Delish & EASY Banana Pancakes (for Easter!)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 ripe bananas, mashed

What you do:
Combine flour, white sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together egg, milk, vegetable oil and bananas.
Stir flour mixture into banana mixture; batter will be slightly lumpy.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Cook until pancakes are golden brown on both sides; serve hot.

These are SO moist & good I don't even put syrup on them........

Meet Conny from Bigib

For my first blog interview I have chosen Conny of Bigib. I met Conny thru Etsy. She is from the same state I am in & I was lucky enough to receive a great piece of her jewelry for a gift exchange.

Conny officially formed Bigib,LLC in 2002 but had been creating for several years prior. Her favorite part is designing. Sometimes the best design pops unexpectedly, including when I'm in the shower or just about to sleep. I have an idea books where I sketch the ideas and then refine it before going for construction.
Conny’s pieces can be found at http://www.bigib.com/ or http://bigib.etsy.com/ or http://bigib.dawanda.com/. Locally (in Wisconsin) I have some pieces at WhimsiKidz-Elm Grove or I go to local fairs.
Some advice she has for other artisan and crafters is keep dreaming, never be satisfied with what you have, keep thinking on how to make things better, cheaper and faster, keep innovating.
Conny has a Bachelors Degree in Architecture and MBA in Finance. She worked as an interior designer for a year and decided to get my master degree. After she graduated, she was able to work for her dream company, Arthur Andersen, in Indonesia. Then, she worked for Columbia-St.Mary's Hospital and moved to GE Medical Systems. After they have their first daughter, she decided to become a full-time mom.

In Conny’s own words:“My creative brain needs outlet. In early 2001, my friend invited me to a bead party. She used nylon coated steel wire and crimping beads... and suddenly a light bulb pops. Those two material reminds me of Golden Gate Bridge...(I received my MBA from Univ of San Francisco). I knew... I will be making jewelry. I started with beaded jewelry. After taking metal classes at local college, I transitioned to a more metal jewelry. I like metal because I felt familiar with material. It's just Architecture in a much smaller scale.I still do beading, mostly for children's jewelry, like Name First Communion or Baptism bracelets.”

Here is a great new photo of a new piece Conny has made. Be sure to check out her shop & unique pieces. Conny also blogs at http://bigibdesigns.blogspot.com

~*~new fabric~*~

ohhh....how I love new fabric......here is a pic of last nights purchases.....lots of fun & fresh things to be made with these prints!

I'm off to create

Yummy, Easy Dinner

Eggplant & Basil Sandwhiches

8 slices unpeeled eggplant, about 1/2" thick & 2-3” diameter
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
4 thin slices of red onion
4 slices provolone cheese
12 large fresh basil leaves OR 1/4 prepared basil pesto
8 slices Italian bread – 1/4" thick, toasted
4 thin slices of tomato

Dip eggplant slices into egg, then coat with breadcrumbs. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook eggplant in oil 3-4 minutes, turning once, until golden brown.
Top each eggplant slice with onion & cheese. Cover & cook 1-2 minutes until cheese melts. Place basil leaves or pesto onto 4 slices of bread – top with tomato, eggplant slice & other piece of bread.

Kids Art Work Notecards

So, my girl just LOVES to paint! My fridge is overflowing with her artwork. So I was thinking - what can I do with all of these paintings? I decided to turn them into fun notecards. All I did was go to the store (Target) and bought a pack of blank inside cards (18 for $1.98). They had a cute little "frame" on the front so I just measured the space on the front & cut up some of the paintings to fit. Then I glued them to the front & viola - mini art notecards!

I am going to start sending them out soon - hope the family loves getting them!

Coming Soon.....

I will be featuring artisits & crafters on my blog. I will be sharing info about them, their craft, where they get inspiration from, any handy tips & where you can go to find their goods!

If you are interested in being featured, please feel free to contact me

Etsy Shower

So, FickleFairie on Etsy hosts fun online baby showers! I decided to participate - both to give a gift & receive one (since I'm due in May)

Here is a photo of the gift sets I sent out to 2 expecting mommies....

I hope they like them I had a lot of fun making them for sure!

How fun is this?! I just made this apron for a bridal shower I went to this past weekend. It was my first experience with bias tape....it was a bit tricky at first, but I love the end result!!

I will be listing this lovely aprons in the etsy shop in the near future....

New Blog

Well, I have wanted to start a blog.....I just LOVE reading peoples blogs & seeing what is new & going on -so- I have decided to give this a try!

Wish me luck.....