Reverie

first cool front of the season...fresh coffee...the smell of cinnamon wafting through the house...

relaxing with friends...



enjoying the last few summer blooms...

no demands on my time this morning...nothing urgent to make me rush about, nothing to disturb this sweet reverie...only the longing to be still and know...

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 

Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-29

 

If at First You Don't Succeed...

Well, I finally gave in and opened a Pinterest account.  I know, I know... it took me long enough, but I knew once I had the teeniest taste of the beautiful photos and ingenious ideas I would be hooked right along with the rest of you.  Of course it was true, and I have been happily drooling and pinning for a few weeks now, neglecting a few responsibilities and loving every minute of it. 

I love to pin DIY's, but I feel bad for passing them along before trying them.  Is that bracelet really super easy to make?  Is that homemade laundry soap really better than store bought? 

I've tried a few tutorials now and I thought I'd let you know how they worked for me.  First I tried making liquid hand soap from bar soap.  I used a recipe posted on a beautiful blog called The Farmer's Nest.  (Click here for the full recipe and lots of helpful photos.)  I decided to use a bar of soap I had on hand and that is precisely when the trouble started. 

This lovely olive oil soap is one of my favorites, but I really should have read the recipe all the way through before using it to make liquid soap.  It seems that it really matters what type of soap you use.  Soaps with extra moisturizers do not always set firm after being combined with water.  This is clearly stated in the post on The Farmer's Nest, I just didn't quite read that far!  Ooops.  I ended up with a very large amount of dark soapy liquid.  Harumph. 

I am stubborn, though, so I tried the recipe again using the same recipe and basic Jergen's bar soap (which is very economical) and it worked like a charm!  In fact, the second batch of soap was really firm, so I had to whip it and add water as suggested in the recipe (which, by this time, I had reread all the way through...twice)  In truth, my final product is a little frothy and still a little thick, but I don't mind.  I'm just excited that I made a gallon of liquid soap for little more than a dollar and avoided bringing a whole lot of excess packaging into the house.  I won't post a picture, because liquid soap in a plastic milk jug just isn't that attractive.

I gave myself another shot at the DIY thing by making a Mason jar soap dispenser like the ones I've seen on Pinterest.  I decided to wing it on this one, though, since I'm obviously not all that great at following instructions anyway.  I have seen DIY's that call for heavy duty glues and describe ingenious methods of cutting off the tops of soap bottles to make fittings to hold the pump tighty to the jar lid.  I appreciate the craftsmanship involved in these detailed processes but honestly, I just wanted to get the job done.  I just broke the ceramic liner out of the lid with a nail punch and drilled a hole just barely big enough to shove a used pump top through it. It fits as snug as a bug and I completed the whole project in about five minutes.  

If the pump loosens over time I could probably just hit it with a little hot glue. Right now it looks and works great. 

I have to smile as I look back over my description of this project.  I wasn't much in the mood for detail today.  If you'd like to see a great post about how to make a really spiffy Mason Jar Soap Dispenser, check out a great post by Heather Bullard here.   Now there's a girl who knows how to write a helpful tutorial.

I hope you find something wonderful and creative to do today.  Until next time...

***Disclamer: no olive oil soap was wasted in the testing of this DIY. I saved it to use the next time I do some wet felting!***

A Change of Scenery

One of the greatest things about seeing and appreciating beautiful things is that I can employ that inspiration to bless people I love.  The lovely potting shed/bedroom installation I shared with you yesterday encouraged me to surprise my family with a special outdoor setting for our lunch today.  I love the way a beautiful table setting looks against the backdrop of nature.

It all started with a white canopy and some patio furniture placed under the big oak tree in our front yard.  Several patio plants helped to anchor the grouping and help it feel "set apart" from the surrounding area.

After choosing simple table linens, I searched the house for items that would add visual interest and personality to the environment.  One of my favorite ideas was to personalize each place setting with a message composed with scrabble tiles.

Once the table was set, I added several items meant to encourage the family to "linger" a bit after the meal...

...nice fluffy pillows in the seats and a soft blanket nearby, in case someone felt chilly (we had a cool front move in yesterday!)...board games...a few sketch books...and more scrabble tiles. 

