~Merry Christmas!~

I wanted to take a moment and wish everyone who comes by here, a very Merry Christmas!

This Christmas marks our first Christmas as a family of three. We haven't opened gifts yet, but I'm excited to see The Baby's face as she sees all the gifts. I am quite sure that she'll be far more interested in the paper and bows than the actual gifts! :-)

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

(Isaiah 9:6)

~Busy~

No matter how much I plan ahead, this time of year is always busy! Same for you?

I finished getting my Christmas cards out today, so that's one check off my to-do list! :-)

The biggest items on my list are to finish my sister's wedding afghan, and to finish The Baby's Christmas dress! Both need to be finished within the next few days.

Right now I'm relaxing for a few minutes before I start working on them. I ran out of bread so I've got a loaf baking in the bread machine.

Just wanted to say "hi"! Have a great day!

~No Cavities!~

It has been well over a year since I got my teeth cleaned. I've been experiencing some teeth sensitivity so I really needed to get to the dentist.

I didn't get to the dentist often while I was growing up, and my first experience going to the dentist as an adult was not so very fun. We were still in California at the time, and the hygienist and dentist spoke in another language the whole time they were working on my teeth. Except for when they said, "open wider!" which they said quite loud and often. My jaw ached for the rest of that day!

Well, there is value in seeing a good dentist, and I found a great dentist here. While I still didn't like people's hands in my mouth, at least they didn't keep barking "open wider" (they actually used their little dental mirrors - imagine that!).

And then, our insurance changed. I was quite miffed about that. Well, I finally looked up a dentist that will accept our plan and trekked off to the dentist last week. No cavities! Whew! And this dentist and hygienist did just fine. In fact, dare I say, they were just as good as my old dentist's office. Though I'm still not happy about losing my old dentist, at least I found a comparable replacement!

Now I just need to remember to floss daily. I hate flossing! But I know it is important for the health of my teeth and gums! As for the sensitivity, I got some new toothpaste to try, and if that doesn't work there are several more options that the dentist can provide. Hopefully the toothpaste will do the trick!

When was the last time you went to the dentist? Did you get a good report? Or are you like me and need a reminder to floss? ;-) Have a great day!

~Sunday~

Psalm 34:8

O taste and see that the LORD is good:

blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

~Christmas gifts~

I just love the Christmas season! I love the music, the weather (especially when we get to go to California and escape the snow! LOL), picking out perfect presents for loved ones, and of course celebrating our Savior's birth!

We've decided to start the tradition of giving three gifts to The Baby for Christmas. I have seen this several places, and I really liked the idea!

Each gift represents one of the gifts the Wise Men brought to Jesus. I've seen several different ways to do this, but this is the way we chose:

something to treasure
something to grow spiritually
something for the body

This year, the gift to treasure is Sophie the Giraffe:


The second gift, CBH Ministries' Songtime Vol. 2:


And the last gift, three hairbows from Briar Claire:


I really think that this "formula" for gift-giving will be something that will grow well along with The Baby.

Images from each respective link above them.

~Looking out the window~

~This one's for my mom~

My mom somehow doesn't find as much humor in the Baby Blues comic strip as I do. Maybe it's too true to life? Anyhow, I got a big laugh out of this strip, from November 15:



My sisters and I used to put on circus shows for my mom. We'd drag her out to the swing set and have her watch our show. She'd grimace and groan and squelch screams. And say, "Are you done yet?" "No, Mom! The best part is still coming!!!"

Because, after all, we were The Winner Girls!!!! Dun-tu-dun!

Comic strip image source

~Sunday~

Galatians 6:10

As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men,

especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

~Snow!~

We had a cold October with no snow, followed by a warmer November. We had a dusting of snow the day after Thanksgiving, but it didn't stick long.

Our first real snow for the year started yesterday.


The snow sat on top of the power line until the sun came out, and then it looked like this:


I always enjoy the first snow. There is something magical about it, until it turns into black slush in the grocery store parking lot. ;-)

~Cleaning Project~

Yesterday I took advantage of a very long nap, and cleaned my hallway.

Our house does not have a back porch, mud room, coat closet, front entryway, etc. So we have nowhere to hang coats and store stuff. Except, there is a hallway right off the kitchen, and the second half has some hooks. So we use that area for a coat closet. There is no real purpose to this hallway, since it doesn't go anywhere. The attic door is off the back part of the hallway, and the bathroom is off to the right.

