Quilt Show Pictures/Video

For some reason my computer is not recognizing my usb for my video camera so I cannot get the video from the show to upload...ugh...I hate technical problems! So I decided to do a slide show instead. Pictured are most of the quilts, I somehow managed to delete a few...duh...

The show was held at Palisades Park, which is beautiful no matter what time of year. We had (less expensive/important) quilts hanging all through the wooded park so when you drove in you were greeted with quilts waving in the wind...it was just beautiful!

The show filled two of the rustic buildings, one being our Quilter's Cottage.

Enjoy the show (pictures never do quilts justice!) and turn your sound on!

After adding this I cannot believe how awful the picture looks...UGH!
But you get the idea.

Give Her the Fruit of Her Hands

Now for the exciting thing that happened to Olivia at the quilt show.

She made this wall hanging to be donated at our Fire Department's Chili Supper for a silent auction. A lady came up to her at the show and asked if she would consider selling it. We were kind of caught off guard, but said, "Sure!" Olivia told her $50, the lady gave her $60. It's probably worth more than that, but we are still learning the value of things. :o) The lady is going to have it framed. It's exciting to know someone likes your stuff THAT much! I was so excited for Olivia. So today she has been working on another flag wall hanging to donate to the auction. :o)Here is a quilt I just finished for a sweet lady in MD. She had this made as a surprise for her son who is away at his first year of college. These are his t-shirts from high school and his badges and patches are all sewn in the border. This was a fun quilt to do! What a special way to use those t-shirts.

Fall Give-Away!

After all the fun with the Summer Give Away I have to take part in the
Fall Y'all Give Away!

I am willing to give all FIVE lessons of my downloadable quilting class.

Leave a comment and I'll put your name in for the drawing to be held Friday night!

Quilt Show Video in the works

Those of you waiting for the quilt show video...I will be working on it today and hopefully have it up this evening. But I first have to get this house in order and do some schooling with my girls. It is amazing how crazy things can get at home when no one is home being the KEEPER! Titus 2:5 We were out of pocket for about 3 days, being home long enough to run in and out and what a mess things are!

:o)

Nothing But the Blood

We sang this this morning during worship (I also installed it on my sidebar). It all boils down to the blood of Jesus. Without Him there is no forgivness of sins, no peace, no hope!

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

For my pardon, this I see,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
For my cleansing this my plea,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Now by this I’ll overcome—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
Now by this I’ll reach my home—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Glory! Glory! This I sing—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
All my praise for this I bring—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

QUICK update!

This weekend is our Guild's big quilt show and let me tell you... it is beautiful! Our family is working the food booth and providing 'security' tonight to ensure the quilts are safe. I had to come home and whip up more baked goods. :o)

If you live in or near Blount County, Alabama it is worth the trip to the show. This is an excellent way to inspire your girls. And OH MY! You should see the guilts one of the men in our guild made!!! Incredible! He doesn't really come to meetings (his wife does), but he does alot of grunt work for us at big events, along with some of the other men, like my Mr. Wonderful!

Well, I'm off again and I can't wait until I can tell you what happened to Olivia this today! Tell your daughters to stay tuned!!!

I hope to post a short video clip from the show Sunday or Monday!

btw...I've noticed that my blog visitors has really jumped this week but I'm not sure why. If you are new here could you please leave me a comment and let me know how you found out about my blog. THANK YOU!

Faithfulness? Obedience?

We have just returned from a BEAUTIFUL trip to Virginia, how can anyone doubt God is real when they see such beauty?

