Sassy & Sweet Notes

Introducing Springtime Quilt & Quilting Forever

It's that time of month again! Time for another Whipper Snapper cling set release! 

 

This month there are two sets being released: Springtime Quilt and Quilting Forever. I chose to combine blocks from each set for today's projects. Cosmo Cricket paper made great additions to the background, and also provided some color suggestions.

 

Be sure to check out the wonderful designs from the November/December Featured Designers as they showcase these sets! You're sure to be impressed!

The Who's Who of November/December Featured Designers:

Amy Rohl
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/rohla
Blog: http://inkaboutme.blogspot.com

Carla Murphy
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/cardsbycarla
Blog: http://cardsbycarla.blogspot.com

Gabriela Divine
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/gabydee
Blog: http://gabiwithaneye.blogspot.com

Jennifer King
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/jkincolorado
Blog: http://lookiewhaticando.blogspot.com

Randee Elsing
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/Randee_E
Blog: http://www.mystampingground.blogspot.com

and Me! Anna Wight
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/sweetmissdaisy
Blog: http://sweetmissdaisy.typepad.com

Just a reminder, you can see all of the projects current and past Featured Designers have uploaded to their SplitCoast galleries by viewing the Whipper Snapper Featured Designer Gallery. Have a look -- it's a great place to find all KINDS of great inspiration!

Have fun!

Merry Christmas!

My dear friends and family, I wish you the happiest of Christmas celebrations!

It's a chilly Christmas morning here in the Pacific Northwest. The sun is shining, and the wild turkeys are in the yard waiting for grain. Alan said it's chilly in Texas this morning as well! As central Texas recovers from record ice and snowfall, the farm critters look forward to Christmas morning treats.

Blessings to you, and yours!

Greetings from the chilly Northwest

Hello, hello! I'm in northeastern Washington visiting family for the Christmas holiday. The weather has been a bit different than the Christmas weather we had last year! There are a few inches of snow on the ground, but it has been warm enough to be raining rather than snowing. Last year, I remember seeing several feet of snow accumulate in just a few days -- that was really something!

The deer and the wild turkeys still visit the yard daily. I need to get out there and snap some photos.

Mom and I started crafting last night. Aunt Lorraine gave Mom a fun holiday tree napkin pattern so we were busily stitching up some of those, just for fun. No photos yet, but I'll see about posting some shortly.

I've been able to visit with a couple of friends from high school. It is amazing how quickly time passes. This upcoming summer we celebrate our 20 year reunion...it doesn't quite feel like so many years have passed.

The rest of the week promises fun and laughter with family, and I'm looking forward to it!

Alan is home on the farm taking care of the critters. He'll spend Christmas with his parents, and there's no doubt they'll have a wonderful Christmas dinner. I look forward to the same, when I get back to Texas. *grin*

Have a wonderful time with your holiday preparations!

Whipper Snapper Release

Exciting news over at Whipper Snapper!

I have new stamp images released!

Check them out, here!

Happy Day!

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

Warning: These are delish... be prepared to make a second, third, fourth batch. *grin*

 

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
1lb Chocolate Almond Bark (I like using Semi-Sweet Baker's Chocolate Squares)
2 8oz (16oz) Milk Chocolate Bars
Melt together using double-boiler method; keep warm.

1 1/2 Cups Peanut Butter
3/4 Cup Butter
2 1/2 - 3 Cups Powdered Sugar
Cream together and form into small 1" balls.

Drop approximately 1 tsp melted chocolate into small paper baking cups. Place one peanut butter ball in center of each cup on top of the melted chocolate. Add more chocolate to cover up the entire peanut butter ball. (Alan likes to fill them LEVEL to the edge of the paper cup. I'm a bit more reserved.) Cool in fridge to set. 

Dig in!

Checking off my list!

Pardon me while I dust the flour off of my nose and sleeves...

