How To Feed A Creek!

It takes a lot of water to feed a creek and keep it clean.

And the waterfalls in our creek do a great job...

...of renewing and refreshing...

...and keeping our creek alive...

:)

It's a FIRST! WoooHooo!

I tore out all of the old foundation plants this month and replaced them with Russian Sage, Sweet Lavender, Pink Double Knockout Roses, Heuchera, and Stella D' Oro Daylilies.

And even though the roses are covered with buds, the Stella wins the prize!

It's my first blossom of my brand new bed! :)

:)

Hillbilly Madness!

Now, you know that here in Hick Town, we are all a bunch of Hicks and Hillbillies so I decided to browse around Etsy and see if I could find other hillbillies - turns out, they are everywhere!

And you city slickers better watch out because us hillbillies are infiltrating even large cities across this great nation! :)

Check out these great Etsy Hillbilly Finds:

You can find this great Thank You Card and other crazy fun greeting cards at Grisly Man Graphics - great stuff that's guaranteed to make you smile!

Or how about this "Hillbilly Group Stomp"? Now, that is just adorable! How can you stay glum when looking at this? You can find more great woodworking at the Mountain Brook Store.

This poster says it all! You can find it here or visit Nash Art for more great posters and even matching T-shirts!

And if you love hand carved hillbillies, you will LOVE the Connecticut Carver's Shop! It was hard for me to pick which one I liked the best so you need to head on over there to see them all. This guys name is Ezra - I like his sweet expression! :)

Hope you enjoyed our Hillbilly tribute.

:)

Waste Not, Want Not

Bits and pieces, odds and ends!

That's what you end up with when you are a soaper.

Like all soapers, I have all kinds of little pieces and ends of soap logs after cutting them into bars for my customers.

So, what's a girl to do with all of these pieces???

Make something new and wonderful, of course!!! :)


These Pot Luck Soap bars smell and feel absolutely delicious!

If you are a soaper, give it a try. You will love them!

You can see my Pot Luck Soap Bars at my Etsy shop at a great LOW price!

:)

After The Rain...

One of the greatest things about Missouri is that after the rain, everything comes alive. The trees are greener, the flowers are more vibrant, the air becomes so crisp and clean it tingles your nose - and the creeks rise up.

The sight and the sounds of the rising, rushing creek in my backyard is a water feature you won’t find at even the most expensive home on earth.


And yet here it is in my little corner of the universe.


God put it here for me to enjoy.


And I am so very thankful!

:)

Patience and Perseverance

I am not always the most patient person and things don't always happen as quickly as I would like them to happen.


So, this little guy sliding along my patio this morning helps me to remember...





He paid no attention to me as he slid along his way...



He didn't seem to mind that I stopped to take a closer look...

He just purposefully and methodically continued on his journey.

"By perseverance the snail reached the Ark."

~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon ~

:)

How To - Mini Soap Saver!

If you have some yarn, a crochet hook and a few minutes of time, you can make an adorable little gift to tuck into that Mother's Day gift basket you're working on.

Actually, these little cuties make great little gifts for everyone. Make one for your friends, co-workers, teachers, or yourself. Even the guys love them! When I started making these to sell in my Etsy shop, Honcho Hick (my teddy bear hubby) asked me to make one for him. He loves it!

Not only are these mini soap savers adorable, they will save you money by using every last drop of every piece of soap you use. Just toss all those little slivers of soap that you usually throw out into the soap saver and presto!

To make your own mini soap saver, grab some yarn.

You can use any kind of yarn you like but I really adore the 100% cotton yarn. You can get some colors at Wal-Mart but if you have specific colors in mind, you might have to search around your area.

Ok, let's get started...

Chain 11. Hdc in second chain from your hook and continue to hdc in all remaining chains for a total of 10 hdc's. Do not turn.

Now hdc in the back free loop of each of the original chains for a total of another 10 hdc's. Slip st to first hdc. Do not turn. This is the base of your mini soap saver.

Ch 1. Hdc in the back loop of each hdc all the way around again. Slip st to ch 1. Do not turn.

Isn't this fun?

Ch 1. Hdc in both loops of all previous hdc's and continue around without slip stitching each row until you have completed 7 more rows for a total of 8 rows up from your base.

When you are 2 stitches from completing your eigth row, use a sc and then a slip st for your last 2 stitches to decrease and then finish off, leaving a tail to weave in. Weave in tails.

To make the hanging drawstring, ch 37 leaving a long tail on either end. Using a tapestry needle, thread chain through one of the top rows of hdc's. I like to thread it through the 3rd or 4th row from the top. Tie ends together or just tie it in a cute little bow. Trim tails and you are finished!

Quick, easy, and oh so cute!

If you have any questions, or need help, just let me know! :)

You can find my mini soap savers here and here.

Have a great weekend and thanks so much for stopping by!

Take a Hike!

Ok, I know I've been a bad blogger lately...

I decided to start this blog at the same time I decided to tear out all of the nasty old foundation plants around my home and replace them with new and improved versions. So I have been digging and tilling and planting and watering for the past few days.

But today I decided to take a hike!

One of the main reasons I love living in the country is that it is like being on vacation all of the time.

There is beauty all around me!

Come on, I'll show you...


There are lots of little critters here. This little guy seems to like yellow. :)



This sweet little butterfly was skimming every purple flower on the bank of my creek.

She was so busy, she didn't notice I was sharing the bank with her.

I love the spring wildflowers! These purple ones are just gorgeous!

And here are some little yellow gems! :)

Well, I need to get busy and put together some Soap Samplins' for my Etsy shop!

Hope you enjoyed our hike!

So, What's In The Box? Stewart Pie!

The box below will be full of great recipes passed down through the women in my family and here is just a small sample.

This recipe is over 200 years old and came to America with one of my great-grandma's from France.

It is sinfully rich and delicious!

Stewart Pie

8 eggs, separated
2 cups sugar
3 cups milk
1/2 cup pure butter
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 teaspoons vanilla

Cream together butter, egg yolks and sugar. Add milk, stir. Add cornstarch that has been dissolved in just a bit of water, stir. Add vanilla and mix well.

Beat egg whites until peaks form. Fold beaten egg whites into custard mixture.

Pour custard into two unbaked pie shells.

Bake at 375 degrees about 45 minutes until knife come out clean.

Enjoy!

Check Out My Latest Find!

I've been looking for a vintage recipe box for a couple of years and I finally found it!



I LOVE the simple lines and the dovetail joints!



I am going to load it up with all of the handwritten recipe cards that have been passed down from my grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great grandmother...


I'm also going to add a bunch of faves from my mom and me so I can pass down all these wonderful recipes to my daughter, her daughter, and on and on.


This wonderful little box will hold generations of yummy goodness! :)


I found this little gem over at my friends shop, Little Cabin Vintage. If you love vintage items, she has the best on Etsy! Check her out!

Have You Been To The Village???

If you love handmade soaps, candies, home decor - and well - handmade anything - you can find it at Sampler Village!




Be sure to check out all of the GREAT GIVEAWAYS that Traci puts together over there!

You'll be glad you did! :)

HI THERE FROM MISSOURI !!!

Welcome to The Hick's Fix blog!

Come on in and have some fun!

Be yerself!

Take yer shoes off.

Have some fun!

Let's all sit back, relax, and share some great projects, recipes, ideas, crafts, and friendship!

I have tons of ideas rolling around between my ears and I'm sure you do, too.

What are you working on now?

Thanks so much for stopping in and I hope you'll come back soon! :)

~ The Hick Chick ~