Goodby 2008 -- Hello 2009!!!!

I had to take this picture of my sheets hanging outside at the end of December. Sharon of Sweet Repose blog had sent a comment that she had hung her laundry out way up north in Iowa and I thought what a great idea -- & did my sheets ever smell sweet last night. There's something great about being able to hang flannel sheets out on the line. Also, the thought of not running my dryer that extra 40 to 45 minutes was kind of nice too. It was a gorgeous day & I made sure I got my vitamin D.

This is another work day so I'm headed to Ozark. It was extremely busy at Leola's yesterday & we're seeing lots of travelers these days. We just hope they keep it up in January & February. Pray for good weather!

I, for one, will be glad to see 2008 behind us & soooo hope that we see our country & world improve in 2009. We see so many small businesses closing their doors around us while the Walmarts of the world prosper. The one thing I always think about when I go into a small business is that it goes straight into our economy when I spend a buck & with the big box stores it goes straight up to the top & a little trickles down eventually. So I've already made one new year's resolution & that is to be better about shopping locally.

Anyway, I'll make sure I do my part this year to be better about helping the little guy. My new plan is the "trickle-up" theory. The next billion-dollar bail-out should go to all of us & see if it doesn't make a difference in our economy.

Happy New Year -- & may it truly be!!!!

Leola's brown bean recipe.....

It's a bright, sunshinny day in the Ozarks & suppose to be in the 50's. A great day to take some of my decorations down & dust a little. Nothing like that sun to let you know how badly you need to clean your windows & do a little dusting. For some reason, after Christmas I always want to strip the house down & put some of my "stuff" away & then slowly I add it back to it's jumbled mess.

My good friend Katie from Ragamuffin Gal wanted to know my recipe for brown beans & ham. It's very difficult! You soak a couple or 3 cups of pinto beans in plain water overnight. The next day rinse really well & put in a pot of water about 2" above beans & add plenty of good ham or a ham bone. Season with plenty of salt (I add some Johnny's Dock Seasoning Salt) & plenty of pepper. Bring to a rolling boil, then simmer for a couple of hours on low temp. Bake a box or 2 of cornbread & you have yourself a meal. My Mom always fixed fried potatoes with our beans & we would slather ketchup all over it. A true Ozarkian meal!

My Mom always fixed brown beans on wash day (Monday). When you have 8 kids & a husband you have to do a little planning. In the summer when it was really hot sometimes she fixed them on an outdoor fireplace that my dad built. I can't imagine how hard my mom must have worked. She churned butter, made home made bread, cooked all our food from scratch & made a lot of our clothes. Part of that time she worked in our grocery store. She always had on an apron & was almost always in the kitchen. She was amazing! That was Leola & when we opened our original shop in Galloway, Missouri, she worked almost every day with me so when we opened our new shop, we decided to name it after her. She's still with us in so many ways.

Hope Katie enjoys my Mom's recipe. It sure tasted great last night! Have a good Tuesday.

Back to work at Leola's!

Seems like I haven't worked at Leola's in forever but I'm back on the job today. The place is a wreck & all my greenery is so dry that I'm sure it's a fire hazard. I'm going to remove what little is left of Christmas & start a new look. I've always disliked that after-Christmas messy look so I'm cleaning. We're hoping to add some classes in January & February so that's on the agenda too.

Mike's on vacation this week so I'll leave him in charge of watching a big pot of pinto beans with leftover ham & I figure he can surely mix up a box of cornbread.

Have a great Monday!

What a great Christmas...

We had a wonderful Christmas. The weather turned out fine (after all the dire predictions) on Christmas Eve. That was my favorite time! We all set in church together & sang Christmas carols and then took communion. After that, we lit a candle and sang Silent Night. The kids were so reverent and sang right along with us. I think they know the words to every Christmas song -- including Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer. It was just the perfect Christmas Eve.

Hope your Christmas was everything you hoped for. A few years ago I realized why I felt such a let-down after Christmas. I figured out that I had set myself up to have this movie Christmas & somehow Christmas never lived up to my expectations. Not sure if it's age or what, but now I just want to have time for church, to feel peace in my home, spend time with those I love & to have really good food. Now all that bothers me is that I know I have to take all this stuff down but I'm not going to be in a hurry. My Mom always believed that it was bad luck to take your tree down before New Years so I'm not taking any chances.

