Friday Faves - Dude Font & Pinterest Picks

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Things have been so busy that I haven't had much time for crafting and blogging the last few weeks. I had so many ideas for this month's theme but sadly just didn't have time to get to it. Between my birthday and traveling across the country for Thanksgiving, oh and a full-time job, November has slipped away. But even though November went too quickly, I'm ready for Christmas. I just want to bake cookies, drink cider, eat and eat and give presents.

Today's Friday Font is a chunky Western style called Dude from Lost Type Co-Op and designed by Dan Gneiding. Dude boasts 12 distinct variations each named after a country music superstar. Above I used Dolly and Willy (top and bottom respectively).

The frantic pace hasn't stopped me from keeping up on Pinterest though. To be honest I've been going a little pin crazy and I think I might be addicted to the eye candy of Pinterest. (You are too right? It's not just me?)

OK, have a great weekend everybody!
xoxo, Lula Louise


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Follow along with me here:Bloglovin // Twitter // Facebook // Pinterest

UPrinting Giveaway Winner: Let's try this again

To contact us Click HERE
This first winner never came forward so we are trying this again!

Thank you everyone who entered!  I hope to have a giveaway at least once a month, so keep checking for the next one.

The winner for the UPrinting Letterhead is....

patricia

I work with kids with special needs. I would use the stationary for notes home to parents

August 21, 2011 10:11 AM

 Congrats Patricia!
Please contact me via email within 24 hours or a new winner will be chosen.

Recipe: Spenser's Sloppy Toms

To contact us Click HERE
This one comes from the Neely's on Food Network, and is a family favorite.  I usually add a little extra spice cos that's the way my family likes it, but it is an excellent recipe just the way it is, so I will give it to you exactly how it is written on Food Network.

This picture is from the Food Network website (all others are mine)

Spenser's Sloppy Joes

Recipe courtesy The Neelys

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 25 min

Level: Easy

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
• 4 hamburger buns, split
• Barbecue sauce, for topping

Directions

Heat oil in a large skillet with straight sides. Add the bell peppers and garlic. Saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the ground beef to the vegetables. Stir and cook about 8 minutes, until the meat is no longer pink and fully cooked.

Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire, and hot sauce into the skillet. Stir. Simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Serve on hamburger bun with extra sauce.

Freebies: Kids' Fluids Chart

To contact us Click HERE
After a recent check-up at the doctor's office we decided we needed a way to make sure Big Sister is getting enough fluids.  She drinks milk in/with breakfast, but drinks water the rest of the day.   I've never figured out a way to get her to drink more milk until I had the doctor tell her she needs to be drinking 3 glasses a day.  We worked out a chart to be sure she's getting enough of all the right fluids- 3 glasses of milk, 2 glasses of water, and one glass of juice.


Here's what we do:
Milk- one in/with breakfast, one with her afternoon snack, and one with dinner.
Water- at school- she takes a small bottle with her to school and refills it once she has finished it.
Juice- I make her popsicles from juice using the Tupperware popsicle mold.  Now, I know this is only 2 oz, but she usually gets a little juice at some point in her day, so I am not so worried about it.  She enjoys the popsicle treat, and I am happy it's not completely loaded with sugar.

Here's a chart I made to help Big Sister remember what she has had already.  I gave her an off on Sunday since we are usually pretty busy that day.

Fluids Chart


Enjoy!

NoVae Clothing & Accessories :: Fabulous Giveaway

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Happy Friday! It’s time for another fabulous giveaway! This week we are so excited to be hosting a giveaway for our fabulous sponsor noVae Clothing! This online boutique was created by a stay at home mom Nickelle for women craving current fashions with fabulous style! Previously, Nickelle worked as a Modbe Fashion Consultant and learned all about fabrics, body shapes & what women want when it comes to clothing and accessories. She really enjoyed selling clothing and the online interaction she had with her customers, so she decided to start her own business. She uses her skills to hand-pick clothing and accessories that she knows we will all love. Her inventory changes often and usually once an item is sold out, it’s gone and she’s off looking for the next fabulous item to carry. You know we love supporting other mom-owned businesses and we love working with sweet Nickelle. We have been very happy with the items that we have personally ordered from NoVae, like this brown/black maxi skirt that Kim wears constantly!

This week we are giving away a $100 shop credit to noVae Clothing!

Please enter using the widget below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

noVae is also offering a discount for our readers!

Enter “tomkat15″ to save an EXTRA 15% off entire order!
Good through 12/8/12

(Non-stackable & not valid on deals, pre-orders, odds ‘n ends)

This giveaway is not affiliated with or sponsored by Facebook. Open to US & Canada residents only. Winner will be chosen and posted on this original post within one week of contest end. This is a sponsored post. The TomKat Studio may have received payment, trade and/or products in exchange for promoting.

