Show & Tell

Today is Show & Tell Friday, visit Kelli's to see more!

"Welcome to “Show and Tell Friday!” Do you have something special to share with us? It could be a trinket from grade school, a piece of jewelry, or a treasured collection. Look around your home for something to share; dig through those boxes in your closet if you have to! Share photos and the story that goes with your special item."

My last show and tell was about the sewing machine my mother had given me and that I wanted to purchase a new one.

After checking out some different brands, I decided on this Brother machine. I found it for a great deal - almost half of its retail value. Its a special edition featuring the "Project Runway" show logo. I'm not familiar with the show, but if someone is using this machine for not only several people to create clothing with but to be featured on a realty tv show - I knew it was a good one! My parents came with me - Dad stayed in the truck with the kids and my mom and I went in the store. She liked it so much, she bought one for herself as well - not only was it such a great deal - but she needed an upgrade to do her quilts! (quilts, part 1 and quilts, part 2)

I've done several projects and I absolutely love it! I had started this one last Fall but didn't finish it because I knew it was too big for Elle. When I make her clothing, I have to do a size smaller than her age - she's a half pint like her mom!!! :)

And, Wednesday afternoon, I started my second project and finished it yesterday. I used Sewsensible's Twirl Skort pattern and I absolutely love it. Yesterday morning the kids and I went to the mall and I found the top at Kohl's! Its a perfect match. Now all we need is some warmer weather and she's all set!

Thanks for visiting my Show & Tell - Have a wonderful weekend!!!

Show & Tell - My first sewing machine

Welcome to “Show and Tell Friday!” Do you have something special to share with us? It could be a trinket from grade school, a piece of jewelry, or a treasured collection. Look around your home for something to share; dig through those boxes in your closet if you have to! Share photos and the story that goes with your special item. Visit Kelli's, to see more!



In January of 1967, my parents celebrated their first wedding anniversary. This is what they purchased for my mom.

A Belvedere Adler sewing machine. It was refurbished when they bought it, so we don't know what year it is.

My mom used this to make us clothing, to sew curtains, bedspreads and quilts. She used it up until about 6 years ago when she passed it along to me. She received one of her mother's sewing machines and gave this one to me to learn on.






If you look just under the cabinet, next to the right front leg, you'll see the "foot control" or knee control. I really enjoyed having the knee control as opposed to a control on the floor. If I did any sewing while the kids were awake, I could walk away and not worry about them...because they could never figure out how I made the sewing machine go!!

The basket underneath is holding some material for my next project: a blanket

I had taken sewing classes in Junior High Home Ec and I often fiddled with it making things while at home - when mom wasn't working on something. But 6 years ago, I was pregnant with my first child and I was determined to make this baby something!



I made little tag blankets. Quintin (nor the others) never played with them...but I did give some as baby gifts and everyone else's children liked them. It wasn't until I had a daughter that I wanted to do some clothing. I made Elle one outfit last year and I want to try my hand at some more things this year.

I did a lot with that sewing machine - including putting button holes on Elle's outfit, the old way - that was a difficult task - and now, that they have sewing machines that do them for you.

We're in the market for a new machine, so if you sew and I haven't already emailed you asking what you are currently sewing with, leave me a comment, please!!

Here's a better look at the fabrics for my next project.
Thanks for stopping by to see my show and tell, and don't forget to visit Kelli's blog to see more Show & Tell's! Thanks for hosting this Kelli!

Sneak Peak

I was hoping to have my latest project finished for Show & Tell today...but it snowed yesterday (there was sledding to do) and my fingers are tender from the work - even typing hurts a bit. :-O

I hope to finish it up this weekend and get it posted - as we won't be around next week for show and tell.

So, here's your sneak peak - like any of you were really sitting on "pins and needles" (pun intended) for this one - but amuse me, would you? ;-)

- this was taken after arriving home from my first class - 'cause I had to keep working on it right away!! I'm crafty-crazy like that! :)

Show & Tell: Ornaments

Its Friday and Kelli is hosting Show & Tell. Head over to her place to see more!!

I have always loved making things for family and friends at Christmastime. Last year, Quintin and I started making some ornaments. He asked in November if we were going to make them again this year. So I got our supplies and we were off. Elle was excited because she was able to help this year! I'm not sure you can appreciate the final project as well on these pictures, but in person - they look so beautiful. Quintin is much more patient than I am when it comes to swirling the paints inside the balls, he gets gorgeous colors with his! Enjoy watching the process to make them!

The Colors of Fall

Kelli is hosting Show & Tell today, please head over to her site to see more.


I really enjoy Fall and all the colors the come along with it. I thought you might enjoy seeing the colors around our house today.






The browns.....


The reds...

Even some black...

Oh, did you think I meant our trees? Sorry, here you go!

Have a great weekend! Thanks for hosting Show & Tell Kelli!

