Fall Designs & Pumpkin Bread

  Fall.  Bleh.  I love the colors and flavors.  I like the decreasing humidity and the slightly cooler temps and the end of yard work.  I do NOT like the feeling of impending doom.  I am not a fan of heavy clothes, coats, shoes, frost, snow, ice etc.  I like shorts and sandals, the beach, no coats, being able to walk outside without freezing and being encumbered by clothes.  

 

To add to that, fall means I have to return to work.  I used to work full time as a school nurse.  Now I've been blessed to do it only as a substitute which means I can make my own schedule.  Since we still need the income, that translates into me working as much as possible.  I'd rather be home cooking and sewing.  Even when I had a year round job and my children were young, I still didn't like fall.  Some parents like sending their children back to school but I liked having mine home and setting my own schedule.

 

I do love fall colors though.  They are so vibrant.  Nan's Nappies has some really cute fall designs that could look adorable on your child's shirt, onesie, burp cloth or blanket.  There are also beautiful designs for towels and adult shirts.  Click on the following links to check out the designs that are shown on Nan's Nappies Shutterfly share page:

School Daze

Back to School

Harvest Happenings

Back to School Critters 

Split Back to School ( names are not included, I can add your child's name in the font you choose)

 

Or what about these cute little designs on a shirt or bag?   You can choose the font or saying to be "written" on the "paper".

The one above is also applique' so the apple & leaves, heart and I will be filled with fabrics of your color choice.

Backpacks are another school necessity and I have added some names to some.  I have around 500 fonts from which to choose so your child's bag can be unique. I have over 100 colors of thread from which to choose also. 

  

   

Some don't want their child's name on the pack but a monogram or unique saying will set their pack apart from the rest.

 

 

 Now, for another thing I love about fall.  Pumpkin.  I love pretty much anything pumpkin.  One of our family favorites is Pumpkin Bread.  I make it all year round.  I teach 4 & 5 year old ( Pre-K & K) Sunday School and take pumpkin bread in as a snack fairly often.  Even the really picky ones will resist it at first, then they ask for seconds and even thirds!  I haven't had even one turn it down yet.  It is so moist and goes really well with some cream cheese or just plain.  Here's my recipe:

 

 Click here to print recipe

Pumpkin Bread

In large bowl mix together the following ingredients then set aside.

4 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1 1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

3 tsp. salt

In  your large mixer bowl, mix together:

1 large ( 29 oz) can pumpkin ( not pumpkin pie mix but plain)

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

4 1/2 cups sugar

6 eggs

As mixer is going, gradually ass the flour mixture.  Mix till well blended.

Pour into three greased 9" loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 min or until toothpick comes out clean.  After 10 min. dump the loaves onto a cooling rack.  When well cooled, wrap and refrigerate.  I often use heavy duty foil to wrap each loaf and then freeze.  Another way I wrap them is with Glad Press N Seal and then put several loaves inside a gallon size freezer bag.  Even after months in the freezer, you can thaw it and it won't taste like it's been frozen!

I often make mini loaves instead of the big loaves.  I have 6" mini pans and 4". I fill them around 2/3 full.  Both of those only take 40 - 45 min. to bake.

Weddings, Showers & House Warming Gifts

The invitation arrived!  You are thrilled for the happy couple.  You send a positive RSVP.  Now what will you get them?  You look on their registry.  Many of the items in your price range have already been purchased.  You want to get them something practical and useful but unique.  How about something personalized?

 Many of these designs will work well on towels, blankets, pillows, flags, etc.

 

Towels can have a simple one letter monogram,  a three letter monogram, one letter with some simple designs added, or full names .  I will work to help you find the perfect font to fit the personality of the bride and groom.  I've been embroidering the towels from Sam's Club and have found them to be thick, and thirsty.   The embroidery thread is bleach resistant and durable. The towel will wear out long before the monogram does!  They make such an elegant gift.

A bride approached me with a unique request.  She had some dainty little antique linen napkins that she wanted embroidered for her and to give as gifts to the mothers of the bride and groom, and grandmothers of the  bride and groom.

  Their colors were periwinkle and celery.  She chose a font and thread colors.  The top picture is of the ones for the bride and groom to carry.  The picture to the right are the ones for the parents of the bride.  The center one shows how the mother's looked when folded and the far right shows how it looked when she opened it.  What a wonderful unique gift for this bride to give!  They can be used and will always be a reminder of their beautiful wedding.

Napkins .Another wonderful and unique gift!   This customer found these beautiful napkins and napkin rings and had me embroider the one letter monogram.  This bride can set a really nice table when she entertains.

 Pillow cases.  Is an entire sheet set out of your price range but just giving pillow cases is not your idea of a nice gift?  How about embroidered pillowcases?  The top case belongs to my husband and me.  I love using them.  They are sateen.  The bottom case is of 600 thread count Egyptian Cotton.  I found them on Amazon.

