Tuesday, December 23, 2008


glitter-graphics.com

May everyone have a wonderful Christmas and a upcoming New Year full of happiness, peace and good health.
I'll be back on my blog next year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday, December 19, 2008

In Memory Of My Mother

This post is dedicated To my mom who passed away on this day 4 years ago.
She was loved and will always be missed. I do know she watches over me and the rest of my family daily.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Our sorrows and wounds are healed only when we touch them with compassion.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Do not judge yourself harshly. Without mercy for ourselves we cannot love the world

Monday, December 15, 2008

Star Dough Ornaments

Last week me and the kids made these fun and very easy star ornaments. If anyone is interested in trying to make these, the recipe is listed below. They're not edible.
Ingredients;
2 cups of flour
2 cups of salt
1 cup of water
Mix all the ingredients together and stir well. Separate, form into balls, then roll out the dough. Use star cookie cutters (or another shape) to cut out the ornaments. Once the dough is cut, place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and poke a hole on the top, so that when the ornament is done baking you can thread a ribbon through it to hang. Place into the oven and bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until hardened.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

The Treasure Party

Today is Cielo's "Treasure Party." One of my favorite treasures are my teapots. They are both antique and non vintage. I inherited many of them from my late mother. Others I received as gifts. These are photos of some of my treasured teapots. To view the treasures of others, go and visit Cielo's blog. Just go to "my favorite blogs" list on my side bar and click on "House in the Roses".





















Saturday, December 13, 2008

Life is so hard, how can we be anything but kind?

Friday, December 12, 2008

The Cold Moon

Tonight's full moon is also known as the "Cold Moon".
Old Sayings & Lore:
Never cut your hair, begin a journey, move into a new house, or start a business on a Friday in particular, and especially if a New or Full Moon falls on Friday.
The word "create" comes from the same word-root as the word crescent.
In some legends, the Egyptians said that the Dark Moon and the Full Moon were the two eyes of Horus.
The natives of Madagascar call their isle the island of the moon.
To aim at the moon means to be very ambitious, to set your sights extremely high.
The feldspar gem known as the moonstone is said to become brighter and clearer when the moon is full.(moonstone jewelry is so pretty, I have a pair of earrings that I love)
The eastern branches of the Eskimo clans say that their people came from the Moon to Earth.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

This past weekend me and my kids made a huge batch of gingerbread cookies. They are my favorite cookies to make. They're in my kitchen every Christmas. My family likes them more so for eating. Since I'm not much of a cookie person, I love baking them, because I find it so fun the decorating them after they've cooled.
Below is a very easy gingerbread recipe that I follow every holiday.
Ingredients;
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1. Beat butter with sugar and molasses. Mix in egg.
2. Sift dry ingredients and add to wet mixture.
Mix well and chill in refrigerator for 2 hours.
3. Heat oven to 350 F. Roll out a portion of the dough 1/4
inch thick on a lightly floured surface.
4. Cut with your favorite cookie cutters, place on a non stick
baking sheet.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.
6. Decorate with your favorite icing recipe if desired.
Some of my favorite cookie cutters are the antique cutters I use to collect. I believe they're from the 40's and 50's. It's so exciting to pull them out and use them to make my gingerbread cookies every year.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Another December Sunrise

There's so much beauty and awe in nature!
Wishing everyone a great day!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Orange Ornaments

Close up of an orange with the sunshine coming through it.

Over the weekend I made orange Christmas ornaments. The idea came from my "Body and Soul" magazine. They're really easy and fun to make.
1. Cut four unpeeled oranges into rounds about 1/4 inch thick.
2. Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 175 degrees for 4 to 6 hours.
3. Poke a hole near one edge with a needle and thread doubled twine through to make a loop.
These ornaments look so interesting added to the Christmas tree. Another idea is to gather up some interesting fallen branches while out on your nature walk and place them in a vase. Once in the vase, hang the orange ornaments in the branches. This arrangement is very pretty when placed in front of a window that receives sunshine. The sun shining through the ornaments illuminates the oranges.


Friday, December 5, 2008

My Prize From Judy

The other day I received this lovely prize from Judy. She had a drawing and her cute Kitty Anna drew my name. I'm so looking forward to using this.

If you get a chance, you have to check out Judy's blog. She has tons of great recipes and interesting posts on her blog. The address is http://brocanteandetc.blogspot.com/ . I also have Judy's link on my side bar "Bricante and ect".

Thank you again Judy!!!!!!!!


Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Do not seek perfection in a changing world. Instead perfect your love.
When people experience cruelness and unkindness in the world, the quote above always is the best action for us to take.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Our Artwork

( Jonah's snowman)


Over the weekend me and the kids decided to create with charcoal pastels. Here's what my little artists created.





( Sun coming out of the clouds, by me for Jonah's room)


(Ivy's green apple)



(Ivy's star and sun pic, along with her very inspirational words)





Monday, December 1, 2008

Pretty Late Autumn Sunrise

(photo of the sunrise shining through dried corn husks out on my porch)
This morning I enjoyed watching a very pretty sunrise out my dining room window. In the morning the sun always fills my dining room with it's warm orange colors. I couldn't help but to take a photo out my front window to share with everyone else.

( Photo out my front dining room window)