Trimming Our Farmhouse Christmas Tree

October 14, 2021by sweetsoutherngracesLeave a Comment

“This blog post is sponsored by Old Time Pottery and reflects my personal views and opinions on the products.”

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Trimming our Christmas trees has always been a favorite in our home! Yes, I did say trees. We have had up to seven Christmas trees in our home! I have always enjoyed Christmas!! From trimming the trees to our youngest placing the angel on top of our family tree to baking and decorating homemade gingerbread houses together. I love it all and I really want to create those special memories with my four daughters.

Shopping for Trees and

Trimming

One of my favorite places to shop for items to trim our trees with is Old Time Pottery! They also have so many different varities of trees to choose from as well, like my white Christmas tree! This year, they have a wonderful selection of farmhouse items like ribbon rolls, bows and wood ornaments!

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I was like a kid in a candy shop! I decided to use a couple different varieties of their wood snowflakes and joy ornaments .

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I thought instead of garland that I would use some of their Christmas grennery picks. I found these and thought they were perfect to give contrast to the white Christmas tree.

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I also wanted to grab three rolls of their black and white farmhouse ribbon rolls. It is so easy to trim with ribbon! Start at the top of your tree with your ribbon and go down the tree about two to four inches and pinch the ribbon, gathering with one of the branches. You can easily make your own ribbon topper by gathering and licking an entire roll of ribbon!

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Here I’m about half way through the roll of ribbon.

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Tie the end with jute twine! Now I just need to add it to my tree and fluff to my liking!

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I also grabbed three of their pillows that you can use from Christmas through February! Add them to the floor by your Christmas tree, where it can be the perfect spot for curling up and drinking hot cocoa! Head on over to our IG and you can see a full video of the trimmings of the tree!

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I hope ya’ll have enjoyed trimming your tree with me, this holiday season! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out! On behalf of Old Time Pottery and our family, we hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season!

❤️~Shae

Travel

THE BILTMORE AT CHRISTMAS

December 16, 2020April 16, 2021by sweetsoutherngraces2 Comments

We all dream of that perfect holiday season. The one filled with family togetherness, Christmas trees with lights, homemade hot cocoa and Christmas movies. Often times, the reality of the Christmas holidays can bring on endless busyness. I believe that in order to fully appreciate the holidays, taking a family Christmas vacation can really help set our sights, in perspective of a truly beautiful family holiday. This helps us to step away from the day-to-day and set it in another light.

Christmas at the Biltmore

The weekend after my fourthieth birthday, we packed the car and had our eyes set for the stunning Asheville, North Carolina, the backdrop of George Vanderbilt’s famous estate.

This is the Biltmore’s 125 year of welcoming guests into the estate. The Biltmore begins decorating in November with more than 60 Christmas trees, 13,000 ornaments, thousands of lights, beautiful poinsettias and ribbons all adorn the majestic estate.

On the front lawn of the Biltmore House, a breathtaking, 55-foot-tall Norway spruce with 45,000 plus lights and is lit for the candlelight evenings.

In the Banquet Hall of the Biltmore House, a 35-foot Fraser fir Christmas tree is brought in by 50 helpers! It is even replaced mid holiday season to ensure a fresh tree. The replacement tree arrives to the house by 4 AM and decorated by the time the first guests arrive by 9 AM. The tree is decorated with 500 ornament, 500 lights and 500 packages, as George Vanderbilt decorated the tree.

History of Christmas at the Biltmore

George Vanderbilt and his wife, Edith along with their daughter, Cornelia, spent many Christmases together in the Biltmore House, creating many traditions that continue today. George Vanderbilt’s descendant s, the Cecil family, now the estate’s owners and caretakers, host the annual employee holiday party, just like the Vanderbilt’s did. The Vanderbilt’s also made sure that each employee’s child had a Christmas gift and the Cecil family continues this tradition today. Records even show that Edith Vanderbilt kept notes on what gift each child received every year to avoid repeating gift in the years to follow. The lists still exist, as well as receipts from FAO Schwartz detailing some of the toys and games she purchased.

The Biltmore at Christmas

Throughout the house and other buildings on the estate, you will find 55 plus decorated Christmas trees, each created by Biltmore designers, all with different themes each year.

Every detail of the estate is covered in Christmas cheer and almost every room in the home has it’s own Christmas tree.

