Quilt 78


Quilt 78-Twin Size- 2003
Quil

Reflections 2012


2012.  This year was more than fantastic.  We welcomed our little blue eyed girl.  Our little guy turned two.  And we bought our dream home.  Life couldn't be better.








In case you missed it...here's the top news, baked treats and crafts from 2011.

And here's the run down, in case you missed it.

January:
The biggest project I've completed by far is the latch hooked rug
I posted the popular creamy chicken stew and cheesy biscuits.
We spent lots of time outside in that thrifted turtle coat our little guy wouldn't take off.

February:
We tapped our trees for the first time.
We "creatively" announced we were having a girl!!!
I perfected our English Muffin recipe.
I completed my very first quiet book.

March:
We enjoyed unseasonable Maine warmth with family.
I made a Giraffe shirt and a few wedding gifts.
We ate Christmas Casserole Cookies

April:
I made a picnic table for my kids and their dolls.
I finally got around to sharing my jam bar recipe (like Nutigrain bars homemade).
We dug out our spring coats to enjoy some simple pleasures.

May:
I made the cutest tiny puppy playset.
We got dragonflies to control the mosquito population.
I shared my pizza crust recipe.

June:
I added to our play kitchen homemade supplies.
We went to the zoo.
And we ate some banana bread.

July:
We finally welcomed our baby girl and enjoyed watching the siblings meet.
I made some emergency chocolate fudge.
I made the cutest vintage pants .

August:
I made a ruffled peasant dress.
We visited the BOG.
We ate oodles of popsicles.

September:
We started making our own coffee creamer.
Someone turned 2 and I made oodles of things to go along with his party.

October:
We had a tortoise and the hare for Halloween.
I may have earned some eye rolls from the underwear I made my son.
We ate some yummy soft ginger cookies.

November:
We purchased our forever home.
And there were projects galore....much of which was in the living room.
I perfected my oatmeal raisin cookie recipe.

December:
We ate chocolate covered peanut butter balls.
I gave you a tour of the barn.
We had a fantastic Christmas.


Work in progress...Master Bedroom


I did promise to give you a tour of the 'master bedroom', didn't I?  It was after I shared this project I received many requests to see the room furnished. Better late than never, right?   


Remember, it's a work in progress.
Come on in.  But, quiet, baby girl is sleeping.
 And there's definitely a scaredy cat hiding...but here's our abode.
 The floors are finished, yes.  I will be painting that wallpaper sometime soon. (I do love the wallpaper, but want to make this a cozy room for my husband).  I was going to make curtains, but I found these panels for $4.00 a piece and thought they were good enough for now.  I have fancy curtain rods to hang them higher too.  I also may get a rug.  All in time, I need to remind myself.
 I thought I'd show you what's outside, too. I took these before the snowstorm.  Now we have a foot of snow. Anyway, this is the farmhouse next to us that worked in conjunction with this one now.  Those who lived in these two houses have surnames that this road is named after.  It's these folks who we bought this house from.  They're great neighbors, indeed.
 And here's the apple orchard that used to go with this house, but was sold a bit ago.  We're friends with those who own it and he gives me full access to take whatever I want. Kind neighbors we have.
 And this is the large maple that wants to be tapped this spring and our fancy new septic that they put in for us.  The whole hedge is lilacs.  The sweet woman who lived here used to let me pick myself a bouquet.
 And here's the roof for our sunporch and the barn in the distance.  Plus a field that is no longer so, now it's a pile of brush.
 Oh, I never showed you this project, did I?  It's an antique dresser that was my husbands.  Great bones, but tons of not pretty scratches and dings.  I stripped...three rounds of stripping to get it to look like this. The mirror next to it goes with it..which needs fixing...and stripping.  So wish I stripped it when I did the dresser, but it didn't fit at the other house, so I didn't bother. Yet another project...

 I love these radiators.  I don't like that I have to decorate around them, but I do think they're pretty cool.

