Because if you have to have a broken arm......

...you may as well wear it with style and have a good story to go with it! That's our motto! Molly had an awesome bike wreck while camping this weekend with Nana and Papa. She rode her bike off of a bridge that wasn't finished yet and fell about 5' to the ground hurting her right arm. Papa made her a make-shift splint out of cardboard and fabric and she hopped back on that bike and kept on riding! I was there shortly after the wreck and she seemed to be doing fine, just favoring the arm a little. After a couple of hours the pain was too bad to ride bikes so I took her on to the local urgent care clinic. The doctor there told us that she couldn't be positive from the angle of the x-ray but she was highly suspicious that Molly's elbow was broken or cracked in the wreck.

So Molly got a pink temporary cast and an ugly navy blue sling. Well you know us, that ugly blue sling HAD to go. A girl can't be expected to sport one of those ugly things to church on Sunday morning while telling of her awesome bike wreck and showing off her pretty pink cast! Somewhere around midnight I was making my girl a sling that she could be proud of, and on Sunday morning she had a Sassy little sling to go with her pretty pink cast and her awesome story. A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do, ya know.

Today we are headed off to the children's orthopedic doctor to find out if the arm is really broken or not and Molly's all excited about showing off her outfit/sling combo again. Silly girl! But really...Can I blame her? She does make having a broke arm look good! LOL! Did I mention that Baby Sister coordinated too? Maybe it was a little over-the-top, but we may as well enjoy it!! This may be our last broken arm! LOL!

UPDATE: Well, it's definitely broke. Today the Ortho doc said that she broke the growth plate in her wrist. Molly is now sporting a pretty red cast and she is insanely proud! LOL! I will try to get a picture up before it's brown with dirt from the garden! She is loving all of the comments she is getting about her sling too, that child has been walking on clouds all day!

Bread. My new obsession.

After the last post about living the slow way I had several questions about making and keeping bread. Well since I am sooo into this right now I'll just tell you all about it!

The recipe I use for honey wheat is on the back of the Gold Medal Whole Wheat flour bag, you can find it here. I also add a couple tablespoons of milled flax seed, and a couple of tablespoons of raw sugar because Ben likes semi-sweet breads for sandwiches (I will add a rockin sandwich recipe at the end of this post- it's my favorite).

The wheat bread recipe I use for the best cheese toast in the world, and for dipping in soups, is Dawn's. Go over to her blog and bug her, I'm sure she will give you the recipe- she loves me. This bread is so easy and you can add just about anything you like for a different flavor, we like to add rosemary and olive oil (as shown above).

I mix everything in Dorothy (for those of you who don't know Dorothy, she is my pink KitchenAid mixer. I love her) no bread maker or food processor.

When the bread is fresh out of the oven I let it sit on cooling racks to cool for a couple of hours. When it is nice and cool I slice it, put the slices back into the shape of a loaf, wrap it in a tea towel and put it in a gallon sized freezer bag. If a gallon bag is not big enough I sometimes use regular bread bags that I have saved from store bought bread or wrap it in cling. We usually eat at least one loaf the same day and the rest go in the freezer. After that we just get what we need from the freezer and warm it in the microwave. My friend Cami told me about the freezing method of storing fresh bread and it really does taste almost as good as the day it was baked that way!

Here is my most favorite new sandwich recipe, I'm gunna call it Rockin Chicken Sandwiches (they really do rock):

You will need:

4-6 Chicken breasts

1/4 cup Italian dressing (Not the fancy stuff, just plain old italian dressing.)

1/4 cup Honey

Cheddar cheese

Homemade honey wheat bread

Mix the Italian dressing and honey in a small bowl. We are going to call that little concoction the glaze. Don't that sound good? Brush the chicken lightly with the glaze and grill. Just before the chicken is done brush the rest of that glaze on. When the chicken is done and has cooled just a little, I slice the chicken breasts in half making them thin enough for a sandwich. (So each chicken breast will actually make 2 sandwiches.) Then I make my sandwich with the bread cheese and chicken.

Oh hunny! Best thing you ever put in your mouth! It's my new favorite lunch (and dinner). I cook up a batch of chicken and pop it in the fridge and we have homemade lunches anytime we want in a matter of minutes! You can toast the bread and cheese too, but I like the bread soft for mine. Some people may also like to try honey mustard on these.

I have another addiction too, but it's not that new, cooking in bulk. Last night for dinner I cooked 8-9 chicken breasts this way, but I didn't cut them up. We had turnip greens, baked sweet potatoes, and fresh bread with the chicken. After dinner I cut up the remaining chicken for sandwiches (for lunches this week) so I got several great meals out of one mess- and let me tell you, that right there feels almost as good as getting new fabric....no, new fabric for free. It feels really good, believe me....

