A Day For Snuggling In....

It's softly snowing outside....

I'm bundled up in my down comforter...

sitting by the roaring fire...

The Guitar Man is in the kitchen

juicing organic oranges...

to go with the ham and egg breakfast he's preparing us.

(The darling man just brought me a steaming hot mug of cafe mocha...sip...slurp...

oh so yummy!)

I'm sitting here reading an excellent new memoir that has come out...

Click Here to Check it out...

The author has a cooking blog called ...

The Wednesday Chef

It takes a really good book to keep me interested,

and this one more than qualifies.

She has a way of inviting you into not only her kitchen,

but her way of  life, lived mostly in Berlin,

and somewhat in New York...

transporting you the whole time to a world I at least have never known.

Fascinating!

So I've got to get back to Berlin girls....

Ta...Ta...

The Rancher's Daughter Quilt Along

Okay...so tonight ladies,

I decided that I am going to start a project that I've been wanting to all year!..

I gathered up a bunch of Christmas Fabrics that I've been saving...

and went to work.

(Readers: I've had to delete part of this post due to some drama regarding the book I was recommending. I have renamed the project: The Rancher's Daughter

seeing I was raised on a Registered Hereford Cattle Ranch

and will be doing a post about it all soon.) 

Cutting Instructions: 

A = Cut (1) 2 1/2" Square

B = Cut (2)1 1/2" X 2 1/2"   

C = Cut (2) 1 1/2" X 4 1/2"

D = Cut (2) 1 1/2" X 4 1/2"

E = Cut (2) 1 1/2" X 6 1/2"

F = Cut (4) 2 1/2" Squares  

Yeah...I know my plaids don't match up! Bah hum bug. I love plaids, but they are never printed right on to the fabric.

I've decided I'm going to show the whole process of what I do in case it might help any of you out there.

If you want to see how I change my blocks around....

  how I commission fabrics 

and complete each block, 

join in!

After drafting the pattern out on graph paper I marked each set of cuts with post-it notes.

Sew the first sets together...( C's to A Center Block)

Then the sides..(B's to Center Piece)

Start commissioning fabrics for the next set of cuts...

Nope!

Nah.....

I choose 'YOU"!

D's to completed block so far....

More commissioning....

But I decided it's best to keep all 4 sides the same! (E's to Center Block)

Decided to use this fabric for the corners. You cut 2 1/2" squares...

Draw a line diagonally down the center...

Stitch on top of line....Make sure it is positioned correctly.

All four corners. Then cut away excess leaving a 1/4" seam

Wala......First Block Completed!!

And then find a binder to put it all in to keep it straight:

Put drafted drawing with finished block.

 

So now I'm going to see how to create a Linky Party,

a Button,

Flickr Account...

etc...etc....

So I can keep this all organized!

(Any help mastering this would be of great help!!)

I'd love to see everyone's work in progress!

I figure the New Year is a great time to start a project like this. Maybe we can all  keep each other inspired!

Hugs!

A little comfort.....the most comforting thing I've read since our nation has been rocked by the terrible tragedy in Conneticut...

Sentiments of Hope

twas' 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38

when 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven's gate.
their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air.
they could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there.
they were filled with such joy, they didn't know what to say.
they remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.
"where are we?" asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.
"this is heaven." declared a small boy. "we're spending Christmas at God's house."
when what to their wondering eyes did appear,
but Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near.
He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same.
then He opened His arms and He called them by name.
and in that moment was joy, that only heaven can bring
those children all flew into the arms of their King
and as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace,
one small girl turned and looked at Jesus' face.
and as if He could read all the questions she had
He gently whispered to her, "I'll take care of mom and dad."
then He looked down on earth, the world far below
He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe
then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand,
"Let My power and presence re-enter this land!"
"may this country be delivered from the hands of fools"
"I'm taking back my nation. I'm taking back my schools!"
then He and the children stood up without a sound.
"come now my children, let me show you around."
excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran.
all displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.
and i heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight,
"in the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT."



Written by: Cameo Smith, Mt. Wolfe Pa.

An Accidental Love Story

Part 2 of "What I've Been Up To"

There was a dog named Chloe.

Tory and her Lost Soldier Boy had found her at the pound.

And low and behold....

it was the dog,

who brought the new soldier boy into her life.

She was headed up to New York for a ceremony for her fallen soldier,

and Steven (above) who was the best friend of the couple she was living with

offered to keep her dog.

He became a  friend to her in her grief.
 He was there for her.

 He consoled her.

 He fell in love with her.

She leaned on him and in her own words, it was him that kept her from self-destructing!

And then the news she came home crying to me about...

