Hello There...

 Merry Christmas!! I hope you all had a charming holiday!

We certainly did. We got to be with family and eat our favorite foods and I even lost my voice singing Christmas carols. HA!

We even had a White Christmas! Yay!

We also spent a lot of time making gifts. We had so much fun coming up with things to make for our nephews and nieces and all our family.

Here's a couple things I made..

I gave my oldest nephew, who loves anything camo and is doing so well learning how to play guitar, a music stand and a handmade case for it. And can you believe it? I found camo guitar fabric! Well, technically it's basses, but I didn't realize that until I was making it. heh heh...

And also a camping pillow case with the same fabric like the ones I've been making for our etsy shop.

For another nephew who likes cowboy stuff, a flannel camping pillow case with...yes, cowboys.

 And for my niece,  a Hello Kitty pillowcase, and for the two sweet girls I am nanny to, pillowcases with their favorite animals... Pandas and Unicorns. =]

 A couple months ago we were so lucky to get to visit our friends who live in the Greenwood of Oregon.

We had a lovely time at their cabin in the woods! They prepared for us the most wonderful food and kept us warm by keeping the fire going all day and even gave us a tea party! It was delightful!

As a thank you, I wanted to make them each a Wolly Pop that was inspired by their own character. =]

 I've also been having way too much fun with my "doll house". It's not really a house, but a corner of my bedroom that I've been decorating and making into a little home for my 1860's china doll.

You can see more pictures of it on our doll blog HERE if you like. =]

So, that's some of what and where we've been. I hope everyone is having a delightful January so far!

Love,

Marguerite

Happy Thanksgiving!

I just wanted to tell you about our Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale at  our shop Pretty Wit! 

 I Heart Roses Rings $4

Most things are up to 50% off! And to show our appreciation to you, our  good friends, we'd like to offer an additional coupon for free shipping in the US!  Just enter the code "spinster" at checkout! 

Lotus Flower Necklace $10

Hand Knit Braided Cable Cowl    $30.80

 

 

Jolly Judy Party Dress $140

 

Hope you all are having a beautiful and relaxing Thanksgiving weekend!

♥Genevieve

It's time for coziness and hot cocoa!

Here is one of the oldest and most spectacular lodges in Oregon.

Built in 1936, right at the timber-line on top of Mt. Hood, hence the name Timberline Lodge.

Here is a picture of the lodge being dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on September 28, 1937.

 

And here is the lodge in Winter. --Talk about being snowed in!

My Mom and us three spinsters stopped by there on our way home from getting apples in the Hood River area. We went from Fall to winter in one day. It was freezing cold up there and there was some snow already, but when we got inside it was nice and cozy with fires going in all the (huge) old fireplaces.

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So, we decided to get lunch at one of the three restaurants they have inside. 

It was called Ram's Head and was on the 3rd level.

The food was stupendous and the hot cocoa was, in a word, divine. 

Gen took these pics.

Starting from the bottom...

Hot Chocolate

whipped cream

chocolate sauce

salted caramel sauce

bits of English toffee

a cinnamon stick

heaven.

 This was ours (above)

This was one I found online (below) Chocolate sauce, baby!

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So, if your ever traveling in Oregon and you have good winter tires and a day to spare...

It is certainly worth seeing... and tasting.

Hope you're all having a wonderful November and getting excited for Thanksgiving Day! 

I know I sure am!

Love,

Marguerite

Oatmeal, elbow grease and Autumn

Do you know what I love? Autumn. Yesirree Bob.

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I fell asleep last night to the sound of the rain tip-tapping on the roof of my home. And woke to a cool (not cold) breeze blowing gently on my face. Of course that was followed by a loud banging sound coming from my niece who was downstairs playing. 

Which, even after a slight grimace on my part, was no less delightful. It was  followed by a warm fuzzy feeling of coming downstairs in my warm fuzzy slippers to see my Mom drinking her coffee and having a cozy chat with my sister with her bible on her lap and all the Fall colors brightening the sky outside. 

I then proceeded to make my usual weekday oatmeal with flax seed meal and maple syrup and a cup of steaming hot strawberry lychee black tea. Mmm... nourishment.

Then I read the next chapter in Galatians, for my morning bible reading and felt so uplifted, even with the thought of impending yard and house work. 

To take care of that, I flipped through the Oct./Nov. issue of Mary Jane's Farm and suddenly I felt not only that I could get through my daily work, but that it just might be enjoyable! 

Which... it was.

I helped my Mom empty flower pots and take them up to store for the winter, planted an Aster, watered some bushes and plants, took the garbage up, fed some old lettuce plants to the cows and I got an old wooden coke bottle box to use in my room as a little shelf. Of course it was covered in dust and other things which I wont dirty the page with, so I hosed it off and sprayed it with cleaner and it is drying outside even now.

Days like these could always be described in less than heartening words. I could've talked about the headache I had last night, all the work that didn't get done during the summer or how the days all seem to blend together with nothing much to make them anything special. 

But today did feel different. Not because it was all new or exciting or everything in my life is perfect, but I felt the Joy of the Lord and heard His music in the trees and smelled the sweetness of the air and everything looked so much more beautiful when I thought of who created it and who He is and how much he cares for EVERY one of us. I was filled with gratitude and an overpowering feeling of how much Jesus cares about me. He takes care of us every day. Even though, we complain and ignore Him and make the same mistakes over and over again. He doesn't just ignore us or complain and He never makes mistakes. He is full of Forgiveness. A true friend, helper, healer and Father. He never leaves us or forsakes us.

Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, 0 Lord, in the light of Your
countenance. In Your name shall they rejoice all the day: and in Your righteousness shall they
be exalted. For You are the glory of their strength: and in Your favour our horn shall be
exalted. For the Lord is our defense; and the Holy One of Israel is our king.

Psalms 89:15-18

I hope you all have a beautiful, joyful day. Filled with love, a little elbow grease and strength for each new day.

Love to you all,
Marguerite

Happy Thought

This movie makes me laugh. A lot.

Awesome music. Hilarious characters. So many good quotes!

"You just gestured to all of me." - Hiccup

Has anyone else seen this gem?

♥Marguerite

ps here are two BEAUTIFUL songs from the movie.

Needle Case giveaway at The Willow Nest!

 

Anna from The Willow Nest is giving away one of these sweet needle cases! Go! Go enter! And win! And then you can give it to me. ;) 

♥Genevieve

Yummy find!

Hi friends! It's been a long time since we posted on here. We've been having a wild and crazy Summer! It's been a fun time though. We're looking forward to some lovely camping trips in September and October which we think are two of the most beautiful months (where we live anyway..). Then we hope to enjoy a simple and slow Autumn.

Anyway, I popped on here to share with you a recent find. This free e-book called 7 Ingredients or Less by Minimalist Baker. I just started following Dana of the Minimalist Baker blog and I'm addicted. She has totally simple and easy and DELICIOUS recipes that are quite often vegan or gluten free friendly aaaand she is witty besides. She just released this new e-book and I thought I should share it with you. Who can resist No-Churn Root Beer Float Ice Cream? Or Banana Peanut Butter Cup Popcicles? Or Vegan Mochas (in which said recipe there is a bonus recipe for vegan chocolate syrup. Hello sundae!!!) OK, I guess you can tell that I have a major sweet tooth! Click on the picture and it will take you to her blog where you can download it for yourself! And I recommend you sign up for e-mail updates from her blog. She sends you  a PDF of every recipe she writes to your inbox. Yeees!

What recipe looks the best to you? 
What are your plans for the upcoming months?
♥Genevieve