Help for polls

ok, for those of you who are passing along the word about my gift certificate, here is a pic to go along, if you would like!! It is a CW shawl, but you can at least see what I do somewhat.... lol

Thanks! Sarah

Voting polls

Friends, Please pass the word about any of our voting polls, particularily the gift certificate one! I will only do the give away if I get enough votes, so pass the word!!

For those of you who are unsure, I do some Civil war knittig (shawls, sontags, etc) but can also do some modern knitting as well (I also do crochet, if you prefer that!).  I might even do something where the winner will send me a pattern they like, and I will make it. Please include this little message in your post so that your friends will know!

Thanks so much!

Sarah

Fun pictures

While browsing through our pictures on the computer, I ran across a few cute ones that I wanted to share.. Becca probabaly took most of them! lol Enjoy! Also, these were taken a few years ago.. for those of you who know both my cousin and Josh, you will be shocked at how short he was in the below pictures! lol

Three tough cowboys

The Herd

This pose was an accident! lol

My Filly who is now almost as big as her momma!

Grand ending

He never knew what hit him..

What is that?

Aren't those some good lookin' kids? lol

Father and Son

Random.. Actually, I was trying to take a pic of my hair, but you can't see it because my hair is too dark! lol

I have to take credit for this one! A cool cloud formation.. ;-)

Flowers

Pouring a cup of tea with breakfast (I love having tea with breakfast!)

Me playing fiddle at the Edgewood farmers market for my friends:

Our weird cousin... lol!

Hairstyle I did on my cousin (can you see the little braids?)

Bet ya didn't know we were so talented that we could fly!!

Back flip!

Oops, crash landin'

Me several years ago....

My citified cousin who has the calf... lol!

My handsome country brother =D

Workin' and diggin'.. see the dirt flying off the shovel?

And I will close and finally publish this post.. pretty flowers in the dry desert...

Hope you enjoyed our random pictures!  Had fun posting them.... lol!

In Christ Alone,

Sarah

The Quilt

I found this over at Raquel's lovely blog, God's Daughter.  She allowed me to share this... Please go visit her blog and leave a comment to let her know how you found her!

"As I faced my Maker at the last judgment, I knelt before the Lord along with all the other souls.



Before each of us laid our lives, like the squares of a quilt in many piles. An angel sat before each of us, sewing our quilt squares together into a tapestry that is our life.

But as my angel took each piece of cloth off the pile, I noticed how ragged and empty each of my squares was. They were filled with giant holes. Each square was labeled with a part of my life that had been difficult, the challenges and temptations I was faced with in every day life. I saw hardships that I endured, which were the largest holes of all.


I glanced around me. Nobody else had such squares. Other than a tiny hole here and there, the other tapestries were filled with rich color and the bright hues of worldly fortune. I gazed upon my own life and was disheartened.

My angel was sewing the ragged pieces of cloth together, threadbare and empty, like binding air.


Finally the time came when each life was to be displayed, held up to the light, the scrutiny of truth. The others rose; each in turn, holding up their tapestries. So filled their lives had been. My angel looked upon me and nodded for me to rise.


My gaze dropped to the ground in shame. I hadn't had all the earthly fortunes. I had love in my life and laughter. But there had also been trials of illness and wealth, and false accusations that took from me my world, as I knew it. I had to start over many times. I often struggled with the temptation to quit, only to somehow muster the strength to pick up and begin again. I spent many nights on my knees in prayer, asking for help and guidance in my life.. I had often been held up to ridicule, which I endured painfully, each time offering it up to the Father in hopes that I would not melt within my skin beneath the judgmental gaze of those who unfairly judged me.


And now, I had to face the truth.. My life was what it was, and I had to accept it for what it was.


I rose and slowly lifted the combined squares of my life to the light.

An awe-filled gasp filled the air. I gazed around at the others who stared at me with wide eyes.


Then, I looked upon the tapestry before me. Light flooded the many holes, creating an image, the face of Christ. Then our Lord stood before me, with warmth and love in His eyes. He said, 'Every time you gave over your life to Me, it became My life, My hardships, and My struggles. Each point of light in your life is when you stepped aside and let Me shine through, until there was more of Me than there was of you.'


May all our quilts be threadbare and worn, allowing Christ to shine through!


God determines who walks into your life...it's up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay and who you refuse to let go."

God bless you on this wonderful Memorial day.  Remember those who have fought for our freedom and have given their lives, or are still on the lines, or have retired.  If you should see one of those, please take the time to thank them!

