Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Look at this gown that Grosgrain is giving away! I can't even imagine sitting and sewing it. If I did I surely wouldn't give it away! You can go to her blog to sign up to win this amazing dress. I know Emma would just love it.

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Sewing Saturday

First of all, I didn't finish all of this on Saturday but the bulk of it was completed. We're heading to Canada this weekend and I wanted to take little things to some of the ladies I only see once a year. Kind of an early Christmas gift.

I'm so thankful for this tutorial which I've used bunches of times. Who doesn't need a new dishtowel? Another pin cushion/snippet bag. This is also a gift.

One more mini quilt. I'm loving the mitered corners.

Look! Finally I sewed something just for me. My own little pin cushion/snippet bag! I just love it.

Harvest Celebration

It didn't matter that the temperature is still in the upper 80's (F), the grass is green and the leaves are no where near falling from the trees. We still had such nice time celebrating the season with some of our friends today at the barn.

Here's our table. The pumpkins are paper bags painted, stuffed with shredded paper and also included a little bottle of bubbles.It was so hot that the little kids enjoyed cooling off in the tub instead of bobbing for apples! LOL! I think they thought I just set the apples there so that they could reach them better. We never did "bob" for apples because every time I turned around another child already had an apple in his/her mouth! I'm glad they enjoyed my healthy snack.We didn't actually have a hay ride but the kids didn't seem to mind. Instead we spread a quilt in the back of Kubbie and Mary drove everyone around the property.

What would fall be without pumpkins? We don't believe in celebrating Halloween at all, so no jack-o-lanterns for us. Instead we used the carving of the pumpkins as a teaching time. We are a lot like pumpkins until we ask Jesus into our hearts. He comes in and scoops all the bad stuff out (scrap out the inside of the pumpkin) and fills us with His love (cut circles, diamonds etc in the pumpkin and put a candle inside ) so that we can shine with His light to the rest of the world.Today just happened to be my sweet friend Candice's birthday! We made her a pumpkin pie, complete with candles!

I had such a nice time visiting with my friends and watching our children have pure and simple fun together. What a nice way to ring in a new season.

More projects

I love it when I finally get things finished. Here are two things I've been meaning to do and finally I did them:

First of all my snips catchit and pin cushion bag. Isn't it cute? This one is for a friend, but I'm going to make one for myself. So fast and easy and so useful.The other thing is homemade, all natural hand sanitizer. Here's the recipe:

2Tbsp + 1tsp plain aloe vera or lemon witch hazel

1/8 tsp tea tree oil

24 drops of essential oil (I used lavender but you could use any combination of your favorites)

4 drops grapefruit seed extract

Mix all the ingredients in a 1 ounce spray bottle. Shake well before using. Spray 2-3 times on hands and rub together. It has an indefinite shelf life.

Easing into quilting

Several years ago I took a couple of quilting classes. I really enjoyed them, but unfortunately never completed anything! During the class we'd get most of the quilt top done then I'd be sent home to finish it on my own. It just never happened. One thing was that I didn't understand how to do mitered corners.

Last year I found some little kits in my local quilting store. These were to make mini quilts-about the size of a pot holder. I thought this was something I could do. Once again, the corners threw me for a loop. Then I found this tutorial and my world has changed! I made 2 mini quilts for 2 birthday gifts. Now I'm ready to tackle the lap quilt that's been unfinished for about 4 years! Who knows, maybe I'll even graduate to a full size quilt one day!

Cover Girls!

Isn't this cute! I saw Kim and Dee's and just had to make one for my girls. It was so easy to make at this website.

Girl's night

Pizza, movies and lots of giggles. It's fun to be a girl!

Pumpkin Bread

We are fortunate to go to an incredible church that just happens to have a lot of really good cooks! In between first and second service a couple of very talented sisters share their love of cooking with all of us. Everything they make is so wonderful. Emma loved the pumpkin bread last Sunday (in fact, Lisa gave her a bag full of it to take home). Michelle was sweet enough to share the recipe with me. I made it today and Emma said it was just as good as Ms. Michelle's! ( I doubt that!)

