Keeping It Real

My nerves are completely shot and my stomach is feeling the part of a stressed out mommy.

I worked hard at including the little ladies in our chores this morning. I know they need to be doing these things with me - yet, I find that it is so much more hassle and problematic to have them help me. There. I've said it.

However, I set things up this morning to make it easier for them to help me and it went fairly smoothly. One cleared the table while the other put a load of clothes in the washer. Then, while I vacuumed, one put the load of wet clothes in the dryer while the other added another load to the washer. I was feeling pretty good about this.

Then, we moved on to making carrot cake - part of our BFIAR activities for this week. Is it just me or is cooking with more than one little stretching? I have learned that dividing the ingredients in half and giving them each their own bowl to stir helps - and we did that today. They each added their own flour, sugar, eggs, spices, etc...

Everything fell apart when Rachel's batter was being spooned out of her bowl into a measuring cup and spices were landing on her arm, the chair, the floor, etc... and Emily was needing my help with something else. Meanwhile, Samuel was crawling near my legs screaming his lungs out to be picked up. He'd already had a snack and just wanted me to pick him up.

It went down hill drastically from there - and I wondered why I even suggested we bake carrot cakes today. I had thought it would be a fun way to incorporate carrots from our book - but I should know from past experience that baking is one of the most stressful things for me to do with my children.

I wondered why my patience level is so low in the kitchen. I wondered why I cannot handle the children God has given me. I wondered what my children will remember about baking with me (oh, let's not go there today). I wondered if I am expecting too much of them for their age - perhaps this isn't the season to cook together. Wondering, wondering.

And, all the while - the knot in my stomach is growing more intense and my voice is growing less patient and louder. I don't like being this kind of mommy - and it makes me feel like such a failure. I have apologized to them - but my nerves are still completely shot and I feel like there are many questions that I am still processing.

Perhaps I need to be poured into a pan and baked a while to be refined with God's love so that I can come out something more desirable and enjoyable.

Or, maybe we should just stay out of the kitchen for the next few years.

The timer is going off - so I must go and get the cakes from the oven...

Bear Hugs!

I saw this cute idea in the most recent issue of Family Fun! Since Emily has been interested in Valentine's Day this year, I thought it would be fun for her to take some little treat to her ballet friends.


The little ladies scooped the Teddy Grahams into the bags and I tied them with ribbons and cut out the teddy bears. I just mixed one box of Chocolate and one box of Honey cookies in a bowl and let them scoop about 1/2 c. into each bag. Two boxes of cookies made fifteen bags of treats.


What is your favorite cute and inexpensive Valentine for littles?

Cleaning Out!

I have been steadily purging since we got home from our trip and have taken lots of things to the thrift store already. I have a couple of items that I thought someone might want and plan to list them on ebay if no one here is interested. Just thought I'd try them here first:

Remember the Castle Cake? I have all the pieces in the original box and am ready to pass it on. I paid $10 and had to trim some of the front pieces because my cake wasn't tall enough for them to stand properly. Less than 1/4 inch has been trimmed on the front pieces. Everything else is as it arrived only being used for this one cake. If you're interested, I'll accept whatever you think is fair for this.

The second thing is a copy of Financial Peace Jr. by Dave Ramsey. This is never used and all pieces are present in the box. I purchased this for $10 plus shipping and just found that it was not a good fit for us.

If you are interested in either item, please leave a comment or send me an e-mail and I will be in touch!

Thanks!

UPDATE: Both items have found a new home!

Say, "Cheese!"

These are some of my favorite pictures we had taken out at Glen Eyrie by the lovely Heather! It was cold! But, we had fun being together and were happy with some great pictures to remember our Colorado Christmas by! Check out Carrie's post of some of her favorites!

Simple Skirts!

I've had this cute and easy (and FREE!) pattern from Oliver + S bookmarked for quite some time and have been anxious to try it! While in Colorado, I let each of the little ladies pick out 1/2 yard of fabric to become their skirt.

I made three of these in about an hour and a half - so yes, they are very easy! I did have a mix up on what width of ribbon was required so ended up omitting the ribbon on my girls skirts.

Emily chose Strawberry Shortcake after the disappointment of not finding Cinderella fabric!

