Puttering Around

I planted my herbs this evening.


These are plastic flower pots that some pansies or something came in. They were black with writing on them. I painted them.

Some general pictures of the little garden since I've added a few things.





I took a picture to show how wilted my poor pansies are. It was very warm here today. They actually look pretty good in the picture.

Gardening

My little herbs are sprouting.
Two geraniums, two tomato plants and a peppermint plant.
Miniature Rose I purchased this morning.
I have to give this back to the owner. I don't know what it is, but I think it looks nifty in the garden.

Random Pictures on a Sunday Afternoon

Fabric and Cute Buttons

Purrrrrrrrr-fect

She looked so pretty, I couldn't resist. Doesn't she look innocent?

Curtains

I found a curtain in the closet. It's the other half of the one I used to trim my apron. It wasn't long enough for the window so I cut the hem off an old sheet. I sewed the raw cut edge of the sheet to the hem of the curtain, so that the hem part of the sheet was at the top; then I just slipped the rod through the hem of the sheet.
Fabric close up.
Curtains hanging.
Sheets I found in a box today. Yay! These will make some nice pillows and maybe a small quilt or something. I packed them away when I decided that two sets of sheets was enough and I needed more space in the closet. I was so glad to find them again.

Blogger Problems

I wanted to show a picture of my front door window but Blogger is not allowing it. Every time I try, it freezes and I have to start all over. I painted the window a while back on a whim. I had seen some beautiful examples on Craftster. It turned out ok and the family really liked it, so I left it. It was nice because noone could see in but I didn't need a curtain.

When I looked at the pictures of the front of the house, that window bothered me. It looked dirty, rather than painted. So, I cleaned off all the paint. I had thought I might repaint it with a daintier (is that a word?)... a more dainty design but I am really enjoying being able to look out and see the lush green outdoors. I think today I will see what kind of sheets I have lying around and make a curtain for the door.

I should mow, too. We'll see. I have not been feeling well at all. I feel like I have a sunburn, yet Tim says I don't feel hot at all. I'm 41...what do you think it is? ;) Sigh..another cycle of life. I could live with the hot flashes, but I'm also feeling sick and having a lot of headaches. I did some research and found that it does occasionally accompany menopause. Terrific.

Ok, whining over. :)

If I make curtains, I'll try to get a pic. Right now my sewing place is filled with little paper strips as hubby was trying his hand at making beads last night. He made some really pretty ones but was frustrated because they didn't turn out as he imagined.

I feel so weepy today. I hope it is a physical thing that can be addressed. I don't like this! I just have to push myself to do anything the past couple of days. I feel tired without doing anything. My mind won't shut off from the second my eyes open until blessed sleep comes again. Everything I've ever done wrong..anyway I've ever failed anyone replays itself over and over. If only.... If only I had done this...If only I hadn't done this... Right now life could be like this or that.

Maybe it has to do with Thursday. It would have been the 21st anniversary for my ex and me. We had our wedding reception in my mother's backyard and I just happened to be at mom's Thursday. She asked "do you remember what we were doing this time 20-some years ago?" I think going home was just too much for me this time. Too many memories. Too many regrets. Home reminds me of when all the choices were in front of me and I wanted so much to make the right ones. I prayed. I was careful. I started out doing everything right. Then, I stopped trusting God and like Peter, I sunk. My sadness comes in knowing that I took other people and their dreams with me.

I am grateful that I once again trust God and that I do look to Him to guide me. I never thought I could believe again. I was just so convinced it was all a lie and it made me so angry because I had centered my entire life around God. When I thought it was not real, I destroyed it all...singlehandedly. Why God would give me another chance to serve him is just beyond my ability to grasp. That's grace and I accept it with everything I am. I am so grateful. Yet the consequences remain and I have to live with them every day.

If you are reading this and you are thinking about doing something that you just know is the wrong thing...don't! If your heart is torn between faith and reason, go with faith until God reveals the reasoning. He will. Align yourself with others of strong faith. Talk with the older women. Avoid people who seem to revel in doing the wrong thing and think it's funny when someone "pure" does something bad. It isn't funny. It is tragic.

