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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Decorating a Little Country Bedroom...

Greetings to everyone this evening..
We have had a very rainy and windy day here today ...
A nice day to stay in and putter.. The wood fire was on and bread was in the oven..I roasted a chicken yesterday so today we had a Chicken and Wild Rice Soup..We had it once at Tim Horton's and so I decided to make my version.  Terry wanted the leftovers for supper so I guess he liked it.. smile..

 I worked on another bedroom.. Cleaning and decorating and the dear man was painting.. Guess what color?  If you thought black then you are right...I will show you his work later.. smile..
For tonight though I thought I would show you the bedroom that I worked on...
We have 4 bedrooms .. Three are empty now except for when someone comes to visit.. They used to be full.. smile..
I wish they still were.. Oh well, don't get her going as my dear husband would say.. Do you miss your children?  I sure do..
Anyway..
 I took these pics tonight after supper so they are by lamplight.. I probably didn't do a very good job.. I am certainly not a photographer but here they are..
Not very primitive, I am afraid... Just a little country style bedroom..
A little Christmas tree trimmed with wee girls..

Can you see a couple of them?

This tray and tea set were a gift ...
I just added a touch of pine and olde Christmas cards..

Kind of a snow girl  theme going on here..

A snow girl that I bought in New Hampshire and a dear little tea set from a friend..

An antique little girls coat set that Terry bought for me at an auction many years ago..
I still love it..

Here is a little swag I made ..

Little baby shoes and old photos..
I made the snowman heads from little styrofoam balls and a toothpick nose.. Just painted the balls cream, added an orange painted nose and painted the eyes and cheeks on..
I did different sizes and stuck them on different crafts..

Like this one...
I sewed up a bunch of these little stockings and embroidered different words on them..
peace, joy, love... then added the styrofoam ball and a little greenery...

And here is a pic of a dear little girl who used to live here..

Shonda was only a year old and playing her Gram's piano..
Today, she has a baby grand.. smile..

I took this last pic and was surprised how it came out..
Would you say that perhaps it is the ghost of the little girl who used to wear the little olde coat?  grin..

Can you see her?  smile..

Thank you ladies for your sweet visit.. So glad you dropped by..
I am looking forward to hearing from you..

Take care of yourselves and let me know what you are busy doing these days before the big day...

God bless..






Monday, November 28, 2011

A little wreath how to ....

Happy Monday Evening to everyone..
How art thou?  (my second favorite greeting).... grin..

Just thought I would share a little craft that I made today..
I found this craft on PINTEREST so I cannot take the credit for it.. I think that is the  great thing about Pinterest.. You find ideas and make them your own.. One can do their own thing and enjoy the whole experience, eh!
Anyway... here is a little apple wreath that I put together..


All you need are some fresh apples.. I think I might have used a
5 pound bag.. You can make it whatever size you like, really..
I have a dehydrator so I just sliced them and dried them that way..
You can google how to dry them in your oven, though..
I did not use lemon juice or cinnamon... They are just sliced and dried.. You could use an apple corer perhaps but I didn't.. The apples had a star shaped hole in most of the slices and I only had to thread a gingham cotton ribbon through them..
A really neat craft to do with your children, too..
It is nice for Christmas or even all year.. I have some apple oil to sprinkle over the apples but you don't really need to do that..
I was telling our daughter Shonda about this and I mentioned that it would make a lovely gift, too..
I made up kind of an apple gift idea here..

and some HOMEMADE WINTER POTPOURRI  and this little apple wreath.. Pick up an old wood salad bowl at the thrift store and there you have it.. Use some cellophane wrap or whatever turns your crank to wrap it..

It was a rainy windy day here in Eastern Canada today..
We were out of bread so I made this easy recipe for NO KNEAD BREAD
It is so easy to make and so delicious..



Make sure you use instant yeast and let it rise in a warm place...
You can leave out the rosemary and just make it plain..
Terry likes it plain and I also make only one loaf instead of two
most of the time...



