We wish you a wonderful and fruitful Christmas holiday! We're taking a break through the holiday's from blogging and hope everyone has a joyous and happy time with friends and family.


We'll be back in early January with a boatload of new giveaways, reviews and more apron-ographys...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Aprons + Kids + Hard Work = Nap

Meet Trevor.

As you can see he is hard at sleep. It must have been a tough working session. He was too tired to take off his apron.

He did take the time to put his most prized possession in the pocket. Can you guess what it is?

This from a child who tells me he NEVER. GETS. TIRED.

The Virtual Cookie Exchange-Show and Tell Time!

Good Morning Apron Goddesses. It's cookie time!! And it's simple. You make a cookie and share it here by putting your name on the Mr. Linky at the bottom of this post! Be sure to post ingredients, cooking directions and any special tricks to make the cookies on your blog...

This is the Spellbinder cookie that I made, pictured below, while wearing my rooster and eggs apron. I found this cookie recipe at my friend Lesley's blog, Will Write For Food Slimfast Bars and Lean Cuisines.


It looks like a simple brown cookie with frosting, but let me assure you it is much, much more. Once you eat one, you will have to have two, then three, then four, and then you will have to lock these cookies away or you will eat the whole batch.

They are that addictive.

So why would you want to make these?

To torture those people you love. Why else??

Here's the recipe:

Spellbinders

Ingredients
1.5 C Flour
1.5 tspn. baking powder
1 tspn. soda
0.5 tspn. salt
1 C brown sugar
1 C butter
1 egg
1 C oats
1 C coconut
1 C chopped pecans
0.5 C crushed cornflakes

Combine flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and beat. Gradually mix in dry ingredients. Stir in oats, nuts, coconut, and cornflakes.

Spoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten with bottom of a glass cup and put crushed cornflakes on top and smash them into the cookie.

Bake for 12-15 minutes at 350.

After these cookies cool, you may choose to frost them with this:

Frosting
4 T. melted butter
2 T. hot water
1 t. vanilla
2 C powdered sugar

There are some lucky folks in my reality cookie exchange cause they're getting a dozen of these in a tin to take home and horde for themselves...

Enjoy!!

To join in the cookie fun please sign up below!!! And what apron did you wear??

Happy Christmas to the Winner of the D-Lux 57 Apron

Someone's Christmas will be extra special this year with a new apron from D-Lux 57!!

And the winner for this drawing stacked the odds in her favor by sending a photo and blogging about this giveaway. Sometimes it just pays off and the Goddess of Random Numbers draws you.

In the case of this current drawing, the winner has been trying to win an apron for about a year here. She has sent pictures, she has blogged about the giveaways, and she has entered almost all of them.

With no further adieu, the winner of the D-Lux 57 apron is Kim at The Ungourmet!!!

Congrats Kim. I can't believe your number has not come up sooner. Random is as random does! Random is the way of the universe sometimes it seems.

What are you going to make?

Don't forget! Virtual cookie exchange to take place on Thursday, December 17.

What are you going to make?

D-Lux 57 Giveaway - Christmas is Coming!

Jingle, jingle, bells, bells..... The countdown is on. We still don't have a tree... *sigh*

But you can sign up for the giveaway sponsored by D-Lux 57!! The apron pictured below was specially made by D-Lux 57 for a holiday event and is one of a small batch of custom aprons.


To enter, click HERE and visit D-Lux 57 to enter the giveaway!!

All-Natural Mama is an Apron Goddess

Today I can present you with another Apron Goddess, Penny at All-Natural Mama, who is a stay-at-home mom to 3 very active little boys, ages 6, 3, and 2. She also can claim the rights of being a small-scale organic vegetable farmer, growing all types of heirloom vegetables on rented farmland near her home in Illinois.

Penny wrote, " Along with growing the vegetables, I sell them locally and preserve the rest for my family's use. This year I canned hundreds of jars of food and have two chest freezers full! I love cooking (but not the cleanup afterwards - thanks to my husband for his help there!), reading, green living, eating locally and well, crocheting, and sewing aprons during the winter."

On Penny's blog, All-Natural Mama, she shares lots of great recipes, show her lastest sewing creations, talk about vegetable growing & food preservation, healthy & green living, self-sufficiency, and more.

And about the adorable lemon apron Penny is wearing... it is her most recent creation! She calls it "Lemon Drop" because of the citrus-printed fabric. It is a "cobbler-style" apron, the front & back are the same. It slips on over the head and ties at the sides.

Penny said, "This apron has a lot of coverage to keep clothes really clean underneath. I created it for a friend who does a lot of summer canning, but teaches music lessons at the end of her day and needs her clothes to be spotless. It's her Christmas gift, and I promise I didn't wear the apron for any real cooking, just for the photograph!"

I found that Penny also makes a few aprons she sells on Etsy at her store called Penny's Creations. So if you are still looking for aprons to give at Christmas you should check out her soft and sweet creations.

