Goodbye For Now

I'm saying goodbye to my blog for a while.  God has convicted me that my blog and my YouTube channel is taking up too much of my time--time away from my family and my home.....so I'm leaving it behind for now.  I'm going to keep the blog on Blogger until further notice, though.  Anyway, thanks to all of you for following and maybe they'll be a place for my blog in the future, God willing.

A Quick and Nutritious Week-Night Meal

My Italian grandmother and mother cooked up this soup as I was growing up.
These are the ingredients for a quick, nutritious AND delicious week-night meal:
Winter Greens Soup
Olive oil
garlic
2 boxes chicken broth (reduced sodium)
1 bunch of kale (or any winter green vegetable; traditionally, escarole is used for this recipe)
1 package of tortellini (or canellini beans if you choose not to use pasta)
Just saute garlic (as much as you like) in the olive oil and add one box of chicken broth.  Add the chopped kale and another box of chicken broth.  Bring to a boil and cook down the kale.  Cook the tortellini in a separate pot in boiling water and drain.  Add cooked tortellini to the soup and enjoy!

Chocolate Squash Muffins

I took a basic muffin recipe and turned it into a great fiber and antioxidant-rich treat that is gentle on your blood sugar and digestive tract.  And there is NO OIL in this recipe!

Chocolate Squash Muffins
3C whole wheat flour
1/2 C honey granules (great for diabetics) or if you're not concerned about blood sugar you can substitute raw sugar
1 1/2t baking soda
1/2 t sea salt
1/4C grated unsweetened chocolate (at least 60% cacoa)
1C pureed squash (pumpkin, butternut, etc.)
1C plain yogurt (or unsweetened applesauce)
1 t vanilla extract (optional)
Combine dry ingredients with a whisk, then add wet ingredients.  350 degrees for 25 min. While muffins are still warm, grate a little extra chocolate on top.  These come out so moist (thanks to the squash and yogurt) and delicious!

Homemade "Scones" & HELPFUL HINTS FOR DAILY LIVING (REVISED)

I like to always have something whole wheat for my family to eat on a daily basis.  I'm fanatical, I know...but it's so important to eat the WHOLE wheat kernel and not just the germ or the bran, but BOTH.  We invested in a grain mill so I can grind my own wheat at home to get the benefits of true WHOLE wheat.  Hand mills are a good way to try this out without a big investment.  Here is a link to my favorite health source--Bread Beckers.  You will find the info here on the importance of true WHOLE wheat, vitamin E, etc. within in the kernel.
I wanted to make a scone, but without all the fuss (cutting in the shortning, butter, etc.).  So I opted for a drop bisquit with a twist.  This recipe is from my "new" 1973 Better Homes & Gardens breadmaking book.  Link over to The Grocery Cart Challenge for more recipes.  Gail has an awesome blog.  She's doing a recipe swap!

I substituted the shortening for coconut oil and it gave the "scones" a wonderful flavor

grinding soft white wheat (use in place of all-purpose flour)

whisk all dry ingredients together

then add all the wet ingredients (this varies some from the printed recipe pictured above)

spoon onto a greased cookie sheet

enjoy with some homemade jam

So this is my HELPFUL HINT FOR DAILY LIVING.  To play along, just click on the MckLinky below and input the link to your HELPFUL HINT FOR DAILY LIVING and please remember to link back to my post in your blog so others can add their link to their HELPFUL HINT, too. 

Fun With "Fun Fur"

My new love is "fun fur"!  I was surprised at how easily this scarf came together.  It's just a series of double crochet stitches with a beaded fringe.  I used Lion Brand Yarn in Soft Pink and the fringe is made with silver crochet thread and various size/color beads.  A great Christmas gift for anyone who loves "fun" stuff!

Pink Glove Dance

YOU GOTTA CHECK THIS LINK OUT on YouTube!  You've probably seen some of this on the news for breast cancer awareness.  If you're having a bad day, this will surely cheer you up! Here is the link.  Have fun dancing along!

GIVEAWAY Winner!!

I'm so proud to announce the winner of my 200th Post GIVEAWAY is Jan at Bobbypinsboardwalk.  Yay, Jan!!  Contact me with your info and I'll send the package on to you right away!  Thank you to those who entered.  I wish I could give you all something, but I will have more GIVEAWAYS in the near future!