Show & Tell

I've been wanting to share two of our 'extra projects' that we've been doing. Quintin had a great time painting them and I think they turned out really cute.






Let's all climb aboard the Quintin Train!










We also found some inexpensive wooden kits at the local craft store. Quintin's first choice was this race car!








To see more Show & Tells, head over to Kelli's!

What fun projects have you recently done or plan to do soon with your children?

Our School Room

Its time for Show & Tell this week! To see what others are Showing & Telling, head over to Kelli's! Thanks for hosting this again Kelli!

When we built our house, we decided to make what the architect designated as a dining room, into a playroom. A wonderful choice, I believe.

On either side of the window we have small bookcases and next to the table there is a small shelf that holds the toy bins.

I keep most of our school books in our den, but the ones I'm using daily sit on top of the bookcase. I just recently got a set of drawers to hold paper, crayons, and odds 'n' ends craft items. We had those things stashed all throughout the house, so now having them all together saves time.

The children's artwork is displayed like clothing on a washline with little plastic clothes pins!!

We received the table and chairs through our local Freecycle. If you've never checked this site out, please do! We've been able to pass somethings along as well as find some things that may have gone in the trash. Our table came from a church who was getting rid of them - its actually the church we were go for co-op. The chairs are a bit rusty on the bottoms, so I purchased chair pads and they slide great and the rust doesn't touch the floor.

I have some more things planned for the room, but this is how we are using it now!




Thanks for visiting my show & tell.

Show & Tell

It is Friday and that means that Kelli is hosting Show & Tell at There is No Place Like Home - head on over to her place see more.




I'd like to share a special treasure that I keep with me everyday. These are my wedding rings.

The center stone was from my engagement ring and the outer ones are from a special ring. My maternal grandmother gave me the ring in 1997, when I graduated from college. My birthday is in July and rubies are my birthstone. Her birthday is in April and her birthstone is diamonds. She wanted me to have her ring since it shared our birthstones. She purchased the ring sometime after 1972, after my grandfather passed away. After she picked it out, she would go to the store each week after work to make a payment on it.

Originally, her ring was two rows of rubies with a row of diamonds in the middle. It was gorgeous. I really wanted to wear it all the time, but it felt too large on my hand. I asked her if she would mind if I had it made into something I could wear with my engagement ring. She loved the idea. I had a wrap made in 1998. Last year, for our 10th anniversary, I had the wrap and engagement ring combined into one ring. It is something I will always treasure. My dear grandma will turn 90 on her next birthday in April.

Thanks for stopping by and letting me share today!

Show & Tell

Kelli is hosting Show & Tell today! Head over to her site to see more!! Thanks for hosting this again today, Kelli!!! Today, I'd like to share some of my angels.

This first one was given to me by a good friend of my mom's. She gave it to me for my HS graduation and I took her to college with me! She still rests on my dresser! She's aged and lost some of the dried flowers, but she's still praying! She reminds me a lot of Susan's angel that she shared here.

I just love these Will*w Tre* angels. The taller one was a gift from my sister. It is the Sprit of Christmas, she gave me this in December 2004, when Elle was born. And the little one, mi casa, I purchased for myself when we were building our house. I marked 2005 on the house!

This last one is a 'thank you' angel. She is the reason I wanted to show my angels today. I just received her this week - in the mail. Well, lol, actually, I had to go pick her up at the U*P*S store. Why, you ask? She was mailed to me by Aisha (Just Mom) as a thank you for an Extreme Makeover: Blog Edition type thing! And she was mailed to the store because that was the return address on the package I mailed her when she won one of my birthday contests! Apparently, they didn't like mine!?!?!?

I must admit that I was a little confused as to why I had to go to the store to pick up a package - I wondered if the drivers were on strike! I didn't realize that my address didn't show up on the package - and fortunately, Galen, the nice man working at the store, took the time to look me up in the system and give me a call! What a treat when I arrived!

UPDATE TO ADD: I wanted to add that the evening I received my angel, I called Aisha to thank her for it. It was a treat to talk to her as well - and she doesn't have much of an accent! :) Thank you again Aisha!!

Along with my show and tell about my angels, I'd love for you to come back on Monday as I'm planning to share a story about my angel...who saved my life.

Blessings for a great weekend,

Show & Tell #6

Today is Show & Tell at Kelli's House. Click on the above button to go to her place where you can see the rest of those joining in on the fun. If you haven't done one yet, think about sharing next Friday!

I'd like to show you and tell you about this clock. T and I had always wanted one for our foyer but just weren't ready to invest in one. Along comes my neighbor's garage sale last year. Yes, I said garage sale.

Our neighbors across the street and a few houses up were moving to NC because of work. I walked up the morning of the sale just to see what was there. I was just picturing the little trinket things you normally find thinking they wanted to sell some of the little things they cleaned out. I was right, the books, small pictures, odds and ends items were outside on their porch. Ready to head home, I realized there was a sign on the sliding door - More Inside. OK, I thought, so I headed in. Here, they were selling much of their furniture: a leather sofa, an entertainment center with a huge TV. They were a couple with two grown daughters and didn't want to take everything down in a moving truck. Good for them - better for us!