Rachel's fabric is so fun cheery and just reminds me of her personality:


Emily is invited to a little Valentine tea party tomorrow and since they don't want us to bring anything, I really wanted to bring a little hostess gift to her friend. I toyed with several ideas - but in the end made her a skirt as well. With a couple of fun embellishments, this one may be my favorite!


These little skirts are perfect for easy on-easy off play and will be perfect when it gets scorching around here this summer. Emily has already asked for another one - so I imagine we'll be making a few more. Good thing they are so simple!

Coupon Questions

There were a couple of questions in the comments the other day when I shared my cute new coupon box that I wanted to address.

Katie asked:

"...where do you find most of your coupons? Sunday paper/ads? Online? Particular stores? We used to get the Sunday paper, but I really would just take the coupons out and recycle the rest with hardly even reading it. I've tried some online coupon sites, but I find once I subscribe, my email in-box is soon cluttered with spam/junk mail because my email address was given to affiliated sponsors of that site."

Great question!

Here are my favorite sources for coupons:

* Sunday paper: think of it this way - if the paper is $1.50 and even one or two coupons that you use are worth more than that, it is worth it even if you do recycle the rest. One time I bought a paper for a little more than one dollar and one coupon alone was worth $10 that I used!

If your local paper is known for being skimpy on coupons, like ours is, I would suggest trying a different regional paper. Often grocery stores will carry several papers and this would be a great place to find a different one.

One idea if you'd rather not recycle is to use the black and white pages for kindling in your fireplace. I roll several sheets together in a tube and tie with twine so they are like paper "logs" that can be tossed into the fire.

* Online coupons: I go against the grain on this one. We have decided in our home not to download the coupon printer required by many sites to print their coupons. So, if a coupon is offered in PDF format, I can easily print it off - but otherwise I skip internet coupons.

* Vocalpoint: I read about this many times before I finally decided to sign up, but am so glad I did! I am not swamped with e-mails from them - one or two a week is all. But, the coupons are really worth it! Coupons arrive by mail usually with a free sample of the item being advertised. One time it was a Venus Embrace razor! Then in addition to the sample are five high dollar coupons for you to share with friends. When it doesn't arrive with a sample, one of the coupons is usually for a free product for you to try it before you give the coupons out to your friends. I've gotten the razor, toothpaste, Kashi cereal bars, fruit cups, etc... And, it is fun to be able to share great coupons with friends too!

* Store websites: Is there a store you love to shop at? Perhaps they offer a quarterly mailing or magazine that has coupons in it. I like to shop at Publix and they have multiple magazines that include magazines as well as a great Baby Club. Each of these things includes coupons. I would encourage you to visit the website of your favorite store to see what they have to offer.

* E-coupons: These coupons are downloaded onto your shopping card! They can be used in conjuction with mfr. coupons making for some really great deals! The two I've used are P&G and Shortcuts. You simply enter your Kroger (or affiliate) shopping card number and download coupons right to your card.


* All You magazine: This is another one that I read about for a long time before finally trying myself. I ordered mine through something similar to this and have been receiving it for only a few months. So far, I've already made back about half of my first year in subscription fees and it looks like it is really going to be worthwhile. If you'd rather not subscribe, you can purchase single copies at Wal-Mart. NOTE: I'm not a big fan of this magazine and I only purchase it for the coupons. I have found that the ads alone make it a magazine you would not want to leave laying around for young eyes. As with all things, use your own discretion.

As far as online coupon sites - I'm not very familiar with this, but I do have a suggestion and I've read other couponers say this too. Set up a free account on hotmail or gmail that is simply for sites you need to log in to and give an address. All the junk mail ends up in one spot and is not interfering with your home or family messages. Also, when you are signing up - there is often a small box that you can check that says "do not share my information with affiliate sites" ~ I ALWAYS check this box!

Melissa also had a great question:

"...how do you handle the grocery shopping and coupon saving with three little ones in tow? Where do you keep the coupon box in the cart (assuming that a little person is sitting in the cart)?"

Yes, this is a biggie! I usually have a very specific list planned out before we go and have pulled out the coupons I am planning to use. These are either paper clipped to my list or put in an envelope that has my list written on it. I do take my box along, but more for back up or if I see an unadvertised sale.

We usually have one of a couple of scenarios with the cart. If it is the little-preferred cart, it has a car on the front with two seats and two steering wheels. Emily and Rachel sit here and Samuel sits in his carseat either in the basket or up in the top of the cart. Depending on where he is, my coupon box is in the other spot.

