts piled high...

Then wearily sat for a moment to read

Till soon, very soon, she was nodding her head.

Then quietly spoke a voice in her dream,

"Ready for Christmas, what do you mean?"

She woke with a start and cry of despair.

"There's so little time and I've still to prepare.

Oh Father!  Forgive me, I see what You mean!

To be ready means more than a house swept clean.

yes, more than the giving of gifts and a tree.

A heart that is free from bitterness and sin.

So be ready for Christmas - and ready for Him!"

"Since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another...if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us."  1 John 4:11,12

So today, I am giving away one of EACH of my new Christmas patterns to one person!  I am also going to make you a purse in your choice of white, red, or black for that fancy dress I know you're going to make for Christmas time!  AND, for every 25 new followers we add, I will give away an additional set of patterns and a beaded headband.  So, please spread the word!  This is our last giveaway for the week and the winner will be chosen tomorrow night at midnight.

Remember, also today is the last day for the free apron pattern from Sivje.  I will draw that name tonight.  Leave a comment on yesterday's post for that one.

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Some highlights, reviews and comments about yesterday:

Yesterday, I showed you some samples of my new "Beautiful Dreamer" pattern that will be released soon and given away to someone this week!  I also introduced the NEW GIVEAWAY for a generous gift certificate and surprise package from Fine Stitchery.  This one is a popular one because everyone loves Barbara's fabric and prices!  That Giveaway will end tonight at midnight so if you want to win, comment on yesterday's post for me to count you!  I will be introducing a NEW GIVEAWAY today!

Lisa had a great post on her blog yesterday that ties in nicely with today about ornaments.  Go see her great tutorial for a no-sew ornament that looks like it's quilted! 

Inquiring minds wanted to know about the little red/white polka dot nightgown Marlena made yesterday.  Yes, it was flannel and she said it came from Joann's for only $2.99!!  Thanks for letting us know Marlena! 

If anyone was interested in purchasing one of Nicole's adorable kitchen sets from Day One, you are going to have to move fast!  She is selling them in her etsy shop and I made sure I was one of the first ones in line to buy!!  They are going quick!

Today, I'm going to give you a sneak peek at another one of my new patterns that will be given away to someone this week!

"Fairy Doll" is a fully smocked dress with an attached petticoat and a capelet with optional madeira hem.  It ties in the back with a sash.

I used a blue silk dupioni for the dress above that I bought from fabric.com.  I didn't see that it said "iridescent" (I think I spelled that wrong!) on the description and I wasn't sure I loved the dark purple in it.  But, after it was smocked, I think I liked it better than if it had been a solid royal blue.

My sister smocked this for me because this week was a little nuts for me.  She did a wonderful job and it was her FIRST time smocking!!!  All you girls who smock are thinking I'm mean right now for giving her a fully smocked bodice to do for her first time, huh?  LOL

But, that also shows you that it is a simple geometric design that beginners and advanced smockers alike will appreciate.

The capelet is one I've shown you before.  It is fully lined and takes no time at all to make!

I can't wait to show you some more pictures of this pattern!

Today, please use the comments or linky to tell me YOUR easy ornament craft or favorite appetizer!

Today is all about easy-peasy appetizers that you can whip up really quickly with a minimum of ingredients to take to a party.

This is my favorite go-to one that everyone seems to love:

image courtesy of Taste of Home

1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet

2 tablespoons ranch dressing

1/4 cup cooked real bacon pieces or 4 slices bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled

1/2 cup finely shredded Cheddar cheese (2 oz)

1/4 cup chopped green onions (4 medium)

Heat oven to 350°F. If using crescent rolls: Unroll dough; separate into 2 long rectangles. Press each into 12x4-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal. If using dough sheet: Unroll dough; cut lengthwise into 2 long rectangles. Press each into 12x4-inch rectangle. Spread dressing over each rectangle to edges. Sprinkle each with bacon, Cheddar cheese and onions. Starting with one short side, roll up each rectangle; press edge to seal. With serrated knife, cut each roll into 8 slices; place cut side down on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 12 to 17 minutes or until edges are deep golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm. Yield: 16 appetizers.

