~Family Crests, Coat of Arms~

Within the last week, I received my Treasury of Vintage Homekeeping Skills. I haven't had a lot of time to look through it, but one page I saw piqued my interest. There is a space in the book to record your family crest, or coat of arms.

I looked online and found a few sites that sell Coat of Arms:

http://www.allfamilycrests.com/

http://www.houseofnames.com/

Today, I did a little digging on the subject at Wikipedia. See here, and here, if you are interested.

I found a coat of arms for our surname, and thought it would be fun to make one ourselves, and hang it somewhere in our house. I do realize that it wouldn't be considered "authentic"...but it would be kind of fun anyhow! *Smile* We liked the Scottish version of ours better than the German version anyhow...and I don't think my husband has Scott in his blood!

~Anti-Procrastination Challenge--Monday~

Today I ironed my dust ruffle and got it on the bed! I'm very pleased with how it looks! Just think, I could have been enjoying this look for nearly three years! *Sigh*

Our room is small, so it's hard to get a picture of the whole bed, but here is what it looks like:


And something else to be excited about...I can cross this item off my 101 List!

~Christmas teacups~

Isn't this fabric adorable? It was on clearance, and I just knew that it would be happy coming home with me! I'm going to make an apron out of it.

~Anti-Procrastination Challenge--Saturday~

Today was a nice "warm" day...even though it snowed a few times, the snow and ice on the ground was actually melting. I drove by a hill which had probably 50 kids sledding on it. Poor kids, the snow had worn down to the grass in some patches!

Mrs. Wilt's suggestion for today's challenge was to spend time with family members. Last night Kevin and I had our "date night", and enjoyed a delicious meal at Cracker Barrel, and did a few errands together. We had a lovely evening together!

Saturday is always our errand day and our day to get all our errands and projects done. That being said, I was quite pleased that I didn't procrastinate in getting out the door for my grocery shopping. Usually, I dilly-dally about the house till afternoon. But I left the house at 10:30, and I had even washed our sheets and made up the bed!

And then, I tackled a project this afternoon that has been awaiting my attention for nearly three years! When we got our bed, I wanted a dust ruffle. But the construction of the bed doesn't allow for a standard dust ruffle. So I bought a dust ruffle, with the idea of attaching it to the bed frame with Velcro. And it has taken up space in my sewing room ever since! It was actually more work than I thought it would be. Trust me, it sounds tacky, but it looks really nice! =) I'm waiting for the fabric glue to dry, and then I'll just pop it on!

This challenge has really opened my eyes to how much I procrastinate! It really is quite a bad habit I possess!

Visit Mrs. Wilt's blog to see more projects completed!

~Anti-Procrastination Challenge--Friday~

Tonight, I did several things in my sewing room. It seems as though things get pushed into and stacked in this room! I need to stop that!

I hemmed a pair of slacks for my husband.
I cleaned off my desk that is between the two closets.
All clean:

While cleaning the desk off, I found some bookmarks I've had since June. The only reason I haven't used them is that they had a sticky residue from the price tags on them. A small amount of rubbing alcohol remedied that, and they are ready for use now!

I hung up a bulletin board that I've had for quite a while now.


It was nice to get those things done!

~Anti-Procrastination Challenge--Thursday~

Tonight I chose to get rid of this pile:



It's been sitting in my sewing room since my sister visited (it is all the bedding she used while here). That was in (cough)November(cough). So it has been sitting there a while.

While finding new homes for things, I found this:



Imagine if you will, my conversation a month or so ago: "Yes, Mrs. Librarian, I am sure that I returned More All of a Kind Family. I'm positive. Thank you so much for taking this book off my card."

*Blush*

I have some 'splaining to do!

All the bedding is picked up:



and put away:



For more ladies who are standing up against procrastination, visit Mrs. Wilt's blog! *Smiles*

~Calligraphy~

When I was in high school, I did a lot of calligraphy. While going through a folder tonight I found this (click to enlarge):


I haven't done calligraphy for years now!

