Early spring decorating and more

We do still have snow on the ground, but spring is on the way.  We had nice warm temperatures Tuesday, though today has been rainy and cooler.  I thought I should share a bit of my early spring decorating before I forget about these pictures.

Last week I decided it was time for the top shelf of my hutch to change from winter to spring.  I quickly moved my jadeite plates up there, along with a pretty old sugar bowl, my Royal Doulton Bunnykins mug from childhood, and a pitcher of silk daffodils.

The middle shelf, with its maple sugaring display, stayed the same

 except I pulled the jadeite plates out of it to move to the shelf above.

Below, you see the bottom shelf with a green and white nod to St. Patrick's Day.  For early spring, I took out the St. Pat's Day tag but left the rest of the shelf the same because I like the look!

The green-edged doily is a recent find.  I love it and think it may have been crocheted by one of my great-grandmothers.

 And now for the surprise!  I won a surprise giveaway on my friend Vee's blog. In this post, she had showed a picture of a piece of toast spread with something delicious-looking -- a snack she had recently enjoyed -- and off-handedly asked her readers if they ever had this snack.  She didn't necessarily ask people to guess, but they did.  Unbeknownst to her commenters, she planned to put the correct guesses in a hat and pull one out for a surprise giveaway.  Only she didn't have to do that.  Mine was the only guess of brown sugar and butter.  Other yummy guesses included apple butter and apricot jam, etc.  So in due time I received the following happy mail:

Pretty envelope, bowl cozy, magazine, chocolate, tea, and  Pioneer Woman cloth napkins!

What a fun treat!  Thank you, Vee!  She even included a magazine (not pictured) for my hubby.  We shared the chocolate, too.

Hope you've enjoyed this look at my early spring decor and my fun surprise.  I know that many of you have real spring flowers in bloom already, but they are a long way from blooming here!

A fun giveaway!

Photo from Pixie Faire

I just entered a giveaway for a sweet new doll from the American Girl® line.  The Wellie Wishers dolls are 14.5 inches tall, rather than 18" like the American Girls®.  The Wellie Wishers all wear "wellies" -- rubber boots.  Several of my grandkids practically live in their rubber boots, so I know my granddaughter would enjoy these dolls.  There are five different ones -- Willa, Ashlyn, Camille, Emerson, and Kendall.  You can read about them here: Wellie Wishers.  They are completely adorable, and Liberty Jane is adapting patterns to fit them.

This giveaway is sponsored by Pixie Faire and
Liberty Jane -- and it seems as if this is only the first of five giveaways for these adorable dolls.

You can enter this week's giveaway here: Willa Doll Giveaway.  I hope that one of my readers wins!

Free tea samples from Twinings!

From my collection of vintage advertising cards

 Just a quick post tonight with a public service announcement!  If you enjoy tea, you will want to check out this link: Twining’s Tea Samples!  You can choose three samples of tea for free, at least as long as the supply holds out.  Be sure and scroll all the way down the list of teas; there are some seasonal ones on there, some organic teas, some cold brewed ones and so on.  A huge variety to choose from, so head on over and see what you would like!

December 11 ~ A fabulous bunch of giveaways at Sew Mama Sew!

From my collection of vintage Christmas cards

Yes, I am posting another giveaway -- or more accurately, hundreds of them -- today.  Monday was Giveaway Day at Sew Mama Sew, but it's really a Giveaway Week as the giveaways are open until this Friday, December 13.  You'll find bloggers and shops giving away everything from patterns to fabric to books to handmade items.  If I had time I would sit here all day clicking on interesting links and entering to win.  So far, the only requirements for the giveaways I've entered from here have involved leaving a blog post comment -- usually a reply to a very specific question. 

But I don't have time to sit here entering giveaways all day, so I am passing that opportunity on to all of you.  Here's the link: Giveaway Day at Sew Mama Sew.  Have fun!!!!

December 10 -- A HUGE Christmas giveaway by Karla Dornacher!

Photo by Karla Dornacher

I receive Karla's newsletters by email, and she has an amazing giveaway going on right now.  All of the items pictured above are part of this giveaway.  Some for the winner to keep and plenty to share with friends.  As you can see, these are not all Christmas items; rather, this giveaway is  Karla's Christmas gift to those who enjoy her art.

