BUNNIES AND CHICKS AND LAMBS, OH MY...

Dear Readers, I have just a few more Easter basket crafts to share with you and then we will move on to some other Easter traditions. I was going to post this yesterday but I had a young gentleman caller, gorgeous grandson, and well posting just went to the wayside. We had so much fun! He has been very ill the last two weeks and to see him up, about, and smiling was good tonic for this Hannah's heart!

I am working on some Easter treats to give him and I posted on a little bunny family I will be making for him the other day. I also unearthed a chick and a lamb I made many years ago and decided to make him updated versions. I will have them completed once I am able to get to the craft store for a few items I need to finish them off, then I will post their pictures. Below you will find a little yellow chick and a fluffy lamb that are simple and quick to make and sure to delight any child when they find a little treat hidden inside.

OK, confession time, I do not crochet. I only know one single stitch, the chain stitch and I can crochet the longest chain but, hmmmm, what to do with this said chain? Well, you make a chick and a lamb of course!

To make these you will need:

Plastic Easter Eggs (I used eggs that are about 3 1/2 high)
Yarn
Size H crochet hook
felt
wiggle eyes and/or buttons
glue gun and glue sticks or heavy craft glue of your choice
Black fine tip permanent ink Sharpie
Ribbon
Cardboard
CHICKEN LITTLE:
For Chicken Little you will need to single crochet a chain 2 yards long for the egg top, a chain 22 inches long for the egg bottom, and 2 chains 16 inches long for each wing. NOTE: The previous measurements are if you are using a thin yarn, if you choose to use some of the plush, thick, or furry yarns you will need to use these guidelines: a chain 1 yard and 6 inches long for egg top, a chain 22 inches long for egg bottom, and two chains 12 inches long for wings.

When chains are complete secure each end with a sturdy knot and trim off excess yarn.

For this next step you will want to work with your egg snapped together, being careful not to glue the seam of the egg shut, begin adding small amounts of glue on the top of the egg and work you way down by winding the chain around the egg until you get to the seam line. Clip and excess yarn and secure ends with glue. Allow to dry, if using a craft glue.

Where you left off above the seam, begin gluing below the seam, winding the chain around the bottom of the egg until you get to the end, clip and excess yarn and secure ends with glue. Allow to dry, if using craft glue.

For wings you will need to draw a tear drop shape. Begin in the middle of the wing, gluing and winding the chain outward until you have filled in the wing. Repeat for second wing. Secure the wings to each side of chick gluing to the top half of the egg above the seam line. NOTE: You can also use yellow feathers purchased at a craft store for wings instead of making the wings. Just glue on feathers!

For chicks feet and beak you will need a small amount of orange felt. For the beak you will cut a small diamond shape. Fold in half to make a triangle and glue to chick face, details can be drawn in with a Sharpie.. For feet you will draw out a foot pattern on cardboard and cover with orange felt, securing with glue. Glue chick to feet.

Add wiggle eyes (or buttons for eyes) and any embellishments such as hair bows for girl chicks and bow ties for boy chicks. Add a hat or bonnet, embellish away!

BUNNY VERSION:
This can easily be turned into a bunny by covering the body and then making long drooping ears covered in the same way as the wings. Just add a pom-pom tail, muzzle, and nose, yarn whiskers and wiggle eyes. For a girl bunny add bows above the ears and for a boy add a bow tie!
LITTLE LAMB:
For the little lamb you will need to make several mini chains of 10 to 12 stitches. Secure ends with knots and cut away excess yarn.

Begin with your egg in tact and start at the top of the egg, gluing the mini chain in a small tight circle. It is OK to let this lump and bump up a bit to give the nubby lambs wool effect. continue working around and down the top of the egg until you get to the seam line, then repeat the process below, allowing to dry in between if you use craft glue.

For ears you will need to two tear drop shapes of cardboard, cover the ears in the same manner as the body and glue to sides of the lambs head on the upper par off the egg.

Add wiggle eyes (or buttons if desired), a nose ( a button or a pink pom- pom)

I used a bit of black yarn to make the lambs mouth.

Embellish lamb with bows over the ears for a girl or a bow tie for a boy, fill and enjoy!

I also found a super easy bunny that you can make for or with your child, grandchild, or if you are a classroom mother, these are a simple, fast, and easy treat you could make for each child. All the things I have previously posted and post here are geared towards children, I have a few crafty things up my sleeve for Easter treats and decor for the the big kids too, so tune in later this week for those.