~Anti-Procrastination Challenge--Wednesday~

Have you ever read the book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day?

Well, that was me today. *Sigh*

It was a busy day, and we got home late from church tonight. However keeping this challenge in mind prompted me to at least do something that I should do but didn't feel like doing. So, I took all the laundry down to the basement, sorted it all, and started a load.

There. I feel much better.

(By the way, I have the bestest hubby in the world...he made us hot chocolate and bought cookies, and gave me a foot massage while we watched a movie. Isn't he great? *Grin*)

~Anti-Procrastination Challenge--Tuesday~

Mrs. Wilt is hosting an "Anti-Procrastination Challenge". Since I'm always up for a challenge, especially when there are prizes involved, I quickly decided to jump in! I'm quite the procrastinator! So, what a great way to get some things done!

My immediate thought was my ironing basket.



Now, ironing is not a task that I hugely dislike. I kind of enjoy it, in a way. It's nice to look at the closet and see a closet full of freshly pressed clothes! But it takes t-i-m-e. So I tend to put it off.

After accomplishing some tasks that I've put off because I felt like they'd take too long, I'll look back, and say, "There, that didn't take too long!" However, that isn't the case with ironing! I spent roughly 2 hours or more to accomplish this:



I was not planning on ironing today! But thanks to a little challenge, I've completed a dreaded task, and have two closets full of freshly pressed clothing to prove it!

~Weirded Out~

Well, I've seen the "Six Weird Things About Me" meme floating about, and thought I was successful at avoiding it. I was, for a while! LOL (Just kidding, Mrs. B)

So anyhow, the challenge for me is to come up with six things that are kind of different but not *too* weird. I try to be a normal gal!

Here goes:
1. I have this thing with hanging clothes in the closets. I've always hung my husband's dress shirts in color, from lightest to darkest. Always. And then, if you take a peek in my closet, I have my clothes arranged in my own special way too. From left to right: shells, vests, blouses, cardigans, pull over sweaters, skirts, jumpers, and then dresses. And if that isn't enough, within each category they are arranged from left to right from dressiest to most casual. I like it this way. And yes, I sometimes stand in front of my closet and befuddle my husband by saying, "I have nothing to wear!"
2. I have always held my middle name as something a bit personal. Somehow my husband wrested the information when he was still in the getting-to-know-you stage. He got a lot of information out of me. I still don't know how he did it! LOL
3. I talk to myself. If I'm frustrated with something I've done, I scold myself. First and middle name.
4. I like to make lists. But I hate to have items crossed out in the middle of the lists. So sometimes I'll write the list over, just so the crossed out stuff isn't part of the list. Another way I write lists is to write it as accomplishments rather than things to do.
5. When I have a project to do, I think about it before I go to sleep at night. I lay in bed and mentally work through it. When I go to do the project I have it all figured out.
6. I always spell "weird" as "wierd" and then realize I've misspelled it.

~Homemaking Meme~

What fun! Sallie at A Gracious Home wrote this meme. If you play along, she even has a Mister Linky up to leave your link on her post.

Aprons – Y/N? If Y, what does your favorite look like?
Yes!!! I love aprons! My favorite is probably one that I made - with apple fabric. But the one I wear all the time is one I got for 50 cents at a yard sale.

Baking – Favorite thing to bake
I'm supposed to like baking? *Grin* I guess I'll say cookies, since if I do bake that's usually what I end up making.

Clothesline – Y/N?
No, but I think it would be great to have one!

Donuts – Have you ever made them?
No. I did see a recipe in a magazine this fall, and thought they looked like a lot of fun to try!

Every day – One homemaking thing you do every day
The dishes.

Freezer – Do you have a separate deep freeze?
No. That's something we'd like to get though!

Garbage Disposal – Y/N?
Yes. It's old and makes a lot of noise while working, but it hasn't stopped working yet!

Handbook – What is your favorite homemaking resource?
I really like the short book called Order in the Court.