8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

This verse is the best advice in the world. If you do this, you cannot fail. If you do this, whatever is false, ugly and evil will reveal itself to you and will disgust you. Stay close to God. Jesus is the vine, we are the branches. It is so true. As soon as we stop taking our sustenance from God, we shrivel up and die away. I did. Thank God I have been replanted.

Wow. These kind of blogging days sneak up on me. I hope you guys don't mind too much. I feel better, emotionally and physically, already. My sleeves are soaked from wiping tears so I could see to type. lol My hope is that I may prevent someone from making the mistakes I've made and to assure others that God forgives. He can use us again, as imperfect as we are. Life can be rebuilt and wounds healed. But none of this restoration is possible without Christ.

End of sermon. Hopefully I'll be back with curtains later.

A Melding of Hobbies

I saw this at Debbie Mumm's Project Page and thought so many here who love teacups and sewing might really like to try this project. If you don't like this project, she has a ton of other ideas with instructions and patterns. Enjoy.

Yardsale Treasures

I discovered this article today and thought it was really good. My mind is reeling from all the different decorating styles, my itch to create something and my last two projects all finished up. I guess my decorating style is "hodge podge" because I have a little of this and a little of that. I can't stand a whole lot of one thing so I can't find myself a category. I am category-less. Isn't that sad? I know. Thanks.

Well, the good news is that I love yard sales and yard sales lend themselves well to my style-less style. hehe So the following is great advice if you are shabbycountryprimcottagetraditionalchic or ...not.

Part of the charm in cottage decorating is hand-me-down
furniture, antique mismatched china, and vintage fabrics and
linens……all of which can be found at garage and yard sales.
This is the perfect time of the year to get out there and find all
those treasures that you didn’t know you couldn’t live without!!
In years past, I would just get in the car on a Saturday morning
and start cruising. Today, with gas charges soaring, it’s probably
a little smarter to plan your day. Some of the best sales are the
neighborhood or “association” garage sales. It’s easy on your gas
because there are many sales in a small area. Map out your route
ahead of time to save on gas and time. There are many strategies
that have come from hardcore garage sale shoppers. Usually held on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday, many will tell you to shop on the
weekdays to avoid crowds. Some say to be there when they open to
get the best selection, but frankly the best deals usually come on the
last day of the sale within a couple of hours of closing. Sellers not
wanting to box things up again, lower their prices. No matter what
your strategy, be prepared to spend some time looking for just the
right pieces.“Think outside the box” when searching for decorating
pieces and look beyond its intended use. Don’t overlook a table full
of vintage jewelry because you are not interested in jewelry, but think
about the other possibilities. A crystal necklace or pendant can easily transform a chandelier or lamp, vintage pins can accent a favorite purse
or tote, an old quilt or bedspread may have some worn areas, but maybe
some of it can be salvaged to use for a pillow. I know a very
creative woman who transforms vintage needlepoint into gorgeous
one-of-a-kind pillows. I have used vintage tablecloths in the
construction of both pillows and totes. If you like to paint,
transforming furniture is a lot of fun and in the end, you have
a totally unique piece. I have an affinity for old sewing chests.
Even if you are not a seamstress, there are tons of other uses for
these unique pieces. Just make sure that they are in sturdy condition,
paint them the color of your choice and add some pretty cottage roses.
If you don’t have that artistic touch, a wonderful variety of stencils can be found at all craft stores and they are a great alternative. Purchase an old footstool and recover it with an old quilt or fabric from old draperies.
Paint an old bar stool and use it as a plant stand or even a bedside stand.Vintage china is another great choice. In my mother’s day, it was
a status symbol if all of your dinnerware matched! Today, some of the most gorgeous table settings are made up entirely of mismatched china.
A common theme and color is all you need, plus a little imagination. If you
find china that you like, but it is chipped, consider using it as part
of a mosaic. Put a little votive candle in a teacup and you have a
wonderful candleholder. If you are looking for upholstered pieces, such as
chairs and sofas, consider spending less on a garage sale find, as long as
it is in clean and sturdy condition…..then sew up some pretty slipcovers
and change your décor with the seasons. If you aren’t handy with a sewing machine, there are many readymade slipcovers that will do the trick.
You end up with a great custom piece of furniture that fits your décor
and can be changed whenever the mood strikes you.Whatever you do,
keep your mind open. I have many times come home with treasures
not having any idea of how I am going to use them. I may not use an
item for its intended use, but many times I come up with something
even better!

