Show and Tell

Welcome to “Show and Tell Friday!” Do you have something special to share with us? It could be a trinket from grade school, a piece of jewelry, or a treasured collection. Look around your home for something to share; dig through those boxes in your closet if you have to! Share photos and the story that goes with your special item.

Today I want to show you my favorite patchwork quilt. Several years ago my sister and I were yard-saling together. At one of the stops we saw some quilts lying on the lawn, so of course I was interested! The lady that was having the sale told me that her husband's aunt had made this particular one about 20 years earlier. Her name was Audrey but she went by "Aud." She lived up in the Appalachian Mountains, in a cabin with no running water or electricity, and liked to pass the time by quilting.


It is a queen size quilt and every single stitch was done by hand.


All the colors of the rainbow!


A year ago I took it into a quilt shop and was told that many of the fabrics are from the depression era.




The top and bottom borders are this sweet horse and buggy print.


The side borders are a scene of a man, woman, little girl and a kitty. Their cottage is in the distance.


Lots of tiny stitches!


I'm looking foward to crisp Autumn evenings. This is the perfect quilt to curl up under!


Thank you for looking at my Show and Tell!




Show and Tell Guidelines

What is Show and Tell Friday?
Show and Tell involves showing something to an audience, and then telling them about it. Your show and tell must be something that you own, and is in your home or garden.

What items work well for Show and Tell Friday?
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
-Childhood keepsakes
-Family heirlooms
-A collection you may have
-A piece of jewelry
-A special gift
-A favorite treasure
-Gardening pictures

What doesn't work well for Show and Tell Friday?
-Posts with no photos have no "Show." Please don't use them.
-Photos of events (trips, vacations, celebrations, etc.)
-Photos of things you are selling or planning to sell.
-Photos found on the internet, graphics or screenshots. Please use photos you take yourself.

There is no place like home is the original home of Show and Tell Friday. Please do not host your own.

Please do not feel that you have to participate every Friday.

How can I participate?
Once you've got your photo(s) and your story, it's easy as 1-2-3!

1 - Publish your "Show and Tell" on your blog, including a link back to There is No place like Home. If you don’t know the link code, email me and I will send it to you.

2 - Copy the link (or "permalink") from your post.

3 - Add it to Mr. Linky, along with your first name. I usually put Mr. Linky up on Friday at 12:00am Eastern time.

That's it! After that, you can start visiting all the other Show and Tell participants!

Whispers of Blue

There was a little surprise waiting for us this morning. Can you spot it?

~Whispers of Blue~


Nature's trumpets, morning glories greet the day with happiness.







"In its first radiance I have seen
The sun! - why tarry then till comes the night?
I go my way, content that I have been
Part of the morning light!"
-Florence Earle Coates, The Morning Glory

1938 Kitchen Quiz Answers

I'm glad that you enjoyed taking a look at my 1938 Foods and Home Making book. Thank you for your wonderful comments and for joining in for the quiz!



Here are the questions again, with the answers below:

Question: If you are sent to market to buy tea for the older members of your family, who prefer the beverage served with cream, what kind of tea leaves would you buy?

Answer: The two most popular types of tea are black and green. Black tea leaves are fermented before drying. Well-known black teas are Flowery Pekoe, Orange, Pekoe, and English Breakfast. Darjeeling is a fine black tea grown in India. Green tea leaves are dried without first fermenting. Gunpowder, Imperial, and Young Hyson are popular green teas. Those who are particular about the flavor of tea think that only black teas, especially those produced in India, are suitable to serve with cream.

Question: What is a silence cloth?

Answer: The clatter of dishes is usually not pleasant. To make the placing of a dish on the table noiseless, the table may be covered first with a soft, heavy cloth known as a silence cloth or padding. There are materials which are made especially for silence cloths. Heavy cotton cloth which is fleeced on both sides is often used. Sometimes silence cloths are made of quilted material. Asbestos (Yikes!) is used also as table padding. Flannelette is not so heavy as the materials just mentioned, but it is inexpensive and may be bought not only in white but in dark-wood colors. A silence cloth not only deadens the sound of dishes but protects the table. The appearance of a table is usually improved by a silence cloth. It makes the table linen appear heavier and helps keep the linen flat on the table.

Question: Suppose that you are having a meal at a friend's home. On the table near your cover is a dish of preserves; there is a spoon on the table beside the preserves. Suppose the hostess says: "Mary, will you please start passing the preserves?" What will you do with the spoon beside the preserves? Will you help yourself first? To whom will you pass the preserves?