Not only is the home absolutely stunning with Christmas decor, the exquisite details of the estate will wow just about anyone!

From the medieval tapestries, some dating back to the 1500’s, the detailed wood prints, exquisite paintings, 70-foot ceilings to the 10,000 rare volume priceless library!

Estate Shops: Carriage House Shop

After touring the Biltmore House, we walked over to the Carriage House to find our keepsake ornament of the trip. We found many beautiful ornaments such as handpainted glass, wood and porcelain. We also picked up a book about the Biltmore and I have enjoyed reading the history of the Vanderbilts.

Estate Shops: Toymaker’s

My youngest daughter was jumping at the chance to head to the Toymaker’s toy shop! She chose a stuffed Cedric dog, which was the family dog of the Vanderbilts! I also picked up a couple pencils and a pen as souvineers.

Estate Shops: Confectionery

Why not induldge yourself with an array of treats at the Confectionery candy shop!

Our family chose several chocolate treats and they were worth waiting in line! From cookies to truffles, our family enjoyed grabbing a few of these before heading home!

TIPS FOR VISITING THE BILTMORE

I did not wear tennis shoes but I would definitely recommend it! Purchase your tickets before you go! Purchase an audio for your visit. Allow time to get park and ride the bus to the estate.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Biltmore is a stunning place! We loved Asheville and will definitely be back! We may even make it a yearly tradition!

Love, Shae

Decor

Styling a Full Length Mirror with Greenery and Florals

August 31, 2020April 16, 2021by sweetsoutherngracesLeave a Comment

It’s always fun when I challenge myself with Thrift Store Challenge. The rules are that I have to find an item from a thrift store, garage sale, estate sale, flea market or heck, even from the side of the road and share how I styled it in our homes!

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One of my favorite ways to fill a wall or add extra light to a space is through the use of mirrors as decoration! I love hunting for mirrors when I go browsing estate sales or on our local trade sites, but this time, I found a larger scale Kirklands mirror on Facebook Marketplace for $40. This mirror retails for $100 at Kirklands! Score!

I knew I wanted to place the mirror on my staircase landing, plus I decided to style my mirror with greenery and florals! I had the greenery on hand but purchase the Vintage Peonies from Amazon.

For the greenery, I used Frosted Eucalyptus Garland from Hobby Lobby. They are only $10 when on sale for 50% off! I used two of these.

I also used Eucalyptus Leaf Garland from Hobby Lobby. They are also only $10 each when they are on sale. I used two of each of these. I took one of each of the Frosted Eucalyptus Garland and one of the Eucalyptus Leaf Garland and intertwined those, then placed over the top of my mirror. I tucked a few pieces of the Frosted Eucalyptus Garland behind my mirror to help secure it. Then I used one thin nail to hammer into the wall. Next, I added the second set of combined Frosted Eucalyptus and the Eucalyptus Leaf Garland. I also tucked pieces of the Frosted Eucalyptus behind the mirror and I also sort of “hooked” on the second eucalyptus to the first eucalyptus pieces. You can also use mini command hooks to hook onto the mirror.

Next I grabbed my Vintage Peonies that I purchased from Amazon. I took apart all the Vintage Peonies and decided where I wanted to place them. I wanted to have several in the left hand corner as my focal point of the floral and greenery. I decided the best way to attach the flowers would be to add a tiny dab of hot glue to each flower and press in place until dry.

I have a video tutorial over on my IG. Check it out to see how it all came together! I hope y’all have enjoyed this tutorial!

❤️-Shae

Decor, DIY

Easy DIY Valentine Pillow

January 19, 2020April 16, 2021by sweetsoutherngraces2 Comments

Today is our monthly blog hop, challenging us to find an item from a thrift shop, estate sale, garage sale, rummage sale, yard sale, antique shop, Craigslist or FB Marketplace. Hosted by Tara from Stilettos And Shiplap and Emily from Le Cultivateur. Several months ago, I found 8 down pillow inserts on Facebook Marketplace for $10 and they all came from Pottery Barn! Retails for $18.00 each! Plus, they were machine wash and dry!

I think that pillows are the stuffed animals for adult women! HA!