In Christ Alone,
Sarah

Article on Beauty

My friend, over at Story of a Seamstress, shared this.  After reading the article, I had to share it too!!  This is what EVERY young woman (and older woman even) need to read.  Even though we might say we are beautiful enough with God, and He is the only One who matters, I think we still tend to think otherwise!!  It is our natural human feelings.  Read THIS and see....

In Christ Alone,
Sarah

Costumes!!

We are finally a little closer to making our movie.  Monday our friends came over to our house and we spent the latter part of the morning and afternoon sewing.. ok, well, we probably giggled and talked more than we sewed, but we did get a lot accomplished!

I had never done this pattern that we were using, so it was slightly confusing -no, not trying to be a poet! lol

  After trying to figure it out, we decided it would be much better to just go and make it up as we went a long.  So, we did and it went just fine.  Two of my friends worked on their own dresses, I worked on my other friend's, and she made my servant's cap!  It went quite well.

The funny thing is that I didn't have all of the right sizes. The smallest I had was a 14, but two of my friends (the younger ones) were smaller than that.  Well, we just had to make do, so I cut all of them out to a 14 and we just kept taking bigger seams until we had it finished and it fitted nicely.

On the dress I was doing for my friend, I had several complications.  First of all, she was WAY smaller than a 14, so taking bigger seams was taking a long time.  Poor thing, I don't know how many times I had to take her back to the "fitting room", as we dubbed it, to check to see if I was getting close to a good fit.

  On our 50th time back there, I said, "I feel like a.... tailor, only what is a girl seamstress called?"

My friend just stared at me and said, "seamstress?" HA!! We home schoolers feel so smart!! lol!!

I am afraid that we must have been rather... tired that day!!  Our second "brain blank" moment was when my friend, Ellie, and I were trying to look at the instructions.  Suddenly she said, "Wait, there are only two pages, but there says there should be 3!"  We frantically started searching and I said, much to my other friend's, Susan, amusement, "What?! How dare they! Why, I am going to sue them and get my dollar back."  She thought it rather funny.. lol!

  After much searching, I finally looked at it again and said, "Oh duh, it is front and back!"  Oh, we both felt so smart again!

The other complication that I had was lack of material... I ended up cutting the skirt too small around the waist on Amy's dress.  So, to remedy it, I simply cut a small panel of this light purple material to put in the back.   Then, after sewing it together into a tube for the skirt, I folded part of the green material over the purple for a dart-like looking seam.  Pictures below for better understanding.  I am afraid I don't have a very good gift for describing things! lol  Any how, it worked out perfectly and turned out rather cute.  I put in the sleeves after they left, and will probably put in the blue dress sleeves.  Binding will probably also get done by me, but for hemming I will need them back again.  So, that is the low down on what we did today.  We are just that much closer to getting our movie done!  Now to practising script for their picky director! ;-) lol

Alright, enough of the talking. :-) Here are a few pictures of the day:

The finished products from left to right: Amy- striped dress that I sewed. Me in my cap that Amy sewed. Ellie in her blue dress that still needs sleeves! Susan in her red dress.   Sleeves have been added on Amy's and Ellie's dresses, and Susan's dress will have a sash around it, so it will be slightly more fitted. :-)  Aren't they all adorable?? Sorry it is a little blurry.  It was taken on a cell phone!  If you look closely into the mirror behind us, you can see Josh taking the photo! lol

Amy's dress with the sleeves (though those need a little working on!)

Back:

Close up of my add-in:

Ok, fun pictures of the day! lol

Susan trying on her sleeve before she stitched it.. I was ignoring her. =P lol!

Our mess on the table.

Stitch, stitch, stitch!

Can you see the lovely burn we did on that cover?

Two lovely ladies working hard on their machines!

Caleb and Amy did some clay things:

These are the candle holders that Amy made:

Notions:

Cutting and Ironing.. what next?

Well, that is all for now!!  I worked on my dress today and got it just about finished.  It turned out pretty nice.  I will post pictures of that later, though. Then, I will also post the actual FINISHED items when they are done!!

See ya again real soon!!

In Christ Alone, Sarah (sorry, my thing won't go off of center font.. ugh!)

Duck!

Our ducks have decided to go ahead and start a family this year.  I chanced upon the male duck guarding the female in her nest.  I kept checking back until they were off to get a bite to eat then went and took a peak at the nest and some pictures.    Hopefully we will have six new baby ducks in a few weeks!!!

Can you see the light grey eggs??

 

Rebecca for the Herd

Lovely fall..