Want an even easier version?  Here's how I make mine:

1 can (8 oz) crescent rolls

1 (8 oz.) garden herb spreadable cream cheese

4 slices of thinly sliced Ham

Chopped green onions

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Unroll dough and press into one large rectangle.  Spread cream cheese on top.  Lay slices of ham on top and sprinkle with chopped green onion, if desired.  Roll up rectangle and press edge to seal.  Cut into 16 slices and place cut side down on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake about 11-13 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve warm.

image courtesy of Taste of Home

1 pound sliced bacon

1 package (16 ounces) miniature smoked sausage links

1 cup packed brown sugar

Cut each bacon strip in half widthwise. Wrap one piece of bacon around each sausage. Place in a foil-lined 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 30-40 minutes or until bacon is crisp and sausage is heated through. Yield: about 3-1/2 dozen.

My family also loves Wassail or as we call it, Percolator Punch at Thanksgiving or Christmastime.  We usually have it after our meal with coffee and pumpkin pie but it's also nice to have at the beginning when everyone arrives cold and it makes the house smell so good.

Hot Percolator Punch  

2 cinnamon sticks (about 3 inches each), broken

10 whole cloves

6 whole allspice or 2 whole nutmeg

2 quarts of apple juice

Place the cinnamon sticks, cloves, and allspice on a doublethickness cheesecloth; bring up corners and tie with string to form a bag.  Place in a large saucepan with apple juice(or place loose spices in pan and strain before serving).  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30minutes.  Remove spice bag.  Serve punch in hot mugs.  Garnish with cinnamon sticks if desired.  Yield: 2 quarts. 

Do you have any favorite appetizers?  Upload them to my Flickr account or share in your comments.

Today's tutorial comes from another sewing friend of mine, Annastasia Cruz.  Annastasia has sewn for me in the past - in fact her daughter is on the cover of Sweet Daisy Girl - but she also has her own line of patterns.  My mom and I were making her crochet trio of toppers recently and I can't wait to show you how it turned out.  You can purchase her patterns and see more of her awesome work here.  She is an excellent sewist and her crocheting and smocking are amazing.

Here are her beautiful ornaments to share with you.  The pattern is free on Ravelry.

Her tip for these are:  "I used a crochet pattern for covered ball ornaments, then instead of inserting a ball ornament I blew up a round balloon inside it and starched it. I love how they turned out, the only problem is that one of the balloons transferred it's color to the inside of the ornament. Next time I am going to soak the balloons in something like oxy clean first."  I think it looks cool to have the color on the inside too but thanks for the tip!

A little girl who had recently become the sister of a new baby brother listened to the story about the Wise Men's gifts to the Baby Jesus.  She thought for a minute and then said, "Well I guess gold and all that stuff are all right, but I'll bet Mary really wished someone had brought diapers." ~Guideposts

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of his government and peace, there will be no end."  Isaiah 9:6-7

Today's Give-Away would make a fantastic hostess gift when you visit someone this year.  Sivje Parish has created a special apron pattern called "Yaya's Apron".  I love the story that goes along with it:

YAYA APRON PATTERN ©2010 SIVJEGOOSE 3

A Little About the Original Yaya

Yaya’s Apron is a fun and comfortable apron pattern. The inspiration

for this pattern came from a lovely old apron that had belonged to my

husband’s “Yaya”. Being Greek, my husband and all of his cousins

called their grandmother by this cozy name.

 

Yaya, whose real name was Marika, came to the United States from

a Greek community in a small coastal town in Turkey. She arrived

with her mother and siblings in Central Californiaand lived there

during the Great Depression. Ten years prior, her father immigrated

to the US.Eventually, with the family reunited, two little brothers were

added to the family. Later, Marika eloped to marry a young Greek

minister. They gave birth to three daughters, and one of them is my

darling mother-in-law. Years passed and the handsome Greek

minister passed away. The beautiful Marika fell in love and married

another Greek minister and gave birth to another daughter.

 

Yaya learned to sew and taught her daughters to sew as well.

Yaya was a gifted and frugal cook, making yummy traditional Greek

recipes from memory. I was blessed to learn many of these treats

from her when I was a young bride. I remember her wearing this

apron often.

 

The original apron was in a “Misses” size but Yaya had many

grandchildren and great grandchildren who loved to cook and create.

So I added children’s sizes and an 18” doll size to the design.

