back by popular demand...2013 wall calendars!

New!  Wha-hoo!  2013 wall calendars are here.

Happy Holidays, friends!

nostalgia...in a sewing machine

Way back in the day, one of my first 'real' jobs was selling sewing machines.  When I saw this ad for a new Singer sewing machine, it made my heart pitter-patter just a bit faster.  The new / old design...genius!

county fair time

Enjoying the county fair this week...hot, dusty and even a little rainy.  Thankful for these simple days!

it's always amazing...

...to see signs of life in the little garden.  I have a very black thumb, so the fact that little seeds sprout up into something real & wholesome is utterly amazing to me!

vintage plate garden flowers

Trying my hand at making some vintage plate garden flowers...they're in the drying stage now, so I'll let you know how it goes.

peace, joy...and love

Happy Heart Day!

fall morning

Richly blessed with a gorgeous foggy fall morning.

a fall family reunion...and rediscovering shrinky dinks

My sister & I hosted our Nicol family reunion yesterday.  I know that reunions are usually summertime affairs, but really a fall family reunion was delightful.  We had a potluck, with so many potato and cheese dishes, Jell-o salads, pies and even oyster dressing.  As we said on one of our Nicol-ism cards, "You might be a Nicol if your 4 food groups are:  Meat, Potatoes, Noodles & Cheese."  It's the truth in our family!

Instead of a White Elephant gift exchange, we decided to invite everyone to bring a handmade gift.  (We treated it like a White Elephant exchange however, as we drew numbers, then each person had the choice to "steal" a gift, or select a new one from the table...we got up to the number 22 before someone actually stole one!  Then the fun began...)

There was everything from jalepeno jelly, a paracord bracelet (that Young Boy made,) homemade candies, handsewn potholders & aprons, photography, handmade birdhouses and even a treetop angel.  At the end, my dad asked everyone tell who had made what...it was great to see so much talent, right there in our own family!

I took some handmade holiday ornaments for my gift.  My favorite was the one below.  It's a vintage photo of our family (waaaay back when!) printed out onto Shrinky Dinks, then shrunk into a little credit-card sized ornament.  It took a little trial & error, but it was so much fun!  Watching it shrink up in the oven, it was like I was ten again.  Might have to make some more for the holidays.

So grateful for such a warm & loving family!

a perfectly fine fall saturday

Had the best day with my sister yesterday.  An autumn day trip right in our own county.  Cooley's Greenhouse, The Cheese House, French Hen Farm and our church cemetery (I know, that last one came about as we were looking for bittersweet amongst fence rows.)  So grateful for inspiring & relaxing days!

a french hen weekend!

SO excited!  The Fall French Hen Farm Sale in Marysville, OH.  This Friday & Saturday, 9 to 5.  It promises to be glorious!  (Wishing you ladies a perfect weekend :)

Photo compliments of Linda's gorgeous blog.

gatherings magazine

Have you seen this?  Wow.

carrots!

My first-ever homegrown carrots!  Can't wait to eat that giant purple one.

a domestic day...

I was a pasta-sauce making machine today!  Yum.

8th grader

We made a deal.  I wouldn't walk him in to school today.  In exchange (for not embarrassing him,) he had to pose for a couple of photos at home.  Can't believe Young Boy is an 8th grader.

happy back to school day!

new etsy goodies

Some new sparkly magnets in the shop...enjoy the day!

happiness this morning...

I don't have a green thumb.  Never have.  So imagine my delight when things actually grow in my little garden!  It's gonna be a good day.

pretty lettering & a sweet quote

fair-goers of the great-grandparent kind

I tell him all the time..."You're so lucky to be 13 and have great-grandparents!"  Just love them all!

blue-ribbon days

What's better than a blue ribbon?  (A pink one, maybe...)