Thank you for all the responses about your favorite Christmas cookies! They all sounded so delish! You were very inspiring, so I got to work in the kitchen. Every night this week I've been busy baking for our holiday treat platters. We'll be delivering our holiday treats a bit early this year as I'll be flying up to Washington a week before Christmas and I don't want to wait until the new year to deliver all of these goodies.

I've made a lot of progress on my list, and the freezer is getting full!

The LIST:
Anna Banana Bread: DONE (no photo)

 
Snickerdoodles: DONE!

 
Soft Molasses Cookies: Done - YUMM!

 
Peanut Butter (Balls) Cups: 1 batch done... several more yet to do

 
White Chocolate Pretzel Rods: DONE (I made a gajillion!)

Hershey Chocolate Kiss Cookies: Done! (no photo)
Hershey Brownie Bites: Done (no photo)

What's left...
More Peanut Butter (Balls) Cups
Possibly more Anna Banana Bread...
Toffee...
...and Peppermint Bark

Then, finally, I'll start with the assembly of the treat trays. Yay!

I've also been busy sewing, but I can't share details or photos of those projects -- nothing like ruining Christmas surprises! *grin*

Update on Little Miss Penny: A day of house-bound pampering did her well. She recovered fully, and after a quick pedicure was returned to the hen house. She chatted up a storm with all the ladies, no doubt telling them all about her day at the spa.

Favorite Christmas Cookies

Every year, I make homemade goodies to give to friends for the holiday. I thought I would make several things and create a little goody platter for some of the locals (the mailman, the gal at the post office, the neighbors, etc). Here's what's on the "list" so far -- things might change. *grin*

White Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods
Toffee
Anna Banana Bread
Peanut Butter Balls (if I can pry them out of Alan's fingers!)
Peppermint Bark
Kiss Cookies
...what else?

This got me wondering, what is your favorite holiday cookie? Tell me all about it, and if you're up to it, share the recipe too!

Toe Nail Trouble

 
Little Miss Penny had kind of a rough morning today. When I went out to do my morning chores, I found her hanging upside down by one of her toe nails from the top edge of the aluminum chicken feed container. Poor little thing!

She was very cold - the temperature was hovering around 38 degrees (there was still ice on the water trough) - and she was VERY stuck! It took me a bit to wiggle her toe nail out from the folded topside of the tube feeder, but finally managed to work her free.

Her leg was very stiff, and she didn't care for me trying to get her to bend it up next to her body. Nothing seemed to be broken or out of joint, thankfully! I brought her in the house to warm her up and give her some warm scrambled eggs and some vitamin water to replenish her a bit. I have no idea how many hours she'd been hanging there -- it could have been upwards of 2 to 3 hours if she got stuck first thing this morning! 

 
At lunchtime, I took her back out to the hen house to see how she got along, but she favored her leg enough for me to feel sorry for her -- so back in the house she went! Here's how she's spending her day on my cutting table... with snacks and beverages, wrapped in a towel to keep her warm, in a shoebox-sized plastic storage tub (no lid). What a life! She coo's to me. How sweet!

This is the same hen that manged to get stuck in the WALL of the hen house before the walls were finished. I noticed her missing one day, and thought maybe she'd gotten out of the chicken yard. When she was still missing the second day, I got very sad. While I was feeding, I heard some light scratching coming from behind the shelf in the coop. At first I thought it might be a mouse -- and then I saw her WAY DOWN at the bottom of the wall, behind a 4x8' section of wall. Alan helped me rescue her -- thankfully, she's little and he managed to get her out using the "egg grabber" (one of those squeeze-handle gopher-jobbers used for picking up things).

Her and I had a little talk this morning about safety, and rescue missions. No more, Little Miss Penny. No more!

 
By the way, some places in the Dallas/Fort Worth area got upwards of 1-2" of snow yesterday ... we're expecting snow to hit our area tomorrow... Brr!

PS: Update on the new calf -- Alan liked the name suggestion of Darcy, so we've named the little gal Darcy. Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions! Oh, and Robb_eeie, those little dots on her belly are, dare I say, her BOOBIES! *grin*