Sweet Bunny

Finished Projects!

2010-07-14T13:08:00.000-07:00

So we cleaned out our garage and it showed me what I had hanging around to work on.

Following are some lovely before and afters (well I think so anyway, its so great to get them finished!)

I found this chair in some ones trash pile. The tacks were pretty easy to take out.

One coat of primer and two coats of paint later I realized that chars are hard to paint!

The frame was a last minute garage sale find from last year. I think I paid 50 cents. But all good DIY blog readers should know that any chunky frames should be picked up so thats what I did.

Not knowing that How About Orange would post something to fill it that would be pretty and practical!

I used the same paint that I had used on the chair and the dresser but since I had been jaded with the whole painting experience I went for the whitewashed look. that worked great since there was still water in my brush and I wanted to show off the details. The page didn't fill the frame so I put some muslin I had a remnant of across the back. I'll say its decent. Now I just need to find a bit of wall space for it. The calendar may have to move.

Hooray for finished projects!

Inspiration

2010-06-08T13:24:00.000-07:00

Some inspiring pics from blogland today

A recent post from Joy of course the rug is from Anthropologie!

My fabric scraps need these cute bags desperately.

And if you wish you could sit with some tea or lemonade and put beautiful stitches together all day like I do, this site is loads of stitch inspiration!

I should have done this years ago

2010-01-19T13:50:00.000-08:00

I finally made a list and Not just any list.

I've had projects from the last year left unfinished and constantly jumping into my daily mind's to do list. So I finally wrote that list down! This has made a huge impact on my concentration and daily work. Plus I got four of the projects crossed off in the first week!

So here is my list:

Ruthie's Bag (yes Cassandra, over a year later I am still planning to finish it)
Cross stitch
Soap cover
Heart cards
Shelf over stove
Drawer Pulls
Mirror
Birdhouse

I couldn't believe what a relief it was just to get the list out of my mind and onto paper. I was able to remember more immediate things and not have these running around every hour. And heres the kicker, this blog was supposed to be postings about projects I was working on. Now I can actually post some finished projects!

So here we go! I got four finished last week. here are some pics.

The Shelf over the stove

Includes brackets and riser board from Lowes. Two coats primer and one of semi gloss. It would have been much easier if our walls were flat.

The birdhouse that you see above I got at a garage sale this past summer and origianlly looked like this.

It was cute, I knew it needed a future with new paint.

Next Up, Drawer pulls.

I got this dresser off of Craig's list but never took a pic of its originial funkiness. If you wanted asian look, cool, but thats so not me. So here it is painted and finally has the pretty knobs (or handles?) that waited so long. I needed a different drill bit.

The knob/handles are from Target.com. Wow, did I have a hard time finding some that I liked (but thats usually the case with me).

And finally here is the one I'm really kicking myself about. Our bathroom mirror. We had been living with this for two years!

and it now looks like this. What a breath of fresh air and in our tiny bathroom it really makes a difference. The paint is the same as all previous projects.

So thats my first week roundup. I'm sure to be adding more projects to the list and will be staying on track for the blog with updates!

Just Wondering

2009-11-16T13:33:00.000-08:00

Which arrangement do you like better?

Relaxing with produce

2009-07-24T13:52:00.000-07:00

I am relaxing this afternoon with my first tomato produce from the garden!

Some beautiful mozzarella and sun dried tomato vinaigrette work perfectly with the early garden tomatoes.

Have a lovely weekend!

Lauren

Just a block away

2009-07-23T08:23:00.000-07:00

Down the street and around the corner sat a bookshelf on the curb. I drove past it twice and waited till an opportune time (when husband was with me) to pick it up. It was heavy.

There were tons of stickers on the side. Regular and car bumper ones. A hairstylist friend told me that vinegar was a stripper so a spray of that mixed with water, let it soak in and they came off pretty well using the ice scraper (only thing I could find quickly to use).

I had been wanting some more grown up shelves for Jer Bear's room. The baskets in the changing table were working but there wsan't much room for him to use for toys. Plus the pajamas were getting out of control. I took the pic after removing all his pants from the top shelf.