I'd rather not have anything in this hallway, because I just don't like seeing it all out in the open, but it is what it is. =)

It has been ignored for far too long. Here's a before:


I took everything out, washed the curtains, cleaned the floors and woodwork:


And then put the necessary items back in:




All the lovely stuff junk in the front part of the hallway got put away, thrown away, or given away. The stereo had a mind of its own! It would randomly turn itself on, if you pushed the volume button, it would switch from cd to radio, etc. I gave away the table, CD holder, and stereo on Freecycle.

Now I need to find a suitable container for the gloves and hats, and I'll be done. I'm much happier with this space now!

~Hello, Hello!~

Hi! I didn't really mean to take a break over Thanksgiving, but it kind of just happened! It was a nice break, anyhow!

I hope you all (the American readers) had a great Thanksgiving! My brother is attending college about 14 hours away from us and he was able to get a ride to be with us over the holiday. It was so nice to have him with us! We enjoyed being together.

We didn't do anything ultra-fancy. We had ton-zoodles of leftovers, which were all gone by the time my brother left! We had Thanksgiving leftovers for more meals than I had planned on. But they were good the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth time, so why not? LOL

Today I was going to do a WIP Wednesday post and then I realized that today is Thursday. Haha. Even though we went to church last night I was still thinking today was Wednesday!

I'll be back to posting regularly! (As soon as I get my days figured out! LOL) Have a great day!

~Sunday~

Jeremiah 31:3

...I have loved thee with an everlasting love...

~Perfume~

After my Fiestaware purchase, I still had some birthday money left. About 6 years ago, a friend gave me a small bottle of perfume that was partially used. She liked it, but her husband didn't care for it that much. I really liked it, and my husband did too. :-) Since I only wear a small amount of perfume and usually only on Sundays, the bottle lasted quite a while. I still have a little left, but not much. So I used the rest of my money to make my purchase. The perfume is Halston by Halston. Here's the description from The Perfume Spot (image source as well):

Launched by the design house of Halston in 1975, HALSTON is classified as a refreshing, woody, mossy fragrance. This feminine scent possesses a blend of woody, amber, rose and various fruity notes.

What is your favorite perfume?

~Just a note~

If you subscribe to my blog in a feed reader, and all of a sudden you've gotten flooded with posts - I apologize!

I decided to merge the pictures I've taken for my photo blog with my posts here at this blog. At the rate I was going, it was going to be several years before I got up to 365 photos. I enjoyed the challenge of taking a picture a day, but it just wasn't working to get a photo each day!

~Sunday~

Psalm 135:1

Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the name of the LORD;

praise him, O ye servants of the Lord.

~FO Friday~

It has actually been awhile since I finished these two projects. These were both very quick projects, which I enjoyed very much.

As I've previously shown in my WIP Wednesday posts, I made another bonnet for The Baby.


Pattern: Top Down Bonnet (Ravelry link)
Size: Child
Yarn: Bernat Baby Jaquards
Needles: DPN size 3

...and matching mitts to go with it.


These are more to be considered dangling decorations or possibly chew toys. These get pulled off right away! I'll have to come up with something else to keep The Baby's hands warm in the winter!

Pattern: My Magic Baby Mitts
Size: No size
Yarn: Bernat Baby Jaquards
Needles: DPN size 3

For more information, and to view my pattern variation, please see the details on Ravelry.

(FO = "Finished Object")

~Snippets~

I have some little snippets of information and chatter, and decided to put it all in one post. =)

First up: I got a free box of chocolate-dipped fruit from one of those companies that makes fruit arrangements. It was beautiful. It tasted yummy too. Normally, it costs $15. There were 6 pieces of fruit in the box: 4 strawberries and 2 apple slices. Now, if I had paid for it, I would not have thought that each fruit was worth $2.50! It was pretty though...

How did I get this great freebie? Well, I read several frugal blogs, and get lots of great tips, recipe ideas, coupon matchups, and freebie alerts from them. Here are the blogs I subscribe to:
$30 Weekly Grocery Challenge
Domestic Cents
Money Saving Mom
The Bargain Jargon

Next: I have been searching and getting Swagbucks. Are you signed up? It's so much fun. :-) When I do a search and win a Swagbuck I almost stop and do a little happy dance. ;-) I'm almost ready to buy another $5 Amazon gift card with my Swagbucks, which will make my total $25. It's an easy way to get a little extra money (and an easy way to keep seated at the computer just a little longer! LOL)

I recently went to a Pampered Chef party. I can't wait to get my large bar pan that I ordered. In the several years I've had my pizza stone, I've used it for pizza and also cookies and such, but I know a rectangular pan will be easier to work with for the cookies. Plus, it has sides, so I can do things like chicken in it. (Image from Pampered Chef)

And finally: a friend mentioned that I don't have blog links on my blog. So over the next week or so I'm going to work at putting a few of my favorite links in the sidebar!

