Scrappy Dog Sunday-The Holiday Edition

Hi all! I hope your holiday was a festive one. I know at the Pedersen household, the pups were in rare form. From putting the decorations up

To posing as Santa Claus and his reindeer

The pups were in the Christmas spirit as they patiently waited for Santa.

And when the day finally arrived toys were destroyed!

And savored

And guarded

Don't worry, no limbs were lost and the holiday came to a close without a hitch. A few pieces of ham from grandpa, a couple of cookies from mom and new toys gutted....All was right with the world.

Happy Holidays everybody!

Feel Good Friday!

For this very special Feel Good Friday I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. May your day be filled with peace, joy and love. May today and everyday find you with love, tolerance and respect for your fellow person. My Christmas wish for you is very simple. Good food, a wonderful family and smiles for everyone.
I am so blessed to have all of you in my life.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna watch A Christmas story for the 15 time today and crash from my sugar high!

Love from the Pedersen household
Pam, Mark, Lola, Jujube and Pete

The Amazing Stitching of Kunderwood

If you have never seen Kunderwood's stitching, you are in for a real treat! She is AMAZING! I first came across her work on Flickr and was blown away. She is just too adorable and super sweet to boot. Wanna know what else-this girl is the Kung Fu master of French knots! She kicks butt and takes names!

Who is the real kunderwood?
This is kind of hard for me to answer, since I am still
trying to figure it out for myself, lol. The real kunderwood
is a wife and mother, first and foremost. I tend to be shy
around people I don't know. I have an off-beat sense of
humor and can be very sarcastic. Oh, and I curse too much.
:-)

I love your embroidery. How did you get started?
First of all, thank you! I love your work, too. I got
started a couple years ago. I'd been an avid cross-stitcher
since 1996, but had grown a bit tired of it. I was online
one night and stumbled upon Sublime Stitching's website and
thought, "Hey, now that's cool! I want to try that!" Then I
found various embroidery blogs, which led to Flickr, where I
discovered that there are tons and tons of people who
embroider. I fell in love with the vintage patterns,
especially the ones with anthropomorphic fruits & veggies,
and once I started stitching I was hooked!

What or who inspires you?
Flickr is a great source of inspiration for me, along with
blogs. Floresita and Early Bird Special were the first to
really catch my eye and make me long to be able to do what
they do! There's a long list of people who inspire me,
including Wild Olive, Sewsew-a-Gogo, sewitsforyou, Amanda
Panda Pants, and you, kittykill. That shag glow in the dark
piece you did is amazing!

Any advice for the masses?
If someone is just starting out with embroidery, I'd advise
them to take it slow and easy, and start off with a small
project. I think a lot of beginners try to tackle
complicated projects before they've had much practice and
tend to get frustrated and want to give up. Or maybe that
was just me, lol...

Seriously though, I would say persevere. Keep trying! Don't
give up on French knots just because they're not turning out
the way they're supposed to. Also, if it ain't fun, don't
do it! I have lots of UFO's in my closet. Embroidery is
supposed to be a fun, relaxing activity, and if I am hating
the piece I am working on, then it defeats the purpose of
stitching! Chuck it and try something new...you never know,
you may rediscover it a few months down the road and see it
through different eyes, so to speak. And don't be afraid to
ask questions. Stitchers are a nice bunch of people who like
to talk about their craft. :)

What other crafts do you like to do?
I'm not a big crafter, believe it or not. I LOVE stitching
and it comes easily to me, but crafting takes a kind of
effort that I find exhausting. I recently did a
collage/paper project that I really like, using paper
embellishments that I bought from greenbeanbaby
(http://www.etsy.com/shop/greenbeanbaby). It took me forever
to figure out the placement of the pieces, which background
color best suited the embellishments, etc. Whew! Talk about
tiring! I have such admiration for people who are crafty. I
wish I were more so.

BONUS QUESTION!
French knots-friend or foe. Discuss!
Oh, French knots are *definitely* your friend! I adore
French knots. It took me a looooong time to master those
suckers, but once I did, I was unstoppable! I think they're
so cute and versatile, and can really add dimension to a
project. Last year, I stitched a Sublime Stitching piece of
a mod lady and I did her hair entirely in French knots. I
called it a French Knot 'Fro, and I think it's totally rad!
There's a rhythm to doing a large number of French knots
that can be very soothing.

