Friday Fancies

Wishing all you lovelies a BEAUTIFUL Friday! :)

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I awoke to a lovely thunderstorm this morning! It is completely overcast and quite dark outside. The perfect day to light a few candles, wrap yourself in a blanket and snuggle in with a good book.

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As one of the administrators of the Positivity Team on Etsy, I've decided to kick off our newest team feature, "Friday Fancies" with a few items from my Etsy Favorites here on my blog. Hope you enjoy them!

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I love the soft, crinkly texture of this absolutely BEAUTIFUL Cabbage Roses Ribbon from Memrie Mare! I would love to wrap this around the waist of a lovely cotton eyelet dress, or tie up my hair with it, or use it to embellish a thoughtful gift for a friend. Beautiful color and so nicely presented! It looks so yummy, I'm not sure if I would use it or eat it up!

Okay, I must admit, I really don't iron our clothing much! I prefer wash and wear items, and those that appear like they're supposed to look a bit rumpled. But this LOVELY, cottagy Trirose Ironing Board Cover from City Chic Country Mouse makes me want to grab my clean laundry and iron it all! {I must say, that I DO iron fabric that I turn into skirts for myself, and various other sewing projects}. The fabric is lovely and perfect in keeping with my shabby chic cottage style!

Lastly, for those dreamy days, this whimsical Shabby Chic Buttercream blouse from My Fair Maiden is so fun! I think I would wear it everywhere! While hanging out my laundry on the line, baking a loaf of homemade whole wheat bread, and to a lovely Spring Garden Party! I absolutely adore the pieced-together, romantic feel of this blouse! It puts my heart in a flutter!


Just a few lovelies to share with you today!
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Have a beautiful, long, restful weekend! I'm off to fix up a cup of homemade white hot chocolate and enjoy the thunderstorm!

Fondly, Kate

Tuesday Musing . . . Carpe Diem!

I've been thinking a lot lately about the phrase: Carpe Diem.

It is now May and I haven't planted my peas.

I usually plant peas in April. They like the cool weather, and grow best in it!

You just can't plant peas here in Michigan in July or August! They won't grow! They hate the hot weather.

This led me to ponder upon seizing the day. I can only enjoy the lilacs at THIS TIME OF YEAR. No matter how badly I would love to smell lilacs in December, it just ISN'T going to happen!!! Just as I won't have another really good apple until September! So, yesterday, I walked through my backyard, smelling the lilacs . . . capturing that scent in my nose and mind.

Life happens so quickly! There is really only today! We really have nothing else! Yesterday is gone from us! Tomorrow is never promised to us. So, grasp hold of today, and LIVE!

I went a-wandering through my yard the other day, seizing the day to take some photos of some of the lovely flowers growing around my house. For some reason, every year, I always think that the poppies are the first plants to bloom. And, silly me, I forget about the anemonies, the wild violets, the phlox, and the forget-me-nots!

{clockwise from top left: candystripe phlox, verbascum, anemone, chives, english daisies, forget me nots}

So, I'm off to seize the day by taking a refreshing walk, starting some herbs from seed, getting together some Mother's Day gifts, and maybe hanging out a bit of laundry to be kissed by the sunshine and light breeze!

Fondly, Kate

A Preview of What's To Come: Butterflies!!!

Aaaack! I can't believe it's been over two weeks since I've blogged!

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My husband had a back injury a couple weeks back and has had this week off of work {doctor's orders!} Thank heavens he is on salary and not paid hourly!

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My husband is a wonderful man! We always do household work together and I can always count on him to help keep the house clean.

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So, now that he's been unable to help, and has really been completely off his feet for a week now, my house is in pretty rough shape! I've got four great sons who really help out! But I'm sure I have Mt. St. Laundry ready to explode in the next several odd hours if I don't go into my mudroom to curtail it!

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By the evening, I'm completely exhausted and ready to sit down with my hubby and watch a little bit of Monk {the t.v. series on DVD}. Every evening I've been crafting away, creating more and more butterflies!

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I've created three more {different} sets of silk butterfly hair clips, which have turned out lovely! I'm sorting through photos today and will hopefully get some listed next week.

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I've also created 4 sets of silk butterfly earrings.

{hollyhock silk butterfly earrings}

{forget me not silk butterfly earrings}
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I'm so happy with the way they've turned out!!! They are so light and lustrous and float and flutter in the breeze! I'm excited to start listing them next week too!

{solace and sanctuary nest shoe clips with silk butterflies}

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I also couldn't help but create a set of nest shoe clips with silk butterflies, and have plans to make some with white butterflies this next week.

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Well, I'm off to hang more laundry out on the line, see if we can get our riding lawn tractor fixed and up and going, and get going on folding about eight loads of laundry. :P
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I'm planning on a nice summery dinner tonight {to go with our 70 + degree sunshiney weather} : taco salad with black beans, lettuce, cheese, homemade guacamole, salsa, chips and french dressing! And lemon bars sound so good for dessert! Though I'm not sure I'll have time to make them!
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Sigh . . . laundry is calling my name! Have a BEAUTIFUL weekend!

Fondly, Kate

Monday Musing . . . Country Girl at Heart

Okay, so . . . I've been pondering and pondering on what I will share with you this week . . . so much so, that I'm a day late with my Monday Musing. My photos won't upload, but I'll muse anyway.

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I am a country girl at heart. I'm not sure if I'd survive in a big city.

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We moved here almost nine years ago. It's a small city where everyone sits on their front porches in the evening and chats. The traffic here is non-existent after 8 pm. Everywhere you go, you see someone you know. It's a quiet, peaceful, sleepy little town.

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We live on the edge of town inside the city limits. On a quiet street. On a hair over 2/3 of an acre. We grow a 1200+ square foot organic garden every year. When we were looking to buy a house, I knew this was the one because it had a clothesline out back.

