happy happy happy!

Happy 4th of July, fellow Americans!

Also! A most very happy 6th birthday to my godson Jackson!

This photo is from my most recent trip home, in May! 

Love this boy!


Also! It's my NINE year anniversary of living in DC! Crazy. I can't believe it! 

How are you celebrating today?

Let's Get Acquainted linkup!

Happy July, friends! Happy Canada Day, my friends to the north! 

I'm doing a link-up! I love these, but don't participate often. Why? I don't know!

Just a few days ago, I posted a photo of the baby quilt that I recently finished and made for Steve's sister Heather, but here's the photo again, if you missed it. 

"Let's Get Acquainted" is being hosted this week by Heather of Quilts in the Queue. Heather is in the DC Modern Quilt Guild with me, and makes some really lovely things! 

For those of you who are finding me through this linkup, I'm Lexi and I live in Washington, DC, though I'm originally from New Hampshire. I've been quilting for just a few years now, and consider myself an advanced beginner at this point! I make mostly baby quilts, doll/mini quilts, and pillows, but have done a few other things here and there. Here are a few photos of some projects over the last two years:  

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you may have seen one or two of these before, but I don't think that I have posted many of them, now that I am looking at some of these again!  Most of these were for gifts or swaps, though a few I've kept. Also, some of the doll quilts, I've sent to Majlinda and Boikokobetso, the little girls that I sponsor in Albania and South Africa with World Vision! 

Aside from quilting, I am a big reader (my mother's a librarian, and I should be one too!), and I love to cook. I'm a total magazine junkie, and have piles of mags and recipes torn from them all over my house! My boyfriend Steve and I love to travel, I am obsessed with corgis and hoping to get one soon, and I collect tea cups/pots, babushkas, and a few other little things that strike my fancy. My mother has been quilting for about 20 years now, which I think is what prompted me to try it! 

Here are the rules for the linkup, if you wish to participate!

1. Link up and recent sewing/quilting post.
2. In your post, or somewhere on your blog, include a link or button letting people know about the link-up and how they can join in the fun!
3. Visit at least two blogs that link up before yours, and everyone who visits you.
4. When the linky tool asks for your name list your favorite summer treat.

Oh, and my favorite summer treat....likely strawberry shortcake! That was also Heather's choice, but great minds think alike  :)

So, please share and link up on Heather's blog!  

another baby quilt!

A few weeks ago, Steve and I went to Iowa for his sister's Heather's baby shower! She's expecting a little boy in early August, and I made a quilt for her! I was so pleased with myself, as it was the first time I've ever finished a quilt before the baby arrives! As I explained in the last baby quilt post, I am always a few quilts behind. I still have to finish Christine's baby Ada's quilt, Heidi's baby Ethan's quilt, and, Stephanie's baby Grace's quilt! Also, I spoke to Stephanie this week, and she told me the exciting news that Grace will be a big sister in November! So, looks like I have another baby quilt to add to the list  :) 

For Heather, I selected a fabric line called One For the Boys by Zoe Pearn for Riley Blake Designs. As I often do, I ordered it from Fat Quarter Shop, which is one of my favorite online fabric shops! They are located in TX and the customer service is second to none. For the pattern, I kind of made up my own, not following anything in particular, and I am pleased with the way it turned out! 

I also made a few cloth covered burp cloths using cloth diapers and some fun fabric! 

Along with these, I gave Heather a little onesie and a copy of Peter Rabbit, one of my all-time favorites. I think she liked everything, and I hope that Baby N likes them too, when he arrives. He'll be here in a few weeks and I am looking forward to meeting him! 

The baby shower itself was very nice, and Heather received many lovely gifts. Baby N is so loved already - what a blessing! It was a short weekend in Iowa, as that was the main focus of the trip, but we did have time to see some friends of Steve's and a few other things in the area. We toured a historic home, just for fun, and I met an aunt and uncle of Steve's that were in town for the shower. I hadn't met them before, as they live in St. Louis, so that was a good thing! We'll be back in Iowa in September for a Labor Day weekend wedding! 

Tasty Tuesday! Strawberry and Creme Cupcakes!

Here's a recipe from my sister Bethany! I have it cross-posted to Scarlet Threads blog today too, so feel free to peek there if you wish! Also, we have some darling new aprons in the apron shop...have you seen them yet?? I'm loving the ruffles on Priscilla so much. Remember, if you purchase anything from Scarlet Threads, use the code lex25 at checkout for a 25% discount! We're trying to get to all 50 states this year, so please share with your friends! Any friends in Alaska? That's my goal...send an apron to Alaska  :)


Anyway! Cupcakes! My sister loves to bake, and they always look delicious, and these cupcakes were too good not to share! Of course, I just wish I lived close enough to try one...DC and MA are just too far apart! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Normally I like to bake from scratch, but I always keep a few boxes of brownie and cake mix in the cupboard for those "emergency moments." My husband and brother in law spent the day ripping up the carpet on the stairs in our new house and putting in new hardwood stairs- yay, they look so pretty!  I was in the mood to bake, which isn't anything new, and felt the boys deserved a treat after their hard work.

