A New Thing: Cottage Living

I officially accepted a strings teacher position at a school (K4 through 12th grade) that was offered to me back in February of this year. That meant a move across the country to the beautiful Midwest. All I could fit in my car was what came with me, and sadly, there was no way that my sewing machines and supplies would fit, so they have to stay put in my parents home until Christmas.

While it isn't a true cottage, my new place of living will be "the cottage" here on the blog, and I'm looking forward to setting up house, figuring out real adulting, and learning the new and very wide gamut of teaching in a private school.

Any tips are welcomed for this newbie! :)

Strawberry Freezer Jam

Having a discount grocery store nearby that will often carry lots of organic produce, we thought that for $1.79 a package we could afford to make a small batch of strawberry jam. If you use organic strawberries and organic sugar, then the strawberry jam is good for you, right? ;)

It was just a small batch of 4 pints and 4 half pints, but then our family doesn't go through peanut butter and jelly as much as we used to.  One of my favorite uses for jam is on Laura's scones. What are some of your favorite uses for jams and jellies?

Blueberry Buckle

The forecasters said that our area could see up to a foot of snow by this morning, and I would say that it came pretty close. I wasn't ready to get out of bed, but I love quiet mornings before anyone is up.

A morning ritual is to turn on a string of lights (or two), fix a cup of tea and read Scripture. As daylight began to seep through the low hanging, empty clouds it was obvious that I wasn't the only one up early.

Before heading outside to help shovel the snow and brush of cars, I whipped up and put in the oven a special morning treat; a recipe I hadn't fixed in ages. It turned out well considering I used a pan that was a wee bit smaller than what the recipe called for. But here's a hint: if you cut everything into small pieces you won't feel to guilty for eating two. ::ahem::  Oh, and don't let the title be deceiving - it's a fancy (or otherwise?) way of saying coffeecake.

Blueberry Buckle

Mix:
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. soft butter
1 egg

Stir in:
1/2 c. milk (I used almond milk)

Add:
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 c. blueberries

Crumb Topping:
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 c. flour
1/4 c. soft butter


Spread batter in a 9x13 greased pan. Sprinkle crumb mixture on top (I used a fork to mix and slide the crumbs out of the bowl and onto the batter). Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

Christmas Greetings!

Making it to the President's List (ie., having a 3.75 or higher GPA for the semester) may have something to do with my silence on my blog in the last several weeks. Reflecting on the four plus weeks that we have come through are somewhat of a blur. It must be either my caffeine is wearing off, or my body is still sleep deprived, or both. :)

But I do remember that the string quartet I was in this last semester had the great honor of playing Christmas carols in the university's widely acclaimed Museum & Gallery when it was open to the public early on in the month. Discarding the traditional black for the evening, we chose to wear festive colors.

Growing in friendships and musically with these girls this semester was great fun! For our chamber recital we played

Glazunov's AllaSpagnola and All’ Ungherese from his 5 Novelettes. Check out the links for an idea of what we were playing, played by real pro's...)

The rest of the semester was a whirlwind of completing classes, passing my senior recital note check, and taking eight finals. One of the weekends a couple friends and I went to watch the Nutcracker live, played by  the city's symphony. I think I would enjoy it more if I were to experience it again, since that night I was so, so tired. What I do remember was that I enjoyed it. :)

Prior to driving home for Christmas Break I went up to a surprise birthday party that was being put together for my Grandma's 85th birthday. It was the weekend right after finals, so it worked out perfectly to make the drive up north. She was completely surprised, and it was such a joy to spend a weekend with her. Michigan had lots of snow, too, which was a delight.

And now I've been at home for just under two weeks. What have I been doing? Mostly sticking very close to home and resting alot. Being a college student is exhausting (but oh so rewarding!!) and this semester was no exception. There have been a few occasions where I've gone out with my sisters, or up to the mountains for a morning in a coffee shop, or spent some time making Christmas treats in the kitchen, so I haven't been a complete lazy bum. ::winks::

With less than a week now before I head back for my last semester of undergrad, it is doubtful that I'll get anything added to my etsy shop (so sorry!). My priorities lie in some more rest and keeping up my senior recital repertoire. I'll spare you those juicy details, since most of you have had your fill of musical dialogue for one post! But I hope you all have had a wonderful Christmas season and will have a joyous new year!

(If you love the delights of this season as much as I do, check out this wonderful new blog that will keep you occupied with lovely writings and pictures! I still have many more posts to catch up on, which I'm off to now after I fix myself another cup of TWG's vanilla caramel tea.)

