Lovely Little Cottage

Fun New Projects on the Horizon

2011-02-09T16:17:00.000-05:00

The turquoise is a scarf for myself.

I want to knit each of the dishcloths in this book

and give them as Christmas 2011 gifts.

Love the quilts in these books.

I plan to make this "Plain Spoken" quilt from

The Modern Quilt Workshop

for my 10 year old son in shades of dark blue and gray.

I first saw it here at Blueberry Buckle.

Isn't it absolutely gorgeous?

Look What I Found!

2011-02-04T15:03:00.000-05:00

"Lee Anderton" written on the side of the drawer

in what looks like carpenter's pencil.

It is written on all the drawers in the pantry.

Could this signature be 91 years old?

More information to go into the file

for when I research my house's history.

Old House Charm

2011-01-20T22:15:00.000-05:00

Our house was built in 1920.

Unfortunately, most of the original light fixtures,

light switches, and plumbing fixtures have been "upgraded."

A few wonderful things remain and

they bring me such pleasure!

The latch on the back kitchen window.

Bracket holding the shelf in the pantry.

Pantry door knob.

Handrail going up the steps.

Stairwell banister in the living room.

It's really not that "orange."

And it's still unpainted!!!!!

Sometimes You Just Need Cast Iron

2011-01-18T18:18:00.000-05:00

I think there are some things that just taste better in cast iron.

Fried apples would be one of those dishes.

Melt 1/4 stick of butter in the cast iron skillet. Peel, core, and slice 4 apples. Toss in about 1/2 c. brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg. Stir well. I covered mine with a lid for a few minutes because I needed them to cook faster. Enjoy the bubbly, sugary goodness!

T-Tapp

2011-01-15T11:20:00.001-05:00

I know that I created this blog to be about my old house, gardening, and projects that I'm doing, but, like everyone else, I have more going on in my life than just that. I wanted to write a post about something else that is important to me. I have never been an athletic type of person. Over the years I've started and stopped more exercise programs than, as my grandma would say, you can shake a stick at. Until I found T-Tapp. T-Tapp literally changed my life and I don't say that lightly!

What is T-Tapp? "T-Tapp is a series of copyrighted, sequential movements designed to put the body in proper functional alignment. Its special sequence of comprehensive, compound muscle movement helps establish better alignment as well as increased strength and flexibility of the spine, better neuro-kinetic flow, lymphatic function, and increased metabolic rate. Its physical therapy approach to fitness makes it safe for those with shoulder, hip, knee, neck, and back concerns. Yet, it delivers a challenging workout for all fitness levels!"

I have suffered with back pain from scoliosis and kyphosis for most of my life. I once weighed 229 lbs. and wore a size 24. In 2008, I came across this rehabilitative program on the internet called T-Tapp. The claims seemed too good to be true. Lost inches and sizes. Pain relief. I continued to visit the site as my pain continued to increase. I was having trouble doing some of my favorite things. Gardening would send me to my recliner with a heating pad for days.

I finally ordered the Total Workout. It sat on my shelf for several months. My pain finally became so intense in March of 2009 that I told my husband that as long as I could get out of bed, I was going to do the Basic Workout (part of Total Workout) every day for ten days. I can't kid you, the first three days were excruciating. I spent about three hours on the heating pad each night. By the fourth day, I was in love with T-Tapp! The pain started to dissipate, and I felt better than I had in years. I extended my ten day boot camp to 14. My back pain has gone from a solid nine every day to about a four. There are periods of time now where I don't even know I have a back issue because it simply doesn't hurt. My arms and legs aren't numb anymore when I wake up. I am standing straighter than I ever have.

*Basic Workout is only 15 minutes long!

The things you read on the T-Tapp website really do come true! I had no idea that a back problem that had plagued me since I was 11 years old could be turned around in two weeks time. In addition, I have lost pounds, sizes, and inches! More importantly, T-Tapp helped me get back into my life. I'm able to garden and do projects around the house with minimal pain.

Friday Flower-1/14/11

2011-01-14T12:12:00.001-05:00

I had some new followers before the holidays,

but wasn't able to highlight them.

Thank you for being patient.

These beautiful white roses are dedicated
to the second half of my followers
from December.

Cherry Kay at Entertaining Women Cherry's blog is full of beautiful tablescapes.

Kelly at My Simple Walk Kelly has wonderful crafts, tutorials, and how-to videos on her blog.

George's Mum at Evie-George This is how George's Mum describes herself: "Earl Grey Tea Drinker. Mother. Wife. Big Sister. one time Countdown Contestant (yes, really.) TALL.

Brunette. Crafter. Reader. Dreamer. Typewriter Collecter. Cake Baker. Messy. Pun Maker. Graduate. Sleepy. Addicted to fonts. Lover of Letterpress. Eternal Romantic. Pyjama Wearer. Scrabble Player. Anagram Solver. Hater of Monopoly."

Beautiful blog! Let's just start with the fact that she starts her list with Earl Grey!

Aledia at Plum Perfect Aledia has great tablescapes and pretty decorating.

Gena at The House on Lavender Hill Gena's blog is full of her 1850's Victorian house, house projects, decorating, and yarn art.

Thank you for following me!

Please join Laura at A Place for Tea
for more Friday Flower.
She has some beautiful pink tulips dedicated
to those who are affected by
the Queensland Australia flood.

What'll It Be?

2011-01-11T16:20:00.000-05:00

It's a lovely snowy day here in Northeast Ohio.

So what'll it be?

Knitting?

Or quilting?

Maybe a little of both!

Me? A Kindle? Why Yes, Ma'am!

2011-01-05T18:18:00.002-05:00

One of my goals for 2011 was to learn to knit. My oldest daughter taught me how to knit and purl before she went back to college. These are pictures of my first project: a self-designed Kindle cover.

Although I know there are some mistakes in it, I am pretty pleased with myself and it does the job of protecting my Kindle just dandy!

Is there anything left to say about the Kindle? Well, apparently I think so, so here goes.

I love physical books. I love the feel of the paper, the scent of the book, the sound of the page turning. I am very tactile and very visual. I go to the library twice-yes twice-a week and always come home with a ginormous stack of books. Each of my children has their very own very large library bags. The rule is that you can take it out as long as it fits in the bag. There are books in EVERY room of my house. I'd probably have a bookshelf in the bathroom if I could fit one. I am regularly "scolding" my children for leaving books lying about, umm, something they probably learned from me. This is all to say that I am a person deeply embedded in the traditional book culture.

I never saw myself owning a Kindle and then I received one for Christmas. I absolutely, without hesitation, love it! I keep telling my husband and oldest daughter, "I really can't believe how much I love this thing!"

Right now, my Kindle has 53 books on it. There is no way that I could carry 53 books from room to room and out of the house at the same time!

I have downloaded books for free from Project Gutenberg (I downloaded the catalog right to my Kindle), the KindleStore, and Google eBooks. I have several big teacher's manual eBooks on a CD that I have been able to download onto my Kindle. This will save me ink and paper. The KindleStore and, because I downloaded the catalog, Project Gutenberg are accessible right from my Kindle without needing a computer.

