Ahhh...soup!

There's nothing like a big mug of hearty soup to make me feel great this time of year...well...anytime really! We eat a lot of soup this time of year...yesterday we made this in the crock pot...and for the next few days...it will make great lunches! It is filled with all sorts of yummy vegetables and a few handfuls of a dry bean mix, plus lots of fresh herbs from my garden and so easy to make! I don't really have a recipe...I just toss in a few handfuls of dry beans, a can of tomatoes, onion and celery...herbs and some vegetable bullion...beef if you like...you can use leftover meat in here too if you like...a few bay leaves and rosemary twigs...the rosemary is from our yard...let it cook on high in the crock pot for a few hours...turn it down for a couple more...then add all the veggies you have...I added fresh cabbage, carrots, zucchini and some left over corn and green beans...but add what you have...that's the beauty of it! It's inexpensive, yummy and very filling...not to mention...so easy!

So how is your new year going so far? Mine is nice and quiet...I've been working on some custom orders...one of the orders is for a client all the way over in Switzerland! It's awesome that I got noticed over there too...makes a gal feel pretty special! Not much else happening in my neck of the woods...the wind finally calmed down...for today anyway...and it's a bit warmer too...so I can garden a bit tomorrow...I have many more leaves to rake since the winds came and left...
Until next time...enjoy your day!!!

This and that...

 Living where I do...our winter is more like most of the country's Fall...so I have been raking a lot of these lately...for us it's been below average temperatures...some rain...and a lot of wind...and boy that wind is cold! I haven't gardened as much as I want...just raking and cleaning...but I like that too...it lets me get outside...get some exercise...and my yard looks much better...until the next batch of leaves fall...actually...most of the birch leaves have fallen...the apple tree is shedding a lot...and the peach tree is bare. Don and I decided to pretty much relax for the last week...we were so busy up until Christmas...we needed a break...so today I am back at my sewing machine...starting some custom orders...and getting ready to put some new inventory in my Etsy shop....

 I have also been wanting to show you this...I made several as gifts for Christmas...but I couldn't post about it until they were all given out...this was a fun project...I love red work...and I thought this Santa was so cute! I added a patch work border to it...some wool stars too.

I like how they turned out...since I am still in a festive mood...I think I'll start sewing some Christmas projects for this year. We'll see...I have quite a few projects I want to get done...and in a few weeks there's the Road to California quilt show which will probably give me even more ideas for even more projects!

Until next time...enjoy your day!!!

Looking back...

 2012 was a pretty good year for me...I must say...it ranks right up there near the top! 

 I think Don and I were very blessed this year...we have always been planners..and workers...but this year we got more time to slow down and enjoy life more...

 Because Don retired at the end of February...the year did start off a bit rough...Don was sick...for a long time...but he got better and we got busy enjoying this new life style...

 We welcomed Jameson into our family...no he doesn't belong to these two...I just liked the picture...he's my great nephew...born on Father's Day...

 Another thing I enjoyed this year was making these little succulent gardens...I have found lots of little containers to put them in ...they make me smile ;0)

 I made and sold a TON of these this year...what a great year for my Etsy shop...it was so much fun! So much for relaxing though...I was BUSY!!

 But not too busy to have some fun!

 And take the trip we had dreamed about for years!

 And I got my pictures mixed up...this one was supposed to be last...because last week...my son, Stephen asked Anna to be his wife...and she said...YES!!! So next year we have more to celebrate...although I have already thought of Anna as a daughter for years!

And of course...Joseph and Selin got married this year...another reason to happy and thankful...and full of joy!!

Not everything was a bed of roses though...there were a couple major bumps in the road...but we are a family of faith...and we get through the tough times together...and find joy in each other...and the simple things in life.

I look forward to 2013...and pray that it will be a year of kindness and joy for all!!!

Until next time...enjoy your day!!!

A little more Christmas...

 I hope all is going well with you...and that you have been enjoying the Christmas season! I have been busier than I thought I would be this year...with Don retired...I thought for some reason we'd have more time...that hasn't been the case for us. It seems as though we are on the go constantly...I thought I'd show you a little more of Christmas at our home...this is our entry hall...these snowmen I made umpteen years ago...I can't even remember how long ago...I added some greenery from the branches that came off the bottom of our Christmas tree...and of course more pine cones...these are tiny pine cones.

