"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, 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.

We have a surprise guest host for Show and Tell today! My daughter, Grace is hosting because it's her birthday !! That's right, my baby is 10 years old now! Grace picked three special things to share with us today...


The first thing I want to show you is my gold baby bracelet.


My Grandma gave it to me when I was about 3 months old.


This is me wearing the bracelet at my baby dedication. It was huge when I was little, but now it doesn't fit at all!


This is probably the most special thing I own. This is my doll, Molly. I got her when I was 2 years old.


Here she is under the Christmas tree.


On trips and vacations I always bring her with me, even on airplanes.


This is my favorite teacup. The first thing I drank in it was milk on Christmas morning.


To me this kind of bird looks like a snowbird, so I call it my "snowbird teacup".

Thank you for looking at my special things!

Happy Birthday Grace!


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:
-Family heirlooms
-A collection you may have
-A piece of jewelry
-A special gift
-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.
-Old photos of just people instead of things.

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

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. Go HERE for the "Show and Tell" picture code to copy and paste into your post.

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

3 - Add it to Mr. Linky, along with your first name only. (This will make the list easier to read.) I usually put Mr. Linky up on Friday at 12:00am Eastern time.

Victorian Lace from the Attic

Good afternoon! Thank you for sharing some of the things you do to make your home cozy for winter. I enjoyed reading all of your comments! I mentioned to my friends at the Seasonal Delights forum that I have been knitting some lace recently. Bovey Belle from Codlins and Cream asked to see a picture, so I thought I would share a few here.


I found this book, Lace from the Attic ~A Victorian Notebook Of Knitted Lace Patterns by Nancie Wiseman at my library and fell in love. A 100-year-old leather notebook was found in the attic of a house where a Miss Blanche Beau had once lived.


Blanche had sewn knitted lace samples onto each notebook page, along with the directions. The only problem was, no one knew what her abbreviations meant! With lots of patience, knitting and a magnifying glass to see the intricate pattern details, the author of the book solved all of Blanche's patterns and translated them into the common abbreviations we use today.

Here are some small snippets I have knitted this past month...












I used size 2 and 3 knitting needles.


For thread I used crochet cotton and embroidery floss. I liked the embroidery floss because there are more colors to choose from...soft pinks and yellows are my favorite.


There is one pattern for "Fairy Lace" that I got stuck on.


The beginning of Row 1 begins with YO (Yarn Over). How do you YO without any stitches on your right hand needle. Can anyone help?

Anyways, thank you for looking at my knitted lace! I'll be back for show and tell Friday in a few hours. There will be a very special guest host this week. :0)

A Cozy Winter Home

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home." ~Edith Sitwell


Hello everyone! Thank you for your sweet comments about the Hidden Surprise Valentines. It's hard to believe January is almost over and the time for red hearts and roses is almost here.
Before I put up my Valentine banner, I want to show you this "Home" banner that I made a few weeks ago.


I used simple paper ovals with gold letter stickers. I also added small beads along the ribbon. They remind me of little lanterns.


My banner got me thinking about ways to create a cozy home for winter. I know many parts of the country are buried in snow and have awhile to go until spring. Here are a few ideas to celebrate this cold and snowy season...


The soft glow of candlelight creates a sense of warmth and comfort.


So does snuggling up with an old quilt and favorite book.


Enjoy the pleasures of a winter kitchen with a pot of soup simmering away on the stove and buttery slices of homemade bread. I made this Chicken Tortilla Soup that my friend Sandra recently shared and it was delicious.


Mugs of Hot Chocolate are always a nice treat too.


While it's cold and windy outside, fill your home with the fragrance of citrus and spices. It will be a welcoming aroma for loved ones returning home at the end of the day!

Winter Spice Potpourri

Peel from 1 orange
Peel from 1 lemon
1 tablespoon whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
2 cups of water, plus more as needed

Place ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer on low, adding more water as it evaporates.

I would love to hear how you make your home cozy during this time of year too!

Hidden Surprise Valentine

Hello everyone! Valentine's Day is only 16 days away and I promised to share a Valentine project, so here it is: Hidden Surprise Valentines.


There are plenty of little tuck-ins on which to write messages of love and appreciation, or you can include coupons redeemable for breakfast in bed, a special night out, or homemade cookies!


I made one for each of the girls and Benjamin.

Come on over to Seasonal Delights for the instructions and templates!

Seasonal Delights News!

Phillip and I have tried to fill each issue of Seasonal Delights with lots of recipes and projects, but there are many that don't make it into the magazine. We decided to publish them as weekly bonus items for Seasonal Delights subscribers, and they've been quite popular.

Now we've decided to make all of these bonus projects and recipes free to all! There are a few bonus PDF files, and those remain as subscriber exclusives, but everything else -- 18 bonus items so far -- are linked below.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

23 photos illustrate this sweet and sticky treat, great for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or even dessert.

Chocohotopots

If you love chocolate, you will love these decadent little pots of warm, gooey chocolate. They are easy to whip up, and taste great anytime, but would be perfect for your Someone Special on Valentine’s Day! 19 photos.

