December 31, 2008

wee snowman


wee snowman
Originally uploaded by Deep Fried Cupcake
Another precious finish back from the finisher..

I don't think I've posted this here, have I? My brain is on eggnog overload ;-)
Anyhoo....design by Heart in Hand, believe it's called Wee Snowman (could be wrong, please inform if I am, lol!) and I stitched him with recommended fibers....


Hey y'all....HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Hope you all have a wonderful, healthy, happy and prosperous 2009 and stitch your little hearts out, all year long!

EE&F Snowman


eef snowman
Originally uploaded by Deep Fried Cupcake
This little snowman is a Ewe & Eye & Friends design, the name of which escapes me at the moment....
but he was stitched sometime earlier this year and then sent to (....)for final finishing. When I first got him back from her, we were having a lot of rain and a good picture was not to be had...
not too late to share now though :-)

December 28, 2008

gingerbread cottage

This little cottage by Country Cottage Needleworks is all that managed to get stitched in November and December...
but it was a fun stitch!




I wasn't happy with the faces on the gingerbread men, so I left them off....



My plan is to have this made into a pillow...I'm picturing pink pom-pom trim and peppermint striped backing fabric :-)



Would anyone like to have the pattern for this? Since I'm done stitching it, I'd be happy to pass it along. Just leave a comment on this post and I'll pick a name next Sunday, Jan 4th....

Did you all have a nice holiday? Around here, we are gearing up for the new year....

December 24, 2008

Christmas 2008


The year we had Christmas out of a box
or on top of a box
or with a box under each arm...

One to remember in years to come, that's fer sure!
Hope your holiday is merry and bright,
full of laughter
and everything that's just right....

December 10, 2008

Jolly



Aw, this was our baby Astro back in December of 2006! He was too cute! Found the picture on the old computer and thought I'd share it again, it was probably posted on the old blog...

Anyhoo...we're in the middle of a big move here, the reason behind my absence from blogging. I MISS posting!! Once we're all in at the new house and the holiday merriment ensues (which hopefully will happen before the holidays are over, lol), I'll be back!

In the meantime, hope you are staying warm, stitching much and enjoying the season!

November 27, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving



Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving! I'm looking forward to seeing my mother and sitting at the table (which will be overloaded with food of course) with her and my husband and three children, talking and laughing. We always have giggle fests until we're practically sick, spewing pie and holding our bellies. Good times!!

Here's something I stitched a while ago and gave away in 2004....



It's Pumpkin Row by Liberty Street Designs. I wonder if the person I gave it to ever did anything with it....

Happy turkey day y'all!

November 16, 2008

fear is not good


Fear Not
Originally uploaded by Deep Fried Cupcake
See this cute little Shepherd's Bush ornament I stitched? I know that I stitched it, remember doing it. Can't find it to save my life. Not in with the finished ornaments. Not in the pile of stitching yet to be made into something. And what's even more perplexing...I found another kit just like it in my stash the other day, that's what sent me on the hunt to begin with.
Ever stitch something and then completely forget what you did with it?
I'm pretty sure I must have given it away, hence, the second kit so it could be restitched. But no clue as to WHO it was given to.
Losing your mind is rather fearful, don't you think?

November 15, 2008

code names

Whenever my hubby and I are talking about the pugs, Astro's ears perk up. He knows his name. And he can spell...several words. He's pretty smart. We have to be careful.
Muttley also knows his name, (it's actually uncanny just how quickly he knew it, we had him at the vets 3 days, no lie, THREE days after we got him, to have him looked over and get a round of shots, and the gal behind the counter said "hey Muttley", and his head spun around to see what she wanted.) ANYway, he mainly watches his brother to get the low down on what's being said, so he'll know to spaz out or not. Equally as smart as Astro, dontchathink?
SO. This can be quite tricky when we're talking about things like, did you boil that chicken for Muttley? (Even chicken is really a dangerous word 'cause Astro knows how to spell it)...or did you remember to buy their weinies...you get the picture.
We've come up with the perfect solution....CODE NAMES.
And this picture perfectly represents the names we picked.
The one on the bottom is Astro, aka GROUND CONTROL.
And the one in the chair is Muttley, aka MAJOR TOM. (from the David Bowie song Space Oddity...so perfect, no?)
Yep, we ran a system check earlier this evening and we're set on go! Yippee!