No, this isn't about the season.. it is the real fall. When you lose your balance and topple to the floor.  When you think you are going to make it over that jump, but miss and splat on your face.  Well, my story is slightly different from those, but still considered a fall.

Rebecca and I are over at my grandparents house helping them clean up the place.  A realtor is coming to take pictures to put on a site so they can hopefully sell the place.  It is absolutely beautiful up here! I wish I could buy it.  The only problem is that it is two hours from where we live right now.  2 hours from family, friends, etc.  It is a fun thought, but not one that I am ready to actually put into action.  Not to mention that I don't have enough money for it any how! lol

My Daddy actually helped to build this house.  It has an interesting setup. The doors are the ones that slide into the wall (which is extremely handy sometimes) instead of opening. This is nice because furniture moving isn't too much trouble since the door is never in the way!

The second thing is that the house is raised.  Now, this may not be a weird thing, and it isn't.  However, it is the reason the house is raised that is weird.  The reason is that you have to heat the whole of the under the house in order for it to heat the house.  So, you simply heat up underneath the house, and then the heat will slowly come out of the vents/grates, just like any other house.

So, here is my story, now that I have laid my foundation.  I was helping my Papa move his big, comfy recliner.  As we were moving along, my shoe accidentally caught the vent's edge and pulled the vent off.  Normally this wouldn't have been a problem.  Simply put it back.  However, I didn't know that I had done it.  So, we kept walking.  WOOSH! I stepped in the hole.  Now, remember, this isn't a little vent where the duct is 5 inches down.  No, it goes all the way to the ground (remember how I explained how it was heated?)  So, if you step in that hole, you are going to break a leg.

Thankfully, I didn't break my leg, though I thought I might have!  I fell down, and the recliner fell on top of me.  This may seem bad, but it actually probably saved me from breaking my leg.  When the chair fell on top of me, it forced my back against the fall and prevented me from falling any further down the hole.  Remember this is only one leg down the hole.  Papa pushed the chair off of me and I was able to get up with only a scratch.. a BIG scratch, but that was it.  Praise the Lord!!

So, I am a little sore today.  The funny thing is that the cut leg doesn't hurt too much (unless I strain and pull the skin when moving), but my other leg does.  I think I might have pulled a muscle or something when I fell..  Ever worked your legs really hard?  You know how if you sit down, your upper leg is really stiff and sore?  Well, that is how it feels.  However, I am just thankful I am not in a cast!

Here is a picture:

So, that is our excitment for the week! lol!  (BTW, yes my toe is sticking out of my sock in pic 2... unfortunately I cannot keep my socks unholy... lol!)  We got a lot done, and it looks very nice (not that it didn't before.).  We did a lot of staging (dressing up an decorating) in the house.  We set the dining room table very nicely, and then put some nice little things around the house.  Papa and a man who works for him are repainting the decks and balcony.  It will be very nice for the Friday Photo shoot.

I would also like to ask for prayers on our ranch.  We had some people stop by the other day (when we girls were gone!) to look at the place.  They seemed fairly interested, so please just keep this in your prayers.  Momma was home alone with the boys that day.  They received the call and all scrambled to get the house really picked up.  She said the boys really hopped in and helped.  It was wonderful!  Thank you Josh and Caleb for your diligence and maturity in helping Momma clean the house!! :-) Also, the lady, Jean, that we had been praying for before is finally coming on tomorrow or Sunday. Hurray! So, just keep that in your prayers, thanks!

In Christ Alone,
Sarah who is thankfully NOT with a wooden leg, or a broken one! lol

Modest Fashion show!

Hello Friends!

My friend, Samantha, is hosting a Modest Fashion show for a week. Basically you just dress up in modest skirts, shirts, blouses, etc, and do a post every day about it. She has a McLinky set up so that you can put your blog on her page and others can see what you are doing! It is lots of fun, so go visit her blog by clicking on her name so see the details and rules! I hope all of you will enter. It doesn't begin until June, so we have a little bit of time.
  Please join! It is SO much fun. I did one a while back with a challenge type deal and had a BLAST! It was also very neat to see all the different outfits people hade.
 The cool thing is that she is also doing a prize deal! Go and check it out!

In Christ,
Sarah

Happy Mother's Day

First, I should begin by saying I really don't like Mother's Day.   I believe in celebrating Mother's Day, Father's Day, Children's Day - every day of the year.  Of course, that might come as a surprise to some because it's an excuse to party, and as you know, I am a party person.   I love people.   I love talking.   I love snuggling.   I love filling my home with laughter and bodies and chatty voices, and this is nothing new to all of you who know me.   Since that's not new, neither will this item - I am disorganized.   I have tried to work on this negative trait of mine, and in some ways, I've improved.   Or maybe I should say I've found better ways of hiding and covering up my disorganized nature.   :)

Well, this morning, I was reminded of one of the earlier moments......

