social saturday

all miscellaneous posts related to the social aspect of the blog

Social Saturday | March 26

pink tulips in a tiny vase sitting on a windowsill

Happy Saturday, Dear Reader. How was your week? Mine was a busy one full of inside projects. Inside because, even though I would love to be outside enjoying the sunshine, my allergies have been acting up because of the melting snow and resulting snow mould…so indoors I am staying until it, hopefully, dries up out there. At least I was able to bring some Spring indoors with a bouquet of tulips! Some of the pink ones wilted very quickly so I made them into a mini bouquet for my windowsill.

stack of vintage pillowcases and sheets to make into a quilt

I’ve started keeping a master “To Do” list in a note on my computer and it has been an absolute game changer in terms of getting projects done. I’ve got different categories and have been adding everything from simple tasks like “wash a load of white laundry” to more complex, future projects like “refinish antique dresser”. Some projects I won’t get to right away, but it’s been nice to be able to keep track of all the plans I come up with. I used to write out a list in my schedule, but I wouldn’t get to everything through the week and didn’t always carry things through to the next week. Keeping an electronic list that I can delete items and add items to without running out of paper has been great so far. This week I was busy working on my quilt…again. I didn’t like how it turned out last time, so I added another layer to it, and am now stitching a proper quilt binding around the edge.

an open decorating book and a cup of tea in front of it

I also got some decorating books from the library and had a fun time paging through them for inspiration. As nice as the internet can be, there is still something even nicer about looking at a decorating book. I really enjoyed “Feels Like Home” by Marian Parsons of Miss Mustard Seed blog, and have actually decided to buy this one for my own bookshelf. It feels like the sort of book I will want to refer to again in the future, especially because it’s more of a “how to” and not just inspiration.

a vintage evening bag hanging on the wall with other pictures

After I finished looking at those decor books I was inspired to add this little purse to my gallery wall in my bedroom. It was my Gramma’s and I never use it, because I never really have an occasion to wear it, so this is the perfect place for it to live. And if I ever do have an occasion, I can easily take it down!

And finally, because it is officially Spring now, it was time for me to switch out my winter encaustic artwork by Donna Hanson for my Spring/Summer one!

Well, it’s back to stitching (my quilt) for me. What are your plans for this weekend?

encaustic artwork of a yellow field and blue sky

Social Saturday | March 12

glass cloches with dried flowers butterflies and moss

We’ve made it through another week, dear Reader! How was yours? My week was good; nothing out of the ordinary happened. I did some redecorating in my room in anticipation of spring…dried flowers, a butterfly and some moss in my cloches.

painting with milk paint and writing letters on pretty stationery

This picture above of painting with the milk paint was from ages ago, but I never posted it, so here it is now. We did finish that storage cabinet this week; sealing it with the linseed oil and assembling it. It’s finished, but we have to wait for it to fully cure before we move it into the sewing room. I hate waiting- I want to move it in now and start organizing the space!

afternoon teatime with carrot cake

I made a carrot cake this week. This is probably my favourite recipe; it substitutes some of the oil for applesauce. One of the problems with carrot cake can be that it’s too oily, and the applesauce fixes that problem wonderfully!

wobblert the american buff gander

The last image I will leave you with this week is this one of our gander Wobblert. It’s a long story of why he has that name, but mainly because he has a problem with his legs and he wobbles. It’s a fitting name. He was mad that I dared to come and take a photo of him, so he climbed up on this snow drift and hissed at me. He’s not actually very mean, but I am always a bit wary since he bit my foot last year when the geese were trying to hatch eggs and he was overly protective of them!

Anyways, that was my week! How was yours? Any plans for the weekend and for next week? 

Social Saturday | March 5 (Winter Again!)

galvanized metal quanset surrounded by trees covered in white frost

And here I am again with more winter photos even though I just posted some on Tuesday…however I woke up this morning and was greeting with this beautiful sight, so of course I had to take my camera out to capture it! I never tire of seeing a beautiful frost. Do you get frost where you live?

a line of spruce trees covered in frost

I haven’t done a “lately” post for a while, so here are some things I’ve been up to.

