White Oak Lane

Merry Christmas

2011-12-26T09:07:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas Our tree is little this year but it is real. We put the village underneath as well.

I made finger puppets for our nursery (at church) this year. I got the idea from Etsy here. I didn't spend alot of time getting every cut correct because of time. My pattern for Jospeph and Mary was a stick of deodorant. I did this because I'd like to make more in the future for other lessons we do with the toddlers. A pattern I'll surly lose but not the stick :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-19T15:16:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

This is my 1st year having a child (of mine) as an adult. I look forward to her being home for this holiday. It's been an exciting year for her graduating h.s. and going on to college. I've grown as a person from this. O what an experience for the parents. I've learned to trust God in a bigger way for my children. I also see my role as mom a little different too. We are always mentors/mom for the rest of their life but something changes when the child is an adult....

I've been working now for 2 months and haven't had a chance to make anything crafty for Thanksgiving, but have been cleaning and organizing (& reorganizing) alot around the house.

I've also been thinking of extended family. Some I am not in contact with. They are in my thoughts and prayers. It's hard having a broken family, but I'm grateful for my husband's family, for their love and support and acceptance <3

Spider how-to

2011-11-19T15:06:00.001-05:00

A styrofoam ball (cut in half outside) with a serrated knife. Glue a circle of black dyed batting to the circle with a glue gun.

Attach with more glue and a piece of bamboo skewer for good measure. Add faux fur or garland to neck for a natural look.

Make access hose for pipe cleaners with a bamboo skewer. I used tempra paint to add eyes and some quilting thread for the mouth. There is no right or wrong. Just use what you have handy to make yours.

Halloween Bunting and decorations

2011-10-15T14:58:00.002-04:00

Pictures from work. The girls I work with agreed to keep the decorations fun and cute instead of scary. The Halloween Garland is made from "dollar store" treat bags, news paper, ribbbon, and printed letters from the computer that were cut out.

Along came a spider...

2011-09-24T06:02:00.001-04:00

This project was inspired by Cheswick Company from Etsy. The trick or treat bag was made from the help of a talented Nancy onYouTube.

MATERIALS REQUIRED:
- Rubbermaid container excluding lid
- poly fil
- black dyed quilt batting
- white quilt batting
- 4 pipe cleaners
- 2 pieces of scrapbook paper for hat and bag
- tempera paints
- round piece of cardstock or cardboard for back of bowl (body)
- piece of sheer fabric for hat
- assorted odds and ends for embellishments, ie ribbon, faux fur

With a glue gun and a needle and thread...

Rottweiler Gunter

2011-08-28T17:42:00.000-04:00

I took Gunter to a dry creek bed which is not dry due to Hurricane Irene. He did really well on our walk and is sitting really well, so, I had to add his picture too. The river is high, there are leaves everywhere. But there's no damage that I know of in our area. It's been very windy and the river is up about 2 feet. The river marker that shows the height of the river in feet is covered with foliage so the picture didn't turn out well.

Creek bed below old bridge.

Dripping Sap

2011-08-25T09:00:00.000-04:00

I've never noticed how drippy the pine cones are, maybe b/c I'm 5'1" and those pine cones are 20' in the air.

New Best Friend

2011-08-24T09:00:00.000-04:00

I'm debuting my new best friend. I love that it vacuums the pool for me every time I ask! It's an EZ Vac. I should name her though :)

Black Eyes

2011-08-23T09:00:00.000-04:00

I have black eyes susans growing among some weeds and they die when I transplant them. I think this is the last of this years. I hope to figure things out next year so I can enjoy them more.

New Hydrangea

2011-08-22T13:34:00.002-04:00

I have an old fashioned hydrangea tree that is very old. I took a branch and stuck it in a old window box flower pot and to my shock it grew. If only we could do this with money, I'd sow it all.

Hair Clips: Repurpose and save alot!

2011-08-12T16:52:00.003-04:00

We found old silk flowers among the mass of craft things and took them apart to re-purpose them into hair accessories for my daughters. My daughters are 8 years apart and that is why some look they are for a young adult and some for a preteen :)
Supplies:
silk flowers
buttons
sequins
old ponytails, barretts, & clips
ribbon

Tools:
thread
needles
glue gun & sticks
scissors
plyers

Take apart the flowers but keep them in order so you can recreate it the way it was (if you wish). Figure out what you want your clip to look like. Sew the pieces together and to the clip. Where you cannot sew, then use your glue gun. I use very little glue for the clips, but you can use glue exclusively if you wish.

You could also use wire to secure the flowers in place to the clips.

I've had these things around the house and it cost nothing to make these clips today. My inspiration was at the mall where they are selling some clips for over $10. I can't fathom paying $10 for 1 clip!

If you aren't crafty and would like to buy some please check out my friend Jenna at Etsy: Frills And Fuss . She makes beautiful clips and they aren't from scraps around her house, (like mine are). All of her hair accessories are gorgeous and made from new materials.

Baby Sitting

2011-07-28T20:33:00.001-04:00

2 unlikely friends to stay a few days. Buff Orpingtons. The milk jug was in the photo to judge the size, not a lawn ornament :)

How-To: Cute Paper Bunting

2011-07-28T11:13:00.004-04:00

Garden Suprises

2011-06-19T12:00:00.000-04:00

When we bought our house we inherited many things like wooden planters and a huge hydrangea bush. I had no idea if I took a piece of that bush and stuck it in some dirt that I'd get another bush. It was really that simple and such a great surprise. I'm going to transplant it next year! :)

Chess Set for Dad

2011-06-18T12:00:00.000-04:00

We made these for father's day. It was inspired by this post over at Gail's blog, but instead of making a set of dominoes, we did chess pieces. :)
I have 2 daughters. One did the black pieces and the other did the white pieces :)

On Top of Spaghetti

2011-06-17T12:00:00.103-04:00

I've been making spaghetti sauce for over 10 years b/c my family doesn't like jarred pre-made sauce. I've tried many recipes and have mastered what my family likes, not that there isn't room for improvement, there always is room for something better.

I've always hated the recipes that didn't give exact quantities, so I'll try to be clear, though my recipe has become sloppy in that regard.

side-note:When trying to get measurements for a recipe from an elderly person you might try to ask how much they pour in their hand for dry ingredients, or how much in a coffee cup for wet... or some other measuring implement they may use.

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic
1 T olive oil
29-oz can of Hunts Tomato Sauce
12-oz can Hunts Tomato Paste
1 beef bone
1 t dried basil
1/2 t dried oregano
1 t salt & pepper

1 1/2 lb ground beef
small bits of pork meat (from a roast or chops)

French or Italian Bread
or Nation Bakery anything b/c they are the bomb

Angel Hair Pasta

The secret to the sauce is to cook it all day. I mean start this baby after breakfast and cook it for at least 5 hours.

Basically it goes like this:
Saute garlic and 1 medium onion in the olive oil. I didn't list onion above b/c one of my family member is allergic to onions. When onions are clear or garlic begins to tan, then add sauce and paste. Use the 29-oz can to measure water and use it to rinse both cans and add to sauce. Add the bone and spices. When it comes to a low boil add the meat balls a few at a time. When the sauce is at a low bubbly boil again, I turn it down as low as I can on the stove.

If using a crock pot, you can add everything to the crock after your onion and garlic is sauteed. Use hot water. Keep the crock pot on high until everything is at a low boil, then set it to low. If possible take your meat balls out of freezer and have them in the fridge overnight to defrost.

