Still Woods Farmhouse

Who knew there was a day to honor the mutt's that make our life so enjoyable? There is and it's today!  So in honor of my three mutt's Lucky, Lucy, and Luke Bailey.   I wanted to share a few sweet photos and the story of their lives.  I also want to encourage others to consider adopting a loving companion from your own local animal shelter. There are so many four legged friends just waiting for a place to call home. We have always adopted our dogs from the local animal shelter.  It's the thing to do for our family and we have had wonderful, loving pets.  Our little Luke Bailey is our first non-adopted mutt and he was a gift from my sister.  Lucky is our oldest dog.  He was originally adopted by an older couple to be a "lap dog".  He quickly grew and the couple could not keep him in their home.  My hubby found an ad at our vets office stating that the couple wanted a "good, Christian home for their Lucky".  We went to see Lucky and fel...

We just returned from an enjoyable week with our oldest son.  He recently became a homeowner and this mom loaded up the car with her sewing machine and necessary gadgets and headed to Virginia.  During our visit, I made window treatments for 21 windows!  That's a mother's love for you! Of course, games of Canasta, antique shopping, and site seeing also filled our days and nights.  One of my favorite towns is Port Royal, Virginia.  After dinner one night, we headed out the door and decided to walk off some of our calories in Port Royal's historic square.  It was a lovely evening with gentle breezes and low humidity.  Love low humidity!  I snapped a few pictures with my cellphone.  Established in the mid-17th century, Port Royal is a small, river town steeped in history.  Situated on the Rappahannock River, it was developed primarily as a site to export tobacco, the cash crop of Virginia. The Holloway House is in need of lots of love a...

In my area of the world, one word describes our weather... HOT!  So this is a perfect time to think of cooler weather and a few Christmas projects.  Christmas in July events are found everywhere.  Some of my favorites are on shopping channels, Etsy, and in Blogland.  I have the month of July off each year and it affords me the opportunity to pre-plan.  Do I need to donate gently used decorations to Goodwill? Is there anything I need to put on my early Christmas "to do" list? And even more importantly, is there a way to simplify the hectic holidays so that I spend more time reflecting on the true gift of Christmas? I decided to focus on a few projects which might give me a head start on my Christmas happies.  I will share several projects with you during what I am calling Jolly July!  Let's start with a simple project. I like the word "simple"!  This would make a cute, inexpensive personalized teacher gift for Christmas.  I plan to make one...

Are you looking for a fabulous ice cream recipe for a 4th of July celebration? Luckily, your search is over! I shared this ice cream recipe several years ago and it is a perfect time to share again!  This is a traditional cooked custard recipe my dad has made for years.  It makes the most creamy, deliciousness that you will ever put in your mouth.  We hosted a homemade ice cream social at our house and this ice cream received so many compliments.  You can taste the difference between a cooked ice cream and a non-cooked ice cream.  It doesn't take long to prepare this recipe and it is worth the little bit of effort you will put into it. As for me and my house, we serve the Lord and eat cooked custard ice cream! Let's look at the Starting Line-Up.  Just a few basic ingredients.   Please note that the ice cream salt in the picture is only for my ice cream freezer and not for the recipe!! If you are like me, I like the recipe all at once and then the...

I was perusing the internet for a little 4th of July tablescape inspiration.  Wow...are there some wonderful ideas for any Yankee Doodle Dandy table.  Let's take a look! I love the blog Between Naps on the Porch.  She has a gift for setting a beautiful table.  This one is set with solids of red, white, and blue.  The tall lanterns also lend a patriotic flair and really make the setting cozy. I love the entire setting in this photo from The Gathering of Friends.  The house and yard phtograph beautifully.  Those red chairs really pop! Looks like a great place to entertain and watch fireworks. Tampa Homebody has incorporated some of my favorite glassware into her table setting.  American Fostoria and blue Cape Cod glass make this a festive display. Doesn't this make you want to pull up a chair?  The centerpiece is simple, but quite lovely.  I am crazy about checkered prints.  Super cute from Stone Gable! This is just prec...

Don't you love cool, refrigerated cakes during the hot, summer days? How about one with moist layers of white cake iced with a delicious coconut-sour cream icing?  I adapted a few different recipes to make one that I adore.  We all have signature homemade birthday cakes in my family and this one is mine.  I turned 55 this past week and my sweet hubby made this cake for my birthday party.  Let's whip up this easy, scrumptious cake! The Starting Line-Up : 1- box white cake mix (prepared as per box directions) 16 ounces of sour cream (regular or low fat) 1 large tub of Cool Whip 1 and 1/2 cups of sugar 1- 14 ounce bag of coconut (save a little to sprinkle on the top) Make cake in two round cake pans  according to the directions on the box.  Cool and split the layers.  In a large bowl, stir together the sour cream, sugar, and about 3/4th's of the bag of coconut.  Fold in Cool Whip. Taste the icing.  If you want more coconut, add...

My husband would say that I am a collector of "dishes".  I can't help it, "dishes" speak to me in the same manner as old aprons and milk glass. The Tooth Fairy collects teeth and this gal collects dishes! When my husband and I got married, every bride had fine china and possibly a set of everyday china on their bridal registry.  I must say that I am so disappointed when I see a bridal registry without beautiful china. How about you?  My husband and I decided to select both a fine and an everyday pattern.  It was the thing to do! We had two sets of "dishes" when we began our married life almost 33 years ago.  Today, I have 6 different sets!  One of my favorites is Margaux by Mikasa. This was my choice as my everyday china.  Let me introduce you to this gorgeous pattern. Margaux has a lovely ivory background with a basket weave rim complimented by soft flowers in purple, orange, yellow, and white with stems of green.  I love using Margaux in th...