Home at Winshaw

Our new baby boy – Part Two, Travis Walker

So, here we were five days after my supposed due date, and still no baby. Just a really, really big baby bump. (and, actually, this picture was from about 2 weeks earlier, so yeah….I was so ready for baby to come)

Early Monday morning, April 30th, I woke up earlier than everyone else, went downstairs and made some tea, had a bite of pie for breakfast (it was healthy pie!) and read my devotional. An hour or so later, everyone else was starting to wake up, and I was starting to not feel so good. I went back to bed to rest, and started noticing a few contractions. But – I didn’t want to make a big deal about it, after the previous false alarms I wanted to be completely sure this was the real deal. At 8:45 am I started timing contractions, and I texted our midwife, Sheryl, that something might be starting. I timed until 9:15 am and contractions were 3 & 4 minutes apart, fairly strong. At this point Jordan texted Sheryl and said she had better come. She left her house immediately, and only lives 15 minutes away – but before she could get here, I almost felt like I could need to push. About the time Sheryl arrived, I was headed downstairs to get in a hot bath (with Elsie’s birth I was in the bath during the middle part of labor, and it was SO nice) – she told me that if I went and got in the bath now, I might just have the baby there. At that point I really didn’t care, I just wanted the relief and comfort of the water, so we all headed down to the bathroom.

Sheryl checked vitals, and everything looked good, baby was doing well. After a few moments contractions were getting stronger and more painful. Sheryl checked dilation, and said I could push baby out whenever I wanted. Around this time my water broke, and contractions were getting unbearable. Finally, with two strong contractions baby made his entrance into the world at 9:56 am. Sheryl exclaimed that he was a big baby, and he certainly felt big as he was placed in my arms. Jordan told everyone his name-

Travis Walker.

After the kids got a look at their new sibling, we headed upstairs and got comfortable on the bed. Travis got to eat a bit, and everyone started to get turns holding him.

Then it was time for him to be checked, measured, weighed, etc. I knew he was bigger than my previous babies, but when the scale said 10.lbs 7 oz, I was shocked!! Also just so thankful for God’s care of us – such a big baby and no tearing or difficulties with birth seemed like a miracle to me.

Happy rest of the day getting to know our big boy and lots of snacks for mama. (having a baby makes me so hungry, lol!)

Daddy time. Also – Travis looks EXACTLY like Jordan.

He’s such a happy boy – he started smiling the very first day, and hasn’t stopped since! I’ve never seen such a smiley baby!

Alan was absolutely thrilled to have a brother. Long before we were ever pregnant with Travis, Alan had been asking God frequently at supper time prayers to please send him a little brother. His exact phrase was “Please, bring baby boy back”. So sweet. These two little men will have so many adventures together!

So – here we are now a family of six! I can’t imagine existing now without knowing our sweet Travis man. So thankful God decided we needed him in our lives. My heart just about bursts every time I look at him. So far he has the sweetest, happiest personality, and will smile and coo endlessly as long as anyone will talk or sing to him – he loves his people, and we love him!

Our new baby boy – Part One, Waiting

Such a belated post on the birth of our sweet, sweet man, Travis! (he is currently 3 months old) However, better late than never, yes? So, come along and we will look back to the spring to tell the story of his long-awaited birth….

To me a big part of the birth story was the waiting – I felt like we were waiting so long to meet our new baby! I was feeling so big and awkward, and so tired, that each day was a struggle just making it to bedtime – most days I would have to collapse periodically for rests on the couch. Definitely my most difficult pregnancy so far.

I was convinced the baby was going to come early – from 7 months onward I had just been feeling so, so done. The ladies of our church gave us a lovely baby shower, and I was able to have all of my baby preparations done and ready about a month before my due date. (first time I have ever felt prepared in that way for a baby’s arrival – I’m usually caught off guard it seems!) Diapers and baby clothes were folded and waiting – baby blankets washed and handy, mattress cover and sheets ready for the birth – even a new crib fitted out. I was even afraid baby would come before my Mom arrived from Texas.

This baby had been by far the most active of all my pregnancies – every evening when I sat down it looked like there was a boxing match going on inside me – so much crazy kicking and moving! I had also been measuring larger this pregnancy than with the previous three, and I definitely felt the stretch and discomfort more.