KindleBooks offers a feature that allows you to download a free sample so you can see if you like it. There are over 100 free books to download at KindleBooks, many of them published in the last 5 years. I noticed some sales on the KindleBook site around Christmas and downloaded some popular author Christmas fiction for around $2.50.

You can easily bookmark, dog-ear, highlight, and make notes.

I've also downloaded a datebook that I can write notes in and keep track of my schedule. The other day, I wrote up a grocery list using the Kindle and then used it when I went shopping. Pretty fun!

You can add MP3s, if you wish. I've heard that you can download audio books, but haven't tried this feature. You can have the Kindle "read" your book to you.

I don't have an iPod, iPhone, or laptop computer. We have one computer in our home. While it is a bit cumbersome, I regularly surf the net on my Kindle if our computer is occupied.

I don't find that it strains my eyes. Anything that bothers my eyes can trigger a migraine for me. Hasn't happened with the Kindle. The Kindle has a special type of screen which doesn't exhaust your eyes like a regular computer screen. I like that I can change the font size of a book in just a few clicks. I seem to read faster with the Kindle.

I was surprised at how much I like the feel of it. It has some softer type substance covering the back which feels nice in my hands. It is very light weight. I download the Bible (free!) and can read it, lying on my side, in bed with ease!

I like that there is a physical keypad at the bottom. Makes it very easy to add notes and search books with it.

If you are used to already spending money for books, you will like the Kindle. My father-in-law also received one for Christmas. He regularly buys hardbacks when they come out and he found that Kindle saved him $$$.

Negatives: It is not backlit so you always have to have a good light source to read by. You can buy Kindle covers with a light.

I have read that there is a work around to borrow books from the library. I plan to figure that out sometime in the next week or two. This has to do with the type of files Kindle uses. It can "read" PDF and MOBI. Apparently, most library books are "written" in EPUB files.

I don't think it would be good for non-fiction books heavy with photographs and illustrations. You would definitely lose something with the black and white screen. I downloaded a sample of "Poky Little Puppy." It was very cute, but just not the same without color;) I have read some blogs on it, but then re-read them on my computer so I could see the beautiful photography.

Brenda at Cozy Little House wrote a post asking about Kindles and Nooks. There are some great responses in the comment section of that post. (I took my comment from there and reworked it into this blog post.

**Edited to add that my 10 year old son has named the Kindle "Kindle Baby." I've also downloaded some books for my kids to read while we are in waiting rooms, etc.

New Things to Learn in 2011

2011-01-01T11:52:00.001-05:00

It is said that learning anything new will stimulate your brain and keep it healthy. So, instead of things I want to change, I've listed things I want to learn or get better in;

Here's my list:

Learn to use the manual mode of my point and shoot camera.

Learn to knit.

Sew some more quilts. (Start on Christmas 2011 gifts. Wouldn't it be fun to have a handmade Christmas?)

Become more technically savvy with my blog.

Finish the attic!!!! I'm going here for some inspiration.

Research my house's history

Set up an Etsy shop.

What do you have planned?

Happy New Year, Everyone!

Change of Plans

2010-12-30T14:43:00.002-05:00

In October, having never quilted before, I decided that I would make lap quilts for my four nieces, two nephews, and one sister-in-law.

At the beginning of December, I changed my mind and decided that I would make lap quilts for two nieces, one nephew, and one sister-in-law.

Six days before Christmas, with one lap quilt done, one lap quilt needing binding, one lap quilt pieced, but needing quilting, and one lap quilt left to cut out, I went to the dentist for an unexpected (emergency?) root canal. I decided that only my sister-in-law, whose quilt was done, would receive a lap quilt. :)

Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures in my own home in day light before I gave it to her. These pictures were taken in the evening after she opened it. I was very pleased with how it turned out. She loved it!

Enjoying the candlelight while we all sing
"Happy Birthday, Jesus" on Christmas day.

Can you see the cake and candy in the background? Every year, I bake two round cakes-one for the boys and one for the girls. I set out the plainly frosted cakes with two "sets" of candy and the children decorate the cakes for Jesus. We light the candles, turn off the overhead lights and sing. It is one of my favorite Christmas traditions and we share it with whomever is celebrating with us at our house.

Ollie Helps With Christmas

2010-12-21T10:04:00.004-05:00

Ollie "killed" the maribou feather edging for me.

He "gathered" up the stray tinsel.

(Don't worry, I removed it from his mouth

before he ate any.)

And he "helped" me lay out a quilt.

How could I have done it without him?

Friday Flower-12/16/10

2010-12-17T14:40:00.000-05:00

Isn't this gorgeous?

It's called a Cyclamen.

Just look at those variegated leaves

and that rich red color!
Look at all those blooms!

I have 11 new followers!

I will feature six today and

five on another Friday Flower.

Clarice at Storybook Woods-Clarice has great decorating, beautiful things to make, and delicious food to prepare on her blog. She is also an author and her recent book, Wren Bay, is on my wish list.

Nita Stacy at Mod Vintage Life- Nita's blog is filled with her wonderful decorating projects as she restores her home. Beautiful! It is also filled with another great love of mine-dachshunds! I can't get enough of her little family of doxies. I'm putting her button here because I think it's just too cute!

Patty at Olla-Polrida- Patty is a fabulous cook! How do I know? I've tried some of the recipes she's posted on her site! Really, really good stuff! Patty's Etsy shop is pretty cool, as well.

Martha at Martha's Favorites-Martha's site is filled with many of my favorite things...teacups, china, and an English garden! Martha has an Etsy shop and an e-Bay shop. (There were quite a few things I wanted in her eBay shop.) She co-hosts Teacup Tuesday with Terri, who is my next follower.

Terri at Artful Afirmations-Terri's blog is filled with all sorts of delightful things. She is very knowledgeable about china and such. I have learned many new things by reading her blog. You really need to check out her free video tutorials in her sidebar on her blog!

Heather at Life and Love at Leadora-Heather also has an old house and enjoys "crafting, sewing, baking, cooking, and decorating." Those are all things I also enjoy:)

Please join Laura at A Place For Tea and Melissa at Miss Sew & So for more Friday Flowers.

Thank You, Sarah Jane

2010-12-13T16:41:00.003-05:00

A month or so ago I won a calendar from Sarah Jane.

She is a wonderful illustrator.

The package was so beautifully packaged!

Isn't that the cutest sticker?

I love this picture.

It reminds me of me as a child...

I always had my nose in a book!

Thank you, Sarah Jane!

I love my calendar!

We Have a Winner!

2010-12-08T22:55:00.004-05:00

I want to thank all of you that entered my very first giveaway!

No one wanted to guess my age;)

I cut apart all of the entries and put them in a pretty glass Christmas bowl.

I had my ten year old daughter pick out one name.

The winner is Saminda from Ferns By the Fireside,who said,

"It has been a delight to find you this week. :)

And snow - how wonderful!! I can only imagine cold snow in our current Aussie heat! ;)

It has been rainy at least, which cools everything down nicely.

These Christmas items look delightful. Blessings. :) xx "

Congratulations, Saminda!

Just e-mail me your address and

I'll mail the package.