I make my meatballs another day ahead of time. When ever I have a lil left over ground beef I'll make a few meat balls, put them on a cookie sheet and place in freezer. After a few hours I put them in a freezer bag. I make mine compact and small. Before typically rolling a meatball, I squeeze the meat in my hand. I call this making turtles, b/c that is sort of what they look like when you squeeze the meat in your hand. LOL My girls think it is gross to call them turtles, I'll have to show you in another post :P I add the bits of pork meat to my meatball freezer bag that can't be used for chops b/c they are so small. This will sweeten your sauce. (The beef bone will give your sauce a rich dark color as will simmering it all day.

Getting back to the sauce... When you see some of the meatballs getting dark, then you can stir it, before that if you stir you might mess up some of your meatballs. I don't brown my meatball ahead of time, they cook in the sauce and are less tough than if they are browned in a skillet or in the oven. I got alot of tips for my sauce from my Italian mother-in-law and sister-in-law. They tasted it for the first time over this past winter and said it was very good. So, now I think it's safe to say its good enough to try :)

Please let me know if you tried it :) If you have any advice or questions please let me know.

Bird feeders

2011-06-16T12:03:00.001-04:00

We've had this bird feeder station for well over a year now and it's still effective at keeping the squirrels off them. It's especially effective when they are all empty for a few months, lol.

Photos taken by Beez

2011-06-15T17:57:00.002-04:00

Gunter

a rainbow

Peony

Both of my girls love to take pictures. These were taken by my youngest, Beez, who is 9, going on 10 in a few weeks :) I think she is doing very well with the camera :)

Hawk Mountain

2011-06-14T17:55:00.000-04:00

We visited Hawk Mountain a few weeks ago and my daughter had a great time checking out the birds and hiking.... I had a great time sharing this time with her. I think she saw a few red tailed hawks, lots of turkey vultures, an indigo bunting, and black and white warbler who was singing his heart out.

L C Smith Super-Speed Typewriter ---1937

2011-04-01T14:04:00.003-04:00

Quote of the day:

Whatever I may have thought in the early days of the value of the typewriter, it is very obviously a blessing to mankind, and especially to womankind. I am very glad I had something to do with it. I builded wiser than I knew, and the world has the benefit of it.

--Christopher Sholes, c. 1875

The geek in me loves learning silly things like how the typewriter came about. This was actually a part of my daughter's History lesson today.

It was a Milwaukee newspaper publisher and politician turned inventor who solved the jamming problem that plagued previous typewriter models by having the carriage on his machine move one space to the left when a letter is typed. The inventor's name was Christopher Sholes, along with fellow inventor Carlos Glidden and their financial backer, James Densmore, who received a patent for the typewriter in 1868. Densmore then sells the rights to E. Remington and Sons, in the mid 1880's. Remington sound familiar? The largest maker of firearms at the time and maybe still to date.

So there you have it :) It's great to have a piece of history in my daughter's room. How else would she have know what she was reading today? Today everything that is typed gets printed from a printer. Our typewriter does not have a date. It just says that it is a L C Smith Super-Speed Typewriter and from some internet searches we found out its from around 1937.

There is alot more about it on Wikia. I just saw an old IBM Selectric which is what I used in the military. LOL Memory lane of typewriters. :)

Projects in the works

2011-03-25T18:34:00.001-04:00

My daughter, over at Klazane blogged about our seed tape project here.

The tutorial is here.

I like to try new things with projects and have been thinking about making seed tape (or maybe not calling it tape) for carrots and radishes in Square Foot Gardening format.... it's a work in progress.

Another project is the below afghan. I haven't gotten very far and as soon as it warms up it will be put on hold. I've been very excited about planting a garden. But so far we still have snow... so I crochet :)

With thoughts of spring so come thoughts of spring cleaning. I found a great website well over a year ago and am signed up for their daily emailing of new tips. You can see great spring cleaning tips at Tipnut.com.

Chicken Capri

2011-03-16T21:56:00.001-04:00

I love this dinner!

I love making Chicken Capri. It's an easy dinner to make too.

Ingredients:

1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese (Part Skim)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup crushed tomatoes
4 slices reduced-fat mozzarella cheese

Directions

1 In a small bowl mash Ricotta Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, Salt, Pepper, Oregano& Parsley together until well blended.
2 Toss the chicken with the garlic powder and brown in the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat for 10 minutes per side.
3 When done remove to a shallow casserole dish to cool slightly.
4 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5 Spoon 1 Heaping serving spoon of Ricotta mixture onto each chicken breast and top with 1 tablespoons of Crushed Tomatoes.
6 Place one slice of mozzarella cheese on each one and place in the top rack of the oven.
7 Bake for 20 minutes until a meat thermometer registers 170 deg. farenheit

Homemade Salad Dressing

2011-03-13T17:28:00.001-04:00

I started making everything in our house onion free. We had to do this after realizing my husband's sensitivity to onions. Salad dressing is easier to make than I thought. I guess I came from the generation that that everything came out of a package or box. I'm glad I'm not passing that down to my girls. :)

If you check out All Recipes you will see there are plenty of things you can add to an Italian Dressing. The basics are this:
3parts oil to 1 part vinegar, a little less water than vinegar and spices.
For ours we use apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and the spices you can see above with a little crushed red pepper that isn't labeled.
Enjoy :)

Italian Hoagie/Sandwich

2011-03-12T08:13:00.000-05:00

These are great when you are in a hurry to get the family fed.

In northeast PA Nation Rolls are the bomb. They don't have a website but you can check out a review here.
Simply this sandwich is:
National Roll
lettuce
Ham Capicola
Sandwich Pepperoni
Genoa Salami
Mild Banana Peppers
Italian Dressing

Homemade Wholewheat Pitas

2011-03-11T17:13:00.001-05:00

Homemade Pitas are really a great treat. I have a few links for some great websites that explain best how to make these :)
Brown Eyed Baker's Pitas
Simple Daily Recipe's Pitas
Farmgirl Fare's Pitas
Tammy Recipes Pitas
Enjoy :)

English Muffin Bread

2011-02-25T06:32:00.001-05:00

This bread is delicious and tastes like an English Muffin :)

Recipe From BHG Diet Cookbook

Ingredients

Cornmeal
6 cups all-purpose flour
2 packages active dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups milk
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Grease two 8x4x2-inch loaf pans. Lightly sprinkle pans with cornmeal to coat bottom and sides; set pans aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine 3 cups of the flour, the yeast, and baking soda; set aside. In a medium saucepan heat and stir milk, water, sugar, and salt just until warm (120 degree F to 130 degree F). Using a wooden spoon, stir milk mixture into flour mixture. Stir in remaining flour.
3. Divide dough in half. Place dough in prepared pans. Sprinkle tops with cornmeal. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size (about 45 minutes).

4. Bake in a 400 degree F oven about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove bread from pans. Cool on wire racks. If desired, serve with Honey Butter. Makes 2 loaves (32 servings).

Celebrating Trent

2011-02-21T22:16:00.000-05:00

OurCrazyFarm: A New Home

I became friends with a beautiful lady, Terri, maybe two years ago. She has a blog called Our Crazy Farm, where she shares her faith and her journey as a mom, farm wife, friend, and the like. Her daughter, Grace, and my daughter Lizzy, became pen-pals through snail mail about a year ago.

On Friday the 18th of February, her 12 year old son went to be with Lord. Please be in prayer for her, her husband, Rob, and their family, friends and community during this difficult time.