It is so much better for your children than the store bought that lasts for two weeks..It makes one wonder what is really in it..
A lovely gift for your elder neighbor or some busy Mom...
Be sure to include the recipe..

Well, sweet ladies that is all for today..
Please come again ... I may show you some more Christmas decor soon... smile..
May God bless your week with joy and peace..
Hugs..

LINKED TO ..TEACH ME TUESDAYS

  ALSO LINKED TO..     FRUGAL DAYS SUSTAINABLE WAYS



Saturday, November 26, 2011

Come on into my pantry while I make a pie....

Good Evening my dears..
I was wondering if you would like to come into my pantry with me.. I want to make a little something for Sunday dinner tomorrow..
It is an old recipe that I have made for several years..
We all like it and it makes up very quickly.. That is a good thing, right? 
Please come on in...
This is not a very big room but it serves it's purpose..right..
Excuse my shelves.. I organize but then I turn around and they need organized again.. smile.. Oh well..

Now for the recipe..
It is called Impossible Pie..
Perhaps, you have made this before...
In a mixing bowl place these ingredients..
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups of sugar
2 cups of milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup coconut
1/2 stick of butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup self rising flour..

Mix all ingredients and blend well..


Pour into a 9 1/2 inch ungreased pie plate..
Bake at 350 degree oven..


Bake for 35 to 40 minutes..
Let cool well..


See how the crust develops at the bottom..
Such a mystery.. smile..
You can leave out the coconut and just have a custard pie, if you prefer..

What have you girls been busy doing on this lovely day?
I am still working away at getting the house cleaned and decorated..


Church tomorrow... smile...

Psalms 95 : 2-3

Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.  For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.. 

Have a blessed day my friends..
Thanks for dropping by and welcome to the new followers of the blog.. So happy to have you..
Hugs...


LINKED TO....          THE HOMESTEAD BARNHOP




Thursday, November 24, 2011

A Little Guest Bedroom Redo...

Hello everyone..
Just a posting tonight with lots of pics of a little guest room we have here..
As you know we have 5 grandsons so this room has kind of a woodsy theme going on for boys... 
It is ready and all decorated for Christmas..























Hope there aren't too many pics..
Looking out the window at the old pine tree covered in snow..

The boys are coming over their Christmas break to stay..
Something to look forward to.. smile..

Thanks for the visit.. It is such a delight to hear from you..
Sending you love, joy and peace..
God bless...




ALSO LINKED TO..    FALL FRIEND FRIDAYS 



Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Olde Paper Wrapped Soaps for Christmas..


Good Evening ladies..
We are in the midst of a big snow storm here in the Maritimes..
I don' t think it will be as bad as forecast or I hope not, anyway..
It is nice and snug inside, though..
I just finished the supper dishes and decided I should do a post..
I had shown you a pic last time and told you I would tell you about it ..
My friend DONNA was right... It is soap..
I made this with just a bar of soap, water and essential oil..
So easy..


I thought you might like the recipe so you could make a kinda  homemade soap for Christmas gifts.. smile..
Here it is...

Kinda Homemade Soap..
1 1/4 cups of boiling water
1 x 9 oz. bar of unperfumed soap
20 drops of essential oil  (your choice)
A few drops of food coloring .. opt..

Keep the water boiling in a small saucepan and grate the soap into the water, stirring well..Use the saucepan just for soap making.. 
Add the oil of your choice (and you can add more drops if you like) and continue beating until you have a creamy mix..
Allow the soap to cool then pour into oiled molds...
When they have firmed up (not hard) then take them out and place on a rack to harden properly.. It takes about a month..

You can make herb soap of your choice just by using unperfumed  soap and oils...
Use soap molds or place in a glass cake pan and when the soap is firm you can cut into blocks..

Polish with a soft cloth and perhaps a drop of your oil..

The pink soap in the picture above is what it looks like..
I made different shapes.. oval and round and rectangle..
I had some plastic soap molds that I picked up at Michaels, I think..
I should have taken pics before I wrapped them but my batteries were dead... I just happened to save the round ones for myself..
Anyway...
Wrap it up and give it away.. smile..

