SMALL HOUSE BLESSINGS

Notforgotton Farm Christmas Freebie

I just finished stitching and framing this guy and I totally LOVE him! He’s been on my Pinterest Board for way too many years, and now that I’m stitching quite a bit more, I decided to make him one of my winter projects. As I mention in the video, he’s perfect if you’re looking for…

The Special Red Plate

Years ago, before I was even married or had kids, an item came out on the market called The Red Plate. The history behind this tradition is that in early American times, when someone had a special day, they were served dinner on a red plate. That custom was brought to more modern times with…

Cross Stitch Kit Review & Framing Costs

For all the years that I’ve been cross stitching, I’ve never made anything from a kit. As I explain on this video, I chose to finally do so because we had a hurricane coming and I didn’t have time to get out and get any supplies. I wanted something to stitch in case our power…

3 Ways To Journal The New Year

I love preserving memories. For years I’ve scrapbooked, both with paper and digitally. But as my kids got older, I’ve gotten away from it more. Yet I still like to keep records of things in my life. Facebook and Instagram are both great for storing memories. And even Google Photos makes great albums from time…

Richloam General Store-Circa 1922

Richloam General Store is a must see if you love history and are in the Central Florida Area. Located just over an hour west of Walt Disney World, it’s just outside the small town of Webster, about 10 minutes off of I-75. When I went there in late 2022, the surrounding area didn’t look much…

Honeymoon Island State Park Dog Beach

My son David is in town this week between working at a ski resort in Colorado and going to London to take an English Teaching Course. I’m glad to have him whenever I can! One thing he loves to do is take our dog Bella out on fun outings. I usually just take her to…

Free Cross Stitch Pattern: Winter Home

Thanks so much for visiting the page of my first ever cross stitch pattern! I’m so glad you’re here! If you haven’t watched the YouTube Video, be sure to check it out below. Card making has been a hobby of mine for almost 20 years. I just love taking a blank sheet of paper and…

Visiting the UF Bat Houses in Gainesville

Some may disagree that visiting a site where thousands of bats emerge from their homes every night and take to the skies is not exactly a “quaint” travel. But I love bats (like, in the sky and in their natural habitat, not in my house). And going to see the bat houses in Gainesville, Florida…

Vintage Blow Molds

Give things 70 years and suddenly they’re cool again! Blow molds are no exception. You may have seen them at yard sales or vintage stores, or even new. But first, what exactly is a blow mold? According to Wikipedia, it’s described as a manufacturing process for forming hollow plastic parts. And apparently there are three…

Pumpkin Maple Pudding

When my son was young and my daughter not even born yet, I worked part time at a daycare center. It was a wonderful place that provided so much for the kids. At the time, they even had a cook on staff (think peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and goldfish crackers) that provided breakfast, lunches…

Halloween Cozy Mystery Review

One thing I love is getting into the spirit of the season by including some seasonal reading. Now truth be told, I’m not a fast reader, and I’d rather be crafting than reading most of the time, so I like books that are short and sweet but still deliver a perfect holiday feel-and Halloween at…

The World’s Largest Ball of Twine

While on a cross-country trip with my daughter, we wanted to visit some quaint and quirky sights along the way. The World’s Largest Ball of Twine in Cawker City, Kansas was tops on her list. I thought it sounded cute and was all on board. Apparently there is another ball of twine somewhere else that…

Freebie Autumn Cross Stitch

With everything being so expensive these days, I’m always on the lookout for cute things to make that don’t cost a lot of money. I found this freebie on Pinterest and after looking at it for way too many years, finally decided to stitch it. It’s from a website called Gazette 94 and dates back…

Appreciating Without Owning

Years ago when we attended a small Nazarene Church in Easton, PA, our pastor told us that you don’t have to possess something to enjoy it. Those words have stuck with me for years, and I’ve used that advice in so many situations. For example, when we lived up in Pennsylvania, I absolutely loved the…

Free Autumn Cross Stitch Pattern

This cross stitch pattern is a freebie from Lizzie Kate. I embellished the edges with a home designed edge so that it would fit the wooden plaque that I bought from Joann’s and stained. It was a really quick and fun pattern and it can be found here. I’m so thankful to Lizzie Kate for…

The Legacy Of Recipe Cards

Old fashioned, handwritten recipe cards can give us memories that go beyond flour, sugar and instructions. For my wedding shower, over 25 years ago, my mom did something unique. When she mailed out the invitations, she included a blank recipe card. The idea was for each girl to come to the shower and, in addition…

Tool Box Cleanout Challenge

One thing about living in a small house is that it’s important for everything to be as organized as possible. Having piles of stuff lying around is a luxury afforded to those with palatial places. Not me! If I’m not organized, I can’t finds stuff. And if I can’t find something, I may as well…

Best Ever Watermelon Cutting Board

Watermelon is one of the best things about summer. It’s second only to, when my kids were in school, not having to worry about lunches, homework and clean uniforms. We typically go through 2-3 watermelons per week. It gets so bad sometimes that I have to worry about the trash being so heavy because of…