Snowdrops

 

Can you spot one of Matt's recent projects?

 

 
 

 

A Handmade Christmas Gift for my sister-in-law.  I made this pattern up, trying to work out something in my head.  It wasn't quite what I had envisioned, but still lovely.  I bought the buttons (one of the only supplies I needed to buy for all the handmade gifts I made) and fell in love with the sparkle.  They remind me of of glistening snowflakes on a blanket of white.  I call it the Snowdrop Cowl and maybe wish it were my own.  ;-)

 

 Last week, the earth around Hopestead was covered with the most glorious white, drifty snow.  The snowflakes danced downward, spiraling into one another and clasping hands into clumps of crystal as they fell.  We were quite snowed in, as a matter of fact, or felt as much as the hill remained unplowed for most of the day(s) that snow fell.  And then, a few days later, when night fell the rain did too and the winds howled outside our door and beat against our windows and rattled their panes and me.  Nothing more shivery than wind gusts in winter.  I was thankful, then, to have Mattie to snuggle into and walls around and quilts over top.  Positively surrounded with goodness. 

The next morning it was gone, all gone.  All the snow drifts and sparkles, all the piles and piles and miles and miles of white.  In one night, white had turned to brown. Matt had to go out of town for the week...he left me like the beautiful snow.  And then.  THEN.  The winds grew bitter and brutal and cruel.  The windows became so frosted, they were opaque with sparkles."35-below with windchill", my neighbors told me.  "Don't be out for more than 15 minutes or you might get frostbite!"  they said. And no husband to warm my feet in his or to snuggle the chill right out of me. 

It's been me who has had to stoke the fire, over and over, trying to get the chill out of this drafty house, an impossibility.  Our breath billows on the second floor and we wear robes over our clothes and we eat warmth for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  It's been I who has had to go to the barn to comb down bear-like ponies and fluffy cows, with their thick winter fur and their frozen whiskers.  I've had to break ice, haul water, shove hay all-around, with frozen white fingers that lose their circulation in the cold.  Winter chores are no fun and especially so in the bitter, cruel gusts of below zero and a Mama stays very  busy trying to do it all.

Even so, I am okay.  Chores are just a small part of a big day (at least there is no milking yet!), the thermometer promises to creep slowly up soon, the days and minutes pass until I can see my Mister and I have rainbow colored eggs at a certain time each morning (Who can say that?!?) thanks to a bit of cut glass against windowpanes.   

 I have decided I am going to collect prisms.  I am going to fill an entire window with them and then have a whole room filled with dancing rainbows.   If that seems cheesy, who cares?  Gaudy?  Probably.  But then again- I don't think a person could ever have too much sparkle in their life.

Especially when they have to wear Carhartt brown at chore time.

On the 11th Day of Christmas...

The Dolls had a jolly time at their own Dollhouse Christmas.

The (real) children made little presents and baking treats (and wrapped them and put them under the tree) for the doll family to enjoy and the (real) Mama surprised them all (dolls and children, both) with a new string of lights for the Christmas tree.  (The old one having succumbed to chubby toddler fingers long ago...)

Hard at work in the kitchen, Dorothy has no idea there is a baby sneaking under the Christmas tree in the living room.

Naughty baby...they never can wait, can they?

a truck for the boys... they were delighted.

So was he, but being older, was able to maintain his excitement in a more "playing it cool" fashion.

a new alphabet book

A new blanket.  (Bedhead is THE WORST, isn't it?) 

and a string of pearls for Grandma.

you should have seen the state of the house AFTER the party...

The dolls had gifted each of the children an itty bitty Reese's cup.  Adele' thought it was time for feasting when I said "One more picture."  HA!

(PS.  I got a few dollhouse presents for next year under the Christmas tree at Michaels for 80% off so the dolls will be getting a bright red metal hobby horse and a fancy shmancy red wall mirror (both .59 cents) for Christmas next year!  Shhh!  Don't tell!)

On the 10th Day of Christmas...

 

... the children made faux gingerbread houses.  Or squares.  Or rectangles.  I think the idea for the olders was to get the highest ration of icing and candy to graham cracker.  

Kids these days.

On the 9th Day of Christmas...

The children opened up a family gift~ and were lulled to sleep to tales of dragons and peacocks by Toby and Peter.  (Thanks, guys!)

On the 8th Day of Christmas...

...Mama handed out yarny gifts for all.  

felted sweater hat and extra long mittens (to stay tucked into coat sleeves)

a stripey cowl using all the childrens' favorite colors

manly mittens

a bonnet/scarf

I was so close to having enough yarn to finish Adele's bonnet/scarf but I ran out before I could make the scarf long enough.  I ended up adding a bit of purple to each end and making little button circles to try to make it look like it was intentional.    So close.

a neckwarmer to match his hat, perfect for chore-time.

Finances on Friday

I missed last week's FF post and I very nearly skipped this one too, because the 12 Days of Christmas are still in full swing around these parts and my blogging minutes are being used up there, but I just couldn't do it....I couldn't skip this week.  It just felt wrong.  :-)

But first:  CONFESSION.

