Five Things About Me . . .

This is me outside my parent's house on the 24th of August, 1974.  This was eleven days after my nineteenth birthday.  I think I weighed about 100 pounds soaking wringing wet.   I was carrying the bible my father had given me for Easter when I was four years old.   I think my ex burnt that bible when we split up, but I can't be sure.  I only know it disappeared.   I have no idea where it is, but if it wasn't burnt, I hope that whoever has it knows how special it is.

Yep, it's Thursday so another five things about me.



At nineteen I thought I was pretty smart and knew it all.  (Doesn't everyone?)  I was incredibly naive and  knew nothing in reality.   I was extremely shy and had very little experience with life, the world, men.   This was only the  second ever boy friend I had ever had.  I look at this picture of me now and I think how did that girl not know that she was beautiful?   How did she not know she was worth so much more than what she settled for in life?  How did she not know her potential?  Age is wisdom.

I guess that is the way it is supposed to be.



I love painted wooden furniture.  I would paint every bit of wooden furniture we have if I was allowed to do it.   I love colour and would love to be surrounded by it.  I once painted the whole top of a coffee table with flowers.  It was really beautiful.  I think I gave it to my sister, but I don't know what happened to it after that.



I have a tender heart and I wear it on my sleeve.   I know this makes me more vulnerable but I wouldn't have it any other way.  I would rather be warm, tender and caring than be cold and hard hearted.



There is a special place in my heart for little boys.  I adore little boys.  Don't get me wrong, I don't mind little girls, but little boys are so interesting.  I know  . . .  almost all of my artwork is little girls.  Little girls are easier to draw and more colourful and I can get into their hearts and minds because well . . .  I am a girl!   But I love little boys.  I may paint little girls, but most of my writing is for little boys.



I see each day as a new adventure.  A gift waiting to be unwrapped.   A glass half filled waiting for me to fill the rest.   I find life to be quite exciting and I love learning new things . . . .  meeting new people, seeing new places, experiencing new tastes, smells, textures etc.  I could sit for hours contemplating the cosmos and everything in it.  I love to take things apart and see how they work.  I love to explore . . .  experiment . . .  discover.   I am not afraid to die.  I am also not afraid to live.  

And that's my five things for this week.   Oh boy that went rather quickly.  I do enjoy figuring out and pondering on the things that make me tick though.  It's a great exercise for me.

A thought to carry with you through today . . .




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“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! 
What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. 
What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!” 
Dr. Seuss, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas
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You just gotta love the Grinch! 

 

Cooking in The English Kitchen today  . . .  Roasted Butternut Squash Lasagne.  Delicious!

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Have a wonderful Thursday!

 

Gift Wrapping on the Cheap . . .

One thing I love most about the month of December is that it is the month of giving. In remembrance of that greatest gift of all,  we are inspired and compelled to reach out to those around us.   Giving of ourselves, our time, our love, our faith . . .  and presents of course, to our nearest and dearest.   We don't give many presents now and this year we are not going them because of the cost involved in mailing everything over to Canada.  I was so disappointed at the cost.  All those lovely little gifts I got for the grandchildren are now sitting in my bedroom cupboard, wrapped and doing nothing.  That part makes me sad, but it cannot be helped.

That is one of the worst things about living so far away from family.  You miss out on all of that.  I often see things that I think to myself . . .  oh wow, such a great idea. I would LOVE to do that!  But alas . . . I cannot.   That doesn't help me from sharing these things I find with you of course!  ☺


(source)

Picture this with Christmas Wraps and Ribbons.   One thing which really helps when it comes to giving gifts, especially if you do a lot of this sort of thing is to have everything organized and in one place.   When I worked at the manor my boss had a big huge old antique dresser filled with gift giving things.  One drawer had tape and scissors, stickers, etc. in it  Another wrapping paper . . .  still another ribbons, etc.   Every aspect of gift wrapping was covered.  It was so nice to be able to just go to that drawer and have everything organized and waiting to be used.  We staff used to do all of her gift wrapping.  She was far too busy to do it herself, but I didn't really mind.  I rather like wrapping gifts.  I always like to think that a part of the love which comes attached to the gift are the kind and loving thoughts about the person that you have while you are wrapping it up.  I guess that is where the term "wrapped with love" comes from.

Anyhoooooo . . . .  here are some lovely gift wrapping ideas on the cheap I found  that I thought would be fun to share with you! None of them requires a great deal of expertise or money.



I just love this finger print reindeer gift wrapping idea.  Plain brown craft paper, finger print painted faces with black pen accents and a few pompoms.   I think this is just adorable.  From  The Crafty Crow.




I could not find the original source for this, and I really tried.  If it's yours, let me know and I will give you credit. I just could not help sharing it. It's so cute and would be wonderful for tiny gifts.  I shapie pen and some markers on plain white paper.  If you have any artistic inclination at all this would be so simple to do.  I think you do it after you have the gift wrapped.  That way everything ends up where it is supposed to.  Now that is love.  It must take quite a time to do, but if you really care about someone, so worth it.



