After Rachel shared a beautiful homemade stocking, and then Becky posted the stockings that her mother made, I just had to get in on the action. This is the stocking that was made for me, and I haven’t dug it out of deep storage for years. I honestly can’t remember being called Brooke, but this […]
Fires are primal, beautiful, symbolic and practical. During the deep wintertime, when the days are short and the nights are long, I love having a fire to warm my body and spirit. Yet, as much as I enjoy the warmth of flames, building a fire was something that used to really intimidate me. Before I […]
The farm collective I am a member of is rapidly canning their late tomatoes, before the rain splits them all on the vine. If you find yourself in the same situation or are considering canning as holiday gifts, consider these wonderful labels. They are inexpensive, functional, and lovely. Add your own unique text to the […]
Summer is over in my area. Almost 5 inches of rain have already fallen at my house. To cope with the seasonal change outdoors, I rely on fresh flowers indoors. I keep them everywhere, and they are also all over my Day of the Dead Shrine. Because cut flowers are so expensive and persihable, I […]
The prickly pear cactus holds a unique position in nature. It is a fruit, vegetable and a flower and all parts of the plant are edible. Even the seed can be ground into flour. Also known as Indian fig, the plant produces food and medicine. Once it’s thorny exterior is tamed the prickly generously gives up nutrition, healing and a hot pink sweet-tart punch. Prickly pear grows wild in deserts throughout the west as well as Mexico, Columbia, Israel and Italy. It is characterized by thorny pads (nopales) with clumps of large flowers and juicy fruits (tunas) that appear in the fall. The tunas high in calcium, magnesium and potassium. They also contain antioxidant compounds. The plants medicinal properties are still being discovered. Some say that prickly is on it’s way to becoming a curative superstar.
Nicole Balch of Pink Loves Brown has a the most amazing home decor style which she shares on her blog, Making it Lovely. I have enjoyed watching the transformation of her redecorating her home and wonderful eye for color and decor details. 1. Cupcake Bowl 2. Small Storage Basket 3. Egg Chairs 4. Prom Night […]
Little makes me happier than looking at a jar of vintage goodness. From bottle caps to bits of ribbon to an enormous jar of doll parts I have quite a collection. This year I am pushing myself to move beyond the happy collections in the jars to actually doing something with them. What good are they really if they just sit there collecting dust? So, now and then, when I put together a gift or trinket for someone, the lids come off the jars and I rifle through them searching for the perfect encore. I may still add to the jars, but more often than not, I am using them and that is just dandy. As a crafter and maker of homemade goodness, I strive to use as much of my stash as possible. Here is an easy project for you to use up and display some of your prettiest vintage wooden spools. You can of course use any spools you have but the vintage ones will need no treatment as their happily old fashioned tops are magical to begin with. When you are finished, you will have a vintage-pretty peg shelf to hang even more of your vintage lovelies.
