Emma's Pick Of The Week - Hot Pink Is A Neutral!

Hey there, it's me Emma Jane! And I've completely flipped for this new Amy Butler Pink & Brown Fat Quarter Bundle that I created with my Mommy today. We put together a bunch of pink, brown and green fabrics from various Amy Butler collections (Midwest Modern 2, Love and Soul Blossom) and this is what we came up with up......

I love it so much that I've already claimed one for myself! Next I'm going to grab some of the Carmine Fuchsia Trees fabric from the brand new Soul Blossom Collection....
And then I'm going to grab some Cherry Laurel Dots because my motto is "hot pink is a neutral" and it goes with everything.....
And because you can never have enough pink in your life I'm also taking some Cerise Pink Passion Lily.....
I'm going to try and get into an upright position now and figure out what I'm going to do with all my new pink fabric.....

Have a very Happy New Year! I'll see you in 2011!

XOXO,
Emma Jane

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! And Ahhhhhhhhh!!! Look what I found under the tree on Christmas morning - A brand new Hot Pink Hello Kitty Bike!!! It's every girls dream come true! I dropped everything I was holding and screamed like a little girl when I saw it! John hid the bike at the neighbors house and then snuck out at 4:00 a.m. to get it and put it under the tree! How sweet is that???

And I may regret posting this next picture.....of me.....with no makeup.....on Christmas morning! But oh well.....I'm too excited to use common sense right now!
And did ya notice my outfit??? Yes - I put on an outfit to match my new bike!

And guess what else I found under the tree! A pink gift basket from Wine Country Gift Baskets full of snacks and goodies with a bottle of PINK Hello Kitty Champagne in it.....
Amazing! How does John find these things???

Oh, and I got John a Kinect for the XBox for Christmas. That thing is amazing....and so much fun....and exhausting!

After playing with our new toys all day we had a wonderful dinner of tenderloin, gourmet mac & cheese, roast green beans and sauteed mushrooms followed by chocolate souffles! Yummy!

Emma spent her day carrying her new toys, one by one to the bedroom....and then feel asleep completely exhausted surrounded by her new "friends."
I hope you had a wonderful holiday too!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
Jenny

Whew....What A Week!

Wow! It has been quite a crazy week around here! It all started last Sunday when I attempted to decorate the Christmas tree. I turned on "Elf", made myself a cup of hot cocoa and happily started pulling out all the ornaments. You'd think that decorating a Christmas tree would be a safe and fun activity wouldn't you??? But nooooo.....not when the Queen of Clumsy is involved! I managed to smack myself right in the eye with a tree branch and scratched my cornea! Ouch! Don't worry - I'm o.k. now! And I didn't let the tree win! I eventually got all those ornaments on it and I won!
Then a few days later little Miss Don't I Look All Sweet And Cute And Innocent decided to jump ACROSS the coffee table and knock over a glass of RED wine. Yup. Red.
The glass shattered and red wine and broken glass ended up all over me, our white sofa, white chair and white ottoman, the carpet, the Christmas cards I was addressing, some paperwork, a silk and linen cross-stitch I was working on and my fluffy white bathrobe. And Emma also got covered in red wine, got scared, ran off and hopped onto our white bedding! And seriously.....the glass was only half full.....but it looked like a full bottle or two had been sprayed over the entire house!

After two days of doing laundry I put the freshly cleaned slipcovers back on the furniture. And Emma immediately jumped onto the ottoman with muddy paws. Shortly after that I locked my keys in the car. First time in my life I've ever done that! Serenity Now!!!

Well, I was trying to look at the bright side. John had been gone all week on a work trip in Oregon and was supposed to get home Saturday morning after catching a Red Eye flight on Friday night. Yay! I'd have my sweetie back home to comfort me! No such luck. Delays and bad weather and flight cancellations have kept him in Oregon ALL weekend. He finally got a flight out on Sunday and sent me this lovely picture of the plane he is taking from Klamath Falls, OR to Portland (the first of 3 flights he has to take to get from Oregon to Florida).....
Ummmmm......seriously dude.....you're gonna get on that plane??? John's a pilot so this didn't bother him in the least. I'm feeling lightheaded just looking at that!

