Sunporch Chat ♥ with Kim of Field of Dreams ♥

Good morning friends!  I'm so glad you stopped by!  Come on in and join Kim and me on the sunporch for a Sunporch Chat.   I just recently "met" Kim of Field of Dreams this past year.  I'm not even sure how I ever first found her blog, but in her, I instantly connected with her faith, her love of family, and I enjoyed her blog posts about life on her farm and stories about her chickens.  She stands firm in her faith and she is very uplifting to me! 

Today we're having lemon cookies, coffee for Kim, and I'm having my morning glass of diet dew.  So grab you some cookies and coffee (or diet dew if you prefer), sit back, and enjoy the visit!  :)

1) How long have you been blogging and what/who gave you the desire to blog?

Thank you for asking me to be here today Tammy, I have been blogging now for three years. My Mom had cancer and she was sick so I thought if I started a blog for her to read each day it would help her get through the day. After she went on to heaven, I had to decide to keep blogging.

 

2) How did you choose the name of your blog and why?

One of the things that my husband and I was talk about when we would come visit and bring the kids and walk the land we called it that our field of dreams. No matter how much we work on it or do to it we still call it our field of dreams.

3) What variety of topics do you post on your blog (examples - home decorating, family, gardening, recipes, adoption, homeschooling, crafting, etc....)

It is funny when it started it was about our garden. As time as gone on it has changed into the garden, family, home schooling and decorating or what I am thinking about.

4) Tell us a little about yourself and your family.

I have been married 32 years to my husband, even though it still feels like we just got married. We have six children and 7 grand children. I still have four young adults living at home and we are looking forward to having a wedding here in September 2013, as well as my son graduating from high school and my daughter graduating from college before her wedding.

5) How would you describe your decorating style?

Oh, well I have always called it realistic decorating. It will never win a house beautiful award, but I want people to feel welcome and feel comfortable to put their feet up and stay awhile. I think it is called country though.

6) What's your favorite color and why?

I think it changes with the seasons, right now I can’t get enough of oranges and reds and yellows. I love red and white in the winter but in the spring I love purple and in the summer lots of yellows.

7) Tell us a few of your favorite things (collections, things that make you happy, etc.).

What makes me happy is knowing that my kids are good, my husband is good and when we all get to sit around the dinner table together. I love my family and I like cooking and I like cleaning house. After I got over that woman’s lib part of my life, my deep down desire was always being a home maker and making a safe place for people to be able to come home to at the end of the day.

8) What do you like to do in your spare time (hobbies, crafts, etc..)?

I sew and I make rugs. I like working with old barn wood and I like to garden and I enjoy chopping weeds. I know that is a weird one but I get a great upper body work out so I like that.

9) What does your dream house look like? (Describe and/or include photo)

My dream house is where I live now. I don’t think I would ever find a house that I would like any better than this one.

10) If you could visit anywhere, anytime, where would it be and why?

I think I would choose right here right now. Watching my children make choices about life, watching the married ones learn to trust God in so many hard circumstances and watching them be parents has been the most rewarding thing ever in my life. This stage now is like the frosting on a cake. I really am so thankful to have got to be a part of it.

11) Would you share with us a favorite homemaking/organizing tip or recipe, etc..?

Well, I have laundry baskets in all of my kids rooms and my room too, instead of a clothes hamper. That way they put the clothes in there when they are dirty and bring them down on laundry day and as I do laundry I fill them back up and then they take them up when laundry is finished. I think that is the best labor saving device I have. Well and making menus each week. Planning my grocery shopping with my menus.

12) Tell us something about yourself that we might not already know from reading your blog. (something unusual, etc..)

I am left handed but because my Mom was left handed and they used to tie her hand behind her back when she was in school, she wouldn’t let me use my left hand to do anything when I was small, so I use both hands equally as well. In fact I sew with my right hand and hook rugs with my right but when I do needle punch I use my left.

13) I know you have homeschooled a LONG time. (And I would like to plug in here, that I admire you greatly for that)!   Would you tell us a little bit about how that came about, your general thoughts on it and and maybe even a look at what homeschooling looks like for your family?

