Busy Weekend

Wow what a weekend! I know it's Tuesday but today is my Monday! I took a extra day this weekend so that I could have a three day weekend. I wanted some much needed "Me" time. So yesterday I just spent at home accomplishing things on my to do list. I had numerous little decorating projects that had been calling for me to tackle but just finding the time to do them was unreal.

Anyway, let me backtrack. Friday when I got off from work, Michael and I went out to dinner with some friends and got AUCE Maryland crabs, king crab legs, and steamed shrimp. Can you say YUM! It was so good. We try to go there at least once a year and it was so worth it this time. We all enjoyed it so much. The evening was perfect as the temps have been somewhat cooler for this time of year. Outside it was a light sweater night. PERFECT!

On Saturday morning, we headed out to some yard sales, but really didn't find much. We eventually wondered over to a auction. What a auction it was for me. NOt that I got alot of great things, (although I did get a few things that were on my mental list of decorating helps!) :) But what I got was in great condition and old. The estate being sold off was from a 90 year old woman who passed away in February. She had oodles and oodles of stuff. I came home with one hugh box of cookbooks. Yes I know, I must be crazy, but these are so much fun. She has little notes wrote the margins, and tons of newspaper cutouts from years ago. In the collection as well was several scrapbooks of what our area looked like in the early 1900's. Amazing! Did I say a TON? These were pulled out of a pile of junk that Michael bought for $1.

What else can I tell you about.... I also got a 12 placesetting of Christmas dishes for $2. I think they are very pretty and I do like them, just not sure yet how I will use them because I tend to decorate a little more country than most. But might just have to decorate using them this year.

I took a picture off of all my goodies after we unloaded it into the garage, but haven't uploaded the pictures from the camera. Maybe I can do that tonight.

Sunday I spent at home basically playing catch up from the last week and the auction day. Saturday we also went to the grocery store but when I got home was to tired to put the stuff away, only the cold got taken care of....so I had all that to put away, cleaned out the fridge, unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher, washed new glassware from the auction, did laundry(washed, dryed, folded and put away), helped Michael in the yard with a new shed, and all those things that we have to stop for because we get sidetracked. I don't know if you ever do that, but I certainly do. I am constantly starting something just to get sidetracked and reminded whilst I am working on one thing that I need to do this or that and then I scoot along to something else, not completely finishing up what I started. :) For me it is best if I stick to list. I have a hard time staying focused when I am in the house working on decorating.

Yesterday was spent working on my little list of projects. I've had a increasing list of items that I have wanted to update with some black spray paint, so I finally got that taken care of. That was a great feeling, and a load off my shoulders, I had also picked up some lovely little prints at a yard sale weeks ago, but HATED the frames they were in, so I painted them black and distressed them weeks ago, but never got them hung. Well I did yesterday too. Love them! Now I am thinking that I have several more old frames that I don't like the look of, that I most likely will paint too. I went through six cans of spray paint yesterday and still didn't have enough of the projects that I did. I need at least a few more. I have a metal lamp that I want to spray so that it matches the rest of the a lamps in my family room. So most likely I will be working on that this weekend.

I will try to post some of finished projects soon. Believe me there are many.

Yesterday I decided to start a sourdough bread starter. Michael loves sourdough bread so thought this would be a good way to keep in him the dough. :) Keep your fingers crossed it turns out.

Well ladies, I need to scoot, have a blessed Tuesday!
Hugs!

Today is just one of those days

when you don't want to do anything, but be at home.  I ask Michael last night if we could just stay home this morning instead of getting out.  So few Saturday mornings we stay home, because we normally get out to go to yard sales or such in the summer time.  But all week I have been thinking about staying home and getting caught up on getting some computer stuff done and just relaxing.  Actually going to read some more of my book in a little bit.

I have added a whole batch of new links here this morning that I have been collecting for weeks now I have been finding some new places that I just love.  Several are very inspirational for home decorating and I can just sit  and gaze at the pictures for what seems like hours. Kinda like I do my country magazines. Which I need to go through and dispose of some, and organize the others.  That has been on my to do list for awhile.  I might actually do it tonight while watching tv. 