Birthday Tea

2010-12-07T01:15:00.010-05:00

Last week was my birthday.

To celebrate, I fixed myself

a pot of Earl Grey tea and

set a pretty place setting for myself.

I then took it outside to photograph because the light

was better out there.

My favorite birthday cup to use during the month of December.

I love having a December birthday!

The bottom of the china says:

Royal Albert

Bone China

England

Flower of the Month Series

Christmas Rose

1970 Royal Albert LTD.

Candlewick cream and sugar bowl--handed down from my husband's paternal grandmother.

When I was growing up, my maternal grandmother

always kept this spoon in the sugar bowl. It's bowl is engraved

"Queen Elizabeth visits Canada-1959."

Maternal grandmother's silver.

I treated myself to Walker's shortbread because I had never had them before.

You can see pictures of a flower arrangement I made with this teacup here.

This is for Teacup Tuesday at Artful Afirmations and Martha's Favorites

and Tablescape Thursday at

Between Naps On the Porch

Christmas Blog Party-2010

2010-12-07T00:17:00.009-05:00

Oh, the weather outside is frightful...

but inside, it's so delightful...

Living Room:

Our Christmas tree is in the corner of the living room.

We don't have a mantel, but I decorate the bookshelves

on each side of the armoire like little mantels.

I'm sure there is a name for this decoration.

It is one of my favorites. When you light the candles

the heat causes the propellor at the top to spin.

The shepherds and wise men then

rotate around Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus.

Hark the herald angels sing!

The top of the other book shelf.

The nativity takes center stage.

Kitchen:

I love my big, lit wreath in my kitchen window.

It's decorated with teapot and teacup ornaments

that I've collected in various places over the years.

Christmas mugs

Tin sign from Hobby Lobby

Old water bottle that my Grandma L.

used to keep well water cold in the

refrigerator.

Fire King bowl from Grandma L.,

"holly elf" apron made by Grandma L.,

various kitchen utensils from Grandma D.

Grandma L's silverware,

small depression glass salt shaker

from my mom

Teapot ornament on the wreath

Dining Room:

We are using this as an Advent wreath this year.

I used a mirror as a base.

The garland that hangs on the living room side of the doorway.

I hang all my glass and vintage ornaments here.

Garland ornaments.

More garland ornaments.

My front porch can be found here.

Thank you for coming to see my decorations.

I will be posting more as the month progresses.

Believe it or not, I still have more to do.

Look for: nutcrackers, window seat decorations, more nativities,

snowmen, lit houses, our Jesse tree, and what ever else happens

to come out of the boxes:)

Please check out these fabulous blogs for more party fun!

A Delightsome Life-

A Return to Loveliness-

Christmas with Victoria-

Between Naps on the Porch

Linda at Coastal Charm

It's a Friday Flower Tradition-12/03/10

2010-12-03T13:55:00.011-05:00

I apologize for being a little late with this Friday Flower. My husband plays in a jazz trio and all my "blogging time" on Friday was spent getting ready for and enjoying his gig.

It's become a bit of a tradition for me to dedicate my flowers to my new followers. Blogging has added something new to my life and I'm really enjoying it! It's so fun to share the beauty that is around all of us with each other. It has made me slow down and take a closer look at things. Light has become important to me.

These are white carnations that I arranged in my favorite December tea cup. It was a gift from my mom and step-father several years ago. I took the whole thing outside and photographed them in the snow. I thought it felt whimsical and, because I have a new follower in Australia and one in Georgia (USA), I thought I would send them some snow with their flowers!

My new followers:

Kathy at A Delightsome Life. She writes about many lovely things including Victoria Magazine. I find that we enjoy many of the same blogs. She will be hosting a blog Christmas party on December 6.

Saminda at Ferns By the Fireside is in Australia. I enjoy reading about her family and life in Australia. After perusing her blog, I find that we have many similar interests.

Melissa K at Hand Made Me. Melissa K's blog says "I'm an Aussie currently living in Cumbria, in the north west of England. I'm passionate about beautiful homewares, sewing, textiles, drawing and photography." She has some beautiful handmade things on her page! I look forward to exploring it some more!

Carol at Our Sears Kit Home. Carol inspired this post about my home. She has been so helpful to me and I plan to do more research on the origins of my home in the new year. She has wonderful pictures of her home, kitties, and other vintage goodies.

Simone at Dobermans by the Sea. She recently ran a series about German traditions that I really enjoyed. She is also hosting a Christmas blog party.

Thank you all for following me!

I'm joining Laura at A Place For Tea and Melissa at Miss Sew & So for Friday Flower. Stop over and look at their lovely, lovely flowers.

Give*Away!

2010-12-02T11:30:00.003-05:00

It snowed last night! What a wonderful way to start December! It just changes how Christmas feels to me when we have snow. The lights seems to sparkle a little brighter and house feels a little warmer. It was nice to curl up in a quilt while I read my Bible this morning with a hot cup of coffee.

I've seen that many people have a give*away when they reach 100 blog posts. Well, this makes 82 for me. I picked up some really fun things, but they are all Christmas-y and by the time I reach 100 posts, the season will be past. So, in honor of my birthday, which is this week, I am having a little give*away.

Just leave a comment between now and Sunday, Dec. 5 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Just for the fun of it, why don't you tell me how old you think I am;) I promise not to get mad. I'll have one of my kiddos pull a name out of a stocking or something unless I can figure out how to do the random number generator thingy. I will ship internationally, so all my Canadian, English, and Australian readers can join in the fun as well.

Because it's dark and snowy today, my photography leaves a little bit to be desired. I promise these all look lovely in person:)

Oatmeal mint soap by Hugo Naturals. The bag says "Handcrafted from vegan, cruelty-free ingredients, our luxurious soap produces a rich, creamy lather that pampers the skin while it cleans." The soap smells divine!

A reproduction postcard.

Two gift tags.

A "mercury glass" ornament

Two cloth napkins

Good luck!

Comments are now closed. Thank you to all who entered. I will be posting the winner ASAP.

Where Women Create Is Having a Giveaway

2010-12-01T15:10:00.002-05:00

Where Women Create is having a 12 day giveaway!

How fun!

Their magazine is chock full of inspiration.

Is It a Sears Catalog House?

2010-11-29T23:17:00.007-05:00

I've often wondered if my house was a Sears kit home. I've recently started visiting Carol's Our Sears Kit Home blog and she recommended Houses By Mail by Katherine Cole Stevenson and H. Ward Jandl. I've just started reading it. I recognize many of the houses in my neighborhood in this book. What I find interesting about my street is that in a three block span, it contains houses from many different decades. At the "beginning" end of my street, are houses built before 1900. The house across from me was build around 1940 and the house before it was built in 1950.

This is a very informative article by Cleveland Magazine written about Sears homes in northeast Ohio.

Our house was built in 1920. The garage was built about 1936. It has a living room, dining room, kitchen, basement, attic, one bathroom with the original claw foot tub. It also has this little "kick-out" off the kitchen that could be used as a breakfast nook. We use it as our computer room. The other side of the front porch is an enclosed porch area with wood floor and heat. Because of all the single hung windows, it is very cold in the winter and hot in the summer. Right now we use it for toy storage, but I hope to someday decorate it.

