25
Feb

Crockpot Potato and Corn Chowder

It's been mighty cold around Chicagoland lately, which means it's perfect soup weather! I've been using my crockpot a ton over the last several months since we added baby #4, Josephine Mae, in October. I created this Crockpot Potato and Corn Chowder to have on a cold winter night and it turned out so wonderfully. I have a tendency to just 'wing-it' when I cook, but I actually wrote down all the ingredients this time so I could share this recipe with you all. And since it's Lent (which means no meat on Friday for our family), this recipe falls into the vegetarian … continue reading

12
Feb

Easy Jolly Bar Sixteen Patch Quilt Tutorial

It’s Grandma Jane here and I am excited to be helping The Cottage Mama in the Jolly Bar Blog Hop over at the Fat Quarter Shop. They recently launched their very own precut called the Jolly Bar. It is a 5”x 10”precut fabric collection exclusive to the Fat Quarter Shop! Each Jolly Bar also comes with an exclusive super easy pattern. And today I'll be sharing an Easy Jolly Bar Sixteen Patch Quilt Tutorial with you all! … continue reading

3
Feb

Free Patterns to Sew for Valentine’s Day

I was looking over the sewing projects here on The Cottage Mama blog and realized that I didn't have much to share in the Valentine's Day department. I've rounded up some free patterns to sew for Valentine's Day that I thought you might enjoy sewing. … continue reading

2
Feb

The Cottage Mama Sewing Studio ~ Updated Tour

Today I wanted to share an updated post about The Cottage Mama Sewing Studio. Not a lot has changed since the last tour, but I've definitely upgraded in the sewing machine / serger department. And because we are going to be selling The Cottage Home, I wanted to document this space one last time (sniff, sniff). So here goes....... … continue reading

28
Jan

Free Dress Patterns for Girls

Sewing for little girls is so much fun! Today I wanted to share some free dress patterns for girls that are available online. These are so sweet and would make darling gifts or lovely dresses to sew for your own little one! Check out these free dress patterns........ … continue reading

22
Jan

The Cottage Mama Home Tour

So the time has come to sell The Cottage Home. Brett and I purchased this home one month after we got married, a little more than 10 years ago. When we bought this house, it needed major work, but it's what we could afford at the time. I fell in love with the character and charm and overlooked some of the major problems as well as the amount of work that was needed on the interior. I wish I had some before pictures to share with you........all I can say was that there was orange shag carpet on the stairs, linoleum flooring in some of the bedrooms, baseboards that … continue reading

29
Dec

The Cottage Mama Sample Sale

I just wanted to let you know that I will be holding The Cottage Mama Sample Sale on December 31, 2014 at 9:00AM (CST) over in The Cottage Mama Etsy shop. We are getting ready to list our home for sale, so I'm selling off quite a few pieces from the sample garment rack. The picture above represents a sampling of the pieces included in the sale. There are things for girls as well as a few things for baby and boys. Many of the pieces included took me hours of work to create and I'm excited that they will go to homes where little ones can enjoy wearing them. I've … continue reading

25
Dec

Merry Christmas from The Cottage Mama

Just a quick post to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. I wish I could send each and every one of you a Christmas card, I thought I would share our card from this year right here on the blog. Thank you all so much for your love and support this year. Merry Christmas! … continue reading

15
Dec

ePottingShed Giveaway

Today I have another fantastic holiday giveaway for you! I'd like to introduce one of the newest sponsors here on The Cottage Mama, ePottingShed (EPS). EPS is a mail order plant and flower company, but they aren't just like any ole florist you might order from online.........they are unique and different. When you receive a delivery from EPS, it's definitely feels like a special occasion. Let me share a little more....... … continue reading

10
Dec

Artisan Caramels Book Review and Giveaway

Today I'm excited to introduce you to the book, Artisan Caramels by Sandy Arevalo. Not only is this an incredible book on how to make the most delicious caramels you have ever tasted, but the author lives in the next town over. And on top of that, my very good friend, Danica of Flora Danica Photography, photographed the entire book! I want to share a little about this book and then Sandy will be giving away an autographed copy as well as 1 pound of her handmade salted caramels (see below). … continue reading