happy new year

I'll be back January 4!

Photo Credit: Unknown

need a last minute gift?

Want to make some delicious cookies like these?? My Drusilla's Ginger Snap Recipe Aprons would make a super fun and unique last minute gift for the foodie or teacher or tutor or hostess on your list. Email shari@redllamastudio.com if interested. I hope some of you are last minute shoppers like me!

The aprons are $29.95 + tax and shipping when applicable. Checks or money orders accepted. And of course cash too if you're a local!

first night

First night of Hanukkah was great! Olive just found out she's Jewish. I hope all of you have a nice weekend.

apron winner!

Congratulations to Sheryl from bitch cakes, the first rotten bananas giveaway winner! Check out her super blog. I just love it. Email your address to me Sheryl! Your apron and cookies will arrive soon! Thanks to everyone who entered! It was so fun to hear from you.

hallelujah everybody say cheese...

For your Wednesday enjoyment, a couple of pretty great holiday tunes that never get old.

You're welcome.

it's not too late!

This is the last day to sign up for tomorrow's drawing. It's not too late. Winner will be selected midday Thursday. What's one more password to remember? The cookies alone are worth it!

I think it's about time for a Rotten Bananas give away, don't you? First up is Drusilla's Best Ever Ginger Snap apron, my original design from Red Llama Studio. Drusilla lived in my hometown and she was justifiably proud of her ginger snaps. They are simply delicious! The recipe is handwritten (just like a recipe card) and silk screened upside down onto a 100% cotton apron so you can lift the corners and read the recipe as you gather ingredients and bake.

For a chance to win an apron and a tin of cookies (cookies for U.S. winner only....sorry), this is what you need to do.

1. Sign up as a follower to my blog. If you have trouble with this, any kid should be able to help you. In my experience, they are the computer know it alls!

2. Once you become a follower, please make a comment to this post.

That's it.

I'll randomly select a winner and post the name one week from today.

Follow, comment and win!

You can still get an apron even if you don't win! The Drusilla aprons will be available for sale next week for $29.95 + tax.

holiday field trip - neiman's

I took the girls on a little holiday field trip. Festive mood a prerequisite. Today's stop?

Neiman Marcus, downtown Dallas. The theme of this year's elaborate holiday windows is Innovations and the design is based on narratives created by local third graders about the future sources of energy. Click right here for a Q&A with the designer, Ignaz Gorischek.

A super cool Christmas tree made of books!

Sadly, the girls were too old and I'm too big and old

(does Winnie the Pooh come to mind here??) to climb into the display.

A perfect holiday outing.

mike and ike monday

A couple of days a week I rise at crack thirty to work an early shift at my part time gig. The up side? Off work by 9 am, job well done, with the rest of day in front of me. The down side? It's 3:30 in the morning! It's so quiet my ears are buzzing. Today I'm treating my coworkers to Mike and Ike's. Just a little something for my sleepy eyed compadres. Happy Monday everyone!

feeling felted

I love the simple shapes and beautiful colors of these felted wool tree ornaments. They almost make me want to revisit the old Hanukkah bush conversation. Click right here for more information and styles.

hope it was swell

We sure did enjoy our holiday weekend! Great food and lots of laughs topped off with a little karaoke. I hope you had fun too. Here's a shot of my cranberry ginger chutney. If you do another traditional meal for Christmas, maybe you'll consider making some. I'm trying to settle back into healthy eating and exercise routines before the holiday hoopla begins. Do you have any good tips for keeping yourself in check?

gratitude

When a person doesn't have gratitude, something is missing in his or her humanity. A person can almost be defined by his or her attitude toward gratitude.

- Elie Wiesel

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Our 2000 Thanksgiving invitation artwork by Sophie, then aged 5

chutney + buddies

This colorful, if disparate collection of ingredients will soon become cranberry sage chutney. It's delicious on leftover turkey sandwiches! I plan to take some as hostess gifts and send others along with my running pals as they travel to see their families. We ended our run today in a full out group hug with wishes of safe travel and great happiness to have one another. Aren't friends grand?!?

Cranberry Sage Chutney - The Herbal Pantry, Emelie Tolley

6 c. cranberries

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 unpeeled orange, chopped and seeded

1 c. orange juice

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/4 c. raisins

1/4 c. slivered almonds

12 dried dates, chopped (I forgot to get these on my grocery outing. Can't bear the thought of going again. I used orange essence prunes instead.)