When the girls were little, I loved sewing pretty dresses and frilly skirts for them.   There is just something about gathering full skirts for little girls that will twirl and twirl in them that gives me such delight.   Naturally, I felt inclined to sew for Joshua after he was born.   However, boys' clothes just don't seem to thrill me like frilly dresses do, and since I couldn't see John allowing me to dress Joshua in twirly skirts, I figured I better go for something different.   I settled on bright, primary colors with cute animals and tractors and trucks.   These were carefully cut to one day be sewn into adorable shirts and coordinating shorts for my darling son.   That was in the spring of 1996.   The spring of 1998 found my dear friend giving birth to a sweet baby boy.   Later that fall, I discovered those cut out pieces of material in a nice bag just waiting to be stitched.   Because they weren't going to fit Joshua now, I decided I'd sew them for my friend's baby boy.   Ummmm, that seemed like an unlikely event in my life, so I settled on the next best thing.   I gave them to the friend - neatly wrapped in the bag with all the instructions.   I smiled and told her I saved her the time of having to cut them out so that she could get right to stitching them.  

I had just solved my first problem with my disorganized nature.   If I can't finish the project, give it to someone who would.   I was so proud of myself and felt such a weight lifted from my shoulders.   Then, in the summer of 2000, I was blessed with another sweet, baby boy.   In the spring of 2001, my dear friend blessed me with that same bag of cut out material - still unstitched.   She decided to follow my lead and get rid of the unfinished projects in her cabinets, too!!   We both laughed, and I was determined to complete what I should have 5 years earlier.  

In the fall of 2002, we were packing to move to our new home, when I once again discovered that same bag of already cut but never been sewn little boy outfits.   Obviously, my son wasn't going to fit into them again, and since I had no babies on the horizon, I learned another lesson in covering up my disorganized nature - give the items to Goodwill so that it will go to someone who probably will never know me and won't be able to give them back in the same nifty bag.   Yep.   That's just what I did, and I've yet to see the items.  

Now, I'm not proud of my disorganization, and I do battle this in myself.   I also have learned better and more honest ways through the years to deal with this.   I guess I shared this story because as I think about it, I realize that truly one of the reasons I never finished those outfits was because I never made the time.   Instead, I enjoyed snuggling and wrestling and playing and laughing and visiting with the dear angels I've been blessed to call my children for the past 19+ years.   Maybe it's not a good excuse for the lack of time management, but it does remind me of all the fun I've had with these dear children.  

If you're reading this, and you or someone you know purchased a bag of cut out baby boy clothes that were never stitched up - enjoy them just as they are.   The same goes for our children.   Enjoy them just as they are because the Master made them perfectly that way!!

Blessed Day,
Prairie Momma

Blog party failure!

I am afraid that I haven't been very faithful in keeping up with this blog party.. The problem being that our internet hasn't been working, thus no blog. :-(

Today was day five of the party. We are supposed to share a recipe for Summer.. I am going to share two. :-)

These are our favorite "salads" for summer. They are great side dishes for just about any meal, and are just so good!! =D

First up, our favorite Crunchy Coleslaw Salad!

Crunchy Coleslaw


11/2 recipes Dressing:


1 1/2 ¾ cup peanut or sesame oil


2/3 1/3 cup sugar


4 2 flavor packets from the Ramen noodles (chicken or oriental)

2 1 Tblsp. Vinegar (any flavor)


Mix this well and set aside.


Slaw:


1 pound package of cabbage slaw mix (this is great when you’re in a hurry – but I’ve also just chopped up my own cabbage – red and green – to make about a pound)


1 cup nuts toasted (sunflower, almonds, pecans, walnuts, whatever you like)


1 bunch green onions, chopped


2-3 ounce packages chicken or oriental Ramen noodles


2-3 cooked, chopped chicken breasts for a heartier salad (if I do this, I use less cabbage or make 1 ½ recipes of the dressing)


Break up the Ramen noodles and set aside. Mix the cabbage, nuts, onions, chicken (if desired), and dressing together until well coated. This is best when you do it several hours ahead of time and let the flavors soak in. About 10 minutes before serving add the Ramen noodles and stir in well. This salad is great even 2-3 days later, but after that the noodles start wilting (but it’s still yummy!!)


