Be Excellent

Good, better, best;

Never let it rest
Till your good is better
And your better is best.

I happened to watch BYU TV today Sunday April 27th, 10:00 am broadcast and saw this marvelous talk-BYU-IDAHO Devotional.
I loved it and wanted to share. I have been posting on this blog different things I am working on, sewing, decorating with and things that INSPIRE me. This talk sort of covers all of these ideals and really encouraged me to pursue my dreams and set goals, work hard and have faith in my self and in God.
It was given by Margaret S. Wheelwright

Be Excellent (click for a copy of the transcript)
Brigham Young University–Idaho Devotional January 22, 2008

A favorite quote

Elder Dallin H. Oaks has counseled, “Your faith will sustain you and give added meaning and increased accomplishment to your secular studies if you will live to deserve the blessings of the Lord.”

I needed that reminder! So often as life goes along we loose that meaning because our focus was not one of Faith.

Here is another wonder excerpt and quote:

"Two secrets to hard work are to pay attention to the details and to form good habits. General Colin Powell recognized this when he said, “If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.” And Aristotle could see thousands of years ago that “we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

By combining these three keys to excellence, living in faith and righteousness, setting goals to solidify our will or “sense of mission,” and sacrificing through hard work and attention to detail to reach those goals, we will be able to eventually succeed in whatever we are pursuing"

President Hinckley has said:“My plea is that we constantly take the position that every one of us can do better than we are doing now. We are in a constant search for excellence. That search must be continuous and never-ending. It must be consuming and unrelenting. Happily, such a lofty and crucial pursuit does not require genius. ‘What can I do better today so that the Lord can bless me?’ We must not sell ourselves short. We must make a little extra effort. We would be wise to kneel before our God in supplication. He will help us. He will bless us. He will comfort and sustain us. He will help us do more, and be more, than we can ever accomplish or become on our own.”

Yea!!! Now to roll up my sleeves and get to work!

my NEW Bath Cabinet

Here she sits in the space between the bath and the "loo".
I think she will look really great once I have her all filled up with my bath knick knacks!

Step by step! Belly Band

I was actually looking for this last summer! It's like a tube top you wear on your waist to create a layered look to modestly wear clothes that you still love but don't quite fit properly any longer.
I know we hate to admit that a shirt isn't covering the midriff because of post baby belly, or those pants sit a bit too low on our hips and show too much flesh or undies to be proper.
Now we are in Luck!
I am off to the thrift shop to make my own!!!
I found this gals awesome DIY and You have to check it out!

Littler Inch Wrote this awesome bit. The pictures at the end are also her photos...

"....... had to get creative. I’m not the DIY type, but sometimes the circumstances just require it. I raided my closet for a tube top. When the tube top I had didn’t work right, I realized I needed to make my own tube top. That’s when the light bulb went on. Just a few days before, I had created a pile of clothes destined for donation and eBay. Among this pile were six super-stretchy, seamless Banana Republic tees. I have 7 or 8 in all, and my friends used to call them the “Rachel Tees”. But, after having worn them like crazy for several years, I knew it was time to move on. It broke my heart just a little,but I knew it was for the best. Imagine my delight when it occurred to me that I could get a new use out of these tees! I love recycling. So I took my least-favorite color (light gray) and snipped off the top part, leaving a stretchy, seamless tube behind. I tried it with my unbuttoned jeans, and it was perfect. For you ladies out there, you may want to check your own closets or even head to the store for an inexpensive, seamless, stretch top that you can modify. It works! I’m particularly thrilled because I have several colors to choose from, nude, aqua, pale pink, black, maroon, and pale gray. Sweet!"

fold top down for double thickness

under favorite top... Ta Da!

Pretty in Pink Batiste

all finished and church ready

i love how it turned out!
what do you think?

I love April Cornell

i love romantic girly clothes!
Romance abounds with April Cornell, so I have a few of my favorites here!
This pink dress is nearly an apron, but with a white blouse it could be awesome!


