Sunday spin out in the country................

First we'll stop to visit with Anita at Aunt Nubby's Kitchen

 Do you see why I wanted to stop here first?  Yum!  Homemade cinnamon rolls but that's not all as this woman is multi-talented and gets around town you might say.  Anita also lives in Arkansas and recently was invited to visit P. Allen Smith's garden home near Little Rock.  I adore P. Allen and his farm and his gardens and his books and he's not a bad cook himself.   Here's a few pictures she shared of her visit.

 

What' not to love about this house?  I think from other pictures I've seen it overlooks the Arkansas River but don't quote me on that.  Trust me though, there is a beautiful view from this house. 

And here's the man himself......oh , Anita.....you lucky gal!!!  

Anita recently went to a cooking class in Tennesee given by Viking.  I told you this gal gets around!  It was a bread making class and she shares the recipes.  Plus, the chef's name was Sandra.....with a name like that it had to be good! LOL!

Anita is one multi-talented lady and in her spare time she gives tips on products, organizing and even throws in a few crafts now and then.......look at her organized spice drawers.  Now why didn't I think of that?

Thank you Anita for letting us visit with you and thanks for all the great dinners and desserts you've made happen at my table!

Speaking of organizing, Jen over at I Heart Organizing has some fabulous ideas and solutions for just about any clutter you  might have.  This is her very own closet...the closet of my dreams!  Oh, to have everything in its place and place for all of it!  I know...I need to scale down some first....and I'm working on that!

And look at this nifty idea for storing cords...............I love it!

Jen even has a "snack basket".......now we're talking!  She divides up larger products into healthy portions and has them ready for her family whenever they need one.  Now that's not just being organized...that's being smart too!

She also has a whole series on meal planning.....

This young gal really does have her act together....literally!  Thanks Jen!   You know I'll be by often!

Last but not least by any means is an amazing, young Mom of 5 and a military wife that manages so much it makes your head spin!  And she does it all with style!  Meet Katie at Creatively Living

What a genius!  I've carried around insulators like that for years and not once did I ever come up with a great idea for them like this one.  Way to go Katie!

Here's her back entry of her house that she just finished.....darling!  And she made or redid everything you see!
 This next one just blows my mind.................this is a before of a rug she had.............

 Katie did her magic and worked hard to come up with this beautiful transformation......

Yes...that is the same rug!  Do you believe it?  She is simply amazing, talented, hardworking to say the least, and a really nice person.
  What's amazing is she does all this while taking care of 5 little children and her husband serving in the military.  I have the deepest admiration for you and your family and the sacrifices you all make for the rest of us.

 This picture was a few years ago before the they had the other 2 children but this is what the American family looks like today.  I wish I lived next door to be of help to them and I certainly hope that the people who do live near them give them the support, encouragement and applause they all deserve.  What a beautiful family. Thank you to your entire family from the bottom of my heart!
Have a great Sunday everyone and keep all our military and their families in your prayers.

I have a few things to show you.............

The thread holder above I got at a garage sale awhile back and I'm just now starting to put it into use.  It's just one of the things I've picked up for my future "sewing room".  Right now I use my dining room for my sewing room.  I put the thread holder in the family room next to my chair where I do my needlework and so far I only have my perle cotton embroidery thread in it.

I bought this pattern through the mail and I'm going to make a little wall hanging in honor of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

 

I picked these up at Wal-Mart last week and they are delicious!  Not only that but they are healthy for you too.  They come in a box with individual packets and the above is Ginger and is said to help the immune system and below (sorry for the empty package...I ate them! LOL!) are the chocolate ones which are 70% cocoa which we know is good for you and these little cookies promote digestive health through fiber.

 Both flavors are very tasty and the little hearts are so cute.  They're a great healthy snack and good with a cup of tea in the afternoon or evening.  I'll be buying these on a regular basis!

Enjoy your Saturday and I hope you have great weather!  

Rhubarb Bread and a gift in the mail! Woo Hoo!

I made a couple loaves of rhubarb bread and took one to the neighbor.  I wanted to make rhubarb jam but I think I may have to wait until some more grows! LOL!  Here's the recipe if you're so inclined.  You can use frozen rhubarb if you don't have fresh and you don't even have to thaw it out!

RHUBARB BREAD:
Mix in order:
1 1/2 C brown sugar
2/3 C oil
1 egg
1 C sour milk (you can make sour  milk by putting 1 T of white vinegar or lemon juice into a 1 C measuring cup and adding enough milk to make 1 C then let it sit for 15 minutes)
Sift together:
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 C flour
Add the sifted flour to the above mixture and then add (mixing in between):
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 C chopped rhubarb
1/2 C chopped nuts
TOPPING: (this goes on BEFORE you bake it):
mix together until crumbly
1/2 C white sugar
1 Tbs soft butter
Sprinkle the topping evenly over the loaves before baking
Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes in 2 greased loaf pans or 3 small loaf pans

I got a package in the mail yesterday that I've been expecting as you see I won a drawing over at Michael's
Inspired By Charm  Oh, I do love his blog!  I loved it even before I won the drawing....honest!

