This gorgeous brooch watch was given to me by my sweet Mominlaw, 

one day to be passed to one of our daughters. 

It originally belonged to her Mother's Mother. 

It's a gorgeous functional watch that can be worn as a piece 

of jewelry. I think I want to get a watch crystal for it

so that I can actually wear it! Crystals are

so plentiful these days, for so long they were more challenging to find. 

I plan to be blogging more again, there is so much to catch you up on!

Many of the health problems I had been having were resolved by surgery last summer 

and I am feeling good again.

I am not sure if anyone is still following along, but I'm excited to get reacquainted!

Hope you had a beautiful Easter Sunday and that

your plans for the week include some time with flowers!!

Hugs,

Betsy

P.S. You can also follow me on InstaGram @betsysheartstrings. 

I have lots of pictures from the last few years on there!

Hello, Blog Friends!

It has been a busy busy year for me, as it has been for all of you.

My blog was definitely put on the back burner... I'm hoping to post better this year. 

I started January trying to lose some weight, you know that perpetual New Year's Resolution... And I've talked about this before... But this year, I lost weight and I am determined to keep it off. I'm still working out a few times a week. It feels good. I struggle with getting enough food and then I eat stupid... But I'm not giving up! I went to a Physzique Fitness Transformation Center this fall to get some more knowledge and workout information. The picture below is from the beginning of the 12 week challenge. Five of the people in this picture are trainers! I'm on the left with the big smile and the big tummy, but it's smaller now! These trainers were so encouraging and helpful. They pushed me and inspired me to keep going. I finished the 12 week program weighing 15 pounds lighter than when I started. So, this year I lost 25 pounds! 

We got all the rooms painted finally, including the hall, the living room, the kitchen, the entry, the quiet room, the walls and ceilings on two flights of stairs. It was a BIG JOB! But before Christmas it was all done! Oh, and the carpet was finally installed in all of those same areas! We are really enjoying the new carpet.

Thanksgiving was spent in Utah with our college kids and my Sister's Family. We had a great time! Christmas was at our own home and it was just a nice season. I was able to decorate all the newly painted rooms, and really enjoyed having most of the Christmas Decor in use! 

January brought an opportunity to help a dear friend with her son's wedding reception. She is like a sister to me and she helps me with our receptions. So I was thrilled to be of assistance to her! 

The Guest Book table

The backdrop and the center pieces.

The food service table

Her receptions are so pretty. She has very good vision for what she wants it to look like. I just take a lot of my decor in the colors she wants and do what she tells me! It always feels magical when we are finished.

February has brought me to one of my favorite locations!! Germany! Where Daughter*1 and her family are. I've been here two weeks and have fun things to show you all!! Hope you are well and happy!! 

Hugs,

Betsy

Daughters are Amazing!!

A few weeks ago, I was not feeling very well... I had a procedure done and tests were taken and everything is fine, but I felt drained and groggy from the sedative. Guess who came to dinner?

Daughter*2 and her hubby arrived and brought everything to make dinner for us! She makes an amazing chicken noodle soup, too and it was just what my tummy was wanting.

Just look at this yummy soup...

Red potato chunks, onions, baby carrots, celery, chicken breast cut into chunks..

It just warmed my body and soul.

We used my beautiful pheasant soup tureen and the matching lidded bowls, they just feel like Autumn to me, that is when we see so many pheasants on the farm.

We had gluten free crackers, and a variety of cheeses to enjoy along with the soup... It was all so yummy! 

This was our first bottle of a new sparkling cider we have available this year. It's called Triple Crush Sheffield Cider and it is straight grape juice with no apple juice in it. 

If you have ever been interested in trying some of our non alcoholic sparkling ciders, we are having a giveaway! Go to the Sheffield Cider Facebook page and follow the directions to be entered into the giveaway! 

We have a few heirloom blends that are very special ciders and if you win the giveaway, you receive a package that includes all four of these bottles!

AND they are giving them away every day for a few days!! Go check it out and put your name in the daily drawing..... You might be a lucky winner!!

Hope you are enjoying fall and yummy chicken noodle soup! We've had my recipe also this fall and it just warms you up all over!!!

Hugs!

Betsy

Doing What I Have Always Done...

Doesn't change the results of my plans... I know, I've read that quote about how doing what you've always done and expecting a different outcome is the definition of insanity.. Or stupidity... Or one of those ..."ity" words...

But I have decided to stop beating myself for the things I don't finish to the exact plan or to "perfection". "Mostly finished", in many areas, is also beautiful! Such as this area I planted flowers last spring. I've been desiring to plant this area for 17 years, at least. But the perfect look, of plants or embellishments to cover the items in this area that are not pretty ... Those details kept me from doing anything for years.

