This little caddy is a carrying case for hot wheel cars. It's the perfect gift for a little guy to keep him busy when he's out and about. There's a little "garage" for each car and a road for the cars to travel on...
Two of my grandson are traveling over the river and through the woods to Grandma's house this weekend. I can't wait to see them! I made one of these for the 2 years old and another for his brother, who will celebrate his 1st birthday while he's here! They're a little young for something like this, but hopefully they will enjoy it for a few years to come.
To make this car caddy I followed the directions at "Homemade by Jill," but I made a few alterations. I didn't use felt on any of it because I wanted it to be washable, and I lined all the pieces with fusible fleece to give it more durability. If there's one thing I know after raising five boys, it's that little-boy-toys need to be sturdy!
It works like a charm! To fold up this caddy, just fold it in half lengthwise...
Then fold the length in thirds and snap shut. I chose a closure with a center release snapping buckle like this one...
All wrapped up and ready to go!
This was such an easy project. It takes very little fabric and works up very quickly. It would make a cute Christmas or birthday present for a little one in your life. Let the good times roll!
Fruit trees along the Front Range in Colorado (just east of the Rockies) are a hit and miss proposition. Most years we get fruit, but it's not unusual to have a late frost that hits the early budding trees eliminating the prospect of fruit for that year.
This year, however, was a good year. Our tree is full of big, beautiful, ripening peaches...
In the next few days we'll start harvesting these beauties...
Looking at all this ripening fruit has given me a hankerin' fer peach cobbler! (A southern drawl would come in so handy at times like this.) There seems to be two camps for cobbler recipes. One camp prefers the more rustic approach of biscuit-like dough plopped onto the top of the fruit and baked to a golden brown. The other camp prefers a sweet oatmeal cookie-like topping crumbled over the top of the fruit and baked till crisp.
You can't go wrong with either one, but I pitch my tent with the "oatmeal cookie-like topping" camp. I tend to be a little lazy with my culinary skilz these days, so a few years ago I concocted a recipe for "Suzanne's Easy Peasy Cobbler." This recipe can be used with any type of fruit, and the fruit can be fresh, frozen or even canned. I prefer fresh. Here are a few of my favorite combinations:
Suzanne's Easy Peasy Cobbler
would like. If you are using cans, you need about 3 large cans of fruit.
Because this wreath is only 9 inches in diameter it is too small for its designated space, so I knew I would need to combine it with another item to make it appear larger. I thought about hanging it from a frame, but I couldn't find a frame at Target that I liked. Then I remembered Hobby Lobby's clearance sale and wondered if there was something I might pick up there to help with this project. I bought the wreath and headed to Hobby Lobby. At Hobby Lobby I found this square tin plaque (below). I did just as instructed and "Rejoiced." Amen. Seriously, it was just what I was looking for.
Even better, it's price had been marked down to...
It felt a little sacrilegious to paint over the plaque, but I did it anyway. I reached for Rust-oleum American Accents in "oregano", and gave it a couple of coats...
After it dried I took out my sanding block and gave it a little character...
Then I attacked it with some glaze, and gently wiped it down to the desired finish...
I didn't think the glaze was going to make much of a difference, but when it dried it definitely had done the job.
Here's a collage showing the different effects of spray paint, sanding and glazing. Each process adds a little more depth and character to the piece. (This is also an interesting case study on how the color of something changes in different light. The first picture was taken in the evening, the second in the morning and the third mid day!)
When the glaze was dry I glued the wreath to the plaque and let it cure for 24 hours. This morning I hung it up.
With the wreath mounted on the plaque it is now 15 1/2 inches in diameter and perfect for the space.
I love it, and the fact that it cost $11 makes me appreciate it even more!
Clockwise, starting top left:
I've used this HL canvas fabric for several pillows and a lamp shade recently, but none of those items are residing in my home, so it was high time I made a little something out of this fabulous fabric for my own enjoyment!
The window panels were so easy to make. I just sewed two pieces of fabric together -- the lining and the orange swirl fabric -- along the two long sides. I cut the lining fabric about 2" narrower than the orange fabric, so the orange fabric would have a 1 inch "hem" on the sides of the panel. Then I hemmed the tops and bottoms of the panel, installed the curtain rod and attached the clip rings. That's it. It took no time at all.
Easiest curtains ever!
Ahhh, the dog days of summer. Hot, sultry days when one hardly has the energy to pull up a lawn chair and take a nap. While we humans are tucking into air-conditioned buildings and relaxing in pools, the flowers and veggies in my garden are soaking up the rays like there's no tomorrow. Of course I have to water them morning and night to keep them energized, but they are in their glory.
Do you remember back to the first part of June just after we had installed our birdie fountain and I had planted a gajillion impatiens around it? If not, here's a photo to jog your memory. See all those little impatiens surrounding the fountain...
Well, here's a photo I took this morning from the same vantage point. The impatience have grown and filled in to the point that they are reaching the top of the fountain. So beautiful and lush!
And lets not forget these vine-ripened beauties. We've already tasted a few of these and they are delicious!
I've also got some cilantro and basil percolating in their own little container. The other day I made some salsa and guacomole with these fresh ingredients (cilantro and tomatoes) and it was fabulous. There's nothing better than plucked-from-the-garden ingredients!
Hope you have a wonderful Bloomin' Tuesday in your neck of the woods!
