::SAYING GOODBYE::

Hi there! Hope everyone is doing well. I know I just recently posted about how I was going to makeover the blog and add things, etc. However, the past couple of months I have been in ill health and I don't have the energy to do projects or write on the blog. Until my health issues are taken care of, I will stop blogging for now. Take care, CherylPin It Now!

:::WE MADE IT AND WHAT I HAVE BEEN UP TO:::

I have been away from the blog for sooo long. I was busy with the move and getting settled. Rushing to get it all done just to blog wasn't a top priority for me. It also gave me some time to think about whether I want to blog. I have tossed this around quite a bit this past year. I needed to sit and think what I wanted my blog to be. Did I want to have any Etsy shop? Did I want to have sponsors? Nope, I didn't want any of that. I want to create things for my home, my family and friends. I don't want to have to worry about sponsors. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying it's bad. It's just not for me. So with that being said here is what I have decided. I have decided that I want my blog to be a place where you can come to find a good recipe, enjoy some home decor ideas, quilting, photography and mostly be uplifted. It will be slow going at first. I plan to makeover the blog yet again. With this move, SIMPLIFYING has been what I have been striving for. I will also add a picture of me and hopefully and about me page. This way you can put a face to the blog. I hope you will stop by and grab a cup of sweet tea and stay a while. Have a great weekend! Pin It Now!

MOVING DAY,,,,,,

Well, today is the big day.  We are being packed today and tomorrow and Saturday we are heading north.  We will miss the friends we made here in Louisiana, but are looking forward to see what God has for us  in our new home state.

I will be spotty on blogging for a while.  It will probably take a couple of weeks to get settles.  LOL, that may be wishful thinking on my part.

I don't like goodbyes, so I will say, "See you later."

CherylPin It Now!

:::GIVEAWAY! CHRISTMAS IN JUNE FQ BUNDLE:::

First, I would like to apologize for not being able to post the giveaway before.  I took pictures and then went to upload and both of my camera batteries were dead.  Had to wait for them to charge.





Summer is here!  I am hoping to take advantage of the next couple of months and get my handmade Christmas gifts done.  I am giving away a FQ bundle of some lovely fabrics along with a pattern.  It's a $50 value!  If you are looking to get a headstart on some gifts for Christmas leave me a comment and tell me what you would like to make with the FQ bundle. This beautiful bundle would make a great quilt to snuggle up with on the couch on those cold winter nights.  

 I will leave the giveaway open until Monday at midnight and post the winner on Tuesday morning.

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::GIVEAWAY and a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT::

I have been away from the blog for a while because we are moving!  We have been doing cleaning out, throwing out and landscaping and staging the house.  So, between that and work I haven't had any energy to do projects to share.  Now all we need to do is keep the house model home clean on a daily basis.  That's  the only thing drives me nuts about moving.

I will be back later today with a giveaway!  So be sure to check back.

Have a great day!
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::TO BLOG OR NOT TO BLOG::

Yes, that question has been pondering my mind the past couple of months.  It's been that long since I have posted.

A few weeks prior to the new year I got a part-time job.  I have told my husband it's my dream job.  I work in a quilt shop.  I am around fabric all day , everyday and I love it.  Different people bring in their projects and ask us to help them find something to finish it off.  Often we get ladies that come in with show and tell.  Which I have to say is our absolute favorite time.  Some of the talent out there in the quilting world is extraordinary. 

Getting back into the groove of working took a little longer than I thought.  I needed to get the house chores on a different schedule and fit it into my working schedule.  I didn't really get any sewing time in up until a month ago.

I have made a few things.  Unfortunately, I am having trouble uploading pics.  I have made handwarmers from old shirts and charms squares.  I also made a sweet chenille bunny that was part of an Easter package I sent to my sweet nieces.  I finished my daughters quilt and sent it to her for her birthday.  I also learned how to make  a  pillowcase.  Oh my, it's the most fun to sew a pillowcase and the fabric combos are endless!  I have already decided that everyone in our family will be getting a pillowcase, pajamas and slippers all handmade for Christmas this year.  I have a friend that is having a baby VERY SOON.  As in a week!  I have made her some burp cloths, receiving blankets and under the needle as I type a baby quilt.  While I haven't been blogging, I have had time to sew.  : )

I have several other projects on the list I want to accomplish in the next month or so.  Here they are:

 - Piece, quilt and bind a quilt for my son.  I already have the fabrics cut out.

- Make pillow shams for the master bedroom.  I already have the fabric.

- table runner for buffet and coffee table

- make quilts for OUR HOME!!  One to snuggle with and one to display.

Yep, that's right.  I am doing a lot of quilting and making for others and I have yet to make a quilt for our home.  So that is one BIG thing on my list I would like to get done before December rolls around.  Wish me luck on that.

I hope you are having a blessed day in your little corner of the world.

Cheryl

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::A NEW YEAR...A FRESH START:::

Happy New Year!

I know it's belated, but just the same I hope you and yours have a wonderful 2013!

Our holiday with family was wonderful.  For the first time in many years, we went back "home"...where we grew up to be with family for the holidays.  We have lived so very far away from family for many years.  Traveling back for a family of four by plane was always too expensive.  We decided to drive this year.  Man, was it a long drive, but worth it.  We got to see my husbands family and my family and some old friends.

As the children head back to college I find myself taking down the all the holiday decorations.  Everything is bare again.  We have had so much rain here of late as well.  So everything is all gray.  I am dreaming  up ideas of what to do with our mantel now that Christmas is over.  I am craving pops of bright, summery colors.