 And I also don't think I ever introduced you to Lucy, our cat who hides all day...well at least until our busy boy naps or goes to bed for the evening.  She's not a fan of his energy.
 She is a beautiful cat though.
There....a couple more peeks into this place.  What would you like to see next?

Buckeyes (No bake, Gluten free)


This is another installment in this series: 

" Growing up, one of the traditions I used to look forward to was actually a gift from a family friend.  There was this little red tin, shaped like a train, that we'd use and return every year.  It was the highlight of December when it would come back to us, filled with delicious goodness of dozens of misc. bites of perfection.   They must have tirelessly baked and baked the amazing set of holiday treasures.  Each sample better than the last.  Fast forward to recent times, even though it's been years and I now live states away from my hometown, I still would think about the contents of that little red tin every Christmas.  What to do?  Bug the baker until she folds...and sends me those recipes!  One day, the most delightful Email came to me, with 19 attachments.  Those attachments were those infamous recipes!  I now have the tools to build my own box of Christmas delights.  And I have permission to share the collection with you. "

It joins:

I really must get on telling you the rest.  They are oh so yummy.  Every last one of them. 

These are very rich and make a ton.  I sometime cut the recipe in half, and that still gives me oodles. Here's my condensed version.


Buckeyes (makes a TON...~100 balls)

18 oz. peanut butter
2 sticks of butter softened
1 1/2 lbs powdered sugar
melted chocolate (I love dark chocolate)

Mix peanut butter, butter and powdered sugar. 
Chill for ~1 hour.
Roll into rounded 1 inch balls.
Dip in melted chocolate. *
Place on wax paper and refrigerate.
Enjoy!

(I mix about 1 cup of chocolate chips with splashes of milk when melting to get a thinner consistency.  If there's any chocolate left, I surprise my husband with chocolate covered pretzels too!)

Christmas 2012 Recap


Christmas, it was a marvelous one.  There's quite a recap coming your way.  Alert: Oodles of pictures.  I hope you don't mind.  (AND many thanks to the spectacular gift givers!) Here goes...

Celebration started Saturday with a family party.  Audra's first experience unwrapping

Or more accurately, either eating the present or having her big brother open hers.


 Christmas Eve, my little elf and I made cinnamon rolls.  They're delicious...so that cuts out the naughtiness factor of them.
 Then, we did our unique tradition.  We place our cloth gift bags, many of them homemade, under the tree.  When we awake in the morning, they're filled with presents. (Bonus for me...I haven't bought wrapping paper in years, I don't need to spend my time wrapping and we have little waste).

 And then I made them do a photoshoot...as I prayed a tired big brother didn't drop his sweet sister.


 Off to sleep (however temporary their sleep is these days) went the kids and mama got to work stuffing these Christmas stockings with junky treats I never buy (chips, oreos and fig newtons)...
 and filling the bags with the goods I've been collecting all year (As a side note, between sales and thrifting, I spent around $100 for two kids.  And they got lots of stuff!).
 My excited family coming down the stairs...
 Presents spotted...
 and off he goes...fast!  (Hey, I forgot...that's a mama made shirt.)
 What did he see first?  A "roo hopper"...more commonly known as a mini trampoline. 
 He loves it.  A whole bunch.
I think roo approves too.
 
 (And BONUS....it was like new for $15.00...score!)
 And what was sweet girl doing?  Looking cute and squealing, as usual.

 And onto stockings...

 Audra was a champ at stockings.
 She picked cheetos to snack on.
And then presents.  I used some of my labeled drawstring bags.  I'll  eventually put their names in the clear pocket.


 My inlaws were most generous...

 And hand knits from our neighbors (love handmades!). 


 And this brand new plantoys bike I got for $23.00 2 years ago.
 
 And I forgot to mention we had snow!

It took all day long to open our presents.  Each present deserved at least an hour's worth of attention before we moved. on. We had a lot of playtime.

 

 

 

 And then we delivered cinnamon rolls to our neighbors by foot.

 
 Rosy cheeks.
And big smiles.

 And then we played and played and played some more, the rest of the day.




All in all, our Christmas was grand!  How was yours?


LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...