The giveaway ends next Monday, December 16, at midnight, so go on over and check it out here:
Christmas Goodie Giveaway.  It's very quick and easy to enter.  Hope you win!

Sew Classic Clothes for Girls book release & giveaway

Image from The Graphics Fairy

 How I loved sewing for my daughters while they were growing up!  I didn't get the best start with sewing; I had tried learning to sew in 7th grade home ec, but just couldn't master it.  Many years later, after I was married and had kids, my mother-in-law encouraged me to start sewing for my girls while they were small.  She knew that when they got older, sewing was going to be a good way to provide some of the nice clothes they would need at more reasonable prices, and that I wouldn't always be able to find what we wanted in stores.

So I took up her challenge and took the girls to a local department store that sold fabric and patterns.  I think they were around 3 and 4 at the time.  I found an easy summer dress pattern (with NO zipper --  very important!) that they both liked, and then had them each pick out their own fabric.  Then I sewed the dresses at my mother's on her [non-portable] sewing machine,  just so I could see if I was going to be able to do this before I invested in a machine of my own.

Well, the dresses came out cute, they fit, the girls loved them, and the whole process was a lot more fun than I expected.  So I bought a sewing machine (I'm on my second one now!) and never looked back.  I continued sewing for the girls right up into their college years.  They both learned to sew as well and became proficient seamstresses.

Now I have grandchildren to sew for and, although I usually just make fun projects like felt food and superhero capes, I have also done some sewing of clothes for my granddaughters.  And that brings me to the point of this post -- a gorgeous new book called Sew Classic Clothes for Girls, by Lindsay Wilkes of  The Cottage Mama.  If you have little girls to sew for, then I think you would love this book.  There are 17 garment patterns and 3 accessory patterns, plus ideas for putting outfits together, for size 12 months right up through size 10.  A special feature of this book is that all of the patterns and all sizes are contained in a disk at the back of the book.  You can just put the disk in your computer, select the pattern and size you need, and print!  You will need to tape the pattern together in places, but they are well marked and taping is an easy process compared to tracing, enlarging, and so on.  

I would love to own a copy of this book -- how about you?  You can find it on Amazon, Walmart.com or at  The Cottage Mama.  It will soon be available at craft stores as well.  The best part is that Lindsay is giving away two copies of this fabulous book!  Head on over to Sew Classic Clothes for Girls book release and giveaway and check it out.  She shares many photos and much more info about the book than I can share here.  I hope one of us wins!

Win a fabulous new Gooseberry Patch book -- Stitching for the Kitchen!!

Wow!  This looks like such a fun book for one's crafting library!   It's a brand new Gooseberry Patch book with instructions and full size patterns for 30 projects, along with a sprinkling of recipes.  Head over here to enter: Stitching for the Kitchen Giveaway and you will find a free project from the book right on the blog.  The free project is an adorable little mug cozy made from fabric -- even includes a tiny pocket on the side to hold a pack of sweetener. 

Enter soon; the giveaway ends next Monday, July 23!

Another fabulous giveaway from the Muncks!

My much loved copy of this book

Yes, the Muncks Quiver is having another giveaway today.  This time it is a replica of the vintage Betty Crocker Cookbook for Boys & Girls.  Now, I have a strong sentimental attachment to this particular children's cookbook, because the 1957 edition is the one I learned to cook from.  I used to pore over that book by the hour, and I tried a good many of the recipes.  Some of them, especially the cookie recipes, became standards in my childhood home.  And it was this book that I used when I first cooked a complete meal when I was ten or so.  I remember making meatballs, baked potatoes -- and surely there was a salad and some kind of dessert, but I've forgotten those details.

I still have my original copy of this cookbook.  It is in tatters, with many missing pages and lots of smudges from ingredients.  It would be such fun to win a replica to use with my grandchildren!  Would you like to get in on the fun?  Head on over to The Muncks Quiver and leave a comment to have the chance to win the Betty Crocker cookbook giveaway! The giveaway ends at midnight, so you will want to enter right away.

