towels

Sometimes I'm a bad blogger but that doesn't mean I haven't been creating. I tend to default to Instagram lately (follow me at Ellynz) but then it's always good to check in here now & then. I've been weaving lots of towels the last month or two. Always playing with color. And all of these have new homes now....

These are Christies.

Two of these went to Diana in exchange for some of her gluten free/vegan cookies. Oh man were they delicious! You can order some for yourself at Suspiro Bakeshop. Diana was part of our mission team in Africa this past summer. When she told me she bakes gluten free cookies I couldn't wait to taste them. She sent me chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookies. Don't ask me which ones were my favorites - I could never choose! 

The other two of these towels went to Martha.

These were for my friend Chris.

And these are Mari's.

And so, my loom is currently empty. BUT..... I got to visit Hill Country Weavers for the first time last weekend and came home with delicious bamboo/cotton yarn that I can't wait to warp on the loom. More on this awesome shop and the yarn I bought there coming soon!

gluten free in Phoenix

Whenever we travel, I love to explore new-to-me gluten free dining options. Our recent trip to Arizona did not disappoint! Lobster Mac & Cheese anyone?

The Strand is awesome downtown dining with all kinds of Italian fare, including tons of gluten free pasta options. This Lobster Mac & Cheese was delicious and filling, so very cheesy with just enough spicy zing to it.

Picazzo's has been voted the best GF restaurant in the valley and I couldn't possibly disagree! In fact, I've never had a better gluten free pizza anywhere. They have a designated GF fire oven  and the pizza I had was thick crusted, crispy and delicious. I'd love to go back and try some of their pasta dishes and quinoa bowls. This gluten free girl gives Picazzo's five stars!

Chompies is a fantastic Jewish Deli with several Phoenix locations. I enjoyed a hot corned beef sandwich on a delicious GF bun. It was way more food than one human could possibly consume in one sitting (and I arrived HUNGRY!). I hear their GF bagels are amazing too.... can't wait to try them next time we're in town.

Daily Dose  was Leigh Anne's choice for lunch on Saturday and the shrimp tacos I had were awesome! It was a fun place, with a great patio if you choose to dine outside.

Do you have other recommendations I should try on my next visit?

retreating

This past weekend, the McKinney Modern Quilt Guild held a retreat at the wonderful Sunset Retreat Center. I had not been to Sunset before, and I have to tell you, it was delightful! The facility is spacious, clean, and inviting, the employees are friendly and cheerful and the food.... well, for a girl who has to eat gluten free, let me tell you, the food was AWESOME! 

When our guild didn't fill all of the spots, we opened registration up to the Dallas and Fort Worth Modern Guilds too. Yay for new quilty friends! It was fun to meet gals from both of these guilds (and some other tag along friends/moms of our guild members too). I especially loved getting to know Trish, who I had befriended on Instagram. She's Trishlovesquilts over there.... and she makes some amazing quilts! Do check her out if you haven't already.

don't you love the awesome name tags Alice & Catherine made for  all of us?

Some of us had a zippy pouch/fabric basket swap which we had prepared for in advance. I brought this pouch.

I had English Paper Pieced the arrow using the same pattern as my Valentines Pillow, only half the size (yes I'm crazy like that!) and thought it made up into a fun little Lola Pouch. My friend Paula chose it and was happy to take it home with her!

And check out the awesome One Hour Basket I got to bring home with me....

My friend Catherine made it and I couldn't resist choosing it. The bright happy colors really spoke to me! It's really big too, I can't decide what should live inside it just yet!

There were so many beautiful finishes on retreat and I worked on several different projects which I'll be sharing with you soon. My daughter, Ally, asked me last night if I was exhausted after retreat and my answer was NO! I feel totally energized and inspired! It was just what I needed. Have you been on quilting retreats?

Birthday surprise

Last Friday was, quite possibly, the happiest birthday I have ever had! Just after breakfast, hubby loaded me in the car and drove me to the airport, where this sweet girl arrived from New York! What a delightful surprise. It had been several months since we had seen Leigh Anne and having three full days to just hang out with her was an awesome treat!

The day was filled with greetings from dear friends and family and phone calls from Steve and Ally to wish Mom a happy birthday. These beautiful flowers from Ally were delivered later in the day too.

In addition to wonderful meals all weekend (breakfast tacos, gluten free french toast, omelets, I could go on and on!) hubby, Leigh Anne & I decided to check out the Perot museum of nature and science on Saturday. It was fun to wander into Dallas for the day and explore! 

 The museum was lots of fun, lots of interactive displays and interesting exhibits.

Throw in some shopping, church, and just some downtime, it was a fabulous weekend and it went way too fast! Luckily we'll be seeing Leigh Anne again next month.

in the kitchen

Confession time. I'm not much of a cook. No, really. I'm pretty terrible at it. I try. I collect cookbooks,  I collect aprons, haha! But I really don't enjoy it much and I rarely put much effort into cooking. 

