New Spring Pocketbooks

I worked on some new Spring pocketbooks Saturday. I got inspiration from a pin on my "Fashion Over Forty for the Regular Woman" on Pinterest HERE.   I had just enough of the almost identical fabric on hand.  I really need to stock up on some black fabric though!

I made the little flowers in three different colors:  pink, red and purple.  They are just safety pinned on, so its easy to change them to match my outfit, or just remove it altogether.   I may make some flowers in more colors like green, blue or yellow.

Pink:

I didn't make any pockets in the lining at all.  I am going to just move the purse organizer that I have been using from bag to bag.  Takes about 10 seconds to change pocketbooks!

Red:

Purple:

Then I made a tan/brown one to use when I am wearing brown.  With this one I experimented with not adding a lining.  This one is made using the outer fabric, quilt batting and a backing fabric.  I just used a backing fabric that looked good as the lining and made french seams on the sides.  It turned out ok and was definitely quicker.  However, I did learn as I went and will do things a little differently next time.  If I am making myself several bags, this saves a lot of time and fabric.

I wore this pink top yesterday and used the bag with the pink flower.

The flower is just a "Yo Yo" with a button sewn in the center.  There's a video on You Tube HERE that shows how to make them.

As a side note, I didn't spend ANY money making these bags.  I had everything on hand.  The buttons came from my button jar.  You could also use some of your old jewelry to embellish a bag.  Before discarding clothing with buttons or old costume jewelry, think about how you could use them. 

Have a great week!!!

Updates from the Farmhouse

As February, 2014 comes to an end, I thought I'd update you on some of the goings on around here. 


Grandchild number 4 is another.... (drumroll please).... BOY!

The Gender Reveal Cake

The icing on the inside was blue!

So by early July, we will have four grandsons.

But, the baby news doesn't end there!  Another grandchild is due by the end of August.  Its too early to know the gender.  My gut feeling is that this one will be a girl, but if not, having five grandsons will be wonderful!   I've got to get busy making baby quilts and hats, not to mention planning for Christmas of 2014!


I made it through another birthday!  I took a day of vacation from work in honor of me last Friday and spent the day sewing.   On Saturday, my daughter and two of my grandsons met me in a nearby town for shopping and lunch.  Here's an old picture of me and my best friend daughter.

This picture was from twenty years ago!

Hubby and I still have restaurant gift cards from Christmas, and used two of them for my birthday.  Saturday night was at a local steak house and then on Sunday morning , we went straight from church to Cracker Barrel for a late breakfast.  My church service starts at 9:00 A.M., so we were able to eat before 11:00.  I love to shop in the Cracker Barrel gift shop, but don't usually actually buy much there.  But, this time I did pick up a new coffee mug.  Its from their Sanctuary Garden collection. 

Nice and large with a little weight to it! 

I've have a little Spring fever, so I'm trying my hand at growing some lettuce from seed.  These are on my kitchen window sill.  I plan to start some tomato seeds soon, but not for a couple of weeks.  I know from experience that the earlier I do this, the more work it becomes!  

I know I'm crazy, but I wouldn't mind just a few more snow days at home!

I started a Pinterest Board for "Fashion Over Forty For The Regular Woman" HERE.  I am a long ways over 40! ha ha ha ha.  But anyway, I love having the inspiration for putting together outfits from what I already have in my closet, or also knowing what one little item I need to purchase to go with things I already have that  make a whole new outfit.  I am putting my favorite outfits on this board, so I can look at it anytime I want to, without having to search everywhere on the internet.  NOTE:  I probably won't be wearing those skinny jeans because..... well I'm not skinny enough.  I'll just substitute regular jeans for those.

I have been busy sewing too!!!  I've got so many things on my sewing list, and grand babies keep being conceived who need quilts, children keep getting engaged who need quilts, and so I haven't had time to sew for my Etsy shop.  I did make a couple of clothespin bags, but there's not too much demand for those right now!   Oh well, there is a season for everything!

Well, there you have it!  A little news from me. 

Little Tiny Frugal Tip

Most of the toothpaste tubes now come with a flip top cap.  But, when you get down to  last of the toothpaste, its almost impossible to get it out because the flip top cap prevents you from being able to squeeze the tube at the top.

