This series was taken after last week's storm, one that started as rain, but turned to snow. It left behind a beautiful collection of icicles.
And quite possibly my favorite :: it's a frozen drop of ice on the tip of a pine needle!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Winter Foliage :: The Ice Edition
There's been a shocking lack of winter foliage photos this year, and since it's the last day of February, I realized it was now or never.
This series was taken after last week's storm, one that started as rain, but turned to snow. It left behind a beautiful collection of icicles.
And quite possibly my favorite :: it's a frozen drop of ice on the tip of a pine needle!
This series was taken after last week's storm, one that started as rain, but turned to snow. It left behind a beautiful collection of icicles.
And quite possibly my favorite :: it's a frozen drop of ice on the tip of a pine needle!
Friday, February 25, 2011
How to:: end the week, start the weekend
This is really the perfect drink for spring and summer evenings on the deck, but a girl can dream {and drink}. 
A gin and tonic, made with Hendricks and a dash of Rasberry Shrub. I picked up this bottle of shrub at Tait Farm. A farm just up the road from us that I'm so happy to have discovered so soon!
A gin and tonic, made with Hendricks and a dash of Rasberry Shrub. I picked up this bottle of shrub at Tait Farm. A farm just up the road from us that I'm so happy to have discovered so soon!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Mirror mirror on the floor.
It's time to revisit the bedroom. This wall in particular::
The mirror's on the floor because we never got around to putting it in its proper place. It's supposed to be turned 90 degrees and attached to the dresser on its right. After a few days of its sitting on the floor, we realized that we loved it as a full-size mirror. Plus, I like the way the dresser looks without having this big mirror attached!
The only problem? It's a bit too short, cutting us off from the shoulders up. Hanging the mirror was out of the question, because, like its dresser counterpart, this piece weighs a ton and a half.
I wanted some sort of foot or base to place the mirror on, but credit for the final design goes to my pop (he built it too!)::
A pair of legs each with a shelf that the mirror will sit on. When it's in place, it resembles an easel.
A mini can of glossy black paint was all it took to make the legs match the mirror.
You'll have to excuse this last picture. It looks a bit wonky because I was in a hurry. But! I have one more idea to address the big blank space over the dresser and finish off the wall (it may or may not have something to do with the curtain rod caught in the photo). Once that's done, you'll get a better look at the mirror on its new legs.
Good picture or not, this simple project makes a big impact. The mirror's at the right height, and it looks more like a piece of furniture (rather than just a mirror leaning against the wall), something I didn't think about when starting this project.
*Final note ~ There's one more thing I didn't really think about until placing the mirror on the legs. This project is a great solution for our home of two, somewhat grown-up adults, but if you have kids in the house (the kind that run around, bang into things, and possibly knock things over), this would definitely fit into the unsafe category. The heavy mirror falling off the legs would not be a pretty site. I think it could be easily fixed by securing the top of the mirror and even the legs to the wall.
The mirror's on the floor because we never got around to putting it in its proper place. It's supposed to be turned 90 degrees and attached to the dresser on its right. After a few days of its sitting on the floor, we realized that we loved it as a full-size mirror. Plus, I like the way the dresser looks without having this big mirror attached!The only problem? It's a bit too short, cutting us off from the shoulders up. Hanging the mirror was out of the question, because, like its dresser counterpart, this piece weighs a ton and a half.
I wanted some sort of foot or base to place the mirror on, but credit for the final design goes to my pop (he built it too!)::
A pair of legs each with a shelf that the mirror will sit on. When it's in place, it resembles an easel. 
A mini can of glossy black paint was all it took to make the legs match the mirror.You'll have to excuse this last picture. It looks a bit wonky because I was in a hurry. But! I have one more idea to address the big blank space over the dresser and finish off the wall (it may or may not have something to do with the curtain rod caught in the photo). Once that's done, you'll get a better look at the mirror on its new legs.
Good picture or not, this simple project makes a big impact. The mirror's at the right height, and it looks more like a piece of furniture (rather than just a mirror leaning against the wall), something I didn't think about when starting this project.*Final note ~ There's one more thing I didn't really think about until placing the mirror on the legs. This project is a great solution for our home of two, somewhat grown-up adults, but if you have kids in the house (the kind that run around, bang into things, and possibly knock things over), this would definitely fit into the unsafe category. The heavy mirror falling off the legs would not be a pretty site. I think it could be easily fixed by securing the top of the mirror and even the legs to the wall.