"Mom, I'm pregnant!"

And so the journey of love began all over again!

Just days before baby was to be born they were going to go to the courthouse to get married.

But moms, and sisters stepped in and said, "No Way! We want to be apart of all  this!"

So plans changed to getting married on the plantation in Alabama he grew up on and that has been in the family since the 1820's.

Hiccup: Her big sis called crying from North Dakota...

there was no way she could make it.

Next Plan: They were going to go to the courthouse on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, and then have everyone over for a small reception.

Final Plan: I told the other moms/sisters/brothers etc....
we should plan a surprise wedding for them here at home.

And....
we pulled it off.
In 6 days!

I will say 'more' things got crossed off of my to-do-list,
than actually got done!   

But we did it!

Tables were set...

    

....and guarded!

I put Mama Laura in charge of flowers. She made his adornment, all of the bouquets, and T's bouquet.

Workin' away...

I put beautiful Katelin on decorating cupcakes...

My daughter Ashley and Grandson Heston...they drove 39 hours across country to be here...

My right hand help in the kitchen! Melissa my sweet daughter who also drove the 39 hours with her 3 kids to come and Angie, Steven's step mom. Couldn't have done it without these two!! And bah humbug...this is the only pic I have of them in the kitchen!

Her big sis Brooke and my grandson Cole flew in from North Dakota

And loads of Alabama relations!

Mama Laura giving Tory the beautiful bouquet she made her!

 

Steven: "Am I really going to do this????"

Anxiously awaiting his bride to be....

And here she comes with her daddy...

And happily married!

I have to point out the window in the back. None of us can figure out what this is...
it looks like angel wings, and it isn't a reflection of anything else, and no other picture has it. We all felt it might have been Chris' presence! And many tears were shed.

My house is small so the re-arranging began...

Mexican Food was the menu....seeing we were all anxious to get this baby here!

The moms and the newly weds...

Dads and Moms and Newly Weds...

All the Sis's and the Newly Weds...

Steven's brother Lawrence and Dad

It was definitely a day to remember.
And somehow I felt all of my bloggie friends helped to get us here too!
All of your prayers, thoughts, etc have helped us to heal.

For any new readers Click Here!
if you would like to read more about Tory and her loss of her first soldier boy!

 Part 3 of "What I have been up to" will be  next.

The little bundle of joy!!

Baby Kash Wiley Foutch

Toodles...

What I've Been Up To (Part 1)

Good Morning My Friends!

I'm going to let you know what I've been up to these last few months.

I know I've kind of been MIA.

I've put my heart and soul into my T-Bug!

It's been a year of working through grief,

and yet finally some joy and I was determined 

to make it the best I possibly could!

 

First it was the baby shower I put on for her...

 Whipped up that baby quilt I showed you pics of the fabric for...

in less than 4 hours....

In the works...

Remember the before pics....

Am I the only quilter who starts a quilt the day before???

I have to say....

the shower was a ball to put on...

Filled little baby bottles full of  M&M's

Pulled  Fabric and Quilts from my stash  for tables....Good thing I have a stash in all kinds of colors....

Cooked all kinds of delish food....

 Above I am tearing up some of my homemade Artisan Bread for dipping in my Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip.

I couldn't figure out what to put the pulled bread in....

then I noticed my big 'Flour' jar at home with the lid.

Perfect!

Ahhh....the food!

 This was the Menu:

Mexican Mice 

(Jalapenos stuffed with Cream Cheese, Wrapped in Bacon and Grilled.) 

Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip with Homemade Dipping Bread

Chicken Pot Stickers

Fruit Salad 

Cheese Ball with Spread

Bacon Crack

(Chicken wrapped in Bacon, rolled in brown sugar and a little bit of cayenne, then grilled. They are called Crack because literally you can't stop eating them!  

Note: The  Wife of the Escort who was with our Lost Soldier Boy from the time his body left Afghanistan until it was in the ground brought the Crack.  

Although her husband was over in Korea when the soldiers came home in July,

his wife went and picked Tory up and took her to the homecoming when she didn't think she could do it.

Olive Tray

Punch

      and Cake!  

(I had a lot of good help from Steven's family!)  

T and her new mother-in-law

 When I met Laura above, I thanked her for being so good to Tory.

She looked at me with a look that said, "Are you kidding me?"

And actually said,

"I fell in love with Tory from the moment I met her!"

Now to think I thought I was going to be able to tell you

 about

Thanksgiving with her new in laws in Alabama on their plantation,

The Wedding....

The Birth of Baby Kash...

all in this post!

I like to keep my posts readable...

so I will post those later this week!

Have a wonderful Holiday'ee week!

Hugs,