Slippers for a Princess

I crocheted these slippers for my 3 1/2 year old niece for Christmas....I can't wait for her to wear them. She will look so cute! This pattern is good for boys or girls. You just customize them to suit the one you're giving them to.

GIVEAWAY Reminder!!

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Sorry I haven't been posting lately--so busy, but wanted to post a reminder for my 200th post GIVEAWAY. I'll be drawing the winner tomorrow evening. Here are the GIVEAWAY details. Best wishes!

Christmas Decorations Are Up!!

our main Christmas tree in our living room

styrofoam ball wreath painted gold (store bought)

this tree is my husband and my very own tree in our bedroom (the ornaments were made by me on the occasion of our first Christmas)...my mom made the gingerbread people by painting on brown paper bags

garland and ornaments on top of my desk

vintage ornaments from my childhood (box has a price tag from Caldor $1.99)

ENTER MY GIVEAWAY HERE

Tutorial: Beaded Felt Flower Pin

These are the materials you will need to make the pin below (pen, circle template, scissors, straight pins, hot glue gun, tacky fabric glue, felt, seed beads and pin backings)

This pin is a great stocking stuffer, hostess gift or teacher's gift. This pin is easy enough for kids to make, too. Here's how to make it:

trace your circle onto the felt

cut out the circle and your petals as you desire

pin your flower to another color of felt to make the second layer of petals

cut out another flower a little bigger than your first; cut out a center circle and layer as desired to make the whole flower (you will have three pieces at this point)

glue all your pieces in place

hot glue your pin backing to the back of the flower

use the tacky fabric glue to glue on seed beads to your flower center circle as desired

Have fun! DON'T FORGET TO ENTER MY GIVEAWAY HERE!

200th POST GIVEAWAY!!

Yay!! It's time for another GIVEAWAY!! This is my 200th post and I want to thank all my followers for sticking with me....I've been having so much fun blogging, joining blog parties, entering others' giveaways, etc. over the last 8 months since I've begun my blog. Since I have such a diverse range of followers, I'm including a little something for everyone in this GIVEAWAY. Included in this GIVEAWAY is:

1. The Healing Power of Herbs book (resale from our library, but in mint condition)
2. Lifegiving book by Tammy Maltby (she was a speaker who came to my church--you will love her--she writes about living the beautiful life)
3. a butterfly cross-stitch kit (brand new)
4. a mixed bag of bows and flowers to use on a variety of projects (surplus from a lingerie factory)
5. package of 25 nylon tulle circles (brand new)
6. package of black elastic (brand new)
7. package of black piping (brand new)
8. bag of mulberry potpourri (brand new)

So, to enter the GIVEAWAY you have to be a follower since this is a "thank you" to all my followers; and do one or both of the following:

• leave a comment on this post for one entry
• post about my GIVEAWAY on your blog (and send me the link) for two entries

I will pick one winner at 5PM EST Sunday, November 29th. Thanks to all of you and best wishes!!

Special Delivery!

Isn't this wonderful?! I received a package today from The Student Knitter. 5 HUGE balls of heather gray recycled cotton yarn! It is the softest yarn I've ever layed my hands on. I'm going to make MYSELF something very very soon! Thanks Sarah!! Please visit Sarah's blog...it is a great blog and she knits the most beautiful things.

WHITE WEDNESDAY! *And Upcoming GIVEAWAY!*

Today is White Wednesday over at Faded Charm. She has a gorgeous post today! Check it out and all the others linked to White Wednesday! I'm sorry this is such a bad photo! I tried to edit it, but it wouldn't let me (my computer picks the most inopportune times to be a pain!) These necklaces are crocheted ropes. The top one is a crocheted pearl rope with beautiful pink rose glass end beads. The bottom is a crocheted seed bead rope in shimmery white, blue and green with sterling end beads. I took a "crocheting with beads" jewelry class at a local bead shop and learned this technique in an afternoon. If any of you are crocheters and love beads, this would be something worth learning. Once you learn the technique, you can adapt it to other things.