So awesome! kunderwood attention to detail can not be surpassed! I simply adore her stitching. I just love her outlook on life. She is a great inspiration to so many stitchers out there. Make sure you check out her blog.
She has all of her amazing projects in one place. I hope she makes it up my way one of these days-Portland would never be the same! 

Tie One On Tuesday!

Woohoo! Time to get your nog on! Now myself, I can't stand the stuff but there are many out there (Martha Stewart-you saucy little minx, I'm looking in your direction) that love it, so today's TOOT is for you.

This recipe sounds yummy. I might be willing to give the old nog another try.

Coconut Eggnog
Ingredients:
8 egg yolks
4 cups coconut milk or cream
8 tablespoons dark rum ( personally would vote for more)
6 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ground
Into a large saucepan, pour the coconut milk/ cream and add the white sugar.
Heat BUT DO NOT BOIL over a medium heat.
In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with the vanilla essence.
Into the bowl, pour approximately half the coconut milk & sugar mixture.
Whisk briskly.
Add the remainder of the coconut milk & sugar mixture.
Pour the combined mixture back into your large saucepan.
Wash out the large bowl because you'll need it again in a few minutes.
Cook over a low heat BUT DO NOT BOIL, ensuring that you continuously stir.
Continue stirring until the eggnog thickens slightly - enough to be able to coat the back of a spoon.
Pour & strain the eggnog back into the (washed, rinsed & dried) large bowl.
Allow the eggnog to sit and cool until it becomes room temperature.
Stir in the dark rum.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, but preferably overnight.
Just prior to serving, combine the ground nutmeg & ground cinnamon on a small dish, and sprinkle a little of the mixture on top of each served glassful of your delicious coconut eggnog!

Coconut not your thing? How about a little chocolate?

Chocolate Egg Nog
Ingredients:
8 eggs
3 cups chocolate milk
2 cups milk
1 cup cream
1 cup Kahlua liqueur (or delicious, freshly brewed strong coffee)
1 cup dark rum
1/2 cup brown sugar
¾ teaspoon cinnamon, ground
¾ teaspoon nutmeg, ground
pinch cinnamon, ground (as garnish)
pinch chocolate, grated (as garnish)
In a large saucepan over a medium heat, pour the milk and chocolate milk.
Heat the milks, but DO NOT BOIL.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs and brown sugar until they are well combined and of a reasonably thick consistency.
When the milk mixture is hot (but not boiling!), add approximately half of it to the bowl containing the beaten eggs and brown sugar.
Whisk well.
Pour all of the egg, sugar & milk mixture back into the large saucepan.
Reduce heat to low.
Slowly and gently, add in the Kahlua liqueur/ coffee, and then the cream.
Stir continuously until the mixture has thickened enough to be able to coat the back of a spoon.
Remember not to ever allow the mixture to boil.
Remove the eggnog from the low heat.
Stir in the dark rum, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled (at least 3 hours).
To serve, ladle the eggnog into individual glasses, and garnish with a little grated chocolate or ground cinnamon.

Oh I see, you're a traditionalist. Well then, Here ya go! I nice classic Egg Nog coming right up!

Classic Eggnog
Ingredients:
2 eggs, separated
6 cups milk
2 cups heavy/ thickened cream
2 cups bourbon
1+ ½ cups sugar
¾ cup brandy
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg In a large bowl and using a mixer, beat the egg yolks together with the sugar for approx 10 minutes (you want the mixture to be firm and the colour of butter).
Very slowly, add in the bourbon and brandy - just a little at a time.
When bourbon and brandy have been added, allow the mixture to cool in the fridge (for up to 6 hours, depending on how long before your party you're making the eggnog).
30 minutes before your guests arrive, stir the milk into the chilled yolk mixture.
Stir in 1+ ½ teaspoons ground nutmeg.
In a separate bowl, beat the cream with a mixer on high speed until the cream forms stiff peaks.
In yet another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture.
Gently fold the cream into the egg mixture.
After ladling into cups, garnish with the remainder of the ground nutmeg.

Yummy! These recipes sound so good that I might have to give the Eggnog another try. If you are Vegan, they do make Silk eggnog in the carton-so you can just add some rum or bourbon or whatever spirit you like and drink up. It's so much easier to make and you could probably put it on your cereal or coffee. Hmmm, that give me an idea-where are my Wheaties?