Sivje is one of the funniest people I have met and her blog will give you all kinds of inspiration.  You can also purchase her pattern there.  I'm hoping so much to be able to go to the SAGA Convention in Annaheim next year and get to meet her face to face!  This is my favorite one of the aprons she's made:

Well, Sivje is right in the middle of moving and I, well, this week is crazy with creating and testing three patterns and Christmas week so I wanted to be able to show you one of her patterns done up in Christmas prints.

Sivje just emailed me and said she is frantically finishing up THREE Christmas aprons to show you!  A Misses, a Child, and a Doll version!  What did I tell you - this girl is the best...and even crazier than I am!!  I'll post the pictures as soon as she sends them to me!

Here they are!

So, to enter today's giveaway for a chance to win Sivje's super-cute "Yaya's Apron" pattern (which includes misses, child, and doll's sizes!), leave a comment on today's post.

Remember, also today is the last day for the fabric gift certificate from Fine Stitchery.  I will draw that name tonight.  Leave a comment on yesterday's post for that one.

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I'll be back later today with today's Christmas post.  I'm working on a very special Christmas photo shoot.  Today's theme is all about attending holiday parties....easy appetizers you can make, ornaments and other hostess gifts.  And another great giveaway! 

But I know you're dying to know who won Day Three's Fashionista Garment Bag pattern!

Congratulations Kathy!!  I'm sure you will have this sewn up before the end of the week!    Enjoy!

Thanks so much Sara Norris for offering this spectacular giveaway!  Such a fun accessory for holiday traveling.  You can purchase her pattern here.

Don't forget to comment below if you want to win the free fabric from Fine Stitchery.  I will draw the winner of that tonight at midnight.

Think about your go-to recipe for appetizers and any hostess gifts so that you can link to today's post or put it in your comments.  Be back later!

Some highlights, reviews and comments about yesterday:

Yesterday, we shared Christmas Candy recipes and I shared a cute tutorial for dressing up little hand sanitizers.  I also introduced the NEW GIVEAWAY for Sara Norris' most recent pattern for a stylish garment bag.  That Giveaway will end tonight at midnight so if you want to win her pattern, comment on yesterday's post for me to count you!  I will be introducing a NEW GIVEAWAY today!

Lisa, I'm so glad you're using my linky tool!  I had to giggle when you said getting posts ready every day is hard work.  Girl, you're almost working harder than I am!!!!  Go visit her blog, everyone!  She's done a great job with it and has a giveaway on there for her ornament.  Yesterday, she shared her recipe for homemade toffee!  YUM!

Thanks Brenda for your cookie recipe in my comments sections yesterday:  "My super quick and easy cookie recipe is to take oreo-type chocolate sandwich cookies and dip them in almond bark to make my own dipped Oreos. You can even decorate them with sprinkles or icing to make them more festive. We love to experiment with almond bark and see what tastes good dipped! :-)"  Thanks Brenda!!

I also entered my recipes for the Christmas Candy I showed yesterday.  Just click on the link below the picture of the candy on yesterday's post.  Sorry I was late in getting that out yesterday.  I am also editing three patterns this week that will be released on Friday and I am going to give you another sneak peek at one of them today!

"Beautiful Dreamer" will be released on Friday and I will be giving away a pattern to one lucky recipient.  Marlena sent me her picture of it this week and I am so totally in love.  It can be used of course way past the holiday season with those little red polka dots, tiny tatting, and red buttons, but isn't is just so special for a Christmas nightgown? 

Here are a couple of some of the other darling ones from my testers.  I will show you mine and the rest of the tester's pictures on Friday.

D'Andra was a first time tester for me.  I just love the Christmas print she used on this one and isn't her daughter so sweet?  Great job D'Andra!  I hope you'll continue to work on things in the future for me!

Mary, also, was a first time tester for me and she chose a sweet little cupcake print to use for her gown and a beautiful eyelet for the robe.  Any little girl would love this one Mary!  I may have to steal your idea! 

And, as always, Nicole picked out the perfect embroidery pattern to go with her fabric.  So cuddly and sweet!

Today, please use the comments or linky to tell me YOUR favorite family Christmas tradition!

Today's recipe could also be considered a craft.  I love gingerbread houses and always had a dream of making one on Thanksgiving morning with the kids to display for the next month.  I think we did it once! 