"The Slow Way"

Last night I was sitting here at my desk doing a little work on the computer when Molly came in to sit and talk to me. She had been outside with Ben, Timothy, and two of Ben's brothers all day working on the new barn, and I had been inside all day with Madeline baking our bread for the week. She sat and told me her stories from the day, as she often does, and I listened and giggled at her "Tim stories", then she asked "Mama, do we live the slow way?" I replied "What do you mean sweetie?" I was really missing something.... then she said in the sweetest, softest, almost older voice, "You know Mama....because we make our own bread, and we have our own chickens, and we grow our food, and we use cloth napkins, and we homeschool...that kind of stuff. Is that the slow way Mama?" I was sort of taken back for a minute because I haven't really thought of it that way...but I guess so... "Yes baby, I guess we do." It's funny how a simple question from an innocent child can ground you.

I have never really put our lifestyle in a category, we just live and make choices that are best for us as a family, but that question made me think.....So today I asked her again exactly what she meant by "the slow way" and she answered the same way.... so I asked "Well do you think that it's better than the fast way?" She answered "Yeah Mama! I hate paper napkins! You can only blow your nose on them like once then you have to throw it away! but a cloth one you can blow your nose on like 20 times, and it's softer too! And our bread is better than the stuff at the store, WAAAAY better....and I love our chickens, and we get to do the fun kind of school."

So I guess that's it. We live the slow way...and that works for us, it's what we like, it's what makes us happy, and it's what makes my children thrive. I know it's not for everyone, but I sure am happy that we have found our niche out here on this little 10 acre patch of land, and from now on I will be a little more mindful of "the slow way" of doing things thanks to my special little girl.

PS. I had a great time at the beach! Thanks for all the well wishes! Now I'm happier than ever to be back at home with the kids, hubby, and the chickens. LOL!

Easter Sunday

I made the deadline! I finished the last stitch on Easter dresses at around 11pm on the Saturday night before Easter...just in time! Oh the children were beautiful and Easter was wonderful but I was way too lazy about getting good pictures. I get that way sometimes.....ya know, sometimes I just want to live the moment instead of documenting it. Ever feel that way? Like sometimes it's too much work? Anyhow...

The wind was amazing on Sunday! which made our family get-together perfect since it's outside, but made picture taking a little tricky. I thought this one was cute though because they were all laughing at their silly daddy, and I love pictures with real smiles.

I seriously didn't know how to feel about Molly in this dress. I love the dress and all, but she just looked so grown up in it. It sort of reminded me of something Diana would wear in Anne of Avonlea. I think that's why she loved the dress so much, she felt like it was her first "big girl" style Easter dress. How did she get this big? Part of me is so proud of the young maiden in this picture and then part of me just wants to cry that she is so big.....Oh the joys of motherhood, it's always something isn't it.

Here is a close up of Molly's dress. She told me that she would remember it for forever. Sweet sweet girl. I love heirloom sewing! There is something about knowing that this dress will never go out of style and maybe one day her little girl can wear this, her favorite Easter dress, that makes it so rewarding.

And Miss Priss, my sweet Madeline. If you look closely you may notice that there is a hint of pink here and there, that's because I made pink slips! I was very happy with the way that worked out too, it almost reminded me of cotton candy! The effect was very subtle but it was so beautiful!

I threw this picture in because it was just too cute to pass up! While Ben was leading practice before church the kids joined in to help. Oh those precious little voices!

I'm not sure when I will be back because I'm leaving for the beach in the morning! BY MYSELF! Yep! Ben is keeping the children and me and five other ladies are headed to the beach for a weekend of leisure...I am so excited and nervous at the same time. I know I'm going to have a blast but I have never left my family before so I'm sure I will be itching to get back home too. Well, I'll see ya when I get back!

xoxo,

Samantha

I'm in the home stretch..

....the pink slips are made, the hems are done, the embroidery is in progress... With just a few hours of work left it looks like I'm going to make it! Molly told me last night that this is her favorite most special Easter dress ever. Oh how she can melt her mama's heart! and make every little stitch well worth the effort. I remember the year of my favorite Easter dress too. It was green and I felt so pretty all dressed up for such a special day. I was about Molly's age too. I hope to help create such special memories for my children. And I hope you all have a wonderful Easter Sunday too! (Maddie's dress)

Easter dresses...sneak peek

The Easter rush has begun! You know...when you wait until the Monday before Easter to decide what to sew.... Well it's starting to come together now and hopefully by Easter morning we will have finished dresses. Hopefully. LOL! Here is a "little" list of what I still have to do:

:: Embroidery on both dresses

:: Sleeves and lace for Maddie's dress

:: Make pink slips for both girls

:: Entredeux and lace on the neckline of Molly's dress

:: Buttons and buttonholes for both dresses

:: Lace for the sleeve of Molly's dress

:: Hems on both dresses

I hope to be posting pictures of finished dresses soon!

Are you as nosey as I am?