The other night we were at a restaurant (and yes, we eat out way too much, don't judge me). Hubby and Ally ordered a big sampler platter of bruschetta, several different kinds, all of them loaded with gluten which I can't eat. And no, I'm not bitter. They eat gluten in front of me all the time and I'm fine with it. But this bruschetta? man did it look GOOD! We analyzed it and memorized the ingredients and I decided to recreate 2 of the varieties today on gluten free baguette.

I spent the entire afternoon in the kitchen! I roasted these beautiful red peppers using this recipe.

 And then I made my first ever tomato jam using this recipe. Sort of. Actually I combined several recipes, which seems to be a risky move for someone like me who professes to be less than adequate in the kitchen. But it worked out.

Seven big beautiful tomatoes, light brown sugar, a cinnamon stick and some lemon juice. Resulted in about a cup of very tasty tomato jam.

 And the bruschetta? It was fabulous! I used an Udi's baguette....

On the left, herbed goat cheese, a dollop of tomato jam and a piece of applewood bacon. And on the right, fresh basil, fresh mozzarella cheese and roasted red pepper. Not bad for someone who is basically allergic to the kitchen, huh?

birthday treats

A wonderful package arrived on my doorstep this week from fellow blogger and friend Maria. Check out all of the beautiful goodies she sent for my birthday!

 We agreed to make each other some kind of tote or pouch this year. This amazing tote is all hand embroidered (Maria does beautiful embroidery!). Also included is a bright & happy birthday towel with cupcakes appliqued on (Maria assures me they are gluten free! Perfect!), an awesome ruler with the name of her stitching group on it and 2 awesome fat quarters both with shades of aqua.... does she know me or what???

I thought you'd like to see that bag close up...

I've put some projects inside and tucked it inside my suitcase. Ally and I are heading north (brrrrrrr) for a big adventure. I'll tell you more about that soon!

Thanks so much Maria! Your package made me smile and will be well used and loved!

another fun weekend

Since becoming empty nesters last month, it's been fun for Hubby and I to enjoy our children one at a time. This weekend our oldest, Leigh Anne flew in from New York City to spend a couple of days with Mom and Dad....

There have been lots of tacos consumed in the last 2 days (by her and us). She swears she can't find a decent taco in NYC....

 Today we ventured down to Klyde Warren Park in downtown Dallas where there was a lineup of food trucks...

 One of which was serving tacos which Leigh Anne indulged in, of course! The park offers spectacular views of the city skyline....

 There is no sign of fall in Dallas as you can see. It was a sweltering 90+ degrees and the park was filled with families having fun (lots of kiddos playing in the fountains!)

On the way home we stopped for some treats for later. Cupcakes for the two of them from Sprinkles, and a fabulous gluten free berry scone with lemon glaze for me from Tu-Lus. 

I promise to return to some creative posts soon. But for now I'm having fun with my family! And eating way too much!

Crafty Tuesday February style

Six of us gathered for Crafty Tuesday yesterday. First up was a bit of show & tell.....

 Trae finished her scrappy trip along topper & I do love it. Especially how she strategically used ivory strips in each block. Fabulous!

 Grace is making this pretty quilt as a gift.

 Next up, birthday celebration! Happy Birthday to me (I'm not shy!). This pretty package arrived last week from Maria in Australia. Check out the fabulous text print fabric she wrapped it in! That's a gift in itself.....

Inside was this beautiful table runner which I just love! (see how happy I am?)

Also a fat quarter of darling sewing machine fabric, a pretty scissors fob and two adorable barnyard buttons! I'm a spoiled girl! Thanks Maria

 And all of these wonderful goodies from my crafty Tuesday buddies......

 Gluten free cookies, a fun water jun, tons of pretty fabric, a book, some notions, Tiger Tape, a project bag.... OH MY! The best gift of all is their wonderful friendships. I'm so blessed to have awesome friends.

We enjoyed some crafting time & all went out for a Birthday lunch of pizza and salads. After they all left, I cleared off the dining room table and put my pretty runner in the place of honor.

Life is good.

a new top for me (and a sweet treat!)

I'm on a roll in the sewing room! Yesterday I finished TWO tops for me! I'll save one to share tomorrow. First off, here is my Olivia top....

 I have a confession to make. I made this blouse a long time ago. Maybe three years ago? When I realized it was going to be too small for me, I hung it inside the closet door & never put the button holes/buttons on it. Yesterday I finished it up and, with my recent weight loss, IT FITS! I'm so excited to have something new to wear.

 Here's the pattern cover, for inquiring minds. The top is beautifully constructed with finished facings and seams. I think I may have to make a couple more!

And here's a sweet treat you might want to try....

I found this recipe online and had to try it. Does anybody else remember 1-2-3 jello? I know I'm dating myself here... anyways, this is very similar. I used sugar free jello and fat free coolwhip and it went over really well at the dinner table. Ally even instagrammed it before she ate it... high praise from a 17 year old, don't you think? Oh, and nevermind the holiday glasses, haha! they were the right size... don't judge me!

dining gluten free in NYC

 ok, first let's get this out of the way. On our trip to New York City, hubby and Ally (who do NOT have to eat gluten free) indulged in some extremely glutenous goodies. One night we went down to the hotel lobby (we stayed at the Marriott Marquis on Times Square, thanks to hubby's Marriott rewards points, what a treat!) On the menu were dessert sliders. Ally had strawberry shortcake sliders and hubby had the Boston cream pie sliders seen here...

