Cindy Taylor Oates

I Have Moved

2008-10-19T08:54:00.000-07:00

I have started a new Taylor Made Designs blog http://www.taylormadedesigns.typepad.com/and I would like to invite you to check it out. Most of my blogging will be done there. In the mean time, here is a photo of the new book cover Any Season Robe.

Hope to see you there

Cindy

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

2008-09-01T14:17:00.001-07:00

One day it is the 4th of July and the next think you know it is Labor Day! What happend to the summer? My summer was spent reading these books along with 3 others that I have already given away. I was not familiar with this author, John Sanford, until I picked up a book my husband was reading on vacation. These are thrillers and I am hooked. As soon as I start reading, all I want to do is finish the book. The writing is especially good...always just the right word used in a description. I was looking at the latest book and discovered that John Sanford is the pseudonym of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John Camp. No wonder the writing is so good! This author has written 25 books but I will not be reading any more for a while. Quilt Market is just around the corner and it is time to get serious about new products. Beautiful new fabrics are piling up and begging to be made into something cute and irresistable.

Bye for now
Cindy

Happy 4th of July

2008-07-04T12:01:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist making a patriotic cupcake today. It is supposed to look like whipped cream and a cherry on top. Thanks to those of you who have inquired about purchasing the Cupcake Pincushion pattern. I do not have a website but if you google Taylor Made Designs you will come up with a lot of on-line shops that carry my books and patterns.

Another holiday...another excuse to decorate a little. We are spending a traditional day with hamburgers, hot dogs and corn on the cob. Our neighbor is bringing Boston Creme Pie...not sure how that ties in but I know it will be delicious. Have a save and fun holiday!
Back soon,
Cindy

Pretty Hibiscus

2008-06-12T07:54:00.001-07:00

I fell in love with and purchased this Hibiscus with a braided trunk at Home Depot in early April. It was blooming when I bought it and has been blooming off and on ever since. This is how it looked one morning last week. The biggest shock is that it is still alive!

Bye for now
Cindy

Cupcake Pincushion

2008-05-31T12:16:00.000-07:00

This is the new little booklet for making a pincushion that looks like a cupcake. It is so much fun to make and a great way to use up small bits of fabric. I filled some of mine with sand. I really like the weight of these. The rest I filled with crushed walnut shells. Someone told me that it was good for your needles. It is actually reptile bedding. It comes in a large bag and can be found at a pet store. Here is the back cover so you can see some other variations. The pattern also includes directions for making a flower out of a yo-yo. You can see these on the back cover. The one on the front cover is a ribbon flower I purchased.
I made the little glass stands by gluing a glass candlestick to a small plate. I purchased these at a thrift store. I will make a little tutorial on the subject.
Bye for now
Cindy

Quilt Market- Spring 2008

2008-05-26T09:21:00.000-07:00

Quilt Market

New products are finished, Quilt Market is over and I have officially taken myself off of "blog restriction". I don't know how I got so far behind this time but it was a mad push to the finish line to get everything ready for market.

Quilt Market was great fun...as always. Got to meet a lot of nice people and re-connect with old friends. I wanted my booth to look like a party because I was featuring my new Cupcake Pincushion pattern. I think I can safely proclaim that I had the "pinkest" booth there. Tomorrow I will post the covers from the new books.

Have a great day!
Cindy

Hoppy Easter

2008-03-23T13:13:00.000-07:00

I found this cute Easter decoration at a new Home Goods store that opened in the middle of February. I, of course, had to go the first day. It was crowded but I was happy to find two of these, one for me and one for BFF Renee. The head comes off of the rabbit and the lid comes off the box. So cute!

I have had to put myself on computer restriction because I need to be working on new products for Quilt Market which is fast approaching. Yikes.

Hope you all have a great day.
Bye for now
Cindy

A Beautiful Day in Arizona

2008-03-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

My brother, Brad, and his wife, Teresa, were visiting us last weekend so Sunday morning I took Brad on a hike up the trail at Pinnacle Peak. It was a beautiful day...perfect weather...and everything looked so lush and green. There were lots of flowers and other blooming plants.

Now I know that in most parts of the country you would never call this mountain green...but trust me...come summer, this mountain will be much more brown.
I just love the contrast of the brown rocks, the green cactus and the blue sky.

So if you ever come to Arizona, be sure to take a hike. We have lots of mountains with groomed trails for every level of fitness.

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T10:37:00.001-08:00

I kept this tinsel tree out when I put away my Christmas decorations because I thought it might be cute for Valentine's Day. Unfortunately, I now have to find a place to store it.

Happy Valentine's Day

Kiss...kiss...make a wish!

Won't You Be My Valentine?