I am having a hard time finding the exact answer to this question. It was asked in the "Breakfast Unit" in the chapter called "Good Manners at the Dining Table." I have read the chapter over and over again and don't see a single mention about preserves and spoons. It's driving me crazy! I will have Phillip look at it tonight in case I am missing it. I did read several times throughout the book, that foods should always be passed to the left of each person. I'm pretty sure we pass things to the right at our house though. Hmmm....

Question: How high should a work table be? Give a reason for your answer.

Answer: No one can do work well in an uncomfortable position. No one likes to do work that makes the back ache. To find the proper working height for a table stand straight and hold the upper part of the arm close to the body. Then bend the arms at the elbow. The distance from the floor to the elbow minus two inches gives the proper working height. Of course, if several persons work at the same table, the height of the table should be determined by the height of the average person.

Question: How thick are the walls of a refrigerator?

Answer: In many climates, refrigerators are needed only in summer. Refrigerators are necessary when the air is warm enough to cause foods to spoil readily. A refrigerator is well built when the warm air cannot penetrate into its inner walls. Several thicknesses of different kinds of material are used for the walls of a refrigerator. The insulating material should be at least two inches thick.

Your homework for today will be to check your refrigerator walls! Are they at least 2 inches thick? ;0)

I would be happy to post another kitchen quiz sometime in the future!

Monday, August 27, 2007

Thank you so much for all your comments about my prairie dolls! The fact that I hide them on my sister when she visits has become a bit of a joke between us after all these years! I did like the sharing custody idea though, so I may let her have a turn someday. ;0)


Several weeks ago I mentioned finding a few things while antiquing. One of my finds was a book from 1938.


It's called Foods and Home Making by Carlotta C. Greer.


Grab something to drink and let's look at it together. And pay attention because there will be a quiz at the end!


TO THE TEACHER
"Not only should pupils be taught how better to do important things, but additional interests and activities should be revealed and made desirable to them. In Foods and Home Making are included many suggestions and devices to stimulate pupils to participate in home activities and to do their share in making their homes attractive and happy. "

There are 7 units and 43 chapters in this book. Most of the photos are black and white, including this picture of two rats. One of the rats didn't get enough calcium.

The funniest part is that someone has written on the rats in pencil. Evidently, the small one is named Laverne and the large one is Viola!


Ewww!! It doesn't look like Laverne and Viola made it. Aren't these strange pictures for a homemaking book?!


Let's look at the Kitchen Efficiency and Charm chapter:


"How can a kitchen be made attractive? How many hours of the day does your mother spend in the kitchen? Does she usually spend as much time in the living room as in the kitchen? Since a home maker spends so much time in the kitchen, should it not be a pleasant place?

A light kitchen is attractive. Every kitchen should have at least two windows. When possible these should be placed on two sides of the room, so there can be good ventilation.

Color makes a kitchen attractive to most persons. For kitchens having north and east windows, buff, pale yellow, or pale salmon are pleasing colors. Since warm light comes through windows facing south or west, pale green, gray, or blue is suitable.

My kitchen has already failed this class!

Inside cover


Lastly, we will read about Good Manners at the Dining Table.

-Before one starts to eat, the napkin must be unfolded. Unfold it completely if it is small; if it is large one fold may be left in it. Sometimes it is well to wipe the lips before taking a drink of water to avoid staining the glass.

-Every normal girl or boy wants to appear well. One thing to do to appear well at the dining table is to hold the fork correctly.

-It is wasteful to leave food on the plate. If we are to leave practically no food on our plates, we should make it a rule not to take more food that we can eat or should eat. Leaving no food on our plates also means that we should learn to like all or almost all foods.



Quiz time! The owner of this book took the questions very seriously. She wrote some of her answers down in the back of the book!


1. If you are sent to market to buy tea for the older members of your family, who prefer the beverage served with cream, what kind of tea leaves would you buy?

2. What is a silence cloth?

3. Suppose that you are having a meal at a friend's home. On the table near your cover is a dish of preserves; there is a spoon on the table beside the preserves. Suppose the hostess says: "Mary, will you please start passing the preserves?" What will you do with the spoon beside the preserves? Will you help yourself first? To whom will you pass the preserves?