The kids were each so anxious to meet their new sibling – tucking them in at night we would ask each other – “Will it be a boy or girl???!!”

About two weeks before my due date – Mom, Stockton, and Carolina arrived from Texas. It was such a relief to have them there. With all the full time help I was able to rest and take naps frequently – which was just amazing. Spring was just starting to get in full swing which means there was lots to keep us busy while we waiting for baby.

The garden, with salad greens and garlic.

The woods slowly coming into bloom….

Everyone helped with the garden – starting seeds, laying down new mulch, and planting starts.

Lots of good help! – I was anxious to get everything done possible before baby arrived.

Elsie – such a baby girl still. She has no idea that a new kid is about to arrive and turn her world upside down!

So big, and so ready for baby to come!

Grammie, and Uncle Stockton and Aunt Carolina kept the kids busy doing all sorts of things –

Like playing Robin Hood and Maid Marian, and making a big batch of salt dough for hours of fun…

Every day for two weeks we thought it would be ‘the day’ – we even had a couple of times where it was a false alarm and we were counting contractions. Two days after what I thought was my due date, contractions were strong enough we called the midwife and friends over, because we thought it was time….but nope. Everything stopped and we had more days of quiet waiting first….. (part two next)

Green Floral Maternity Dress

As always, I’m still hunting for the perfect pregnancy/nursing/housewife dress, this is the latest version done up in lightweight green floral rayon. The bodice is a bit modified but largely based on the ‘Dottie Angel’ dress pattern, with a waistband added and the skirt is a simple gathered rectangle.

This dress was so comfy for late pregnancy – I basically lived in it at home and abroad. I’m sure everyone at church got sick of seeing it – but it was kind of the only thing that fit for a while there!

I made and fitted this dress during pregnacy, so I found the waistband needed a bit of adjusting after Travis was born, but it was still completely wearable as a high-waisted but still retro themed dress for postpartum/nursing and beyond.

The next version I wan to try is one that buttons up the front, all the way down the skirt. I think it would be a cute effect.

Adventures in Cooking for a Month

Jordan and I have been talking constantly about time management lately. There are several big areas of our life that need better stewardship, and that’s going to a big focus for us in the coming year. For my personal home management, I have been feeling in such a rut, mostly just from being tired! I feel like my imagination has gotten too small, and I’ve just been stuck in last minute day-to-day ‘crisis mode’, getting 3 meals a day on the table and just barely getting the minimum done around the house. I don’t like that. At the turning of the new year, I knew I wanted some things to change. The first area I decided to tackle was meal planning. On a snowy, housebound day I got out a notebook, and huddled up by the stove and made a written plan. That was step one. I felt good about my plan, but I was still feeling overwhelmed at the thought of actually beginning – through past experience trying to execute big projects with unpredictable little children under foot I know all about getting in over my head!

I wanted to share one tool I’ve been using lately that has been very helpful – Trello. I heard about it on the Allie Casazza/ Purposeful Home podcast, and decided to give it a try. Trello is basically just a way to make, keep and organize lists. You can see from the screenshot above how I used it to organize my meal planning. I transferred everything from my paper brainstorming, and kept it organized so I didn’t forget what I was doing! You can see on the far left list that I had checklists of specific tasks for each category of bulk cooking prep. Very helpful! I’ve resisted for along time using a digital app to replace my paper lists, but at this point in my life I just can’t seem to keep up with all my paper, so this has really been a blessing. The version I use is free, too!

Anyway, back to the meal plan. I planned for 4 weeks of meals, and broke breakfast, lunch, and supper into groups of 4 batch meals.

Breakfast:

4 meals Pies (1 breakfast each, healthy sweet potato or pumpkin pie)

4 meals Quiche

4 meals “Grapenuts” cold cereal (homemade)

4 meals scones + eggs

4 meals breakfast burritos

4 meals english muffin sandwiches

4 meals applesauce/raisin/pumpkin seed muffins + eggs

(The breakfasts with eggs added on I will just fry or scramble the morning we are eating them.)