I have plans to cover the telephone post with a tall box stand with a birdhouse mounted to the top. I even bought the wood! I also have an idea about covering the electrical box, we will see what that looks like later!!! (If you look in the post prior to this one, you can see what this garden looked like when I first planted it!)

Is it finished? No....Is it perfect? No... But as I pass my garden space leaving my home or come into the drive returning home, it makes me smile and happy that I was brave enough to just do something in that area. I love the flowers I chose, mixed in with the wild orchard grasses, and that log has been there for years while I tried to decide where to put it, but I love it there now. 

Remember the kitties I bottle fed? They are still alive! That was a good thing I spent time at, finishing the garden was pushed aside for that. 

 And remember these gorgeous Grandgirls? They were here for three weeks in August with their parents and we had a wonderful time! The garden was even squashed partially for pictures with these girls...definitely, gladly pushed aside for them.... and the garden survived it and grew even more. 

I've been trying to get used to just hubby and I at home again, it threw me again this fall....so I decided to do some things for myself. I've been running all over the place it seems, only getting a few things done. But one thing I have done is exercise! I've lost 20 pounds this year! And hopefully by year end I will have lost more! So, finishing the garden has been pushed aside for my exercise schedule, three days a week 45 minutes away from home...

I keep telling myself it's worth it, I keep telling myself I'll feel better... My knees and hips do not agree with my brain, however and they scream sometimes!!!  But I am trying to stay determined to stick to it. I am struggling, I keep messing up my eating...I am an emotional eater....but I am now going to throw away the left over Halloween candy, thank goodness it has wheat in it or I'd really be in trouble!

So, I will enjoy what is left of the garden's beauty this year and next year I will make a little more progress. Maybe by next spring I will have lost a bit more weight and gained a bit more confidence in myself and my ability to stay committed to change...I am struggling with the changes. I keep telling myself that I can change this, I can stop doing what I have always done in this area... I just have to keep going...

Blog Hugs and Bloggy Love to Whomever may still be folowing my blog. I appreciate your comments.

Betsy

In the Middle of My Mess...

A wonderful package came in the mail from a sweet bloggy friend,

Amber at

French Pressed Home

I love her and her beautiful blog! Amber helped me get through a painting experience I have yet to show you! An armoire for our master bedroom. But that is a different post!

She had a giveaway on her blog and I was a lucky winner!!!

She made these beautiful French kitchen towels that will be a fun addition to my dishes display above my cabinets! In contemplating what I would do differently up there, I had decided that using my dishes I don't use on a regular basis would be a fun idea for awhile at least. 

And then I looked at these towels along with some of the dishes I had removed from the dish cabinet and that sealed the idea in my head!!!

Now to just finish it! 

She also made some wonderful Vanilla and included that in the giveaway! I haven't used that yet, but I plan to!! I hadn't thought about using black accents in my kitchen, but I have lots of dark metal items I use and decorate with. 

Along with the dishes, it all just came together in my mind! We will see how it comes together in my kitchen.

Thank You, Amber!! You are so sweet and such a wonderful blog friend!

For those of you who don't know Amber at French Pressed Home, go visit her blog. It's a beautiful down to earth blog with some French/southern charm. 

HUGS! 

Betsy

This Last Month....

... Has been so busy, just as yours has been!!! But like my usual situation, It's hard to tell progress is happening here...

Wondering exactly where to place a fountain I inherited from my friend's Mother...

Planting what seems like a million flowers,

Trying to situate and clean up under the deck,

Starting to demolish the mobile home we lived in when we were first married..

It's been a bitter sweet thing for me, fun for Hubby and his "new toy"!!!

Canning apricots!!!

Removing the vinyl above the front door to prepare for paint to prepare for new carpet!!!!

The Fourth of July Parade...

Painting, 

Painting....

And More Painting!!!

And then we found...

Our Mama cat gone, but her six Kitties are still here!!! So we feed kitties every four hours... I had to ask help from a friend with three... Feeding six was taking up so much time! It's taken too long to get this painting done!

At least I've had help with all of this stuff since Son and Daughter*4 are home from college working this summer. 

Daughter*1 and her family are coming from Germany next week, do you think I can get it all finished??? I will have to let you know how it goes! 

Rearranging decor on the kitchen cabinets, getting guest rooms ready, cleaning up, watering the yard and flowers, mowing, cooking, canning, feeding kitties, prayers and all the important stuff!! 

BUSY!!

I will post pictures of things as I finish them! Hope all is well with all of you! 

Oh!!!! If you comment on this post, I will be happy to send you some sparkling cider as gift, celebrating that my stuff is finished... When I actually finish!!! 

Any thoughts about nice ways to display dishes above cabinets would be appreciated! Let me know if you have any  blog posts or see any blog posts with pictures of those kinds of things! Dish displays! I need help!!!

Hugs, and Happy July!!!

BETSY

The Beautiful Baby Girl

What a beautiful Sunday we had!