So, after all the insanity of the week I decided to take the weekend OFF! I normally spend the weekends working and doing errands and chores. But instead I had my own little perfect Jenny "Staycation" this weekend. I worked on a quilt that I started a few years......
Yeah....I'm the type of person who starts a project, gets distracted by another project and then finishes the original project a few years later. But, eventually those bits of fabric that were cut into squares two years ago will look like this.....
And I had lots of help with my quilt in the form of Bailey sitting in the window over my sewing table acting as supervisor......
And my sweet puppers, Emma laying at my feet.....
Oh....and did you notice the perfect spot on top of Emma's head??? Yes, Emma is perfect. In every way.

And since my week definitely called for some chocolate and sugar therapy I made these to soothe my wearied soul.....
They're called Candy Bar Brownies and they taste like a fancy Snickers bar! I was gonna post the recipe but it's really long and complicated. If you want the recipe please send me an e-mail and I'm more than happy to send it to you!  So many of you have asked for the recipe that I decided to put it at the bottom of this post.  But be warned.....these aren't easy to make. Four layers.....and each layer involves slowly and carefully melting something.......and you need to let each layer cool/set before adding the next one. Ugh. A lotta work but they are SOOOOO worth it!

I think I'm gonna go have some Candy Bar Brownies for dinner with some red wine.....in a sippy cup! Here's to hoping that this coming week is a little less "eventful."

Happy Sewing,
Jenny

Candy Bar Brownies

Ingredients for Brownies:

¾ cup butter softened

2 Tablespoons water

2/3 cup sugar

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

Ingredients for Candy Bar Topping:

1 cup sugar

¼ cup butter

¼ cup milk

1 cup marshmallow crème

½ cup creamy peanut butter

½ teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ cups dry-roasted peanuts

40 caramels

¼ cup water

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

¼ cup butterscotch chips

1 – Heat over to 350.  Line bottom and sides of 13 x 9 pan with foil.  Spray foil with cooking spray.

2 – Melt ¾ cup butter, 2 Tablespoons water and 2/3 cup sugar over low heat.  Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips until melted.  Remove from heat.  Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla and the eggs until well mixed.  Stir in flour and baking powder.  Pour batter into pan.

3 – Bake 18 – 23 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool completely (at least 30 minutes).

4 – In a saucepan heat 1 cup sugar, ¼ butter and the milk to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Boil 5 minutes while stirring CONSTANTLY.  Remove from heat.  Stir in marshmallow crème, ¼ cup of the peanut butter (not all the peanut butter, just ¼ cup of it!) and ½ teaspoon vanilla.  Pour over cooled brownies.  After that layer is firm sprinkle peanuts over top.

5 – In a saucepan heat caramels and ¼ cup water over medium-low heat stirring constantly until caramels are melted.  Pour over peanuts.

6 – In a saucepan melt 1 cup chocolate chips and the butterscotch chips over low heat until smooth.  Remove from heat.  Stir in remaining ¼ cup peanut butter.  Spread over caramel layer.

7 – Refrigerate at least one hour before cutting.  I refrigerate it for one hour and then put it in the freezer for ½ hour before cutting.  Cut bars into 8 rows by 6 rows.  Store in the refrigerator.