Yogurt Treat

2011-02-21T07:05:00.002-05:00

Cayla made this for Lizzy the other day. It is just Vanilla Yogurt with cut up strawberries. Cayla even took the picture for me.

Not sure if I mentioned this before, but I thought because my girls are 8 years apart that they would never fight with each other. I grew up in a house of 5 children and we fought t-e-r-r-i-b-l-y! It was not a christian home and not even a home filled with love, so things got ugly at times.

I guess I never took into consideration that my children would be sinners as we all are. Understandably, no parents like to consider their beloved children as evil, just as parents would reject any thought that their newborn is ugly.

But it's so nice when they do something sweet for each other :)

Because we are sinners it is important to teach our children the Moral Law before they become self-righteous. This shows them God's standard of "good" instead of them accepting what the world teaches that they are good and do not need God.

A few years ago I found this video on teaching the 10 Commandments. It's a great tool for teaching our kids :)

Cherry Crumb Pie

2011-02-20T07:51:00.003-05:00

LoL Well the picture turned out way worse than the pie actually did. This wasn't from scratch. It was my oldest daughters birthday cake. She has asked for cherry pie instead of cake for a few years. I finally did it for her. I had other goodies for our non cherry pie lovers.

It was always within our means to make cherry pie instead of cake yet I thought it wasn't a good thing to serve b/c it didn't fit into what I thought was expected of others. It was good to do this small thing, it really make her happy.

Your friend,

The Still Learning Parent

Felt Clothes

2011-02-19T07:55:00.003-05:00

After a play date with lil friends and much talk about inspiration and creativity, Lizzy made new clothes for Strawberry Shortcake.
Again and again I don't make time to do special things like getting together with friends. I was truly blessed to sit with my new friend as our daughters played together.

Morning Breakfast

2011-02-18T10:01:00.000-05:00

These french toast slices were made another day and then frozen. This is a great way to use up stale bread. It's great to have some things prepared! :)

Calzones

2011-02-17T08:33:00.000-05:00

A weekly meal in our house are calzones made from whole wheat pizza dough. We fill ours with ricotta (re-goat-ta) cheese and mozzarella cheese, served with marinara sauce on the side. Sometimes it is great to have a special tool to make your food pretty.... but sometimes it is great when you already have something to do the job just as well. Calzones need to have their edges sealed. I've done it with my fingers and with a fork. If I had a fork that was bent to fit my pan I wouldn't have looked farther, but on a cookie sheet with a lip a normal fork doesn't now work well. So... I opened my utensil drawer all the way and looked and looked and then tried a beater... I think I like the look <3
For a nicer presentation you can brush off the cornmeal and brush milk on before it is baked.

Gifts

2011-02-16T07:47:00.005-05:00

For Valentines my Valentine gave me very pretty roses. We visited my mother in law as well which is always fun.

Also that day a dear friend, Terri, send me a surprise after reading this.

Gorgeous unscented soap!

Berry Sunset Soap (Smell delicious)!

I didn't blog for a few months and didn't even realize she and her family had started a soap business. Please
visit Nubian's Delight when you have a chance. I have started using the Pure and Simple, it is beautiful. It doesn't dry my hands and it is really unscented. I can't tell you how many unscented things are really scented.

If you enjoy blogs, you will love to visit Terri at Our Crazy Farm too. She is a great encouragement to me. Thank you Terri for the soaps <3 They are lovely!

Today is my oldest 18th Birthday. I feel like she's turned 18 already because we have been helping her prepare for college, lots of forms and applications. Happiest Birthday dear Cayla!

Banana Bread

2011-02-15T11:27:00.006-05:00

Who would have ever known that you can make a wonderful loaf of Banana Bread from yucky bananas. The recipe I use is from the Better Homes and Gardens new Cook Book. I visited there website here and found really helpful hints. I was going to add my recipe, but you will see at the website there are many many varieties to this simple and sweet bread.

I've tried to make this bread in my bread machine but it was not good. It is worth making this with out your machine.

This time I had substituted almonds for walnuts and it was very good. If you can always wrap your cool banana bread and serve the next day when the flavors have had time to meld beautifully.

Banana Bread with walnuts

Church Doors

2011-02-14T10:21:00.000-05:00

Beautiful Red Doors of a Presbyterian Church.

Many of these churches are about 100 years old. I wonder about their faith and excitement in building a place to worship. I'm sure they assumed it would still be standing today. That's not a concept our generation thinks about much.... things lasting.

Popcorn

2011-02-13T06:03:00.000-05:00

With the age of microwaves I didn't know how to make popcorn for a long time until my husband showed me. It is ridiculously simple and yet it can burn easily. LOL,,, but don't be discouraged, it's not hard.

First I start with 2 T. (tablespoons) of cooking oil. I do not use a pan with a copper bottom because it heats slowly and I always end up cooking it too long in that pan and then some of it burns. I would suggest using a "cheaper pan" and please let me suggest to use the same pan always b/c you'll get to know how it cooks time wise in that pan. If you make it regularly you will perfect it in that one pan, but if you use different pans you need again to watch and listen carefully.

I use 1/4 c of popping kernels, so it's double of how much oil you use. (I've tried to use butter but it usually burns).
Pretty simple right.
Cover pan.
Heat on medium.
Shake pan about every minute until you hear the 1st kernel pop. Then shake every 20 - 30 seconds after that 1st piece pops. Don't peek because you could get burned.
At some point it will slow down. Watch for the next stage when it is only popping about every 3 or more seconds. It's done by then. Don't try to pop every piece.

Dump in a big bowl and add your favorite topping or eat it as is :) If you are daring, try ScooterMcGee's Kettle Corn. If you love Roba's Kettle Corn, you may want to try and make some. Or are you they type of person who only likes kettle corn in the autumn with your candy apples and pumpkin pie?

Happy Valentines Day

2011-02-12T06:23:00.000-05:00

For Valentines Day this year my daughter and I made mini buntings out of scrapbook paper and cotton yarn. We nipped the corners off after we folded them. I glued them with a hot glue gun for a fast assembly.

Our cut triangles are about 3" from top to bottom.

Lizzy made a 8" X 10" of this kitty and wanted to scan it and make it into a Valentine wish this year. She is becoming quite creative on her own :)

Church Doors

2011-02-11T12:36:00.005-05:00

Can you tell this is Greek Orthodox Catholic. The doors are stunning as is the church itself. I've never been inside of this church. My oldest daughter had a project of driving all around the local towns to take pictures of the doors of churches.

Church Doors

2011-02-10T12:33:00.004-05:00

The Gorgeous Doors of a local Lutheran Church.

Soap

2011-02-09T12:27:00.010-05:00

With many of my family having perfume allergies I never saw more use for pretty soaps except to display them and treasure them always. But as you can see the jar is half full because our littlest loves to use them. You never know what your children will love. I am grateful to have the soap from a dear friend. She is helping to make memories.

Real Tacos

2011-02-08T10:08:00.000-05:00

Remembering my garden, I came across a picture of one of our dinners. Simply tacos.... maybe not "real" it was not from scratch, but it had garden tomatoes in it, yum. I have been hungry for a real tomato and also have been trying to push healthier snacks on my family. We grew yellow, pink, and red tomatoes. Every meal looked delicious with them in it!

Roma Tomato
Cherry Yellow Tomato
Yellow Cherry Tomato
German Pink Tomato

The roma tomatoes keep coming back every year. I do not have to buy them. Last year was my first year buying yellow and I do hope the cherry yellow comes back, otherwise I will be looking for them at Home Depot again.
The German Pink I received from a friend. I can't say enough how nice it was to receive that tomato plant. If I have extra I will do the same for her and other garden friends.