 I had a glass of wine... no glutenous treats for me! Another day, they wandered off to the Cake Boss bakery and brought back treats.....

The very first night we were there, we took Ally to our favorite NYC restaurant, Serafinas. They will make just about any dish on the menu gluten free for you. I enjoyed Spaghettini Alle Zucchine made with gluten free pasta....

On our last night in NYC we decided to try a new place. Trattoria Trecolori was right around the corner from our hotel. It had received rave reviews on some of the gluten free apps I was using so off we went....

We may just have a new favorite NYC restaurant! Like Serafinas, they will prepare most of their dishes gluten free. I had Pasta Primavera made with gluten free penne and it was awesome! The atmosphere at Trattoria Trecolori is wonderful, the service was amazing and all of our meals were top notch. We'll be back!

These are the highlights of our NYC dining. We ate at several national chains. Had a surprisingly delicious meal at Ruby Tuesdays, a horrifically overpriced breakfast buffet at Hard Rock and a disappointing (and way too expensive) meal at Applebees. What are your favorite places to eat in New York City?

Gluten Free Expo

Yesterday Hubby and I attended the Gluten & Allergen Free Expo in Plano, TX. Yes, I know, that's 2 Expo weekends in a row for me! When it rains it pours. Anyways, I hardly took any pictures at the Expo, I was so busy stuffing my face with delicious samples from the vendors. No need for lunch after that! And, we came home with two giant bags filled with samples and coupons and info....

What a deal! Found some new foods to try, got coupons for some current favorites. The one pic I did take at the Expo was of Kyra Bussanich with her new cookbook. Maybe you saw her on Cupcake Wars last year? She won with her gluten free cupcakes! She was very sweet and we enjoyed talking to her.

Hope you've been doing something fun this weekend too!

treats from far away

Kim, at Lily Patch Quilts, is hosting  the Pretty Pouch Swap. I was excited to sign up, and very excited to be paired with Jennifer who lives in Northern England! Even though Jennifer and I mailed our pouches on the exact same day, mine has not arrived at her house yet, so I cannot show it to you.

But yesterday, this beauty arrived at my house from Jennifer! Such gorgeous fabrics and beautifully made...

 And when I opened it up.... oh the goodies!

 Jennifer definitely caught on to my passion for polka dots! I adore the sweet bracelet that matches my pouch. And two pretty fat quarters of dots too! A beautiful thimble (which is very similar to the one hubby bought me in Germany last year. So now I collect them, right? Two is a collection surely!). Postcards, tissues (20 and 50 pound notes with the queen on them!) and, oh my goodness, Kendal Mint Cakes, which I had never heard of but I can now declare to be my favorite food, hands down! They are gluten free (thank you Jennifer!) and basically pure sugar that melts on your tongue! I have been eating a tiny bite each day so they will last me a long long time!

As if that wasn't enough, my friend Raquel was in Hawaii last week and brought me home these beautiful fat quarters....

2 of each, so 12 bright, gorgeous fat quarters! 

I am feeling very spoiled about now!

fabric baskets

Last month at the McKinney Modern Quilt Guild we swapped bags of scraps. We were challenged to make a fabric basket with the scraps and return it this month to it's original owner. I received a delightful assortment of scraps from Joy and Sam, a mom and daughter who work at one of the quilt shops. I wish I had taken a picture of the form they filled out, it made me giggle! It said something like "Mom and I will put sewing notions in the basket and share it. Until I leave for college in the fall, then I will steal the basket". Obviously Sam wrote the note! Well, I knew right then I needed to make two baskets, and there were plenty of scraps. 

I had an idea for the bigger basket but I wanted to try it out on my own scraps first before cutting into theirs. So, I made this basket for Trae's birthday....

The patchwork part is English Paper Pieced with elongated hexies. I filled it up with gluten free snacks (since Trae is also gluten free) and attached a chalkboard tag that Ally made for me. 

Since I really liked the way it turned out, I did a similar one for Joy and Sam with their scraps...

I think that frog is my favorite part!

And tucked inside, is a smaller basket also made from their scraps. So now they can each have their own basket....

 I filled them up with goodies.

I hope they like them! I sure had fun making them.

eating healthy

 For a couple of months now, I have been focusing on healthy eating in an effort to lose some weight (it's working, I'm not here to brag, but progress is being made!) Anyways, during our last inspiration day outing Melissa and I took some time to photograph the colorful veggies at the local grocery store....

 I think I should print this mosaic out and put it on my fridge as a motivational tool. How can foods this pretty NOT be good for you??? Anyways, my family has been very supportive of my efforts. Today being Mother's Day they set out to cook a healthy dinner for me.....

 Well they said they were cooking. There was a lot of laughter in the kitchen....

 Ummm, Ally, that's NOT the kitchen!

 In the end, they served up a wonderful shrimp & veggie stir fry on gluten free spaghetti noodles and a big salad. I hope your families all treated you especially well today too!