Saturday, November 22, 2014

33 Days before Christmas..

and we are done with our Christmas shopping. Now that is truly a happy surprise.

Three grandparents, three aunts, three uncles and three cousins (and maybe a few treats for our kids.) Not everything is at our house yet, a few of the gifts have to be made and nothing is wrapped yet, but the shopping is done.



Many blessings to you on this fine night.--Kate

Friday, November 21, 2014

Introducing the First ever Tig-Tzu

Sorry, this is another cheat. My brain has been turned to mush by the very large, very consuming sewing contract that I have been working hard at for two weeks now and still have five to go. So today I offer a moment of hilarity.



This is our dog Toby with his new hair cut wearing the tiger hat of our youngest.


Enjoy!

Many blessings to you on this fine night.--Kate

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Boxes of old Photographs

There are some truly great things about living in this digital age. Not the least of which is digital cameras. No more wondering if you got the shot, no more wasted rolls of film and no more endless piles of photographs that you are not sure what to do with. I am thrilled that hundreds of thousands of photographs can now be stored on devices the size of our thumb, or palm and even some the size of a finger nail.

My problem today is what to do with the boxes of photos from yesteryear. Now do not panic they are not being thrown out. Even if the boxes are as yet unorganized they still hold some very cherished memories. It is just that I am not much for scrap booking but I want to make sure that I am storing the prints in a way that future generations can still enjoy them or at least wonder about them.

For now I have them in some Photo boxes. I also have some old photo albums from my mom. I am sure that these old sticky page albums are not good for photos. If anyone has any advice or experience to share I would happily take it. Also I would love to hear your creative ideas on what you have done with your photos.


 Many blessings on this fine and snowy night.--Kate

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Christmas Stockings

This is a project that has been on my to do shelf for almost a year. Only just a bit into the new year last January my sister asked if I could put names on their stockings. Of course I said I would and then immediately put the box on the shelf. Now they are finally done and ready to be shipped back. Yay! In time for Christmas and everything.


I tried to pick laces, yarn and such that would match the theme of the stocking.


It was much harder to write these freehand then I thought it would be, but I did not want to leave any marks. In the end they turned out pretty good.

Many blessings to you on this fine day.--Kate

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

How Children Transform our Lives

In less then 5 minutes a room can go from organized to messy. Your movie collection doubles mostly with Disney and Dreamworks. All flat surfaces become road ways, crafting stations or covered in puzzles. Your favorite blanket, scarf, seat and many other favorites get claimed by someone else and you find that you don't mind. You spend your day trying to define words, explain how things work and putting band aids on any ouchies even imaginary ones. In our family we have chosen for our kids to be educated at home, so now I am learning about all kinds of new things and working to relearn many that I have forgotten. I am also discovering what my kids get excited about. Like medicine and science for my oldest and animals and engineering for my youngest. I am also finding that there are not enough hours in the day to accomplish all the desired adventures and also get the laundry folded. There have been a lot of changes in our life in the last 4 and a half years. Most of them great, some of them tough and a few that we never saw coming. The greatest change of my life though was becoming a parent. The most amazing, challenging and blessed transformation.

Many blessings to you on this fine night.--Kate

Monday, November 17, 2014

A Savory Snack.

A few Saturdays ago I mentioned a friend of ours, that helped drive my husband to work, and the snacks that we made for him. Today's recipe is the Almond Cheese Crackers. A simple, quick and delicious snack option. 

Almond Cheese Crackers

Ingredients:
-1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
-1 egg
 -1 1/4 cup almond flour
-1/2 tsp garlic powder
-1/2 tsp onion powder
-1/4 tsp baking soda
-1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions:
-Mix all dry ingredients including cheese. In a separate bowl melt oil and add egg. Stir wet mixture into dry mixture. Will make a dough that can easily be shaped. 
Roll dough out between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Cut into 2" squares. Slide onto baking sheet. 
Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 min. Let brown slightly if you like crispy crackers. Once cool you can break into the little squares. 




Really delicious with soup.

Many blessings to you on this fine chilly evening.--Kate

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Cold but Sunny.

There is something alluring in the brown and barren beauty of November. Especially on sunny days when the air is chilly and the sun still close enough to share some warmth. Days like today remind me of childhood, playing outside in leaves until cheeks are pink and fingers numb.





Many blessings to you on this day of autumn loveliness.--Kate