My second recipe is Grape Salad. This one is really easy to make. Just have to remember to get your cream cheese set out for softening a couple hours before (or the night before!)

Grape Salad



4 pounds seedless grapes


1 8-oz. package cream cheese, room temp. softened


1 8-oz. package sour cream


½ cup sugar


1 tsp. vanilla


4 ounces chopped pecans


2 Tblsp. Brown sugar


Wash and dry grapes.


In a large bowl, work cream cheese until smooth then mix in sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Add grapes and mix until evenly incorporated. Sprinkle top with brown sugar and pecans. Refrigerate until serving.


*If doing a larger recipe, layer the grape salad, brown sugar and pecans and repeat.

So, there you go! Enjoy some yummy, fresh, and fun salads this Summer!

In Christ Alone,
Sarah

The cleaning of the Fridge!!

Hello friends!


  Tuesday.. ah, that wonderful day of “day after first day of school” where everything starts to fall into schedule, and everything works out just fine. Well, we ended up milking for some friends of ours while they were away. This isn’t a problem, except for the fact that the ladies (us) of the house were away the night before having a girl date with a friend! They didn’t get back until WAY after curfew.. however, they were able to roll out of bed, go the friend’s house and milk the cow. Very uneventful. :-) That is a good thing, when milking! Lol Then we got back home, had breakfast, and went about our day. We did school, ate lunch, etc. Mom and the boys then headed out to feed and check cows. While they were gone, Rebecca and I were given the task of cleaning the fridges… big groan. Yes, I know…

  We have been rather busy (although, that really isn’t a very good excuse) and our refrigerators have sadly gone overboard.. they needed SOS cleaning. (seriousested of serious). Becca cleaned out the kitchen fridge, while I tackled the porch fridge..

  Oh, what a mess!!! Things got spilled, then sat and sealed, and oh what a terrible task. I cleaned and I pried, I scrubbed and I cried, but it just still wouldn’t work. Finally, after much sitting and scratching, thinking and thunking, I decided to give it a try. I whipped out the stick, gave it a kick, and went back to work all over again. After repeating the above said, I finally tackled that foe. He groaned as he fell, while I gave a triumphant yell, and finally finished that task.

  As I sat back and reviewed, with a satisfied air, the shining fridge before me, I gave a loud “phew” for I was finally through with that horribly, sticky, mess.

  Then a thought came to mind, as I surveyed of my kind. What are our hearts like, when we get in a bind? We tend to forget that one certain Foe, is still lurking behind, waiting to hit us over the head! And yet… when we seem to get down, we often times drown, in this awful, formidable thought. We can’t seem to see what God wants us to be, when we are down in the mire, acting all hay wire! How can He work, if we act like the stork, placidly standing in mud? We must change that now! So, go take a bow and ask God to clean out your heart! If you let it go long, it will be a haul that is strong! You will wish it wasn’t so, leaving while you go, to a darker and murkier place. So, cheer up my friend! Take Jesus’ hand, and let Him help you up out of the muck. Then thank Him and remember to take a few benders and ask Him to clean out your heart.

  Ok, maybe I should keep my day job. However, what I was trying to get across is this. When we become Christians, we ask God to forgive us and clean out our hearts. This is like buying a spanking brand new fridge. You start filling it up with your food and such. It works real well! But, after weeks of the food sitting and rotting, your fridge doesn’t look so great any more. Now you have to clean it out, wipe it down and make it look nice again. This is what I have to do! I need to constantly go and ask God to forgive me of any sins I might have committed that day/week/month. I can’t “not” ask. That would be the same as just leaving the food in the fridge for months and months.. Think of how awful it would be!!

  Then, as I bent over the trash to tie up the bag, a terrible fume came to my nose. This brought to mind the saying from “facing the Giants”.

  “If your attitude stinks, your hearts not right.” If our refrigerators stink, it is probably because we need to clean them. So, if our hearts are not clean and pure, we need to clean them. I know I am the worst of you all, but I thought I would share the thought that came into my head while cleaning out the fridge! So, if I look like my mind is blank, and I am thinking of nothing, forget it! I am probably trying to come up with some little poetry to go with the rhythm of the scrubbing! Lol


In Christ Alone,
Sarah

Blog party!

Megan is hosting a neat blog party. If you enter, you could win some prizes!! So, click on her name to visit her blog to read more about it.

The first thing is to do a little quiz, so here goes again! :-) =D

How old are you wand when is your birthday: I am 16, almost 17, and my birthday is in July (can't say th exact date...)

