bits of sunshine

** working on wood ** and ** a birthday present **

Yesterday the kids and I moved a bunch of our woodpile into the basement - where it will be warm and dry and easy to get to.  I stood inside the wood window - Maddie handed wood to Isaac who handed it to me and I stacked it.  It worked really well.  We've got lots more to practice our team work with!  It just feels so good to be doing something to help keep us warm this winter!

And some more fall beauty ::



Last night I sewed a quick Lazy Days skirt for a birthday girl.  It took about 45 minutes.  This morning I sewed one for my girl.  I had bought a yard of the fabric to make one for Maddie - but the yard was enough to make both!  And Maddie's is big enough to last for quite some time! 

I will be making lots of these!  So easy and cute and comfy and fun!  See a bunch of these lovely skirts here.  I didn't use the ribbon trim.  I turned a half-inch hem - just one fold - and did a decorative stitch - I think it worked well.

And both girls are happy with their skirts.  Me too.

second chance thursday

This needle-work was done by my great grandmother (my mom's mom's mom).  It was the front of a sofa pillow for a long time.  I remember it sitting on my grandma's sofa when I was a little girl.  A few years ago, my grandma moved out of her house into smaller, one-level apartment.  Of course, there was a lot of cleaning out to be done.  Thankfully my mom went to help her, because my grandma is not sentimental.  The back of this pillow was falling apart, so my grandma was going to throw out "that old thing."  My mom saved it and asked me if I wanted it.  Of course I wanted it!  For many reasons.  It is beautiful - the colors are still striking (better than they show up in the photo here), and it was a design my great grandmother created herself.  Also, I am named after her.  Her name was Hedvig (she moved to this country from Sweden when she was in her late teens), but everybody called her Heddi.  And my mom chose that for my middle name.  I really like having something that she made in my home.  So, I gave the old pillow a second chance - I took the front off the rest of the pillow and had it framed.  But, in taking it apart, I found that my great grandmother had already given some other fabric a second chance - the pillow was stuffed with rags wrapped in a feedsack.  I think I must have gotten some of my love for repurposing from her.

Heddi

I love being connected to my past.  I love it that I share a name with my great grandmother.  And I share a name with my grandma and my mom and my little girl, too.  I don't know what Hedvig's middle name was, but my grandma is Violet Elizabeth, my mom is Elizabeth Ellen, I am Elizabeth Heddi, and my girl is Madelaine Elizabeth.  Even better, Madelaine has connections on both sides with the name Elizabeth.  Ben's sister is Christin Elizabeth, his mom is Nancy Elizabeth, and her mom was Wilma Elizabeth.  On Ben's dad's side he has two aunts - Lynn Elizabeth and Elizabeth Ahne.  So, many of Ben's cousins have Elizabeth for a middle or first name.  Even more fun, I have a very dear friend named Elizabeth and another lovely friend named Elissa (which is derived from the same roots as Elizabeth).

Heddi and Violet

Carl and Heddi

               Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Madelaine and Violet  (4 years ago)

favorite quote wednesday

Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed.       ~Storm Jameson

Ben's brother Jake and his wife Andrea were visiting us yesterday and overnight.  In the evening, after supper, we were all sitting around in the living room.  I was feeling happy.  Just all of us, sitting around together.  Jake was drawing - and this is one of his sketches!  It is such a likeness of Ben!  I framed it this morning.  It's going to find a home on the shelf in my bedroom, I think . . . I love it! 

Andrea was telling some stories about her brother who is in the Air Force.  This got the kids all excited about "army guys" and shooting the "bad guys" and hunting for deer and ducks and the following pictures are the result ::

Ben and Jake got into helping Isaac with his bandanna, and they were laughing and talking.  Maddie tired of chasing down the bad guys and got out her paper and markers and practiced writing "curly letters" - she likes to embelish things - like her mom.  I had my sewing project out - which I will show off on Monday - it's for a baby shower on Sunday evening.   And Andrea got interested in what I was doing - so I got out an embroidery hoop and some sewing notions and taught her how to do french knots, daisy stitches and some other chain stitches that I don't know the names for. 

We had coffee to sip and fresh oatmeal chocolate chip bars to munch on and lots of love and laughs. 

All of the parts of my favorite quote today were so real to me last night.  I am truly happy and blessed.

late afternoon . . .