Lunch:

4 meals chicken quesadillas

4 meals chicken curry & rice + cabbage

4 meals sandwiches (tuna, grilled cheese, ham, with salad or veggies if available)

4 meals BBQ deer roast + veggies

4 meals beans and rice (taco salad, or taco soup + cheese & sour cream)

4 meals loaded baked potatoes (bacon & cheese & sour cream) + veggies

(the added veggies would be cooked the night of – either frozen veggies or something easy like fried cabbage or raw chopped carrots and celery)

4 meals pizza

Supper:

4 meals potato soup

4 meals lasagna

4 meals stir fry

4 meals stroganoff + rice & veggies

4 meals Italian wedding soup

4 lemony chicken soup

4 homemade pasta

(Also, do keep in mind that this list isn’t my ideal nutritionally, I know its quite heavy on carbs. However, this month’s plan had a great deal to do with what we already had in our pantry, and what is available to us in January/February. During other seasons I would include more fresh foods)

Many of the ‘4 meals’ on the above list can be accomplished for our size of family with one large recipe of breakfast muffins, or one large batch of soup. I realize this would look very different for a larger family with older kids!

After a local shopping trip to pick up a few key ingredients and staples I was missing (dry beans and rice, cabbage, carrots, lard, cream cheese, sour cream…) I was ready to start my cooking!

I divided up the cooking I had to do into categories that were all similar, and of course tried to do anything in batches that I could.

The first thing I did was to grate up 10 lbs of cheese – once a month I order some staples from Azure Standard, and I nearly always get a 5 lb block of cheddar and a 5 lb block of mozzarella.

Making a big batch of piecrust – enough for six pie pans. (breakfast pies and quiche)

One evening after the kids were in bed I prepped all my baking and soaking. I tried to use as many recipes as possible that would have the flour/grains be soaked in kefir overnight. I always prefer this method, but doing things last minute I had to skip this step often. It was definitely wonderful doing a big batch of soaked and baked items.

I also soaked 8 cups each of kidney beans and brown rice to be cooked, frozen, and used for various meals.

4 loaves of ‘Dutch Oven Bread’

2 Batches of ‘Grapenuts’ cereal. First the dough is soaked, then baked in pans, then crumbled with a blender, then toasted. It’s absolutely delicious! We added chia seeds and raisins this time too, and stored it in half-gallon jars. This time of year it’s just fine on the pantry shelf.

The kids think it’s a real treat, since store bought cereal isn’t something we typically buy.

To cook the butternut squash and sweet potatoes for my pies, I like to chop them into large pieces, and cook them quickly in a pressure cooker or the InstantPot.)

I do two pie fillings at a time in the Blentec – no recipe, just the cooked potato or squash with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla, a dash of milk, at least 2 eggs per pie, honey and molasses.

4 pies cooking at once!

Putting together English muffin breakfast sandwiches (fried egg + ham + cheese). Still perfecting the muffin recipe.

I batch cooked the sausage meat for pizzas, lasagnas, and Italian wedding soup. This is my lasagna prepping station. Tip – if you forget to buy cottage cheese (I did) you can make a simple white sauce to replace it! These lasagnas were also made with frozen kale from our last years garden – it worked great instead of spinach. Not pictured, but I also spent what felt like an entire morning chopping a mountain of onions and garlic! Seems like nearly every recipe except the breakfast ones needed those ingredients. (I cried and cried! But it definitely saved time)

I had three whole frozen chickens that I cooked in the instant pot separately, but one after the other so only had to wash the pot once. I also de-boned them all at once, so only one mess there!

Lasagnas and loaves of bread are easy to freeze, but it took a little more thinking to figure out how I wanted to store some of the other meals. Here are a few examples of my solutions:

The soup meals I froze in small bags with the basic main ingredients already cooked:

Italian wedding soup – I froze together portioned amounts of cooked sausage, onions and garlic. I already have frozen kale ready to crumble, and lots of frozen chicken bone broth. The day I want to make that meal I will pull those three things out in the morning to make sure they are thawed, then nearing supper time put them all together in a pot, bring to a boil, add pasta, and done!

Stir Fry – I froze portioned bags of filling, and portioned bags of cooked brown rice. The filling consists of shredded deer roast, carrots, onions, and garlic cooked in a sauce flavored with soy sauce and ginger. When freezing I also added a few handfuls of frozen broccoli. The day I want to cook this I will thaw the filling and rice, and warm it all up in a skillet, and also throw in some fresh chopped cabbage at the last minute.

