FIREPIT!

What cute house in the country is complete without a firepit? 

None, I tell you, not one!!

Just behind the main house the previous family had cemented around a trampoline. I saw this as the perfect opportunity to create a round fire pit and surrounding area. There is a picnic table that sits along side and large stack of firewood for all guests to enjoy. In the summer months our family enjoys a nice Sunday fireside each week at 7 pm. All are invited to join us! We hold a prayer, small devotional and then roast marshmallows, of course! There is something incredible about God's spirit around a fire. BEAUTIFUL! 

Right now it is winter and I am aching to get out to the fire again. I could do it, but the -1* on my thermostat this morning tells me to hang out inside by the fire instead. I did find an indoor Smores recipe too. Not the same, but it will suffice, for now! Thank you to A Kitchen Addiction for helping me survive the winter!

Oh the romance of a GAZEBO

Spending a spring day here... YES!

I absolutely adore this gazebo. What a great way to spend the day relaxing, reading a book or shooting the breeze with family and friends. Guests at the Bed and Breakfast love to sit here and enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning. Me, I will sit here any time of day!

The gazebo is attached to the expansive deck. Both overlook the beautiful acreage and ponds that we call "our backyard". God loves me, I tell you! There is no greater peace than relaxing with His creations all around you. I love living in the country, and I love living in Missouri.

Here is a back view of the main house with the fire pit at the left, the deck and gazebo. Oh, how beautiful!

Scripture Cookies in a Jar

I came across a blog post online for Scripture Cookies in a jar. The original idea came from here:  Glue Sticks Blog   I want to thank her for giving me the inspiration!!

I changed her document a bit and added a few more clues as well as ingredients to create the recipe I wanted to use.

Here is the recipe that I we made our cookies with. Enjoy!

Scripture Cookies in a Jar

IN A PINT JAR LAYER:

1/2 cup _ _ _ _ _ (1 Kings 4:22)

1/2 tsp _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Exodus 30:23)

1/4 tsp _ _ _ _ (Matthew 5:13)

1/2 tsp _ _ _ _ _ _   _ _ _ _ (Matthew 13:33)

1/2 c _ _ _ _ _ _ _(1 Samuel 30:12, two clusters of …)

1/2 c _ _ _ _ _ _ (Job 31:17)

1 c _ _ _ _ (D&C 89:17 … for the horse)

1/4 c white _ _ _ _ _ (Jeremiah 6:20)

1/2 c brown _ _ _ _ _ (Isaiah 43:24)

_ _ _ _  (ether 4:5) and _ _ _ _ _ (deuteronomy 28:5) in a cool place until ready for use.

TO MAKE cookies:

In a  _ _ _ _  (Numbers 4:7) combine:

1/3 c _ _ _ _ _ _ (Psalm 55:21)

1 _ _ _ (Luke 11:12)

1/2 tsp vanilla

Empty contents of jar into bowl and mix well. Drop by _ _ _ _ _ (Numbers 7: 14) onto an ungreased baking _ _ _ _ _ (Judges 14:13) and _ _ _ _ (Genesis 19:3) for _ _ _ _ _ _  (D&C 107:23) minutes at 350*. Remove from oven and leave on baking tray for an additional 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

What a view!

This deck is expansive, stretching across the back of the house and gives a magnificent view of the back yard. Really, its stunning at any time of the year!
The deck wouldn't be complete without the adorable gazebo to cap it off. (Tomorrows post)




Really though, look at the back of the house with the deck! LOVE!!

Like I said earlier, though, the best part is the view. No matter the season, this deck aims to please and share all the beauty that you are perched above! From watching birds build nests in the spring to them soaring overhead in the summer, squirrels gathering in the fall and snowflakes falling in the winter, this deck is proof of God's beauty all around us. 

Really I post pictures in Instagram and Facebook often from this deck. Great place for taking Sunset pictures too. Oh, the sunset pictures!!

Let's talk about food for a minute.

You may have already learned this about me, but I love food!

One of my favorite things about food is that it brings people together around the table to talk. More specifically, my table. I absolutely love feeding the tummies of those that then sit and build relationships that feed their hearts and souls. THIS is WHY I HAMILTON! This is why I love owning a Bed & Breakfast. This is why I like to make good food.

This picture is taken on a typical weekday around our table. This menu is requested often by guests, albeit quite simple. Breakfast Casserole, Muffins and Fruit and Yogurt Parfait. I make a mean yogurt in the Instant Pot but as a tip, I LOVE (and often use) the Great Value Vanilla Yogurt. IT is delicious!!

From the air

It was really fun to get these drone shots back. The property is really just beautiful from every angle. I am so glad the photographer took the time to capture just a few shots from the air!

Quilters Paradise

In the beginning, this cute condo had a four car garage. However, I knew that I wanted to have a space for gals to sit and sew together. The garage was converted to a Bunk Retreat Style unit that we call Quilters Paradise. Thru the double doors to a wonderful quilting weekend!

The right side of unit, thru the door on the right side, is Carriage House (yesterdays post) They open to each other on the inside with an adjoining door. 

