A little bit of yellow

I have been working on several projects, my daughter and I designed a couple of aprons, we were going to enter them in an apron contest at a local quilt shop until we learned that the winning apron becomes property of the quilt shop. Well, they can't have my apron, so I'm not going to enter, but I thought I would post a photo because I really like how it turned out! I did use a pattern that I won from Distinct Design for the flower....I love it!

Plain Paradise, Book Review

Plain Paradise, by Beth Wiseman does not disappoint. This is the 4th Daughter's of the Promise Novel, yet you do not have to read the previous books to understand the story line.

Imagine being 17 and forced to give up your child. Then imagine finding out that you are going to die in under a year. Meet Josie, who is working through pain and suffering and moves to be closer to the daughter she never met. Linda wakes one day to a stranger on her front porch, learning soon that this is her birth mother...when she never knew she was adopted. Linda feels betrayed, yet becomes friends with Josie and comes to terms with the betrayal from her family. As the book progresses so does Josie and Linda's relationship, an unexpected twist happens which only makes the story more delightful. Will Linda be able to love two mom's and what about her beau who worries about Linda leaving the Amish, hope and love can conquer many things, will hope and love conquer in this story?

This was a great book, I love learning about the Amish and it always amazes me how similar their lives are to the rest of ours outside the Amish community. This is a light read, but a good read and quite entertaining!

*I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review blogger's program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

An Honest Love, Book Review

An Honest Love, by Kathleen Fuller is an Amish love story that we can all relate to, full of love, betrayals, heartbreak and even a surprise here and there! Anna is starting a new business with her mom and receives quite a bit of help from Luke, are his reasons out of love or money? Will Anna be able to overcome her past, and will the secret she holds destroy everything just as she begins to find hope and heal? Then there's Elizabeth who doesn't feel as though she quite measures up as she begins to work for her brother-in-law. As she gets to know her co-worker, Aaron, she helps him overcome his wild past, and finds strength within herself. What happens to the characters in the book can happen to anyone, regardless of religion, but love and faith overcome.

This is a light, enjoyable read. Perfect for a rainy day, or sitting in the sun on the deck!

This is the 2nd book in the Middlefield series, but it is not necessary to read the first book before the 2nd. Although the plot was a bit predictable I really enjoyed this book and not only do I recommend it but I look forward to reading the next book by Kathleen Fuller.

*I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review blogger's program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255[...]: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

And the winner is......

Marie's Cozy Corner...you have won "Here Burns My Candle" Congratulations!!!

Don't forget to enter and win: Here Burns My Candle!

Enter to win "Here Burns My Candle", by Liz Curtis Higgs, click here to enter and win!

Friday Follow

Once again it's time for some Friday Fun....this time with a twist! Link up and you would win $100, just by posting the toothsoap button, our Friday sponsor to your post and your sidebar!!!

Crispy Waffles w/caramelized bananas and pecans

Today was the end of 3rd quarter....whew. The kiddos asked me to make some crispy waffles for breakfast Friday, it's a day off for them, I whipped up the batter and thought I'd share the recipe with you. This is the best waffle recipe, you make it the night before. I always double the batch, but it still doesn't last long around here, especially with homemade WI maple syrup, hot strawberries and whipped cream on top!

Crispy Waffles:
1/2 c warm water 1 tsp sugar
1pkg. yeast 2 c flour
2 c. warm milk 2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp soda

Use a large bowl, add water and yeast: let sit for 5 minutes. Add milk, butter, salt, sugar and flour; beat smooth. Cover and set in room temp. overnight. WARNING: Batter may bubble over! Stir in eggs and soda. Keep in refrigerator for several days and use as needed.

As it sits in the refrigerator it gets more of a sourdough taste, so use right away if you don't like sourdough!

Caramelized Bananas and Pecans:
Place 1/2 stick of butter in a pan, melt the butter and add about 1/4 cup of maple syrup, 2 Tbsp of brown sugar and simmer, once it gets a bit thick add some pecans, right before you are going to serve add sliced bananas!

Kitten Goes Wild

Yesterday Wiggles went wild, she ran around the yard like crazy, ran up and down trees, sat under the bird feeders thinking she'd get a warm meal and then she jumped on the roof. Cats simply do NOT belong on roofs and it's too bad that they don't figure that out until they get up there! We have a very steep, high roof and once she was up there she was terrified. Not only was she afraid, but every time she tried to come down she'd slip so she'd climb back up to the top! After quite a bit of coaxing and a LOT of treats she was rescued! Now, you would think all of this would tire her out, but NO, at bedtime she started running around like a maniac again and then grabbed my daughter's head stuck her claws just above each of her ears and started biting her face. Bad, naughty kitten...but she's sooo cute!

Knitting and Sewing

I've been working on some knitted Easter Eggs, they turned out pretty cute! You can find the pattern here. They take very little yarn so it's a perfect way to make something cute out of those tiny bits of yarn laying around...you know, those bits and pieces you don't throw out, yet never use?!I have also been making little birds out of my material scraps, they are rather addictive! NoMoneyMama makes them from paper but has the link to the pattern, so if you don't sew, follow her paper directions!

Happy Crafting!

Here Burns My Candle Blog Tour and Giveaway!!!