I didn’t start home schooling because I wanted to, in fact I thought staying home all day with kids would be terrible. I only planned to do it one year. I felt God called me to do it and I wanted to be obedient to Him. When I started home schooling it was the dark ages and I lived in fear there would be a knock at the door and my kids would be taken away from me. We kept the drapes drawn and they never went outside until after school was out. As I had more children and I was teaching more grades life became busier and busier. I taught K-12 in one year. I laugh now because my son who is 17 has been in high school since he started school. Home schooling was our life. At night after dinner dishes were done my husband took over the work we didn’t get finished during the day and so he read out loud in the evenings. The things that I didn’t teach like art and music we took those classes outside. This year when I finish it will be the end of continual teaching my children for 25 years. I will have graduated 6 students on to college.

14) Tell us about your farm, Kim. How long have you lived on a farm? What does your farm life look like? Tell us anything concerning life on your farm here……including funny experiences.

Oh I have to laugh, because it isn’t a real farm. Like I told you we dabble. When we moved here I had a horse and we thought we would get more animals. Then we thought we would just put in lots of fruit trees and grow lots of food. That is why we got chickens. Now it has changed again, my husband grows trees for Bonsai. We grew lots more flowers this year than we grew food. Next year for our daughter wedding we will be growing the flowers, and pumpkins and all of that for her wedding. So each year it is something different. I guess you could just call us hobby farmers. We grow herbs but just for ourselves. My husband is teaching himself grafting too.

15) Tell us a way God has blessed you and/or your family.

God has blessed us by never leaving us or forsaking us as we learn to walk by faith and not by sight. We have lived lots differently than most folks. We have lived very quiet lives. When we got married the Lord gave my husband a verse that said that he was to lead a quiet life and work with his hands. So that is how we have lived and raised our family. Our family is all believers and out of anything I have done, the verse that says I have no greater joy than knowing my children walk in truth. Nothing I do matters except knowing that my children walk with God. Jackie Kennedy said, if you fumble at raising your children, it doesn’t matter very much what else you do in life. That is how I have tried to live.

16) Share any words of wisdom and/or a favorite quote you'd like to leave with us.

Do all the good you can as long as you can in every way you can for as long as you can.

From Tammy:

Thank you Kim so much for joining me today!  I just love your home and especially the atmosphere that I sense there!  I'm so glad to have met another sister in Christ with such a love for home and family (and homeschooling too).  I love your farm life, even if it is a hobby!  :) 

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And thank YOU for stopping by today and joining us!  Of course, I enjoy your comments, and I know Kim would love for you to stop by and visit her and leave a comment too! 

If I haven't been by to visit your blog, please don't give up on me.....life has been really busy around here lately and it seems like I'm fighting against the clock everyday!  I haven't forgotten you though! 

Have a great day, my friends!  :)

♥ Tammy ♥

♥ It's Finished! ♥

The staircase is {finally} finished…..and decorated for Christmas!

We just love it! It definitely has the cabin feel that we hoped to achieve!

And it was definitely worth the wait and the mess for the last three months!

Before & After:  What a difference.....I can't believe I ever liked that wallpaper!  Wow! 

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you'll stop in for the Sunporch Chat tomorrow!

Have a great Tuesday!  :)

Pinned it, Made it! Monday ~ Week 17 ~

It’s Monday again! I always look forward to Pinned it, Made it! Monday........ but it also slips up on me too!  It keeps me on my toes though! :)
 

Before I share this week, I want to thank all of you that have been participating and those that stop by and leave comments….I appreciate both! I have really enjoyed seeing your projects!

This past week for our homeschool support group’s harvest party, we had a harvest art contest. The kids submitted works of art (in any form) related to harvest/thanksgiving. They were divided into four different age divisions. Luke’s project is what I want to share with you, (which fell into the kindergarten and under age division in the contest).