We listened to some beautiful music as we drove 600 miles north, and listened to an outstanding history tape by Steve Wilkins about Robert E Lee, which we have listened to before, but seeing as we were going to Virginia to soak in it's RICH history we thought we should listen to it again.

~~~~

Have you ever poured your whole heart and soul into doing something that you KNOW God has called you to do and yet the results seem as though you failed? THIS is how I have felt for the past couple of years, the past year especially. I have no doubt that God wanted me to be a wife and mother. I have no doubt that we are to teach our children as we walk and sit beside them, no doubt that He wanted us to homeschool.

Then things happen that were not part of the plan, that I know HE wanted me to do. For example, a rebellious teenager. The past couple of years I have been in kind of a spiritual shock, because this was not part of the plan...at least not how I was seeing it. I have asked God OVER AND OVER AND OVER..."WHY? What did we do wrong???" Not that we have done everything perfectly...far from it, but we have tried to be faithful. But I have to admit, God has purified tons of PRIDE from me, pride I did not even realize I had... I wonder how much more He needs to squeeze from me?

So back to our trip. While listening to this tape about Robert E Lee (one of our favorite men of all time), Pastor Wilkins brings up a VERY important point. This is not an exact quote but it is the jest of it. General Lee was asked after the war about loosing and his reply was (paraphrase):

'I did what I felt I was called to do to the best of my ability,
the results were up to the Lord.'

God used this to minister to my heart with such freedom and healing. I have spent so long searching for ways to fix a rebellious heart that was not mine to fix. I want to be faithful to God and part of that faithfulness is trusting HIM with the results. I'm sure Lee did not know he was going to loose the war when he started out, but he was faithful. His life is still impacting others today (like mine). I'm sure when he took his last breath here on earth that he then met God face to face and heard the words we all long to hear, "Well done, good and faithful Servant."

We must put on the full armor of God, be faithful, and stand firm, even when our circumstances look out of control, knowing that HE holds them all in his hands.

Therefore, take up the full armor of God,
so that you will be able to resist in the evil day,
and having done everything,
to stand firm.
Ephesians 6:13

Our obedience cannot depend on our current circumstances!

Frugal Friday~Teach Them Well

This week's Frugal Tip is take your time now to train your children how to shop and cook.

Most of us stay at home moms are starting from scratch with everything. Not only are alot of us first generation Christians and having to learn 'what saith the Lord", but we are learning how to be submissive wives, how to pinch pennies, how to teach our children, how to keep house, etc...

Just think how much better off (hopefully!) our children will be when they reach adulthood because we have taken the time to teach them how to be frugal! Actually...we are learning together! :o)

Be sure to read over this week's topic of What to Do When your Daughter Hates to Be in he Kitchen!

For more Frugal tips visit Crystal's blog: Biblical Womanhood!

Olivia's Speech

A repost of Olivia's Speech:

Why Should You Care?

The Same, Yet Different

The Lord says He knew us even before He created us in our Mother's womb.

Olivia and Emma have the same parents (us), but they are SO different.
Which is a good thing because they balance each other out...
and drive each other crazy sometimes. :o)
They have a very special friendship.
(Excuse the wrinkles, this was after a loooong day!)

Now, I have to tell you, very few girls are more proud of being a GRITS (Girls Raised In The South), than Olivia! Jeff and I talk from time to time about moving back to New York, that is when Olivia digs her boots in and says, "I refuse to move north of the Mason Dixon Line!"

Olivia has begged me for YEARS to make her a hoop skirt. I did buy two patterns a few years ago, but that is as far as I have gotten. I keep telling HER to make it! :o) Well... Friday she made this outfit...WITHOUT the patterns. The shirt she already had, but she made the hoop slip using wire from her dad's workshop! :o) Then she rummaged through our stack of fabric and went to cutting and sewing! She bribed her sister into being her dress form...note how happy Emma is about it!

I think she did an outstanding job!

She was SO HAPPY,

it was like a dream come true to finally have a hoop skirt.

I am thankful for her sweet spirit, her love of history and femininity!

With the best dog in the world!

Our Southern Belle!
The daughter of two Northerners...
now that is called God's grace! lol

Then there came Emma!

God knew exactly what our family needed.

She is WONDERFUL!
She loves life!
She has more compassion in her little finger than I have is my whole body!

I am looking forward to what God has in store for her.

We have a couple of events coming up that Olivia can dress in her hoop skirt! Today she wore it to a Harvest Festival and handed out fliers for our Guild's upcoming quilt show.
She had a ball!
Here she is with Emma, who would not be caught dead in a hoop skirt,
but she is happy for her SISTER! :o)

God created them so differently, yet the same,
to bring glory to Him.

HE created them with different gifts, interest and style.

They don't have to dress the same,
or do the same things to love and support each other.