   I opened it to discover this...........

 

which I opened to discover this............

which I opened to discover THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Isn't it beautiful?????????????  I'm not a big jewelry person but I do adore this!!!!!!!!  This is my type of jewelry for sure!  I'd never heard of Troll Beads...I know, I must live under a rock but I fell in love the minute I saw it!  I can LOVE this type of jewelry and you can add beads to it.  I think I will every year on my birthday.  Although I love the simplicity of it as is.  I've already visited their website looking at all the different beads you can get.  Take a look at Troll Beads.

Thank you Michael SO MUCH for having your amazing drawing and to Troll Beads for making such beautiful jewelry!  I am so blessed to be the recipient!  I hope you're all having an AMAZING Friday too!  I get a gift every time some one leaves a comment here.  Thank you all! 

Thursday...............these are TOO CUTE!!!!!!

Yes, once again, instead of doing my housework (Ha! Ha!) I was out strolling the internet....AGAIN!  Surprise, surprise! LOL!  But I came upon this wonderful gal that crochets the cutest darn things and has tutorials for FREE!  She's amazing!  Her website is Annaboo's House and she has three versions of this cute crocheted little critter and she has wonderful instructions for all 3 of them.  Above is the kitty........ and below is the monkey.............

and finally the dolly................

I just LOVE them!  Now, I know some of you are going to be thinking...."didn't she say she was going to finish an old project before she starts a new one?" ........and you are exactly right except for one little "gotcha".   I am finishing my wool applique quilt..........BTW......here's some progress.......

See?  I finished all the blanket stitching and now I have some embroidery to do on it.  There are also embellishments that go on the blocks but that will be done after it is quilted which makes it easier for the machine quilter and the machine!  Since this block is almost done I need to plan the next one and get out my wools and see if there are any colors I need to dye.     
But that is in the category of wool applique.  If you remember, in the category of crochet, I just finished the Ripple blanket/throw.  What does that mean?  It means I get to start a new crochet project!!!!!  Yay!  Hurrah!  You see there are THE CATEGORIES......and they are 1) crochet 2) knitting 3) wool applique 4) sewing 5) quilting and 6) embroidery which would include crewel, cross stitch, needlepoint, and any other kind of embroidery.   So, you see, I didn't break any rules and I was SAVED by the CATEGORIES!!!!!  You didn't REALLY think I could only work on one project at a time, did you?  Heavens no!  LOL!
But I need to order some cotton yarn which the dolls above are stitched  with.  I'll keep you informed with "up to the minute" progress reports so stay tuned!  Thanks for your comments, encouragement and inspiration....y'all keep me going!

I was on a roll yesterday...........

I finally finished the family room yesterday.  It's been an ongoing project because I was also going through a lot of paperwork and my desk and books etc.  This room is where I spend most of my time.  Just about everything but bathing and cooking takes place in this room therefore it's hard to stay on top of it and keep it organized.  But finally yesterday I even got to the point where I could cut the magnetic strips to lay down for Edna's "boundaries (my robotic vacuum) and I "let that pony run"!  That Edna is a whiz and I do love her so!  If you're wondering what's on the telly....it's The Walton's!  They are my dream family!  I love that show.

I was on the internet and the phone yesterday more than normal.   I needed to order candles before it gets too hot to mail them.  I'm almost out so I ordered a bunch.  I love McCalls and then I found some called Aunt Sadie which had some interesting scents like fresh cut grass so I had to order that!  I like candle scents to match the seasons like I do decorating and cooking as much as possible.  I think the seasons are God's way of keeping us from getting bored and complacent.  It works for me!

I also had some problems with my insurance as my rheumatologist had not called them back and they could not get a hold of him.  I'm concerned now as he is from Syria and the last time I talked to him (before all the turmoil there) he was trying to get the rest of his family over here.  I have to call today and I am so afraid of what might have happened to him and his family.  He went back about every 3 months.  It's a small country and there are few there that this horrific violence hasn't touched.  I still find it hard to believe that we and the rest of the world allow these awful things to take place.  I don't understand all the "how or why" but I do know that killing innocent people is WRONG.  Maybe more people need to watch The Waltons.  I know...I shouldn't complain but try to do something but I'm older and sick and back in the day I DID do something; I marched for Women's rights and equal pay, I participated in fighting for black rights and equality, all peacefully.  But now it's time for the next generation to take the baton and I pray they do because I'm tired and disappointed and sometimes it almost looks like we've regressed.      
I apologize that this post is not very "uplifting" but as The Queen says....."Keep calm and carry on!".  Have a great day!

Monday musing about a great organizational tool!

Can you tell what this is?  Have you ever seen one before?  It's a product I love almost as much as my Edna (my NEATO robotic vacuum).  It is made by Discgear and it hold discs.  Simple but amazing.  They have all kinds of models but this particular one holds 50 discs and has an album that will hold the disc paper covers so you still have all your information.  This is not a new technology as I remember phone listings like this when I was a child but it's new for holding discs.  When you press the button it opens like this and very gently I might add.....

