Happy New Year!

I truly hope everyone has done their end of year preparing and are ready for a new year.  I have tried my best.  I avoided a few chores and did some others but all in all I feel I'm pretty ready.  Yesterday the kids got in the mood to help me with chores at the day care.  I was half in shock when three of them asked me if they could help.  I happily said yes and happily rewarded their efforts with Smarties!  For the end of the year in blogging for me I thought I would share a trick the Miss Katie Bug likes to do.  She has trained me well I tell you.  We mainly play this way when I am in the kitchen cooking and can't use my hands.  She's such a smarty!  My friend Melia was over this past weekend for some catch-up girl time.  We had a blast together and she got a kick out of Kate doing this.  Love to all and Happy New Year!

 



literally on the library hold shelf

 

here I go again... trying desperately to find natural, herbal help for my awful skin.  by the looks of the books it probably looks like I am about ready to start casting spells!  not true.  hexes and hemlines is the third book in a series I picked up this fall.  I just finished the second one and am ready for more.  it's extremely fictional but fun to read.  there are several songs on the best of doobie brothers cd that I've wanted to hear lately.  I appreciate the fact that the library has such things.  I am so readily interested in what the healing arts of American Indians has to say.  it may be made up hogwash or it may make sense.  you just never know.  I feel that some person some where in time had skin problems long before modern medicine and feel there are plants that grow wild on our farm that I can use to help in some way.  I tend to get desperate this time of year.  I am still learning and soak it up.  I would love to take an herbal class or something but prefer to study it in my own time.

 

what are you reading right now?

sunday afternoon

I much enjoyed my Sunday.  We slept in.  I made baked brie for breakfast/brunch that I didn't make on Christmas morning.  I got laundry done.  I canned black eyed peas, black beans, rattle snake peas, white beans and a mix for the chickens for extra protein.  All the while I listened to tunes. 

HERE's a post on canning dried beans and peas.  So easy to do if you've got the right equipment.

And HERE's my post on baked brie.  So delicious. 

Chicken Mix - kidney beans, white beans, black beans, barley and lentils.

Black eyed peas for New Year's day.  I even went ahead and added the smoked ham, salt and pepper.

Rattle snake peas that grew in our garden this year.

One of my favorite songs and bands that I listened to while I canned today.

Let the clean up begin

 



I'm not one of those folks who leaves their Christmas décor up until February.  I strongly believe in leaving the old year in the old year and not bringing any of that into the New Year.  I spend the last days of every year dusting, sweeping, cleaning and putting up Christmas.  Actually, this morning I set a goal and prayed to stay focused on my task at hand.  I figured with a small bit of organized planning I could have my decorations down in less than two hours.  As of two hours later I have everything up and in new labeled boxes and in the attic except for the main tree.  I only lack taking the lights off and the tree down which won't take but a few minutes.  Hey... I got hungry and I need to finish off the Christmas ham and grape salad too!  I started to take pictures to show you my mess but didn't want to loose focus. 

Now comes an afternoon of putting things back where they go and possibly a basement straightening.  That has got to be done before the end of the year too.  I am a tad superstitious at the end of the year.  I don't want that pile of garage sale items dropped as I came in the house and cardboard boxes for packaging shelves left sitting there when 2014 rolls in for fear that I will use this spot the whole year as a catch-all.  Which is one of my resolutions... to de-use that spot.  I wind up leaving things sitting there for eternity. 

One year, my resolution was to break my habit of using my oven as storage for pots and pans.  I successfully kept that resolution and know I can keep this one.  It's just got to be cleaned up first.  Blah scrumbug!  Luckily I have a few days between work to get it all done and thankfully the energy to do it.  There's a lot of sick going around... I know.. I had the stomach bug a couple of weeks ago and it liked to did me in! 

I will share a favorite blog of mine that I will be using for re-decorating after the holidays.  She and I have similar taste in home décor anyway.  Here's her home pictures and blog... RootsandFeathers.

Have a wonderful weekend!

To You

 

Wishing everyone a wonderful and safe holiday!

Merry Christmas

From the Hulsey's

 



Weekend Scenes

I had a pretty enjoyable weekend.  Most of it spent hanging out with my man.  We had a Christmas lunch Friday followed by an evening with friends, a dinner and a movie out Saturday afternoon, then just being at the house yesterday doing around.  I weather that keeps him at home more and I miss it during the summer when he's working until dark every day. 

 

 

If you look closely you can see the full moon above and to the right of the barn.  I could see it better than the camera took.



Pretty Miss Polly Pockets and Jerry... too big for their britches.  They have broken both feed troughs and turn their very large water barrel over on a daily basis.  They have about another month with us then they will be feeding us.
Katie Bug... always too big for her britches and always ready to play.
Miss Kitty... Mr Kitty... whoever.  She's been a sweet heart wanting so much love.
Fiona is molting and very shy about it.  I made them a mixture of canned turnips, canned cabbage, oats, strawberries and watermelon.  Mainly for Fiona who needs extra nourishment right now.  They loved the combination.
Yesterday afternoon I made rice krispie treats, very bold nuts and bolts and almond rocca.  I took pictures of the almond rocca making as if I would break my bond of secrecy with the person who gave the recipe to me.  I just can't do it... yet.
My Tommy.  He has taken up residence and found comfort away from Kate under our tree.  I will find the old quilt top pulled out into the floor almost every day where he has been napping and playing and sometimes he takes the ornaments off the tree.