November 13, 2008

a winner, trust me

Thanks to all that entered my little giveaway for my Blogiversary! I used the Random Generator thing just about an hour ago (after almost forgetting!)...and have spent the hour since then trying to figure out how to save the screen shot of the list, and then the screen shot of the winner. But apparently I am way too old and stupid to figure out how to do it and that's one hour of stitching time I'll never get back so let's move on here and y'all just trust me when I say the thing RANDOMLY picked

NICOLE!


as the winner!

(The runner up was ksmarylou)

So, CONGRATULATIONS Nicole, please email me (my blog name at hotmail) with your info and I'll get your prize mailed out right away! Surely it won't take me as long to do that as it did to unsuccessfully save screen shots. Geesh!

Thanks for playing along, wish I had more than one of these to give away!

(PS. Kelli asked if Pugs really do shed as badly as she's heard. YES. Especially fawns, they have a "double" coat and shed like crazy. The upside is that they are short hairs, so they're harder to form into those hairy "tumbleweeds" under the furniture, lol!
Oh COME ON, don't tell me we're the only ones that get those ;-) )

November 08, 2008

oops...but with a prize!

SO, I knew my "blogoversary" was in October but because I am so very on top of everything around here, I just decided not to celebrate it until November! OK? It was totally intentional you see!

SO, to celebrate my two whole years of blogging joy, I'm offering this little cutie pie for a prize....



It's from Lizzie Kate and is called Acorn Scissor Case. It comes with the cute little premade polka dot case, two tiny orange buttons, an acorn button and an acorn fob for your scissors. TOO CUTE, I tell ya what!



SO, if you're interested in winning this small but terribly adorable gift, leave a comment on this post. That's it, even if you've never commented before, it's OK!
I'll leave the post open until Thursday, November 13th, at 6 pm CST. Then
we'll use that "random number generator" thingy to pick a winner! And then you, the winner, can so totally have this stitched up before Thanksgiving, right? That or stash it until next year I guess ;-)

Good luck!

(Oh, and PS. Please pray or think good thoughts for our little Muttley pug, who has not been feeling well for over a week now. He's been to the vet and is on medication but is not over it yet....we are all a wee bit tearful over the whole matter.
Thanks y'all)!

November 04, 2008

great day



We always feel so good about voting and I don't understand folks who gripe about the state of our country and yet you ask them if they voted and they say NO.
It's not that difficult.
It's our duty, our right, and our privilege.
(Besides, you can't raise your fist and rail against the current prez if you didn't even have the gumption to go and vote against him in the first place ;-)

October 31, 2008

Happy Haunting!

Yet another Shepherd's Bush finish...told ya I just couldn't quit ;-)



This one is called Happy Haunting...



a lot of fun to stitch, although it took me a while...



those brooms were a lot of fun...



but I really dig those bones the most! hee hee



Have a Happy Halloween... with only fun tricks and lots of treats!

October 30, 2008

Spooky Sheep


Spooky Sheep
Originally uploaded by Deep Fried Cupcake
another finish from the old blog...
design by Shepherd's Bush

scared silly


silly
Originally uploaded by Deep Fried Cupcake
Not a recent finish, in fact, it's from 2006, but I think it was posted on my old blog and not pictured here, so I'm posting again....

Design by Birds of a Feather, stitched on 36 ct. Sparrow over 2 with one strand WDW thread.

almost over....


October

Crispy air and azure skies,
High above, a white cloud flies,
Bright as newly fallen snow.
Oh the joy to those who know October!

Colors bright on bush and tree.
Over the weedy swamp, we see
A veil of purple and brown and gold.
Thy beauty words have never told. October!

Scolding sparrows on the lawn,
Rabbits frisking home at dawn,
Pheasants midst the sheaves of grain,
All in harmony acclaim, October!

Brown earth freshly turned by plow,
Apples shine on bended bough,
Bins o'erflowed with oats and wheat,
And satisfaction reigns complete. October!

Radiant joy is everywhere.
Spirits in tune to the spicy air,
Thrill in the glory of each day.
Life's worth living when we say,October!

-Joseph Pullman Porter - an American poet


October 29, 2008

best time of the year...

There really is something about that first bit of crisp air we get here in Texas...where the big sky is the most perfect shade of blue than any other time of year...that sets my heart all "a flutter". Aw, Fall. It's what gets me through the summer. In my entire life, it's always been my favorite time of the year. Always. Fall knows me like no other season...