If we are using a cart without the lovely, yet difficult to navigate cart ~ one of the girls walks and the other rides in the basket with the groceries that are not underneath while Samuel is in his carseat in the top part. In this case, my coupon box would either be in the basket or underneath where I can get to it easily.

Where do you find the best coupons? And, how do you manage with small children?

Unraveling

Ever had a pesky run in your nylons?

This past Sunday, I was wearing pants and a pair of knee-highs that did have a run in them. I went ahead and wore them because time was of the essence, and figured they'd be fine for one more morning.

When I was standing and walking - the run was invisible. When I sat down and crossed my legs, it began to show.

I sat there and wondered how many of those we see every day are like that run. On the outside, we look put together and like we are fine, but underneath something is wrong. Something is unraveling.

Thoughts like this continued to come to my mind as I sat in church. I was fine with the small run in my hose for the morning - but unraveling in spirit or heart is something completely different.

Lord,

I'm thankful that You can take my runs and make them whole again. You can keep me from unraveling and help me when I feel like I am. Please make me aware of those around me who may feel like they are unraveling beneath the surface. Give me a sensitivity to them and a willingness to reach out.

Thank You for being the great mender!

In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Samuel's First Birthday!

To say that our Birthday Boy enjoyed his celebration would be safe to say considering I am not sure how he could breathe he had so much cake in his nose!

I admit that I scaled back for his day - simply because we were gone so long and there was so much catching up to do when we got home. Good news, though, major progress is being made in our home and it feels oh-so-good!


I had long planned to make this train cake - it was fun and not too hard. I thought it looked less like a train and more like a truck with extra cars or something - but I don't think Samuel was that particular!

A few blocks spelled out "one" and I really wanted to find multiple sets of different letters from puzzles, magnets and blocks and use them to decorate the table. However (ahem) I could not find another full set of any other letters to spell even such a short word. Perhaps toy cleaning should be next on my list?

Pre-cake Birthday Boy in his royal crown:
Starting to dig in:
Good and messy now:
Trying to grab mama's face with those gooey fingers!
Nearing the end of his patience with frosting in his eye; a bath soon followed:
Much better - all clean! Opening gifts on David's brother's lap:
Fun! A new toy!

Happy Birthday, Samuel!

Living with Discipline 2

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, discipline is defined as, "to train or develop by instruction and exercise especially in self-control; to impose order upon."

As mothers, we likely often think of this word in reference to raising our children. How we handle their discipline. Do we spank, give time outs or withhold privileges? And, why are we having to deal with this same situation again?!

Yes, I think this kind of discipline goes along with the kind of discipline that I am referring to. But it is not the kind I want to focus on for right now.

I'm thinking more along the lines of self-control, moderation and not living in extremes. Looking at that above definition again - I notice a few things:

* discipline requires training
* discipline requires instruction; teaching
* discipline requires exercise; practice in using it!
* discipline requires self-control; saying no to myself
* discipline brings order; peace

These things invite a few questions:

* Why is this important?
* Who oversees the training I require?
* Where do I find the instruction and training I need on this subject?
* When will I find the motivation and time to practice this?
* How far am I committed to going to learn this?
* What will the benefit be?

Let's unfold each of these individually and look at what the Bible says about this.

What comes to your mind when you read the above definition of discipline?

Saving in Style!

My sweet friend, Grace, sent me this adorable recipe box:

... and instead of a recipe box, I decided to make it my coupon box (I needed a new one anyway!)

Simply use the included Recipe label and cards to trace on your own fun paper. Get laminated and organize! I opted to put small white labels over the top of the lamination for labeling each category so that someday when I change my mind, I can just remove the labels and add new ones as needed without replacing the dividers.

I've already had fun taking my super cute coupons to the store and being thrifty with such a cute set up!


As requested - here are the categories I use in my box, when I remade my box I added several categories because I found that the simplified ones I was using just weren't enough for dividing out the coupons. So far, this is working out much better!

Baby
Baking
Beverages
Boxed
Canned
Cleaners
Dairy
Frozen
Meat
Misc. Food
Misc. Non-Food
Paper
Pasta/Rice
Personal
Restaurants
Snacks
Store Coupons
Wraps

FREE!
Expiring Soon

Happy Birthday, Samuel!

Happy Birthday, you sweet little man!
We love you so much and are so thankful for the joy you are in our family!