Calendar

2011-02-07T13:08:00.000-05:00

I love new ideas and sometimes you make something with very little money. But... sometimes it just doesn't work.

The reason this doesn't work is because I never found a "pen" that writes nicely and erases nicely on glass.

I'm sharing this because for the love of sharing sometimes you will come up with a better idea, like one that will work and I'll see it :)

Pets

2011-02-06T12:30:00.001-05:00

I had wondered how Molli would be after we lost our dog. For a few weeks she would come into the dining room and meow loudly. Naturally we gave Molli alot of attention and she adjusted quite fine. I would dare say that she has become the queen of the house.

She has truly taken over :)

Photography

2011-02-05T11:42:00.000-05:00

My oldest daughter taking a picture of the youngest taking a picture of a bee.

Kit Kitridge

2011-02-04T12:45:00.002-05:00

I really love it when a movie or even something simpler inspires my girls to do something wonderful like write (or type). To hear your child say they love to type is just great. A neighbor was throwing away this old typewriter and we happily rescued it and found new ribbon thanks to Ebay :) The typewriter has been great for things like spelling words!

Lil Hands, Lil Crafts, Big Gifts

2011-01-12T23:09:00.000-05:00

Lizzy made me a potholder <3

Honey It Was Cold Outside

2010-12-21T08:41:00.001-05:00

The day we went to get a tree it was in the teens, we were all freezing but I should have asked for my oldest daughters camera so I can take a picture of her that day. It was fun experience except it was freezing. All of the trees look perfect when you are cold :o)

The hymn we chose for our garland is called A Baby is Born in Bethlehem. At hymns.me.uk you can find many hymns. BTW I couldn't fit the whole hymn on the tree. I am wondering your ideas about your trees this year. Do you go with a different theme every year? Do you add something new? Please let me know :)

A Babe is born in Bethlehem
Christmas Hymn & Carol Lyrics

A Babe is born in Bethlehem, Bethlehem,
Therefore rejoice Jerusalem,
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Within a manger He doth lie, He doth lie,
Whose throne is set above the sky.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Stillness was all the manger round, manger round,
The creature its Creator found.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

The wise men came, led by the star, by the star,
Gold, myrrh, and incense brought from far.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

His mother is the virgin mild, virgin mild,
And He the Father’s only Child.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

The serpent’s wound He beareth not, beareth not,
Yet takes our blood, and shares our lot,
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Our human flesh He enters in, enters in,
But bears no single taint of sin.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

To fallen man Himself He bowed, self He bowed,
That He might lift us up to God.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

On this most blessèd Jubilee, Jubilee,
All glory be, O God, to Thee.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

O Holy Three, we Thee adore, Thee adore,
This day, henceforth, forevermore.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Our 2010 Tree

2010-12-20T09:48:00.001-05:00

We got a real tree this year which is a first in a long time. The last real tree was a hatchery for spiders, thousands of them. My girls are terrified of spiders so we went the artificial route for a many year.

A few days ago I was visiting a craft blog, I thought it was Living with Lindsay but can't find the post, and was inspired by her inspiration of Pottery Barn's garland. I really liked the idea, so I decided to find a beautiful Christmas Hymn to use for our tree. I'll get another picture soon of the whole tree but wanted to share the idea. I used 8.5 X 11 paper that was antique looking. I printed the hymn on to the paper, 3 lines per sheet in landscape, thanks to Publisher and then cut them out using Pfisher scrolly scissors. Taped them together in the back and place the garland on the tree. :)

Our Tree with Christmas Hymn Garland

Style

2010-12-19T12:31:00.005-05:00

It is fun to see they styles your preteens like :)

Gifts

2010-12-18T12:04:00.005-05:00

C. Marie gave me my 2010 garden to treasure every time I am in the kitchen and I am in the kitchen a-l-o-t!

Where are your Christmas Cards This Year?

2010-12-17T12:49:00.004-05:00

Are your cards:
on the table,
in the car,
on your desk,
in the mail,
or
delivered?

This year was sweet, I added senior pictures of my oldest daughter. I'm glad to have about 8 years before senior pictures are added with the Christmas cards again :)

Lights

2010-12-16T12:22:00.009-05:00

When I drive through town I see so many beautiful and expensive looking decorations. When you are on a tight budget outside decorations fall to the bottom of the list. But...
with a few strings of old icicle lights we now have a little festive glitter to be a part of our neighbors hoorah. Our 9 year old was absolutely thrilled to see them :)

Ricotta Cookies

2010-12-15T12:28:00.000-05:00

We found this yummy cookie in a Family Circle Magazine a few years ago.

MAKES: 6 1/2 dozen cookies. PREP: 10 minutes REFRIGERATE: overnight. BAKE: at 350 for 10 min.

4 c all-purpose flour

2 t baking powder

1t baking soda

1t salt

1/2 c (1 stick) butter, softened

1 1/2 c granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 t vanilla extract

1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta

GLAZE:

2 c confectioners sugar sifted

3T orange juice

Colored sprinkles (optional)

1. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium-sized bowl.

2. Beat butter and sugar on medium spped in a large bowl until fluffy, 3 minutes; beat in eggs, vanilla and ricotta.

3.Stir in flour mixture until well blended. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

4. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat baking sheets with cooking spray.

5. Shape level tablespoons of the dough into balls. Place at least 1" apart on cookie sheets.

6. Bake for 10 minutes or until bottoms are lightly brown. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Transfer cookies to wire rack; let cool.

7. GLAZE: Meanwhile, <-- LOL when you are rotating trays in oven with your 3 hands,,, the recipe really says "meanwhile... Just make the glaze when you REALLY do have a meanwhile... enjoy making your cookies, they will not leave you b/c they are not glazed, lolz. Stir sugar and juice in small bowl until smooth and good glazing consistency. If too thick, add a lil juice to thin. Spoon glaze over each cookie. Garnish with sprinkles if desired. Let stand until hardened.

Old Fashioned Tool Box

2010-12-14T12:29:00.004-05:00

I thought for sure a tool box that looked as if it had a little grease in it would not do well with paint. But with a hot sunny day in one hand and a bucket of soapy water in the other, I gave it a good scrubbing. It dried in the sun for 2 days, was primed and painted, and passed the test.

Black or White

2010-12-13T12:21:00.001-05:00

So this summer

I painted a few projects over the summer that I'll begin to share. As you can see I wasn't sure what color I wanted this table, but in the end I am glad I went with Charcoal Grey. Alot of the pieces I show that I have redone were either in our house when we moved here or put out in a neighbor's garbage. You can see the wood is split on the coffee tabletop in the white painted photo. It's not noticeable when it is painted the dark color.

Simply Cake

2010-12-12T12:46:00.002-05:00

A family favorite. Yellow cake with chocolate pudding and cool whip, with Coca Cola :) It's pretty neat how you can please your family with simple homemade recipes. This was a favorite of my husband's growing up and now is a favorite in our family.

BHG Yellow Cake

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter or margarine
1-3/4 cups sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
1-1/4 cups milk

Directions

1. Grease and lightly flour two 8x1-1/2-inch or 9x1-1/2-inch round baking pans or grease one 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set pan(s) aside. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl beat butter or margarine with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating 1 minute after each. Add dry mixture and milk alternately to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just till combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan(s).
3. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool layer cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove layer cakes from pans. Cool thoroughly on racks. Or, place 13x9-inch cake in pan on a wire rack; cool thoroughly. Frost with desired frosting. Makes 12 servings.

