Coffee for Breakfast

Here are photos of the pillow I finally finished for my sister. When I found the John Deere fabric I knew I would make something for her. I just didn't know what. Anyway, it took quite a while to get started. I found this project on Sew Mama Sew a while back and fell in love with it. It was a free pattern from ohfransson.com . Originally this was meant to be a birthday gift (last August!), but I think it is perfect for Valentine's Day.

Hey, I'll take it however I can get it! I was awakened to the sound of howling wind at about 4am. I wasn't totally surprised. We had heard the forecast. We were expecting a winter storm. First came the rain, then the freezing rain, and then the cracking and breaking of tree limbs. Lots of them. I knew right away I wouldn't be leaving my house today. I decided to bake. I baked a cake . The recipe is from one of my favorite blogs , the Pioneer Woman. Delicious. I quickly realized I enjoyed the warmth of the stove. I cooked beans and cornbread. Comfort food. My sweet husband built a nice fire in the fireplace and we all snuggled under our blankets for a movie. Fitting with my cooking theme for the day we decided to watch Julie and Julia. I loved it. I have never been very interested in Julia Child but I would now love to read her cookbook. Wonderful day to be stuck indoors. I probably gained 5 lbs. But it was worth it.

Last night I found myself with only one child in my car. We were on our way home from an out of town basketball game. We decided it would be a great time to make a quick run to Starbuck's and quickly browse in Ross. I'm working on a couple of decorating projects so I headed straight to housewares. I always take a quick look through the book section also. I was excited to find Sew U Home Stretch by Wendy Mullin and Amy Butler's Sew-It Kit. I paid $4.99 for each. If you sew and read sewing blogs you are probably aware of both of these designers. Happy, thrifty find!

I just noticed that this marks my 100th post. It took me long enough! Not to bore anyone or anything, but I thought I would make a list of 100 things I love... 1. The Lord 2. My husband my children: 3. Courtney 4. Shelby 5. Kaitlyn 6. Kyla 7. Aubree 8. My extended family (too many to list, but I love you all) 9. My old friends 10. My new friends 11. My church family (who are also my friends!) 12. My church 13. Homeschooling 14. That I get to be a stay at home mom 15. Reading 16. Sewing 17. Crocheting 18. Scrapbooking 19. Going out for breakfast 20. Date nights with my husband 21. Talking on the phone 22. Bubble baths 23. Coffee 24. Pedicures 25. Writing 26. Watching my kids play sports 27. Going to the hair salon 28. Bookstore 29. Fabric store 30. Family vacations 31. Vacationing with my husband 32. Bible studies 33. Art 34. Photography 35. Relaxing 36. Watching A & E 37. Fire in the fireplace 38. Bonfires 39. Learning new things 40. Scented candles 41. My Mama's fried chicken

I am reading Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. I knew I would be reading it as soon as I located it. I have never seen such a strong reaction to a book as this. I first heard about this book a few weeks ago. I don't know how I missed out on such a great writer for so long. I guess it would be because I read so much nonfiction . The funny thing about this book is that I keep encountering people who have already read it. They All have loved it and most will say it is the best book they have ever read. I'm about halfway through already and I just started a couple of days ago. This one of those I-can't-put-this-book-down kind of books. I should be finished in a day or two. I already plan to re-read this book. I'm not sure I have ever planned on a second reading during the first. It is THAT good. So, even though I'm not finished, I am highly recommending this book if you are looking for a great read. Just make sure you have time in your schedule. You will start reading

Yesterday my son and I went thrift store shopping. This happens to be a favorite outing with me amongst my kiddos. From the youngest to the oldest. They each have "their" special item they search for. For some it is a particular brand of jeans or maybe cool art supplies. For myself it is almost always books. My "finds" yesterday were The Complete Book of Crochet by Elizabeth L. Mathieson, Knitting for Babies & Kids, and Soft Furnishings for Dollhouses. I was happy with the crochet book because it was first published in 1946. The second book, of knitting, is a goal I have this year. I've been wanting to teach myself to knit for a couple of years. Hopefully this will be the year. The third book just looked like a fun project to work on with my girls. A couple of other things I bought were a pillow form still in package and a cool frame for Kaitlyn's latest artwork. Shelby bought Banana Republic jeans and several American Eagle pullovers. All for a little o

Christmas of 1994 came and passed with anticipation and a little disappointment. I was convinced we would have a Christmas baby. By the 26th I was sure I would stay pregnant FOREVER! Why do the last few weeks of pregnancy feel like an eternity? Then, on the 27th I was awakened very early thinking my waterbed had sprung a leak. Of course it didn't take long to realize we would be getting our little Christmas gift, finally. I told my husband my water had broken. He responded with, "Light the hot water heater." Our little house was in need of a few repairs! He was half asleep and denies saying this to his wife who was in labor! (but he did!) We gathered our things and headed to the hospital. In about 4 hours, I held Pure Joy in my arms. Kaitlyn Noel. My best Christmas gift ever! Having an almost Christmas birthday is hard! Kaitlyn usually misses out on the birthday party thing. We try to at least have a family party. We have travelled many years on her birthday to visit fami

Today, on January 3rd, I finally had my black eyed peas. It's a good thing I don't really believe those little legumes give good luck. On the other hand, we did have a pretty "unlucky" January 2nd. I arrived home around 10 am. I had chaperoned a lock in for my newly turned 15 year old daughter and 20 or so of her closest friends. Needless to say I was beyond exhausted. I took a very short lived nap and was startled awake by the horrific screams of my 9 year old. (not a pleasant awakening!) She had accidentally left the dog and uncaged bird inthe same room unattended. A catastrophic event can take place in mere fractions of a second. The dog (Pancho) only reacted with his God-given animal instinct. The bird (Piper) never saw him coming. To make matters worse, little Piper was determined to live, in spite of his half eaten condition. Pancho was never supposed to be an indoor pet anyway. He made his inevitable trip to the animal shelter. We were assured that he would be