4. How high should a work table be? Give a reason for your answer.

5. How thick are the walls of a refrigerator?

I can tell you that I didn't do very well on the quiz! I hope you found all of this as interesting as I did!

"Show and Tell Friday"

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!" Do you have something special to share with us? It could be a trinket from grade school, a piece of jewelry, an antique find. Your show and tell can be old or new. Use your imagination and dig through those old boxes in your closet if you have to! Share photos and if there's a story behind your special something, that's even better!

Today I would like to show my Prairie Dolls. My great-grandmother made them for my sister and I when we were little. I have a dim memory of visiting her Victorian home in Toronto, Ontario and my mom telling my siblings and I to be very good and quiet. :0)

All the sewing was done by hand including their embroidered faces. My doll is on the left and the one on the right belongs to my sister. Whenever she comes for a visit she threatens to take her doll home with her. I want them to stay together, so I hide them until she leaves. I'm a mean big sister!

Each of the dolls has a mini patchwork quilt to sleep with at night.


My grandmother was very generous when it came to their wardrobe. Slips, bloomers, and flannel pajamas were all included.


Even a hand knitted sweater.


My favorite thing might be this knitted hat with a tiny white pom-pom on top!


She'll definitely be warm now!


Thank you for looking at my show and tell!




The Show and Tell Guidelines have changed recently. Please read them before participating! If your name is removed from the list you can email me and I will explain why.

Chicken a la Queen

Message from Grace: Thank you for all the nice comments about my bubble blower and rice krispies!! The rice krispies are already gone. :0)

Good morning! I saw this recipe over my my mother-in-law's blog and since I love mushrooms I decided to give it a try. The list of ingredients is simple but the sauce ends up being nice and rich!


Chicken a la Queen

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Montreal Chicken Seasoning, to taste ( I used a couple of teaspoons)
1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced
2/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 lb. mushrooms, chopped (I used 1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 tsp thyme

Directions:

1. In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high. Add chicken breasts and sprinkle with Montreal seasoning. Saute 5 -6 minutes per side.


2. Add bell pepper, and saute a few more minutes until chicken is cooked through and peppers are tender-crisp. I cut the chicken up into smaller pieces so it would cook faster.


Remove from skillet, set aside, and keep warm.


3. In the same skillet, add broth and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits from pan bottom.

4. Add mushrooms, onion, and thyme; reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer about 5 minutes.


5. Raise heat to medium and cook uncovered for 5 more minutes, until sauce is reduced.


6. Spoon mushroom/onion sauce over chicken and serve!


This would great served over rice or buttered noodles. We had boring old spinach salad with ours. ;0)

I noticed something scary while taking this picture. White tablecloth...red berry tea. Fortunately, there were no spills!


Have a great Thursday!

~The Flowers~

All the names I know from nurse:
Gardener's garters, shepherd's purse,



Bachelor's buttons, Lady's smock,
and the Lady Hollyhock.



Fairy places, fairy things,
Fairy woods where the wild bee wings,



Tiny trees for tiny dames--
These must all be fairy names!



Tiny woods below whose boughs
Shady fairies weave a house,



Tiny tree-tops, rose or thyme,
Where the braver fairies climb!



Fair are grown-up people's trees,
But the fairest woods are these,



Where, if I were not so tall,
I should live for good and all.


-Poem by Robert Louis Stevenson
-Photos from my garden.

Grace's Summertime Fun

I have a guest blogger today! My daughter, Grace (9 yrs. old) would like to share with you a fun summertime craft and a yummy treat that she made for us this afternoon.

The first thing I want to show you is my new bubble machine. It's quick and easy to make.


You will need:
-A plastic tub with a lid (I used a small Philadelphia cream cheese tub)
-A flexi-straw
-Hole punch
-Liquid dish soap


Punch a hole in the top edge of the plastic tub. Slide the straw in the hole, flexi end first.


Put a squirt of liquid dish soap inside. Fill the tub halfway full of water.


Punch a hole on top of the lid, put the lid on with the hole facing the opposite side of the straw.


Make sure the lid is on tight and blow through the straw. Have fun!



Now it's time for a snack!


Can you guess what it is?


Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in large saucepan over low heat.


Add about 40 large marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Make sure you rest your arm after all that stirring. :o)


Add 6 cups of rice krispie cereal. Stir until well coated.


Using a buttered spatula (or fingers!) press mixture evenly into a 9X13 pan coated with cooking spray.


Cut into squares when cool.