Unfortunately, someone got the home-renovation bug in the early 80's. The kitchen has been redone (not very well.) It has a hideous drop ceiling that I would really like to replace someday when funds allow. The kitchen cabinets have been replaced. I've painted them white. They put up barn siding on some of the kitchen walls. I've painted it with a high gloss white and it looks a tad better. We have the original claw foot tub but the sink has been replaced with a stock cabinet-style sink with "modern" fixtures. Someone added a linen closet and you can see that the entire bathroom used to have tiles halfway up the walls at the back of the closet. All of the original light fixtures have been removed except in the covered front porch. Fortunately, they didn't paint any of the downstairs wood work. Solid oak doors and trim. Wood floors in the living room and dining room. Window seat in the dining room. I will have to do a post on the interior some day. All of the upstairs closets have the original wallpaper still on the walls. I love that!

Right now you're probably wondering why I would call my blog "Lovely Little Cottage" when my house does not appear "little" or to be a "cottage." When we were getting ready to add our third child, a friend asked if we were going to move. "Why?", I asked. She replied, "Well, it's a lovely little cottage, but it's not very big!" From then on, I've referred to my house as my "lovely little cottage" because I think her idea absurd. I love my home and find it just right for the five of us!

December On My Front Porch-2010

2010-11-29T15:54:00.006-05:00

This is what my porch looked like in October and November:

And this is my porch for December:

I'll probably putter with it some more

as I unpack more of our Christmas decorations.

The sticks and holly are from my garden.

The kids helped me make paper snow flakes for

this little tree so that you can see something on it during the day.

At night:

This post is for Metamorphosis Monday on Between Naps On the Porch.

Decorating Has Commenced

2010-11-27T16:36:00.003-05:00

Decorating has commenced and I don't think Oliver is too happy about it.

Friday Flower 11/26/10

2010-11-25T23:28:00.004-05:00

Today's Friday Flower is dedicated to my fourth follower, Carolyn at Aiken House & Gardens. Aiken House & Gardens is one of the first blogs I ever started reading. I've read it for years, but just only recently started to comment. I absolutely love, love, love Carolyn's blog. She is so welcoming. Her house and cottages are beautifully decorated. The blog is filled with beautiful photography of china, teacups, and flowers.

I also love to flower garden, so I find her garden posts very inspirational and educational.

Aiken House and Gardens feels special to me for two reasons.

One, my grandma was born and raised in Canada. She loved beautiful dishes. Carolyn generously posts many pictures of her beautiful collection.

Two, L. M. Montgomery, who wrote the Anne of Green Gables series, was one of my grandma's favorite authors. Many of L. M. Montgomery's works were set in Prince Edward Island. Aiken House and Garden is on Prince Edward Island.

So, thank you, Carolyn, for your beautiful blog and for following mine.

Please join Laura at A Place for Tea and Melissa at Miss Sew and So for Friday Flower. You won't be sorry.

Happy Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-24T23:43:00.007-05:00

The turkey's in the oven. The table is set. The breakfast dishes are in the dishwasher.

I love Thanksgiving. My birthday is during the first week of December. When I was a little girl, my grandparents and aunts and uncles would give me my birthday present on Thanksgiving. My grandma would always bake a birthday cake to go with all the wonderful pies she would bake. We would sing "Happy Birthday" before dessert. It was the best, most wonderful birthday party a little girl could ever have.

I grew up going to my maternal grandma's house for most holidays.

These are her Currier and Ives dishes. The grocery store where she shopped long, long ago would hand out stamps for buying groceries. She saved and saved her stamps and traded them in for this set of dishes, collecting them piece by piece.

They are very special to me. I use them every Thanksgiving and Christmas in honor of my grandma. The silver ware was also hers.

The crystal belonged to my husband's grandma.

The silver candy dish I'm using as a centerpiece was also my maternal grandma's.

You may remember this guy from here.

I am thankful for:

My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

My husband. I met him when I was 17 and have loved him ever since.

My three incredible children.

My extended family.

My friends.

My "lovely little cottage."

The many blessings that have come my way this year.

Our troops around the world who help to secure our freedom in this country.

Religious freedom.

The ability to home educate my children.

T-Tapp.

Blogging, which I seemed to be obsessed with lately;)

My pets

and so much more.

This is for Between Naps On the Porch's Tablescape Thursday.

Cranberry Pie and Tomorrow's Menu

2010-11-24T21:22:00.000-05:00

Many years ago I lived in a suburb of Nashville, TN. About that time, Country Home magazine ran a story about a Franklin, TN resident named Salli LaGrone. Franklin is another suburb of Nashville. They hold a Dickens festival every year that I've read about in other magazines.

Turns out, Salli is good friends with Martha Stewart. One of the recipes that Salli baked for her guests was a Cranberry Pie. I baked this for my family for the first time in 1994. I leave out the orange flavoring and nuts. My daughter, Amy, was only four years old. To this day, she still requests this pie every year.

It is our holiday breakfast tradition. I serve it with an egg casserole for every Thanksgiving and Christmas breakfast.

Because I love tradition, I still pull out the whole magazine to use the recipe. I mix it in the same blue bowl that I've been using to make it for the past 16 years.

2010 Thanksgiving Dinner

Turkey

Lima Beans

Sweet Potato Casserole w/ Marshmallows

Scalloped Cauliflower

Red Cabbage

Stuffing

Dressing

Cranberry Sauce

Cream Cheese Stuffed Celery

Rolls w/ Butter

Green Olives

Black Olives

Sweet Gherkin Pickles

Mini Dill Pickles

Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Cream

Thanksgiving Decorations and Preparations

2010-11-24T15:04:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving greetings to you all!

My daughter is home and all my chicks are gathered in.

I am one happy Mama!

Today is one of those perfectly grey, overcast Ohio days.

Makes it nice for staying in and baking

but difficult for photography.

This is the curtain above my window seat in my dining room.

I normally have a flower garland over the curtains.

These are reproduction post cards that I just clipped

into the foliage with clothes pins.

This is the actual window seat.

My grandmother's silver candy dish.

She always kept reception mints in it when I was a little girl.

White ceramic pumpkin from Target last year.

Antique bowl filled with real gourds.

Rusty metal leaf garland.

The tea pot is made of a substance called Britannia.

My great-great grandmother brought it over from England

when she settled in Canada.

I finished my Thanksgiving craft.

Earlier in October, my children and I went for a walk

and gathered leaves from our neighborhood.

I then traced them onto felt

and hand-embroidered them.

The leaves are sewn onto raffia.

I hung it on the dining room side of the dining room doorway.

This is on the living room side of the dining room doorway.

I love white twinkle lights.

You can catch a little peek at my teapot collection.

I am going to be baking cranberry pie and pumpkin pie this afternoon.

I might try my hand at some pumpkin shaped spritz cookies, as well.

I hope you all have a wonderful day!

It's the Memories Made...Right?

2010-11-22T21:26:00.001-05:00

I think I bought this pilgrim hat cookie cutter last year after the season.

Half-priced, you know.

I packed the cookie cutter away with the other

Thanksgiving decorations

and found him again this year.