I have always loved Sunday. For me it is a day of rest, a day of worship, a day of spiritual renewal and special family occasions. 

This sabbath day, last Sunday, was the day that our sweet new Grandgirl was  given her name and blessed by her earthly Father and by her Heavenly Father.

This little white dress I made for Grandgirl*3's special day. These first two pictures I took at home. I wasn't sure about this fabric. It has a beautiful pattern woven into it, but it looked somewhat stiff and I was hoping to make a dress that had a little softer flowing look to it. 

When I arrived in Germany and showed what I had started to Daughter*1, she loved it and asked me to continue on this dress. I had serged the edges of each of these pieces when I was working on them at home, and I was glad I did. The seams lay much better when I use my serger. 

The fabric is vintage, probably from the 50s or 60s. I was drawn to the patterned weave and wanted to try it.  I love the leaves and flowers on the fabric.

I fully lined the dress using... Mmmm... Can't remember what that fabric is called, I think it is Voile, but it's a fabric that has been around for years and is a semi sheer cotton. I decided to sew it with French seams, since my daughter does not have a serger and I don't want the dress lining to unravel. 

I haven't done French seams on an entire dress before and I was pleased with how it turned out.

There were some tricky parts, and I learned a lot! Especially since I didn't have the sewing instructions with me. I was just sewing from memory. Next time I will attach the yoke lining at the neck leaving the rest open until I have the lace and the beads sewn on. That way the hand stitching will be inside the lining and unseen. And I will completely finish the skirt lining BEFORE sewing any section to the dress! Making another dress like this right away so I remember what I want to do might be a good idea!

I have made this dress pattern four or five times since I started sewing 32 years ago. They were all for family members' baby girls, and each was lovingly made. 

Two of the dresses, sadly, were burial dresses, worn by baby girls who didn't live for very long. But I was honored to be able to serve my sisters when there was nothing else I could do to be of assistance at such a time. 

Two of the other dresses were made for some of our own girls, Daughter*1 and Daughter*2, 

Grandgirl*1 also wore her Mother's dress when she was blessed. I added some silk ribbon embroidery and pearls to that dress to make it a little different from when her Mother wore it. It was during a very difficult anxiety time for me and I was feeling so intense, I couldn't even judge if the embroidery looked very good. I was afraid to do much because I felt so overwhelmed at the prospect of having to take it out and redo it if I didn't like it. But my creativity feels so drowned by fear during those times, I was afraid I couldn't do it at all. But I did a minimal amount and it actually looks okay. I probably could add more to it, but I am trying to stop the unnecessary perfectionism. (There IS a certain amount that is necessary.... Isn't there???!?) LOL

The lace that I used on the edges of the sleeves and the bottom hem of the dress is some vintage cotton crotchet lace that I got from LuluLiz. She found it at a brocante in France and I love it so much! I purchased one long length from her, and a few other times when I ordered things from her Etsy shop, LaCroixRosion, she tossed in some shorter pieces. Because she gave those extra pieces to me, I had enough to finish the dress! I love how it looks on the patterned cotton fabric!

In the picture above, you can see that it looked pretty plain even after I stitched the trim around the neckline. This tiny trim was some from my own Mother's stash of laces I inherited when she passed away. I loved the idea of making this dress from old elements that are connected to family and foreign countries, since the baby was born in Germany. It just seemed "apropo". As you see in the picture below, I hand stitched tiny white beads on each point of the trim around the neck. It added a dainty sweetness to the dress, just as I hoped it would. Then, I hand sewed the trim just under the yoke and I liked the look of the dress better.

I had planned to do some silk ribbon embroidery but my silk ribbon had a thread pulled out through the entire length and I just couldn't make myself use it. We had no idea where we might be able to find some silk ribbon for embroidery where she lives. I also ran out of time add beads to the points on the trim at the yoke. I hope to add those later. 

I also sewed the tiny trim to the hem of the lining, so it looked like a pretty slip underneath the dress. I would have liked to try some thin ribbon in the lace, but the 16th inch ribbon is very hard to find now, and I didn't take any of my own with me. It's hard to sew if I am not in my own sewing room where I have so many accent items on hand. But it is also good for me to learn to be satisfied with what I make when I don't have everything I WANT at my fingertips. Even with all the fuss, it was still a very simple dress, but beautiful on Baby Grandgirl*3.

We simply adore her!!! She even has enough hair for us to put a bow on a clip into her hair, and it stayed there!

Isn't she just sweet???!!!!  I loved sewing this for her! And I miss them all terribly now that I am home in Washington. But soon they will be here at our home for a few weeks  and I will enjoy them immensely!

It is so fun with them all here! 

Hope you enjoyed the post!!! 

Still more pics from my Germany visit to come!!!

Hugs to you all!

BETSY