A couple of months ago, I decided to make new pillows for our sectional sofa. The pillows that came with the couch were just not really my style. I definitely needed something more neutral. I immediately knew that canvas painter’s drop cloths would be the fabric that would be super affordable and durable with a large family! I already had a drop cloth on hand from Lowes that was around $12 from that project, so I decided to use it for this project. When I made the new pillows for the couch, I knew I could always accent those pillows with a few seasonal pillows.

I knew for my Valentine’s decor this year, that I wanted to make a few neutral decor pieces for my home. Painter’s canvas drop cloths is seriously my best friend. They are machine washable and dryer safe! I start off by washing my drop cloths to soften them up a bit. For the Valentine’s pillow, I just made a template for the xo and cut it out of paper. I then placed the paper template on top of the canvas drop cloth and traced around each letter with a pencil. Next step was to just cut out the x and the o.

For the pillow cover, I decided to do a invisible zipper but you could always do an envelope closure, as well. I basically used a pillow cover from the sofa pillows, as my pattern.

My pillow inserts were 18 inch squares so I decided to make 20 inch square pillow covers. Cut two of the same size square’s for your pillow cover. I basically layed my “pattern” onto the drop cloth and cut twice.

Pin the x and o onto one of your pillow covers.

Then sew the x and o onto the pillow cover. If your doing a zipper closure, with right sides together, sew in your invisible zipper.

Leave enough of your zipper unzipped to place your hand through to turn the pillow right side out, after you’ve sewn around all the edges. Next, sew all of your edges or seams. I left 1/4 allowance for seams.

Next, turn your pillow, right side out, by placing your hand through the zipper. Place your pillow insert into your pillow cover and your done! Pretty simple!

I hope you find our Thrift Store Hop inspirational! Please hop on over to the other ladies and see what they’ve found this month for our Thrift Store Challenge!

Love, Shae

Thrifted Treasure ~ January

https://throughavintagedoor.com/thrift-store-find-January/

Antique Hutch Makeover – January Thrift Store Challenge

https://barnhousemess.wordpress.com/2020/01/19/thrift-store-challenge-vintage-chest

https://wordpress.com/post/clochesandlavender.com/12411

Thrift Store Challenge – January, Pub Table Makeover

Vintage Desk Makeover – Painted Furniture

Decor

Inspiration for a Winter Home

January 8, 2020April 16, 2021by sweetsoutherngraces14 Comments

Today I was invited by my friend Terrie , for a January Challenge on giving our readers inspiration for warming up your home for winter. Challenge accepted! Styling my home for winter has definitely been a first for me, but I am enjoying how much warmer, my home feels!

I started by adding several small flocked trees that I purchased from Target this year. I believe the smaller ones were only $3 and the larger ones were $5. I love antique crocks and decided to add the flocked trees to my vintage crocks. Most of my crocks are from both of my grandmother’s homes. I also decided to keep out several different varieties of greenery, along with my candles. I added flocked greenery and lambs ear to my grapevine wreath that is hanging on my antique door. The door was found on facebook marketplace for $5 and originally painted brown. I stripped all the paint with Citristrip and was left with an antique milk paint base. I originally had the door in our master bedroom in the corner, but with January here, I was ready to start rearranging!

For the mantel, I wanted to leave my mirror and a couple different types of garland, along with a couple flocked trees. The mirror was purchased for $1 at a rummage sale and you can see how I transformed it, Here . I made all of my pillows from canvas drop cloths. I plan to have a blog out on how to make them, this month. My vintage ski “wreath” is another afternoon diy! Fun and budget friendly! Our family pup wanted to get cozy for this picture!

Another view of our living room, if you just want to keep it simple, just add greenery, flocked trees and throw pillows. I often find myself craving simplicity this time of year as well.

Thank you for joining us for our January Challenge! I hope you take the time to visit the other ladies and see how they have made their home feel cozy for winter!