Pizza – I baked the crusts alone on sheet pans covered in foil. When they were cool I lifted the foil and crust off the pan and transferred it to a square of cardboard. On top of the crust I laid portioned bags of sausage & shredded mozarella. I wrapped the whole bundle in foil and froze the 4 pizzas stacked. When it’s time for pizza I will pull it out a few hours ahead of time and let everything thaw. Then I will grab some sauce and olives out of the pantry, quickly top the crusts and bake just long enough to melt the cheese. :)

Not sure which is the best feeling – putting away finished meals in the freezer, or waking up to have a lovely breakfast nearly ready?

So, closing thoughts. Wish I had taken more pictures! This was just a tiny sampling of the steps. I spent nearly 5 days solid cooking, getting up early and staying up late. It was a fun and challenging project. (I will tell you I still didn’t get quite everything made – at some point I need to do a batch of tortillas for instance), but I got really close, and have a much better idea of how I want to do things next time. And I have a TON of meals in the freezer! That has been amazing.

Next month I want to try cooking for two weeks at a time. I think that would be much more doable for me at this season, and accomplish the same purpose, as long as I can keep rolling with it!

Also, I am realizing I will need a larger stock of freezer-friendly storage or baking dishes with lids. Ziploc bags and foil work great, but that is an additional expense, plus very wasteful! I would much rather have reusable dishes in future.

What about you? What are your thoughts on bulk cooking? Have you done it? If so, what sort of system do you implement? I’m all ears!

Winter Days

A few snippets from our winter days so far….

Early morning snuggles with Alan

Breakfast preparations

Jordan working on Axe & Anvil orders

Quite often this is what our early mornings or late nights look like – packaging up orders and getting them ready to mail! Really thankful for the growth our new Axe & Anvil business has had over the last year!

Little helpers love trips to the post office – and they are so happy when there are small boxes they can carry!

One of the last harvests of collard greens – sadly the last cold spell finished them off. Can’t wait to plant more soon! I sure miss the abundance of fresh veggies this time of year!

Jordan made these amazing cookies one evening – chocolate hazelnut!

Before Christmas we hosted a pie supper – we had a big turnout and a lovely evening – with lots of pie!

The house was full!

Baby naps are especially snuggly in winter. Makes me sleepy just looking at Elsie!

We finished off many winter evenings reading out loud. One of my favorite things!

Books I Read Last Year

In 2017 I continued to make it a point to read in my spare moments. Looking back at my reading journal – a simple notebook where I write down a title once finished with any short thoughts – it looks like I finished 16 books last year. Not an amazing number, but at least it is something! I’ll highlight a few of the books that really stood out to me:

Song of the Cardinal by Gene Stratton Porter – You’ve probably heard me rave about my favorite novels by Mrs. Porter before! (If you’ve never read Laddie or Girl of the Limberlost – go get them now! Trust me.) This short novel was new to me, very much about the world of the forest, with some human interaction tied in. Made me want to run out into the woods, pay attention to the birds, and praise God! :)

The World of Jane Austen by Deirdre LeFaye – So, so good. Definitely a keeper. A very enjoyable and informative no-nonsense read about the historical setting of 18th-19th century England. Very good background if you enjoy the Jane Austen novels.

Comfortable Troubles

Comfortable Troubles by Elizabeth Prentiss – very good, deep thoughts and encouragements woven into a thoughtful narrative. This reprinted Victorian novel is definitely worth reading, especially if you are a mother or daughter whose work is caring for others at home.

Empire of the Summer Moon by S.C. Gwynne – A familiar setting – the Texas panhandle, where I grew up, and very interesting, but also very painful to read. I was very ready to be done with this book by the time I finished it. Lots of very interesting, enlightening detail, I felt it really fleshed out a lot of history I already know, and I had lots of ‘aha’ moments connecting dots in my mind to other former history studies and books. Not for young readers. Quite graphic. Also I found at least two instances of quite blatant false historical information, and the whole book had an obvious anti-Christian bias. However, this book will definitely stick in my mind for a long time, and gave me a lot to think about, especially as relates to the plight of early settlers.

