A Challenge from the Hope Chest

In keeping with the theme and purpose of this blog, I would like to issue a challenge each week to the girls and women who read it. So, without further preliminaries . . .

This week's challenge is to sew something. Anything, as long as it is either for your hope chest (if you have a literal one), learning new skills, practicing skills, or otherwise getting yourself moving in this area.

It can be a big project, a little project, or several little projects. You don't necessarily have to complete an entire sewing project but try to complete something (hem your skirt, do the collar on a blouse, etc.).

It can be a mending project, as long as it involves sewing (i.e., no darning).

It doesn't necessarily have to involve stitching as long as what you are doing is not a means of avoiding actually stitching. It might be preparing fabric, laying out, cutting out, etc.

Although this challenge is intended for the unmarried woman or girl, others may join in too.

If you don't know how to sew at all, do something toward beginning to sew.

Leave a comment about what you have accomplished, or, if you want to blog about your project (I'd love to see pictures!), leave a link to your blog post (non "family-friendly" links will be deleted).

If you know anyone who might appreciate these challenges, please point them this way!

A Little Coupon Giveaway

It's not huge, but it might be just what you need. Here's the deal:

To enter ONCE, click over to my website (you can go to the home page, to the blog, or to the store ~ doesn't matter) then leave a comment here telling me what you think (about the whole thing or about something you saw there), preferably positive (*grin* nobody likes criticism, but I will take that too).

To enter TWICE, do the above and also post about this giveaway on your blog.

I'll randomly choose a winner on or after Wednesday, October 15.

The winner will choose 5-8 coupons from the list below (yes, that's right, you get to pick!). These expire 11/3 or later.

MidNite or MidNite PM

Weight Watchers bagged chocolates

Murry Sugar Free Cookies

Cold Stone Creamery (2 different coupons)

Breyers Swirled Lowfat Yogurt ~ Disney Multipack

Tyson Frozen Breaded Bagged product

Tyson Frozen Breaded Boxed product

Bausch & Lomb Alaway antihistamine eye drops

Lysol Neutra Air FreshMatic Starter Kit

Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Lysol Disinfectant Spray

Lysol All-purpose Cleaner Triggers, Pourables, Anti-bacterial Kitchen Cleaner or Lysol Plus Bleach

Lysol Healthy Touch Gentle Hand Sanitizer Foam

Lysol Disinfecting Wipes

Lysol Bathroom Cleaner or Mildew Remover

A Giveaway Within a Giveaway

I also have the following, which expire 10/19:

French's Original or Cheddar French Fried Onions

Any Spray 'n Wash product

Any Resolve product

Any combination of two Cream of Wheat, Polaner or Maple Grover products

I'll take entries for these today (Wednesday) and tomorrow (Thursday). All you have to do is enter the above giveaway and add that you'd like these too. Winning this giveaway won't prevent you from winning the first one.

Pumpkin Potholder Giveaway

A fun giveaway at Teaching Good Things just for today: a set of two pumpkin potholders! If you like these but don't win, check out the tutorial and make your own.

Celebrating the Beginning of Autumn with Roasted Potatoes

I'll tell more later about what I did today to celebrate the beginning of Autumn over at my other blog, but one thing I am doing is making roasted potatoes this morning to go with whatever DearMother decides to make for dinner/lunch (it's her turn to cook today).

This dish is still in the experimental stage. I've made it once! What temperature do I use (ETA: high--about 400, but I'm not sure what is best)? How long do they bake (a long time, but I don't know for sure!)? How much salt do I put in them (I guess I'll have to start measuring the potatoes, won't I?)? The herbs are easier since they are a bit flexible.

Here's what I put in the potatoes.
Olive oil (not a lot)
Salt
Ground oregano
Ground rosemary
Ground thyme
Spanish paprika
Basil
Sage (just a little)
Marjoram

I mixed this all with the potatoes (cut into large unpeeled chunks) in a bowl and then poured the potatoes into a sprayed baking dish. I think DearMother put the oven on 250 degrees since she will be baking something else at the same time that requires that temperature.

We shall see how this batch turns out! I think that roasted potatoes must be perfected and that I shall attempt to do that this fall.

While I was making the potatoes I also thought of something else I could do along the lines of using this holiday to better serve those in my household: make a potato dish once a week, at least throughout fall. Not just microwave-baked potatoes but something more "real" like roasted potatoes, oven-baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, etc. I think this would be very popular with DD (dear dad) and DB (dear brother).

My Hope Chest Calleth for . . .

What do you do when you don't have any money to spend on your hope chest no matter how frugal you are? You just talk about it . . . I guess.

I'd like to try some of this huck toweling. I don't know if I would like this kind of towel but I want to find out. If I do like it then I might buy some more and make towels.

This Needlework Skills Book 1: A Handsewing Primer looks interesting.

Some cast iron cookware. I'm not sure what. If anyone uses cast iron cookware and wants to advice me I shall be grateful. I already have one skillet (10 inch?) and maybe another (8 inch?) that I used while in college.


What do you think of my choices?

More links on dressing from my collection

. . . for Womanhood Wednesday.

Baker Lane

Amelia's Aprons

Practically Pretty by Design

Show and Tell: My Current Hope Chest

So, no, it's not very special or pretty, is it?

More Garden Project Pictures

After clean-up but before making the garden.

Another view.

Squaring up the garden. We had to measure diagonally to do this ~ under the forsythia!

The nursery!

Lookin' for Love?

It's not so much about finding love as it is about learning to love.

For the Frugal Flower Gardener

My family's business is having a sale. Drop by for some lovely flowers before it's too late for fall plantings!