Posted by Sonya | Filed under Uncategorized
01 Saturday Nov 2014
01 Saturday Nov 2014
22 Monday Sep 2014
Posted Lifestyle
inTags
Apple, Bucket List, Fall, Falling Leaves, Leaves, list, Stain Deck
There is nothing more fun than on a cool autumn day, raking all the fallen leaves into piles and letting the kids run and jump in them. I can almost hear the exciting screams and giggles as I write about this memory. After an afternoon of tossing in the leaves, everyone would gather in the kitchen and sip on a cup of hot cocoa. Of course in our household we need to say it is a cup of marshmallows with a spot of hot cocoa because we do love our marshmallows. Ah, Fall is my favorite season of the year. The sights and smells of fall are sweet to my senses.
Here are a few things on my “Fall Bucket List.” Some are need to do, and some are fun to do. What do you have on your bucket list this fall?
Digi Scrapbook Source: ComputerScrapbook.com
18 Thursday Sep 2014
Posted For The Home
inTags
Door Decor, Fall, Fall Flowers, Flower Box, flowers, Welcome, Welcome Door, Window, Window Box
While traveling I love to take pictures of houses. As I was looking through old photos I came across some window flower boxes and decorated front doors. Most of these were taken in a quaint Pennsylvania town in Amish Country.
13 Saturday Sep 2014
Posted Handcrafted
inTags
baby sweater, birthday, Birthday Gift, Cable Sweater, cables, Fashion, Fashion Colors, Grace Elizabeth's, Knitting, Lion Brand, Lion Brand Yarn, sweater, Vogue Knitting
Birthday gifts – you would think someone who likes to knit and crochet would always have in mind upcoming birthday, showers, weddings, etc. Nope – my mind doesn’t seem to work that way so from now on I vow to put these things on a list so that I can anticipate them better – Ha!
I did recently, however, have a young man, sweet to my heart, with a first birthday and managed to knit him a sweater. He has a summer birthday but I wanted to make something for this fall. In my earlier post this week I talked about the Pantone’s fall 2014 fashion colors. The yarn I chose was gray but I think you could safely say it is closely related to Pantone’s Aluminum found in the fall 2014 palette. Check out Vogue Knitting’s nice splash chart of the fall colors.
Below is a picture of all the pieces I knitted for the baby sweater before sewing them together. I used a pattern by Lion Brand – Heirloom Cables Baby Sweater. Skill level is for advanced intermediate.
This close-up picture shows the cables. They are a simple 4 stitch cable.
The finished sweater has 5 buttons for closer and a rolled collar for warmth. I used a soft acrylic yarn for easy care.
This was a simple project and took less than a week of my spare time to finish. I will consider doing this pattern again.
What colors are you knitting with this fall? I really want to make something with cypress.
08 Monday Sep 2014
Posted Handcrafted
inTags
color trends, Colors, Fall 2014 Colors, Fall Colors, Fashion, Fashion Color Report, Fashion Colors, Pantone, Women's Fashion
Are you one to follow fashion colors? As consumers we don’t have many options but to buy what the fashion industry puts on the shelves or hang on the racks. This is also true with textile arts unless you dye your own textiles be it fabric or yarns. I am sure there are many out there that follow the beat of their own drum but at this time I am bound by what I can find produced by the companies I love.
Colors have always fascinated me. I think it is glorious that God has created an infinite array of colors. For more than 20 years, Pantone, the global authority on color, has surveyed the designers of New York Fashion Week and beyond to bring you the season’s most important color trends. Click here for their report that previews the most prominent hues for fall 2014.
Later in the week I will share with you a recent baby sweater I made for a young man who has stolen my heart. And yes, it is a color from the “Fall 2014 Color Palette” by Pantone.
Do you follow the color trends?
06 Wednesday Aug 2014
Posted Handcrafted
in01 Tuesday Jul 2014
Tags
4th of July, corn, corn on the cob, grilling, jalepano, mexican food, recipe, spicy
Do you like Corn on the Cob? Our family loves it. I will admit we have not been very adventuresome through the years but I couldn’t resist sharing some recipes that caught my eye while searching for ideas for our 4th of July Picnic. Who knows, one of these recipes may become center stage of your holiday or special gathering this summer.
George Graham of Acadiana Table shares stories of Cajun Creole Cooking. As a kid growing up in a family of Southern cooks, his job was shucking the corn for every backyard barbecue or evening supper. Stripping back the husks and pulling out the strands of silky golden “hair”, he would occasionally find a worm or two to torment his sister with. Click here and continue reading his story and the recipe for Blue Plate Corn on the Cob.
Gudrun of Kitchen Gadget Girl was in search of the best way to prepare corn on the cob. In her blog article “Corn on the Cob, 3 Ways” she experiments with grilling, microwaving and boiling. Click through to find out her results.