Wisteria in Vintage Milkglass

After coming back down south yesterday from spring break, I was delightfully surprised at all the wisteria in bloom. It came a week earlier than last year, but then the south has been enjoying wonderful weather in the last few weeks.

I supplied the vase and my roommate picked the purple clusters.

Comings and Goings

The fall semester came and went. The start of Christmas break found a friend and I taking a road trip back home with lots of music (Can you believe I never heard the music from Phantom of the Opera? I got choked up, I won't lie...), philosophical discussions, coffee stops, and sneaking in pictures as we traveled along the beautiful highways.

Christmas Break. It was wonderful. It was a time of...

sleeping in,
my persian cats snuggling up to my face,
lazy mornings on the couch bathed in sunshine,

laughter, stories, and movies,
Christmas books, and candles,
late night sister talks,
going on two brother-sister dates,

shopping at all of my favorite thrift stores and antique stores,
lots of rest,
caroling with good friends, 

 

snow storms,
family gathering around the kitchen with steaming mugs of tea or coffee,
having someone pour encouragement and prayer into your life (and then buying you a scarf and a matching necklace & earring set and saying, "When you wear these, remember I'm praying for you),

and much more could be said about the break. It was wonderful. But then it came time to leave and make the same trek back to school. This time driving solo, but it was good to spend that time in solitude, prayer, and thanksgiving.

The semester is only 1 1/2 weeks underway, and we have already been blessed with a three day weekend. Snow and ice came two nights ago, so classes were canceled yesterday, much to everyone's delight! This morning we woke up with a little bit more snow and a magical-looking world. I slipped into my moccasin shoes and took a couple pictures from our back porch.

My roommate and I have been making use of our extra time for rest, making a mess of the kitchen (she made pumpkin cinnamon rolls this morning, which we enjoyed over piping-hot mugs of coffee), and homework or practice.

Perhaps with being so busy with college, I have to say that I never miss sewing but then yesterday some kinda of wave went over me and I was longing for a sewing machine, soft fabrics, and paper patterns. :) If I'm not writing in vain, (though I can't blame anyone for deserting a blog that used to consistently appear with with posts, but then die away once school became a higher priority) what are some sewing projects that you all are working on this winter?

Before you know it winter will have come and gone, too. Growing up and even now, I've loved the winter (but then maybe only because my favorite season follows it) and whether it's the earth seasons or seasons of life, I want to learn to savor each one for what it is.

I close with a good quote I read on a blog a while back:

"The color of springtime is in the flowers; the color of winter is in the imagination." - Terri Guillemets

The Terrarium from the Thrift Store

Well, I should be completely honest by saying that the terrarium was bought empty for a couple dollars at a favorite local thrift shop. Pictures of them on pinterest or plants displayed at fun stores like Anthopologie have peaked my interest in tiny little living plants.

Having no clue where to start, I took the glass container to a greenhouse that sells an amazing selection of houseplants and asked the master gardener there for ideas. She gave me the layered soil for free and I only had to buy the little "plugs" for it.

It's a good thing my college roommate like houseplants.

If only I could get her to like cats...

Breakfast on the Weekend

Popping in, Wearing Aprons

Tonight my youngest sister and I are trying a new-to-us recipe (thanks to Pinterest) using some all-natural bison that she bought. We both donned aprons and then it was my idea to get a picture to post for the blog. So yes, I really do wear aprons, not just make and sell them. :)

I'm wearing my favorite vintage original "Ethel" apron, and Molly is wearing a vintage original "Gracie" apron (same as the Grace style, but for ladies who wear an extra small/small).

Yay for sisters who like to cook with you and is catching onto the idea of wearing vintage aprons. ;)

A Downton Breakfast

My last morning at home before I left for another college semester, I put together a Downton-inspired breakfast for my sisters and I. A friend of my sister's had given her a box of scone mix and a some orange marmalade prior to Christmas, and it was such a hit at our house that I picked up a box of scone mix at the store to make again. :) True, I suppose I could have just made my own like I usually do, but decided to splurge. :)

I liked how simple they were to put together (shape into balls, flatten them down, cut into fourths, and bake!) and they turned out perfectly.

Ahh, so yummy with orange marmalade, but I think any other jam or jelly would do when there is no marmalade to be had. If my gooseberry bush produces enough this summer, I'm thinking gooseberry jam would be perfectly delicious.

That morning we savored and sipped the English Rose tea that was one of my gifts for Christmas. It's a lovely floral and berry flavored tea. It's similar to Tazo's "Passion" tea, but the tea container is a great deal prettier. :)

I brought a scone box with me to the Carolina's and am thinking of doing a Downton breakfast for my roommate's birthday in the spring. She'll be 30, and it will be fun to do something for her that is up her alley.

