Over the Kitchen Counter: Angie's Place for Cooking and Crafts

First Color Crystals Quilt Block Done!

I have stitched many half-square triangles together and have joined them into units, rows, and more rows of twos and threes. There is a nice pile still to go but I had to see what one completed Color Crystals block would look like. The piecing and joining of those dreaded points has been going well and I am in a nice rhythm of pinning and sewing. The points aren't perfect but are acceptable enough and I am just thankful it is working out as well as it has, given a bit of a frustrating start!

I am very pleased with the first block and think the colours are beautiful. As I said, the main part of the quilt top is made up of two alternating blocks. This is just the first of Block A with 31 more to do and I have the entire piecing from the start for Block B still to begin. Once all these components (block A, block B, and HST pieced borders) are done, the top will be finished.

My impatient and curious side got the better of me but I am rewarded with this resulting block and motivated to keep going (not that there was any doubt!). Sometimes you need a quick glance at the finish line to keep on running!

Stackers Charm Box

I love my Stackers jewelry boxes for storing my Pandora jewelry, bracelets, and charms. While I was choosing the system that worked for my collection I also had to add a Charm Box.  This is a wonderful little storage box which is perfect to hold one bracelet and extra charms. I bought the 'stand-alone' lid rather than the two-layered set because while I have enough charm storage in my larger boxes, I loved the idea of being able to style my bracelets using this top lid.

The box I selected is a beautiful blush pink with a soft, padded grey interior. There is a sunken form to hold a bracelet and 18 indentations for beads. This is the perfect design to hold charms in place while deciding how to arrange them on a bracelet. It's easy to switch out different choices, seeing roughly where they will sit, and plan the perfect layout for the theme of the day!

Of course, the Stackers Charm Box can simply be used to safely store a smaller Pandora collection and could also work as a travel box. I think these are beautifully made and so well suited to charm bracelets. They mimic the design trays in-store and are a wonderful addition to a Pandora collectors storage system.

Here is my video detailing the Stackers Charm Box...

Phillips Sonicare DiamondClean Toothbrush

I recently had the easiest, fastest, most comfortable dental check up ever and it is because of the Phillips Sonicare electric toothbrush. I've had it for just over a year and it's a life-changing way to take care of your teeth. I bought mine at Costco and while it was pricey (I can't remember exactly but way over $150??), the big box offering was a complete kit of charging/cleaning base, extra brushes, travel cases, and a travel charger...so a very well appointed toothbrush!

It feels a little strange at first, especially if you don't already use an electric toothbrush, but you get used to it within a few days. Our model has different settings, including a gum massage and a quick-clean cycle. The amazing thing is that all the options have a subtle timing feature to encourage brushing for 2 minutes. It goes even farther by alerting you when it's time to move on to a different section of your teeth based on quadrants of your mouth.

If you don't relish the time spent getting a cleaning in the dentist's chair, it is totally worth every penny to invest in this fabulous toothbrush. I gifted all my kids their own Sonicare and they absolutely appreciate the difference in the feel of their teeth - and their check-ups. I used to take a pain reliever before going to my appointment to combat the ache after the hygienist's picking and scraping. This time I was in and out of the chair in less than 25 minutes and there was practically zero actual work done. I was even praised by my hygienist for the excellent "work" I was doing keeping my teeth clean! My appointment was a breeze and such a wonderful relief. I wanted to shout it from the rooftops that Sonicare is the best thing you can do for your dental hygiene!

I am in no way affiliated with Phillips and this blog is not sponsored by anyone. I truly want to share with you the good products I find that make life easier, better, healthier, and more efficient. A toothbrush may not seem like a big deal but this one is a game changer for me and my family. Teeth are meant to last a lifetime and I intend to do whatever I can to keep them healthy and clean :) 

Celebration Cake Mother's Day 2018 Pandora Charm

The new Pandora Mother's Day 2018 collection has been released and there are quite a few new charms I have on my wish list! I had already been dying to see them in person because the sweet new beads were pictured in advance in the spring catalogue. There are still some yet-to-be released pieces being held back until June so there is definitely going to be a dent in the Pandora budget this season, all this after a drool-worthy Spring collection.

While I am waiting for a promotion to pick up any more, I couldn't hold on any longer to add the Celebration Cake to my bracelet. I had one spot waiting on my Victorian Romantic bracelet for this darling slice in sterling silver and mixed enamel. Not only does the dainty dessert go well with my enchanted teapot and cup, I also needed one more dangle charm AND the hint of pink enamel in the filling and cute heart on top matches my Muranos and other dangles perfectly!

Once I got the Celebration Cake home I got a good look at it (ok, I even pulled out my magnifying glass!) and was even more delighted. The detail is wonderful on this charm, from the sweet hearts on the bale, the pink one on top, and in the layers of 'frosting', to the adorable tiny strawberry garnish. There is even a little additional feature of a 'Congrats' banner attached to the wedge of cake..and even that has a little open heart detail! There are so many beautiful touches in this very affordable charm (CDN$50).

I love how it looks on my bracelet and I know it was exactly the right addition. I'm excited to see all the new charms yet to arrive in store and look forward to adding a couple more to my collection. What's on your list of must-haves from the Pandora spring catalogue?

Color Crystals Quilt: It's Not a Race & Perfect Points Positioning Pin

I have been avoiding the next step in the Color Crystals quilt. I enjoyed piecing the half-square triangles and even joining the units into rows. However, I knew that sewing those rows together was going to be a challenge. There are points to match and that always requires special pinning to achieve an acceptable-to-me result.

Fortunately, almost six years ago now, I participated in the Connecting Threads Perfect Points Quilt-along and I learned how to use a positioning pin to help sew seams for accurate points. I shared the progress in a series of posts, starting with THIS ONE and I did end up finishing the quilt project (you can find it HERE). It wasn't a perfect job but it was done and that was good enough for me. That was many quilts ago at this point so I had to revisit the instructions and practice my points once again.