Here’s the original pin (found on my Crafty Things Pinterest Board):

Source:  Sweet Happy Life

Besides the footprint, we also adapted it a little bit by making the feathers from his fingerprints.  He had a good time making lots of fingerprints! He didn’t place in the contest (there was a lot of wonderful competition), but he had fun doing it!

Joy did win first place in her competition for her submission, which was one of her photos (that she modge-podged onto a painted board along with a scripture).

Now it’s your turn! Won’t you join me this week and share something you’ve pinned and made from Pinterest?

To participate in Pinned it, Made it! Monday, here are the guidelines:

1) Just do a post about what you’ve pinned and made from Pinterest, then come back over here to Country Girl at Home and link that particular post (not your blog in general) on this post below.

2) I don’t mind if you link up more than one post….multiple entries are fine.

3) You must add my Pinned it, Made it! Monday button on your post or sidebar of your blog linking back to Country Girl at Home. You may get this button code on the page at the top of my blog labeled “Buttons”. Just copy and paste the code into your post.

4) Be supportive and visit blog entries. I do ask that you visit at least one and leave a comment there. And don't forget to leave me one here! :) We all love comments, don’t we? It’s encouraging and uplifting!

5) By linking up and participating, you give me permission to use your entry photo if I decide to feature an entry.

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you have a wonderful week!  This Wednesday, I'll have another guest for a Sunporch Chat!  I hope you'll join us!  :)

♥ Tammy ♥ 

♥ Simply Frugal ♥

It seems like many of us these days are trying to be frugal and save money in every way we can. One of those ways has been in making homemade cleaning products. I think we may have Pinterest and blogland to thank for that.  :)

Since we’ve been using our homemade laundry detergent, dishwashing detergent, and fabric softener for some time now, I thought I’d come back with an update of how it was working out for our family.

Back in January of this year, we made this recipe for laundry detergent which is also used by the Duggar family. That batch lasted until September for the four of us. That wasn’t bad at all for about $7-$8 worth of ingredients.  You can read exactly how we made it here.

I liked that recipe just fine and it cleaned our clothes well. The only down side to it was the gallons of detergent to store. It wasn’t actually a problem, just a lot of jugs taking up space. So when we ran out of detergent in September, Jason and I decided to try this recipe. This one is in powder form. It will actually end up being a little more expensive because I’m pretty sure it won’t last as long as the other one did (8 months) and this one cost about $13 worth of ingredients. It's the same ingredients in equal parts (1 cup Borax, 1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda, 1 bar Fels-Naptha soap........I did that x 7).  I’ll be sure and come back and let you know how long it lasts us. But what I do like about it, is that it stores very easily right here in my Rubbermaid box that usually sits on the washer or dryer.

It’s very easy to access, not messy, and can be moved from the washer to the dryer. So far, I’m really loving this one. It cleans very well also. And the scent seems a little stronger, which I like. I use 2 Tbsp if I have a full load or an especially soiled load. If it’s a really small load, I will use only 1 Tbsp.

We use two of the same ingredients that are used for the laundry detergent to make the dishwashing detergent. It’s one part Borax to one part Super Washing Soda. It takes 2 cups of each of those ingredients to fill this quart jar.  (The post where we first made this can be found here).

When washing dishes, I use 1-2 Tbsp (mostly 2 Tbsp) for each load, depending upon how full my dishwasher is. I also add vinegar to my dispenser thingie that helps keeps spots off the glasses. My sister-in-law adds a little salt to her detergent mixture too. However, I haven’t done that, and it cleans my dishes well.    Love this!

We also made the fabric softener.  You can find the recipe for it on this post.  This one softens the clothes and does well in that aspect, but I would prefer a stronger scent. For that reason, I just don’t use fabric softener that much. However, comparing prices with most store bought brands, this is a very frugal choice. If I want to use fabric softener and can’t find a way to a stronger scent, I will probably continue to use this.

And that’s my update report of how these frugal homemade detergents are working for our family. I’d love to hear from you on your frugal homemade cleaning products too!

