Even in putting things back and adding a fresh touch on the decor, my goal is to use as much as possible of what is already here in our home–to move things from another room in order to get a different look or function.  It’s kind of fun!

Using this wonderful book, I made a pillow cover using some quilt strips and an old comforter a while back, but never got around to getting (or making) an insert.  I also have an overabundance of throw blankets. Simple solution? I folded two of the blankets into 18 inch squares and inserted them into the pillow cover. Viola! Pretty pillow….zero cost.

I’ll let you know about a few other decorating ideas I have up my sleeve. Hang tight. It’s all happening.

Carefully preserving as much as I could of those precious threads and the hodge podge of color, I cut into it. It  now serves as a table runner, and has become a lovely addition to our dining table as well as being such a beautiful piece of my heritage. I’m happy we can use it again, although in a much gentler capacity. It has served me well and will continue to do so, instead of being packed away in a musty old drawer.

I can even see patches from dresses and other things that had been made for me when I was a kid…a Christmas dress, a pair of jams. (wonder when those things will make a comeback?)

I am so pleased that we can use and enjoy that old quilt once again. And I couldn’t stop with a table runner. I just had to add some chair pads.

You can be sure that the rest of those precious scraps will find their way into some other project, not to be wasted or forgotten.

Another good thing that came of it: I discovered German Pancakes. Hello. Easiest and quickest breakfast ever. Rebekah had a giveaway and a plea for breakfast ideas a couple weeks ago and lo and behold! As I zipped through the comments, I saw that people kept mentioning German Pancakes or “Dutch Baby.”

Now. Who of you already knew of this and with held the information? Shame on you. I followed the directions of the very first commenter who mentioned it and our breakfast was delish and so easy.

Here’s how she said to do it:

The original recipe (which I usually double for my family of 7 and put it in 2 9×13s instead) is melt 2 tbl. butter in a glass pie dish (in the oven while you are preheating it to 425). In blender, mix 3 eggs, 1 c. milk, 1/2 tsp. of salt, 1/2 tsp. vanilla, and 1 scant c. of flour. Pour into pan and bake for 20 minutes. Serve with maple syrup, powdered sugar, fresh fruit, or all three!

If you try this, let me know how you liked it. It just doesn’t get a whole lot easier…

Sorry, friends. You’ll be seeing a lot of this one all summer long. I can’t help myself. Me and my skirt have lots to catch up on.

(and everyone’s a winner.)

I don’t want the kids to remember that I was always cleaning, cooking, gardening, sewing (all things I love–except for cleaning!) instead of taking time to hear what they had to say or see what they wanted to show me or play a game or have a conversation. There’s even a song about this kind of thing, so my guess is that I’m not alone in this.

Recently, UNO  has been an avenue in which to do this very thing. My kids and I have been enjoying a little tournament and it’s been very freeing to stop whatever I’m doing (on my own terms– I’m still working on this, people) and squeeze in a game or two. I think we all benefit from a little friendly competition during our day, and I definitely don’t want to turn around tomorrow and have grown kids that don’t feel like they were as much of a priority as say, a clean kitchen.

…I’ll be there in a minute

Just a few places to go.

You wake up a few years later and your kids are grown.

And everything is important ; But everything is not.

At the end of your life your relationships are all you’re got.

And love to me is when you put down that one more thing and say, I’ve got something better to do

And love to me is when you walk out on that one more thing and say,

Nothing will come between me and you, Not even one thing…

How do you let go of that “one more thing?”