I was feeling rather unspired for my fourth set of ornaments for the ornament exchange. My commitment to only using items I already had on hand was contemplating things. Finally, after sewing some dresses for my daughters, my eyes fell upon some navy velvet scraps, and I came up with the idea for my last... Continue Reading →
Early in our marriage, my husband and I went to a cultural crafts fair. While there, we saw some gorgeous ceramic stars that had copper wire wrapped around them. At $12 a piece, they were out of the price range for a young couple in grad school. We decided to try and make them ourselves.... Continue Reading →
Folded paper stars are the second ornament for the handmade ornament swap. Using leftover scrapbook paper from a previous project, I cut folded, and glued the paper together, inserting some white ribbon before gluing the final pieces together. I only had one piece of double sided scrapbook paper. I had to be a little... Continue Reading →
Folded paper stars are the second ornament for the handmade ornament swap. Using leftover scrapbook paper from a previous project, I cut folded, and glued the paper together, inserting some white ribbon before gluing the final pieces together. I only had one piece of double sided scrapbook paper. I had to be a little... Continue Reading →
When I was pregnant with our third child, my due date club on Mothering had a gift exchange. The gift I received included a velour Star Child doll. It was a favorite toy until someone accidentally tossed it into the washing machine and dryer. The wool felted and the doll was ruined. I intended to buy the... Continue Reading →
Our local attachment parenting group is having a holiday ornament swap. There are four groups of ten, of which I'm participating in all. I enjoy designing and making things, and swaps are a great way for me to get some of that out of my system. I added to my creative challenge by deciding not... Continue Reading →
Children see the beauty in even simple things. My daughter picked these flowers and placed them in a jar from the recycling. She decided they would add a litle beauty to the bathroom, which of course, they did.
We always try to help others out when we can. If we have something we don't need, we try to give it away to someone who can use it. Sometimes that comes back to us. The other weekend when we were out doing yardwork, our next door neighbor came over and offered us a bag... Continue Reading →
Photo courtesy of Big OvenIn the past whenever a recipe has called for buttermilk, I've resorted to making sour milk. It's an easy substitution. Pour a little lemon juice or vinegar into a cup of milk and wait five minutes. Since I never had buttermilk on hand, it was easier to substitute the sour milk... Continue Reading →
I don't make our own pizza and spaghetti sauce. Some day I may, but I have no plans to do so at this time. Instead, I buy Classico sauce from Costco. I love Classico sauce. First, it comes in lovely jars. They are square in shape and are actual Atlas Mason canning jars. The jars can... Continue Reading →
living peacefully with children 