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it,
and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth
seeking the successive autumns."
- George Eliot



Good things happen in the fall, like back in October of 1984 when my son was born...
and some traumatic things have happened as well, like the worst automobile wreck of my life in November of '97 and two weeks later, in December of that year (which usually still feels like Fall instead of Winter), my husband having a heart attack and almost dying...
but even as I was leaving the hospital to go home and tend to our children, walking to the (new-ish) car (the replacement for the totalled one, see above)...somehow I knew everything would be OK. Those leaves crunching under my feet promised me hope, I can't explain it, but there it is...

anyway, now it's almost 11 years since all that happened and we've been through a lot since that time too. We're all the better for it. Some people find hope and promise in Spring, but for us, our hearts are saved by Fall....


and some Fall and "Halloweenie" stitching to share...



(again, with the craptastic pics, wish I had my old camera back!) sorry for the bad pictures...

This one is Trick or Treat by Shepherd's Bush




and this one is Pumpkin Hill...




also by Shepherd's Bush



There are some other fall finishes to share, hope to get a decent picture to post here soon.

In the meantime....enjoy the season and all it brings into our lives...we're so lucky to live in a free country, where we aren't forced to be one way or the other and we are free and ABLE to vote where our hearts lead us, and free to enjoy the people and places and things that mean the most to us...and know that they love us and enjoy us in return...

Godspeed my friends...

October 18, 2008

contemplating...

This is a shelf that is over the sink in the kitchen...pardon the dust, I'd usually rather stitch than do housework...



It's been there since we moved in 12 years ago and I've left it "natural" as the cabinets are dark wood (really crappy wood, but that's a whole nuther story).

So anyhoo, am thinking about painting it white, white-ish, or some other color...but can't decide...

Also thinking about getting rid of a whole bunch of my Mary E. stuff because I'm just tired of all the dusting (or feeling guilty over not doing it)! So maybe we'll just take this down altogether and put up one of those old fashioned dish racks....those are so cool!

Any thoughts?

October 17, 2008

this my friends....

is what you call the "evil eye"...



given to me by a drugged up Muttley pug, who wasn't feeling so hot two days after his surgery. But he's a lot better today and says thank you all for your get well wishes :-)

Happy weekend!

October 16, 2008

a little distraction for you...

...to make up for the horrible "morphing" thing I posted about earlier...what I was thinking is beyond me!

This is my Little Witch..



a quick and fun stitch...



a kit from Shepherd's Bush. Yes, I can't seem to stop stitching their stuff lately...



it's like Halloween Candy....addicting.



stay tuned for another one very soon!

Sorry about the whole Eva Longoria thing. I really don't look like her at all, not sure why that site picked her as my look-a-like, must have been the angle, ha!

Oh, and Mr. Muttley pug is doing just fine, his surgery went off without a hitch and he's just as wild as ever, which isn't a good thing when they're supposed to NOT be running, etc. The vet sent home tranquilizers for him, but he fights them and it's quite hysterical seeing him run around and his legs falling out from under him. Poor thing. Astro is not so amused that he's back however....

and I don't even watch that show!

A friend of mine posted about this site on her blog, so of course, I had to check it out.

MyHeritage: Celebrity Morph - Descendants - Geneology

Oh dear. Weird, huh? Never watched one whole episode of Desperate Housewives, but kinda knew who she is because of all the hoopla over her marriage to Tony Parker. (Hey, I read the headlines of In Touch magazine when standing in the checkout line at the grocery store, what about it)?! ;-)
I'm not sure what to think of this one. Hmmm.
If anyone of you do this, let me know how it goes for you :-)

October 14, 2008

Spooky Spots

This has been in my WIP forever it seems, I just couldn't ever get into it, if you know what I mean....



But a section here and there over a couple of years and it's finally done...
and now that it is, I'm happy with it. I do love my Shepherd's Bush after all!




This one, Mr. Sweet Face and innocent eyes,



our Muttley pug, goes into the vet today to get "fixed" and microchipped. He's driving us all nuts. Especially Astro, if you get my drift.
We waited as long as we can, making sure he was/is ready and now those guys and gals at the clinic better get ready cause
all hell is fixing to break loose they are in for tons of fun!
I'm telling you, this boy is a piece of work, we've never, ever seen another dog like him.
I'm planning a looooong nap tomorrow, since he's been here, those have been rare. It'll be nice to have some peace and quiet for a change. We'll miss him while he's away.

October 12, 2008

a little Halloween stitching...

My mad picture taking skillz, um, not so much...



lately, no matter what I do, I can't get good pics like I used to.



anyhoo, this was a little kit from Shepherd's Bush called "Fright"...a fun stitch!



