My Favorite Christmas Stocking Pattern

My Grandma Bettie knitted all the stockings for our family for the past 50 years.  She had 7 kids, 19 grand kids and now all those grand kids are having great-grand kids.  She made stockings for all the spouses and some other extended family members as well.  I'm not about to do the math, but that's a lot of knitting!

Bettie passed away last winter... one of her concerns last year was "Who would make the stockings?"  I have an aunt who makes beautiful knitted stockings and I make them as well.  I promised Grandma Bettie I would make one for my cousin's wedding; the groom, Eric, would need a stocking for this Christmas.

I used an Ann Norling Christmas stocking pattern.  This has been a great investment for me... I've made at least 12 stockings with the pattern.  I especially love the scalloped detail on the top

Eric is a firefighter so Bettie wanted the stocking to have a Santa dressed up as a fireman.  I did my best to bring her vision to life.

We'll all be missing Grandma Bettie this holiday season, but it helps to know she is with the Lord now.  It feels good to have some of the tradition passed down through the generations... I just hope I can keep up with all the stockings I'll need to make in the future!  Do you have any jobs or traditions that have been passed down through your family?  Let me know in the comments!

Blessings,
Jamie

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This post is linked here:  Today's Creative Blog Blue Cricket Design Kurtz Corner Mommy by Day Crafter by Night Cherished Bliss Lines Across My Face Southern Lovely Bear Rabbit Bear French Country Cottage Craft Junkie Too DIY Home Sweet Home Saved by Love Domestically Speaking Funky Junk Interiors Homemaker on a Dime Eisy Morgan The Answer is Chocolate Making the World Cuter Craft-O-Maniac lolly jane 504 Main I Heart Naptime Singing Three Little Birds mad in crafts House of Hepworths Somewhat Simple Chic on a Shoestring Keeping it Simple Be Different Act Normal Sew Can Do Sew Chatty Pinkapotamus The Girl Creative Flamingo Toes Tatertots and Jello Sisters of the Wild West Reasons to Skip the Housework Giggles Glitz and Glam Tip JunkieThe Trendy Treehouse Ladybug Blessings Night Owl Crafting Tea Rose Home My Girlish Whims Allie Makes Gluesticks Thrifty 101 Momnivores Dilemma A Little Knick Knack Miss Mustard Seed Freckled Laundry kojo designs A vision to remember Primitive and Proper 733 Rook no 17 Home Stories A to Z
Naptime Crafters Whipperberry delightful order

Family Rules Subway Art

I've been wanting to do this for a while and I finally got around to finishing it today

I have been so bothered by this light switch... we never use it and it's in the middle of the wall.  I had two options:  ask my husband to move it and then patch the hole in the wall or cover it up with something.  Guess which one I chose!

Yes, that's an old diaper on the counter.  Yes, I know my house is gross :)  I'm tired of pretending that my blogging persona is all neat and organized all the time.

Now all the mess is just pushed out of the way :)  Oh, and there's a canvas on the wall.  Much better.

While we are at it with the true confessions, I'm not really feeling all the warm and fuzzies this artwork is supposed to evoke.  The kids are driving each other nuts today.  It's a little more like "In this house we bug, irritate and are annoyed by one another".  Maybe I can change the word "hug" to "bug".

And here's a little tip I learned... use a thumb tack in each corner to keep the canvas off the counter when you're making it.  This made everything so much easier!

I really love this in the 16" x 20" size.  In July when I blogged about the "God made you" subway art tutorial, I was making 11"x14" canvases.  Now I have 11x14, 16x20 and 18x24 canvases available in my etsy shop.  Let me know what you think of the bigger ones!