OK! I'm done chattering. Once I start, it's hard to stop...(I'm this way in "real life" too! LOL)

Hope you have a great day!

~Fiestaware~

I've been contemplating a new set of dishes for a while. I have my china which I use for special occasions, and I have a set of dishes that are decorated with apples, which I use for everyday. My apple decorations that I have hanging in the kitchen are starting to look a little dilapidated and the dishes have broken here and there.

I looked at the dishes in WalMart and Meijer, but even the cheaper ones were still expensive. Then I started thinking about and looking at Fiestaware. It is so bright and cheerful! Kevin and I looked at it in several stores, and finally I made up my mind! I decided to get Fiestaware. Fiestaware is expensive, but it is always on sale somewhere, and it is so sturdy! There are two different place settings you can get, and the difference is in the cups. There is a 5-piece place setting that comes with a cup and saucer. Or there is a 4-piece place setting which comes with just a mug. I chose to buy the 4-piece place settings.

We were in Macy's Friday night and the saleslady came to see if we needed help. She alerted us to a good sale on Wednesday and said we could pre-purchase using the sale price, but we would have to pick them up on Wednesday or later. Kevin decided to get me two sets for my Christmas present. And since I was still hanging on to my birthday money, I decided to buy two more sets.

The sets that I have pictured in this post are the colors that we got; Cobalt, Lemongrass, Chocolate, and Scarlet. All the images came from Betty Crocker's site. I usually get some money at Christmastime, and if that is the case this year, I plan on purchasing two more sets. I think I'll wait to begin using the Fiestaware until I have six sets. That way I can clear the cupboards out and just have the Fiestaware in the cupboards. I am so excited about my new dishes!

~At the park~

{taken last month}

~Monday's Daybook: November 16~

Outside My Window...a crisp November day.

I am thinking...about the work I need to get done today.

I am thankful for...our church. We had a "faith and finances" seminar over the weekend and it gave us a lot to think about.

From the kitchen...(last night) hot chocolate.

I am wearing...a pink long sleeved shirt, jean skirt, and slippers.

I am creating...my menu for the week.

I am going...grocery shopping, to the bank, and possibly to the fabric store. We'll see how today goes. :-)

I am reading...I need a new book...any suggestions??? Fiction or non-fiction - anything interesting you've read lately?

I am hoping...Flight Time and Big Easy win The Amazing Race. Yup, totally sucked into it this season. LOL I've never watched it, but I've really enjoyed it!

I am hearing...quiet!

Around the house...bananas to be made into banana bread, toys to be picked up, clutter reigned in, and then some candles to be lit and a home-made meal to be enjoyed (this evening).

One of my favorite things...a meal made in the crockpot. It is so nice when dinner time comes along. I really should utilize my crockpot more often!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...meeting a friend for lunch, otherwise just a quiet week.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...a treasured keepsake...the creamer from a melamine dinnerware set my grandma had years ago. She kept the creamer and used it in her sewing room to put water in her iron. From a very young age, I loved to go into my grandma's sewing room and this creamer was always in there. My grandma stopped using it when her iron came with a little pitcher, so she gave it to me when I expressed interest in having it. I use it to throw pins in while I'm sewing.


For more Daybook entries, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook.

~Got Milk?~

We had to stop at the store for bread and milk tonight so we'd have food for breakfast tomorrow!

~Sunday~

Psalm 115:1
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory,

for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.

I hope you've been enjoying the verses I'm selecting for Sunday's posts. These are some of my favorite verses that encourage me to walk with the Lord.

~Preparing your heart~

Just a little thought for today...

"And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD." (2 Chronicles 12:14)

This verse is speaking of King Rehoboam, King Solomon's son. The Bible doesn't tell us that he did evil because he prepared his heart to do evil. Instead, it tells us that he fell away from the Lord and did evil because he didn't prepare his heart to seek the Lord.

~No, no, say it isn't so!~

Another pair of socks felted. I should have learned my lesson when my beloved Pigs Monkeying Around socks got felted in the wash. But no, I continued machine-washing my socks. My latest pair to be ruined?



I finished these in April, 2007. I have been machine washing these for two and a half years. Two and a half years, people. What went wrong all of a sudden??? I was ready to cry when I put these on and realized they had shrunk! They are still wearable but they lack elasticity and I have to really work to get them on.

From here on out I make this promise to myself and my hand-knit socks:

I will wash socks by hand. I will wash socks by hand. I will only wash socks by hand!!!