Tonight seemed like a good night to bake cookies.

My oldest will be home from college tomorrow.

My two youngest got right into the fun of it.

I've made this same recipe

for over seven years.

I was quite pleased until....

I frosted them.

They look like orange traffic safety cones.

Maybe a new holiday tradition

to commemorate all the people who travel

over the river and through the wood?

Candlelight Walk 2010

2010-11-19T23:01:00.000-05:00

Tonight was our town's annual Candlelight Walk.

I look forward to this event all year.

This is the Historical Society where the Candlelight Walk begins.

The mayor starts the evening with the lighting of the Christmas tree.

The high school band plays Christmas carols.

All the shops are decorated to the hilt.

The street lights are wrapped with greenery and white lights.

The police close the four roads leading to the town square.

Costumed shop keepers pass out candy to the children.

Free horse drawn carriage rides.

I got a few shots of the shop windows

because I just knew you all would want to see.

See those "mannequins" in the next picture?

This particular shop always features a window scene

with live people acting like animatronic mannequins.

Last year it was two elves in Santa's shop.

They hammered the night away in true robotic form.

The local bakery has a miniature train

which runs through a village in their window.

My son makes sure that we look at it every year.

Of course, the cookies that we buy there don't hurt.

Tonight was beautiful and clear.

A cold 36 degrees which actually isn't too bad.

We heard lots of Christmas music,

drank lots of free hot chocolate, and

ate too many cookies.

Some of the other attractions:

A bagpipe player

Sled dogs

Santa in the fire engine.

I felt like I was in a Norman Rockwell painting.

A lovely evening.

Yellow Roses For Friendship

2010-11-19T00:49:00.001-05:00

Today's Friday flowers are dedicated to

my two new followers,

Laura from A Place For Tea and

Brenda from Cozy Little House.

It's so fun to have followers!

Thank you!

You can join Friday Flower

by visiting A Place For Tea and

Miss Sew & So.

Happy Friday, Everyone!

Couldn't Decide

2010-11-18T01:09:00.001-05:00

Today, I couldn't decide which holiday I wanted to prepare for.

I worked on my Thanksgiving garland....

and started hanging Christmas lights outside.

I checked things off both my lists!

Turkeys

2010-11-16T01:16:00.000-05:00

My mom is THE best garage saler around.

She just has a knack for finding wonderful things.

Many times, she gives them to me:)

Besides the little pilgrim girl,

these turkeys are my favorite Thanksgiving decorations.

I've lined them up on this same window sill for several years now.

Look at this guy.

How could you not love him?

Or this one?

This turkey was made for me when I was a child

by our neighbors who were from Scotland.

Thankful

2010-11-14T22:33:00.000-05:00

I just love this little pilgrim girl.
My mother found her at a garage sale.
She just looks so thankful.

Today was a wonderful day!
A day of peace and rest.
The kind of day we all need.
We went to the evening service at church,
visited a family friend in the nursing home,
and then ate dinner out.
We all soaked up the family time.

We came home in the dark.
The moon was spectacular
and illuminated our yard.

The children are in bed.
My husband is working
at the dining room table.

I am writing a quick blog post
and then off to the couch with
a cup of tea and a pile of books.

I am thankful.

Friday Flower

2010-11-13T12:01:00.000-05:00

Today's Friday Flower is dedicated to Melissa because she is my first follower!

You can join at Miss Sew and So or at A Place For Tea.

Christmas Shopping and a Little Something for Me

2010-11-12T12:59:00.000-05:00

I've loved the Johnson Bros. china ever since I first saw it.
Every fall, I lust after the beautiful shades of brown, russet, and teal.
Whenever I see a display in a store,
I'll pick up a plate and lovingly run my hand over it.
Big sigh!

Then I look at the cost and realize it is not in the budget for this year.
Visiting blogs this year, I've learned that
one of the terms to use is "Transferware."
I see it everywhere now and
love the red and blue and black and really, all of it.

Yesterday, I was in HomeGoods and saw this coffee cup.
I picked it up as always and it was marked down to $2.00!!!!!
I now am the proud owner of some Johnson Bros. Transferware!
This pattern is called "His Majesty."

I'm only kicking myself for not buying two so that I could have
a pair to drink coffee with my husband.
Maybe next year.

The past few times I've been in Hobby Lobby,
I've looked at this beautiful music box.
It looks just like the thing my mother would love for Christmas.
It's $29.99 and just out of reach.
Yesterday, it was on sale for 50% off.
Christmas shopping for my mother-done!

Look at these adorable little feet!
It plays Joy to the World.

Today Is The Kind Of Day

2010-11-10T10:59:00.001-05:00

The sun is streaming through my windows.
Today is the kind of day that just gets me motivated.

I have deemed today "A Day To Create!"

I even notified my children and told them that I
would be in the dining room all day and if they wanted to,
they could join me at the table with things they wanted to create.

I am looking forward to my day...
creating, being with my children, and the blessing of sunshine.

I intend to cut more squares for this quilt I am making for my niece.

These lovely colors of felt will be a Thanksgiving decoration.

And when I'm through, I plan to enjoy a cup of tea!

The Garden in October

2010-11-07T12:03:00.001-05:00

Snow

2010-11-05T22:13:00.001-04:00

Real snow. Beautiful flakes.

I took the trash out and stood in my pajama pants, face lifted to the sky and watched as each flake turned and twirled, catching the light as it fell to the ground.

Beautiful.

Remind me of this post in January:)

November On My Front Porch

2010-11-04T12:21:00.000-04:00

A picture of my brick street just because.

This Is What Adoption Is All About!

2010-11-02T17:46:00.000-04:00

November is National Adoption Month

I came into the dining room to find
my daughter drawing this picture on our dry erase board.

Anyone who knew her "story" would know what a miracle this is!

This is what adoption is all about.

A simple picture of a happy house
drawn by the child that grew in our heart.

I've linked this with Emily at Chatting at the Sky for Tuesday Unwrapped.

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jer. 29:11

It's a Favorite!

2010-10-31T21:57:00.000-04:00

Feeling restored, I decided it was time to do some baking with my children.
This is a tried and true pumpkin bread recipe made into a cake.
I found it on allrecipes and have been baking it for over five years.
People ask me for the recipe all.the.time!
We don't add the nuts.

It's great for breakfast:)

My kids licked the bowl when we were through!

Edited to add: I use a whole 15 oz. can of pumpkin instead of measuring it out.
I also just plop the whole thing in my 10.5x15 glass pyrex baking dish.
Bake 55-60 minutes and check with a cake tester.

What's a Girl To Do?

2010-10-27T17:59:00.001-04:00

What's a girl to do when she's hit the wall?

When her tank is just empty, empty, empty?

She retreats to her very own garden with her Bible and a stack of yummy books.

She spends time reading Isaiah 40 and breathes a sigh.

She grabs her camera and tries to capture the gorgeous light.

She leans her head back and breathes in the blue sky, the golden light, and the crisp air.

Love That Autumn Light!

2010-10-22T23:00:00.001-04:00

Love the autumn light as it streams through the window in my kitchen.

