this precious life.

Daddy sent this my way and I had to share!! The world's largest model railway and smallest airport-- both in Hamburg, Germany. Major props to everyone to that worked on these projects! videos via Big Geek Daddy   you think I'm calling my Daddy that don't you? haha no. that's the name of the website :)

We all have those traditional things we love to do every fall... and those things we want to do but never get around to.  What's on your bucket list this fall? Any traditions?! Here's a list with some of mine.   Visit the orchard {and come home with apples.apple slushies & cider.red hots.pumpkins.straw-in-hair.memories&pictures} Do a project with pumpkins   Sit at as many bonfires as possible & watch the stars   {"I am sensible of a great charm in this brightened moonlight; and I love to watch how the day, tired as it is, lags away reluctantly, and hates to be called yesterday so soon." N. Hawthorne}   Make and eat lots of tomato soup Track down and read more books by Baroness Orczy    Annual applesauce making day Do a project with autumn leaves   Mix up some pumpkin scones & apple scones  {load on the pumpkin butter and apple butter too!} {just made a double batch of THESE pumpkin ...

Loving Pinterest's fresh look:) I've been waiting for it to debut! {image via PinterestBlog b/c my uploader was being dumb and wouldn't load my beautiful screenshot :\} And coming soon to a blog near you {aka: HERE!} my autumn bucket list favorite recent clothing pattern combos {from my wardrobe} surprise tutorial {hint: it's perfect for fall decorating!} a few facts about my wardrobe {in answer to questions concerning it...} sooooo come back and visit soon! xoxo {okay. so those weren't really bullet points. oh well. it was going to be. sometimes things take a different turn.}

Just realized this has been sitting in my drafts since... ummm... January. whoooooops. Here's another super simple tutorial!  Wait a minute.  Do you notice that I always say that? Well it's cause every time I do difficult projects, by the time I'm done with them I'm too pooped to blog about them and write up a whole tutorial! And also when they're more difficult, I almost *always* forget to take pictures. Especially before and after pictures. Phooey. haha  I guess it's good news for you though cause you'll always get pretty easy tutorials out of me:) Materials: 4x4 fabric squares in sets of 2 | sewing machine | lavender or other scented filler {I used flat cotton batting in mine to stretch my supply of lavender and still fill the pillows. If you want to do the same- watch for the special notes about that} 1) If you haven't already-- cut your fabric into 4x4 squares 2) In sets of two, lay all of your fabric squares, right sides f...

I am listening.... to the rain falling softly outside my open window to this song ... which is also song by Ella , Louis , Doris &  The Mamas & The Papas   {that last rendition *always* makes me thing of Leap Year ... beautiful little movie. love it!} to someone washing up the dishes from tonight {19 plates, 19 soup bowls, 19 spoons, 19 desert bowls, 19  desert forks-- if you can't tell, we like large groups} I am thinking... of this morning's sermon {the most straightforward, honest and simple message I've ever heard on 1 Corinthians 10: 23-33. so good.} of how I really, desperately need a hair cut but keep putting it off cause it's finally at the length I love how random it is that my brother is leaving to work out at 9:25 on a Sunday night xoxo em

absolutely loving this verse. had to share.

You should've seen my suitcase coming home from both Lake Erie and Lake Michigan this year! Full of lake glass, drift wood and birch bark that I scavenged off of the beaches and side of the road. Call me crazy- I call it resourceful. :D 'Cause not only do I love repurposing things and being challenged creatively by items, I love it when it costs me nada! The sea glass {and a few special pieces of driftwood} I'm letting be simple decoration-- no plans to use them for projects. But I've had several ideas for using the rest of the driftwood and that beautiful birch. You might have seen the first finished item -this headband- and now I'm going to share another simple idea. A driftwood/backyard-twig basic frame.  The end result will vary depending on what you want to use it for. Originally I was going to make mine a photo frame or piece of art but when the lace from an old skirt caught my eye, all ideas went out the window except one:) Earing holder! { nevermi...

I mentioned once * here * how I had a small goal to create each project I pinned to my "Next on the Project List" board on  Pinterest . Well here's the start of it-- plus a few foodies I pinned and tried. Make sure to click on the title of each project for a link to the tutorial or original inspiration!! {p.s. Did I mention that every one of these projects so far has been made out of things we already had laying around the house not being used?! except for the crayons cause I bought a new box of them. but they were only .40!! haha} The first {which I've already blogged about * here *} is the Tie necklace Peppermint Patties {yes this photo is from last winter but I totally made these just a few weeks ago cause we love 'em;) I just forgot to photograph them this time around;)} The Resist Dye Tee I have no idea what the design on this t-shirt is supposed to be! I just started squeezing glue and this is how it ended up;) This tutorial was awesome...

I'm attempting to get this 'ole blog back on track with posting inspiration instead of all of my silly thoughts and doings!  Today's outfit was inspired by something that popped up on Pinterest last night. Button up shirt-turned-skirt.  {No sew} I saw it and wanted to try it right off! One of my favorite things is wearing things differently than usual {example: skirt as dress}! But instead of stealing    borrowing a shirt from Daddy like I thought I would, I ended up using  a shirt Mama's had since college! Oxford button-ups haven't changed much since the 80's:) {Mama was having a really hard time understanding why.in.the.world I wanted to wear a shirt as a skirt! :D But she's kinda used to me trying crazy ideas.} {shirt-turned-skirt: Mamas | striped tank: Children's Place | Cardigan: thrifted-Delia's | flats: thrifted- Target | arm-candy: vintage, Tijuana, Mexico, made by Eleanna | sunglasses: gift-Anthro} I thought I'd put together ...

And finally the last installment!! On our way home from Michigan we stopped at the 100th family reunion of my Mama's side of the family where we saw her parents. They were talking about Jonathan going home with them to help my Grandpa with the hay {we always do these things last minute!} and I suddenly realized that I hadn't been to visit them in over four years. Yeah I'd seen them and even been to their farm but I hadn't had the opportunity to stay with them like I used to when I was younger. So then I thought, "but why couldn't I go now? If I don't go now, it most likely won't happen for a very long time. And now's as good as ever cause I don't have anything I need to be home for." My grandparents were quite surprised with my proposal -after all it'd been over 4 years- but immediately they were totally okay with it! {they're awesome like that!} We stopped at Kewpees after we left the reunion. It's a little hamburger join...