Photo credit: Heather Bauers

Confession and Comments

Good afternoon!

Ok, I have a confession. After I posted this morning that I wasn't going to do any crafting until the littles were in bed, I spent my hour of quiet time crafting today.

{Emily isn't taking much of a nap anymore, so we've instituted quiet time each day for one hour. She plays quietly in her room and I set the timer, when it goes off - she may get up.}

I forgot that my mother-in-law was taking the ladies out for the morning so got myself in high gear and tidied and cleaned up and got things looking much better! After having a tidy living room, clear dining room table, laundry caught up, ironing done - I decided to spend a little over an hour doing something crafty this afternoon.

Right before we went to Colorado, my friend Kelly brought me this neat kit:

Immediately, I thought it would be great for bringing a little Valentine color into my home. And, now that it is done - I still think it does! Tulips made out of crepe paper - they don't look completely real - but aren't tacky either.

Thanks for so many great comments today. Obviously this is an area that lots of us are growing in! I will look forward to learning together.

To those who mentioned that I haven't seemed "real" - I apologize for giving that impression. I have always made every effort to be completely honest here on my blog and to be the same person on screen and off.

There is one comment that stands out to me today. It is from my friend, Angie:

Even though we've never met, you give me the impression (through your posts) that you are terribly hard on yourself. I don't doubt that you/I need to focus on discipline. As children of God, we all strive to be more like him, which requires discipline. However, I bet you are doing so much better in prioritizing your days than you think right now. You are very intentional in your roles as wife, mother, and child of God. Perhaps you need to restructure your day so that certain things get done. But I can't imagine how discouraged you would feel if you drastically curtailed your crafting and creating. It is in your personality to create, usually with the purpose of blessing someone. I'm sure your littles will recall all of the family fun you created for them and forget (or not even realize) that the pantry was out of order.
I will pray for God to give you a plan and peace in your heart.
Angie

David agreed with every word as I was telling him about it over the phone today. I have always been a firm believer in doing my crafts or my blog as a way of being re-energized for the tasks of home and mothering. Yes, sometimes I let them become an escape. But I'm talking as a general rule here.

I think it is important for us to have things we enjoy - God is the one who made us the way we are with the talents and gifts He has given us. To not use them is to dishonor the way He made us. A couple of you mentioned the idea of balance in your comments as well and I think this is key.

After a full week of being fully devoted to my home and chores - I have learned quickly that I need to be able to do some creative and crafty things.

Another thing is that I am consistently very hard on myself. Several of you know this about me and a few more of you have just picked up on it here on my blog. I don't know how not to be that way. It can be good and bad at times.

I've been enjoying studying the idea of living with discipline in my quiet times this week and will be sharing more in the days ahead.

Have a great weekend!

Living with Discipline

This word, discipline, has been on my heart quite a bit the past week. We arrived home, unloaded our car ~ and I felt completely overwhelmed at what lie ahead for me in terms of getting our home in order again.

As I sat on the couch that first night in tears, my "aunt" Julie was here with me having traveled all those miles from CO to SC to help me with my littles, she was such an encouragement and help to me to think through some of what I was struggling with.

I explained to her that what I was feeling was not new - but that I'd been struggling with feeling like I could not keep up even before we went on our trip. Then, it just was sort of forgotten while we were away, but hit me in the face when we got home.

She gently pointed out that she knows I have lots of ideas, enjoy doing creative things for my family and crafting ~ but that maybe I had been undisciplined in doing too many of those things and not putting my home ahead of all of that.

She was exactly right. Why else would I have time to complete a craft project yet have to stay up until 11:30 or 12 just to begin the ironing?! I admit this to you for not only being honest, but I am afraid that I have given some of you the idea that you can easily complete all of your chores and still have hours a day to craft or whatever. I want to be open about this for multiple reasons and I am hoping we can encourage each other to put God, our husbands, our families and our homes first.

The challenge she gave me was to commit to two weeks (or whatever I chose) to do no crafting until the littles were in bed and focus my entire days on getting our home in order again. And, I am doing this. I think it may take longer than two weeks! Every cabinet, drawer, closet or space I go to put something away - I see that each space needs reorganized and cleaned out, purged, straightened as well. So, the work begins. I have finished half of my kitchen, one drawer, one cabinet, and a few other small areas. But, it is a start.