This is what I used for wrapping..
Old sheets of music..

Pages from old books .. You can pick up old books at antique or thrift shops.. I  used an old Book of Knowledge..
And old photos or copies of photos...

Old laces and tea dyed grocers string...
Just use your imagination.. smile..


A few of you wanted the corn chowder recipe..
It is just one that I use a bit of this and a bit of that..grin..
Here goes..

I put some chopped bacon in a soup pot and let it cook up for a few minutes..
Add a chopped up onion and a wee clove of garlic minced..
Then add a couple of peeled chopped potatoes, salt and pepper.. Cook up some and when the bacon is finished I added 2 or so cups of chicken broth..
I like it when I have homemade stock ...
Let simmer until veggies are tender and then add a can of creamed corn and a can of corn niblets...
Simmer for a few minutes until heated through and add some cereal cream and milk...Add some fresh chopped parsley and ground pepper  and you are good to go..

OK?

Before I go I wanted to share with you that we are grateful to the dear Lord tonight.. Our youngest son was in an industrial accident last night but he is fine.. Thank you, Jesus... He is a sore and lame but alive and well..
God is good..

Thanks so much for dropping by and I wanted to wish all of our dear American friends a
 HAPPY THANKSGIVING:-)

May God bless you and your dear families...
Hugs..


LINKED TO INSPIRE ME FRIDAYS 

Monday, November 21, 2011

A Field Trip to Gowland Mountain picking Christmas Boughs...


             Hello there everyone..
Would you sweet friends like to go on a little field trip?  Good.. smile..  
Today Terry and I had to go up to our old farm and we decided to get some boughs for Christmas decorating..

There is the dear man there in the rear view mirror... 

The back of the truck has pine and fir already that he collected in our field but there was not any cedar.. Here he is gathering some of it that was growing right beside the road..
Bless his heart:-) smile.. He is a good man...
Anyway, we came to a fork in the road and I mentioned that we had not been up to my Dad's grave for awhile..
So, he turned left and we headed for Gowland Mountain..
Here are some pics of the beautiful scenery along the way..
Very old farms...

Lots of old barns that have not been used for years.. Just cobwebs and memories..

There are still some huge farms, though..

And of course our windmill farm in the distance..

You can only see two there..
But I believe there are at least 40..

You can see these old farms on a road that runs parallel in the distance..
Beautiful, eh?
My Gram and Gramp grew up here in these mountains..
Many years ago..

I don't want to be maudlin but my dear Dad was laid to rest here..
When I stand there on that hillside and look out over the hills I imagine the glad morning when the dead in Christ shall rise..
Until then....
I have four sets of grandparents here and many other dear ones..

Anyway...
Here are some more photos... 

Lovely old barns...

Driving along I noticed this partridge in a tree getting his supper...
It's not a pear tree, though...smile..

This is truly a rural part of our province but so beautiful..
Little buildings that were used for dairy and chickens and whatever..

More old barns that used to be full of hay and the sounds of cattle... 
They stand silent now.. Kind of sad.. 

This old barn is on the lane to my Grandmother's childhood home..
It is called Meadow...

She would walk for miles with her brothers and sisters to her school and to the church by the graveyard..
As we drive along I can picture a little curly black haired girl on the side of the road..
Gram was like me.. a real klutz so perhaps she is picking herself up and brushing down her skirt.. She would be laughing, though..
Every time she fell she would just laugh at herself and get back up again..
The dear thing.. I so loved my grandparents..
Gram and Gramp had 14 children..
Imagine..
This place holds my roots...

We need to get home, though.. We did not mean to be away so long but as I told Terry it was the nicest drive I have had for awhile..

I need to get home and make some supper..
Corn chowder and some garlic toast..
Sound good?

When supper was over I did these..



Just something I will share with you tomorrow.. smile..
Do you know what they are ???

Thank you dear friends for your visit..
Last week my stats showed that you visited more than ever before..
I am so glad to have you and am looking forward to hearing from you..
I did not mean for this post to be so long..
It was just hard to limit the pics..
Have a blessed evening..
Hugs...