Hey friends! I’m back with my last weekly roundup for the year! Next week I’ll be rounding up the whole. entire. year! Fun times. And it promises to be a long post yet again. Next week’s that is. I’ll try to keep this one short(er) than my usual posts. But I make no promises.
Chuck Norris made the Christmas decorations rotation this year! 
I’ve felt pretty uninspired lately with crafting. I feel like I’ve spent most of my creative juices on the business (with very good success!), but that left me empty when it comes to other crafting. So I’ve been rereading some blogs and instagrams for inspiration. That’s part of my problem sometimes, I get so bogged down that I forget to look around at what I’m doing so I turn outwards for inspiration. I think it’s good to find inspiration around us though. And there are so many talented people who provide that inspiration. Here’s a quick rundown of some of my old favorites: Natalie Creates, Bugs and Fishes, Posie Gets Cozy, and Little Cotton Rabbits. I felt like I need to try something new other than the homesteading stuff I’ve been doing. Kind of like a mental break. I have a rubbermaid tote underneath the bed that is full of felt. I used to make felt ornaments, mobiles (I made this mobile for the Mister’s niece years and years ago. I wonder if she still has it?!?), advent calendars (you should see the huge one I made for my nephews). So I sought out the bloggers and instagrammers who have provided inspiration to me in the past.
And I’m happy to say that I found my inspiration. I’m going to do some more crafts over the next few weeks just for fun. Stay tuned for details. I’ll work with my felt again. It’s nothing fancy. I bought it at walmart (gasp! LOL) a long time before I knew what natural, eco-friendly was. So I’ll use it to do some crafts. I also have some fabric that I’ll use to make little crafts. Maybe sell. Maybe add to packages. I feel inspired again.
We’re also making plans on updating the farmhouse a little. If you’ve been following along for any length of time, you probably know we live at a fly fishing lodge and we share the old farmhouse with the guides during the fishing season. But then the rest of the year we have the house to ourselves. And I’ve been wanting to make some updates. Nothing major. The house went through some renovations about 10 years ago but I’d like to update the paint. And the kitchen never got a backsplash. The Mister and I were discussing that. We bought a piece of bluestone backsplash at Lowe’s the other day but then we remembered we had slate tiles that I bought at a yard sale years ago. So then we started thinking maybe we could use that (hello free!). So we’ll work that out. I want to paint one of our walls upstairs with chalkboard paint and then put beadboard on the bottom half of the wall. I’d like to paint the rest of that room a nice soft green. We’ll move things around and hang some pictures. We’ll pull up the carpet and lay down some linoleum. Before we moved in, the upstairs housed lots and lots of people (on a rotating basis…not all at once!). And the carpet is officially a mess. If we put down linoleum, clean up will be easier. Plus we’ll put down some rugs. The space isn’t that big so it won’t take much. We’re also going to get our pictures out of storage and start hanging them up. I’d also like to paint the living room but I’m not sure what color yet. Something light, but with a clubhouse feel. That’s the aesthetic in there now. So I want to keep with it. But dark colors won’t work. That’ll be enough for this year. Then we can see where we’re at next fall/winter and do some more if we’re so inclined. I like nesting. I like being at home. But I want that home to be cozy no matter where we are.
We finished processing the deer this weekend. We let it age for about a week and then the Mister was kind enough to do the final butchering. I’ll weigh it and then we’ll know how much meat we got. The deer was 120 pounds. Also, we gave the kitties a bigger basket. If you follow me on instagram, you might have seen (in my stories) the new basket in front of the electric heater that the kitties have been fighting over. Someone suggested that I give them a bigger basket. I didn’t think I had one but, lo and behold, I do! I had all my yarn in the big basket so I took it out and put it in rubbermaid bins with lids (ha! Take that Corny. You can’t get to my yarn now!).
I felt inspired by all the Christmas baking and cookie exchanges happening so I decided to make a little something for some of our neighbors. I met one of our neighbors while I was canvassing for my friend this past fall. She was super nice and I know her daughter (didn’t realize it until I met our neighbor). Anyway, her daughter was telling me that our neighbor (her Mom) was asking about me. So I thought I would do a drop by with some cranberry bread. Then I thought ‘why not make more and drop off to other neighbors!’ So that’s what I’m working on this week.
Everyone else on the homestead is doing just fine. All animals are enjoying our slow days of being home together. School is out for 2 weeks. I’ve wrapped up the business end of things for the year so we’ll spend the next few weeks snuggling, baking, making, and reading! One of our little libraries (we’re lucky to have TWO libraries near us!), well, one closes for 2 weeks during the school break. So I ordered a HUGE stack of books that have been on my goodreads list for a long time. I’ll go through them and then decide if any will make my Amazon Wish List. And I’ll read them in between reading our book group selection–Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.
