Hi. I’ve been MIA. Honestly, I have no idea what to write these days. I’ve been all over the place with this that and the other thing. So much going on everywhere. I NEED TO FOCUS.
BUT, one thing I thought would be fun to share is that I made my Easter dress! I KNOW! Who even am I?!
My handsome son and me. Easter 2024
And, I made the little cardigan to go with it. I’m not new to crocheting cardigans, but I’m definitely new to sewing actual garments. The most I’ve ever made was an apron several Christmases ago. I’ve made curtains, etc., but never an actual garment. And in true Beth style, I made sure it was the most complicated NON-BEGINNER FRIENDLY pattern you could possibly pick for your first time out of the gate. But good news, I didn’t die and now I can probably sew just about anything. Heh. My mom helped me A LOT. Thanks, Mom! It’s far from perfect, but it’s not too shabby for a first go. Just don’t look too close. >.<
And now I want to go hoard fabric and make all the things. I’m going to need another armoire.
What have you made recently? Share with me in the comments!
That’s an F word that I struggle with. Anyone else? I have a majillion and twelve different things floating around my noggin. Sometimes writing it out helps. Other times, not so much. I can write it down, but then I don’t remember where I wrote it down or put the note or what have you. It’s a vicious cycle.
I’ve been busy. A good busy. I’ve been stressed. Not a good stress. The two don’t make a very good team. Truly, all I want to do is garden, bake, and crochet. And maybe blog.
Let’s start with the garden. It has been sooo much hotter and drier than normal that my garden is NOT at all thriving like it did last year. I know that I’m not alone and that people all over the country are struggling with the same affliction. This does not make me feel better. I’m fortunate that I don’t have a huge crop to manage in this drought. That I just have a small plot and a few pots. Or am I? At least I have access to a garden hose to make sure everything gets watered. But I tell you, the water from a hose does not feed the garden the same way. It just hits different. The heat has been ridiculous. We started June off with our late July-August temps and there is no end in sight. This will also make for a less than stellar fall. We are not amused. But we will count our blessings and look forward to all the blessings our garden will give us and look forward to the cooler weather coming.
Tonight, in fact, a friend and I are going to a lavender class! I’m pretty obsessed with all the lavender things. When we do get our farm, the plan is to have a field of lavender. It will be used for baking and household things such as soaps and what have you.
Here are a couple clippings from my garden. It just makes me so happy.
Fresh cut zinnias and lavender from my own sweet garden.
Next up is baking! I love baking. Have I told you that lately? Maybe I might have mentioned it. Once or twice. I can’t recall if I had officially announced it here on the blog, but I have officially launched my baking biz! Not at all a great time to start a business using some of the most expensive grocery items in the land, but here we are. Asking the Lord for His blessings and provisions over it. The Cottage Baking Co. is officially open for business. It even has its own spot on the Shop page. ^_^ I’m excited to see how it grows. I have high hopes for it. Most of all, it will be a lot of fun. Because if I’m not baking, I’m dying. And because Brady really wanted some cookies, I baked some chocolate chip cookies. I also tested a new cookie recipe to add to the menu.
Mocha Crinkle Cookies. Coming soon to the TCBC menu!
Good old fashioned chocolate chip cookies.
And crochet. I just want to crochet ALL THE THINGS (and bake all the things, but I digress). Now accepting donations of Hobby Lobby gift cards and yarn. So many patterns, so little time, so little yarn. Well, one wouldn’t say that last part if they say my armoire. But it’s not the RIGHT KIND of yarn. What?
It’s time for us makers to be getting busy for our fall/winter craft fairs and shows. We have one in November that I am preparing for. I want to make all the things, but need to be realistic about my time, supplies, and market. It’s such a catch 22. You want to make ahead enough things, but when you do, you don’t know if it will sell, and if it doesn’t, then you have all this stock. The struggle. The trick is to make just enough to sell out. 😉 If you know the secret sauce, lemme know. Kthx.
