13 December 2008
My Auntie Lou posted a picture of this sunset from her home. I thought I would post a couple photos of the same sunset, just from our home.
This is through the window of our backdoor. I really liked the wet glass effect.
This is a combination of five different photographs to get the above wide angle shot. I also did one of the complete sunset, but I think I’ll just let you imagine what the other side looked like!
“The heavens declare His righteousness,
And all the peoples have seen His glory.” – Psalm 97:6
11 December 2008
Welcome to the eighth A Homemade Christmas! This is week Eight of Ten (you don’t have to enter in each one). I hope you’ll join us in sharing about homemade gifts that you have received or made — past, present, and future!
You can click here for the Introductory post.
Pincushions are practical and the perfect place to store any stray pins.
This pillow pincushion is simple, yet quite lighthearted and cheery. This is the front, with a patchwork of four colorful fabrics.
The back of the cushion with a pink button for extra beauty.
The finished size of the cushion is 4.25″ x 3.75″. A pretty pincushion would be such a nice treat for anyone!
Have you made or received any homemade gifts? If you’d like to make a post about your homemade gifts, you can sign Mr. Linky below. You can add one of my Homemade Christmas icons to your blog by clicking here. Each Thursday (until the end of December) there will be A Homemade Christmas post! Hope you’ll join in the fun as we learn, inspire, and encourage one another!
10 December 2008
Not one snow flake that has fallen from the bright and beautiful sky is like another. Each one is different, each one is special. When one snowflake melts, that small beauty will never be seen again. It is unfathomable to think that since the first snow and all the ones since there has never been two matching flakes. God’s creation is glorious, and gives glory to His name!
9 December 2008
. . . to rake your leaves in the fall.
We didn’t rake our leaves, we just let them blow around in the wind.
On my birthday (the last day of November), I was walking our dog late at night when an idea came to me. I could make a snowman on my birthday!
Bently (our dog) was taking his time, so I began to roll the snow into nice sized balls. The snow was so wet that I didn’t have to pack the layers much.
One on top of the other I stacked them.
And behold, it was a leafy snowman!
I hadn’t ever thought of that as one of the cons of not raking the leaves when they fall in Autumn.
So, our November snowman was a very leafy one.
I named him Loric.
8 December 2008
This game began at Destiny of One, and lets help it get around the blogosphere! I was tagged by Rachel and Jessica at Young Homemakers with a tag where I list ten things that I do daily.
So, here is a little glimpse into my daily life.
1) At the beginning of the day I read God’s word and pray.
2) Spend time in the kitchen cooking and/or cleaning.
3) Listen to music or workshops from homeschool conventions or Vision Forum.
4) Talk with my family. Not much goes around in our home that everyone does not know about. News travels quickly in our family of four!
5) Declutter the home, making sure that it’s clean enough to be peaceful, yet messy enough to be happy.
6) Work on the computer ranges from website/blog design, blogging, graphic design, working with my photographs, etc.
7) Read books that range from school to encouragement to classical literature.
8) Play with our funny little dog. He has a never ending personality that seems to be making us laugh right and left.
9) Visit with my birdie throughout the day, and tuck him in at night – wishing him sweet dreams.
10) Think about God, my future, what I’ll make next for my shop, etc.
I find each day and each breath a blessing from the Lord!
“This is the day which the Lord has made,
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” – Psalm 118:24
We only get to live each day once, there will never be another December 8th, 2008. I cannot rewind my days and re-live to to change things or just enjoy them again. We only get one chance at today. May it be lived rejoicing and praising our Lord!
This tags rules are as follows:
• Post the six to ten things that you do on a daily basis
• Link to the person who tagged you.
• Tag five (or so) other people
• Leave a comment on the blog of the person that tagged you letting them know that have posted this to your blog.
I am tagging the following bloggers:
• Momma at Robin’s Egg Blue
• Maggie at Painter of Words
• Meg at Blessed Are The Pure In Heart
• Missie at There is an Appointed Time for Everything
• Jasmine at Joyfully Home
• Amy at Amy’s Artsy Articulations
5 December 2008
The answer you’ve all been waiting for:
The winner of the corduroy purse is . . . Candice at BaysideBums!
