Our Week At A Glance

Welcome to our week at a glance....where Sarah, Mom, and I will share about some of the activities we have been accomplishing at home.

Mr. Puffenbarger from Southernmost Maple Camp asked me to make a special batch of maple soap, using his maple syrup, to sell at the upcoming Highland Maple Festival in March, so I got right to it! Two additional scents of soap have been poured into my molds this week, ready for spring sales. I also delivered an order of soap to a local gift shop.

Another large project that has been in the works is several matting and framing jobs. A friend asked me to custom frame two rooster art prints for her, so while I have all my materials out, I am also gradually completing 12 cross-stitched pieces that have needed to see the light of day.

These stitched pictures were done by either Sarah, Mom, or me within the last...ahem, 10 years. This winter is a great time for me to dig them out and get them to the point where they can actually hang on the wall. We spent time choosing the right color mats, and I measured and cut out the mats and the necessary foamcore. I will be stretching the fabric around the foamcore to ready it for framing. Right now everything is all spread out on Granny's bed--thanks, Granny! :)

Below is one of the almost finished framed rooster pictures. Jonathan and Dad came to my assistance with the final hanging hardware. I'm so happy these are now ready to deliver!

Mom read about a moisturizing eye cream made with just coconut oil and vitamin E; she mentioned the idea to me, so I whipped some up for her while supper was coming together one night. So simple!

And the meal we were making was Peppery Chicken, which we had prepared ahead of time and frozen back in December. It just needed cooking up on the stovetop, and we served it in lettuce-lined homemade pita pockets, pictured below. I made some extra pitas as my weekly trade in exchange for fresh eggs.

~Hannah

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This week, besides some various cleaning projects, I have been in the middle of menu planning. Hannah and I will each be taking a week to plan, shop, and make all the supper meals. My assignment is next week, so it's been fun coming up with my menu. I always like to keep my meals secret, so I won't go into what I'm planning yet. :)

I can say that I did some bartering as well - I made a big pan of homemade brownies in exchange for a chicken that may just turn up on the supper table. Maybe there will be some posts next week about how everything turns out!

~Sarah

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Oh, my! I turned around and blinked, and a whole week has passed!

It's been a busy week as I've waited for the heat pump repairman! He arrived three different days to change out the motor, and change it out again; but this afternoon we finally have heat upstairs!

I've also been planning my trip to the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival in Hampton--taking place just two weeks from now! Emails have been flying back and forth with friends in Williamsburg trying to set up lunch and dinner get-togethers as I pass through that area the first day.

My friend Chris, who invited me to come, has been planning out our activities while I'm there. After the Quilt Festival, we may take a day to have a Girls' Sew-In or visit some quilt shops? Or both? I think these are going to be some fun play dates, and I can hardly wait!

I've also been at the sewing machine finishing my Saturday Sampler Block of the Month. Since the bed is still in the living room...ahem...I decided to make good use of it and put all eleven blocks inside the bed for a photo:

The pinkish block in the left row, third one down, is the latest block I sewed this week. Our final BOM class is this Saturday...so when I finish the last block, it will go in that empty 12th spot you see. I finished another sewing project also....and I'll post about that later. With Sarah doing all the cooking next week, I'll have plenty of time to put some Valentine letters in the mail!

So that's what we've been doing instead of blogging! What can you check off your list this week?

~Deb

Comments

[Stephanie in MI]

How much fun. You guys are busy! Have a restful weekend!

[Bobbi H]

You are all some of the busiest people that I know. You put me to shame! Hannah, you mentioned the Highland Maple Syrup Festival, I just got off of the phone with my Aunt Catherine that lives in Staunton and they also have a house in Highland County. Today is her 84th birthday. Anyway, they have been making maple syrup too. They are not part of the festival but they do sell the maple syrup. I've helped them make it and it should cost about $100 a gallon because it takes a lot of work!!! Thanks for posting!

Blessings,
Bobbi

[Rose]

The maple syrup soap sounds awesome and I love the gentleman's name too!

Is the eye cream a recipe you can share or is it subject to copyright?

Hannah, you and Tony would have a great time discussing framing!

[Elizabeth Johnson]

Very interested in the results of the eye cream! If you don't mind send me the recipe!

[Brenda Nuland]

Love those quilt blocks and I'm looking forward to seeing more of your week at a glance.

I SO enjoy, being a visual person, SEEING what people are doing... am I just nosy? Hehehe...

[Dorothy Horton]

Wow! I'm exhausted after reading all you ladies have been up to! The maple soap will have to be tested at my house soon. :) Oh, to have someone to plan dinners and cook at my house...what a joy that would be! I really do not like cooking these days. Sigh. Sewing is on my radar & I hope to start working on a table runner soon. Your squares are lovely. Framing is such a wonderful skill to have! And eye cream?! Is that going to be available through Hannah's store? This week has me caring for my daughter who had her tonsils out on Friday. Poor girl is in extreme pain & we will both be glad when the 2 week recovery period has passed. It would be wonderful if my husband and I could make it to the maple festival this year! Thanks for the updates! Love to all!

[Nic]

Busy week for you all.
That maple syrup soap sounds divine. Any chance you can sell some to people who are too far away to attend the maple festival? Hint, hint :). I think you could prob fit a good amount of soap in the flat rate envelopes :)
I've been eyeing up some of your others too.

Mmm, brownies. I have a great recipe for an egg-free brownie if you'd like. Perfect to have on hand for when you need a brownie fix but need the eggs for something else. Let me know if you'd like the recipe.

Lovely blocks. Have you decided how you're going to finish them? Sashing colours, setting, borders? Enquiring minds and all that :)

[Hannah]

Thanks for your comments, everyone.

To all interested in the coconut oil eye cream, here is how I made it:

2 ingredients melted together in a pyrex measuring cup over hot water:

Coconut oil (I order mine online from Wilderness Family Naturals or Tropical Traditions, but you can also buy inexpensive coconut oils at the grocery store on the baking aisle)

Vitamin E (You can use a few vitamin E capsules squeezed; I used vit E oil from Brambleberry.com which I normally use in my balms)

I'm not sure of the proportions. Maybe 10:1? I poured the melted oil into 3 small containers as the photo shows, and stuck in the refrigerator to harden. (Coconut oil becomes solid at below 76 degrees.)

So this is not really a cream, but solidified coconut oil enhanced with extra vitamin E. I also added a tiny bit of apricot kernal oil to ensure the coconut would not be too hard, and Mom said the "cream" melted on contact with her fingers when applying.

hat tip to original source, via Pinterest:

http://ramblingsofahappyhomemaker.blogspot.com/2011/11/skin-care-series-eye-cream.html">http://ramblingsofahappyhomemaker.blogspot.com/2011/11/skin-care-series-eye-cream.html">http://ramblingsofahappyhomemaker.blogspot.com/2011/11/skin-care-series-eye-cream.html

[Lisa Spivey]

I seem to be a little late here....
...but wanted to say those soaps look yummy enough to eat... like a sort of fudge goodie. Would love to see the cross-stitched pieces when you're finished framing them.
... and 'secret' menu plans sounds like a great idea to me! What fun!
.... and somehow I missed the back bed post too.... but what a beautiful keepsake for Sarah from her Dad. Love the colors of your blocks they are coming together beautifully. Sounds like an exciting trip you've got planned!
What a fun post!

[brenda perdue]

Thank you Hannah for your imput on the soaps,I really appreciated it.