Well, there ya have toot'ers! A few twist on an old tradition. I hope that your holiday is wonderful and filled with happy spirits of every kind. Oh my, look who got out the mistletoe-SMOOCH! Happy Holidays!

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

Ah Christmas time-believe it or not, things have finally settled back into a routine. Cookies are made, presents are wrapped, house decorated. Now it's time to sit back with a cup of warm cocoa and watch some of my holiday favorites.

White Christmas is at the top of my list. Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera Allen make this movie a dancing and singing romp through the winter. The songs are just divine! I know that OMP loves to hear me sing "Sisters" over and over again. How can he not love it? Bing And Danny are soldiers returning from the war and now have a series of successful musical shows. While in Florida, they meet Rosemary and Vera who are heading to an inn in Vermont. Little do the guys know but their old commander now owns the inn and is in trouble. The gang pulls together to help out the old Army chum. Singing, dancing and romance ensue. This movie truly is a classic treasure. It always lifts my spirits.

I don't remember this movie coming out when I was a kid but I do remember my mom bringing home the VHS tape for Christmas and my love affair with A Christmas Story began. Based on a short story by Jean Shepard-it is the retelling of his childhood obsession with a Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model BB rifle with a compass in the stock and a thing which tells time. I think we all can relate to Ralphie and everyone in his family. We all have an aunt Clara that makes totally inappropriate gifts, a dad that cusses like a sailor with Tourette syndrome, a mom that doesn't understand our obsessions and a friends that we want to triple dog dare. There are so many wonderful scenes in this movie, that I can't name them all.  If you have never seen this movie, there is something wrong with you and if you have seen it and don't love it-we can't be friends anymore.

A newer movie but that will definitely be a classic for years to come is Elf. Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color? Hee hee...I still want to answer the phone that way. This is a light hearted, very sweet movie about an adopted elf trying to find his real dad in New York. Will Farell does an excellent job as the wide eyed Buddy the Elf. His innocence is adorable and Zoey Deschanel as the romantic interest is wonderful casting. She is too cute for words! Buddy helps everyone find the true meaning of Christmas while finding his dad. It's a silly story of hope, family and love. Don't we all need that throughout the year?


 Of course the made to TV specials  are always loved in our house. We own the DVD's but there is just something about watching them on TV that takes me back to my childhood. A few of our favorites are: A year without a Santa Claus (LOVE the Heatmiser!), The Grinch who Stole Christmas, Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and Santa Claus is coming to town. The puppies seem to love Olive the Other Reindeer-I wonder why?

Those are just a few of my favorites. There are so many more but I think I would need another blog just to include them.  Now if you will excuse me, I'm gonna go gorge myself on cookies and cocoa and croon with Bing. Merry Christmas ya'll!

Feel Good Friday!

Yahoo! We made it to Friday! Are you happy? I know I am!  I am gearing up for the holiday and trying to get in some last minute shopping and baking of cookies.

Speaking of last minute shopping, when I was in San Francisco last weekend I met some amazingly talented people! The ladies in the booth next to me were just plain wonderful! Not only did they offer us snacks but had us laughing and smiling through the rain and wind. Girlontherocks.com has cute little ornaments, mustache stamps (oh yeah, you heard me) and beautiful threads/yarns. Head on over and check them out.

Okay, be prepared to be blown over. I am obsessed with spats right now and thankyoufornotbeingperky.com makes the BEST spats ever! I love them so much!

Speaking of awesome, and I'm not just saying that because there is a Jack Russell involved. I came across a great blog just recently.  Krissi's Art Studio has some great art, sassiness going on and yes, there is an adorable Jack Russell. Not only does Krissi have her blog but she has 2 others. The first being Scary Craft  which offers you alternative crafts that aren't all scary. Also,  If you live in the Sacramento, CA area-you can find out about their crafting group and hang out with some really awesome people. The other blog is Skelekitty and Friends. It is just way too cute and right now, you can download free gift tags. 

I love winter stitching and Christmas needlework. Kerri over at Lovely little handmades stitched up this adorable piece. The colors are beautiful. Just too cute!

 This makes me happy on every level of my existence.

Whew! I'm already exhausted and I haven't even started baking yet! I better get my butt into the kitchen and start rolling out the dough. OMP is waiting with the sprinkles and sugar (keep it clean out there!). Have a great weekend-stay warm and safe.