Ironing – Love it or hate it? Or hate it but love the results?
I used to really love ironing, before I was married. Now it just seems to multiply "like rabbits". I never hang anything in the closet with out it being ironed though.


Junk drawer – Y/N? Where is it?
Nope. I've managed 6+ years of marriage without one, so why start one now?


Kitchen – Color and decorating scheme
The cabinets are white, and the wall is a soft buttery yellow. The decorations are apple-themed.

Love – What is your favorite part of homemaking?
The feeling of a clean house. That feeling tends to escape me a lot. LOL

Mop – Y/N?
Yes.


Nylons – Wash by hand or in the washing machine?
I put them in the washing machine in a nylon mesh bag.

Oven – Do you use the window or open the oven to check?
I *could* check by looking through the window, but I always open the oven door!

Pizza – What do you put on yours?
I love vegetarian pizzas!

Quiet – What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment?
Knit, of course! =)

Recipe card box – Y/N? What does it look like?
Yes, but I only have a few recipes in it. It's blue Rubbermaid. Nothing fancy - I keep it in the cupboard. I keep my recipes in a binder mostly.

Style of house – What style is your house?
1925 Craftsman, I do believe.

Tablecloths and napkins – Y/N?
For special occasions.


Under the kitchen sink – Organized or toxic wasteland?
Organized. I just recently wiped it down.

Vacuum – How many times per week?
Actually, not too often. The carpeted areas don't get much traffic. I sweep and dust mop more than I vacuum.

Wash – How many loads of laundry do you do per week?
Somewhere between 5-7.

X’s – Do you keep a daily list of things to do that you cross off?
Not typically, but I suppose I should!

Yard – Y/N? Who does what?
Kevin does the mowing/snow shoveling. I take care of the flowers and vegetable garden.

Zzz’s – What is your last homemaking task for the day before going to bed?
I don't really have any specific task that I end the day with. I usually go around and make sure the doors are locked, lights turned off, etc.

~LOL~

Some of the Google searches that land people on my blog just make me laugh.

Tonight's search? "yuckiest candy." Yup, landed them right at my blog. I instantly knew what post was responsible: ~A regretted impulse purchase~

~On my way to a green thumb...~

...one little plant at a time!

Houseplants have always faced imminent doom when they entered my abode, but I have somehow managed to keep my peace lily alive! In fact, looking at my post from July, I realized how much my lily has actually grown. It has filled out quite a bit, and is taller. When we were doing our work on the living room/dining room, my little plant got moved around a lot, and was subjected to great neglect. It hasn't seemed to notice though!

I'm not going to claim a green thumb just yet. But I'm quite happy my little plant is still alive and thriving!

Do you have houseplants? and if so, what types have you found best for you? I think my next step in houseplants is going to be some African violets! I've always admired them, and my mom grew them when I was little, so I have fond memories of them.

Image source: http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu.

~In which it is discovered...~

...I really do have a "stash".



While shopping today, I bought a container for my yarn, since it was here and there about my sewing closet. I didn't realize I had so much! I guess I'd better get busy knitting! =)

~Knitterly stuff~

Yesterday as I was reading some blogs, I came across a post about a knit-along blog. This isn't just any knit-along...they are testing out patterns for a book they will be publishing! I quickly signed up and got the pattern--what fun! It's for an afghan square, made out of sock yarn. See this link for all the details. If you're interested in signing up, do hurry, since they are closing off the registrations tomorrow.

Of course, I have leftover sock yarn, but not really in the colors they were asking for. So last night I bought some beautiful sock yarn, and I hope there's enough left to make a pair of socks with! If not, I can always make more afghan squares. I like this pattern enough that I might actually make an afghan for myself. We'll see! At left is the square I will be submitting.

I'm anxiously waiting for my books to come from Amazon, as one of the books is a sock knitting book. One of my sisters gave me gorgeous Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock yarn for Christmas. I can't wait to knit them up! I've been looking and waiting for the perfect pattern! Isn't this just lovely yarn? I could eat it, it looks so delicious!