Friday's Font and a Song – Embossed Label

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Today's Font Friday is Embossed Text Label available for free from fuzzimo. Remember those old label makers that embossed letters into a sticky strip of plastic? That's what this font looks like. How cool is that? It's available in 4 versions, label and text with a regular and light version of each. Above you can see both the label and text versions in regular. Fuzzimo has lots of free design stuff so be sure to check out the whole site. Find more font inspiration by following #FontFriday on Twitter. You can follow me on twitter too.
The photo is a snapshot I took at a concert. Concert photo taking tip: carefully watch the changing lights and you'll get a ton of really different photos. The text/lyrics in the graphic above are from Hall & Oates' Rich Girl. Watch it. You'll love it. You'll sing it all weekend. Speaking of which, have a great weekend!! 
P.S. I'm sure you've heard of Lucky Magazine but have you heard of the Lucky Community? Basically it's user generated version of the magazine. You can submit your own fashion and beauty related blog posts or just browse through and see what you'll find. I'm pretty excited that I already have two posts up. Check it out! xoxo

Kimono Sleeve Sweatshirt Top - McCall's M6566

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I wanted to make a simple kimono sleeve top and McCall's M6566 view B fit the bill perfectly. See my guide to the elements of a kimono sleeve versus a dolman sleeve. The fabric is a gray sweatshirt fabric I had leftover from another project.


The bits I had remaining were enough to cut all the pieces yet one back pieces had to be cut from the wrong side. So, to make it look more intentional, I made the pocket with the wrong side showing and cuffed the sleeves to show the wrong side as well. The one other change I made was to slightly round the front hem up.





I cut size medium for this top but made the seam allowance a little smaller than 5/8 inch. I recommend the pattern just watch the sizing. It can get baggy quickly. But, it has a kind of fun Flashdance vibe to the cut.

The pocket is a little wonky. I could have stitched it better.

The top was very quick and easy to make. I used the walking foot from my machine to do the top stitching. The walking foot is so great for sewing knits. I wish I had gotten one sooner. The walking foot pulls the fabric through from the top and bottom so that it doesn't bunch up or stretch out.


The fabric makes this a very cozy casual top perfect for weekend, at-home wear and maybe a run to the  grocery store. The top was a great use for my leftover fabric. If I were to make this style again, I'd use a fabric that's dressier, better for everyday going-out wear.


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Striped Kimono Sleeve Top - McCall's M6566

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How fun are these stripes? This is another kimono sleeve top from McCalls pattern M6566. This top is View D. It's perfectly suited for stripes. This was a little more complicated to make than View B but still fairly easy. See my version of View B here. Again the walking foot and the serger were my best friends in making this. 
You don't think it looks too jailbird do you? ;) I got this fabric in downtown LA a while ago intending to use it for a project from one of the drape drape books. I really wanted to use it in a pattern that would show off the stripes and this was perfect.




One of the coolest, more unusual features of the top is the crossover back. I considered eliminating this feature at first because I was worried about the dip being so low.

And the back is quite low and does not properly cover the back of the bra. Wearing a camisole easily solves the dilemma but it is a little annoying.


I made a size medium for this with a narrow seam allowance. If I had followed the size chart I would have made a size large. The fit is loose which is the intention. But, you should be aware of this when deciding what size to make. If this was any larger, the shoulders would definitely be falling off. However, I do recommend the pattern. It's a great basic kimono sleeve top with some nice variations. If you're curious about the kimono sleeve versus the dolman sleeve check out this post.


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Delightful Detail - Lula's Bowtied Tee

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Lula's Bowtied Tee from Anthropologie

Not only is the name of this blouse awesome, but the details are gorgeous. First off, we have the statement making  bow across the front. But then turn around and surprise, surprise a row of bound buttonholes down the center back. This blouse could easily go from work to party with a change of accessories. The classic cut is sure to make it a keeper for years to come.


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Follow along with me here:Bloglovin // Twitter // Facebook // Pinterest

New to the Shop :: Quote Box Signs

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I am so excited that we are offering these adorable box signs in the shop now! I fell in love with these sign designs after spotting a few at my friend/photographer, Vicki’s house. I totally copied her a few months ago and bought the “Enjoy the Little Things….” sign and it sits in my home office as a great reminder! (see above) You may also remember when we included one of the signs in a teacher gift last year and I posted about it. I also love the actual box version that features that same sweet quote about teachers. How cute would it be to fill with little candy or treats, or a piece of jewelry for your children’s teachers? Holidays, teacher appreciation week, his/her birthday….you name it.

It was so hard to choose which signs to carry because there are so many sweet, funny and downright silly ones available. However, I chose quotes that I thought you, my readers would appreciate for yourself or to give as gifts! (note: cupcakes are mentioned often!) So, I hope that you like them as much as I do and go check them out in the shop!

Click here to shop!