A Post About My House

2010-10-20T15:33:00.001-04:00

We had visitors recently which you can read about here.

They blogged about our visit here.

A Trip to the Big City-Part III

2010-10-11T15:30:00.001-04:00

Part I

Part II

Our final destination of the day was

the Palace Theatre to see Blue Man Group!

From Wikipedia: "The $2 million theater opened in the Keith Building on November 6, 1922, seating 3,100. The interior was clad with Carrara marble and 154 crystal chandeliers, and the main lobby, dubbed the “Great Hall,” was decorated with over 30 paintings."

The theatre is absolutely spectacular! A feast for the eyes!

I cropped him out, but my son was able to get

photos taken with some of the cast!

It is an experience he won't soon forget!

A wonderful day of memories for all!

A Trip to the Big City-Part II

2010-10-09T13:30:00.000-04:00

Part I

Part III

After we looked at all of the houses, we went to a park on the edge of Lake Erie.

It was a gorgeous day.

We walked along the shore a little.

I think it was the first time my children had been that close to Lake Erie.

Supper was on the agenda next.

My step-father took us to a German restaurant that

he had been visiting since he was two years old!

Although it has changed hands several times since, they still had some of the original "china."

This is a sugar bowl that contains the initial of the original owner.

The food was amazing!

I had weiner schnitzel, spaetzle, and red cabbage.

Unfortunately, I didn't think to take a photo.

Cuckoo Clock

A Trip to the Big City

2010-10-07T16:24:00.001-04:00

First of a three part series.

Part II

Part III

When I was a little girl, my mother always told me stories about when she was a little girl growing up in the country. Before Christmas, she and her mother would go into the big city to Christmas shop in the big stores downtown. This was before they had shopping malls and big box stores. The big department stores would spend lots of money to decorate their store windows for the shopper who would travel to shop in their stores.

Yesterday, my step-father took my mother, my two youngest children,

and me to the big city. He had a few surprises up his sleeve.

The first part of the day was spent looking at various homes from his history.

This is the duplex he lived in until he was seven.

He explained to my children how he thought the front yard was so big.

There were large oak trees in the front when he was small.

All of the neighborhood kids would run through the sprinkle in the front yard.

During the school year, he would walk home from school

and have lunch on the little porch above the front doors.

This is the gas station his dad used to manage. It used to be a Sunoco.

The Women's Club Pavilion at the park where he used to play.

The sign said it was built in 1920.

Architectural detail from one of the buildings we saw.

His aunt's house. A few blocks away. This is also the house that my step-father's

grandfather had built. So, his father and aunt grew up in

this house. His aunt lived her all her life.

One of the entrances to the high school his aunt went to when she was growing up.

Apple Pie

2010-09-30T11:44:00.000-04:00

My husband's favorite dessert in the whole world is home-made apple pie.When the air gets crisp, it just feels right to bake something with cinnamon.

Jonathan apples from the local orchard.

Have to mix the apple-y goodness with a wooden spoon.

Butter!

And since my kids were helping me, D-A-D for the steam vents.

They loved making it for him and he enjoyed eating it up!

Delightful!

2010-09-25T20:58:00.000-04:00

This is the word that I use to describe my friend's visit. I've only met Trisch once in person, but I feel like I've known her forever because we both spend lots of time on the T-Tapp forum, we both home school, but most importantly, we both love the Lord!

She and her family are traveling through the eastern United States for the next two weeks and they chose to visit my family!

We ate dinner and then her family ministered to us with song and instrument. How talented they are! How beautifully they praised our Lord!

Tuning up.

Such talent! Such sweet spirits!

The boys got a kick out of our parakeet, Augustine. Loved those belly laughs!

Angelic voices praising the Lord!

Trisch and me

The little boys. My son is on the left.

Little girls. My daughter is on the right.

Goodbye! Thank you for visiting! Please come again!

Fall Garden Party

2010-09-22T18:09:00.000-04:00

I had some friends over for a fall garden party. The garden is strung with twinkle lights so it was especially pretty after it got dark. Everyone brought something tasty to eat. I made a crockpot of hot spiced apple cider. We had a bonfire and roasted marshmallows. It was a wonderful evening!

2010-09-19T14:44:00.000-04:00

Kim at Dear Daisy Cottage is celebrating her 4 year blogging anniversary with a wonderful give-away! I just love her blog!

Edited to add: I'm trying the trackback thing, but don't think I'm doing it right, so if the give-away above doesn't work, try this. I'm still learning.

Hydrangea in a Ball jar

2010-08-09T22:30:00.001-04:00

My hard drive crashed

2010-04-30T15:48:00.001-04:00

My hard drive crashed. Unfortunately, my husband hasn't backed anything up in over a year. I don't know how to back up files. I will learn now.

My bookmarks are gone. I am not as computer literate as I should be. If I had been smarter, I would have used the RSS feed or a blog reader. Something for me to think about doing now.

Keeping my private life separate from my internet life....

2009-01-22T12:00:00.000-05:00

I was out to dinner with my very closest friends the other night. They were talking about Face Book. I said I don't really have time for Face Book because I spend most of my time reading blogs. (Hence the reason I haven't posted in FOREVER...) One of my friends asked me if I have a blog. R said, "No, not really. She just has this sewing blog thing." This is the very reason my friends don't know I have blogs. Yes, plural. I in fact have four spread out over the internet. Not that I write in any of them. LOL I also have a journal on a bulletin board that I frequent. I'm afraid to share certain things with my real life friends. Maybe I just need some new friends. LOL

Although I write things in my blogs, I am what you would call a private person in my real life. I constantly guard the things I say and the words I write in e-mail. Much of this stems from my mother and her constant foraging in my room, journals, books, thoughts, events, etc. Secrets she shared with people indiscriminately. That's another post in itself.

I can be free on the internet with millions of people reading about my life. I hide my internet life from my real life friends. I think it is opposite for most people. They hide their real life from the internet.

Here's my question.....if I still have any readers at all.........How do you handle your blog? Do all of your real life friends know and read or do you keep it a secret. Something just for you and your readers?

Sweet Light

2008-07-29T12:50:00.000-04:00

Custom Painted Guitar Effects Boxes

2008-07-23T00:12:00.000-04:00

My husband is painting this.....

So my dining room table looks like this.....

Easter lilies in July

2008-07-19T22:49:00.000-04:00

My mom has been giving me an Easter lily for Easter the past several years. Three years ago, I transplanted the lily to my garden. Each year, the foliage would come up, but no blooms. I threw away all of the Easter lilies received after that because I thought they were "done." This year, that sole Easter lily bloomed and blessed me with seven flowers.

I wish I had planted the last two plants instead of throwing them away. Live and learn.

Garden Party

2008-07-19T22:44:00.000-04:00

I hosted my annual Garden Party this year in July instead of June. I think July will be the new tradition. More guests were in attendance. Everyone was much more relaxed. More of the flowers were blooming and the annuals had started to fill in nicely.

The beautiful house you see in the background is my backyard neighbors'. The houses on my street are no where near that size. LOL Hence the name "Lovely Little Cottage."

Happy Mother's Day, Everyone!

2008-05-11T13:24:00.001-04:00

My children made me a wonderful stepping stone for my garden.