Three cans of blue spray paint later. Lots of room or clothes and toys! One afternoon and that gets checked off my list for the cost of paint!

You can check out more projects at Kimba's for DIY Day!

P.S. The same house provided our sled last winter. If they give us anything else I may need to write a thank you note for the great discards!

I Heart Crate and Barrel

2009-07-17T05:28:00.000-07:00

Helloooo out there!

Stacy over at 19butternut shared some new things from Pottery Barn today and it inspired me to share about one of my favorite places, Crate & Barrel. So thanks to Stacy my blog is alive again. It's not that I don't have ideas to write about but more like too many and I'd rather read than write so I read everyone else's posts and never get to my own. Whew! Hopefully that is gonna change. Starting Today!

So these are screen captures from their online Fall catalog. I LOVE Screen captures. If the photos don't drag off your blog and onto my desktop I will capture it and gather them into my growing files of inspiration. I may share some of them with you pretty soon.

Now back to C&B wonderfulness.

I am pretty much an organizational enthusiast. So these benches (which I have been eyeing for years) are always a fave.

This is a similar idea. Liking the white panel look and the shelves to stash. They would be great for library books. Cushions are always nice too :).

I have always liked glass front shelves. This one is so sweet and a great size.

More pretty shelves. I especially like the rear one with the offset horizontal lines.

All my fave colors right there and such cheery design on a rug!

So I first loved some C&B when it moved into the local Easton Town Center Mall about 6 years ago. It was perfect timing for me to then browse for my wedding registry and we got these amazing dishes as gifts. They were so affordable that we received every piece we asked for and some other pretty things thrown in. They still look great with everything and they are still available!

Finally here we have this adorable bag! What a great size and I am LOVING the lettuce print! For some reason it makes me want to laugh or giggle or something. Maybe cause its a little unexpected.

Hope you enjoyed my self indulgence as much as I did!

P.S. C&B has no Idea I am here, writing. But I'm glad you do.

Hope to post again, next week. Happy weekend!

Lauren

I'm Loaded

2009-04-30T06:46:00.001-07:00

I'm loaded with projects. Two baby showers and three weddings coming up! Not Much else I can do today. Hope to post some finished projects soon!

Note; Flannel falls apart when embroidered. Going to find some glue.

Good Reading

2009-04-22T03:12:00.000-07:00

I am loving this book. As Rich and I are praying about homeschooling I am researching as many books as possible. to want to feel ready, but I don't know if thats possible. I'm hoping to get my feet wet at least before I jump in. But this book is so reassuring and specific about texts and teaching examples, and thats just what I need to direct us into being an active learning household. It is also neat that many of the books mentioned are ones that my Mom used with me and my sisters for the two years she taught us. I still really like the Narration approach and I think they will work well together. This book gave me more of a specific place to start.

I have also been mending jeans, and embroidering wedding and baby shower gifts. And I have many more to go! Hope to share pics with you soon!

Another chance

2009-04-08T11:33:00.000-07:00

We found this shelving unit nailed into our apartment's garage wall. I asked Rich, why don't we just pull it off, paint it and hang it in the kitchen? (I wanted shelves for my glass hostess set that was hidden away.) This is what it looked like immediately after I brought it into the house.

I thought the curves definitely had potential but the nubs on the bottom reallly had to go. One was missing anyway(far right), so we sawed them off and sanded the edges. Here it is dusted and ready to paint. It looked like it had never seen any kind of sealer or finish before and we probably should have sanded it or something but that is an extra step, and with me getting the project finished fast is the objective.

So here we are painting. This was the first of three coats of wall paint that our landlords let us use to match the shelves to the wall. Plus, it was free.

Here it is hung on our dining area wall with cup hooks attached. Rich had to use the drill to make holes first and then screw them in, but it didn't take long. We mounted it with six screws we found in the garage as well.

So that is the story of how we gave that sad shelf another chance. Out of the garage and into the sunshine, holding beautiful things and making me smile every day.

This little light

2009-04-03T07:42:00.000-07:00

Brightens a dreary day.

I like this whimsical idea, using a little terra cotta pot for a candle. The scent of this one is greenhouse from Yankee candle. Perfect for a spring fragrance in the house!