What's your favorite color: Ooh, I like bright fun colors, but I also like the soft pretty, feminine colors as well, so anything that fits in those two categories. ;-) lol

Do you have any pets: Well, tons of cattle, but those don't count as pets.. so, horses, dogs, cats, chickens, ducks, guineas.
Do you have any siblings: I have one wonderful sister, and 2 handsome and wonderful brothers.. my sister is beautiful too!!

What's your favorite food: Mm, enchiladas, burritoes, hamburgers.. oh, Hamburgers with grilled pineapple.

What's your favorite book: Mm, probably The count of Monte Christo, or Christ Comission.

What's your favorite Movie/TV show: Mm... don't know


What are your hobbies: Well, I love sewing, crafting, making cards, coming up with little creative things, and baking!!

Ok friends, go check out Megans blog.. hope you join in on the fun!

In Christ Alone,
Sarah

Here it comes!!

Hello friends!

I am very excited to say that you will soon be seeing some pictures of the movie we are making with some friends of ours.
  It all started on fine, stormy, Sunday afternoon. We were spending the day with these friends and on a whim, decided to make a movie with them. So, we scrambled into costumes, came up with a basic storyline, and headed to their little play cottage to film. (ok, to be honest, our family had been planning this for a day or so before.. however, info didn't get passed on to the other family, so for them it was quite a surprise.) Any how, we started filming. It was rather fun, even if the acting wasn't so good, the script, well, not so good, and the filiming.. interesting. However, it was fun. There wasn't much of a moral to the story as we didn't have time for our characters to develop, but we had good intentions. Our film production agency is called P M&M productions inc. Why? Well, we were eating Peanut M&Ms before filming, and decided to call it that. No fun story behind it, for sure, but still.. fun! ;-) lol
 
So, the movie we are making is set during the Regency era (Jane Austen, Pride and Predjudice). Our costumes will probably not be historically accurate, except for the general pattern, and our lifestyle might be slightly interesting in a modern setting. However, we plan to have fun with it. We planned, plotted, and thunked.. sorry, thought. Finally came up with the story line, then they set me to work on getting the script. I am director, film director (or whatever you call the person filming), editor, make up artist, and part time actress. My brother Joshua is actor, assistant film director (for the parts where I have to be in the movie), and assistant editor.
  Caleb, my other brother, is actor. ;-)

For our friends, who are 3 girls, we have big roles. Not only are they main characters, but I gave them lots of work to do too!

Ellie (partially real name, but also movie name) is another film assistant. She will be helping me come up with camera shots, etc. She is also actress and make up artist.

Susan (not her real name, but movie name) will be researcher and actress. She has a lot of work to do, especially when I email her ten times a day asking her what research she got done. Poor thing.. well, I warned them I would be mean! ;-) lol

Amy (again not the real name) has several jobs. She is helping me gather fabric for costumes (this is coming from low income, or no income, parties who must use what they can get). She will also be making some props (whenever I come up with what she has to make) and will be what I call the 'runner-round'. In between sets, she will 'run' around and check to make sure no one needs any touch ups. Their hair should be straight, make up still on, costumes still neat, etc. So, for being the youngest girl, she will have a lot to do!

Round of applause for the people who will be helping!! Now, to make donations, simple mail to.. we're just kidding. ;-) lol =D

So, we will try to keep you posted on how the movie goes. This is a one day project, so I will have a "fun" time trying to get all the daylight scenes in before it gets dark! ;-) Thankfully we have the longer summer daylight hours. However, movie making takes quite a lot of time. Especially since it is girls doing the hair (I am sure the boys will agree that girls take forever to do their hair.. hey, that is life. So, you can expect it to take even longer when doing a movie! ;-) ) lol

I hope you will see some pictures on here.. oh dear, I forgot to list my dear sister! How silly of me.. She will be taking the pictures, probably help film in some parts, and will also act. She will to a awesome job of it, I know.

So, with that, I bid you good night!

In Christ Alone,
Your film director,
Sarah =D

Blog Award!!

This is my first award ever and I am really excited!

The award is the "Pure in Heart" award. This award is given to girls whose blogs are pure, lovely, and Godly! Samantha and Addie tagged me, so here goes.

If you have been tagged, here's what to do:




A) Post about your tag!



B) Pick ten bloggers who deserve the PURE IN HEART award



C) Leave a comment on the ten people's blogs letting them know you tagged them! ( you may tag whoever you want, even the person who tagged you, if you like)



D) Answer these questions and put them up in a blog post:



1: Apples, Oranges or Bananas?
All of them. Especially in summer!!! Oranges are best, though....