Wednesday Soundtrack
Boy, it was hard to pick a song this week, but I think this one is a keeper::
Artist : Harry Manx
Song : Don't Forget To Miss Me
Artist : Harry Manx
Song : Don't Forget To Miss Me
Monday, February 21, 2011
A test.
One can never have enough
a. yarn ?
b. books ?
c. cloth napkins !
Being the perpetual savers that we are, I inherited a pile of old, used table-cloths, shower curtains, and other used fabrics from my mom.
This pile is a variety of woven cotton patterns. They were stained and/or ripped in places, making them unsuitable for their intended use, but still had enough good space for "something else". I've recognized this as a problem. Something always has another use, and if I don't want to end up on Hoarders, I better have a plan to use up the old goodies at the same rate they're generated! 
So, I've started to whittle away on this pile, turning the un-stained, un-ripped sections into cloth napkins.
They are perfect in all of the right ways : super absorbent, generously sized, and relocated from the "hmmm" to the "ah-ha!" pile.
Because, like yarn and books, you can never have too many cloth napkins!
a. yarn ?
b. books ?
c. cloth napkins !
Being the perpetual savers that we are, I inherited a pile of old, used table-cloths, shower curtains, and other used fabrics from my mom.
This pile is a variety of woven cotton patterns. They were stained and/or ripped in places, making them unsuitable for their intended use, but still had enough good space for "something else". I've recognized this as a problem. Something always has another use, and if I don't want to end up on Hoarders, I better have a plan to use up the old goodies at the same rate they're generated! 
So, I've started to whittle away on this pile, turning the un-stained, un-ripped sections into cloth napkins.
They are perfect in all of the right ways : super absorbent, generously sized, and relocated from the "hmmm" to the "ah-ha!" pile. Because, like yarn and books, you can never have too many cloth napkins!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Take a seat...
It's going to be a week of crafty posts from around the house!
For this first project, I've incorporated many of my favorite things :: fixing up something old, using materials from around the house, and doing something new!
The old ::
I rediscovered this stool in the "great barn clean out" of 2010. I fondly remembered sitting on it in my pop's shop when I was young, but like many odds and ends it founds its way to the barn and was quickly forgotten. As you can see, when it was un-earthed, the fancy green-sparkly vinyl cushion was a toast.
The materials ::
The only materials I really had to buy for this project were the tacks. Everything else came from around the house : the foam, wool felt (used as the fabric layer between the foam and the yellow fabric), and some fun yellow "dandelion" fabric from IKEA. I had so much fun with this fabric that you'll see it again later in the week.
The "new" ::
Learning to re-upholster! I've never re-upholstered something before, so it was fun to dive in to this basic project.
And now, this stool resides in an un-used corner of the living room. Adding a bit of color and an extra seat when we have a full house!
For this first project, I've incorporated many of my favorite things :: fixing up something old, using materials from around the house, and doing something new!
The old ::
I rediscovered this stool in the "great barn clean out" of 2010. I fondly remembered sitting on it in my pop's shop when I was young, but like many odds and ends it founds its way to the barn and was quickly forgotten. As you can see, when it was un-earthed, the fancy green-sparkly vinyl cushion was a toast.
The materials ::
The only materials I really had to buy for this project were the tacks. Everything else came from around the house : the foam, wool felt (used as the fabric layer between the foam and the yellow fabric), and some fun yellow "dandelion" fabric from IKEA. I had so much fun with this fabric that you'll see it again later in the week.
The "new" ::
Learning to re-upholster! I've never re-upholstered something before, so it was fun to dive in to this basic project.
And now, this stool resides in an un-used corner of the living room. Adding a bit of color and an extra seat when we have a full house!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
i heart you
I hope your Valentine's day was heart filled, whether your hearts were hidden in cakes, crocheted, or digital*!
If you're still looking to add some spice to your week, check out this gingerbread recipe, I found it via Maya*Made.
And since she doesn't have a blog, I had to share my sister's fine work::
It's the heart-cake from i am baker, find the tutorial here. We're thinking this would make a fun surprise at the wedding!
*a not-so-fun heart fact ~ blogger wouldn't let me publish this post with the digital sign for heart {< 3, but without the space} in the text! It produced errors.