This skirt I call static beauty! I love it even if it looks like I forgot a dryer sheet!
Then here are some sweet little girl dresses too!
This floral with lavender trim is my favorite I may be inspired to sew one like this or my version of this look!
This last one would look so cute over the peticoat dresses they sell.

New cabinet

I have ordered a cabinet for my bathroom.
I originally wanted a very pretty cream colored one with a Victorian flourishes but it is no longer available.
so here is what I got instead. It is actually bigger which is nice and a bit less expensive. Hopefully it works out good.



This picture shows the matching hamper to the cabinet they no longer have. It is very darling Oh well!
Such is the life of Yesterday!

Pink Batiste Embroidery

This dress is coming along!

I love how the embroidered bullion roses are turning out!

I used to hate them because I had no Idea I was doing them totally wrong before!

Here I have roses blooming down the middle of the lace insertion and it really is pretty!
Here I created a cluster of roses a sort of medallion on the bodice yoke. I am having so much fun! Some things we have no control over, but creating something, that I can have control over! I get to choose the colors the shapes the way the lace goes on. I can feel happy when it goes right and I love to embroider and smock! It is a therapy!!!

I Love to smock!

This is where I was on April 7th. I can really listen well when I have something to occupy my hands.  So Conference this year was great to rejuvenate my soul and great to get my fingers sewing.  Here is the smocking complete on the bodice.  I will post more on the dress as I go along

Apron Exchange!

Last year we decided to have an apron exchange and here are the fun results!
This is LJ with an apron from D-lyn
This one is Mer with a creation from Annie

This is D-lyn with my designer apron from Mer

S.B. wearing a littledarlyngirl apron from Mer

As soon as I get a photo of Annie wearing her apron from LJ I will add it to this post!

Cabbage Burgers

Recipe for yummy burgers with cabbage, sometimes called Kraut burgers or Runza Burgers.
I loved these as a kid and I still love them.


First you put some oil in a skillet
Saute a 1/2 of an Onion that you have minced
Then brown 1 lb. ground beef (I use 1 can of Ground beef 14 oz.)
Shred a head of cabbage (I use my Kitchen Aid attachment)
-I use over half of that or split it for 2 meals
Add the shredded cabbage to the skillet. It will be a rounded heap but it will cook down!
Salt 1 1/2 tsp Pepper to taste
I add a tsp of Garlic Powder
Then add 1 Cup of Water
cover and steam the cabbage will become clear and wilted down
Let that simmer 10 minutes and 10 minutes uncovered until all the water has evaporated

Start the dough~
2 1/2 tsp of yeast
2 tsp of Sugar
1 Cup of flour
Mixed in a medium bowl

In a microwave safe bowl combine (I use a large pyrex measuring cup)
1/2 Cup of warm water
3/4 Cup of Milk (good place to use your stored powdered milk)
1Tbsp. butter or shortening some times I use olive oil
Heat in microwave for 1 or 2 minutes until the milk is scalded

Pour onto Flour and Yeast mixture
Add 1 Cup of flour with 1 tsp of salt swirled in it.
and combine to form a dough
Add additional flour until it forms a ball.
divide in half until you have 8 equal balls
Roll out a ball with your rolling pin to a 5 inch shape
place a heaping spoonful of hamburger/cabbage mixture in the middle
(I like to divide the mixture in my skillet into 8 pizza type sections so I have enough for each burger and I don't run out or have one that is too full and one that is skimpy!)
fold up the dough edges and pinch shut. Make sure there aren't any holes that will leak the yummy-ness out.
Bake for 20-30min. at 375 degrees
Enjoy with your kids or surprize your friends.
I did and I was asked to supply the recipe!

Top of the Charts

Following an interesting road to create

a "Album Cover"

You wonder if some song artist use this method too!

You can have fun and make an "Album cover too!"

Go to Libertys Corner and give it a try.

Here is the one C made.