an itty bitty redwood forest

remember that mushroom kit we got as a very random wedding gift? well we're trying out another growing kit. wade did really good this year for my birthday - and one gift was this adorable dawn redwood bonsai forest kit from potting shed creations:

redwoods are pretty special around here. this little forest will be a mini version of the the giant sequoia redwood tree in boston public gardens that we were engaged beneath. best gift ever, right?

want to know a few fun little redwood facts?
• these tiny trees are actually ancestors of the giant california redwood - which can grow up to 10 STORIES tall.
• the redwoods found in boston public gardens are super special bc they normally grown in much milder weather. that's why they thrive in northern california.
• dawn redwoods were thought to be extinct until the 1940s when one was discovered growing in a rice field in central china.
• even though its towering relative is an evergreen tree, the dawn redwood is one of only two known deciduous conifers. woah science talk. that means that its needles turn from green to yellow then copper in the winter.  a mini remind of the seasons on your desk or kitchen window.

{credit: potting shed creations, mini us retouch by me!}

and now i wait impatiently for our little forest to grow! 

while i wait - it's time for me to start gathering ideas for wade's big 30th. 

got the perfect gift idea? let me know!

this week ...

last week wade and i ran around like crazy people. we had dinner w/ friends on tuesday, weds, friday, saturday & sunday. in between, i started back to pottery class, worked a world vision event & lead children's worship. wade ran a 5k & had several meetings. it was a whirlwind. and ultimately a great week!

of course - after all that, i lacked some serious blog motivation & motivation around the house. inspired by cornflower blue studio's rotating goal list - i've decided to start sharing my goals each week ... some blog related and some purely for myself.

last night i started on the list by baking my very first loaf of gfree bread! when i was home back in april, i borrowed my mom's bread machine. it had been stored away in the basement for a while - and needed some TLC. may & june slipped away from us - ethiopia and all! so finally over the weekend i cleaned her up and gave it a go! 

 

 

i used gluten-free goddess' delicious gluten free bread recipe. sadly - it looks nothing like the pictures and it's a little more dense than i prefer! :) it does taste pretty yummy though - a suitable recipe title. time to make some tweaks and do some research. if at first you don't succeed ... try try again!

what's on your goal list for the week?

pottery 101: pigeon toe ceramics

i'm loving this simple modern pottery by pigeon toe ceramics on etsy:

{click to shop}

time to by pure white clay and bright speed ball glaze!

{simple things} vinegar!

this summer w + i have had a slight problem w/ fruit flies. we haven't had a full on infestation but there's been a stray fly or 2 hanging around basically all summer. grr. soooo frustrating. {so much so that i've almost mastered the obama fly catch} last night i took to the internet to find a fix!

vinegar to the rescue ...

{source: popsop.com}

to rid your home of fruit flies: pour a cup of vinegar (preferrably apple cider vinegar) into a jar and add a couple drops of dish soap. place the jar in the area where you've seen the fruit flies and wait for your little homemade trap to do its job!

as of this morning, i've proudly caught (and killed) 2 little boogers. yahoo!

this of course got me interested in more miracle uses for vinegar. there are so many sites dedicated to vinegar! would you believe it ... i even found a blog with 131 uses for vinegar! 131!!! i knew this stuff was a must-have around the house. but had no clue it's full potential.

10 other awesome uses:

1 // to prolong the life of flowers in a vase: simply add two tablespoons of vinegar + three tablespoons of sugar per quart of warm water.
2 // to make wool sweaters fluffier: drop in a couple capfuls of vinegar during the rinse cycle.
3 // to remove stubborn price tags or stickers: paint them w/ several coats of vinegar. let them soak for 5 minutes and then wipe away.
4 // to clean windows: mix 1/2 vinegar + 1/2 water in a spray bottle. dry off with newspaper.
5 // to remove water stain rings left behind on your coffee table: mix equal parts distilled vinegar and olive oil. rub with the grain and polish for best results.
6 // to unclog a drain: pour a handful of baking soda down the drain and add 1/2 cup of vinegar. then rinse w/ hot water.
7 // to substitute for lemon juice in a recipe: use 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar in place of 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.
8 // to prevent mildew in the shower: spray the shower walls w/ half vinegar and half water mix. (the same mix for your windows.)
9 // to remove odors from the kitchen sink: wipe down the entire sink w/ straight vinegar and then pour 1 cup down the drain. wait an hour before rinsing.
10 // to keep a carpet spill from staining: use a cloth to soak up as much liquid as possible. spray w/ your half vinegar/half water mix. let stand for 2 min then blot w/ a towel.

i love a good home remedy!

speaking of ... i stumbled upon this little baking soda/oj face mask earlier today. baking soda exfoliates the skin and clear blackheads while the orange juice tightens the pores and brightens the skin due to the vitamin c. what do you think? should we give it a try?

{source: glitter guide}

{simple things} retreat

{source: pinterest}

i have been incredibly absent this week. and i'm really hoping i haven't lost all of my followers (still there, mom?). it's weeks like this that i really wish i had a blog partner - any "mundays" out there want to jump on board? ugh. too specific blog title gets you every time.

it's 10.40 on saturday morning and w/ the addition of 3 hours this am ... i am at last officially ready to leave town! wade comes home from dc tonight - and then we'll leave after church tomorrow.

where are we heading? well unfortunately we don't have the funds to go some place exotic this year (aka morrocan getaway part deux). instead we're heading to martinsville, il - pop. 1194.

it's fair week! the martinsville agricultural fair to be exact. my entire life we've headed to my grandparent's home for fair week - the only week of the year that grandma would lock the door. we would bet malone's taffy on the horse races, peruse the art hall and livestock barns with grandpa, and spend our evenings enjoying the events under the lights of the grandstand. when the sun was just too hot on the midway, we would head to the moonshine country store for a moonburger and a coke (cash only of course). or head to the casey swimming pool for a dip. or even better play a round of back alley bridge w/ my great aunt leona.

this year will be different than any year before. the house will be empty when wade and i arrive. my grandma is now living in a nursing home and my mom is spending the entire month of june visiting my sister leigh in hawaii. we will be thrilled to see my sister brooke and her family, my brother ross and his girlfriend, my dad and my aunt jill late in the week.

we are grateful for the retreat. and i am anxious for quiet ... for peace ... for walks ... for the smell of my grandpa that still lingers throughout the house ... for fresh watermelon on the sunporch ... for long drives through the country where you can see the entire milky way.

packing my sewing machine + knitting needles. and wade will pack too many books ... guaranteed. hopefully there will be spotty dial-up internet enough that i can blog. but if not ... i hope you find time to retreat this week too.

{simple things} stumped

after a long (hot + dirty) weekend ... i'm on empty today! you could pretty much say i'm "stumped" creatively. bah ha - now you see my level of desperation.

a short happy list of simple wood inspired decor:

1 // tree-stump side table - west elm
2 // pando floor lamp - anthropologie
3 // wedding centerpiece - style me pretty (photo: carlie statsky)
4 // tree cake stand diy - once wed
5 // log salt & pepper shakers - old faithful shop
6 // wood slice walkway - landmarcs (photo: katy elliot)

time for a nature walk to do a little DIY supplies gathering!

{simple things} 31 bits ..

another jewelry post! (sensing a theme? i obviously have a one track mind!)

more than once i've asked my friends kristin and ashley about the adorable paper bead jewelry they've been wearing. and more than once they've introduced me to 31 bits. finally last night i wrote it down - bc i just had to share!

{click to shop}

each piece of jewelry is handmade using 100% recycled paper and other local materials. lovely, right!?!

but we're not just talking EXTERNAL beauty ... this little company has a great big heart!

in 2007, co-founder kallie dovel traveled to uganda for the summer. she returned w/ a box of jewelry made by local women and the dream of launching a company to market and sell their beads. a year later, she returned to uganda w/ a few friends. they selected six women to begin buying jewelry from on a monthly basis. only 3 years later - they have now grown to 63 women.

through 31 bits, women earn an instant income and are equipped w/ literacy education, financial and vocational training, holistic care, and strong support systems. empowering women to rise above poverty through fashion + design! love it!

so ... how can we get involved?

1 // buy something! visit the shop here.
2 // throw a house party! say what?!? a house party! 31 bits sends you a box of jewelry. then, you invite your friends over to purchase one of their incredible pieces of jewelry while hearing stories about the women of 31 bits. (get more info here.)

i'm definitely thinking a party is in order! so nashville peeps - are you interested if i sign us up?

{simple things} mayday + spring clean w/ purpose

happy (belated) mayday, folks!