I know I'm later than usual today, I spent the morning getting packages ready and cleaning.  The things from my giveaway were all over my guest bed, so I packed them all up and then got ready for some guests - Ben's brother and his wife are staying over night with us.  They arrived at noon, and we are having a great time so far!

Here are 3 bits of sunshine for you::

Just wanted to let you see how much snow we got on Sunday . . . and it lasted most of the day yesterday.  There is still a bit left today, even.  But it is supposed to warm up into the 60's tomorrow - so it will all melt away.  That's good, because I need to finish raking and doing a bit of yard clean-up before it snows and stays.

These are ready to be sent off to the winners of my giveaway!  I would have posted them today, but there was an excessively long line at the post office and I have company today.  So tomorrow they shall be on their way.

This is the granola that Maddie and I made yesterday using this recipe from my friend Jeannine, but using cashews instead of almonds and adding raisins.  I also didn't have enough honey, so I added some brown sugar.  It makes a big batch, and I like it!  Thanks Neen, for the recipe!

Ben

I don't have a picture today.  I just have a heart full of love for the most wonderful man in the whole. wide. world. 

His name is Ben.  You can see a picture of him here.  I have been married to him for almost 7 years (our anniversary is November 10).  I have known him for almost 8 years (we met on December 8, 2000).  He is the most fun, funny, sexy, wonderful man on the planet.  He is.

What brought this on you ask?  Well, I realized that he is one of my most favorite in the whole world, but he's not on here very often.  Why?  I don't know.  He eats everything I cook.  He puts up with my erratic sewing habits and stuff all over our tiny house (we sort of live in a hobbit house - more about that another time), he is an awesome daddy to our two funny kiddos, he works really hard so I can stay home and keep our kiddos home and keep our house running and do the things I like to do.  So, he is there, behind the scenes, all the time.

Anyway, on Saturday I was having a morning.  Not such a good one.  I was really frustrated.  We have been SO busy and our house was feeling out. of. control. to me.  Just a mess everywhere I looked.  And our yard needs some TLC before winter (so the snow that is on the ground better melt!).  And we needed groceries.  I was overwhelmed.  And I kind of got into a funk. 

So Ben, instead of responding negatively to me, told me to come outside, into the sunshine, and to not worry about the leaves and the lawn.  And said he'd think about some ideas for using the space in our house more efficiently and was just nice to me. 

I came out and dug out my bulbs.  And Maddie and Isaac helped.  And Ben was bumping around in and out of the garage.  In the sun.  It was so nice.  (The picture on yesterday's post is of me, digging out my bulbs, wearing my hat from Geertrude - more about that soon, too!, and of Maddie's bare feet in the dirt - I never can get that child to wear shoes for long.)

Then Ben said, "O.K. everybody.  Get in the car.  We are going to get lunch somewhere and go have a picnic."  Hurray!  No dishes!  And more time in the fresh air.  All together!  So, we grabbed some ^cough^ fast food, and went to one of the lovely parks in town.  After we ate, we ALL played on the playground equipment.  We climbed and chased and growled and tickled and laughed and smiled.  Lovely.

Later . . . when I was making supper, I said to Ben,  "I really want popcorn and a movie."  "Me, too, "  he said. 

As soon as we were done eating supper, Ben told the kids, "Maddie and Isaac, you and I are going to clean up the supper dishes and the living room and Mom is going to go to the store and get a few groceries and something she needs (popcorn and a movie *smile*)." 

Could it get any better than this?  My chores being done while I am off to the store by myself?

And when I returned, the house was clean.  And the kids were ready for a story and bed.  And after they were all tucked in, Ben and I snuggled into the couch with tea and popcorn and watched Along Came Polly and laughed and kissed and when it was done we went up to bed together and, well,  it was a while before we went to sleep . . .

He is the best.

** juxtaposition of seasons **

yesterday late morning - removing my bulbs to store for the winter ::

this morning - what I woke up to ::

I guess I got my bulbs out just in time!

Happy Sunday!  I am off to get myself and my kiddos dressed for church.  Ben is out duck hunting and will join us just in time for church. 

I have a lovely brag about my Ben that I will post either later this afternoon or tomorrow - stay tuned!

And TA- DA! It is NOON!

Thank you all of you who are reading my blog and leaving such kind and lovely comments!  It stinks to have to pick winners when I would love to have something to give to each of you! 