EGG BUNNY:

You will need:
Plastic Eggs
Matching fabric (cotton) for ears for each egg
Wiggle Eyes
White Pom-Poms
Pink Plastic Heart Craft Beads
Wooden Hearts
Craft Paint in colors to match eggs
Paint Brush
Pinking Sheers
Heavy Craft Glue or Glue Gun and Glue Sticks

Paint the wooden hearts and allow to dry.

Using pinking sheers cut out an ear shape like plane propeller and tie ears in a knot, secure with glue to top of egg.

Glue bottom of egg to pointed end of heart allowing the the top of the heart become two little feet, this allows the egg to stand.

Glue a white pom-pom tail on the back lower half of the bunny for a tail.

Glue on wiggle eyes, heart shaped bead for nose, and two white pom-poms for muzzle. You can also glue on yarn or pipe cleaner whiskers if desired or draw them on using a fine tip permanent ink Sharpie. Fill with treats and enjoy!

Happy Crafting,
Miss Sandy

P.S. If you desire patterns for ears or wings, just email me and I will send the to you.

HERE COMES PETER COTTONTAIL....

In preparation for Easter these next two weeks I will be posting some crafts, recipes, celebration ideas, and thoughts on the subject. Today I have bunnies on the brain. My day started out when I took a peek at Vee's Martha Stewart inspired glove bunny. Adorable! And a cute post to boot! Then I began to unpack a bit of Easter decor and much to my surprise, out hopped bunnies of every color, shape, and size. This led me on a trip down memory lane.
I pulled out my daughter's Easter basket and residing in a pink grass nest were a family of four bunnies that I had made 19 years ago! There was Papa, Mama, sister Sue, and of course, Peter was there too! This little family serves as a cover for plastic eggs into which you tuck little treats and treasures.

I lovingly cradled each one in turn in my hand and noticed they were looking a bit tired, Papa had some age spots showing. Their blushing cheeks and pink tinted ears were barely discernible and their ribbons were a bit frayed. It was time they had new Easter frocks. I gently plucked off old tatty ribbons and trims and replaced them with something new. I think I even got a wink from Papa as I used a tiny buckle and ribbon to create a belt to cover up those brownish age spots. Peter got an Easter egg and so did sister Sue. Mama got a new dress and bonnet and as well as did little Sue. Papa and Peter got new buttons and all got pink tinted ears and cheeks. They are ready to serve another season or two!

Here comes Peter Cottontail

Hoppin' down the bunny trail,

Hippity hoppity,

Easter's on its way

Bringin' ev'ry girl and boy

A basketful of Easter joy

Things to make your Easter

Bright and gay

He's got jelly beans for Tommy

Colored eggs for sister Sue

There's an orchid for your mommy

And an Easter bonnet too. Oh!

Here' comes Peter Cottontail

Hoppin' down the bunny trail

Hippity hoppity

Happy Easter Day

Look at him hop and listen to him say,

"Try to do the things you should"

Maybe if you're extra good

He'll roll lots of Easter eggs your way

You'll wake up on Easter morning

And you'll know that he was there

When you find those choc'late bunnies That he's hiding ev’rywhere, Oh!

Here' comes Peter Cottontail

Hoppin' down the bunny trail

Hippity hoppity

Happy Easter Day.
I also unearthed these little cuties and their matching baskets. I made these bunnies and baskets years ago also. These teeny tiny rabbits are only two inches tall when completed! I have used them as part of table settings, filling the baskets with small treats or hung on an Easter tree also filled with small treats. Pin backs can be glued on to make a pin. I used these little ones to decorate the handles of my children's Easter baskets, nestling one on each side of the handle in the middle of bows for my daughter and ribbon bow ties for my son.

I decided to make an updated version of the egg cover bunnies that are age appropriate for my little grandson. If you would like free full size patterns for the bunny family and/or the little bitty bunny and complete instructions please email me and I will send them to you via email. I have yet to figure out how to get a full size pattern on my blog!!! If anyone out there in blog land knows how to do this, then, please "splain" it to me!

I've been humming the above song and remembering my grandmother today. She taught me that song, we often sang it as we made the half hour drive from my house to hers. It is bittersweet some days, this unpacking of memories both the physical, like baskets and bunnies and the emotional, those that only live in the heart as those being remembered have passed on. I smile remembering all the eggs that have been dyed and carried in the basket I hold, all the childish cries of "I found one!" and giggles of glee over "tandy" that was tucked inside. My heart squeezes a little bit at not being able to exactly recall my grandmother's voice as she sang but yet I remember her laugh. It was infectious!
I close my eyes, I am here and I am there, hippity~hopping down a bunny trail of memories, knowing that Easter is on its way and I have a new generation, my gorgeous little grandson, to make memories with. I'll try to "do things as I should" and make this Easter extra good by giving out a basket full of joy to my special little boy to brighten up his day!