Marilyn Kelley is a self taught decorative painter and
seamstress and owner of Casual Cottage. Casual Cottage is an
internet boutique dedicated to unique cottage style home decor and
accessories.

If you would like to use this article on your website,
it is available upon the following conditions.
* It must be published "as is" with no changes to the content.
* A link must be provided to Casual Cottage along with the bio and contact information of the author.
* A courtesy email is appreciated to let the author know where the article
will be reprinted.
* Your website MUST be family friendly.
There are no exceptions to this.

You can find this article and some pretty nifty cool stuff at the Casual Cottage.

Hope you enjoyed the article and the website. Makes me anxious for the weekend. :)

Don't These Sound Yummy?

Quick Cheese and Basil Bubbles Yield: 10 biscuits
2/3 cup
Parmesan Cheese
2 Tbsp.
Minced parsley
2 tsp.
Minced basil
1/2 tsp.
Paprika
1/2 tsp.
Garlic powder
1/4 cup
Butter
1 tube
Texas-style biscuits
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake in a greased 10 inch tube pan. Combine cheese, herbs and seasoning in pie pan. Divide each biscuit in half and roll into a ball. Dip the balls into the butter and roll in herb-cheese mixture. Place in layers in tube pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes and then remove from pan.
~~~~~~~~
Cold Strawberry Soup with Mint Yield: 4 Servings
1-8 oz.
Strawberry yogurt
1 pint
Fresh strawberries
1 small
Soft strawberry cream cheese
3-4 Tbsp.
Suger
1/2 cup or more
Half and half
2 Tbsp.
Minced mint
Put all of the ingredients, except the mint into a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Add more half and half, if needed. Chill. Stir in the mint just before serving.
* Try floating some little fish shaped crackers on a bowl of soup. They are particularly nice on cream soups.

Found at The Farmhouse.

Just for Fun

In 4-5 minutes, I can be here.

Photo coutesy of Urban Planet

A Quote from a Precious Library Find

"I know I am most content when my days are filled with a constant awareness of the sun rising and setting, of leaves unfolding in spring, flourishing in summer and dropping in the fall. I find my spirit thrives when close to the ebb and flow of Nature's tides."

~~Jean Hersey
A Sense of Seasons

Flora

Just a few things that are growing around my house.
Blue dayflowers (wildflowers) that hubby transplanted for me last year. (not blooming yet)
I misplaced the name of this plant. One of these days I'll remember what it is. I planted it last year and it came back like gangbusters this year; almost twice as big already! I love perennials.
Tiger lilies.
A Hosta Lily I planted last year. I was happy to see it and it's much bigger and healthier; now to see if it blooms. :)
Standing under my living room window looking down through the woods.
I envision this clearing with chairs; a lovely shaded place to relax.

Honeysuckle. I can't help myself. I love it so much it's just taking over.
I'm not sure what these little white flowers are but they smell wonderful. We have a lot of berry bushes scattered around, too.

I would love to know how this place looked when it was newly built and planted. I find daffodils in little corners and even Irises this year. Birds don't drop bulbs. hehe They had to have been planted there. I'm sure this house, having been built in 1910, has many lovely stories. A lady down the road once lived here and says she has pictures from her days here. I hope to see them one day.

Woman's Work

This is what I've finished.


This is what I have left.

This is the field. There is a lawn near the house also (you can sort of see it in this picture, through the pines from the field) that I have finished and the hill in the back that Tim did yesterday.

We did it with the new lawn mower he bought for me yesterday.

I have to buy more gas. I'm all out with half the field to go. :)

I took more pictures of some of the wild stuff growing around our property. I'll show them later if anyone is interested.

Needleroll

I finally got the nerve to finish it tonight. I am so happy. Thanks Katrina, for starting the SAL!

For Happy Mama

I AM SMILING

Finally Finished

I finally finished the dishcloth I was knitting. Dishclothes are supposed to be a quick and simple project. The crocheted ones are for me, but knitting is more difficult; painful even.

We are driving to see my mom later this week. Road trip for Tim's mom, too. There is just no way around it. My mom is giving us a car. It was my Grandpa and Grandma's car, then mom's for the past 13 years and now will be mine. I am thrilled. I was going to rent a car, drop it off and they would pick me up, we'd have lunch and I would drive back in my "new" car. Sounds reasonable, right? Yes, until I found out that one-way rental is $1 per mile. It's over 300 miles. So now we are all going and they will drop me off. I wanted to take these dishcloths with me for mom. Two crocheted ones and one knitted one. I think my favorite is the white crocheted one with the pink border. The pink border was a last minute addition to perk it up a bit.