Thanks to Random House I was given one copy of this book to read and one to giveaway! My review is my own thoughts and I was not paid for my thoughts or my review.

Here Burns My Candle, by Liz Curtis Higgs

A story of love and betrayal based off the Old Testament's, Ruth and Naomi. Family secrets emerge as Prince Charlie rides into town with his rebel army. Love, hope, riches, and secrets can all be lost, will dowager Lady Marjory keep her gold, lose her sons or lose her gold and keep her sons? Will Lady Elisabeth Kerr continue to love Lord Donald even though she has been betrayed and will she be able to keep her deepest secrets? As you read this book you will fall in love with each character and as you learn about their secrets you will find yourself hoping they will overcome, human nature has many sides.

This was a great historical romance and I highly recommend it, the cover art is beautiful as well as the story line!

You can purchase this book by clicking here!


Now....onto the other half.....how would you like to WIN this book? Contest ends Sunday 3/28 at midnight and the winner will be chosen by a random generator. Winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Mandatory:
Follow my blog and leave your email in your comment so I can contact you!

Extra Entries:
+1 Follow me on twitter
+1 Tweet about the contest, leave the tweet link, you can tweet 1x a day
+1 Grab my button and leave a comment telling me were to find it on your blog

Good Luck...this is a great book!

Gifts From My Kitten

How many of you have a kitten? Or a cat? My little wiggles has taken it upon herself to drop off presents during the night. She leaves them right outside the deck doors. Yesterday it was a shriveled up mouse on the kitchen deck. Today, it was a shrunken squirrel head outside on the deck outside my bedroom. What a lovely thing to see when I open my curtains....GROSS.

My husband tells Wiggles that she needs to be catching mice, but I don't think she gets that she's supposed to catch the LIVE mice instead of bringing home the already dead.

I have posted some gross stuff this week, maybe next week will be better!!!

Cow Dung

Yes, really, cow dung...I cannot believe I'm blogging about poop, but....the other day I picked up my mail, I had a cute little package, naturally I was excited because I was expecting a product for review. BUT...I opened my little package and what did I find but COW DUNG. Really, isn't there a better way to advertise than my sending the actually product and spending $1.39 to do so? Weird, but I've decided to keep it, it will make a great gag gift for some unsuspecting soul.

A Candle for Grandma

My grandma who is 87, was just visiting us two weeks ago, she's so cute, fun, and loving. On Tuesday I received a phone call from my mom saying she was being taken to the hospital, she ended up needing an emergency surgery, or she would have passed away. She is still on a lot of morphine and only awake for short periods of time, she has an infection now, so today, in her honor, I am lighting a candle of hope for her.

Stay strong grandma, we love you.

Friday Blog Hop

Here's a tip...don't be like me...Don't forget to actually click the follow button.... I've caught myself saying I follow, then oops, forget to actually follow...lucky for me I usually remember right away. I'll follow everyone who follows me, just may take a day or two!

The day the flies returned

Little miss wiggles became obsessed with a semi-comatose fly on Sunday, suddenly she was leaping and jumping, looking like she was attacking my windows, I thought she had lost her mind until I saw the fly. Yes, the fly...spring must be here. I'm quite sure that the fly would have stayed asleep a bit longer if he knew what was waiting for him! I think this kitten gets more energy every day.

The story behind the fat scrubbie!

It's my brother's birthday on Saturday! He's single guy...nope, not trying to set him up, he has a girlfriend! But it's been a tradition since I started knitting that I send him fresh washcloths for his birthday each year. Last year I also sent him scrubbies, some with tulle for scratchiness and some without. Well, seems to be that he likes the scratchy ones and who knows what he does with these things, as well as the cloths, but he's always needing more. Well this year he's getting a bigger, better, scratchier scrubbie! This thing turned out rather fat, but cute!!!

Can you pass this test?

Would you like to drive a car like this???

My daughter (who has recently received her permit) asked me to take this test the other day:
http://autoinsurance.org/driving_test/
I got a D+, but hey, I beat the hubby who got an F...try it and see how you do!

Post It Note Tuesday

Towel Make-over Tutorial

Do you ever get tired of your towels, sometimes it seems like they never 'die' so instead of wishing for them to rip and tear, you can give them a make-over!

Here's how:

You will need
1 towel, or how ever many need a make-over
scissors
thread and needle or sewing machine
piece of fabric or ribbon the double the width of your towel
pins

1. First cut a length of material 1 1/2 times the width of your towel, and about 2 inches wide or however wide you'd like your ruffle to be!

2. No picture for this one, but sew down the center of your material with a loose stitch or you can sew a running stitch with thread and needle!

3. Now that you've sewn your stitches for gathering, pull one of your threads to gather the material, until it measures the width of your towel, then tie in knot so it won't loosen.

4. Pin your ruffle to the towel, fold under the side edges so the sides will have a finished look.

5. Now you can stitch your ruffle to the towel, don't forget to change your stitch back to a smaller stitch!

Viola...you now have a new towel! Be inspired, you could add different embellishments to your towel to make it even more fun!

And the winner is....

Coupon Clippin' Mommy, you have won Dancing with My Father and Mother-Daughter Duet! Please email me your contact information within 48 hours and I will put your books in the mail!