My Grandma's Daffodils

2008-05-09T19:41:00.000-04:00

My maternal Grandma and Grandpa owned a farm for over 30 years. They grew wonderful things including flowers. When my Grandparents sold their farm, they dug up all the daffodils and moved them to their new place. When they went into a nursing home, the daffodils were again dug up and moved to the house I lived in as a child. When we moved from there, the daffodils also came along. When my husband and I bought our first house, my parents gave me the daffodils, sort of like a house warming gift. Each time I've moved, I've written in the house contract that we will dig up the daffodils and take them with us. They've traveled with us to Nashville and now back to Ohio. I love these daffodils.

In Honor of April Fool's Day

2008-04-01T14:30:00.000-04:00

"Fried Quail Eggs"

Pssst....they're really gummy eggs. Sounds delicious, no?

News on my adoption blog

2007-12-26T15:48:00.001-05:00

news

My Birthday Present

2007-12-12T10:56:00.002-05:00

This beautiful cup, saucer, and dessert plate set is a gift from my mom and step-father.

Putting Up the Tree

2007-12-07T11:52:00.000-05:00

A few years ago, my husband fell in love with the idea of the pre-lit tree. Previously, we did the cut-down-your-own-tree thing. While I miss that, the thing that I like about the pre-lit tree is that I can have my husband put it up as soon as I want;) We put our tree up on the day we got back from vacation, which was November 26.

He Didn't Say....

2007-12-05T17:29:00.001-05:00

My husband doesn't like pictures of the kids on the internet, but he didn't say anything about us:)

On My Kitchen Counter

2007-12-04T12:38:00.000-05:00

I love this area of my kitchen counter. I know that a Kitchen Aid mixer is very utilitarian and not necessarily decorative, but I love the way it looks. Mine happens to be really old. Our elderly neighbor was breaking up house keeping to go into a nursing home and I bought it at her auction. She told me that she had baked many good cookies with that mixer.

Also
*A white ceramic pumpkin purchased this year from Target.
*A "depression-glass green" dish.
*Mums from a friend.
*A Mary Engelbeit calendar page framed in a silver frame by my oldest daughter for me for Christmas that says, "Home is where the Heart is."

Mayflower

2007-12-03T19:27:00.000-05:00

In honor of Thanksgiving, we had dinner at the Mayflower the next night. How many of you can say that?? ;)

Over the River

2007-11-20T10:37:00.000-05:00

Over the river and thru the wood,
To grandfather's house we go;
The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh,
Thru the white and drifted snow, oh!

Over the river and thru the wood,
Oh, how the wind does blow!
It stings the toes and bites the nose,
As over the ground we go.

Over the river and thru the wood,
To have a first-rate play;
Oh, hear the bell ring, "Ting-a-ling-ling!"
Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day-ay!

Over the river and thru the wood,
Trot fast my dapple gray!
Spring over the ground,
Like a hunting hound!
For this is Thanksgiving Day.

Over the river and through the wood,
And straight through the barnyard gate.
We seem to go extremely slow
It is so hard to wait!

Over the river and through the wood --
Now Grandmother's cap I spy!
Hurrah for fun! Is the pudding done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!

Written By: Lydia Maria Child

Going to see my husband's parents! Downloaded this song to the iPod so the kids can learn it:)

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving remembering how the Lord has blessed over this past year. I might even get to open a birthday gift or two:)

Thanksgiving Decorations

2007-11-17T10:59:00.000-05:00

Every year I haul out two big boxes of Thanksgiving decorations. Even the boxes that contain my harvest decorations are meaningful to me. Many years ago, my husband's grandma sent us a box of grapefruit from Florida where she lived. It was a heavy duty box with a sturdy hinged lid...too good to throw away. It now houses many loved items for autumn and it makes me think of her whenever I see it whether it be while decorating the house for fall or during the year where it smiles at me from the shelf.

Most people have a few items on their Christmas tree that were carefully created by a child during a Preschool or Sunday School class. I have those, but I can't throw anything away (remember the box mentioned above), so I also have turkeys lovingly assembled by chubby little hands during Sunday school and "maize" napkin holders.

I also have a small collection of antique turkey salt and pepper shakers and pilgrim figures. My mom and dad started picking them up for me at garage sales. My mom is THE champion garage-saler, but that is another post in itself.

Thanksgiving is coming! Thanksgiving is coming!

2007-11-14T15:47:00.000-05:00

I'm excited that Thanksgiving is coming! I love Thanksgiving! My birthday is in very early December. When I was a child, we always celebrated my birthday on Thanksgiving because all the grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, and cousins were already at our house. People came and stayed all day. What could be more fun than turkey and stuffing as your birthday meal topped off with pumpkin pie AND birthday cake? Let's not forget the presents!

What are your favorite Thanksgiving memories?

It's Snowing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-11-06T15:23:00.000-05:00

It's the first snow of the year and my little kids wanted to go outside and catch snowflakes on their tongues! Remember that childhood innocence?

My husband doesn't want pics of our kids faces on the internet, so bear with all the pictures of their backs:)

A Worthy Cause

2007-11-05T23:45:00.000-05:00

Please visit McKenzie Crew

On My Kitchen Counter

2007-11-03T22:38:00.000-04:00

The Blissful

2007-11-03T18:09:00.000-04:00

Penny at Lavender Hills Studio left me a comment on my Oreo post. On Friday, I visited her blog to thank her for visiting my blog. Peggy was on her way to Melissa's at the Inspired Room for a Satellite party in honor of Abby at The Blissful and her holiday open house in Canton, Ohio.

I found Abby's blog about two weeks ago through the rabbit trail that is blog reading from McMaster & Storm who I heard about from Heather Bullard at Present Past Collection. I now read Abby’s blog whenever I get the chance to blog surf.

While I had not yet visited the actual physical Blissful in real life, it was on my list of things to do. When I got to Melissa's party at the Inspired Room on Friday night, I decided that Saturday would be the day! I called my wonderful husband at work and planned our “date”. He’s a wonderful guy!! The conversation went something like this, “Umm, honey, I, umm, know this is going to sound crazy, but, umm, I found this place on the internet? I’ve been reading this girl’s blog and she, ummm, is having an open house this weekend, and ummm, I’m wondering if you could, ummm, take me?

On the way to the store, I wondered what you say to a “blog personality?” How do I let her know that I’m a big fan of her blog without seeming like a stalker?

I saw the sign and got all giddy. It’s such a surreal experience to see these things on the computer and then to ACTUALLY see them in real life. BTW, the roof looks great;)

My husband now knows that I am a crazy person, because I jumped out of the van with a camera in my hand and started taking pictures of the exterior of the store. He said, “You brought your camera?” Now I ask you, can you visit a place that you’ve read about in blogland and NOT blog about it?

We entered the store and I hid my camera in my purse. I’m still new to blogging and I wasn’t sure of the etiquette. I didn’t want to take pics of the interior and post them on my blog. Those belong to Abby.