Also on my needles is a stocking cap for my husband. It's just like the one I made for my brother, but the colors are changed around, so that I could use the leftover yarn. I really enjoy working with this yarn!


I really haven't done much knitting since I came back from our vacation. I had rushed to get all my scarves done for the gifts, so perhaps my fingers were a little tired of knitting? I don't know. Anyhow, I'm itching to get back to my knitting now!

~Christmas to my mailbox~

One of the Christmas gifts that I received was a generous check. I've held on to the money all this time (LOL), with the idea of getting my charm quilt machine quilted. However, I really, really want this quilt to be hand quilted. I've considered it over and over, and finally decided to hand quilt my quilt top.

That left a good amount of money burning a hole in my pocket! The other night I went on an online spending spree!

From Amazon, I bought:




From CBD, I bought:


(By the way, this book is on sale for $13.99...I don't know how long the sale will last, but I was quite pleased to have gotten such a great deal!)

And finally, from Etsy, I purchased:


(Stitch markers)

But wait! There's more...money that is! I still have a bit left over to spend, even after my visit to a yarn store last night!

So now I just need to wait paitently for the mail to come with all my goodies!

~Knitting for Beginners~

In a previous post Rona asked:

What knitting projects would you recommend for beginners? I'm tired of knitting scarves.

But scarves are fun! ;-)

When I first started to knit, I checked out dozens and dozens of knitting books out of the library! In the evenings, I would sit and flip through the books, looking at the various projects. Of course, I found different projects that fit in my skill level, and some that were beyond my skill level that I wanted to do in the future.

There are scarves that are knit back and forth (easiest) and scarves that are lace or have detailed cables running the length (hardest). The same is to be said about most projects. There are easy dishcloths and more complicated dishcloths. Socks can be simple or extremely difficult with charts and fancy stitches.

If you have a yarn store, I suggest asking for their help in selecting a suitable pattern. If you have a baby to knit for, baby things are small, and some of the cutest sweater patterns and blanket patterns are available, that really aren't all that complicated.

The other thing to remember is that if you go outside your comfort level, you just might surprise yourself!

Happy knitting!

Image source: http://www.agoodyarn.net/KnitImages.htm

~How popular is your name?~

This site is tremendously fun! Try it and see! It takes a moment to download, but then you can type in your name, and any other name to see the popularity of it, and when it was most popular.

I thought it was greatly interesting to type in my name and all the names of my siblings. With the exception of two of us, we all have names whose popularity peaked in the decade we were born in.

Have fun! *Smiles*

~You can do it!~

Did you ever see the Geico commercial with Tony Little in it? “You can do it!” I laughed so hard every time I saw it on TV!

I never did write a post about New Year’s resolutions. It seemed that every blog I read did have a post regarding resolutions though—whether they were doing them or not, and what their goals were for this coming year.

The standard resolutions? Lose weight and stop smoking. They must be; otherwise, why would the advertisers be marketing items for those two things so heavily?

For myself, I didn’t make resolutions. I decided to continue working on my 101 List. That will definitely keep me busy!

This morning that silly commercial was going through my mind (why I know not, because I haven’t seen it recently!), and I thought, *I* cannot do “it” in my own power, but, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Phil. 4:13)

Goals, dreams, aspirations, resolutions? just remember Philippians 4:13!

~Dazzle your home!~

When I was little, my dad came home with "Mr. Webster". We kids were quite fascinated with his name, and his capability to reach the 9 or 10-foot ceilings in our house.

All through my growing-up years, we periodically used Mr. Webster to clean cobwebs off our walls and ceilings.

For my own housekeeping, I haven't employed Mr. Webster, until just last week. I don't know why I haven't bought one sooner, but with my high ceilings, I really need one. I dusted effortlessly around my ceilings!

When I was out shopping last week, I picked one up for my home. Only now, the manufacturer has changed his name. It's now a Dazzle Webster. I don't care what the packaging says, mine is a "Mr. Webster"!

Image from Amazon.com.