A fun giveaway for writers!

From a vintage calendar

Do you enjoy writing and journaling?  I certainly do!  For many years I kept an ongoing journal of ideas, thoughts, trips we took, and so on.  I am also working on my second scrapbook-style journal where I paste pictures and other items that speak to me, and then journal daily activities in and around them.  For some reason I seldom seem to find time for that anymore, but I do try to journal my daily Bible reading even if I do nothing else. I also have an impressive collection of journals filled with Bible studies I've done in the past.  It makes it handy to look back when I'm studying a particular book.

And of course blank books, note cards, stationery and even nice pencils, pens, and highlighters are always fun to have.  If you enjoy the writing process too, you'll want to check out today's giveaway at The Muncks Quiver.  Here's the link: Giveaway for the writer.  This fun giveaway ends at midnight tonight, so head on over and check it out.  Someone will win, and it just might be you!

Coffee Giveaway!

Over at the Muncks Quiver, there are some fun daily giveaways going on to celebrate their 1000th post.  Today's giveaway (which ends at midnight tonight) is for two kinds of coffee.  Head on over, read about the  Coffee Giveaway and leave a comment to enter.  If you enjoy coffee as much as I do, you won't want to miss out on the opportunity to win!

Celebration Giveaway from Karla Dornacher!

(Photo by Karla Dornacher)

If you enjoy colorful, uplifting, God-honoring art, you will want to check out this Celebration Giveaway at artist Karla Dornacher's blog.  She is giving away a first, second and third prize (first prize is pictured above) to three very blessed people, so do head on over and check it out!  You can enter by leaving a comment there and/or by posting about her giveaway on your blog.  Get in on the celebration!

A generous and delightful Christmas giveaway!

It's not too late to get in on this wonderful giveaway over at the Muncks Quiver.  They are offering a choice of 14 wonderful gifts, ranging from handmades like hand towels and a peppermint scrub to tea balls and tea to a Christmas CD and a lovely book.  So many gifts to choose from!  The giveaway ends tomorrow, Saturday, December 15, at 12 pm, so head on over to the Muncks Christmas Giveaway and join in the holiday festivity!

December 1

Photo by Rudy Day News

As I've done sometimes in past years, I am planning to post each day in December, in both blogs if I can manage it.  We'll see!  Today I want  to share about a fun giveaway at Rudy Day News.  It is only open through today, so if you are interested, head on over!

Mary at Rudy Day News has been going through her collection of Christmas books and magazines.  I have a stash of those myself, but I don't have duplicates.  Mary found a few duplicates in her collection, so she is giving away 2 magazines full of Christmas inspiration and recipes to one fortunate winner.  The other winner is going to receive a book, The Farm Chicks' Christmas, which looks absolutely fantastic.

Here's the link for the giveaway:  Christmas book and magazine giveaway.  Hurry on over and leave a comment for a chance to win!

In other news, it's been snowing lightly all morning here.   Perfect for December 1!

Mr. T just helped me replace the white lights in our lighted evergreen garland which stays over our picture window year round.  I change the embellishments seasonally, so it was time for the leaves and the fall flower lights to come down, and the string of lights has needed replacing for several months.

I just dusted the hutch and am putting a few Christmasy items on the shelves, though most of the Christmas decor will wait until we get the Christmas ornaments out of the attic.  I got out my Christmas ribbon board but have not added the cards to it yet.  Later today I will do that.  I still have a few fall items to put away, and need to change my dining room table over from fall to Christmas today.  What fun to begin my Christmas decorating on a snowy day!

And Mr. T has decided he wants to put colored lights on a small evergreen outdoors.  We are getting in the Christmas spirit around here for sure!

Apron Giveaway at Retro Revival!

(Photo from The Vintage Sheet Blog)

If you love aprons as much as I do, you'll want to check into this Apron Giveaway at Retro Revival.  It's actually a guest post by Heather of The Vintage Sheet Blog, and includes a wonderful-sounding orange dessert recipe as well as the giveaway of a pretty orange apron.  The apron is a half apron made from a vintage pillowcase.  Ordinarily I am not much of a half-apron wearer, preferring the type with more protection from spills, but I would make an exception for this one.  It is just so cute!  Wouldn't you love to win this apron?  I know I would!  Head on over to the Apron Giveaway and get in on the fun!  A winner will be randomly selected on Sunday night, October 28.