Jessie Oleson Moore (posting on craftsy.com) says it simply wouldn’t be summertime without corn on the cob. But if you want to give your kernels some kick, take a cue from South of the Border street food vendors and make Mexican-style corn (also called elotes)…for complete article & recipe….
Chili and Lime is such a good combination of flavors. Gina at Skinnytaste.com shares her friend Doreen’s recipe...Click here for recipe.
You can’t call this recipe boring. It’s an easy recipe (Grilled Corn with Maple and Chipotle) with extraordinary results…MORE
“Nothing beats sweet corn in the summer!” says Emma Leigh Hostetter of The Mom in Me, MD website. In the spirit of GRILLING, she shares her favorite grilled corn on the cob recipe… click for more.
The Food52 author of this recipe, Grilled Corn with Basil Butter, states that the flavors are so magically summery: sweet, herbacious, charred, creamy. And it’s super easy. Find the recipe here…
The last recipe I have listed is from http://www.jalapenomadness.com/. This website is all about jalapeno peppers and the recipe sounds delicious.
Do you have a favorite “Corn on the Cob” recipe? Please share! Or if you try one of the 8 recipes listed here we would love to hear your reviews.
23 Monday Jun 2014
Posted Lifestyle
inTags
Augustine, Augustine's Confessions, Christian Doctrine, God's Grace, Grace, John Piper, Joy, Sovereign Joy, St. Augustine, Theology
Do you have questions about God’s grace? What is “sovereign joy?” What does St. Augustine have to offer us about these topics?
I have always had an interest in church history and I came across this message by John Piper, well known author and former pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN. Piper stated in his message to the pastors attending the 1889 Bethlehem Conference for Pastors, “the influence of Augustine in the Western World is simply staggering.” If you are unfamiliar with Augustine (born in 354), he served the church for almost 40 years, had been the bishop of Hippo and was known throughout the Christian world as a God-besotted, Biblical, articulate, persuasive shepherd of his flock and defender of the faith against the great threats of his day, mainly Manichaeism, Donatism, and Pelagianism.
This is a fascinating presentation by Piper. Below are a few quotes I pulled from the manuscript. Read the full manuscript or listen to Piper’s message by clicking here. I would encourage you to do both because Piper does not follow the manuscript word for word and is a great speaker.
We need to rediscover Augustine’s peculiar slant – a very Biblical slant – on grace as the free gift of sovereign joy in God that frees us from the bondage of sin…
Augustine labored with all his spiritual and poetic and intellectual might to help people see and feel the all-satisfying supremacy of God over all things…
Few people in the history of the church have surpassed Augustine in portraying the greatness and beauty and desirability of God. He was utterly persuaded by Scripture and experience “that he is happy who possesses God.” “You made us for yourself, and our hearts find no peace till they rest in you.” He would labor with all his might to make this God of sovereign grace and sovereign joy known and loved in the world…
16 Monday Jun 2014
Posted Food
inThere is nothing like homemade Granola. I love this recipe because it packs in a lot of good healthy ingredients and is low in sugar and oil – two ingredients many recipes use in excess but not needed. The secret is applesauce. The natural sweetness of the apples provides the sweet taste many of us crave. See the recipe below and you can view it on BigOven.com.
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup plain unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon canola oil
3 cups rolled old fashioned oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup shopped pecans
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons chia seeds
2 tablespoons wheat germ
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. In a small saucepan, warm brown sugar, the applesauce, honey, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon and oil over low heat.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients except dried cranberries.
4. Add the applesauce mixture to the oat mixture, stirring until everything is evenly coated.
5. Spread the mixture onto two baking sheets. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the granola is a golden brown color.
6. Allow to cool completely and add the dried cranberries. Store in an airtight container.
Make this recipe your own. Beyond the oats you can add the ingredients you desire or have on hand. I often use pine nuts, walnuts and sometimes substitute raisins for the cranberries.
My favorite way to eat granola is with my morning yogurt and blueberries. What ways do you use granola?
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05 Monday May 2014
Posted Handcrafted
inTags
Blanket, easy, free pattern, Grace Elizabeth's, Handcrafted, knit, Knitting, Lion Brand, projects, quick, Sonya Kay, Weekend Project, Yarn
With a few weddings approaching quickly I headed to the store in search of a thick yarn. Lion Brand’s Homespun Thick & Quick was may choice, super bulky (6) weight and oh so soft. I did had a dilemma however as I stood in the store staring at the pile of yarn skeins . I didn’t know how much to buy. So knowing I hate running short I bought eight skeins. Yes, I bought too much because it only took three skeins to complete the blanket. And the best news, it only took about 6 hours to knit.
My inspiration for this project was Lion Brand’s pattern “6 Hour Afghan.” Instead of using 4 strands lighter weight Homespun yarn I used the super bulky weight and saved a boat load of money. Love it! Their pattern was also knitted in stockinette but I really like the way the garter stitch I used gives texture. Click here for your FREE copy of my Easy Knit Blanket Pattern.
What do you do for a quick and easy gift for wedding, graduation or birthday?
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