We teach our children that this land was founded by men who wanted to honor God in their governing and give the citizens life and liberty and freedom to pursue their dreams.  It seems sometimes that being American projects pride and not humility, self over serving and that we are boastful and arrogant in our independence.

This week I’ve wrestled just a little bit over my patriotism.  I wonder often, if God will continue to bless our great land when we are failing so miserably in honoring Him with the very wealth and freedoms He has bestowed upon us.

I shutter at the corruption in our country… the filth and the perversions that are allowed and celebrated.  That the wholesome, idealistic American dream is becoming harder and harder to achieve.

But every Sunday as we drive to church one of my children will pray over our services and without fail they will say, “thank you that we live in a country where we can go to church and worship You.”  And they are right.  How thankful I am to live in a country where my children are allowed to go to school, to worship in freedom and where all three of them have the opportunity to dream big and work hard.

America is a beautiful place with a beautiful heritage.  On this independence day our family will remember the early Americans who gave their all to win our freedoms.  We will thank God for our country and we will wave our flag with pride.

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties,
Above the fruited plain!

America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness,
And ev’ry gain divine.

-Katharine Lee Bates

 Happy Fourth Y’all!

post and pictures by Sunshine

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This rich soil has been waiting to be turned over in the garden beds and the children absolutely loved shoveling and mixing and raking it into place.

Our fine little gardeners!

This was Chapel’s first year to really get in on the garden scene and she had a grand time!

post by Sunshine, pictures by Peter & Sunshine

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We picked at one of our favorite farms, with some of our favorite friends.  It takes a bit of winding through the back hills of Tennessee to get to this place, but the long drive and the glorious scenery are a major part of the experience for us.  On our drive to Valley Home Farm, Decker John actually said, “Mama, it’s so pretty in these valleys that I almost want to cry.”  Oh!  Melt my heart.

In our family, the golden standard for Strawberry Jam is the basic Sure-Jell freezer jam.  It’s not complicated, it’s not fancy, but it’s what we grew up on and it captures the sweetness of these ripe red berries exactly the way we like them.

As a newlywed, I had the great joy of living only a few hours away from my grandmothers.  Every spring for several years I would bring my fresh picked berries to my Mamaw’s house in Winston-Salem, and we would spend a day making jam.  We made enough for me and for her and a few extra jars to give away.  I love that she taught me exactly how to chop and smash the berries, that she emphasized the importance of stirring the Sure-Jell on the stovetop for exactly one minute as the directions said, and I love that when I spread my biscuit with jam I always think of her.

Legend has it, that I was given a taste of strawberry jam from the fingertip of this special lady during my first week of life!  No wonder I love it so.

Are berry picking and making jam family traditions for you?  

post and pictures by Sunshine

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Our dear friend Yancy is a fabulous children’s worship artist and it was a treat to have her lead the children in praise.  They sang ‘Hosanna Rocks’ and some of her other awesome Easter songs, while playing kazoos!

Our springtime menu included finger sandwiches, hummus and pretzels (bunny ear style), fruit and veggies, carrot muffins and pretty thumbprint cookies.  Yum!

Stickers and poster board made some pretty cute bunny ears!

The older girls and boys painted wind chimes and mason jar flower vases.

Being the rabbit hunters that we are, we searched for cottontails instead of eggs, and exchanged them for bags of candy!   The little bunny hunters picked up cotton balls that we scattered in the front lawn, but the older children really had to hunt to find their cottontails!

A classic pillowcase race became a competitive bunny hop and we raced over and over until the kiddos were worn out!

The puppies came out for play time too!

The very talented Melissa Loudon, took lots and lots of pictures and our photo set was a blast for all!

What’s a party without a favor?  Each family went home with Yancy’s Everday Happy Day album and The Berenstain Bear’s Easter Story book!

This may become an annual event, I can’t think of anything better to celebrate!  
Rejoice and throw a party – Jesus Is Alive!

pictures by Melissa Loudon, post by Sunshine

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A successful shed hunt requires a lot of patience, a sharp eye and the ability to cover plenty of ground.