Gingerbread Pancakes

Let the spicy scent of these Gingerbread Pancakes fill your kitchen and warm you up on a cold winter’s morning.

Illustrated with 15 photos.

Party Cheese Balls

Two recipes in one! This week we demonstrate two different delightful cheese ball recipes: Sweet Pepper Cheese Ball and Jalapeño Pepper Jack Cheese Ball.

23 photos.

Christmas Hot pads

Perfect for last-minute Christmas gifts, here is a variation on the Autumn Hot Pads from the Autumn 2007 issue. This time the theme is Christmas, and the stitching is slightly more advanced. 16 photos illustrate.

Christmas Banners

10 photos illustrate this variation on a project originally included in the Autumn 2007 issue of the magazine. Use these festive banners to decorate for a party, or hang them around the house all season long!

French Bread Pizza

Tired of leftover turkey? Whether you’re looking for a chance of pace or just something quick as you shop for the holidays, simple and easy French Bread Pizza should fit the bill.

Illustrated with 14 colorful photos.

Pumpkin Roll

Just in time for your Thanksgiving menu, this dessert is a spicy pumpkin cake rolled with a sweet creamy filling, beautiful as well as delicious!

27 photos.

Refrigerator Dinner Rolls

Hot, buttery dinner rolls are a “must-have” for Thanksgiving, and these Refrigerator Dinner Rolls are easy and delicious. If that isn't enough already, we've provided a few variations to spice things up! Everything is illustrated with 39 detailed photos.

Cheesy Cornbread Muffins

These sweet corn muffins are the perfect addition to a big bowl of soup or chili. If there are any left overs, have them for breakfast the next day!

18 delicious photos.

Baked Acorn Squash

A sweet and buttery side dish to make for an Autumn dinner.

This very simple recipe turns a savory squash into a sweet sensation. 9 photos.

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies
photo @ flickr

Pumpkin meets butterscotch in these moist cake-like cookies filled with creamy chips that melt in your mouth! 15 mouth-watering photos.

Autumn Pear Salad
photo @ flickr

This simple salad provides a blend of tangy and sweet. A fresh, crisp, and crunchy combination of ingredients will add zest to any meal.

Grill up some chicken on the side and your dinner is complete! 11 photos.

Baked Ziti
photo @ flickr

Penne pasta baked with a blend of creamy ricotta cheese, seasoned beef, and marinara sauce makes for a delicious, rich, and filling Italian-style casserole.

A hot main dish for cool nights, illustrated with 26 photos and detailed step-by-step instructions.

Spiced Apple Cider
photo @ flickr

We've been through quite a few recipes, and this is definitely the best-smelling and most delicious Spiced Apple Cider recipe we've ever tried.

As crisp October mornings are arriving, pour yourself a delicious mug of Autumn cheer! 7 photos.

Pumpkin Patch Cake
photo @ flickr

20 beautiful photos detail the cake, the frosting, and even the decoration of this delightful spiced pumpkin cake! It's a perfect treat for the harvest season.


Fabric-Covered Journal
photo @ flickr

Page 15 of the magazine has instructions for creating a Nature Journal. For a variation on that theme, here are instructions for creating another kind of journal.

There are 16 detailed steps with 17 photos to lead you to the finished project, pictured at left.

Old-Fashioned Popcorn
photo @ flickr

No need for a microwave oven or a pre-packaged pan; make popcorn with a large pot and a stove top. Flavor it up however you wish, or use it as the base for the Autumn Popcorn Mix on page 8 of the magazine. 6 photos.


These projects and recipes are similar to the projects and recipes in each issue of Seasonal Delights. You can subscribe to the magazine for more, including access to the Seasonal Delights forum! Find more information at SD Quarterly.

I hope you enjoy looking at these past recipes and projects. Tomorrow I will share something for Valentine's Day! Have a wonderful Monday!

Five Senses Weekend

Hello everyone! My dad is in town for a visit and we are having a fun time together. I haven't done one of my friend Sandra's Five Senses Weekend in awhile, so here are some pictures that Phillip took from our Saturday.

We headed out to a nature park this morning. There were ducks to feed, woods to explore and lots of squirrels to watch.


One of my new year's goals is to do a monthly nature study. Phillip took plenty of pictures and we will get out our drawing pencils later this week and copy some of them.


~Smell: Crisp air and dried leaves.


~See: We call this park the "Squirrel Park" since there are so many of these critters running around. We took along some peanuts for them to eat.


Phillip got a great shot of this Tricolored Heron.


~Touch: I didn't touch this slimy slug, but Grace didn't seem to mind!


~Hear: The sound of feet running and jumping.


Duck feet too!


Taste: A favorite breakfast of toast and honey.


This bumblebee honey jar is a new find. Isn't he cute?!


One more thing: PBS Masterpiece Theatre is presenting the complete collection of Jane Austen movies every Sunday evening, for the next few months. Mansfield Park will be showing tomorrow. Thank you for reading about our weekend!