Here is the PDF instructions for using a positioning pin which was extremely helpful for refreshing my memory. I stitched the first set of rows using the pinning technique as I had recalled it with ok results. I thought I'd sew the next pair with no pinning to see how it compared (not great, not good enough for my liking), so then I read the instructions and switched how I pinned - adding the side pins in at a straight angle rather than at a diagonal - and had much better results.

This pinning will make the piecing a much longer process but I am trying to remind myself that I went into this project saying it was not a race and I wanted to keep it fun and not stressful. I may only get a couple rows sewn each day but that is still progress. I am satisfied with the points - far from perfect but not too bad. Once the quilt is finished they will hardly be noticeable. Angela Walters appears to sew her units together without any pinning at all so that is all the permission I need to keep things relaxed!

New Pandora Bracelet Video & Glow-in-the-Dark Disney Murano Charm

I have been hunkered down this past week filming and editing, trying to keep busy as the horrible 'Spring' weather rages outside! There have been many cups of tea and bowls of soup to keep me warm but I'm desperate for some sunshine.

It has been fun sharing my Pandora charms in a more detailed way and if you are interested, I posted another video to my YouTube channel. This time I review what's on my Nature & Animals themed bracelet. By showing the charms in more detail and recounting why they have meaning to me I realized this particular version of my Pandora bracelet is actually very sentimental. It turns out I selected beads that remind me of my family, whether that was subconscious or just because I choose charms that way, and I love how they come together in a beautiful, personal piece of jewelry. You can see My Pandora Bracelet: Nature & Animals video HERE.

I recently added a beautiful pink Disney Murano charm, Aurora's Signature Color, to my collection. What makes a Disney glass charm special is that they glow in the dark! Of course I had to test this feature once I got home. I charged up the bead by hanging it on the lamp switch for a few minutes. Once I turned off the light the gorgeous pink glass turned into a glowy, green-blue meteor! I took a quick pic and it looks like some kind of new planet discovery! Such fun, a cute thing to share with little Disney fans, and I can't wait to see my bracelet light up in a theatre or on a dark ride like Space Mountain on my next visit to the park.

This has been a 'cozy-up-on-the-couch-with-the-Ipad' kind of week and a daily dose of the Disney Food Blog created an unavoidable craving for cupcakes. I finally had enough of the temptation and since the grocery stores only had packaged cupcakes or sickly sweet bakery options (for $3.99+ a piece, I might add!), I broke down and made a batch at home.

My video recipe is almost 9 years old at this point but it is STILL the one I turn to. The Vanilla Cupcakes with vanilla frosting are just perfect for me. They have a great texture/crumb, scrumptious vanilla flavour (I only use pure vanilla extract), and a fluffy icing that is just the right amount of sweet. You will find the Vanilla Cupcake recipe and video HERE if you'd like to make a batch. No visit to Main Street Bakery necessary!

My Pandora Bracelet: Victorian Romantic

In February I wrote about my old Pandora bracelet video (HERE) from 2013 and how I was considering filming an update. Well, I dusted off the tripod and figured out a way to adapt it to my larger i-phone so I could film. Once I was able to get my video recorded I had to learn how to edit on i-movie (long gone are my Movie Maker days!) and upload to my YouTube channel.

I'm so pleased to report my new video is now live! I wanted to keep it short and to the point and while it's nothing fancy, I'm happy with the result. Watching other Pandora videos has become a favourite tea break activity for me so I'm guessing other passionate collectors are always looking for new video shares as well. The bracelet I feature is my current favourite, a sort of Victorian-Romantic themed collection of older charms and new releases. I love the mix of textures and finishes and more importantly, that the now properly fitting bracelet is so comfortable!!!

I will spend quite a bit of time arranging the beads so they fall in the right orientation for my preference, are balanced in terms of size, shape, texture, and style, and are properly spaced on the chain (I like a bit of play and movement between the charms and I love the clicky sound!). After I get them how they are pleasing to me, I try on the bracelet and see if it feels good. If it doesn't, I have to re-think the plan and take off the charms to rearrange them once again. Sometimes the dangles don't fall in the right place or a certain charm digs in my skin (Edelweiss is a notoriously spikey one!), and often I just want to see my favourite charms more easily. It's really fun to style Pandora bracelets and I find it a very relaxing process.

Here is my updated Pandora bracelet share for 2018. If you would like to see more please leave me a comment here or on YouTube and I will definitely film again. It was a lot of fun and I realize how much I've missed doing it. Life was busy over the previous few years with major life events but now I am in a place where I can make more room for the past times I enjoy. Thanks for checking in and I hope you watch my new video!

Cadbury Mini Eggs Cookies

The holiday is over and we had a wonderful time getting some of the extended family together to celebrate. Of course, there were plenty of treats to share and we had some excellent meals. Now that I'm back in my own kitchen I decided to use up those Cadbury Mini Eggs (which are on clearance and too good a deal to pass up!). The usual plan of action is a scrumptious batch of cookies and I found THIS RECIPE from the Claudia's Cookbook website.

The recipe is pretty much a standard chocolate chip cookie dough with the addition of tons of broken Cadbury Mini Eggs in place of chocolate chips. It takes two cups of the Easter favourite so there are still enough in the jumbo bag for a handful or two to snack on. I used a medium ice cream scoop to portion out the dough which resulted in a smaller batch but BIG cookies!

Everyone adores these delectable treats but I was especially lucky to taste them warm from the oven. I managed a couple few but am thankful that I now find them a bit TOO sweet and rich. I think I'm done for this year which leaves plenty for the family to enjoy when they get home tonight.