Thanks

Let’s just say, for the record, and this could be any of us,  that, some days are really good, and some days are really, really good. And usually, for me, this is the case. So when I have darker days, and my creativity isn’t flowing, and I’d rather hide in a hidey hole than face a day or I’d rather devour my feelings than express them, or I’d rather wallow in self-pity than think of others before me, I just have to be grateful. Do you ever have days like this?

When it’s 90 degrees and I’m cranky miserable, I have to be thankful that it’s not 92 degrees…and I am thankful for hormone replacement therapy.

When I could eat a plate of deluxe nachos then stay up half the night with heartburn, I’m thankful for freshly cut asparagus and a nice lean steak.

And when I feel like I could sleep my afternoon away, I am grateful for Pioneer Woman Perfect Iced Coffee.

And when dullness takes over and loveliness eludes me, I am grateful for peonies.

And when I feel unlovable, I am thankful for babies.

And when I feel unloved, I am grateful for people who, no matter what, set me straight and love me anyway.

 

And when I feel I have nothing to give, I am thankful that the only thing that keeps me from giving is my own selfish desires, and not my ability or means.

And when darkness comes, I am thankful that there is no darkness that cannot be overcome by just being grateful.

I hope your week has been one of great joy in the small things, thankfulness in the midst of trials, and blessings during disadvantage.

"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength." Phillipians 5:11-13

This small space

I am completely content  to spend my afternoon before dinner relaxing on the patio while tulips, viburnum, redbud,  azealeas and lily of the valley put on a show around me.  And to spend an evening working out my stuff of the day or the week.

                                                     In a way that I can't anywhere else.

There is a satisfaction in  this wee space, contemplating when the peonies will bloom and wondering how that new rose on the fence will fare after her first winter. 

 Pondering . Digging. Thinking.  The place where I  am in concert with the creator much like the way you are when you give birth.....just assisting in what is already pretty much perfect on it's own.  A new addition this year is many ferns from a neighbor, which will be filling up a very shady spot where little else will grow. Soon the hummingbirds will be back. And though they are as predictable as the sunset,  every year it’s a surprise and joy to see them at the feeder.

While I miss my big gardens at the old house, I really do delight in this small space. It’s cozy, and I there is just enough room for my very favorites. The real bonus is that we can maintain it in an hour each week, instead of being a grueling time-suck!   With the big gardens, it took both of us and a crew many hours each summer to keep the garden in it’s best shape.  There was never much time for relaxation. These days, I get to  read, have a drink, or  nap on the patio almost daily instead of weeding, pruning, deadheading and digging almost daily.

So, I say, smaller is better. Much better.

Renfrew

What attracted me to the Renfrew Pattern?  Needing a good pattern for a tee, for sure. But other than that, I really like that it is

Shaped

Has sleeve variations

Has neckline variations

Has sleeve and hem band

It has a fitted shoulder and sleeve, which is always more flattering than a baggy, loose shoulder and sleeve.

This was going to be another fitting adventure for me.  So, here we go.

According to the measurements, my bust size put me above the size 16...yikes!  So straight out of the package, I cut my first version, with a full bust adjustment of about an inch.

Assessment:

I like the fit through the shoulders, bust and sleeves ( although I'm thinking I would like them a little more snug).

I should grade down to a size 12 from the bust to the band.

The neckline is too low for my liking, and maybe a bit too wide. 

But it’s okay. I wore a cami under it.

Next version,

I graded my pattern down through the hips and bottom band.

I raised and narrowed the neckline.

I shortened the sleeves and snugged them up a bit

 

Assessment: Much better. Neckline higher, shorter sleeve, better fit all the way around.  I like this pattern. I will make more. And I think you should make many Renfrews if you need a basic tee in your life.


And by the way, that white skirt? Michael Kors, thrifted for $4.00 this past winter.

Joy, Joy, Joy!

I am very excited about a new cookbook.

Joy the Baker, who’s blog I have been reading for a very long time, has just released her first cookbook.