I bet you all knew this, but I didn't know the flip top just screws off and underneath is the standard toothpaste tube.  I felt sort of dumb because I didn't realize this.    I was complaining to Hubby about all the toothpaste that was still in the tube and he told me about it!

The toothpaste in the above picture lasted me about another week once I learned to take the flip top cap off.

An Owl and a Tooth Fairy Monster Pillow

I made a couple of fabric toys for my grandsons. 

1.  For 7 month old Eli, a Crinkly Tag Owl:

I started with a washed Cheetos bag to go on the inside for the crinkly noise.

I made a simple pattern from notebook paper.

I experimented with the layout of the eyes and nose. Then I fused them onto the fabric and zigzagged the edges to be sure nothing could come off.

For the arms and feet, I used ribbons.  Here is the finished front:

Finished back:

For 6 year old Dylan, a monster tooth fairy pillow:

I used the same pattern as I did for Eli's owl.  But, I stuffed it with polyfil and added a pocket on the front.   I also used different eyes and added teeth and little stuffed feet.

In this picture he is watching me sew!

I got the ideas for these from Pinterest and then just made my own pattern.

A Frugal Tip - Saving money and time with Amazon Subscribe and Save

In the past when I saw an Amazon Subscribe and Save deal on a blog, I never took advantage of it.   I really didn't know how it worked and it sounded complicated to me.  But, recently I have been using this service with good results!  And its very easy and convenient.

There are a few money saving blogs that I read most days and when I see an Amazon Subscribe and Save deal for a product that we use all the time, like toilet paper, I go ahead and sign up for it.  Some of these have a coupon that you just click on before ordering, to further sweeten the deal.

Some good points about Subscribe and Save that I enjoy are:

Shipping is free. 
You get plenty of notice before shipping if you need to change your order.
Its easy to skip a shipment or cancel it altogether.
I love having a good supply of things like toilet paper, dishwasher packs, facial tissue, and more.
Its easy to make sure you are getting the best price for an item.
If you are subscribed to at least 5 items you save an additional 15%
Driving up after work to find that monthly box of stuff is fun.
You can choose your monthly delivery date.
Amazon gift cards earned with Swagbucks can be applied to your order.

Here are some of the items in my Subscribe and Save account.  I don't get all of these every month.  You can get them how ever often you want them.  For example in December, I skipped all of my items altogether and then resumed in January.  If you only want to get an item for one month, that's fine too.  Just cancel it.  Several of my items only come every 3 or 4 months.

Scott Extra Soft Toilet Paper
Angel Soft Toilet Paper
Angel Soft Tissues
No Sugar Added Del Monte Canned Pears
Olay Foaming Face Wash
Cover Girl Professional Mascara
Finish Dishwasher Packs
Cascade Dishwasher Packs
Peanut Butter (gave to food pantry)
Ecotrin low dose aspirin
Dish Liquid

Some of these had a coupon and some were just a limited time good deal.   Sometimes the Amazon price IS NOT the best price.  You have to compare prices with your grocery Store.  Figure out how much the per unit of an item is, such as the dishwasher packs, and you will see that often buying the larger box from Amazon is a much better price than buying the smaller boxes more often.

There is a section on Amazon that contains all the Subscribe and Save items.  Not everything is available that way, but lots of things are.  I have found a few good deals by just searching there myself, but most of the good deals I have found came from money saving blogs such as these:

Jungle Deals and Steals
Money Saving Mom
Moms by Heart
Southern Savers
Fabulously Frugal
We use Coupons



I go to these blogs by searching for them on Swagbucks, which helps me to earn more points to get my Amazon gift cards.  If you don't already use Swagbucks, I would love for you to sign up through my referral link HERE.  That way, any points you earn up to 1000, I would get credit for also.  Once you sign up for Swagbucks and start earning Amazon gift cards, anyone who signs up through your referral link can help you earn the gift cards faster.  Each $5.00 Amazon gift card requires 450 swagbucks.

If you sign up for Swagbucks, the above list of deal blogs are good sites to search for, even if you don't want to participate in Subscribe and Save. 

My Church

What! Its already February 10, 2014! It was all a blur, between having the flu and minor surgery for skin cancer on my nose.

