DIY Chalkboard Fabric Bunting Tutorial

How about a midweek project? Or maybe a few days to plan for a weekend project? My guess is you’re either about to be snowed in or dreaming of a beach somewhere and a much-anticipated spring break. Either way, it seems Wednesday is a good day for a creative diversion so here’s a great little project for all those fabric scraps. The DIY Chalkboard Fabric Bunting Tutorial was posted about a year ago, and it’s a great one for any occasion and any time of year. It can be made of fabrics from neutral cottons and linens for a timeless more romantic look to bright festive prints like the one shown here to celebrate all sorts of special events.

chalkboard bunting

Another perk of this bunting is that it can be made
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Choosing Gratitude | On a Monday morning

How quickly Monday morning details can seek to commandeer our hearts and minds. We’re not talking about big or even remotely tragic things, just the stuff of life. Chores and time changes and the way words are strung together in a sentence. Details. Life. And another opportunity for choosing gratitude on a Monday morning, even when it isn’t the autonomic response we would wish it to be.

Choosing gratitude on a Monday morning

Choosing Gratitude on a Monday morning

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How to stitch narrow hem cloth napkins

In our part of the country, it’s all things spring with daffodils, hyacinths and pear trees in full bloom followed by freezing temps and weather that just can’t seem to make up its mind. It’s not completely unlike the groggy morning debate between workout or roll over, back and forth and back and forth … My solution? Go ahead and add spring touches here and there, with the firm belief that she will eventually come to stay. That means actually putting away winter decor and scattering bits of spring throughout the house. You already know how I feel about cloth napkins since last week I shared how to stitch wide hem cloth napkins with crisp mitered corners. And as promised today I have a follow-up post about how to stitch narrow hem cloth napkins.

finger-press-hem

How to stitch narrow hem cloth napkins

They happen to be a quick, inexpensive way to add some fresh Read More

A charming little gift for the Mother of the Bride

When the bride is your daughter’s best friend

… and she’s also the oldest of five

… and the other four are boys

When the groom Read More

Bargain Basement Project Update

“Things take longer than they do.” Uncle Danny said that years ago, and he’s a pretty smart guy so I believed him. I think I was still in braces and looking forward to getting my drivers permit at the time. And here I am now, with years of adulting behind me and I have no doubt that Uncle Danny knows a thing or two, most of his wisdom being just as profound as this little gem. Take home projects for instance, ten months ago I shared this post full of inspiring projects and ideas for finishing our basement. Which makes today the perfect time for our basement reveal, right? But alas, things take longer than they do, remember? So instead we’ll just stick with our bargain basement project update. And maybe, just maybe, there will be a basement reveal soon! A girl can dream, right?

It’s pictures like this from domino.com that have served as the inspiration for Read More

Into the Woods in early Spring | with Jord Wood Watches

It’s kind of a thing these days. The journey from chaos and excess towards simplicity and significance. It’s a shifting from quantity to quality. Many are opting for tiny homes over mansions, capsule wardrobes and minimalism over packed storage units. And, in my opinion, the best shift of all, moving away from technology overload and back to community. It’s putting down the cell phones and enjoying the dinner with those right next to you. It’s skipping a movie and lacing up hiking boots instead to go explore with friends and family.  It’s the choice to live fully present in the moment mixed with a bit of a throwback to earlier, simpler times. These are a few of the thoughts that ran through my head when our college son called last week and suggested we change our lunch date to a hike into the woods in early spring to see a favorite waterfall. And that’s precisely what we did.

Into the Woods in early Spring

I guess you could say the woods have long been a favorite place Read More

How to stitch wide hem cloth napkins with crisp mitered corners

Years ago I had a friend who insisted on drinking her morning orange juice from a goblet. It was her way of starting her day with an ordinary routine made special. Napkins are that extra touch for me. Perhaps it’s because I remember Mama making them when I was a girl. Or maybe it’s how much softer they are than the paper variety and they don’t fall apart within 10 minutes. Either way, they can ruin you for paper napkins in no time at all. And just in case you want to try a few of your own, Today I have a tutorial for you with lots of pictures on how to stitch wide hem cloth napkins with crisp mitered corners. Then you can let me know if you too are completely ruined for paper napkins.

How to stitch wide hem cloth napkins with crisp mitered corners

The wide hem and mitered corners give these napkins a very polished look. You can make them a variety of sizes by Read More

A warm sunny day in late February

A warm sunny day in late February

A warm sunny day in late February.

A welcoming retreat nestled between some rolling hills in the middle of nowhere.

A pair of welcoming and ever-attentive pups.

Chapters to read.

Pages to fill with words.

Flowers to stitch for gracing the table.

The promise of trails to explore.

The anticipation of dinner with heart friends and this guy.

The perfect recipe for the handfuls of hours ahead of us.

How about you? What are you doing with your weekend ahead?

I do hope it includes a bit of rest along with a hearty dose of mouthwatering food and satisfying conversation. Enjoy, friends!

Moving from broken to beloved

I don’t know your story, but I’ve heard quite a few this past week. Stories permeated with heartache and brokenness in every realm – physical, spiritual, emotional, mental, relational. Stories of so many longing to be moving from broken to beloved.

For some it’s just a page or two of their story, for others it feels more like chapters. Chapters of broken fragments longing to be whole and dearly loved.

The only comfort I know is found in my relationship with my Creator and His declaration that I am His beloved child. We don’t always feel that way, but we also know that our feelings can be a terrible barometer of the truth of a matter.

So, I suppose this reminder is for Read More

National Random Acts of Kindness Day

Today is a national holiday. I know! I had no idea either. As it turns out you can look up all sorts of holidays at nationaldaycalendar.com and find that each and every day is a national holiday of some sort. Why this week alone we’ve celebrated National  Plum Pudding Day, National Tortellini Day, National Gumdrop Day and National Cabbage Day. Personally, I could do without a few of those but there are others, like World Nutella Day that I can totally get behind! So back to today, it’s National Random Acts of Kindness Day. Good thing I was listening to the radio on the way to appointments this morning or I would have totally missed the festivities! Being the friend that I am, I don’t want you to miss out either so here are a few random thoughts, because it’s a random day and I have a million things on my list for the day and random is about the best y’all are going to get today so there it is and here ya go …

Random Acts of Kindness from Others

Standing at a drive-thru line one day and watching as a streak of Read More