Everything Has It's Space

2009-03-28T13:58:00.000-07:00

This is the first room in our apartment. In a small space you make do. And for my mind I need everything to have it's own place, or I will really lose it. So I'm sharing how I have divided up our living space.

This part of the room is the TV/sitting area.

To the right of the doorway is my crafting/sewing table (made from a piano!)
As we continue moving to the right, here is the library section.

Then the entry, I must have a place to drop what I need to right by the door. The coat hooks are working out nicely in that previously empty space.

Then we have the office area with my inspiration board and finished work. Husband is working on money matters, I'm so blessed that he enjoys the numbers part of things.

And here is the full picture. I love having a ceiling fan. It happened to match our decor so well too!
And here it is from the other side. I have gotten the urge to move things around every now and then but I wonder if all these areas could ever work so well in another way.

Coming Soon

2009-03-13T11:51:00.000-07:00

A Baby girl will being arriving at the English household very soon (maybe even this weekend!). The shower was last night and given by the ladies at church. I would say there about 50 women there, and many high school age (it was nice to see young faces and to know they took time out of their busy schedules to come).

Arlena gave me some patterns that she liked and I managed to put together a jumper and embroidered a onesie to match.

They are dog people and I found this pattern in a book called sublime stitching. I added the purple bow to make it more girly.

I'm looking forward to seeing Annalise in her dress this summer!

Kute

2009-02-13T11:15:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty glad with how the K turned out today. I feel so blessed to have Etsy to work with and being able to stay home with Jaren is wonderful.

Its up on Etsy now. If anyone wants a custom one I have plenty of Dictionary left!

Candle Light

2009-02-12T12:08:00.000-08:00

Last night was a candle lit evening with, myself. My mom was on the phone with me after my toddler and 4am-waking husband went to bed. I decided to take some photos of the candle light while the wind roared around the corners of our building.

I loved having the candle light and may try to enjoy it more often plus save on energy costs. I got the candles and holders at hobby lobby half-off. The Tazo tea bottle was too nice to recycle and I'm glad I kept it. I will have to figure out how to steady the candle in it and hold it as it burns down.

I was surprised at how nice it was to sit in the simple glow of the candle's flame. What a blessing from 'bad' weather.

Cheap As Free

2009-02-08T11:14:00.001-08:00

I got some free shopping in this afternoon. My neighbor moved out yesterday and she decided to get rid of all this stuff in the dumpster. It would have been more comfortable going to the store, but I really couldn't pass up the price. The containers below were the first thing to catch my eye as we drove past the overflowing pile last night and I then determined to see what other goodies would lay in store.

The whole list turned out to be:

Glass containers

Unopened christmas paper ( I am planning to do metallics next year too!)

2 Birthday bags

Party Decorations

Green comforter

Evergreen comforter

Shelf with hook

Toy Castle

Child's computer

Metal organizer

Mini food processor

Phonics program

Pop-out playhouse

Computer cables

Don't be ashamed to dumpster-dive. It will probably be worth it.

My sleeping Jaren

2009-01-23T11:28:00.000-08:00

My little one is in his toddler bed as of today! It took a little encouragement but eventually he stayed in bed.

I made the quilt for him and finished it when he was 3 months I think. It's been on the wall till now so he is finally using it! I would like to make another, but I don't think that will happen 'till we have another child.

What a nice hurdle to be over. But he is growing up so fast!

The Piano Table

2009-01-20T11:21:00.000-08:00

A finished project!

I had mentioned back in july about the sewing table that we were going to make out of a friend's piano. I don't remember exactly when we actually got the piano apart but six months later it showed up in my living room, which happened to be Christmas morning. I had no clue this was going to happen!

I had written off the project. I only had a vauge idea about putting the table together and I didn't think it really had a chance. But I unknowingly hung out at a friends home while Rich worked away on a 'project' that I thought had something to do with their brother-in-law's christmas gift. Anywho, Rich and Darwin (an accomplished woodworker) worked on the table and snuck it into our garage during an ice storm. Then Christmas eve around 3 am Rich brought the table in and there it was! Such a great surprise and example of when patience is used with a spouse they are much more willing to help. I'm really glad I wasn't nagging him about it for 6 months!

