From the January archives

 I guess that I have never done an archive post for January.  I can't find it, if so.  So it's high time that I put one together!  It's also an easy sort of post to buy me a little time while formulating my New Year goals.   Pour yourself a cup of coffee or tea (isn't this snowflake coffee pot beautiful?)  and enjoy the read.

I'll start by sharing Cranberry Orange Muffins, from January 2007.  As I mentioned in the post, this muffin recipe includes cornmeal and I really like the texture.

From 2008, When the Path is Steep is a devotional thought that might encourage anyone facing what looks like a hard season.

January 2009 had so many posts to help with spiritual growth.  I will share just two: Reading Through the Bible in a Year or more, and Enriching one's life by use of a Prayer Journal.  I think I need to update that Bible reading post (or write a new one) since I've discovered other great ways of reading through the Bible in the interim.  If you are interested in the others -- there are more posts about my prayer journal and quiet time -- just go to the archives for January 2009.

In 2011 I did a number of embroidered designs, mostly pillow cases and dish towels.  You can read about them here: Bluebird and Sparrow designs.  And Hearty fare for a cold night features Rosemary Chicken with White Beans.  

Vintage Style Pillowcases, from 2012, is a pattern I have made often.  So customizable!

A post about three cross-stitched Christmas ornaments might give you some ideas for the coming year's Christmas crafting.  From 2015.  Further crafting from that same January included a flannel baby blanket which has become my go-to baby gift.  New moms love the convenient size of these blankets to place over baby in the car, or to use as a handy nursing cover.

From 2016, I share some ideas for Winter Centerpieces.

This post could become quite unwieldy, as I have nine more years of archives to look through.  So I will end with this and plan to do a second archive post later in the month.

December 10

 Lots of Christmasy happenings here today!

Mr. T baked and frosted another batch of Eggnog Logs.  He also baked a batch of Lemon Shortbread Thumbprints and made a batch of Special Holiday Fudge.

I finally got around to baking Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies from Ambitious Kitchen.  They involved a lot of work but are beautiful and delicious.  There was an option to make them a peppermint mocha flavor so I did that.

I listed a few more Christmas cards in my Etsy shop and worked on more posts for my Christmas blog.

We got the lights on our Christmas tree and then between us we mostly got it decorated.  There are a few more things I want to add, and a few more decorations to go up in the house, but mostly we are in good shape for our annual grandkids breakfast and craft time which will be Saturday.

It snowed all day, which was another Christmasy thing, and I had Christmas music playing as we worked on our various projects.

December 8

 

So yesterday afternoon we were able to go to the Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra's Christmas concert, titled North Pole Playlist.  Our granddaughter and several of our friends play in this orchestra and the Christmas concert is always a fun one. 

Today my hubby has been baking cookies and stringing up outdoor lights.  I think he also is thinking of bringing in the Christmas tree this afternoon too, but we will see!

He is currently working on Christmas tree spritz

and earlier finished Gingerbread Coffee Cake Cookies.

 
I've been cleaning, doing laundry and just a bit of decorating, working on Etsy listings too.  I just scanned the little 1950s Rust Craft card, below.  Isn't it fun?

 
And soon it will be time to think about supper!  Another busy December day, but I am seeking to do every bit of it in a celebratory spirit, as to the Lord.

A smidge of spring and summer decor

 

Just sharing a smidge of decor for late spring and early summer.  Just a smidge, because that's literally all I have done.  

I only have a few minutes to blog today so I will just mostly put up photos and captions.

A display atop a bookcase in a corner of my living room.  A couple of spring and summery mugs, one with faux boxwood sprigs, a sweet sign and a resin bird, and a small crewel embroidery done by me in the 1970s.  I still love it!

Two shelves on my hutch showcasing jadeite old and new, some strawberry themed mugs and a jam jar.  Upper shelf has new "jadeite" from Pioneer Woman; lower shelf has vintage Fire King jadeite.  Teapot and salt and pepper are vintage McCoy pottery in the Strawberry Country line.  I was blessed to acquire all of these, plus a matching crock, for free over the years.

 
Bottom shelf of my hutch featuring an ironstone soup tureen, a vintage cup and jadeite mug, a candle holder, Colonial Homestead salt shaker, plus a sweet reminder "family brings you home sweet home".

And the hutch in its entirety!
 

Happy summer, everyone!

Just a bit of midwinter decor

  No time for much of a post today, but my simple winter decor is making me smile and I just wanted to share.  Above is a small winter village.  We usually bring out some of our lighted houses after the Christmas tree comes down.  The tree stands in this spot where the pine chest and village are now.

Above, my February sampler.  Love it!

Above, two free printables framed and displayed in the front hallway.

Probably my favorite decorating spot is atop a bookcase in a corner of the living room.  The runner, which has sparkling silver threads in it, was handwoven by my friend Patty.    The little deer is actually a candle holder from my childhood.  The crewel skater was stitched by me in the 1970s.   The cardinal is a keepsake I found in a kitchen drawer at my childhood home, the pitcher a thrift store find.  Tag and beaded heart made by me.

