ETSY

New items in my ETSY shop!!! Good time to Christmas shop!!!

Back-to-School Bargains

People often ask me since we homeschool do we do any back to school shopping. Oh yea! My children look forward to it. The lists, choosing just the right color folders and notebooks, whether to get trimming pencils or mechanical, the new binders and rulers.

We did our shopping yesterday. While I do not have to buy clothing, it is a good time of year to find great prices on clothing and shoes. For example, two of my clan did have a need, no a desire, for new athletic shoes. My goal was to find both pairs for under $100. One of our local sports stores had a special on athetic shoes, buy one, get one for half off. I also had a rewards coupon to use on my purchase. BONUS!! We were able to buy a pair of New Balance, a pair of Nike shocks, a sports bra, and two bundles of socks (18 pairs) for--------$78.00. Yes, and I have the receipt for you non-believers.

The "latest"

These aprons are the latest of my creations in the sewing room. They are patterned from an apron that my great grandmother made in the 30s or 40s that I have the honor of possessing!!! They are "girly" with the pleats in the front and the daintiness of the fabrics. Each is for sale for $17.00 **free shipping. If you are one of my local customers, cost is $15.00. Each is machine washable and dryer friendly! Each tie is 34" long.

This one is one of my favorites with the contrasting fabrics that compliment the main fabric.

Cheerful with the pinks and blue dainty flowers and contrasting blue band.

Nothing says summer more than sunflowers. This apron has two pattern of sunflower fabric, both complimenting the other.

Seeking Treasures

"A man's real possession is his memory. In nothing else is he rich, in nothing else is he poor." ---- Alexander Smith

I have not posted for several weeks because I have been busy seeking treasures. Those treasures are memories with and for my children. Treasures of activities and events to create lasting and positive memories for them. I believe that no amount of material possessions will ever substitute for a mind full of good childhood memories!! So, if I post sporadically for the remainder of the summer, just keep in mind that I am out seeking treasures!! Have a great summer!

Summer Break

At last, Summer break!!! Such big plans: waterpark, horse shows, swimming, fishing, canoeing on the river. Can't wait!! What are your plans for the summer?

Prom Princess

Here is proof that you do not have to live in Britain in order to be of "royalty". One of her favorite things to do when she was little was to dress up. We even had a prom at our house when she was 8 because she was so fascinated with watching her teen neighbor leave for prom. It consisted of formals from her mom's and my "past", dancing, a "limo" (really a Lincoln town car), punch and cookies.

Our princess at her first real prom=BREATHTAKING.

P.S. You will get to go next year Sunshine!!

Where You Lead Me

Where you lead me, I will follow. One of the most fascinating things within motherhood for me has been observing the interactions of my children with their siblings. Our order goes girl 16, boy 13, girl 9. The brother acts more like the "big" brother with his protective nature. The 9 year old follows the 16 year old and wants to be just like her. This statement is beautiful from both sides; wanting to be like someone and being so that someone wants to be like you.

A PERFECT Day!!

Every once in a while there are days that are perfect all around; the weather is good, we feel good and all seems good. Yesterday, which happened to be Mother's Day was one of those perfect days. My three amazing children each made homemade cards (the best kind if you ask me) complete with their own thoughts, art work and penmanship.
After church we went to a town not too far away, walked around the local university's campus and then to a park in the downtown area. At this park was a beautiful white, horse drawn carriage complete with a cowboy in a tuxedo! Of course we rode!!!! I even received a pink, long stemmed rose as part of the ride.
It felt so good to have all three safe with me, happy to be with me and having a good time with me. PERFECT.

Dogwood Winter

The older generation calls this time of year Dogwood Winter. It is named because after a period of sunshine and warmth in the early Spring, and the dogwoods bloom, we will have a period of cooler temps and rain. Early Spring weather gets us excited for warm sunshine, but don't put your long sleeves away just yet!