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Even living within the city limits, I feel, in a way, that we live in the country.

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We've got two outdoor cats, and at one time had two ducks. We wanted egg-laying chickens awhile back . . . but were informed that we hadn't enough land to own chickens. Instead, we buy eggs from local farmers whose chickens run around eating bugs and grains in the warm sunshine.

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Life is fairly simple for us. When we have warm days, I always hang the laundry. My hubby, kids and I all work at the garden every summer. We grill out, eat homemade strawberry shortcake {with beautiful strawberries from our garden}, and picnic at least once a week in summer. Our kids build forts, explore the adjoining woods together, collect bugs and play "ghosts in the graveyard" at night {a night-time version of tag}.

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We take walks around the neighborhood and through parks and on country dirt roads. My kids bring me bouquets of wildflowers, flowers from the garden, and many, many dandelions. :)

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We read together, laugh together, play games together, lie on our backs and look at clouds together, and drive through Amish countryside together.

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I can't imagine a more perfect place to be and a more pleasant way to live.

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Well, even though I haven't been able to upload my photos, I hope I've painted enough of a lovely picture for you. Living here has taught me that the simple things in life are worth more than gold.

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Sunshine and happiness to you all! {Especially now that spring is here!}

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Fondly, Kate

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary . . .

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I always love it in January when I start getting seed catalogs. Just when I've had enough cold weather, I get those little rays of sunshiney hope in the mail! I've been perusing them now for quite some time, circling all the items I will buy when the weather gets warmer. And, voila!, that time is now.

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My absolute FAVORITE resource for garden seeds is Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company {or www.rareseeds.com}.

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I just placed my order with them on Saturday. This is the third year I've ordered from them. I vowed a few years back to fill my 1200+ sq. ft. organic garden with heirloom vegetables {non-gmo seeds that can be saved from year to year . . . NO HYBRIDS} and Baker Creek's huge selection of unique and interesting seeds is incomparable!

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My order included the following seeds {amongst many others}:
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{costata romanesco summer squash}

This is my absolute favorite zucchini-type summer squash!!! The flavor is wonderful, a bit nutty and very creamy, not to mention that the fruit is still soft and delectable even when it grows quite large. We ate it all before we could save seeds from it last year, so I'm ordering it again this year.

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{chinese mosaic long bean}

We all love beans in our family, and they ALWAYS grow great in our garden! These long beans that grow 12-18 inches in length looked so fun, so we'll plant them this year and see what happens!
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{chocolate morning glory}
Baker Creek also sells flower seeds! Morning glories are some of my favorite climbing flowers! They're always so cheery! These unique flowers will look lovely climbing up my front porch post!
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{jelly melon}
We always plant something new every year. The description for this jelly melon reads: "the fruit has a sour-sweet, banana-lime-tropical fruit taste". This melon looked like so much fun! I know my kids will LOVE growing this!!!
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Well, my order is in. Now the waiting begins! In the meantime, we'll prepare the beds, sprinkle some kelpmeal, cottonseedmeal and bonemeal over everything, mulch . . . and wait for those beautiful, glorious heirloom seeds to arrive. You can bet that I'll be checking the mail every day!!!
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Happy Gardening!

Fondly, Kate

Bird's Nests . . . WHY GREEN?

If you've poked around my Etsy shop, you may have seen my bird's nest creations. If so, you may well be wondering, "Why are they all GREEN?" GOOD QUESTION!

{come what may nest shoe clips}

It is not that I don't understand that most bird's nests are of a grayish-brown color. I mean no disrespect to all of our feathered friends out there!

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{spring's hope nest shoe clips}

I just happen to love the notion of a nest being a living thing, green and growing.

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{the butterfly's repose nest hair clip}

After all, a nest is a symbol of home, sanctuary, respite from the world, a new beginning, life, and family, amongst other things. In my mind, a nest can never be something drab, dull or without life. This is not to say that I will never create a bird's nest of another color. I can appreciate the calming and comforting colors of weather-worn gray and warm brown. Those colors have their own wonderful symbolism too!

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{the wildflower meadow nest hair clip}

I do, however, LOVE the symbol of a green and growing nest as relating to HOPE . . . which is sometimes, the ONLY thing that carries us through the dark and lonely valleys of our lives. There is always hope!

And I'm happy to offer just a snippet of that hope through my GREEN bird's nests. :)

Fondly, Kate

Monday Musing

I'm not much of a candy girl. I do have some favorite candies . . . Lindt truffles, Mini-eggs, and Haribo's raspberries & blackberries {the ones with crunchy outsides and jelly insides}. But mostly, I could take it or leave it. My hubby however, loves a good chocolate bar!!!

I'm more of a "baked yummies" type of gal. Strawberry shortcake is one of my ultimate favorites! Give me a good lemon bar, slice of homemade strawberry rhubarb pie, a fudgy brownie, or an earthy oatmeal raisin cookie, and I'm in heaven!

In fact, after this holiday, and Christmas, and Thanksgiving, I've been a bit TOO much in heaven!! Time to lace up the walking shoes and work off a bit of this heaven!!! {Which, by the way, I've been doing lately}.

I LOVE to walk! If I had the time, I think I would walk all over town for 4 hours a day. In good weather, I walk between 3 and 4 miles a day. In winter, I'm quite a bit less faithful. Not because it's cold, but because it's dark most times I can walk {early morning, before anyone is awake, or late evening when my kids are in bed}.

In pondering, I'm not quite certain which I love more, baked yummies, or walking. All this considering is making me hungry! I better have another piece of pumpkin cake!!!

Hope you all had a WONDERFUL Easter!

Fondly, Kate