 Can you see at the top that one disc is being held up?  Where ever the lower lever is positioned is what disc will be picked out for you to take....it practically hands it to you.   Below is a slim drawer that pulls out from underneath and it holds a paper copy of all your discs and where they're located in the Discgear holder.

 You can write them in manually or..........

 you can use their software to fill in and then print a copy for your drawer.

I apologize for the pc screen photos but that's as good as I could get.  Suffice it to say, there are all sorts of categories and drop down menus to organize your discs any way you want.  I thought I would use this one for pc software discs and educational discs.  I'll be buying another one for music and one for movies.   

 You can print this out and put it in that drawer underneath your Discgear and it will also get backed up on my pc when I do my weekly backup.   They come in all different sizes and colors.  This model holds 50, it's plastic made to look like burlwood and it comes with the album (which of course I couldn't seem to lay my hands on now that I'm blogging about it...dang!) and the software.  They have a website www.discgear.com although I had a hard time with this link in blogger I was able to use the same address and access it from Google search....whatever.

They have bigger models, ones without albums to go with and other colors and styles. I happened to get mine through QVC when they had it as a special value.  Not only do i love the fact that I finally have a way to organize all my discs but it also protects them from getting scratched, lost and I can get rid of all those plastic cases they come in which saves lots of room.  They take up much less space in the discgear than they do in those cases.   I always like to hear from REAL people who get a product they love and so I try to do the same here and spread the word about a great organizational tool! Hope you're having a marvelous Monday!

Time to take a Sunday spin aound the country................

This is our first stop.............Nancy Jo's house in New York state.  Nancy Jo was the first blog I ever knew about I think and she introduced me to the wonderful world of blogging through getting to know her on Mary Jane's Farm chat room.  Nancy Jo has a knack for decorating and all things "homey".  Look at that porch!  Don't you just want to walk up there and sit down?  I wish she was my next door neighbor!  And I know she'd serve us some good coffee and something sweet as she's always baking up goodies.
Nancy Jo also collects buttons and don't we all LOVE us some buttons!  She has LOTS of them! 

On top of that, she's always having drawings where you can win wonderful vintage things that she generously gives away!  Look at that cute stuff!  This was her most recent one.

...

 In addition, she's an excellent needlewoman and embroiders beautiful linens, towels, pillows and pictures.  Here's just a sample.........

 Did I mention she's a thrift store junky too?  She's an expert at that and gets the best bargains of anyone I've ever known!  She also has a knack for displaying her items beautifully throughout her lovely home.  

 

Nancy Jo also has many beautiful antiques she's inherited from both sides of her family and her heritage runs way back....I think her relatives were here before the pilgrims but I could be wrong.  Please stop by and visit her.  You will be inspired by her talent and ability to make a house a home.

Next stop is..........some Mennonite girlfriends  I made...........

These gals are amazing!  It's all about home cooking and many recipes that have been passed down for generations.  They even have their own published cookbook (in the center above) which you can get on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.  They're also always coming up with new recipes too like this Tuscan soup recipe which is just like the one at Olive Garden!  YUM!

  
Or how about these salt and pepper chicken wings............just in time for grilling season!

 Some rhubarb chantilly cream pie for dessert?  Oh be still my growling tummy! Their blog is done as a group with each one taking turns each day for a post.  They also have posts on cooking for a crowd with recipes scaled for that and tips on their favorite kitchen tools, etc. 

On Sundays they always have a post called "Bread for the Journey" which is always inspiring and meant to give you spiritual sustenance for the coming week.

These gals are not only great cooks but wonderful women who "walk their talk" and it is always a delight to visit them and see what they've been cooking up!  Thanks gals for all you do!

Next is Jennifer from Town and Country Living.  I came across Jennifer and discovered she lived in an area where I had spent many years, in the Fox River Valley in Northern Illinois.  Come to find out, her husband went to school with my sister-in-law!  Small world this blogging community!  Jennifer is pure delight!  She lives in a beautiful area and shares her love of homes and heritage with us like her recent visit to a neighboring town where she took photos of beautiful old homes like this one................  

 Did I  mention she's a fabulous decorator too?  Her home and decorating skills rival some of the best magazines out there!  Who needs to subscribe to magazines when you have blogs like hers?

Jennifer is also a "makeover" artist as evidenced by this sweet piece she redid.  How precious is that?  I swear, there isn't anything this gal can't do!  She made those curtains too.....of course! LOL!

 

 And for the "feast de resistance"...how about her bathroom?  I can't stand it!  I have always wanted a claw foot tub and I don't think you could surpass this one!  Of course she did the blue cupboard on the right....need you even ask? LOL!     

Thank you to all my inspiring friends that we visited today.....now if I could only get my act together and absorb some of their talent!  Have a great and inspiring Sunday everyone!  Thank you to all of you who stop by and comment.  It means the world to me!