Weekend Chit~Chat

Hello! Thank you for your comments on my show and tell. Many of you asked about the mini glass pumpkins. I found them at Michaels in the fall decorating section.


The girls and I decided to get some donuts this morning and on the way we stopped at a yard sale. I picked up this wonderful storage unit and it was filled with craft and sewing supplies.


I put everything on my bed, so I could get a closer look.


And made a spot in the school room for the drawers. Here are just a few of the things...


Lots of buttons.


Clay and push molds.


Pressed flower paper.


Natural quilt batting.


Embroidery supplies.


Four cookie molds. The snowflake will be perfect for Christmas.


Craft scissors.


Sewing supplies.


Various tools, including pinking shears.


And last but not least, this amazing hobby knife set. It looks brand new!


Now for the crazy part: I got the storage draws *and* everything inside for $10.00! I told Phillip I won't need to go yardsaling for at least a year. ;0)

Well, I'm off to make cookies for a pool party we are going to this evening. I hope you all have a great long 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, 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.

I am calling this a "Dreaming of Autumn" show and tell. I have a few new-to-me treasures to share with you today.


I spotted this pitcher at the resale store and the colors reminded me of autumn.


It's nice and sturdy and will be perfect for fresh apple cider.


I picked up these matching oversized mugs at Target. I plan on testing one out tomorrow with my morning coffee!


I love baskets and got this one at a yard sale for $2.00.


It has a lid and two handles.


I'm going to fill it up with pumpkins and gourds.


And finally, two rustic wooden bowls from Goodwill.


I arranged some candles in the middle.


And added these tiny pumpkin glass beads.


Now all we need are some crisp autumn days!


Thank you for looking at my show and tell!


Please read the Show and Tell Guidelines for step-by-step instructions on how to participate.

If you would like to join in, please leave your *permalink* below, along with your first name only (this makes the list easier to read). If your link has been removed from Mr. Linky, please re-read over the guidelines before re-posting. Have fun!

Homemade Card

Welcome to this week's homemade card project! You can get a lot of variations with this card depending on the paper you use.


You will need a 5 1/2" x 4" notecard.


Cut a 5 1/4" x 3 3/4" rectangle from scrapbook paper or sheet music. Dawn at ~The Feathered Nest~ recently shared a beautiful music image. Glue to front of notecard.


Cut out another 5 1/4 x 3 3/4" of a coordinating scrapbook paper and cut on diagonal line from top left corner to bottom right corner. Glue onto notecard.


You can also tear the edge for a different look.


Cut a small oval or circle from cardstock. Dab the edges with an ink pad if desired. Add a sticker or stamp.


Glue to front of notecard. Send to a friend!


Here is another variation. Thank you for taking a look!

Apron Tutorial

Good morning! I hope you aren't tired of hearing about aprons, because t0day, I'm going to share a tutorial on how I made the one from my recent giveaway.


The measurements are based on a vintage apron I have. I made Grace and Emily's aprons smaller, but the steps are the same.



Materials:

1 yard cotton fabric
1/2 yard coordinating fabric
Lace or trim for pocket

Tools:

Scissors or rotary cutter and mat
Straight pins
Sewing needle or sewing machine
Thread
Iron and ironing board

Preparation:

Wash, dry and iron fabric.
Cut out 6 fabric pieces:

Apron: 20" x 30" (main fabric)
Pocket 5" x 6" (coordinating fabric)
Bottom strip: 4" x 30" (coordinating fabric)
Top strip: 4" x 19" (coordinating fabric)
Apron strings: 2 of 2" x 30" (coordinating fabric)


1. Place bottom of apron and bottom strip fabric right sides together. Secure with pins.


2. Sew using 1/4" seam allowance. Remove pins and iron seams.


3. Fold over the top edge of pocket 1/2" and iron.


4. Pin lace or trim to top edge of right side of pocket.


5. Sew in place. Remove pins.


6. Fold over remaining three edges of pocket 1/4" and iron in place.


7. Pin to front of apron 5" from left side and 10" from the bottom. Sew. Remove pins.


8. Fold over and iron the seams 1/2" along both sides and bottom of apron. Pin in place.


9. Sew using a 1/4" seam allowance, but stop 1/2" from top on both sides.


10. Using your machine's longest stitch, sew a basting stitch 1/2" from the top edge, leaving a long tail of thread at both ends.


