Holiday Special

Now through December 31 rst we are offering free shipping and 15% off of our minky and satin baby blankets ... our item that got Lana's Little Darlins all started! In message to seller write " blog 15% off " and we will refund you via PayPal.

Happy Holidays!

New Apron Size for Toddlers

Yesterday we released a toddler size full retro style apron for little ones. This apron fits kiddos ages 18 month to 3 years, approximately. It's slightly different than the aprons for older kids. The bottom is scalloped and the pockets are slanted. It really is a delightful little apron! It comes in three cupcake fabric choices: pink, blue and green and also in a cute chocolate and pink candy fabric.

Holiday Spiced Nuts

I tried a new nut mix recipe from the Williams-Sonoma Holiday Entertaining Cookbook and have received rave reviews. I plan to give these nuts as little holiday gifts to friends and family this year. I purchased simple cellophane treat bags and pretty ribbon from Target to wrap the nuts in.



Spiced Rosemary Nuts

makes about 2 1/2 cups

2 1/2 cups mixed raw nuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Place the nuts in a bowl. In a small, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the rosemary and stir until aromatic, about 1 minute. Pour the seasoned oil over the nuts. Add the sugar, cumin, salt, black pepper, and cayenne and stir nuts to coat evenly. Transfer the nuts to a baking pan. Bake, stirring occasionally, until the nuts are toasted, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Fabric That's Oh So Sweet!

Lana's little retro style aprons for kids have been a hit! It is so much fun picking out fabric for these because the possibilities are endless. We don't have photos of them all up yet on etsy but the fabric is in! We had our first international order from Singapore this week -- so much fun! We sold out of the pink cupcake fabric but found other cute cupcake and confections fabric in other colors. Update: the pink cupcake fabric is back in stock!

Lana's Fun Projects

My kids are so lucky to have such a special Grandma (Lana) that makes them the sweetest blankets. Business slowed down for a few days last week and Lana made some things just for fun. Unfortunately I didn't take photos of the blankets before they were wrapped up and rolled in by two little kids so they are a little wrinkled in the photos (sorry mom!).

This is the cutest blanket for a little boy. Fun things like cars, boats and trains on the front and backed with soft white minky. The edging is a soft denim.

This blanket is absolutely beautiful! The dancing ballerinas are precious. It is backed with super cuddly chenille and has an inner layer of batting.

Projects Just for Fun!

We had the chance to make some fun placemats for my daughter's preschool recently. Grandma (Lana) helped by cutting out some of the fabric and I sewed with my little apprentice on my lap =).

Bon appetite little munchkins!

Ribbons and Bows

My daughter was bald until she was 2 years old and when her first strand of hair came in I couldn't wait to put a pretty little bow in her hair! Instead of paying a fortune for buying bows in retail stores I decided to learn how to make them myself and it really is a lot of fun. OK, so you have to be a little bit crafty to think it's fun =). Here is some info if you are interested in learning about making bows:

• Girly Things is a great web site with step by step bow making instructions. The basic boutique bow is a nice one.
  

• Wal-Mart has a large selection of ribbon at a decent price. If you plan on making a lot of bows you can find better deals on-line. I like RibbonsandBowsOhMy.com
  

• Sally Beauty Supply sells alligator clips at a great price.
  

• To line the alligator clip cut 4 1/2 inches of 3/8th ribbon for a partially lined clip or about 7 inches for fully lined and hot glue to the clip.
  

• You'll want to heat seal your ribbon so it doesn't fray. I use a lighter (the kind used for grilling that can be turned off) but some people use fray check.

• "Girly Things" doesn't specify what kind of thread and needle to use. Use something strong that you can easily pass through a thick bow. An embroidery needle and embroidery thread work well.
  

• If your child has very fine hair you might want to add something to the clip so it doesn't slip so easily. I cut a piece of bubble shelf liner or velvet ribbon and hot glue it to the inside of the clip.
  

Best Pumpkin Bread Ever!

My husband has been waiting all year for his favorite pumpkin bread and I know I'll be making a lot of it this season because it's so delicious. This recipe was adapted from a recipe my mother-in-law gave me. I accidentally purchased the canned pumpkin that already had the spices in it and it turned out so delicious and yummy!

Pumpkin Bread

2 1/4 cups of Libby pumpkin pie mix (make sure it has the spices in it – in 30 oz can)
3 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
2/3 cup water
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 ½ cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp fresh grated nutmeg (or in the can if you don’t have fresh)
Dash ground ginger
Dash cloves

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour bottoms of two loaf pans (or use pam spray). In a large bowl, blend the pumpkin, sugar, oil, water, eggs and vanilla. Mix using an electric mixer for a couple of minutes at medium speed. Fold in remaining ingredients then mix at low speed until well moistened. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350 for 55 to 70 minutes (it seems to vary depending on the time of year). Cool in pans for about 15 minutes then invert on a cutting board or plate. Cool completely. Wrap tightly in saran wrap and tin foil – this keeps the bread moist for days.