I ate mine in a few seconds!


Do you like rice krispie treats?

Lavender's Blue Dilly Dilly

Hello everyone! I wanted to show you a simple project that I worked on this past week.

I had a very small harvest from my lavender plant this year, not enough to make lavender wands so I made mini lavender bundles instead.

If you don't have any lavender, you could use flowers from your florist or grocery store that dry well.

I gathered up a few sprigs and tied them together with a bow. I also added a small gift tag.


I found the Victorian images at antiqueclipart.com and printed them out on cardstock.


They are the perfect size for adding to the top of a wrapped gift or using as place cards for a summertime dinner or tea party.


You could also tuck one into a letter for a friend, which is what I ended up doing!


Let me know if you make some too!

Saturday, August 18, 2007

The weekend is here! Phillip is off visiting a Star Wars museum with his brother, and the kids and I are enjoying the cooler weather that arrived yesterday. In fact, it rained so hard last night that the power went out for about 1/2 an hour!

Several of you may remember when my sister, Melissa came for a visit a year ago. Not only was she was brave enough to join in for our "Prairie Days" experiment she taught us how to smock!


She eventually turned this smocking into a doll dress. I have to admit that I didn't work on my small project once she left, but we won't tell her that, ok? ;0)


She also made beautiful knitted pillows for the girls.

Anyways, Melissa now has her own blog! It's called Bombshell Studios and yesterday she made a cookie that was almost too pretty to eat. Not quite though!

I would love if you would go over and say a quick hello!!

Have a great weekend!

"Show and Tell Friday"

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!" Do you have something special to share with us? It could be a trinket from grade school, a piece of jewelry, an antique find. Your show and tell can be old or new. Use your imagination and dig through those old boxes in your closet if you have to! Share photos and if there's a story behind your special something, that's even better!

Today I want to share with you two things I picked up while antiquing this past weekend.

The first "new to me" item is this teacup stand. I had planned on putting it in my kitchen, but it's so tall it won't fit under my cupboards! For now it's on my fireplace hearth.


It holds a few of my favorite teacups...








In addition to the teacup stand I found these four embroidered tea napkins.


The edges are scalloped and there are tiny baskets in one corner.


Now all I need is someone to have tea with me!


Thank you for looking at my show and tell!



The Show and Tell Guidelines have changed recently. Please read them before participating! If your name is removed from the list you can email me and I will explain why.

~In the Garden~

Good morning! I thought I would show you what is happening in my garden this summer.

This moss lined planter hangs from the tree in the front yard. A few weeks ago, the girls and I were coming home from the grocery store. It was late on Sunday afternoon and we saw a yard sale sign. The sale was over, but there was a small pile of things with a "help yourself" sign. So I did. :0) The planter had two small geranium plants growing in it and I added a few impatiens.


Benjamin's sunflowers are doing well. Here it one of them this past Monday morning, a single petal starting to uncurl.


The very next day!


I planted my first Hosta this spring and I never understood what all the fuss was about them. That is, until it surprised me with this pretty bloom!


Three days later, the flowers look like stars!


The Wisteria by the front porch has really taken off. I'm hoping to get some flowers this coming spring.


The fairies are staying cool with their house surrounded by the ivy and herbs. A dragonfly watches from above.


Caldiums.


Lastly, if you enjoyed my "Once Upon a Time" story about our toad, you will be happy to know that he is having a great summer! :0)


Ok, now it's time for a snack. How about some peanut butter cookies?


I have been using this recipe for several years, they always disappear quickly.

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

1. Cream the butter, and sugars. Add eggs and blend. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and stir until well blended.
2. Measure out tablespoonfuls of dough and roll into balls. Place 3 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheets. Make criss-cross pattern with fork.
3. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) 8-10 minutes until set, but not hard. I take mine out just as they are beginning to brown and let them finish cooking on the cookie sheet.

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com

Thank you for looking at my garden pictures!

Bedroom Bookshelf

Hello everyone! Thank you for your comments on my "staying cool" post down below. We are tough here in Texas, we'll survive! :0) Many of you asked if my girls wore the outfits I shared with you this past Show and Tell Friday. They didn't wear these particular ones, but I have other baby clothes that they did wear. I will have to look for the pictures!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today, I want to show you my new bedroom bookshelf. It was given to us by some friends a couple of weeks ago. We didn't really have room for it but we managed to squeeze it into our bedroom. In addition to holding books, I had some knick-knacks to display also. That is our kitty taking a very lazy nap on the top, btw!