Emma's Pick Of The Week - Lakehouse Fun & Fast Flowers

Hey there, it's me Emma Jane! I'm so excited about these awesome new kits by Holly Holderman of Lakehouse Dry Goods! The first one is the Fast Flowers Kit and it's part of a special event called Brownie Points over on "Aunt" Holly's Blog.
Aunt Holly is going to donate $5 to Alaqua Animal Refuge for every quilt kit sold!!! You may remember that Alaqua is where we got my new sister Sammy. You can read about that here. And don't forget to head over to Holly's Blog to read all about the quilt and the Brownie Points Blog-a-thon!
The Fast Flowers Quilt is actually big enough for a twin size bed. How cute is this bedroom???
We also have some adorable new Totes On Bolts Kits by Lakehouse.....
These kits are really cool because you can arrange the different fabrics about a million different ways to make your bag completely unique. Just look at all these possibilities.....
And there's even a kit to make an apron using the same adorable fabric.....
Whew....I'm exhausted now. I'm gonna go snuggle up in my favorite Lakehouse Quilt and take a nap.....
See ya next week!

XOXO,
Emma Jane

P.S. As always I give you the "No Dog Hair Or Drool On Your Fabric Guarantee." The Fun Flowers Kit that I'm drooling on is mine, mine, mine!

Emma's Pick Of The Week - Isabella

Hey there, it's me Emma Jane! Have you missed me??? Well, I'm back! We're settled into the new house, most of the boxes are unpacked and I've selected my new favorite sleeping spot. All is right in my world again!

Right before we packed up to move we received boxes full of the most beautiful new Lila Tueller fabric called "Isabella." Here it is in the blue colorway.....
And the pink colorway.....
And don't you think Isabella would make an adorable City Market Tote....
Or maybe a Funked Out Peasant Blouse....
I can't wait to dig into this new fabric collection. But right now, I'm off to go meet the new dogs in the neighborhood. See ya next week!

XOXO,
Emma Jane

Happy 1st Birthday Sammy!

We celebrated Sammy's 1st Birthday on Wednesday, December 1! Our little puppy is all grown up......although she thinks she's still a small dog.

We had cake and presents......
The candle on the cake was VERY scary......but licking frosting off of Daddy's finger seemed to make everything better.....
We sang Happy Birthday and then it was time to eat the cake......
Nom...nom....nom......
Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a good photo of two dogs furiously eating birthday cake? We'll just say this is one of those artsy action shots that I made blurry on purpose....
And then it was time for a post party nap on top of the sofa cushion. Because 60 lb dogs should be laying on top of the sofa cushion.
Happy Birthday Sweet Sammy! We're so happy you're a part of this family!

Jenny

December 2010 Giveaway - Soul Blossom Fat Quarter Bundle

We Have A Winner!

The winner (selected by Random Number Generator) is SewCalGal who said "Beautiful Fabric" and she also wrote about the Giveaway on her Blog. Congratulations!

Happy December! This month we're giving away an 18 piece Soul Blossom Fat Quarter Bundle by Amy Butler. Now....before you get all excited.....as of December 1 (the day I'm writing this) Soul Blossom isn't even here yet. It's supposed to arrive sometime in December. So it should be here by the time this Giveaway is over. Obviously, I'll let you know the moment it arrives!

It's here! It's here! It's here! Soul Blossom arrived on December 10!!!

This month we're changing things up again! Here's how to enter.....

-Leave a blog comment for one entry
-Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter for another entry
-Facebook: Mention this giveaway on Facebook for another entry
-Mention this Giveaway on your own blog for another entry
-And I know not everyone has their own blog or Twitter or Facebook account. So, you can also receive an extra entry if you let me know that you e-mailed at least 3 friends and told them about this.

Soooo......you can "earn" up to five chances to win this bundle!!!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please be sure to leave a blog comment for every additional entry you do. For example....leave your first blog comment saying whatever crosses your mind for your first entry. But be sure to leave another comment saying "I tweeted this" or "I Facebooked this", etc. so I know that you get extra chances to win!

And you may notice the handy-dandy little grey buttons at the bottom of each blog post for Twitter, Facebook, etc. It's just a simple way to spread the word!

The Giveaway ends on December 31, 2010. The winner will be chosen on January 1, 2011.

