From The Archive: The Star Ring Story
This story originally appeared on the blog in 2021. The world feels a little heavy at the beginning of this holiday season, so I thought it was a good time to bring back this hopeful, heartwarming story of a true encounter that happened in our little town. Enjoy. On a rainy Tuesday morning, I found myself doing something I hadn’t done in probably 20 years. I warily stepped foot inside a high school gym. It was pretty much as I remembered it: that elusive smell with undertones of body odor, the squeak of shoes on the floor, the marks on the walls from errant balls, and so many backpacks everywhere.…
Denim Christmas Trees – Festive Upcycle Project
It was only a matter of time before I made denim Christmas trees. After all, I’ve made denim pumpkins, denim cord holders, a denim turkey, denim bunting, denim pennants, denim hanging loops for towels, and a denim 4th of July wreath. I’m the Bubba Gump Shrimp of denim projects. You’d think I’d have run out of denim to repurpose for crafts but, between you and me, one pair of my husband’s jeans goes a long way. Now it’s your turn to make denim Christmas trees and today I’m going to show you how. Please note that I love a versatile craft and you can make these denim Christmas trees with…
Happy List: #367
Hello and welcome! I’m so happy you are here for this week’s Happy List. Can you believe we’ve made it to the middle of November already? This week I shared my adventure in reading old legal documents in cursive. You can check that out here. I also wrote about a fix for a very specific problem – broken concrete by a garage door. It’s a good thing probably none of you will need this knowledge. As always, thank you for being here. The Happy List is my way of balancing my media diet. We all need more balance in our lives and connection too! If you want to reach out,…
How To Fix Broken Concrete By A Garage Door
If you have broken concrete by your garage door or somewhere in your garage, congratulations. You’re part of a club no one wants to be a member of. The good news is the dues for this club are not as high as you might think. In other words, broken concrete by a garage door is easily fixable. Plus, you don’t need a bunch of expensive tools or know-how to do it. That will all help, for sure, but you don’t need them. You will need the following: mason mix* Portland cement* water bucket small brush a small disposable container (soup can size is perfect) scrap wood or yardstick, if a…
Why Reading Cursive Is a Helpful Skill For Owners of Old Houses
Here’s a truth bomb. It’s a shame cursive isn’t always taught in school these days because reading cursive is a helpful skill for owners of old houses to possess. Not only do we have to be able to fix all the quirky things and live in houses where nothing is square or level, but now we have to be able to read cursive too. No one told you you’d need to be a jack of all trades when they gave you that mortgage, did they? Why is reading cursive a helpful skill for owners of old houses? I’m so glad you asked. If you want to research the history of…
Happy List: #366
Hello! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. I’m excited to have you here. This week on the blog I shared some festive metal Christmas signs that had my idea gears grinding. I also shared how I styled the thrift store finds I bought this year. The hunt is fun, but making those finds come to life in your home is the real joy! As always, thank you for being here. The Happy List is my way of balancing my media diet. It keeps me from doomscrolling! Connecting with you keeps me from doomscrolling too. If you want to reach out, and I hope you do, you can always comment on…
How I Styled My Latest Thrift Store Finds: Part 8
Welcome to an infrequent, but delightful series where I show you how I styled my latest thrift store finds. It’s not always what you find, but how you use what you find that justifies bringing junk home. At least, that’s what I tell my husband. Pull up a chair and take a sip of your coffee because this is going to be fun! In no particular order, here are my latest thrift store finds and how I styled them. Wood Tray If you look closely at the below photo, there’s a wood gardening tray sitting on the bench. This isn’t technically a thrift store find. It was a free roadside…
Festive Metal Christmas Signs
I was searching for Christmas mantel inspiration in October while knee-deep in pumpkins and apple-everything, as one does. I can seasonally multitask with the best of them. During this search, I discovered the most festive metal Christmas signs. Oh, the world of possibility! This banner-style sign from Pottery Barn was the first one to catch my eye. Partly because I thought it was wood and partly because I thought maybe I could pair it with a wood dove sign I have trouble styling. (I’ll show you the dove at the end of this post.) The $109 price tag is more than I normally spend on all of my Christmas decor…
Happy List: #365
Hi! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. You are here on a special day. It’s not because it’s November 1st and we’re now in a countdown to the holidays. It is a special day because this is the 365th Happy List I’ve written and compiled. An entire year’s worth! However, since I write roughly one per week that means I’ve been writing the Happy List for approximately 7 years. That’s a long time in the blog world! The Happy List is my way of keeping my media consumption from being a dumpster fire of bad news. It’s a protection mechanism for my mental health. It is a way for me…
The Halloween Tradition That Is Haunting Me
Of all the things that could be haunting me, particularly since I live in a very old house, I find it is a Halloween tradition of my own creation that haunts me to this day. I can’t shake it. Is it a walk through a spooky cemetery? No. No, it is not. Is it the annual carving of pumpkins that inevitably ends with mom cleaning out the pumpkin guts that no one wants to touch? No. No, it is not. Is it all of the costume drama that inevitably comes with Halloween? Everything from someone wanting to switch their costume at the last minute after we spent a small fortune…
