Weekend Breakfast Treat

Our kids LOVE doughnuts - particularly the ones at Krispy Kremes.  I think one of their favorite part of watching them make them.  So I thought - hey why not make some at home!  So I stumbled upon this little recipe here for copycat Krispy Kremes.

I made the dough the night before and used the morning as the final rising state for the dough - after shaping it with cookie cuts.  Then into the shortening fryer - be very careful about the temperature - shortening heats up very quickly and will burn your doughnuts instantly.

We made used both the doughnut part and the hole :).  Frying was super fast.

After frying, let it cool for a minute or so and keep it in your favorite topping.  We had plain sugar, glazed and glazed with sprinkles.

The verdict YUMMMM.

Happy Birthday Aya

Our little girl is now 2.  We celebrated her second birthday a couple of weeks back with a Frozen inspired theme - a little snowflake here and there.  Olaf "Summer" inspired food :).  Here's some pics of the preparation and party festivities.

A cake stand and some pretty cupcakes makes for pretty center piece and birthday cake.  I love the way the lace wrappers for the baked cupcakes turned out and the little raspberry on top is the perfect touch.

I had a little extra batter left over so I made mini cupcakes as well.   Perfect amount for a little mini-cupcake snowflake dish :).  

The frosting dispenser I got from Amazon was perfect - super easy to use and frosted up all 30 cupcakes super fast - and pretty.

As part of the food table, I made little fruit skewers.  Clean and easy for the little kids to eat - and fun too!

I love the way the little banner turned out for the utensils.  A few little scraps of paper, twine and staples.

We also adorned the light fixture with these cute little paper lanterns and snowflakes.

I wish I took more pictures of the cookie decorating table, but with all the kids at the party I didn't have time :).  But here's a little glimpse of all the spindles that were used for the sugar cookies.  The kids at a great time decorating their little snowflake, Olaf and other sugar cookies.

Great party and now we'll be gearing up for the holidays.  Have a safe week everyone!

End of Summer Harvest and Draught

We're enjoying the last tomatoes, zucchinis and basils as summer comes to an end.

Instead of gearing up for a late summer/fall planting we have decided to let our garden rest for remainder of the year.  California is in a serious draught and it just seems wrong to be watering the garden.

We have already let our back lawn go...and planning on planting more draught resistant plants/trees and fake grass for the kids next spring.

Though we might have some good rain this winter (fingers crossed), we must still make a conscious effort to conserve as much as we can even when we're not in a draught.

NO no ... we are not getting rid of our vegetable garden forever...rest assure it will be back next spring.  But we'll be renovating the water system to be more effective :)

Got Boxes?

So things have gotten a little ... out of control?  Summer activities, kids being at home and a whole lot of sunshine has taken it's toll in the living room.  BOXES BOXES BOXES!  Deliveries to our little shop continues but we had been lazy about opening them :(

Don't worry!  They're mostly fabric restocks and shipping supplies so no outgoing orders has been delayed (PHEW right??).   I'm grateful for these slow summer days and don't mind the build up of boxes for a week...or 3 ;).

As usually - the shop is always open and napkins and such must be made for our wonderful customers.  Here's a snack that is ready to be folded and packaged by yours truly.

OH I just LOVE those bicycle prints!  I can't seem to get enough of that fabric...and I guess I'm not getting enough since it's always backordered...eek.  So I'm glad I have a few more yards left before the next big shipment.

Really random, but do you like the sight of thread?  Like the little threads left behind after a good day of snipping?  I do :). 

Have a great week everyone!

Modern Color Triangle Quilt

I've been waiting to make this quilt for a while...waiting for the right color combo to show up in my stash...

Now it's DONE :)

I'm happy to share this clean modern triangle quilt:

I absolutely adore the little pop of mustard yellow and aqua.

I backed it with a single piece of the Rainy Day fabric from Blend Fabrics.  The colors match just perfectly...again a piece of fabric that I was waiting to use on just the right project.

I will be making more of these triangle quilts :) - they are SO fun to make and I adore the results.

Another addition to the JAQ Studio little Etsy shop HERE.

Quilt Information:
Modern Patchwork Triangle Quilt
Front: 100% Cotton Prints
Batting: Warm & Natural 100% cotton
Backing: 100% Cotton Print - Single Piece
Completed Dimension: 41"x64"
Quilting Method: Straight line quilting along each side of each seam
Binding: Machine Stitched for extra durability

Sold HERE.

Lazy Summer Days

Countdown to school begins as the last few days of lazy summer days ends.

Our comfy outdoor sofa has been a comfort for us.  

The kids enjoying a mid-year sugar cookie decoration fun as we experiment with painting on frosting. They love all the fun colors and paintbrushes.

Perfect children cookies :)

Busy Summer Days

The kids are off to grandmas today as I catchup with some studio work...ha housework can wait right???

Nothing like freshly cut fabrics to make this girl smile :).  This one is ready for the new coral chevron quilt...hopefully in time for the holidays...we'll see.

And a little bit of flag bunting.  My new favorite thing to do when I have a bit of time.  It's a long process but fun.  This one is for a shabby chic flag bunting.

Good times :)

No Linky Party This Week - Vacation Time

I'm taking a short little vacation this week to hang out with the kiddos and catch up on the store cleanup work.  Have a great week everyone and see you all next week as we continue our linky party :).

Take care!

Made By ME #137 Linky Party and Features

Welcome! :)  Another great week here - lots of great projects to inspire from last week's party - some highlights below.  If you have something to share please join our party this week at the end of the post.  Have a terrific week everyone!