Wouldn't it be nice if all Christians would love each other despite our differences?

And the winner is....

Daisy!!!
from a Daisy Day!

Congratulations!

I'll be mailing these out as soon as you send me your mailing address.

THANK YOU
to everyone that left comments and linked back,
this was fun.

Be sure to check back because I am working on some more GIVE AWAYS!

Pumpkin Potholders are for sale for $6 a set.
Just email me if you are interested!

Getting Your Children to Obey

I have a dear friend that has written an e-book about child training. I have to tell you, her children are exceptionally well behaved. When my oldest has babysat for this friend she would come home and say how much fun she had keeping her children! It was because they were so well trained and they actually obeyed! My daughter has babysat some children that she deserved combat pay for.

Check it out!

More Creative Ways to Use Pumpkins

For my Frugal Friday is the whole week of tips!
Look back over the post from this week and read the comments,
there are some neat ideas in there!

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY!
Leave a comment, I'll put your name in the hat for the GIVE AWAY.

Post on your blog linking back to here and
I'll put your name in TWICE!

If you are having trouble leaving a comment,
just email me and I'll do it for you!
Kathy@teachinggoodthings.com

I'll announce the winner Saturday morning.


Pumpkins as Vases!

MARTHA has dozens of ideas!

Pumpkin Aligator

I LOVE these!

Make Your Own Pumpkin Spice

1/4 cup cinnamon

1 T allspice

1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp. ground cloves

Store in airtight container.
Use in muffins, pancakes, bread...

Here is a GREAT way to make your own pumpkin!
Love it!

Pumpkin Powerhouse!

Be sure to leave a comment this week and
I'll put your name in the hat for the GIVE AWAY.

Post on your blog linking back to here and
I'll put your name in TWICE!

If you are having trouble leaving a comment,
just email me and I'll do it for you!
Kathy@teachinggoodthings.com

Pumpkins are a Powerhouse of Nutrition!

ONE SERVING OF PUMPKIN HAS:

7 grams of fiber
More than 100% of your daily vitamin A
(a lack of vitamin A can lead to night blindness)
beta carotene
(lowers the risk of age-related macular degeneration)
carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin
(which is good for your eye sight)
15% of your daily vitamin C
20% of your daily iron needs
alpha-carotene
(lowers the risk of lung cancer)
seeds contain cucurbitacins
(may be help prostate health)

Ways to get pumpkin into your family's diet all year long,
not just in the fall:

Of course... Pumpkin Bread and Pumpkin Pie!
Pumpkin Muffins with nuts for breakfast
Casseroles
Pumpkin PancakesGranola
Pumpkin Soup

Think of any recipe where you could throw in a little pumpkin
and it wouldn't be too noticeable such as a vegetable soup.

Think of a way to add pumpkin to your diet maybe a couple times a month
so the family won't grow to hate it. :o)

You may need to learn how to freeze or can pumpkin
for the most nutritional value and flavor!
Check these out:

How to Make Pumpkin Puree

Canning Freezing

SEEDS!

Protein
Iron
B vitamins
vitamin E
high in unsaturated vegetable oil
seed coverings high in fiber

Save and roast your seeds.

First scoop out the seeds and wash them.
You can dry out the seeds before baking, but it’s not necessary.

Lay the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet.
Use alittle olive oil on the pan, then alittle on top of the seeds.
Butter would also work.
Sprinkle with the seasonings of your choice (listed below).

Bake the seeds at 250-275 for about an hour or until crunchy;
stir every 20 minutes to keep from burning.

For a different twist on your seeds try:
salt , garlic salt or seasoning salt
curry powder
garlic powder
cayenne pepper
Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce
use your imagination...

Pumpkin seeds can be tossed in any recipe
where you would normally add nuts.

Try adding the ground seeds to hot cereals.

Grind them up as fillers in most anything!

Store the seeds in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Seeds will last several months,
but they often lose some of their flavor after a month or two.
Air seal would be the best way to preserve your seeds!

The pumpkin's bright yellow-orange flowers are edible!

Pumpkin Prayer~Choosing a Pumpkin

Although our family does not get into the spooky Halloween stuff, we do enjoy the blessings of the harvest season. Personally, I like my pumpkins un-carved (they last much longer), but I know alot of people have fun carving their pumpkins. Here is a little devotion/poem to do with your little ones if you carve.

Pumpkin Prayer

Cut Off the Top
Lord open my mind and fill me with your wisdom and guidance.

Scoop Out the Yukies:
Lord, take out all my fussies and frownies and fill me with Your love.

Carve Out the Eyes:
Lord, open my eyes to see all of the beautiful things You have made.

Carve Out the Nose:
Lord, help me to be a sweet fragrance for You.

Carve Out the Mouth:
Lord, help me to always speak Your words of love and kindness.

Place in a Candle:
Lord, let me be a light to others for You have filled me with Your light.

Choosing a Pumpkin

Pumpkins are gourds and are in the family that also includes squash and cucumbers.

Choose pumpkins that are firm and have a rich color.

Pumpkins should resist scratching,
test this with your scraping your fingernail on it.

Be sure they have no cracks or soft spots.

Small pumpkins are for pies and other dishes.

An un-carved pumpkin will last about two months.

Rub clove oil on your pumpkins to keep the gnats and bees away from them.