~"You Don't" Jokes~

When one of my sisters was little, we were in the car driving to church. We lived about 45 minutes from church, so that gave us a lot of time to talk and play on the way there and back. My sister piped up from the back that she had a "joke".

"How do you drive a car without any wheels?"

My mom, whom the question was directed towards, said, "I don't know. How?"

"You don't"!

And then my sister burst into laughter. After all, it was a joke.

And then another joke: "How do you turn on a faucet without any handles?"

"I don't know. How?"

"You don't!" (and of course, more laughter!)

Soon we were all in on the joking. And you know, of course, that there are "knock-knock" jokes, "blonde" jokes, and now (for our family), "you don't" jokes.

These "jokes" lived on in our family. When you couldn't do something, it was a "you don't joke".

When Kevin and I were on our honeymoon, the restaurant we had reservations for was on one side of the freeway, and we were on the other side. My new husband was trying to figure out how to get to the other side of the freeway, and asked, "but how do you get over there?" Not that he really expected an answer! I'm the last person he'd ask for directions from, since I'm so directionally challenged! But I answered his question, "it's a 'you don't joke'!" Since this was the first time he'd ever heard of such jokes, I had a little explaining to do!

My mom was able to come help me when I had our daughter, and she was in the bathroom cleaning. She asked me how I cleaned under/beside the claw foot tub. I called back, "It's a 'you don't joke'!" No explaining necessary!

Most families have their own words or catch phrases. It's a fun thing to have as a family - a word or phrase that is just as unique as your family is!

~Completed Outfit~

I finished the outfit for my daughter! I love the way it turned out. Adding the little jacket really made the outfit complete! The bow was a gift, which matches the outfit perfectly!



The dress and jacket were from the Ottobre 6/2008 issue. The diaper cover is from the 3/2009 issue. I lengthened the dress by 2 inches, and shortened the jacket 2 inches, and they are just perfect for each other now! :-)



I also had to shorten the sleeves on the jacket, about one inch. They are still a little long to allow for growth but not too long!



The flower on the jacket; it is the little details like this that make me appreciate the Ottobre patterns:


My machine does not like fleece at all. It gave me fits from the moment I started sewing. *Sigh* I've been thinking about saving up for a sewing machine, and this project pretty much made up my mind - I need a better machine!

~Monday's Daybook: November 9~

Outside My Window...a cool, clear November day.

I am thinking...about all the housework I need to do. :-)

I am thankful for...my home here on earth. It may not be the fanciest house, but it is home. And home is better than any mansion!

From the kitchen...whole wheat banana bread - turned out pretty good!

I am wearing...a jean skirt and short sleeved t-shirt.

I am creating...my menu for the week.

I am going...grocery shopping! what else? It's Monday! :-)

I am reading...a novel called Amazing Grace. It is actually three novels in one. It has been entertaining, but I'm not thrilled with the way the stories are wrapped up - the plot is well-developed, and then the end comes with a screeching halt with everything all neatly worked out in two pages.

I am hoping...the weather stays nice!

I am hearing...the hum of the fridge and my computer.

One of my favorite things...knitting!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...not too much going on this week!

Here is picture thought I am sharing...one of my WIP's, a lace scarf.


For more Daybook entries, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook.

~Sunday~

1 Chronicles 16:11

Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.

~Crazy!~

Short sleeve weather for sure!

~Silent Monks "Singing"~

Now this is too funny! Enjoy!

~Autumn Leaf~

The winds and rain storms have succeeded in getting most of the leaves off the trees and onto the ground. While this leaf isn't an astounding color, I thought it was a pretty shape. I spotted it while out on a {very cold} walk today.

~Trip to the library~

~It's my birthday!~

We went out for dinner tonight to celebrate my birthday.

~Monday's Daybook: November 2~

Outside My Window...a gray November day

I am thinking...about dinner tonight - we're going out for dinner to celebrate my birthday.

I am thankful for...the 33 years the Lord has given me!

From the kitchen...nothing tonight! Woohoo! ;-)

I am creating...several knit projects in the works, and an afghan for my sister's wedding gift.

I am going...no where till dinner time! I already got my grocery shopping done this morning.

One of my favorite things...my new necklace, which was a gift from my husband for my birthday.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...nothing major!

Here is picture thought I am sharing...


This picture is from the website that my husband bought my necklace from, The Vintage Pearl. There are so many designs to choose from, but this one is my absolute favorite!

For more Daybook entries, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook.

~Sunday~

Psalm 90:12

So teach us to number our days,

that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

~More Ottobre Sewing~

I did some sewing for my little girl today. This particular pattern was a fun project.

