My Size Zucchini

This one makes me laugh. Joe stopped in on his way home from Cassie's. During his visit, they stopped in at her grandma's house. He came away with zucchini. Not just any zucchini mind you. MONSTEROUSLY LARGE zucchini. Ever seen a zucchini the size of an 8-month-old? Well, you're about to...

I started baking the next day. You'd be amazed at how many zucchini bread recipes there are out there. I found more than a few that tempted my taste buds. The first was savory. Asiago Zucchini Bread. Mmmmm...Delicious. Some went to my neighbor, a slice each to my mother-in-law, my father-in-law and dear Joey, two slices were saved for my husband (although, I had to sit on my hands a couple of times to keep from breaking off just a small chunk)and the last two slices were all mine.

If you're going to do savory, you must then balance it with sweet. The next two cups of shredded zucchini went into this loaf of Chocolate Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread. This was equally tasty and for all the reasons the first loaf was not. Where the first loaf was rich with the flavor of onion and salty from the cheese, the second had a sugary sweet crust on top and little morsels of chocolate that melted on your tongue. Heavenly!!

I suppose baking isn't the best way to pass time on a day when it is supposed to be 90 degrees and sunny, but half that bad boy is still in my refrigerator and I'm suddenly craving zucchini bread. Sweet or savory? Pineapple Coconut or Cheddar Herb. What to do...what to do...

A chance to win Betty and a whole lot more!

Lexi over at Love.Obsess.Inspire. is having one massive giveaway during the month of July. She's got a lovely blog in its beginning stages. I've already found some links to add to my favorites and some things to obsess over. : )

MaxineMargaret has donated a Betty wristlet to the event so scoot on over to Lexi's blog and enter to win. If you do, you'll end up with a whole lotta fantastic loot...including one of my favorite Betty's ever.

Cocktails at 8

This little Betty is completely worthy of cocktails at 8. Is anyone having a party tonight?? I'd have to rush out for a suitable little black dress. It would be totally worth it to have this lovely lady on my wrist.

Alas, I must package her up and ship her off. She belongs to Judy. I hope she falls in love with her as quickly and as hard as I did. [sigh...]

Where in the world does time go??

Seriously? Where?? There must be some sort of void that sucks it all up. I cannot believe it has been well over a month since I last posted to the blog. I keep telling myself that I'm going to get out here and talk to everyone on a REGULAR basis but then things happen. What things? Well, since the last post I...



1. Redecorated our bedroom. WM went out of town on business. Kath came over to wrangle WC. I went to town on the bedroom. It went from "Sassy Green" to "Watery" in a matter of days. Out! Out! Out!! went the DKNY pink and green bedding. In drifted a navy quilted coverlet accented by drapes and pillow shams from Anna Maria Horner's "Good Folks" line. Lovely. Lovely indeed. WM was certainly surprised when he arrived home. I didn't tell him of my plans. Too fun!


2. Went to Duluth. A lovely trip. I'll spare you the details (this time) as I neglected to take any photos. However, we're going again this weekend and I will do a much, much better job of documenting our comings and goings.

3. Finally got around to making the thank you gift for MH who so kindly takes all of WC's milestone pictures. I get cutie patootie photos of my son. MH gets a custom travel bag. Hazel. This is only the fifth one made...EVER. She's not quite done as the zipper (a custom order) has yet to arrive. If/when a cost effective way to produce these occurs, these will be introduced to the general public.



That's just a little overview. There have been many early morning walks with our friends and neighbors, bonfires on the driveway, dinners with the high school gals and today a trip to Northfield with Kath.

Speaking of Kath. She's been busy on a new MaxineMargaret creation! The Channing!! This diaper wallet is sized to hold mom's necessities. It has pockets gallore. The larger pockets are designed to hold diapers and a changing pad. A smaller, flapped pocket holds cash or receipts and has slots for an ID, credit cards and a library card. Opposite the pockets, the specially designed pouch, holds a soft, travel pack of wipes. It all zips shut into a neat, little package, perfect for those times when you need the essentials but a full diaper bag would just be too much. Kathy has put in many long and hard hours perfecting this little beauty. She's already sold 10 of them! Way to go!!

Because Everyone Wants A Betty

May in MN means that spring is FINALLY here. With spring comes a multitude of events-Mother's Day, graduations, showers, weddings all immediately come to mind. Sure, there are the 'lesser' events too like backyard BBQs and drinks out with the girls and dinner and a movie with your significant other. Regardless of the importance, it's spring. Get out there and kick up your heels gals-preferably the red, patent leather, stilettos (Lynnea)!!