It was 66 degrees here today & even now at 8:00 we've still got the back door open. Sage is spending his 2nd night with us & he played on the back porch with Play Dough tonight. It's all over about noon tomorrow -- the cold front is moving in. Happy Saturday!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all of you out there who have become my friends on this blog. May we all on this special birthday find some peace and contentment with those around us and maybe spread some around to those we don't know. When we go to church on Christmas Eve night lets all pray to the one whose birthday we're celebrating that He will show us the way to be a kinder, gentler people so that our precious little ones will grow up in the kind of world in which He intended us to live .

PEACE!

Linda's & Kelli's Christmas decorations.....

It is a very cold but sunny day in Springfield. We went to church this morning & almost froze. It was a beautiful Christmas program & the little ones sang 2 songs. Now tomorrow is Sage's school program so I'm taking the day off. Carol Ussery is bringing a couple of her special coconut cream pies by Leola's for everyone so guess I'll just have to run down. What a great gift that is!

I took these pics of Linda's & Kelli's houses on Friday night. They looked so wonderful sitting up on the hill with the little twinkly lights inside & out. I've decided to get my old Canon 35mm out & try some pictures. It seems when I'm taking them in the evening my digital doesn't do as well. Allison has had the same problem & made the suggestion so we're doing our own photo testing. I'll let you all decide which is best.

Anyway, here's a few pics of Linda's kind of cabiney/lodgey look but yet she has this gorgeous flocked white tree. It all looks wonderful.

This was maybe my favorite thing. I loved this white polar bear peeking from this cloche. One of mine & my g'kids favorite winter movies is a cartoon called "The Bear" & it looks just like this one. I highly recommend it.

These pics are of Kelli's & Bayli's house (Linda's daughter & g'daughter). They live near each other on the same farm. Kelli's house is totally "Kelli's" style. It's kind of quirky & shabby chic but very comfy/cozy. She also has 3 dogs of varying sizes that run thru the house so nothing is too fussy.

These are vintage aprons hanging over her kitchen window & I love the "peace on earth" hanging above her counter.

Hope you enjoyed the tour. Have a great Monday! Peace!

Leola's Christmas party...

We had our store Christmas party last night & we had such a good time. After a week of worrying about weather & the roads, we drove to Judy's without any worries. She lives waaaay out in the country and it's hard enough to find at night without having to worry about ice. Anyway, her house, as usual, looked incredible. These are just a few shots & no way can I do it justice with my photography but maybe it will give some idea of how creative she is.

We started the night at Linda's & Kelli's houses (which were equally awesome) & I'll share those pictures tomorrow (hopefully).

We exchanged gifts after drawing names & you would not have believed what these creative women had made. Mine was from Kristy & I'll also photograph it tomorrow. We ate & exchanged cookies & laughed & talked so much that my throat is sore today. I love this bunch of women that are in Leola's right now & I love how we've all become such good friends. I just want to hold onto it as long as we can because it seems life can change so fast these days.

Phoebe is with me today & is wanting to be creative so I'll do more later. Have a great weekend & stay warm.
This was on her dining table. They were filled with fresh cranberries & a candle at the top. They were so gorgeous & so tall that they didn't get in any one's way.

These were crystal stoppers in small silver vases -- wonderful!!!

Sorry to Judy & Kristy -- I think they were working in the kitchen. Also, Sandy & Carol weren't there. You'll also notice I'm not there -- I'm always the photographer. Sorry Kelli & Dorlece but somehow I missed you too.

Where is the sun.....

What this girl needs is a sunny day! What is the deal with the sun??? We've had so many gloomy days (& sooooooo cold) that we would like to have a little break now & see some sunshine. Still have several things to do so will get out this morning with my list & start checking them off. My birthday group had their Christmas party last night so I went to that & Mike went to church to see the g'kids in their program. Guess Sage was a little upset with G'ma's priorities so I had to call & talk to him this morning & apologize. I promised I would be there on Sunday when he sings with the choir & then Mon. morning he has his school program. It's so wonderful to be so loved & to realize that your absence is noticed. I'm so blessed!