Blessings,
Miss Sandy

A RECIPE SWAP AND HOP...

"Ma rolled up her sleeves and washed her hands and mixed cornbread, while Mary brought the wood and Laura set the table. She set a tin plate and knife and fork and cup for Pa, and the same for Ma, with Carrie's little tin cup beside Ma's. And she set tin plates and knives and forks for her and Mary, but only their one cup between the plates.

Ma made the cornmeal and water into two thin loaves, each shaped in a half circle. She laid the loaves with their straight sides together in the bake-oven, and she pressed her hand flat on top of each loaf. Pa always said he did not ask any other sweetening, when Ma put the prints of her hands on the loaves."

Little House On The Prairie
By Laura Ingalls Wilder

Dear Readers, if your menus are looking a little tired and you are weary of the same-old-same-old fare, hop on over to Lysa TerKeurst's site and visit her Recipe Swap and Hop! Feel free to join in the fun or just hop around and pick up some new recipes. I linked up all the recipes from the Sweet Treats Recipe Swap where you will find 42 fab recipes to tickle your sweet taste buds and I added the recipes for yesterday's post where you will find a bit of Oriental flair.

Enjoy!
Miss Sandy

TIDBITS...

tidbit

Main Entry:

tid·bit

Pronunciation:

\ˈtid-ˌbit\

Variant(s):

also tit·bit \ˈtit-ˌbit\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

perhaps from tit- (as in titmouse) + bit

Date:

circa 1640

1 : a choice morsel of food
2 : a choice or pleasing bit (as of information)

{Please note that as you read this post, no, your eyes are not playing tricks on you and yes the text goes from light brown, to dark brown, to black ~ Blogger has gone color blind on me! I have tried to fix this to no avail so what you see is what you get!}

Today I have a few tidbits, choice morsels of information and food (recipes and photos at the end of the post!)to share with you.

The first delectable bite I offer you is the opportunity to taste and see that the Lord is good. If you are interested in reading about the women of the Bible, sharing your thoughts and what you have learned, connecting with other women, those of the past and present, then perhaps you should check out what Rachel Olsen has to offer at My Life in Chapter and Verse . Scroll down to her post entitled, Want to Read the Bible Together for in depth details.
Rachel is, "a happily married mother of two ... author, editor, university teacher and national women's speaker. My Life in Chapter and Verse reflects my passion for words and especially for God's words."

Who is offering to host a online Bible Study, " by providing a plan, a forum, some direction and some accountability. I think it could be a fun experience! I'm all about drawing women closer to the heart of God and to one another."

Her plan is, " We'll be going through women of the Bible in chronological order beginning with Eve. We'll cover 3 a week for about 6 weeks. And I'm thinking we'll start sometime around the second week in March." If you are interested, just post an, "I'm in" comment on her post about this subject.

The next tidbit is for those of you who are feeling crafty. Popsicles & Lollipops is hosting a Sweet Little Birds Swap. Here are a few of the details, "You will be assigned 3 different partners for this swap. To each partner, you will be sending one handmade bird ornament directly. Your ornaments should be (approximately) 3" to 6" in size. You can use any medium that you choose to readily use/embellish to create a handmade sweet little bird (cardboard, fabric, papier-mache, wood, styrofoam, clay, wire etc.)." The deadline to sign up is March 17, partners will be assigned on March 20th, and the deadline to mail your swap items is April 9th. To sign up just click on the link above and leave a comment and your contact information.

This next tidbit is very sweet indeed. A huge hug and a thank you goes out to Vee of A Haven for Vee and to Jessi of Scrappy Jessi for the sweetness they provided by giving me a little lift just when I needed it!

Vee blew me this kiss in the form of a Mwah! award:
Jessi sent me this darling little sparkle gal who did make my day shine!:
I am breaking all the bloggie rules and if you are reading this post then you get a big fat Mwah! blown your way and this twinkling cutie to make your day sparkle and shine! Snag and tag if you wish!

The last morsel I have to share is last nights dinner! Yes, I am reduced to posting about the dining habits at the Quill! Seriously, last nights dinner was such a treat for me. Darling daughter was off work yesterday and she planned, shopped for, and prepared the meal!!!! That meant I got the night off! I did , however, let her off the hook and cleaned the kitchen for her afterward, so it was just a partial night off but I enjoyed it immensely.