Green Dolphin Street by Elizabeth Goudge – My first try at a novel by this author. Bizarre, aggravating but amazingly thought provoking. The life long narrative of two very different sisters who love the same man. This crazy story kept surprising me and making me rather angry! I basically stayed mad at most of the characters through the entire book. However, since finishing I have realized it really gave me a lot to chew on about motives in marriage, laying ones life down for another, and how small choices can affect the rest of your life. I am curious to know if the author built in the seeming allegories and marriage lessons, or if I am just imagining them. Anyway, not sure this will be a re-read, but I sure won’t forget it!

The Letter for the King by Tonke Dragt – SO GOOD. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I suppose it’s actually written for teens, but anyone who enjoys a good Medieval adventure story would love this. It was clean, page-turning (I couldn’t put it down) and believable – I highly recommend! (if you have reading age kids, they would love it too! It would make a fabulous read-aloud)

The Life-Giving Home by Sally & Sarah Clarkson – this book did not disappoint. So much inspiration for creating and thriving within your home and family.

Emma by Jane Austen – Jordan and I read this out loud to each other over the last few months, it was so enjoyable. I’d read it before, but not for years, so it was great fun going over it again and hearing Jordan’s thoughts as we went along. I included this book just to say – if you and your spouse have never read out loud together, you should! It’s seriously my favorite thing! Right now we are trying to decide what our next read aloud together should be.

Excited to see what the coming reading year will bring. I have many books already started that I want to finish, plus a lot more on my ‘want to read’ list. Below is a sampling of some of the ones on my wish list (if you have any recommendations for me, please do share in the comments!)

Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry

The Life Giving Table by Sally Clarkson

Ishmael by E.D.E.N Southworth

House Progress Winter 2017

House tour time again! We don’t really have any big progress to show off, but a number of little things that have made this winter more cozy.

The most visible change would be our new living room arrangement. If you remember, before we had a stack of dry lumber stored along the long wall behind the couch. (we don’t yet have an outbuilding big enough for lumber storage) This really limited space and what we could do with arranging the furniture. However, when we brought the Christmas tree in, to make room for it, Jordan decided to move the lumber stack up stairs to our room – which I was reluctant about at first, but now I am really enjoying our new ‘bookshelf’!

So, that had an avalanche effect, and we spent about two days rearranging and deep cleaning the room – so refreshing! It’s amazing what a little change can do sometimes. We also had room to bring an extra rocking chair down from the attic, and bring a cedar chest downstairs for a coffee table.

A nook which we jokingly call our ‘momma and poppa bear chairs’.

Not too much has changed in the kitchen, although Jordan did get some more plumbing completed under the house, which brings us closer to running hot water! Exciting! Also, more skillet hooks, can’t ever have enough of those!

In this picture we were getting ready for a ‘pie supper’ get together we were hosting – normally the table with the green cloth sits more in the middle of the room for my main cooking work space.

I’m so excited about this update – a hanging lamp over the dining room table! This is a vintage lamp that we bought for $5.00 at a yard sale last year. Finally got it rewired and installed above the table – and it’s been so delightful having that nice overhead light at one of our main project spaces! Good lighting makes such a difference on these dark winter days.

The kid’s room.

The sewing room.

Our bedroom – notice our new ‘bookshelf’! It’s really coming in handy. I’m going to be almost sad when we have to use the wood to finish the wall paneling. (haha – almost.:)

We ended up with an extra set of copper twinkle lights after Christmas decorating, so they came to live in our room and give us a nice soft nightlight. I like the cheeriness of it!

What progress will be made in 2018? Hmmm…I’m hoping for a summer kitchen, finishing and painting the inside paneling….finished kitchen cabinets, and maybe a door or two! But,that’s an awfully big wish list, so we shall see! Jordan also must really build a barn/shop soon too, which will be quite the project!

I am so thankful for where we are now – when I look back on how far we’ve come since moving in to our log house, it’s amazing! At first we had no water at all (running or otherwise, haha) except for the creek, no bathroom, no stove, no sink or tub….and only one somewhat livable room! Compared to then, we are so comfortable now, and will just keep plugging away at all the finishing touches.