So, here is what I did.  I got out three bowls, one for the purple fabric, one for the flannel, and one for the runner. 

I put the names of each entrant in the corresponding bowl (some names went in more than one bowl). 

Then I had Maddie draw a name out of each bowl.  Since there is so much of the flannel, I decided to divide it up and draw three names.  Each winner will get two yards or so of a flannel.  I wanted more of you to win! 

So, without further ado - the winners are:

The purple fabric goes to Rebecca of Edward and Lilly!

The three flannel winners are Lindsay of Lindsay Bear, Linda of Two Pink Possums, and Anja of Drobtinice. 

The winner of the dresser scarf is Salena of the Ness Nest.

Leave me a comment or send me an email with you mailing address, and on Monday, I will send your lovely things off to you!

This was so much fun that I will definitely be doing another one in the future!  Thanks to all of you who participated!

giveaway drawing - coming soon!

It is 9:30 am here.  I will draw a winner at 12:00 pm (central US time).  I am excited!  I will post the winners early this afternoon!  Get your entry in here if you haven't!

See you soon!

baking up a storm . . .

I'm here later than usual today.  I got up and started baking.  Here is what I've accomplished (along with two loads of laundry, a shower, two dressed kids, a made bed, dishes done, and an hour of babysitting). 

My house smells of cinnamon and cloves and pumpkin and yeasty bread - my mouth is just watering.  I've already sampled the cookies and the pumpkin bread - the egg bread is too hot to slice yet . . .

the pumpkin bread and oatmeal cookie recipes just. will. not. format the way I want them too - AAHHHHH!  but they are here. 

Pumpkin Bread

 

1 (15 oz. can) pumpkin

1 1/3 c sugar

2/3 c veg oil

2 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

3 c flour (your choice)

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

½ tsp cloves

½ tsp baking powder

½ c oats

½ c nuts (optional)

½ c dried fruit (optional)

 

heat oven to 350 degrees F

mix all together

divide evenly between two greased bread pans

bake about 1 hour, until toothpick comes out clean

Oatmeal Cookies

 

1 c soft butter

1 c shortening (I use non-hydrogenated)

1 ½ c brown sugar

½ c sugar

2 tsp soda

2 tsp salt

5 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

4 c flour

4 c oats

 

beat butter and shortening, add sugars, beat, add soda and salt, beat, add eggs and vanilla, beat, add flour and oats, mix

 

drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 9 minutes

 

I made half the batch, then I added 1 c chocolate chips and ½ cup toffee pieces to the rest of the dough – YUM!

Egg Bread

3 cups flour (plus more for kneading)
¼ c sugar
1 ½  tsp salt
1 pckg yeast (2 ¼ tsp)
1 c very warm water (120 – 130 degrees F)
2 Tbs veg oil
1 egg

mix 1 ½ c flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in large bowl
add warm water and oil
beat well by hand or with mixer on low speed
add egg
beat till smooth
mix in 1 ½ c flour
turn out of bowl onto floured surface
knead till smooth and springy
place dough in large bowl greased with shortening
cover with damp towel and let rise till double – about 1 hour
punch down
form loaf and place in greased loaf pan
cover with damp towel and let rise till double – about 1 hour
bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes – till deep golden brown

this dough works well for sweet breads – you can add ½ c of raisins with the second addition of flour, then, after the first rising time, roll out dough into a rectangle (18 x 9 in), brush with melted butter, sprinkle with ¼ c sugar mixed with 2 tsp ground cinnamon, roll up into loaf, put in loaf pan, let rise and bake

(a new bread recipe for you try, Elissa . . . )

don't forget the giveaway!

just some bits . . .

a rainy outlook . . . but i like it . . .

my grandma's bowl. it sadly has a crack in it, but it works so well to let my bread rise in. and i love having a use for it.

WHO bread, ready to go in the oven. Maddie had so much fun punching it down before I formed it into loaves.   (I left out the cinnamon.)


what was left of one loaf after supper last night.


and as toast, with homemade strawberry jam, for breakfast.

.
Ben and I. I love this guy!

the girl I love.


my favorite little boy in the whole world.

Just some of the 'bits' that are my sunshine on this rainy day. 
What's sunshine to you today? 
And don't forget about my giveaway!