Thanks for stopping by!
Blessings,
Jamie
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This post is linked here:  Today's Creative Blog Blue Cricket Design Kurtz Corner Mommy by Day Crafter by Night Cherished Bliss Lines Across My Face Southern Lovely Bear Rabbit Bear French Country Cottage Craft Junkie Too DIY Home Sweet Home Saved by Love Domestically Speaking Funky Junk Interiors Homemaker on a Dime Eisy Morgan The Answer is Chocolate Making the World Cuter Craft-O-Maniac lolly jane 504 Main I Heart Naptime Singing Three Little Birds mad in crafts House of Hepworths Somewhat Simple Chic on a Shoestring Keeping it Simple Be Different Act Normal Sew Can Do Sew Chatty Pinkapotamus The Girl Creative Flamingo Toes Tatertots and Jello Sisters of the Wild West Reasons to Skip the Housework Giggles Glitz and Glam Tip JunkieThe Trendy Treehouse Ladybug Blessings Night Owl Crafting Tea Rose Home My Girlish Whims Allie Makes Gluesticks Thrifty 101 Momnivores Dilemma A Little Knick Knack Miss Mustard Seed Freckled Laundry kojo designs A vision to remember Primitive and Proper 733 Rook no 17 Home Stories A to Z
Naptime Crafters Whipperberry delightful order

The Spiderman Trunk

I got a little more done this week

I refinished the trunk that sits at the bottom of the bed.

I was really tired of looking at this in the gray, red and blue Spiderman room

One of the reasons I dragged my feet with this project was a lack of direction.  I knew I wanted to paint something on the trunk that contributed to the theme of the room, but I didn't know what.  I came really close to overdoing it; I'm glad I settled on a more minimalist approach with the single spider.

Here's one last glimpse of the room before the final installment.  I'm working on some artwork for above the bed (and by working on, I mean I haven't even started it).

See you again soon!

Blessings,

Jamie

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This post is linked here:  Today's Creative Blog Blue Cricket Design Kurtz Corner Mommy by Day Crafter by Night Cherished Bliss Lines Across My Face Southern Lovely Bear Rabbit Bear French Country Cottage Craft Junkie Too DIY Home Sweet Home Saved by Love Domestically Speaking Funky Junk Interiors Homemaker on a Dime Eisy Morgan The Answer is Chocolate Making the World Cuter Craft-O-Maniac lolly jane 504 Main I Heart Naptime Singing Three Little Birds mad in crafts House of Hepworths Somewhat Simple Chic on a Shoestring Keeping it Simple Be Different Act Normal Sew Can Do Sew Chatty Pinkapotamus The Girl Creative Flamingo Toes Tatertots and Jello Sisters of the Wild West Reasons to Skip the Housework Giggles Glitz and Glam Tip JunkieThe Trendy Treehouse Ladybug Blessings Night Owl Crafting Tea Rose Home My Girlish Whims Allie Makes Gluesticks Thrifty 101 Momnivores Dilemma A Little Knick Knack Miss Mustard Seed Freckled Laundry kojo designs A vision to remember Primitive and Proper 733 Rook no 17 Home Stories A to Z
Naptime Crafters Whipperberry

Free Food Safety Printables

I know we all check the temperature of our turkeys at Thanksgiving... what about the rest of the year?

This post was prompted by the loss of a 4 year old boy to e-coli.  He was the son of a friend of my husband's.  Something as simple as an undercooked hamburger changed a family forever; He fought for his life for 3 1/2 months and just lost the battle last week.

I decided to hang something in my kitchen as a reminder to always use a meat thermometer.  Here are some free printables in case you'd like to do the same.  You can hang it in a frame, put some magnets on it and post it to the fridge, or tape it to the inside of a cabinet.

gray printable file 

navy printable file

blue printable file

I am a vegetarian but I regularly cook meat for my family.  Since I am not able to taste the meat, it is a huge fear of mine that I would one day serve them something that has turned or is undercooked.  I think having the meat thermometer handy should put some of those fears to rest.

Here is a link to the USDA guidelines for meat temperatures if you are interested in reading more about food safety.

Be blessed and eat safe,

Jamie
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This post is linked here:  Today's Creative Blog Blue Cricket Design Kurtz Corner Mommy by Day Crafter by Night Cherished Bliss Lines Across My Face Southern Lovely Bear Rabbit Bear French Country Cottage Craft Junkie Too DIY Home Sweet Home Saved by Love Domestically Speaking Funky Junk Interiors Homemaker on a Dime Eisy Morgan The Answer is Chocolate Making the World Cuter Craft-O-Maniac lolly jane 504 Main I Heart Naptime Singing Three Little Birds mad in crafts House of Hepworths Somewhat Simple Chic on a Shoestring Keeping it Simple Be Different Act Normal Sew Can Do Sew Chatty Pinkapotamus The Girl Creative Flamingo Toes Tatertots and Jello Sisters of the Wild West Reasons to Skip the Housework Giggles Glitz and Glam Tip Junkie
The Trendy Treehouse Ladybug Blessings Night Owl Crafting Tea Rose Home My Girlish Whims Allie Makes Gluesticks Thrifty 101 Momnivores Dilemma A Little Knick Knack Miss Mustard Seed Freckled Laundry kojo designs A vision to remember Primitive and Proper 733 Rook no 17 Home Stories A to Z
Naptime Crafters Whipperberry