But, it is still a dream and when we went to Disney World last year around Christmas time, we visited their amazing humongous gingerbread house in the Grand Floridian resort.  One of the designers happened to be giving a demonstration on how to make gingerbread houses.

Here is their recipe:

820 lbs of Sugar

135 lbs of Butter

1040 Eggs

150 lbs of Chocolate Chips

470 lbs of Flour

2 lbs of Baking Soda

All ingredients are combined and baked in a very large oven.

Isn't that a crack-up?

Here is a recipe that YOU can use, unless of course you have an oven big enough to bake something with 470 lbs. of flour!  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Building-Gingerbread/Detail.aspx

Here are some details of that huge house:

And just so you can see the scale of it, here are the boys in front of one of the windows  (Ha!  I remember sewing on the buttons of their shirts in the hotel room that morning.  I digress....Anway back to the house):

Have you ever made any gingerbread houses with your family?  I want to see!  Upload them to my Flickr account.

Someone asked me about stockings and today is the day for that!!  My friend Barbara at Fine Stitchery is also hosting our giveaway today and generously shares this darling elf stocking.

This is what she says about them:

Elf Christmas Stockings  - Christmas Stockings are such a BIG part of our family’s Christmas Celebration I thought it was a perfect project.  And these came out just ADORABLE!! 

They're really easy to make and you can embellish, embroider, trim and personalize them to your heart’s content!  I made mine out of the supa-jazzy, supa-cute Christmas Prints I have in the Sewing Store, well, of course!  And you can, too, or use other traditional Christmas fabrics - velvets and red corduroy or whatever you might have in your stash.  Bells and bows and beads and fringe and glitter and sequins and sparkles will only make the stocking more adorable!!  AAAAND – a Special Package of the Christmas Prints at a Special Price!

Click on the picture above to be taken to her tutorial.  They are free in her Sewing School.   She just asks that you not share, reproduce, or sell the pattern as your own.  Please contact her if you would like to use them for teaching - she will be happy to share them but you may only use them with her permission. 

This is Christmas - the real meaning of it.

God loving, searching, giving Himself to us.

Man's needing, receiving, giving himself to God.

Redemption's glorious exchange of gifts!

Without which we cannot live,

Without which we cannot give to those we love

anything of lasting value.

This is the meaning of Christmas-

the wonder and the glory of it.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights." James 1:17

Today's Give-Away is given by Barbara at Fine Stitchery.  You are going to love this one!  She is offering a $30 gift certificate on in-stock fabric including a special surprise package!

Barbara has the best prices on fabric anyway so I know you're going to really enjoy spending it.  This must be redeemed by November 27th because she is getting ready to move.  Isn't she so sweet to offer this in the midst of her moving??  That is just like her.  She is one of the nicest people I have met and I'm so happy to send you over to her store.  She is also who helped me get started in Ellie Inspired.

If you would like to win this give-away, leave a comment on this post.  I will draw the winner tomorrow night (Thursday, November 18th) at midnight.

Remember, also today is the last day for Sara's Fashionista Garment Bag pattern giveaway.  I will draw that name tonight.  Leave a comment on yesterday's post for that one.

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Before we get started on today, I felt I really must show you this to be fair after that pajama post on Sunday.

What a stud, huh?  There you go, dear.  Better?

Some highlights, reviews and comments about yesterday:

We added 33 new followers to Facebook and my blog!  Not quite the 50 needed for an additional winner but, still, impressive none the less!

The winner of Nicole's Amazing Giveaway is:

I'm so very happy that you won, Keisha!  Have fun picking out your set!

I want to show one of you who featured your blog using the linky tool at the bottom of each post.  Lisa has a darling craft tutorial on her blog for you to check out.  Thanks for linking up Lisa!  I saw some commented on your post that they had found you by following the link from here.  I'm so happy about that!  I was hoping we would all be able to visit each other's blog and gain inspiration from each other.

And, last thing which is very important....I say this at the end of every post but thought I would start out today with it at the top to make sure no one misses it.....When you comment on my blog, you automatically are notified of everyone's comments after you.  So, for some, that meant getting 40+ emails in their inbox.  Super frustrating, I know.  There is an easy fix until we convince the tech support that this needs to be changed:  when you get that first notification, press "block sender" in your email.  Don't worry, you will still be able to email me and I will still be able to email you.  But, you won't have your inbox jammed full.