Luckily, I had all the ingredients necessary for a cupcake recipe I'd been wanting to try!

I didn't have as much time as I hoped, as I had plans for the evening and it was already 4pm, so I pulled out a box of chocolate cake mix, heavy whipping cream, and fresh strawberries.

Make the cake mix as directed on the box, and fill cute cupcake tins about three quarters full.  For maximum moistness, bake for a few minutes less than directed on the box.

While cupcakes are cooking, wash and dry strawberries.  Cut into thin slices and set aside.

Wile cupcakes are cooling, whip heavy cream with hand mixer until fluffy.

Carefully cut off tops of cupcakes.

Spread a layer of whipped cream onto each cupcake, cover with a strawberry or two, and replace cupcake top.  I also put a dollop of whipped cream on the top so it would stick to the strawberries!  Add another dollop of whipped cream to the cupcake top and cover with one more strawberry.

Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve and store extras in fridge as well.

This is a delicious, easy summery recipe that got thumbs up from all!

What's baking in your kitchen this week??


Eeeek! Just realized this was my 700th post!!! Should I do something to celebrate? A fun giveaway? What do you think??? A Scarlet Threads apron?   :)

pre-flight breakfast!

Happy Saturday! I have a  2pm flight to Iowa this afternoon for Steve's sister's baby shower tomorrow. This flight includes a four hour stopover in Chicago (UGH!), but I had time for a leisurely breakfast watching The Pioneer Woman at home before I left!

An English muffin and tea.  Perfection.

Yes, I always fly with my passport, even domestically....you never know when you'll be whisked away on a secret mission somewhere  :)

I made a baby quilt for Steve's sister Heather, so I will post photos next week!

Happy weekend, friends!

happy birthday, my Majlinda!

Yesterday was Majlinda's 10th birthday! If you've been reading for a while, you know that Majlinda is one of the children that I sponsor with World Vision. She lives in Albania, near the seacoast. I have another little boy in Albania, in the same community, called Redion, and I have a little girl in South Africa called Boikokobetso. 

I can't believe that Majlinda is now ten! TEN! I've officially been sponsoring her for more than half her life, as she was just four when she came into my life. This is the most recent photo that I have of her, which I received a few weeks ago:

She's so big, especially compared with some of her early photos! I found this post from several years ago, with a photo of the doll that I sent for her birthday. She wrote back that she named the doll Alma, the Al for my name, and the Ma for hers. Isn't that the sweetest thing you've ever heard? I nearly cried when I read that. 

Majinda, I hope that you had the most wonderful day, sweet girl. 

I'm so blessed to have you in my life. 

the prettiest teacup ever

When I was home this past weekend, my grandmother gave me this teacup from her collection, and I adore it.






I collect teacups and teapots, and this is such a special one. She has a lovely little collection of teacups that she used to use to serve her lady friends when they'd come over to play bridge!


I think I need to have a tea party...

my week, currently, vol. 3

It's been such a busy few weeks here, and it doesn't look as though they're slowing down anytime soon! I mentioned that I was in Minneapolis and Chicago earlier in the month, and this past weekend, I was home in NH for my father's birthday. In two weeks, we're in Iowa for the weekend. Steve's sister is having a baby in August, and they are having the baby shower. I am so pleased with myself, as I finished a quilt for her, and the baby is not here yet! This is the first time I've ever finished a quilt before the baby arrives! Now, of course, I have three more quilts to finish. 

Reading: I mentioned the other day that I am finally reading Lean In, and I am also reading Wedding Night, the new one from Sophie Kinsella. Yes, it's fluffy, but everyone needs that once in a while. Has anyone read this yet? I also have a huge stack of magazines to get through. I am such a magazine junkie! 

Eating: I have a beef stew simmering for dinner! I know it's 75* outside, but I was having a craving for it, and it seemed like the perfect thing. I am using the recipe from the Tasha Tudor cookbook, and I just love it. Comfort food at its best.

Listening: I have a rerun of How I Met Your Mother on tv. Speaking of, what did you think of the finale? THE MOTHER!!?!?!?!

Thinking: I'm thinking about becoming a Stella and Dot consultant. I had so much fun with the party I hosted last fall, and would love to try it out. They have such gorgeous pieces. I've never done anything like this, and not sure if I'd be good at it, but am thinking about it. Maybe I should have another party first?