Have a great day -- & pray for a little sunshine.

Christmas decorating at my house!

It has been so cold the last few days & the side streets are ice covered so I've had the opportunity to actually stay home & finish some things. Can't believe how fast December is going. Kenda worked for me yesterday at Leola's (she lives close to the shop) so I even got a little baking done. Mike takes a dessert to work tomorrow so I'm thinking about something I could make with ingredients I have in the house.

Wanted to take a few more pictures of the house. After Jane's pictures, I had to really work to get good shots. Our houses are totally different & I gave up long ago trying to compete with my talented friends. They love my house and always make me feel like they think it's special. It's very important to me for it to be welcoming & comfortable and a place where my grandchildren can come and feel totally comfortable (& they do).

These are some of my ironstone collection. I've loved and collected white ironstone for years & love using it for every holiday but especially Christmas.
This is another picture of my vintage ornament tree. I think I loaded it with as many as it would hold.

I also collect tiny ironstone dishes. I love them all clustered together.

One of my appliqued wool projects.

I finally finished baby Maya's stocking so it will be on it's way to Colorado tomorrow. Wish I'd kept track of how many of these I've made.

Have a great day. Tonight is Stella & Phoebe's Christmas program at church & then Sage sings tomorrow night & Sunday morning. His school program is Mon. morning. We have Leola's Christmas party at Judy's on Friday night. I'll be taking pictures of Linda's, Kelli's, & Judy's houses & will try to post them on Sat.

Christmas decorations at Jane's house...

Debra & I literally went over the river & thru the woods to Jane's house yesterday for a little visit & to see her beautiful Christmas decorations. Her home is so warm & inviting and whatever season I go to her house, I swear it's my favorite. Her house is truly amazing at Christmas. It's like she makes arrangements with Mother Nature to help with the decorating. This is Jane & Debra in front of one of the fireplaces.

This is the Star of Bethlehem flower. It was so pretty sitting on the blue ladder in front of the window.

Remember the wreath of vintage ornaments she worked on while we were at the lake? Well, this is the final result -- is it not gorgeous!!!!! It's in her entry hall & makes quite a statement.

I loved her unadorned trees all over the house. They look so real but aren't.

If you enlarge this picture, you can see the beautiful cardinal sitting in the tree.

This is her screened-in back porch. It even has a fireplace.

MERRY CHRISTMAS from Jane's house.

Sage is seven today!

This is my g'boy Sage's 7th birthday. What a delight he is! I'm sure other grandmothers understand when I try to explain the love I have for this boy. He's been at home all week with strep but will be able to have his b'day party tomorrow. Happy Birthday Dear Boy!!!!

Over the river & thru the woods....

I'm headed out today to check out my friend Jane's house and to do a little shopping. I've either worked or been with sick g'kids this week so have a lot of catching up to do. They're also forecasting bad winter weather next week so want to make sure we have 6-mths. worth of food in the house in case we can't get to the store. We're all a little gun-shy around here after having the worst ice storms the last 2 winters. What is it with this weather!!!!

These are a few pictures from the shop from Weds. We have 2 of these chairs that have been slipcovered by Carol in this wonderful paisley fabric.
This is our newest person in the shop, Brenda. She does wonderful arrangements. Her wreaths have really done well because she makes them look very "natural". She also has an excellent eye when it comes to decorating.

One of Brenda's arrangements.

Have a good day!

Winter is upon us......

It is very cold here today & a little snowy. We had some ice last night so some schools are closed in the area but not Springfield. Our driveway was dry this morning, thankfully, but man is it ever cold --- & I have to go to work. It would be a perfect " inside day " but I'll have my "inside day" at Leola's. We have a sewing machine that we keep there & sometimes I just set it up at the counter. Hopefully, I'll be too busy to do that but just in case, I'm taking some things that I'm needing to finish. The month is going so fast & I'm so far behind. Oh well, seems Christmas comes every year rather we're ready or not! Just have to stay focused on the true meaning & let everything else fall into place. My grandkids have no memory of what they received as a gift last year but they sure remember that we all go to church together on Christmas Eve & that G'ma fixes cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. PEACE & have a wonderful day!!!