This is just gorgeous.  Done with paper punches and dies and stamps.  Quite simple really if you have the right tools.   The genius is in the design.   And that is all down to Danielle Daws.



These Candy Bar Wrappers are just adorable.  I love them!  They're so cute. You can find these and a few other ones here.  What a cute way to wrap up a simple gift.  You could do the same with a book I think.  How sweet that would be!



Gift wrapping doesn't have to be elaborate.  This simple idea illustrates this perfectly.   Kraft paper, ribbon and stamps.   You can't get much simpler than that.  From The Haystack Needle.



I like to give a little gift of Christmas Baking out with the neighbor cards each year.  This is a lovely way to wrap them up and make it even nicer.   Found on  Little Wren.



Likewise this gift of cookies.   So well done.  People are so very creative.  I found this on  Freudetanz.  Yep a foreign language, but not hard to understand or make heads or tails of.



I just ADORE this!  So simple and yet, delightful.  I might be tempted to add a bit of colour by using some colourful string and tissue paper, but the rest is just perfect!    Counting Our Blessings.  It's actually for a teacher at end of year, but so adaptable to Christmas don't you think?  Or any other time of year! 



What a unique way to wrap a bottle!  I love it!  I could find no original source for this one either, but it's a very simple idea which uses newspaper and ribbon.  For children you could use comics from the Saturday papers.   Do they still have comics in Saturday Papers??



Name Bunting, using washi tape or old book pages.  So cute and effective.   I love the string being wrapped around it in this way.  Do you remember when you used to post packages at Christmas with string tied around them?   A long time ago that.   Anyways, this came from Zavara Discover Design.

Anyways, I hope I have shown you this morning that gift wrapping doesn't need to be complicated or expensive.  That you can often find materials and inspiration from things you probably already have in your home now.    The important thing is that whatever you give it goes with lots of love attached! 

A thought to carry with you through today . . .

 


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“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world,
and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. ”
~Norman Vincent Peale
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Cooking in The English Kitchen today . . .  Pear and Ginger Trifles.
   
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Happy Wednesday!

The Simple Woman's Day Book

 

FOR TODAY, December 2nd, 2014

Outside my window ...
It's dark and it's cold.  Ariana will soon be coming in after working all night.   I wait to see her walking up the drive so that I can open the door for her so she doesn't have to fumble in the dark for her keys.

I am thinking ...
This is the first of my last five Simple Woman's posts for 2014.  This year has just sped by.   It's crazy.  Whooooooooosh!!

I am thankful ...
Watching things which have been happening around the world in recent weeks makes me realize how very precarious our peace and comfort are.   I am thankful that mine has never truly been challenged in any viable way.  I wish that it were that way for everyone.

In the Kitchen ...
 

Crumb Topped Banana Bread.   I baked this a couple of weeks ago. I can't believe I am only now just getting around to showing you all!  It was very good.

On my "To Cook" list ...


This Rustic Chicken with Garlic Gravy is looking pretty scrumptious.   From Seasons and Suppers.

I am creating ...
I had hoped I could show you something new that I had done this week, but alas Thanksgiving, etc. took up most of my week last week.  Instead all I can do is show you some things other people have created and which I would like to create!



A great way to fold your napkins for your Christmas Dinner Celebratory meal.  There is a complete tutorial on Smarty had a Party.



There is a complete tutorial on how to make a bow tree topper, which is really faboulous here on  Kristen's Creations.  A truly unique tree topper!



A free printable Christmas Countdown Advent calendar.   From Tomfo. And it doesn't involve chocolates.



Decoupage Flowerpots.   Found on  Flick River.

I am going ...
I have a pretty busy week ahead.   Possibly Visit Teaching on Thursday.   Relief Society Christmas Party tonight . . .  Hair cut tomorrow.

I am reading ...



A Fine Romance, by Susan Branch.   Reading this for the third time.  It reads like an intimate journal.  It is a type of journal.   An illustrated journal of Susan's trip to England via the Queen Mary several years ago.



Beautifully illustrated throughout as one would expect.   I just adore this book.  I can't wait for her next one to come out.  This book is truly like a long lost friend that you want to rediscover again and . . .  again!

I am hoping ...
That I can get all the savoury food done for the party tonight and that the other ladies enjoy them.  I am doing vegetables and dip.   A Cheese Ball with crackers.   A Seven Layered Mexican Dip with Tortilla crisps.  I thought it would make a nice change from the usual sausage roll fest.

Makes me smile ...



This is Baxter with our Bruce's and Sara's Tree.



I love that our furry family members are enjoying this festive season also.