While you're out and about, don't forget to bring along your new best friend-BETTY!! MM's mighty little wristlet adds that certain something to any outfit while keeping all your necessities close at hand. For those of you who don't currently have a Betty, she's our wristlet. She's got just enough room for your keys, cell phone and favorite lip gloss or lipstick (or in my case Pineapple chapstick from Alba). Her interior features four card pockets for your ID, credit card, etc. Betty's wrist strap is 12 inches long, and with her leash clip and o-rings on both ends, she can convert from wristlet to mini-bag. Either way, she makes a fantastic gift for yourself, your mother, a graduate, a bride, a bridesmaid or even a mother-to-be.

Check out our sale at www.maxinemargaret.etsy.com During the month of May, all Betty's are just $40 which is $10 off the usual selling price. You'd better snap one up quick before the one you covet most is gone!

Et Voila!!

After four weeks of hard work, the purses and handbags from Jenn's party are done. Each seems more beautiful than the next. Channing and I will be driving out to Carver tomorrow to drop them off. Thank you ladies for your patience as we fulfilled your orders. Enjoy your creations!!

A Hint of Spring

Believe it or not, spring is officially here. I'm leaning toward the 'or not' as the temperature hasn't exactly been cooperating. We had the typical March weather tease a couple weeks ago. An entire week of temps in the 60s. One day even reached 70. We're back to cold. With the wind, temps are in the single digits.

The cold weather is probably for the best. It keeps us indoors and on task with regard to purse production. We're nearly done with the bags from Jenn's party. Just a couple to go. Kathy came to our house/studio yesterday and we hit it hard. She did a Kathy. I finished the yet to be named diaper bag, did a Kathleen and started in on a Holly.

The best part was when I opened the door to let her in, instead of being greeted by Kathy's smiling face, I saw these beautiful flowers instead. They've found a home on the end table in the living room. Since the sewing studio has once again migrated from upstairs to the dining room table, it is the perfect place to have a spot of cheer. The flower's bright cheerful colors smile at me and give me hope that spring will one day arrive.

We'll go out into the world and find bare feet with painted toes, kicky capris, lots of happy smiling faces and of course, each woman's arm will be graced with their favorite MM creation. Ahhh....bliss!

Flying Solo

In an earlier post, I hinted at changes that were on the horizon for MM. Well, today I'm announcing the first one. For the past year or so, I've been flying solo (sort of). Sarah decided to pursue other passions. Woo hoo for Sarah as she's doing fabulous in her new venture. Boo hoo for me as a BIG part of MM went with her. She'll still be around adding her touch (a little glam) now and then, but with regard to playing party hostess and sewing purses, she's totally out of the picture. While we haven't worked out her exact title yet, my mother-in-law, Kathy has joined MM as my new business partner. (Now if only I could coax my mom out of retirement...)

As Sarah stepped down, Kathy began to fill her shoes. She quietly and efficiently sewed behind the scenes whenever I needed a hand. Now that she's officially 'in', she'll be getting the recognition she deserves. This week, she flew solo on her first MM bag. I handed off fabric & some VERY ROUGH directions et voila! Here is her first creation.

I couldn't be happier with the result & feel so blessed that she is on board. Not only has she been busy sewing, but she's been busy perfecting an addition to the MM line. Mom's everywhere will rejoice when her project is revealed. Check back soon for yet another exciting announcement!!

Like a fiend

My word of the week this week is fiend. Everything I do is in a fiendish manner. I've been cleaning, baking, weeding out my excess, making lists and, last but not least, sewing LIKE A FIEND all while keeping my little man happy. He had vaccinations on Monday which left him a little feverish and slightly grumpy for the past two days.


Today, seems to be the turning point though. He happily played and cooed while I sorted laundry this morning. He napped long enough for me to cut and sew a Betty. He's been a little snuggle bug. I took this photo this morning.

I don't have a picture to share as my stomach spoke louder than my blogging brain. However, I do have a recipe for you. At www.foodnetwork.com , search the recipes for Lemon Pudding Cake. Pick the one by Tyler Florence. (It should be first on the list of results.) When you make it, subsitute coconut milk for the whole milk and lime for the lemon. You won't be disappointed!!!

I've been wanting to make another batch. Instead, I've been sewing (LIKE A FIEND!) Jenn hosted a party out in Carver over the weekend. I had the pleasure of meeting some delightful ladies and am busy, busy, busy filling their orders. Sunday was spent shopping odds and ends-zippers, contrasting fabrics and ribbons, etc. Monday, the 'real' work began. The results are below.

Happy Birthday K & K

March is a really good month to have a birthday. REALLY, REALLY GOOD!! Mom, Dad, Sarah, WM & I all have birthdays. It is a celebration from start to finish. When you add all the extended family & friends who have March birthdays into the mix, it gets a little out of control. This year, to add to the fun & festivities, there are a couple of young ladies I know who are celebrating (ahem) birthday milestones this year.

