the sky is pink

A few months back I thought about crocheting some hearts to make a little garland for the dining room mantle. After I started making hearts, I couldn't stop. And then I decided they'd look darling in Spenser's pink bedroom. I crocheted red, white, and pink hearts and sewed them together with fishing line. For the life of me I cannot remember which pattern I used, but it was a free one off the internet. The kids have been off from school since last week (snow, ice, end of marking term) and I sat down one day and just relaxed and crocheted. They were pretty quick and easy to whip up. I crocheted a chain and hung them from the chain on the lower half of her front bedroom window. I used two little Command clips to hang them up. I love those little clips. I have used them a lot lately . * Edited to add: I found the link to the hearts .*

Many years ago Joe bought me a pearl illusion necklace. I have loved that thing to death. I still wear it on occasion. Just last week at church a little girl told me how much she loved it. It reaffirmed my own love for it. The only teeny tiny problem was that it is made from white pearls and, well, some times I'd like to wear it, but need it in a different color ... You know how that goes. You think about something you "need," and then figure out a way to make it. And that's exactly what I did. I think it was a wardrobe essential. And I'm pretty sure I didn't actually need it, but it was simple enough to pull together. You can dress it down. You can wear it with a scarf (because rarely do the two leave my neck -- it's been so cold lately). And you can dress it up. I wore it to church yesterday with my Shabby Apple dress . [Can I just tell you how much I love their dresses? They are comfy, stylish yet classic and well-made. I wore one to Taylor's s

Yesterday was a snow day from school. The kids were all playing peacefully and Sawyer was being entertained with all of his older siblings home. It was bliss ... at least for awhile.* I was looking through my recipes yesterday and saw one for Banana Butter. I stopped and remembered the six (!) bananas I had sitting on my kitchen island that were overripe. I usually toss the bananas to the chickens, but that's when I have one or two. Not six. I think I am over banana bread right now and I really have no room in my freezer for any more leftover bananas for smoothies. (And honestly, I can only eat bananas when they are perfectly ripe and have only a few sprinkles of brown on the peel. If I try to eat overripe bananas, I gag. I seriously gag.) Banana butter it was. Oh. My. Goodness. I did not realize just how good this stuff would be. I thought I'd share it with you in case you had some ripe bananas hanging about your kitchen, too. Sadly, I do not remember where I found this re

Keen meet Merrell . Happy feet. (My new Christmas boots.)

After making our Christmas cards , I still had silhouettes on the brain. Can I tell you just how much I love them? Because, oh, I do. My real-life friend, Christy , reminded me that she had made silhouette ornaments one year. And I thought it would be the perfect time to make a few myself. I made several of the one on the right for grandparents and Aunt Lettie . The one on the left was one that I gave Joe for Christmas. It was a last-minute idea, but they were all well-received. And then I decided I needed one for my red-room Christmas tree . Every year I try to give the children a handmade ornament. Last year's never got made. This year they had three. The first one was from Jackson's birthday party and they each made one . I thought I was off the hook (and caught up from missing last year), when I thought of the silhouette ornaments. Each child received his/her own silhouette in a frame. I can't wait to look back at these in the many years to come. I always want to reme

After repainting the family room this summer , I made some pillows for the new furniture. (But I think I forgot to blog them.) This Christmas season I decided I'd like some festive pillows for the family room. I went to the fabric store and found two Christmas prints that I liked. There wasn't much of a selection because it was about two weeks before Christmas. I came home and finally got around to washing the fabric. Then it sat around a little bit longer. I really told myself that if they didn't get made, I'd totally be okay with it. (I told you, I had a very stress-less holiday this time around.) One evening I had a few minutes to spare, so I sat down and made them. The top one is probably my favorite. I really like that print. Hey! How'd he get in there? The other new fabric I picked up was this candy print. I thought the kids would like it. It's okay, not my favorite, but pickin's were slim. And a fleece candy-cane striped pillow. I know you're th

This post could almost be titled The Christmas Outfits That Almost Weren't. A year ago I found a fun, festive, handmade tablecloth on sale and I knew it would be cute for our matching Christmas outfits. The only problem was, last Christmas I didn't have time to make them. And then I had forgotten all about the tablecloth. Somehow, in the hustle and bustle of the impending Christmas holiday, I ran across the tablecloth. I wasn't sure if it would survive a washing, but I tried anyway, and it came out unscathed. As I started planning what exactly I was going to make (and if I had enough of that awesome border to go around), I realized that we were going to miss church the Sunday before Christmas . The day we always wear out matching outfits. Knowing I was going to a Christmas cookie exchange, I forged ahead. I even told myself that, as long as I made something for Spenser, that was enough. (Did I tell you how chill I was the weeks leading up to Christmas? Oh, I must. It's

My favorite craft is making gifts. In years' past , I have cranked out multiples of the same gift to give to my sisters, friends, and teachers. This Christmas, I decided to give an embroidered linen handkerchief (with a bar of my homemade chocolate-mint soap). At first I was really excited about giving the hankies. I love little vintage hankies. I collect and use them. (I have a very small collection.) But then I started to wonder and fear if this was a weird thing to give people. After all, I'm sure not everyone shares my affinity with hankies. I still wonder what people think about them. And if they know what is is. One teacher sent home a thank-you note and thanked my son for the monogrammed "cloth." You can see years' past here . My sister, Kate, reminded me last year that I gifted a gold-gilded picture of the temple one year. But there is one year that still eludes us both. * * As I was typing this, I looked out to the chicken coop and saw an odd thing. We h