You walk into the sewing room of Quilters. This room has a 50" TV,  and plenty of space to spread out to sew. Tables and chairs are provided as well as ironing stations.

Groups can choose to bring their own machines or rent from us. Each "sewing kit" is $10/day and includes a machine, scissors, rotary cutter, ruler and mat. 

Off of the sewing space is the first of two bathrooms in the suite. This features a walk in shower, sink and stool.

The bunk room is directly behind the sewing room. This is our only suite at the B&B that is fully on ground level. 

It has 8 twin size pillow top beds. Alarm clocks are available so that you don't miss the opening time of the Missouri Star Quilt Company shops! We also provide ear plugs...just in case!!

The second of the two bathrooms is en-suite within the bedroom. This bathroom also has a walk in shower, stool and vanity. 

For a group of more than 8, you can add Carriage House to your reservation. They have an adjoining door and TOGETHER can sleep up to 16.

For even more guests add rooms in the main house or consider hosting a larger retreat at Hotel Hamilton. Hotel Hamilton is just 7 blocks from MSQC and can sleep up to 60! That space is broken down into 13 bedrooms, 22 bathrooms!! It also has the largest sewing space in Hamilton at over 7,000 square feet! This space also includes a full kitchen, guest bathrooms and tables and chairs for the entire group to sew together!!! We will do a future post all about Hotel Hamilton.

Carriage House

Our next stop on the property tour is Carriage House. This condo was the house that the family lived in before and while they built the main house. It is a good size space with an adjacent four car garage (which we converted to Quilters Paradise suite- in a later post).

Carriage House--This cute condo sits on the property about 100 feet south east of the main house and shares an "alley" with the barn. The double doors to the left lead to "Quilters Paradise suite" and the door on the right opens to the Carriage House living room.

The living room is open to the kitchen.

It is a large open space with lots of natural light.

2 beautiful couches and a 50" TV provide for a comfortable, relaxing space.

The first of two bathrooms has a walk in shower, stool and sink. Great lighting in here for getting ready in the morning. This bathroom is directly off the living room.

  

The kitchen has a oven/stove, microwave, full size fridge and coffee pot. It is also stocked with pots and pans, dishes and utensils. A crock pot, skillet, hand mixer, toaster oven and waffle iron. It also has a few basic cooking needs including spices, flour and sugar.

View from the kitchen.

This full bathroom is located just off of the kitchen at the bottom of the stairs. It has a tub/shower combination, stool, vanity and full size washer and dryer. We have washing tabs and dryer sheets for you.

As you walk up the stairs directly in front of you is our twin suite. This room is U shaped, allowing for added privacy of guests. It has 4 twin size pillow top beds.

Also upstairs, to the right, is our double queen room. The only suite at the BnB with two queen beds. 

This suite is great for a family or a small group. For a little larger group (up to 16) add on the Quilters Paradise suite. They have an adjoining door.

My kind of burger!

While visiting Hamilton, one of your stops should be J's Burger Dive. Hand rolled and smashed fresh hamburger grilled to perfection!




This mom n pop shop owned by John and Julie Dawson is a staple on Davis Street in "downtown" Hamilton, next door to Hamilton Baking Company and Missouri Star Quilt Company's main shop.

John and Julie Dawson live right here in Hamilton with their four boys, all with names starting with J!! John is a former Navy man. The shop, of course, hails it's name from their initials and his diving years. It is decorated in navy and white and all things nautical, specifically anchors.




The boys enjoy a good patty melt and my favorite...mushroom and swiss! Both delicious.










An ode to our own Hamilton Hornets, their is also a hornet burger; perfect amount of heat with jalapenos!

Don't forget to add a basket of fries to the order. Garlic, Ranch, Cajun or classic, these fries will NOT disappoint! Ask for fry sauce. Haven't ever heard of it? Most people haven't, but it's a delicious dipping sauce for the potato goodness.








Dessert? J's has you covered in that aspect as well. Add an ice cream cone or shake to your order. Very good! Cherry and whipped cream on top? no problem. But my favorite is an orange freeze. Orange sherbet ice cream perfectly blended with sprite to create a slushy style frozen treat!

Call us up when you are in town and we will meet you there!

Lady of the Lake

What Bed & Breakfast would be complete without an Anniversary Suite? This one will knock your socks off!

This guest suite is undoubtedly my favorite and the one I sneak time in every so often. It is absolutely beautiful. I love that when you get to the top of the slightly turning staircase (wider at the top than at the bottom and curved to the right, just a little) double doors open into this suite. Romantic much?

The canopy bed is exactly what this room was beckoning for. With hints of burgundy and gold, this room sweeps you off your feet.

Large windows guide your eye to the large green backyard and a beautiful view of the water, hence its name, Lady of the Lake. This is our largest suite and boasts a queen size bed and a queen size sofa sleeper in its own sitting room!

The sitting room is large enough for a full size couch, love seat and over sized armchair. The TV is nestled in nicely along one of the walls. My favorite feature of the sitting room, though, is the gas fireplace. What a way to spend a weekend. 