We are less than 3 weeks out to the August primaries here in Missouri. Christian brothers and sisters, we need to be out and voting in record numbers. We have a country to save! God did not call us to sit on the couch behind our keyboards complaining and praying. He called us to MOVE and pray. Pray and move. Get on your computers and research candidates and bills. Get OUT in your community and get behind constitutional conservative candidates and support them and help them in their campaigns. Get out in your community with other like minded people. There is strength in numbers. Literally. All it takes is 3% to stand up and say we aren’t taking it anymore! We do not comply! Check out the Patriot Academy and find a local class and get familiar with your country’s constitution. Get familiar with your state’s constitution. If you have any questions about any of it, feel free to send me an email and I will be happy to direct you to where you need to go or answer any questions. I am so passionate about constitution education that I became a constitution coach. I don’t get any thing for just telling you about it. Zero. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Just the peace knowing that someone else is learning the truth.
Time has gotten away from me and this post has gotten long. Until next time, friends! Stay cool, stay hydrated! Eat cake!
Happy first day of Spring! Spring has officially sprung here at the cozy cottage. The bedding has been switched from red and white to aquas, pinks, and blues. The bunnies have hopped out of hiding, and the flowers are beginning to bloom. The chalkboard even got a fresh spring makeover (it needs a true makeover in the sense that I have been meaning to paint it for ages now).
The first day of spring couldn’t be more beautiful if we planned it. High of 72° and sunny is the expected forecast today. Perfect day to go to an open house for a 1903 farmhouse nearby! Also perfect for finally getting our garden turned over!
Here are a few glimpses of our cozy cottage in spring…
I love changing up the chalkboard for all the things!Penny overseeing the makeover. This hutch so beautifully displays my grandmother’s strawberry Corelle dishes & my darling vintage Pyrex! Oh, and a cute crocheted chocolate bunny. Crocheted throw pillows can brighten or soften any space. Crochet = cozy
I do hope you enjoyed this little peek into our humble and cozy little cottage! Do you switch things up for spring?
That’s what this post will be all about today because I have one bajillion and forty-seven things rattling around in my brain. Maybe I should have titled this “Brain Dump #687”. Who can relate? I expect to see quite a few hands, friends.
Let’s just dive in, shall we? Chickens. We want chickens. We want a LOT of chickens. ALAS, we live in town, so we can have max 6 chickens. Nope, no room for chicken math here. Just 6. Our biggest obstacle in acquiring these little egg-laying darlings is the coop. No matter which way you spin it, unless you are gifted a coop, you’re going to be dropping some sort of wad on this puppy. I have been blessed with access to an endless supply of pallets, but even with that, there’s going to be a couple hundo in other materials and equipment needed. And that’s just for building the coop. And the last I checked, my rich uncle Maury hadn’t been released from the poor house, yet. Soo…. I have begrudingly pulled back on the task of getting my birds set up this spring. Instead, I will focus on my garden(s) and launching my baking biz and we will gradually work on our coop over the next year or so to be ready for our little darlings next year. Unless some other God-sized awesomeness meets us halfway. It could happen.
I just get so stinking excited to get things up and running, that that is all I focus/obsess on/over and then I get nothing else done. I’m just really ready to be out living my best life on my little farm. Who can blame me? *breathes* I just need to slow my roll and put all that energy into building the bank account to fund it. Heh.
Then there’s the garden. I WANT TO PLANT ALL THE THINGS. But I have one 4×8 bed and several containers. So I cannot plant all the things. Are you seeing a pattern here? Mmkay.
Then there’s my little crochet hustle. I WANT TO CROCHET ALL THE THINGS. Alas, I am one person. I currently have to make, no joke, 30 adorable chicken potholders.
Behold! The cutest chicken potholde/hotpad you ever did see!
But I love it. I am forever grateful and thankful for the gifts the Lord has given me. I have to give my attention to this avenue and figure out where I want to take it. How big do I want to go? Or do I want to go home? #SWIDT. I also want to get a head start on some other items and, of course, as a maker does, start thinking about holiday/seasonal makes! It’s never too early for a maker to be thinking of the holiday season. Especially, those who crochet, sew, and knit. These things take time! But, I digress.