While I sitting here this morning and cruising the net I found many things that I would love to do....but when I saw this I new I needed to do these things first, so that I will not forget what it is I would like to do.    First, I think I need to create myself a mood board.  Do you know what a mood board is?  It is a board that you simple put all your loves on.  There are several at Decor 8. As well as create myself a decorating binder.  See this is the kind of things I do when I have time.  I get creative and want to do things.  Guess I could carry this binder a little further and make it my "dream home binder".  How fun is that? 

Well I have been at this computer for awhile now and my phone keeps ringing so think I am going to close it.  Hope you have a wonderful day!

You Know your a Homemaking Dork When

I just have to post this because as of late this is so me. Are you a homemaking Dork?

Content taken from my google reader, original post make at A Rose in Mary's Garden

You think to yourself, " I wonder if there is a printable spreadsheet of laundry stains and how to remove them that I could print and laminate to put by the washing machine."And then your next thought is..." I should totally make one, I'll put it on my to-do list."
Your husband says to you "Well no one actually reads those books, there just to have as a reference, You look something up in the index when you need it", and you think "I really enjoyed that book."
Your two favorite books are: "Home Comforts, The Art & Science of Keeping House" by Cheryl Mendelson, and "Homemaking" by J.R. Miller.
You lay awake at night and think of ways to rearrange your pantry for optimal storage capacity and usability.
You use words like "optimal storage capacity".
You keep a spreadsheet of grocery prices.
You carry a three-ring binder with you when you grocery shop that contains the above spreadsheet.
You actually have a software program on your computer with all of the grocery items listed with their prices that generates a shopping list that tells you exactly what you will spend at the store.
Life without schedules, spreadsheets, notebooks, and charts sounds utterly terrifying.
There's no place you'd rather be than in your home, caring for your husband and children!

The Making of a Homemaker

This morning while surfing the net, I found a interesting article called The Making of a Homemaker. The below excert was taken from the site. Lately I have been extremely interested in the old ways of homemaking. I find myself searching for any books or information that I can find. If you enjoy this kind of information then I hope you will enjoy this article too.

Sustaining a home and healthy family was a full time job for middle class women in late nineteenth century America. Daniel Wise articulated the popular sentiment when he proclaimed, "Home is woman's world, as well as her empire".1 Cooking, cleaning, and child rearing were seen as women's work. To some, "Comfort for her family is provided even at the expense of many an exhausted nerve, and an aching heart".2 How did they handle the daunting work without the aid of microwave ovens, vacuum cleaners and carpools? Wealthier women might rely on servants while other matrons bore the brunt of work themselves. However, to almost all, a comprehensive domestic guidebook could be indispensable.

These books were primarily aimed at the middle and upper class female, who saw keeping a healthy and happy home her role in life. Not only did they detail the day-to-day activities of a homemaker, but also prescribed the appropriate moral and religious outlooks. Titles such as The Skillful Housewife's Book: or Complete Guide to Domestic Cookery, Taste, Comfort and Economy allude to the detailed contents.

Like many books of the time, these works often have illustrations, colored plates and highly decorative covers. From Civil War history to needlepoint, they contained a wealth of information and were widely available. Catharine Beecher became perhaps the best-known author. Sister to Harriet Beecher Stowe, Catharine published nearly a half dozen works on the home. However, many men as well as women authored these types of books.

Main topics of any volume might include cooking, and would contain a deep index of vegetable uses, recipes, and menu suggestions. The Housekeeper's Guide, of Smith and Swinney, boasts to contain over "Five Hundred New and Valuable Recipes". Often, handbooks would detail everything from butchering techniques to how to distill your own alcohol. Those eager to seem sophisticated could even learn "French Names of Dishes Used in Menus" from the editors of Home Dissertations. Setting an elaborate table, laden with china, stemware, glassware and silverware, was also well defined by handbooks. On the other hand, women could also learn how to make provisions for families on a budget.