2008-02-12T09:08:00.000-08:00

I love red...and hearts...so Valentine's Day is a holiday that has my name written all over it. Any excuse to decorate a little.

Today I am going to finish sewing an apron for the new book "More Retro Aprons". I will give you a sneak peak soon.

Have a great day
Bye for now
Cindy

2008-02-10T12:42:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Leanne

I can't believe it...but today is my older daughter's 26th birthday. How can this be? The time has gone by so quickly.

It seems like only yesterday she was here playing with She-ra, My Little Pony and Rainbow Brite.

Now she lives in LA and will be starting law school in the fall. She is a wonderful daughter; full of joy and laughter.

Leanne, you are my sunshine!

Love you,

Mom

Rainy Day Soup

2008-02-09T12:17:00.000-08:00

This is the chicken soup the Holly Holderman mentioned in her blog on January 28th. She asked for the recipe so here it is. It was such a treat to have Holly and Penny visit. I got this recipe from my friend Judy. She is a fabulous cook. She calls it Chicken Chili but I don't really like that name. I think of chili as being red and thick with red beans and lots of chili powder. So lets think of a new name for this delicious soup. 2 lb. chicken breast cooked and shreaded
4 cans Navy beans (rinsed) use White beans if you can't find Navy beans
1 T. olive oil
2 med. onions chopped (I always use sweet onions)
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
8 oz. can chopped green chilis
2 t. cumin
1 ½ t. oregano
¼ t. clove
¼ t. cayenne
6 c. chicken stock
3 c. shreded jack cheese (reserve 1 cup)

Saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil. Add everything else and simmer for a couple of hours.

Top with some or all of the items listed below:
chopped cilantro, green onions & tomatos
sour cream
avocado slices
reserved cheese
tortilla strips

These toppings are great because the soup is pretty beige without them. And each person can customize the soup to their own taste.
Bye for now
Cindy

Christmas Eve

2007-12-24T13:57:00.001-08:00

Around the House

It is Christmas Eve day...so here are a few more photos from around the house. Above is the grapevine snowman that hangs out by my front door. Two of the trees have white lights in them.

These are the cookies we make every year. Daughter Elizabeth made these. They are Nabisco Chocolate Wafer Cookies dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with crushed peppermints. These "no-bake" cookies are super easy to make and look very festive.

Pretty packages under the tree.

And finally, the tree. We put ours in a urn which is great because it holds so much water. The tree itself is held in place with large river rocks. I like how the urn lifts the tree up so there is more room for packages. I used 3 strands of green stranded icicle lights for a total of 900 lights. With this type of tree, a Noble Fir, icicle lights make quick work of putting the lights on the tree. Simply lay the strands on the branches towards the center of the tree and pull the individual strings out towards the tips of the branches. It looks really beautiful at night.

Bye for now,

Cindy

Christmas Eve Eve

2007-12-23T07:20:00.000-08:00

Around the House on Christmas Eve Eve

I have been busy decorating for Christmas for several weeks now. I think I am finally done. The boxes are put away, the gifts are wrapped, the cookies are made. Now it is time to relax, entertain a few friends, share photos with you and enjoy having my girls home for the holidays.

Bye for now

Cindy

Thrift Stores

2007-12-22T10:38:00.001-08:00

Why I Am Addicted To Thrift Stores

This is one of my most recent thrift store finds. Isn't if funky? It is made from safety pins and beads. It has a string of lights stuffed inside. The crystal beads are very reflective when it is plugged in. I have seen baskets in antique stores made like this...but never a Christmas tree. When do you think it was made...in the 60's...maybe the 70's?

Here is another "find". I love 50's Christmas so how could I resist this plastic Santa with poinsettias for $1.00?

Gotta run to pick up my daughter at the airport. She is coming in from LA for Christmas. Can't wait to see her.

Bye for now

Cindy

2007-12-16T07:14:00.000-08:00

Christmas Candy Jars

Did you know that round biscuit or cookie cutters make cute jar tops? I found most of the jars at my local thrift store and the cookie cutters at antique stores. Soon I will post all of the great Christmas items I found this year at my two favorite thrift stores...then you will know why I am so hooked.

Back soon

Cindy

2007-11-29T11:51:00.000-08:00

Lesson Number 2

Here is post #2. Renee is still here and this is my test to see if I was paying attention. This is a photo of my booth (Taylor Made Designs) at the last Quilt Market. As you can see, I love the color pink.

2007-11-29T10:34:00.000-08:00

First Post . . .

Welcome to my new blog. Thank goodness my friend Renee came to help me with this today. I am not sure how I will do without her or how many trips she will have to make to my house to get me up to speed...hopefully not too many.