❤️-Shae

https://decorateandmorewithtip.com/?p=24989&preview=true

https://olympicnest.com/blog/5-frugal-and-quick-winter-decor-ideas-cozy-diy-winter-decor

http://www.patinaandpaint.com/diy-challenge

http://www.thetaborhood.com/blog/warm-your-home-up-this-winter

https://cdscountryliving.com/5-ways-to-warm-cozy-up-your-home-for-winter/

https://clochesandlavender.com/

https://www.blessingsbyme.com/?p=4678

https://shadyoakandsassafras.com/?p=915

https://jessicabsimmons.com/

DIY

Painting Kitchen Cabinets

November 14, 2019November 14, 2019by sweetsoutherngraces3 Comments

If you have noticed the cost of all new kitchen cabinets, renovating your kitchen can be one of the most expensive projects when renovating your home. When deciding to turn our kitchen into our dream, we knew we would be on a budget. I did not have a set budget in mind, but let’s just say my budget goes a little something like this…as cheap as possible. You can see the full kitchen renovation blog Here . I knew I wanted to keep the cabinets because they were made of real wood. I chose white kitchen cabinets with light distressing. I also wanted to paint the inside of my cabinets as well. When we moved into our home, 5 years ago, the cabinets were painted a latex white on the outside but not painted on the inside. Below is the before photo of our kitchen, the day we purchased our home!

If you have followed along with me for awhile, you can see throughout my blog, my love for chalk paint. As durable and hardy that chalk paint is, I knew it would be a great choice for kitchen cabinets.

First things first, we removed all of our items from the inside of the cabinets.

Next, we began removing all hardware, doors and drawers.

I gave all of the cabinets a good wipe down with soap and water. Next, I mixed up my homemade chalk paint recipe. I always use Sherwin Williams brand paint. You can find that recipe here . I painted the inside of all the cabinets with one coat then lightly sanded and wiped with a damp cloth.

I repeated these steps until I had three coats of paint on the inside of all the cabinets.

The next item of agenda was to paint the outside of all of the cabinets with two coats of paint, with light sanding in between and a wipe down with a dampened cloth.

I only needed two coats of paint on the outside of the cabinets because my cabinets were already painted white before I began painting.

Next we painted the cabinet doors and drawers. We set up an assembly line in our garage. We used 2×4’s to lay the doors on to help make sure we didn’t get drips.

If you do come back and found that you’ve gotten a few drips, you can sand it down and paint over that spot. It’s not a big deal but does make a little more work for you. After the first side of the cabinet doors were painted with two coats of paint, light sanding in between and wiped down, I waited 24 hours before flipping over the the second side of the cabinet doors. The second side received the same treatment as the first side.

After finishing the cabinet doors, we moved on to the cabinet drawers. The inside of the drawers had never been painted, so they received three coats with light sanding in between and a good wipe down, after each coat. Next, we moved on to the outside of the cabinet drawers.

They received two coats of paint with light sanding and a wipe down in between coats.

At this point, I felt like I could finally begin to see the light 🙌🏼 It took us about two weeks for myself, the hubs and our two adult daughters, to all work on the cabinets! Much longer than I anticipated!

Here came the fun part! I wanted to go ahead and place all of the cabinet doors and drawers back on, so I could precisely decide where I wanted to distress. I used my orbital sander to lightly sand on the inside of the cabinets. Then I used 120 grit to sand all the edges of the cabinet doors and drawers, where it would naturally wear. I don’t like super heavy distressing but I would say this is light to medium distressing.

Before (The day we purchased our home.)

After (Current view with Christmas decor.)

We are absolutely loving how our cabinets and entire kitchen has turned out!! We absolutely get so much JOY from our home DIY renovations. I hope you have enjoyed reading and we hope to inspire you!

❤️-Shae

Recipes

Homemade Apple Pie

October 14, 2019October 14, 2019by sweetsoutherngraces12 Comments

Today is our blog hop for our monthly Clearance Challenge. The rules are it has to be more than 50% from a store of our choice & show how we can use the piece in our home. As I was browsing Home Goods for fall pillows a couple weeks ago, I like to start off in the clearance section because I am constantly looking for Rae Dunn pieces; when low and behold, I found a Rae Dunn pie dish!! I turned it over to see the cost and it was only $14.99! Score! It was 65% off!

One of my favorite fall traditions to do with my daughters is to make homemade apple pie. This is something I started with my oldest when she was really small and as soon as the weather turns chilly, we look forward to pie making day!

When I make apple pie, I like to use a couple different variety of apples. This year we used Gala & Granny Smith.

My oldest daughter and number 3 daughter peeled, sliced & cored the apples. They also mixed all of the filling as well! We have a handy apple peeler from The Pampered Chef that makes it super simple to get all your apples ready in basically one swipe!

My number 2 daughter and number 4 daughter helped me with mixing the pie crusts & rolling them out!

We made a total of 4 pies plus homemade apple cider to sip on while me baked our pies!