Another fabulous Gooseberry Patch giveaway at Faithfulness Farm!

(Photo by Faithfulness Farm)

Yes, Gail, over at Faithfulness Farm, is doing another fabulous giveaway of a new Gooseberry Patch book -- The Harvest Table.  Gail is one of Gooseberry Patch's early bird reviewers, so she shares recipes and reviews on this post and will be sharing a few more on an upcoming post.  Gail is actually giving away 2 copies of The Harvest Table -- which looks fantastic!  -- and each book will be accompanied by a beautiful Faithfulness Farm apron and tea towel set.  You will want to check out this giveaway, so head over there right away -- Harvest Table Giveaway!

Soap Making Giveaway from Lather & Lotions at Everything Etsy!

Have you ever wanted to make your own soap?  I know I have, but just haven't gotten around to trying it.  With this Soap Making Giveaway at Everything Etsy, some fortunate person will win a $50 gift certificate to use at Lather & Lotions or its sister site, Soap Mold Works!  There are some fantastic items in these shops, so head on over and get in on this wonderfully generous giveaway!  It ends on May 7 at midnight.

Sweet party at Prairie Flower Farm!

Photo by Prairie Flower Farm

Join the springtime fun over at Prairie Flower Farm!  The party ends Wednesday, March 21, at noon, so there's still time to take part.  Linda is giving away some sweet crochet-trimmed washcloths, some lavender soap, clothesline and some ribbon-decorated clothespins.  To get in on the party, go here: Simply Sweet Wash Cloth Party!

As a fun bonus, Linda also shares the tutorial for making the crochet-trimmed washcloths.  They look so sweet and pretty.  If you enjoy crocheting with thread, you will want to check out this tutorial.  I am more of a yarn crocheter, but this project makes me want to dust off my thread skills!

Happy Spring, and enjoy the party!

Another fabulous giveaway at Faithfulness Farm!

Gail, over at Faithfulness Farm, is offering a wonderful giveaway you might like to get in on.  She's giving away a copy of Gooseberry Patch's Meals in Minutes, the special 10th anniversary edition.  The recipes she has shared in the giveaway posts sound absolutely delicious, and she recommends the entire cookbook.

But Gail is not just giving away a book -- oh no, she is also giving away a vintage-inspired apron she has made, and a vintage-inspired tea towel set.  A very generous giveaway!  You can enter here: Faithfulness Farm Giveaway and, for a bonus entry, you can post about the giveaway on your blog or on Facebook.  If you do this, be sure to leave a second comment telling Gail you have done so.  Now I'm off to do just that!

Delightful giveaway at Prairie Flower Farm!

(Photo by Prairie Flower Farm)

Yes, Linda is having another sweet giveaway this week.  She is giving away this delightful set of salt & pepper shakers in the shape of a teapot and teacup.  Aren't they sweet?  The giveaway ends on the 11th, so head on over to Prairie Flower Farm salt & pepper giveaway and get in on the fun!

Fabric Giveaway at Cotton+Wood!

(The fabrics pictured below are from my stash and are for illustrative purposes only.  They are not the fabrics being given away at Cotton+Wood.)

I made coasters (seen below)  from some of my stash fabrics!

I love fabric; it's an established fact.  Years ago, my family gave me a magnet reading "I'm a Fabric-holic!" and it was quite true.  Even today, my daughters know that a sure-fire gift for me is a selection of fat quarters or half-yard pieces of a variety of fabric.  But I think I can probably now say that I'm a recovering fabric-holic.  I tend not to buy fabric unless I have an idea of what I will use it for.  And I've done a fairly decent job of using up fabric from my stash.

Still, I must admit that my heart beats a little bit faster when I see some wonderful fabric online or when I read about a fabric giveaway like this one:  Fabric Giveaway at Cotton+Wood!.  Maybe you too would like the opportunity to win some new fabric.  If so, head on over to Cotton+Wood and get in on the fun!