I Have Been Taking Tons of Photographs

I am sorry, I haven't been on here in quite some time, I did not mean to abandon my website or my followers, thanks for still hanging in there with me.  I need to get back to my sewing and quilting but I have been taking tons of photographs at least to keep myself occupied during this mega rut I have been in. I have been taking pictures people like my amazing boys who are growing way too fast.  They are both on Honor Roll and making me proud in the things they enjoy doing.  Watching them grow into independent and happy and healthy young men is my ultimate goal as a mom.  

Tanner, he is now 14 and this is him cooking for a school video project he had to do for school.  Big Eighth grader and Honor Roll Student =)

Trent, my baby will be 12 in a few months...WOW! Where is the time going?  Sixth grade and Honor roll!

 I also have been taking plenty of nature pictures and you can find them all on my Instagram page if you would like to see them, but here is a very sample of some right here as well.  

These were some beautiful Tulips I spoted in a store that were for sale for Valentine's Day <3

A pic recently of a road near my home after a snowfall =)

A macro shot of a bumpy pumpkin =) 

This is a picture from December!  They were growing outside even after a heavy frost!

Copper & Dug will be 3 years old next month! 

 And of course Copper and Dug too, these goofy Goldendoodles!  

Hugs & Smiles, Tiffiny ~ Smilie Mommy

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2015 June ~ Baby Rag Quilt with Coordinating Teddy Bear

So I made this super soft baby quilt using flannel and it was super simple since it was just stripes of different widths of coordinating fabric being sewn together with a half inch seam allowance.  I made a matching teddy bear to go along with it and I hope Mila, the beautiful baby this was gifted to loves them both for a long time to come.  I chose ladybugs as the focal fabric since it was a nickname for her mom, Nikia when she was growing up.

The teddy bear I made to go along with the baby quilt =)

Before I washed it 3x to rag it up =)

These heavy duty Fiskars Scissors were a life saver!

Tanner helping me get the lint pieces off =)

Healthy Fruit Smoothie / Shake Recipes

Okay, I know this isn't sewing or quilting related but it is part of what is happening in my life, and I am sure I am not the only one trying to get healthy and be a better me.  I was asked to share my recipes on my website since I have been posting them daily on Instagram and not everyone has IG. So I will consolidate what I have posted so far right here and then each day after or new experimental flavor concoction worth sharing I will post as a new recipe.  


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Blueberry - Banana Smoothie

• 1/2 cup wild blueberries frozen
• 1/2  small banana frozen
• 1/2 cup spinach frozen
• 1 scoop of Melaleuca ~ GcControl Attain French Vanilla for my added protein and yumminess
• 5 ice cubes
• 8 oz water 

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Strawberry - Mango Smoothie

• 4 Strawberries frozen
• 1/2 cup mangos frozen
• 1/2 cup spinach frozen
• 1 scoop of Melaleuca ~ GcControl Attain French Vanilla for my added protein and yumminess
• 5 ice cubes
• 8 oz water 

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Blood Orange - Banana Smoothie

• 1 small blood orange
• 1/2 small banana frozen
• 1/2 cup spinach frozen
• 1 scoop of Melaleuca ~ GcControl Attain French Vanilla for my added protein and yumminess
• 5 ice cubes
• 8 oz water 

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Strawberry - Wild Blueberry Smoothie

• 4 Strawberries frozen
• 1/2 cup wild blueberries frozen
• 1/2 cup spinach frozen
• 1 scoop of Melaleuca ~ GcControl Attain French Vanilla for my added protein and yumminess
• 5 ice cubes ❄ 
• 8 oz water 

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Blueberry - Peach Smoothie

• 3 Peach slices frozen
• 1/2 cup wild blueberries frozen
• 1/2 cup spinach frozen
• 1 scoop of Melaleuca ~ GcControl Attain French Vanilla for my added protein and yumminess
• 5 ice cubes ❄ 
• 8 oz water 

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Banana - Wild Blueberry Smoothie

• 1/2 cup wild blueberries frozen
• 1/2 small banana frozen
• 1/2 cup spinach frozen
• 1 tablespoon of Golden Flaxseed Meal (I use Bob's Red Mill)
• 1 scoop of Melaleuca ~ GcControl Attain French Vanilla for my added protein and yumminess
• 5 ice cubes ❄ 
• 8 oz water 

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Wild Blueberry - Strawberry - Avocado Smoothie

• 1/2 cup wild blueberries frozen
• 4 strawberries frozen
• 1/2 avocado ripe
• 1/4 cup spinach frozen (since I ran out)
• 1/4 cup edamame frozen
• 1 scoop of Melaleuca ~ GcControl Attain French Vanilla for my added protein and yumminess
• 5 ice cubes ❄ 
• 8 oz water

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Strawberry - Banana Smoothie

• 1/2 cup wild blueberries frozen
• 1/2 small banana frozen
• 1/2 cup spinach frozen
• 1 tablespoon of Chia Seeds by Spectrum
• 1 scoop of Melaleuca ~ GcControl Attain French Vanilla for my added protein and yumminess
• 5 ice cubes ❄ 
• 8 oz water 

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Blueberry - Mango - Avocado Smoothie