Enjoy!!

Ready for Something Sweet???

Lana's cute little cupcake aprons are back in stock! We have an adorable little half apron and also a full apron. These make great birthday presents or something fun for the holidays. We just love them!


Many thanks to our little model Anna =).

September Giveaway!

This month we will be giving away a pair of cute ladybug clippies! My daughter Anna was bald until the age of two and now I love making and buying pretty bows and clips for her hair. Luckily she likes to wear them, too =). You will receive one pink and one red unless you prefer two of the same color.

How to enter:
Leave us a comment and please include your email address so we know how to contact you. We'd also love to know how you came across this blog. This contest will run through 9/30 and is open to anyone in the United States or Canada.

Carol Sue, you are the winner!

And the Winner Is ...

Thanks to everyone for entering our first giveaway! It was so much fun reading all of your comments! Yes, we picked our winner the old-fashioned way by writing each name down on a little piece of paper =).

Swedish Meatballs Oh My!

I made one of my favorite dishes this week -- Swedish meatballs! They are so yummy. Definitely make them when you are in the mood for something hearty. They aren't hard to make but you do need to devote some time to shaping the meat into balls. This recipe probably takes about 1 hour to make.


Nellie’s Swedish Meatballs

6 TB butter
1 TB grated onion with juice preserved
2/3 cup bread crumbs
1 cup water
½ pound lean ground beef
¼ pound ground veal
¼ pound ground pork
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp allspice
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp sugar
3 TB flour
2 cups beef broth

Sauté the onion and onion juice in 1 TB of the butter for 1-2 minutes. In the large bowl of an electric mixer combine the bread crumbs and water and soak for 1-2 minutes. Add the meats, spices and sugar. Beat on a low speed until smooth then turn the mixer to high and mix until the meat mixture is light and fluffy, about 8-10 minutes. Shape the meat into small meatballs (Swedish meatballs aren’t large like Italian meatballs) and place on a cookie sheet. Melt the remaining butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the meatballs and brown all sides by shaking the pan so they brown easily. Drain the meatballs on paper towels. Add the flour to the pan and stir over medium heat for about 1 minute. Slowly add the beef broth and stir until the gravy is thick and brown. Add the meatballs to the gravy. Serve over mashed potatoes or egg noodles.

*** Grated onions with juice make these meatballs very moist

*** Try sprinkling a little flour over the meat mixture and on your hands to help the meat from sticking to your skin. You can also use two spoons dipped in ice water to make the meatballs. I find that I can’t usually “roll” this meat mixture into balls b/c it’s too sticky. I more or less drop rounds of meat into the frying pan.

It seems counter intuitive to mix the meat using an electric mixer since meat gets tough if you work with it too much, however, these turn out super moist this way! I place a towel over the mixer to prevent a meat mess!

What It Takes to Make a Blanket These Days

When I woke up this morning I decided it was NECESSARY that I accomplish something from start to finish. This is because my life has been feeling very chaotic lately. Benjamin is almost 6 months old and still does not sleep well in a crib. I gave in too easily when he was a newborn and let him sleep in his swing but he's getting so heavy now that the swing doesn't swing ... it just squeaks! He still likes to be swaddled which is a bit hilarious since he is close to 20 pounds! Now I am "sleep training" Ben to sleep in a crib and because I'm such a total lightweight when it comes to crying this sleep training has been going on for weeks now ... somebody please help me! To top things off, Anna starting jumping out of her crib (literally). The poor thing landed flat on her back once so obviously this is dangerous and now I am training her to sleep in a toddler bed ... yikes!! I used to look forward to nap time and bed time but I have been dreading it lately because I know my tired little girl with glazed over eyes is going to come out and out and out of her room several times before she gives in. My husband, Jason, has been working torturous hours as well which just adds to the madness. Because of these factors I just haven't been able to get much done lately!

This is how it unfolded:

7 AM - 7:30 AM -- Feed and play with Benji after he wakes up; pick out fabric that inspires me to create something fun today

7:30-8:30 AM -- Cuddle with Anna after she wakes up, breakfast, change clothes (shower is not an option today)

8:30 AM - 9:00 AM -- Takes me 30 minutes to put Benji down for a nap

9:00 AM - 9:30 AM -- Cut fabric and get supplies ready

9:30 AM -- Benji's awake (way too short of a nap!)