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!  :)

♥ Tammy ♥  

**Linking up with Elaine for Sunny Simple Sunday**

Faithful Friday - "Pray with Power"

I’ll have to admit to you that I’ve been down-hearted this week, and as a result, I’ve been grumpy….especially with my kids. I just had to apologize. How thankful I am that they so easily forgive me and love me unconditionally!

The election has left me emotionally exhausted and burdened, and honestly I've not felt much like blogging, or much else. I'm ashamed to say that, but it's the truth.

But……………. :)

After school this morning, I picked up the devotional book, His Princess (Love Letters from Your King) by Sheri Rose Shepherd and I asked the Lord to give me something I needed to hear today…..something to help my worries and my down-heartedness. Yes, sometimes I just need God to show me things in this way. I need neon signs! And this is what He gave me! Oh how good He is!


My Princess…….Pray with Power

My powerful princess, do not waste your walk through life today. Open your spiritual eyes. Prayer is needed everywhere. Anywhere you walk today I can and will order your steps, if you will let Me. Pray while you’re driving, while you’re cooking, and while you’re doing laundry and running errands. Of all the weapons in the world, prayer is your most powerful resource. Don’t let the day begin or end without letting your prayers to Me pave the way in all you do. Wherever you go, remember that part of your royal privilege is raising your voice to heaven. So hold on to the promises that are yours and pray!

Love,
Your King and Intercessor

Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere.

  Ephesians 6:18

Source:  Google Images

 

Maybe this was meant to encourage one of you today as it did me!  God is surely in control, no matter what, and He assures us that there is power in prayer! Praise Him!

I hope you'll stop by and visit Joy also today for Faithful Friday. And if you would like to participate, you can link up while you’re there!

Have a great weekend! God bless you!  :)

♥ Tammy ♥ 

Pinned it, Made it! Monday ~ Week 16 ~

Days and weeks are flying by, aren’t they? At least they are for me. I'm not sure where October went! I can’t believe it’s Monday again. It’s already time again for Pinned it, Made it! Monday, which I really enjoy by the way. :) I wasn’t sure I was going to have something to share this week, with our stay in the hospital, but I managed to get to a project yesterday afternoon!


Before I share that, I want to thank you all for the comments and get well wishes for Joy and most of all for your prayers! We came home this weekend so this was the shortest hospital stay yet and we’re very thankful. They didn’t find out satisfactory answers; they mostly just ruled out some things. But the good thing is that she’s feeling much better. Thank you so much!

Now on to what I have to share.....

I’ve been wanting to try my own “canvas art” for awhile. I’ve had Jason so busy on the staircase over the past couple of months that he just hadn’t taken time to cut my board. He did so this weekend, so I finally got to it Sunday afternoon. It’s really easy and fun too!

Here’s the original pin which can be found on my Thing I Want to Make or Do Pinterest board:

Source:  Mommy Models Blog

I opted for a 12 x 18 photo instead of a 12 x 12 because I thought it would look better for this particular picture and 12 x 12's are harder to come by anyway. I ordered my 12 x 18 photo from Walgreens.  The photo I’ve been wanting as my “canvas art” was taken 3 months after Luke was home – October of 2010 - at East Lake, which is a place my mom spent many years fishing and swimming at this very spot and also the place where my grandmother and granddaddy retired. We spent many weekends there as I was growing up too. So this is special....it's another generation standing on the banks of  East Lake.   And this photo captured the bonding of these two and their very special relationship fom those very beginning days.  :)

You’ll need your photo, plywood, modge podge, a brush or sponge type brush (I used the sponge type), and paint of your choice. I also used antiquing glaze.

We used ¾” plywood, although Jason says ½” plywood would also be fine. Cut your board to the size of your photo (or you can have Lowes do this for you if you don’t have a way to do so).

First of all, I painted the edges of my board. No need to paint the back unless that bothers you. Mine will hang on the wall so it won’t be seen, so I didn’t bother with painting it. After that dried, I opted to add antiquing glaze as well over that to tone down my red paint. Of course, I chose red!  :)

After your paint is dried, you’re ready to get that photo on. Spread an even layer of modge podge over your board and over the back of your photo.

