Father's Day is only a few weeks away, which I have been reminded of since my Pinterest feed has been full of Father's Day projects and printables.  Looking through all of the pins, I was a little disappointed at the selection.  I love a good chalkboard printable, but there were none to be found for Dad's Day!  So, I made one...hope you like it!

I love our neighbor.  Not only is she very nice and offers to take our dog for walks sometimes, but she has a gorgeous nectarine tree that hangs halfway over into our yard.

Nectarines are my favorite fruit.  I have been watching and waiting for these babies to ripen so I can pick and eat them!  There are so many nectarines that I can't just eat them all, so I figured out a way to use up quite a few of them... Nectarine Cobbler!

This recipe is so easy and so good.  Last time I made it, my mom came over every morning for a week to have some for breakfast.  Granted its only about a minute drive for her, but still!  It's that good.




Ingredients

• 10-12 Nectarines (Enough to completely cover the bottom of a 9"x13" pan)
• Yellow cake mix
• Stick of butter

Directions

1. Slice nectarines and cover the bottom of a 9"x13" pan.  
2. Spread cake mix evenly over the nectarines and pat down firmly.
3. Cut the stick of butter into pieces and spread evenly over the cake mix.
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

And there you have it!  This is the easiest dessert to put together.  You can substitute other fruit (peaches, apples, etc.) for the nectarines.  I have thrown raspberries in with nectarines and that was really good too!  Finish with a scoop of ice cream on top and you're good to go!

My birthday was last week...happy birthday to me! I used to love my birthday and make it like, a week long extravaganza.  Once, I even claimed all of May to be my birthday month and told my mom I could do what I want all month long.  So, when May started off and I felt like this birthday was going to be a little lackluster (why is it when you get older birthdays aren't as fun?!), I thought to myself, "Hey, what gives?  It's a reason to celebrate and have fun so go for it!".  And so, last week was "Birthday Week" once again.

First, we went to Palm Springs for a weekend, because I wanted to be somewhere that I knew would be warm and sunny.  Bonus that it included a casino, great pool, and shopping.  On my actual birthday we went out to dinner and bowling with friends.  Super fun!

The best part of my birthday week festivities included a semi-surprise party/BBQ.  My oh-so-sweet husband let it slip that we were having a BBQ for my birthday, but kept the details a secret (the semi-surprise part).  I wanted to make something to contribute, while still being able to relax and enjoy our company, so I knew just the thing to make.  My super easy pasta salad. 

I usually look for recipes that are quick and easy because let's face it, most of us do not have ample time to spend in the kitchen.  I love it when a recipe with little work and a few ingredients turns out delish! This recipe did not start out that way.  I saw a recipe on Pinterest that looked so good, but when I saw all of the ingredients, I said forget it.  Determined to make something similar and just as yummy, I came up with this:

Ingredients

•  Small (1 lb) box of orzo pasta, cooked according to directions on the package.
• 1 bottle of Kraft Roasted Red Pepper Italian Dressing
• 1 (8 oz) jar of sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup of roasted red peppers, chopped
• 1 cup of Italian parsley, chopped
• 1 (3.8 oz) can of sliced black olives
• 1 (4 oz) pkg feta cheese
• 2 cups shredded parmesan/mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions

1. Once cooked, transfer the orzo to a large bowl.  Stir in half the bottle of dressing  and garlic powder and mix well.  Place bowl in the refrigerator until all of the pasta is cooled to about room temperature.
2. Add in the tomatoes, red peppers, parsley, olives, cheeses, and remaining dressing and mix together thoroughly.
3. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

This pasta is so so soooo good.  You can eat it the day you make it, but it just gets better with time.  When you refrigerate it over night, it gives the pasta time to soak up all of the delicious flavors of the dressing and add-ins.  I made it on Saturday for our Sunday BBQ.  Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

My birthday was wonderful!  My hubby did a great job planning and putting together the BBQ for me.  Spending time with my friends, family, good food, and fun was the perfect way to celebrate! 

Spring is in full swing and I love it!  Something about sunshine, warm weather, and the days getting longer just makes me happy.

Another reason why I love Spring is that I get to ditch my dreary winter wardrobe and break out my spring and summer dresses and skirts.  I really dislike wearing pants.  I don't know why really, maybe I find them a bit uncomfortable, maybe I just think dresses are prettier, or maybe I just hate cold weather.  Okay, it's all of the above.

Anyway, with all of this glorious warm weather, I have been itching to make a new maxi skirt.  These skirts are easy and rather quick to put together and here's how:



What you will need:

• Your favorite maxi skirt to use as a pattern
• 1 1/2 - 2 yards of fabric (I prefer using a cotton jersey knit.  I got mine from Girl Charlee)
• Coordinating thread
• Sewing Machine

Instructions:

1. Fold your fabric in half, right sides facing each other.  If you are using a fabric with a pattern like I did, make sure the pattern matches up on both sides.  Take the maxi skirt you are using as a pattern and lay it on top of your folded fabric.  
   
   
   
   
2. Cut around the maxi skirt you are using as a pattern, leaving a 1/2" extra on all sides to allow for seam allowances.  Once your skirt is cut, pin the side seams.
   
   
3. Serge or sew up the side seams using a 1/2" seam allowance.  If you do not have a serger, first sew up the side seams using a straight stitch, then sew again with a zig zag stitch to prevent the material from fraying.  
   
4. For the waistband, measure the top of the fabric you just cut and double it.  Mine measured 16", so doubled it was 32". Cut a piece of fabric that is 1" smaller than the waist measurement by 16".  My waistband piece was 31" x 16".  
5. Fold your waistband piece in half, right sides together, and sew (zig zag stitch) or serge up the side to create a tube.  Turn right side out and fold the tube inside of itself until it is in half and the edges of the fabric are lined up.  
   
   
   
   
6. Pin your waistband to your skirt, right sides together, at the raw edges.  Once pinned, serge or sew with a zig zag stitch around the skirt using a 1/2" seam allowance. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Serge along the bottom of the skirt.
8. Try on your skirt (almost done, yay!) to determine the length of your hem.  Press inward and press the side seams to the back.  Hem the skirt to your desired length using a straight stitch.
9. Done!  Enjoy your fabulous new skirt and hopefully some sunshine to go with it!
   

I am in love with my new maxi skirt!  It is my favorite thing in my closet right now, and the best part is I made it myself! Yay!

This tutorial was featured at:

Six Sisters' Stuff

This tutorial was shared at: huckleberry love, watch out, martha, the blissful bee, not just a housewife, emmy lane, glamorous affordable life, mercy ink, raegun ramblings, dukes and duchesses, the train to crazy, serenity now, the stitchin mommy, mad in crafts, or so she says..., wait till your father gets home, thirty handmade days, live laugh rowe, seven thirty three, and sew we craft, the princess and her cowboys, a pinch of joy, craft-o-maniac , sew many ways, the jenny revolution, the dedicated house, see vanessa craft, a glimpse inside, the winthrop chronicles, home stories a to z, i should be mopping the floor, skip to my lou, petals to picots

Hey Everyone!

For my first post, I think I'll keep it short and introduce myself a bit.

My name is Alyssa, and I live in Orange County, California with my husband and chocolate lab, Reese.  Growing up I always knew I wanted to be a housewife, where I would craft and bake all day.  Well, fortunately for me, I have a wonderful husband who works hard and lets me live out my dream.

Aside from that I have a little crafty company with my best friend, Jordan.  Together we make up J & A's Handmade Lovelies. 

That's it for now, but stay tuned for more from my Oh Sew Crafty Life!