Speaking of wish lists and holidays. I was looking for a 2020 calendar. I’ve bought them from Rifle Paper before and from The Little Canoe. I loved the one from Little Canoe…it had paintings of produce for every month. That was kind of what I was looking for but she’s not currently making them. And I loved my “Coffee and Tea” calendar from Rifle Paper from a few years ago but I wanted something from a small business. So I started looking around the internets and I just couldn’t find anything that I loved. So I decided to make my own! I used my photos and shutterfly. I’ll give you more deets later because I’m thinking they might turn into some Christmas gifts. But I’ll give you a sneak peak:
The Mister and I went shopping this past week. We are officially done with everything-Christmas and homestead wise. We should be able to just hunker down on the homestead for the next couple of weeks, working on all those projects I mentioned above. I made our Christmas cards again this year and they all got mailed out too. Let me know if you’d like one! I love sending and receiving cards and handwritten notes! They’re the best.
Things are slowing down so much that I finally had a chance to make waffles this morning! Oh my goodness y’all. You have to try this recipe! They’re slightly fermented and so good. You make the batter the night before and then leave it out on the counter and finish it off the next morning. I can’t remember where I got the recipe. I keep it in my notes on my ipad so it’s handy (and that’s how often I used to make them!). I’m sure the recipe was passed along by a friend at some point. So now I’m passing it along to you! It wouldn’t be a normal Chicken Librarian post without a recipe!
Good Night Waffles
Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm water
1 tbsp sugar
2 1/4 tsp yeast
2 cups whole milk (warmed)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp salt
2 cups flour
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
Steps:
combine warm water, sugar, and yeast in a bowl. Stir together and let stand for about 10 minutes until foamy and bubbly. After 10 minutes and the yeast mixture is nice and bubbly, mix in milk, butter, and salt. Beat in flour until smooth. Wrap bowl tightly with saran wrap or other wrap. Let stand overnight on the counter (do not refrigerate). In the morning, mix in eggs, vanilla, and baking soda.
Spray waffle maker with cooking spray and use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to pour batter onto hot waffle iron. Top with butter and maple syrup and enjoy! This recipe makes about 20 waffles!
Also, I melt the butter in the milk and then let it cool slightly before mixing it into the yeast mixture. And I just use a whisk to mix the flour into the yeast/milk mixture. All in one bowl. So clean up is easy-peasy!
I tried making Apple Cider Vinegar but I didn’t weigh down the apples so they got moldy! Rookie mistake. I did put this kit on my Amazon Wish List on the recommendation of Bekah and Tracy. And finally, my Ruffled Feathers Salves (here and here) are 50% off. I need to make room for more stock! I hope you all had a wonderful week and I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!
Tracy
I come to your blog for inspiration, Kristin! 🙂
I LOVE your stories and your photos. I really do. And, sometimes the things you write about – even the smaller details that you might not know catch someone’s attention – will trigger an “oh yes, right! I need to do that!” (In fact, I am kicking myself right now for not using Shutterfly to make Mr. Gordon a calendar for 2020. D’oh! That would have been a great idea…) And I found “Posie Gets Cozy” through your blogs. Her posts are pretty. I like her photos and her writing as well.
But everything looks so warm and inviting – and festive! I totally get the “nesting.” And the waffles recipe is very interesting. Leaving it out on the counter overnight? Okay, I can get that. I plan to buy a waffle maker – eventually. Mr. Gordon and I sort of have a “if we bring something into the house, something’s got to go” rule of thumb. We haven’t practiced that much lately, but we’ll have to start doing it again. Right now I’m angling for an electric can opener. (I know, that’s not a huge luxury…) The challenge is that we have limited counter space. Ironically it’s a lot more than what we had in our city kitchen – a whole lot more… But we also had a huge pantry back then and we could store a bunch of appliances easily. (I also want a Pizzelle Press.)
I love that you are baking and sharing with your neighbors. We moved into our neighborhood in 2017 and that first year Mr. Gordon said: “Let’s send everyone around us holiday cards.” We had only met one neighbor and the others we only waved to from time to time in passing. (There’s quite a bit of space between houses here.) So, we went online and looked up the names of the people who lived in the homes around us and sent them cards. And we got some back. This is our third year of sending / exchanging cards. Last summer Mr. Gordon and I decided to invite the eight households we could see from various parts of our yard for a summer picnic. We had still only met a handful of people living around us – again, mostly in passing. We sent out invitations and lo and behold, six of the eight households came! (We did get a lovely RSVP no from an elderly couple who explained that they were not well enough to attend.) Sorry to digress here, Kristin, LOL, but I do have a point. In this new world culture of living online, it’s so easier to miss those “in person” peoples who make up that first part of the circle outside self: our neighbors. I LOVE that you are someone who will reach out to the people around you to make those human connections. Maybe if people did this more, maybe the world wouldn’t be as crazy as it sometimes seems. Ah, but I ramble.