I was visiting Mama's grave to place a new flower arrangement on it and took a few pictures of my church with my cell phone.  This is on the western side of the 140 year old building.  Every time I go to church I go check on her grave.  Its such a peaceful, beautiful spot.

Love this picture with the sun's (Son's?) rays glowing behind the tree.

A little clearer view without the sun glow.  What a blessing being raised in this church has been.

The church building is in the shape of a cross.   You can see a large bell in the steeple if you look closely.  It has to be rung by pulling a long rope.  It takes a strong man or 2 or 3 boys to make it ring.  One of Mama's wishes was that the bell be rung when she was being carried from the church to her final resting spot.   An older man was in charge of ringing the bell.  It was a close call, but he was able to get a few "DONG, DONGS" out of the bell.  Probably needed two "older" men!  How she would have loved seeing six of her handsome grandsons and great grandsons, all dressed in dark suits, carrying her to be laid beside her dear Mama and Papa, as the bell was being rung!

Purple for Mama, Sunflowers for me.

 

 

 

 

Looking South

This is the old section of the cemetery.  To the left of this are Sunday School buildings, the Fellowship Hall, Pastor's Home, and a new section of the cemetery.

Next to the farmhouse, this place feels most like home to me.   Many Saints and Angels have walked these grounds.

Farmhouse Fever

We are on day two of staying home in the snow. I LOVE IT! But.... I do have to admit to a little bit of farmhouse/cabin fever.

Pretty red against the white backgroud.

Looking out the kitchen window.

I'm really enjoying working in the sewing room.  Here's the progress on a purple Lemoyne Star quilt I am working on.

I'll be posting more about this quilt on my Angel Scraps Quilting blog.

If you are in an area where the recent southern snow storm came through, enjoy!!!

Homemade Rolls

I made these rolls using THIS recipe.  I love using the dough cycle on my bread machine and then finishing up in the oven.  I have to say that these were the most delicious rolls and were the easiest to make of my limited  bread making experience.

They are good eaten as dinner rolls and also as sandwich buns for things like sloppy joes and hamburgers.

I plan to make another batch and freeze the individual unbaked rolls so that I can take out and bake only the number needed for a meal.  I used Mama's biscuit cutter which made very neat little dough discs.  It only takes about 13 minutes to bake them.

In the Dead of Winter

Today I am home with the flu. Yesterday I could not have even thought about being able to do a post, but today after only one day of "anti-flu" medicine, I am glad to say I am doing much better!  But, I'm still laying on my couch as I do this post.  Luckily I have a long weekend to recuperate and don't have to go back to work until Tuesday!

Last Saturday I went outside and got my hands dirty in our little raised bed.

How in the world these weeds have grown to be so healthy in the dead of winter, I do not know!

It was only the Monday before that the high temperature was about 24.   On Saturday it was in the 60s.

We've had lots of rain this winter!  We almost have ocean front property with water standing in the field adjacent to our home.

After a little digging and pulling, the raised bed is now ready for spring planting.

I love the fact that around here in winter we have a few warm days mixed in with the cold ones.  I try to make use of those warm days.  If its on Saturday I work in the yard.  If its a work day, I try to get a little walk in on my lunch break.

I think next year a flu shot will be in order!  Although my doctor told me lots of people are getting the flu even though they had the flu shot.  This is the first time I've ever had the flu and I DO NOT want to have it again.

Happy Friday to you all!

Weekly Menu Plan!

We have really been in a rut with our meals lately.  Do you ever get that way?  Nothing sounds good and we struggle to come up with an idea for our supper meal almost every single day.  So, I made a trip to the grocery store and tried to come up with some new ideas.

Here's this week's menu:

Saturday:  Stuffed Pork Chops, Rosemary Potatoes and Broccoli and Cheese

This is the first time I have made stuffed pork chops and THIS is the recipe I used.  I bought six thick pork chops and already had all the other ingredients on hand, except for the celery.  Although I think the celery would have been good in the recipe, I just omitted it and the end result was delicious.


