~Dear Elizabeth, ~
- How did you and your husband meet?
- What was your time living in England like?
- What do you miss most about living in England?
- What did you do before you met your husband?
- How do you come up with your recipes?
- Do you make desserts every week?
- How many children do you and your husband have?
- What does a typical day of homeschooling look like for you?
- How often do you thrift for your home and kitchen items?
- What is the best thrifted item you have ever found?
~Dear Reader, ~
1. How did you and your husband meet?
My husband (Craig) and I met when I was a high school home economics teacher. Craig had an aunt who lived in America and he and his dad flew over to America for a visit. At the time, I was teaching two of Craig’s cousins. Naturally, they thought we should meet. However, it was a school night… and I was a dedicated teacher… and he was from England… and blah, blah blah, excuse after excuse.
Not wanting to hurt his feelings- and to save awkwardness between me and my caring students- I simply said, “Just tell him to find me on Facebook.” (Honestly thinking nothing would come of a simple conversation). Indeed, he looked me up on Facebook and almost immediately we hit it off. We continued writing (even sending letters back and forth across the Atlantic).
One day he asked if he could take me out on one date. He wanted to travel all the way to America to take me on a date. Wow! Eventually, I agreed. And after several more trips across the pond (between the two of us), we decided our dating style was getting expensive- and so he asked me to marry him. Obviously, I said yes- and so here we are some eleven years later.
More of our story can be found here.
2. What was your time living in England like?
My time living in England was wonderful! Of course, it was difficult at times- living away from my family- and all the things I knew best. However, living abroad taught me so much.
I am thankful I had the opportunity to live in England, so that I could better appreciate who Craig was, and get to know his family better. During our time there, Craig and I went on lots of beautiful walks (both inside and outside of the quaint towns and charming villages). We enjoyed delicious foods, and we savored lots of tea and scones. Our favorite places to visit where Stratford, Warwick, Oxford, and of course…the Cotswolds. Any free time we had was often filled with browsing antique shops and going for scenic drives.
3. What do you miss most about living in England?
Living in England was a very special time in my life- as I was a newlywed wife- and soon to be a first-time mother.
I enjoyed the simplicity of life at that time. I miss the walks, the beauty, the food. I miss the scenery, the antique stores, the car-boot sales, and the tea rooms. I miss the beauty of the ancient homes and buildings. Moreover, I miss the English family, friends, and of course- the Galaxy chocolate.
I am thankful for the sweet memories my husband and I shared during that exciting season of life. Equally, I am grateful for the moments we are continuing to share now, in America.
4. What did you do before you met your husband?
Before I met my husband, I was a high school home economics teacher. I taught Child Development, Family and Consumer Science, and Food and Nutrition. I loved teaching and I loved my students. My teaching years were also a very special time in my life.
5. How do you come up with your blog recipes?
Good question. I find the more open I am to being creative, the more ideas come to me. My recipes are an amalgamation of the foods I sampled in England and my family’s personal taste.
I enjoy reading recipes, and I love scouring cookbooks at the thrift store. I gather ideas from seasons, occasions, experiences, and from my family and friends back in England. For, they give me lots of good suggestions. I also like to think about foods that will look pretty in my photographs.
6. Do you make desserts every week?
I enjoy baking desserts; you caught me red handed. However, I do try to be mindful of what I feed my family. Since starting my blog, I have been baking more desserts than usual- this is certainly true. However, the foods that are featured in my weekly blog post become the main treat for the week.
Therefore, instead of buying junk food from the store, we have one day a week that we celebrate mom’s hard work- and the children’s English/American heritage. I would prefer for my family to have treats- that at very least- I know what ingredients they contain. Seeing as there are six in the family, the recipes equal out to not having a huge amount leftover. (Which is a good thing for my waistline). Truth be told, my husband eats the lion’s share of the treats we make.
7. How many children do you and your husband have?
My husband and I are blessed with four wonderful children. We have two girls and two boys- and they range in age from 2 to 8 years old. Life is a chaotic, joyful, mess. 🙂
8. What does a typical day of homeschooling look like for you?
A typical day at Happy Hawks Homeschool varies, but it always includes quality time together. We generally start the school day at the dining room table, after breakfast. The dining table is where much of our structured learning (and life in general) takes place. We have a Bible lesson together and then we do family style lessons-branching off based on age.
Our core subjects this semester are as follows: language arts, math, art, history, and science. We participate in lots of reading out loud, craft activities, and laid-back discussions. We also spend a considerable amount of time playing outside, working with our hands in creative ways, and going for nature walks. Of course, we are also spending time in the kitchen, with little sewing projects, and helping with things around the house. We enjoy going to our local library as well.
One day a week we go to a homeschool co-op with other families. This is often a highlight for the children. Our typical school day is structured and planned but also quite flexible and fun. I love that we can all grow together.
Obviously, homeschool looks different in different families. I am certainly not the perfect model by any means, but it works for my family (and when something in the process doesn’t work, we work to make it better). We learn alongside our real-life happenings. Homeschool is a work in progress and, in my opinion, there is beauty in that process.
9.How often do you thrift for your home and kitchen items?
The children and I try to thrift at least once a week. If I was on my own, I would thrift more frequently- as I think you have to look regularly to find the best treasures. However, in this season of motherhood, it can be a bit of a chore to load everyone one up for a thrift hall. The children do enjoy our thrifting trips, and they are very good at finding treasures.
10. What is the best thrifted item(s) you have ever found?
Hmm, tough question. I will have to think about this one as I have found so many special treasures. Actually, all my favorite home items are either thrifted or antique. 🙂
I love books that are personalized with handwritten notes inside, pretty things made in England, and vintage home decorations. One of my favorite thrifted items is a small brass heart paperweight. (If you read my blog, you will have seen it in various places). (Pictured below)
I have also found some beautiful vintage silver rings. (As if by magic, they were just my size).
Recently, my husband and I bought a vintage, leather, hand-painted giraffe that stands about five feet tall. We use this in our boy’s bedroom, and it is certainly a cool feature.
Hmm, let’s see…what other neat finds? I actually just wrote a Facebook post about one of my favorite thrift finds. You can read that here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EVQpWURgb/