Thanks Penny for being Apron Goddess!!!

I'm Just Rolling With Another Great Christmas Idea

Hi Ya'll,

With the baking that is about to commence around our parts for cookie exchanges and holiday meals, I wanted to suggest another gift you may consider for any Apron Goddess that you know.

It's hefty, it rolls and it can be used in an armed robbery but is instrumental in the kitchen when trying to flatten the competition.

What is this implement of destruction you say?

No, it is not a steam roller, but good guess.

Next guess???


I give, it's a rolling pin. But not your average rolling pin. It's a marble rolling pin like this one pictured below. This is my handy and dandy marble rolling pin that I have really come to love as a kitchen appliance.


This little lady works wonders on roll out type cookies with the extra weight she carries. And when you put her in the freezer for a half hour before using, the results are even better as the cold marble keeps the dough cold in addition to expertly flattening it. The last great thing is that this rolling pin has minimal sticking, since the slick surface deflects those errant particles of dough! I can say it, "I love my marble rolling pin."

At a price ranging between 12 and 22 dollars you can find one of these to fit in your budget! And a rolling pin paired with an apron would be a great gift for someone you love!!

Now, to see what I have made with this rolling pin you will have to check back later at the cookie exchange that will be hosted here on December 17th.

Get rolling ladies!!

Mary Shows Her Florida Inspired Flamingo Apron

Good Day Apron Goddesses!! I have an apron-ogrpahy from Mary today as she sent in a picture of her lovely Flamingo apron for us to see.

Mary belongs to an Apron Club at her local quilt shop where they meet once a month and share stories about memories of growing up.

She said, "Some of us have aprons our Mom's wore. We show patterns and (have) challenges to make aprons. This flamingo apron was made because of my mom. She lived in Florida, and we sent each other Flamingo's a lot."

Mary explained further that the flamingos would show up in some odd places. They would appear at friends houses as gifts to be given to her (from her mom). One even appeared at a hotel, waiting at the front desk for Mary. This flamingo apron was born from this flamingo "gift exchange." Mary and her apron group submitted this apron to Stampington, for the "Apronology", edition too!

Our Flamingo Hostess said, "I Love to sew, and quilt. I love old linens and all things feminine. I am 63 so remember a lot of things from the kitchen. I still wear a very much used apron. I loved to be with my Grandmother in the kitchen. She came from Hungary. I love to make a lot of the recipes she brought with her."

Thank you Mary for your wonderful story about this apron. I can just imagine showing up somewhere and there being a flamingo waiting form me and busting in to laughter. Your mom has a great sense of humor!

Santa's Helpers Visit Here: Kids Books for X-Mas!!

No, this is not an APRON post...but since Christmas nears I wanted to share with you this post instead since we are all in the shopping mode.

My kids are crazy about books. See...

In addition to the assemblage of Dr. Zeus books we have, there are many other authors who we own and love. As Christmas nears, may I be so bold as to suggest you buy a book for the kids on your list. I am summarizing a selection of stories below that will surely reap the reward of many readings and much enjoyment by the kids who are lucky enough to receive them. I can whole heartedly endorse these books with no other alternate motive than to share the beauty, the stories and the messages that these books provide.

Additionally, I did a book review last year with details of our favorite books from 2008, too. So, if none of the titles below look good to you check last years list for more good children's reads.

Side note: I also rediscovered the public LIBRARY in town and began a bi-monthly pilgrimage to check out new titles and renew those we really like. So if you don't buy any of these, at least try and get them at the library for reading.

So here goes. In no particular order I recommend these for gifts for your kids:

Mammoths on the Move by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by Kurt Cyrus, is a story told in rhyming verse which explains the migration of woolly mammoths as they traveled from from the steppes of the arctic tundra to the northern prairies and grasslands below the glacier lines. The pictures are primarily in black and white and are stunningly designed for instant eye appeal to children. This is Ella's favorite.

Turtle Bay by Saviour Pirotta, illustrated by Nilesh Mistry, is the story of a boy and his friendship with a grandfather figure who is wise in the way of sea turtles. The biology of sea turtles is explained in a manner that kids understand and enjoy. The mystery of "when will the turtles arrive to their home beach" provides suspense and the drawings inside are superior. Fun book with introduction to marine biology for kids. Again another of Ella's top pics for story time.

Sailing Home: A Story of A Childhood at Sea by Gloria Rand, Ted Rand (Illustrator). Sailing home is based on the real life of a family that sailed a four mast bark around the world carrying cargo between distant lands. The story is told by a young daughter and explains what their daily life was like while sailing the ocean. Details of historical life that we can no longer imagine are given in this book in a kid friendly format. The black and white photos of the family in the end of this book also ad extra charm to the story.

