Wintering here at home....

Hello my dears!

So happy to have you drop by on this freezing day in mid February.. 

The winter is flying by for me..

 I hear a lot of people saying January was so long but I didn't find it so.. 

It is a thing that I am thankful for.. 

In my younger days I used to mind the month of January intensely.. 

We lived in a big old farm house that had those long and narrow old windows and I found the house dark on those winter days.. 

Then we moved here and I zipped through the winter and realized that I didn't mind it at all.. 

So many big windows here so I guess I need light!  ❤😊

Anyway... 

Some wintering projects that I have been working on... 

Homemade clay hearts.. 

Here is the recipe... 

2 cups of baking soda

1 cup of corn starch

1 1/2 cups of water 

Stir the ingredients on the stove until the consistency of mashed potatoes.. 

Roll out and cut with cookie cutters.. 

Used a skewer to make a hole in each. 

Terry ended up drilling holes as the holes dried closed.. 

Cook:  175 degrees oven for 2 hours.. 

Or I just placed in unheated oven for overnight.. 

Then I sanded them very carefully as I broke the first one.. 

Then wipe the dust off and painted them with acrylic red paint.. 

Sanded off the edges and then painted over with a brown paint.. 

I put a coat of wax on top but you could use a sealer...

Then hung them on an old alder branch... 

Also, I used one of my Mirilla bags I made last year along with a lavender sachet I made to give to my sister when she was in the hospital.. 

I hope to make a few more some snowy afternoon... 

My friend Judy sent me a pic of a quilt heart garland... 

So I did my own plan and came up with this one.. 

I need to put a little string of fairy lights on them.. 

Decorated the mantel with old brown bottles and brown pottery.. 

Bought a few ivys and weaved a sweet crochet heart garland from my sweet friend through out... 

Just love those twinkle lights during the dark evenings.. 

Don't you?

Remember my felted heart bunting I made a few years ago.. 

Still using it.. ❤

I saw this and thought you might like it.. 

It is not just grandmas doing this these days.. 

So many younger ones are into this, too.. 😌

Taking country drives.. 

Looks pretty cold, eh?  

Looks the same out of my kitchen windows... 

We were so blessed to have our son in law show up one Saturday morning with breakfast and his powersaw to help cut up a big maple tree Terry had to cut down.. 

We were so sad but it had started to rot and we were not wanting it to land on our roof..  

We so appreciated his help... 

Then our oldest son came and helped change truck tires.. 

Thanking the Lord for our family in our getting older days.. 😊

Some food pics... 

Just comfort food... 

Lentil soup, roast beef dinner, spaghetti with Martha's tomato sauce 101

Then bread... 

Like to have homemade bread often... 

Then I always make homemade salad dressings.. 

So much cheaper and so much healthier... 

Made another batch of jam... 

Using frozen cranberries, raspberries and strawberries... 

It tastes so good.. 

I should have wrote down the recipe as I kind of used two recipes.. 

Dahh!

Then making lots of cups of tea or coffee.. 

And the odd cookie here and there... 😀

Found a sweet cat cookie press at the thrift store.. 

Oh... yes, enjoying my thrift store shopping too.. 

Found a gorgeous set of Wedgewood Blue Transferware dishes.. 

A big set and only 15 dollars.. 

Thankful for simple blessings.. 

Well, this is all for another time my friends.. 

Thank you once again for dropping by.. 

I hope you are enjoying this slow down season and getting your rest.. 

I know the world is in more chaos then ever before..

very troubled ..

But when we have our trust in the Lord, he calms the troubled waters of our souls and gives us sweet peace and comfort.. 

We can go on with our days and make our homes a haven for our families.. 

Today is probably one of the most important time in history for parents to concentrate on making our homes a place of peace and calm. 

This world is soon coming to a close and I want to be ready to meet Him.. 

He is coming soon.. 

The Bible says in Luke 21:28

And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh... 

I so love this verse...

Nothing to fear.. His is the kingdom.. 

God bless you dear hearts.

Hugs from New Brunswick.. 

 

A little making and doing post for April...

Good evening dear hearts.... 

So happy to have you drop by for a visit here on the Blessed Hearth... 

It is a beautiful Sunday late afternoon here in New Brunswick.. 

We were to church this morning and stopped and had a submarine sandwich.. Kind of spur of the moment.. We had to stop and get gas and thought it would be a nice treat!  And I didn't have to make lunch.. 

When we drove up the driveway I noticed our forsenthias were in bloom.. 

Terry did a bit of decorating for me.lol 

I asked him to move his bars so I could take the pic but he said he thought that it looked nice like that!  So there ya go!  😏

I hope you are all well and enjoying these first days of Spring... 

I think we have had our last snow storm but who knows!

At least it won't last if it does. 

I thought I would post a few little projects I have been doing.. 

My dishcloths were beginning to look a bit worse for wear.. 

I had this old rose towel which was the same but good enough to make a few dishcloths.. 

So it only took a few minutes to sew them up.. 

I shared these here on the blog many years ago but I still enjoy having them in my drawer to pull out.. 