Now that we are midway through the new year, I have come up with a "word' for the year.  I want to not only have this word applied to my decorating life, but my personal life as well.  My word for the new year is

SIMPLICITY

I have already been applying it.  I have cleaned out our pantry and am in the process of redoing the guest room/sewing room.  I have been throwing things out and have done a couple of trips to the local thrift store to make donations of "stuff."  It's a good feeling. 

As I am getting older, I find beauty in the simple things. I am content with things we have and feel blessed to have them.  Don't get me wrong, I love to decorate and shop, but so many people don't have that luxury.  Much less a roof over their head or clothes or shoes for their feet.  So, looking at the year ahead, I will be intentional about simplicity in my life.  This will apply to the blog as well.  Look for a face lift on the header and the blog as well.  I will be streamlining it to give it a simple, clean look and I also we be only blogging two three days a week.  I have recently got a job and will share more about that later on.

Thank you for stopping by.

Have a blessed day in your little corner of the world.

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:::CHRISTMAS HOME TOUR:::

Welcome to our home..

Christmas is my favorite time of year.  Our family finds great joy in giving at this time of year.  So, it's not uncommon for us to totally spoil someone or some family with things they "need" and they never know where it came from. 

I love the homes with all the glitter glamour and sparkle.  Everything looks so pretty and shiny.  For our family though, I like to keep things simple.  I like to decorate with things that are meaningful to us as a family as well as the reason for the season.  We have lived many places and it wasn't until about a little over ten years ago that we had a fireplace that I could actually decorate.  Front and center always is our nativity scene.  I bought this  nativity 23 years ago before my husband and I got married.  I love bringing it out every Christmas.  It reminds me of our very first Christmas together when we only had about fifteen ornaments on the tree and our little nativity.

About five years ago I started collecting snowmen.  I just love them.  They make me smile.  This year I thought it would be fun to have them all together in one area.  I chose the kitchen.  Welcome to Frosty's Snowflake cafe!  Grab a cuppa hot chocolate or cider and a cookie and stay a while.

One tradition that we have is buying a CD or two each year to add to our Christmas music collection.  As you can see here we tend to like the oldies, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole and Brenda Lee.

OOh, see those recipes to the left there?? Another one of our favorite traditions is baking cookies and fudge.  Mexican Wedding cookies, which look like little snowballs are my absolute favorite and a must each Christmas.  This year we will also be making some fudge.  My mother-in-law makes the best fudge. It really is truly delicious.  Shhhh, don't tell, but I am going to share the recipe with you.....

Grandmas Christmas Fudge

2 pkgs. semi sweet bakers chocolate

1 can (14oz.) sweetened condensed milk

2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2C. chopped walnuts

Microwave chocolate and milk in large microwaveable bowl on high 2 to 3 minutes or until chocolate is almost melted.  Be sure to stir  half way through heating time.  Stir until chocolate is completely melted.  Then, stir in vanilla and walnuts.  Spread in a foil lined 8 in. square pan.  Refrigerate for two hours or until firm.

That's it, it's that easy and oh so yummy!

Moving on to our dining room .  We gave our dining room table and chairs away last year.  We bought this table over the summer, but have yet to purchase chairs.

From all of us

to all of you

we wish you a blessed Christmas and a joyous New Year! 

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:::HANDMADE CHRISTMAS AND A HOLIDAY HOME TOUR:::

I have been busy "elfing" as I like to call it.  I am making some handmade things for my family this year that is requiring a lot of time at the sewing machine.  Here is a little sneaky peak  of a quilt I am making.

I was ready to bind this one yesterday when I realized I ran out of thread.  I still have another one to quilt and bind and yet another to piece, quilt and bind.  Wish me luck.  I will be cutting it close trying to get them all done before the holidays.

I am also participating in Jen's 12 days of Christmas.  It starts tomorrow, November 30th.  You don't want to miss it because Jen, myself and several other sweet ladies  will be sharing how we decorate for the holidays, our traditions, some projects and of course some recipes.

Well, I am off to "elfing" again.  Lots to do, lots to do!

Have a great day!
CherylPin It Now!

:::FALL MANTEL AND ENTRYWAY:::

I hope you had a good weekend.  We did.  Beautiful weather and football!  ROLL TIDE!!!  go RAVENS!
Yeah, I know, it's all so wrong.  We live in Louisiana and I don't root for the home team, but hey, I didn't go to LSU so no love loss there.  Heck, I didn't go to Alabama either, but I love their team.  ; )   Now we are from Maryland, so I have to root for the Ravens whenever they play.

Moving on to the fall mantel.  I was finally able to finish my fall canvas.  I am really pleased with how it came out and I love the pop of color the mantel brings to our family  room.

I bought the orange foliage,  pip berries , white pumpkins , wheat  and the moss balls from Hobby Lobby when all their fall stuff was on sale.  The wood tray that the pumpkins are sitting in I already had.  I bought it at a yard sale for a $1.00 years ago.  I already had the blue mason jars and the white pitcher.  I absolutely fell head over heals for the white pumpkins this year.   I love the neutral fall look, but wanted a pop of color. So I set out to make this quote canvas.  It took a while to finish up because I did it all old school.  I actually picked all the fonts and then traced them right from my computer to paper and then used carbon paper to trace the words onto the canvas.  Once that was all done I outlined all the words in white paint and then filled them in.

Next I added a touch of fall to our entryway.  I purchased three bags of acorns from Hobby Lobby when they were on sale and filled up some glass jars I already had..  Placed some candles on top and called it done.

Our orange trees are finally ready to pick.  Can't wait to eat them. I have shared before that we have  a Satsuma orange tree and a Meyer lemon tree.  I will share the harvest tomorrow.

Have a great day in your little corner of the world.

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