5 years ago...

Five years ago, a friend sent an email through our homeschool board inviting us to follow her blog, journaling her homeschool adventures.

I had never read a blog before.  But in that click, I knew I wanted one!

I quickly signed up for a blogger account and made my first post...hitting 'submit' and sending it into cyberspace...all the while curious if anyone would read it.

To look back now, I am overwhelmed by the connections I have made - to fellow homeschoolers, stay-at-home moms, moms that craft, moms that like to cook, snarky moms, moms who have older children and are a source of encouragement and serve as a mentor to me.

The coolest thing?  5 years have gone by and I am honored to continue calling them my friends.

Some people who don't blog, don't get it.  It seems like such a foreign idea to them that you'd desire a connection with someone whom you may never meet.  But, I know that God has set this little ol' blog here for a reason and I'm thankful for that each and every day.  And thankful for all the friendships I've made.

5 years ago, my kiddos looked like this:

I love to look back at the pictures in those early years of blogging.

Never did I imagine that I'd still be typing up new posts 5 years later.  Not that I didn't think I'd have enough to say, just didn't know if I'd have the time to share it.  ;-D

Some of it is silly, some is of our school time, some is just the kids.  A few scattered posts might even be inspirational - but they are mine and I'm happy to still be here 5 years later. 

Feeling Crafty?

Even if you don't feel like a crafty person, I think you'll love this website and their weekly shows.  The DIY Dish (theDIYdish.com) was developed by the twin sisters who first showed us YouCanMakeThis.com.  A site which I've shared often with you.

The DIY Dish brings a weekly show with very do-able crafts.  This week's episode is posted below.



The entire group that puts this together is just amazing - and I'm blown away each week with their creativity.  Not only do they bring great craft ideas, but they also do amazing giveaways.  Which, about a month ago, I was special enough to have won!

I won a table runner and fresh flowers.  The table runner came last week and the fresh flowers came today - they are beautiful and smell amazing!

DIY Dish - Creativity Served

I believe you all know how much I heart the You Can Make This website.  I've gotten so many cool ideas from this site!  Not only can you buy sewing/craft patterns, they offer many for free.  While the YCMT website is everything DIY (do it yourself), they also have a You Can Quilt This, for quilting and hand-embroidery and SWAK Embroidery which is machine embroidery downloads.

And now, they're added something more.

They are introducing The DIY Dish - Creativity Served.  I think that title is the cutest.

At the DIY Dish, they are going to be “dishing out” some of the latest and greatest DIY projects in sewing, crafting, scrapbooking, home decor, kid projects, machine embroidery, hand embroidery, and more!

And their going to "dish out" these projects in a series of videos.  The videos are available to watch at no cost and will feature tons of great DIY projects.

To kick off the start of this new adventure, they are giving away two Janome machines - one sewing and one embroidery. 

Head over to this site, to learn what you can do to win.  And, to help further explain, here are the brains behind it all.   Kim and Kris are twins and the brains behind all these great ideas!!  It's a short 1-minute video.

Christmas Tour

Last year, I invited you to come again and enter through our kitchen.  So, that's where this year's tour will start.  I purchased these two wreaths, which I just simply adore, and hung them from the top of my window trim with small nails.  After looping the ribbon onto the wreath frame, I added a grommet to hang the ribbon onto the nails.  I think I'm in love!  I can picture wreaths here all. year. long.  Except, I don't think it will be so nice when opening windows - so it may just be a winter-thing! ;-)

I made the shorter candle by hot gluing cinnamon sticks to a candle and then finishing it off with some cute ribbon.  The taller candle has ribbon wrapped around it with a piece of artificial berries tucked inside.  The candle stands and topiary are all from Southern Living at Home, some of my favorite pieces!!

Need a quick idea to spruce up your cooktop? I placed a seasonally scented candle and surrounded it with various nuts. It's simple to do, but I always get lots of comments about it.

Another simple idea is these plate racks. I have 4 plates that coordinate with the wall hanging my mother made me. I swap out the plates each season for a new and fun look.

I wanted to find a special little place for a gingerbread nativity set I purchased after Christmas last year. What better place than the shelves in my kitchen!

Here's a closer look at the top two shelves.

Leaving the kitchen and entering our family room, you'll find our entertainment center.  On the bottom shelf is our Advent Calendar as well as our Advent Nativity set - which I absolutely LOVE!  Hanging on the side of the shelf is a stocking I made for my hubby a long time ago and peeking out from inside it is Charlie, our Elf on a Shelf from the North Pole.  The two pieces of pottery on the top two shelves are from my hubby's place of employment - wonderful keepsakes!