You just cut out the size of dishcloth you like and and old towel sizes to match and sew together..

I always sew a little cross in the middle to keep them together.  I don't even turn them but leave the raw edges out.. 

They work great... 

My gift pantry has been pretty empty since Christmas so trying to add to it each week... 

I made up a couple of journals this week...

And gave one away already.. 😊

This past winter I spent a few hours making what I am calling 

Marilla bags... 

You remember Marilla on the Anne of Green Gables show.. 

Well, on one of the shows it showed Marilla's bedroom closet... 

It was so lovely that it stuck in my mind... 

It had boxes all on the top shelf covered in lovely roses and pretty papers... 

Beautiful hat boxes and such.. 

and down below were these lovely homemade drawstring bags hanging at the back... 

So...

I made these three so far although I do want to do some for the back of our bathroom door ... 

To hold extra socks, nighties and such... 

I think I may make some to use as gift bags instead of the dollarstore gift ones... 

I have a lot of old lace and extra fabrics so a way of recycling, eh?  

This is a little cushion I made for a dear friend... 

Needle felted... 

A little bird pic I saw on pinterest and did my own version... 

Then wanting to use up some of my lavender from the farm as we will have more this summer, I hope... 

A few lavender sachets that you put inside your pillow case to help you sleep.... 💜

Put together a big bouquet of pussy willows Terry picked me and some lovely feathers from my friend, Andrea... 

They look nice up on the mantel.. 

Do you spy my wee teapot? 

I picked it up at the thrift store and loved how it fit into my hand.. 

The wee cover is on a hinge. 

I just like looking at it.. Aren't I strange?

When I was a wee girl we would go visit my grandmother in St. Martins.. She had a wonderful china cabinet full of magic I thought.. 

Sweet plates and bowls with roses on them, cups and saucers and some silver bits and pieces and on the bottom shelf right where my nose pressed against the glass were 5 wee brass egg cup sort of dishes.. 

Oh, I loved those cups ! 

 I would hold them in my hand and just loved them.. 

One day the littlest one found itself in my pocket and I took it all the way home with me.. Oh dear!!  

All the way to Moncton!

I showed it to my Mom after we got home and she asked me where I got it..  I didn't answer her.. Just stood there with my head down.. Ashamed I guess.  

She knew where I found it but all she did was take it from me and never said anything.. 

I am sure she put it back the next time we went to Gram's.. 

I have always wondered why she didn't wallop me!  😔

Bless her heart..  

I think she understood what that little girl's heart was like and how much she loved that little cup and how it felt in her hand. 

So she just took it back.. 

I still wonder whatever happened to those little brass cups!  ❤

Anyway..

Please be patient with this old lady and her stories.. smile.. 

I am working on another bunting for the front window... 

I am slow at this project for some reason... 

hopefully next time I can show it to you..

Been spending some time reaquainting myself with these dear old books of poetry I have had for many years... 

I kind of forgot I had them until I was going through a bookshelf.. 

I think they were mostly written during the Second World War.. 

Someone put them together by typing them all out on old graph papers, flyers and onion skin papers.. 

All typed on an old typewriter.. 

I love them... 

They go so nice with a hot cup of tea and a rainy windy afternoon.  

My favourite poet is Edgar Guest but I found this one recently.. 

I had a copy of one of her poems for years but didn't know who wrote it.. I put it on Instagram and one of my friends asked me who wrote it.. 

I did a bit of research and found her.. 

Anne Campbell .. the Poet of the Home.. 

No wonder I loved her poem. 

Some of our meals..

garlic chicken and cilantro and lime rice

fish chowder

 

my pizza on pita bread.. 

first there is my pesto from last summer then veggies, olives and tomato basil and mozza cheese... 

terry's pizza on pita bread with tomato sauce, salomi, sauage, veggies and mozza and oregano.. 

shrimp fried rice...

a recipe for one of Terry's fave cakes... 

Yes, that is how I feel...

Now I know not everyone agrees.. lol.. 

I would love to do something like this on a staircase... 

I thought I would include this.. 

My friend had it on her facebook and I thought how wonderful it was.. 

I just wished I were there... 

She told me I could share it with you.. 

Isn't that a wonderful set up?  

Look at those eggs... Yum.. 

I hope to do some such thing sometime this summer.. 

We already have everything except the grate setup... 

Thanks Linda... ❤

Well, I guess this is it for today my friends.. 

probably long winded as usual... lol.. 

But thanks for stopping by.. 

I look forward to hearing from you.. 

I read and enjoy every comment and love each one.. 

I did want to share this beautiful verse with you from the book of 

1 Chronicles in the Bible.. 

I so so love this verse... 

I like to read it over and over and just meditate on the glory of our Lord and our God.... 

How magnificent and marvellous and wonderful He is!

And He loved me and forgave me and even gave His own life to save me... 

And for the whole world.... 

Imagine!  

The King of kings and the Creator of all loved us enough to provide Himself as our sacrifice.. 

So thankful to Him today..eh?  

Take care of yourselves lovies and your dear families.. 

Perhaps we will meet over on Instagram.. 

God bless till next time... 

Hugs...