What a Broken Pitcher Taught Me About Empathy
On Sunday I was bustling around the kitchen making bread and granola. In the middle of that chaos the humans in my house wanted lunch, so I had a lot of different food projects going on at once. I pulled open the vegetable drawer in my refrigerator to get some carrots and thought it was odd that the drawer had liquid sloshing around in it. That’s never a good sign. Maybe the water in the bag of baby carrots had leaked? I wasn’t sure, but it seemed like a good time to clean that drawer out. And while I was at it, I might as well clean the other vegetable…
Souvenir Penny Magnets
My son collects souvenir pennies when we visit tourist attractions. Souvenir pennies are small, inexpensive and apparently not illegal to make, so I feel like we are winning on all fronts. Much like the playing cards that I collect, a souvenir penny is a neat reminder of a visit to a specific place. Plus, this is something my son can collect his entire life. I’m not knocking the souvenir stuffed animal with this comment either. Okay, maybe a little, but we have more stuffed animals than Noah and his ark and at some point kids outgrow stuffed animals. Right?!?! Now, the problem with 8-year-olds and teeny tiny souvenirs is that…
Happy List: #90
Hello, again! My kids had Monday off in observance of Columbus Day. Do you know what they asked me on Tuesday? When is our next day off of school? Of course they did. I kid you not, they have only had one full week of school this entire school year. On Monday I shared how I am bringing rattan swivel chairs back into the mainstream. Although, in fairness, I’m not sure the mainstream knows I’m doing this. Or cares. On Wednesday I wrote about a recent thrifting trip to Antiques on Broadway in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. I can’t stop thinking about my visit to this neat town! Also, if you…
Happy Thrifting: Antiques on Broadway
I had the opportunity last weekend to visit the town of Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. You might be thinking “why is a town called Jim Thorpe?” I thought the same thing. Jim Thorpe was the first Native American to win an Olympic gold medal for the United States. He won gold medals in the pentathlon and decathlon in the 1912 Olympics. The town of Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania, was renamed Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, because Jim Thorpe is buried there. I’m glossing over a lot of history – some of it controversial and very heated – so if you are interested, I recommend reading more about the town’s name change here. Let’s fast…
Fresh Take On A Rattan Swivel Chair
I’m sure like many people, I lay in bed at night and scroll through Facebook Marketplace searching for unique finds, diamonds-in-the-rough, pieces with potential and other such items. Wait. You guys do this too, right?! Never mind. Let me have this moment. I do this Facebook Marketplace scrolling late at night because I don’t want to be tempted to jump in my car right that second to go retrieve an item I don’t need. I also like to overthink my purchases and this tactic enables that behavior. Wait. You guys overthink your purchases too, right?!?! Never mind. Of course you do. One night as I was scrolling I saw this…
Happy List: #89
Hello! On Monday I shared some tips on visiting Valley Forge. I like to include just a teensy bit of history in these posts as a refresher course on why you should add these places to your must-visit list. On Wednesday I told a tale about my recent garbage and thrift store finds. I’m having a lot of fun right now creating a home that is not cookie-cutter. Apparently, digging in the garbage for home decor helps with that mission. Go figure! Now, speaking of cookie-cutters cookies! Here’s the Happy List. NO BAKE SALTED CARAMEL MACAROONS I’m a rebel because at the height of apple and pumpkin season, I’m sharing a…
3 Thrift Store Finds and 1 Garbage Find
A couple of weeks ago, I was on a thrifting roll. Six new-to-me items came into our home. SIX! I don’t usually have that much luck on a regular shopping trip, let alone while thrifting. That is why I will never make it as a fashion blogger. Here are the items that caused me to open my wallet and one that was garbage and I had to spray with bleach. First up is this brass mantel clock made by Bombay Company. The angels started singing when I saw this beauty, but I walked away from it. I did. I was so strong. I made a loop around the store and…
Travel: Valley Forge National Historical Park
We travel for pleasure and entertainment, sure. But we also travel to learn. I grew up in a rural area of the West Coast and didn’t travel much as a kid. I learned about history from school textbooks. It was a good foundation, but there is nothing, short of being there for the event itself, like seeing a historical site in person. Last month we visited Valley Forge National Historic Park in Pennsylvania. It’s not far from our house and made a great day trip. If you decide to go, here are some tips I picked up to help you plan your trip. WHAT IS VALLEY FORGE AND WHY IS…
Happy List: #88
Hello! Do you know what I’m feeling happy about today? Routines. I’ll be over them by Christmas, but right now it feels good. A lot of newness all at one time is stressful – for all of us. It feels good for the kids to go to school each day knowing what to expect. It feels good for me to know that they are doing okay in their new schools. I hope to be able to volunteer at school soon to see the kids in their natural habitats, but I have to wait for my fingerprinting appointment! In the meantime, routines for the win! This week I shared my piano room…
DIY Leather Pumpkin
Last year I made a trio of denim pumpkins out of a pair of my husband’s old jeans. I had so much fun cutting up those jeans creating those pumpkins that I decided I had one more (at least for now) pumpkin craft in me. In the spirt of reduce, reuse, repurpose and pumpkin-fy everything, I decided to DIY a leather pumpkin. Yes, leather! Everything else has been used to decorate faux pumpkins. Why not leather too? If you’ve been following this blog for a hot minute then it won’t surprise you that the leather for this pumpkin project came from a pair of old boots that I cut apart.…