Spring Twirly Skirt

This simple skirt is so cute for Spring. It is elastic waisted and is fully lined with unbleached muslin. The bias trim is hand made to coordinate with the fabrics. The matching tee is store bought and appliqued with coordinating fabric. I love making these. This one is for sale. Size 5-6.

Frugal Friday

Sometimes being frugal does not pay. This is the case at my house with flour. I bought a 25# bag of no name flour, to be frugal, but the biscuits were terrible and the gravy was unspeakable! My family thought I had lost my ability to cook. Never again will I do that. My family deserves great biscuits and gravy!!!! Brand name flour-here I come.

Another Birthday

We celebrated yet another birthday this week. This one was a huge milestone (in her eyes). Sweet 16, driver's permit in hand, full of knowledge and wisdom, ready to take on the world!!! I want her dreams to come true!

Navigating on her new Kindle.

Birthday time

It was birthday time this weekend at our house!!!! The youngest turned 9. Here she is with her polka dot gifts. Children are such fun creatures. At the end of the rug shown in this photo is the spot where we have put our Christmas tree every year since we moved in. My children always put their birthday gifts in the spot as they would be under the tree for Christmas. I guess to them it is the "gift" spot. Sooooooooooo precious!

The Tree House

This is the tree house that my son had dreamed of forever! Well, it is sort of a "treeless" house since we do not have any trees in our yard mature enough to hold a house. It sets between two trees for the effect of being in a tree.

We had enough lumber left over from a barn addition. He and I set the posts and he designed the entire thing. We got a friend of ours to construct it and put the roof on. I must say it is a fancy tree house.

My son envisions covering the outside with license plates from all across America. He has a good start!

It is his refuge and source of such joy. How I wish we would have done this years ago!!

Embellished notebooks

These are photos of my newest craft project. Steno pad notebooks embellished with ribbons and cut outs. This is an easy project. First you must remove the wiring from the notebook. Then cut paper (I used cardstock) to fit the cover. Return wire and cover to notebook. Embellish. The possiblities are endless!!

I have blues and browns. This one has a tag that says "Happiness".

This one is black and white with dainty pink ribbon holding a flower cut out. It is a pocket sized notebook. $2.00

This one has different shades of blue wistera type flowers with pink satin ribbon wrapped around and tied in a bow.

These make great gifts at $4.00 each. I have many other styles, some with matching pocket sized notebooks and bookmarks. Email me if you wish to order or they may be viewed locally at Tammy's Closet.

Frugal Friday

We needed some roofing shingles for a small project. While at the lumber yard, I noticed a pile of shingles with torn packaging. I inquired about the price, they were one third the original price!! BINGO-tree house roof completed on a frugal budget! Pictures to follow one sunny day soon.

Pillowcases

Full/Queen 100% soft cotton; $15.00 plus shipping

I have been craving French seams and pillowcases are perfect for them. I have become addicted to French seams.

I have these for Spring and they are for sale. I am now selling stuff locally at Tammy's Closet and I plan to put them on ETSY. These are $15 per pair or two pair for $25. I am in love with the cream and green ones with the tiny leaves.

These are Queen size, 100% cotton (has the feel of percale).$15.00 plus shipping. (I will calculate shipping to where you live, so you will not pay more that it costs me)

Bunny (Speckles)

If you are looking for the Cadberry Bunny, I think he lives in our barn! This is speckles and he is trained for a leash. A bunny on a leash is funny!

Quotes-George W. Bush

"The passage of time allows passions to cool, results to clarify, and scholars to compare different approaches."--George W. Bush: Decision Points

Frugal Friday

How many cleaners do you currently have under your kitchen and bathroom sinks? In years past, I would have many different types of cleaners for different jobs. I have discovered that plain, warm water will clean so many things. After all, water is the universal solvent! We have all hardwood flooring and tile in our home and when we built it, the manufacturers recommended no chemicals, just water. So I decided that this could be the case for many other cleaning jobs! I do use a soap scum cleaner in the bathrooms and some bleach in the kitchen sinks but that is pretty much it. This also saves a great amount on the grocery bill.