March is also an ideal time to search for antlers because the under growth which is waiting to explode will typically hold off until April – which bring with it poison ivy and ticks!  Also, I have found antlers during turkey season (April) that have already been completely chewed up by rodents.  So, getting out in March is the perfect time to find antlers.

Including the kids in the hunt for antlers is a great chance to spend time with the young’uns and teach them about being in the woods.

A couple of tips for finding shed antlers

-Go on cloudy days as everything shines in the woods on a bright sunny day.

-Look for antlers in thick bedding areas.  I have found antlers in food plots, fields, fence crossing and other travel coridors.  However, the majority of the antlers I have found have been in thick cover, grown over fields and other places deer choose as their bedding sites.

-Learn to search for antlers by scanning the woods as you slowly walk.  Be sure not to “out walk your eyes.”  Often, I see something that looks like “it could be an antler” and as I approach I realize it is an antler.

This is the perfect opportunity to spend time with your kids in the woods, make it an adventure!

by Peter, pictures by Sunshine

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One of our children’s favorite games is to “play hunting.”  This began at their grandparent’s house as a game Grandaddy plays with the grandsons.  He hides turkey decoys among the trees behind the house and the boys take turns shooting with Grandaddy’s special toy guns.  The rules of the hunt and gun safety apply just as much in the backyard as they do in the woods on a real hunt.

We have recently bought a second toy gun, so that both of our older children can “hunt” together.

We take guns seriously and we expect our children to do the same.  So, when they want to play with their toy guns they have a few guidelines.

-We never point a gun at a person – so we do not let toy guns be used for playing army or cowboys and indians, etc.    Guns are only for shooting game , period.  (Learning to defend yourself and your family with a gun will come at a much later date and we feel it is unneccessary to teach at this stage.)

-We carry and hold a gun in such a way that we keep ourself and those around us safe.

-We take care of the gun and put it away when we are finished with it…. it is not a common toy to be left laying in the backyard.

When our kiddos are older and we feel comfortable letting them begin shooting and carrying real firearms we will go more in-depth with safety training.  As Tennessee hunters they will also be required to take a hunter’s safety course when they begin hunting.

I expect my children to grow up to be hunters, it is what they have seen and experienced their whole lives.  We want them to be comfortable and confident when holding and carrying a gun, and we want safety to be second nature for them.

How to you handle gun training with your children and do you have any tips for teaching healthy fear and respect for firearms?

post and pictures by Sunshine

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We spent an afternoon helping Papa, my dad, wrap up his firewood cutting for the season.  Our little guy brought his tool set and got a some work done while he was waiting to carry the split logs.

Papa had a little nature lesson with the kids and together they counted the rings on this huge fallen oak.  It was decided that the big ole tree was over 120 years old.  Amazing.

On a side note: we considered blurring the logo on Papa’s hat, but we love him too much to do so.  He is a baseball fan through and through and those Yanks have been his team since he was just a lad.

A good day, a good lesson and good work accomplished.  This little lumberjack is sure to grow into a very fine man.

pictures and post by Sunshine

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When she was little bitty she would want us to pile books in her crib in the mornings and she would look at them for an hour before wanting to get up for breakfast!  When she was old enough to say just a few words she would come to Pete and I and say “book with me” wanting us to sit and read aloud to her.  Now we find ourselves saying things like, “look up from your book while you are walking” and “one chapter book is enough for a trip to the grocery store.”  This girl loves to read.

Here is her first OSR book review - Where the Red Fern Grows.  It’s a classic heartwarming and heartbreaking story.  She has been through this book multiple times, and loves it even more with each read.  It was the first book that made her cry – opening her up to experience the emotions of the characters like no book had before.  It’s a sweet one.  Bright’s other posts are here and here.

Where the Red Fern Grows by Bright, age 7

This is the great story of a boy with two coon hounds.  He saves up his money, $50 in all!  Then he leaves home and travels to the place to buy the dogs.  He trains them with good hard work.  They become some of the best coon hunters in those parts.  They win awards.

Though I like many parts of the book, the part where he goes to get the dogs is my favorite.

His family lives deep in some mountains.  His life is different from how I live because how they dress and act and because of the time period.

When you read this classic novel you will truly be Where the Red Fern Grows.

This was Peter’s favorite book as a child and he was thrilled when Bright read it for the first time!  What book are you looking forward to seeing your kids read?

intro and pictures by Sunshine, book review and art by Bright

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This was a super fun week for us as our home was featured on Design Mom’s Living with Kids series!

For us home is our land and our woods, our family and our house.  The house part is usually a big cluttered mess; it is a battle I fight daily.  It has been encouraging to read the wonderful and gracious words of so many readers who looked at these pictures of my house (all picked up and clean) and loved what they saw.  Because sometimes, I forget to look past the food on the floor and the piles of unfolded laundry.  Our house is full of life and full of love and it’s the very little and very messy people living here that truly make our house a home.

Thank you, Gabrielle, for including us!  It has been a true honor to share this piece of our heart with your readers!  Check out the full post, see all the pictures, read our interview, and get a glimpse into our life ‘Living With Kids!’ right here!

post and pictures by Sunshine

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Ree Drummond is the Pioneer Woman and these are her perfect pancakes!  When it comes to comfort food, she is the authority.  Delicious!

Thank you to our very talented friends – Ike Elgard, for producing, directing, and for writing our beautiful music and thank you to Ryan McLemore for filming!

The post Breakfast – a Movie appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

To qualify for the adventure category, you must don your adventure clothing, pack an adventure bag, and do something just a little bit out of the ordinary!  For this simple adventure we played in the woods, walked to the creek and waded around in the freezing cold winter water!

We pulled on our ‘play in the dirt clothes’, our chore boots (read my review here), and our warmest coats and hats.  Nothing dampens an adventure like a little one who is sad and miserable because they are cold.  It’s pointless for mama to worry about who is getting their shoes muddy or staining their pants, so dress for the dirt!

Mom’s Adventure Bag:
Snacks
Treats (these are very different categories)
Water
Wet Wipes (useful in many, many situations)
Camera, not pictured :)

Kid’s Adventure Bag:
Binoculars (real & homemade)
Walkie-Talkies
Camera (pretend or real)
Whistle
Other very important items, like sticks, will be gathered along the way.

Bags packed?  Let’s go!

Tell me, what is your secret for turning an ordinary outing into an ‘Adventure’ ?

post and pictures by Sunshine

The post Outdoor Adventure appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

Supplies:
Unfinished wood hearts.  Your local craft supply store should have them in several sizes and styles.

Ribbon or cording for stringing necklace.  We used about 3′ for each necklace. Plus more ribbon for dressing up your necklace.

Feathers.  You can buy them loose or ready to string.

Paint. I chose to use spray paint because it dries so very quickly!  (I used it here too!)

Embroidery thread, super glue, tape (if using loose feathers)

Drill and drill bit

Start by marking drill holes with a pencil on all hearts.  Drill through each heart, making sure to choose a drill bit that will make a hole large enough for your cording.

Paint the hearts on both sides and allow to dry.  Our hearts did not need sanding, but it’s possible you may need to buff off a few rough spots before painting.

Now the fun part!  The sky is the limit… play around until you have the arrangement just as you want it.  Cut the cording to desired necklace length (make sure it’s long enough to slip  over your head), plus several extra inches for tying a few knots.  Then thread on the heart, feathers and tie on the decorative ribbon.

Next, making sure this heart/feather/ribbon grouping is centered on your cording length, tie a simple knot in the cording just above the group.

Tie the cording ends together and you are done!

Stumped how to use loose feathers?
Here is what I did…

Gather together your combination of feathers.  Cut a piece of tape about 1″ long and tightly wrap around the shaft ends of the feathers.  On several of my groupings, I needed to trim the tape width into a narrower strip.

Apply a clear drying, super glue all over the taped area.

Cut a piece of embroidery thread about 12″ long.  Keeping about a 2″ tail piece at the bottom of the feather, fold the thread to create a small loop at the top end of the feather grouping.  This loop will thread through your necklace cording.  Then begin wrapping the thread around the shaft, wrapping up and then back down the taped and gluey area.  Make sure to leave the small loop above the wrapping free.

Ending at the bottom of the shaft, knot the thread ends together several times and secure by dotting the knot and the threaded area all over with glue.  Trim thread ends and allow glue to dry.

Wrap them up and wear them out!

Link up and let me know what festive baubles you come up with!

post and pictures by Sunshine

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Our cousins in North Carolina had a sweet little dusting of snow last night and it’s been such fun seeing the Facebook pictures of our friend’s kids bundled up and checking out the snow.  The funny thing is that these Southern snow-day pictures include an awful lot of green grass!

I remember as a child spending hours playing outside when it snowed; we would bundle up with hats and gloves and rain boots (because who has real snow boots down here?).  We would make snow angles and throw handfuls of snow at each other; my dad would pull us around on the trashcan lid (because again, who has an actual sled?).  And sometimes if we got a really good snow, we would make a snowman!

Snow makes the world stop for us.  No work, no school, no chores.  We must enjoy every second of the wet white stuff before the sun melts it away!  Our children have enjoyed several great snows, but they are few and far between.  Once we had about 4 inches and it stayed around for 3 days!  Pretty impressive – ha!  It’s all in your perspective, isn’t it!?  A friend from St Louis was baffled when he heard us talking about the snow “sticking”… we had to explain that just because there are flakes in the air, it doesn’t mean the ground will be white!

While all we got this week was rain, we were teased just a little bit yesterday by some white stuff falling down… the children ran to the window calling “snow! snow!” but what was actually falling down were tiny little balls of icy sleet.

We’ve had some fun snows at our Tennessee home the last few years… come on winter 2013, give us another snowy day!  Snowday flashback pictures, our baby girl actually hasn’t seen much snow, the only thing we got during winter 2012 were a few flurries!

post and pictures by Sunshine  

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He lived in south Mississippi where hunting during the ’30 and ’40 was pretty much limited to small game.  My grandfather loved to quail hunt and I am told that he kept six pointers so he could hunt over three in the morning, come in for a quick lunch and head back out to hunt with the other three in the afternoon.

In addition to the hunting stories and a handful of black and white photos of my grandfather, we have his two Browning shotguns.  We took these family treasures out of the gun safe over the holidays to hold and admire.  One is a Belgium made Sweet 16 gauge A-5 from around 1930.  This shotgun was purchased in Europe by grandfather’s friend, who had traveled there on vacation.  My grandfather reimbursed him the purchase price of $48!

The other shotgun is a Belgium made 12 gauge A-5 thought to have been from the mid 1930′s.  This gun was actually owned by my grandfather’s uncle, but was used almost exclusively by my grandfather.  As family members passed away, this shotgun ended up with my grandfather’s cousin.  During a family reunion in Mississippi he gave this shotgun to my father saying, “it was your dad who wore the checking off the stock shooting quail.”

This is my father holding the Browning 16 gauge.  For many years it served as his primary shotgun.

When my big brother was old enough, he began using the Browning 16 gauge – which began a chapter in the gun’s history where it was used by all of my grandfather’s grandsons. We considered it a privilege to hunt with the Sweet 16!  I recall using it to hunt ducks back in the good ole days when #6 lead shot out of a 2 3/4″ 16 gauge was all the gun you needed to fold a duck at 40 yards!  I also remember using it to hunt dove, quail, squirrel and even black bear.

Here I am pictured at 10 years old, black bear hunting in the North Carolina mountains with the Browning 16 gauge, loaded full of “pumpkin’ balls” as my dad would say.  I am pointing at a bear track.  We barely missed that bear as it crossed below us on the ridge just out of sight.

Here I am pictured at 11 years old with my younger brother and dad.  I am holding the 16 gauge after what appears to have been a fairly successful dove shoot!  Looking back I can’t believe we put camo tape on that beautiful gun!

At the age of 14, dad gave me a new Browning 12 gauge and my younger brother used the 16 gauge for a few years.  Soon he also graduated to a 12 gauge, and the Browning 16 gauge was retired as a hunting gun.

Some time ago my dad had these guns professionally cleaned and re-blued.  Before they were re-blued, I recall them having rubbed spots from years of use with bright steel showing through.  The checkering on the stocks of both of the shotguns is worn down and slick from heavy use.  Though it still remains in great condition to this day, its trips to the field are limited to only special occasions.

Holding these shotguns is something very special indeed.  I imagine my grandfather had no idea these shotguns would be treasured by his son and grandsons, but I expect that he would be greatly pleased.

 post by Peter, pictures by Sunshine, vintage pictures courtesy of Peter’s mom

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Decorating with natural materials is great because they are plentiful, easy to collect, cost nothing and are disposable – just use then toss – no need to store.  I love the natural colors that nature provides, but sometimes it’s fun to step it up a notch – especially when everything outside is brown and gray right now!  These painted pine cones almost look candy coated to me!

Spray paint has the power to transform almost anything and one of the best features of using spray paint is that it dries almost immediately which means it’s perfect for last-minute, spontaneous projects!  I found these great tiny cans at Hobby Lobby and at 50% off they were less than $2 each.   All you need are pine cones, paint and twine.  Let’s do it!

Painted Pine Cone Garland

Gather pine cones and clean off needles.  Line them on an old sheet and start spray painting.  I sprayed them directly on the sheet, I didn’t try to hold them and rotate.  Once I had painted all the pine cones on one side, they were dry and ready to be flipped over.  Paint second side.  Once dry you can touch up missed spots or paint the underside of the cones if you want fuller paint coverage.

Cut baker’s twine into 6-8 inch long pieces, 1 for each pine cone.  Tie twine around pine cones about 1/2 inch from the top, double knotting twine.  Repeat with all pine cones.  When all pine cones are tied with twine, clear a spot to begin attaching them to create garland.

Unwind twine, leaving about 12″ before beginning to attach pine cones.  Tie pine cones onto twine in a pattern or in a random order using a triple knot to hold it securely in place.  Spacing cones about 3″ apart, continue tying them onto twine and creating your garland.  Once all pine cones are attached, leave about a 12″ tail and cut twine from roll.  You can choose to leave or trim the ends of all the pine cone ties.

We hammered brass nailhead tacks to the top of the window molding to tie up our garland… and I have a feeling we’ll be leaving the tacks and coming up with another festive garland once spring arrives!

post and pictures by Sunshine

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The funny thing is that mixed with the laughter of my sisters, the sound of dad’s chainsaw running, the smells of the engine oil, fresh-cut wood and Big Red gum (there was always Big Red gum) – cutting firewood became a very special part of my childhood.

Working hard as a family is so important.  Not only is it vital to teach your children how to work hard and how to stick with a job until it is completed, it’s also important to show them that working hard is part of living well – doing a chore doesn’t (always) mean just get it done, it can also mean enjoying the process of the work – together, talking and unplugged.

Cutting firewood when I was young taught me that putting on old clothes and getting dirty are good for me, that it’s not all about me, but it’s about doing something that benefits our family. We learned how to work together as a team, taking turns carrying, passing, stacking and unloading.  It taught me that spending time together on a chilly day was important and that it was expected that I would follow directions and do the job well.

This is the kind of dirty and tired that puts a smile on your face and makes you hungry for your next meal!

I haven’t cut firewood with my dad in many years, but I know every time I walk past his huge stack of perfectly cut logs what it took to get them there.  Our kids can’t tote a heavy load but they can carry one or two logs – and I’m betting that they loved every minute of this “chore!”

It wasn’t these workers first year on the job!

 post by Sunshine, pictures by Sunshine & Peter

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We rejoice in our Savior’s birth – may your Christmas Day be full of hope and joy!

Merry Christmas from our home to yours!

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One of the things we love most about our home is that we can cut through the  woods to our Mimi and Papa’s place.  This week we took a field trip to their farm and spent the morning making Christmas cookies.

Making cookies is such a huge part of Christmas for so many families.  Christmas cookies involve so much more than stirring up a batch of chocolate chips… usually there is rolling and cutting and spreading and decorating….!  I love eating cookies that are beautiful and intricate.  My favorites have cream in the center, or cherries on top – it seems like Christmas cookies set a pretty high precedent for bakers!

I used to spend hours and hours making the most delicious oatmeal cream filled layer cookies, but the days of fancy cookies are on hold for now.  These days I much prefer the hand rolled treats my babies make – no pressure and all fun!  We make a simple sugar cookie that doesn’t even involve a rolling-pin, just use your hands and press with a fork!

The cookies we churn out taste delicious, but they look a little messy!  They are absolutely covered in sprinkles – because that is the best part, right!?

The children rolled, pressed, sprinkled, licked fingers, dunked cookies in milk, gave carrots to the horses, said hello to the cows, and played on the swings.  Then we walked home with some of our favorite people.  The cookies are going fast, but the sweet memories of a sunny day at Three Sister’s Farm will stick around forever.

Who are your favorite people to bake with and do you have a tried and true cookie recipe?

Fork Pressed Sugar Cookies
1 pound butter
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

What To Do:
Cream together butter and sugar.  Sift dry ingredients together and mix into creamed mixture.  Chill dough in refrigerator for several hours.  When chilled, roll dough into small balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Press slightly with a fork.  Add sprinkles!  Bake at 350 for 8-10 min until lightly browned.

Tips:
These cookies will spread out on the pan!  If making them with your children be aware that because of all the butter in this recipe, the warmer the dough gets in their hot little hands the more melted the cookies will be when they go into the oven.  Try to help them keep the holding and rolling of the dough to a minimum! :)

post by Sunshine, pictures by Sunshine & Peter

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This is a post our daughter wrote about spending time with this little calf.  You can read her first post here.

Our Little Calf  By Bright, age 7

This week, we had two special calves born in our field.  One was red and white and it was a girl.  It had curly white hairs on its head.  It had a pretty red neck.  It had a cute little tail.  I decided to name it Bright after Almonzo Wilder’s (from Little House and the Prairie) red and white calf and after myself.  I love that series.   The mother rejected her calf.  It was very weak, all it did was sleep.   The other calf was alive and healthy.

She let us touch her and let Daddy carry her. Some calves will run away.  This calf loved us and stayed close and never ran away. We bonded.  After a few days the mother still had not gone close.  So Daddy went to the store and bought milk and a large calf bottle.  We bottle fed it.  At first it didn’t want the milk.  But I talked to it and petted it and said it had to drink the milk.  That worked for a while but it took too long for two bottles a day.  Then it was getting colder and it was going to rain and it couldn’t stay in the pasture.  We moved it to a small pen on the side of our barn.  We put in straw for bedding and propped up the bottle so it could eat by itself.  Then we put in some water for it to drink.  It loved its new pen.

It was fun being its mother, it was so fun.  It’s not so often that you have a calf that won’t run away and that you bond.  And it’s not so often that the mother let’s you get so close .  I’ll always remember this calf and the memories of its calf-hood.

intro and pictures by Sunshine, post by Bright

The post Caring for a Calf – By Bright appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

DIY Antler Mount:
-Select racks

-Cut antlers from skull, just below the burr.  I found that using a saws-all with a metal blade works best.

-Space antlers on your plaque (we used a 7″x36″).

-Cut a “flat” spot in the backside of the burr to help the antler lay flat on the plaque.

-Drill pilot holes through the antlers and the plaque.

-Screw the antler to the plaque.  I used a composite deck screw, as the combination of fine and course thread works well for both bone and oak.

When working with antlers, keep in mind that each one is different and each set will not be a perfect match.  Tape measures, not needed.  Just use your eye for spacing and layout.  You have to find the best spot for the screw in each antler.

A friend, Matt Teply made the plaques for me for out of reclaimed oak from a “turn of the century” dairy barn here in middle Tennessee.  Several years ago he and I tore down a barn, which was well on its way to falling in, and he managed to haul away a mountain of prized oak.  Once planed, sanded and sealed, it looks absolutely beautiful.  If you have never worked with aged oak, you must know it gets harder and harder the older it gets.  Drilling pilot holes for your screws is a must – and you can forget trying to drive a nail into it!

by Peter, pictures by Sunshine 

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My sister in-law didn’t choose to register for fine china but chose instead to use a lovely pattern passed down from her grandmother.  Here in the South, having your grandmother’s silver platter or crystal bowl is a coveted treasure.  Many times relatives will register for the same patterns – knowing that some day they will be passed down together to the next generation.  While I am still pleased with my traditional Mikasa, sometimes patterns just don’t have generational appeal – a family friend was recently lamenting that the peach and black floral pattern she had chosen in the 80′s was really out of touch with her home today . Which introduces another question, should patterns be classic or current?

With Thanksgiving less than one week away you might be making plans to host the whole crew – or you just might be breathing a sign of relief that you won’t be setting the holiday table at your house this year!  I love that at these special dinners the fine china, crystal and silver are pulled out to be cleaned and polished… but why do we save these items for major holidays?

Let’s make a pact – to use our china more! Let’s elevate the simplest dinner into something a little more special, mix it with everyday dishes and chargers to change the look.  I recently mixed mine with plasticware for a special seven-year old’s birthday party!

Tell me, what is the story of your fine china?  
If you skipped this tradition have you been glad that you did?

by Sunshine, pictures by Peter and Sunshine

The post Fine China Not Just for Holidays appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

Last week she came to us with a fully written post and asked if she could submit it for the site.  This is the first installment of what we hope will become a hot feature here on OSR.

Lil’ Bow  by Bright, age 7

I’ve always wanted a bow and arrow.

It was the very day of my birthday that my wish was granted.  I opened the package and there with two shiny arrows was my bow.

My dad had a hay bale moved beside our yard.  I have fun shooting into it.

I can’t wait for the day I shoot my first deer.

We gave Bright a Barnett Youth Lil’ Sioux Recurve for her birthday and it’s been a great first bow!

intro and pictures by Sunshine

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Our house is already full of polka dots, but I’ve added more and couldn’t be happier about it.  I’ve been wanting to add polka dots to this little hallway but couldn’t quite decide how – after seeing La La Lovely’s wall dots (click here to see what inspired me), I knew exactly what my walls needed!  This DIY project is so fun, so easy and so inexpensive!

These labels are matte kraft paper material and they would take spray paint really well.  Red Christmas dots on your front door, pink dots in baby’s nursery, black dots in the powder room… $10 to change an entire room = fabulous!

Keep reading to see how we did it…

Here’s How:

I used Avery 2 1/2″ Easy Peel Labels 22808  - I really love the natural look of the kraft paper.  Place dots randomly (or orderly!) on walls.  Stand back and look.

After my dots were up, I decided I needed more open space and took several off.  Removing them from the wall is easy – slide the corner of the label sheet under the edge of the dot until you can pull it off.  No evidence left behind. (My dots were placed on flat interior paint, please test a small area if you are trying them on a different surface)

Where do you need polks dots? I can’t wait to see what you come up with, so leave a comment and link up with pictures please!

post and pictures by Sunshine

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Occasionally we will have a turtle visit for a day, and recently we brought one home that was especially handsome.  After doing a little research we determined the turtle was a male due to his red eyes.  Although he was much larger than the other turtles we have found, he was indeed an eastern box turtle.  I was surprised to learn that it is illegal in Tennessee and in several other states to keep animals found in the wild (including turtles) as pets.  Sadly, the life span of these captured turtles is often less than one week, and if they manage to survive longer, their beautifully colored shells can begin to fade and become dull.

Growing up, if my dad found a turtle along the roadside he would often rescue it from the highway and bring it home.  We would put the turtles inside a large whiskey barrel planter on the back patio to admire before setting them free in the woods.

So keep your eyes open for these little guys, they are hard to spot with their brown and gold camouflage shells.  Our children carefully marked the spot where we found this turtle (and returned him the same afternoon).  We hope that one day while walking through the woods we will happen upon Mr. Tennessee Turtle again.

Go to the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency website to learn more about the eastern box turtle and other animals from our state.

post and pictures by Sunshine

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This turkey feather headdress is sure to have you smiling well past November!

I used a variety of beautiful feathers from a turkey Peter shot earlier in the year and simple twill ribbon for this craft.  This headdress would be wonderful dressed up with beading or lace or sparkly jewels, and imagine if you painted a few of the feathers – oh the possibilities are endless!

Keep reading to get the details…

Supplies:
15-19″ of 1″ nylon webbing
40-60″ of  1″ twill ribbon
assorted feathers
hot glue gun

How To:
Measure and cut nylon webbing leaving it 4 inches short of wrapping around all the way around head.  Using webbing as the base, layout feathers in the desired pattern.  Trim tip of feather shaft so that all feathers line up along bottom of webbing evenly.  Starting with the center feather, carefully glue them to the webbing one at a time.  I found it helpful to put a drop of glue on the webbing, press the feather into it and then put another drop of glue on top to seal it tightly.  Once all feathers are glued to webbing, find the center of the decorative ribbon and glue it to the center feather.  Starting on one side, slowly add glue along the row of feathers and press the top ribbon down into the glue.  Repeat on second side.  Shape the headdress into a circle, tie and trim ribbon ends to desired length.

I would love to know if you make a headdress, link up with pictures of your own creations please!

post and pictures by Sunshine

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We love this tree year round, but it is in the early days of fall that it really puts on a show.  While all the other trees in the yard and surrounding woods are holding tightly to their bright green leaves, this one is a rainbow display of autumn color.  It truly is an amazing tree, such a beautiful reminder of our great Creator!

This tree has perfect timing – the fact that it is the only colorful one in view only increases it’s glory.  Bravo young maple, bravo.

I’ve always been partial to the trees that turn red, what is your favorite fall color?
Tell us, do you have a favorite tree?

post and pictures by Sunshine

The post The Color of Fall appeared first on Our Southern Roots.

I justify the out of control pumpkin purchases this way… while they are of course a perishable decoration item, they are probably the only seasonal decoration that you can use for nearly 3 months, from September all the way through Thanksgiving Day, making them actually quite practical compared to Easter eggs and Christmas trees.  Right!?

When the Mr. and I were first dating he picked up on my crazy pumpkin passion and dashingly delivered the largest orangest pumpkin I had ever seen to my door.  I actually have a picture of that very special pumpkin framed.  Yes, pumpkin time is my favorite.

When decorating for fall, do you carve your pumpkins or leave them whole?

post and pictures by Sunshine

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Staying close to home means you don’t need much gear - tent, sleeping bag, a good book and a flashlight.  We are digging these new Coleman kid-sized lanterns, aren’t they fun!

Don’t forget the S’mores – everyone’s favorite campfire treat!  Try pretzels with your marshmallow and chocolate for a salty crunchy twist on this classic.

Add a campfire and a pile of sticks for roasting marshmallows and you have the makings of the perfect (easy) backyard campout!

Camping with kids… fun or way too much work?

post and pictures by Sunshine

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