~~~~~

Here is another Pumpkin Quiz!

~~~~~

HERE is one the kids will have fun with!

~~~~~

Be sure to leave a comment this week and
I'll put your name in the hat for the GIVE AWAY.

Post on your blog linking back to here and
I'll put your name in TWICE!

If you are having trouble leaving a comment,
just email me and I'll do it for you!
Kathy@teachinggoodthings.com

The Great Pumpkin and A Pumpkin Bowl

I spent my childhood in Upstate New York. You cannot begin to appreciate the fall season unless you have experienced autumn in the North East! The colors are breathtaking!

One family tradition we had while I was a kid was going to the Pumpkin Farm. It had a huge pumpkin patch of course, and you could get hay rides, apples, cider and other seasonal goodies. It was just a fun, family atmosphere, not an evil scary thing. There was a HUGE pumpkin, called The Great Pumpkin. I think it was made of paper mache'? A person would sit inside it and children could come up and ask him questions. Fun memories...

How many of us grew up watching Charlie Brown in the fall, in The Great Pumpkin?
HERE is a little trivia quiz you might have fun with.

~~~~~

Making a Pumpkin Bowl

You can do this with most anything, pumpkins, cabbage, bell peppers, squash etc...
I made this one for the Barn Party we went to last month!

Just cut the top off, carve it out.
You may need to thin out the top of the rim to make a larger opening.

This is great for dips, cheese cubes etc...
You could put a dip in one and have cubes of bread around it for dipping.
You could also use crackers around it. Use your imagination!

Garnish with some fresh herbs.
This one has Rosemary in it.

~~~~~

Pumpkin Pie Crust Cookies w/Dip
A great dip to be make when you have extra pie crust dough.
With the extra dough, make cutouts using leaf or pumpkin shaped cookie cutters.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and
bake at 475o until firm, 5 to 7 minutes.
Allow to cool.

For the Dip:
2 cups powdered sugar
1, 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
16 oz. pumpkin puree
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ginger (optional)

Combine powdered sugar and cream cheese.
Add pumpkin puree, cinnamon and ginger.
Refrigerate

Don't forget to leave a comment to be put in the drawing for the GIVE AWAY!
Link back here and your name goes in TWICE!!

Pumpkin Week ~Trivia , Quizes and a GIVE AWAY! Pumpkin Gems

This week I will be posting about PUMPKINS,

a little trivia, decorating ideas, fun for the kids
and of course RECIPES!!!


GIVE AWAY
Leave a comment
(preferably with a suggestion, a joke or funny story
on how to use a pumpkin,
but it is not necessary),
and I'll put your name in the hat once.

Post on your blog linking back to this Give-Away
and
I will put your name in the hat TWICE for the drawing on Saturday
for a set of two
Pumpkin Pot Holders!
(pictured above)

Give Away ends Friday night at midnight.
Winner will be announced Saturday.

~

HERE is a little quiz about pumpkins.

~

My first recipe will be an EASY one for

TWO Ingredient Pumpkin Gems!