This giant suite would not be complete without this HUGE powder room. Double sinks and large mirror assist in dolling yourself up for the day. The walk in shower has a rain shower head and the stool is behind its own door. The best feature though, is the large JETTED TUB with huge picture window overlooking that beautiful view of the property. (There are shades that pull down, of course!) This suite always make me feel a little full of myself, but everyone deserves to feel like a queen occasionally! This suite will do just that!

Fun & Fancy

I really enjoyed designing and decorating the Fun & Fancy suite. It is sooo different from the rest. This suite has a lilac purple wall color. The young lady who lived in this room before we bought the house had recently painted it to be exactly what she wanted. I vowed to keep it, for a time. I love it! I decided instead of the natural wood work we would go with silver. The headboard and side tables were spray painted to get the look I was hoping for.

This suite is very spacious. It has a Queen Size bed, and a double futon style sofa bed.  A large TV can be viewed from the bed or couch.

After a few months I realized that a suite with a couple twin size beds would be very helpful for many of our guests. The walk-in closet was turned into sleeping quarters. One of these days I will take out the closet shelving, but for now, it easily holds these extra beds, making it our only suite that will hold 5. More than one group of guests has commented that in the twin space it feels like sleeping in a tree house. Maybe I should paint the inside to look like a tree? I am not sure that I am that ambitious!

The young lady I spoke of earlier, spent painstaking hours taping off and painting this zig-zag pattern on the walls of the powder room in turquoise, grey and white and I LOVE IT! So, of course its here to stay. This room is a good size space with shower/tub combination and lots of counter space.

Fun & Fancy is at the end of the hall on the second floor. It's quiet, has lots of natural light and you can see the barn and animals out the windows!

Missouri Beauty

Another suite on the second floor is the Missouri Beauty suite. This suite has an absolutely beautiful view of the front yard thru its double windows. I love the natural light that shines into this room! The chair, bed and table were all purchased from different estate sales in Utah and hauled half way across the country to grace this room. The wood work on this bed, LOVE! 

The golden reddish tones in this bed calls to me. Soothing! The bedding set has a little bit of a golden stripe and stitching that pulls the whole look together. This suite is roughly the same size as the Evening Star suite, although the bathrooms are very different.

This bathroom is great! It has a tub/shower combination. The tub is a JETTED Garden tub.
( I obviously like that feature!)

The TV is perfectly positioned at the end of the bed to enjoy a Hallmark movie. (No guilt there. Hallmark is my favorite!)

Next time you visit Home Inn Hamilton you may want to request this suite!

Evening Star

When I chose for the Bed & Breakfast to be our Home Inn Hamilton, obviously Quilt Town USA had a lot to do with it. Quilters are genuine, good and charitable people. What better guests to invite into your home? With that, I knew that each room must be named after a quilt block!

First up, Evening Star.

Evening star looks out to the front yard (and that white cat-- still getting to that story one day). 

The chair in the corner is a sturdy solid wood chair. I love it! Simple lines. Beautiful. (yard sale find)

Do you see the quilt in the corner on the chair? That quilt is very special to me. Ryan's grandmother Millicent Redford made that quilt for me. Just for me. Why? I organized the family reunion. (A lot of work, but I love planning parties!) For a quilt, I would organize it every time it comes up!! I love quilts! She spent so many hours on this beauty! It has creams and pinks and browns in tiny squares! Oh, how grateful I am to have a piece of Grandma Millie in our home. 

I found the beautifully sculpted wood bed at an estate sale in Utah. (Most of the furniture was aquired this way) I wanted a certain feel for the BnB that couldn't be achieved with modern furniture. The size and weight of this piece is awesome! It was one of the first we purchased for the BnB. The bench and mirrors came from a sale here in Missouri about 20 miles away. Lamps too. As you can see the powder room is en-suite (for all our rooms).

Evening Star bathroom has a combined tub and shower, stool and sink. It is our smallest of the bathrooms but still large enough to get the job done!

When we first bought the house, this room was lime green with monkeys! An adorable little girls room transformed into this calming and enjoyable space to get some shut eye!

No TV, just conversation

After taking in the GINORMOUS kitchen you can turn 180* to this warm and welcome living room.

The wood work throughout the house is stunning. One of my favorite features is the oak wood wall surrounding the fireplace. I originally thought there was too much wood. I have changed my tune. It is so warm and welcoming. This living room begs for conversation. Sit, relax and enjoy one another. 

Again, just like the dining room, the windows in this room bring me such happiness! There is so much beauty out these windows. From the animals scampering, the sunlight gleaming off the water on the pond, all the green (Missouri is sooo green) and one of my favorite things in that back yard... the boys in a game of football. Oh, how they make me smile!

When we moved here, of course, I added the massage chair to the corner. Many a guest of Home Inn Hamilton has relaxed in that chair. Rarely a day goes by that I don't get enveloped in it. And you see, no TV in this room. People in real life are so much better! I love my home!