While I flip through the pages over and over, making a list of all the recipes I MUST try, the recipes just this side of different. The pictures are beautiful... just as I would expect. I am also noticing that Joy brings the same quirky, funny and entertaining writing to her book as she does to her blog. And again, from Joy, I would expect no less. About Kettle Corn, she first laments on the mistakes she has made in her life, and then says," After each mistake,  I shoveled handfuls of this sweet and salty popcorn into my face. It's part of my process. I know I've learned a lesson when I can't possibly eat another bite."

This book is a gift from my daughter, who loves to cook. And bake. And try recipes for other fun things like salt scrubs and hand balm. Before I even received the gift on Mother’s Day, she had already made Perfect Kettle Corn three times. I wonder if she was learning a lesson?

I made Perfect Kettle Corn on Sunday night.

I made it on Monday night and Wednesday night. And I will probably make it again on Saturday afternoon…because I love it that much.

I love it almost as much as I love Renfrew, which was not a mistake.  

More on that later.

Spring To Do-be-do-be-do

I say it every year at this time...now that we have identified the Celebrity Apprentice/American Idol/Survivor/Insert Favorite Reality TV Show Here and whether or not Bree will be convicted OR If Dwight is the father of Angela's baby,  I get to sigh a huge sigh of relief and get some actual work done.

Ten Items on my Spring To-Do list:

1.       Finish painting the house. FINISH painting the house.

2.       Get ferns for the front porch.

3.       Make covers for the patio furniture.

4.       Start my iced tea/iced coffee making.

5.       Research and plan some Friday night Porch Dinners to get ready those warm nights ahead.

6.       Maybe, just maybe, try to find a new bathing suit. (which is almost as bad as trying to find jeans)

7.       Find a place, once and for all, for a hammock. JR promised.

8.       Hike the Niagara Gorge.

9.     Paint the dining room chairs for a (mini-makeover)....and the growing assemblage of furniture that needsTLC for the show in July.
10.       Mulch the gardens, and plant impatience.

Mom

There is no one in this life or on this earth that has had more of an influence on me than my mother.
Other than being a mom myself, she has been and continues to be the one that has most shaped me,  It is Mom who has, in countless ways, even to this day, helped  to determine who I am...my character, my abilities, my longings and how I love.  Her influence is expansive, right down to the very details of my thoughts and my life....whether she knows it or not! My mom has loved much, has sacrificed more, and always shown us the value of hard work and determination.

God has put us together in a special way that we may learn from each other, and for that I am grateful.
So to my Mom, Happy Mother's Day. And to my girls, Happy Mother's Day...you are better mothers than I can imagine being, which is a tremendous joy and blessing to me.

Thrifting

Thrifting Thursday

We’ve had another good batch of stuff come our way. And as we build our inventory for the show in July, I am running out of space to store it!

It’s been such fun hunting and re-purposing…it’s like I was made to do this. Of course, a dream of mine has always been to have a retail space, so in our own little way, we are able to do it and be creative on a budget at the same time. I have to tell you though, the auction scene can be ridiculous! I have seen side tables go for up to $80 and as little as $5!  For us, we like the $5 tables! 

Some of this week's finds

Or free…even better!  One of my keepers is a side table that I had in my bedroom, It's humble beginnings? It was going to be thrown away by a neighbor, and was rescued by us. I had originally spray-painted a metallic champagne color. I painted it Annie Sloan Duck Egg, and after some understated sanding of the edges, used Soft Wax to finish it, adding some shading with the Dark Soft Wax. What a pretty little piece!

A few weeks ago, I found a really, really cute cotton floral shift dress for like, $2. The fit was perfect, but I was not digging the exaggerated neckline detail.  It has a wide collar that may be hard to see, but it has a lot of fabric in the place where I do not need a lot of fabric.

So, I re-fashioned. Of course I did. By scooping out the neckline and finishing it off with a little tiny pompom trim, I think I got a much more flattering look.

 I am wearing this dress with a pair of brand new, never worn Tommy Hilfiger wedges that I thrifted for under $4! 

Don’t you love it?