**I'M COMING UP ON MY 200TH POST AND WILL BE DOING ANOTHER GIVEAWAY--I WOULD EXPECT AN ANNOUNCEMENT THIS WEEK SO BE WATCHING! THIS GIVEAWAY WILL ONLY BE OPEN TO MY FOLLOWERS**

Organic Body Care Recipes

I've had several people ask me for my natural body and skin care recipes. I want to apologize for directing you to my LABELS "Beauty and Skincare"....I never realized I didn't actually post the recipes there! So I am putting them all under this post for you. I get all my recipes from Ginger Garrett's book Beauty Secrets of the Bible and Stephanie Torles' book Organic Body Care Recipes. Also, you can subscribe to my YouTube channel or just visit over there at www.youtube/moltodimoda.com for many, many, many videos on healthy living and natural beauty! Here are some of my favorite recipes out of Organic Body Care Recipes. *Just a word of caution: pregant women and small children should check with their doctor before using essential oils.*

Egg White Firming Mask

white of one egg

1 tsp cornstarch

combine and smooth onto face in a thin even coat. You must lie down while it dries, or gravity will pull your face downward. Let dry and rinse. This mask minimizes pores. I love this one!

Lipbalm

4 to 5 Tbsp almond oil

1 Tbsp beeswax

2 tsp honey

20 drops peppermint essential oil

over a double boiler, melt beeswax, oil and honey together. Once melted, remove from heat and add the essential oil. Pour into containers (small pill cases or contact lense cases are great containers).

Oatmeal Cleanser/Scrub (this recipe comes from Ginger Garrett's book BEAUTY SECRETS OF THE BIBLE)

1 cup oats

1 cup powdered milk

3 Tbsp ground flax seeds (optional)

blend oats and powdered milk (and flax seeds, if desired) in a blender to a fine powder. Store in a container. To use, work into a paste and apply to a damp face. Wash and rinse. Oats are gentle and milk has lactic acid to fight aging.

Cracked Heel Cream for Feet (I've adapted this from Ginger Garrett's book also)

approx. 1/2 cup coconut oil

approx. 4 Tbsp honey

approx. 3 Tbsp beeswax

approx. 10 drops peppermint essential oil

these measurements are approximate because I wing it and make this to the consistency that looks good to me

melt all except essential oil in double boiler. Pour into container and stir in essential oil. This will stay at a solid below 76 degrees and a liquid over 76 degrees (that is just the nature of coconut oil). Apply to feel and heels after a shower/bath and put on a pair of socks until cream soaks into feet. THIS WORKS!!

Sugar Scrub

1 cup granulated sugar

approx. 10 drops favorite essential oil

enough almond oil to moisten to your desired consistency

combine all and put into container

Bath Salts

1 cup epsom salt

1 cup baking soda

approx. 15 drops favorite essential oil

combine all and put into container

Body Spritz

4 oz. distilled water

15 drops favorite essential oil

combine in a 4 oz. fine mist spray bottle and shake well before each use

Room Spray

same as above

Kitchen Counter Cleaner

same as above but use 50-50 distilled water and distilled white vinegar

Bathroom Deoderizer and Disinfectant

4 oz. distilled water as above

15 drops tea tree oil

combine as for Room Spray. Tea tree oil is an antibacterial, antifungal, disinfectant.

*PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO JOIN MY HELPFUL HINTS FOR DAILY LIVING BLOG PARTY HERE*

*ANOTHER* Helpful Hints for Daily Living POST

I hope you all will join me in a SECOND Helful Hints for Daily Living blog party. Thanks to Jan at Bobbypins and Boardwalk for playing along the first time. Here can see her wonderful helpful hint here. Don't be shy...I bet whatever your helpful hint is, it will help many others, too (which is the point of this blog party).

My helpful hint today has to do with bathroom mold. We have a very small bathroom and it stays pretty moist all of the time. It also has a heating vent in there and no window. So it is a perfect environment for bathroom mold to grow. This is very dangerous. So it came time for me to replace my shower curtain, shower curtain liner, bathmat, and towels. I am not an advocate for spending money on unnessecary things, but I had no choice. I have tried to put all these items in the hot water cycle in my washing machine a few times, but to no avail. Mold even transferred from the bottom of my bathmat to the grout in the tile floor! So I took this opportunity to redecorate in my favorite "shabby chic" style. Above are the photos of my redecorated and MOLD-FREE bathroom. Another good idea and money-saver is to repurpose and move around items in your home (i.e. pictures, baskets, accessories, shelving, etc.) to accomplish your "look". Have fun! You can add your link below and please link back to my blog so others can benefit from all the helpful hints, too. Thanks for playing along!