I am learning ...
I have been working really hard on certain aspects of myself that I don't like.   It's hard to change sometimes, but I do work at it.   I am sure we all have things about ourselves and our personalities that we don't like.  Will I ever be able to eradicate these things?  I don't know, but it only really matters that I try.

Around the house ...



Loving these DIY Crate Storage Shelves.   From  Morning by Morning Productions.



No source, but I love this idea.   Look at the extra storage space for kitchen goods  . . .  and this seating arrangement wouldn't take up as much room as a regular dining table and chairs.  I do really like this a lot!



29 Steps to a Deep-Cleaned Bedroom.  Found on The Time Warp Wife.



Pantry Organizers made from Soda Boxes.  Found on Then She Made . . .  a complete tutorial.

I am pondering ...
I am studying the Advent all December up until the 25th.   This first week is concentrating on the Promise of His coming.  Amazing thoughts yesterday.   Pondering Genesis 3:15 and Isaiah 7:14 and correlating both verses with what we learn in the Temple.  The Gospel is true.

A Favourite Quote for the Day ...



 `*.¸.*✻ღϠ₡ღ¸.✻´´¯`✻.¸¸.Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ..
(¯`v´¯)
 `*.¸.*´Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
  ¸.•´¸.•~♥♥♥~•.~      
ღϠ₡ღ¸.✻´´¯`✻.¸¸.Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ.
(¸.❀⁀⋱‿✿“   


“Christmas can be celebrated in the school room 
with pine trees, tinsel and reindeers, 
but there must be no mention of the man 
whose birthday is being celebrated. 
One wonders how a teacher would answer 
if a student asked why it was called Christmas.” 
~Ronald Reagan 

How indeed?    

One of my Favourite Things ...


Red transferware and pink glass.  I love the stuff.  I don't have any, but that's okay.  I can admire from afar!

A peek into my day  ...


Some people do word games and puzzles to keep their brain sharp.  I do this.  I only play until I have no lives left, which takes about 15 minutes, but it sure gives my brain a good workout!  I am always really excited when I beat a level and am able to move up to the next level of challenge. 

And that's my day book for this week!
  
⋱ ⋮ ⋰
   ⋯ ◯ ⋯ Take time to enjoy the small*´¯`.¸¸.☆
   ⋰ ⋮ ⋱ blessings in life.*´¯`.¸¸.☆
   ✿¸.•*¨`*•..¸✿ ✿¸.•*¨`*•..¸✿
   ╬♥═╬╬═♥=╬╬═♥╬╬═♥╬╬═♥=╬╬♥═╬
   ░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░  

Wherever you go and whatever you do I hope there's a wonderful day planned for you! 

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Small and Wonderful Things . . .

 

 "The world is fairly studded and strewn with pennies cast broadside from a generous hand. But who gets excited by a mere penny?...It is dire poverty indeed when a man is so malnourished and fatigued that he won't stoop to pick up a penny. But if you cultivate a healthy poverty and simplicity, so that finding a penny will literally make your day, then, since the world is in fact planted with pennies, you have with your poverty bought a lifetime of days. It is that simple. what you see is what you get." ~Anne Dillard  

A few of the small and wonderful things which bring untold joy into my life.   It's the small things in life which truly mean the most.  Simple abundance . . . it's the best.   



Not only do I love the Christmas season, but Mitzie loves it too.  She loves to lay beneath the tree and bask in the light of a million little fairy lights.   It's true!



Oh how very much we love our little girl.  What a wonderful light she brings into our lives.    She has us both twisted around her little paw.  No surprise there!!



I love December when I can write by light of Christmas tree . . . so wondrously magical.  I feel as it I could pirouette across the living room by their light and be as a fairy. *pouf*  They inspire me.



He's coming!  This should be our shout of anticipation at this time of year when we celebrate the birth of the Saviour.   These few weeks leading up to Christmas Day are a special time in which we can reflect upon the greatest gift ever given . . . the Christ Child . . . whose birth had been predicted and foretold for thousands of years prior to His arrival.  Over 350  prophecies were fulfilled in His birth.  The mathematical odds of this happening were astronomical and yet . . .  it happened!  Glorious amazing wonder!



Now that December is officially here, I can indulge my "Christmas-ality" with abandonment!  This means . . .



I can listen to and sing Christmas Carols endlessly without the Grinch grumbling!



I can indulge in all of my favourite Christmas films . . . without Scrooge bah humbugging them!



I can stuff my face with mince pies without feeling guilty.  Tis the season to be jolly!



I can get jiggy under the mistle toe with the Ma-hann of my dreams!

And so . . .



We're so glad you came!

A thought to carry with you through today  . . .


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“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories 
and love of kindred, 
and we are better throughout the year for having,
 in spirit, 
become a child again at Christmas-time.” 
~Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Cooking in The English Kitchen today  . . . . Creamy Lemon Layered Dessert.  Light and delicious!


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May your week be filled to overflowing with an abundance of small and wonderful things.