Giveaway Winner

I was thrilled to find out that I was the lucky winner of Danice, "Homespun Hannah"
Holiday giveaway.

 Her box was filled with wonderful goodies and everything was wrapped so pretty.
First I received a beautiful mouse rag doll, a gorgeous holiday mug mat and holiday mug.
An amish star pinkeep, a snowflake ornie, paper mache "Joy" box with potpourri, and a
cute snowman tuck.

For me Santa arrived early this year. Thank you Danice for all of the wonderful goodies.
I love everything!!! Thank you for hosting such a wonderful, wonderful giveaway!!!

Wonderful Christmas swap

Yesterday I received the most wonderful package in the mail. My friend Wendy "Ravenwood Whimzies" and I decided to do a Christmas swap.
 Little did I know how much Wendy would spoil me. She sent me so many wonderful
things that I am still in awe.
 I have admired her wonderful Santa's for so long and was just thrilled so much that she sent me one,
and look at his little sheep , so much detail. I cannot tell you how beautiful this set is,
everyone should own one of these. Wendy's Santa's are fantastic!!!
 Next she sent me one of her santa appliqued pillows, it is lovely and so much detailed work,
I love it too.
 I love old kitchen things and she made me the most wonderful arrangement with a Christmas towel,
I have already hung it up.
 Also in the package was a Christmas ornament, Goats milk soap, which is just wonderful, (her son
and Daughter in law), have a wonderful business and they make the soap and lotion, I have to
say it is the best I have every used.
 Also enclose is a beautiful nativity pin, and a santa timer candle, and some wonderful homemade
peanut brittle. I have already gotten into it and it is so yummy.
 I can never thank you enough for all of these wonderful goodies Wendy, most of all thank
you for being such a wonderful friend.
 Also you need to check out the 12 Days of Christmas blog hop that Wendy is hosting,
just go to her blog and you will enjoy reading all of the great tutorials and recipes.

Everything is wrapped so beautiful

Just look at all of these wonderful goodies

I love the Santa with his sheep and the beautiful wool appliqued pillow

Love the tag, but I couldn't help myself, I couldn't wait.

Isn't it beautiful hanging

12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop

I am honored to be participating in Ravenwood Whimzies 12 Days of Christmas Blog hop.

 Believe me there are so many awesome crafters each day that you won't want to miss a day.

I would like to welcome you to Day number 1.
 

I am not sure if you are like me, but I love making some of my Christmas gifts. And I love tutorials.
So I would like to share with you how to make a 10 minute table runner. I wanted to do an easy
tutorial that even the beginning crafter would be able to do.

First you need 1/3rd. yard  of fabric, that will be your theme print, then you will need 1/2yard
of coordinating print.

1)  cut fabric to size
2) Place right sides together, Stitch long (crosswise grain) edges 1/2" seam
3) Press seam away from the center fabric.

 Now you will have a long tube.

4) Turn fabric to the right side.
5) Lay flat on ironing board and press so that the theme print is bordered evenly on long sides with
    the coordinating print.

6) Trim short ends even.
7) Fold fabric in half lengthwise with theme print out. Stitch 1/2 " seam on both short ends,
   photo below.

 8) Press seams open, photo below

 9) Turn seams inside to form a point, press.
 10) Photo below,  Top stitch edge or add a decorative button on the edge of the short seam
        to secure in pace or top stitch edge to keep fabric secure.

 My finished runner, love how the colors coordinate. I also love snowmen because they can be left out all Winter long. My finished runner is 42" long.

Total cost of my table runner $3.50, and what an awesome inexpensive handmade gift.

 Next I want to share one of my all time favorite cookie recipes, My mom made these when I was a child, they were always my dads favorite cookies.

Butter-Nut Snowballs

2 sticks butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups finely chopped nuts
powdered sugar

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Mix flour and salt and add to creamed mixture
mixing throughly. Add nuts and mix well.

Shape into 1" balls and place on baking sheet.

Place in slow oven 325 degrees, 20 minutes. Do not brown, Cool, roll in powdered sugar.
Makes approx, 6 doz.

Yummy snowball cookies.

I have enjoyed being a part of this 12 Days of Christmas blog hop and hope you enjoyed Day number one. Merry Christmas from my heart to yours!!!

Now I can't wait until day number 2!!!!!

Thanksgiving at the Farmhouse

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Today was my year to host Thanksgiving. We decided to have it at our farmhouse in WV, since the kitchen is bigger and everyone just loves the atmosphere there. If I counted correctly we had 27 people. We had a feast, it was so much food we couldn't even find a place to set it. I have so much to be thankful for, one of the things I am most thankful for is family. I love my family and cherish the times we have together. I will share some of the photo's. And since my family can't all get together for Christmas, we give the smaller kids Christmas gifts that day.
So it is kinda like my family's Thanksgiving/Christmas celebration.