The other side of our entertainment center.  The wreath is on a wreath stand (another thing I am absolutely in love with).  I think they give you so many more options with wreaths.  I purchased mine, here.  I decided to add my Easter egg to our Christmas collection this year, too!  Because you don't get to Easter without Christmas!

And at the top of our entertainment center, is my Willow Tree Nativity.

Turning around, you'll see our Christmas tree and mantle. Our tree is decorated with Hallmark ornaments that date back to 1980. I've continued the collection with my children. You'll notice another wreath stand on my mantle; I just couldn't put a nail in the stone!  At Christmastime, I replace my silk flowers on the red sconces with these little evergreens.  The stockings were made by my mother-in-law.  They are similar to the one that I made my husband ... and I have one half completed sitting in a basket! :-D

Inspired by Just Mom, we created our own set of "JOY" letters to hang above our "window mirror." I wanted to find bigger letters, but all her readers must have gotten to the craft store before me. :-(

Around the corner from our family room is our living room. Here's a little tree that my 3 year old enjoys playing with. Isn't it obvious? ;)

The other side of the living room entryway.

Our front door.  We get so much wind at our house that I cannot hang wreaths outside.  :(  So, we settle for hanging them inside!

This is our living room where Quintin and Elle have their salt dough nativities displayed.  They both made them at our homeschool co-op.  Quintin made his 2 years ago and Elle made hers this past fall. In the middle is a picture of a snow-mail-man delivering mail to a little girl named Hannah.  Hannah's family attends our church and last year she was diagnosed with cancer.  Her Christmas wish last year was to receive lots of Christmas cards.  She received well over 157,000 cards!!  A local artist created the picture and they have raised lots of support for many other children battling cancer.  Hannah passed on to be with our Lord this past June, at just 5 years old.  We were sad but we also rejoiced as she joined her mommy up in heaven!  Her mother passed away when she was a toddler.  This picture is very special to us!

Thank you for visiting.  If you haven't done so already, head over to The Nesting Place to see many more beautiful homes and Christmas tours!

Cookie Exchange

Today, Short Stop is hosting a cookie exchange.  I just had to join in and share my three favorite cookies.  I loved them since I was little and it doesn't feel like Christmas if I don't make these!!

I've posted them all on my cooking blog, but here are the links.

Fudge Meltaways

Chocolate Crinkles

Coconut-Chocolate Meringue Bites

Click on the above names to see the recipes, and be sure to see MANY more at Short Stop's blog!
These are my favorite cookies - let me know if you try them!!!

Addictions...

Ok, so it isn't like I've hidden my addictions on this blog.

Yes, I'm addicted to pepsi.

And I'm addicted to shoes.  (For a good laugh, click on 'addicted to shoes')

I'm also addicted to sewing.

But, did you know I'm addicted to reading too?  And this website? 

If you are a reader and you're willing to pass along some books, check it out! It has saved me tons of money on books and is much faster than the library at times!  Enjoy!

Put away the bananas!

After reading PW's review on a pineapple zucchini cake posted on her new recipe site, I knew I needed to try it out. It had a cream cheese frosting - I knew it was a go.

So, I'm here today to tell you to put away those bananas I told you about to make last week's Banana Zucchini Bread, grab a zucchini and your arpon - you've got to make this one.

The recipe is posted on my cooking blog, here, and on PW's Tasty Kitchen, here.

Christmas in July...

...at the Bit of Whimsy blog.  I have made one of her adorable patterns and there are so many more I'd love to make.  Her patterns are very clear and perfect for a sewing beginner!!

Click on the link above to see more!  Her contest runs through this Friday, July 24 and winners will be announced on Saturday!  Good luck to all who enter!

Lifting Hands

On the parents' prayer blog, I've picked a theme for the month of July.  Following Stormie's 18th chapter in The Power of a Praying Parent, July's weekly prayers are focused on praying through our children's rooms.

"Everyone's house needs a spiritual houseclaning from time to time, especially in the rooms where our children sleep and play.  The Bible says if we bring anything detestable into our homes, we bring destruction along with it.  A holy housecleaning should be done periodically as a matter of principle, but definitely whenever you feel troubled by something in your child.  If he or she is becoming fearful, rebellious, angry, depressed, distant, strange, a disciplinary proglem, or having bad dreams and nightmares, sometimes simply praying through the room can change things quickly.  Singing Christian songs, humns, and worship choruses in the room is also very effective."  Stormie Omartian, ch 18

Enter of the rooms of your child(ren) and pray this prayer:

Crowd out any darkness which seeks to impose itself here, and let no spirits of fear, depression, anger, doubt, anxiety, rebelliousness, or hatred (name anything you've seen manifested in your child's behavior) find any place here. I pray that You, Lord, will make this room a holy place, sanctified for Your glory.


"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil." Isaiah 1:16

May we join our hearts together in prayer, by lifting our hands and raising our voices to the One True God for the sake of our children.