If you're still looking to add some spice to your week, check out this gingerbread recipe, I found it via Maya*Made. And since she doesn't have a blog, I had to share my sister's fine work::
It's the heart-cake from i am baker, find the tutorial here. We're thinking this would make a fun surprise at the wedding!*a not-so-fun heart fact ~ blogger wouldn't let me publish this post with the digital sign for heart {< 3, but without the space} in the text! It produced errors.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
There it goes again!
Another week just flew right by. You could say it slipped through my fingers like... miles of yarn. hardy har har. 
Inspired by the heart bunting, I got to work on this year's valentines.
Using some crochet thread, and a mini hook, I made small heart buntings! I then attached each bunting to a blank card - I cut slits into two sides of the card and slipped in the end of the bunting. That way it's easily removable and the recipient can take it off and hang it somewhere fun!
This project was simple, I crocheted the first two rounds of the larger hearts from this pattern. The original pattern for the bunting calls for crocheting each of the hearts individually and then connecting them with the crocheted chain. But with something this small, I'd rather avoid weaving in as many ends as possible, so I started with a chain of 30 stitches, made one heart, continued with a chain of 20, then another heart, etc. And wha-la no ends!
Other news? I finally {FINALLY} started to play with my camera. It took the cloudy, dark days to finally push me over the edge, and with just a few tweaks, we go from dark to clear and lovely. Exhibit No. 1::
Not perfect, but a nice improvement for photos straight from the camera.
Exhibit No. 2, Compare this bunting, to the sad shots in the previous post {found here along with some more info about the bunting}, and I think you'll notice some improvement! ::
Inspired by the heart bunting, I got to work on this year's valentines.
Using some crochet thread, and a mini hook, I made small heart buntings! I then attached each bunting to a blank card - I cut slits into two sides of the card and slipped in the end of the bunting. That way it's easily removable and the recipient can take it off and hang it somewhere fun!This project was simple, I crocheted the first two rounds of the larger hearts from this pattern. The original pattern for the bunting calls for crocheting each of the hearts individually and then connecting them with the crocheted chain. But with something this small, I'd rather avoid weaving in as many ends as possible, so I started with a chain of 30 stitches, made one heart, continued with a chain of 20, then another heart, etc. And wha-la no ends!
Other news? I finally {FINALLY} started to play with my camera. It took the cloudy, dark days to finally push me over the edge, and with just a few tweaks, we go from dark to clear and lovely. Exhibit No. 1::
Not perfect, but a nice improvement for photos straight from the camera. Exhibit No. 2, Compare this bunting, to the sad shots in the previous post {found here along with some more info about the bunting}, and I think you'll notice some improvement! ::
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Wednesday Sountrack
"Around here, it's the hardest time of year." While the country was filled with snow days yesterday, I, unfortunately, had to trudge in to work. Making my winter blues even bluer, but my cure couldn't be better:: 
A whole pile of colorful knits! From the bottom up, that's my first-ever pair of socks in a self-striping yarn, my green owl sweater, and a colorful hat inspired by our Germany trip. The hat is fresh off the needles and still awaiting a pompom. More on that later.
Artist: Brandi Carlile
Song: Before it Breaks
A whole pile of colorful knits! From the bottom up, that's my first-ever pair of socks in a self-striping yarn, my green owl sweater, and a colorful hat inspired by our Germany trip. The hat is fresh off the needles and still awaiting a pompom. More on that later. Artist: Brandi Carlile
Song: Before it Breaks
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Happy February!
The shortest, yet longest, coldest and darkest month of the year. I'm glad we're ringing it in with a wallop of a storm! 
And if you're stuck inside tomorrow, make a bit of heart garland. The pattern for the larger hearts was found here. But if you're new to this, you might want to go here first; they have a pattern for smaller hearts with a fantastic video tutorial.
I had so much fun making this little string of hearts for my door that I kept on crocheting and made a few more for the wedding! I think some deep red hearts will stand out nicely against all of the yellows and greens that we have going on.
And if you're stuck inside tomorrow, make a bit of heart garland. The pattern for the larger hearts was found here. But if you're new to this, you might want to go here first; they have a pattern for smaller hearts with a fantastic video tutorial.
I had so much fun making this little string of hearts for my door that I kept on crocheting and made a few more for the wedding! I think some deep red hearts will stand out nicely against all of the yellows and greens that we have going on.
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