All that extra lotion

2010-12-11T06:35:00.000-05:00

It drives me a little crazy to have a bottle of lotion that cost about $8 on sale and not be able to use it all. For years I have been cutting the bottle to get to the bottom but have keep it in a container. I guess I never found a pretty container b/c inconvenience led me to figure something out.

As you can see I have cut the middle section out of bottle, cut the straw accordingly and rejoined the top and bottom to have a mini bottle of lotion.

New Rose Bush Blooms 3 Times

2010-12-10T12:02:00.001-05:00

I was happy to buy one of my first rose bushes this year. Not an expensive one though. I didn't expect much this year, in fact I figured it wouldn't bloom until next year. I was very surprised that it bloomed three times. What a golden beauty!

Ruby Red Corn

2010-12-09T12:06:00.000-05:00

We had a crazy garden this year. We bought Ruby Red corn and it was gorgeous. The stalks were reddish topped with red silks.
I should have planted yellow corn with it to make the corn sweeter, but I must say it was sweet and yummy without crossbreeding. For some reason we did get 1 yellow ear.

When it was cooked it lost it's red color. It was a fun colorful treat. We hung a few ears to dry and used stalks for decorations too.

For the Love of the Great Pumpkine

2010-12-08T12:00:00.000-05:00

I was on a pumpkin kick this autumn and made treat bags to look like...

pumpkins <3

Pie, Pumpkin Pie

2010-12-07T12:00:00.001-05:00

When you have sugar pumpkins you make puree. When you have puree you make...

Pie <3

Sugar Pumpkins Galore

2010-12-06T18:40:00.000-05:00

We grew a few pumkins and had a harvest of a little over 20. To say the least it has made a good amount of puree for pie.

Picture courtesy of my daughter.

Vanity Chair Redo

2010-08-12T23:33:00.001-04:00

This chair was picked up at a yard sale and was hunter green with a plastic brown seat cushion. Both the wooden seat base and the metal of the chair were in great shape which made this redo very easy.

For this project I used white spray paint, a piece of upolstry fabric, but any fabric would do because the chair is used lightly. I looked high and low for a good price on the cushion and ended up finding it at Wal-mart. I bought a package of 2 foam cushions, 15" x 17" x 1" for under $7. I've had the ribbon of beads so the make over cost was just for the foam cushion :)

Making Cards

2010-07-27T15:23:00.000-04:00

These 3 cards are from a panel of stickers from the dollar store. I just added blocks of the purple to add color. These pictures do not do the cards justice. Those black & white stickers are really pretty. They came like this, they were not embellished :)

Alot of the paper we use is from theme books of paper and the stickers are either on sale or from dollar stores :)

Blank Cards

2010-07-26T21:03:00.001-04:00

Today the girls and I made a few blank cards.

I was looking at quilts on blogs today and was inspired by what I saw. The thing I like about homemade cards is that they are inexpensive to make and are unique.

The great thing about making cards is that there aren't any rules :)

If you watch for sales, you will find paper, cut outs, tablets of paper, and envelops on sale. We do not buy sets of cut cards and envelopes, we buy card stock and invitation envelopes and cut paper to size :)

Beloved Gretchen

2010-07-26T09:22:00.003-04:00

She will be missed greatly. She was with us for 10 years and with a lot of health issues, but nothing stopped her from being lovable and kind and eager to please us. We are sad but thankful we had her for as long as we did. We had to put her down on July 15 after she couldn't walk anymore for a few days. This was causing other issues and because of her age they couldn't do anything for her.
The drs said that after 8 years with large dogs everyday may be their last. But isn't it true of all of us. We aren't promised tomorrow anymore than a pet is.

James 4:14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life?  You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

Phillipians 2:12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my  presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your  salvation with fear and trembling

Teepee Trellis

2010-07-25T23:22:00.001-04:00

This picture is from a few years ago. The idea is to grow pole beans or morning glory up the teepee and have a child play in the teepee. This spot was too shady, so our plants didn't grow well. But I thought I'd post it anyway, because I would like to try it in the future. We bought 9' plastic-coated metal faux bamboo rods for project because they will last forever :) Glad we did that because this picture is 7 years old!

Garden

2010-07-10T20:14:00.003-04:00

We planted Roma Tomatoes late this year, so we will have a late harvest.

Sunflower that came up from a rogue seed from last years harvest.

This is actually asparagus. I've had this plant for a few years too close to pine tree. A few weeks ago I transplanted it into the garden. It is doing well. There is actually an asparagus shoot on it but it is too small for a mouse :)

Corn and Watermelon. It is planted like this with the 3 Sister's Crop in mind. I am thinking we should waited til we bought some squash instead, b/c the watermelon will easily overtake the corn.

This is a yellow tomato that is still green.

It's been a long time since I have blogged. Thanks for taking a look over here :) I've had these garden pictures up for a few days before I had a chance to add words. Thanks for your comment "Hobbit". Great job trying to identifying the asparagus. The picture isn't that good or close for being able to see what it is.

Our garden is a little bit of square foot gardening and a little bit of "lets see what happens".

We decided to get a soaker hose to add to our old soaker hose and it is working like a dream. It's been very hot and very dry, so the hose was a great thing in keeping the garden hydrated with out running out there a few times a day.

Chicken & Stewed Tomatoes

2010-05-15T01:02:00.000-04:00

My girls and I enjoyed watching the Food Revolution and trying to make food from the show. We didn't have the right ingredients for a certain recipe; I don't even remember what it was exactly. But ours was yumo! I really like this recipe b/c you can very easily substitute an ingredient for something else.

My 8 year old had a great time cutting vegetables with me! I've got to do this more often!

Olive Oil
about 4 Chicken Breasts (boneless/skinless if possible)
3 Cloves of Garlic
Small Onion
1 Bell Pepper
Mushrooms
15-oz can Stewed Tomatoes
4-oz can Tomato Paste

1. Brown Chicken in olive (or grill) just a few minutes to give golden brown. Set aside

2. Saute garlic, onion, then pepper, & mushrooms.

3. Drain oil & put previous & rest of ingredients in a frying pan with lid. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes.

4. Serve over rice or noodles :)

From one heart to another

2010-05-07T00:46:00.004-04:00

A friend gave me a bleeding heart plant last year and the sad thing is that I had thought that I had killed it. What a surprise to see this pretty coming up this year. I thanked my neighbor for the plant. My girls and I have never had a plant like this. We are enjoying seeing how the little hearts grow and change every day.

Wreath Upcycled

2010-05-03T17:41:00.000-04:00

I found a new blog I love. She has a tutorial for this pretty wreath. If you have time check out her blog :)
Wreath Tutorial with Living With Lindsay

School is almost out for my girls,,, one more month.
This is my second year home schooling. I've learned so many things about being a mom. It's a huge blessing to be home with them. My oldest will be a senior in high school next school year; which means we'll be visiting colleges this summer. Where has the time gone? What are your plans for the summer?