Our minds are as different as our faces: we are all traveling to one destination; --happiness; but few are going by the same road.
Charles Caleb Colton

All Giggly Over This Mama

 I can not tell you how much I simply adore Shannon! She is a fabulous friend (even though we never officially met), an incredible stitcher and is just downright beautiful. Her outlook on life is amazing and even when she's grumpy-she's still divine!

Tell me a little bit about yourself?

I am a Central Coast of California native, born it Beverly Hills. I am mostly of Italian and German heritage. I am a wife, a mother of 2, a daughter and granddaughter, a sister, a cousin, a niece, a neighbor, friendly passerby, and a dear friend.

I am naturally anxious. I sometimes hold my breath for long periods of time without realizing.

I have a fascination with whales and I often have dreams about them.

I giggle at pretty much everything. Which can be pretty annoying to others, I imagine.

I love to eat anytime and anywhere and I always have to have something sweet after lunch and dinner.

I love to sleep, but can only accomplish that in bed with my husband sleeping next to me.

I am a plus size and love it. I have naturally curly black hair, full lips, tattoos, and unexpected hair in unexpected places.

I love tiny baby animals, reptiles, and amphibians.

I don't like dirty feet, or shoes in the house.

Okay, I'm done because this might be more than a little bit....

You are a baking master! What's one of your favorite recipes?
I wish I was a baking master! I do love to bake. :) My pumpkin chocolate chip cookies have to be the best cookies ever, but a runner up would be a Chocolate Cherry Cola Cake I once made. I got the recipe from a fellow blogger. It is the sweetest most sinful cake I have ever tried. Here is the recipe:
1 box Devil Food cake mix
# 1 jar (10 oz) maraschino cherries with juice
# 1/4 cup maraschino cherry juice
1 cup cherry cola carbonated beverage
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 container whipped vanilla frosting
1 cup marshmallow creme
24 maraschino cherries with stems if you want to decorate the cake

1. Heat oven to 350* degree. Chop up maraschino cherries and set aside

2. Take box cake (don't make it like the instructions on the back on the box), but take the cake powder and mix with cola, oil, eggs, and 1/4 cup maraschino cherry juice. Then throw in chopped cherries and beat for about 2 mins. Pour batter into pan.

3. Bake 35-43 mins. Cool completely.

4. In small bowl mix frosting and the marshmallow creme together and frost the cake. If you want a nice decoration, then add some maraschino cherries on top or chocolate chips.

I love your new tattoo, can you tell me about it?
Oh, I just love my newest tattoo too! I really wanted an embroidery themed tattoo for my 31st birthday. I imagined many designs, but could not come up with one on my own. I knew I had to have each important embroidery tool in the design, but couldn't decide on an arrangement. Luckily my life long friend Scott Osburn, is a pretty talented and skilled tattoo artist and whipped up a freehand drawing right on my arm with no problem. I told him, "Just make sure you get the scissors right!" I had to have the pink Sublime Stitching embroidery scissors in the mix. I think the tattoo turned out beautifully and I will enjoy it for years to come for sure.

Your Pee Wee Herman embroidery is my favorite, what inspires you when you stitch something up?
I always stitch things as gifts for other people, so it has to be something that I know that person will enjoy or something that reminds me of them. This can be a challenge sometimes when scouting for the perfect image for a pattern. I am often inspired by work I see in the Phat Quarter group on Flickr. There are so many talented stitchers out there! I personally love original, emotional, vintage, or silly embroidery. and I am always so pleased and tickled to see new creations by Giddy Girlie, Beefrank, MrXStitch, (my heros) and of course I just love your work as well Miss KittyKill. :) We need to do a swap!

Any motherly advice you can give us?
Don't sweat the small stuff, I know this sounds cliché, but it is really better for your health and your kids, if you just look at the bright side of life. I know this a challenge to do and my mothering skills are still a work in progress. You can't be taught to be a mother. I learn by doing, just like my kids. Even parents make mistakes, so I do the best I can. Each day is a new one and I try to enjoy each and every precious moment I have with my kids, filling time with giggles and memories in between the 2 yr old tantrums, and prepubescent raging hormones. :)

BONUS QUESTION!
Happiness is......
...a warm bed.

Gah! Can you stand it? Shannon is able to warm anyone's heart with her kind words, amazing stitching and postive outlook. She is the  person you want in your corner to cheer you up and give you a hug when things just aren't going your way. She is truly a wonderful woman.  Thank you Shannon for being out there.