The Beginning of a Fashion Designer

Ever since my daughter was 4 she has let me know that when she grows up she is going to be a Fashion Designer.  She has asked many times for me to teach her how to sew.  But I don't really like people messing with my sewing machine.  A few months ago I found a decent brand new sewing machine on sale for under $50 and bought it for her.  I told her that it would be in her room but I wouldn't teach her how to sew unless her desk was clean so we could sew.  Well, have you heard that creative people tend to be messy?  That's my daughter.  (Well, it's kind of me too.  But this isn't about me!)

Yesterday she cleaned off her desk!!!!  So it was time to sew.  Most people choose to make a pillowcase as their first project.  But as I mentioned before, my daughter wants to be a Fashion Designer.  And a pillowcase isn't her idea of the perfect sewing project.  So I decided to start her off with an infinity scarf.

She chose a Disney fabric because, well, we are all slightly obsessed with Disney in this family.  Her fabric is a pinkish/purplish flannel with Aurora and Maleficent and the Dragon.  (It was already in my large Disney fabric stash that I'm hoarding at my house so I'm not sure if they still sell it).

After a long conversation about safety and all of that fun stuff, she helped me cut a piece of fabric to make it 12" x 60".

At this point we should have hemmed one side.  But we didn't.  I had to help her with that later.

She folded the right sides of the fabric together (long ways) and pinned it. (This made the fabric 6" x 60").

It was time to finally break in her sewing machine!!!  I chose this project because all she had to do was sew a somewhat straight line.

Here is where I slacked in the pictures.  I forgot about my camera!  So let me try to explain.  After sewing the long side together we turned the fabric right side out to make it a tube.  Then I helped her hem one side of the tube.  We stuck the edge that wasn't hemmed into the hemmed edge, pinned it and sewed it together.

She is so proud of her new infinity scarf and plans to make lots more! (It's almost a shame we live in Florida and have very little cold weather).

The Non Traditional Birthday Cake

Today marks my niece's 12th birthday.

As with many of her birthdays we are celebrating it at our cabin in Maine - which does not have my KitchenAid Stand Mixer, stoneware pans and other favorite baking utensils that are back at my house in Florida. I am not a huge fans of store bought cakes (which seem expensive for mediocre flavor or really expensive for a wonderfully tasting cake).  While that may seem like a conundrum in itself it's worse because she doesn't really like cake.

I am known for my homemade chocolate chip cookies.  She loves them, as does the rest of the family.   But they seemed so unbirthday like.  Hmmm...what should I do?

A Chocolate Chip Cookie Birthday Pie!!  I would love to say that I came up with this creation myself.  But I didn't.  While searching on Pinterest I found this recipe on a blog that said they adapted the Nestle Toll House recipe.  However, when I looked at the Nestle Toll House recipe I realized it was an identical recipe.  Seriously people, don't pass something off as your own version if it's not.  The credit goes to Nestle Toll House.

You can find the recipe here:
Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Pie

Although my favorite baking aids were not up here, my mom had this beautiful green pie plate that I thought would be wonderful to dress up a celebration.  I just love it!  I"m sure that in the coming years I'll be using it more for a variety of other pies. Now if only I really knew how to crimp pie dough, lol.  If anyone has tips on that please let me know.

This pie looked good even before it was in the oven!  Probably because I'm a sucker for anything chocolate chip cookie dough! The pie came out a little bit dark but my brown sugar was really dark.  Next time I'll be using light brown sugar so it looks a little more appealing.  Sometimes you just have to use what you have :)

The Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Pie was a complete hit.  Serve it with a little bit of ice cream or whip cream - yum!  Since we are in Maine for so many of her birthdays I think I'll tuck this recipe away to celebrate with it again.

I'm curious ... do any of you make a non traditional birthday cake?  If so, what do you make?  Thanks for sharing!

Maine Wildlife Park

Every year we are lucky enough to travel to a family cabin in Maine for a couple of weeks out of the summer. Spending the summer in Maine, however, always causes a conundrum in my family.  Some of us just want to sit by the water, read a book and relax.  Others want to travel around the state.

In the past my husband and I have traveled several hours to Greenville, Maine to see moose.  We didn't bring the kids.  This year there was chatter that they also wanted to see a moose but didn't want to go so far from the cabin.  A friend of mine mentioned a place in Gray, Maine called the Maine Wildlife Park.

Getting to the Park from where our cabin is (near Bath, Maine) was not fun for those who succumb to car sickness.  Our group used Sea Bands to help out with it but there's your warning.  I'm not sure if there's an easier way to go.  We used our phone's GPS to get there.

The park was beautiful and a lot more than I expected.  There are over 30 species of native Maine Wildlife.  Here are just a few pictures of the animals we saw:

And best of all, we saw a moose!!!  Unfortunately I was not able to get a good picture because they were sitting so close to the fence.  There were 2 male and 2 female moose.

The walk through the woods was beautiful and as you can see the animals were very cool.  The animals housed at the Maine Wildlife Park were rescued and cannot survive in the wildlife alone, which I like better than a regular zoo.  According to a volunteer we talked to at the Park, it only has 4 employees and lots of volunteers who keep up the grounds gorgeous, act as tour guides and so much more.

The only downside I found is if you are visiting mid-day and  forget to bring a lunch.  Snacks and other sweet stuff are sold but no actual food you would consider lunch.  So don't forget to bring your picnic baskets!

The Maine Wildlife Park is open every day during the season from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. (although guests already in the park can stay until 6 p.m.).

For more information on prices, events, photo passes, volunteering etc. visit Maine Wildlife Park.

DIY - Girl Scout Apron

2016 was the 3rd year my daughter sold Girl Scout Cookies - she loves it!  As with most kids, she was really excited about the prizes she could receive.  In particular the memory box (which she plans on using as a recipe box - I'm so proud!) and the Girl Scout cookie apron.

Unfortunately, to get the apron the troop as a whole had to sell a certain amount of cookies per girl - and our troop fell a little short.  She was disappointed but she understood.  It was when she received the Girl Scout cookie bandana that an idea began to form.  We would make our own apron!!

I came up with a design so I wouldn't have to cut the bandana (in case she ever wanted to use it as a bandana.  I doubt she will, but who knows).  Now, before we get into this project, I have to remind you of something.  I am no Martha Stewart.  The way I do things may not be the correct way, but they work for me.

The bandana that was given to me was approximately 20" x 20".  And a beautiful fabric.

To begin with I turned the fabric inside out and sewed two of the sides together.  The seam became the back of the apron.  At this point you can also sew the bottom of the apron together.

Next measure on your girl where her arms are.  You want to fold two triangles into the top (back side) of the apron and pin them.  Like this:

 Sew the long outside edge of the triangle.

Now on the triangle's opposite side sew from the top corner down the long side only HALF WAY.  (Sorry, the green part in the picture is the ribbon you'll be adding in a moment).  Repeat on the other side.

Then you're going to take ribbon (I found a color similar to Girl Scout green at the Dollar Store) and thread it through both sides of the apron, making a loop at the top.

And you're DONE!  Here is the final result on my Girl Scout:

Questions?  Just ask!