Updates From The Farmhouse

I finally decided to update my cell phone to a smart phone!  I had been using a basic phone that I could only call and text with.  I really did love my old phone and figured since I had access to the internet with my laptop at home and the desk top at work, why would I need it any other time?

Well, my old phone was on its last leg and when I checked into it, upgrading to a smart phone was only a little more per month.   I'm enjoying learning how to use it and hope to use it to save money doing things like Check Out 51.  So far I've got $3.75 in my Check Out 51 account, by buying things I already buy, such as bananas and eggs.  Doing little things like that with my phone will help pay for it.  You can upload your receipts to Check Out 51 with a regular computer, but a smart phone makes it a lot easier!

You can also do the Savings Catcher at Walmart much easier with a smart phone, but I really don't grocery shop at Walmart very much.

Do you know of any other ways that a smart phone can be used to help pay for itself?

I'm still in a baking mood and so here's another almost from scratch cake.  This one has chocolate chips hand folded into a store bought white cake mix batter, as well as stuck all over the outside.   It looks a little funny, but was delicious.  Especially with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup!

Picture of cake with chocolate spikes taken with my new phone.

Its crazy, but I've had this Bundt pan with the storage/carrying cntainer for a few years and had never used it.  It was a Christmas gift and until a couple of weeks ago, it was still in its cardboard cover.

Really love this Bundt cake container.

Now that I've started using it, I love it!

SWAG CODE ALERT

I received an email from Swagbucks with a Swag Code that would only be good for my friends and blog readers.

Its good for 3 swag bucks today only from 1:00 to 2:00 PM Eastern time

Enter BloggerLove in the Swag Code Box. (Betwen 1 and 2 PM Eastern time today).

If you aren't a member of Swag Bucks, here's my referral link, if you'd like to sign up.

Debbie's Swagbucks Referral Link.

I love earning Amazon Gift Cards and saving them for Christmas.  I've been saving them for a few months now and have almost $100.00.  I'm not a big swag buck earner, maybe 20 to 30 points a day.  Some days much more.  But if I stick to it and do a little every day, it really does add up and having some referrals, would help boost that amount.

Let me know if this code works for you!

Thanks!!!

Around the Farmhouse Yard

I snapped a few picture on a beautiful May day, walking around in the yard.

Thanks to Sub-Tropical Storm Ana, we have water front property, temporarily.  But, all that rain was good for my flowers!

Here are a few of the flowers in my yard in different stages of growth:

Mother's Day Gift from my son, a hanging basket of Geraniums.

Zinnias!

Looking forward to the Zinnias being as tall as the birdhouses!

This last one is a Hydrangea that my hubby gave me for Mother's Day.  I'll be planting it outside eventually, but its beautiful sitting in a sunny window inside for now.

Semi-From-Scratch Lemon Pound Cake

My hubby loves lemon pound cake and so I searched on line for recipes.  I ran across one using a Duncan Hines Cake Mix that has added ingredients.  That wasn't really what I was looking for, but my coworker told me she makes it all the time and that it turns out great.  Easy and delicious... I'm always up for that! 

It did turn out really delicious and I have added it to my list of keeper recipes.

I used my Bundt cake pan.  You can find the recipe on the Duncan Hines Signature Lemon Cake Mix box.  The frosting is the Duncan Hines Vanilla flavor.  But I am going to try the lemon flavor next time.  You just heat a small amount in the microwave for just a few seconds and then drizzle it over the cake.

The recipe can also be found HERE.

Bible Study

Happy Friday!

This is week two of an online Bible Study that I am participating in and enjoying very much.  The name of the Bible Study is "What Happens When Women Walk in Faith" and its being offered by Proverbs 31 Ministries.  There are also daily devotions on the Proverbs 31 website that I enjoy.

The Bible Study is free, but you do need the book, which was written by Lysa TerKeurst.  I like instant gratification, so I got the book on my Kindle.  Now that Ive been doing the Bible Study for a couple of weeks, I really wish I had bought the actual book.  I checked my local Christian book store, but this particular book isn't in their stock.  Its not a new book, so I guess that's why.  In the future, when I do a Bible Study, I will go ahead and get the book.

But, one good thing about having the book on the Kindle is that I can read it during the night without bothering my Hubby!

I made myself a Bible study notebook using a plain white notebook that I already had.  I inserted some pretty scrapbook paper inside the front, back and on the spine of the notebook.  Then I created some pages to write on each day. 

At the end of each chapter are questions and Bible verses to look up.  The notebook is a great place to write down answers to questions, copy down Bible verses, and write prayers.  I usually go to the kitchen table in the mornings to do my Bible study.  I plan to go back to this notebook in the future to refresh my memory on the things I am learning.

This Bible study has been very helpful to me in learning to Trust God.  What does my future hold?  I'm not sure, but I want to walk in faith and find out!

I hope you have a great weekend!

WHAT'S ON MY SEWING TABLE FRIDAY - A Finished Quilt

I finished a quilt for my new nephew, Brayden.

I washed and dried this quilt before giving it away.

I wanted to finish it before he was born, but that just didn't happen.  The center of the quilt is a solid piece of fabric.  I thought it was so cute just like it was, I couldn't see the point in cutting it up and then sewing it back together again.  This type of quilt sure does go together quickly!