Many, many thanks for the homemade Christmas card! What a joyful surprise! This is a keeper and will go in my “cards box.” It so kind of you. Mr. Gordon thought it was so nice, too. (He was like, hey, she made this!) 😀
So, Chuck Norris, eh? How’s he make the festive lineup? 😀 By the way, if you ever find yourself with a lack of something to do – I know, that will never happen, LOL – Google Chuck Norris jokes. Incredibly silly.
Well,time for me to get back to Christmas treat work – one more batch of Coconut Date Balls to be made!
Merry, merry, merry Christmas to you and your Mister. I’m looking forward to your year-end round-up and our book discussion in January! Oh! One more note… the other day I remembered a book I wanted to share with you: Beautiful and Abundant: Building the World We Want, by former Mother Earth News editor Bryan Welch. I think I have it somewhere and I need to get back to it. I haven’t finished it yet, but still wanted to let you know about it.
Okay, now I’m off! (PS: I must someday learn about your capers caper.) 😉
chickenlibrarian
Thanks Tracy! You are so sweet! I always hope someone enjoys my posts. I enjoy writing them, putting them together so not all is lost if no one reads them. BUT it is nice to hear that someone likes them.
I’m really, really excited about the calendar! I can’t wait to unveil the whole thing. But alas, they are gifts so the unveiling will have to wait. I have mine up and hanging right now in the kitchen. Maybe I’ll just share that one in the meantime. I have big ideas for next years calendar and will spend some time figuring out how to get my ideas into a reality. It’s funny…it’s the little things right?
Speaking of. Funny story. Let’s see if I can be quick about it. I have built an Amazon wish list of things that I’d like. It’s kind of an organizing tool for me too. I just put things in there and when I have a little extra money I can purchase a couple of things but this way I don’t forget about it. Anyway, the Mister and I went shopping last week. That’s when we bought all the fun things to update the farmhouse with–chalkboard paint, backsplash sample, paint samples, etc. One of the things I had on my list was a broom. yes. a broom. Not just any broom, but one of those corn brooms. Well. We found one! I know it’s not made in the USA nor by a local person, but sometimes my need to have something rightnow wins over. So we bought the broom and two smaller, handheld versions. I was in love. We get home and I’ve been using it to sweep up the kitchen. Every time I use it I keep telling the Mister how much I love it. It’s got a nice thick handle on it. So then we were purchasing some things from Amazon and I had an apron on my wish list so the Mister told me to buy it for Christmas. Long story short, who wants a new broom and an apron for Christmas? THIS girl! LOL. And I love them both!
As for the waffle maker, I bought one at a thrift store. I think my Mom bought me the other one. Or maybe that’s reversed. Anyway I ended up with 2 nice cuisinart waffle makers. Which makes making waffles a lot easier. And speedier.
I love love love your story about the Christmas cards turned neighborhood get togethers. What a great idea. And wonderful story! I couldn’t agree more with the in person relationships that need to be cultivated and tended. I was hoping the canvassing for my friend would get me out of my comfort zone and I would be able to meet some people who lived close by. It’s very heart warming to think of these human connections.
Chuck Norris. Well. I finally gave in. The Mister has all these silly things that people give to him (mostly his family 😐) and he always wants to display them. In our previous house he had one of the spare bedrooms as his office/craft space. He doesn’t have that here. And I’ve taken over most of the available space. So when he pulled that silly bobble head out how could I say no?
Okay. I guess I should round this up. I’m waiting for my cookie dough to be the exact coldness that it needs to be and finish resting in the fridge. Then it’s time to make the cookies (spiced chai gingerbread. YUM!). Gifts are finished. Anna Lee and I want to get out in the woods again today. It’s already turning into a beautiful day! Have a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Tell Mr. Gordon to do the same.
Lots of love
xoxo
-k
Bekah
Ahhh….nesting. It must be a fall thing. Making things cozy for the long months ahead where we will spend inside. I spent the month of November working on our family room and living room. Purging items we didn’t need, getting rid of larger pieces of furniture that had seen better days, rearranging furniture to make the living room more cozy and inviting, and buying a few new pieces of furniture for the family room. I am very happy with the results. Now I can sit on the sofa in the living room each morning and sip my coffee while I watch our neighborhood wake up. I bet you and your husband will really enjoy working on the lodge this winter. It’s nice to be able to put your fingerprint on a place. It helps to identify it as your home and not just a place you are living in for the time. Can’t wait to see your results!