That word "disciplined" though has really been filling my thoughts. How many other areas am I undisciplined in? Have I been faithful in my quiet time each day? How about in finances or taking care of myself in exercise or the way I eat? Am I truly living my life in moderation or more like extremes?

When I sent out my Christmas letter this year, I thought that my word(s) for this year were "pursuing righteousness" and that could certainly still apply. However, like last year where I focused on "clean heart" this year it will be "living with discipline".

I don't know if there will be one more post on this topic or ten more - but I will share what I am learning along the way as it comes.

Meanwhile, how are you doing at living with discipline?

Clean Swap!

It’s time for another swap! Our theme is clean, so please keep that in mind when selecting items for your partner. As usual, please limit your gifts to what can fit in a shoebox.

Please read the following details carefully.

1. In order to participate, you must either have swapped successfully with us before, or you must be a regular commenter on one of our blogs (The Homespun Heart/with all that I’ve been given). We have many people write and ask what qualifies a regular commenter. You don't need to comment daily, or even weekly, but we need to recognize your name when you sign up.

Before you send us an e-mail, please consider if you have the time and resources to fulfill your swap. Every time, we have at least one person who writes to say they’ll be late in sending their box because they can’t afford the shipping. We want to respect your financial situation, and ask that you consider joining in next time instead so no one is disappointed.

2. You need to fill out your questionnaire as part of the sign-up. In order to sign up for this swap, please e-mail sisterswaps@hotmail.com with the following info:

name
complete mailing address
e-mail address
blog site, if you have one

If you would be willing to ship internationally, please indicate that specifically. If you don't mention it, we'll assume it's your preference to ship within the U.S.

Also, please answer the following questions in your sign-up e-mail. The more thorough your answers, the better we can match you with someone complementary.

What is your favorite and least favorite household task?
What scent says "clean" to you?
If you had a "clean schedule" for a day (a day of free time!), how would you choose to spend it?
How would you rank the cleanliness of your house overall on a scale of 1-10? Do you wish it was a different ranking?
What would make cleaning/household tasks more enjoyable for you?
What is your favorite cleaning or organizing tip?

Sign-up entries must be complete to be included. Even if you’ve swapped with us before, please send all of the information requested above.

Important dates to consider:

Sign-ups due by 8 a.m. (CST) Friday, January 30, or when 40 people have signed up.
Partner info will be e-mailed to you by Tuesday, February 3.
Please send your shoebox by Monday, February 24.

If you have not received an e-mail with partner info from us by February 6, please check your “junk” folder, and then contact us if needed.

Thanks, and happy swapping!

This & That

Day one was a day of nesting and clearing clutter as well as cleaning! I told David I was going to avoid crafting until I got things caught up around here - and somehow ended up making new valances for the kitchen. When I confessed, he said that wasn't crafting but homekeeping. I am glad they are done and love how they turned out!

My kitchen windows really just needed to grow up a little bit. For five years, I've had no valances or anything in them and just a few feathery butterflies hanging in them. These were finally beyond my dusting abilities and I decided it was time for them to go.

Then, I found some valances at Goodwill which I was not sure would match or not. I put them up before Christmas and no, they did not work for me. Yesterday I took them down. And, took The Nester's mistreatment idea to heart.

I found this wonderful sage and brown toile at Joann's in Colorado and the pom fringe at Hobby Lobby.

All I did was fold the fabric to desired length. Trim remaining three edges. Iron. Hot glue pom trim on and hang with thumb tacks. I love it!

I also rearranged the pretties on my windowsill and added the lamp to the counter space. I found this lamp at a thrift store in Kansas City last week for less than $3. I took a shade I already had and hot glued the fabric and trim on to remake it. The keys just added a great touch, I thought - a gift from my friend Melissa.

Anyway, I'm feeling good about the one half of the kitchen I've worked on so far, there is so much to do - I have to take my victories where they are!

Two other things to share -

For those who asked, you can find the Virtuous Woman cross stitch sampler pattern here for $3.99.

I got a note from my blog friend, Sarah, sharing the following. I've already voted, if you have a minute, please hop over here and vote for her little Noah!

My son Noah was born on December 30th and I was able to enter him in a contest that TurboTax is offering for the Cutest Last Minute Tax Deduction.

The baby had to be born in December to qualify. They had over 300 entries and they narrowed it down to 5 finalist and my son is one of those. The winner gets a $5,000 savings bond that matures to $10,000. He just needs the most votes to win. The voting is very easy just go to www.cutesttaxdeduction.com and vote, no registering.