What I’ve been reading– The “Daughters of Fortune” series by Judith Pella. I received this set for Christmas, though it took forever to arrive (bought from Thrift Books) so I just started reading it now. It’s one of my favourite book series, set in WWII.

branches covered in large white snowflakes and frost silhouetted against a blue sky

What I’ve been watching– I just found out about this movie “Sabina, Tortured For Christ: The Nazi Years”. I wasn’t familiar with Sabina Wurmbrand at all, so it was really fascinating to watch this part of her life. It is available to watch for free this weekend (March 4-6) here. All you have to do is register.

row of graineries in different colours of grey, blue and red covered in snow

What I’m thankful for– The fact that I am feeling much better after being sick for several weeks. It’s so nice to get back into the swing of things- work, sewing and other projects. Even just giving your bedroom a good sweep and dusting feels good when you haven’t been able to do it for a while. It’s crazy how much things pile up when you’re stuck in bed!

seed cone and a pine tree covered in snow and silhouetted against the blue sky

What I’ve been making– My mom and I started painting a storage cabinet in January, but then put it on hold once I got sick. It is our first time using milk paint, and I’ve been quite enjoying it. Now we just have to oil it and then we’re done. I am hoping to finally finish it today! Have you ever tried milk paint?

snow covered road lined with frosty trees

What I’ve been eating– This recipe went viral last year, so probably everyone has tried the Tomato Feta Pasta, but if you haven’t yet, you really should. I used this recipe from The Daily Connoisseur”. Since we didn’t have enough fresh tomatoes, I used some diced canned tomatoes, and it turned out just as good!

branches covered in sparkling white frost against a blue sky

What I’ve been working on: Adding a bunch of my artwork to my shops! I have started re-listing pieces on my Poshmark Shop, and some will make their way to my Art Shop too. I decided not to renew my contract with the art gallery in town, so all of the pieces that I was showing there will be making their way to the shops in the coming weeks.

Well, that’s what I have going on right now. What plans do you have for this weekend? Whatever you do, I hope it is a good one!

a view of a valley with trees and an old gas tank in the foreground covered with snow

Social Saturday | January 15

gallery wall with a bunch of artwork hanging on it

Hello and happy Saturday, dear Reader. How was your week? Mine has felt a bit hectic, with a big project at work that I’m trying to finish up today. (Plus all the other things of daily life mixed in!) Earlier this week I took some new pieces to my display at the gallery and I remembered to snap a picture of what it looks like right now.

Some of the new illustrations are these three vintage dresses.

framed dress illustrations

I have also added this trio of dresses to my Society6 shop. They are available with or without words as greeting cards and I have prints too. I hope to do more of them, because vintage dress styles are just so fun to draw and paint!

Well, that’s all for this post and I hope you have a wonderful weekend however you spend it.

vintage style dress illustration

Social Saturday | It’s 2022!

candle on a windowsill

“Happy New Year” Dear Readers! Does it feel like it should already be 2022 to you?

I’ve had an enjoyable and productive last few weeks of 2021, how about you? Above, I received this lovely pottery dimensional candle holder for Christmas, and it’s so nice to have it sitting on my windowsill reflecting the light in the evenings. 

star new year wreath

I like to change out my wreath depending on the season, so I put gold stars on it for New Years, just for fun!

beautifl sunrise

I don’t often get up before dawn, but the last time I did I was met with this beautiful sight. I haven’t gotten up that early since, though, I guess it wasn’t enough of an enticement to leave my cosy warm bed. 

mystery orange plant bloom

One of my mom’s succulents is blooming. I have no idea what this plant is- it didn’t have a tag. Do you know what it is? We call it the “alien plant” since it has long stems with round leaves and spines that look like antennae. 

zippered pouch with a house embroidered on the front

As for projects lately, I’ve been enjoying some more embroidery. This time a little pouch for my sister. I’m really enjoying making these, and I’ve been contemplating adding some to my Poshmark Shop.

two little baby sundresses and bonnets

I’ve really been wanting to make things with my hands lately- embroidery, sewing etc. However, I haven’t felt like sewing anything for myself because fitting patterns is the worst part of sewing, so instead I’ve started making other things- like baby clothes. Not because I’m having a baby anytime soon, but because kid’s clothes are so fun to make! I plan on creating a bit of a stockpile of them to gift to families in my church who have little ones on the way, as well as bringing some pieces to the pregnancy care centre. 

baby felt boots and hairbows

These little felted boots are so adorable, aren’t they? And little hair bows are a quick and easy (and cute!) project to whip up in an afternoon. I’m having so much fun making these, that I may have been dedicating just a bit too much time to them lately…. well, it’s the New Year now so time for a fresh start! 

Do you make New Year’s resolutions? I make a list of 3-4 goals for the year, whether personal, creative etc. Last year I planned to finish organizing my hard drive and compiling a photo album of all of my Instagram photos…but I didn’t get to it…so, it’s back on the list for this year. Other than that, I haven’t thought of any other goals, but I’m sure I’ll come up with some in the next few days.

I hope your 2022 is off to a great start! Happy New Year!