Over 100 Followers Giveaway!

I have been posting on my Blessings From Our Nest Blog since March of 2010.  My profile says that I have been blogging since some time in 2008 because I set this blog up as a part of a training at work.  That is where my interest in reading blogs began.  A couple of years later I decided to blog to help motivate me to get projects done and try new things.  Well, here I am seven months later and I am thoroughly enjoying blogging.  The trick is to find a balance because I could spend way too much time in the world of blogging and neglect my purpose for blogging.

I have a reason for all this rambling,  I want to have a giveaway for all my blogging friends and those who read my blog.

I have over 100 followers now and decided I should have a

"Over 100 Followers Giveaway!"

Here is my plan.

We will be visiting with our daughter and her family in Wisconsin and I will not be blogging again until October 5th.

This is what I decide to giveaway.

One of my handmade tote bags.

I am showing a couple of examples of the over 25 bags I have made like these.  The winner of the random drawing will receive a bag made special for them by me.  You will be able to tell me what color or two color combination you would like and I will pick some fabric and make it for your right away and send it out.

The only requirement is that you must leave a comment on this post by midnight October 4th.

I will pick a winner on October 5th and notify the winner.

If you don't have a blog and I don't know you personally you must leave an email address so that I can contact you.

I am so looking forward to visiting Wisconsin.

Have a great week!

Master Bedroom Update

I wrote a post not long ago about how I had finally finished our master bedroom the way I wanted it, click here to see it.  Well I changed my mind and made a change or two more.  I was motivated by a special issue of Victoria Magazine called Rooms of Bliss.  I realized that my room needed to be lightened so we did that by changing the curtains.

My favorite section of this magazine was Cottage Style

 There is a quote that reads

"Better is joy in a cottage than sorrow in  a palace."  - Anonymous 

This is one of the lovely pictures from the magazine

My husband always describes my style of decorating as ecclectic cottage so I guess that is why this section  of the magazine appealed to me most.
Another reason for showing the old and new pictures is so that I can link this post to Show Us Your Life Friday/Bedrooms at Kathy's Korner

I will share some pictures from my earlier post of the things I have not changed and then I will show you before and after
 of the things I did change.

We live an a house built in 1940 so the  master bedroom is not as large as the master bedrooms are in newer homes.
In these pictures we kind of travel in a circle around the room. 

Now I will show you the changes the Victoria magazine's neutral cottage inspired me to make.

BEFORE

AFTER

We added white lacey curtains and they just brightened the room.

I also changed the top of the wardrobe, remember the TV is inside.

The two chairs, close together are for TV watching or reading .

As I look at this picture I have an idea for a new lampshade and chair slipcover for the chair.

This is the cross-stitch I made for us when we celebrated our

 30th Wedding Anniversary.

It is now on top of the wardrobe.

I will also link this post to Victoria-Return to Loveliness at

A Delightsome Life.

Five Special Things About Fall

I was not too excited about Fall being almost here because summer here in the Northwest was so fleeting. 
 Now that Fall is really here I am planning to enjoy it.
I want to share with you five things I think are special about Fall and I am grateful for these simple things in my life.

Cooking and Baking begins again

 Oatmeal Cookies

Making a big pot of  

Homemade Soup

Or who in Washington State doesn't love our apples

Or the wonderful treats we can make with them

Blankets and Throws come out of the closets

Here they are ready to curl up in on a crisp morning or evening, or all day for that matter.

Fall Decorations

the colors are so warm and inviting

The Scents of Fall Candles

I love candles but the Fall scents are my favorite.

Craft Fairs and Harvest Festivals 

Like

Chick n' Coop Crafts Fall Bazaar

Starving Housewives October Holiday Harvest Craft Show

Vasa Park Fall Craft Show

Just some of the events I would love to go to.

Pumpkins Gourds and Mums in all of the colors of Fall

Cooking and Baking

Blankets and Throws

Fall Decorations

Craft Fairs and Fall Festivals

Pumpkins, Gourds and Mums

What are your favorite things about Fall?

I wrote this post as part of a Five Fall Favorites Link Party at Living and Loving in California go visit to see other Five Fall Favorite posts.

I am also linking to Gratitude Wednesday at House and Home

Are you your grateful for the simple things in your life this Fall?

I am back to add the recipe for the apple dessert pictured above as I have already been asked for it.

Deep-Dish Honey Graham Apple Cobbler

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

7 cups peeled and thinly sliced Granny Smith or Jonagold apples

(or whatever kind of pie apple you like best)

Pastry dough for 2-crust 9-inch pie

2 tablespoons honey

TOPPING

2/3 cup coarsley crushed graham crackers, approx. 5 squares

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons coarsely ground rolled oats

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup butter, softened

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2.  Stir together sugar, flour and cinnamon in a large bowl.   Add apples and toss to coat.

3.  Line a 13 by 9 inch baking dish with pastry dough and flute the edges.

4.  Fill the crust with the coated apples and drizzle the apples with honey.

Set aside.

5.  To prepare the topping, place crushed graham crackers, brown sugar, flour, rolled oats and cinnamon in a bowl and stir to combine.  Cut in butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apple mixture.

6.  Bake, uncovered for 40-45 minutes, or until the toping is golden brown.

7.  Serve warm with ice cream.  Makes 8 servings.

This recipe was taken from Favorite Recipes The Costco Way

Fall Table Runner and Candle Mat

In August I bought a little charm pack of fall fabric so that I could participate in  a quilting tutorial done by at Hillbilly Handiworks.
I started out fine with the project and at about day three I was distracted by many different things going on and was not able to keep up with the tutorial.  I got back to it this weekend and finished the project.  Here is my table runner and candle mat.  I am really happy with the way they turned out and learned a little more about piecing and quilting.

Table Runner

Candle Mat

Every piece of fabric from the "charm pack" was used in this project.

Here is my entry table before the "Fall fix up"

Another view of our beat up entry table.

Entry table with new table runner and some fall decorations.

The charm pack I used had some brighter colors than I usually use when sewing for our home but I thought this would be fun and I like the way it turned out.

Candle mat with special fall candle given to me by my "Secret Prayer Partner" last year. 

It smells so good!  Thanks, Kayla.

This was a fun project and I hope to try more in other colors.  Thank you to Hillbilly Handiworks for all of the work that went in to doing this on line tutorial.

Linking to Make it 4 Monday at Cottage Instincts and
Show off your Cottage Monday at House in the Roses