My Winter Go To

Here in Michigan we have been having
some unusually mild temperatures.

However things are changing today.

As the weather gets chilly and snowy.

I will be settling in with my favorite
Winter drink.

If you guessed hot chocolate...
you were correct!
I found these sweet Santa mugs at our vintage show.

They each have their own personality.

Along with my jars filled with chocolate and marshmallows,

fresh mint (which I have to put back in the fridge now)

and peppermint candies...

My perfect go to display for my favorite 

Winter drink!

I would like to share with you,
gramma H's
Hot Chocolate recipe.

1 cup water
2 oz bakers unsweet chocolate
1/2 cup sugar
3 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla

Cook the chocolate in water in a pot on the stove.
Heat on low to medium heat and stir with wooden spoon,
until chocolate is melted.
Add sugar and mix well.
Bring to a boil and cook 2-3 minutes,
stirring constantly.
Gradually add milk and whisk until blended.
Stir in vanilla and continue to cook 
another 2-3 minutes.

Being part French...
we sometimes also add a bit of cinnamon.
Depends on my mood. ;-)

Hope you enjoy this tasty treat!

Do you have a go to food or drink 
that warms you up this time of year?

Hot Chocolate Weather Blessings To All!
Janice

The Teddy Bear Roundup

Good morning everyone.
Well lets hope today for me starts on a better note.
Yesterday after my early blog post,
I could not find my purse nor money.
I did find my purse eventually...but not my money.
Bob gave me some so I could have breakfast.
(I could have used my card)...
(but it was my birthday money I was looking for)
Then I had trouble just getting my coat on.
After 3 attempts, Bob helped me.
I told him then it was going to be one of those days.

Sure enough about a mile and a half up the road,
I see blue and white flashing lights behind me.
Am hoping when I pull off the road that they go by me.
Nope.
I get pulled over by the police.

She asked me first where I was going.
{To work ma'am}

Do you know why I pulled you over?
{NO}

You have a broken headlight and you crossed 
the fog line a few times.
{Sorry but I did not know I had a light out,
nor did I realize I went over the line}
[I'm sure she must have thought I was drunk]
[just tired]

License, insurance and registration please.

[I hand her my wallet with my license]

Need you to take it out of the wallet.
{So sorry}

Then I told her as I grab for my purse once again,

that finding anything in here today was going to be a miracle,

as I had such a messy purse.

Even told her that I knew it was going to be a bad day,

and even told my husband that before I left the house.

She shined her flashlight on my purse 

[I grabbed out a bunch of papers]

***Managed to find my insurance***

I will be back she says and if you find the registration,

hold it out the window for me.

{I know I have it as my birthday was just Saturday,

and the new tab was put on}

She says nothing and walks away.

[GEEZ...I say to myself]

[Manage to finally find my registration]

[In the dark I might add]

***That was an accomplishment in itself***

After what seems eternity....all of maybe 5 minutes,

she comes back and I hold the registration

out the window like she said. 

She looks at the registration with her flashlight.

Folds it in half.

Hands me everything back and gives me a warning.

[WHEW...I say to myself]

{Thank you officer}

{Do you mind if I ask which light is out?}

I don't know. Its one of them in the front.

[Really I say to myself]

{May I go outside and look?}

No it will be safer for you 

if you look at it when you get to work.

{Ok, thank you again}

She goes back into her SUV,
I drive off.
She pulls a U-turn and I continue on to work.

I still had a half hour drive to work....
still dark...and am now worried which light is out.
The next town up, I stopped behind a car
at a traffic light and saw my car light reflections,
and then knew it was the driver's side light that was out.

Now I am even more worried, as I did not want anyone driving into my lane... so I am hugging that dang fog line.
Just hoping another officer does not pull me over.

Long story short,
I call Bob at work, 
he buys a light for me before opening the store.
He replaced the light last night.
{I left work before it got dark}
Now all is good.

One can only hope.
Today is another day.

Hope you enjoyed seeing my teddies for the holidays!
Much better than reading my pathetic story I bet.
LOL

I have many friends and family doing police work.
I know the officer was only doing her job,
and I am very grateful now that she pulled me over.
As would never have known about my light.
They truly are only doing their job to protect and serve.
Thank you for all that you do!!!

Teddy Bear Roundup Blessings To All!
Janice

The Mitten Song

Happy Monday everyone.
Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!
I spent my Saturday morning and Sunday,
finishing up my Christmas decorating.
Mikalya unfortunately got pink eye,
so she was unable to perform in her
Christmas concert.
She was so disappointed.

Bob and I still went out for a nice quiet dinner.
We both had prime rib and margaritas.
They both were delicious.

So today I give you the mitten song.
My mom gifted me my dad's old working mittens.
I so love and cherish them.

I just had to use them in a display this year.
As I show you pics of my display,
I give you the 

Mitten Song

Thumb in the thumb place.
Fingers all together.

These are the things we wear.
In mitten weather.

Mittens made of wool,

And the finest leather.

Thumb in the thumb place.
Fingers all together.

I created the NOEL stitchery into a heart.
Mine was stitched on linen,
using one strand of Christmas Red Floss.
If you would like to stitch some up for yourself,
below is my chart for you.

If you would also like to make these for Valentines,

I have also charted the word LOVE for you to stitch.

Hope you enjoyed both my display and the mitten song.          Also hoping you enjoy the free cross stitch patterns.                           Mitten Song Blessings To All!                                                 Janice

My Birthday Present

Good morning all and Happy Weekend!

Bob gifted me with the most wonderful 

birthday present.

My birthday is today, but he surprised me

a few days ago with this.

A wonderful cabinet for the bath made from old wood.

The black hinges are new, but the insulator knobs are old.

It fits perfectly above our toilet.

I have no clue what to put inside though...

as everything we need for the bath

 fits inside our dresser sink.

It is painted the same color as our walls.

The color is Icicle from Benjamin Moore.

I so love how it looks!

Then he hung up my rack.

Where I wanted to hang all of my antique hand mirrors.
It was an idea I saw [stole] from Robin over at
The Cranky Crow.
She did the same thing in her bath.
Robin we so miss your posts....
wish you would come back to blogging.

I could not remember where I hid all of the mirrors,

so I grabbed the one from the bedroom.

{hopefully I will remember where I put the others}

Then he hung this other rack 

opposite to the other one.

Where I now can display Gramma H's petticoat.

She always dressed and undressed
 in her upstairs bath farmhouse.

When she was not wearing her petticoat,
she always hung it in the bathroom.

Love the lace!

I have wanted to hang this here 

in our own bath for so very long now.

It now will proudly stay here.

Night time view.

Bob also made our toilet paper holder.

He used black pipe and old barn wood that he stained.

It also fits perfectly with our farmhouse look.

Plus it gave me a place to add one of my vintage soaps.

I have a collection of bar soaps.

Hmmm...

maybe they can go either on top of my new cabinet,

or open one door and display them inside.

Will have to work on that now. ;-)

Later today we will be going 
to Mikayla's (granddaughter) 
Christmas concert.
She will be playing the bells.
Then go out for my birthday dinner.

Birthday Present Blessings To All!

Janice