Cinnamon Rolls mmmm...

I used Nana's Yeast Roll Dough to make cinnamon rolls. I rolled the dough out into a rectangle and spread soften butter all over it leaving one inch from the edge of one long side without butter. I sprinkled sugar and cinnamon over the butter. Rolled it up tightly and sealed the edge that had no butter. Using floss to cut cinnamon rolls is a great tip. I learned this trick a long time ago and it works every time.

I placed them in an oiled pan and set aside to rise.

Here they are rising. Look how plump they are getting.....so yummy.

These are covered with a basic powder sugar glaze.

And these...my favorites, are covered with a rich, cream cheese frosting. I took a block of soften cream cheese and added powder sugar to taste. I didn't add that much because we like the taste of the cream cheese.

I have combined my blogs.

I have decided to combine my two blogs so I took all of my posts from my other blog and added them to this one, hence the long post. It dawned on me that my life is my family. They are the reason I craft, sew, bake, decorate etc so why not include all of it together?




I'm pretty eclectic, old fashioned and hippie in a sense. Joaquin is kinda modern with electronic fetishes. Joaquin and I met in Guatemala while I was living there as a missionary. He was with his church visiting the orphanage where I worked. His first visit was in 2001 but he didn't even know that I existed then. It wasn't until his 2002 visit that he noticed me. I was sitting with one of our little girls on our porch when he decided to walk up to me and introduce himself. When he started to walk towards the porch, I looked around trying to find the person he was walking too. To my surprise it was me he wanted to talk too. He sat down beside me and we carried on a conversation. The day before their trip was over, Joaq came to my house and asked for my e-mail address. That was the begining of our friendship. For almost two years we kept in contact with each other. I moved back to the states Dec. 14, 2003. Once in the states we started to IM and then from IM we moved on to the phone. It was amazing how smooth everything progressed. I believe it had a lot to do with our two year friendship. God was preparing us. No matter what relationship Joaq or I had with other people, God knew that we were meant for each other. It was all God's timing indeed. Before I knew it, Joaquin asked me to marry him. Over the time of our engagement, Joaquin managed to visit me almost every month. There was never a weird or strange moment during our times together. We had truly found our Soul mates.

I celebrated my first Mother's Day last weekend. I am so happy, grateful, and blessed to be Amelia Jean Kyungsoon Costa's mommy.

"OOO camera!"

"Almost there"

"please give me the camera"

"But mom!"

"You never let me do anything!"

Hmmmm.....Wait till she asks for the car keys!

Amelia knows what the camera is for. Such a ham!

"Look mom! A yummy banana moisturizer. It's organic too!"

"Want some?"

I love carrying Amelia in a sling. I use it whenever we go out. It is so practical and easy. We were at a friend's house the other day and she had a baby doll with a child's sling so of course I put it on Amelia. I hope that Amelia will carry her babies in slings one day.

"I can even play while wearing my baby doll"

Joaquin and I celebrated our 4th wedding Anniversary, May 21st. Some days it feels as though we have just gotten married and other days it feels like a life time. Each day is new and exciting, especially with a baby.

Some people throw rice way too hard.

Free entertainment! Ha!


In Rome for our honeymoon.

My Treasures

I wanted to start a weekly post showcasing some "treasures" that I have in my home. Whether they be vintage, antiques, heirlooms or things from my travels, I treasure them. My love for all things old and vintage started at a very early age. I was blessed to be raised in a rural, yet historic town in Virginia. Antiques and vintage items were abundant in most homes in our little town and our home was no exception. I loved studying old black and white photos that belonged to my Aunt Barbara. I would look at them daily. Photos of my great grandparent would conjure up so many questions about these "strangers" that shared my genes. Old homes.....oh the craftsmanship and character in them would make me giddy inside. As a child I would look at them with longing as we would drive by them on our country roads. I would grieve for the old homes that were falling down. They still looked beautiful to me even though they had been abandoned years ago, their history slowly slipping away with time. I'm a purist when it comes to antiques and vintage items. It's hard for me to even think about cutting up a vintage linen or quilt even though it may be stained or tattered. I need to work on that because some things I have can't be used the way they were intended for one reason or another. I need to work up the courage to re-purpose them so that at least parts of them can be enjoyed.

Below is a picture of a tea/coffee cup that belonged to my Aunt Barbara. These were given to me when I was younger and I kept them close. I fell in love with the beautiful shade of turquoise on them. There are several pieces to the collection but many are missing. I hope to complete the collection one day. I have seen many variations of this same style by the maker.

It adds a little something extra to a morning cup of coffee or an afternoon cup of tea.

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Nana Would be proud

I made another cute sundress. It kinda reminds me of a vintage "sack" dress. I made it from a pattern that I altered to look like this one. I think I might go back and add some elastic at the bodice. I'm working on bloomers for Amelia to wear under this. This fabric is special because it belonged to my Nana. It had a note with the yardage pinned to it in her handwriting.

Amelia's first handmade sun dress

Well I'm back! What a fun and relaxing Memorial day weekend. So here is the dress I have been talking about. This isn't the first dress I have ever made but it is my baby girl's first handmade dress. I am quite happy with it although I will do some things differently for the next one. Amelia's butt and thighs are nice and plump and deserve an "A" line cut. Also, I would move the ribbons over a little and not make them as long as the book asks for. This pattern came from the sweetest sewing book called, Weekend Sewing.

I was amazed at how simple this "smocking" was!

I tried getting a full picture of her but she wouldn"t stay still.

I love this fabric, it looks like a little French village.

This dress really got me excited about sewing again. I have always had the sewing bug since I was a child. My Nana taught me how to sew and I am so grateful to have learned such a wonderful skill. I was blessed to have inherited her many sewing machines and materials.

Me and Nana

Natural Remedies

Natural remedies and cleaning methods are as old as time. I'm not talking about your silly "Old Wives Tales" here. I'm talking about tried and true remedies used by herbalist, Naturopaths, and Homeopaths. My Great Grandmother from the mountains of North Carolina would give her family herbal remedies such as goldenseal for colds or flu. I feel that herbalism is a lost art and like my Great Grandmother I choose to treat my family with herbs, nutrition and homeopathics. The purpose of natural remedies and healing is to support the body's ability to heal itself. Instead of covering up the symptoms, herbs can treat the cause of the illness or ailment.

I have two books that I refer to often:

"Rosemary Gladstar's Family Herbal"
"Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child"


Most herbal remedies are safe to take but as with anything new, check with a physician first.

More Fun With An Apron

 How can anyone not have fun doing daily chores while wearing one of these beauties? I remember my great-grandmother, "Big Mama" and my grandmother, Ola Mae wearing aprons. Aprons were worn not just during cooking but while gardening, milking cows, cleaning, crafts, and even hosting a party. It's sad that this American housewife staple has been set aside and forgotten. Let's reclaim this classic and wear it proudly. Chores are "More Fun With an Apron".

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog. This is a place where I can express my creative self whether that be through; sewing, baking, cake decorating, homemade herbal remedies, painting, crafts, interior decorating or many of my other hobbies. I am passionate about so many things and it feels good to be able to share my thoughts, ideas, creativeness, and knowledge. Enjoy!