9:30 - 11:30 AM -- After setting up sewing machine the power goes out! First time this summer ... just my luck!

11:30 - 12:00 PM -- Lunchtime

12:00 - 3:00 PM -- The kids are tired and it's battle of the wills!

3:00-4:00 -- Kids are still awake. I drive to my parents house because I don't know what else to do. I bring the blanket fabric with me. The kids are asleep within minutes of leaving the driveway ... finally! I long for the three hour naps both of them were taking a couple of months ago!

4:00 - 5:00 -- Mom (Lana) and Dad entertain the kiddos and the blanket is finished!!! It took all day but it was worth it to actually finish something I started (mom actually top stitched it because Ben was crying but I decided to cut myself a break =) ).

Soon this too shall pass =)

To see more photos of the blankey click here.

A Baby Shower -- Etsy Style!

My co-workers and I hosted a baby shower for our friend Lisa over the weekend and as I was loading things into my car I realized everything I had for the shower was from Etsy.com. I was introduced to Etsy this past year and am probably an addict at this point =). I am continuously impressed with the creative artisans on Etsy and I have had nothing but positive experiences with all of my purchases thus far. Plus, there are several reasons why buying handmade is so great =). I thought it would be fun to showcase my baby shower finds to you all. Lisa doesn't know the sex of her baby (new trend with my friends waiting to find out) and here are some of the lovely things I found for her gender neutral baby shower:


To start, I found these cute invitations at Green Apple Paperie. The shop owner printed up some 8x10 inch invitations for me to post at work for less than $2 a piece!

From Bun to Baby I found some great games to play. This word unscramble game came printed with baby bingo on the reverse and I also ordered the fun baby stat prediction cards. I received 10 cards for $2.00. They also come in cute pink and blue colors.




Of course we needed prizes for the fun games and I found the MOST adorable cupcake bath bombs from Hey Lady Cards and Feeling Smitten. Can you believe these aren't really cupcakes? They sent me a cupcake bath bomb to try out for myself and I can tell you that they smell terrific and are so fun! I will definitely be ordering more! They are great for little kids too because they are very mild and do not cause eye irritation. I can vouch for this because my two year old played with it in the bath and had a blast without any red eyes!




I found a great nursing cover for Lisa over at Made Just For Me. This type of nursing cover with the rigid neckline is a perfect gift if you know someone that plans to breastfeed. The brand name version of this nursing cover sells for about $40 and the one I purchased was almost half the price! The shop owner, Amanda, seems incredibly sweet and is very accommodating as well. I wasn't sure which one my friend would like and after sending Amanda a picture of something Lisa registered for she emailed me back with several fabric options. She made a custom cover for me and I was impressed by her very speedy turnaround time. Where do you find service like this these days?



These nursing pads are from Southern Belles and Bowes. They are so much cuter than the boring plain white ones. These are great for around the house because they are super comfy. Plus, you'll save a few dollars if you are used to only buying the disposable kind since they are machine washable.



These burp cloths are from our shop =). I thought this fabric would be great for Lisa since she doesn't know if it's a boy or a girl. Such pretty Amy Butler fabric!



I also made Lisa a blanket but I forgot to take a photo. These are the fabrics I used. I love this wavy chenille. It's so cozy and cuddly!

Cupcakes Are In!

We finally have more cupcake fabric to make the super cute retro aprons. The last bunch we made sold out by 7:30 AM PST the day they posted! I don' know exactly when they'll be ready to list in our shop but check out the cute prints and keep your eye out =).


Happy Friday!
~Nellie

Some samples of fabric from a shopping spree =)

Fun Giveaway!

Aren't giveaways fun? We think they are so we're giving away a cute set of burp cloths that are in need of a happy home. The winner will receive a set of two burpies: one with baby vintage style animals and is embellished with ric-rac and the other is pink with white dots. To enter the contest leave a comment and make sure you leave your email address so we know how to contact you. The winner will be drawn at random on on 8/31. Have fun!

These will be shipped to an address in the U.S. or Canada only.

Here you go ...

We've been very appreciative of questions that have been emailed to us about our site. A couple of you suggested we post pictures of us and our family so here you go =).

Lana (mom) looking happy as always =)

Jeanelle (Nellie) with husband Jason, Anna 2 1/2 and Benjamin 3 months.
Poor Benji wasn't too happy about having his photo taken this day =)

I just adore this photo of Anna. We had a wonderful Sacramento area photographer take these family photos.

Anna and Benji

Here is a nice one with two of my sisters in it. From left to right: Devona, Nellie, Lana, and Angie.