This is the Week

I can't believe it's Friday already. I feel like I haven't gotten anything done all week, so I'm very glad that I can get caught up. We have company coming again tomorrow, so there's plenty to be done.

After running a few errands tonight, I'm planning to shampoo our carpets. Watch out, it's about to get crazy!

Ellen has had a busy week too, what with learning a new song and all.

I really like that "clap, clap" is part of the lyrics. Never mind that it's supposed to be an action. I don't have the heart to tell her.

Oh, and did I mention that I'm on etsy? The shop only has one apron on it (the pink one seems to be missing), which is hardly anything to be excited about, but I'll be adding more items within the next few weeks. I got an order for two aprons yesterday with different fabric, and I can't wait to get them done! The fabric is so cute!

The Pink Version

I finished a pink apron the other night, and I couldn't be happier. This is the same apron I made a few weeks ago in a matching child/American Girl Doll set.

I love the pink and brown combo, and I might need one of these myself. First, I think Andrea needs a red, white, and blue one to match her kitchen!

Stay tuned for the grand opening announcement of the etsy site!

Haiti

I sat down with Ellen last night while a special news report covered the devastation in Haiti. She watched as the people wandered in the streets of the capital city, and she asked why they were sad. I tried to explain to her that their houses fell down because of the earthquake and that people were missing. Of course, I had to keep it on a 3-year-old level because I didn't want her to have nightmares last night, but it was amazing to see how much she cared. I can't seem to get my mind off of the situation, so Jason and I decided that we needed to help in whatever small way possible.

So many bloggers have had the awesome opportunity to visit impoverished countries through Compassion. Since we've been participating in the Eat From the Pantry Challenge, we've been able to save a few extra dollars. We've also had a few extra small windfalls this week, and I've felt called to donate the extra money to the children and their families in the Compassion organization in Haiti.

In addition to the initial donation we've made, I'd also like to give $5 of each apron order I receive in January to Compassion. Even though they're not on etsy yet, please feel free to email me (superiorgirls@gmail.com) with orders. Please specify which colors you'd like and any special requests. The costs of the aprons is $45.

A Finished Apron

First, a special thank you goes out to my sweet friend, Andrea, for being a great model. Isn't she cute?

Without further delay, here it is!

I've got some more work to do on the pink version of this apron, but I'm hoping to be done tonight. That would mean I might actually meet my goal of getting them on the etsy site by 1/15!

mmm... Carrot Cake

Today is my boss's birthday. Last year I found the best carrot cake recipe, so I tried it again this year. Ellen and I slaved over a hot oven to create this masterpiece.

I've heard that you can melt Starburst candies to cut out shapes, but that didn't work so well. We unwrapped what felt like a million little candies and sorted them into colors. (This is where it's handy to have the three year old!) I started with orange, and it was pretty much a failure. I burned my finger trying to scrape the melted candy, so I just resorted to spelling his name in what can only be described as Pac-Man style lettering.

Here's the recipe for the best carrot cake and cream cheese frosting EVER!!

Cake:

4 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup applesauce

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

3 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

3 cups grated carrots

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened

8 oz cream cheese, softened

3 2/3 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a sheet pan.

In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, sugars, and vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir in carrots. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

To make frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Frost the cooled cake.

Love This Girl

What is it about being three that gives them the right to make funny faces in front of the camera? Oh well, I guess this is how I think of her anyway!

Weekend Fun

What a great weekend!! It started with the addition of two dogs. My folks left for warmer weather on Saturday morning, so Ramsey and Addie are wintering with us for the next 9 weeks. Four dogs sounds like a lot, but the two guests are pretty easy to deal with.

I was able to work on a few aprons Sunday, which was so fun! Unfortunately, lots of sewing brought me to this:
Without thread, I was left at this point:

I'm so excited to finish all three of them tonight and post pictures of the completed product! I have until Friday to get at least two on etsy to succeed with one of my resolutions for the new year.

Jason's been working at Pizza Man for the past few months, and they had a Christmas party last night. They did a white elephant gift exchange, but we were the only people that truly brought something I didn't want in my house. We exchanged a Snuggie for this wonderful little treasure:

That's right, it's a gift card to the grocery store! Woohoo! We've done so well with our $10 per week grocery budget, and this will really help when our friends come to stay with us this weekend. What a perfect end to the weekend!

Fabric Sneak Peek

I was able to get a few aprons cut out last night in the pink and brown fabric I found. I'm hoping to get the little girl and doll aprons done tonight or tomorrow night, but until then, here's what the fabric looks like.

I love Robert Kaufman fabrics, and I can't wait to see what these look like all ruffled up!

Ellen discovered Charlotte's Web, so hopefully I can keep her occupied while I get at least one of the aprons done tonight. I know it's wrong, but she's the kind of person that watches a movie until she memorizes it, then she tells us about it for the next few weeks. She's not happy until she can recite the whole thing.

Aprons & a Great Giveaway!

I received another order today for two aprons. This time they're for little girls and their American Girl dolls. I can't wait to pick out the fabric and see how they turn out! I need to have them done by Friday night for a Saturday birthday party, so I need to get my rear in gear. I hope to get them all cut out tonight! Now I guess I'll have a couple to post to the etsy site before my 1/15 goal.

On another note, my friend, Marybeth, at Baby GoodBuys is having an amazing giveaway! She's giving away a Bumbleride Indie stroller, along with a Bumbleride Jam Pack. They come in such great colors, and they seem to be much better than any of the strollers we've ever had!

Off to a Good Start

What is it about Christmas that trashes our normally clean house? Oh yeah, it's that we all end up with too many presents. Our house is no exception. One of my goals this year is to keep our toy room neat and clean. Ellen doesn't think this is the best idea, but maybe she'll come around. I'm happy to report that I did a bang up job on the toy sorting this past weekend.

This is what the room looked tends to look like all. the. time. Case in point, as soon as I got everything put away, the tent ended up in there. Of course, it was fully assembled. Maybe tonight I can actually get a picture of the clean version for future reference.

I love to have a good rummage sale in the spring. I took more toys out of our house this weekend than I care to admit. Have no fear, Ellen ended up with more new toys than she even knows. I've actually put some away for snow days, so she'll have something new to play with for quite a while!