Favorite Christmas Present...

Not my favorite present received...but the ones given. This year we gave the girls 18" dolls that I made outfits for.

For Liz...A Kirsten look-a-like:

For Amber...A Josefina look-a-like:

We got them some American girl books and I made their meet outfits to match them...along with a few changes of clothes :)

I'll have to admit that the girls reaction wasn't quite as dramatic as I was expecting, but they seem to like them!

Hope everyone had a good Christmas and is looking forward to a Happy New Year!

Amanda

"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."   ~ 1 Corinthians 2:9

Merry Christmas!

"Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest,

and arise from the dead,

and Christ shall give thee light."

Ephesians 5:14

Thanksgiving Card...

This week I've been doing a little more "scrapbooking" than normal...in the form of some cards!

Today, I made a Thanksgiving card for my Grandma...

I thought it turned out pretty cute...so I think I'm going to make another one! :)

Be careful for nothing; 

but in every thing by prayer and supplication 

with thanksgiving let your requests 

be made known unto God. 

Philippians 4:6

Amanda

Autumn's Bountiful Apple Blessings...

Last fall was a very sparse year for apples due to a late frost in the Spring...which made apples more expensive around here, so we did not can any last year.

Well, this Autumn has brought an abundant amount of apples! Not only are they more available, but this year we have been blessed beyond a doubt by all the apples we have been given!

The neighbor has a newer orchard and wasn't really expecting apples yet, so since he did get some, he gave us a box of apples and let us gather the ones dropped from the trees...for FREE!

We made and canned applesauce!

Then, we were going to get some more apples from the local store to can chopped apples for use in apple recipes {mostly pies :)}... however, before we did, some friends offered apples they had picked from a relative's tree....

These generous friends gave us two boxes...for FREE!

 I got all set-up to can apples on Friday...

and after spending most of the day in the kitchen I'm feeling blessed because I already have 12 quarts of apples done and a WHOLE BUNCH of apples still left to conquer next week! 

Hoping that my cute helpers are as willing to pitch in next time!

I will sing unto the Lord,

because he hath dealt bountifully with me.

Psalm 13:6

Amanda

A Favorite Dessert...

Autumn is in full swing here...beautiful leaves, bright pumpkins, bountiful apples...oh how wonderful it is.

Wow! It's been TWO months since my last post, how time is getting away from me. Today, I'm breaking the silence :) to show you one of my all time favorite desserts...

Apple Dumplings!

Apple dumplings are wonderful, but are a little time consuming, so I don't make them often. However, today I decided that they sounded really good...so I took the hour or so out to prepare them and then tonight we can enjoy a very fall-ish dessert!

What's your favorite dessert?

Be strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak:

for your work shall be rewarded.

2 Chronicles 15:7

Amanda

Calendar Board...

The crafting time that has been found this week was devoted to finishing a calendar board for Quarter-Acre Academy :) We are now using it each school morning after our opening (which is a few songs, prayer, reciting the books of the Bible, and our school verse [Rom. 12:2])...

Liz also has a daily sheet to work on that goes with our board... I saw a bunch on different sites, but none were exactly right, so I made my own!

Liz has to fill in the sections using the calendar board... once she fills in the number for the day, I help her count (by 5's) the boxes for her to filling in. I am also still helping her learn the 5's for tally marks...then we use the boxes to help us do the BIG addition problem! 

While I was deciding where to put our calendar board in our school area (aka. the dining room) I decided that since I was moving things around and it was almost mid-August, I would get the fall decorations for the dining room out and redecorate at the same time!

So here is now how the table and dresser look... (all our board games and some of my recipe books are in the tall cabinet)

I use the table lamp more for when I'm just working here...during school we usually use the overhead light.

The school books and tools are neatly arranged and looking ready for Autumn :)

...whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31 

Quarter-Acre Academy...

Our Summer has been whizzing by and making the time to blog very elusive! Things have been fast pace since we returned from our vacation, we had some church activities, then a week at camp, and upon the return home from camp...computer issues - ugh! I'm thankful the desktop computer is almost back up to full function...just running a little slow and one more program left to reinstall [and it is a less used program :)]!

Amid the computer issues..I am very thankful that during the almost full week of the desktop not working, I still had the laptop to use - yeah! So, I was still able to get things around so we could begin our new school year last week.

Welcome to...

~ Pen ~

Personal side note...this pen drawing is nicer, but I like the look of it in color too!

~ Pen & Colored pencil ~

I had been reading some different homeschooling posts on FB that suggested naming your home-school (and in NC they actually require you too...interesting). I thought it would be cool to name ours even if it's not required here...so, Quarter-Acre Academy is what Chad and I agreed on. I also drew a logo (which was included among the suggestions on FB) and then got carried away and did the coordinating banner too :)

(Even though we didn't pick a name till this year, I put the est. date for the year when Liz started her Kindergarten work.)