~Calendars~

This year for Christmas, we gave each set of parents a calendar. Most of the pictures I used were ones that I have posted on my blog over the last year.

When I started looking for a place to get the calendars printed, I looked at several chain office supply stores. However, I wasn’t pleased with the quality of their calendars. They were $19.99 and printed on rather thin paper. The pictures had a lot of white space around them. I didn’t feel like they were worth their asking price.

I have occasionally gotten prints from Shutterfly, and I’m on their e-mail list. Before Christmas, I got a notification that their calendars were 20% off and orders over $50 had free shipping. I ordered from them. Even though I ordered quite late, I still received them in time for Christmas! I was also delighted with the quality of their calendars!

The calendars are printed on nice thick paper. The pictures take up most of page. You can add captions to your photos if you wish, and it is easy to navigate around and choose your pictures for each month. You can start a 12-month or 18-month calendar with any month you choose, so it’s a perfect gift any time of the year! There is a list of holidays that you choose from (in other words, if you don’t want Kwanza on your calendar, it doesn’t have to appear on it!), and you can customize your own special dates for birthdays, anniversaries, etc.

As you can tell, I was very, very pleased with the quality and service of Shutterfly’s calendars! I would highly recommend them!

Image from Shutterfly.

~Wrapping Paper~

Do you have wrapping paper stashed away in corners or under beds? I have a good part of one closet “devoted” to wrapping paper, gift bags, ribbons and bows.

I was watching an episode of Clean Sweep recently, and one of the organizers was talking to the lady of the house about her wrapping paper. She probably could have wrapped hundreds and hundreds of gifts with all the wrapping paper she had in bins, totes, bags, and boxes! He told her she could do one of two things: keep one bin, or do what he does for gifts: buy ONE type of wrapping paper—brown paper—and three colors of ribbons (black, red, and yellow were his recommendations). Then you have wrapping paper to wrap a gift for whatever the occasion calls for.

The lady decided to go with his idea. I think it’s a marvelous idea! I love the look of brown paper, and it sounds so convenient to have just one type of wrapping paper in the closet! I would probably buy different colors of ribbons than suggested though. Pink would definitely would be included! =)

~Contest Winner~

Thank you to everyone for their participation in the coaster contest. It was a lot of fun to read everyone's responses! I have some teas and hot drinks that I want to try out now!

I am pleased to announce that the winner is Emily of Shady Hill House. I enjoy the photography and writing at Emily's blog. If you aren't already acquainted with Emily, stop by and visit her! Emily, I'll just need you to e-mail me your address so I can pop them in the mail! My e-mail is mrstammys AT hotmail DOT com.

~My New Best Friend~

(In the kitchen, that is!)



When I was growing up, my parents had a pressure cooker. When I got married, I didn't get a pressure cooker to take to my new home. After all, they are quite expensive! It took a bit to get used to things taking much longer to cook, but I adjusted.

One of the things I listed on my wish list was a pressure cooker. My sweet darling husband perused my wish list before he went out Christmas shopping for me, and guess what? I got a pressure cooker for Christmas!

It has been wonderful! I love cooking with it!!! It is a true time-saver, worth every single penny!

I do have to say that if Kevin had gotten me a pressure cooker as a gift the first few years we were married, I wouldn't have been too thrilled. LOL Things do change after a few years!

Image source: http://www.pressurecooker-outlet.com/presto6qtss.htm

~It's Saturday!~

Time to get all my shopping and chores done! My refrigerator is still pretty empty, as I wasn't able to get a good shopping trip in this week. So I'll be off to the store. Hopefully now that Christmas is over the stores will be a little quieter!

The contest in the post below is still open to anyone who hasn't participated yet. I'll be drawing a name this coming Monday evening!