My grandson Jake

Pappy and his boys

My nieces Regina and Hillary

My dad with his newest great grandson

My nephew Nathan and his girlfriend Angie

My mom

My nephew Jordan

Hillary's husband Michael

family and friends

My sisters and brother in laws

My niece Emily, sisters and BIL

Ronnie and Steph

Steph, Mat and Riley

Me and Ronnie

Jake and Cole

Luke, Rhonda and Ezra

Me, my parents and my sisters

My family

My sisters opening their gifts from me.

My  Family, I am truly Blessed

New Pinkeep

The holidays are fast approaching. I have been busy with my jobs and any spare time I am working on Christmas gifts. I like to make many of my gifts. I can't show pictures yet, someone may see their surprise. he he But I do want to show you a cute pinkeep that I finished. The Pattern is by Jenny Huffman, County Rustic.

12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop

Mark your calendars, Wendy "Ravenwood Whimzies'  Is hosting a 12 Days of Christmas Bog hop,
beginning Dec. 1st. It is going to be so much fun, there will be tutorials and recipes from 12 different bloggers. You are in for a treat, I know I am excited!!!!

Book Review

I was given the book "The Photograph" by Bethany House for an honest book review.
 The book centers around three sisters Eva, Frona and Lily. Lily disappears months after her
mothers passing. Leaving her sisters Eva and Frona at home alone. And to make matters worse
Eva and Frona will have to relocate because their brother Menno will be taking over the farmhouse.
 Jed Stultzman, an Amish buggy maker from Ohio shows up in Eden Valley with a photo of a Plain Amish woman.
 He has questions as to why a devout amish girl would have her picture taken.
 Jed and Eva run into each other at a farm sale. Jed is stunned, could Eva be the girl in the photo. How can he find out and why would an amish girl have her photo taken? You will have to read the book to find out. Beverly Lewis is one of my favorite amish authors. But I have to say I was rather disappointed in this book, I just couldn't get into it.
  It just seemed like the plot was stuck in one spot for such a long time.
 It was an alright story, but not one of Beverly Lewis's best.

So much to be thankful for!!!

Just a few years ago I was asking my blogging friends to pray for my daughter, she fought an eating disorder called diabulemia. Insulin dependent diabetics withhold their insulin so they can loose weight.
It caused my daughter to get severe neurapathy, the Dr. described it as the worst pain a person can have, it is nerve pain. I had to take a 4 month leave of absence to take care of her and her family.
I remember her pain was unbearable, I cringe just thinking about it, it really took years off of my life.
 I realize that if you have your health and family you truly have everything, it doesn't matter how much money you make or what kind of house you have.
  It totally made me humble and realize how fragile life is, and to appreciate the important things
in life that money can't buy.
  I honestly never thought my daughter would get better, she didn't have health insurance, so rehab was out of the question. She eventually found some support groups on facebook,  there were two girls especially that helped her. One had written a book on this disorder and recovered, and the other one, actually would call Steph on the phone and talk to her at least once a week, she also had recovered from this disorder. Both are angels in my book, I will always be grateful to them.
 Well after much pray, help from the Lord, and the help of these wonderful ladies, I can now say
my daughter is well and enjoying life. She has some permanent nerve damage to her feel and already
has had cataract surgery, due to all of this, but overall, she is doing extremely well.
 She has since gotten health insurance and has had an insulin pump the last year which was a God send.
 She was still dealing with low blood sugars which resulted in many calls to  911, I remember one time her blood sugar was 12 and normal is around 100. Each time this would happen I would wonder if this was it and I would loose my daughter.
 Well this week, she got a continuous glucose monitor, which checks her blood sugar every 5 minutes, it will put off an alarm if it goes too high or too low. I am so thankful and greatful for modern technology. I can never thank the Lord for all he has done and will continue to do for my daughter. Words can never express my thankfulness. I will praise him forever for answering my prayers.

My Grandson Cole kissing his mommy, how precious

My daughters insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor, that she wears everyday.

Also wanted to share a wonderful surprise that I received in the mail today from Wendy "Ravenwood Whimzies" . 
Wendy sent me this awesome witch, I love how the little kitty is hanging upside down from the witch, her husband Chris
also sent my husband a book. Thank you Wendy and Chris!!!!  We cherish your friendship and appreciate your kindness.

Also everyone needs to mark their calendars, Wendy is have a Christmas blog hop, beginning Dec. 1st. It will be the 12 days of Christmas!!! It is going to be exciting, I love blog hops!!!

The holidays will be here before we know it, I am wanting to make some of my Christmas gifts, so I need to get started. I did want to show you some wonderful ornies that I made, inspired by a "Peach Bottom Prims" pattern, I love these ornies and think they look awesome in this old enamel pan.