She chose a mix of oriental flair for our dining pleasure. The menu consisted of :
(Recipes at end of post)

~Hot and Sour Soup topped with crunchy baked rice noodles
~Lemon and Sesame Seed Chicken served over a stir fry mixture of white rice noodles, red pepper, fresh ginger, shiitake mushrooms, and bamboo shoots
~White Rice Balls
~Steamed mixed vegetables which consisted of broccoli, cauliflower, yellow squash, zucchini,
yellow baby corn, carrots, and water chestnuts

~Hot Green Tea

She even included a bit of mood music!

It was all seriously delicious! While she prepared the meal I set the table using my Blue Angel by Present dishes. These dishes belonged to my mother and father and were their very first set of dishes. When I was a little girl these dishes resided in a box in our attic along with a couple of old fancy silver percolator coffee pots. My little step sister and I would use them for our play dishes. We would climb up into the hot dusty attic crawl space via the wooden slats nailed to the utility room wall and enter our magic kingdom of make believe.

This was an odd choice for a play space but we loved it none the less. You see, our attic was not one of those cool attics that look like a room and are filled with neat stuff, ours was an unfinished crawl space with exposed rafters and no flooring over the long rows of pink insulation tucked between ceiling joists. In the middle was the workings of the huge attic fan with its constant twirling blades encased in a mesh cage. There was no light save that which came in from the slatted air vents on each end of the house. Each triangle shaped vent had screening stapled over it to keep the birds out but every spring they managed to push the screening in a bit and make cozy nests sheltered behind the slats.

For lighting we ran an extension cord up through the entrance and hooked up an old lamp. There were two old hollow core doors up there and those served as the floor to our "houses". I always "lived" on the farthest end beyond the attic fan because my little step sister was afraid to go past it. She never visited my "house" so I always came calling to hers. We traveled around the attic like tightrope walkers on the wooden ceiling joists poking in boxes to find things to cozy up our homes.

My mother was very indulgent in our imaginary play and she let us bring snacks up but we were warned that if we left food up there and there was ever any sign of a mouse then it would be off limits. Why we chose this hot, dusty, and dark space to play is beyond me but we loved it. We had to draw straws over some of the dishes when we divided them for play, like who got the wonderful divided dish with tiny china spoons and who got the have the oil and vinegar bottles, our two favorites to fight over.

One time is a fit of meanness I snatched what I wanted and scurried over to my side because I knew that she would never pass the attic fan to come and retrieve anything but in my scurry I forgot my favorite doll, Baby Bearskin. She threatened to drop him, (I always thought this doll looked like a boy doll), through the attic opening. She held him pinched between two fingers by his little white t-shirt, swinging him back and forth like a clock pendulum over the opening with a wicked little grin on her face. I surrendered the coveted dishes and she surrendered the doll after my mothers head popped up through the opening and threatened us both with punishment as she heard every heated word that was exchanged through that big old attic fan.

Last night we dined on these same dishes and I recounted all the fond memories of playing with them as a child. Several years ago my mother gave them to me and for some odd reason we only eat off of them when we have oriental food. I added a few modern pieces to this set to make our dining feel more authentic such as the soup bowls and spoons, tea cups and tea bag holders, chopstick rests, and a tea pot. Other than that the set remains the same and the tidbits of memories linger as sweet as ever.

Hot & Sour Soup ~ Make according to package directions ~ delicious!
Soup Topping ~

JAPANESE MUSHROOM STIR-FRY

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 white musrooms / shiitake mushrooms
• 1 small can of bamboo shoots, drained
  
• 1 small chunk of fresh ginger
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 red bell pepper
• salt and pepper to season
• vegetable oil for frying (2 TBSP)
  
• cooked white rice noodles (prepared according to package instructions)
  

Slice mushrooms. Chop ginger and red pepper finely. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and add ginger and red pepper. Add bamboo and mushroom slices in the pan and stir-fry them. Salt & Pepper to taste. Add prepared white rice noodles. Pour soy sauce over the ingredients and stir quickly.

*Makes 4 servings

LEMON & SESAME SEED CHICKEN

2 tbsp. soy sauce 2 tbsp. honey 1 tbsp. lemon juice 2 cloves garlic, crushed Chicken, boneless, skinless, cut into bite size pieces Sesame Seeds 4 tbsp. butter Combine soy sauce, honey, lemon juice, 1 tsp. sesame seeds, and garlic in a large bowl. Place chicken in sauce and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours. Heat butter in skillet, remove chicken pieces from marinade and place in skillet, cook until chicken bites are done all the way through, stirring constantly. Serve over rice or Japanese Mushroom Stir-fry, sprinkle sesame seeds over plated dish of additional garnish. IS THIS YUMMMY!