11. Pull the top thread carefully, gathering into a slight "ruffle," until the top measures 18 inches in length. Tie a knot on each end. Set aside.


12. Fold over and iron lengthwise seams 1/4" on top strip.


Fold in half and iron.


Slip gathered top of apron inside top strip, leaving 1/2" on each end.


Pin in place. Set aside.


Fold over and iron the lengthwise seams and one end, 1/4" on apron string fabric.


Do not fold the other end.


Fold strip in half and sew along folded edges.


Fold in the seams of top strip sides 1/4".


Slip unfolded end of apron string in 1/2". Secure with pins. Repeat with remaining apron string.


Sew along all 4 sides of top strip 1/4". Your apron is finished!


You can get different looks for your apron, depending on the fabric you use.


Double pocket.


Ruffled bottom trim.

Let me know if you make one, too. I'd love to stop by and take a look!

Getting Ready for School

Good morning! The girls and I have been cleaning and organizing our school room and I thought I would give you a tour. It isn't a big room and as you will see, we have squeezed something into every corner.


Over to the right is our piano. This is the same piano I grew up with and I still enjoy playing it. I just learned the theme song to one of my favorite movies, The Notebook.


In another corner is the file cabinet (it's very scary in there!) and our supply cupboard.


The drawers never stay organized, but they hold ribbon and misc. craft supplies.


This is Grace's art table and she says she is going to do her school work here, too.


This used to be Grace's desk, but she gave it to Emily a few months ago.


Bookshelves in another corner. I haven't figured out where to put our new school books yet. Hmm...


And finally, my paper craft/card making stand. I love that I can reach everything while sitting at the table.


I use various containers for storage. Most of them are actually napkin boxes! Can you guess what my ribbon organizer was originally used for?


Cassette tapes! I found it at the resale store awhile back for $1.00.


I keep all of my scrapbook paper, cardstock and stickers in large hanging folders.


Folders for each color.


We have also had fun getting our new school supplies together. I love all the pencils, crayons, post-its, etc. Our school books have been ordered and will arrive any day and our official starting date is September 2. For those of you that are interested, we use the Sonlight curriculum and Horizons Math.


All of the local schools around here are starting today, as well as many of my blogging friends. So, whether you are a homeschool, private, or public school family, I wish you a wonderful year with lots of fun and learning!

Weekend Chit~Chat

Good Morning! My friend, Julianne asked if I could believe how many entries there were for my giveaway. No, I really can't. I am very surprised and overwhelmed by all of the wonderfully kind comments. Thank you so much and I'd especially like to thank you for your friendship!

I used random.org to select a winner and am excited to announce that TJ from Just Another Day at the Kihn's is the lucky duck. Congratulations, TJ! Thank you again, to everyone who joined in. I wish I could send you all a little something!


It was cool and rainy every day this week, which was a nice break from our usual August weather.






All of the morning glories closed up.


But showed their faces as soon as the rain stopped.






This is the last sunflower in my garden.






I also wanted to show you how big Daisy has gotten! She is almost 5 months old now.


She loved all the rain we had this week.


She also loved the mud puddles in the back yard.


Please let me in!

I hope you all have a great weekend. We will be going to Phillip's family's house to celebrate his mom's birthday.

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.


Since the new school year is about to start I thought I would share some things from my childhood memory book.


My mom kept lots of papers from my 1st and 2nd grade years.


I hope this wasn't a self portrait. ;0)


Writing practice.


Sunday School promotion certificate. My mom was my teacher!


Sweet valentines.


And lastly, a picture of Mrs. Jumbo and a train.


Can you see what my mom wrote? "1st Show and Tell." Isn't that neat? Thank you for looking at my show and tell 27 years later!


Please read the Show and Tell Guidelines for step-by-step instructions on how to participate.

If you would like to join in, please leave your *permalink* below, along with your first name only (this makes the list easier to read). If your link has been removed from Mr. Linky, please re-read over the guidelines before re-posting. Have fun!