Now to choose how to decorate the top! Most of the time we do the lattice technique but the past couple of years we have been using a Pie Crust Cutter Set from Williams Sonoma.

Apple Pie

7 medium apples (Granny Smith and Gala), peeled, cored & sliced, zest of one lemon, 2 tsp of cinnamon, 1/8 tsp ground cloves, 1/2 c sugar & 1/2 c brown sugar. In large bowl, toss apples with all ingredients and set aside.

Crust

I use William Sonoma’s Basic Pie Crust recipe. The only thing I do different is add 2 more tbsp. of sugar.

Add your crust to your pie pan and poke holes in the crust with a fork. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 min. Take out and add your pie filling along with how you chose to decorate your top of your pie.

I will bake an additional 10-15 min but as soon as the top begins to brown, I add a tent shaped piece of foil to the top of the pie so it doesn’t brown to quickly. Now, try to be patient as you smell this delicious aroma of apple pie, fill your home! It is so good y’all! Do you have any baking traditions in your family?

Don’t forget to check out my friends on our blog hop to see what they have found on clearance and styled to perfection in their homes!

Love~Shae

Top Shelf Clearance Challenge ~ October

https://stilettosandshiplap.com/clearance-challenge:-it’s-amore/3784/

https://barnhousemess.wordpress.com/2019/10/13/clearance-store-challenge

Clearance Challenge – October 2019

Halloween Themed Mantel – October Clearance Challenge

DIY

Thanksgiving Tablescape

October 2, 2019October 2, 2019by sweetsoutherngraces21 Comments

Today I am joined by several of my friends, that happen to be bloggers as well, to share our Thanksgiving Tablescape’s with y’all! I would also like to thank our host Terrie, from Decorate & More with Tip. Rules: To decorate our table for Thanksgiving and one item needed to be a DIY! As I always say, challenge accepted!

I have had this idea in my head to make my own charges from a tree log, except I had to find a log that would be large enough for chargers. This moment unexpectedly presented itself when we had a storm pass through in our neighborhood, back in August. We have a 75 plus year old willow oak tree in our front yard. The wind had whipped up quite intensely and I actually thought the tree was falling on top of our house, but two of the larger limbs broke off from the tree and fell to the ground.

After the storm was over, one of my first thoughts was that we could make several chargers from one of the limbs.

The very next day, the first item on my husband’s agenda, without us even talking about it, was cutting eight chargers for our dining room table! My husband used his chainsaw to cut the chargers right off the fallen limb and voila, we had chargers!

This is from the top of our front porch. The limbs completely knocked down the power lines in the road as well. We also had a small amount of damage.

I have been letting the wood dry out in my basement before sealing. Wood usually needs to dry out for 3-4 months. I am planning to seal each charger with a clear coat to protect the wood for years to come!

For the items on my Thanksgiving Tablescape, I began each place setting with the chargers that we made, along with a Pioneer Woman White Linen Salad Plate and a Pottery Barn Leaf Harvest Salad Plate. Pottery Barn is not carrying the Leaf Plates any longer, but I did find them here . I was able to find my Pottery Barn plates at a church rummage sale for $1.50 each and they were brand new! The crystal glasses were handed down to me from my Mother. I also used real cinderella pumpkins and faux pumpkins from Hobby Lobby and Trader Joe’s . The orange, yellow & green sprays are also from Hobby Lobby. I purchased four that I cut up and have used throughout my home for this year’s fall décor. I love the muted tones in the birch sprays! I also grabbed several brown acorn & berry picks from Hobby Lobby. I have used those all over my home as well in my fall décor. The brass candlesticks are from my fav local antique shop and local thrift store! I paid $2-$6 for each one. Farmhouse table, light fixture, wood cutting boards, curtains and Pumpkin Patch sign are all made by my husband and I.

I hope y’all have enjoyed this easy diy and budget friendly Thanksgiving Tablescape! It does not need to cost an arm and a leg to decorate your home beautifully! Please stop by and visit each of my friend’s to see their Thanksgiving Tablescape!