And last months Giveaway was awesome! I loved reading all of your comments and hearing about what fabrics you like. I'm going to get as many of those collections as possible! But if you're wondering......Central Park by Kate Spain and Montego Batiks by Moda were the runaway favorites. Sugar & Spice by Riley Blake, Sanctuary by Patty Young and Sweet Nothings by Riley Blake were also in the top five.

Thanks for participating and Happy Sewing!
Jenny

Quilt Market Houston 2010

Quilt Market in Houston was great and I think it's about time that I showed you all the pictures! Actually.....it started out not that great.....I came down with a pretty bad cold right before I left for Houston. But looking at all the beautiful new fabrics and quilts seemed to magically heal me!

Amy Butler had an amazing booth showing her new Soul Blossom line which is expected in the shop in December. She won 1st Place for Best Booth - no surprise there!
And Amy's booth from another angle.....
And another angle.....
And here I am with the incredibly tall, sweet and talented Amy.....
And here are some Soul Blossom swatches to get you even more anxious for the arrival of this collection.....
Next up is Tula Pink and her Pinktastic, Pinkalicious, Pinktabulous booth that resembles a Parisienne Salon......
And here I am with Tula Pink who is another tall and talented designer. And very generous! She was giving away pink M & M's printed with the words "Tula Pink." So cool!
Bari J's booth was absolutely adorable and I really think that I need one of those zig zag quilts in my new living room.....
And here I am with the incredibly sweet Bari. I just love her beautiful logo that's above our heads......
It was great to see Kate Spain's Central Park Collection in person. The colors and prints are so fresh and springy and I can't believe that we have to wait until January for this fabric. I want it now!
Here is a better image of some of the Central Park fabrics. Some of the Quilt Market photos were taken with my iPhone so they're a little hard to see.....
And here I am with Kate. I had such a great time talking with her! She actually used to work for the company that makes Hello Kitty! And you may know that I am a Hello Kitty fanatic! We're still laughing about our shared Hello Kitty interest over Twitter!
Lila Tueller had an absolutely gorgeous booth at Riley Blake showing her new Isabella Collection.....
I'm absolutely flipping out over her new London Peasant dress pattern.....
And here is London in another colorway.....
Isabella should be here in a few days and I can't wait for her arrival!
Art Gallery had the most amazing, creative and inspiring displays for their fabrics. I love the "Keep Calm and Carry On" sign.....
And how cute is this??? Flowers and fabric "pastries" in France. Ooh la la.....
Pillow and Maxfield had such a bright and happy booth at Michael Miller showing their Gypsy Bandana Collection. And I wish I would have taken a picture of the Pillow & Maxfield ladies - they are such a cheerful and enthusiastic pair! Their personalities definitely match their fabrics.....
And here I am with Jon and Patty Young. This picture may have been taken on Halloween......or it may just be their normal attire.....I'll let you decide......
Patty was showing her new Sanctuary Collection with Michael Miller. I am absolutely drooling over the orchid print. It's the fabric used in the dress on the left side of the photo....
Here's a sneak peek of Sanctuary. It's so dreamy and beautiful and soothing.....
And finally we have Lakehouse! They were showing the new Annie's Farm Stand Collection which is due out in the spring. This quilt is a panel with some applique flowers.....
And this is the new version of the Cherry Baby quilt which came out a few years ago.....
And finally we have their new Annie's Argyle Quilt which has about 30 yards of Ric Rac on it!
Here are some "swatches" of Annie's Farm Stand. Ahhhh......I am sooooo in love with this fabric!
And I have to end this post by thanking John (my Sweetie) for going to Quilt Market! He'd been out of town for two weeks on a work trip prior to Quilt Market. He went home for less than 12 hours and then came to Houston to join me! How sweet is that?! He's definitely a "keeper."

I'll let you know when new fabrics start coming in!

Happy Sewing,
Jenny