Thank you all for entering, it was exciting to get so many visits and comments! I hope you all have a lovely, Christ-centered Christmas! God Bless!
P.S. My sister Breezy is having a giveaway at her blog. She will be giving away three of her beautiful art prints – there will be three winners! Click here to enter!
4 December 2008
Welcome to the seventh A Homemade Christmas! This is week Seven of Ten (you don’t have to enter in each one). I hope you’ll join us in sharing about homemade gifts that you have received or made — past, present, and future!
You can click here for the Introductory post.
One of our favorite decorations for our home are the popcorn and cranberry garlands. They are simple to make, and add such a festive look! We started them several years ago, and now it is tradition to deck our tree with the strands.
Usually when we make them we sit around watching a Christmas movie or listening to Christmas music. All that is needed is thread, a needle, a bowl of popcorn, and a bowl of cranberries.
These garlands can be wrapped around the tree, lain on a bookshelf for extra beauty, or just hang on a doorknob. I see these lovely decorations as a gift to the home, making it an even cheerier place to be!
Have you made or received any homemade gifts? If you’d like to make a post about your homemade gifts, you can sign Mr. Linky below. You can add one of my Homemade Christmas icons to your blog by clicking here. Each Thursday (until the end of December) there will be A Homemade Christmas post! Hope you’ll join in the fun as we learn, inspire, and encourage one another!
3 December 2008
This giveaway was for the green corduroy purse that I made.
This purse is simplistic and a lovely accent to any lady’s wardrobe. The interior is a cotton fabric with light blue, green, and mauve whimsical flowers in straight rows on top of a solid tan background. The handle stays inside these (one on each side at the top). The bow is added for extra beauty. For a little more information about the bag, you can click here.
The rules for entering were as follows.
To enter ONCE:
Leave me a comment telling me what your favorite thing about Christmas is.
or
To enter TWICE:
Email at least three friends, telling them about this giveaway and linking to my blog. Come back and tell me you did so, and tell me what your favorite thing about Christmas is.
This give away began on December 3rd and ended on Friday, December 5 at noon EST.
**What a huge response! Thank you all for entering,
it was fun reading your responses!**
2 December 2008
An autograph book is a sweet place to store and collect autographs. From family to friends, and even the famous. You can use it as a guest book for the visitors in your home, at graduation parties, etc. It is nice to go back and read through it to see what notes others left. What a great way to remember the special events in your life!
Supplies:
• Cover of an Old Book, preferably blank
• Razor Blade
• Boning Tool
• Eyelet Punch
• Hammer
• Paper Cutter or Scissors
• Hole Punch
• Twine
Directions:
1. Cut the cover of the old book from the binding. I found that a razor blade works best, but please take all caution when using one.
2. Use boning tool to put crease in book cover. Mine is about 1.25″ from the edge.
3. Repeat step 2 on other side.
4. Bend the cover backwards where the creases were made.
5. To punch holes in cover, use an eyelet punch and hammer to go all the way through. Make sure to have a protected surface underneath (I used a self-healing mat).
6. Cut paper to the desired size that will fit inside book cover. I cut 8.5″x11″ sheets in half, making 5.5″x8.5″ sheets.
7. You can make a template out of paper by punching holes in the correct place, then align the template on top of the cut-out paper, and make a mark in the center.
8. Punch a hole with the dot in the center. In this way each page should line up just right.
9. Cut a piece of twine that will be long enough to go around both holes, with extra length to tie a bow. I doubled my twine because with only one it was too loose and the holes were too large.
10. Poke the twine through the hole from the outside on the back cover. Pull about half the length through.
11. Take the other end and poke through the other hole, and pull the rest of the way through until each side is about the same length.
12. Poke each side through the stack of cut and punched paper.
13. Pull through until each side is even. Add front cover and pull through.
14. Knot securely and add a bow for prettiness.
A few ideas for extra beauty: Old photos, lace, ribbon, buttons, etc. I have not added any decoration to mine yet, though I do plan on doing so.
I now wish I had made one long ago because I have acquired several autographs, but they are all in different places. I hope you enjoy making your own autograph book!
