life lately

This & That | August 22

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white yarrow flowers growing by a rock wall

Hello Dear Readers! I can’t believe we’re already into the second half of August; where has the summer gone? Lately I have been…

Reading:

I’m halfway through my goal of re-reading Jane Austen’s books this year! I’ve finished Persuasion, Pride & Prejudice and Emma, have started Sense & Sensibility, and only have Northanger Abbey left!  (I read Mansfield Park a couple of years ago, so I’m not going to re-read it this year.)

paperback copy of sense and sensibility sitting on a striped quilt

I am really enjoying it. Especially when I sit outside on the swing on a peaceful, sunny afternoon to read a few chapters in between watching the birds and the clouds go by.

yellow canola fields and a country road with a storm in the distance

Loving:

Vibrant yellow canola fields and going for walks. Especially when a storm is coming up and the sky is starting to get that greenish look to it that means it is time to head home!

baby clothes

Making:

So many cute baby things lately for new babies in my church.  Bibs for little boys and a polka dot dress and bloomers for a little girl.

Finding: 

Letters from friends in the mailbox. Always a cheerful surprise!

pretty photo box with vintage photos in it

Working on:

The family history photo project. I’ve created a family tree of one side of the family and have printed a whole bunch of the photos, finally, but then some of them were printed incorrectly, so I have to do a re-print of some of them. I got the majority printed on 4×6 papers and trimmed them to size, keeping the white margins so they look “old”. I have them stored in this pretty box until I’m ready to assemble the albums.

evening scented stocks

Eating:

Fresh vegetables from the garden! So many cucumbers in particular. Yum!

And I am not eating these pretty evening scented stocks my mom planted, above, but I am enjoying their lovely blooms and delicate scent.

Watching:

These two videos about two very different dresses were a treat to watch.

-Jane from Snapdragon studio explores a beautiful antique silk dress that has sadly begun to shatter.

–Marilyn Monroe’s pink “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” dress from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is one of the most famous dresses in cinema (superseded only by the Little Black Dress from Breakfast at Tiffany’s) and it’s on display right now in an exhibit called Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon.

And that’s all for this week!

What has your August been like? What have you been reading, making, finding, eating, and watching?

vibrant yellow canola fields and blue skies

This & That | May 8

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vintage the wind in the willows book illustration

Hello Dear Readers, and happy Friday! I hope your week has been a good one. Lately I have been…

Reading:

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. This story was written in 1909, and the edition I got from our local library was an anniversary edition printed in 1959- look how lovely it is! The illustrations are by Ernest H. Shepard (the same artist as Winnie the Pooh) and they are so sweet. The story was too. Toad was, of course, the best character.

the wind in the willows vintage book spine

Loving:

Tulip bulbs, crocuses and new leaves are bursting forth! I can’t wait for them to bloom.

tulip leaves poking up out of the dirt

spring leaves unfurling

Making:

I made a pressed flower magnet with another one of those rings I got from the thrift store.

pressed flower magnet and altering t-shirt sleeves

Working on:

Altering the sleeves on some t-shirts. They didn’t have any colours I liked in the short sleeve tees, so I bought some of the long sleeve ones (on clearance) and shortened the sleeves to the length I like, using a twin needle. Sometimes knowing how to sew is nice.

new sewing room setup

We’ve also got a new sewing room set-up. The sewing space used to be in what is now my office/craft room, but it got moved into the spare room a couple of years ago. We were “temporarily” using a writing desk for over a year. Recently this desk came up in our church’s free group, and while were weren’t originally going to use it in the sewing room, it fits perfectly into the space!

Eating:

This weekend for Mother’s Day, we’re going to do a hot pot and cheesecake. Yum!

shirtwaist style dress at winners

Finding: 

….and passing on the “perfect” dress at Winners last week, since it didn’t fit properly (the armholes were too low and gaped). I was so sad it didn’t fit, but it’s given me some inspiration to sew something similar. Again, it’s a good skill to be able to sew and not have to rely on the way off-the-rack clothing fits!

Watching:

I love Crows Eye Productions, and their latest historical dress video about the 1930’s was such a lovely watch.

Sharing:

This dress that Laura Mae of Lilacs & Lace recently made was such an advanced project and it turned out so beautifully! She followed up by turning some of the scraps into coordinating shoe clips and hair combs to create the perfect ensemble.

And that is all for now, Dear Readers. I hope you have a lovely weekend!

crocus leaves coming up out of the ground

This & That | April 2nd (Happy Easter!)

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easter hymn on a board sitting on a shelf with a floral painting behind it

Happy April, and Happy Easter dear Readers! Lately I have been…

Making:

I have picked back up a sewing project I started back in 2019. I didn’t like how it was turning out at the time, so I put it aside to brainstorm…and there it sat for 7 years. And then I tried it on a little while ago and reworked the skirt and now all that is left to do is the sleeves. That took 4 tries until we (my mom mostly) finally got it sorted. I had originally thought to wear the dress for Easter, but decided to wear something else.  All that is left is the sleeves…but the problem with sewing is that when you get 80% finished, you’re still 20% away from the finish line, if you know what I mean, haha.

sewing a sleeve on a dress and finished baby hats and headbands for gifts

There are also so many new little ones in my church, so I’ve been sewing more baby gifts, as always! This sweet little seersucker bonnet turned out so well, and then I also made some more headbands and soft hats.

