Winter Mantel

Hello, I already posted today but came across this blog (I get updates on facebook for some cool blog posts) and this one had a mantel link-up. So I decided to do it. Here's a picture of how i decorated my mantel this year. Pretty simple compared to the others.!  I have two green spiral-like trees sprayed in glitter, a star with a vintage frame covered on top of it... a kerosene lamp, and some fake poinsettias.  I usually dress my mantle in real garland but I didn't want a mess, and plus the extra cost of garland, so I opted for fake this year. I have a string of white sparkly glass beads strung very messily across.  I forgot to take detailed pictures... i am impressed I even got the post up!

 I also took apart my tree (it was time to go) and made a few centerpieces. I was glad to recycle!

Success

While yesterday was a bad day (in many ways) my Boston Cream Pie was a success. We went shopping in Fargo on Saturday for Peter's Birthday and after getting home at 9:15, the cake was in the oven by 9:45 and most of it stuck to the pan. And crumbled.  But.... to my surprise, I did not panic. You see, this is expected while making this yearly Boston Cream Pie (and has happened before).  I also forgot to mention I ran out of sugar so I had to call my neighbor for some. Thankfully she had enough for my cake. Anyway, So, I somehow got it out of the pan and pieced it back together, waited for it to completely cool, and sawed it horizontally in half... and then that was it. No one even noticed. The filling was exceptional, and the chocolate ganache was really good too!

We made ufta tacos for supper yesterday and with the leftover store-bought bread dough; we are enjoying two loaves of semi-homemade bread.  If you remember, part of my NY resolution was baking more. This counts, right?

Today I have hundreds of pounds of laundry to do... take down our tree (finally) and going to our churchs' woman's meeting tonight. It seems already it's going to be a busy week. A shout out to Kelsey for watching the kids all day at our house... they were in bed when we got home and she even cleaned up the house for us. Well, better go.  I thought i'd share a cute websites too...

https://www.craftstylish.com/item/40130/how-to-make-snuggly-slippers-from-old-sweaters  - Looks easy enough to try!  Til later

sew proud!

I started a pillow project on Thursday.. in hopes to get done for Peter's birthday the next day. I went to go Joannes on Tuesday for fabric...  but really could not come up with much, so I had to settle for the fabric below.  The nice thing about it, is that I can switch it out.  Here's my notes on a scrap piece of scrapbooking paper.

Obviously the first step is measuring the pillow, which in my case was 15x15. So to make a pillow with two inch flanges (I think that's what they're called)  So i measured it to be 17 1/4 width and height. And cut, of course.

In order to make an 'envelope' type of pillow, the back side needed to be 8 5/8 x 17 1/4 and the other was 11 5/8 x 17 1/4 (for overlapping)

I needed to hem the envelope part of the fabric, to make a straight and good edge, so i measured 1/4 of an inch, and folded, ironed, and then folded another 1/4 inch and ironed again.

Then I stitched both envelope peices. It was helpful to fold and iron so that I could keep a straight line.

It is difficult to show with this fabric because both sides were the same... but typically if you have a fabric that has a colorful side, (=the good side) and a white side of the fabric (=bad side)  Typically you want the to lay the good side up, and then layer the 'bad' side on top. Then pin all the way around. You want the part of the envelope that you added the 3 inches, to go on the bottom, and the and like the photo below, the shorter part of the envelope is going on top of the longer part of the envelope.

When you're finished with the pillow, pull it inside out, and press.  Then I put tape on my machine at the 1 inch line out from the needle, and sewed a straight line all the way around the pillow. My original plan was 2 inches, but i messed up with cutting :)  There ya go, i'm not very good at explaining but hopefully it's enough if you've ever wanted to try to make a pillow.

I had to show, also, my deep dish pizza. I'm not kidding you, it tasted exactly like pizza hut pizza, except not as fattening or greasy.  Sooo good!   


I am really tired... i just made another boston cream pie and the bottom stuck to the pan again.  We'll see how it'll piece together tomorrow.. I am going to bed!!!

Early Risin'

I have been feeling nudged the last few days to get up early... either to exercise, or to read. Here is a good post about that: (reading part)

http://www.girltalkhome.com/blog/fighting-laziness-pursuing-holiness1

Today was a really great day! We woke up earlier and got ready to go to GF. I shopped at Joannes for some of my birthday present... i got a huge mat and a square ruler, and then some fabric that was on sale. I have some craft plans up my sleeve.  Then Peter dropped us off at the mall so that he could go to his guitar lessons, and the girls were so good! (PTL) We shopped around and i picked out a sweater and used a gift card. I bought peter something for his birthday and then we ate. Then we went to Gap and I got a couple shirts that were on sale for Kate, and then some gifts for my nieces whose birthday's coming up at the end of January. We did groceries at Target and luckily a sucker occupied them most of the time and enjoyed some ice cream on the way home. Tonight I am going to a bible study meeting at a friends house, and tomorrow I get to go to my morning bible study which i haven't been to for almost 2 months. I am excited to get to go. We are doing 3 days in one meeting, and two days the next week with a video. So, it is broken up quite a bit, and i've been able to keep up that way, doing two different bible studies. I've been keeping up with book reading (NY resolution) and also have made bread this week.. yay!  Anyway, this was supposed to be a short post.  Gotta go for now!

Boston Cream Pie

 This week I am thinking about what I could make for my hubby's birthday... somehow this blog post I did about a year ago, popped up... it made me smile, so I had to re-post it! Click the link below.

Remembering...

snowed in

on my birthday I left the kids at my mother-in-laws, and we went shopping. I was in desperate need to shop for birthday gifts and to look for items to furnish the house. I picked up another set of curtains for my living room and ideas at the Antique Mall for bedroom and living rooms. My hunt was on for a small sofa table, possible "tea" table for the front living room, and items for the family room in the back of the house.  I didn't have much luck because I've got an opinionated husband, but I did get a lamp stand for Maddy's room, and a black rocker (supposed to be a 1st year present, but none could be found at the time).

We seem to be playing a lot of play dough lately, and eating our share of pretend food. With all this 'time off'... I am not sure if I can come up with new things to do! I am hoping one of these days we can go outside to pass some of the time away because I really am quite bored!   Here are some cute pics from today, along with a photo of my table for miss maddy's room. Most aren't clear but still cute.

This upcoming year I hope to...

Do more crafts. I feel like I have really gotten lazy and unmotivated when the kids have gone for a nap. My hope is that I can do crafts at least 3 times a week... even for 20 minutes...just something crafty. My dream is to make an outfit for the kids, or even myself, WITHOUT HELP! I am tired of always needing to get help.

Finish a book. I have about 3 books going...I can't seem to ever finish one. Besides my normal devotions and bible studies (and my dream to do crafts) it is hard to finish a book. But that would be a goal.

Start my diet (again). I did fairly well in the summer, but I feel like I am doing less activity in the winter, and really need to step it up with my shakes again. I don't have any type of exercising machine anymore, and we talked about getting one but now we can't really afford it. Pilates will have to do!

Do more baking. It would be nice to once a week, get in the habit of making bread, buns, and healthy treats. I used to be good at this, but ever since December hit.... I have hardly done anything!

Be more organized:  I have begun purchasing more bins and things for organizing.. especially since the girls got so many gifts... I have been really strict on clean up before they go onto the next item. Slowly they are learning!

We don't have any plans for tonight...which is okay... it has been really nice to stay home and enjoy each other. Last night we had our weekly date night (a day early) and it was so much fun. The truffles I made turned out great, too.   Praying for safety and good health the upcoming year.... God bless!