WHITE RICE BALLS

White Rice, instant or whole grain
Ice Cream Scoop

Prepare rice according to package instructions. Allow to cool slightly. Scoop and pack rice into ice cream scoop, release rice onto plate.

Hoping you taste a tidbit of bliss this day,
Miss Sandy

LET'S PLAY A GAME.....

"For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of the birds is come..."

Song of Solomon 2:11-12

{A portion of a painting I did over my bedroom closet door which incorporates the above referenced Scripture.}

Today's post is dedicated to my friend, Vee of A Haven for Vee. Vee lives up North where an abundancee of snow is still present and Spring still seems like a far away dream. I live in the South where that same dream of Spring is beginning to come true. Enjoy a taste of Southern Spring Vee!

When I was a little girl I spent as much time as I could with my Grandmother in the hills and hollows of Northern Arkansas. She led a very simple life and entertained in simple ways. One of the ways she entertained my two cousins and me was to tell us folk tales of long ago, stories of her growing up years, teaching us folk ballads and mountain music, and best of all playing games with us. We played marbles, jacks, hide and go seek, and all kinds of word or rhyming games. Late of the evening as twilight set in we would sit out on the old front porch watching lightening bugs and stars blink on and listen as Granny weaved her tales of magic. We especially loved the ones we deemed scary, which sent shivers up our spines and made us afraid to sleep by the window lest the greedy green goblins should come for us.

On humid hot afternoons, the kind where the air is thick with the drone of cicadas, the buzz of june bugs, and the sighs of hunting hounds resting at your feet, we would find a spot in the shade and spread out a quilt, lie on our backs and make cloud pictures if there happened to be any, if not, we would play I spy. Granny always let us be first. We began with a little rhyme, "I spy with my little eye, something....", and then we would name a color or shape and the guessing began until the correct object was picked and the correct guesser would then be it.

This past weekend I went outside and played this very same game with my camera as my partner. The aim of the game was to find signs of Spring. So, let's play a game!

I spy with my little eye, something...green!

Perhaps it is this little tuft of grass...
Or maybe it is this bit of Scotch Moss around this stepping stone...
It could be this little Easter Lily unfurling her leaves for Spring....
It might be the blades of the Crocus which will bloom into a deep purple hue...
Or it could be stems of the sunny laughing Daffodil...
Or the Resurrection Fern that lives upon my tree...
Take your pick, Vee, which bit of green do you think I see?

I spy with my little eye, something...that is shaped a bit like a star!

Perhaps it is a teeny tiny Bluelet, also called Quaker Ladies or Innocence, the daintiest and most petite of our wildflowers, one of the first signs of Spring...Or maybe it is the frail Spring Beauty, with its starchy bulbs which the Indians ate. It only opens its petals in the bright light and folds them up neatly when it becomes night...
It could be a charming little Buttercup, with its "varnished" butter-yellow petals...

What do you think Vee, which one will it be?

I spy with my little eye, something...that looks like crystal and sparkles like the dew!

Maybe it is this waterfall...
Or this shining, laughing creek...
Vee, of which one do you think I speak?

I spy with my little eye, something...a brilliant shade of blue!

Maybe it is this big bright sky...
Or this Jay that is perched on high...
Vee, which one will it be?

I spy with my little eye, something...with feather and wing!

Is it a White-Breasted Nuthatch...
Or a Tufted Titmouse...Maybe it is my Rooster friend...
It could be Mr. Robin with red vest on...
Perhaps it is a dangling Black-Capped Chickadee...
Or a precious little Snow Bird (Junco) who, too, is ready for Spring...
Vee, which one do you see?

The watching and the waiting will pay off you see,

For here is your reward for patience, my dear friend, Vee!

A fragrant bouquet from my garden, the very first dear blooms,

To fill your eyes with sunshine and to let you know that Spring closely looms!

I was only able to give you a small taste and touch,

Of what it is your longing for, oh so very much,

But keep watching and waiting and you too will see,

For, lo, the winter will pass, the rains will be over and gone,

The flowers will appear on the earth;

The time of the singing of the birds will come,

Just as He promised, in Song of Solomon,

Spring will arrive dear Vee!

Springtime Thoughts,

Miss Sandy