Erasers

2010-02-02T19:03:00.000-05:00

This eraser is super easy to make. We took 4 squares of felt that were about 4" X 4" and sewed them down the middle on the sewing machine and then we folded it in half. Lastly, with quilting thread we made some "X"'s. We use the white board alot for school and only have one store bought eraser. I thought we'd take the frugal way and make a few since we have plenty of felt :)

Here's my lil artist taking the real pictures :)

Eggs

2010-02-01T23:16:00.000-05:00

I love farm eggs. Before I started getting eggs from a farm I didn't see the point. I couldn't have been more wrong. They look beautiful compared to store bought eggs outside and inside. A farm egg has a beautiful bright yellow color. It will make a store egg look sickly by comparison :)

Tea anyone?

2010-01-13T20:27:00.000-05:00

Join me for some tea... :)

Seems like the world is right to have some snow. It's funny to hear people complain about it because it has been a few years since we had any accumulation.

I have correspondance on my mind. I heard from a few people through Christmas cards. And so January is usually when I write back to them. I think it is great when we can keep in touch, even if only once a year.

Winter in the Northeast

2010-01-06T23:04:00.000-05:00

If anyone asked 20 years ago what a typical winter would be in the northeast, you would have been answered by lots of snow, at least that is how I remember it. But for the last 5 years we've had little snow here in Northeastern PA. Except for this year. Yay!! I've missed the snow. It's what I remember when I was a kid.

My childhood was filled with many ups and downs, lots of uncertainty; but the snow was always there every winter. I always loved going outside right after a snow storm. It was always so quiet and clean. The first movie Narnia reminds me of this... can you imagine if you walked into this wood and you pushed through the branches a little farther that you'd stumble upon a new world? Ok Maybe not :)

Story Time

2009-11-12T13:11:00.001-05:00

This is a sequal to Sarah, Plain and Tall which is a good book for readers beginning chapter books. It has a Lexile Level of 560, is 58 pages long, and is intended for ages 8 to 10. Caleb's Story has a Lexile Level of 290, has 116 pages, and is intended for the same age group. If you've never heard of the Lexile Level and want to check it out you can click on it above.

The Lexile Measure is a reading test to measure a childs reading level. I have no idea what Lizzy's is exactly, but I have used the website to find books that are in the similar ball park of books that are challenging and fun. I use 2 other resources: One is the Charlotte Mason Twaddle Free List which is a list books that combine good morals and full body content. My other resource is to ask friends and their kids :)

In Caleb's Story you learn that Papa's father abandoned him when he was Caleb's age who is maybe 12. It is around the age my father abandoned me and my siblings and also around the time my mother remarried, which followed alot of abuse for my my siblings and I. In this story Caleb has a great relationship with his father. At a certain point Grandfather comes back to town and Papa has a hard time forgiving him. Here is the exert:

"My birthday is coming," I said.

"And I don't want books or tools or even a horse of my own for my birthday."

Papa looked up, surprised.

"You've always wanted a horse fo your own, Caleb."

Not this year," I said. "What I want this year is something different."

"Different?" repeated Papa.

I nodded.

"This year I want most of all for you to forgive Grandfather. I want you to forgive Grandfather so I can grow up and be just like you," I said.

Papa stared at me. He said nothing. He lay back on the bed, and, after a moment, I went away. I closed the door behind me.

(Caleb's Story, Patricia MacLachlan)

History Lesson

2009-10-28T21:17:00.000-04:00

What a nice suprise! I've been praying about school in general. I want it to be fun and yet I want her to show her work. A few days ago I also received some advice from a friend on getting Lizzy to comprehend a little better. Today she really surprised me, not only with comprehension but with her art work. This was a great day for her :)

Cherry Coffee Cake

2009-10-28T20:39:00.001-04:00

I've made this several times now for different people and it seems to be a hit. It is very easy to make, so don't fear that you've offered to bring snack for church and it's already late on Saturday night. This may be your ticket :) This recipe came from a can of Lucky Leaf Cherry Pie Filling. Happy baking.

Ingredients

1 (18 oz.) package yellow cake mix, divided
2/3 cup water
2 large eggs
1 (21 oz.) can Cherry Pie Filling
1/3 cup margarine
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 tablespoon water

Directions

Stir together 1 1/2 cups cake mix, 2/3 cup water adn eggs. Spoon into a greased 13 X 9 inch baking pan. Top with pie filling. Cut butter into remaining cake mix. Mix until crumbly. Sprinkle over pie filling. Bake at 350 degrees fro 25-30 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Combine powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon water. Drizzle over cake.

Makes 15 servings

Random

2009-10-21T23:40:00.001-04:00

We are in the process of getting a new furnace and heating system. We are doing most of the work ourselves. I am thankful for a husband who knows how to do things like this. We are going with coal furnace because we live in the Antracite Coal Region of the US; so why not. We'll be paying 1/4 of what we have been paying in oil which is not found anywhere near our region nor state. When I'm not helping with school I have been helping hubby with this big project :)

Homeschooling is going well, though we have our challenges. I'm learning alot about the girls and I would never discover (their challenges) if they weren't home. Tonight my oldest and I had a long chat about her responsibilities. Honestly I was almost at wits end with not knowing how to get through to her. God was gracious in helping us both to communicate and come up with a plan. Looking back I wished we had prayed together though, I'm still learning and will give thanks to God tomorrow morning.

I've been saved for 2 years now and so for most of my daughters' lives I had not been saved. Before Christ I was an angry and unhappy woman. I wasn't worthy of God's forgiveness and yet he chose to save me. It is only by the grace of God that I can do anything good. God has been so merciful in helping my girls and I to grow spiritually. I am so thankful that both girls (16 & 8) who enjoy going to church with me and all three of us have a testimony of faith in Christ. We continue to pray for daddy.

I took a lil break from writing to check my email. My youngest now has a penpal from a lovely family. Oh I can't wait to tell her tomorrow morning :)

Last week was very cold and we had a little snow, but, so far this week it has been in the high 60's. Ladybugs are in the air!! :)

When was your first day of snow?

2009-10-15T23:05:00.001-04:00

Today was our first snowy day. This is our dog Gretchen wearing a sweater my oldest daughter crocheted for her. The picture was taken last year because I didn't get outside to take a picture and didn't even think of it :) ... but wish I did :) By the way,,, we only had flurries so far.

When was your first day of snow?

Vanilla Almond Granola Bars

2009-10-12T16:50:00.002-04:00

Our family is crazy for granol bars right now and since they are almost $3.00 at the cheapest store I thought it was worth trying to make them. I've made them 4 times now, trying things a little differently each time. The reason I've done things differently is because they are more crumbly than I hoped for. I am now thinking this is just the nature of cutting these babies up though. There are 2 great looking recipes for granola bars that I haven't yet tried. One is Ina Garter's Granola Bars and the other is Joyful Abode's Bars.

Preheat oven 300 degrees F.

4 c old-fashioned rolled oats
1 c slivered almonds
1/3 c wheat germ
1/3 c honey
1/3 c brown sugar
6 T butter, melted
1 T vanilla extract
1/2 t almond extract
1/2 t salt

1. Combine and spread oats and almonds on 2 cookie sheets. Bake 15 minutes, stirring 1/2 way through. Keep an eye on granola so it doesn't burn. Cool 10 min. Or put it in the freezer for a few minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine honey, egg, sugar, salt, and extracts in a large bowl.
3. When oats are cool, add wheat germ and brown sugar.
4. Add oat mixture to honey mixture folding thoroughly. Then add and mix the melted honey.
5. Transfer and mash down into a greased 13 x 9 pan and bake for 30 minutes.
6. Cool on rack. Cut into squares. Makes 24.

