New Year

For some reason I'm really looking forward to 2015. Not because 2014 was bad. I love the fresh start and clean slate of a new year. For me it's like spring time - a time to clean out my closets, purge stuff that I no longer need or use, organize and start again. I'm the type of gal that only let's my Christmas tree linger for a few days after Christmas. Definitely gone by New Year's Eve. I have boxed it all up, cleaned the house, simplified and I'm ready to ring in 2015.

One of the biggest things that needed some attention was my pantry. I've been experimenting with preserving food / jam for the last 6 years and there were some jars dating as far back as 2008. Okay - quite a few jars actually. They were taking up lots of space and never going to be consumed. I hate wasting food but it was time for them to go. There was also lots of general clutter that needed to be addressed. My pantry is really deep so it's hard to see what's going on in the way back. So I dumped all the old jars and anything else that was old, put a few shelves in, wiped all the surfaces and organized what was left. I'd still like to get a few more baskets to corral things like pasta and snacks but it's already looking way better.

 While cleaning out the pantry I threw out a bunch or well used cloth napkins. So of course I had to sew a few more. So that happened and it's the perfect addition to my cleaned out pantry!

 

 The last thing I'm sharing are these trivets (thanks to Pinterest). I made these this year as Christmas gifts and I had a few left over. I love the contrast of the dark stain and white washed wood.

 

Happy New Year!

xo

-V

Voila!

A few months back I made this Voila Blouse. To date it is my favorite hand-made piece of clothing. I found this fabric at Goodwill well over a year ago and was saving it for something special. Something that I would actually wear and something that had a simple design to show off the fabric. When I came across the pattern for the Voila Blouse I just knew it was the one! This top is super comfy and the fabric is a nice linen-like cotton. The one downside to the fit would be that it's a bit roomy and might make me look pregnant... Rest assured that I am not. But this would make a great maternity shirt!

Christmas Highlights

 The real highlight of Christmas was family. Sure we all got great gifts but it was so nice to spend time with the people I love. My parents came up for 5 days and we even got a surprise visit from my brother and sister-in-law. It was great to see everyone, spend time together, share meals and enjoy each others company. We also made a trip to Seattle to visit more family. These pictures are us. It's nearly impossible to get everyone to look at the camera and smile at the same time but I guess that's how it goes. These pictures are all thanks to my Christmas gift which was a tripod and remote for my camera.

Next up: catching up on all the Christmas crafting plus the backlog of things I've made but haven't properly photographed.

xoxo

-V

Fall Scarves...

I've been busy making some cozy scarves just in time for our cooler weather.

 

 I mentioned that I'd be selling these scarves so if you are interested, comment here, email, message or call me. I will ship and take custom orders too. So if there are some specific colors you want, let me know or check back to see what new patterns/ colors I come up with!

And now for the scarves:

cream, black and red plaid infinity scarf $18

cream and black herringbone flannel plaid infinity scarf $18

black and white jail stripe flannel infinity scarf $18

blue and grey floral voile infinity scarf $18

 

 xoxo
-V

Fall Infinity Scarf

I haven't sewn something of my choice for quite some time now and I've been itching to make something. Something preferably quick and easy that I can squeeze into my busy days. Today I did just that. Inspired by some new fall scarfs that I've seen, like this and this. I followed this quick and easy tutorial for an infinity scarf. This black and white stripe is nice thick flannel that is perfect to wrap around my neck in the crisp fall air.

September Garden

I am loving my garden right now. It might not be as prolific as I'd like but every year I learn new things, I get surprised by crops and plan for next year. This week I've harvested and ate from my garden: spaghetti squash, zucchini, cabbage, kale, basil, tomatoes and potatoes.

I can't wait for the sunflowers to bloom and to eat some of those Brussels sprouts.

Spaghetti Squash

Cabbage

Kale

Strawberries are still going in September!

The latest addition to our garden is this fig tree.

Rosemary

In addition to the veggies we ate this week I also cut rosemary, oregano, thyme and mint for drying. Hoping to try making mint tea and package my herbs for gifts this holiday season.

What are you getting the most use out of your garden? What is your favorite thing to grow?

Pom-Poms and Polka Dots

I can not believe how quickly this summer is passing. It seems like every week more things get added to the calendar and we are constantly doing something. Don't get me wrong - it has been great. We've gone berry picking, visited Eugene, camping with friends, the zoo, bike rides, and lots of play dates. But sometimes it's nice to just be home. Yesterday was exactly like that. When there is no pressure to be somewhere it's amazing what happens around here. My creative juices flow and although I usually jump from one half finished project to the next, it's lovely and relaxing and sometimes exactly what I need. Yesterday was full. Full of lots of things and nothing all at once. The kids entertained themselves with some long forgot craft supplies, I sewed, baked, cooked, gardened and got some other necessary chores done.  I felt productive and decided I needed a couple more days like that before summer is over.
But back to the pom-poms and polka dots. A week or so ago I was rearranging Sage's room (for those of you who don't know - I rearrange furniture all the time - it's one of my favorite things to do) and I decided to take the closet doors off. I moved her doll house into the closet thinking it would be the perfect little nook to play in.

But of course it needed something. Something in the way of some light curtains. So off to the fabric store I went in search of something just right. I found this cute lightweight polka dot fabric and some pom-pom trim for the edge.

I already had the curtain rod, so that part was easy. I attached it to the inside of the closet, made some tie-backs out of the same fabric and attached 3M hooks on the inside of the closet to hold the tie-backs in place.

 

I love this little nook!

-V

Garden Herb Body Scrub

I have all these delicious herbs growing in my garden that I'm not quite sure what to do with besides occasionally cooking with them. So I spent a little time on pinterest (oh, pinterest!) and found some recipes for body scrub that I decided to try. I combined a few recipes to suit my needs (and what I had on hand). I ended up making two variations. So here's what I used:

-1 Cup Sugar
-1 Cup Epsom Salt
-1 Cup Avocado oil
-1/4 Cup fresh chopped rosemary
-20-30 drops of Lavender essential oil
-1/8 Cup fresh chopped mint Or Lavender buds

You could also add peppermint or rosemary essential oil to make it a bit stronger.

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl with a wooden spoon.

 Scoop into glass containers, seal with tight fitting lids and label.

This scrub is wonderful after working in the garden all day. Just take a generous scoop, rub into hands and wrists and rinse off.

 It's perfect for the shower or tub too!

-V

Sneak Peek.... House in the Trees

A tree house has been on our "to-do" list for a while. This summer hubby decided to get it done. So with the help of his dad, mom and a few others our house in the trees is coming together. It's not complete yet, but it's getting there. And if you know my husband at all you know that he doesn't do anything half way and bigger is always better!

Next up: railings, stairs and tree house accessories. Stay tuned!

-V

Garden Tour

Sharing some pictures of my garden today. I'm hoping to dedicate a little more time and energy to this blog and I'd love it if you follow along. Just click the follow button on the right hand side. Love to hear your comments too. What's growing in your garden?

Strawberries

Cilantro

Brussels Sprouts

Lemon Balm

Strawberry Hydrangea

Blueberries

Lavender

Mint and Potatoes

Carrots, Kale, Radish, Lettuce, Beets & Squash

My "herb garden" and Sage's climbing rose

Grapevine

Sage's climbing rose

Succulents make me Happy!

-V