The top shelf holds our Christmas and Advent books, and few photo albums.


This basket holds my Martha Stewart magazines. It helps to keep them from sliding off the shelves.


Pictures of the girls and Benjamin on the right...


My prairie books and Little House series on the left. The iron cookstove belonged to my great-grandmother.


The bottom two children's books were given to me by my Grandma.


My devotional books are on the right and my old fashioned sewing machine candle tart burner is in the middle.


Lastly, few of my favorite sewing books.




Thank you for looking at my new bedroom bookshelf!


I also organized our school books this week, I posted pictures right below this post.

Organized School Books

Who's idea was it to organize all these books anyways? Oh yeah,
mine. ;0) Here are a few "before" picture of the bookshelves in our livingroom and schoolroom.

First, I stacked the books up in piles based on catergeries. Poetry, geography, history, storybooks, etc.


Schoolroom shelves.


We do have a lot of books. The Sonlight curriculum we use is very literature based and we find books at yardsales, resale stores, etc. Also, many of our books have been passed down by our extended family. I don't want you to think I go crazy every time I see a Barnes and Noble. ;0)


So, here are the "after" pictures. There is even a little space for more books which is always good! The top shelf holds my novels.



2nd shelf:
-Art books
-My childhood Bibles
-Old books given to me by my Grandma and my Beatrix Potter bookset.



3rd shelf:
-Large storybooks
-Missionary stories
-Bible stories and devotional books



4th shelf:
-Poetry
-Nature Study


Schoolroom shelves.



-History
-Geography
-Social Studies



-General Science
-Animal books



-Drawing books
-Activity books
-Magazines
-Craft books


I still need to fix up our fiction books. I didn't put the non-fiction books in alphabetical order, I organized them by size, large to small so it would be easy for the girls and Benjamin to put them back on the shelf. I promised Phillip I would organize these book the proper way though. :0)


My goal is for all of these books to stay semi-organized for the year, and then I'll do it all again!

Monday, August 13, 2007

Laura Ingalls' Ma used to say...

"Wash on Monday,
Iron on Tuesday,
Mend on Wednesday,
Churn on Thursday,
Clean on Friday,
Bake on Saturday,
Rest on Sunday."

It's the beginning of a new week! The girls and Benjamin are busy with their math and handwriting, then they are having a friend over over for a visit. I started organizing our books yesterday, so I'm hoping to make some more progress this afternoon.

It's going to be 104F degrees today! I thought I would bring some flowers inside to enjoy.


Here is one way we are keeping cool. Drinking lots of Celestial Seasonings Raspberry Zinger Iced Tea.


This delightful blend of sweet raspberries and tangy hibiscus captures the taste of warm sumer mornings and bring back memories of berry-picking adventures that produced bushels of fruit and red-stained little fingers.
Found on the side of tea box.

Is it going to be hot at your house today?

A Fun Saturday

Yesterday we had a "spur of the moment, trip out to the country." Phillip's mom asked us if we wanted to visit a watergarden store north of here, and I was hoping to visit a couple of antique stores afterwards. I have lots of pictures to share so make your self comfortable and come along with me!

As soon as Grace heard the word "country" she put on her prairie girl outfit and then we were off!


The watergarden store was in a little town called Aubrey. It was a nice drive with pretty scenery and lots of horses to look at.

Papa and Grace.


A relaxing waterfall.


Benjamin liked the big waterfalls the best.


Emily and I tried to stay cool. By now it was almost 100F degrees!


The waterlilies didn't mind the sun though.






We didn't find any antique stores in Aubrey so we decided to drive east to a place called Old Town McKinney. There were plenty of old-fashioned shops and restaurants to visit.


Lots of charming storefronts and...


cozy spots to rest for awhile.


If you like antique stores, then this is the place for you! Phillip took this photo from way up on the second floor balcony. I was a little nervous up there with the old creaking wood floors so I enjoyed the bottom level more. :0) I did pick up a few treasures which I will save for a later post.


By now it was past lunchtime so we went to a little cafe called Spoons. The adults had omelets and salads, which were delicious.


It had been a couple hours since snack time, but I can assure you they made it until their sandwiches arrived. ;0)


After lunch we walked around and visited some more stores. On our way home we took a drive through the historic home district. Here are just a few of my favorites. You can click on the pictures to enlarge.