Christmastime 2017

Christmastime seemed like such a whirlwind this year in some ways – but looking back on the month I am also pleased that we took time to do a little planning a the beginning of the month ad carved out many days for seasonal work and fun with the kids. I think we all made many good memories together, and I am glad for that.

The first thing we did that really marked the beginning of the Christmas season for us was to find our Christmas tree. We always cut down our own, and this year was no different. Marian and Alan were very excited! They also got to pick out a ‘baby’ tree to put in their own room for a festive nightlight.

Alan got to carry their own little tree back to the pickup, which pleased him enormously.

One of our traditions is that we make our tree decorations each year from found items in our house and woods.

Over the next few days we slowly added ornaments and decorations to the tree, and got out our small bag of Christmas decorations that are saved year to year – stockings and a couple of lacy banners.

Our tree is always a bit different year to year, but this time our ornaments were – gold painted pine cones and sweet gum balls that the kids collected from the woods, paper snowflakes, dried orange slices, and small cinnamon dough ornaments the kids made themselves with my smallest cookie cutters. And of course, our favorite little copper wire twinkle lights.

During the weeks before Christmas, we had several days devoted to baking. Cranberry-shortbread cheesecake, Russian teacakes, peanut butter fudge, and of course, gingerbread.

The day we made the gingerbread was the kid’s favorite – I cut them each out a little gingerbread person – and they got to decorate them how they wanted. I told them they could either eat them right away or save them for Christmas day.

We made a small gingerbread house, and still had lots of dough and icing leftover for a batch of cookies!

The kids both decided to eat their gingerbread people right away – Alan with no regrets, but Marian ate the bottom half of her gingerbread girl, and then started to cry. (she was sad, because she decided she actually wanted to save it for Christmas day – so she saved the last half with the rest of the cookies!)

Our rather sad little gingerbread house. Some day I want to do some really fun, more elaborate houses, but for right now, with three little munchkins all ‘helping’ me, I am definitely keeping it simple!

Many days throughout the countdown to Christmas, either Jordan or I would read, or tell in our own words the history of the birth of King Jesus. I felt this was the first year Marian and Alan really grasped the reality and importance of the story – and really seemed to make a connection to why it is so important. They were quite fascinated by each facet of the people involved in the birth of Jesus. I think the shepherds may have been their favorite this year. It did me so much good to dwell on those first chapters of Matthew and Luke this December as well.

The tired crew of gingerbread bakers.

Another tradition we have created is to make a fun, full day in the big town a few days before Christmas. This gives us a chance to go to some fun shops, get any last minute items, shop for stocking goodies, and see Christmas lights when it gets dark.

This year we went to a couple of antique stores mostly just for the fun of looking! We love gathering ideas for things we want to make by looking at original examples.

After that we went to various grocery stores looking for maple sugar. (The kids LOVE having maple sugar candy in their stockings, and I had tried to order it online twice, and it was always out of stock from my usual place) Jordan and I took turns shopping/and staying in the car with the kids in one organic grocery store, buying surprise stocking edibles for each other and the kids. This gave the kids a chance to have a nap in the car, and just some quiet time.

The last thing to do (with eggnog and cookies in hand, of course) is to find a couple of fabulous neighborhoods and see some beautiful light displays while listening to Christmas carols! It was wonderful – and the kids actually stayed awake for it this year! haha.

Meanwhile back at the house, presents have been mysteriously accumulating under the tree. The poor packages looked pretty bedraggled by the time Christmas day finally arrived – the kids had stacked, carried, handled, and hid them so many times!

Christmas Eve! The kids were so elated when it finally arrived. This year it fell on a Sunday which meant we were at church most of the day enjoying a beautiful Christmas service, and fellowship of good friends. We didn’t make it home until early evening, and we immediately had to quickly begin preparing for our Christmas Eve traditions! I warmed up leftovers for supper, and made some eggnog that I put away to chill. We washed dishes, spiffed the house, got in firewood, and made everything comfy and cozy. When supper was eaten we gathered in the sitting room. The kids each get to open one present on Christmas Eve – this year they each got new comfy pajamas (I’d stayed up late getting everything finished the night before – and Jordan was such a dear, staying up with me until 2:30am to read out loud to me to make the work go faster!)