So, back to our beginning last week... we are doing school at the dining room table, so I wanted to put her school books in the dining room, but not take up too much space and still look nice. I looked briefly at the back-to-school organizing bins at Dollar General and found them not really what I needed...and cost more that I necessarily wanted to pay...even for it being the dollar store!

Brainstorm! I decided to fix-up a box instead! The diaper box was to small, so, I opted for the paper case box...it worked out perfectly!

 I cut out the front, then glued on scrapbook paper, and covered it with Mod-Podge.

The outside of the lid got a coat of paint and it is now housing the school supplies (on the floor in this picture)...

We have been doing school now for a week and have already rearranged from these pictures! The work board has been moved closer to the table and the supplies are up off the floor on Liz's small desk (which she is not using, lol). The set-up seems to be working well.

First day of school!

Amber is very active, and likes to sit at the table with us...but can be a little distracting at times! After some browsing of Pinterest, I put together some new toddler activities this morning - hopefully I can show a couple of those tomorrow :) (But don't hold your breath waiting for the post, lol!)

So we are off and running with school for this year and had a really great day today!
Quarter-Acre Academy school verse...

And be not conformed to this world:

but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,

that ye may prove what is that good,

and acceptable, and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:2

Palm Trees...

When I was a little girl my family visited Myrtle Beach, SC for a couple of vacations. The first time was in 1982, where we stayed at the Myrtle Beach KOA Campground. Near the playground, my sister and I got our picture taken by a small palm tree...

Myrtle Beach KOA 1982

 When our family returned there in 1991, we had our picture taken again, by the same tree at the campground.

Myrtle Beach KOA 1991

 Well, this year I was able to again return to Myrtle Beach with Chad and our girls on our family vacation. We did not stay at the KOA on this trip...we were visiting with some of Chad's family, so we stayed with his Aunt...

On Sunday morning while I was getting ready for church I remembered the above progression of pictures by the KOA trees and thought it would be neat to take our picture by them...but we'd have to find the campground.

Well, I hadn't mentioned it to Chad........so imagine my excitement when as we were driving to the church we had chosen (even before we left PA) to attend on Sunday morning was right beside the KOA!!!!! So of course, we went and got our picture taken!

Myrtle Beach KOA 2013

 The tree that is on the left edge of the picture is the tree my sister and I are standing right in front of in the other pictures...the tree just behind my shoulder is the tree of the shorter palm branches sticking into the right side of the 1991 picture by my sister's shoulder!

Our travel to South Carolina also provided stops at my sister's house in Maryland...It was so great to see her after a long absents. Here she is with Liz and Amber!

Smiling girls...So Pretty!

Hope you are having an enjoyable Summer and enjoyed seeing the growing of the palm trees!

The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: 

he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

Psalm 92:12

Travel Companions...

This summer seems to be filling up with some travel plans and so I decide to make myself a purse/bag that would accommodate all the things needed when out and about on a day trip... like my camera, regular purse items, a bottle of tea, my Kindle, and a couple diapers and wipes for the little one - trying to eliminate carrying the 2nd bag! [There will still be a bag of back-up/extra stuff in the car though! :)]

This is what I finished yesterday...
The Day Tripper bag :)

 It is a little bit bigger than I first was thinking in my head...but I think the laptop might fit in it too, so that works! It's not real noticeable in the picture but on the left side is the water-bottle pocket and there is a pocket here on the front.

The only thing I think I dislike so far is the spot where the zipper meets... I'm wishing I would have gone with  either (1) trying to incorporate the longer zipper I had gotten for this project but decided not to use, or (2) gone with a coat/jacket zipper...oh well, most of my projects are learning processes anyway since I rarely use a pattern!

I think I'll load it up and try it out for church tonight :)

Earlier in the month I made cosmetic bags for Mother's day... I forgot to take picture of them before gifting them...but I do have pictures of the one I made for myself.

These turned out great and are pretty easy to make! :)

Now I need to make a couple duffle bags for the girls, some culottes, and probably a couple dresses for our Summer fun to come!

The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul:

Proverbs 13:19a

It is a wonderful feeling to have a goal accomplished! This morning in my devotional book the lady was expressing how nice it was to have accomplished homeschooling all her children and that she was excited to move on to new goals. I enjoy very much to be able to cross of items that are on my to do list...which always seems to be growing :) 

Here we see that God has this in our make-up, that we like to get things done and the feeling of success that it gives us. What's on your to-do list for today?

Blessings!

Shirt-to-Dress...

Last night I finally dug into the pile of shirts I had set aside to refashion into dresses/skirts for the girls. Today, I finished the first one...a dress for Amber!

This shirt was in a bag of clothes given to Chad...it was too small for him, so now Amber can wear it!

The Body is the bottom section of the shirt, the upper horizontal band is from the arms, and the sleeves are the cuffs with some white material attached to match the bottom ruffle.

A new dress ready for Summer!

Now on to one for Liz!

Reflections...