The Strawberry

2009-01-16T13:21:00.001-08:00

The final Christmas present. A little late, sure... but it is finished!

Frosty morning

2009-01-16T05:53:00.000-08:00

This morning was -11 degrees. It has made some very pretty lacework on the windows that travel across the panes in the morning light.

Hope our pipes don't freeze. Stay warm wherever you are!

Still working away

2008-12-22T06:36:00.000-08:00

I will be working on Christmas presents for the next few says. I hope they all go smoothly!

Finally Finished!

2008-12-12T11:11:00.000-08:00

I'm done with the Bible cover I made for Laura's Mom. Their Christmas party is tomorrow so it HAD to be done. This was a doozy. I 'm not sure what would have helped. Maybe a pattern...

On to the next gift! The snow flurries are making me smile.

One down, five to go

2008-12-10T07:17:00.001-08:00

I haven't ironed it yet, but I have another order to finish today and I wanted to share.

It feels so great to have it done. Now on to the sewing machine!

A Christmas tree, a Christmas tree?

2008-12-09T04:40:00.000-08:00

Hmmm...

We're trying to decide if we should have a Christmas tree this year. The other option is a garland over the two windows in the living room with the ornaments hanging from there. The reason is because of space. We got a new dining table and the kitchen table moved into the living room and became my (long awaited) sewing/craft space. Can I spare the table to the garage before Christmas? ( I am making almost all the gifts this year )

For some reason I could not find any photos of the ornament garland idea online. I think I might like it.

BUT. It is Jaren's 2nd Christmas and he is enjoying the trees and lights at other peoples homes. Should we have one for his sake?

I like these small trees on tables. I just don't know if I can spare the space. Oh the dilemma.

Snowflakes blowing in

2008-12-06T11:29:00.001-08:00

This is what we get to enjoy today. Fluffy snow is falling and actually accumulating this time!

Fresh air walk

2008-12-05T06:03:00.000-08:00

During a walk yesterday Jaren and I went down an alley and came across this bunch of bright moss. The textures of the moss and seed pods are so interesting together.
"We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive at where we started
And know the place for the first time."
- T. S. Eliot

I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth. 3 John 1:4

Enjoy some walking, fresh air does wonders.

I'm glad it's warmer Wednesday!

2008-12-03T07:02:00.000-08:00

It has warmed up a nice 15 degrees here in western Ohio.. I'm glad since Jer and I walk to church for the Zone around 1:30.

This great article popped up on the Etsy home page and I want to share. It is about St. Nicholas and why there is a Santa Claus. Rich and I are not going to pretend about Santa with our children so I am glad to have this story about where the real man came from to share with them.

Saint Nicholas: The Story Behind the Myth

Story by swanmountainsoaps
Published on December 2, 2008 in This Handmade Life

Yes, Virginia – there really is a Santa Claus.

However, he’s not what you might think: you won’t find him hanging out at North Pole sweatshops, sipping triple-fudge espressos and cracking the whip on overworked persons of diminutive size. And contrary to what advertising says, he’s not the sweaty fat guy at the mall in the red velour suit handing out candy canes, either.

Many people do not know that the real Santa Claus was neither a storybook creation nor a marketing ploy. He was a real man. And while he didn’t have a reindeer-powered sleigh or slide down chimneys, he did become famous, in part, for his gift-giving.

St. Nicholas was born in Lycia (modern-day Turkey) in the fourth century AD, and was known for his kindness and charity. The most famous story of his generosity was about a rich man who had three daughters. The man fell suddenly into poverty and decided he had no choice but to sell his daughters into prostitution. St. Nicholas heard about it, and on three nights as everyone slept, he slipped past the man’s window and tossed in a bag of gold.

Eventually, Saint Nicholas became the patron saint of children. In Northern Europe his name was changed to Santa Claus, but he’s also known as Jolly Old Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, Papai Noel, Sinterklaas and even Dun Che Lao Ren.

