MerryHeartCrafts.comMountain Momma… Country Living

Good morning, ladies!  We had a great visit yesterday with David, Jess, and the kids.   It was a nice warm day and as you can see, most of it was spent outside.  If you look on the ground you can see where Daniel’s boots are.  I guess they got in the way of swinging.  

Sam and Katie.  Sam had so much fun sitting with Katie and taking pictures.  Every time the we would take a picture, he would just bust out laughing.  So of course, we took MANY pictures.  I thought this one was the best. 

David helped Hubby fix the brakes on the car yesterday.  It was a full day’s job but we think they are finally fixed.  Thank’s again Dave for helping.  Jess and I worked inside on making her some applebutter.  She ended up with 5 qts.  We had spaghetti with homemade sauce, rolls and cinnamon rolls for dessert.  Daniel told me spaghetti was his favorite.  I made a new recipe for cinnamon rolls and I really liked this recipe.  Much better than the one I had been using.  I got the recipe here.  http://homejoys.blogspot.com/2011/02/sweet-dough.html  I also posted the recipe under sweet dough in my recipe file.  I did divide the recipe in half and got 18 cinnamon rolls.    I will  definitely be making them again.  We are planning on starting a  remodel at Jessica’s on Monday.  Her kitchen is getting a facelift.  I hope to remember to take the camera and I’ll show pictures of the process. 

I hope you all have a great day and God bless.

We have snow here in Floyd.  The girls are very happy.   It was not a lot of snow but hopefully enough for snow cream later today. 

I worked on aprons most of the day yesterday.  I made 4 little aprons and 2 adult size.  I made the adult one a little different and was able to get one child size and one adult size from one pillowcase.  

I made the back much shorter.  It just comes over the shoulder and that gave me enough extra material for the small waist apron. 

This one has a child one to match.  I didn’t take a picture of it because I didn’t get it completely finished yesterday.  I ran out of the white binding.

I was prowling around in the trunk where we store extra material the other day and found this veggie tales material.  There was not a lot of it but enough to make these two little aprons.  I think they are very cute.    Anyway, that was my day yesterday.  I wanted to make a few different styles of aprons to kinda get an idea for what sells the best. 

I cooked a deer roast on the wood stove yesterday for supper.  We had baked potatoes,  home canned green beans, fresh homemade rolls and home canned applesauce for supper.  It was very good.  I think today I will shred the deer roast and have deer bbq and fries.  I already have buns baking as I type this.  I made a buttermilk chocolate cake the other day so that will be our dessert.  It all sounds pretty easy.  There was not church today because of the snow so I think today is a take it easy kind of day.  I will leave you all with one more snow picture. 

Enjoy your day and God bless.

Here’s the chair Hubby has been working on. 

I’m not too sure about the color though.  It was paint left over from Jessica’s bed so we thought we would use it on this prototype.  What color do you ladies think I should paint them.  I wanted to paint them red but I know it would look terrible in my dining room.   We have a large brick chimney in the room and our floors are mahogany. 

Here’s a picture of the brick chimney.

The floor.

The table I want to use the chairs with (until I talk him into building a new one).  Please let me know your ideas as I am not very good at decorating but I really would like to brighten it up some.

  Here is a picture of the color I think I would like.  I have always liked the idea of red chairs.  I’m not sure where this picture came from, maybe Lowes.com.   Well, while I’m at all this table and chair stuff, I might as well show you all the table I think I would like.  Notice all the ‘I think’. 

I got this picture from www.soulemama.com  I think it would look good in my dining room, don’t you all.  Well, it’s almost time to get ready for church.  Tonight’s menu is baked spaghetti, slaw, green beans, homemade rolls and dessert.  Dessert is unknown as Mrs. Sally said “I’ll bring some kind of dessert”.  I love surprises!  Enjoy your evening and God bless.

Hubby took this picture for me this morning.  I thought you all might like it.  It was very beautiful.  Today has been a gorgeous day here in Floyd.  Temperatures have been in the low 50′s.  Lots of sunshine!!  Amazing.  Need I say, I LOVE it.

Not a lot going on here other than just enjoying this warm weather.  I have finished another apron and have started another one.   I need to get a few supplies though before I do any more.  I plan on going into our little town tomorrow.  I want to go to Schoolhouse Fabrics.  I think I have mentioned it before.  It is an old 3 story school house that has been converted into a fabric store.  3 levels of material and any thing else a person might need for sewing. 

Tonight’s supper is chicken alfredo with homemade garlic breadsticks.  We are having homemade cinnamon rolls for dessert, thanks for the idea , Cary Ann.   I hope you all have a great evening and God bless.

I thought I would show you all a picture of the apron I just finished today.  I think it looks so cheerful.  My friend, Vicki, found this pillowcase at a thrift store last summer.   I think it turned out really nice.  I like using old pillowcases  to make aprons.  They have a vintage look and the cost of material is greatly reduced.   My aprons have not sold as much in the fall and winter as they did in the summer.  I hope to make up quite a few this winter to have on hand for the upcoming summer.  