Loving:

Changing out the artwork on my “seasonal” wall with this Jenni Haikonen art card.

jenni haikonen art card framed in a wooden frame

Eating:

Not what I am eating yet, but what I will be soon…Easter dinner with family. My aunt makes an amazing roast lamb, roasted potatoes and vegetables, and then we all bring desserts and salads. My mom is making a chocolate fudge cake. It’s going to be a delicious weekend.

stack of photo albums

Working on:

The family history photo project…. I finished one entire album!!! That is more than 1/2 of the photo project completed, as the other albums have fewer photos in them. This week “quarter 2” of the year began. I wrote each quarter in my planner, so I can check in on my goals and projects periodically, and I was so pleased to see that I am making good headway on this project.

Listening To:

Always Celtic and choral music, especially while I have been working on the photos. Enya, Anuna, Eurielle,  (and whatever else Youtube recommends for me.)

Reading:

I am bringing “They Came to Baghdad” by Agatha Christie for my road trip tomorrow. I have read this one several times before, and it’s one of my favourites.

a stack of decorating magazines and a cup of tea

Finding: 

A lovely stack of cottage magazines by Victoria magazine at the thrift store! At $0.25 each, I could not pass them up. I will also be bringing them on my road trip to page through.

Watching:

Lisa Eldridge is not only talented, but her makeup videos are so relaxing too. This older video all about Marilyn Monroe’s distinct eye look was fun to watch.

And that is what I have been doing lately. I hope you all have a wonderful Easter, Dear Readers.

He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.

-Matthew 28:6

He is Risen Indeed!

This & That | March 3

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bouquet of dried pink roses

Welcome to March, Dear Readers! It’s snowing and blowing outside, but something about turning the calendar to a new month makes it feel like Spring must be on it’s way, doesn’t it?

Lately I have been…

Making:

I haven’t started any new projects lately, but in the spirit of my last post have been doing some alterations on pieces, as well as resurrecting some old projects and garments and changing them into something new. All works in progress and nothing completed yet, but hopefully soon.

patchwork coasters

I also made these little patchwork coasters for my mom. Don’t look too closely at the seams…they’re crazy quilts!

Loving:

I dried the roses from my Valentine bouquet, to bring some floral cheer to my display shelf. Soon it will be time to start adding more Spring touches to my decor!

Working on:

Scanning photos. Always scanning photos. I’m about 1/3 of the way through, I think. I do really need to dedicate more time to this project.

scanning old photographs

Eating:

After a few months of being out of stock, I finally got some more lavender flavoured honey from a local farm. I love it with Cream of Earl Grey tea in the afternoons.

stack of books I'm reading in March

Reading:

I’ve been reading through some of the Classics I have on my shelf that I haven’t read for years (and can’t remember the stories very well), and deciding whether I want to keep them or not. Some are clear winners The Secret Garden) while others I enjoyed but don’t want to read again/keep on my shelf. (Wuthering Heights anyone?)

Finding: 

I saw this ceramic wall flower (below) at the thrift store a few months ago; there were actually three of them, but they had marked them “not for sale” (Seriously why do thrift stores do this? Are they in the museum business now?) But last week I guess they decided it was time to finally sell them. The other two were chipped, so I just got this little one. I love how it fits at the top of my gallery wall.

The same day, I also found a really good bargain: a linen/rayon skirt that was originally $106, with tags still on, which I paid only $4 for! That’s a 96% discount.  

When I’ve not been thrift shopping, I’ve been doing a bit of decluttering in preparation for an “Open Cupboard” event we’re doing at my church this Sunday. It’s a free garage sale/ swap event. The key (for me) is to not come home with more than I brought, haha! (And maybe not shopping so much at the thrift stores…)

I hope your March is off to a great start so far, Dear Readers!

Is Spring in the air yet where you live? What projects have you been working on so far this month? 

ceramic 3d wall flower in a gallery wall of artwork

This & That | September 12

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Bouquet of sunflowers

Hello dear Readers. How is your September so far? The calendar might not say it’s Fall quite yet, but the trees have begun changing colours, the geese are flying south overhead, and we are busy harvesting the garden…so it’s falltime in spirit!

Lately I have been…

Loving:

Sunflower bouquets. My mom planted sunflowers this year, and enough of them bloomed that we could enjoy some inside too.

Eating:

All of the fresh produce means it is time for one of favourite dishes- tomato and feta pasta. I have been waiting expectantly since last summer, and finally the tomatoes are ripe! I make this delicious recipe from the Iron You.

embroidering a bookmark outside

Making:

A couple of weeks ago we had an unexpected power outage for several hours. I was “forced” to unplug and sit outside in the shade and embroider a cute bookmark. I decided to list it in my Poshmark shop.

embroidered flower teabag bookmark on a vintage book page
Reading:

At Home by Bill Bryson, which I am very much enjoying. It’s not really a history of the home as much as he uses the spaces in the home to launch into snippets of history from all over the world and from different time periods. I am very much enjoying it.

Watching:

I love the Tasting History channel. I was going to recommend a video, but really they are all great, so you can just watch all of them.

inspiration bulletin board arranged for fall

Finding:

Inspiration for the season. I rearranged my magnet board with pieces in autumnal colours, and am enjoying looking at all of them over my desk each day.

Working on:

Finishing up building projects before the end of summer….sanding, stripping and spray painting. Last weekend my dad also helped me build an organizing shelf for my 12×12 scrapbook paper. It turned out perfectly and it’s going to be so much nicer to browse through than a box!

scrapbook paper organizing shelf

Finally, a link to share, is this beautiful, ethereal gown from the 1910’s from The Dreamstress’ series “Rate the Dress”. I rated it 10/10 as I couldn’t find a single thing I didn’t like about it!

Well, I think that’s all for now. I hope you have had a lovely week, dear Readers!

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