End of Summer *Giveaway!*

*~*Scroll down for new posts!*~*


This week, I am having a giveaway in honor of all the wonderful blogging friends I have made in the last 2 1/2 years. I appreciate you taking the time to stop by for a visit and am also thankful for the kind comments.


Some of you may remember I bought this fabric to make an apron for my friend that got married last weekend.


My friend, Christina gave me the vintage lace for the pocket.


I actually made two aprons, so this one is for the giveaway! Also included...


Two burgundy kitchen towels. I had small strips of fabric leftover that I added to the bottom.


Two coffee mugs and dessert plates for you and a friend.




A butterfly notecard and envelope set.


Peony hand cream.


Garden Moment Getaways by Emily Barnes


Four Mammoth Sunflower packets that I made last week.

To enter the giveaway all you have to do is leave a comment before Thursday August 21, 08 at 11:00pm EST. You don't have to have a blog to join in, just leave an email address, so I have a way of reaching you. Good luck and thank you for joining in!

Homemade Card

Welcome to this week's card making project! I spotted these butterfly stickers at Michaels last week, but you can use any kind of paper, stickers, or stamps.


You will need a 5 x7" notecard.


Cut a 2" cardstock square with decorative stickers. Cut a slightly smaller square from scrapbook paper.


Glue scrapbook paper onto cardstock.


Cut three 5 1/2 x 1/2" strips from scrapbook paper.


Glue squares onto strips, about 1/2" from top.


Glue top of strip and square onto front of card.


Trim bottom of strip as shown. Glue in place.


Repeat with remaining strips.


Tie three small ribbon bows and hot glue onto each strip. Send to a friend!

Blueberries Napkins and Bread

Good morning! We are on our third rainy day here in Texas and are all taking turns having sore throats and coughs. School will be starting soon and I'm taking advantage of my extra free time to finish up some sewing projects.


I really liked these blueberry stamps in the recent Martha Stewart magazine.


So, I made a set of 8 tea sized napkins.


All you need is fabric paint and a couple or corks.


Here are the complete instructions if you would like to give them a try: Blueberry Fabric Stamps.


I let the paint dry over night, then hemmed the edges.


Speaking of blueberries, I made Mrs. H's Blueberry Quick Bread with Vanilla Sauce this past Friday when my friend, Revee and her girls came over for a visit. I had plenty of leftover blueberries, so I made another loaf yesterday.


The vanilla sauce is a delicious topping.


Thank you for stopping by and a special thank you to all who have entered my giveaway! I hope you are having a wonderful week.

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.


Today I am going to show you my bunny collection. Right now everything is in a corner of my dining room hutch, but I bring it all out in the spring.


A miniature tea set.


Bunny figurines. I like to fill them with Easter candy.


A small teapot that was a gift from my mother-in-law.


A bunny and chick salt and pepper shakers.


My favorite part of my collection are these Royal Doulton Bunnykin dishes. The girls and Benjamin each have a plate, bowl and cup.


My mom also has a set for each of my siblings and myself, and my Dad ate oatmeal in a Bunnykin bowl every morning growing up. In fact, he wore the picture right off the bottom!


Little bunnies race around the edges.


Each dish as a different scene.




What a wonderful life the Bunnykins have!


Thank you for looking at my show and tell!

Please read the Show and Tell Guidelines for step-by-step instructions on how to participate.

If you would like to join in, please leave your *permalink* below, along with your first name (this makes the list easier to read). If your link has been removed from Mr. Linky, please re-read over the guidelines before re-posting. Have fun!

Homemade Card

Welcome to this week's card making project! Remember you can use any kind of paper and ribbon for your card.


You will need a 5 x 7" notecard.


Glue a 4 3/4 x 6 3/4" rectangle of scrapbook paper to the front.


Cut a 3 1/2 x 2 1/2" rectangle of cardstock. Add a stamp or sticker.


Hole punch both sides, in the center.


Thread a length of ribbon through holes, as shown.


Bring ribbon around the left side of card.


Continue through the inside of card.


Glue cardstock rectangle to front of card.


Gather both ends of ribbon and secure with a knot.


Tie a bow.




Send to a friend!

