Homemaking Mondays: Something Fresh

 

Hello!  

This is the new apron that I have made for myself. 

I just wanted something fresh. 

The temperatures are rising some, 

and the snow is staring to melt. 

Spring is coming!

 

I bought this fabric awhile ago and finally cut into it. 

I found some gross-grain ribbon that matched,

and some lovely crocheted cotton lace.

 

Then I also had some lovely eyelet lace border that I'd saved

from an old bed-skirt. 

 

It'll be nice to wear for baking. 

Something to cheer me in the kitchen. 

Do you have an apron that makes you want to bake?

Do you like to make something new to wear for spring? 

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Tweet Birdie Home

Hello!  I'd love to share with you this tweet little birdie home. 

 I found this birdhouse at the free store minus part of the roof.  

I added some more wood to make a roof.

It looked like it needed some love and of course it came home with me. :)  

 

It looked great rustic, but I wanted something more cheerful.

I chose to paint it coastal blue with a white roof and trim.
The windows had the black insert and so I left it that way. 

The bottom I painted brown and then quickly changed it to green.

I added some rolled wood around the one barrel.

I painted it a light blue on top like a water barrel.

I found this cute button in my stash. 

Seemed so cute and welcoming.

Then I looked through all the flowers I had, and found a bag of these cute metal ones.

I hot glued them around the house, and this one on the front fence.

I then filled this bucket with hot glue and added some gold balls to it. 

I painted them pansy purple.

Then I added some tall flowers I had in my stash.  They just seemed to fit.

I will be spraying it all with a sealer so that it can go outside. 

I hope that some bird will be interested in living in this 

tweet birdie home.

Psalms 104:12

^"By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches."

Thanks for dropping by!
Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Some Simple Joys

 

Hello! 

I'd like to share some of my simple joys with you.

We have been having some lovely days. 

The sun was shining for awhile, then went away, and then came back. 

It was warm up to the freezing point. 

There are days when

I opened up the upstairs door (the main floor of our house)

and let the cool air freshen things up.  

I keep the wood stove burning 

heating water for tea and some oranges with balsam fir essential oil 

for a nice scent.  

Yes, the stove is quite dirty... come spring when we will no longer need it,

it'll get a good scrubbing.

 

I was watering my window plants today and turned my citronella plant around.

It is so vibrant and I love to watch it grow.

The mint in the window is doing so well that I'm going to start clipping some 

for tea and for putting in the water pitcher.

 

The plants in the house are loving all the extra light they are getting 

and seem to be smiling. 

 

With all the nice weather there are spots that are melting and giving 

the promise of spring to come. 

 

I hope you are enjoying some simple joys in your homes. 

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Socks and Sourdough

 

Hello!

I've been a bit quiet on here lately.  

Just haven't been motivated to write I suppose.  

How are you all doing? 

I have been knitting and have finished my very first pair of socks. 

They are made with superwash merino wool.  

The colour is charcoal heather.  

I am delighted with them as they fit perfectly!

 

I've also had some extra motivation to make bread.  

As you can see above my sourdough starter was getting kinda out of control. 

I made a couple loaves in my dutch ovens and then I have some 

starter set aside for making some sourdough apple fritters!  

If they turn out I'll let you know. 

 

I also made pizza for supper tonight with my daughter and made 

a couple extra loaves of bread.   

They'll be for french toast tomorrow morning as we got some 

fresh eggs from the neighbour today.

This past week my husband took me for a drive and we went up further into the mountains. 

The sun was shining and the air warmer.

While most rivers are froze completely over at this time, there is open water here.

 

We saw a little abandon cabin in this spot and it calls me to explore it.

I wasn't dressed for tromping through the snow...so I'll do that another day. 

 

 Thanks for dropping by! 

Praying you have a lovely day!

Jennifer

Fun with a Hook

 

Hello!

I have just finished crocheting up a very fun octopus.

It is the size of a pillow with delightful tentacles. 

I have made it for a dear cousin for her son.

For the sake of mailing it, it's going without the stuffing

and with a ball of yarn to finish stitching up the tentacles afterward.

 

The tentacles were fun to make, and they curl all on their own. 

The eyes were fun mostly because my son had to pretend 

they were his and make funny noises. 

Lots of giggling and smiles ensued.  

 

I got the pattern from Mama Moseley Crochet Creations.

I looked and the huge one I have isn't available anymore?...but there is a smaller version. 

Here is an update....my cousin sent me a couple pics of 

my sweet little cousin and his new octopus. 

Praying you have a lovely day! 

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: A Reason to Smile

 

Hello! 

Isn't it lovely that no matter what happens in life, that the Lord can always bring

to mind something that can give us a reason to smile. 

One thing that makes me smile are little notes just because.

 I find that in our society today that little notes give people great pleasure. 

Whether expected (as in a birthday) or just out of the blue.

It doesn't need to be handmade or fancy.

Just the knowledge that someone took time out of their life for you.

I was talking to a sweet older Christian lady that I know.  

She isn't able to get out and see people as much as she used to.

She says that just little phone calls or notes in the mail 

cheer her heart so very much. 

I got one of those sweet out of the blue cards in the mail from a friend this week.

Just to know that I was thought of and that she took the time to send me this note 

made me feel very loved and cherished.  

Do you take the time to let others know you are thinking of them? 

Perhaps it is a shut in or elderly person that you know could use the encouragement.

That they know they are not forgotten. 

Or really anyone could be blessed by the simple act of being sent a note, a phone call, a card. 

Are you willing to take the time to do that?

To add this simple act to your homemaking day?

If you do, it will be greatly treasured and appreciated. 

Just a little simple act of kindness.

Love and Prayers,
Jennifer

 

 

Homemaking Mondays: A Matter of Timing

 

Hello!

Today I wanted to share with you a mistake that I made that turned into a blessing.

I thought...I'd try to make a new bread that rises overnight.  

I followed the recipe...but it didn't turn out as expected.

Well....I suppose I added too much water and it was kinda soupy in the morning.  

So I did what I often do...I left it.  While deciding what I was going to do with it.  

I didn't want to waste it...but if I just added flour then it wouldn't rise, so how much should I add...and of what? So in truth, it sat for a couple days, nice and warm beside my wood stove. 

Then when I picked it up to dispose of it...I smelled it.  

It was sour...but not a bad kind of sour.  

Sourdough Starter. 

Yup! 

So I used it to make some bread.  

One loaf in my dutch oven, and the rest in regular bread pans. 

It made enough for the week, and it was just what we needed.  

I only took a pic of some of the loaves.

Now...I have sourdough starter in my fridge.

Where it sits awaiting my next sourdough baking need. 

Have you ever done this? 

Perhaps not with bread dough, but with anything?

Do you just automatically toss something because it's not working at the time, or do you wait?

Sometimes in the waiting more understanding comes. 

Better ideas...or like for me this time...sourdough. 

This also made me think about waiting on the Lord as well.  

Do you just give up because the Lord doesn't answer your prayers  

in your timing? or in the way you expect? 

I have learned that the Lord's timing is not my own.

His understanding is so far above my own that I just need to 

rest...and wait...and trust in Him.

Proverbs Chapter 3: 3-6 

 "Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer