No-bakes

I can't remember if I've shared this recipe on the blog before or not. Even so, I've changed the ingredients a bit. I made no-bakes on Sunday afternoons A LOT growing up. They also call them preacher cookies. I believe the story was if you saw the preacher coming up "the hill" and you didn't have any home goodness baked to offer him, you could whip these up and they'd be ready before he got to your house. Sound legit to me :) I like them because I like chocolate, I like sweet stuff, I like oats, enough said. 

Here is the original recipe


1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
4 T cocoa
Melt those together bringing to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Also, set out the next 3 ingredients along with a piece of wax or parchment paper because you will need to work quickly.

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 t vanilla
3-3 1/2 cups oatmeal

Mix into the boiled mixture. Drop the cookies onto the paper and let cool. The easiest way I've found to do this is 2 teaspoons. As they are cooling make sure you lick the spoons you used and wash the dishes. It's easier clean-up that way.

Since my son can't have dairy right now, I substituted Earth Balance soy free butter and unsweetened almond milk.

  

Easter 2013

 I'm sitting in my little house, my son has been asleep on the floor for a while now, my peach is in her swing, my husband and I are on the couch watching the last episode on History channel "The Bible". I was blessed all day as we celebrated the Risen Savior - potluck breakfast at church, worshiped with our brothers/sisters in Christ and broke bread with family. The series "The Bible" has put a visual of what living during the events recorded in the Bible would have been like - the miracles, the persecution, Christ dying on the cross for our sins. Any sin, your sin, my sin - in God's eyes there is no weight (murder, stealing, lying). One day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess the He is Lord! You have a choice - Choose HIM!

And  now for a few pictures from the day :)

My littlest 2 sweets (big sister is on vacation)

Our simple centerpiece

Instead of names on the drinks -I put phrases on them

Egg hunt just as the rain was coming in

My boy

I find stuff like this all the time around my house. He puts tools {everywhere}. In my little church, in the baking cabinet, in his baby sisters bed. He loves fixing things for his Mama and it makes my ♥ melt.

In the works {Pieces of Patsy}

My mom will be gone 13 years this April. I still remember her sewing shop - It was the store front of a building her friend owned in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. There was a clogging studio in the back that her friend taught out of. Ever see the cloggers at Dolly Wood?!? Years ago that is where they would practice.  I used to play in the store window people watching, or talking to all the cloggers who came in and out while I listened to the hum of my moms machine. We moved and she gave up having her own shop when buying clothes were cheaper than having them made. I never learned how to sew from her and I still regret it. BUT when she passed away I proudly kept her Kenmore machine. I learned to sew on it and was ever so blessed to have a mother-in-law who is...you guessed it, a wonderful {seamstress} to help me when I couldn't figure things out. God sure gave me the cake and icing on that one :) My mother-in-law bought me a new machine a couple of months ago - SEW surprised and SEW excited!

Now that I have a machine I can depend on, I'm opening up my own shop. It may not have a store front window for my kids to people watch out of but I'll love it just the same :) I'm sewing items to stock my selves and will hopefully have it up and running within a week or two. 

The name Pieces of Patsy is to honor my mother as her nickname growing up was Patsy. Hopefully this little venture will bless my family with a little extra income as it did for our family growing up.

Here is my daughter in the first items made. Isn't she a sweet little thing?!?

A little fun with {Bin}

Gunnar can't say Quinn,  when he tries it comes out Bin {hence the title} 

We had such nice bright light today that I snapped some photos of Miss Quinn Ellen - while I was supposed to be folding laundry - oops! There were some surprise guests that made an appearance. Oh how I love these babes...

From earlier in the day

This moment in time

So busy lately

This sweet little thing made her appearance

We celebrated the birth of Jesus

Did some family baking 

and...you get the idea.

Time is going by way too fast and I am trying to soak up every minute. I snap photos all the time, some get posted to facebook, the rest sit in my computer. Projects are getting done but more are being added to the list because playing with my little man or nursing a baby is far more important. Even though I stay at home, I always feel {busy}. Hopefully I will be setting a schedule guide and can start sticking to it by February. The house runs so much smoother with a routine :) Blogging will be given a  "time slot" simply because I enjoy it and want to have these memories written down  typed out to look back on.

Flower Wreath

My son and daughter will be sharing a room once she arrives. I didn't really have a decorated nursery for my son - just a few classic winnie-the-pooh items from Haily's room (now 13yrs old) when she was a baby and a few prints that my sister-in-law sent to me from her son's room. It's simple and gender neutral BUT I wanted to put something a little girly above her crib...I just like girly things :) I found a shelf at salvo for 2 bucks that just needed a coat of off white paint. I also made a wreath to put below the shelf. I have the same sort of set up above my sons toddler bed so it will be a nice balance and will define their "own" space.

I started off my spray painting the $1 grapevine wreath that I found in the front bins at Target. What? You've never browsed that section? You must check it out. I've found many inexpensive gifts and craft projects there :) I did it right on our grass outside because it will soon be blanketed with snow.

Then I made a couple of fabric flowers from my scrap pile. I just sewed a basting stitch, gathered them, used hot glue to secure them as I rolled them up. Because this was flannel fabric it frayed pretty easily. Just pull at the edge and cut off the extra strings. Add a dollop of hot glue and start adding to the wreath. I can't wait to see everything completed and over her crib.

This is what it looks like before pulling the strings. I liked this but decided I liked the messy way better

Add a big dollop of hot glue

Start adding them to the wreath