A beautiful willow tree shades this cozy Victorian home.




You can tell the homeowners put a lot of love and extra touches into their homes.




We saw this beauty from a distance and had to get a closer look.


It's an old Victorian home in the middle of renovations.


The detailed woodwork below the turret has been freshly painted.


Amazing detail work!


I saved my favorite one for last. Yellow is my favorite color and I think this little cottage is perfect. There is a white wicker hanging porch swing and draped over the wicker love seat is a patchwork quilt. Sigh.


Thank you for coming along with me!!

"Show and Tell Friday"

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!" Do you have something special to share with us? It could be a trinket from grade school, a piece of jewelry, an antique find. Your show and tell can be old or new. Use your imagination and dig through those old boxes in your closet if you have to! Share photos and if there's a story behind your special something, that's even better!

I have two childhood outfits to share with you today.

Back in 1978 when I was 2 years old, my Uncle Harry and Aunt Betty went to visit Scotland and they brought back this outfit for me.

A small kilt and white satin blouse.


A kilt pin.


Lace on the end of the sleeve.


Lace ruffles on the front of the blouse. Does anyone know the exact name of this?


Here I am in September of 1978. The baby is my sister, Jenny.



This next outfit is a dress, made for me by my Great Grandmother back in 1980. She must have been quite old, but still able to sew well.


A sweet starry sky fabric.


A few hand sewn stitches.


Delicate lace on the front of the dress.


Three tiny buttons on the back.


This photo was taken in 1981, when I was 5. In addition to a sister, I now had a baby brother!


Thank you for looking at my show and tell!




The Show and Tell Guidelines have changed. Please read them before participating!!

"Show and Tell Friday" Guidelines

Welcome to “Show and Tell Friday!” Do you have something special to share with us? It could be a trinket from grade school, a piece of jewelry, a treasured collection. Look around your home for something to share and dig through those boxes in your closet if you have to! Share photos and the story behind your special item.

What is Show and Tell Friday?
Show and Tell involves showing something to an audience, and then telling them about it. Your show and tell must be something that you own, and is in your home or garden.

What items work well for Show and Tell Friday?
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
-Childhood keepsakes
-Family heirlooms
-A collection you may have
-A piece of jewelry
-A special gift
-A favorite treasure
-Gardening pictures

What doesn't work well for Show and Tell Friday?
-Posts with no photos have no "Show." Please don't use them.
-Photos of events (trips, vacations, celebrations, etc.)
-Photos of things you are selling or planning to sell.
-Photos found on the internet, graphics or screenshots. Please use photos you take yourself.

There is no place like home is the original home of Show and Tell Friday. Please do not host your own.

Please do not feel that you have to participate every Friday.

How can I participate?
Once you've got your photo(s) and your story, it's easy as 1-2-3!

1 - Publish your "Show and Tell" on your blog, including a link back to There is No place like Home. If you don’t know the link code, email me and I will send it to you.

2 - Copy the link (or "permalink") from your post.

3 - Add it to Mr. Linky, along with your first name. I usually put Mr. Linky up on Friday at 12:00am Eastern time.

That's it! After that, you can start visiting all the other Show and Tell participants!

Gifts for a Friend

Hello everyone! I wanted to share with you some Keepsake Envelope Folders that I made this past weekend. They are very quick and easy to put together.


Basically you take 3-5 envelopes and stick them together, creating pockets for holding special things.


The fun part is decorating the front of the envelope.


There are so many pretty papers and stickers available now that most of the work is already done!




The back of the envelope.


Wrapped up with ribbon and ready to be filled.


Phillip and I are friends with a couple who are moving back to Florida for a few months and then will be heading to Uganda, Africa for three years. They will be working on translating the Bible for a small remote people group called the Ik. Before they can start on the translating though, they will need to figure out exactly what language they speak!

I wanted to give my friend a going away gift, but it had to be small and not one more thing for her to pack. I decided to give her one of the Keepsake Envelopes with hopefully some useful things tucked inside.

A small vintage hankie and a card with my address and phone number.


Various hot teas.


Lastly, a little spending money for their road trip to Florida. I suggested she share a little of it with her husband. ;0)


Thank you for looking at my Keepsake Envelopes! If you would like to make some of your own you can find the instructions at Martha Stewart.com

Happy Monday!

