knitted diaper wrap

I made this for my nephew, Noah. I had given Lori (his mom) enough time to post this picture on her blog, but since she hasn't I will have to. She's had it 3-4 months now, I thought maybe I would have seen a picture of Noah wearing it by now :) (Elizabeth, don't take this as a jab at you.) I was going to make one of my regular soakers, but when I saw the wrap it was just Lori. She's just a "wrap" kind of person if you know what I mean. I was not thrilled with the outcome of this pattern found at www.warmheartwoolies.com, but you'll have to ask Lori how it worked out for her because I didn't actual use the wrap.

back to your basics cookbook

I purchased a used copy of the Fannie Farmer Cookbook. I read about it in my favorite book The Complete Tightwad Gazette. The author Amy Dacyczyn wrote that it was her favorite cookbook. Now that Tim is doing a lot of the cooking, he is wanting something that shows him the basics of cooking with every day ingredients. I have been looking for a cookbook like this for along time. Amy seemed like the basics type of person, being frugal and all, so I thought I would take a chance and purchase her recommended cookbook. At first, I wasn't so sure, but the more I read through the cookbook the more I like it! It shows pictures of all the cooking tools, tells it's name and identifies what it can be used for. It explains what each spice is and the best way to use them. It shows how to cut and cook different meats. The book has simple basic recipes for about everything you can think of. If you're already an experienced cook...say your mom or grandma taught you well growing up, then this may not be the book for you. I think it would make an awesome gift for someone learning how to cook or who just got married.

pillow case

Somehow time is slipping by so quickly. I found some pictures from some time ago that I never got around to posting. Today I will share my unknown sewing talent. I needed a pillow for my chair at work for back support so I mimicked an old pillow case of my mother-in-law's. I found some fabric that I had on hand so it didn't cost me a thing other than a couple of hours of my time. The pillow didn't work out for my chair, but I am using it on my couch at home.

BEFORE

...AND...

AFTER