Frugal Friday

I so enjoy the foam handwashing soaps in all the fragrances and attractive bottles. However at $5-6 per bottle this can get expensive, especially when you cook 3 meals per day and a couple of snacks. I discovered a way to save a great deal of money. I use dishwashing liquid. For an 8 oz bottle, put 1 tablespoon of d/w liquid in the bottle. Fill the rest of the bottle with warm water, gently swirl to mix well and there you have foaming handwashing soap. There are many fragrances to choose from. So the label doesn't necessarily match the contents, no big deal!

Great Pyranees

This is the greatest dog in the whole, wide world! His name is Boston and he is a Great Pyranees. He is the size of a small calf in stature but has a heart of a puppy. The breed originated in the Pyranees Mountains in France. They are used for guarding herds of sheep and have been used in war time. They have a thick undercoat which is used to make sweaters (I haven't tried this yet)and he has the most gorgeous black eyes.
They are protective by nature, possessing an unparalleled ferocity. This breed has been known to take on bears, yet are wonderful dogs for children. By the time he was six months old, he was protecting our home and farm and children. Their loving personalities are mysteriously compelling. The only flaw that I can find in him is that he is such a protective home body that taking him to the vet is a difficult task. It usually takes 2-3 of us to load him in the truck.

Frugal Friday (belated)

This is my favorite "after Christmas bargain". I purchased this comforter set, king comforter and 2 pillowshams for $12.00!!!! It was considered Holiday merchandise but I love the reds and greens and I plan to use it for awhile. The green suede pillow was $3.00 on clearance.

Did I mention that the comforter set came in this nice tote? I plan to take it apart and make a couple of window treatments. I need another snow day!!
The chair under the tote is a blue color, which did not match the comforter. I love the chair and so I pulled, out of my keepsake trunk, this creamy afghan made and gifted me by me sweet Nana. Voila'!!! A room makeover without painting or spending much money.

French Coconut Pie

This pie is to die for!! I could eat the entire pie and have actually come close. It is so easy and attractive when finished. However, if you are a calorie counter, you should put away the calculator because you do not even want to know. I entered this pie in the local county fair one year (1st place) and the extension agent figured the calories, fat, cholesterol and all those depressing facts. Let's just say, I did not keep the info! Try it, you will love it.

FRENCH COCONUT PIE

One unbaked pie crust (I like the deep dish)
1 stick margarine or butter (unsalted)
3 eggs
1 TBSP white vinegar
1 1/2 c. white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. coconut (I add a bit extra)

Soften (do not melt) the butter/margarine. Add eggs, sugar, vinegar, and vanilla. Wisk until well blended (I use my wisk attachment on the electric mixer). Add coconut and stir with spoon. Pour into crust and bake at 350 degrees until top is golden brown (around 45 minutes)

Let me know what you think!!

**I discovered powdered vanilla a couple of years back. It is the most wonderfuly thing! Use the same amount as liquid. I make a great amount of bakery icing for cakes and cupcakes and the powdered vanilla keeps it snow white and adds great flavor.

Paperwork

I have not blogged all week due to PAPERWORK! I decided to spend the snow days of this week, catching up on paperwork. I had school papers to sort and file, bookkeeping, and a scholarship packet to assemble with my daughter. Paperwork is not my favorite thing, yet a necessary one. Have a wonderful weekend and I hope to be blogging more next week.