• 1/2 cup wild blueberries frozen
• 1/4 cup mangos (less since high in sugar)
• 1/2 cup spinach frozen
• 1/2 avocado ripe
• 1 tablespoon of chia seeds
• 2 scoops of Melaleuca ~ Ultra Performance ~ Vanilla for my added protein and yumminess (Vitality Elevate) This one gives 30 grams of protein!
• 5 ice cubes
• 8 oz water 

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Blood Orange - Banana Smoothie

• 1 small blood orange or regular orange
• 1/2 small banana frozen
• 1/2 cup spinach frozen
• 1 tablespoon of chia seeds
• 1 scoop of Melaleuca ~ GcControl Attain French Vanilla for my added protein and yumminess
• 5 ice cubes ❄ 
• 8 oz water 

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I have many more recipes but just wanted to get this post started, I hope this enjoyable to some of you as well =)  If you wanted info about Melaleuca you can either click on one of the links above that will direct you to my friend Maureen or you can email her directly:  mdvwellness@gmail.com =)

This is the type of blender I have =)

2015 March ~ My First Antique / Vintage ~ New to Me Singer Sewing Machine!

A few weeks ago I was at an estate sale and we walked in and immediately I spotted this beautiful wooden Singer Bentwood sewing machine case on the floor and I don't know what I was doing but I think I was trying to play it off like I just was not interested.  But it couldn't be more than the opposite, especially when the sales rep told us everything was half off today since it was Sunday.  So I wandered around looking around this home that seemed to be stuck in a time warp, it seriously had a tv stuck in the wall that must have been from the 60's but everything was like that, the furniture the bedding the kitchen items and very gratefully this sewing machine that I finally wandered back to was still there.  They helped me unlock it, YES, it even STILL has it's key and this machine was underneath the beautiful wooden box!   

After doing some research I figured out if was made in 1929.  It had the knee bar in the top of the case, the cord, the key and I am almost forgetting one other thing to tell you the amazing price I bought this for!  It cost me only $42.50!  It was half of $85.00 that it was marked at originally and I know I probably could have negotiated if I tried but I knew it was a deal and I wanted to run before they changed their mind.  The Estate sales representative asked me if I sewed and was happy to hear it would be staying with me since it had only been in their family.  She said the family was concerned a dealer would find it and just resell it.  Well, I am thrilled with my find, anyone else have deals like this fall into their lap or have a fun story they want to share about their antique / vintage machines?  

Look at that gorgeous plate!  =) 

Hugs & Smiles, Tiffiny ~ Smilie Mommy

2015 January ~ Rag Quilt for Baby Hunter

Hunter on the flat unraggy side of the quilt, looking Cute as a Button!

I have been a little behind with my sewing as a few of my closest friends know and when a baby is born in the family, what better excuse do I need to make something right?  I decided another rag quilt was in order but with lots of fun colors and it was going to be made with flannels so it would be super soft since for a baby.  I washed it with a Color Catcher and dried it twice before gifting it to him to get the fluffiness to start and to collect a bunch of loose strings.

So Hunter is now 5 1/2 months old and he is growing up on the west coast with an awesome set of parents who are going to teach him all the fun and exciting things that he can possibly do outside like fishing, horse back riding and jetskiing.  His daddy even made the crib and changing table they use for him everyday.  This little guy (ok, not so little) will have such a loving upbringing with the fabulous parents he has!  His mom Jenn even took some pics with him on the rag quilt and said I could post them here to share on my site!

Pic before being washed.

Pic after being washed 2x and dried 2x and ready to be shipped to CA =)

Here is a link to the first rag quilt I did back in May.  Also if interested I used Aurifil thread throughout for the piecing and the quilting, you can find some here on Amazon.  

Hugs & Smiles, Tiffiny ~ Smilie Mommy

2014 December ~ Baltimore Ravens DIY Memory Board

I can finally post the pictures of this cute memory board I made for a Baltimore Ravens Fanatic in my family since she has received it now for Christmas.  You can see the other memory board I made here that has more of a tutorial that I posted a few weeks ago. 

Let me know what you think in the comments below.  










I used 16x20 canvas boards like this but you can use any size you would like depending on the size you want to fill and other things besides canvas boards you normally paint on.  This is just how I did it.
Hugs & Smiles, Tiffiny ~ Smilie Mommy

2014 December ~ DIY Memory Board Tutorial

I made this diy french memory board for a dear friend last week and I can now share the pictures since Santa brought it to her house early. =)  















The colors worked out perfectly for her sewing room, so I was really pleased with how it turned out and how much she loves it as well.  I used a 16x20 art canvas with two layers of 1/2" batting hot glued onto the art canvas frame to get the loft I wanted to achieve under the fabric. I would highly suggest buying an electric stapler like this one here on Amazon  it saved me so much energy I would have used with just a manual staple gun going into the back of the wood frame. I also chose a thin ribbon, I wanted the fabric to be the highlight where the ribbon and cute buttons were just the right touches to finish it off.  This was the first one I ever made, I would definitely make these again.  Let me know what you think. 
Here is a link to the newest memory board one I made in the Baltimore Raven's theme.

Hugs & Smiles, Tiffiny ~ Smilie Mommy