Gingham Checked Rag Doll

When I was 16 years old (an eternity ago!) I made my little niece Traci a pink gingham checked doll for her first birthday. We shared a lot of fun times together when she was a little girl. I loved her so much! Recently, Traci passed away, leaving grown-up children of her own. As I pondered over what I could do in remembrance of my sweet niece, the visual image of this doll came back to me and I knew I needed to make her daughter something I had made for her mom many years earlier. So, Traci, I love you, and  here for your daughter is that silly little pink checked rag doll.  

 

Baby Sea Animal Quilt

I started this quilt three years ago, and finally got all the pieces sewn together. I still have to put on the boarder and then of course the batting and backing. But the big work is done. I used a pattern (McCall's 6096) for the top three animals--ugh! That's why it took 3 years! What a lot of little pattern pieces, many duplicates of the same animal. My favorite animals are the two that I created myself, the sea turtle and the sea horse.

I hand appliqued the stars and animals using the freezer paper technique, and embroidered a few mouths.

I couldn't figure out where to put a mouth on the sea horse, so she will just have to be the silent type.

So the crab is pleasant enough...

The blow fish is kind of a dork...

And the octopus? Well, maybe we should call him a pentopus--get it, 5 legs, instead of 8. OK, so I'm an art teacher--the other 3 legs are really there, we just can't see them!

XeTava Lemonade

So for my birthday, Lisa & Bill took me and the girls to this wonderful local restaurant called XeTava--it was HOT outside, the desert tends to be that way in July. We ordered a lovely refreshing lemonade. While the rest of the lunch was scrumptious, it was the lemonade that was the real hit. I just had to try and duplicate it, so here goes.....

1 Cup fresh lemon juice--about 6 lemons

3/4 Cup Agave

1/8 Cup fresh mint leaves

2 Cups water

Blend this all up in your Vita Mix, you can stop before all the pieces of mint are liquified, or like I did, just blend it till it's a nice smooth light green. You're not done!

Now you are going to add the following:

1/2 teaspoon powdered vanilla

1/4 Cup canned coconut milk

1/8 teaspoon Xanthan Gum (this is totally optional, it just holds things in suspension-a health food item)

7 Cups of Ice

Now blend this all up till it begs to be poured into a nice tall glass. Top with a sprig of fresh mint, a mini umbrella, and get ready for one of the most refreshing drinks EVER!