Finding joy in the everyday

S ome really neat ideas for around the home: Source For those who love the smell of coffee and it looks really nice too. I wonder if you could use rice with lavender mixed through it and would release a gentle smell. Source This would be great when having a barbeque. Source You could use this for pens and pencils etc - what a great smell! Source I'm thinking of giving this one a go - a space saver. Source This is one way to display old recipes written by older women in your family. I think it is a wonderful idea - would make a wonderful gift. Source Another gift idea - a great way to use those spare mugs. Source A great use of old jars - these are baby food jars - such a pretty for afternoon tea. source Use a cake tin, cover with pretty paper and use as a magnet memo board.  It would be easy to "update" the paper when you wanted a change. This is a great idea. Source A cheap and easy bookend solution ...

Memory Box's I have decided to create a memory box (or a safe keep box).  This isn’t my idea, it came from the book I read recently (“ The Happiness Project ” by Gretchen Rubin).  Around my house I have lots of little bits and pieces that I treasure, but they are scattered in drawers and boxes and will one day get lost or broken and that will make me sad.  So the other day I went and bought a pretty box (from the $$ shop) and have started to gather up those memories and store in one place.  So what am I keeping? It might be a movie ticket or something that someone made for me, a special card or note that I have received, a menu from a restaurant or favourite piece of lace or ribbon - just little things that remind me of those I love or places I have been.  I have things that my sons have given me over the years or something of theirs that I want to keep - these are extra special memories. Usually mothers build memory boxes for their children, but I also thin...

Are you like me and have piles of recipes that you have cut out of magazines or printed?  I have been building a collection for many years and most I have never used. So over the last few weekends I went through all the magazines I had, cut out those recipes that I would make, tossed out the magazines and them sorted through the pile of recipes. Most recipes that I had been collecting also went into the bin.  What I was left with were those I would make . I bought an art book and made myself a recipe book (see below).  Nothing complicated - the front is for savory recipes and the back is for sweet.  I even managed to decorate the front page!! Being a spiral book, it will be easy to use in the kitchen when I am cooking. For those recipes that I use from the net, I will print and place into my book.  The number of times I find a really great recipe and then forget where I found it can be so annoying, this way I will have a copy of it.  ~oOo~ I have been ...

Redwork embroidery is believed to have originated in Europe in the early 1800’s and traveled to America around 1850 with the availability of color fast red floss. The availability of color fast red thread and inexpensive cotton fabric led to an abundance of interest in this type of embroidery. From the 1860’s through the 1920’s it became popular for young girls to be taught to embroider using red thread floss on cotton squares using simple patterns. These "penny squares"—the simple cotton and floss could be purchased for a penny in dry goods stores across the country—were quickly stitched and often put together block by block into lightweight bed covers. I decided to complete a piece of redwork as part of my gift making this year - and here is my first completed project. It has been placed in a timber frame and some trim added. The little girl to whom will be receiving this has been learning her Proverbs 31 so I thought it would be nice to add the verse " wortheth wil...

There is many reasons why I love blogging, both writing my own blog but also reading others.  I am often inspired by the blogs I read - they provide inspiration and one of these is Val's .   Val is a sewer, she makes beautiful clothes, she also does embroidery, lace work, crocheting... and she has inspired me to do more with my hands and as a result I have decided to make as many gifts this years as I can, rather than buying them. So yesterday while DH was on the computer I visited one of my favourite stores - Spotlight.  This shop sells anything to do with crafts, sewing and fabrics so as you can guess I had a wonderful hour wandering around.  I bought 6 pieces of fabric (see below), quite a few metres of lace and various embellishments and I can't wait to get started. The blue and white is just so pretty, I could imagine all as little sun dresses - I better learn  to sew before I have any granddaughters! The strawberry fabric was so cute! I am a fan of lace a...

I woke up this morning, looked out of the window and was quite excited .  It was raining.  Yes, you heard me, I was excited to see rain on a Saturday morning. Outside was looking very glum and wet ( this is part of my front garden ), but that was going to be just fine with me. Why? Because I can spend the whole day indoors and do crafty things. . .  I did go out for a little while to my local craft shop . . and to my surprise it was very busy with other ladies buying craft items as well. We must have all had the same idea!! I bought a few things I didn't really need . . but isn't this lace so pretty . . and the roses are gorgeous . . my real reason was to buy some card for my paper tole pictures. So what am I currently making . . I spend ages making paper tole pictures and it does seem such a waste to place them on cards that might end up in the bin after one has celebrated his or her birthday (unless I  send them to my mum and she re-uses them on other cards!!)....

I have had a wonderful day . . . spent at the Craft and Quilting Fair.  As usual I got a little carried away, in saying this, I usual bulk up on crafty things at the fair and don't buy much during the year.  One thing I really wanted to buy lots of were paper tole, this is one of my favourite (current) activities and as I have trouble finding any in Canberra, I usually stock up once a year at the Craft Fair.  This year they had something new - paper tole kits that came with the card and envelope, however the card had printed on it the design (eg the one below had the boat scene printed on the back of the card).  They looked really nice and not very expensive ($3.95), which is cheaper than bought cards (I bought a card for my son's girlfriends 21st and it was $10!!!). Here is one I made earlier!! I glued everything at the front, however at the back of the card is the printed picture (see second photo). I have been using the 3D adhesive foam dots when making these card...

I am off to the Craft and Quilting Fair today I have even taken a day off work Will report back on my adventure Very excited

I thought I would be crafty this weekend and try something I saw on another blog Aboundingtreasures - I love butterflies and I thought the idea on Dallas's blog was excellent (she found the idea from another website!!).  I made two - one is black and red (below) and the second is pastel purple and cream on a background of butterflies.  I was very pleased with the results - they were easy to make, I just followed the instruction from Dallas.  She has some other great ideas that are worth checking out. And this is where I have placed them.  I love using books (and these are old small books) as extra "shelving".  The lamp was a gift from my girlfriends for my last birthday - isn't it beautiful - I love Art Nouveau - even if it isn't the real thing!! * * * * Good bye to Summer Today is the last day and I must say I am glad we are moving onto Autumn.   http://tynas.deviantart.com/art/end-of-summer-67080927 * * * *

Cat - our cat is mad - as we don't have a cat door she bangs on the front screen door to be let in. However on occasions it becomes game - she doesn't want to come, but loves jumping on the door. Up till Saturday I had never seen what she does - and to my amazement she did it in front of me as I was testing my new phone camera!! Picture 1 is Charlie thinking about jumping and picture 2 is the jump back to earth! Sometimes she reaches the top of the screen door then jumps. Crafts - I have been crafted out this weekend with a trip to the Annual Craft Fair, along with women from all over the region (bused in from far and wide and mostly over 50!!). If you want to know how to spend a lot of money quickly and not have a lot to show for it, visit a craft fair. Expect handmade cards for the next year. Nick, I made yours on Saturday evening!! Car - last week Tristan lost most of the oil in his car (not that he noticed) - Steven feared the worst - however once he started working ...