And here are my boys....my other sweeties ;-)


October 09, 2008

my sweeties


kid collage
Originally uploaded by Deep Fried Cupcake
This picture is from a few Christmas' ago, and has been on my Flickr stream for a while now, but I wanted to post it here, just because.

The loves of my life.

Even though they're all grown up now, still my babies.

I'm so blessed.

October 05, 2008

This Cupcake Loves to Stitch!

My newly discovered twin that lives in another state made this for me, isn't she somethin' else? Have you ever found a friend, quite by accident, who loves some of the very same things you do? Some of the very most important things like crafty goodness, sweetie pie treats and love for their family? That's Elizabeth!

It's a wonderful thing!

Check out her blog to see more of her wonderful creations!

September 25, 2008

offended

This here is what you call an unhappy Pug...



Muttley is now a little over 6 months old. We've clipped his nails once before, no problems. Then his brother Astro had a nail break off in a weird place, and we had to cut it down, which caused blood and much squirming, all of which Muttley was witness to. So when he did his nails later, he wasn't too happy, but he cooperated for the most part (although when I was done, he jumped down and actually looked over his legs and paws to see what I had done to them).

Fast forward two weeks, time to clip again. First big brother, then Muttley.
Astro squirms, but tolerates it cause he knows there will be treats afterwards.
Muttley, to say "not so much" would be putting it mildly.
I have never heard a Pug scream until now. We seriously thought he was going to have a heart attack he was so freaked out. I got one nail clipped and after that, every time I even got near the next nail with the clippers, he would scream and cry and try to fling himself out the window. So one nail is done and that's it.

And now, I'm sitting here trying to figure out what the heck we're going to do for the remainder of his life, which is hopefully a long one, where we can't even touch a nail with the clippers without him having hysterical fits....

Any ideas?

September 22, 2008

pie, again. and a queen

OK, let me just say, the chocolate chip cookie pie was AWESOME. Beyond awesome! After everyone else had eaten a piece of the buttermilk pie, this one came out of the oven and it was all I could do to not just get myself a fork and have at it, all by myself! But I waited about an hour, cut just one piece and then fell over and died from happiness. When I came to, warnings were issued to NOT TOUCH IT, it's mine. But then when I cut into it the next day, my maternal instincts took over and I shared. Reluctantly. Because, as good as it was warm, it was even better at room temp! Awesomely awesome pie, that's all I'm gonna say about that.



And here is the recipe.....

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

1 unbaked 9-inch deep-dish pie shell (I used the recipe for pie crust that I posted below)

2 large eggs

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate morsels

1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven 325 degrees. Beat eggs in large mixer bowl on high until foamy.
Beat in flour, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat in butter.
Stir in morsels and nuts and spoon into pie shell.
Bake for 55-60 minutes.
Cool on wire rack.


Go make it asap, you won't regret it!

And in stitchy news, I finished up this little cutie, Queen Sheep from Shepherd's Bush...



which is already on it's way to Deb to be finished :)



Have a good week my friends, thank you for all of your sweet comments, you make blogging fun!

September 18, 2008

all about pie

Today has been all about cooking and baking, since the weather has been cooler, I've been itching to be in the kitchen!

So for dessert, we're having pie. I couldn't decide between Buttermilk Pie, or Chocolate Chip Cookie pie, so I'm making both! YeeHaw!

First off, the pie crust. Found this recipe in an old Amish cookbook. Their recipes never fail, and it was easy as, well, PIE!

You make it right in the pie dish! It is not rolled out, so would not work for a double crusted pie, but for Buttermilk Pie, perfect.

Place right into the pie dish:

1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt



Mix it up with a fork.

Then, in measuring cup, add:

1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons cold milk

Beat with fork until creamy



then pour over flour mixture in pie dish



stir together until flour mixture is completely moistened





then use your fingers to pat the dough up the sides of the pie dish, then across the bottom.




Flute or crimp the edges with tines of fork. In this case, we're ready to roll with the buttermilk part of the pie, but if you are preparing the shell to fill later, prick the surface of the crust with a fork and bake in preheated 425 oven for 15 minutes, checking often and pricking more if needed, during the baking.




For the pie you will need:

1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell (see above recipe)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 eggs, well beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350. Place the softened butter in a large mixer bowl. Add the sugar and cream well. Add flour, eggs, buttermilk, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt, mix. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Sprinkle nutmeg lightly over the top. Bake one hour or until the top is golden brown.

Before going in the oven:



after baking



after it's almost half gone....



you should eat this while it's still warm and then refrigerate the rest. It's good cold too :)

And now, on to the chocolate chip cookie pie. Details to follow!