Here's the link.

Did you know...

...that I've become a Food Network channel fanatic? It's gotten so bad, that I'm actually telling myself I need "to plate" my meals and get them ready for pictures so I can post them on my cooking blog.

This is one of my favorites that I plated yesterday, lol!!

Oh, and this one!

Go ahead, click on over and see what's been cooking in Momma Roar's Kitchen! You'll find these two above and plenty more!!

And, my post today would not be complete without a birthday greeting to my good friend, Just Mom! Happy 29th Birthday JM! ;-)

"Hoppy do do do!"

Can I do it?

I'm super excited to have been picked.  If you have read my blog before, you are probably very aware of my love for this website - You Can Make This.

You can follow the other 49 challengers at the YCMT blog.  And you can follow my thrifty gift-giving ideas here on my blog.

I hope you are eager to see if I can meet this challenge - I know I am!    I've got a lot of great ideas floating around in my head and a great team of people at YCMT to work together with.

So, let's see if I can make gifts for the people on my list for under $50!

Happy Monday to ya!

WOW! After chugging along for seven weeks, we are taking some time off.

Yes, you read that right. I'm a crazy momma who started our school year in the middle of July. But hey! It was hot, and no one wanted to be outside - so why not get started?!?!

I hope to do a "Homeschool Open House" kind of post shortly about what we're using and some great resources I've found....

But not today....

Maybe not even tomorrow...

'Cause we are on BREAK!

We've got some windows to clean (not sure why I write "we" but, the kids will be in the house, so technically....) and we've got some sewing to do. I've been a good girl and haven't let the temptation of sewing distract me from our studies. This is my reward, if you will, for the past 7 weeks of work.

I'll still be around though - fear not! My BREAK is from homeschool not from blogging!

OH! And I want y'all to head on over to

Mary's blog

I know, today isn't Tiny Talk Tuesday and I'll probably be sending you there again tomorrow - but she's got a new blog look. We started in, um, spring, (LOL) and I was finally feeling a little creative.

I don't know how people can redo blogs for a living, I need chunks of time to think and get creative!!! Anyway, all that to say, stop on over at her blog - and I'm sure she'd love to know you stopped by (if you don't read/comment already!)

Blogs not opening?

If you, or someone you know, uses sitemeter on their blogs, their blog will not open with Internet Explorer. You can remedy this problem by going to your dashboard and deleting the sitemeter page element.  Just open the box where you have the sitemeter code and click 'remove.'

I don't know if sitemeter is working to fix this problem, but if you desire a new application to track your blog traffic and stats, I'd recommend statcounter.com.

Have a great weekend!

Hearts in 1 Accord

God has led Susan/Penless Writer to begin an online prayer blog. I have signed up and committed myself to a time to pray each day. We welcome you to join this blog if you're willing to commit to a time slot to pray. Your commitment needs to be workable for you - so it can be as short as 15 min or as long as an hour - just so we are committed to pray. Our hope is to have people praying 24/7!!

Visit Susan to learn more about "Hearts in 1 Accord".

You can give us a prayer request by clicking on the button at the top of my left sidebar. It will open up your email account so you can send us a message.

Sewing Pattern Giveaway

I know not everyone who stops by here sews, but I wanted to post this so you can pass it along to someone you may know. Or maybe you've thought about using your sewing machine again...well, here are some great patterns!

Sewsensible is having a giveaway on her blog. 3 lucky commenters are going to be able to choose 2 of her sewing patterns. She does them all as e-books, so you download them right away! Also, she designs her patterns with the beginner in mind. Stop by or tell someone you know about it! And do it fast! It will be over Saturday at 5!

Have a great weekend!

My southern pals!

A young family from our church moved to Alabama this past fall to work with the We Care Program at a correctional facility in Alabama. John and Shirley have two young children (their son and Quintin were in the same Sunday School class) and she's just begun blogging to chronicle their experiences and happenings. Since she's new to blogging, I'd love it if you have a chance to stop over and say hello and welcome her to this crazy world of blogging! She's just started posting some "Alabama-isms" which are keeping me guessing! Click on their picture to go to their blog!!



Also, if you have a chance to stop by another southerner's blog - MorningSong started one to document her sewing - which is awesome!! Plus, she's got a great looking header on her new blog! ;-)




And one more southerner to share - this one sews too! Meet Sewsensible, she's friends with MorningSong and has just started a new website to sell her patterns that she has created. She designs her patterns for young children with modesty in mind. I have her Twirl SKORT pattern and just picked up some material this week to make it. I can't wait to get started - but there are several other projects that must be finished first. Sew many projects, sew little time! (did ya like that?) Oh, and she has the cutest pattern for Easter baskets!