Gifts from Friends

Thank you so much for your sweet comments about my sunflower packets! Since I ended up with so many seeds I'm going to make some more this afternoon. Ginger asked if you have to do anything special to the seeds before eating them. Here are a couple of links I found:
Roasting Sunflower Seeds
Harvesting Sunflowers


I received some surprise gifts this week and would like to share them with you. I had asked my friend Nancy, from More Than Enough where she got her ATC (Artist Trading Card) supplies and she sent me a wonderful assortment of images.


Along with colorful paper and alphabet graphics.






She also gave me this beautiful ATC. I love the water lily!


You can see more of Nancy's work at her Never Enough ATC's blog.


My friend, Linda from LBP Sews sent me some autumn goodies.


A beautiful amber cake stand.


An acorn ornament to add to my collection.


Note cards and some pretty ribbon. Thank you so much Nancy and Linda!


We still have a bit of summer left, but now I'm really looking forward to my favorite season. I know many of you are getting ready for the upcoming school year. Are you enjoying these last few weeks of summer?

Homemade Seed Packets

Thank you for your comments on the wedding pictures! We got home very late two nights in a row, so I'm still catching up on sleep, but I was able to work on a small project this weekend.


Homemade seed packets.


Some of you may remember the surprise sunflower that popped up in Emily's garden.


It was time to harvest the seeds.


Lots of seeds!


Benjamin was my helper.


Final count: 870!


I traced a seed packet template onto scrapbook paper. Then folded and glued the edges.


I printed out the name of the flower and a short poem on white paper, cut with decorative scissors and dabbed the edges with a gold ink pad.






I added a bow and now they are ready to tuck into letters or save for small Christmas gifts.




Thank you for taking a look!

Wedding Pictures

Good Morning! Thank you so much for all of your comments on my fairy garden. Many of you asked where I got the miniatures. I found most of them at Hobby Lobby in the dollhouse section, and Michaels had a small selection near their shadow box frames. I found the stepping stones in with the mosaic supplies.

We had a busy, but wonderful weekend. Here are the wedding pictures I promised to share...


The wedding flowers were dropped off at my house Thursday morning. Such beautiful colors!


These pretty buds opened up into...


these purple flowers.




Lamb's Ear was also used.


The groom's mom came over Friday morning did a wonderful job on the bouquets.


Then it was time to get ready for the ceremony. Grace and Emily wore pale pink dresses with embroidery and sequins.


Grace all dressed up.


She wore the sides of her hair up and I added a ribbon bow.


Emily ready to walk down the aisle.


I braided her hair and then wrapped it in a bun.


My handsome boy, who was so excited about his new suit. Oh, and the fact that he had the real wedding rings in the box he is holding!


The lovely bride.


I love this picture of everyone together.


The reception hall was decorated beautifully with lots of candles and flowers.


And of course the cake!


The groom's chocolate cake.


It was a wonderful time with friends and family and we appreciate the bride and groom letting us share in their special day. Thank you for taking a look and I hope you have a great start to your week!

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.


Many of you know how much I love fairies, so when Dawn from ~The Feathered Nest~ shared her fairy garden in a large flower pot, I had to make one, too.


I already had the pot with plants, but I added some new pink Vincas.


Next came a tiny birdbath.


A wheelbarrow and shovel. The fairies love to garden.


A table to sit at and relax.


With a view of the pond.


Which is actually a small mirror!


And tiny flower pots on the stepping stone path.


Thank you for looking at my show and tell! Our friends are getting married today, so we are busy with wedding preparations. I'll be sure to share pictures soon!

Please read the Show and Tell Guidelines for step-by-step instructions on how to participate.

If you would like to join in, please leave your *permalink* below, along with your first name (this makes the list easier to read). If your link has been removed from Mr. Linky, please re-read over the guidelines before re-posting. Have fun!

Homemade Card

Good Morning! Today's project uses note cards that you may have purchased or maybe a friend sent you. You can use patterned scrapbook paper instead, though.


Begin with a 5 1/2 x 4" notecard.


Glue a 5 1/4 x 2 1/2" rectangle of scrapbook paper to the top part of notecard.


Trim down your notecard to approximately 5 1/4 x 2 1/2-3"


Glue ribbon along the paper seam. I used hot glue.


Cut out a small oval from the leftover notecard and glue to top center of card.


You can also use a sticker.


Thank you for looking at this week's homemade card project!