Oops..hubby just told me that the lawn mower is totalled. We thought it was just a broken pull rope, but further investigation has revealed a broken crankshaft. It was doing so well. I wonder what I hit this time? I think he's a little miffed at me, but he is on his way to buy another. We have to have a mower. I feel bad. :( I tried to be careful, but it isn't always easy to see what's under the grass on the hill next to the road and people have a horrible tendency to throw things out of their cars there because they can't see our house and think it's a desolate straight stretch. I am forever running over beer bottles at that bank.

Oh well, back to happier things. My dishcloths.........

Day 6

I was trying to show you the cherries on the tree. :) The boys ate all the ones off the lower limbs yesterday. They're not quite ripe, but almost.

I am back to my denim skirt and sandals today, with a sleevless top I got a few years ago. I got the top and another like it at Goody's and I just about wear them out in the summer, but they're hanging in there. :)

I have to admit, other than having to take pictures every day (lol) I've enjoyed wearing dresses for the past week. I am also learning, through these pictures, what looks ok on me and what doesn't. I'll be much more careful in the future with the way I choose skirts (and I probably WILL choose more skirts than dresses). I will always keep a pair or two of pants on hand, but I haven't felt as restricted in my dressses as I expected and after a week I don't feel like I'm being silly.

I also think it could be a real storage saver. I won't need as much room in the dresser and probably a money saver, too, as it's easier for me to find a skirt that fits properly than jeans; particularly at the thrift store. In some ways, it's much more comfortable to wear skirts, althought I would like to have some longer ones. I have a winter one that is perfect. It's long and it's cut with "v's" in it so that it appears to slim me. It's a woosher, too, which I love. hehe "woosh."

I skipped church today, or I might have had on a more colorful linen dress. I need to get back to church. I've missed two weeks now. I just needed a break. I sing in the choir, so if I don't feel like doing that now and then, I have to stay home because if I go to church and don't sing, everyone wants to know why I'm not in the choir loft and it aggravates the choir director. Sometimes I long to go to a different church where noone knows me, for just a Sunday or two, but I do love my church. I just have to skip now and then to avoid burnout.

This turned into a much longer post than I intended. Have a great rest of the day everyone.

Simple Pleasures

Last week I volunteered to make cookies for a Trauma Workshop being planned for the Lost Boys, (now men) and their families. I have long admired these gentlemen and a certain woman in my church who has worked out tutoring for them, transportation and all sorts of things. When I saw that she needed food, I jumped at the chance to finally help out a little bit.

I made the cookies that have become such a hit in our house. While making oatmeal one morning, I saw the recipe on the back of the box. I'm sure it's the same old oatmeal cookie recipe that's graced cookie jars for years but there is a reason for that. They're Yummy!

The recipe says it will make 5 dozen. I think you'd have to make them very small to squeeze another two dozen but I did get three. I do like to make them generous in size as all of the males in my home are man-sized, as are their appetites. :) I did manage to make the two dozen promised to the church and one for my family. I try to make these once or twice a week (although, they are irresistable and adding to my waistline!)

Ingredients:
1 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 cups Old Fashioned Oats
1 cup chopped walnuts, optional
1 cup raisins, optional

Beat shortening and sugars until creamy.
Using a very sophisticated and modern beater, as shown here.
This is how it will look.
Add eggs and vanilla
Mix well and thenCombine flour, baking soda and salt. Add to shortening mixture.Mix well. Stir in oats,nuts and raisins(I excluded the raisins)Using rounded tablespoons, roll into balls.(I just scoop it straight from the bowl) Place two inches apart on greased cookie sheet.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Let stand one minute before removing to racks to cool.
Here they are bagged and ready to take to church, plus a plate left over for my family. Nick seemed to enjoy them.