Marian was so pleased with her new soft pink cotton gown and robe trimmed with lace. (made from a thrifted women’s knit dress and matching jacket)

Alan got a soft flannel night shirt (made from a men’s flannel shirt) – that he really loved! I was afraid he would be less than thrilled to receive a clothing item (you know how boys are…) but he really seemed to love it! It helped that Marian was so excited about her new pj’s.

We could only get silly pictures that night! Everyone was too excited to be still!

Elsie also got a little matching gown, but she was so tired and frazzled we couldn’t get one good picture of her – and she soon went to bed.

After gifts had been opened, we snuggled down on the couch and watched ‘The Nativity Story’ and sipped eggnog. It’s become our tradition to watch this movie on Christmas Eve – it’s such a beautiful reminder and visual for the children.

Then it was time to tuck the little ones into bed – and time for Jordan and I to get to work! We were so tired, but had several things we needed to finish up. My ideal would be to have everything prepared ahead of time so that the days surround Christmas can be completely relaxed and unhurried. But this year we were put behind by a week of sickness, so another late night it was!

I finished sewing a princess dress for Marian, washed the rest of the dishes, finished house cleaning, and Jordan and I filled the stockings to bursting. By this time it was 1:00 am – we made a last cup of tea, Jordan loaded up the stove for the night and we headed off to bed.

Good night!

Thankfully the kids slept in the next morning, so we all got a decent amount of sleep! We got the stove warmed up and then let them come down stairs.

They opened their stockings first – they were so thrilled with each little thing!

Next were presents, both from us, and ones they had picked for each other. (we don’t do Santa) Elsie was very excited because everyone else was excited! Marian and Alan were both enormously pleased and started right in with their imaginative games – their favorite things were knight, dragon, and princess figures. (some found on ebay) Hours and hours of storytelling games have already been gotten from them!

After that we ate a quick breakfast, and laid out goodies for company that was arriving at lunch time.

Marian and her best friend Ruby in their new dress up dresses!

We spent the rest of the day in feasting and fellowship – Merry Christmas!

Happy 1st Birthday, Elsie!

We celebrated the 1st birthday of our littlest girl – how did that happen so fast?

(She had a peach topped cheesecake because one of her many nicknames has been the ‘Peach Cheescake’…)

She went from being the snuggliest, happiest and most content little pink newborn baby, to a spunky, opinionated little toddler who is walking (running?) here and there all day and interested in everything, and not afraid to demand what she wants – mostly kinds of food she’s not supposed to eat yet!

From the first she has been a definite Daddy’s girl, and it only keeps getting more obvious. She absolutely loves spending time with Jordan! I think the only time she sits still is when she is in his lap – then basically her favorite thing is a rocking chair with Dad.

We couldn’t imagine our family without our funny little Elsie!

Marian and Alan both love their sister so much, and its fun to see all three of them playing together now.

Happy Birthday, Elsie!!

Recent Sewing – 1860s White Voile Bodice

If you ever were a reader of my old blog, Story of a Seamstress, you know that I used to do custom sewing commissions full time before I married. In my current season with a busy homestead and 3 young kiddos, its rare now that I will take a commission, but I still do on occasion. Earlier this year a lovely lady asked for a historical reproduction of a white sheer bodice from the 1860s. It was a delightful project.

The picture above is the original bodice my client wanted to reproduce. (this picture came from a defunct ebay listing) Notice the separate underbodice/lining with buttonholes and lace trim. We couldn’t see this bodice in great detail from the pictures, so I had to make a few guesses about construction, but over all I am very happy with the result.

My reproduction was made from white sheer cotton voile, and has a half-lining of cotton muslin. The lining buttons closed, and then the bodice closes invisibly over the top with hook-and-eyes.

When incorporated into a period outfit the white bodice will appear similar to the original images shown below:

A fashionable outfit with a fine silk, wool, or sheer fabric skirt and accessorized with a belt, or silk ‘waist’, and a collar, brooch or ribbon at the neck.

If you do any research on this look online, you might variously hear this type of bodice called a ‘Garabaldi blouse’, ‘white blouse’ or ‘white waist’. Looking at originial sources, it seems to be the white bodice and contrasting skirt look was an 1860s fashion fad mainly followed by wealthy younger women.