Altered Cookies

It seems that all sorts of things are being "altered" these days. One of the easiest things to alter is a basic cookie recipe:



This recipe for Drop Sugar Cookies is the recipe I sent in to Just Cross Stitch this year to go with my ornament design:

1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/3 cups flour
1 bag mini chocolate chips

Cream butter & sugar. Add vanilla, egg & baking soda. Mix well and add flour. Add mini chocolate chips. Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls, flatten with a glass dipped in sugar. Bake at 350 degrees until light golden brown.

I altered this recipe by adding the zest of 1 large orange, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.

I've made this cookie recipe many, many ways and will share my "alterations" as I make them again. Give these a try. They are really good!

Be sure to visit my Boutique!

Spider Purse & Flea Market Treasures

First, I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to email me. I believe we have my email working properly again. I kind of freak when this sort of thing happens because I don't know what to do! My friend Chris helped me with it and hopefully, it will continue to work for me!

I finished up my Spider Web purse:



There are 7 spiders on this bag. Can you find them all?

The ladies at the Post Office were drooling all over it yesterday. Everyone is fascinated by crazyquilting!

Next, I thought I would share my recent Flea Market treasures with you. I hit the jackpot this last Sunday! First, with a pair of cat figurines that I absolutely fell in love with:



I plan to repaint my guest room light pink and stencil cabbage roses around the room. I want it to have a very cottage vintage look and I thought these would be pretty sitting on the dresser.

Next I found yet another pile of vintage embroidery transfers:



Ya'll know how much I love these! I've done pretty good with the iron-on transfer finds this flea market season.

I know I've recently mentioned that I've been baking a lot. It's helped to take my mind off the terrible depression symptoms that I've been dealing with. I started a new collection (like I need another one) of vintage baking cookbooks:



I paid $2.00 for each of these. In fact, the Betty Crocker Cooky book is one that my mom has had since the 1960's and I maul it every time I'm at mom's house! I was thrilled to find my own copy at the flea market. Esp. for only $2.00! I think Borders bookstore offers it but it's around $15.00 or $20.00 now.

Anyway, the Christmas Cookie booklet is from the 1950's. Mom told me that the electric company used to send out cookbooks and other little things now and then. Interesting! Now we get the bill and pray it doesn't go up!

I also found this pile of vintage appliqués:



I'm sure they'll find their way onto one of my crazy quilts eventually.

Last but not least for today, a vintage hat and 2 spider pins:



I bought the vintage hat for the silk and velvet flowers. I can usually find these for about $4.00 or $5.00. I take the flowers off and use them on my stitching or on cards.

And where were those spider pins when I was working on my spider purse? I've never seen one on a web before.

I do have one other treasure that I bought but I had a hard time getting a good photo of it. It's a stitched framed piece with roses on it and a little verse. I'll try taking it outside on a sunny day and see if I can't get a decent photo. It's gorgeous and is also intended for my guest room when I get it repainted.

Email Issues

Thank you everyone! The only email that came through was from Judy. I'm not getting me Etsy email or my PayPal email. Can't figure out what's going on. As soon as I do, I'll ask for more messages.

Email Messages

I'm not sure that all my email is coming through. I was wondering if I have a few readers who would take a moment to send me an email and then leave a message here for so I can see if everything is working correctly.

Thanks much!

2009 Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue

I thought you would like to see my ornament from the 2009 Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue:



Not too bad for the state of madness I was in back in January when I did the design! Well, I think it was January. I'm really not sure as the past almost year is pretty much just a big blur to me. I still have that "not quite in reality" feeling but I'm sure that will pass in time.

On the back cover, in the Zweigart Ad, you can see my Redwork Christmas Afghan design:



I looked at it and thought to myself, "Wow, what a pretty afghan! I wonder who the designer is." Then I realized it's one of my designs and thought to myself, geez, I can't wait until my brains are back in my head!

Anyway, Scott and I went to a flea market today where I hit the jackpot! I found a bunch of vintage transfer patterns, a pair of gorgeous vintage cat figurines with roses on them, 2 vintage spider pins, some vintage lace appliques, 2 vintage cookie cookbooks and a framed stitched piece with roses on it. I have to take photos of my treasures. I'm out of steam for today.

When I feel up to it, I want to repaint my guest room in an icy pink and then stencil cabbage roses in there. The kitty figurines and the vintage stitched piece are for that room.

I'll post photos when I have a little more energy. In the meantime, I thought you would enjoy seeing my JCS Ornament.