Here is a brief bio on Noah that my husband wrote:

Our son Noah was born Dec. 30, and was quickly taken to the NICU with respiratory distress. The next day, they discovered he had a pneumothorax (or hole) in each lung, resulting in an air leak.

So, Noah had to get two chest tubes inserted — one on each side. The chest tubes removed the air that had gathered outside his lungs, thus allowing his lungs to expand and to heal. He spent six nights in NICU before we were able to bring him home on Jan. 5.

The Lord was most gracious to us in healing little Noah. A friend of my wife's works in an NICU at a different hospital, and she said it's not uncommon for this kind of situation to require a much lengthier stay.

So, we're so grateful to the Lord for healing Noah as quickly as he did. God is indeed good.

Have a great day everyone!

Home ...

We made it!

Now I am fairly well buried in things to catch up on around here! I am dedicating the next 1-2 weeks to getting unpacked, caught up from our trip and trying to get our home back in order. I may be a bit more scarce as I am diligent to accomplish these things, but hope to get back in the groove here very soon!

In the meantime, I am enjoying reading The Ministry of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson. Oh, it is speaking deeply to my heart and soul and I've only just begun reading it!

And, I am feeling challenged to simplify our life and to be more disciplined in the way I live. I will be sharing more on these thoughts in the days ahead. I've enjoyed your comments lately and for those of you awaiting a response - I will be wading through my full inbox as well!

PS: My possibility of a free grain mill fell through this past week - does anyone have one they aren't using that they would be willing to sell? I'd be willing to purchase a used one, but am hoping not to have to buy a new one. Thanks!

Putting my husband first...

When more than one of you mentioned wanting me to share how I put my husband first - I couldn't decide if I should laugh or cry. You see, I don't feel good at this at all! This season of life is very taxing and I don't feel like I save very much for my husband.

But, this is something I've been thinking about - and I decided to start by asking David his thoughts on this.

Here are the things David shared:

* little things that let him know I love him and to make him feel good or make life easier for him
* fix food that he likes
* taking good care of him: clothes, food, attention
* being kind
* being understanding
* being thoughtful

* being a good steward of your money; faithful with what God has provided
* fun to be with
* a good friend and companion

I thought of a couple more things:

* order your schedule to make time for him; don't be out every evening or all weekend. He is not a built in babysitter - spend time together at home.
* order your chores around his work schedule; I do most of my chores during the day and leave evenings for family time.
* make a little extra effort to choose foods he likes, keep his favorite drink in the fridge and anything else he uses regularly on hand. For example, David's pager is frequently running a low battery - I make an effort to keep those extra batteries on hand to simplify his life.

If you were out working all day - what kind of home would you want to come to? Are you creating a haven for him?

Last week, I heard a pastor speak on Genesis 3 ~ and one of his points was that women are created to be helpers. That is my calling - to be David's helper and partner.

Being gone for a few weeks has allowed me to see one thing from his perspective. I hear in his voice that there is something missing from his life - he tells me it is me. Do I realize what influence my presence, attitude, laugh, smile and help bring to his days?

Next I will share a few more things I could be doing or improving upon. For today, would you consider asking your husband if there are some things that you are currently doing that helps him to feel like you put him first?

Any other thoughts on putting our husbands first? I feel like I have so much to learn in this area!

Glimpses of Grammie's

I had fun going around my Mom's house and capturing a few pictures of things I have grown up seeing or things that remind me of her - or just things I like!

Her signature fragrance ~ this scent will forever remind me of my Mom:

I was with my Mom when she found this sled and I love seeing it on her porch this time of year!

I remember watching this shelf fill up as I've grown up - and I've brought my mom some of these spoons from travels!

My mom made this cross stitch of the Virtuous Woman scripture. I love each little picture that goes with each phrase of the passage.

Can you tell where I got a love of simple pleasures?

A pretty jar of thread ~ with her corsage from my wedding at the base:
A neat old jar filled with vintage sewing supplies~
I can't wait to get home and repurpose my Scrabble game into one of these little message boards! My mom stores the tiles in a cute French jelly jar:

... and keeps a tray on her window sill to leave messages or words!

Here is one I did to greet them Friday when they got home from work ~ later in the weekend, my Dad changed it to "legacy".