The Rosemary Potatoes recipe can be found HERE.  These were really good!  My only change is that I wouldn't bother with lining the cookie sheet with aluminum foil.  Even though I sprayed the foil with cooking spray, the potatoes still stuck to it a little and when I tried to turn them the foil tore.    So, my feeling is that it would be easier to just cook the potatoes directly on the pan.


Since we were only feeding my hubby and I, we now have 4 pork chops left to eat this week!  Maybe I should freeze two of them? 


Sunday:


Fried chicken tenders, butterbeans, leftover mashed potatoes and rosemary potatoes.


Monday:

Meatloaf, Seasoned Green beans and rice.


Tuesday:

Leftover Stuffed Pork chops, Leftover green beans and/or butterbeans, and leftover rice.


Wednesday:

Hotdogs, Great Northern Beans


Thursday:  Italian Meatball Soup


Friday:

Small (less than 8 ounces) chuck eye steaks cooked in the frying pan, baked potatoes and what ever leftover veggies are on hand.  We are trying to stop food waste.


Have you planned any meals this week?

Blue Paper Shorts and Witch's Noses

Now, that's an attention grabbing title, isn't it?   Hang on and you'll see where I'm going with this.

It turns out that what I thought was a wart on my nose was actually a Basal Cell Carcinoma.  Not dangerous, but something that had to be taken care of.    This particular one was located on the little piece of skin between my nostrils.  This complicated things a little, because the area is so small.  Needles for numbing the pain in that area are quite painful too....

Any how.... on Monday I had the growth removed and as recommended by the doctor, had a skin graft done over the little spot.  Here's where the witch's nose part comes in.  The sweet little nurse did such a good job of bandaging up my nose that it looks just like a witch's nose.  I couldn't have done a better job if I was trying to dress up for Halloween!  If you add the witch's nose to the bandage on the side of my face near my left ear where the doctor obtained the skin for the skin graft, I look really strange.

We stopped to pick up lunch and make a bathroom visit on the way home from the doctor's appointment.  As luck would have it, the restaurant was packed and finding the bathroom took me right through the crowd.  How embarrassing!

This, my friend, is very humbling.  Not to mention itchy and uncomfortable.  I have to wear it for a week.  I am planning to stay home until then.  I feel really silly staying home from work but its just too uncomfortable physically and humiliating, mentally.   Thank goodness its a slow work week, with Christmas and New Years winding down.

In situations like this its important to remember Proverbs 31:25   "She is clothed with strength  and dignity.....".  Because I didn't feel dignified at all on the outside, but God sees what's on the inside.

After the restaurant experience, we stopped at the drugstore to have antibiotic and pain killer prescriptions filled.  I definitely stayed in the car this time, but found myself watching the people coming in and out of the store.  I think maybe the Lord put some very strange looking people in my view that day because some of them were quite "different" looking.  I found myself sizing them up based on their appearance, when I knew absolutely nothing about any of these people!  I already know better than to do this, but it was a good reminder to remember that every single person you see has dignity and that God sees what's on the inside, not the outward appearance.  Even those with witch's nose bandages!!! 

This experience reminded me of a funny story about blue paper shorts.  When my hubby gets X-Rays in connection with his knee replacement surgery, he has to put on these blue paper shorts.  We get a laugh out of this, especially since they are "Carolina Blue" and we prefer "NC State Red".  But, I especially love the story I read in a book by Beth Moore, called "So Long Insecurity".   In the story she, too, was getting X-Rays in connection with her bad knees and had to wear the blue paper shorts.  BUT, she wore very high heels that day and had to walk around the halls and wait in a crowded waiting room in the very roomy blue paper shorts while wearing high heels.  LOL!

We have to laugh at ourselves and the situations we sometimes find ourselves in, don't we?  I placed way too much importance on what the people in the crowded restaurant thought of me.

I also have to remember how fortunate I am that my growth was not Melanoma and that I only have to be in this witch's nose predicament for a week. 

Coincidentally,  there are several kindle books by Beth Moore that are free right now.  I haven't read any of these particular ones, but I thoroughly enjoyed the one I referred to in this post.  If you are interested, here are the links:

When Godly People Do Ungodly Things

Believing God

The Beloved Disciple

To Live is Christ

I hope you have a wonderful 2014 with many blessings..... and don't forget to wear sunscreen....