 This snow lady hangs from the mirror above the snow men...I also made her maybe 15 years ago...I made a bunch of these as gifts and this time I actually made one for myself as well...so many times I don't! I did notice that the baby's nose fell off...I will have to repair her...we can't have a snow baby without a carrot nose!

This sledding snowman hangs right by the front door...he's pretty old too...I got him at a craft fair years ago.

So that's my entry hall...there's not too much too it...the snowmen sit on an old red dresser that was Don's when he was a boy...I found it hard to take pictures there because of the mirror...I kept getting me in the reflection...it wasn't pretty! The mirror is a flea market find...one day I'll get a better picture...I say that a lot I think! 

It's hard to believe that Christmas will be here in 8 days...I have lost all track of time lately...Its been cold here in my neck of the woods...cold for us anyway...in the mid 50's for the high...high 30's for the low...there's snow on the mountains by our house...when the clouds clear...its so pretty...we've had some rain...I'd like more...but I always say that!

I am trying to make a better effort to post more...I go in streaks lately...time just seems to get away from me...I need to read more posts too...I miss spending time doing that...soon!

Until next time...enjoy your day!!!

A little Christmas decor...

 We've been really busy since we got home from our vacation...decorating for Christmas happened a bit late...but last week I got things looking better around here...now I love to decorate...but I have a small house...and I like things simple...and natural...the area I will show you today are on a wall unit that spans across my den/sewing room...it started out as a den...but the sewing has definitely taken over the space! 

 I love shine mixed with natural...so everywhere I have a spare basket...there with be pine cones ..and in a lot...a bit of ornaments and in this one...some really cool ceramic balls I found...I also add big seed pods and whatever else I can find on my daily walks!

 You might see a trend here...I love Jim Shore's Christmas decorations...I have been collecting them for a number of years ...I have a lot! They are so colorful and happy!

 I got this pine cone basket a long time ago...and I adore it...filled with tiny pine cones...it is perfect!

 Another Jim Shore...the Santa's faces are all so wonderful...and another of my favorites...house plants...well...plants of any kind!

 I have pictures on a lot of the shelves...as well as lots of books and basket fulls of sewing stuff...this one I wanted to show you the little Hallmark Santa I got on our first Christmas...I thought putting it by the old and young pictures of us was the perfect place...

More Jim Shore snowmen...Don gave me this snow family last year...and of course another plant...this room is the sunniest in the house...plants love it in here! It is also the best place for sewing because I have a big area and two hug windows that look out into my back yard.

I hope you like my simple decor...I guess I should have taken a picture of the entire wall unit...it goes across the entire side of one wall ...floor to ceiling...another time...

Until next time...enjoy your day!!!

Rainbows in the rain...

 It's been raining for about 24 hours here...I love it...we need it...so no complaints here...but while I was walking into my bedroom I noticed it was sort of bright in the front yard...well bright for this time of day anyway...and dark in the back...so I went out on the front porch and saw this beautiful double rainbow...

The one on the outside is very faint...but its there...I walked out to see if I could see the whole thing...I could and was going to take a picture and it started pouring...so no full shot...I love that I saw the whole thing though...and even though the outside one is hard to see...it still counts as a double!! 

until next time...enjoy your day!!!

Iowa and then back home again...

 Since we were so close to Iowa...we figured...what the heck...why not drive over and check a bit out here too...well...Iowa looks a lot like southern  Minnesota...

 But we did read about this town...Mason City...referred to as River City...because it's home of the Music Man...never did see a river tough...anyway...it was a cute town...

 And we found that there was a Frank Lloyd Wright house here...with a tour...I love Frank Lloyd Wright...we have been to many of his building and the school in Scottsdale, AZ too...this one was beautifully restored.

 They do love their statues in these parts...I like that...art work for all to enjoy!

 We headed back towards Minneapolis...to stay with cousins again for a couple days before we had to head home...we had a great time and Hank and Sally threw a big party.....

 It was great to visit with all the Minnesota cousins!!

 Since we got home we've been busy...I've been making a lot of these...

 I can't seem to keep them in my shop...they are fun!

 And Don's been making more of these! He has joined my shop and had his first sale in there...this one in fact...

As well as all our crafting...we are trying to make time for a bit of gardening, visiting the boys in San Diego, and a little Christmas decorating and shopping...its tiring having all this fun!!

Until next time...enjoy your day!!!