Kid Room Gallery Wall

A little.  More.  Progress.

I busted out the red spray paint yesterday and redid some old frames

This was from IKEA.

It used to be here (the one at the bottom).  The red frame makes it much more fun!

I added a ribbon to this plaque to balance out the color on the wall.

You can find the tutorial for the photo plaques here and the subway art canvas here.

One more view

2 more projects to complete and I can leave this room alone for a while!

Thanks for sticking with me through this drawn-out room redo.

Blessings,

Jamie

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This post is linked here:  Today's Creative Blog Blue Cricket Design Kurtz Corner Mommy by Day Crafter by Night Cherished Bliss Lines Across My Face Southern Lovely Bear Rabbit Bear French Country Cottage Craft Junkie Too DIY Home Sweet Home Saved by Love Domestically Speaking Funky Junk Interiors Homemaker on a Dime Eisy Morgan The Answer is Chocolate Making the World Cuter Craft-O-Maniac lolly jane 504 Main I Heart Naptime Singing Three Little Birds mad in crafts House of Hepworths Somewhat Simple Chic on a Shoestring Keeping it Simple Be Different Act Normal Sew Can Do Sew Chatty Pinkapotamus The Girl Creative Flamingo Toes Tatertots and Jello Sisters of the Wild West Reasons to Skip the Housework Giggles Glitz and Glam Tip Junkie
The Trendy Treehouse Ladybug Blessings Night Owl Crafting Tea Rose Home My Girlish Whims Allie Makes Gluesticks Thrifty 101 Momnivores Dilemma A Little Knick Knack Miss Mustard Seed Freckled Laundry kojo designs A vision to remember Primitive and Proper 733 Rook no 17 Home Stories A to Z
Naptime Crafters Whipperberry

Aunt Marge's Apple Cake

My Great Aunt Marge made one heck of an apple cake.  You all know I'm not a food blogger, but I'm making an exception for this exceptional recipe!

Here's what you'll need:

3 eggs

1 ¾ c. sugar

¾ c. oil

2 c. flour

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. baking soda

½ t. salt
1/2 c. nuts, optional (I don't add nuts)

6 (or 5 large) Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped to about 1/2 inch

The apples should be about this big.  They really don't have to be uniform.

Grease and flour 9 x 13 pan

Beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl for 5 minutes.  Yes, 5 minutes.  I'm not about to argue with Aunt Marge, are you???

Add oil and beat until mixed.

Fold in dry ingredients.  Add the apples and nuts (it seems like a LOT of apples but don't freak out, it's supposed to be lumpy)

See?  Pretty lumpy.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes (check with a toothpick).

And you're done!  Oh my gosh this thing is so good.  Let me know if you make it!

 Blessings,
Jamie

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Space Saving Storage

I could have named this post "Why I Think My Dad is a Genius".  He is a master at coming up with logical, simple solutions to everyday problems.

Dangling storage jars!  These are hung beneath a cabinet in his garage workshop.

He has a long history of putting things "up".  If we ever couldn't find something and we knew dad was the last person to use said thing, we just had to look up and we'd find it.  On the highest shelf.  Or screwed to the bottom of a cabinet.  The man likes his counter space.

He just took 2 screws and anchored the lid of an old jar to the underside of a cabinet.  When you want to get the contents out of your jar, just unscrew it from the lid and get what you want.

Then when you're done, just screw the jar back into the lid.

Pretty smart, right?  And for almost $0.  I would love to do something like this under the cabinets in our laundry room.

Let me know what you think.  Could you use this idea somewhere in your house?

Blessings,

Jamie

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