Then, there is the whole dating thing. Good heavens. Dating in your late 40s is ROUGH, my friends. Add into that the fact that I am a diehard Jesus Freak and require the same of my potential spouse, and well. I’m just not sure the pickins can get any slimmer. Fix it, Jesus. But, I know He has a plan for me and it is far better than I can even ask or imagine. So I trust in Him. I will continue to do the work on myself and my relationship with my Father and become the best Ruth for my Boaz. With the trust of Hannah and the faith of Ruth, I press on! Because there has GOT to be some tall, dark, handsome, jack-of-all-trades, burly-ish, godly man looking for me. I JUST KNOW IT. Bless his heart.
And lastly, maybe, is the baking. I WANT TO BAKE ALL THE THINGS. But I need to hunker down and work out a plan. Right now I’m still getting feelers and collecting resources. We’re in the research stage. And by ‘we’, I mean me. For St. Patrick’s Day I had the hair to make something fun to celebrate with our traditional Colcannon and sausage dinner. What better thing than chocolate cupcakes with Irish cream buttercream frosting? It was a great opportunity to practice my cupcake decorating skills. My whole plan and idea for my little baking biz is NOT to do fancy. But simple, classic, and delicious cakes and cupcakes, breads, rolls, and cinnamon rolls and the like. And probably basic cookies. You know, like the kind mom and grandma used to make, but you don’t have time (or know-how) to do. Or, hate to do. Whatever.
Chocolate cupcakes with Irish cream buttercream. SO GOOD.
In the end, it will all work out as it is intended. I serve an awesome & MIGHTY God who loves me and wants the best for me. I continue to put my trust in Him and wait on His perfect timing.
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21
I popped onto Pinterest to look for a recipe I was planning to make this week for Christmas. Does anyone ‘just pop onto Pinterest’? Asking for a friend.
But I digress…
When scrolling through my Merry & Bright board, I saw all the things I still want to do/make/create/experience. So I made a decision. I’m going to keep doing/making/creating/experiencing ALL THE THINGS until I get it the way I want it. This may take some time. I figure it will be done by the time Christmas rolls around again in 2021.
On that same thread, we went Christmas lights looking last night and came across the most festive subdivision I’ve ever seen. Talk about Merry & Bright! All the feels were had. I wish we could have Christmas lights all year long. So much joy and merriment in those lights. They just make my heart happy.
I think I just need to build a Christmas town. Whomever wishes to live there may do so. There is but one rule. You must love Christmas as much as we do and ache at the thought of taking all of the decorations and lights down enough that you want them up all year long.
By March I’ll probably be sick of it and pack it away. But I’m thinking I will definitely work on the doing/making/creating year long so that I will be ready for Christmas 2021 on November 1.
I just love ALL THE CHRISTMAS THINGS and feel shafted this year. We’re trying our best with what we have and the current circumstances. But it’s hard! This year has been hard. The true Spirit of Christmas lies in our hearts, yes. But part of the joy for me is shopping for that perfect gift, wrapping it thoughtfully and watching the recipient open it and love it. This year, it was all we could do to stay afloat and keep the lights on.
I’m making my son a stocking and I have one gift. I’m baking everyone else’s gifts. I wanted to make things for the whole family, but I had to fill that time with making things for other people to gift so that we could keep a roof over our heads. It’s what you do when you had to make the choice to save your mental health. Retail is not for the faint of heart, especially at Christmas time. Retail is definitely not for everyone. HA! Bless those that love it!
Making that choice left me no other option than to put everything into my makeup business. Crochet helps fill in the gaps. Despite the current and temporary struggles, I’m much happier and more at peace. And I think it shows.
As I was looking for some specific yarn for a project in my stash, I came across something I wanted to share with you.
I wanted to share what happens when you don’t give up. The first pic is my first stab at crochet. Obviously the turquoise is my practice piece. 😬 Got a little better with the yellow swatch! Still not awesome!
Fast forward about 5-6 years and now I’m making things I never dreamed I could! I STILL finish a make, especially a wearable, and think, “WOW! I MADE DIS!” 🙀
It’s amazing the gifts God blesses us with. I never dreamed in a million years that MY true artistic talents lie in crochet. Do I still have less than stellar stuff? HECK YES. But I won’t give up until I master it.
My hope is that you don’t give up until you master it. Whatever IT is for you. Just keep at it!
Where it all started.Where we are now. I made dis!
From Cottage to Farmhouse 