My Winter Hot Cocoa Station

This year we put together a Cocoa Station! We had so much fun hosting a Cocoa Party last year, I thought it would be fun to do it again this year with a few little friends. What kid or adult for that matter doesn't like a nice cup of hot cocoa? During the cold Winter months we enjoy our hot coffee, tea and cocoa around here. It just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It's also kind of a tradition really. And I am all about tradition and giving my kids special memories that maybe they would keep into their adult years. 

Ok so back to our cocoa station! I dug out my Santa collection which has been a growing collection from several years. This year we are displaying all my little fat bearded men in this cabinet we bought from Target months ago. I used to display them in my china hutch which now resides in my sewing room. This cabinet is perfect for using as a bar/cocoa station for it's height is perfect for prepping and displaying. I filled the striped container with hot cocoa envelopes and a big jar full of hot cocoa powder, another adorable jar filled with marshmallows and some peppermint stir sticks...Santa mugs are a must and perhaps you like to sip your cocoa with a straw. I put out stripy straws just in case. 

I also have an old thermos handy just in case we make our hot cocoa on the go! It's perfectly put together in one cute space... My Christmas Spirit thermometer is rising! Come back tomorrow for Tuesday Teatime, in which I will be drinking hot cocoa and sharing a few cocoa recipes with y'all!

Have a delightful Monday!

Love, The Freckled Farmgirl

Goodbye Autumn

I know Autumn isn't officially over but Thanksgiving has now come and gone...We are getting ready for Christmas and Winter now! It sure did fly by. My family has been through some really hard stuff this last month...But amidst all the pain, heartache and hurt we are so thankful for so much. It was a lovely Thanksgiving spent with friends and our little family. God is good. We pray this next season will be a little smoother....But really we are just looking for some peace and family time. I hope your Thanksgiving and Autumn season was good to you

 and that it was filled with lot's of love and blessings.

Love, Farmgirl Freckles

Thanksgiving Hostess Gifts

I made a couple Thanksgiving Hostess gifts to give out to our neighbor and our Thanksgiving hosts. just when we thought it was going to be the three of us alone for Thanksgiving, we got a late invitation from friends to join them for the holiday. I thought I would give out handmade pumpkin Spice & Apple Spice soap that I made. For our neighbor...We made them chocolate covered pretzels. I melted white chocolate and added food coloring to make an orange hue then a little bit of green for the stem. I let them harden and packaged it up in an adorable pie piece shaped box found at Target. 

It's always nice to give out little treats to those you are tankful for and a little token to those you care about. Hope y'all have a blessed Thanksgiving with you and yours!

Love, The Freckled Farmgirl

Tuesday Teatime~ Being Thankful In All Circumstances

Hello!

Today id Tuesday Teatime...I made myself a nice cup of hot Harvest Blend Tea from Trader Joe's. Today is chilly and raining...Perfect for a hot cup of tea! I am also pondering on being Thankful. Not only because it is Thanksgiving this week...But Thankful everyday for everything and being thankful in all circumstances even if it doesn't seem your life is going the way you plan. So many times I have tried to lean on my own plans and get a wake up call that this isn't even my plan...It is God's plan.

Life is not always going to be easy, carefree or go our way...We are deceiving ourselves if we think it is. Yes, we make choices and make decisions for ourselves but we cannot control the ultimate end and outcome of our decisions and choices. We certainly can't see the future. But we can make it the best we can and live with deal with the consequences and be thankful for all circumstances, weather in our favor or not. Yes, even the hard things we endure...Be grateful for the good and the bad. We learn from it all...Having faith helps tremendously when you can be bold enough to say.

 "Lord I trust whatever your will is for me and my life through all the good and bad, you have my back and are in complete control" 

It's hard to give up those thoughts that we don't need God, because you think you are in control. But really giving it to Him...helps unload the burdens we carry. It is hard going through the hard stuff...When things don't go as planned, someone you love passes, someone you thought you trusted stabs you in the back, people don't always have your back or see things in your best interest. But you and I can get through it...How? By trusting God.

We may not know or see the clear picture and that is ok. To trust someone fully is scary. Perhaps you have lost all confidence in the fellow man or people you know, even family or church members...Maybe it is your pride. It's ok to be bare and raw before your Maker. Find the strength to walk this life with Him...You will never be alone. There will always be good days and bad days for the remainder of our days. We suffer just as Christ suffered. Yet, we can persevere and try to conquer Satan's grip with God near us. Be thankful for your life, be thankful for the trials. We learn from it all and it helps equip us for the future...It equips us to find true, believing faith in God who loves us. It will not be an easy road here. We were not promised that. It is not up to us...It is in God's hands. He will get us through..Until the day comes where He will take us to our forever home.

Yes, even as a Christian. I struggle with trust and I have a hard time "humanly" to give up my thinking that I have to go it alone. When hurt comes to me or my loved ones way, I am crushed by those who have broken my spirit. But I have to keep telling myself to trust in my Lord...Who has our back..And will work it out for our good and for His glory. I pray, you too will trust in Him...And be thankful in all circumstances!

Love, The Freckled Farmgirl

Thanksgiving Homespun Table Setting

Thanksgiving is fast approaching! It's going to be a very quiet intimate Thanksgiving for us this year. I decided to make it pretty simple with some homespun touches. I will be setting the table with one of my colorful vintage quilt tops, simple white plates with colorful linen napkins and these cute paper/crafty plate settings. These were simple!

 I used scrap papers, paper doilies, old book pages and paint...

A bit of hot glue and imagination.

Since it will be the three of us this year...I only decorated one side of the table. I added some height using a cake stand and placed my silver platter filled with vintage turkey's on top, a couple homespun pumpkins, and a bundle of twigs. 

I used blue Ball mason jars for glasses, my clear glass ball mason jars as redneck stemware, mixed silverware, and little vintage plates for butter.

So simple, yet sweet for a small gathering....This table setting would be quite whimsical if you had a large group gathered around it. Now to finish up my menu for Turkey Day and we will be set!

Love, The Freckled Farmgirl