You are then ready to put your photo on the board. Just smooth as you go removing any bubbles. When you have it where you want it and smoothed out, add an even layer of the modge podge over the top and edges of the photo. In this photo, you can still see the modge podge on top of the photo.

It’s kind of scary seeing modge podge going over your beautiful photo, but don’t worry it dries clear……and quickly too. It claimed to do so in an hour, so I set my timer to see....... and it did!

And that’s it! You’re done! You then have a beautiful piece of canvas art! I’m not sure where I’ll hang mine but when I have it up, I’ll show you! (It may be after Christmas because don’t laugh……I already have my big tree up and have started on all the rest of the decorations).

Now it' your turn......will you share? What have you been pinning and making? I hope you’ll link up and share!

To participate in Pinned it, Made it! Monday, here are the guidelines:

1) Just do a post about what you’ve pinned and made from Pinterest, then come back over here to Country Girl at Home and link that particular post (not your blog in general) on this post below.

2) I don’t mind if you link up more than one post….multiple entries are fine.

3) You must add my Pinned it, Made it! Monday button on your post or sidebar of your blog linking back to Country Girl at Home. You may get this button code on the page at the top of my blog labeled “Buttons”. Just copy and paste the code into your post.

4) Be supportive and visit blog entries. I do ask that you visit at least one and leave a comment there. And don't forget to leave me one here! :) We all love comments, don’t we? It’s encouraging and uplifting!

5) By linking up and participating, you give me permission to use your entry photo if I decide to feature an entry.

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Thank you so much for hanging with me.  I know I haven't been able to blog or visit blogs as much lately.  I do appreciate all your visits and your comments!  

 

I have alot to share when I do get the chance!  Our staircase is finished!  I'm working on our Christmas decor....oh how I get excited about that!  And.......Wednesday (if all goes well), we'll be having another Sunporch Chat with a wonderful lady!  I hope you'll come back and join us!

 

Have a great week!  :)   And don't forget to vote tomorrow (wisely)  and PRAY!    :)  

Faithful Friday - "Always Something to Be Thankful For"

It’s Friday and I wanted to pop in here with a Faithful Friday post. Since Joy is in the hospital, I will put the linky tool on my blog. If you would like to participate, we’d love for you to do so. The only difference today is that you will link up on my blog.


Thank you so much for all the prayers and the thoughtful comments left for Joy. We appreciate them all! Joy is doing better than she was when we came to the ER. Her pain is not constant and not as severe, although she is still having some. This time, her pancreatic enzymes are not elevated. This has us all stumped because her symptoms are exactly the same. They have been checking many things including appendicitis. They found it to be large, but no other symptoms of appendicits, so they’re ruling that out too.

I’m thankful that the pancreatic enzymes aren’t elevated, yet we just don’t have answers. That part is frustrating and scary to Joy because she doesn’t know why she’s hurting but they are telling what it isn’t this time. I think she’s afraid of going home and still having pain. Anyway, that’s where we are. Thank you SO much for praying. We feel the prayers and know God is in control!

We can look around us if we start to feel down though and see others going through so much more! The boy that Joy mentioned last time she was in the hospital, is back in the hospital again and has been for some time. His name is Brandon and he has Krohn’s disease, which is a very painful thing. He has spent so many of his days in the hospital and yet his attitude could teach us a thing or two! And just yesterday we met another 15 year old boy, Skyler, who has been in the hospital for 2 months. He had a liver transplant and developed complications almost not making it 3 or 4 different times. He still doesn't look well.  They live about 9 hours away. That breaks my heart thinking of how far they are from home and family! Anyway, this just reminded me that no matter what trials come our way, there is always someone else going through so much more. It’s good to take a look at the positive and just give God praise.  There are always blessings to count. When you’re praying for Joy, would you remember Brandon and Skyler too?

Thank you for stopping by for Faithful Friday! Have a great weekend! :)

Blessings,
Tammy