A few times I have made them with 2 beaten eggs hoping to make them stick together better, but they are still crumbly. I saw another recipe where someone cooked them at 450 for 10 -12 minutes in a 10" X 15" jelly roll pan and they looked more the ones you buy in the store because they were thinner. If anyone has a recipe they love please share it with me :) I'm still experimenting. I've not had to throw out a single batch of bars, so try them if you like them :) All those crumbs are saved for yogurt! Yum! If you'd like to make your own yogurt from a tried and true source you can get the link here.

You Turkey

2009-10-11T22:55:00.000-04:00

Tonight we made turkeys. We got the idea from That Artist Woman. She has A LOT of great ideas, so if you like doing crafts check her site out :) Next time Lizzy's friend comes over we will paint them.

Summer's End

2009-09-07T22:50:00.004-04:00

This is Gretchen and her typical pose when she is outside. I thought all dogs crossed their legs but my friends say differently.

Labor Day weekend started with our dog getting a stomach virus sort of thing and her getting sprayed by a skunk at 4 in the morning. Instead of using tomato juice for this problem, I tried something new on her. This remedy can be found online. It's simply 1 quart of hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup baking soda, and dog shampoo. If there's a next I'll use a squirt bottle.

A day later Gretchen was smelling better and feeling better!

Peaches: I love them and can't get enough of them :)

Today we closed our pool. We didn't have much of a summer in the northeast this year because it was cool and rainy for the most part. Nevertheless Labor Day cannot be avoided and since it's the last 3 day weekend for a while, it's a great weekend to close the pool. Last year we were late getting a cover for the pool and ended up closing it when it was freezing and windy outside in early October. Don't want to ever do that again.
We did alot of yard work this weekend getting ready for Autumn and I needed a quick dinner to make. Since we don't eat out much and hardly ever eat meals like this, it was a nice change for the palate. The only thing missing were pickles.
My girls worked on making owls last week. They turned out really cute, so I thought I'd share them with you. That Artist Woman is where you will find the owls. Gail Bartell is That Artist Woman and has tons of great crafts you can do with your kids.

Happy Labor Day!

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

2009-09-06T22:59:00.006-04:00

Re-purposed Teddy Bear

I just couldn't throw him out

Teddy's been sitting in a jar
Looking like a science specimen
Then one day I had an idea...

We regularly use white yarn for one thing or another.
It's like tape, we can't live with out it.
So we've displayed Teddy
Giving him a new life
As the Thread Bearer.

Seed Packets

2009-09-06T00:05:00.004-04:00

The girls made pretty seed packets for seeds we harvested from flowers. They turned out really cute. We used a template from Gardens and Crafts.

Camping List

2009-08-21T10:06:00.007-04:00

Dog days of summer

2009-08-20T20:57:00.003-04:00

Our dog Gretchen, the rottweiler, (left) had the weekend of her life this past weekend. She is 9 years old and every year we can, we take her camping where she gets to roam free for 3 days outside. The other 362 days a year she is an indoor dog.

As always she meets up with Spot, the German Shepherd, who is 13 this year. He belongs to my sister-in-law's family. They get along well.

Spot and Gretchen are getting up in their years and I want to remember times like these about them.

This year was a little different because my mother-in-law got a puppy a few months ago. They didn't stay all weekend but visited with Tracker (on the right) for a whole day. They followed the puppy around almost all day and when that lil dog left our old canines laid under the pavilion for hours almost motionless. It was funny, we all knew it would end that way.

BTW, Tracker didn't look that white when he left. Gretchen and Spot love the water and finally Tracker gave it a try :)

My daughter aka Klazane took this photo, and most of my pictures :) Thanks sweetie.

Creek Swing

2009-08-19T17:41:00.003-04:00

Every year we try to go camping for a few days on the farm where my father-in-law grew up. There's been a rope with a piece of wood as a swing hanging there for years that the kids use to jump into the middle of the creek. My husband wanted to change the rope this year. We used 25' of natural 3/4" fiber rope. After we cut down the old rope we secured the new one with a bowstring knot at the top so that (hopefully) the loop will expand with the growth of the limb it is secured to.
My nephew was the first to try it out.At the end I made what is called a monkey fist. They are supposed to be made with smaller line and I wasn't sure we could make one 3/4" thick rope. I think it turned out well and we all hope it will be there for many years of fun.

Color of all things in the dining room and kitchen!

2009-08-08T21:12:00.003-04:00

I have loved Shabby Chic for a many years thanks to my sister's help :) I didn't know how to add color again and quite liked adding colored accents without worring about it clashing with the walls and curtains in these 2 rooms. My oldest daughter (16) talked me into adding color after my husband ripped out the radiator heaters and we had to repaint all rooms. My oldest also took these pictures and drew the horse on the wall below before we covered it. You can check out her creativity here at Klazane. Everyone helped with the painting and the rooms turned out beautifully :)

Fish Bowl Treat bags for a birthday party

2009-08-07T23:50:00.006-04:00

In the name of "use what you have first" before you buy supplies, the girls and I came up with a treat bag we gave away for Lizzy's "sea themed" birthday party. The fish "swims" between 2 pieces of sheer fabric.

I had sheer fabric that I bought on clearance at Joanne's Fabric a few years ago. These are like the tucker bags I posted in June except we used foamy for the back. The sheer fabric is folded in half with the fold side up at the top of the bowl. We tucked a foamy animal inside the fold of sheer fabric, set (yarn) strap in place to be sewed over, pinned it all, then sewed.

Sewing with foamy on the bottom was very easy. We made the stitches very long, which gave the bag a nice look.
After sewing the bags were trimmed with pinking sheers to cut down on fraying.Bags were then decorated on the foamy side by the kids with smaller foamy stickers. While they were eating lunch, some of the older kids filled the bags with real sea shells, taffy, stickers, erasers, and a piece of chocolate :) Our frugal find was finding sea shells at the dollar store.

By the way, I thought I'd let my friends know I'm still alive. We have had alot projects to do this summer which has taken me away from blogging. I've felt a little overwhelmed with them all. I hope to post about them when things slow down, we have pictures :) I can't wait to check out what you all have been blogging about :)

Down Under Tucker Bag

2009-06-18T18:42:00.003-04:00

Next week we will be boarding the Boomerang Express and going down under to Australia, (aka vacation bible school) . We are trying to use things that we have at home in order to keep costs down. Klazane and I will be helping with Pre-K and K for the week. We will be giving the kids lil cards with scriptures on them. The teacher's kit came with a brown tucker bag and we could buy them for $1.24 a bag. I say no worries Mate, this is cheaper! I have a good bit of felt and yarn. We made about 45 of them and didn't need to buy anything.

The front of the pouch is 5" wide and 3.5" high in the center. The back & flap is 5" wide and 6.25" high.

Materials:

1 piece of felt

33" of yarn

E18 Code

2009-06-17T18:31:00.004-04:00

What does E18 mean? It means your little girl dropped the camera face down with the lens extended. So, we are looking into the Canon Loyalty Program. We found it through fatwallet.com . I don't think Canon advertises this program. It is an upgrading program for refurbished cameras. Klazane has a nice camera, so in a pinch I could borrow hers and we also have our first Canon (2 mega pixels).

Three Things Meme

2009-06-12T21:51:00.002-04:00

I have stolen this meme from Kim.

Three

…… places I’ve visited: Puerto Rico, OBX North Carolina, Indiana

.… cars I’ve owned: '64 Chevy Chevelle (that was a cool car!), '78 Impala, '95 Beretta (my husband's cool car from the 90's!)