Thanks for all of the loft love! During the days that we were working on the sewing loft any spare moment that I wasn't needed I was scouring the internet for pictures of other's sewing spaces. (Can you tell I still haven't decided on an official name?) I found myself zooming in to see their cool sewing/crafting stuff! It was like crafter's eye candy! But I was frustrated a few times when I couldn't quite make something out. I'm just so interested in the way other crafters work and play! So I have decided to do a few posts (spread out a bit) on specific areas of this new wonderful space of mine, and maybe share a few tips along the way. Feel free to join in by adding links in the comment section to your own space. I seriously can't get enough of looking at craft rooms!

This is the first little area I want to share. I guess I am extra excited about this section because I've never had a cutting table before. On top are the girl's Easter dresses (or what I have so far, you will see more of those later in the week) my cutting mat (pink- of course), a pin cushion, a cute tin to hold odds and ends, and my new pattern weights (more about those in a minute).

Under the table is a wine rack style box where I keep my smaller pieces of fabric. You know those pieces that aren't quite big enough to be folded but they aren't small enough to go to the scrap bag either, yeah, this is THE perfect spot. They are so pretty and happy there too aren't they! Ben made this box for me a few months back and I'm sure I couldn't live without it now. On top of that is my light box (He made me that too. How awesome is this guy?!) On top of the light box are a few work-in-progress pattern drafts, and above that is my pleater. In the can next to the fabric box are all of my long rolls of drafting papers, master copies of my patterns, and tracing paper. I found this to be the best storage method, both for looks and for keeping them from getting bent (the printer does not like creases in master copies).

Now to the pattern weights! I am overly giddy about having pattern weights! It makes cutting so much faster! I just lay a few weights down on the pattern pieces, cut around using my rotary cutter, and it's done! It's like magic I tell you. I made these pattern weights from big nuts that were left over from building our house. They were so easy! I just wrapped them in ribbon and using a hot glue gun.

I love the way they look in this picture all stacked on the table, of course it could partly be the fabric too. By the way, I'm a little giddy about that fabric too. That is some of Jennifer Paganelli's new Flower Power fabric that was sent here for me to sew a sample with! Jennifer picked MY Miss Madeline pattern to use as HER sample to sell her gorgeous fabric! Can you believe that?? It's actually a pretty awesome story too. I'll save that for another post because it's so cool I need a whole post to explain it! She's an awesome designer, I love her, and I will tell you the rest later.

Here is a picture of the hardware I used in case you are up for making your own. Those squares on the mat are 1" so the bigger weights are a little bigger than 1" and the smaller ones are a little smaller than 1". Clear as mud? LOL!

I better get going and do some more Easter sewing. Don't forget to add links! We all want to nosey around your space too!

Xoxo,

Samantha

The loft, sewing room, office, or studio...I don't know what to call it....

....but it's done and that's what matters. About two weeks ago Ben and I decided that it was time I had my own space for this growing pattern business. I have definitely grown out of the sewing-in-the-bedroom stage, and the walk-in closet sized office I have been using long ago spilled over into the living room. I can not even tell you how exciting it has been! Ben decided that the easiest solution would be to add a room in our attic. The thought of a little loft sewing room was more than I could handle! He estimated that it would take about ten days and he wasn't far off the mark! We worked every single day that he was not at the fire station framing, sanding, staining, painting, nailing.....you get the picture, I'm really sore, and here is the fruits of our labor! I can't even describe how much I love my new space! It is PERFECT! Ben is most definitely "The Man"! So let me give you a tour.... (click on the pictures to enlarge them) This is the little sitting area and the railing to the right is where the steps come up. For the last couple of mornings I have come up here to this little nook to read my Bible before the children are up...it's so wonderful! I think this may be my new nest!

This is the office side of the room. Ben built the desk and filing cabinet into the wall so that I wouldn't loose any floor space. Smart man. I painted all of the built in areas a faded red color by Martha Stewart. When I was trying to decide on the color I noticed that it was called "Vintage Ric-Rac. How perfect is that? The wall color looks white in these pictures but it is actually a pretty light turquoise color (Martha Stewart "Vintage Map").

This is a shot of the railing and the sewing section.

Here are my machines, built in bookshelves, and ironing board.

In this picture you can see the ceiling and lighting better. There is a chandelier in the center of the room and track lights on either side. The ceiling is made from metal roofing and it really brightens the room and gives the feel of an old tin roof. Ben is awesome.

This is my little cutting table, ahhh....a cutting table, no more sitting on the floor to cut fabrics!

And here is my built in printing station and filing cabinets. He thought of everything!

I looked at so many sewing rooms on the internet for inspiration and there were so many times that I couldn't understand the layout of the room by the pictures. That drives me nuts, I don't know why, so I added this little sketch for the other nuts out there. I also have lots of pictures of the process over HERE. So my only problem now is what to call it. I want to say sewing room but it doesn't seem to fit because it's an office too. Studio just sounds too uppity. LOL! It doesn't sound that way when other people say it about their rooms, but when I say it I feel like it's too uppity. I like loft, but does that sound too much like a bedroom? What do you think? What would you call it?