"Dolly" dress, from Ottobre 6/2008:


I made it in size 74, only one size up from the last time I used an Ottobre pattern, but it is still a little big. That's OK though - there is room to grow and it will hopefully last through the winter. I lengthened the dress by 2 inches so it would be a little below knee length.

I sewed a little ribbon tag in the side:


Closer view of the yoke and sleeve:


I'm also working on a diaper cover to go with this dress, and I'm considering sewing a red jacket to match.

A huge plus for me was that I had all the fabric and notions to make this dress. It is always nice to have everything on hand! I bought the fabric for $1.49/yard, and I used just over a yard, so this was an inexpensive dress.

I let my Ottobre subscription lapse. I want to get the most out of the issues I already have, and then in another year or so I'll re-evaluate and see if I want to subscribe again.

Saturday is for Sewing

~Today~

This morning started out wet, and it has been wet all day long. The temperature was actually quite warm, and at one point I thought it wasn't raining so I was going to take a walk. It was raining. :-P I got about half a block down before I turned back around.

The rain and wind is causing all the pretty leaves to come down. I've enjoyed my neighbor's trees so much. They are a nice bright orange and yellow, and even when the sun wasn't out, the color fooled me into thinking it was sunny outside!

This evening we went to the mall, just to get out of the house. So did a lot of people. LOL The mall was crowded, but we still had a nice time walking around and talking.

Well, those are the highlights from my day! :-) Just wanted to pop on and say "hi". Hope you have a nice day!

My neighbor's tree

We get to enjoy the color and we get to rake the leaves too, because the wind blows them in our yard. :-)

~Top Ten: Favorite Childhood Books~

Last night I was thinking about books I enjoyed in my childhood and early teen years. In no particular order, here are my top ten favorite books:

1) Anne of Green Gables (series), L.M. Montgomery

I read the books before I saw the movie. Oh, how I adored Anne Shirley! And then I was thrilled to watch the movie - all my favorite characters brought to life on the screen. Though I still say they missed the mark when it came to casting Rachel. She was supposed to be a little more "fluffy", shall we say.

2) Little House on the Prairie (series), Laura Ingalls Wilder

I wanted to be Laura!

3) The Borrowers (series), Mary Norton

These books certainly spark your imagination. Wonder where all your safety pins and buttons disappear? The Borrowers have them, of course! I recommend all the books in this series, except for the last book. In it, the Borrowers move into a haunted house.

4) Eight Cousins, Louisa May Alcott

This is my favorite book by Louisa May Alcott. I know that Little Women is her best-known novel, but she wrote some excellent books that get passed over, I think. There is also a sequel, called Rose in Bloom.

5) All of a Kind Family (series), Sydney Taylor

I loved these books! So much! The books follow a New York Jewish family through the children's growing up years. When we first meet the family, all the little girls dress alike. I loved that, because my mom dressed my sisters and me in matching clothes too!

6) Mary Poppins (series), P.L. Travers

I debated about listing this series, but it was a series of books I enjoyed. As a child, the books were quite innocent, but rereading them when I was older made me realize that Mary Poppins is more witch than nanny.

7) What Katy Did (series), Susan Coolidge

All about a little girl and an accident that changed her life forever. My sisters and I checked this book out of the library so many times, and found the sequels online, since our library didn't have them.

8) The Boxcar Children, Gertrude Chandler Warner

Four children, recently orphaned, and fearing their grandfather who will now be their guardian, run away. They find an abandoned boxcar and set up house. This book was a model to our play when we were little. My sisters and I were lonely orphans living in a boxcar (the bed of my dad's truck), until, that is, my mom called us in for lunch.

9) Love Comes Softly (series), Janette Oke

Not technically written for children, but I read the first book when I was 8 or 9 years old. I loved anything "old fashioned" and this fit the bill!

10) The Trumpet of the Swan, E.B. White

E.B.White is better known for Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little, but this book was my favorite. It is about a trumpeter swan who cannot trumpet. A sad plight for a trumpeter swan, indeed!

What about you? What are your favorite books from your childhood/early teen years?

Shiny Sink

Dandelion

~WIP Wednesday~

I finished the baby bonnet that I started last week, and decided to make some mitts to go along with it.


These little mitts work up so fast! I just have to knit the I-cord to attach the two, and then they'll be done.


I am using the pattern My Magic Baby Mitts, with the following modifications:
:::knit in the round, rather than flat
:::two inches of ribbing, rather than one and a half
:::closed the end with kitchener stitch, rather than gathering through all the remaining stitches

I'm pleased with how they're turning out.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

The weather is incredible for late October! I hear we're in for colder weather soon, so I took a little walk this afternoon, and enjoyed every minute! Here are some pictures from my walk: