Well, I was planning on writing about the mild winter we are experiencing. Mild temperatures, clear skies…it had been delightful. Winter showed up this week, in a really big way. We had a great old fashion winter storm blow through. School was closed, roads needed to be plowed, sleds and skies came out of storage…and it managed to get our minds of the nightly news. Between hot chocolate and library books I managed to tuck away our Christmas decor and bring out some wintery things to reflect this quiet, more introspective time on the calendar. The goal was cozy and simple, hygge if you will. I must admit it can be a bit addictive, I’m not a huge fan of snow but I’ve enjoyed my cozy socks and warm throw by the fire…and a few days off from work is always nice. My ears are very in tuned to the weather report…

Inspire me Monday. Inspire me Tuesday . Metamorphosis. You’re the Star. Tuesday with a twist. Wonderful Wednesday. Keep in touch. Beautifully made. Party in your pjs. Wednesday blog hop. Your whim. Share your style. Home and garden. Waste not. Grandma’s House DIY. Vintage charm.Friendship Friday. Funtastic Friday. Grace at Home Thursday favorites. BFF open house. Morning Cup Of Joe. Home matters.Create bake grow. Snickerdoodle. Happiness is homemade. Create with joy. Creatively crafty Senior salon. Turn about Tuesday Saturday Sparks Farmhouse Friday All About Home Flaunt it Friday Pink Saturday encouraging hearts and home Wednesday Centerpiece. Dare to share. heart and souls simple sunday silverado. The Fabulous Party. homestead blog hop traffic jam busy Monday. Love your creativity potpourri Karin’s korner share your wealth

I was featured!

Senior Salon@Esme Salon

Inspire Me Monday@ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Potpourri Linkup@My Bijou Life

Turn About Tuesday@My Wee Abode

Wednesday Blog Hop@Electric Red Barn

Creative Crafts@Creatively Beth

My ToDo list says take down Christmas this weekend, and we have moved in that direction. However, I’m not so eager to put it all away yet. My Dining room is still decked out for the holidays even if the Christmas tree has shed its last needles in my home as of today.

I hope your holidays were grand. We spent ours with family. It was pretty magical for the Princess, but I feel like the magic may have reached the end. No matter, Christmas will remain special, stockings will still be hung with care, Santa will eat his plate of cookies and somehow we will find that perfect gift for everyone.

Happy New Year everyone! 2021 was still challenging for many of us, but 2022 is a chance to start again and maybe embrace some of the challenges…I’m going to try!

Inspire me Monday. Inspire me Tuesday . Metamorphosis. You’re the Star. Tuesday with a twist. Wonderful Wednesday. Keep in touch. Beautifully made. Party in your pjs. Wednesday blog hop. Your whim. Share your style. Home and garden. Waste not. Grandma’s House DIY. Vintage charm.Friendship Friday. Funtastic Friday. Grace at Home Thursday favorites. BFF open house. Morning Cup Of Joe. Home matters.Create bake grow. Snickerdoodle. Happiness is homemade. Create with joy. Over the Moon Creatively crafty Senior salon. Turn about Tuesday celebrate your story Saturday Sparks Farmhouse Friday All About Home Flaunt it Friday Pink Saturday encouraging hearts and home fresh farm Tuesday. Wednesday Centerpiece. Dare to share. Doodle buddies heart and souls simple sunday silverado. The Fabulous Party. homestead blog hop traffic jam Karin’s Korner. Potpourri link up

Busy Monday love your creativity

Potpourri Link-up@My Bijou Life

Morning Cup of Joe@The Cottage Market

The kitchen seems to be the most popular place in the house, Christmas or not. It needs to be cozy, I hope I succeeded. During the holidays it is the backdrop to cookie baking, gift wrapping, advent devotions, gingerbread house making, pie creations and Christmas song marathons. We would probably sit in the kitchen if you came to call. Enjoy this virtual tour!

Inspire me Monday. Inspire me Tuesday . Metamorphosis. You’re the Star. Tuesday with a twist. Wonderful Wednesday. Keep in touch. Beautifully made. Party in your pjs. Wednesday blog hop. Your whim. Share your style. Home and garden. Waste not. Grandma’s House DIY. Vintage charm.Friendship Friday. Funtastic Friday. Grace at Home Thursday favorites. BFF open house. Morning Cup Of Joe. Home matters.Create bake grow. Snickerdoodle. Happiness is homemade. Create with joy. Over the Moon Creatively crafty Senior salon. Turn about Tuesday celebrate your story Saturday Sparks Farmhouse Friday All About Home Flaunt it Friday Pink Saturday encouraging hearts and home fresh farm Tuesday. Wednesday Centerpiece. Dare to share. Doodle buddies heart and souls simple sunday silverado. The Fabulous Party. homestead blog hop traffic jam. Karins kottage

Senior Salon at Esme Salon

It was one of those holiday weeks, one where you realize you haven’t been still in days. Holiday fun is great and I look forward to it every year, but I still need my quiet Christmas time. One reason I decorate our master bedroom is the opportunity to relax among some understated beauty…well, also in the past it kept those truly breakable items away from a toddling Princess. I love to see my vintage Santas and mercury glass antique ornaments each morning. Add some greenery and it is all set!

Inspire me Monday. Inspire me Tuesday . Metamorphosis. You’re the Star. Tuesday with a twist. Wonderful Wednesday. Keep in touch. Beautifully made. Party in your pjs. Wednesday blog hop. Your whim. Share your style. Home and garden. Waste not. Grandma’s House DIY. Vintage charm.Friendship Friday. Funtastic Friday. Grace at Home Thursday favorites. BFF open house. Morning Cup Of Joe. Home matters.Create bake grow. Snickerdoodle. Happiness is homemade. Create with joy. Over the Moon Creatively crafty Senior salon. Turn about Tuesday celebrate your story Saturday Sparks Farmhouse Friday All About Home Flaunt it Friday Pink Saturday encouraging hearts and home fresh farm Tuesday. Wednesday Centerpiece. Dare to share. Doodle buddies heart and souls simple sunday silverado. The Fabulous Party. homestead blog hop traffic jam share the wealth

We have been getting in the Christmas mood this week, probably because we spent so much time digging through boxes and rediscovering the ornaments that we find most beloved. Does anyone else forget what they tucked away after Christmas? I can feel really overwhelmed by the large Rubbermaid bins stacked so neatly, but somehow, someway things always just fall into place and new items seem to blend in with the old seamlessly. After Christmas I always make the effort to prune back our decor before packing it up but I never seem to have the heart to banish things. Sigh, maybe this year. Enjoy my living room and beautiful tree picked out personally by the Princess.

Inspire me Monday. Inspire me Tuesday . Metamorphosis. You’re the Star. Tuesday with a twist. Wonderful Wednesday. Keep in touch. Beautifully made. Party in your pjs. Wednesday blog hop. Your whim. Share your style. Home and garden. Waste not. Grandma’s House DIY. Vintage charm.Friendship Friday. Funtastic Friday. Grace at Home Thursday favorites. BFF open house. Morning Cup Of Joe. Home matters.Create bake grow. Snickerdoodle. Happiness is homemade. Create with joy. Over the Moon Creatively crafty Senior salon. Turn about Tuesday celebrate your story Saturday Sparks Farmhouse Friday All About Home Flaunt it Friday Pink Saturday encouraging hearts and home fresh farm Tuesday. Wednesday Centerpiece. Dare to share. Doodle buddies heart and souls simple sunday silverado. The Fabulous Party. homestead blog hop traffic jam potpourri

The best part of my newly revealed kitchen…the ease it lends itself to Christmas decorating… and Valentine’s Day as well I guess…but we have a few months until that event. The crisp white with touches of red only needs a few holiday elements to look polished, simplistic and classic. I may have to give away all my glitter and gold accents…just kidding. This Christmas my motto seems to be less is more. Hopefully I have managed to also evoke a feeling of a cozy, warm home because that is what I, and probably most of my readers, long for during these stressful times. Grab a cup of hot chocolate and come inside…

Simple (and free) greens in an antique Swedish dough bowl add a lot of impact. I love the simple red berry wreaths in the windows.