2: How many siblings do you have? 3


3: How old are you? 16-almost 17



4: Do you live on a prairie, woodland, swamp, city or other?
I live out in the middle of no-where. It is very peaceful out here. The birds sing in the tree outside my window every morning (that is the BEST alarm clock), the cows graze in the pastures, and the flowers bloom in the summer time. It is perfect! Ok, well, not perfect... right now the wind is blowing 200 miles per hour.. (ok, I am exaggerating.. not a lot, just a little... ;-) lol).



5: Scissors or glue?
Ooh, I don't know! Scissors are essential to sewing, so I guess scissors!

6: describe your dream house.

A nice little cottage or farmhouse. White siding with black trim. A raised wooden porch (that is the thing for me. I love sitting on the steps sipping tea or lemonade while visiting with family and friends. There is nothing like it!) Then there would be a nice red barn, picket fences, and lots of flowers!


7: Is your room clean?
Actually, it really is. Just cleaned it again yesterday and am keeping it clean since we are selling the house.


8: If you could be a movie character for a day, who would you be?
Hmm, Lizzy Bennet from Pride and Predjudice, Jo from Little Women, and I know I had another one, but I can't remember it.. oh well, I guess you are only supposed to have one answer any way.. =D


9: Italy, Greece, France, Spain or England?
England, France, Italy.



10: What denomination are you?
I am a young lady who has been saved from eternal damnation by the LIVING Son of God who died on a cross for me. I have been saved because I have given my life to Him by accepting Him as my only Saviour. The only One who can save me.



11: Do you sleep with a stuffed toy (BE HONEST!!!!)
When I was little....



12: Gum, chocolate, or jelly beans?
Chocolate, then gum afterwards. =D


13: What is your favorite book?
I don't have only one favorite.. so, here goes. Witch from blackbird pond (not what it sounds like.. Puritans were calling a Christian a Witch), The North Wood adventures, A woman named Damaris, Drums of Change, the Love comes sofly series, Before you meet Prince Charming, Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends.
14: Favorite ice cream flavour?
Ooh, I don't know. Mint choc. chip, candy flavors (butterfinger, reeses), Bunny, moose, and otter tracks (real flavors), or else good ol' vanilla with homemade fudge sauce, pecans, and toasted coconut! Samantha, I haven't ever tried it with unsweetened cocoa powder. Sounds good! We always put Nestle's chocolate milk powder on ours... course, that was only every once in a while!


15: If you had to eat one type of food for two weeks, what would that food be?
Hmm, Fruit Salad, or green Salad


16: What is your favorite Olympic sport?
Figure skating, gymnastics



17: If you woke up and discovered that you had turned into Miley Cyrus for the day, what would you do?
Never wake up that morning. I don't care for her much. I feel sorry, really. When the younger people get glamorized like that at such a young age, they forget their goals. I think she meant well when she first began, but she hasn't succeeded.

18: Describe yourself in three words.
Um... Silly, funny, friendly??


19: What chore do you positively hate?
Loading the dishwasher. I would prefer to wash by hand, thank you!


20: If elmo cam into your room with a gun, what would you do?
I wouldn't be too scared. See, and I hate to break this to ya, Elmo is a little stuffed animal on sticks... so, I don't think he would do much good! And second, if he really did that, I would (have to steal this Samantha!) Tickle him!!


That was fun! Now I will nominate the following young ladies for the award:

Mrs. Poff(if she would like to participate)

Marissa and Caity

Atlanta

Frannie

Shana

Rachel

Courtney

Scribe (if he would like to participate.. I know he is a boy, but his blog is definitely 'lovely', pure, and Godly!)

Amanda and Ashley

And My dear friend Ellie!! She doesn't have a blog, but if she did she would definitely deserve it. So, she can just send me an email with her answers, and I will post them on here, if she would like... or, she can just tuck this away until she possibly gets a blog of her own. :-)

Ok, so I am also going to share a recipe.

