All things made new

No more drab winter color here, only the bright blooms of the azalea, and greening grass, and the ferns unfurled.

Around the house

Returning home always makes me thankful for:  beautiful trees outside of every window, a home that welcomes me and feels like "home". I am so excited for the crispy cold air. It means cranking up the wood stove, cuddling under quilts, and slowing down just a bit.

Around the yard...

Our garden has been producing an amazing amount of squash.

Our little piece of paradise.  There's no place like home!

Lush Green

Our yard has been particularly beautiful this spring.  I am sure the long winter has something to do with my appreciation for it.  Sometimes it takes losing something for a bit to make one appreciate and notice the little things you may have overlooked previously.  So, thank you bitter cold winter, you have heightened my senses to this glorious spring!

Chicken Feeder: Upcycle

My dad gave me this metal chicken feeder, however it didn't work well for feeding our chickens.We normally give them veggie scraps and scratch grains and let them forage for bugs and worms.

I didn't want to get rid of the feeder though, because I really do like it.  I've seen them used for centerpieces and decided to give it a go.

I really liked how it turned out.  I used a mixture of spring flowers from the yard and a store bought bouquet. I like that it's a low centerpiece so you don't have to bob your head around a vase to talk to your dinner guests.

A House that Shines with Light and Love

I want my house to be a sanctuary, a place of peace and calm; a place that draws you in and makes you feel welcome, makes you feel "at home"; A house that shines with light and love.

Just doing some spring cleaning, rearranging, and looking for the perfect spot for this print I received for Christmas from a dear friend. 

2014 Begins

A New Year.  

I'm not one for making new year resolutions.  For me, everyday is a blank page - a new start.  

What I do like is the way the house feels when all the decorations are put away and all the gifts have found their place in our home and things are back to "normal".  

My feelings towards the new year: cynical without malice.
In the words of Dylan: you better start swimming or you'll sink like a stone. 

2014 will find me treading water like nobody's business.

Saving an organic cotton sheet from becoming trash before its' time.

A large rip in this sheet - perhaps from too many washes? I bought these organic cotton sheets on sale a few years ago.  They get softer (and thinner) with every wash.  They are my son's favorite though, so something had to be done.

First I hand stitched the rip together.

Then just covered the rip with a patch of fabric.  I suppose you could do both sides, but this is the fitted sheet, so the underside won't show.

Make the bed as normal, and no one will be the wiser.  I might not be able to save the world, but I certainly can save a sheet.  *Hopefully my sewing job holds up in the wash*

Simple Things

Spirit of mercy, truth, and love,
O shed Thine influence from above,
And still from age to age convey,
The wonders of this sacred day.

~London Foundling Hospital Collection, 1714.
Revised by Thomas Cotterill, 1819.

Yard Maintenance

Summer yard work is pretty laid back around here.  Since grass really only grows on one side of our house, the front "yard" is pretty easy to maintain.

I have to trim back the ivy about once a month or so to keep it from over taking the walkway and driveway.

A little weeding and its done.  Now, Autumn is a whole other story, but we won't talk about that right now.

Around the Yard

Tiny ferns are the best!

Spring is really the only color burst we get, then it's lush green all summer.

our weedy, grassy, mossy "lawn" - it's natural and safe for everyone

Oh moss, how I love you!

Around the House