PUMPKIN BREAD w/ORANGE SAUCE

1 cup oil
3 cups sugar
4 eggs (slightly beaten)
2 cups pumpkin
2/3 cups water
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. each salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, & cloves
3 ½ cups flour
½ cups chopped nuts (optional)

Mix oil, sugar and eggs. Add pumpkin, water, soda and spices. Mix well then gradually add flour. Fold in nuts. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans and bake ( preheat oven to 350 degrees) for 1 hour.


ORANGE SAUCE

Juice of 1 orange
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 cup water
½ cup sugar
3 tbsp. cornstarch
grated rind of orange
1 egg (slightly beaten)
1 tsp. butter

Combine juices and water. Add sugar and cornstarch. Stir in rind, egg and butter. Microwave 5 min. and stir well. Keep in fridge.

What toy are you???

Recently, I received an invitation to a homeschool mom's get together. They asked that you bring an inexpensive toy that represented who you are. After the party the toys will be donated to Toys for Tots. I thought this was such a great idea for a party theme. It also got me thinking about which toy I would choose to represent me. Finally I decided:

Holly Hobbie! She's simple, quiet and represents good, wholesome values. I had a doll just like the one above when I was a girl. I loved her dearly and took her every where with me. Today my 4 year old likes to watch the new Holly Hobby dvd's and read her books. She dresses a little differently but is still the same sweet, giving girl. Now I'd like to know, who or what would you choose?

Sharing

I love to give to others. I especially love to sew gifts. Cooking is another story. It's not that I don't enjoy it, because I do immensely. It's just that I'm not confident in my skills. Lately I've been trying to branch out a bit. I've cooked a couple of meals for those who really needed it and today Emma and I baked. This apple oat bran muffin recipe is new to us (we found it just this month) but it's already one of our favorites. I decided today to bake and give-not just food but love and prayers. Hopefully the recipients can feel God's love through just this simple gift.

Dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for...

~Phil 4:8

Butter Cookies in Pixie Hollow

Friday is our favorite school day because we have the least amount of work to do. That means we have time for other interests.

Emma has been studying her alphabet with My Little Primer. For "B" we were supposed to make Ma's Butter Cookies but didn't have all the ingredients at the time. I finally remembered to purchase everything and Emma and I were in the kitchen cooking. This little girl loves to cook! I measured and she mixed. We both rolled them for the cookie sheet. Then I was left alone to wait for them to bake while she ran off with her sisters.

Mary and Grace know how interested Emma is right now in stories about fairies. Well, it seems they found some fairies for her at the Pixie Hollow Tree. She was so excited! They even helped her to make houses and beds for her imaginary fairies.

As soon as the cookies were done, I jumped on my bike and took them to the girls. What a perfect afternoon it was for a 4 year old with butter cookies and fairies. I think even her big sisters had fun.

A Dress for Emma

Finally I finished this dress! It wasn't a hard pattern, honestly. I have to admit, the placket was difficult for me. I've done tons of plackets before, just never this way. LOL! The pattern is "Grace" by Children's Corner. It has 10 knife pleats in the front and 10 in the back.

I think they added that little "something" to the dress. I had purchased the fabric a few years ago and just happened to have matching whipped piping in my stash.

I think it all worked out nicely and so does Emma. She very patiently waited for me to finish. Her only complaint-it's not blue. Guess what I'm working on now! LOL

Our Lips and Ears

I read this on Kim's blog today and felt it needed to be shared here too.


In which we learn how to conduct our conversation.

If you your lips would keep from slips,

Five things observe with care;

Of whom you speak, to whom you speak,

And how and when and where.

If you your ears would save from jeers,

These things keep meekly hid:

Myself and I, mine and my,

And how I do and did.



from the Book of Virtues