Vintage Marketplace, Hungry Caterpillar Birthday and Easter Freebies!!

Hello Friends!

Well here I am, trying to get in a blog post before the end of March.

And it has been a busy March!
My adorable little grandson turned one,
and I had lots of fun creating for his
Very Hungry Caterpillar birthday party!
I made this little accordian photo holder with a picture
for each of his first twelve months:

This is just the first six months showing.

 No, I didn't make the cake, but isn't it so cute?!

I did make this welcome wreath for the front door:

 My daughter and the birthday boy:

 Here he is vigorously removing the birthday crown that I had made him,
made of felt:

  I knew when I made it that it wouldn't last long, lol!

And a little banner I made,
using half of a honeycomb ball for the caterpillar head:

One year already, and you can see he is a little boy,
not a baby anymore...
But so so much fun!!

My friend Pam is expecting a new grandson this month,
so I made a scrappy little photo book for her,
all she need do is add pictures:

The cover:

And a few favorite layouts:

Made from those cute little We R Memories 4x4 books,
I just love those!!

This is a little bunny favor I made for our Paper Soiree gathering this month:

Made from a painted peat pot, he's designed for the rear view,
see his cute little bunny tail, made from fluffy felt?

Sigh...Vintage Marketplace was fantastic this spring:

Aren't these so funny?
Farm animals made from vegetables!! 

I was enchanted by these umbrellas, cups and coffeepots hanging in the trees:

It was a lovely morning,
we were glad we got there early
as it got much hotter later in the day.

Here are some freebies for you,
thanks for visiting and sticking with me through this looong post :)

Click to enlarge, right click and save!

More Friday fun to be had at Fabulously Creative Friday!  

Lots of great ideas at Show and Tell Friday!  

Lovely blues at Anything Blue Friday!

Lots of links to lovely pinks at Pink Saturday!

Creative living, decorating, and craft ideas at Inspired Sunday!

Lovely tablescapes at Seasonal Sundays!

Be inspired by Inspire Me Tuesday!

Vintage creativity at Vintage Inspiration Wednesday!

For links to lovely, shabby, chippy whites, stop by Blissful Whites Wednesday!

Beautiful greys at Grey Dey Thursdeys.

Lovely things to be found at

French cottagey links at Feathered Nest Friday!

 

♥♥♥ Thank you so much for visiting and for all your lovely comments!! ♥♥♥
Have a great weekend!

Eat More Veggies!!

OK, so I am in week 3 of eating vegan. It's not bad, and I'm definitely eating more veggies and legumes and not sprinkling parmesan cheese on everything. And I only cheated once. OK, twice. Like I'm going to go to Yogurtland with 6 people and not get froyo?! And at least my lapses were vegetarian. Haven't had meat or fish. Here's a great vegan soup recipe:

Ratatouille Soup

1 small eggplant (abt. 1#), left unpeeled and cubed
2 medium zucchini, cubed
salt
2 t. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 lg. clove garlic, finely minced
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 c. canned chopped tomatoes, with their juices
4 c. (defatted chicken) or vegetable broth
1 lg. or 2 small bay leaf
2 T. chopped fresh basil leaves
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
freshly ground pepper
(freshly grated parmesan cheese)

Combine eggplant and zucchini in a large colander, sprinkle liberally with salt, toss, and allow to stand and drain for 30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a heavy 4 or 5 qt. saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggplant, zucchini, and red pepper and stir well to combine. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini and eggplant begin to lose their raw appearance, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Add the tomatoes, broth, and bay leaf; stir to combine, and increase the heat to high. When the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low, partially cover the saucepan, and simmer until the vegetables are completely tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in 2 T. of the basil and parsley and cook 5 minutes longer. Remove bay leaf.

Transfer the soup to a food processor or blender or use an immersion blender, and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste and reheat before serving. Garnish each serving with (parmesan cheese), as desired.

6 Servings
77 calories, 2.3 grams fat