However, the best-set table in the world would not make a successful dinner party; therefore, manners were much-discussed topics. Chapters such as "Table Talk" detailed appropriate dinner conversations. Hill's Manual of Social and Business Forms contained sections on the "Unclassified Laws of Etiquette" as well as "Etiquette Among Neighbors". Etiquette would also determine the proper place of a woman in society. The Woman's Book described acceptable organizations and charity work in its chapter "Woman's Opportunities in Town and Country".
With chapters dedicated to home remedies and caring for the invalid and elderly, a wife or mother would be well educated in nursing her family. Food for the sick might include "gruel of boiled flour" or "chicken jelly". Even lotions for leprosy can be found within these volumes. Raising children required just as much instruction. Domestic economy handbooks gave advice on maintaining the right combination of discipline and affection in child rearing. They also gave recommendations on diet, sleep and exercise for the little ones.

Cleaning and caring for the house took most of a middle class Victorian woman's time. Consequently, time saving tips and articles on the most effective housekeeping methods were detailed in domestic economy handbooks. Whether she needed to remove resin from silk or concoct a fine polishing powder for optical lenses, The Housekeeper's Guide had a solution. Five Thousand Receipts in all Useful and Domestic Arts even details metallurgy for the home. And since a lovely garden was often a sign of a well kept home, women could also read up on cultivation techniques and how to display their lovely blooms. Ladies even kept up to date with architectural trends and costs through chapters in their handy housekeeping guides.

The typical Victorian woman enjoyed decorating herself and her home as a popular hobby. Consequently, masses of articles are dedicated to fabrics, chandeliers and interior design ideas. If the reader found herself with a spare moment, she could learn a new needlepoint pattern or fashion a lovely table caddy for baby's room. As styles changed during the Victorian period, the most current trends in stitching patterns and adornments would appear in books and periodicals.

The great depth of information contained in these Victorian era handbooks signifies not only the elaborate households of the era, but the amount of knowledge women were expected to obtain. Though restricted outside of her domestic sphere, within it she was brilliant. The books helped in "preserving serenity of mind amid the trials of domestic life".3 These volumes present not only interesting documents of women's history, but also help us to observe changes in America's domestic customs and traditions over the past few hundred years. The handbooks of the late nineteenth century also leave behind a great legacy in domestic economy guides, from Good Housekeeping to Martha Stewart.

The Smithsonian Institution Libraries hold many of these works from throughout the nineteenth century. The libraries also hold a variety of periodicals written for women during this time, including Godey's Lady's Book and Harper's Bazaar. This online presentation incorporates many examples from SIL, housed in both general and special collections.

1Daniel Wise, The Young Ladies Counsellor: Or, Outlines and Illustrations of the Sphere, the Duties, and Dangers of Young Women. New York : Carlton and Porter, 1855. pg. 45.2Abell, Mrs. L.G. Woman in her various relations.. New York: R.T. Young, 1853. pg. 9.3Abell, Mrs. L.G. Woman in her various relations. pg. 16.

Hugs!
Cindy

WELCOME and Time to get started!

To say that I am real happy with this layout is a understatement. I really wanted to have a three column blog so will have to work on that in time. Although I do like the look and feel of the colors of this one. But really wanted something that would reflect more of my home, but maybe in time this one will. For now this will work.

Most of the information you find here I just moved over from my "Life in the Details" blog, because I wanted a place to share more homemaking tips, information, and just my random thoughts about all aspects of the home life. I wanted to leave my other blog for more personal and day to day activities. It will take me a while to get this populated the way that I want but will continue to work on it as time allows.

I hope you will come back to visit me here. Sometimes it takes me time, with all the other "real" life things that I have going on but I will be back.

Hope to see you back here. Let me know you stopped by.

Blessings,

Cindy

New Blog

This is going to be my new Homemaking blog.