Laughing: While I was home this weekend, I saw my best friend's boys, Jackson and Owen. Jackson is my godson and will be six in July, and his brother Owen will be two later in the month. During desert of cupcakes, Renee pointed to me and said to Owen "who is that?" and Owen giggled and said "Auntie Wexy," which I think was two-year old speak for Auntie Lexi...to which Jackson replied, "Ow-ey! she's MY Auntie Lexi, not YOUR Auntie Lexi!" Those boys are the best.

Wondering:  Why I don't have a lilac bush in my yard. I rarely see them in DC. I picked some at my parent's house and am wishing I had some here! Likewise, they have TONS of lily of the valley in their yard, and I am dying for some of those too!

Wearing: Yoga pants. Perfection  ;)

Loving: The three day weekend coming up! I am in need of a break, and I am so happy that we have no plans for the long weekend. I need a nap.

Wanting:  A cup of tea, but I have no milk for it right now. Apparently Steve didn't do any grocery shopping while I was gone this past weekend  ;)   I did a tea tasting with Capital Teas and Living Social a few weeks ago, and I need to blog about it. I had so much fun!

Needing: To clean the house. How is it always such a disaster? 

What's your week looking like?

Leaning In

Everyone has been talking about this book, and now I am finally reading it too. I requested it from the library and was no. 287 in the queue!






I'm only a chapter in so far, so we'll see! Have you read it? What did you think?

MTM and the Bean

I spent the last week in Minneapolis and Chicago for work, and will do a better recap soon (I still have to blog about my Vegas trip in March too!) but thought I'd post a photo or two.


I had a few hours to spare in Minneapolis and found that the Mary Tyler Moore statue was just a few blocks from my hotel!







Also, we found the bean in Chicago!






How has your week been? Have I missed any big news?




- Posted using BlogPress from iLexi

my week, currently, vol. 2

It's a rainy Tuesday here in DC, and I'm hearing mixed forecasts for the remainder of the week...but, I won't be here for part of it, so I don't mind as much! I love these "my week" posts I see all over the place. I did one a few weeks ago, and thought I'd do one again. Should this become a regular feature? We'll see! 

Reading: the latest from Jennifer Close, The Smart One, which follows her debut book, called Girls in White Dresses. I enjoyed that one, and am just a few chapters in with this new one, but so far, so good! Also, I learned that the author lives in the DC area and teaches courses at George Washington University, where I did my second Master's degree! Maybe I should take one of her classes? Have you read either of Jennifer Close's books? 

Eating: Crunchy Curls, found at Trader Joe's over the weekend! Made from lentils and potatos, they are gluten-free, for those of you who are. I am not, but I find myself eating a lot of G-free snacks these days, which probably isn't a bad thing, eh? If you have a TJ's nearby you, go find these, they're wonderful! 

Listening: There is a meeting going on in the conference room across from my desk. They did not close the door, and I can't decide if it would be rude if I got up to do so....

Thinking: I feel like my hair is shrinking. I haven't cut it in a few months, but it somehow seems shorter than it was not too long ago. It grows so slowly anyway, and I've been taking biotin supplements and prenatals (not for anything else!), because I've heard that they can help promote hair growth, but they don't seem to be doing much. Has anyone had any luck with this? 

Laughing: Yesterday's mail brought two letters from my World Vision babies in Albania, Majlinda and Redion, as well as a World Vision magazine. With part of my tax refund, I had sent them extra funds to purchase things the family needed. I received letters back, as well as a photo of each of them with the things they bought with the funds I sent. Majlinda, as always, drew pictures on her letter, but when I went to read the translation, it was the wrong letter! They had accidentally sent me the translation to another child's sponsor! I guess that means someone got my letter too! I called WV, and they were so apologetic, though it isn't their fault at all, and just a little mistake. These things happen! I said I'd mail back the letter so that they can send it to the right sponsor, and they will request a new copy of mine to be sent. It made me laugh though. I've been sponsoring with them for almost six years, and this is the first time anything like this has happened! 

Wondering:  Why can't I be a stay-at-home quilter? That would just be the best thing. 

Wearing: My favorite necklace from Stella and Dot, the Isadora Pearl Bib. I can't get enough of it. I love their jewelry and the company. Maybe I should become a consultant?? 

Loving: The little bookshelf mini quilt I finished a while ago. I did blog about it once already, but at last month's meeting of the DC Modern Quilt Guild, I showed it off, and someone snapped this photo. I don't know why I look so awkward, but I don't have many photos of me with the things I've made, since I am usually taking the photo! I've done this pattern before (blogged here), and just love it. I need to hang this one in my sewing room! 