Strawberry Jam Cover and Tea Towel

Good afternoon! Thank you coming by for a visit and for the comments on the blueberry pie. Sadly, it is all gone now. :0)


I have been in an extra crafty mood lately and I must have berries on my mind. I made this strawberry jam cover from felt and it was a lot of fun. My friend, Clarice made a lovely rose version. I know a lot of you are making homemade strawberry jam this time of year and a jar with one of these covers would make a great Christmas gift!


Tiny strawberries with french knots.


And another strawberry on top. Please visit Luckykate Crafts for the great tutorial.


I was also looking through my fabric stash and came across a small strip of strawberry print that I've had for at least 10 years.


I paired it up with some red and white polka dot fabric and sewed it to the bottom of a white kitchen towel.


Thank you for taking a look!

Blueberry Pie

Happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful weekend with your family. I mentioned that Emily and I made two pies for our Saturday evening company.


Here they are...fresh blueberry!


I got the blueberries on sale for $1.50 a pint, but forgot the all ready made pie crust. I very rarely make my own crusts because they fall apart, but I decided to give Ruthann's recipe a try. I'm happy to say it that worked great! You can hardly tell there are at least five patches. ;0)


Emily was a wonderful kitchen helper and wore her new apron.


We added a lattice top, but without the weaving. Here's the recipe in case you want to make one of your own

Blueberry Pie

1 double pie crust
1 cup sugar
5 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
4 cups fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter

1. Preheat oven to 375F.

2. Mix sugar, flour, salt, and cinnamon together in large bowl. Gently stir in blueberries.

3. Pour berry mixture into prepared pie pan and dot with butter.

4. Cut remaining rolled out dough into 1/2 inch wide strips and make lattice.

5. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and the pie is bubbly.




Does it get any better than this?


Maybe a little!

A Simple Woman's Daybook

I am participating in Peggy's Simple Woman's Daybook today.

~For Today~
Monday, August 4, 08

Outside My Window...
the sun is shining and yellow sunflowers are reaching for the sky.

I am thinking...
we have a busy week ahead. Good friends of ours are getting married and Phillip is the best man, Benjamin is the ring bearer and Grace and Emily are the flower girls.

I am thankful for...
days off from school.

From the kitchen...
Monday~Skillet Chicken Parmesan
Tuesday~Homemade Pizza
Wednesday~Garden Fresh Taco Salad
Thursday~Rehearsal Dinner
Friday~Wedding Dinner

I am wearing...
blue jean capris and a black shirt.

I am creating...
a wedding card and an apron for the bride.

I am reading...
Keeping Life Simple by Karen Levine

I am hoping...
I find the perfect outfit for the wedding.

I am hearing...
the washer and dryer.

Around the house...
everything is tidy, but in need of a deep clean. I'm going to start this morning.

One of my favorite things...
pink flower girl dresses.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
On Thursday, the bride's father will drop the wedding flowers off at my house. Friday morning the groom's mother and sister will arrive to put the bouquets together. I've been told they have pictures of how everything should look which is good because flower arranging is not my thing!

Here is a picture that I am sharing...


Two fresh blueberry pies that Emily and I made this weekend. The recipe and more pictures are on the main page of my blog.

Thank you for reading my Daybook and I hope you have a great start to your week!

Weekend Chit~Chat

We've had a very busy three days. Good friends of ours are getting married this coming Friday and Phillip is the best man, Benjamin is the ring bearer, and Grace and Emily are the flower girls. We spent most of Friday running errands. Phillip and Benjamin needed suits and the girls needed shoes.

Later that evening, we met Phillip's brother for dinner and then took Daisy to the creek. It was almost dark, but she had a great time playing in the water and even swam in a deeper area.


I picked up some new scrapbook paper and also pretty fabric for a wedding gift.


I spent Saturday afternoon making cards and other paper crafts.


Then Emily and I made a couple of pies for our Saturday evening company. I'll share the recipe soon.


For dinner we made Mrs. H's Oven Baked Country Ribs which I highly recommend. My brother-in-law took one bite and said "I'm never ordering ribs from Chili's again!"

I hope you all are having a good weekend. Thank you for participating in show and tell and your sweet comments about the strawberry aprons!