Shopping With My Daughter

I was innocently shopping for new tennis shoes for both children this afternoon, when it happened yet again. I fell in love with another pair of shoes...

Oh why had no one else bought these darlings?!! Originally priced at $35 - way out of my ;-) shoe shopping budget. Marked down to $25, then $18 (yes, I peeled back all the stickers!) and finally $8!!! In my size! :-)

It really doesn't matter that I don't have the perfect dress to wear them with yet, nor the fact that I won't wear them until after Easter...

...they're heels, they're peep-toes, they have the sweetest 1940's reminiscent double straps, and...they're pink! As my daughter said when I picked them up - "Oh, Mom, those are soooo you - you have to get them!"

And that, my friends, is why I shop with my girl. ;-)

Daisy is Relieved

Things at Heritage Schoolhouse are getting close to normal routine again. And Miss Daisy, for one, is very relieved!

I think we were really starting to bore her! ;-)

Sahara

A Wintertime Hutch

I never mind putting my Christmas dishes away each year,

for the rest of the winter months

and into the spring

I enjoy these...

A gift from my grandmother, the pattern is Royal Majestic Cannes.

I love the delicate flowers...

...in pink and blue.

For Valentine's teas,

or simple, cozy winter afternoons,

they are a delight. :-)

Thank you if you are visiting from

Kelli's House for Show and Tell Friday!

I appreciate you stopping by! :-)

Oklahoma!

Recovery Knitting

Knitting is the perfect illness recovery activity ~ it's calming, satisfies your creative need, and you can be busy and resting at the same time! I couldn't wait to get my hands on the needles my daughter knitted her scarf on. I think they were still warm when I started a funky scarf of my own! ;-)

using Lion Brand Wool-Ease Worsted Weight

(a soft, warm blend of lamb's wool and easy-care acrylic)

in "Mushroom"

A Happy Working Song :-)

"All right everyone, time to tidy things up!"

Come my little friends

As we all sing a happy little working song

Merry little voices clear and strong

Come and roll your sleeves up

So that we can pitch in

Cleaning crud up in the kit-chen

As we sing along

And you’ll trill a cheery tune in the tub

As we scrub a stubborn mildew stain

Lug a hairball from the shower drain

To the gay refrain

Of a happy working song

We’ll keep singing without fail

Otherwise we’d spoil it

Hosing down the garbage pail

And scrubbing up the toilet - Ooh!

How we all enjoy letting loose with a little La-da-da-dum-dum

While we’re emptying the vacu-um

It’s such fun to hum

A happy working song Oo-ooh

A happy working song

Oh, how strange a place to be

Till Edward comes for me

My heart is sighing

Still, as long as I am here

I guess a new experience

Could be worth trying

Hey! Keep drying!

You could do a lot when you got

Such a happy little tune to hum

While you’re sponging up the soapy scum

We adore each filthy chore

That we determine

So friends even though you’re vermin

We’re a happy working song

Singing as we fetch the detergent box

Or the smelly shirts and the stinky socks

Sing along

If you cannot sing then hum along

As we’re finishing our happy working song!

"Ah...wasn’t this fun?"

Lyrics from "A Happy Working Song" by Amy Adams featured in the precious Disney movie "Enchanted".

I've been humming this song today. If you would like to listen, too, the song is currently listed first in my playbox at the bottom of the right side bar. :-) Happy working!

Simpleness

"The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary

so that the necessary may speak."

~Hans Hofmann

illustration courtesy of www.allposters.com

"Simply Your Life" by Karen Tribett

And the (very patient!) winner is...

Thank you all so much for understanding when I wasn't able to draw the winner of the New Years Day Giveaway on Thursday as planned. :-) My family is all doing a little better each day. This evening I wrote down all the entrants and Mr. H. was kind enough to draw the winner. Without further ado, the recipient of the Gooseberry Patch calendar is...

"Mystery of History Mom"

at Morning Glories and Moonflowers.

Congratulations! :-)

And thank you to every one that entered! :-)

Narnia ~ Prince Caspian

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

A Funky Chunky Scarf :-)

My daughter has been the first at Heritage Schoolhouse to start to recover from our family flu. She spent some time finishing up her second knitting project ~ a "funky, chunky scarf" on h-u-g-e needles. Very fun!

Thank you! :-)

I really, really appreciate the get well wishes! They have cheered me so. :-) My entire family has had the flu and it has been a very long week. We are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but still have a little ways to go. I sincerely hope to get to the drawing tomorrow. Thank you so much for understanding and thank you to each reader that took the time to leave me a note - it means so much to me! :-)

Mrs. H. :-)

Mrs. H. will be back shortly...

Please continue to enter the New Years Day giveaway. I have not been feeling well, and I will be sure to draw the winner as soon as I am feeling better! Thanks, and I hope everyone is having a good week! :-)

Mrs. H. :-)

It's a New Years Day Giveaway!

To help you plan your new year ~ a Gooseberry Patch calender!

If you would like a chance to win, please leave a comment on this post. Remember, you don't have to have a blog to enter! I will draw the winner next Thursday, January 8th, after 8:00 PM. (All followers will be automatically entered, and those that leave a comment will be entered in the drawing two times!)

Thank you for visiting Heritage Schoolhouse and allowing me get to know you. :-) May God bless you and your family in 2009!

The Maltese Falcon

“Why does everyone want to go away?

I love being home.”

~ 'Beth', from Little Women by Louisa Mae Alcott

illustration courtesy of www.allposters.com
"Title Page of Little Women" by E.h. Garrett

Supper Menus
January 5th-10th

Monday
comforting chicken casserole, green beans, carrots, laura ingalls wilder's gingerbread
Tuesday
pot roast, home style macaroni and cheese, green peas, dinner rolls

Living Room Organization

I am participating in this month's "Organizing Round-Up" contest hosted by Organizing Junkie. The month of December focus is on living rooms. I worked in the tv area of our living room on two spots that were needing attention.

Our Wii equipment organization left a lot to be desired. ;-)

And that is because, there was no organization! Everyone was just putting things where ever! I needed to make some "homes". A place for everything and everything in its place. :-)

Mr. H. suggested using baskets to store the controllers and the games. (What he actually said was ~ "Why don't you go buy some baskets to help organize this?" Now, if that's not speaking my love language, I don't know what is!)

Keeping the controllers in a basket will free up the small drawer

to store the remote controls and instruction manuals.

Our entertainment cabinet was also in quite a disarray!

I took every thing out, sorted through what I wanted to keep
and then arranged nicely what was left.
And now we have room to grow! ;-)

Thank you Laura for hosting the round-ups! I have enjoyed participating this year. :-)

"In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy."

~William Blake

illustration courtesy of www.allposters.com

"Winter Sunset" by Dubravko Raos