A corner of the garland over our picture window.  Always snowflakes and icicles for the winter.  The pretty Christmas balls were hand-painted by granddaughter Julia.

The opposite corner.  A chickadee and cardinal have flown onto the garland!

Two shelves of my dining room hutch.  Another very favorite place to decorate!

The topmost shelf.  Bottle brush trees in Colonial Homestead teacups.  I have had the pine cone teapot for years, but this is the first time I've thought to put it on the hutch.

 Above is a corner of the lowest shelf of my hutch.  That is a 1950s Christmas card, a sketch of a local lakeside barn.  Even though the card is old and discolored, I love it.  The barn is still standing and still beautiful.

 Icicles on one of our dormers.  Aren't those pretty rings of ice amazing and beautiful!?  I can't take credit for this bit of "decorating" though -- all glory to God!

A bit of winter decor

 

Now that it's almost Valentine's Day,  I'm going to share the smidgen of winter decorating I did.  The area pictured above is the top of a shortish bookcase in a corner of the living room.  Some of these same items were here for Christmas decor, but they are lovely and wintry and so they remain -- the card back center, from our good friend Kristina; the beautiful winter pitcher is by Hallmark and was a thrift store find a couple of years ago; and the little cardinal, for whatever reason, was found in a kitchen drawer at my childhood home.

The crewel picture of a skating boy was made by me in the 1970s; the winter tag was made by me a few years ago; the little house in a jar was made by me from a repurposed candle jar; the blue snowflake made by a crafting friend; and the "January" garland was made by my friend Judy.

Inquiring minds might like a closer look at a couple of things.  Below is the back side of the January/winter tag.  It was my first attempt at tag making and I still love it.

This is the front of the tag.  I repurposed a little snowman charm from a defunct necklace.

This adorable project was so much fun to make.  Find out how I did it here: Winter house in a jar.  I'm still astounded that I was able to pull this project together. 

Top 2 shelves of my winter hutch.

A blurry photo.  It's hard to photograph things in jars.  This one was repurposed from a mason jar with no lid, a figurine from a broken snow globe, and a page from an old hymnal.  The song is "Whiter Than Snow", but that's impossible to see from this photo.

A fun Christmas card from my daughter's family and some of my glitter houses.

"Snow" card made by my friend Judy; a cross stitch made by me

The two oldest grandgirls are now adults, but I've always liked this fun snowman photo of them.  The Fire King "Kimberly" mug just seems to fit with winter decor, and the cabin plate was a thrift store find.

And there is some of my simple winter decorating!

A bit of winter decorating

 

 Just popping in with a quick post to share the small bit of winter decorating that I've done.  Most of it's on my hutch.  I found this gorgeous snowflake plate at our favorite local thrift store.  The blue mug is a Fire King mug in the "Kimberly" pattern; I found it at my childhood home and fell in love with it.  The little "Snow Day" cross-stitch is from the Prairie Schooler January sampler leaflet.  I'm working on the sampler, but I simply could not resist stitching this little piece also.

The log cabin plate was also a thrift store find; the vintage Gurley snowman candle was a gift from my friend Cyndy.

This shows more of that shelf.  The snowman plate was another thrift store find; think it's from Walmart originally.  The little cardinals were gifted me by my friend Lynne.

A closer look at the snowman plate.

The shelf below looks pretty much the same every winter: lots of glittery houses and little trees.  This year I added in a Christmas card from our friend Steven.  I thought it fit so well with the trees and houses.

 I already showed you this bookcase top from the living room, below.  It looks exactly the same now except I removed the "January" garland.  I decided I loved everything else just as it is!

 Oh, and this is an older photo but I have also hung these banners over the dining room windows:

And there is some of my super-simple winter decorating that I'm enjoying so very much.   Probably in March I will transition to a maple sugaring theme.

A bit of winter decor

 

Just a quick post to share some of my winter decor (and yes, a little bit of Christmas too).  Above is  a January display atop a bookcase.  Our friend Terry gave us the gorgeous lighted snow globe last year.  My friend Judy made the January garland for my birthday some years ago.  The pretty pitcher was a thrift store find this year.  Here's another look...

 

The pretty machine embroidered snowflake was a fun enclosure in a Christmas card this year.  I found the cardinal in a kitchen drawer at my childhood home and delight in displaying him when I can.

This picture makes this little sign look larger than it really is.  I haven't measured but it may be 4x6.  Not large.  But isn't it pretty?  A gift from my daughter last year.

 

This sign was a Dollar Tree find this Christmas.  As you can see we still have our Christmas decor up.  The tree will be coming down in the next few days, but the lighted houses will be coming out in its place.  Still need light and sparkle here!

 

Above, a closer look at that sign.  I like that except for the "fresh cut Christmas trees" this is just a winter sign.

My friend Cyndy brought me the snowman candle.  It's a vintage Gurley candle.  I like how he seems to be tipping his hat to the passing station wagon.

And just another look at the shelf the snowman is (or I should say was) on.  He's still on the shelf but I have changed out the plates.  Guess I will need to take another picture!  But not today.  Other tasks await!