Frugal Friday

Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers were frugal out of necessity. I just believe it makes good sense! At our house, we have what I call "feature meat". This means that whatever meats are on sale at the grocery each week is what I stock up on and work with in our menus. This week's feature meat was pork tenderloin. It was by far cheaper than sandwich meat. I love it when I can serve my family of five a good meal for around $10.00. This recipe is one of my favorite's of all time. I cook the pork tenderloin in the slow cooker for several hours. Remove from the cooker and place in a casserole or baking dish. Mix 2 Tablespoons mustard (any flavor you like) and 3 Tablespoons of honey. Put over the top of tenderloin and put in a 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until the top begins to brown. This is delicious!!!! I served it with baked beans, macaroni and cheese and cream corn from our garden last summer. Cost of meal: Tenderloin $6.50, baked beans $1.19, Mac and Cheese dinner $1.00 (on sale this week also), corn from our garden a few pennies. Under $10.00

B.T.W. I have been blessed by knowing and enjoying both my grandmothers and two of my great-grandmothers!

Penguin Jumper

Since the weather here resembles Antarctica, how about a penguin? And a happy one at that! This jumper is made of turqoise colored corduroy. It is fully lined with bleached muslin. The shoulders have covered button closures with decorative bows, of black with white polka dots, sewn into place. The penguin is of quality fleece and is appliqued into place. The same ribbon that adorns the shoulders is also on the bottom of the jumper. Machine wash and dry (however, I like to let mine hang to dry).
It is a size 4 and is looking for a home. Handmade right here at Ribbons-n-Rags boutique! $35.00 with FREE shipping in the U.S.

HOW TO MAKE a new ironing board cover

One snowy afternoon this week, I made a new ironing board cover. My old cover was, well "pitiful", so much so that I am NOT including a photo. I iron a great deal and it was ready for retirement. So, I chose some fabric from my stash, bias tape, and elastic and made a new one. Here is how:
-trace pattern (use old cover to trace)
-cut out the new pattern on new fabric
-attach double sided bias tape all the way around (this makes a simple, fast casing for the elastic and finishes the edges)*leave the beginning and ending point open for running the elastic
-run elastic through the casing
-place cover on ironing board
-adjust elastic to fit
-tie elastic in a knot and tuck under cover

SIMPLE. EASY. FAST (around 30 minutes). CHEAP (I used supplies I already had)

As for the brown camo.......let's just say it will make for adventurous ironing.

The Aspiring Baker

My eight year old is an aspiring baker. She dreams of having her own cupcake shop. I am all for that!! While snowed in she has been practicing her baking. She made chocolate chip cookies.

While practicing breaking eggs, I heard her say, "You have to become one with the egg". TOOOO Funny!!! She strives for perfection, even when breaking eggs.

The cookies were delicious and BTW, there were none left by bedtime.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

We have been semi snowed in this week. But we have pretended as if we are totally snowed in. Staying home, sleeping late, eating, reading and all those things that you do when you are housebound. I enjoy these days. It seems almost as if time stands still for a bit and I can capture moments with my children without rushing places and meeting deadlines. They grow so quickly and as I reminisce, I wonder where it all goes and what on earth will I do when they have all left home?

Growing up

While I enjoy watching my children grow up, there are those sad moments when you wish they were still really small. This was one of those moments. Remember when they would get in the tub and play and talk until their skin shriveled and they shivered because the water was cold. I looked at the "bath tub" toys and well, they had not been played with in a really long time. So I gathered them up to put away in storage. When my youngest, who is 8, saw me she quickly protested to the putting away of these toys. When I reminded her that they had not been played with and I thought that she had outgrown them, she asked that I leave them out "just in case". And I did!

Socks

Please tell me that I am not only one in the world with socks that do not have a partner. I have collected over a period of time, this basket of socks that have come through the laundry and have no partners when I fold everything. Where do these socks go? I made an executive decision and tossed them in the garbage. No more clutter in this basket!

HAPPY NEW YEAR---I want to be a LOSER

       As I ponder my New Year's Resolutions, I thought it would be great this year to be a LOSER.   Yes, you heard correctly, I want to be a LOSER of the following things?
            1.  15 pounds ( we always have to think of that at New Year's)
            2.  any negative attitudes or feelings
            3.  any bitterness I have harbored
            4. any desires to exist in any way other than God's will
            5. clutter (both in my home and in my mind)

Have a Wonderful New Year and may you prosper and feel God's love in 2011.