Winter Pastels Crocheted Scarf Set

This is my Mom's Christmas present ... crocheted two-toned scarf with flower pin and a fun ring. I really enjoyed making this because I love these colors! The pattern for the scarf is on the Lion Brand website and for the flower, I think I just googled "free crocheted flower patterns" (sorry, I don't remember the website). The ring is one of my designs using a store bought adjustable band that has pre-made holes in it to feed beads through. Let me know if anyone is interested in a tutorial to make the ring. PLEASE DON'T FORGET to join my HELPFUL HINTS FOR DAILY LIVING Blog Party here. The party will be going on all weekend!

**NEW** Weekly HELPFUL HINTS FOR DAILY LIVING Blog Party

I wanted to start up a weekly blog post party called HELPFUL HINTS FOR DAILY LIVING. There will not be a set day in which I will post this because of my uncertain schedule each week. The purpose of the post is to share "helpful hints" with each other. I've set up a MckLinky list for everyone to link to their "helpful hint" post on their blog. The sky is the limit! Just link back to my blog so your followers can play along, too. We all need all the "helpful hints" we can get in our daily living. So, without further adieu, I wanted to give you my first HELPFUL HINT.

photo courtesy of Amazon.com

Whenever I bake, I try to buy the highest percentage of cacao in my baking chocolate. I found 100% cacao today at Walmart. I have NEVER seen 100% before and never knew it existed. We all know the great antioxidant benefits pure chocolate gives us. Just stick to or below the serving size because of the saturated fat content. *This is considered a special treat, so go lightly* I hope this helps any of you that loves chocolate (which is ALL OF US, right?!); and I hope you'll want to play along because I'd love to read about what helps you in your day-to-day living.

VINTAGE THINGIES THURSDAY!!

old coffee grinder

"Mr. Peanut" snack dish set

When my in-laws downsized, we acquired these two really neat items. I never knew the "Mr. Peanut" dishes existed until I first saw them. Aren't they cute? The little dishes are the perfect portion size for one serving. The old coffee grinder sits on my kitchen counter. I should really try to use it one day. I collect old kitchen utensils, so this is a wonderful addition to my collection. I feel more VTT items coming on in the future when I'll share more of my collection with you! Visit Suzanne at coloradolady and see the awesome vintage items there!

WHITE WEDNESDAY!

Happy White Wednesday! Join us over at Faded Charm for some fun! My white item this week is a shawl I sewed up with some gold beaded fringe. I think the fabric is polyester?? I can't remember, but it doesn't wrinkle so I love it. I wear this with the same dress a couple times a year. I first wore the dress on my honeymoon, and now I wear it for Easter and Mother's Day. It's kind of my "go to" dress and this shawl goes with everything, too! I'm sorry I don't have a picture of the dress to show you, but it kind of looks like this in roses and pinks. Photo is courtesy of Photobucket.

BRAGFEST!

Jan at Bobbypins Boardwalk is having a Boardwalk "Bragfest". Check it out! You can enter, too! I'm trying to get the word out about the benefits of homemade beauty products and you can see my "Bragfest" post here. Thanks for joining in the fun--And be sure to comment on this post to get my recipes for any of the homemade beauty items...and start your natural beauty routine today!

GIVEAWAY at TEA ROSE HOME

Tea Rose Home is having a "Thanksgiving" giveaway .... this is not your traditional giveaway, so be sure to check it out here. The prizes are AWESOME! She is so talental and has tutorials on her blog you will love!

Flower & Vines Crocheted Necklace

I L*O*V*E this necklace!! I found the pattern at www.allfreecrafts.com. The only adaptations I made was beading the center of the flower instead of adding the button detain the pattern called for; I also changed the color of the vine from a sage green to a shimmery aqua. This was really quick to crochet....a GREAT Christmas present to "whip" up for all the ladies on your list--just simply change up the colors to make each one unique!