I found a table that I fell in love with first - it fits perfectly outside of our bedroom, in an odd shaped nook that we have. I called T to let him know what I found and he gave me the go ahead to purchase it - along with a lamp that was something I wouldn't have bought off the shelf, but since it was a great deal, I bought it for the creative and interesting look it offered.

T came home over lunch to pick up the table and bring it home in his truck. Behind the table, in their hallway, was this clock. I had seen it too and wanted him to see it - but I didn't mention it - I sent him to pick up the table even though I could have brought the table home in my van (I was pregnant with Colin at the time and being the gentleman that he is, he wouldn't have let me bring it home anyway), and I wanted him to see the clock. He brought the table home and asked me if I had seen the clock.

It was the clock we both pictured in our heads when we spoke of one. Nothing but round features and a simple face. Simple elegance.

Well, I headed back up later that day to see if it was sold and I breathed a big sigh of relief when it was still there. I told them we'd be back the next day to pick it up.

We brought it home and love the way it looks in the foyer!

But, this is not the end of the story. A week or two later, I needed to call these neighbors to find out if she was still selling one of her chairs - a friend had been in and seen it. I was sitting in the den when I decided to call. But instead of getting up and grabbing the phone book, I decided to go*og*le their names to find their phone number.

It was easy to find, but the search brought up a genealogy hit (meaning, someone in their family was recording their family history online). So, being the good nosey Brethren woman that I am - I clicked on it. Found her name, her hubby and her kids....clicked on her mom's name...WHAT? Her mom and I shared the same maiden name.....clicked on further and my neighbor's grandfather and my grandfather were brothers! What in the world? Why hadn't I met this family member before? I called her up to discuss the chair and I wasn't sure about discussing my recent findings for the fear of coming across a tad nosey - but I did. She was thrilled (and didn't think I was being nosey, lol). Her mom was still there so she began asking her questions, too. It turns out that my grandfather was either the oldest or second oldest and her grandfather was the youngest - so with the distance, neither brothers' families were close. Her mom remembered my grandfather though and said he was her favorite uncle - always so fun to be around. This was so nice to hear because my grandfather passed away around the time of my birth.

I have no cousins - my parent's siblings married, but never had any children. So believe me, when I tell you that when I find out I have a second cousin - I AM THRILLED. As I was still talking to my second cousin - she said, "You know what? I'm thrilled you go the clock - I loved that clock - and I always wanted it to stay in the family. And, now it has!"

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*:-:¦: Leigh Ann :¦:-:*
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Show & Tell #5

Today is Show & Tell at Kelli's House. Click on the above button to go to her place where you can see the rest of those joining in on the fun.


Here's one of Elle's shirts that she wore last summer. I love the bright colors and flowers.

I decided to turn it into my clothespin bag for my laundry line. I think it turned out great - I don't know how long it'll last before fading - but for now, it makes me smile when I look out!!

Some of the local farm markets and road-side stands sell little Amish-dress clothespin bags, but I hadn't seen any this year. I started searching on the internet for some ideas. One site suggested using a toddler dress to make one. I searched through last year's clothing and came upon this shirt - Elle always looked so cute in it.

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*:-:¦: Leigh Ann :¦:-:*
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Show & Tell #4

Today is Show & Tell at Kelli's House. Click on the above button to go to her place where you can see the rest of those joining in on the fun.

My Show & Tell today is a new blog I've started. Momma Roar's Kitchen was born out of a desire to have a place to store and share all of our family's favorite recipes. I've only gotten a few posted, and I hope to have some more soon, but I really like to have pictures to go with them.

I know some of you have already happened upon this cooking blog, but I still wanted to share it. So, please visit, and come back again to visit.

I always have fun creating the new looks and the graphics for them. I will have this graphic on my sidebar as a button to take you over there from here. Please stop by and pull up a chair.

By the way, you'll notice most of the recipes are for desserts - while we do like our desserts around here, I plan to get some other recipes posted too!

Have a blessed weekend!


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*:-:¦: Leigh Ann :¦:-:*
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PA Limestone Quarry

The quarry's open house was last month on the Saturday of Mother's Day weekend. They do an open house like this every 5 years - this year is their 70th anniversary! I finally had a chance to have Poppa Roar with me while I worked through the captions - suprisingly, I knew enough 'quarry lingo' to do most of them on my own, but needed his final approval (I think I even suprised him with my knowledge)! The Open House is a big hi-lite and the employees enjoy putting in the time to make it succesful. You can pick out the employees in the pictures, as they are wearing blue shirts.

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*:-:¦: Leigh Ann :¦:-:*
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