Love~Shae

Travel

Exploring Egmont Key in Florida: Wildlife and History

September 27, 2019by sweetsoutherngraces3 Comments

In June of this year, we had the pleasure of visiting Egmont Key, located at the mouth of Tampa Bay, Florida. It lies southwest of Fort De Soto and can only be reached by boat or ferry. The Egmont Key Lighthouse and the ruins of Fort Dade, a Spanish-American War era fort, are also located on Egmont Key. Egmont Key extends along the Tampa Port Shipping Channel. The nearest city is St. Petersburg, Florida. We took the Tampa Bay Ferry from Fort De Soto to Egmont Key and on the way over to the island, I couldn’t help but notice the Caribbean-like blue green waters of Tampa Bay.

When we had almost arrived to the island, we had the pleasure of seeing three manatees!! This was the first time our family had ever been this up close to manatees before and I am almost at a loss of words by how amazing they were!

Two of the manatees were kissing and they were such gentle animals!

Arriving on Egmont Key!

Once we arrived on the island, we walked along the pathways lined with palm trees and flowers. The flowers and palm trees were so beautiful!

One of the first sight’s to see is the lighthouse!

We continued walking along the pathway to the beach and decided to go exploring for sea shells! We walked along the beach and found all different types of sea shells.

After shell searching, we worked up an appetite for lunch! We ate our lunch on the beach and decided to explore the forts on the island from the Spanish-American War.

The picture below is Battery McIntosh, one of five gun batteries on Fort Dade.

Fort Dade was built on the island in 1898 during the Spanish-American War and remained active until 1923.

During this time, there was about 300 people living on the island with a small hospital, bakery, movie theater, bowling alley and tennis courts. While exploring the island, you will come across several of the remnants. The picture below is remnants of Fire Command Control Tower.

We stumbled upon several gopher tortoises!

We even got to feed one! Be careful though, they think brightly colored nail polish is food!

Our family enjoyed seeing the lighthouse that was built in 1858, while being maintained by the Coast Guard for ships and boats.

Picture below is of my husband and I!

When we got back to the other side of the island, we headed straight to the water to cool off! It is very hot and humid, so please make sure to bring lots of water!

On the ferry ride back to Fort De Soto, we saw dolphins!

The dolphins were stealing all the fisherman’s bait fish off of their poles!

Definitely a unique island to visit and explore!

Tips from our family:

*Pack food and plenty of water

*Bring sunscreen

*There are no restrooms on the island, so be prepared.

*Wear clothing and shoes that you don’t mind getting wet/sandy.

Absolutely a wonderful experience that we will treasure for a lifetime and it could possibly be one of my most favorite places to visit in the world!

Love~Shae

Decor

Some of Life’s Greatest Treasures

July 22, 2019July 22, 2019by sweetsoutherngraces10 Comments

I think when a Grandparent gives you something they value, it is one of the most greatest treasures in life! The picture above is my husband’s Paw-Paw & Big Grandma. I believe they were dating in this pic, soon to be married! Aren’t they a stunning couple! I think back on the time that I knew Big Grandma (never met his Paw-Paw because he passed before we married) and I think she had a good life with lots of family surrounding her. That was one thing about her is that she loved her family and she loved helping anyone when they needed help! Right around mine and my husband’s first anniversary, we had our first daughter and anytime Big Grandma came to visit, she would always bring diapers! She knew how expensive those things were and babies are expensive! It was like she just knew when we always needed something and that’s just how she was! I remember the first time she had a stroke and I really thought we would loose her. I was so scared that when I spoke with her on the phone, I started crying and told her how much I loved her. We had her for many more years before she passed. I will never forget telling her that we would be naming our 4th daughter after her….her eyes just sparkled and she said “Really?” I told her “Yes!” and boy was she proud! It wasn’t long after that, just two months, before she passed away. She never got to meet our little Jewell but I know she is looking down and smiling at our rainbow baby!

This antique milking stool was my husband’s Big Grandma’s. He said she didn’t have many possessions as a child, but I wonder if this stool served as many purpose’s, in her childhood and as she grew up. I have explained in my last blog that we acquired a antique key from her home, when we were cleaning it out, as we were getting ready to renovate it. The stool was also an item that we picked out that day because Big Grandma wanted us to have it. Our oldest two daughter’s were small at the time so we decided the stool would make a great “time out” stool or we could use it to stand on, when we couldn’t reach things in the pantry! We’ve had it in our home for at least 15 years now and I love thinking back to that day, when we came home with all of our treasure’s from Big G’s house.

Here’s a little throw back pic of our two youngest daughter’s on their first trip to Disney World!