ABBY

Let me tell you, Abby is a sweet heart! I became totally tongue tied when I met her...kind of like when you have an opportunity to talk to one of the “popular kids” in school. Here was a real live blogger and a business owner to boot! Someone I had only come in contact with in my pajamas over a cup of coffee. I told her that I was here because I had “attended” Melissa's "party" last night. She gave me a great big hug and thanked me for coming. I akwardly asked if my husband could take a picture of the two of us together. I also passed on the message that Melissa sent her love.

THE STORE:

The store is amazing. The pictures I’ve seen around don’t do it justice. Abby has an incredible flair. So much so, that even my husband noticed;) Everything looks hand chosen, loved, and perfectly placed. It’s definitely a place that I will want to visit again! Everyone is in for a treat when her wares become available online.

I broused for awhile and chose some wonderful things. Abby checked me out and packaged everything so beautifully! I felt like I was getting a gift. She asked me if I’d been blogging long. I explained that I was really just starting. I visit many blogs and when I comment, I feel that it’s nice to have a place that others can visit.

THE PURCHASES:

Isn't this the cutest little snowman? I have a Christmas garland that I hang around my back window that is only snowmen. This little guy will be on there soon.

A bird soap because I couldn't resist.
ETA...Abby very sweetly wrote me to let me know that this is not a soap, but actually an eraser. I'm still chuckling to myself about that. I should say, though, that when I found this cute little bird, it was only moments after I had entered the store and I was still "star struck." I think my faculties have now come back:)

Eiffel Tower Soap still in the plastic for my BFF. Again...actually an eraser;)

I also have a garland for my glass birds. I bought this glitter bird to add to that collection.

A mercury glass bird just because.

A Paris notepad for my BFF.

To finish up, I'd also like to quote Abby and say Thank you, Jesus, for giving us a reason to celebrate..."

Dear Abby, we wish you a successful holiday season. Thank you for the wonderful shopping experience.

Have you heard of this store?

2007-11-02T21:53:00.001-04:00

I love blogland! I just found out about The Blissful and I'm thinking I need to grab my BFF and run right over there this weekend!

Oreo

2007-10-31T17:35:00.000-04:00

Our neighborhood kitty cat asleep in a sun beam on our front porch.

Dinner Party

2007-10-27T12:45:00.000-04:00

Do we ever outgrow our need for tea parties?

Last night I hosted a dinner party for the women of our adoption support group. It was originally supposed to be dinner and dessert in my garden and then a fire afterwards, but, given that it is October in Ohio, it poured rain all night.

I decided that since the event would be inside, that I would pull out all the stops. I set layers of my grandmother's "china", made up little party favors (sitting in the bowls), and used "stemware". I had these little orange glass leaves that I popped a tea light in and set at everyone's place.

I made a pot of tea to drink with dessert. For those who didn't want tea, I served hot apple cider. It was so fun to use all my special tea cups and dishes.

My photos don't do it justice. I am still learning how to use this camera.

We had a wonderful evening talking about our children and the adoption "experience." :)

I really love these ladies!

God is Good!

2007-10-22T18:41:00.000-04:00

Our youngest daughter continued to get sicker all weekend. We spent most of Sunday afternoon in the emergency room of Children's Hospital. She was severely dehydrated and needed IV fluids. Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of medical care.

She is feeling much better today.

Two words

2007-10-20T10:24:00.000-04:00

Stomach flu.

My youngest daughter was up all night vomiting. Poor little thing. One of her friends was spending the night. I so hope that her family doesn't come down with it as well.

:(

2007-10-19T20:27:00.000-04:00

These beautiful grapes are at my friend's house. She had the kids and I over to pick grapes and pumpkins. Very fun. I had never had an opportunity to pick grape before.

Fall Activities

2007-10-15T16:19:00.000-04:00

Trip to the pumpkin farm.

Grape arbor at a nearby mansion that is open to the public.

Heard from our agency...

2007-09-26T22:22:00.000-04:00

Heard from our agency about the little three year old boy we put our home study in for recently. Apparently we made it to "matching", but they went with another family:(

God is in control!

I'm such a bad blogger!

2007-09-23T11:59:00.000-04:00

Ugghhhhh! I want to be a better blogger, but.....

We started school and, by the grace of God, I'm really trying to make that my top priority. This is the first year that I'm REALLY homeschooling three kids. Jumping from one to three is a big deal:) I'm sure I'll be in the flow pretty soon. Right? Right!!??!

On the adoption front, we've heard nothing from our agency, so I can only assume that we didn't even make it to matching this time. The matching meeting was on the 20th.

The Lord is teaching me a lot about obedience. Each time an adoption opportunity has come up, we've been obedient to what we felt the Lord wanted us to do-send in our home study. We are not obedient because we might get something in the end, but because it is what is required of us. Much like when I ask my children to do something....I want them to obey because they love me, not because I will give them something when they are through.

Work Day

2007-09-03T11:05:00.000-04:00

Today's Labor Day and the rest of America may have today off, but I'm going to be working!!! We start school (home education) tomorrow and I still have a bazillion things to get done before tomorrow morning! My step-father built me glorious bookshelves in the attic and I'm trying to get those organized. We still can't see the dining room floor because a ton of junk from the attic is sitting on it. The living room is a sea of toys.

It's all good, though! I love getting organized!

The Zoo

2007-09-02T14:33:00.000-04:00

My husband has been working TONS of overtime lately. We've barely seen him :(

Thankfully, he has the whole three day weekend off!!

Today, we went to the zoo with another family. The kids all had a blast.

All day, I kept imagining another little boy with us...one with big brown eyes and brown curly hair. It actually wasn't too hard to imagine since my friend's three year old little boy was with us. LOL Come on, September 20!!!!!

...........................DS and DD

............................DD and Friend

...........................Sleeping Koala

..............................DH and DS

.............................DD and a Rhino Horn

Another homestudy

2007-08-29T16:06:00.000-04:00

Our agency has sent our home study, on our behalf, to another county. This time it is a little boy who is 3 years old. Trying not to get my hopes up again. :) The county is taking home studies until Sept. 14 and they are having a matching meeting on Sept. 20. I'll keep ya posted!

Garden Parties

2007-08-20T13:07:00.000-04:00

Each year I host a Garden Party for my homeschool group. This year I also had one for my adoption support group. Here are some pictures.

New post!!!

2007-08-20T13:01:00.000-04:00

Hey there!

I didn't have my settings set up correctly and never saw that I had new comments.

(((Hugs))))

It's been a busy couple of months. I'm still recovering from the grief of losing the baby--see other blog.
We put our homestudy in for two little boys, age 1 and 3, in July. Found out last week that we are family #2. Soooo, if family #1 decides that this is not best for their family, we'll be called in. I have total peace about the whole thing. God is in control and holds my family and as well as the little boys and family #1 in the palm of His hand. The important thing is that DH and I have been obedient to God's call on our life. He knows how many children we are supposed to have! He knows how big my heart feels. LOL

First Post

2007-05-16T11:15:00.000-04:00

Here it is! The very first post of my very new blog. I feel like it's the first day of school and I have all my brand new spiral bound notebooks just waiting to be written in with my freshly sharpened pencils. Such hope! Such inspiration!

T-Tapp

2007-05-15T13:20:00.001-04:00

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