Merry Christmas!

 

Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home. --Edith Sitwell

This quote has appeared on the blog before (maybe twice now?) but it is one of my favorites and is worth repeating. Below are a few pictures I've taken in the last few days that seem to echo Edith's thoughts.

Chocolate Crinkles have been a hit with my brothers and our neighbors this year. Thanks to my roommate who introduced the recipe to me!

Christmas Bokah

My sister found a rather trashy looking candelabra at an antique store and I though she had just wasted $10. Come to find out after some soaking, cleaning, and polishing, it turned out to be a real beauty. I'm trying to convince her to let me buy it off of her to add to my collection of silver plated things. :)

 

The silver is polished and special fruit has been purchased for Christmas festivities.

The strains of White Christmas are floating into the kitchen, so I will go ahead and publish this and wish you all a Merry Christmas!

Weekend Favorites

[No. 1] Having a roommate who likes candles, is something I'm thankful for. If fact, she burns them more than I do, and we've been enjoying fallish candles in the last couple of weeks. Not long ago I was in Anthropologie and splurged to pick up this favorite autumn scent. Do any of you have favorite go-to's for candles in the fall?

[No. 2] My roommate got her undergrad degree in music, and started grad school this fall. It's quite lovely hearing her practice Bach on the piano. She says she's not good at it, but she is. :)

Photo source

[No. 3 and No.4] Having coffee and quiet moments are things that aren't taken for granted in the life of a college student. :) While dependant on coffee is not something I'm remotely close to, it does bring some warmth on a chilly autumn morning as does a cup of tea before bedtime.

And yes, quiet moments for books. My life is surrounded by them, and while they primarily consist of college textbooks, I was sure to bring some favorites with me from home. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was an excellent read, and I'm close to finishing Agnes Grey. They are a bit lighter than other books the Bronte sisters are well-known for, but certainly not less engaging.

Cooking before Pinterest

Going away to college is a good thing in a wide variety of ways, but it also helps me keep accountable for the stuff I do need and the stuff that is just ... stuff. I took a couple bags to the thrift store the other day and I was hoping to fill a few more this afternoon, but then I came to the fact that I can't get rid of my cookbooks. They are useful.

from Victoria's "At Table with Family and Friends" cookbook

It's easy to go on Pinterest and see half of your feed all recipes or recipe modifiers, and yes, I do have a recipe board (or two?) on Pinterest, but in all honesty, there is nothing like pulling out your wooden box of family recipes. Or pulling fun cookbooks off the shelf like the Anne of the Green Gables, Little House on the Prairie, Tasha Tudor, or Victoria cookbooks to help you get inspired to use those dried cranberries or the over abundance of herbs.

And before you think I'm bashing Pinterest, I'm not. Perhaps it's that I am what some people call " an old soul" and I find pleasure in slipping on an apron and making a good, healthy recipe that I can touch and turn to by holding a book or recipe card.

(Don't even get me started on kindles or nooks!) ;)
Since in college I will have little time for consistent blogging (though this year my posts have been anything but consistent...) I'm thinking about having a series of random favorite things to share with you and being that today I've been stuck on kitchen related things, here is the pilot of the series of "Weekend Favorites" --

[No. 1] This recipe box from the Rifle Paper Company. It fits the larger 4 x 6 sized recipe cards. It comes with pretty cards, too.

[No. 2] A super cute apron from Anthropologie. I found this on clearance several months ago and is the first store-bought apron I've ever owned. ;)

[No. 3] Doesn't this picture make you want to zoom in and read off the recipe cards?

Courtesy of Pinterest

[No. 4] Summer dining on the porch

from Lanier's Books

What are some of your favorite to-go-to recipes books?

Growing Things

(Hyacinths, tulips, daffodils are beginning to burst forth in vibrant, happy colors while the lilacs and berry bushes are starting to bud. I'm thrilled that my little gooseberry bush, the middle picture above, survived the winter after being given to me by a friend who claims the mother-bush has a history of somekind.)

Over the last several  weeks I haven't sewn a thing, much less walk into the sewing room, but for a few moments. It may continue to be this way for an unknown amount of time. If you read my blog solely for my projects, let me apologize to you!

But all is well. I've been getting more hours at work, I've been getting more violin students, and I've been reading in my quiet moments the words of Elizabeth Elliot on the topic of suffering. She write so pointedly yet her words are full of truth and grace. Spring time is my most favored time of year, and this year I'm vividly seeing the real and very raw beauty of life that follows death.

No coward soul is mine,
No trembler in world’s storm-troubled sphere.
I see Heaven’s glories shine,
And faith shines equal,
arming me from fear.

~Emily Bronte