Snuggly Scarves

This is a scarf I made for my mother-in-law for Christmas...it came out so good (I thought so, anyway :) ), that I'm going to make my mom one also in another color combo--I'm really liking this linen/white color combo, though

Detail of flower pin to attach to the scarf with jeweled center

wool scalloped cowl I crocheted with a felted flower pin (I think I'm keeping this one for myself :) )

faux suede ruffled scarf I crocheted (I'm keeping this one, too!)

chenille ruffled scarf I crocheted (and YES! I'm keeping this one, too)...I don't know if it's the cool weather, the beautiful scarf fashions this season, or just my selfishness; but I'm wanting to keep ALL of these!!

These crochet up so fast that I'm justifying it by thinking I can just "whip" one up for a gift if I decide I want to keep all of these. You can search the Lion Brand yarn website for "scarves" and you'll see all these great patterns, too. www.lionbrand.com Happy Crocheting!

My VERY FIRST Blog Award Nomination!

Wow! I'm so honored to be nominated for the KREATIV BLOGGER Award by Maureen at The Green Suitcase. Thanks, Maureen!! I've learned so much about Maureen by reading her blog and enjoy her blog very much. I encourage you to visit her. So, I'm supposed to list 7 things that you may not know about me...and this is so hard because I feel like I'm an open book on my blog! So, here goes....
1. I'm originally from NY and grew up in NJ
2. I am from a HUGE Italian family
3. I love to read historical novels--especially those about people in the Bible
4. My favorite movie is ONE NIGHT WITH THE KING
5. I'm a YouTube junkie
6. I would have loved to live as a pioneer lady (like Caroline Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie :) )
7. I would love to have a little lap dog, but I just don't have the time to devote to one right now.

So now, I would like to nominate 7 Kreative Blogs for this same award. They are:
1. Mommy's Kitchen
2. Paintings That Fly
3. Sleeping Dog Bakery
4. The Student Knitter
5. Just Add Glitter & Stir
6. Shardon Exclusives
7. Neon Southern Lady

These are the guidelines for those of you whom I nominated, if you'd like to play along:
1. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
2. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
3. Name 7 things about yourself that people may not know.
4. Nominate 7 Kreative Blogs.
5. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
6. Leave a comment on each.

Thank you AND congrats to all those nominated!

VINTAGE THINGIES THURSDAY!

Visit Suzanne at coloradolady for awesome vintage goodies for VINTAGE THINGIES THURSDAY. These are two prints, in what I think are the original frames, that my mother-in-law gave us. These were in my husband's childhood home so I know they are at least 30 years old. Does anyone have any info on how old these may be??? I just thought they were cute and since I have a boy and a girl, they mean a lot to me (as well as being passed down from my husband's family). Happy VTT!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds & Soynuts

soak soybeans and pumpkin seeds for 4 hours

drain and rinse

spread in a thin layer on a cookie sheet and spray with extra virgin olive oil spray; roast 400 degrees for 25 minutes, stirring frequently

season with sea salt and enjoy!

WHITE WEDNESDAY

Today is WHITE WEDNESDAY over at Faded Charm. Go check out all the beautiful "whites" over there! This is my contribution to WHITE WEDNESDAY today. I purchased this vintage looking frame and built a composition of green satin fabric under a white oval piece of paper I trimmed in decorative scrapbooking scissors, then arranged some dried flowers from my garden. I hope you like it....don't forget to visit the blogs listed on Faded Charm's list for WHITE WEDNESDAY.

GIVEAWAY at THE STUDENT KNITTER

The Student Knitter is having a 100th Post Giveaway! She's sending one person lots and lots (about one sweater's worth) of yarn. Check it out here!

Sea Glass on a Rainy Day

Today is such a rainy day. I got in the mood to finally make some jewelry--something I haven't done in a while. I thought these "sea glass" pieces evoked a feeling of standing on the jetty at the beach on a foggy, cool morning overlooking the foaming waves breaking at the shore.

FRIDAY'S FAMOUS FAVORITES!

front porch rocking chairs

terrace overlooking the main street

cozy nook with Tiffany style lamps

Arts and Crafts style interior

I'm so pleased to announce this week's FRIDAY'S FAMOUS FAVORITE library is my library!! I'm not going to feature a children's book this week because I wanted to dedicate my post to the library I work at. I love working at the Woodstock Public Library...it is such a pleasant atmosphere and the people I work with are wonderful. The photos are courtesy of www.closetohomeincherokee.com. Just imagine yourself entering a quiet little nook, settling in front of the fireplace with the day's newspaper, looking out over the front porch. It's really a treat to be able to work and use this library!