Ok, tea at our house is quite a big thing. Momma loves to have her afternoon tea EVERY day. It doesn't matter how hot or cold it is, she has it. I will drink it occasionally, when it isn't too warm outside, or we have been working hard! I love drinking it in the winter, though, all the time too! So, since it is fun to 'dress' up (we kids used to a lot.. the boys would be "Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingly" from Pride and Predjudice and we girls would just be ladies.. sometimes characters, sometimes not), fix fancy things, etc, we will do something "fun" with out tea. Normally the call rings through the house "Water is hot!" and everyone can come and get tea if they so wish. However, on some occasions, Becca and I will make scones, clotted cream, curd, etc, to dress up the little table. We will get out our real tea cups -we normally use mugs- table clothes, cloth napkins, etc. It is lots of fun.
   So, the recipes I will share today are Scones, clotted cream, yummy cream cheese spread, and curd. This is for a recipe thing for easy, yummy, and healthy recipes. Well, the scones are pretty healthy since we use whole wheat, and the cream is good. It is a dairy product! ;-) lol. Now, the other two I can't really say are healthy, but the are yummy and fairly easy to make!

Afternoon Tea Scones



3 3/4 C strong flour or bread flour


3/4 C sugar


2 tsp salt


2 T baking powder


1 and 1/4 sticks unsalted butter


3/4 C cream


3/4 C milk


1 and 1/4 C Sultana raisins


About 1/2 C milk for glazing


Directions:


1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.


2. In a medium bowl mix together dry ingredients.


3. Cut in butter and mix until the mixture resembles fine bread-crumbs.


4. Gradually add cream and milk and mix until a thick dough is formed.


5. Add the Sultanas and allow dough to rest for 15 minutes, covered loosely with a cotton cloth.


6. Turn out dough onto a floured board and knead lightly.


7. Roll out to 3/4 inch thickness and cut into rounds with a 2" biscuit cutter.


8. Gather the trimmings and lightly knead, roll and cut them as well.


9. On a lightly greased baking tray place the rounds about 1 inch apart. Brush the tops with a little milk to glaze.


10. Bake in oven for 10 to 15 minutes until golden. Transfer to rack to cool. Serve warm with jam and clotted cream. Makes 2 dozen small scones.


From Regis Beauregard, Pastry Chef The Palm Court Restaurant at The Ritz Hotel, London.


*I have changed the sugar from ½ to ¾ as it wasn’t sweet enough for us. 




This Clotted cream is SO easy!!

Clotted Cream


1 C heavy whipping cream


1/3 C sour cream


1 T powdered sugar


Directions:


1. Let both the whipping cream and sour cream sit out until at room temperature.


2. To a bowl add the whipping cream. Beat until soft peaks form.


3. Add the remaining ingredients and beat until the mixture is very thick.


4. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.




Yummy Cream Cheese Spread


8 oz. Softened cream cheese


½ cup butter, softened


¾ cups brown sugar, packed


1 teaspoon of vanilla extract


1 cup of mini chocolate chips (or more)


Cream together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add brown sugar and vanilla. Mix until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and put in fridge for at least 1 hour or until set. Serve with graham crackers or a LIGHTLY sweetened shortbread cookie.


Optional: Dump mixture onto piece of saran wrap and shape into a ball. Put in fridge for about 1 hour or until set. Take out right before serving and roll in ¾ cup chopped pecans. Serve with graham crackers or LIGHTLY sweetened shortbread cookies.


Ok, this curd recipe is fairly easy. It probably isn't "healthy", but it is yummy! However, I had to share this so that you can have a complete tea. :-) =D
  The best thing about this is that it freezes really well.

Lemon Curd

Ingredients


3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature


1 cup sugar


2 large eggs


2 large egg yolks


2/3 cup fresh lemon juice


1 tsp. grated lemon zest


How to make


In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer, about 2 min. slowly add the eggs and yolks. Beat for 1 min. Mix in the lemon juice. The mixture will look curdled, but it will smooth out as it cooks.






In a medium, heavy-based saucepan, cook the mixture over low heat until it looks smooth. (The curdled appearance disappears as the butter in the mixture melts.) Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 15 min. It should leave a path on the back of a spoon and will read 170°F on a thermometer. Don't let the mixture boil.






Remove the curd from the heat; stir in the lemon zest. Transfer the curd to a bowl. Press plastic wrap on the surface of the lemon curd to keep a skin from forming and chill the curd in the refrigerator. The curd will thicken further as it cools. Covered tightly, it will keep in the refrigerator for a week and in the freezer for 2 months.


A variation is to use limes instead of lemons to get lime curd. 
I was only supposed to post 1 recipe, but I had to post more! It is way too fun.... any way, I hope you can have a nice tea some time. Even if you don't have fancy cups, napkins, or tablecloths, a plain ol' mug and wood table works just as well. Besides, it is the memories that you create with family and friends that matter most. So, invite your girl friends (even boys sometimes enjoy it!) over for a nice cup 'o tea. :-)
 
In Christ Alone,
Sarah