***Updated with new pictures down below!!!***


How do you feel about legos? I'm not liking them so much right
now. ;0)


Phillip's sister lives in California and will be visiting us for a few days. Getting these legos cleaned up and Benjamin's room turned into a "guest room" is at the top of my to-do list today!

****************************************************************

It sounds like many of you are familiar with legos, especially stepping on them in the middle of the night!

Here are a few "after" pictures. Since really huge messes can be overwhelming for kids, I cleaned up the legos. Gena mentioned using a dustpan and that's exactly what I used!

I also dusted, vacuumed, and put clean sheets and a comforter on the bed.


Benjamin made sure that Aunt Abby will have a teddy bear to sleep with at night.


An embroidered place mat on the night stand.




We are taking a short lego break now. :0)

Welcome August!

This last month of summer can seem especially long so I thought I would share these ideas to help make it more enjoyable.

~If you have a beach sojourn this month, try to enjoy it at different times: an early morning browse to collect shells before the crowds come, a late afternoon visit to fly kites after they've left. Save one evening for a moonlight walk. If you are not alone, hold hands.


~Rediscover the books you loved as a child. Head off to a library and wander into the children's section. Recall those moments of contentment curled up with a good book. What was it? Little Women? Black Beauty? Anne of Green Gables? Nancy Drew? Little House on the Prairie?

~Lie in a hammock while you get reacquainted with your favorite stories.


~When was the last time you stargazed? One clear summer's evening lie on a big blanket in your backyard with a good bottle of wine or sparkling cider, cheese, biscuits, and fresh fruit. Look up into the night sky. Find a star to wish upon.


~Look for the moon while you are out there. The next full one will be on August 28.


~Be sure to spend some time enjoying the last of the pretty flowers.


~If it is really hot outside, bring some of the blooms indoors.



Here are some more fun and unique ways to celebrate August...

August 2 ~ National Ice Cream Day (We missed this, but I think any day is good for ice cream!)
August 4 ~ National Mustard Day
August 8 ~ Admit You're Happy Day
August 10 ~ Lazy Day
August 18 ~ Watermelon Day


~August~

Deep in the wood I made a house
Where no one knew the way;
I carpeted the floor with moss,
And there I loved to play.

I heard the bubbling of the brook;
At times an acorn fell,
And far away a robin sang
Deep in the lonely dell.

I set a rock with acorn cups,
So quietly I played
A rabbit hopped across the moss
And did not seem afraid

That night before I went to bed
I at my window stood,
And thought how dark my house must be
Down in the lonesome wood.
~K. Pyle

Ideas from Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach
Pictures can be found at www.art.com

Feel free to share what you do to enjoy these hot summer days!

"Show and Tell Friday"

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!" Do you have a something special to share with us? It could be a trinket from grade school, a piece of jewelry, an antique find. Your show and tell can be old or new. Use your imagination and dig through those old boxes in your closet if you have to! Feel free to share pictures and if there's a story behind your special something, that's even better!

My show and tell this week is this crystal bowl, which was a wedding gift from my Grandma. My Grandparents have always been very careful with their money, and so receiving this Mikasa bowl was a special surprise.




For years I thought the beautiful pattern etched on the bottom was of grapes and leaves, but after looking more closely, I'm thinking it is some kind of flower.


I just don't know what kind!


I don't get the bowl out very often, but when I do, I like to use it as a centerpiece on my kitchen table.
Today, I have used lemons and sprigs of tiny pink flowers.


Thank you for looking at my show and tell!


If you would like to join in for Show and Tell, here are the guidelines:

***Post your "Show and Tell" on your blog, copy the post link, come over here and add it to Mr. Linky. Please do not use Mr. Linky unless you have a Show and Tell or the link will be deleted.

***Link back here so that others can share and read through all the links. If you don't know how to do this, email me and I will send you the link code.

***Please do not host your own "Show and Tell Friday" at your blog. I'd appreciate it if you keep There's No Place Like Home as the only home of Show and Tell Friday.

Homeschool Open House!

I originally wrote this post for Tiany's Homeschool Open House. Randi from I Have To Say invited me to join in for Back To Homeschool Week that she is hosting. If you are stopping by from her place, welcome!!


Welcome to Homeschool Open House 2007 hosted by Tiany at Less Of Me~More Of Him!


~Introduction~

I thought I would begin by telling you a little about our family. My husband Phillip is the oldest of 7 children and was homeschooled from 6th grade through high school. I'm the oldest of 6 children and was homeschooled from 2nd grade through 11th grade.