.… foods I love: chocolate, brownies, mochas (see the theme?)

… jobs I’ve held: Mc Donalds, US Army Mailclerk, bank teller

… authors I love: T Davis Bunn, MacArthur, Beverly Lewis

… places I’ve lived: southeastern Pennsylvania, Virginia, northeastern Pennsylvania

… favorite hobbies: crocheting, sewing, Facebooking

… bones I’ve broken: zero

.… TV shows I watch: LOST, that is all I watch besides Fox news

… songs that make me turn up the volume: depends on my mood

… favorite drinks: WATER, tea, water

… fun board games: Parchessi, Yahtzee, hmmm Parchessi?

… stores I could spend a whole day in: Christmas Tree Shoppe, Williamsburg Pottery, The Crossings

… chores I put off as long as possible: bathroom, dishes, laundry

… chores I kind of like: cleaning the pool, cleaning out the garage, putting the kids to bed, I love that time :)

… things I would rather chew glass than do: argue, ask for donations (fundraisers), getting all huggy and kissy, I'm not usually a physically affectionate person, so if I hug you spontaniously then you know I am feeling the love, ha ha

… reasons I hate attending parties: I don't "party" unless you mean kid parties, and those I don't mind

… favorite dog breeds: Rottweilers, that is what we have, but will probably never get another because she has had many health issues, I'm more of a cat person anyway

… things I just don’t get: my daughter's math homework (calculus), God's mercy and the fact that he forgave me of all people

If you decide to do this, let me know, I'd love to read your answers!

It's June

2009-06-07T20:17:00.003-04:00

I remember sitting like this when I was little. It no longer looks very comfortable to me :)

Lizzy received a little book in the mail a week ago and wanted to fill in every page to show how excited she was to get a piece of mail.

It's beginning to feel like summer after 2 months in the 50 and 60s.

Grass in growing where we had work done in our yard. I'm actually excited about that, but then again it doesn't take much to get me excited.

One more week of school left for the girls... tomorrow we're going on a field trip to an amusement park :)

Spring Light!

2009-05-19T21:01:00.004-04:00

I haven't been online much lately, mostly because of spring.
Spring cleaning in the house
Spring yard work
Spring clothes (washing & putting winter things away)
And more fun stuff.
It's been fun spending time outside until almost 8pm. I'll try to take some pictures so I have more to write about.
We are eagerly working through school so that we can finish up for the summer by June 12th. We began the school year late because we were waiting for materials and it was our first year with the cyber school. I don't want to push to get done earlier. I think it would be too stressful for both girls.
I am really excited that spring is here, we have alot of projects to do and I'm motivated to get to them all before it gets too hot here in the northeast.
Yesterday I talked to both of my sisters. I needed that. We don't live close to each other and I'm happy yesterday was the day I got to connect with them both.

Pretty Banner

2009-05-05T21:55:00.002-04:00

Thank you Klazane for making me such a pretty banner.
Thank you my sweet daughter ;)

Laura Ingalls Wilder

2009-05-04T21:14:00.003-04:00

We have been reading the Laura Ingalls-Wilder's books and have really been enjoying them. When I was a kid no one in my family liked watching the series on tv. The books are amazing to read with children.

A lap afghan and a mini quilt for Fluffy

2009-05-02T22:28:00.003-04:00

I started the white crocheted afghan back in October and hoped to finish it in 6 weeks. Now I know better... it took 6 months :) I can't wait to send it.... which will be very soon. The ity bitty quilt is for my daughter's stuffy, Fluffy. Lizzy is going to quilt it tomorrow after church so we can remove the safety pins. It'll be fun. :)

Here is an update on things: My diet is going well. It's a life change and I think things are going well. I was in a stall last time I blogged about the diet. That lasted about a week and a half. I needed to begin an exercise program and needed more fiber. Boy, those 2 make a big difference.

I began Phase II which is closer to normal eating. I am eating grains, but usually only whole wheat. I have weak moments where I indulge with the chocolate, but, I've gotten back on track each time.

I want to be more consistant with asking God for guidance in all I do (including eating and exercise) every morning.

There's no garden yet... I'll blog about that another time... I have about 3 weeks til I can plant those things that can't be planted til after the last possible frost... I have friends who are going to let me borrow their tiller, which is an amazing thing because they are expensive to rent. I am so thankful for this. I hope to get it soon. I'll let you know more when I get to start tilling :)

Another Jeannette who has daughters and a calico cat

2009-04-26T14:54:00.006-04:00

I found a lady named Jeannette (that is my name) and she has a calico (as do I) and she is a Christian (as I am) and she has 2 daughters (as do I). What are the odds? And what are the odds that we find each other? I don't know, but I marvel at this.

I found a "mister linky"on a blog full of ladies who were showing off their quilts. One was named Jeannette, and so I clicked. Below and to the left is Molli, our cat. Molli is 8 1/2 years old, we got her when she was 8 weeks old. She is an indoor cat only and we love her dearly. She is a petite calico. We also have a rottweiler who is the same age. Molli plays with the dog and teases her often. Every single night when everyone goes to bed she sneaks up on the dog and scares her. The dog barks back at her alarmed... or maybe by now she expects it and puts on a show for me to laugh at when I am falling asleep.

And here is Phoebe, who is the other Jeannette's cat. I think Phoebe is still a kitten, isn't she cute?

Cosco Kitchen Stool

2009-04-20T22:13:00.004-04:00

I bought a bright yellow Cosco stool like this red one below at a garage sale for $3. (I borrowed this picture from Ebay.) With a can of white paint, a new cushion, and some pretty fabric, it has a new life in our house..

White Oak Lane

Merry Christmas

Happy Thanksgiving!

Spider how-to

Halloween Bunting and decorations

Along came a spider...

Rottweiler Gunter

Dripping Sap

New Best Friend

Black Eyes

New Hydrangea

Hair Clips: Repurpose and save alot!

Baby Sitting

How-To: Cute Paper Bunting

Garden Suprises

Chess Set for Dad

On Top of Spaghetti

Bird feeders

Photos taken by Beez

Hawk Mountain

L C Smith Super-Speed Typewriter ---1937

Projects in the works

Chicken Capri

Homemade Salad Dressing

Italian Hoagie/Sandwich

Homemade Wholewheat Pitas

English Muffin Bread

Ingredients

Directions

Celebrating Trent

Yogurt Treat

Cherry Crumb Pie

Felt Clothes

Morning Breakfast

Calzones

Gifts

Banana Bread

Church Doors

Popcorn

Happy Valentines Day

Church Doors

Church Doors

Soap

Real Tacos

Calendar

Pets

Photography

Kit Kitridge

Lil Hands, Lil Crafts, Big Gifts

Honey It Was Cold Outside

A Babe is born in BethlehemChristmas Hymn & Carol Lyrics

Our 2010 Tree

Style

Gifts

Where are your Christmas Cards This Year?

Lights

Ricotta Cookies

Old Fashioned Tool Box

Black or White

Simply Cake

Ingredients

Directions

All that extra lotion

New Rose Bush Blooms 3 Times

Ruby Red Corn

For the Love of the Great Pumpkine

Pie, Pumpkin Pie

Sugar Pumpkins Galore

Vanity Chair Redo

Making Cards

Blank Cards

Beloved Gretchen

Teepee Trellis

Garden

Chicken & Stewed Tomatoes

From one heart to another

Wreath Upcycled

Erasers

Eggs

Tea anyone?

A Babe is born in Bethlehem
Christmas Hymn & Carol Lyrics