Fancy Magnetic Chalkboard

tin tray from Goodwill for $.88 cents, magnetic primer $20/qt, chalkboard spray paint $4, and red gloss spray paint $3, disposable sponge brushes $2

tah-dah! I had to go light on the chalk just now because the paint needs to dry for 24 hours before you can write on it.

detail of red-painted handles and vintage button magnets (just add hot glue to magnetic tape and attach to buton)

I'm so excited about his magnetic chalkboard message center for my kitchen. I still have plenty of paint left over for other projects (any ideas??). I know my family will have fun leaving messages for each other!

Homemade Vanilla Extract

8 oz. vodka to 3 vanilla beans

store in a cool, dark place for 2 months; shaking regularly

I found out how easy it was to make my own pure vanilla extract! You can see the recipe here. I pay over $3.00 for 2 oz of pure vanilla extract.
I just made 16 oz for $15.00. That's a savings of $33.00!! I found Madagascar vanilla beans at Walmart on sale--4 beans for $8.00. I don't know if that's a good price for vanilla beans, but at a savings of $33.00 I couldn't go wrong.

VINTAGE THINGIES THURSDAY!

old books and bookends...the bookends are ceramic and were painted brown, but I spraypainted them with a crackled brushed gold

I stenciled a little "something" on the cover of this book -- but only before I realized the copyright date on this is 1937!! Ahhhh! Oh well, I like it anyway!

title page of the 1937 book I bought at a Georgia State University book sale when I was in college there 19 years ago.

A 1967 Readers Digest anthology of fairy tales

title page of the Readers Digest book I purchased for only $.25 cents at a library book sale

Please visit coloradolady and visit all the other great VTT posts!

Ghirardelli Grand Fudge Cake

You're thinking "If you try one chocolate cake recipe, you've tried them all"., right? This one is probably the BEST chocolate cake I've ever made. Here is the recipe:

2 C flour (I used whole wheat)
3/4 C Ghirardelli Unsweetened Cocoa
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 C butter, softened (I used 1/2 C melted butter & 1/2 C homemade plain yogurt)
1 3/4 C sugar (I used honey granules)
2 t vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/3 C milk (I used 2%)

Combine all ingredients and put in 9x13 pan or two 9" round pans for 30-35 minutes in a 350 degree oven. The recipe calls for a Ghirardelli Buttercream Frosting which I didn't do, but I bet it would be "out-of-this-world"! The recipe for the frosting is to combine 6 T softened butter, 2 2/3 C confectioners' sugar, 1/2 C Ghirardelli Unsweetened Cocoa, 1/3 C milk & 1/2 t vanilla extract. Visit http://www.ghirardelli.com/ for more recipe suggestions. Enjoy with a big glass of milk!

FRIDAY'S FAMOUS FAVORITE!

This week's FRIDAY'S FAMOUS FAVORITE library is the Midland Public Library in Ontario, Canada. Isn't this the coolest building!? Right now they are having their 30th anniversary of the International Festival of Authors. Here is the link to the library's website:

http://www.midlandlibrary.com/ Right now the temperature in Ontario is 2 degrees Celcius! So with that said, let's look at a nice cozy book below! Oma's Quilt by Paulette Bourgeois and illustrated by Stephane Jorisch is today's FRIDAY'S FAMOUS FAVORITE children's book. My kids call one of their grandmas "Oma" since my husband's side of the family is German....and she makes quilts! How cool is that!? This book tells a cross-generational tale from a child's viewpoint. So snuggle up with a good book today and warm cozy quilt!

VINTAGE THINGIES THURSDAY!

Happy VINTAGE THINGIES THURSDAY everyone! Thanks to Suzanne at coloradolady for hosting. Be sure to visit her blog--there is so many vintage goodies there today! My vintage item this Thursday is a handmade full size quilt done by one of my husband's friends. The quilt itself was made in 2001, but the fabrics are all vintage fabrics and I LOVE IT!! The artist/quilter titled the quilt "Joseph's Coat" after the story of Joseph in the Bible. From what I can tell, the quilt is all hand done (except maybe for the piecing and straight border)--it looks like all the quilting and scalloped-edged border is hand done! What work! This quilt keeps us very warm now during the cold snap we've been having! Enjoy your vintage Thursday!