My Grandmother’s church was made for a beautiful snow cover and simple pine trees. An antique postcard finishes the vignette.

A Swedish Santa stands guard over vintage cookie cutters, waiting for the baking to begin.

But until that baking time occurs, we can enjoy the adorable gingerbread decorations…and the Santa as well!

And what says Christmas more than plaid…even cuter on a little Princess…singing on a hay bale!

Inspire me Monday. Inspire me Tuesday . Metamorphosis. You’re the Star. Tuesday with a twist. Wonderful Wednesday. Keep in touch. Beautifully made. Party in your pjs. Wednesday blog hop. Your whim. Share your style. Home and garden. Waste not. Grandma’s House DIY. Vintage charm.Friendship Friday. Funtastic Friday. Grace at Home Thursday favorites. BFF open house. Morning Cup Of Joe. Home matters.Create bake grow. Snickerdoodle. Happiness is homemade. Create with joy. Over the Moon Creatively crafty Senior salon. Turn about Tuesday celebrate your story Saturday Sparks Farmhouse Friday All About Home Flaunt it Friday Pink Saturday encouraging hearts and home fresh farm Tuesday. Wednesday Centerpiece. Dare to share. Doodle buddies heart and souls simple sunday Sunday stars silverado. The Fabulous Party. homestead blog hop traffic jam potpourri karins kottage

Sometimes the simple things really are the best. Sunsets, a baby’s giggle, a kind word from a friend and this apple crisp recipe. It is especially good with apples you picked yourself. The smell alone is worth the effort of pulling out the baking pan. Fall is beginning to wane and winter is right around the corner, but the apple crisp helps make that switch a little bit easier.

I also love that The Princess can lend a hand easily making it. The bonding time is priceless.

The Usual Cast Of Characters

• 6 apples, peeled and chopped. I like a tart variety like Granny Smith
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup old fashioned oats
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, diced into small cubes
• pinch of kosher salt

The Steps To Glory

• Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Butter an 8×8 baking dish, or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, add chopped apples, granulated sugar, 3/4 tsp of the cinnamon and lemon juice. Stir to combine, then transfer to prepared baking dish.
• In a separate mixing bowl, add topping ingredients (brown sugar, oats, flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, salt, and diced cold butter). Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the oat mixture, using a slight downward twisting motion, until mixture resembled pea-sized crumbs. Alternatively, you can use two forks or even your hands to cut butter into the mixture.
• Spread topping over apples in baking dish, and gently pat to even it out. Bake 40-50 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.
• Serve warm and enjoy!

Inspire me Monday. Inspire me Tuesday . Metamorphosis. You’re the Star. Tuesday with a twist. Wonderful Wednesday. Keep in touch. Beautifully made. Party in your pjs. Wednesday blog hop. Your whim. Share your style. Home and garden. Waste not. Grandma’s House DIY. Vintage charm.Friendship Friday. Funtastic Friday. Grace at Home Thursday favorites. BFF open house. Morning Cup Of Joe Home matters.Create bake grow. Snickerdoodle. Happiness is homemade. Silver pennies. Create with joy. Over the Moon Creatively crafty Senior salon. Turn about Tuesday celebrate your story Little cottage Saturday Sparks Farmhouse Friday All About Home Flaunt it Friday Pink Saturday encouraging hearts and home fresh farm Tuesday. Wednesday Centerpiece. Dare to share. Doodle buddies heart and souls simple sunday Sunday stars silverado. The Fabulous Party. Charming homes and gardens homestead blog hop traffic jam karins Korner share the wealth full plate. What’s for dinner