All right, now let's start today!!

Twirl Girl in Tartan plaid and Swiss embroidered lace from Fine Stitchery and black velvet ribbon for trim.

I thought this story was so sweet but I don't know where it came from to give credit to.  I'm sure there are a lot of you who are a  "Mrs. James" to others, too.

Mrs. James selected a pretty design and "just-right" colors, buttons, and materials for a Christmas coat for her daughter.  One morning, she paused from her knitting to gaze out at the snow, and a woman walked by.  It was the young widow who lived nearby.  Mrs. James couldn't help noticing hte woman's old, threadbare coat as she shivered in the blustery weather.  She was walking to her waitress job, and Mrs. James wondered how the widow managed to feed, clothe, and keep a roof over the heads of her six children.

All day, Mrs. James thought about the widow.  By dusk, Mrs. James sewed on the last button and spotted the widow returning home from work.  Tucking the coat into a box, she walked to the widow's door, laid down the package, rang the bell, and slipped quietly away.  The netxt day, Mrs. James watched.  Perhaps it ws the big smile on her face or her beautiful new coat, but the young widow looked positiviely radiant.

"Tomorrow I will knit a coat for my daughter," Mrs. James thought, "but this one was for my neighbor."

God has given us two hands -

one to receive with

and one to give with.

We are channels made for sharing.

"Give and it will be given to you.  A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap."  Luke 6:38

Today is all about Christmas candy.  And we made a bunch last night!!  Too many to even fit all the recipes on here so I made a separate page to hold all of them.  (I will add all the recipes later this afternoon - the day has gotten away from me!)

Recipes are now all listed here! 

They are all very easy.  I do not have a candy thermometer, well actually I might but I'm scared of it and it resides in my drawer of little-used gadgets.  So, when I say they're easy, they're really easy.  The very last recipe for the caramels is one my Mom made for me and it does require a candy thermometer but it still looks pretty easy.

I love today's tutorial.  It would make awesome teacher gifts and stocking stuffers.  Super easy to do with your kids too.  Click on the picture to get the details on how she made these cute little hand sanitizers. 

Festive Hand Sanitizers by Sisters' Stuff

Today, please share your favorite Christmas candy or cookies recipe either on your blog and link up or in your comments or on my Flickr group.

To Grandmother's House, we go!!

I'm so happy to show you today's Giveaway.  What is more fun for a girl to carry her dresses or even play clothes to Grandma's at the holidays in this stylish thing!?  I keep saying I'm going to make one for myself!!  This is the medium size.  There is a smaller size also.

This darling garment bag is Sara Norris' most recent pattern which she is generously offering for free to one lucky winner today!! 

Sara is an amazing designer who has previously been featured in Sew Beautiful and is a dear friend and encouragement to me.  Check out her blog and the gorgeous velveteen coats and bonnets she just made for her granddaughters, too!

I made this one in no longer than an hour.  You could probably make it faster but I added the piping around the edge for that pop of pink and fussed with what fabrics to use for the pockets.  So, it is a super easy pattern and super quick to do!! 

Make your girl feel like a princess and sew her a special monogrammed garment bag to hold her dresses, shoes, jewelry, hair ribbons, etc.

For the rest of us who may not win, you can purchase her pattern here.

Good luck!  I decided to let each giveaway run two days so this giveaway ends tomorrow night (Wednesday, November 17th) at midnight!  If you want to enter this giveaway, you need to leave a comment on this post and remember to block sender when you start getting email notifications!

Use the linky below to add your blog and Christmas recipe!  I may feature YOU tomorrow!

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Daddy's Girl dress in Green Satin with fur muff and headband

We started our Christmas Week last night with a great big celebration and I'm excited to see so many comments and sharing the news with others.  Please also feel free to use the linky tool at the bottom to share your Christmas crafts, traditions, or recipes.

Until you feel the spirit of Christmas -

there is no Christmas.

All else is outward display -

so much tinsel and decoration.

For it isn't the holly, it isn't the snow.

It isn't the tree nor the firelight's glow.

It's the warmth that comes to the hearts of men

when the Christmas spirit returns again.

