27
Dec

The Snowy Cottage Home

We got almost a foot of snow here yesterday at The Cottage Home!  I guess this is what you would call a white Christmas.  I just had to post this picture of our house all snowy and white.  I usually prefer our home in the Summer months with all the greenery growing up the side of the house, but as I was outside taking this picture, I was in awe of what beauty the snow has brought us.I love old homes - our cottage home was built in 1934.  I cannot foresee my family and I ever living in a newer home, my husband and I feel that the older the better.  There is … continue reading

26
Dec

Olive Cheese Bread

I feel the need to shout this from the roof-top - I LOVE OLIVE CHEESE BREAD!  This recipe is out of my Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook that I got about a month or so ago.  I've been dying to try this recipe and I decided Christmas Eve would be the perfect opportunity.  And, oh my gosh, was it good!Now this is definitely not a figure-friendly recipe, but when you are looking to indulge a little bit (such as around the holidays), you cannot go wrong with this bread.  I served this with our Christmas Eve meal - we had a barbequed turkey, potatoes gratin, cornbread … continue reading

26
Dec

Tutorials Featured – Someday Crafts

My giant stuffed fleece fish and cloth baby doll diaper tutorials are being featured on Someday Crafts.  Head over to Michelle's awesome blog and check it out (www.somedaycrafts.blogspot.com )!!Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! … continue reading

22
Dec

Christmas Stockings

I have always loved my Christmas stocking.  My Mom had a beautiful velveteen stocking that her Grandmother (my Great-Grandmother) made for her.  It was beautiful - with all the hand-sewn bead work - you could definitely tell a lot of time, effort and love went into making that stocking. When I was a young child, my Mom decided to make my brother, Dad, and I a version of her stocking.  It was SO exciting to have our beautiful stockings with all the special ornaments sewn onto the Christmas trees.  And even to this day, there is something so comforting to me about … continue reading

21
Dec

Handmade Christmas Gifts

Ok, there's still time!  We have four full days until Christmas, so if you don't have all your Christmas shopping done - why not go handmade?  Handmade gifts are a wonderful way to show people how much you care about them.  I love handmade because as I am working on a gift, I am constantly thinking about the person I am creating for, imagining how they will enjoy the gift and often reflecting on my relationship with the person.While there is nothing wrong with purchasing a gift, by all means, I have purchased some gifts this holiday season, but if you have the … continue reading

20
Dec

Prime Rib

My Mom, Allen, and brother (Ben) were visiting this past weekend to celebrate an early Christmas.  As my Mom says, "Christmas is not about the day, it's about the season."  And yes, this has already been a magnificent holiday season for us and there still is lots more fun yet to come!  We had a wonderful time during my family's visit - we ate, drank, and had lots of laughs.  For our "Christmas" day dinner we decided to make my Mom's recipe for Prime Rib.Many people find prime rib to be an intimidating dish to prepare; however, my Mom's recipe is fool-proof and is … continue reading

18
Dec

He Makes Me……..

.............want to be a better person.Now that I am a mother, it is so important for myself and my husband to set a good example for our two little girls.  They may be small, but our oldest picks up on EVERYTHING.  She does the things I do, she says the things I say, she dances the way I dance........so I mean everything.As I go about my day to day life I quite often end up in certain situations where there ends up being two paths: the high-road or the low-road.  It would be so easy to take the low road sometimes, but I find myself saying......."What would my … continue reading

16
Dec

Fabric Covered Button Magnet Tutorial

Recently I have been accumulating large bags of fabric scraps since I have been sewing my little heart out over the last several months.  Some of the fabric is just gorgeous, but what to do with the little scraps?  So I decided, what better way to enjoy the fabric that I love so dearly then to make fabric covered button magnets and have these little gems on my fridge year-round.I've seen these for sale on etsy.com, so I thought I would give it a go at making my own.  There are many tutorials out there on the web for making these, but I thought I would show you how … continue reading

11
Dec

Classic Sugar Cookies

Today I baked Christmas sugar cookies with my two girls.  Well, mostly with my older daughter, Savannah.  Matilda (my 5-month old) sat in her boppy chair and watched us - she was there for moral support.I wasn't quite sure how this was going to go.  I liked the idea of doing something Christmasy with Savannah, but when I say she is my older daughter......she's not that much older at only 21-months.  Anyway, I thought we would give it a whirl - if things started to go south, I would just abort the mission - no harm done.I made the sugar cookie dough while the girls … continue reading

11
Dec

Fleece Fish Tutorial

My daughter loves fish - she particularly loves "Dorothy" (that's Elmo's fish......for those of you that don't know).  I haven't seen too many plush fish on the market, so I decided that I would make her a giant stuffed fish for Christmas. This fish is made entirely from fleece.  A lot of this project involves free-hand drawing.  It is very easy (beginning sewing) - it just takes some patience due to all the fish scales that you will be sewing on the body (but that's what makes it cool!).  Remember, the raw-edges of fleece doesn't fray, so that's why this is … continue reading