Ingredients:

A Cake Mix
(something that will go with pumpkin flavor, chocolate, spice, yellow, etc)
1 can 100% Pumpkin
(not pie filling)
DO NOT ADD WATER AND OIL

OPTIONAL:
2 eggs
(eggs add to a lighter texture, more cake like,
but you can do this without eggs and the texture will be more dense
like a pumpkin bread or muffin)
Chocolate Chips
Walnuts or Pecans

Mix 1 cake mix and 1 can of pumpkin (optional eggs) until smooth.
Add nuts and chocolate chips

Using a small ice cream scoop (thanks to Dana for this tip)
scoop batter into mini muffin pans.
Bake on 350 for about 15-20 minutes.

This batch was made with a chocolate cake mix and a yellow cake mix.
You could even use loaf pans to make Pumpkin Bread.
Make these ahead of time,
freeze them and
you'll have a treat ready for fellowship gatherings in an instant!

The Wage for a Wife and Mother

What is the wage for being a Godly wife and mother, a keeper of your home?

There are times it is hard to be a stay at home wife and mother. You are on duty 24/7 and sometimes without anyone noticing your constant sacrifice. You may have seasons (sometimes LONG seasons) of potty training, character training, or a rebellious child. You may have a husband that is demanding and ungrateful. But God does notice. He knows your heart. He knows if you are willing to serve Him regardless of the pay. The key is to focus on Christ not the circumstances. So much easier said than done..I know!

So is it worth it? YES! It is worth it because this is why God created us. Our goal is to please Him. We please Him by laying ourselves down as a living sacrifice. He has given us MANY promises in return.

One promise is:

Her children arise up, and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praiseth her.
Proverbs 31:28

They may not do it daily, they may not always do it in word, and it may take years before you hear it from your children, but if you are faithful, no matter the *current circumstances*, this will come to pass. God does not lie.

100 Years

100 Years lyrics

I'm 15 for a moment
Caught in between 10 and 20
And I'm just dreaming
Counting the ways to where you are
I'm 22 for a moment
She feels better than ever
And we're on fire
Making our way back from Mars
15 there's still time for you
Time to buy and time to lose
15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live
I'm 33 for a moment
Still the man, but you see I'm a they
A kid on the way
A family on my mind
I'm 45 for a moment
The sea is high
And I'm heading into a crisis
Chasing the years of my life
15 there's still time for you
Time to buy, Time to lose yourself
Within a morning star
15 I'm all right with you
15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live
Half time goes by
Suddenly you’re wise
Another blink of an eye
67 is gone
The sun is getting high
We're moving on...
I'm 99 for a moment
Dying for just another moment
And I'm just dreaming
Counting the ways to where you are
15 there's still time for you
22 I feel her too
33 you’re on your way
Every day's a new day...
15 there's still time for you
Time to buy and time to choose
Hey 15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live

Frugal Friday~Towels

My Frugal Friday tip is yesterday's post about how to make EASY hanging kitchen towels.
For More Frugal tips go to Biblical Womanhood!

I know my tutorial links on the sidebar aren't working right now, I'm trying to get that fixed as I type! Please be sure to check back. :o)

EASY Hanging Towel

Earlier this year I made a Hanging Dish Towel. My only complaint about that one is I HATE doing buttonholes! So I came up with a different pattern that's a piece of cake!

Cut a piece of fabric about 16 inches wide.
Fold it in half, right sides together.

If you fold it as shown into thirds you can get three toppers made.

Cut your towel in half, across the width.

Fold each half into thirds at the length.

Draw out a template on a piece of paper.
It does not have to be exact.
Make sure the bottom is slightly wider than the width of your towel that is folded in thirds.
After making a couple I decided that my template was a a little too narrow and short at the top, so I just cut it a little wider and longer.

Sew a 1/4" seam all the way around, except for the bottom, leave that open.
You will need to trim the points as close to the seam as possible.

Turn right side out.
Use a skewer to push the 'legs' through (Emma say they look like chicken legs).
You can also use the point of the skewer to help 'pick out' the tip of the leg.

Press it flat.
Press a 1/2" hem into the inside of the opening.

Place the raw end of the towel about an inch into the opening.
Pin if you need to.

Sew a seam, backstitch on both ends.

Here is one tied and one untied.

I made 14 this afternoon.
They move quickly once you get the hang of it.
These make great hostess gifts.
I'm putting these in our shop for $5.00 each.