~Frank S. Mead

"God made his light sine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ."  2 Corinthians 4:6

My mom and my aunt started making these 25 years ago for teachers and neighbor gifts.  I remember them working together in my mom's kitchen and my sister and cousin and I would watch them and sample the frosting, I'm sure!

Now that many years later, my mom's still making them and has even developed quite a reputation as people place their orders for them the end of November and beginning of December.

Great for taking to family parties or dropping off at a neighbor to say "Merry Christmas!"  If you've never made any bread before "from scratch", don't worry, these are very easy and don't really take long to make.  Plus, each recipe makes three so you can get a lot for your time and effort!  We place them in the freezer without frosting or decorations.  Take them out and frost even while still frozen to take somewhere or give away.  They don't take long to thaw at all.

2 c. sour cream

2 pkg. active dry yeast

1/2 c. warm water (105 to 115 degrees)

1/4 c. butter or margarine, softened

1/3 c. sugar

2 t. salt

2 eggs

About 6 cups flour

3 (20 oz) cans apple pie filling

cinnamon

red and green maraschino cherries

Icing (recipe follows)

Heat sour cream over low heat just until lukewarm.  Dissolve yeast in warm water.  Stir in sour cream, 1/4 c. butter, the sugar, salt, eggs and 2 c. flour.  Beat until smooth.  Mix in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.

Turn dough onto well-floured board; knead until smooth (about 10 minutes).  Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up.  Cover, let rise in a warm place until double, about 1 hour.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.Punch down dough, divide into 3 equal parts.  Roll each part into rectangle, 15x6 inches; place on greased baking sheet.  With scissors, make 2 inch cuts at 1/2 inch intervals on long sides of rectangles.

Spread 1 can of pie filling down the center of each rectangle.  Sprinkle cinnamon over the top and dot with butter or margarine.  Criss-cross strips over filling.  Stretch dough to 22 inches.  Curve to form cane.

Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.   Freeze if desired after cooling.  If being used right away, drizzle with icing and decorate with red and green cherries (cut to look like holly berries.)

Icing:

Blend 3 c. confectioner's sugar with about 2 T. melted margarine.  Add milk until desired spreading consistency.

These beautiful little pennie pockets were made by the Happy Zombie.  You can download her free tutorial for them on Moda Bakeshop.  They also look adorable in all different types of fabrics for different holidays so this is one pattern you're going to want to use over and over!

Did you know that I have a free pattern here for a boy's tie?  Easy, peasy - takes about 10 - 15 minutes to make and you will have something special for your son or grandson for Christmas also!

LAST CHANCE TO WIN ONE OF THESE GORGEOUS SETS!  GIVEAWAY ENDS TODAY!

I posted the Give-Away for today last night because I just couldn't wait!  You can leave a comment here to enter or on yesterday's post.  Remember to "block sender" on email notifications that you get so your inbox isn't jammed full and every friend that mentions your name when they leave a comment enters you in the drawing a second time!

I will draw the name at midnight tonight and post the winner tomorrow!

I have a new added twist!  For every new 50 followers on my Google Followers on the right, I will purchase an additional set from Nicole and draw another winner!

Good luck!

Use the linky below to add your blog and Christmas craft, idea, or recipe!

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Christmas Week begins here at Ellie Inspired!!!  This is going to be fun.  Sorry for the late post today!  It will be posted in the mornings the rest of the week.  I hadn't planned on doing a giveaway this first day - just an introduction and sharing of Christmas memories and traditions since it is Sunday.  However, I opened my inbox tonight and was BLOWN AWAY by someone who offered to do a giveaway!   Because it's so fantastic, I'm going to give you today AND tomorrow to enter the drawing.  These ladies deserve a lot of attention and love for their generosity so please share this with others both on your blog or on your facebook page.

Each day will consist of :

• A free craft tutorial (sometimes two!) that is perfect for gift-giving or a fun project for you to do with your kids
• A special holiday recipe
• A special Christmas memory, tradition, or story
• A fabulous giveaway!

Feel free to link with any of these or something completely different using the linky tool at the bottom of each post.  If you don't have a blog, post your picture or recipe to the Ellie Inspired Flickr group.

To enter the giveaway for that day, you must be a follower of my blog or facebook page.  I will draw the winner each night and announce it the next morning.

Now that you know the rules, let's get on with the celebrations!