Fall Foliage for FREE!

If you look around your yard, you'll find PLENTY of FREE fall foliage to make an autumn/winter arrangement...

Get a container big enough to hold a mason jar (this will allow you to make a BIG statement with few foliage)...

Arrange your foliage in "like" groupings...here I have muscadine vines, holly branches, monkey grass, dried echinacea, and bittersweet berries...

This makes a beautiful arrangement for NO COST. With a little scrap ribbon, you can make a bow if you'd like. I bent my vines in a horseshow shape and fastened with a rubber band to keep in place (zoom in for a closer look). This arrangement is "seasonal" enough for fall and winter.

And the WINNERS of the spa GIVEAWAY are....

Thanks to everyone who responded to my GIVEAWAY!! I am so excited that many of you subscribed to my YouTube channel--an overwhelming response! So, I hope you will stay tuned to the channel and my prayer is that it will be beneficial to all of you. Now for the 2 WINNERS!....

• PonderandStitch, and
• daylily777

Congrats! A very luxurious Molto di Moda Homemade spa package is on the way to each of you! Please email me your mailing information and it will be on its way to you. I pray you will use it in good health!

FRIDAY'S FAMOUS FAVORITE!

This week's FRIDAY'S FAMOUS FAVORITE library is the Hill-Freeman Library on the campus of my alma mater, Reinhardt College in Waleska, GA. I have so many memories of my years at Reinhardt and spent many hours looking over business journals, preparing overhead transparencies for presentations, researching literary journals and just plain hanging out. I remember how the library is nestled in the trees and when you sat up on the second floor, it was like you were in a tree house.

This week's FRIDAY'S FAMOUS children's book is The Tree Farmer by Chuck Leavell (long time keyboardist for the Rolling Stones, also a tree farmer) and Nicholas Cravotta; illustrated by Rebecca Bleau. The story is about a grandfather who takes his grandchild on a journey through the woods of his tree farm, and the trees become imaginary objects. The book stresses the importance of trees in our lives (for example, the trees turn into baby cribs, musical instruments, etc.).

DON'T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL OR POST A LINK TO ONE OF MY VIDEOS FOR MY TWO GIVEAWAY DRAWINGS TODAY AT 3PM FOR SOME SPA GOODIES! WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/MOLTODIMODA

VINTAGE THINGIES THURSDAY!

31-year-old candles still wrapped up and not even melted!

bottom is labeled "Holiday Aglow" 1978 "made in British Hong Kong"

also still wrapped and in mint condition!

This one labeled "Holiday Elegance" I guess because of the gold foiling on the candle

I found these candles at Goodwill yesterday for $2.92 each. I couldn't believe the wonderful condition they were in! In 31 years, they never even melted! I guess the collector/owner kept these in a cool dry place because there is no sign of mold or discoloration. I love the faces and Christmas scenes on these candles. I'm going to have to display them in a special place this year--but I don't know if I'll even unwrap them!? Please visit coloradolady and see all vintage goodies happening there today!

WHITE WEDNESDAY

Today is WHITE WEDNESDAY over at Faded Charm. She has some beautiful things to show you over there, so don't forget to visit! I'm thinking "out-of-the-box" today for my WHITE WEDNESDAY entry. These are our white karate uniforms. Everyone has a white uniform, but in martial arts each person get a color belt; and each belt symbolizes a point in their journey to black belt. These pictures were taken over a year ago when I didn't have a uniform yet because I was only a "white belt". Now I'm a green belt (about 1/2 way to black). I'm in a class full of kids and teenagers, but I love it. I lost 25 pounds doing Tang Soo Do and have managed to keep it off by going to class weekly. It has also sharpened my mind and pushes me physically. If all goes as planned, my black belt will be a great 40th birthday present!!

REMINDER! Only 3 Days Left!

Just a reminder to all my blogging friends....I want to give away 2 spa packages! You can view the original post here. The drawing will be this Friday the 16th at 3PM. All you have to do is link to one of my YouTube videos in a post on your blog OR become a subscriber to my YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/moltodimoda) to learn all about ways to live a natural lifestyle. You can view the prizes and details here. I wish everyone the best!

