Scrappy Table Runner

I have spent many moments sewing and quilting a table runner.  I got my inspiration from a blog, Pleasant Home



It started out like this. . . .





And ended up like this. . . .

I had all of these strips in my scrap pile.  Each of the strips are 2 1/2" by 11" inches long.  I sewed 18 strips together with a 1 1/2 inch white polka dot border.  I quilted around each strip and then sewed the backing to the front, right sides together,  leaving an opening  to turn.  Turn right side out, hand stitch the opening closed and then top stitch 1/4" around the outside border.

I liked it so much I made a second one.  Now I just need to decide if I should put it in my Etsy shop.

January Happenings

Please forgive my absence with posting of our happenings here at One Blessed Acre.. . .  the days are shorter and we have been enjoying the last few days of sunny, beautiful weather outside.  We've been busy with school, sewing projects (post to come soon), learning to finger knit, crochet projects and life in general.



Let me catch you up on our exciting news.  Our chickens are finally back to laying again, which means that soon the "Chickens on Vacation" sign will come down from our egg stand and our local customers will be so joyful!  We also bought an incubator and currently have six eggs being kept warm and cozy in hopes of having babies in 21 days.  The General Manager keeps saying that his garage is turning into a farm nursery, what with the addition of our bunnies and our soon to arrive baby goats.



With the loss of several of our birds to the busy road in front of our house, we've been wanting to replace them.  We are also thinking of expanding the flock to increase the egg supply this summer.  It still amazes me how blessed we've been by this stand.  Everyone in town just loves to come and get eggs from us and it seems as if we are always "sold out."    It is so special to watch the tourists drive by the house, slowly back up and pull out their camera to take pictures of the stand.  I would have never thought that my egg stand would bring so much attention.



The daffadils in front of the picket fence are starting to pop up all along the fence line.  Last weekend I spent several hours outside weeding the beds so that the sweet buds wouldn't have to compete with the overgrown weeds. 

I'm mulling over several gardening books trying to decide what to do with my front flower beds.  I truly want an herb garden this year and it needs to be inside the picket fence so that the roaming ladies do not scratch and trample my delicate herbs and flowers.  I just keep realizing that gardening and choosing plants and placement of those plants is not one of the skills that I have been gifted, so the process is slowly becoming a little grueling.  I have also been trying to decide on some paint colors for the interior rooms, mostly out of necessity - little Georgie has learned what fun color crayons can be on the walls. The paint we currently have on the walls is NOT washable - which while the artwork of an 19 month old is beautiful to look at and I cherish these moments because they won't last long, at some point I have to wash them off the wall somehow.

Whenever I get a free moment these are some of my favorite decorating blogs to gain some inspiration.

Cherry Hill Cottage

The Inspired Room

Cherry Menlove

These may or may not be your style of decorating, but perhaps they will lead you somewhere new or inspire you in your own personal decorating.  May your day be filled with sweet visions of spring to come.

I can hardly believe

I can hardly believe it's in the 50's and it's January.  The girls and George are outside running around in the front yard barefoot and in short sleeve shirts.  Lindsay was enjoying the tire swing, that is after she dumped out the gallons of water on the inside.  We are nearing the hour to take Anne to piano lessons, but it's such a joy to see them outside and not cooped up inside.  We've had our share of rain for the last few weeks and I praise God that he gives us the sun to enjoy every now and again.  

I got the girls started back to school last week.  It's much better being on a routine and following a schedule - the girls seem to handle things better when they know what to expect.  I still receive the ocassional big brown eye look of, "can't we have the afternoon off, pleasssseee."



Charlie is growing so quickly and has fit right into this family.  He loves to be inside, but lately his favorite pasttime is stalking the chickens - I think he gets a secret thrill out of trying to pounce on them.  They just squawk and fly off.  I'm waiting for the day he tries it to the rooster, Hawk.  He might think twice about his pouncing on unsuspecting birds after that. . . .



Georgie loves to play with Charlie and chase him around the house.  Charlie is a good cat to tolerate little George.