Delightful Detail - Lula's Bowtied Tee

To contact us Click HERE

Lula's Bowtied Tee from Anthropologie

Not only is the name of this blouse awesome, but the details are gorgeous. First off, we have the statement making  bow across the front. But then turn around and surprise, surprise a row of bound buttonholes down the center back. This blouse could easily go from work to party with a change of accessories. The classic cut is sure to make it a keeper for years to come.


--
Follow along with me here:Bloglovin // Twitter // Facebook // Pinterest

UPrinting Giveaway Winner: Let's try this again

To contact us Click HERE
This first winner never came forward so we are trying this again!

Thank you everyone who entered!  I hope to have a giveaway at least once a month, so keep checking for the next one.

The winner for the UPrinting Letterhead is....

patricia

I work with kids with special needs. I would use the stationary for notes home to parents

August 21, 2011 10:11 AM

 Congrats Patricia!
Please contact me via email within 24 hours or a new winner will be chosen.

Recipe: Spenser's Sloppy Toms

To contact us Click HERE
This one comes from the Neely's on Food Network, and is a family favorite.  I usually add a little extra spice cos that's the way my family likes it, but it is an excellent recipe just the way it is, so I will give it to you exactly how it is written on Food Network.

This picture is from the Food Network website (all others are mine)

Spenser's Sloppy Joes

Recipe courtesy The Neelys

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 25 min

Level: Easy

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
• 4 hamburger buns, split
• Barbecue sauce, for topping

Directions

Heat oil in a large skillet with straight sides. Add the bell peppers and garlic. Saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the ground beef to the vegetables. Stir and cook about 8 minutes, until the meat is no longer pink and fully cooked.

Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire, and hot sauce into the skillet. Stir. Simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Serve on hamburger bun with extra sauce.

Freebies: Kids' Fluids Chart

To contact us Click HERE
After a recent check-up at the doctor's office we decided we needed a way to make sure Big Sister is getting enough fluids.  She drinks milk in/with breakfast, but drinks water the rest of the day.   I've never figured out a way to get her to drink more milk until I had the doctor tell her she needs to be drinking 3 glasses a day.  We worked out a chart to be sure she's getting enough of all the right fluids- 3 glasses of milk, 2 glasses of water, and one glass of juice.


Here's what we do:
Milk- one in/with breakfast, one with her afternoon snack, and one with dinner.
Water- at school- she takes a small bottle with her to school and refills it once she has finished it.
Juice- I make her popsicles from juice using the Tupperware popsicle mold.  Now, I know this is only 2 oz, but she usually gets a little juice at some point in her day, so I am not so worried about it.  She enjoys the popsicle treat, and I am happy it's not completely loaded with sugar.

Here's a chart I made to help Big Sister remember what she has had already.  I gave her an off on Sunday since we are usually pretty busy that day.

Fluids Chart


Enjoy!

Hot Chocolate on a Stick :: Holiday Gift Guide Recipes

To contact us Click HERE

A few weeks ago, I made Hot Chocolate on a Stick to share the recipe for Tatertots & Jello’s holiday blog series. I also shared the recipe in this year’s Holiday Gift Guide! I came across this idea last year when my neighbor made these adorable treats for a cookie exchange. I located the recipe on Make & Takes (originally from King Arthur Flour) and wanted to try them myself! I wasn’t sure if it would be hard to cut them into squares once they were set, so I decided to try using silicone 1oz. ice cube trays and they worked beautifully. I added marshmallows and used our wooden rock candy sticks for a cute touch. I also designed free printable hot chocolate flags that you can attach to the sticks if displaying at a party, or attach to twine if packaging the treats.

Click on the image below to download the Hot Chocolate Flags!

To make the hot chocolate, just add a Hot Chocolate Stick to a cup of hot milk. Continue stirring until melted. I don’t think I’ll want to have hot chocolate any other way now that I have tried this! It has a very rich chocolate flavor and is super creamy….so delicious!

Here is the recipe (via King Arthur Flour)

Hot Chocolate on a Stick

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup unsweetened baking chocolate (I used 6 – 1 oz blocks)
• wooden sticks or lollipop sticks

Line an 8″ x 8″ pan with parchment paper or foil (or you can use a silicone mold like I did). Heat the cream and condesed milk over low heat until steaming. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Allow to melt gently. After 10 minutes, return the chocolate mixture to low heat to completely melt the chocolate. Whisk vigorously until mixture is thick and shiny. Pour into pan or scoop in silicone molds. Shake or tap on counter to level. Set aside overnight to set. (I put in the refrigerator) If using a silicone mold, pop each block out of the mold. If using a pan, run a knife around the edge and turn out onto a cutting surface. Slice into 1 1/4″ cubes. For the smoothest cuts, heat a knife in hot water and wipe dry before each cut. Stick a wooden stick in each block.

The wooden rock candy sticks are available in our shop…

…ON SALE right now!

Click here for details!