1/4 c. crystallized ginger

1/2 c. cider vinegar

1 t. salt

1 t. dry mustard

3 T chopped fresh sage

Place all ingredients except 2 T of sage in a non aluminum pan, and cook over medium low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil until berries pop and mixture thickens slightly, 5 to 10 minutes. Add remaining sage. Pour into jars. This chutney will keep refrigerated for up to 6 months.

shari cherries

When I was a kid, this was the only cherry I knew. The magnificent high fructose corn syrup infused maraschino! When I see a jar of these red babies, I always think of my grandmother, Mommy Elta. Because she knew I loved them, her Thanksgiving fruit salad always included a portion for me with lots and lots of extra maraschino cherries added. This small gesture made me feel special. Do you have similar memories associated with certain foods? Do tell...

chaos, meet beauty....

beauty, say hello to my ever present friend, chaos. Can you peacefully coexist? You're going to have to until I finish all of these holiday quilt orders. By the way, these gorgeous fabrics are by the talented Anna Maria Horner, one of my favorite designers for quilting fabrics. I got a whole slew of lovely patterns at Dallas' brand new modern fabric boutique, City Craft. Go over and say hello. You're going to love it! Tully, thank you for the loverly flowers.

fun hair

I've been in a hairdo rut as of late. In an effort to kick it up a notch, I tried a new style. Fun button tie was last year's free gift wrap from Anthropologie. I knew it would come in handy some day! I think Mary Ann would approve. Do you try out new looks with your hair?

Photo of Dawn Wells aka Mary Ann from Gilligan's Island from Google Images

the fantastic mr. dahl

When the girls were teeny, we loved the stories of Roald Dahl until our book was in tatters.

Count us excited about Wes Anderson's new movie based on Fantastic Mr. Fox. George Clooney as TFMF? Good call. Looks like big fun. What upcoming movies are you excited about?

Wide release on November 25th.

woulda shoulda coulda otter

Jennifer and Michel Wurth, a former Neiman's visual duo with an abundance of style, talent to spare and a keen eye for cool set up shop in a small Texas town. Here it is, my favorite place for vintage cowboy boots and other great stuff, Western Otter in Hico, Texas.

The Wurths live above and work below in an old stone building once inhabited by Western Auto, thus the name of their shop. It's a fun store with a friendly, happy vibe. See for yourself.

They'd love a visit if you're heading down to the Hill Country this holiday season.

Read a fun post on Hico right here.

Western Otter

118 North Pecan Street

Hico, Texas 76457

254-796-4775

www.westernotter.com

how can it be???

This little person boarded a flight for D.C. with her class just this morning.

How can it be that I miss her already?!? Someone out there tell me.....is there a cure for a mother like me? Oh, she's going to let me have it for this post.

self portrait that hangs in my studio by Sadie

three generations of tiny

So, lots of you love your boots! Thanks for the all comments and emails following my best boot post. These little dandies are from Cheryl over at Double Talk. Three generations of tiny have loved these boots. Doesn't the worn leather look nice and comfy?

poufy towers

Free dress day is cause for great excitement in our home. Plaid skirts and Bert shoes can get a little dull. I told Sadie to pick out a fabric from my stash and I would make her a pouf skirt. It's French week at school, so she naturally selected the darling Michael Miller fabric covered in Eiffel Towers. Although I sew a lot, I don't sew a lot of clothing. Clothing and quilts are very different. Don't ask me to set a zipper or to make a proper buttonhole. Meet my old pals velcro, hook and eye, snap and elastic. This particular skirt calls for elastic.

Sadie put her spin on it.

She loves it! Check my next post for step by step instructions.

make a pouf skirt at home

This is intended as a rough guide to making this skirt. Please email me if you have questions about the instructions that I haven't made clear.

1. Take a piece of fabric of any length, the longer the fabric, the poufier the skirt. My fabric was 42" wide. I cut 2 pieces @ 20" x 42" because Sadie wanted a supremely poufy skirt.

2. Pin together and sew a single seam, 1/4" to 1/2".

3. My seam was about 1/2" so I could avoid the selvage.

4. Then sew the other open ends together. You will end up with a big circular piece.

5. Press your seams open.

6. Take some elastic and cut it to fit your natural waist plus a little extra to allow for seaming the elastic together. The thicker the elastic, the more shape your skirt will have.

7. Now, turn over the top edge of the skirt to create the waistband. Be sure to allow plenty of space for your elastic.

8. Hem this unfinished upper edge leaving a small opening for the elastic to slide through.

9. Attach a safety pin to the edge of the elastic and slide it into the open space and run it around the waistband of the skirt.

10. Sew the two ends of the elastic together and sew the opening in the waistband closed.

11. Next, pin the bottom edge to the length of your choice and hem.

12. Press the skirt.

13. Prepare for adoration.

Original pattern by Camille at Childhood Flames