The backing fabric is red, white and blue stars.

Brayden's Mom loves this quilt.  Its perfect for a little boy.

This Week's Quilting Project

Just a short post to show what I'm working on this week.

A new nephew, Brayden, was born last week.  I wanted to have this done before he was born, but since he only weighs 5 pounds 1 ounce, I think its safe to say he won't need this size quilt too soon!

I finished pin basting it and have the sewing machine all set up for quilting.  So, hopefully, I can finish it this week.

Its raining here this morning.  Of course it is!  Its Monday!

Have a great day!

Icy Day Sewing - Part 2

It turns out that my office is closed all day, so I had time to do a little sewing.  In case you already thought I was a little quirky, here's confirmation.  I made a clothespin bag and took pictures of it hanging from the front porch with the wintry scene behind it.

Thinking of summer days with clothes on the line and wishing you a cozy day!

Icy Tuesday and Recent Sewing

There's a two hour delay for work today.  Yay!  I'm hoping for a whole day off, but its not even light enough outside to tell what's out there yet.

I made myself a new key fob recently.  I love this sunflower fabric!

I made a new style of clothespin bag.  This one is for my stepdaughter, whose husband built her a new clothesline last summer.  I plan to make some of these for my Etsy Shop if I EVER get time to work on them.

Depending on what today holds for me, I hope to work on another bag.

Stay Warm!

Fabric Stories

When I am sewing, I often use fabrics that were given to me by friends and relatives.  Its bittersweet to look at different fabrics in a scrap quilt and be able to tell where most of them came from, which brings back many memories.

After my mother died, I brought home any fabric that she had left.  She had not sewn much in years, but there were whole fabric pieces, scraps and projects in progress.  In her attic was a big stack of denim fabric, which I am sure she got when she worked at a sewing factory many years ago.  The employees often were given the left overs.  After I washed and dried the denim, I found that it was of very high quality and washed up soft and wrinkle free.   Its not too thick, but a good thickness for sewing.

I can think of lots of projects to make use of the fabric and here's the first one that I am in the process of making.  These will be personalized tote bags for my grandsons.  These will be great for bringing to Grandma's when spending the night, or for the Mama's of the 4 still in diapers, to grab on the go.  I think they would also be great for storage of small toys, like blocks, legos, etc.

Here are the first three of the five bags.  I also have a plastic tote full of kids' fabrics that I lined the bags with.  I'll be making Jake and Dylan's bag this week and then hopefully post a picture of all five of the bags.

I used my own "Reusable Fabric Bags" tutorial.  I love that tutorial, even though I wrote it myself!  I used the handle that is lined with the same fabric as the bag lining.

So, these bags, not only are a gift from me, but also a gift from Mama to five of her great grandsons!  She would have loved that!

The little irritations of life.

Wow, two posts in one day! Just felt called to write this post on my lunch break.

2015 Goal No. One:

To not be easily offended and maintain a positive, patient attitude.

Well, I am already an easy going type person, or so I thought.  Here's the day's minor irritations that "almost" offended me. (so far) Ha!

1.  We order supplies at my office from an office supply company, who has a delivery man to deliver the supplies.  Recently, one of our orders was doubled accidentally by who ever packed it up.  When I realized this, I went through and got out only the part we were billed for and called the office supply company to let them know that they should pick up the products that we weren't supposed to get.

Well, that's being an honest and nice person in my opinion.  But, the delivery man was highly irritated to have to come pick it up because, he felt sure I'd be ordering more of the same products and then he'd just be bringing them back.  Well yes, I'm sure I would, but I didn't need them at that time and it wouldn't be that easy to get the paperwork straightened out.  

Sure enough, today I ordered a couple of the items that he had picked up 2 weeks ago, and he was making little comments to me and others in the office that he "knew" this would happen.    WELL, pardon me for being honest.

2.  Did you know that people driving in parking lots will run right into you if you don't watch them?  NUF SAID!

3.  I went through the drive through at a fast food restaurant.  The line moved fast and I got the right food..... but now I know why the line moved so fast.  No straw in the bag and a knife instead of a spoon.  You ever tried to eat chili with a knife?

4.  Did you know that in rural North Carolina, tractors drive on the highway even when its January and its below freezing weather.  And they don't pull off the highway, even when they could just keep going down the side of the road, even when there is a LOONG line of traffic behind them trying to get to work on time?  NUF SAID!

5.  Our power was off for 1/2 hour this morning at the office.  This didn't bother me too much, but thought it was worth mentioning. I think the person who hit the pole that caused it was having a much worse day!

To put these minor things into perspective, I am so thankful to have a job, a car and food!  Sometimes not being easily offended is just a matter of having patience with other people.  I sure do need their patience with me on a regular basis!  If I was driving a tractor, I would get out of people's way, but if I was working at that drive through, I am sure I'd leave out stuff and put in knives instead of spoons, when under pressure.

So to quote a title of a book published a few years ago, "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff, and Its all Small Stuff".

I need to ALWAYS remember that every person I come into contact with has a story and I never know what they are dealing with.   

The positives that I experience every day far outweigh the little irritations that come my way.  How about you?  What irritates you?