Favorites To Watch

Oh y'all... I have put together a list of shows and movies that I only watch this time of year.  Me and some of these shows go back a really... really long way.  Most of them really.  The Benji Christmas story has been a fave since I was very small.  The Keeping Up Appearances Christmas episode is a favorite, being a British comedy that still comes on channel 8 at 8PM on Saturday nights.  I watched it this morning while cooking breakfast.  Will & Grace have I think three Christmas episodes in all their seasons.  My favorite is when Jack is creating a window display for Barney's New York and Grace steps in to help.  A Christmas Carol starring Patrick Stewart is my favorite version other than the original.  He has such a strong character and plays the role to a tea. 

 

What are your favorite movies and shows to watch during the Holidays?

 

 

DC Stocking Stuffers

We are due to have our Christmas Party at the DC on Monday, since we won't be here Christmas Eve or Christmas day.. obviously or I'd probably be here by myself.  I like to get the kids a little something for Christmas from me.  This year, as you saw yesterday, I made stockings for each child and they got to decorate them so naturally the plan was to grab a few things here and there that would fit into their stockings for Christmas.  So after the pizza party and dancing to Christmas music commences we will take down the stockings and the kids get to take them home with them along with all the goodies inside!  YAY!  Here's what I got as stocking stuffers for them this year.

 

 

 

I LOVE these Monster Finger Puppets and they are so into monsters too!

 

Smarties are always a good choice of candy.

 

Magic Towels in super hero and princesses.  Wash cloths for home.

 

Motts fruit snacks... because they're a little better than candy and they love them.

 

Glow in the dark stars.  I plan to give each child five or six for their rooms at home.



DC Stockings

Bought stockings are ok and I know they are cheap but I have a ton of felt and a needle and thread at hand so I decided to make Christmas stockings for the kids at my day care.  I cut a little template from card stock, traced it and cut them all out.  Then I used all red thread and a simple chain stitch all the way around each stocking, adding a piece of felt for the hanger. 

 

Once they were all sewn it was time to decorate them.  Each child chose a color of stocking they wanted.  Luckily the boys didn't choose the pink and purple ones so the girls could have them.  I brought all kinds of sequins from home and put four or five of different shaped sequins on divided plates.  I dabbed the glue and the kids got to add the sequins.  Some of the kids added ALL of their sequins and some just a few.  Before we put them away to dry, I added their names with glitter glue which for some reason didn't have enough glitter for my taste so I added more in special colors for each stocking.  They turned out so cute and much more to my liking than the store bought ones.  Plus they'll hold more stuffers!

 

 

 

The girls haven't decorated their stockings yet and neither have I.  Yes I made one for myself!



Gift Guide: Leather Lovers

 

Leather Lovers can find leather coats, chaps and bags just about anywhere.  I tried my best to find unique items made of leather for ones to enjoy! 

 

1  this handmade leather cuff has a secret inside pocket for notes or money.

 

2.  a blog favorite of mine, a beautiful mess, posted this cute DIY for kiddo leather pouches.

 

3.  isotoner leather gloves lined with cashmere sounds just dreamy.

 

4. paper source hand tooled leather journal looks old but it far from it.

 

5.  any man with more than on watch needs a fancy place to store them.

 

6. this is actually a vegan leather pillow.  they think of everything!

 

 

Literally on the library hold shelf for me

My library is awesome.  I can get books, cds, dvds... it's very cool.  I can log on and request just about anything they have and when it is available, some sweet little library fairie makes it appear on the shelf at the location nearest me.  Here are a few things I am waiting on right now.

Gift Guide: Music Lovers

 

1  I want this!  From Target, AM/FM, CD, Vinyl, Cassette player!  WOW!

 

2 Dr Dre, 80's style headphones

 

3  rocker bangles... gotta have em.  they double as a musical instrument... you figure it out... think... trying to get an eighteen wheeler to honk his horn... jing jing

 

4 storage for records and musical items

 

5  love this tiny speaker cube AND it has a usb plug too for my pc!

 

6  i-tunes gift cards.  available lots more places but here too.

 

 

 

 

Spiced Apple Cider

I should have titled this Spiced and Spiked Apple Cider!  I love a little spiced rum added to a warm mug of cider when it's holiday time and cold outside.  This is an easy recipe that I kinda threw together as I thought of what may taste good infused with the store bought apple cider.  And after visiting a couple of barn sales on a cold day with my friend Christal where we picked up a cup of hot cider that tasted so good on the cold day as we walked around all the crafts at the barn sale at Bottom View Farms.  After I got home I was still craving a cup!

 

 



A Trip to a Friend's House

My sister Mary Evelyn called me last Sunday evening to ask me if I wanted to come with her to a friend's house to see her Christmas decorating.  I said "sure, can I take my camera?"  I am glad she said it would be Ok.  Y'all I sewanee, her friend Vicky's house was right outside of anything I could imagine.  It was like walking into a magazine with her collections (of around 25 years) and style of putting everything together and placement was just unreal and beautiful.  I left there so inspired by her home that I started coffee dying Santa hats the minute I got home!  It is just amazing and I'm going to hush and show you some pictures and please take your time looking around each picture.  That's one of my favorite things to do is go back through the pictures that I took looking for something that I missed standing there.  Merry Christmas and thank you to Vicky for letting us walk around your house with our jaws on the floor!