Hotel Deep: Light Verse from Deep Water Poems and Paintings by Kurt Cyrus. This is one of my favorites for the amazing drawings and poetry. I love the way the verses of this book weave in and out of sea life. The drawings give a broad spectrum of accurately depicted undersea flora and fauna in rich color. There is humor, matter of fact talk about fish eating fish, fish talking about their defense, and underwater biology between the covers of this beautiful book.

Sparrow Girl written by Sara Pennypacker and illustrated by Yoko Taraka. Sparrow Girl is the story of how devastating human intervention can be to wildlife populations. In China, early Communist policy called for the extermination of all sparrows that might feed upon grain crops. The onslaught to the birds was highly successful and the Chinese were able to kill thousands upon thousands of birds in the country side. The following year famine occurred due to the bloom of locusts who wiped out the cereal crops. This book teaches a lesson in the importance of cause and effect. Kill all the birds and the bugs will take over....

The Sea, the Storm, and The Mangrove Tangle written by Lynne Cherry. This story gives a tour of the mangroves that lie off the shores of Florida and shows the detailed steps by which they form. First the seeds germinate in the water and grow. Then the mangroves gradually spread over decades and provide habitat for so many aquatic and pelagic species. Then a storm comes and beats the mangrove up a bit and the cycle begins again. Birth, the destruction and devastation, then renewal as life repeats it's self.

Nature's Paintbox: A Seasonal Gallery written by Patricia Thompson and illustrated by Craig Orback. Fabulous poetry in a story like manner is found in this book. Each season is described with detail to the specific feelings and character they embody. Each season has it's own stylistic painting interpretation. Winter is pen and ink for black and white, spring is water colors, summer is bright primary colors, and fall is oil paint. Well thought out, written and drawn with memorable verse.

Patty's Pumpkin Patch written and illustrated by Patty Sloat, is the story of the birth and succession of the pumpkin patch as tended by Patty. The alphabet is featured here and on every page a new letter is spotlighted with in the context of the seasonal growth of the pumpkin vines. The sprouting of the pumpkins, weeding of the fields, the animals that move through the patch and the end product are all detailed in vivid drawings. Great visual for letters and word association.

So that's all! I hope you can find one of these books for a child you love!!

Cookie Exchange - Virtual Style

It's that time of year....time to break out the apron and start baking cookies. I tend to go overboard with the cookies this time of year. In fact I make cookies for Santa, family, and participate in a cookie exchange. I even go as far as making "Cookies in a Jar" for the teachers. Whether you bake for friends, family, or just Santa we want to know what you are baking in your kitchen.

In 2 weeks time, December 17, Mr. Linky will be available for all who wish to participate. Here is what you get to do, bake a batch of cookies, post it and link up that post with Mr. Linky. Show us what you have and leave a recipe so the rest of us can try it out.

Happy Baking!

Crazy Beautiful Shopping Bags by Retro Revival!

If you have not been over to Retro Revival yet, I wanted to show you a couple of the grocery bags that are available in addition to the wonderful aprons. When I first looked at the site, I noticed these bags immediately since the many different vintage reproduction fabrics are eye catching.

I have a fleet of reusable grocery bags that I carry to every store and if I forget them I often forgo the plastic or paper bags if possible. I estimate that I used to acquire 7 bags a week (combined paper and plastic) and through the use of my REUSABLE fleet I have eliminated the need for over 400 bags per year which would end up in the land fill.

So, seeing the stunning bags that Cindy, owner of Retro Revival, crafts, I wanted to see just what they were about. I was not disappointed. Neither was my daughter Ella.


When I opened my package I discovered that these Vintage Fabric Totes are lined most expertly with attention to detail that I did not think was possible. The fact that they are beautiful seemed to be secondary. This is the bright red roses vintage fabric tote with green gingham lining.


And the bright pink roses vintage fabric tote print with pink lining.


And taking them to the grocery store for a test run was totally successful and I almost want to throw out all my cruddy other reusable bags and buy some more like these, but I am too practical for that. I will use the others until they disintegrate. *sigh* But when they do fall to pieces I want more beauties like these.

These fabric bags hold a volume a bit larger than your average brown paper grocery bag. And at $15.00 per bag are a GREAT value for the money. I have seen comparable bags without lining sell for double this price. Don't tell Retro Revival though...


I think these would be a great way to wrap a gift you are planning to give for Christmas. Or you could buy some vintage totes for your own shopping bags. Or just get one to look at. They are just that pretty!!

Winner of the Black Ruffle-White Polka Dot Apron From Over The Top Aprons

Mornin' Apron Goddesses.

Lots to do this month!!!

Quickly as to waste no time...

The winner of the apron made by Over The Top Aprons is JJ at Levi Shorts.

Congrats JJ!!

Just contact me with your shipping information and I'll let Corline know who won her great creation.

And if you did not win, you can still take advantage of the 10 dollar discount on all half aprons at Over The Top Aprons. This deal will be in effect through 12/12 so get over and shop now while the selection remains!