Turkey Hair Clip

 I love Thanksgiving! Its so nice to be able to relax with family and not have to worry about presents and shopping like you do with Christmas. It's also one of the few times I get to see my mom's side of the family.  My Aunt Margie has hosted Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember. She has an amazing spread every year. I'm actually dreading the time when I may have to take over this tradition because it will never come close to her Thanksgiving.

Here is the turkey bow I actually made last Thanksgiving for the girls. I think it turned out super cute and was done in less than twenty minutes.

Valentines' Day Picture Frame Wreath DIY

Valentines' Day is a month away. I've never been big on celebrating Valentines' Day-however, I always accept the awesome box of chocolate my husband likes to give me- but now that my girls are a little older, it's fun to decorate for the holiday to encourage their excitement. Although, let's face it-any holiday that I get to decorate in pink, is my fave. I wonder if I can spin Fourth of July into a pink decoration- we'll see.

Anyway, you may recognize the wreath above from an earlier post. This is the wreath I did for Christmas last year. I love it so much that I was sad to take it down, so I decided to make it interchangeable. I removed the ornaments, ribbon and the G and added some heart garland, beads and new ribbon to make it new. I'm so excited to be able to keep this on my door for 3 months instead of 5 weeks! I wonder if I can convert it to St. Patty's Day- any suggestions?









Here is how I did it...

Valentine's Pillow Case Dress with Ruffles Tutorial

There are some things I love about pillow case dresses and some things I hate. I love the neckline. This part of the dress is really easy to make and I think it looks really cute on. What I hate is how boxy they look. Just because they're cute little girls, doesn't mean that all of the sudden straight and boxy is cute.

So, i decided to create an A-line pillowcase dress that is lined with ruffles on the bottom. I also took this opportunity to learn how to applique with an embroidery machine- much easier than it looks! This dress was much more time consuming than a normal pillowcase dress, but I think it turned out 1000 x's cuter! Now that I made this one for Elsie, I will make a few alterations to Evelyn's- namely adding pockets and I don't think I'll attach the outer dress to the lining on the sides, just under the arms and at the neckline.

When Elsie saw it, she said, " Mommy, it's so beautiful, I'm going to cry!" With rave reviews like that, how can I not keep making her more dresses?

Here is what you'll need...

Cheddar Onion Pierogi

Pierogi  are one of my family's favorite side-dishes. My Uncle Joe has been making them for holidays for as long as I can remember. He lives in Florida, so when he isn't in town, it's up to us to carry on the family tradition. I made these for Christmas Eve dinner this year and they were so delicious that Clinton and I decided to make another batch using the leftover potato from the Christmas Eve pierogi dish. It was great having him help this time because I do not own a pasta machine, which makes rolling out the dough cumbersome. Clinton put a little muscle into it and the dough was perfect!

You can use any mashed potato filling you'd like. I prefer my cheddar onion mashed potatoes in mine. This recipe will make approximately 75 pierogi. Here is the recipe...