Our oldest, Grace, is 9 years old and is starting 4th grade. Emily is 8 and starting 3rd grade. Benjamin is 6 and starting 1st grade.

Here they are, ready to begin the open house!



~Our Schoolroom~

We have converted our formal dining room into our schoolroom. While doing our "tablework" I sit on the far left, Benjamin sits beside me, and Emily at the end of the table.


Grace sits at her desk which is right behind me.


For our history, science, and read-alouds, we all sit together in the livingroom.



~Curriculum~

We have used the Sonlight curriculum for the past 5 years and are very happy with it. Grace and Emily are only 16 months apart and are able to do a lot of the same work. We also use various other books-whatever looks good!

The #1 homeschool book that I recommend is Charlotte Mason Companion-Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning by Karen Andreola.


Two more of my favorite books are Educating a Whole Hearted Child by Clay and Sally Clarkson and Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt. This book has wonderful book lists for picture books and read-alouds.


Helpful links:
Charlottemason.com
Karen Andreola Articles
Ambleside

~Schedules~

We usually homeschool year round, doing lighter work in the summer. We took most of the month of June off and will take several weeks off in October for a vacation so we will be hard at work during August and September.

As far as a daily schedule goes our goal is to start by 9:00am. (When this doesn't happen, we work later into the afternoon).

We start our day around the living room coffee table with the following...
-The Lord's Prayer
-Pray aloud time
-Bible reading
-Pledge of allegiance
-Sing "America, the Beautiful"
-Sing a hymn
-Memory verse memorization

Then we all go into the schoolroom for...
-Handwriting
-Language Arts activities
-Math

The rest of the morning is spent on...
-Reading lessons
-History
-Geography
-Science

We read our "read-alouds" after lunch.

~Organization Tips~

My favorite organizer for all our school papers is this Rotating Desk Organizer. We just call it the "Big Spinny Thing" though. :0) We have used it every day for the past 1 1/2 years.

Each of the four sides have compartments for papers and books. In the middle are hanging file folders and room for more books.


Each corner has a section for pencils, scissors, etc. It is easy to pick up and take into the livingroom for our reading time.


Our workbooks our kept in these plastic holders.


The girls and Benjamin each have their own clipboard where I keep blank worksheets.


Once finished, they go into the hanging files labeled with their name and T.B.F. (to be filed).


Once I get around to cleaning the files (sometimes they get really full!), the papers then go into 3 ring binders. Each binder is used for a year.

Helpful links:
Donna Young's free forms and planners
Chart Jungle free printables

Now I would like to share a few of my favorite things with you!

-Nature journals~

Here are a few of my favorite books on Nature Journaling:

-Wild Days - Creating Discovery Journals by Karen Skidmore Rackliffe
-Keeping a Nature Journal by Clare Leslie and Charles Roth
-Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock
-Pocketful of Pinecones by Karen Andreola



Various pages of our nature journals


A Cedar Waxwing


Bluejay and Cardinal feathers


Pressed leaves from our garden and leaf rubbings


Helpful links:
-More detailed information about our Nature Journals.

~Lapbooks~

What is a lapbook? It is a file folder, refolded with a "shutter-fold" and filled with mini books and flaps. It can be filled with information on any topic you choose.

I discovered lapbooks many years ago when the girls and Benjamin were too young to help. My goal for this coming year is to have them make their own books.

I made one for each of the girls and Benjamin. Here is Emily's book:


Inside are flaps and mini books for personal information such as full name, address and phone number. Seasons, days of the weeks, months of the year, poems, prayers, a hymn, Bible verses, the pledge of allegiance, names and calls of common birds, and names of common wildflowers.




A Lapbook on Manners


Inside is information on:
-Little things you can do to help the whole family
-Being a good friend
-Being a good sport
-Mealtime manners
-How to apologize


How to take tea


I have also made a lapbook on flowers and...


the life cycle of a butterfly.


Helpful links:
Cindy Rushton's Lapbooks
How to Begin Lapbooking
Pictures of Lapbooks

The wonderful hostess of Homeschool Open House 2007 is Tiany from Less Of Me~More of Him. Be sure to visit her to read about other homeschoolers and also for information if you want to join in the fun!

Thank you for hosting the Back to Homeschool week, Randi!

If you have any questions about what I've shared or you want to see more pictures, please let me know in the comments!