The real St. Nicholas was not fat or silly, but thin and sober. He was, however, the kindest of men. In the Orthodox Christian and Roman Catholic traditions, saints are usually honored on the day they die. In many parts of the world, Saint Nicholas delivers gifts on the eve of his Feast Day, December 6, and Christmas is reserved for the religious observance of Christ's birth, or the Nativity.

Orthodox Christian children around the world leave their shoes by the fireplace or in the church hall while they attend a service in St. Nicholas’ honor. Somehow, when they come back for their shoes, they find them stuffed with oranges, chocolate coins, nuts and small gifts.

These days, even as many parents line up at Walmart bright and early on the day after Thanksgiving to get the best deal on the latest cool toys, we often bemoan the fact that Christmas seems to have become all about the presents. This year, on December 6th, why not take a moment to tell your kids the story of the REAL Santa Claus, and why giving can be so much better than receiving.

Then tell them to check their shoes.

* For more information on the life of St. Nicholas, check out the Saint Nicholas Center.

Yellow Monday

2008-11-24T08:17:00.000-08:00

This dreary Monday has some yellow!

Working on tea towel embroidery is helping to brighten my day!

It will be finished soon, then on to the next gift.

Babies are coming!

2008-11-21T07:21:00.000-08:00

At our church we have four expectant mothers and three new infants. One of my closest friends, Cassandra, (her piano was recently torn apart) is having her second girl in a little over a week. (Her C-section is scheduled for Dec. first.) I finally got these finished.

Onesies for Ruthie.

It's so exciting to have new little ones around!

Bazaar & Building with piano

2008-11-19T07:55:00.000-08:00

Two weekends past I participated in a local Church's winter Bazaar. This was the first time I had run a booth or sold anything besides on Etsy. It was a lot different with the interaction with people and I was nervous the first day but on Saturday it was a little easier to make conversation and explain how my embroidery is created.

On the whole, not a productive time spent. But I learned a lot and it was nice that it was only a few blocks away so Cassandra and I met people from the village that we hadn't before. I'm glad I did it. I was time for a new experience. The monkey did sell. A grandma couldn't resist.

Then I decided to make a set of hooks for behind the front door.

I wanted a place to put the jackets and coats starting to pile up with the cold weather coming on so fast! So a piece from the Corder's piano that was supposed to become my sewing table is the wood for the hooks to attach to. Once I can get started on a project, I just want to jump in and get it all finished in one day (besides doing dishes).

So I measured, and cut off the ends. I arranged the hooks. Drilled holes.
Attached the hooks.

And Voila! Lots more space fore winter wrappings! It is so nice to have another seat and not have bags, coats and jackets strewn everywhere!
In all it was about a 3 hour job with a 22 month old running around and having to vacuum the carpet after sawing so he wouldn't play in the dust. By myself it would have taken under an hour. I also didn't sand the edges yet (I didn't know where the sand paper was). the coats cover that up for now.

I hope I will have pics of Christmas creations coming soon!

Jumping ahead

2008-10-31T09:48:00.000-07:00

Here I am, unable to decorate for fall until the temp was below 70, and I am going to post about Christmas wreaths in October. I have a good reason though.

Next weekend is a Christmas Bazaar and I will have a booth. I am a little anxious, but all the preparation is keeping me too busy to worry about it much.

I welcome any advice on organizing and managing a booth. It's definitely helping me look forward to the winter holidays!

Making the most of it

2008-10-24T09:45:00.000-07:00

What to do on a cold, rainy Friday, but bake bread?

Now I need to clean. But that should go quickly as I look forward to chilli and the yummy bread for dinner!

Hoping you can enjoy your Friday, especially if its rainy!

Babies, Weddings, and Anniversaries

2008-10-13T11:21:00.000-07:00

October is usually a busy month for us, but it has been especially busy this year. At least we were not moving like we did during the Octobers of the last two years.

During the first weekend a friend and I threw a Baby shower for another friend from church. Emily is expecting for the first time and there are two! Two boys will be arriving around the end of November if God decides to keep them in that long. She is doing well so far and we had an enjoyable brunch on the morning of Saturday the 4th. The theme was 'two peas in a pod' and Christin made the cutest peas by wrapping two green gumballs in green cellophane. We played a 'guess what's in the diaper bag' game by putting the items in a black bag and trying to guess by feel.