Kara contacted me a month ago asking for birthday bags to commemorate this special year. I've been holding off on this post so as not to spoil the surprise for Kelly. The secret is FINALLY out!!! Here they are!! A Betty for Kara & a Maxine for Kelly.

Fruits of my labor

Ha. I don't post for months and months, and then today comes along and I post twice. I am quite pleased with the fruits of my labor. Three pieces to be exact. My office. A Kathleen for Katie. Boston Cream Pie.

The pie came first. WC & I baked it for WM while he was away this week. Now that WC is three months old, he's getting to be quite the little helper.




Boston Cream is as easy as pie. We baked a French Vanilla cake. We made the filling from vanilla pudding with an extra splash of vanilla. (Just follow the pie directions on the pudding box & add and extra teaspoon of vanilla). The ganache is just whipping cream & chocolate chips. Heat a cup of cream in the microwave. Melt in one bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Stir until smooth and there you have it.

Mmmmmm...

Needless to say, WM has requested we bake him a cake every time he goes away on business. That is to say, every three weeks. I don't know how my bathroom scale would feel about that.

My office as mentioned in the last post had gotten out of control. Now it looks like this:


Lastly, Kathleen for Katie. Kathleen doesn't even have a page on the website yet. She's fantastic. Holds more than her fair share. Has doubled as a diaper bag in a pinch. Two sizes so ask for a Kathy if you prefer a handbag to a shoulder bag. This little cutie is for Katie. She asked for her AGES ago under the 'whenever you have time..." timeline. Whenever was today. Partly because I was feeling guilty. Mostly because it is fun to brighten someone's day. Between juggling two busy kiddos, PTA meetings, yearbook details, a husband and a household, chances are Kathleen has slipped Katie's mind. She'll get a sweet little treat tomorrow. WC & I are meeting Katie, Holly & Holly's darling little girls tomorrow. Shopping. Lunch. Good girly times. Hooray!!

The Creative Juices Are Flowing Again

Woo hoo!! Kara stopped by the studio the other weekend. We TRASHED it. There was fabric everywhere!! You couldn't see the floor and there wasn't a single thread left on the shelf. UGH. Good in that she found what she was looking for. Even better that it forced me to do a little cleaning.

I have a hard time creating when there is chaos around me. Now, everything is neatly put away. I'm still not totally sold on my orange walls. They've only been that color for four years now. You'd think I'd decide to either love 'em or hate 'em. They make me jumpy and restless. So...I bought some green & orange fabric for the window treatments. Hopefully, the green will add that soothing element that I am looking for.


As for Kara's selection, Alexander Henry. A bit of red, cream & black. Black accents. Et voila! You have one sweet little Betty.

(NEARLY) A YEAR IN REVIEW

OK. I'll admit to being a blogging slacker. It has been close to a year since my last post. I'm going to play catch up in one post and am making a solemn vow to be better at keeping my posts up to date.

It is a little hard to sum it all up. I'm all about the details. What do I leave out? OK...the high points are as follows:

In March, we celebrated our birthdays (my hubby & I share the same one!) by announcing that I was pregnant. How's that for a good start to yet another year? We also made a quick trip to LasVegas with my husband's family. It was fun! We saw LOVE. So...cool.


Skipping ahead...In August, we traveled to Cincy, OH to attend the wedding of my dear sister-in-law, Kelly. 7 months pregnany. 100+ degrees. An outdoor wedding. Still, it was very moving. Beautiful. Good to connect with family & friends who hadn't been seen for a while. Good to celebrate the budding of a new branch on the family tree. Congrats to Andy & Kelly!!

September brought our first wedding anniversary and baby showers that carried into October. I was also laid off from my 'real' job, allowing me time to nest and put my swollen feet up for a spell.


Walter Channing arrived on November 15. It wasn't an easy labor, but I will say he's now an easy baby. Sleeping through the night already. Letting me smother him with kisses and nibble on his toes constantly. If he could talk I'm sure he'd say, "Enough already, Mom!" I wished aloud for a snuggly baby and a snuggly baby is what I got. This picture is from last week. Don't you just want to pinch those cheeks? I find motherhood agreeing with me quite well. Quite well indeed.


New Year's came quietly for us. I made dinner. Lobster dinner. Ah...what we do for love. As my sister, Sarah, likes to say, 'I don't eat crustaceans.' I will cook them for my husband though. He was pretty pleased with his dinner. I had chicken. It was overcooked as I was paying more attention to the lobster. Oh well. I can still say I can successfully make lobster as well as an assortment of condiments for my condiment obsessed husband.

As for MaxineMargaret, good things are on the way. Many, many good things. There are all sorts of ideas floating round in my head. A fresh start for a new year. A new direction to go with the new phase of my life.