It's always nice to start off the holidays organized.  A question I get a lot is how I get so much done.  In truth, I don't a lot of the time.  But, something that has really helped me to focus and get organized is FlyLady.  I'm raising a whole bunch of little flybabies who knew the words "morning routine" and "bedtime routine" and "5 minute room rescue" before they learned to tie their shoes.  She has a wonderful Holiday Control Journal that you can download for free.

One of the traditions I started when my kids were tiny were handmade Christmas pajamas, an ornament for the tree that year, and a tin of fudge given to them on Thanksgiving morning.

Here's a look at past Christmas pajamas:

Fleece sweatshirts with flannel pants.  Oh so cozy!   In between these years, I also made red check flannel pj's with a different snowman on each one's front shirt pocket.  But, I never got a picture that year!  Hello Laura!

No Christmas pj's are complete without a super cape.

Oh, and did I forget to mention that I make matching ones for Aaron and I too?

My husband is a lucky, lucky man.  Ha!

The fudge that I give them is super easy but oh, sooooooo good!  Try it and let me know what you think!

Milk Chocolate Microwave Fudge

3 c. milk chocolate chips

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1/4 c. margarine

1 c. chopped walnuts (optional - we NEVER add these!  :))

Put all ingredients (except nuts) in a large glass bowl.  Cook at medium (50%) until chips are melted (3-5 minutes), stirring once or twice during cooking time.  Stir in nuts.  Pour into a well-greased 8 x 8 inch dish.  Refrigerate until set.

These will keep VERY WELL in the freezer!  In fact, they don't freeze solid and we actually prefer to eat them right from the freezer!

For their ornaments, I usually just buy them (GASP!) but there are thousands of great ornament ideas and free patterns on the web.

My friend, Carol, has a spectacular one that you can make with your kids and use up all those red, green, or white scraps.

Click on the picture above to take you the free tutorial for the Christmas Topiary above.

Carol also has been busy making holiday quilts, mug rugs, and wall hangings.  Check out the rest of her blog to see more of her amazing talent.

There are lots of ornament ideas here too!

What are your favorite family traditions, special recipes, or ornaments you have made?  Use the linky tool below to tell the story on your blog or leave a comment.

Get ready to be BLOWN AWAY by this super awesome giveaway to kick off our Christmas week!  I literally had tears in my eyes as I opened by inbox tonight and saw all the work and time that went into these special gifts.

Jennilee from Digistitches generously donated ALL of the machine embroideries used!  Nicole Conkwright from Cole's Creations took that generous gift and created not one - but NINE sets you can choose from when you win!!! 

If you aren't the lucky one who is randomly chosen, I know you're still going to want to rush over to Jennilee's site and purchase some of these darling embroidery sets for yourself or buy one of the remaining adorable sets already made from Nicole at her Etsy shop!!  You're going to have to beat me though because I am ineligible for the drawing but I soooooooooo want one!  Elisabeth definitely needs one of these for her kitchen set!

Here are the NINE sets!  To enter the drawing, you must be a follower of my blog or facebook page and leave a comment on this post or tomorrow's post.  The winner will be chosen tomorrow night after midnight and announced the next morning.  To be added multiple times in the drawings, you must share this with friends and have them mention your name when they also comment and enter the drawing.  Good luck!

                                      SET #1                                                                                         SET #2

                            Sweet Lil' Cupcake                                                                 Darling Doughnuts

                                SET #3                                                                                                  SET #4

                       Yee-haw, Cowboy!                                                                            With a Cherry on Top

                           SET #5                                                                                                SET #6

               Gingerbread Dreams                                                                           Cookies for Santa

                       SET #7                                                                                                    SET #8

                  Tea for Two                                                                                   Grandma's Gingerbread

SET #9

Lucy's Chocolates

Thank you SEW VERY MUCH Nicole and Jennilee!  Awesome work!

Remember, just leave a comment on this post to enter the giveaway and be a member of my blog or facebook page.  Share with others and earn extra entries if they mention your name!

One more thing and this is important....if you have never commented on my blog before, you may not know that you will get notifications of every comment left after you.  To avoid filling up your inbox, hit "Block Sender" when you get that first notification.  Don't worry, I can still contact you and you can still email me but it will get rid of those annoying notifications.

Good luck!

Use the linky below to add your blog and Christmas craft, idea, or recipe!

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