Garden Flag

I bet no one will give the couple a garden flag.  The flag can be one sided or two sided.  It doesn't have to have a butterfly.  I can help you choose a design.  I sell these in my Etsy shop where you can see the other colors in which the durable flag material comes.

How about some kitchen towels to fit the personality of the recipients?

 This was purchased for a couple who love to hunt.






The Fruits of the Spirit are needed to maintain any successful relationship.  These towels are not only pretty and practical but a wonderful reminder.

 

I love this kitchen towel.  It belongs to my husband and me. 

We love coffee and Slow Lane Cafe is a website my husband used to have and also our e-mail address.  We love those moments when we can sip a cup of coffee and take life in the slow lane.

The following designs are great for showers and weddings also or as a housewarming gift.  So don't feel as if you need to give another set of glasses, baking pans, or a toaster.  Get your imagination going and lets come up with a unique gift that is sure to be a big hit with the recipients!

Old Houses and Sibling Shirts

When you live in an old house, you just never know what is going to need repairing next.  In 2005 we took up the carpet in our living room and discovered that we had beautiful oak floors.  We had them refinished and they are so pretty.  If money had been no object, we would have had the same carpet removed from our dining room, staircase and upstairs hallway.  But we decided we would save the rest of the carpet for another day.  In the meantime, we had total remodeling done in out upstairs bathroom and kitchen.  The remodels have been wonderful and greatly enjoyed but we didn't choose to do them at this time.  A major leak in the main drain pipe was the cause of the remodeling.

 Now, 7 years later, we are finally going to have our dining room floor refinished.  The carpet has been way past due to be removed.  First of all, the carpet was OLD!  I've lived here 27 years and it was here when I moved in.  Second, we had a little dog who developed liver disease.  If you've ever dealt with that in an animal you know that toxins gradually build up in the pet, causing them to become senile.  Our little dog started urinating in the dining room .  We never had a problem with him before this.  I have shampooed that part of the carpet to death.  I used products specifically designed to kill pet odors. Even so, I kept smelling old carpet padding and it drove me crazy.  To top it off, our little Yorkie, who we've had for 15 months, recently discovered that spot in the carpet and HE had urinated there a couple of times.  We're not even sure when he did as we watch him pretty closely and he's rarely alone.  I guess it doesn't take him long.  This was the straw that broke this camels back.  I told my husband the carpet HAD to come up even if we couldn't refinish the floor right now.

Last week, he ripped up the carpet only to discover do-it-yourself vinyl floor tiles stuck to the hardwood!  The previous owners had started to pry the tile up in one corner,  We  suspect they discovered how time consuming and difficult it was to do that, stopped and put down wall to wall carpet. Monday morning the refinishing will begin.  It will be SO good to have a long awaited update done.  I'll have to post some before and after photos when the refinishing is done.

This past weekend I went to a baby shower.  The mom to be has a little boy and is now going to have a little girl.  I love making matching/coordinating shirts and onesies for siblings.  This mom has chosen crib bedding that has a theme of pink and brown butterflies.  They haven't shared the name they will give the baby so I couldn't use the babies name.  I put a pink and brown butterfly applique' on the baby sister shirt.  I didn't think a little boy should have a butterfly so I put a pink and brown car on his.

 

Personalized Matching Sibling Onesie and t-shirt

A few weeks ago, I made a set for two brothers.  The customer chose applique' frogs.

 

Matching Onesie and T-Shirt for Siblings

I just love these little shirts and think they are a great way to make the older sibling feel special also.

Dinosaurs

My favorite items to embroider are ones for my grandchildren.  I know the photo is a little grainy.  It was taken in low light with a cell phone. But I like it because it is my little grandson wearing an onesie with a triceratops applique'.  The design comes from Designs by JuJu Dino Crossing Applique' set.  http://www.designsbyjuju.com/designsets.aspx?pscat=63  

His older sister likes him wearing this top because Triceratops are her favorite dinosaurs! 

Monogramming and Personalization

 A friend owns a very nice baby boutique called Barefoot Baby Boutique.  She saw my Facebook page for Nan's Nappies and asked if I'd be available to monogram/personalize items that are purchased from her store.  I recently made a sample of some monograms and took to her store for display. http://www.barefootbabyboutique.com/      Below are just a few of the many monograms I can do.  I have around 35 fonts and 16 different styles available.  And that doesn't include the different borders that can be added.

My daughter is getting ready to have a baby boy.  His initials will be LRS so I have to put a traditional monogram on a blanket for him.  I chose a round border and made the stitching little trucks.

I bought an inexpensive little Onesie and made it special  when I added some personalization to the front.

 

  I couldn't leave his big sister out of the fun so I personalized a shirt for her.



I put an advertisement for a book entitled So Your About to be a teenager.  No, I didn't forget to capitalize any of the words.  That's the way it is on the cover.  I just purchased this book to give to my step-granddaughter.  I heard about the book on Family Life Today and highly recommend it to anyone who has a child getting ready to turn 13.