The next day was the wedding of my good friend Megan. We drove to Columbus after church and picked up my sister from college on the way. It was a beautiful day. They had a very traditional ceremony and a reception about 20 mins away at a country club. The attendants were in strapless chocolate dresses with cream sashes and the flower girls wore cream flounced dresses that matched Megan's in style.

This past weekend Rich and I celebrated our third anniversary (which was on the 8th). We had a very full schedule for a Saturday on our own (Mom and Dad came to watch Jaren).

Our first stop was the Frank Lloyd Wright, Westscott house in Springfield. They gave a very nice tour but we could only take photos outside. So you will have to go for yourself to see the interior. The house is fully refurbished to it's original beauty and is celebrating its centennial.

This piece was not on the original build but was found with part of the plans. It is a birdhouse and is Rich's favorite part of the house.

This is the garden in the rear of the house, enclosed with the wall and screen.
This shows more of the lawn.
This is not the front of the home, but the entrance is on the left side of the building, along with the birdhouse and Mr. Westscott's bedroom balcony. The two servant's rooms are on the right with the bath in between. The library is on the left and the entry in the center on the first floor.

This is a shot of the side street with the garden wall and garage (Mr. Westscott made luxury vehicles).

I thought I had uploaded more pics, but I guess you will need to look at the website to see the front of the building. With windows all way across both Mr. and Mrs. Westscott's bedrooms, the house is a beautiful example of Wright's work.

Here is Christin and my work on brunch. Set up at church.

Mini cupcakes to represent the sweet peas Jon and Emily are expecting.

And finally, here are Megan and Tom Minturn. Right after their first kiss.

I thought this was so sweet
A very pretty cake. You will have to watch 'Fireproof' for the salt and pepper shaker analogy.

Our October does noot look to be slowing down any time soon. Rich will be 26 tomorrow and we have the church harvest party to help with. Plus Jaren's Reepicheep costume to finish and the November Bazaar to be creating for. Its a busy season, but I adore it!

Fall Cleaning Saturday

2008-09-13T10:58:00.000-07:00

While I clean out my hall closets, I thought I would share these inspirations for Autumn dining that I think are beautiful. They are graceful without being overbearing. Lovely and comfortable. They are also both from Create and Barrel's Fall collection. Let me know what you think!

I need that wreath.

Enjoy your weekend!

Checking Out

2008-09-08T09:16:00.000-07:00

Here are some titles that (because I can't afford to buy them right now) I will check out from the library again and again. I hope I'm not breaking some unspoken library courtesy rule about not renewing library books as many times as possible and then checking the book out again. But these, they are just too wonderful. So I will have to risk the disgrace.

This is a book I saw on the first visit to our small town library and loved it immediately. It is by Cheryl Mendelson who returns to her homemaking basics, learned from her Mother and Grandmothers, after years as a lawyer. I appreciate her unabashed respect for the art of homemaking and thorough research, even in this modern woman's day, to create a completely comfortable home.

While I haven't used any of these incredible recipes yet (and I really need to get on that) I about drool over the beautiful photography. The preserves have a huge variety (I had never heard of chutney before) and include very interesting herbs, spices, and suggestions for gifting and serving. (did you know that pickled red cabbage can be served cold or hot? Well I didn't.)

So those are a couple of the books I have enjoyed very much, and you may too.

Enjoy the day, wherever you may be!

Psalm 118:24

This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Fall Decorating, as of now

2008-09-02T11:10:00.000-07:00

I adore Autumn. It is the season I look forward to every year (my favorite, with Spring after). And I even took a week out of the fall semester so I could have my wedding on October 8th.

But, it still feels too early for me to decorate for fall. Its 91 degrees here in Ohio. And although it is September I don't feel into switching things up yet. Still riding on these days of heat and summer sunshine. The AC is still blowing. I think when I can open the windows and cool breezes start to blow, I will be able to get the Autumn mood.

So instead of feeling behind in my preparations I decided to try out polyvore and create an Autumn-themed collection. Today I was in the mood for dresses. Here is my group of fall time dresses that I enjoy and would love to have in my closet.