CRAFTS & DECOR 

DIY Soap Painting from Sew Can Do

Old T-shirt Pom Poms from 3 Peppers 

Storage Container Duct Tape Crafts from With a Blast

FOOD

 

Sugar Kiss Cookies from The Diary of a Real Housewife

Easy Strawberry Muffins from Gal On A Mission

SEWING AND KNITS

Peasant Blouse from Howling At The Moon 

Finished Quilt from Stitch by Stitch

...and onto this week's "Made by ME" Linky Party.  

Happy Linking everyone! 

... and don't forget to visit our fellow bloggers :)

  

An InLinkz Link-up

Made By ME #136 Linky Party and Features

Hello there :).  Great highlights to share with you from last weeks' party.  Don't forget to add yours this week at the end of this post.

FOOD

Mini Lemon Pies with Blueberries from Gingerly Made

Homemade Marshmallows from Eliza Ellis

BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad from The Diary of a Real Housewife

CRAFTS & DECOR 

Easy Fabric Swatch Banner from Let's Drink Coffee Darling 

Card Box Tutorial from Buttons and Paint

SEWING AND KNITS

Mini Quilt from Sing While Crafting

College Days Quilt from Quilt Art Designs

Party after the jump...

Made By ME #135 Linky Party and Features

Thank you for visiting!  It's been a busy summer here and I'm sure a lot of you are feeling the same way.  So thank you EXTRA for taking time out of your day to share your fantastic projects :).

Here are some highlights from last week's party - scroll down to add your project to this week's party.

FOOD

Shrimp Tom Kha Soup from Reviews, Chews and How-Tos 

Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Cheesecake Bites from Pink Recipe Box 

Tres Leches Buddies from A Dash of Sanity

CRAFTS & DECOR 

 Fabric Charm Bracelet from QuintonWench

Duct Tape Key Chains from The Crafty Blog Stalker 

Swing Set from The DIY Dreamer

SEWING AND KNITS

Summersuit from Kuka and Bubu

I Love Sewing Mug Rug from USS Crafty

...and onto this week's "Made by ME" Linky Party.  

Happy Linking everyone! 

... and don't forget to visit our fellow bloggers :)

  

An InLinkz Link-up

Made By ME #134 Linky Party and Features

Happy linky day :)!  Some great highlights to share and don't forget to link up your special project this week at the end of the post.  Have a safe and productive week everyone!

FOOD

Salmon Egg Breakfast Sandwich from Pink Recipe Box 

White Chocolate Caramel Corn from A Dash of Sanity 

Freshing Strawberry Lemonade from Gal On A Mission

CRAFTS & DECOR 

 

Red White Blue Water Balloon Flip Flop from Fluster Buster 

Brown Bag Utensil Holder from The Life of a Crazed Mom

SEWING AND KNITS

Vintage Baby Rag Quilt from Ode to Inspiration

Card Holder Wallet from Learning Curve Crafts

Big Girl Briefs from Kuka and Bubu

Party after the jump....

Made By ME #133 Linky Party and Features

Hi there :) - great highlights to share with you from last weeks' party.   Can't wait to see what goodies you guys are working on this week - scroll down to add your project to the party this week. 

FOOD

Clean Eating Pecan Pie from Luv A Bargain 

Coconut Raspberry Blueberry Ice Cream from Vintage Zest 

CRAFTS & DECOR 

 

Glitter Paper Flower Frame from The Crafty Blog Stalker

Ikea Hack Lack Shelves from The House on Stanford 

Aluminum Can Dimensional Star from Crafty Journal 

SEWING AND KNITS

 DIY Custom Ottoman Cube from Sew Can Do 

Sunrise Quilt Pattern from Sewing Lab

Elephant from Kuka and Bubu

Party after the jump...

Made By ME #132 Linky Party and Features

Welcome!  Great project last week ... of course.  Here are some features from that fabulous party...scroll down to include yours in this week's party :)

FOOD

Mississippi Mud Cookies from A Dash of Sanity

One Pot Thai Noodles from Domestic Bliss Squared

Copycat BJs Pizooki from Rustic Peach

CRAFTS & DECOR 

 

 Old Window Ramadan Eid Decor from Ode to Inspiration

A Baby Show on a Budget from Life & Home from 2102 

DIY 4th of July Flag Wreath from It's Always Ruetten

SEWING AND KNITS

Quilt Top from Stitch by Stitch

Sun Hat Pattern from Kuka and Bubu

Party after the jump...

Made By ME #131 Linky Party and Features

Hello there and welcome to another week of the MADE BY ME party - a creative sharing space to show off your new creation.  Here's some wonderful project features from last week.  And of course we all want to see your new project, so scroll down to add yours to this week's party :).  Have a terrific week everyone!

SEWING AND KNITS

Teardrop Bag from Sewing for Utange 

Wholecloth Strippy Quilt from Made by Chrissie D.

FOOD

Crockpot Pork Tacos from Eazy Peazy Mealz 

Healthy Sweet and Sour Chicken from A Dash of Sanity

CRAFTS & DECOR 

Bundt Pan Planter from Our Secondhand House 

Paper Straws and Paper Clips from The Impulsive Crafter 

Milk Jug Sewing Card from Crafty Journal

Party after the jump :) ...

Made By ME #130 Linky Party and Features

It's HOT.  Summer begins I guess ;).  Great time to stay inside and work on beautiful projects to beat this heat.  Here are some awesome ones from the linky party last week (THANK YOU!) and link yours this week at the end of the post :).

SEWING AND KNITS

Pink Baby Girl Quilt from Quilting Stories

Popsicle Holder from Gingerly Made

FOOD

 

Skinny Mozzarella Sticks from Simple Green Moms

Turkish Eggplant Stew from Vintage Zest

CRAFTS & DECOR 

Fabulous High Hell Planters from DIY Fun Ideas 

Flower Garden Kit for Kids from Our Peaceful Planet

Linky Party after the JUMP...