GROUP DEALS GIVEAWAYS A NIKON D1300 DLSR

a Rafflecopter giveaway Check out this awsome give away!!! Don't you wish you could win this camera, one of the reasons I havn't been blogging is that my pictures are never that great, and I have a hard time accessing them on my laptop... So here goes a chance to share an opportunity to win :) Have fun! The Keeper

Well School's out! and we've been busy, Looks like I might have the opportunity to sell some of my cottages at a store in Strasburg, Pa. The one above will be Honeysuckle Cottage :)



Look real hinges!!!



I always need some good advice! We decided to Modpodge some scrapbook wallpaper onto our house before putting it together! Did you ever look at the dollhouse wallpaper at the craft store? Leaves much to be desired! Sooo just use scrapbook paper, there are so many way better options!



Here are the clamps my Dad bought me for Christmas! Did I mention he also gave me his scroll saw? Thanks for the help Dad :)

Real bark from the woods behind my Parent's home. I was going to use left over dollhouse shingles but Bubby said I needed to keep that woodland look! I totally agree ( Gotta love that 10 yr. old wisdom)



Here it is with moss tucked in the spaces, I love when it begins coming together at this point! Makes me so excited :)



Bad photo but these are the little tea sets and cakes we make out of clay to go with each house. ( So much fun, my kids usually get in on the act at this point)



Had to take a break and go let the fish go in the pond, hopefully these will make it (we've already managed to kill 6!!!) But at least we kept them from being turtle food...



Here she is completely furnished! ( I wish I had logged my hours on this one... feels like it took forever!)



Here's the bedroom, cradle and all!



Living room with Mom and Pop chairs and red tea set for relaxing  in front of the fire :) Each chair takes 50 min. to make!!! and that didn't include cutting out the pieces...



No cottage is complete without a fireplace.



This house had to have a summer kitchen, and a yummy cake!




 

Here she is complete ( you'll never know just how good it feels to say that!



Side door of the summer kitchen

Home sweet home! For a little Mouse family
( I make all my houses to fit the Calico Critters my Bestie plays with)

I hope you are enjoying your summer as much as we are here... remember to have fun and make memories with those kiddos before they grow up!!!

The Keeper

It's Good to Relax

Time is the woods always makes me feel better :) And that's just what we did over the holidays. I'm glad since it's freezing now and I most definitely am turning into a sissy the older I get!

Today was a day I would rather not repeat... you know one of those when you get nothing "important" done and you keep apologizing to the kids for saying everything with the wrong attitude! So I thought I'd just sit here and do something that makes me feel better. Don't they say confession is good for the soul? Hopefully mine will wake with a better attitude in the morning! Maybe I should head back up to the woods!

Here it Comes...

 I've so enjoyed our time off, from school and the normal "routine" of life. I've even had the most wonderful two days with absolutely no depressed thoughts, I've even found myself goofing off with my kids!!!
 So why this morning am I feeling crunched again? School starts again Monday (or Tuesday...) and I'm coming under the pressure once again. I've tried to evaluate why yesterday and the day before were so great, 1. I was free to catch up on my crafts. 2. No pressure to hurry and get anything done. 3. I have had plenty of sleep :). 4. I even had devotions the last two mornings. So... why can't I keep things in perspective during the school weeks too? I'm old enough to know better but I let the system get to me. You see I've never wanted to home school like we were "in" school. I want my home to be a place of learning and yes there are times to hit the books but I'm feeling more and more like it's all hard work and no play.
 My New Years resolution to pray and ask God to help me think outside the pressure and be a happy Mummer!!!


Wouldn't you want to enjoy this family too!



A Time to Be Grateful

 I am tempted this Christmas season to be overwhelmed by all the "must get dones". I announced last week (to a chorus of Yipee's) that Friday was our last day of school. But still it seems like life won't slow down, I guess I'm just going to have to make it come to a halt. It will help that I delivered our last baby doll today, went to the final Christmas concert, and Daddy worked his last day :).
 As I read other blogs I'm reminded to take time to slow down go outside and breath in the fresh air, allow myself time to think and be happy in the Lord. It is after all Christmastime!!!
 Today we celebrate Bubby's 10th Birthday! How exciting :) I keep telling my kids no more birthdays but they refuse to listen! Tonight we eat Shrimp and chocolate cake with blue icing! Bub's choice.

 May you too take some time to consider the goodness of the Lord on this 4th day till Christmas. Here are a few things I'm grateful for,

15. violin music (from my 12yr. old)
16. birthday presents at 6am
17. mistletoe
18. putting away the sewing machine!!!
19. snowflakes in the window (fake ones...)
20. new paint on the walls
21. Christmastime
22. David Tolk's Christmas CD (it makes me wish I was a ballerina)

Merry Christmas!
 The Keeper

A New Color in the Living Room



Here is the living room before (my husbands favorite color :) He's so sweet, my turn to pick the color!

Look at all the trim to be painted!

 

I moved the piano myself! With a little help from some cardboard under the wheels... I'm way to impatient! Somebody with the muscles was away hunting! (I still haven't decided what to do about the shelves, they are a necessary evil, must keep the school books handy..)

See those yellow chairs? They are my favorite in the house, and I found them for 10 $ each at a yard sale. This has become our new spot for morning coffee.
So, here's to gray for a nice change, and yes the doors still need painting all 7 of them! But I think it can wait till after Christmas! And then I've some ideas about what to do with the empty walls.



The Christmas Extravaganza ( a little late)

I was so busy getting ready for the Christmas Extravaganza that I didn't blog about it!
Here are some pictures of some of the fun things we made.

Baby dolls


These two are still together, but it's a secret who has them. Shhhhh...


Gotta love anything with Glitter!!! ( I must confess I saw these in a magazine and just had to make some so there I was dragging my kids to Michael's the night before so we could have these beauties at our table, and every little girl loved them :)



My darling helper and our pretty table



Our woodland cottage, it must be Christmas time!



A view inside.



I'm loving these colors! These sets of dish clothes and pot holders didn't sell so now they have become Christmas presents! Only one set left hmmmmm who is it for? I think I already know.

There you have it, the reason I haven't been anywhere near this blog in almost a month! But we had fun and now I'm painting the living room before we put up the Christmas tree.
Happy Thanksgiving!
The Keeper