We had a simple little picnic, made extra special by the beautiful environment. 

The piece de resistance was the beautiful sunshine and the fresh, cool breeze that graced our entire afternoon.  Just as I had hoped, we spent much of our day together in our beautiful outdoor room.  A simple change of scenery and a little creativity turned a simple meal into something extraordinary.

Just One Question...

How am I supposed to get anything done with this face begging me to come play?

Thanks, Deisel, for helping me find balance in my day!

Something Pretty

No deep thoughts or great insights to share today...just a pretty idea for a vase.  Our local coffee house uses vintage light fixture globes to hold simple floral arrangements.  They are just so much fun.

I found out today that the owner found several of these globes in the building before it was restored, although the structure was not previously fitted for electricity.  Interesting...  (click here to read more about MT SYLVAN COFFEE HOUSE AND MERCANTILE). 

Anyhoo, I wanted to show you my version.   I found this globe at a resale shop for just 49 cents.  There is nothing better than a great find at a great price!

I would love to hear about ways you repurpose things in your home.  Maybe you know of new uses for old linens or other items no longer in service.  I'd be especially interested to hear any creative ideas you have for storage...I am currently on a slightly manic mission to rid my environment of plastic storage containers.  Right now my favorite substitutes are vintage glass jars and picnic baskets.  What are the current trends at your house?

Summer House

Our summer house has...

...time for impromptu sleepovers with friends.

...time to rediscover our passions.

...and time to enjoy our favorite things.  (One of my new faves is limeaid with a splash of orange juice, absolutely the best when served in a glass that belonged to my grandmother.)

I love our summer house!

Home Again

A house is made of walls and beams; a home is built with love and dreams. - Author Unknown

Enjoying this pretty little breakfast my mom just brought in, propped up in the iron bed that was mine as a girl, surrounded by reminders of my youth...I am, at long last, ready to return to my little blog.

I wouldn't call the last several months a "dry" period.  I haven't been writing a lot, but our home has been happy and lots of jewelry has been coming out of the studio.  Still, I feel this slow deterioration of the deep-rooted peace that lets me know things are in balance.  I realized a few weeks back that neglecting the discipline of journaling was taking its toll on me.  Writing helps me stay focused, centered, and sane!  Returning to my blog is part of my plan to get back on track.  I have also taken up the habit of writing morning pages.


Morning pages, a long-time practice and teaching of artist, author and mentor, Julia Cameron, are three pages of writing (long hand) anything that comes to your head.  In her classic book, The Artist's Way, Cameron suggests that artists do this every day to awaken creativity.  (Click here to read more about morning pages.)  For me this type of journaling is a form of prayer. I come just as I am, pour out whatever is in my heart and mind, and I listen. I get answers. I gain clarity.  And today, I was inspired as I wrote and looked up to see this amazing Rose of Sharon blooming outside the window of my parents back bedroom.

It is good to spend time in the home where I grew up.  So often when I come to visit I am rushed... here for a weekend, or here for an event.  But this week I am just "here".  I have time to rest in this place so filled with memories.  I have time to remember and honor much of what made me who I am.  It is bittersweet.


I look out at the Rose of Sharon, so generously offering its gorgeous bouquet and I marvel at how large this plant is now.  I remember when it was tiny.  Come to think of it, I remember when it wasn't there at all.  I look out into the yard and remember plastic swimming pools, our big swing set, birthday celebrations, and lazy summer mornings just like this when everything was right in my little world.  My biggest worry was what game my little sister and I would play when the afternoon heat drove us inside for the day. 

I find myself wishing our old playhouse was still out back, with it's big windows and adjacent sandbox.  Maybe I'd build a few sand pies for our imaginary bakery or maybe I'd just sit and dig my toes deep into the soothing cool of the sand.  Maybe there, surrounded by so many memories, I'd hear, loud and clear, the laughter of a little girl who knows she is loved and believes anything is possible.


I hope you make time today to remember and honor something good from your past.  Allow these memories to lift and encourage your spirit as you close your eyes, dig in deep, and listen.