My little boy loves to help out with dishes in the morning.  He doesn't do much washing, but is a great water sorter from one side of the sink to the other.  He absolutely adores the funnel and watches the water pour out from the bottom.  You can only imagine what is going on inside his brain as he watches the water flow out.  He is very busy in the morning and this keeps his hands from being idle, or from coloring on the walls with the new crayons that Grammie got him for Christmas.



Just a parting thought for the day.  With all the challenges that raising little ones bring, sometimes we just need to know that it's in our perseverance that God's work in us is done.  Through faith we can realize that our children will turn out all right, the laundry will get done, the house will look normal again, our husband will be fed a decent meal and our extra projects will get finished eventually.  

The spirit of godly womanhood is present in the woman who, with courage and fortitude, perseveres through the many challenges of life. She realizes that "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen," and consequently strives for the principled course of action." -Christine Russel



more counting of my One Thousand gifts. . . . .
#152  spending the day with the family

#153  another year with the man that I love and cherish

#154  giggles and squeels of delight

#155  tractors all lit up

#156  rain stopping during the parade

#157  hot cocoa after a long parade and tons of rain

#158  church family

#159  happy smiles on Christmas morn

#160  spending the evening with my parents

#161  the priceless look on Anne's face when she got her hope chest

#162  cloudy day nestled inside with the littles

#163  helping Abby fill her purse reminded me of when Anne was two years old and carried her purse everywhere we went

#164  free turkey broth

#165  quilting day spent with new friends

#166  Christmas cards from friends and family, even if they are received after the holidays

Out with the old and in with the new

The rain held out and the shed roof got changed.  Our ladies are sleeping under a brand new roof tonight and the General Manager is a little sore all over.

A huge "thank you" to our friends, Joe and Marvin who helped out.  My father is on the backside hammering nails.  What a blessing their help was!  This beautiful new roof would not have been possible without them, and  a very large ladder.

I think the ladies will be happy during the next rain storm.

I have a secret. . .

She whispers in my ear, ever so silently . . . . . .

"I have a seekwet . . . . . I love Jesus."

How I love to watch my children grow in their faith!

Circle C Beginning series Book Review

Author Susan K. Marlow, has written a prequel series entitled Circle C Beginnings.  Last year, while serving on the TOS Homeschool Crew, I had the opportunity to review one of her other books in her Circle C Adventure series, entitled Trouble With Treasure.  Earlier this year she sent me book one and book two in her Circle C Beginnings to review. Susan is a homeschool mom, freelance editor and teacher. 

The girls and I jumped right in and began the first book, Andi's Pony Trouble.  Andi wants a pony more than anything, but when she asks, her mother says that she is too young and that she must continue to ride Coco, the older pony the family owns.  She's tired of riding Coco because Coco isn't able to trot like Andi wants him to.  She spends several weeks trying to convince her family that she is resposible enough to take care of a new pony.

My middle girls are ages 5 and 7 and they enjoyed this series.  Susan writes at a level that is easily understandable for children of these ages.  When we got to the ending of the book, I quickly realized the character trait that Susan was trying to teach her young readers; contentment.  Little Andi learned to be content with Coco because Coco was a good pony, faithful, well mannered and easy to handle for a six year old girl.

So, we dived right into the next book, Andi's Indian Summer.  Andi's friend, Riley shows her an old dime novel about indians that causes Andi's brain to conjure up all sorts of wild stories about how indians capture and hurt innocent people.  One day, Riley and Andi take a horse back ride in search of a creek.  Riley gets them lost, really lost and Andi becomes very scared.  They are found by two Indian boys who try to steal Riley's horse, but swift justice is served when one of the boys' father finds all of them and make his son return the horse and apologize.  Riley and Andi are taken back to the Indian village for the evening because it is too late to return home.  It is during this time that Andi discovers the truth about the native indians that are living nearby.

Once again the girls enjoyed this book and from the book they learned about not pre-judging others who are different from us.  Andi pre-judged all indians to be dangerous and scary, but what she found was that they were normal just like her.

Book one and two sell as a set for $9.98 on the Circle C webpage.  Be sure to check out Susan's other books in this series, as well as the Circle C Adventure series.  They are truly a fun read for children.