Merry Christmas 🙂
PS Your cards and calendars look fantastic! I’m glad you got your craftiness back! It’s always so fun to work on projects for others. And, having a deadline (like Christmas gifts) is always a good prompt to get you moving, right?
chickenlibrarian
Ah! Yes! Nesting is the best. Especially this time of year. It sounds as if your nesting was well underway and turned out wonderfully. There’s nothing like that sense of peace from walking through the house in the early mornings, with a cup of coffee, on your way to your favorite ‘morning coffee’ chair. I got just that thing this morning after we worked all day hanging pictures yesterday. We still have lots of work to do, but I can just feel the anxiety and stress of this past year (from starting my own business) fall away. I can’t wait to see what 2020 brings for you, dear Bekah. And I like your sentiments about making where you are your home, regardless of the permanence of the place.
xoxo
-k
Daenel T.
Such fun pictures. I had to giggle at your kitties in the baskets. Before Squeekerz died, he used to sleep in baskets all over our house. It was both weird and cute. Especially since he was a dog. LOL
I’ve thought about taking my pictures and making calendars out of them. This year, I’ll be more intentional in my photography so that I can do something crafty with it at the end of the year. Maybe make a calendar and do a giveaway or something…
I know that I want to create more this year. I mean, I’m not a homesteader by any stretch of the imagination, but I like the idea of creating.
We’ll see…
I can’t wait to see the pictures after y’all redecorate. We’re in the process of looking to redecorate our house. I want to start simple with the laundry room – removing cabinet doors, repainting, and changing out the lighting. The rest of the house needs a bit more work, I think. There’s wallpaper that needs to be removed. I find that a bit daunting.
chickenlibrarian
The kitties and the basket are really funny! And I thought they’d both lay in the bigger basket. Nope. One at a time still with one eyeing the other. Fun times! I remember Squeekerz in the baskets! Such a cutie.
And I’m totally cheering you on with the crafting. The calendars are so fun. I like the idea of a giveaway. I’ll show you the finished product once I get it all together. I really like seeing my pictures in print in the form of a calendar. It’s also a good way to see how things have progressed from beginning to end. I think in 2020 I’ll be more mindful too and make sure I get a picture to represent each month. I tried to do that this time but ended up just picking some of my favorite pictures and then assigning them a month. I hope this makes sense! It does in my head 😁
Redecorating is going well. We decided to stick with one project at a time and then move on to the next. It was starting to get a bit overwhelming. THe house is a mess but I can live with it knowing that we’re working towards an end goal. The chalkboard wall should be finished today and then it’s getting the wood we need to finish it up. Then we’ll move on to the floor. I hope you get to redecorate too! I would love to follow along on that journey.
okay. enough. It’s good chatting with you friend! I know you’ve been super busy these last few weeks!
xoxo
-k
gkgirl
awwww…
I am so happy I found your adorable
little corner of the universe…
I ♥ finding new blogs.
🙂
Merry Christmas!
chickenlibrarian
AW! Thank you so much for your kind words and for stopping by! I’ll be back to blogging momentarily. We’re on a break to redecorate the house!
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!
-k
Shugunna Alexander
Merry Christmas Kristin! I’ve been on a little break, but wanted to stop over to see what you’ve been up to; always busy my friend.
I never heard of the waffle recipe, we have a waffle maker, maybe I’ll try this and let you know how it turned out.
I would love to see the final look of your finish room change, also light green is so energetic.
Beautiful pictures as always!
chickenlibrarian
Oh! Good for you for taking a break! I didn’t mean to take a break but the house stuff has me stepping away from other things. I’m planning my year end wrap up and then getting back to things shortly–book discussion, pie along, etc. I’ll be sure and post about the house once it’s back in order. If it’s ever back in order! LOL.
xoxo
-k
Melinda
Hey Kristin! I think I’ve fallen sadly behind on your posts (I blame the crazy of Christmas, lol) but it’s time to get started on catch-up! Glad to hear that you’re feeling creatively inspired again, it’s always frustrating for me when the juices stop flowing. My favorite thing to do is to look to others for inspiration, so I’m definitely with you there!
Let’s see, what else struck me? The fact that those waffles look so delicious that I want to snatch one off the plate? Or how I want to smooch those adorable cats, all cozied up in the basket? And the renovations? They sound like a fabulous idea! I swear, a fresh coat of paint is the best kind of makeover. It can change the whole feel of a room. Can’t wait to see pictures as you make your way through the house. Sure to be lovely.
Okay, now I’m off to see what else you’ve been up to. But I hope that your holiday celebrations were lovely ones 🙂
chickenlibrarian
Thanks Melinda! I agree…sometimes all it takes is a fresh coat of paint, rearranging some furniture, and hanging some pictures. It makes the house feel all cozy and warm. I have totally enjoyed the nesting I’ve been doing over the past few weeks. We still have some decorating and painting to do but hopefully by spring it will all be done!! Thanks for stopping by!