Apple Picking

My parents took our kids to the Apple Festival yesterday. They had fun picking out these apples for us. I wish I had taken a picture of the 2 HUGE apples they picked, but I cut those up and put them in the dehydrator to make dried apples (the two HUGE apples took up 4 TRAYS!)

Are you a LIFEGIVER?

Kathy Troccoli signing books and CD's (don't pay attention to the date on my camera!)

Kathy Troccoli singing and praising

It was like a concert here at church!

Last night I had the pleasure of meeting gospel singer and author Kathy Troccoli; and author and speaker Tammy Maltby at our church in Atlanta. It was our first Women's Ministry get-together under the directorship of Lisa Ryan (2 time Ms. California winner). It was such an exciting night. The theme and vision for the ministry is "lifegiving". As women, we tend to be so competitive with each other...comparing ourselves with one another, whether it be with our talents and abilities or physical appearance. So instead, we are encouraged by John 10:10 to be "lifegivers" to one another as women! What an inspiring group of women to be around! So step in....get into someone's face (like Tammy says)...don't wait until someone asks for your help and encouragement...do it now! Be a "lifegiver"!

VINTAGE THINGIES THURSDAY!

Today is VINTAGE THINGIES THURSDAY over at coloradolady. There's always such great things to see over there so hop on over. This is a lusterware tea set that was a wedding gift to my husband's grandparents. I love the luster and how delicate it is. The Japanese mark is on the bottom. This is probably my very favorite tea set out of my entire collection. Enjoy! And don't forget to enter my giveaway here!

It's Time for Another GIVEAWAY!!

I have a closet-ful of all kinds of spa goodies left over from my Fall Open House....so I'd like to do a GIVEAWAY! This time, I'd like to promote my YouTube channel. I want to make it easy for everyone to participate in this GIVEAWAY, so all you have to do is either post one of my videos and/or video link on your blog OR subscribe to my YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/moltodimoda) . Let me know that you've done either one of these in the Comment Section below (please include the link to your post with my video and/or link on it OR just simply let me know you're going to subscribe to my channel and I'll check it out in my YouTube account). I will then compile all the names of those who have done this by OCTOBER 16, 2009. TWO people will win a bunch of spa goodies! Best of luck and THANK YOU!!

WHITE WEDNESDAY!

round candlewicked table cover handmade by a family friend; my mom acquired this and passed it down to me

rectangular embroidered tablecloth my mother-in-law did when she was 16 years old (1963-1964)

Today is White Wednesday over at Faded Charm. Hop over and see all the cool white objects for show! My White Wednesday items are two table covers that are hand-done by family and friends.

Fall Open House

We had a great time getting to know new people and seeing old friends at the Fall Open House last night. My sister worked hard to pull off organizing two levels of vendors all by herself! This is my booth which my daughter and I worked. I sold my jams and jellies and also my spa products. I sold more spa products than anything. I am thrilled that more people are concerned with healthy living these days and choosing all natural products. I am trying to expand this one step further and educate others in how to make these products for themselves. My heart is heavy for women who desire to live a more natural lifestyle, but don't know how to go about it...people were asking me last night to make some more Lavender Body Spritz for them. So I asked, "would you like to learn how to make it yourself"?? I got a funny look, kind of in shock that I didn't want the sale. But in the end they were very interested once they found out how cost-effective and all natural it is to make it. If any of you bloggers are interested in knowing about this in more detail, let me know. If you live in my area, I would love to speak to you and/or your group or organization to show you the great health benefits and processes of making these products for yourself.

FRIDAY'S FAMOUS FAVORITES!

This week's FRIDAY'S FAMOUS FAVORITE library is the Saraswathi Mahal Library in Thanjavur, India. This library dates back to the end of the 16th century. It is one of the few medieval libraries existing today in the world. The library contains a rare and valuable collection of manuscripts, books, maps and paintings. Just imagine being amongst the poets and kings of that time period reading from ancient writings on palm leaves!

This week's FRIDAY'S FAMOUS FAVORITE children's book is Mirette on the High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully. This story is set in 19th century Paris where Mirette's mother owns a boarding house. Mirette convinces one of the boarders to teach her his craft, which is high wire walking. There is a surprise when she discovers that her new friend is none other than the "Great Bellini". This book won the 1993 Caldecot Medal. The illustrator's rendering of light and shadow are wonderful in this book. Check it out!