The girls went to the Horn’s yesterday to celebrate Bubby’s birthday.  They had a great time.  Hubby and I went to C-burg to get tires put on the car so I had to miss Bubby’s cake.  Our church collects fleece throws, lotion and socks for our local nursing home.  The pastor’s wife meet us in town so we could deliver them.  Today we have cleaned out the chicken house (YUCK!)  The temperature here is mid 30′s.  Not too bad.  I know it could be lots colder.  

Tonight’s menu is hamburgers on homemade buns, home fries and peach dumplings for dessert.  I hope you all have a wonderful day and God bless.

Today, Chuck and his family came for a visit.  We had a very nice day.  We ate baked ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, sweet potato casserole,  homemade rolls and biscuits with peaches for dessert.    He loved his swing.  I am hoping it makes it home safely.  He left with it tied on the top of his Pathfinder.  The kids played with the kitties most of the day.   The other big entertainment was clothes pins.  Children have such imaginations. 

A picture of the food table.

Here we all are getting ready to eat.  Julie is hiding behind Chuck. 

I pray you all have a wonderful Christmas and God bless.

You all remember this little dress.  I got it at Goodwill before we even knew what Jess was going to have.  Well, this weekend when we went down for our Christmas get together, Jess had dressed her in it.  She looked darling!

It amazes me every time I see her how much she has grown.  The boys were too busy for me to get a picture of them.  Maybe next time.  We had a great visit with lots of good food. 

Yesterday I put a deer roast on in the crockpot before we left for church.  Pastor Tom’s message was very good.  He preached from Isaiah 40:3-5.  We had deer roast, french fries, green beans and homemade rolls for “lupper” with homemade candy for dessert.  Then we just chilled for the rest of the day.  Our church was going caroling and giving out fruit baskets last night.  However, Julie is suffering from a head cold, so we did not go. 

Well, that’s about it.  I hope you all have a great day and God bless.

I thought I would show you all a few different views of our pond.  You have seen this view many times.

I took this picture from the tractor road looking toward the house.

We had a little wind yesterday, so I thought I would show you the waves on the pond.  So relaxing.

Today has been very nice here.  Our temperature is mid 60′s with a slight breeze.  We did school and worked on some more apple juice.  Not a lot going on.  Jess had a doctor’s appointment yesterday.  All is going along nicely.  She has to go back Monday(if not before!)  Please continue to pray for her and Katie.  Your prayers are so appreciated. 

It is getting time for me to start supper.  Tonight we will be having canned beef with noodles, green beans, corn and pone bread.  Dessert will be fresh made applesauce.  Enjoy your day and God bless.

Today, we have been busy with school.  We did a batch of apples in the steam juicer.  We got 1 gal and 1 qt. of juice.  We then run the apples through the Roma sauce maker and got enough applesauce to make 3 qts of applebutter.  YUM!  I also made a batch of homemade laundry soap. 

Colors here are at their peak this week.  I hope to get more pictures to share.  We have been having rain but it looks like it will clear up this evening.  Hubby has been busy making a king size bed for Jess and Dave.  I will show you all pictures when he gets it finished.  I think it looks beautiful.  Here he is working on one of the posts for the headboard.  I think I actually managed to get this picture without him knowing it.  He was deep in concentration.

Tonights supper will be baked pork chops with potatoes and carrots, pumpkin pie for dessert.  I guess I better get busy, I think everyone is getting hungry.  Enjoy your day and God bless.

Look at what Grace found!!  We are all very excited to get this first one.  Remember the big tomato plant we bought early in the spring and put in a bucket.  Well, the tomatoes are starting to get ripe on it.  All our other plants are, of course, way behind this one.  Tonight we will divide this one four ways so we can all have a little nibble.  So much fun, sharing the first of the harvest.

This morning the girls and I went out early and started working on the hen house.  It needed to be cleaned out and we wanted to get their nests ready as we are hoping soon to get eggs-maybe by the end of next month.  We just barely got finished before it started to sprinkle rain.  I think though it has already stopped.  What we need is a good steady rain but I know many blogger friends who are in severe drought conditions.

Our chicken yesterday evening was delicious.  I will definitely be making it again.  I was thinking that the spice mixture would be good on pork or beef as well.  I took the chicken off the bone and put the bones and skin back in the pot with the broth that had cooked out of the chicken.  I then added water -enough to fill up the crock pot.  Then I turned it on low and this morning I will be freezing delicious homemade chicken broth for soups and such.  YUM! 

I better get busy.  I want to make some hamburger buns for supper this evening.  We will be having pork bbq, fries, corn on the cob and cantelope for dessert.  Enjoy your day and God bless.