Last Financial Friday post (two weeks ago), I wrote I had made a baby doll carrier.  I had intended to do that right after posting- and then life happened, and then happened some more...and while I had intended to finish the project that very day...it got to the point where I have not yet even BEGUN the project.  Just had to tell you that.  Feeling guilty I led you all astray.  ;-)  

Here are some financial efforts for the last two weeks':

~ I never did my major shopping trip last week, though I was due for the monthly trip.  With the whole month of December AND the holidays AND the food gifting I did on groceries I bought the last week in November,  we are REALLY running low on stuff.  I feel kinda like this:

Wheat berries, anyone? 

I hope to go out on Saturday.  (Hope to.) If not, I've got this great wheat berry salad recipe...

~ After Christmas, I went out to check out the after-Christmas sales.  I stocked up on scotch tape rolls and three rolls of wrapping paper (I chose colorful stripes so it can be used all year long instead of just at Christmas) for 75% off.   I also got wintery napkins and paper plates for a .83 cents each which I will use for a ladies craft night I will be hosting later this month.  

~ I splurged and got a 3-tier serving plate that happened to match a cake display bought at after-Christmas clearance LAST YEAR (which I use all year long, every single week to store cookies, scones, muffins, etc.)  It, too, was 75% off.

~ I finished all the handmade gifts using all supplies I had on hand.  (More on that later.)

~ On the way home from our trip to see Opa, it was very late and the three children and I hadn't had dinner yet.  We weren't starving, but I knew we would be by morning if we didn't eat anything.  I didn't want to stop and get fast food so we went into Wegmans and got bananas and cheesesticks instead.  $3.50 later all four of us were satisfied and filled with healthy food.  

~ I went to the consignment shop where I put clothes on consignment and found two dresses that I have been admiring for quite some time in the 50% off holiday clothes section.  I bought them using the money they already owed me. (Plus, they gave me the extra $5.00 they owed me).  I walked out with two dresses and a five dollar bill....a nice trip!  ;-)  One will be a lovely spring dress (Easter, too?) for Adele'. 

 ~ I saved all the gift bags and ribbons from Christmas presents to use again.

~ I used up leftover collards and artichokes from Christmas Eve to make a vegetable casserole one night this week.  With the casserole, we had ham and mashed potatoes.  The next night, I threw what was left of the veggie casserole, mashed potatoes, and ham into a stock pot...added more ham, more collards and more potato chunks in- and heavy cream (from the holidays) and made one of the most delicious soups we have had in quite some time.  And now, besides quite a bit more ham to use up from the Christmas ham we were given, we have no leftovers in the fridge, waiting to go bad.  I'll be using ham on our pizza tonight and then freezing the rest.

~ I will boil the ham bone for broth, which I will freeze.  And Ruby will get the bone after that.  Not that she has been short on bones lately...

~ Gave mailman and garbage-man cookies for Christmas as well as six different neighbors.

~ I listened to more Hillsdale College Free Market Forums (specifically this, and this and this) while deep cleaning my bedroom, the girls' room and the office this week.  A free education.  ;-)

~ I used a lamp we already had to replace the one that recently broke in the girls' room.  They have light, once again!

~ fed chicken scraps

That's about all I can think of... Matt and I never had our budget meeting last week.  I hope to do that this weekend.  Then, next Friday, I'll share with you some of our financial goals for this new year! 

On the 7th day of Christmas

 

 

...We spent an afternoon cutting, baking. slathering and sprinkling dozens and dozens of cookies.

Then, we promptly bagged up bags and bags of them to deliver to neighbors, the mailman and the garbage men.  To let them know we love them, to thank them for their hard work on our behalf this year, and to make sure I wouldn't have the opportunity to eat all the cookies myself. 

(I posted the recipes for the cookies at Kitchen Riches, my always neglected recipe blog.  The last recipe I posted there was way back when I was making ice cream every week.  Right before my ice cream maker broke and cut short that tasty little endeavor.  For shame!  Sharing a recipe is a good way to start out the new year, methinks.)

On the 6th Day of Christmas...

...we had a game night!

I used to love me some grown-up game nights once upon a time.  Then, all our friends (and ourselves) started having children and game nights became less do-able, eventually becoming non-existent.

Well, this year I broke down and bought a grown-up game I have heard great things about called CURSES.  (Grown up game?  Curses?  This is starting to sound indecent!  I assure you, it is all very innocent.)  I am determined to have a grown up game night again.  When the children grow into teenagers, I am going to be the kind of mom to stay up and play games with them (when they probably wish I would just go to bed already.)  :-)

In the meantime, it was fun breaking out the kid games during dinner.  Especially catching Corynn in a slow-motion Jenga grimace.  ;-)

On the 5th Day of Christmas

...we had the Newman side of the family Christmas.

Whooooooo-weeeeee.

Now that all the Christmas gift exchanges are through (except a few little treats from Mama here and there for the 12 Days of Christmas), we are left with what comes AFTER:  The house is totally trashed right about now and I am feeling the overwhelming urge to purge, purge, purge (this, after the children already chose three toys each to donate to Salvation Army BEFORE Christmas-a tradition of ours.)

Nobody stop by unexpectedly in the next day or two.  Or do, but I can't guarantee you a place to walk  ;-)