The Shepherds House

My Christmas gift tags

theshepherdshouse — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:16:10 +0000

I have had fun making some Christmas gift tags this year. I had seen some fabric ornaments online and I decided to try and make some gift tags in a similar style. I used fabric or felt on the front, and then I used pieces of brown grocery bag to put on the back so I could stamp To and From on it.

It turned out to be a great handwork project to do in the evening!

My first Christmas present is wrapped! This one is for my husband ~ I made this tag for him out of a piece of material that had once been one of his favorite flannel shirts. Yay for recycling!! I just used bits and pieces of things I already had on hand for these tags ~ the only thing I purchased was a new skein of embroidery floss!

Now we just need a Christmas tree to put the gift under!♥

Blessings to you this week!♥

When the storms of life start blowing just a little stronger…

theshepherdshouse — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:04:41 +0000

…it becomes easy to see just how small my faith really is. How blessed I feel to have a husband who encourages me to trust and not fear; and to listen for the Lord’s voice and follow after Him.

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

John 10:27 (ESV)

Each new day I have an opportunity before me to have fellowship with Him ~ to seek Him ~ and to hear from Him! What a treasure that is!

As I was looking back in this journal at my first entry just a little less than a month ago…I can see that the Lord is really only just answering my prayer…that of wanting to be a woman of faith ~ “to trust Him for things that are so far beyond myself & what I can do.”

It has been very wintery here at our house ~ wet and windy and a little dreary. The branch in the picture came down overnight; but the sun in shining today ~ yay!

I hope you have a sweet & blessed day filled with more of Jesus!♥

Hurray for glass jars in the pantry

theshepherdshouse — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:22:27 +0000

I now know from experience that an oil leak in my kitchen pantry is not a good thing!

I had a decanter with oil in it located in the back of my pantry ~ and somehow it broke! Just as I was working on a baking project ~ I found pantry items sitting in olive oil! Not only was there oil on the shelf the decanter was on ~ but oil had seeped down the side of my pantry and onto the next shelf and then the floor. What a mess ~ especially for things that were in paper or cardboard boxes!

I will say that I was so happy for the things that were in bottles, or that I had put into jars! This was a big encouragement to me to transfer as many items as I can to glass jars ~ rather than leaving things in the packaging they come in from the store!

I guess some further pantry organization is in order here! How about you ~ do you transfer your items to different containers when you bring them home from the store?

Happy November to you! It’s hard to believe that it is November already ~ and Christmas will be here before we know it!!! Is anyone working on Christmas plans?

♥ Blessings ♥

Trying leeks for the first time

theshepherdshouse — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 02:37:05 +0000

I tried using some leeks in a recipe for the first time today!

The recipe was for Lentil Barley Stew ~ a recipe I found in An Encouraging Word magazine.

It was chock full of delicious vegetables along with the lentils and barley. There were only three of us home for dinner tonight ~ but both Bill and Abbie agreed that the recipe was a keeper! ♥

Along with some homemade oatmeal dinner rolls ~ I think it made a nutritious fall meal!

I hope you all have enjoyed a blessed Saturday. It is very wet and rainy here but we are enjoying the evening at home with a cozy fire ~ such a sweet and simple pleasure!

Have a blessed Lord’s Day! ♥

Pumpkin dinner rolls

theshepherdshouse — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 01:52:30 +0000

Does anyone else see wonderful recipes online or in other places and then add piles and piles of papers into a spot in the kitchen? Well, that is what I have done, but I am on a mission here now ~ I have cleaned up my recipe drawer and I have sorted through all the recipes on loose papers ~ keeping only those that I think I will realistically make! My goal is to actually try the recipes out and see which ones are keepers. If it is ~ then I can transfer it onto a recipe card. I’m happy to say that I now only have 11 of those recipes left! Today I wrote some recipes onto cards, and I actually tried a new recipe that I had printed off the computer about a year and a half ago! I kept the recipe because I thought the rolls sounded good ~ and they are! I think it is the perfect recipe for the upcoming holidays. The recipe makes 4 dozen rolls so I only made a fourth of the recipe to try them out.

The recipe is for Pumpkin Dinner Rolls and can be found here! Tammy really does have some delicious recipes! We had the pumpkin rolls with potato soup ~ another one of my favorite recipes from her site.

It was a delicious dinner for a very wet and rainy evening!

Have you tried any new and delicious recipes lately?

Weekend blessings to you!♥

My thrifty journal

theshepherdshouse — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:36:25 +0000

I have been thinking about getting a new journal for awhile. When I was inspired to write down some thoughts this morning, I thought of the collage notebook Abbie had made for herself. So, following her idea, I got out one of the inexpensive spiral notebooks that I had purchased when school supplies were on sale, took out some pictures that I had saved from a magazine, and Abbie made a new journal for me as well! I am so happy with it! It is just so cheerful ~ and will be the perfect place for me to jot down my thoughts and scriptures I want to ponder! ♥ It is a blessing ~ creativity for her, and a pretty new journal for me ~ with no extra money spent!

Have you worked on any thrifty projects lately?

I hope you are enjoying a blessed day!

♥♥♥

Autumn loveliness

theshepherdshouse — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:42:29 +0000

We are enjoying one of the loveliest autumn seasons here in the Northwest! God’s handiwork as seen in the changing colors of the leaves is so amazing and beautiful! I think the colors seem so especially vibrant and uplifting this year. I thought I would share a few pictures with you!

I am even enjoying a touch of autumn loveliness right on my very own window sill!

When Bill had a couple of vacation days recently we took a picnic lunch on one of the days and did a little exploring!

We stopped in at this small town Mercantile ~ it was so cute! It was kind of a combination general store, antique shop and thrift shop!

And this was one of the places we were headed to visit…

It was a beautiful fall day and we thought this was a lovely place! It operated as a fishing resort for over 50 years starting back in the 1930’s ~ and it opened up last year as a state park. The cabins look like they would be fun to stay in.

The beach was so peaceful and serene! ♥

It was a fun day trip!

I hope you are taking some time out to enjoy the pleasures of the season too!

A market bouquet

theshepherdshouse — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 21:05:59 +0000

There was a knock at our door this afternoon ~ and when Bill went to answer it, our neighbor was on the porch with this lovely bouquet!♥

They had been to the Pike Place Market in Seattle and thought of us ~ just wanting to say “Happy Fall”! It was a very unexpected surprise and I thought it was just so sweet!♥

Don’t you think that flowers always add such a touch of cheeriness to the home?

A special kindness like this encourages me all the more to be someone who spreads a little happiness around!♥

I hope your weekend is filled with simple delights!!

Blessings to you!♥

An unexpected treat

theshepherdshouse — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:01:57 +0000

When I got up this morning ~ Stephanie was making breakfast for us! I thought that was so sweet.♥ Bill is on vacation today and tomorrow so this was a little break from the ordinary for me too! How nice to just sit down to breakfast!

Oh, isn’t it the simplest things that make your day special and bring a smile? ♥

We are enjoying the loveliest fall weather here in the Pacific Northwest ~ perfect for a little vacation time exploring some nearby areas!

Whatever you have planned for today ~ I hope you have a day filled with simple pleasures!

The apron pattern is going to…

theshepherdshouse — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:56:53 +0000

We put all the names in a basket yesterday morning and my daughter drew one out for me ~

ELIZABETH
from French Village Life!

Thank you to all of you who were interested in the pattern! Elizabeth, I look forward to sending it off in the mail to you!!

Sweet blessings on your day!♥