It's is amazing how quickly time goes flying by! A week can go by in a flash with a busy schedule...that never seems to slow down - and I know ours is definitely less filled than most! :) This is for sure one of those busy weeks...not so much in places to go, but things that need to be done.

This is a good time to pause and 'reflect' on a few things...like in this poem that has been in the nursery at church for as long as I can remember, but I never really read it till a couple months ago...good things to ponder on a regular basis!

Reflections

If I could Start over I would...
   * have more realistic expectations for myself.
   * learn to say, 'this too shall pass.'
   * make a point of enjoying every stage of life.
   * cherish every friendship.
   * put less emphasis on material things.
   * refuse to take my own transient feelings so seriously.
   * worry less about failure.
   * spend less time wondering about other people's opinions of me.
   * talk less.
   * say 'I Love You' more often.
   * fret less about the future.
   * smile more.
   * memorize more scripture.
   * be more observant to the beauty God has put in the world around me.
   * work harder at understanding how other people feel and think.
   * be less critical of others.
   * learn to laugh at myself more easily.
   * be freer with my praise.
   * put a higher premium on integrity.
   * work for more consistency in practicing the Word of God.
   * make fewer excuses and take more responsibility for my own success and happiness.
   * put a higher value on every opportunity to learn and grow.
   * complain less.
   * tell the Lord more often how thankful I am that He chose me and that He loves me and that His plans for me are beyond my fondest dreams.

~ J.S.

Take ye heed, watch and pray:

for ye know not when the time is.

Mark 13:33

Little Blessings...

This afternoon while standing in the kitchen making some sweet tea and not feeling like making dinner, also not really sure what to make...I decided to not to start anything just yet and write a blog post instead. I was in the beginning process of deciding what to share, the phone rang... It was an invitation to go to a Spaghetti Dinner -- and their treat :)

So, we quickly got ready to go and had a nice evening out...and I didn't have to cook.

It continues to amaze me how God blesses us with simple things on the days we really need it! We really do have an Awesome God!

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised

in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.

Psalm 48:1

Refreshing Week...

I knew it had been a while since I wrote here, but didn't realize it had been almost a month! Whoa!

I haven't been able to do a whole lot of crafting lately, so that has been part of the dwindle in blog activity and I've been contemplating that recently... more on that in a minute :)

The past week has been busy with church ministry things, starting last Monday with our church's monthly ladies meeting...which had a great attendance and a good devotional on giving our all in serving. Then, on Tuesday, we went to our area's Tri-State Pastor's Fellowship for the day, which was a great day with a ladies get together included during the time we were there. It was great seeing old friends and making new ones!

The end of the week was winding down some and, on Friday, I squeezed in some sewing time and made a large round quilted hot pad for my new large round stoneware with handles from Pampered Chef. Loving the stoneware :)

Then on Friday I was reminded by a FB post that a church about 2 hours from here was having a ladies conference over the weekend...and at the last minute we decided that I'd be able to go for the Saturday session.

But in a great house there are not only vessels
of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; 
and some to honour, and some to dishonor.
If a man therefore purge himself from these, 
he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, 
and meet for the master's use, 
and prepared unto every good work.
2 Timothy 2:20-21


I received a great blessing from going...we learned about being vessels that God can use and to be a vessel Filled to Overflowing. They gave us practical guidance to get rid of the things that would hinder us from serving God, and to allow God to mold us and fill us to overflowing, then to share the abundance with others around us.

So between this and my previous pondering, it has directed me to try to use the blog as more than just a show of a craft project here and there with a verse just tacked onto the end....but to use this as a place to share what I'm being taught even it there is no new craft to share. However, I will still be sharing crafts as I have something, because I still love having time to sew!

A Vessel of God

by M.S. Lowndes

Shaping and moulding,

Is the potter with the clay

That is how God is with us

When we let Him have his way

Let God shape your life

Into a vessel for His use,

So He can fill and send you forth

To a world void of truth

So yield unto the master's hand

As He works within your life,

Making you so lovingly

To reflect the image of Christ.

Another year older...

My oldest little girl just turned 5 and had a great time celebrating getting another year older...

We had a party for her at church after the Sunday evening service to celebrate with our friends...it was fun and she said she really liked it :)

Then on her birthday, we had some leftover cupcakes :) and she blew out more candles...

Also, over the weekend we went to a couple of Maple Producers open houses during the NW PA Maple Association Taste & Tours Weekend.

We began at Yatzor's Sugar House, where we had pancakes and ham...and I 'gracefully' spilled my full cup of coffee on myself :) We moved on to Hurry Hill Farms and Museum so the girls could do a few crafts (which Liz remembered doing last year). We were attending a wedding that afternoon, so we were unable to go on the wagon ride, or to any other sugar houses along the tour, but it's a fun family activity!

Lizzy received a great craft project for her birthday... FOAMIES!

She did three at one sitting, and then another one later in the afternoon! She also had her new Princess/Bride dress-up dress on to be a fashionable crafter!

Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord:

and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

Psalm 127:3