Christmas decorating at my house!

Can't believe this is my 100th blog entry. I meant to have a give-away for it but it will have to be a little late. Still haven't made a decision on what it will be. Keep watching!

Finally got most of my decorating done this weekend but the tree is yet to be decorated. That will come. Just hope no one breaks in while I'm at Leola's tomorrow because someone could get seriously hurt falling over debris. Below is my mantle that I tried to keep pretty simple. I've used lots of fresh greenery & I love it.

I have so many vintage ornaments that I'm trying to invent ways to use them. Can't stand not to put all of them out. This will be interesting to see how long it takes Sage to lift this dome.

I'm determined to get things wrapped up because I want to sit and enjoy it before it's time to take it down. Also, would love to have some of the girls over.

We went with the kids to Silver Dollar City on Sat. afternoon to see the lights & what an experience. We had to park miles away & ride a bus in which was great going but when we left the line to get on the buses was at least 1 mile long. The kids (& adults) were exhausted and cold & it was 1 1/2 hrs. before we got to the car. Someone said there were over 30,000 people in the park on Sat. It was a shame that what could have been such a fun day had to end so badly. Anyway, it made us all think about what Christmas was all about. It certainly wasn't all the flashy lights & $10.00 hot dogs. It was that we got to spend the day with Allison, John, Sage, Stella & Phoebe, & they wanted us with them. We all rode back in a nice safe car & came home to nice warm homes after spending the day as a family & we felt truly blessed when we know there are so many who aren't that fortunate. PEACE & have a great week!

Vintage ornament tree

Well, I'm making a little progress. This is my tree that I use for my vintage ornaments. It has nice long limbs with plenty of room for them to hang. I still have lots of ornaments to hang on it but just wanted to prove that I had actually started. My mantle is stripped & the plan is to put lots of greenery on it with maybe some lights. Anyway, I should have some pictures by tonight so wish me luck. Have a great Friday!

I need a vision!

I've been to the basement & carried up boxes. The back of my car is full of greenery & smells like a Christmas tree. But still I have no vision. I'm having such a difficult time coming up with that spurt that gets you started. Is it just me or were the Christmas magazines a little disappointing this year? What does everyone else do for inspiration? If you have any ideas, pleeeeease let me know. For now, I'm pouring a glass of wine & digging through last years magazines & I'll be waiting patiently for some ideas. Thanks!

What a weekend!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Lots of company & lots of food. Because I had whined so much, I didn't have to do too much of it. My sister-in-law Susan & part of her family came on Friday (4 adults, 2 kids & 2 dogs). They were joined by Allison & her family (2 adults, 3 kids & 1 dog). Needless to say, it was kind of a zoo around here but a good time was had by all. Thanks to Susan, food was planned out. She made pizza one night & gumbo the 2nd. And for dessert the kids decorated cupcakes. Here's Sage with his turkey (their dog ate all the little chocolate pieces on the floor & threw up).
Allison & Loren are both teachers so their kids are pretty good at these projects.

Here are the 2 sets of twins. Poor Sage was a little outnumbered!

Linda did Thanksgiving day's meal. I didn't hear the final count but I'm sure it was at least 50. We had the best dinner. I did note that my plate had only white on it except for the yellow in the corn casserole (does that count!). It was yummy!!!! Here's Allison, Sage & baby Maya. After over a year, we finally got to meet her. She ended up with croup & an ear infection. Poor Jenni!!!

Marabelle is in kindergarten this year & it doesn't matter how long she's away from us now, she remembers us. Her parents have made family very important. The kids have such a good time together.

Well, it's back to work for me this morning. We had snow yesterday so it's looking very wintry outside. We had an excellent weekend at Leola's & hope it continues today. I sold a couple of tables so I have merchandise sitting all over my area. It needs some serious "sprucing up". Have a great week!