Wanting: New shoes like whoa. I am in desperate need of new shoes. 

Needing: I need to start packing! I am going to Minneapolis and Chicago this week for work! I'll be in Minneapolis for two nights and Chicago for three, and will be gone Thursday through next Tuesday! I've been to Chicago, but never Minneapolis. I'll have a few hours of free time here and there. Anything I can't miss in either city?

How's your week looking so far? 

pinterest baking fail.

 

 

If you're on pinterest, I'm sure you've seen the recipe for the fresh strawberry yogurt bundt cake that has been all the rage. I think I've repinned it about a dozen times from a dozen different blogs....each time I saw it, it was a different photo of course, from a different blogger, so I just kept on repinning! Sunday afternoon I decided to try it. I had a container of Greek yogurt, and a container of  strawberries that needed to be used. Usually I gobble up the berries as soon as I get home, so I am not sure how these stayed in the fridge for a few days this time! I looked back to pinterest and found my most recent pin (ha!) and grabbed an apron and set off to bake.

 

 

 

 

This darling apron is the Lucy from Scarlet Threads. She's now retired, but there are a few others in this same style in the shop! Remember, if you make a purchase, use the coupon code lex25 for a discount on your purchase!

 

 

Normally when I cook and bake, I follow the recipe for the most part, but improvise here and there. This time, I followed it nearly exactly, with one main switch. The recipe called for lemon zest, and I realized too late that I didn't have any lemons, but I had a jar of lemon zest, so I used that instead. Not a huge change, I didn't think.

 

 

However, look at my cake---

 



 

 

This is not pretty, and does not look delightful. It is delicious, but far from appetizing looking! The recipe calls for a glaze on top, but I didn't do that in the end, because it just wasn't looking good. All of the photos I've seen of this cake are gorgeous - light colored cake where you can see the strawberry pieces baked inside! I have no idea where I went wrong! 

 

 

When I poured the batter into the pan, it filled it at least 3/4 of the way up, and when it baked, it baked up and over the top a bit! At one point, I heard a pop from the oven, and realized that there had been some sort of heat bubble inside that exploded, and a blurb of batter splurted over the top of it, making almost like a crust over the top, while still in the oven! So perhaps I'd have to cut the recipe in half next time? In this case, it is supposed to bake for an hour, but after just over an hour, it wasn't quite done yet.

 

 

 

As I said, it does still taste good, but just doesn't look good. I almost didn't want to post about it, but I figure that not every recipe is perfect every time, right? Mistakes happen, and that is how we get better in the kitchen, eh? 

 

 

 

Have you had any baking fails recently?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Sarah Pekkanen and The Best of Us

I met Sarah Pekkanen this weekend! She has a new book out called The Best of Us, and was speaking at a local book shop called Politics and Prose, which is pretty much an institution in DC. Steve and I had been out all afternoon, so we grabbed dinner at a restaurant next to the bookshop, and because of that, were a few minutes late to her talk. Ooooops.

Sarah was so wonderful and so funny. I missed the first ten minutes or so, so I didn't hear as much about the book, but she talked about her other books too, and took lots of questions from the audience. She gave advice to aspiring authors too, which I appreciated, since I have a secret goal of writing a book or two one day.

One day. I have the last line of the book finished...though should probably fill in the rest, eh?

When I went up to have my book signed, Sarah said I looked familiar and had we met...I said that I'd tweeted to her, so maybe that was why, and she laughed like we were old friends! It was so refreshing that we chatted that way. I've met some authors who seemed way too impressed with themselves, which made me a bit sad, but Sarah was so, so great.

I haven't read the book yet, but will post a review when I do! I bought a copy for Heidi, as she is the one who introduced me to Sarah Pekkanen's books. Since Heidi just had a baby a few weeks ago (!!!), she couldn't come with me, but I knew she'd want to read the book as well. Plus, she founded our book club, which is soon-to-be back in business! (any DC girls want to join our book club?! we're super fun, I promise).

I love meeting authors, and I love that many of them make stops in DC while on their book tours. This is just one of the reason why I don't like e-readers....it's really difficult to have someone sign your kindle  ;)

Have you read any of Sarah Pekkanen's books? Which one is your favorite?



it is still a beautiful world.

The Desiderata is one of my all-time favorite poems. 

The very end is my favorite- 

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Etsy has so many lovely pieces, including this print of the Desiderata. I have a postcard of the last few lines on my desk, but I think I need a poster sized copy of the print. In the challenging world that we live in, I think that it is a lovely reminder of how we should try to live our lives each and every day. 

so much love to Boston

 

 

 

There are no words, but my heart is in Boston this week.

(not sure the original source, as this has been all over twitter/facebook/pinterest)