I am always in the mood to think about the next season in clothes!

P.S. I was featured on the home page of Etsy! It was so kind of Tennekka to let me know the exciting news. It was incredible to see how many more item viewings there were and how many people made my store a favorite. I'm so thankful for the exposure. I'm sweetbunnyhome with the hugs and kisses pillow.

A little Family Vay-cay

2008-08-14T20:32:00.000-07:00

We had a couple weekends of family time these past few weeks. I thought I would show you what we have been up to.

Here are Becca (Cassandra's daughter) and Jaren just having some general fun, romping time last Sat. The Dads were playing with the guitars and Bass amp (in background).

Jaren and Becca ran around in circles singing for at least 5 minutes.

I'm so glad Jaren was happy to be at the Irish festival ( two weekends ago). We had a really great time with my family.

Some family shots from the garden.

Celebrating the pulling of the carrots! I will pull them earlier next year. I was just glad to get the six that I did this year, so I let them grow for awhile.

I've also been working on Etsy stuff and Finally got my shop up and going.

Have a great Friday Friends!

Catching up

2008-07-30T22:27:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from last Thursday and Friday. I stopped to check-out what was new at the Antique Mall in town and there were some stylish automobiles across the street. I also managed to get the iron gate and lovely home in the picture.

A sweet gate

I finally filled the empty space above the computer. I'm very pleased with it. The cork board was from my husband's cast-offs and the material was on sale at JoAnn's. Now I have more space to post inspiration!

We finish up with more goodies from the garden. The tomatoes are ripening and are SO good! Does anyone have good ideas what to do with cucumbers?

Tomorrow we will be going to the incredible Irish Festival in Dublin

and visiting my sister-in-law for her birthday. August is upon us. Happy Friday!

Small Town 'drive by'

2008-07-24T12:50:00.000-07:00

Here is my first attempt at a 'drive by', as Melissa @ the inspired room calls it. I thought I would show you what small town Ohio has to offer. I was surprised when I moved to our 'village' and got to have a good look around, by how many lovely homes are in the area. This is nice since we are starting to look into buying soon.

This first shot is of a large brick Victorian. It sits up on a rise and is so pretty sitting out of town. I couldn't slow down very much because people were accelerating up to 55 by then.

I really like the curve of the porch and the arch over the pretty green doorway.

This is the show stopper, right in the middle of town. They change the entire decor of the exterior for every season. I will have to remember to post some photos at Christmas time.

I have always liked the bold, strong lines on the face of this home. I also think they did a nice job adding the iron fencing along the stairway.

*Sigh* so pretty. There are four tall evergreens across the front of this property. I've always liked this one.

The decorating here is impeccable. There are sweet places to sit all around the front porch with a nicely trimmed lawn. The rooms inside are just as lovely (from what I have glimpsed through the windows).

It was so nice of the village to repave the roads before I took my pictures. ;) I got some more shots today so hopefully there will be more homes to see tomorrow!

Late last night

2008-07-23T07:37:00.001-07:00

I finished this embroidered letter. The paper wreath isn't turning out like I had planned, but I have a few more ideas on how to make it work. I used the dictionary paper to make this instead. I'm not sure if I will finish the alphabet or do my initials on another page. I will think about that later. Right now I need to finish the housework I put off last night to embroider and watch Australian Project Runway.

Happy Wednesday!

Oh this blog thing...

2008-07-21T20:15:00.000-07:00

I don't know how I will find time to post over the weekends. By the time I read and comment on other's blogs (after baby's bedtime) its 11 and I should really be in bed!

Even the piano deconstruction was detained over the weekend. We didn't want to leave a mess in Cassandra's dining room, since there was no loading space due to road construction in front of their home.

My days seem full of setbacks. But here is a look at the progress of my garden. It keeps growing and changing. I already have cucumbers and I'm going to have SO many grape tomatoes!

Before it was dug, in May.

Everything is planted.

Starting to produce, in June.

Coming along beautifully in July.