{new yorker magazine, may 1941 per woof nanny}

they say "april showers bring may flowers". i'm praying this is true this spring. many of you know that april was miserable for much of the south. devastating storms claimed more than 300 lives and destroyed thousands of homes across six states in the southeast. while we were spared, so many were less fortunate.

plan to spring clean? this weekend i plan to give the closet a once over. clothes4souls (a divisions of soles4souls) is currently collecting clothes to distribute to communities devastated by the recent tornadoes. check out their website for details on how you can help and where to send your clothes/donations.

{click here for more info}

and i couldn't blog today w/out a little shout out ... a very happy birthday to my dad. i know my crafty little blog isn't really up your alley ... but if you do happen to catch this know that i'm thinking of you RIGHT THIS SECOND. and i love you very much.

{simple things} craft hope

have you heard of the site craft hope? one of my favorite bloggers, ashley ann at under the sycamore did a post this morning about participating in the most recent craft hope project which reminded me of this sweet cause. their mission is to help crafters (like us) share handmade gifts w/ those who need them around the world. currently they are on project 12.

a few heartbreaking statistics:

• more than 1 million orphans are waiting for a home in russia.
• in russia, 60% of girl orphans become prostitutes and 70% of male orphans become hardened criminals.

for this project, craft hope is partnering with orphan outreach. they will be working at st. petersburg’s crisis center 15 - a center for children ranging in age from infant to teen who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned. craft hope is encouraging crafters to make bracelets to be given out during the trip!

i'm definitely on board - and since the rain won't go away ... i'll make good use of my couch time! and bonus: i'll share a little tutorial later this week w/ my bracelet of choice.

interested too? check out craft hope now! :)

{simple things} my life in 20 photos

my friend ellen (black and white and loved all over) did a blog post over the weekend called "storytelling in 30 photos" (something she snagged from one of her fav blogs). as much as i enjoy blog posts on what outfits people have put together or their favorite etsy finds ... i love catching a glimpse into the life of the woman behind the blog.

inspired (but overwhelmed with 30 pictures) ... here's my modified version:

1 // me ... and the dreaded self-portrait



2 // my love ... my sweet husband, wade.



3 // my family ... the extended version.



4 // something that makes me happy ... fish tacos + tortilla soup from mas tacos por favor.



5 // back when ... back when i could get a tan!



6 // random wade and i ... the night after we got engaged.



7 // a relative of mine ... my only living grandparent - gwen hammond.



8 // a person i can tell everything to ... my sisters (and my little brother). we do need some updated pictures.



9 // my spare time ... a messy table full of projects!



10 // a place i love ... the martinsville fair.



11 // old times ... family camping trips! (and permed bangs - what!?!)

12 // a great night ... september 25th, 2010.

13 // always there ... my mom & dad. i am so blessed to have them.

14 // last summer ... boston visits - and day trips to maine.



15 // a picture that makes me sad ... i really wish wade could have met my grandpa haven.



16 // a picture that makes me laugh ... the 1st night wade met my parents. a very awkward picture w/ my dad - or a wax statue of my dad. hee hee.



17 // being crazy ... my dad's harley goggles. i think he was serious when he bought them!



18 // my parents at my age ...



19 // my favorite vacation ... our dream honeymoon to morocco (peacock pavilions).



20 // an accomplishment ... my half marathon. people say it's addictive - not so much! but i'm proud i did it once!


snag this post (as i did) -- but be sure to send me a link so i can learn all about you too! :)

{simple things} a sunny weekend!

wade and i were in boston a few weeks ago when it was in the 80sº in nashville. completely worth the trip and 40º weather - but it made us even more ready for the sunshine this weekend! :) and it was BEAUTIFUL!

i spent most of the day on saturday out on the front porch prepping our desk and file cabinet to be stained. we walked 2 miles to church and then home on sunday morning (and got a little color!). then we stained the desk. unfortunately i wasn't sold on the color i picked out for the file cabinet. dang. i have a few more projects for the "office" before i make the big reveal. exciting though.

i'm pretty smitten over all the flowers in bloom. wade and i might have taken advantage of a lilac bush on the corner of our street one night last week for a little bouquet. lilacs are my favorite!!! don't worry - we picked the ones that were dragging on the ground. {not gonna lie to you - there's a pink tree in bloom across the street from my office that i'd like to attack as well!}

today it's STORMY. real stormy - so the file cabinet will have to wait ... again.
in the meantime, a few pretty bouquets of spring branches:

{source: tumblr, apartment therapy, unstitched, piewacket, buckets of burlap}

1 & 3 // lilac
2 // cherry tree
4 // dogwood - wade's favorite!
5 // redbud