In answer to Musiclover's question, regarding a good hat pattern: I posted about a hat I made here. It is made with DK weight yarn, and you'll need a circular needle, double pointed needles, and stitch markers. The pattern info is in the post. I thought that the book I used had great instructions for beginner knitters regarding the circular and double pointed needles. However, that pattern was about the only pattern I would have used out of the book, so I was glad it was a library book. I was very pleased with how my cap turned out. It is very smooth on the top--no gathers pulling in a lot of knitted fabric. I posed with the hat on, but it really was a Christmas present for my brother. *Grin* Oh, and my husband liked it so well that I'm in the process of making him one with the yarn I have left over.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Saturday!

~It’s been awhile…~

...since I've been mistaken for a child!

I have always appeared younger than I really am. I can remember when I was 6, people thinking I was 3 or 4. When I was 12, we met a long lost relative in the store, and for some reason, she wanted to guess how old I was. She stood there, looking at me, and was saying, “s…” when my dad interupted and said I was 12. Later my dad said she was probably going to say “sixteen”. Nice try, Dad! Most likely she was just about ready to say "Six" or at the best, "Seven".

And then, when my husband and I were dating (I was 23 at that point), we were asked if our dinner was going to be one adult and one child. Um, no. Kevin says he should have said yes, in order to save money! Hahaha… Also while dating, we had gone to see Kevin’s mom. My flight left the day before his did, and when we went to the airport to check in, the lady asked if I was an unaccompanied minor. Negative. When the lady found out how old I was, her face turned beet red! In order to fly as an unaccompanied minor, one has to be under the age of 12.

Again, when I was 26, and flying alone, Kevin was asked if I was flying as an unaccompanied minor. Nope. I’m still capable of boarding the plane on my own. The fact that I was goofing off with the self-checkout screen may or may not have contributed to the fact that the gal thought I was a kid. LOL

On our flight home from our vacation, we were sitting in one of the exit rows on the plane. The flight attendant asked me, “You look so young. May I ask you how old you are?” In order to sit in the exit row, one has to be 15 or older. I’m progressing. I now look older than 12, but not quite 15!

I do suppose that I will appreciate this when I’m 60, and people are asking me if I’m in my 30’s. *Smiles*

~Coasters~

I found this easy tutorial before Christmas, and had fun whipping up a set of coasters for my mom, one for my desk at work, and then helping my little sisters make sets for their Sunday school teachers.

These things are addictive, or easy, or something. *Grin*

Anyhow, here comes the fun part: comment in this post telling me your favorite tea, coffee, cocoa, etc. (hot or cold), and I'll enter your name into a drawing for the coasters. Deadline? Let's make it next Monday. I'll do the drawing sometime in the evening.

I'm awfully tempted to draw my own name out. LOL

~DPN Case~

This evening I was itching to do a little sewing project. My DPN's have been in a little zippered case, and they were all jumbled up. So I decided to sew a case for them. (DPN's = Double Pointed Needles)

I searched online and found a tutorial that I modified as I went along. =) The fabric was scraps I had from two handbags I made. I used vintage rick-rack on the outside, and a left over bit of eyelet lace that I took the binding off and ungathered for the inside pocket. Altogether, it went along quite well. If you'd like the tutorial I used, send me an e-mail, and I'll e-mail the link to you.





Now all my DPN's have a home!

~Happy New Year!~

Wow, is it really 2007 already? Time just flies, doesn't it?

To recap last year:
(The first sentence of the first post of each month)
January
Wow, 2005 sped by so fast!
February
Wow! I can't believe January is gone already!
March
Everything these days has trademarks on them.
April
In my UFO post, I wrote about my counted cross stitch project.
May
I love to knit (but I imagine you already had that one figured out!)
June
The contest is now closed, but feel free to add your ideas!
July
5 Things in my Refrigerator:
1. Strawberries
2. Water
3. Mayonnaise
4. Pickles
5. Eggs
August
Here's a button I made last night, using Adobe Photoshop:
September
If you're a telemarketer, don't read any further. *Grin*
October
I have several things to blog about, but the pictures I have to go along with the posts are at home.
November
I finished my socks tonight!
December
On Tuesday while my sister Holly was here, I took the day off work, and we went to South Haven.

I got this idea over at Dawn's...if you do the same, let me know! *Smiles*