You can see the corn growing the background too. :)

This has been a fabulous thing. It is so nice to go out in the mornings and work before it gets hot. I don't know when else I would be able to make myself get outside. Even though I enjoy the fresh air so much. The comfort of AC can keep me indoors.

Hope I can post again soon. So many ideas, photos and projects to share!

Piano Keys and Berry Muffins

2008-07-16T22:29:00.000-07:00

So the internet is still working but I can't get Photoshop to quit... too bad I don't know anything about computers.

As I balance my arm to keep from getting the cream covering the poison ivy off the desk, I will admire the tasty treats that I risked my comfort for.

Here is the small basket of berries that I picked a couple weeks ago out at the Turnbull's farm (Cassandra and I have our gardens there, more pics soon). We walked around the outside of their woods, along a corn field and found about a dozen small berry patches.

So I wondered for a few hours about what we will do with them. I spent hours (1) and sweat (eww) to bring them home, there must be something amazing I could make... then a visit from my mother-in-law brings a quart of berries (big ones too) to my table. I ask Rich if muffins would be good, "sure", and they are enjoyed Saturday night while watching 10,000B.C. (although a time that I'm pretty sure didn't have an Earth in it, an interesting story, for history lovers). The muffins looked quite pretty too, I think.

And here we have the piano keys from a large, black, upright that mostly still sits in Cassandra's dining room. I have everything but the harp and some of the frame here at home.

The top of my sewing table will be from the front foot panel but we need to take apart the rest for enough to make the legs. I have not decided if I will strip the black paint, distress it, or leave it as is. It will be sitting in the only open spot in my living room which has a mix of darker woods and some black picture frames. I will most likely keep it as it is (for now).

Thanks to my new friends, and old, for the comments. They are very kind, and give me more confidence as I continue writing and creating.

P.S. I did not put the wild berries I picked into the muffins, I ate them slowly by themselves, as I found them to be sweeter than the garden variety.

The joy of planning

2008-07-14T07:42:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy planning something, gathering all the pieces, and then seeing the project come together (hopefully beautifully).

I have lots of these projects on my mind right now.

Such as:

- building a sewing table out of Cassandra's old piano

- making paper wreaths

- finishing pillows for our bedroom

- embroidering

- finding just the right places for just the right thing (always ongoing)

and most recent - planning an afternoon tea!

Arlena and I have been wanting to give a tea for the ladies at church all summer and we have finally purposed ourselves to plan and bring it to fruition. I am so looking forward to making invitations, menu and decorating. Plus I think my Belleek tea set will get some use and also the cut-glass hostess set I bought recently. Oh, and Arlena is offering to have the party in her home, which I appreciate.

What kind of projects or parties are you planning for?

Happy Monday!

Proverbs 4:25-26

Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established.

Adventures with food

2008-07-10T11:59:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the results of recent attempts to preserve, grow,

and throw a dinner together while grocery shopping.

This is Strawberry Jam that I made with Cassandra (friend from church). She pretty much walked me through it and let me use her jars. We made regular and sugar-free. I think I like the sugar-free better. They are all such lovely colors!

Here we have the sugar-snap peas I harvested a couple weeks ago. they were growing in containers on the steps by our kitchen door. It was so fun to go and twist the new tendrils around the string and see them grow. I have only seen a couple of flowers on the plants since, and wasn't sure whether to expect any more to grow. We ate them sauteed with Arlena's onions and rotini. It was a lovely summer supper.

Finally, here is the dinner brought together by necessity. A Sam's Club rotisserie chicken, WalMart 'sourdough' bread and Campbell's tomato bisque. Ten minutes after walking in the door, dinner was served! that bisque was yummy too! I think I will go for Panera the next time I want a real bread bowl. But it fulfilled the need and even Jaren enjoyed it!

I have been trying to do better with my photography. Helpful tips are welcome!

This post made me hungry, I'm off to finish up some Trader Joe's red pepper hummus.

I will just jump in

2008-07-10T11:44:00.000-07:00

After months of reading blogs on homes, design and crafting I have decided to join in on the conversation. I hope that taking on a more active role in activities that I enjoy will help me to narrow my tastes and learn how to better express myself. Thanks for joining me on this new adventure!